29: The Sweet Taste Of Progress

“‘The coast was safe, he said! Travel by night, he said!’ I’m going to wring Riyan’s throat when we get back!” Maiya shouted from behind Vir as they fled from the pirates.

What rotten luck, Vir thought. They’d avoided the road. They’d traveled by night. They took every precaution possible. Who could’ve predicted pirates showing up on the beach?

“We’ve got two Ash’va on our tail!” Maiya cried, spotting two black silhouettes against the rays of the rising sun.

Complaining would come later.

The pirates had forced them to flee into the desert, where the endless dunes slowed Bumpy down. The sand would impede their pursuers too, but Vir knew Bumpy grew tired quickly. He didn’t know how resilient the enemy’s beasts were, but he doubted they’d be any worse than their own.

Vir pulled out every trick he knew. He led them behind sand dunes before turning abruptly, hoping to throw them off. He made it look like he was headed one direction to get them to intercept him, only to change directions.

“They’re gaining on us!” Maiya shouted. Sure enough, the enemy was closing the distance despite Vir’s efforts.

“We can’t keep this up for much longer!” he said. His ignoble steed bucked and snorted, unused to being pushed this hard.

Bumpy’s breaths were much more audible now. The beast panted hard, and its gait became even more ungainly than usual. He’d already slowed down. Vir felt bad for pushing the Ash’va, given its injury. The beast was no doubt in great pain. He had to act fast.

Vir racked his brain for ideas, but came up empty. There was simply no way they could outrun their pursuers, and engaging them in combat was a death sentence. These were no doubt hardened criminals, and while Vir had concealed his katar, he didn’t think he could go up against two or three experienced fighters and win, even with Maiya’s help.

Gods forbid if they carried bows or crossbows with them.

Think! What can you do?

“Vir!” Maiya shrieked.

Vir snapped to his senses to see a boulder protruding from the sand just ten paces away, and they were headed right for it. Bumpy was so exhausted that the beast hadn’t even noticed it.

He did exactly what he shouldn’t have—he panicked.  The boulder loomed closer and closer, filling his entire field of view.

They’d be doomed if they crashed into that! The shock of the impact was one thing, but they’d be easy pickings for the pirates in hot pursuit if they fell off Bumpy.

His body threatened to freeze up on him. Vir summoned up every drop of willpower he could muster and yanked on Bumpy’s reins. The Ash’va turned at the last second, clearing the boulder with less than a single pace’s width to spare.

They were still on Bumpy, but the close call had cost them their lead.

The pirates were now so close, Vir could make out the scars that marred their faces. And when he stared into the whites of their eyes, he saw only bloodlust. Their hooting and yelling sent shivers up his spine.

He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t control Bumpy and think about warding the pirates off at the same time.

“Maiya, take the reins,” he said, handing her the leather controls.

“O-okay,” she said meekly, not having recovered from the shock of their close encounter. She shook it off and grasped the reins confidently. She’d been learning Ash’va riding from Vir, and this was her chance to show off her progress. “You have something in mind?”

Vir didn’t answer; he was a little preoccupied in turning in his seat. Now, he faced backward, towards Maiya. Toward their pursuers.

Decorating each of his wrists were three chakris. On his neck, two chakrams. But he could not use them. If he threw them, he doubted he’d ever find them in the sand again, even if they did double back to search the area later. He doubted they’d have that luxury.

To use them was to lose them. And he loathed losing his only ranged weapons so early in their trip.

We haven’t even made it to Saran, for Vera’s sake!

Vir hesitated. That the pirates hadn’t struck with bows yet could only mean one thing: they weren’t carrying any. And now that the sun was higher in the sky, he confirmed that fact visually as well. Perhaps they hadn’t had the time to equip bows, or maybe they simply didn’t have them.

It was a mistake on their part that Vir could exploit. He reached into a pannier and came away with a handful of pebbles.

“You’re gonna throw pebbles at them!? That’s your plan?”

Vir scowled at her. “Let me know if you have any better ideas!”

“I do! Use those chakrams of yours! You crazy?”

Maybe he was crazy. But these weren’t just any pebbles. Vir had learned from his experience in the Godshollow. He’d handpicked the most angular of rocks. Then he’d chiseled them on Riyan’s grinding wheel to sharpen their edges. They wouldn’t kill a man, but getting hit by one of these would give anyone a bad day.

