CHAPTER ASHBORN 415: DEADLY GAMES

Ashborn Primordial

Vir watched Raoul from the shadows. The demon paced around his tent—the Garga Lavani were still camped in the tents they’d brought along, at Raoul’s insistence. Perhaps he felt a need to segregate them from the broader army to maintain some semblance of control, but it hadn’t bothered Vir. In fact, he’d initially encouraged the separation , when skepticism of their ability and distrust over the cult’s motives ran high. Now, they were as integrated into the rest of the force as everyone else.

Most among them truly weren’t that different, all things considered. Yes, they were members of a cult that worshiped Vir, but most had joined through need and a promise of a better life away from Chitran oppression. Not too different from what Vir was striving for. And while they did worship him, at this point, Vir would be hard-pressed to find a single soldier in his camp who didn’t.

The worst part? Even the nonbelievers started thinking that way after meeting Vir and spending time in the Ash. Ashani’s presence was, of course, no help in that regard. She only made the problem worse.

Well, that wasn’t strictly true. There was one demon Vir was quite sure didn’t worship him. How ironic that he’d be a traitor.

Raoul was clearly at his wits’ end, and it didn’t take much of an imagination to know the demon was considering fleeing to the Chitran. Raoul, however, was not an average chal. He knew Vir’s might firsthand. He knew the Chitran had no chance, and crucially, he did not know of Greesha’s prophecy. That bit of information had only been shared with Cirayus and Ashani.

It would be so easy to end him in this state, Vir mused. To slip his katar into the demon’s back, ending whatever potential threat he posed to Vir and his army… but the idea Ashani had proposed intrigued him. It wasn’t often that she voiced her opinion, after all.

Not because she didn’t have them—she had plenty of ideas and insights, often incredible ones—but anything she said was treated as gospel, and so she’d learned to filter her words soon after arriving at the garrison.

Unfortunately, that had made her increasingly reticent these days, speaking freely to Vir only when they were alone and in private—a sadly rare occurrence. Vir wished Ashani had more actual friends… Though, considering her station, it seemed only those the world considered living gods would qualify for that role.

If her plan worked, Raoul’s temporary loyalty was all but guaranteed. Past that… Well, Raoul’s fate would be in his own hands this day.

“Hello, Raoul,” Ashani said, opening his tent’s flap and strolling serenely inside. “We’ve not chatted much… Or, at all, actually, but as you know, I am Ashani. Most people around here consider me a goddess, despite assuring everyone I am not.”

Vir almost laughed. Raoul’s body froze, and then, slowly, like a wooden doll, his neck turned, followed by the rest of his body, to face Ashani.

Ashani seated herself on the large throne-like seat in the corner—Raoul’s seat—crossed her legs, and gave him the sweetest and most terrifying smile Vir had ever seen. “I’d like to have a little chat, if you don’t mind? About your treachery and how you have been feeding vital military information to the Chitran in the hopes of getting them to kill Cirayus and thus elevate you to the position of Vir’s highest advisor. I’m afraid to tell you your efforts are in vain.”

“What… do you mean?” Raoul squeaked, hastily adding, “G-Goddess?” in a voice that would’ve made Hiya sound ancient and wise.

Ashani’s smile widened. “You seem to have mistaken my passive demeanor for noninvolvement. I’m afraid you could not be more wrong. The position is taken.”

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“Did you see the look on his face?” Vir laughed the moment he met back up with Ashani. “I swear, he was about an inch from pissing his pants.”

Ashani giggled. “It felt so wrong! Speaking to him in that manner.”

“I don’t know, Ashani,” Vir said, shaking his head. “You looked quite happy to flex your godly might.”

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“Perhaps a little,” she said, smirking. “After going around so long denying people's superstitions, it did feel good to let loose like that. Not that I would ever make a habit of such a thing.”

“You did a lot of good, though,” Vir said. “You saved at least one life, and possibly many more.”

“Yes, I daresay Raoul will cause you no trouble. Not while I’m around to keep his leash, anyway.”

Vir nodded. “He has the fear of God in him now. Not in the faraway sense. A living god, present in the here and now. To think he thought he could maneuver around you, of all people… I really don’t know what he was thinking.”

After Ashani’s entrance, she continued to lay bare every detail of Raoul’s plan, mentioning his meeting points, contacts, and every other minutia Vir and Ekat’Ma’s spies had given her. Her delivery impressed even Vir, and he had the benefit of knowing that Janak had blessed her with perfect memory.

