Ashborn Primordial

Chapter 91: The Butcher And The Blight

Thunder cracked as Princess Mina Hiranyas C Grade Arc spell lanced out, its finger seeking a target that was no longer there.

Tell me, Riyan. Were you surprised to learn that Id killed your contact and taken his place?

Riyan ignored her, Blinking around the princess, evading her magic. Since water magic was useless against a fast-moving opponent, Mina only had Lightning to work with.

I suppose you never knew of my skills with deception. You knew I liked to sneak out of the castle, but youd never seen me do it. If you had, youd have realized my skills were easily as good as your own. Your mistake got your man killed, Riyan. Yet another useless death for your pointless cause.

Shed hoped to upset Riyans rhythm, giving her an opening. But the mans relentless determination hadnt changed after all these years; he continued to attack, unfazed.

Despite her calm outward demeanor, Mina seethed. A mejais worst enemy was a skilled Talent wielder, especially one who specialized in mobility. Even her Arc spells missed their mark against such an agile foe, and without her magic, she had only one or two options to threaten him with. When Riyan wasnt Blinking around, he moved with superhuman speed, augmented by Haste. Against such an opponent, Mina was a sitting duck.

But this was true of every mejai, and so Mina had long ago taken precautions.

Riyans talwar slashed across her face once again, opening a small gash on her cheek, drawing blood. Minas mind spun and spun, attempting to decipher her enemys secret.

Even Blade Projection shouldnt be able to touch me, she commented calmly. Mina was intimately familiar with all of Riyans Talents. The man had been infusing every attack with prana, but she knew from experience that this Talent couldnt penetrate her Artifacts defenses.

The pendant she wore under her clothes hailed from the Age of Gods, and not only prevented injury but also healed wounds near-instantly as well. Already, the line on her cheek clotted and closed. It was the ultimate healing art. One that shed never had to rely on in the past.

Because even with Dahas limited prana, it had always rendered her invulnerable.

The princess wore it at all times without fail. A fact Riyan knew well.

You know, I feel a little bad playing with your agent. You never even told him about my Artifact, did you?

Who in their right mind would undertake an assassination mission against an unkillable opponent? I never intended the boy to die. Unlike you, I value those whove done right by me.

Virs mission was doomed to fail from the start. But it had given Riyan Mina, alone and vulnerable. And as a bonus, hed even killed Head Priest Harak, and had sown chaos in the capital.

Curious, Mina said, appraising Riyan like a lab specimen. I know not your secret, but that you managed to harm me is intriguing. This has never happened before. But even so, that is all it isa curiosity. Is this all? They do say that one can die from a thousand cuts, but I fear youve miscalculated again, my dear general. What did you hope to accomplish here? Soon, my elite knights will be here, and youll die in vain.

Riyan said nothing as he flitted around her, blurring as his speed left afterimages in Minas eyes. Relentlessly, consistently, Minas arms, legs, and cheeks took damage.

Again and again, hed wound her, only for her flesh to mend right back up.

But Riyan wasnt done. For a brief moment, he stopped, attacking Mina not once or twice, but thrice in quick succession. All at the exact same spot. Each strike gouged deeper into Minas forearms as she blocked her face, each drawing more and more blood.

General Riyan Savar knew better than most that to stop on a battlefield meant death. A stationary target was an easy target, and Mina capitalized on the opportunity. The instant Riyans attacks stopped, she fired a C Grade Arc spell.

At this distance, Riyan wouldnt evade. He took the attack head-on and grinned, launching a flurry of follow-up strikes on the hapless princess.

Mina laughed wryly. Aegis? Now now, its not polite to keep secrets, Riyan. Have you kept it hidden this whole time? Or is this some new ability, perhaps?

Despite her situation, the princess sounded genuinely happy.

Ignoring her again, he struck the same wound in rapid successiona feat made possible only by a warrior of Riyans caliber. As much as Talents augmented strikes, if the technique and footwork lagged, the results would only go so far. It was why hed trained Vir so relentlessly in the Kalari arts.

The Talent Aegis defended its wielder against incoming magical damage, and while his was still a work in progress, it was more than enough to dissipate the energy of Minas Lightning strikes into the ground.

How? Mina shouted as her curiosity got the better of her.

You dont even have the faintest clue of how your Artifact works, do you? You inherit such a priceless treasure from your father, and yet, even with your intellect, you never tested it. Never researched it.

Oh? You sound quite confident about this. How do you know I

Mina suddenly fell silent. Youve found an exploit.

Riyan cracked a grin.

For the first time in their encounter, doubt flickered through Minas eyes. It was a passing thing, but Riyan didnt fail to notice.

Though his attacks hadnt done appreciable damageindeed, every cut hed inflicted had already closedhe trusted his plan.

After years of research, scouring libraries from all over the Known World, Riyan had gained a morsel of insight into the workings of Minas pendant. Most records covering the Gods and their magic bordered on uselessopting to revere and extol the subject of their study rather than understand it.

But after pouring over a dozen tomes, patterns emerged. Riyan had learned that most Artifacts functioned by drawing prana from its surroundings to charge their spells, much like orbs did. In Minas case, her pendant used the prana to protect her.