Assuming he hit them, of course, but he’d never once ceased practicing his technique, not even after coming to Riyan’s place.

Vir began hurling the pebbles. But with both Bumpy and their pursuers on the move, hitting his target was no simple task. He couldn’t really predict how the enemy would move. Not to a sufficient degree to anticipate and compensate for in his throw. The first one went wide. The second and third shots came close, but then the pursuers moved and fourth and fifth went long.

Yet, with each shot, Vir learned something new. How to brace himself against Bumpy to stabilize his aim. How to guess the movements of the Ash’va, and what tactics its ride might use to throw him off.

Taking each of these factors into consideration,Vir’s sixth pebble made contact, slicing across the nearest Ash’va rider’s face.

He may as well have splashed the pirate with water—the man barely even reacted.

Grak it! Vir only had a couple of pebbles left. I’m gonna have to do it…

He’d been intentionally avoiding the pirates’ Ash’va, but unarmored as they were, they made for a far easier target. Ash’va were no bandies; their soft pink snouts were especially sensitive, so that was where he aimed.

The next throw connected, causing the animal to suddenly buck, throwing its rider off.

The pirate tumbled end over end on the sand. He didn’t get back up.

One down. One to go. Maybe I won’t have to waste my chakrams after all…

The other Ash’va was now only ten paces away. But the closer the enemy got, the more accurate Vir’s throws became.

Vir threw his final pebble, but this pirate was far more experienced. The man kicked his beast, causing it to veer to the side at the last moment.

The pirate then reached down to his boot and retrieved a knife. Vir could tell by his grip that he was planning on throwing it. And with Maiya sitting at the back, she’d be the one to take the hit.

No Badrakking way, Vir thought. The mere thought of Maiya getting injured made him all sorts of upset.

The chakram was in his hand before he’d even realized it, the blade of the disk biting into the leather palm of his half-finger gloves.

Training chakrams though they may be, Vir had sharpened their rusted edges against Riyan’s grinding wheel. Maybe they weren’t wootz, but they’d suffice. He hoped.

The pirate took aim. So did Vir.

“Slowing!” Maiya announced right before she had Bumpy reduce his speed.

In doing so, she throwing off the pirate’s aim, forcing him to reacquire his target.  Vir, having the benefit of forewarning, threw first.

The chakram sailed through the air, its razor edge glinting with the promise of destruction.

It slammed into the man’s forehead, gouging a terrible cut before bouncing off and landing in the sand.

“Yessss! Nice going, Vir!” Maiya shouted, pumping her fists. “Now why couldn’t you have done that sooner!?”

The man’s eyes rolled up into the back of his head and he fell off his Ash’va, causing the beast to careen off wildly.

“Did-did you kill him!?” Maiya asked.

“Nah. Looks like he just fell unconscious. Uh, maybe? You think he’s dead?”

Vir took the reins back from Maiya and turned around, so he was facing forward again. He slowed Bumpy down to a trot, but he didn’t dare take a break until they’d penetrated many miles into the desert.

“I dunno, Vir, you tell me.”

Sweat broke out on his forehead as he considered the implication.

Even if the man was dead, he’d gotten what was coming to him. Right?

It wasn’t like Vir was going to grieve for a pirate who’d tried to kill him. Even so, he found his hands trembling, and an odd chill seeped through his bones despite the desert heat.

He ruminated over that thought for the next half hour in silence. Both Vir and Maiya continuously scanned the horizon behind them for any signs of further pursuers, but thankfully, there were none.

Vir brought the animal to a halt at the bottom of a large dune. He dismounted, only to realize that his arms were still shaking.

Maiya held his hands in hers before embracing him. “It’s okay now, Vir. You saved us.”

Vir finally let out the breath he’d been holding. His legs buckled under him, but Maiya held him up.

“That’s… that was the first time I actually fought someone. Like, for real,” he rambled. “I mean, I couldn’t do anything against the knight in the Godshollow. I just…”

“I know, Vir. I know,” Maiya said softly. “You were amazing, Vir.”

Tears welled up in his eyes, but he blinked them back. He’d die of shame if he actually cried in front of Maiya.