To Raoul, her godly omniscience was only reinforced through the exchange. Especially considering how she omitted how she gained access to such specific knowledge.

Though she didn’t outright threaten him, her duel against the Automaton Guardians had become widespread by now, growing grander and more embellished with each passing day. About half his demons credited her with driving off the Guardians after Vir fell, though it had been his Life Chakra attack that had most likely been the true cause.

As such, Raoul knew exactly how powerful Ashani was. Until now, he had avoided her. Something he clearly thought he could do going forward. Just that today, his luck ran out.

“It is not so surprising, I think,” Ashani said. “To your army, I am an aloof mystery. Sometimes spotted, but never quite known. Not one of your troops have dared even glance my way, let alone approach me, or gods-forbid, actually speak to me.”

“Which is only adding to the myths and legends surrounding you, you know?” Vir said.

Ashani cocked a playful eyebrow. “Are you one to talk, Akh Nara? Need I rattle off the rumors of your godly might? Brace yourself, for we will be here awhile. And that’s not even mentioning the rumors of how two gods working together could only be a divine miracle, or how your rebellion was preordained by Adinat himself!”

Vir cringed. “I admit, I could have done a better job disseminating those rumors. It might be a lost cause at this point.”

“I daresay it is. Not that this should concern you. Your predecessors would have fallen over themselves to have such auspicious tidings surrounding their ventures.”

Vir ruffled his hair. “Yes, well, I will take every advantage I can get. Now, let’s save some Panav. Nayan is already out there, fighting. Soon, the main army will mobilize. We’ll need to be quick. We’ll need to be stealthy. The Chits should never know what hit them.”

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“What is happening?” Matiman demanded, slamming his palms on the massive table that dominated the war room. The war room was a special chamber deep in the heart of Samar Patag’s keep, a place where many a Gargan military decision had been made across the centuries.

Now, it was theirs, like the rest of the city, though Annas had to wonder just how much longer it would stay that way.

Across the table was an elaborate map of Samar Patag and the surrounding area, dotted with dozens of wooden pieces representing squadrons, companies, and other organizations of troops. Most of the pieces were arrayed in a neat line on the walls of the city, with the majority concentrated to the south and west.

To the southwest lay the Gargan Forest—now the Chitran Forest—in which the Akh Nara had been amassing his army.

“They fly too high, my Raja,” Asuman said, bowing his head. “Our ballistas cannot hit them. They are dropping everything from rocks to explosive bombs. Most of our siege emplacements have already been destroyed, and the ramparts are in ruins. We continue to take losses at an unacceptable pace.”

“Were our ballistas not specifically built to combat this very threat, Asuman?” Matiman fumed, spittle flying across the room as he berated the traitorous governor.

“Clearly, these ‘airships’ are capable of flying higher than we expected,” Annas said, feeling like he’d aged ten years. “This is precisely why I suggested setting the forest ablaze, to prevent them from amassing their forces there. They seem to be assembling these airships on site, rather than in the Ash. We could have crippled them!”

“I do not care for what ifs, Annas!” Matiman fumed. “We are helpless under their aerial bombing! Our strategy is null and void! At this rate, the Akh Nara will cripple our army without a single loss to their side! We will be the laughing stock of the realm!”

Losing Samar Patag would be a blow to the Chitran, yes, but Annas felt it was Matiman’s legacy that stood to become the laughingstock of the realm.

“Their airships require constant resupply,” Asuman said. “We must strike their base in the woods. Destroy them when they land.”

“Then what have we been waiting for? Muster the troops!” Matiman cried.

“Can’t you see? That is exactly what they want us to do!” Annas said. “To give up our defensive advantage and fight them in the open. Where is their army? These five thousand Ash-trained warriors, the likes of which this realm has supposedly never seen? Where is the Ravager? Or the Akh Nara? Or that… white being who travels with him?”

“I do not know,” Matiman said coldly. “But if you have any information you would like to share with us, Annas, please, feel free. Any bold strategies I should know of?”

Annas ground his teeth. “No, my Raja.”

“Then muster the troops! Mobilize immediately!”

“At least,” Annas said, feeling a growing sense of dread. “At least torch the forest first, as I suggested before this debacle began.”

“Yes…” Matiman said with a wicked smile. “Yes, I think that can be arranged.”