So you learned about how my Artifact uses prana, did you? So what? Yes, prana is scarce here, but even then, your attacks should not be able to touch me. Youre doing something else. Something youre not telling me.

If only you put that mind toward the betterment of this country. Hiranya would rival even the Kinjals. Instead, you play your sick games, plotting to bring about your brothers downfall.

In regions of sufficient prana density, Riyan would never have been able to graze the princess. But now he knew. The Artifact was struggling. Struggling to block his attacks and heal Minas wounds.

Whats more, his gamble had worked. Hed hidden the Life orb slotted into his talwar by moving too fast for Minas eyes to track.

By infusing Life affinity prana and mixing healing into his attacks, hed stunted the Artifact, tricking it. Should it heal? Or would it impede the healing? Hed no basis for this theory, only instinct. But instinct had served him well through his long career, and it did not fail him now.

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It seems even the Gods workings have their limits.

That said, it wasnt as if the Artifact sat back and did nothing. It did heal Minas wounds, but only to a degree. And critically, thanks to the Life prana in Riyans attacks, it did not nullify his strikes. Healing consumed far more prana than mere damage deflection, a fact hed exploited thoroughly.

And soon

Riyan continued his onslaught, unrelenting. All Mina could do was to stand and bear the myriad of small wounds that opened up on her body. Her only other option was to flee, and were it anyone elseanyone sanetheyd have done so. But not Mina.

The Princess grinned maniacally, ecstatic to have her old general back in the palms of her hands as rivulets of red flowed down her face and body.

Rivulets from the wounds on her body that hadnt yet healed.

With each successive strike, Riyan became more and more sure of his strategy. If the Artifact consumed prana, it stood to reason that, in Dahas prana-deprived lands, that very prana would soon run out.

Slowly but surely, Minas wounds took longer and longer to heal, while the gashes themselves grew deeper and deeper.

Several more Lightning strikes pummeled Riyan. He dodged most, but those he couldnt evade, he dissipated with Aegis.

Almost there

But Fate waited for no one.

A half-dozen knights rounded a bend and rushed to protect their princess. If they succeeded, his chance would slip away. Against one or two Balar 100 warriors, Riyan would win. But against six, all augmented by mejai support? Even he wasnt confident about those odds.

Im afraid this game has gone on long enough, Mina whispered. Know your place, Riyan. Know that it is beneath me. Know that you will never kill me!

The princess hadnt seemed to notice her reinforcements. Or, if she had, simply didnt care.

You think yourself clever, having researched my Artifact. You assume I trusted it blindly, thinking it infallible. But tell me, Riyan. Would you ever put all of your faith in one tool? Would you not build contingency plans?

Riyans eyes narrowed. Was she bluffing? Or did she mean what she said?

At that moment, something changed. Mina neither attacked nor did she order her troops. She instead stood calmly, gloating, as if shed just turned the tide of this battle.

Princess! Are you unhurtGaaaah!?

The knights adopted a defensive perimeter around Mina, but those closest to her immediately recoiled in pain. Their flesh sizzled and decayed, as if consumed by an invisible monster.

Retreat, if you do not wish to die an agonizing death, Mina said coldly, as if speaking to lower life forms. I will personally execute those who interfere.

Turning to Riyan, she bowed her head. I apologize for the intrusion. To think they nearly ruined my fun. Now, my dear general, please die for me.

What is this magic? Riyan asked, putting several paces between him and Mina. It wasnt just her knights whod taken damage. The weeds penetrating the cobblestone wilted and died, as did bushes at the edge of the street. It was as if Death itself surrounded Mina, cloaking her in its bony embrace.

And now we come to the climax of this little show, Mina said, firing off her Lightning again.

It wasn't just her Arc spell that hit him. The mejai among the knights hurled fire, wind, and water spells at him.

But if Mina's Lightning couldn't hit him, they stood no chance at all.

Riyan Blinked closer to understand this new unseen foe. But the moment he came within three paces of her, blinding pain assaulted him. It was as if his arm had been placed in forge fire. Hed experienced nothing like this.

With a grunt, Riyan aborted his attack.

Did you know, my dear general? No, I suppose you wouldnt. We keep too many secrets, really.

Either use that mouth to say something, or stay silent, Riyan barked.

Mina smiled gleefully, as if her enemy had just said a funny joke. She then crouched and touched the cobblestone. There is a monster. One that lurks deep beneath this city. A being of myth and legend. Trapped there after passing through an unstable Ash Tear. Too small to allow it to return, but just enough to feed it enough prana to survive. With the Altanis help, weve managed to control it. A superweapon, of sorts.

Riyan frowned. Hed never known of such a thing. Once again, he wondered whether Mina was bluffing, but the invisible cloud of death that surrounded her told a different story.

Prana Swarm, they call it. Ive seen it myself. Ive seen what it does. Honestly, its less of a weapon and more of a calamity that would destroy this entire city if set loose. But what if you took just a bit of that calamity? What if you stored it in a jar and fed it only enough prana to keep it alive? What then, my dear general?