He didn’t even know why he was crying. It was like a dam had been burst, unleashing a torrent of emotion that swept him away.

Yet above all that, he felt pride. Pride over the progress he’d made. Just a few months ago, he’d have frozen up against those pirates. Forget coming up with a plan to fight them—he doubted could even have run away as he was back then!

Back in the Godshollow, the knight had forced him to flee like prey. He’d basically done the same thing today, but there was a difference. He’d risen to the occasion. He’d saved his friend from a knife in her back. Because of his actions, no harm had befallen Maiya or Bumpy.

Vir’s mind drifted back to Apramor’s speech on the day of his fifteenth birthday. It felt like an age and a half ago, but he could recall every word. He’d etched the entire sermon into his mind.

Before he realized it, he’d started whispering Apramor’s words that day.

“So that their place shall never be among those cold and timid souls, who know neither victory, nor defeat.”

Maiya suddenly broke her embrace and stared him in the eye.

So I’m not the only one about to cry, he thought.

“My father’s speech,” she said. “He spent an entire month coming up with that, y’know?” Teardrops began streaking down her face. “He was worried sick about how you’d feel after you learned the truth about your magic. He didn’t want you to feel bad, y’know?”

Vir hugged her tightly. “This is so dumb,” he whispered. “It was just a couple of pirates. It’s nothing to get so emotional about.”

Maiya laughed. “Right? So dumb.”

And yet, the tears continued to come. The two friends remained silent for several minutes before Vir finally let go.

Wiping his tears, his face flushed with embarrassment, Vir cleared his throat. “So, erm, we should probably set up camp.”

“Yeah. Right. And I’m gonna have to reapply this makeup now that you’ve gone and ruined it.”

Vir cocked a brow. “Me? What about you?”

She poked her tongue out at him. “No point doing it now, though. We’ll just mess it up again.”

Maiya paused. “Wait,” she said, retrieving the tent fabric from a pannier. “Gotta do something first. You stay here and relax. I’ll handle this.”

Vir watched as she mounted Bumpy and retraced their path, disappearing off into the distance, leaving Vir alone on the dune.

She didn’t even say where she was going…

She returned several minutes later, walking behind Bumpy, dragging the fabric behind her.

“You’re hiding our tracks!” Vir exclaimed. “That’s a great idea, Maiya!”

I should’ve thought of that, he belatedly realized. The stress of the pursuit had his mind all rattled.

His friend beamed at the praise. “Just figured there hadn’t really been any wind. Didn’t want our tracks to lead those pirates right to us. They’re gonna have a hard time doing that now, though. I made sure I did a good job.”

“I have no doubt,” Vir said, letting out an enormous yawn, which triggered the same from Maiya. The exhaustion of the day was finally catching up to him.

The long journey had left them both exhausted, and the pursuit afterward had completely drained whatever energy they had left.

“Let’s get some rest,” he said, taking the tent from Maiya.

Unlike the tents Vir was familiar with, this one was merely a large, square piece of fabric, stretched out and raised a few paces in the air, allowing Vir and Maiya to crawl in underneath from any side. It did nothing to protect against the wind, but it did shield them against the heat of the blazing sun… somewhat. It wasn’t perfect, but it was far better than nothing.

Vir began erecting the structure by first retrieving four rounded pebbles from his rucksack. He inserted one into a corner of the fabric, twisting the surrounding cloth before tying a knot to capture the pebble within it. He then lashed that to a wooden spike they’d brought along, driving the pointy end into the sand.

After repeating this process three more times, he finished constructing the rectangular desert shelter.

Bumpy folded his legs and rested next to the tent. The Ash’va had nodded off before they’d even removed the panniers off of his back.

Vir moved as many of their supplies as possible under the protection of the tent, then crawled in next to Maiya, who was gulping down mouthfuls of water. She wiped her mouth and passed him the leather waterskin, and he followed suit, relishing the delightfully cool water.

“Guess we’re sleeping in the wild after all,” she said, scrunching her face.

“It’s really not that bad, is it? Consider it a novel experience. And tonight? Tonight, we’re gonna sleep on a nice, comfy bed at Saran.”

The delight on Maiya’s face almost washed away Vir’s fatigue. Almost.