Sure enough, the mares were utterly slow, compared to the imperial warhorses, and they needed to be rested and watered often. The next town was nowhere in sight, and by nightfall, they were still plodding through a grassy field. Aksha and Bali were forced to abandon their travel for the night and set up camp in the middle of the open gray field by a little pond.
They raised two tents but cleverly forewent the campfire. If these lands were crawling with the afflicted, they would be onto them like moths within seconds. Even the thought of those poor wretches made Aksha's stomach roil.
Aksha inhaled the cool, earthy field air as she sat by the pond on dry grass and immediately felt at ease. The moon was a plate of silver in the starry night sky, its light shimmering on the gentle ripples of the pond water. The mares stood at the pond's edge, drinking its water.
"OneRealm is so like the earth," Aksha sighed, stretching her legs out, one feet upon the other. Her back was stiff from sitting on the saddle the whole day. But at least now she was scrubbed and cleaned and comfortable in her new linens, a green cotton sari embroidered with red lilies all over.
Bali chewed on the chicken that he cooked in the flames of his fire magic. "Were you here before the Merging?"
"I was," answered Aksha, her voice quiet and wistful as if she were singing a song of the past. "The mountains, the grasslands, the rivers, they all stood witness then just as they bear witness now." It was so long ago, it felt like a distant dream. "Humans and asuras roamed the earth while the Gods watched from above, taking pride in the mortal virtues and dismay in the sins, and then, something shifted. The Gods began to partake in follies. They turned the earth into their playing ground.
"The humans caved, but the asuras stood up, and the universe witnessed its deadliest battle. Brave heroes fell on both sides and when it all ended, both sides sighed in relief, those who won and those who lost. And then an eons-old dream came true. The Merging happened, birthing the OneRealm in the exact image of the earth, in hopes that no such battle will happen again."
Bali had stopped munching on the piece of meat, instead listening intently to the extraordinary tale. "What side were you on?"
Laughter bubbled in Aksha's throat. One of the mares, the white one, looked up, startled by the sudden noise. "I was lucky I was not there. Battles sicken me," she said with distaste.
"Few go to battle to entertain themselves."
Aksha watched Bali, wary. Even dressed as a common farmer, he looked regal and divine, as the prince of OneRealm should, with his sharp cheekbones and hard jaw and especially with his callow gallantry. Perhaps, he thought he was destined to save the universe, just like every other man of the OneRealm.
"Is that why you are after the book? You believe it will end battles?" Aksha found herself saying, a smile softening the wry contempt in her words. "We already have enemies attacking us at every turn. That book is a curse, a weapon, not a gift. The only thing it will end is the hard-earned peace."
"There was never peace!" Bali blazed, jumping to his feet. His skin was glowing fiery red, more so in the sudden anger than in magic. "What you call peace is only a lull moment before the next battle is upon us, and I would rather win that battle than lose." He seethed before storming off to his tent.
When Aksha retired to her bed, she had that dream again. She was bathing in boiling water. She was scrubbing hard, peeling away layers of herself until all that remained were bones. The water went from thick red blood to molten hot lava. She stood there, waiting, not a sound escaping her lips.
Great columns of flames surrounded her and reared a head like a beast before engulfing her. Her bones turned to ashes, releasing her soul, which began to rise, up, up, and above…..until something shook her jarringly out of her vivid dream.
It took a few moments before she recognized Bali hunched over her in the dark.
"We have some unwelcome visitors," he whispered into her ear, his warm hand gripping her arm. "Can you create a portal?"
Aksha was afraid of this question. The Adityas were known for their portal magic. That she could not create one would expose her lies and pretense. "What kind of visitors?" She dodged the question. "Surely you are not afraid of some mere bandits?"
Bali fumbled down her arm until he reached her hand and pressed a stick in her palm. It was an arrow, just like any other, except it was fletched at the end with feathers. "Hunters," muttered Aksha, still unsure.
"Hunters who swore to hunt down every last immortal in the realm!" Bali hissed, shuddering warm breath on her cheek. "The Bhadras."
Aksha snatched her arm back from Bali and began to crawl towards the tent's flap, through which a sliver of moonlight was still peeking in. Bali dove forward like a cat and dragged Aksha by the leg away from the door. "Do you want to die, woman?" He sneered. His sudden urgency was baffling.
"No!" Aksha snapped. "But I do not want to cower here waiting for some mortals to take us."
She moved towards the door of the tent again, when an arrow came flying in, piercing the linen wall of the tent and buried itself deep into the right side of her chest. Aksha did not let the shriek escape her throat, grunting in agony instead. Bali cursed and pulled her back once more, this time laying her on the bed roll, and then, with the swiftness of wind, he leaped to his feet and sealed off the entire tent with a thick layer of Tantric air wall.
"My tantra…" Aksha gasped.