Riyan blanched at her words. Hed heard of Prana Swarms, but only in myths. Fables and legends. This wasnt the sort of monster one ever expected to actually encounter. But what he knew made him sick.

Beings of pure prana that consumed all dense prana sources, adding that power to their cloud.

The cloud surrounding Mina expanded outward.

To confront one was to die. Riyan moved away, circling Mina's slowly-expanding Swarm. But of course, she didn't let him. The Prana Swarm relentlessly attacked her, though it failed to penetrate the Artifact's defenses. Which meant it followed the princess wherever she went, acting as her personal shield of death.

Knowing she was now nigh-untouchable, she charged Riyan, and for the first time in their duel, he was on the back foot.

Riyan dodged, Blinking away from Mina whenever she approached. The princess, knowing he would, timed her magic and fired Arc spells the moment he reappeared. Even with his deft footwork and vast experience, the odds eventually caught up to him. He dodged half a dozen lightning bolts, but the seventh struck him, sending him to the ground, spasming violently.

A warrior like Riyan wouldn't die from a single Arc spell, but being on the ground made him vulnerable and exposed, and his opponent relentlessly exploited that weakness.

Water Dart fired, penetrating Riyan's robes. He never wore armor, preferring mobility to defense, but with his mobility gone, only Toughen protected him from Mina's magic. It wasn't enough. Her magical darts lanced into his body, piercing flesh.

Instinct saved Riyan. A lifetime of combat had burned his weak points into his muscle memory; his body moved just enough to avoid lethal wounds. His Life orb began healing his wounds the moment they opened.

The warrior understood that the duel could not go on like this. Avoiding the Prana Swarm was not an option. There was only one choice. Only one path to victory.

Riyan steeled himself and Blinked in, gritting himself for the searing pain. He activated Haste. He activated Blade Projection. He powered his Life Affinity orb. And he slashed with all the strength he had, right at Minas exposed neck.

This was it. His final attack.

The Prana Swarm ate away at his body as he swung, consuming him, debilitating him with acid-washed pain. His legs refused to move the way he wanted, and he knew his aim wouldnt be true.

So instead, at the very last moment, he willed his muscles to change course. Just slightly. Just enough to cleave through another target.

The Artifact warred with the weight of Riyans strike, but this attack was different. Because not only did Minas pendant have to counter Riyans enhanced blade, but it had to negate the damage the Prana Swarm dealt to Mina.

Because, as Mina had said, they resembled forces of nature more than any living organism. And one did not control mother nature.

The Artifact buckled, and Minas arm went sailing into the distance. Crimson painted the ground as the princess blinked in shock.

But his attack had not been without cost. Riyans skin burned and his flesh melted.

He ignored it and touched the ground, Blinking back at the girl for another strike.

Healing magic worked wonders. It could restart pierced hearts, and bring those back who were thought dead. To kill Mina, hed have to decapitate her. Because, for all its power, not even the highest grade Life orb could regrow a limb.

His next Blade Projected strike removed her left leg, just above the knee.

Each foray into the Prana Swarm cost Riyan, and by the time he left the cloud, the skin on his face had sheared off entirely, leaving his visage hideous and ruined.

The princess guards had not been idle. Despite the danger, and despite the debilitating pain, they formed a ring around their liege, protecting her even at the cost of their own lives.

Fools! Riyan roared. You protect a monster. But a crippled one.

With a genuine smile on his face, Riyan Blinked to Minas severed limbs and scooped them up.

Hed come here knowing full well he might not end the princess life. He was more than willing to sacrifice his own to do so. For Arya. For Meera. His dead wife and daughter. For Hiranya.

You once took everything from me. You took my wife. My precious daughter. But robbing you of your family would only please you, wouldn't it? You have never once cared for another. No, the only one you love is yourself. You think yourself above all others. For someone like you, there is no greater insult than this. Consider that karma you sowed so long ago returned.

Without her limbs to reattach, Mina would live as a cripple for the rest of her days. A stark reminder of her failure. Never again would Mina be the shining symbol of perfection she so thoroughly believed she was.

Now, you will never be Queen, Riyan shouted, gloating through his pain. You will not bring this country to ruin.

Kill him! Mina screamed.

But her troops remained frozen, as if captured by Riyan's overwhelming aura.

You will wander this world crippled, maimed, and broken. Let them know. Let the world know. Here walks Mina, the blight who thought herself untouchable!"

Despite their poverty and corruption, Hiranyans valued a stately and strong ruler. Both in demeanor and appearance. They would never accept a cripple as their monarch.

A fact Mina understood all too well.

By robbing Mina of her arm and leg, Riyan had ensured shed never ascend the throne. And in so doing, had reduced the odds that Mina killed off her siblings.

KiLL hIM!

Her knights gave chase, but Riyan was untouchable, even nearly blinded as he was. He Blinked away, seeking only to escape. To live. To fight another day.

But as he fled, he risked one look back. At his mortal enemy. At Mina.

And when he saw her tragic state For the first time in years, he found peace.

It was a small satisfaction, but it was one he would have to live with. Until he returned to finish the job.