Silver Stars, Ch 3: Welcome (Patreon)

Sam looked at where the Dragon Spirit was gathering himself and then to the Winged Fury.

His expression was calm, but a current of anger ran through him, which was why he was willing to let this continue until they surrendered.

He heard the Winter Sylph’s words easily when she asked them to stop, just like he’d heard what they were saying on the way here.

They had planned to break Aster Fall as soon as they arrived.

The idea that they were so willing to destroy his home to make things easier for themselves infuriated him. 

His fears about the reinforcements had come true, at least for two of them. If he hadn’t been here to stop them, Aster Fall would have suffered. 

His family would have suffered.

It made him want to tear them to pieces. Only the knowledge that they were more useful to him alive stayed his hand.  

He wanted their help with the Vos’Rekan. Otherwise, he would have made sure they went no farther.

As for how to convince them to cooperate, he had enough power that he could spend a little time recruiting them to protect Aster Fall. 

He just needed to persuade them first.

Fortunately for his mood, it looked like his fists would be the best method. At least he could deliver some of the punishment they deserved. 

It also gave him a chance to examine them. 

He had analyzed them all and their names and classes were clear in his mind, as well as some of their abilities, but seeing it for himself was better. 

The Dragon Spirit flew toward him, this time with a different tactic. The aura of destruction around Rohne’s claws spread outward and tore a dark ribbon of chaotic energy in the Void, which expanded as it headed toward Sam.

A dimensional rift in the Void.

He could feel the shifting forces in it, ones that would tear into the World Seal if it were closer.

The warrior had finally used an ability that suited the Fifth Evolution, proving why it was a risk to have him close to Aster Fall.

Sam studied the rift, comparing it to his own abilities. 

The warrior’s race was powerful, but the rift was uncontrolled. It was created from tearing apart space with dimensional energy and unleashing a wild mass of energy.

It was powerful enough to rip apart almost anything below the Fifth Evolution, but it wasn’t a threat to his True Dimension Body. 

It wouldn’t even cut through his skin.

The rift would eventually decay in the Void as it was eroded by natural forces, but there was no reason to leave it so close to Silverguard.

He frowned as he reached out. A hand formed of silver flames spread like a web and closed around the rift. The wild energy crackled against his grip, but it couldn’t break free.

Then he closed his hand, crushing it out of existence. 

Sparks of energy exploded like a celestial storm, but he stabilized the dimensional forces and forced them to dissipate.

A moment later, everything was calm. Only the stars burned in the Void.

Rohne twisted in space, his long body coiling in surprise as he tried to shift to the side. He’d been flying behind the dimensional rift with his claws wide, waiting for it to strike so he could follow up, but now he was completely exposed to Sam.

Sam’s fist flew outward in a streak of golden light, slamming into the Dragon Spirit’s head with a collision that sent thunder echoing through the Void. 

The warrior shuddered as his head snapped to the side. His coils stretched out in a line and he flew into the distance like a scaled arrow, traveling farther than he had before.

A flux of astral energy went with him, carrying him along as it kept him disoriented.

It would take him longer to recover this time. 

He was lucky Sam wasn’t trying to kill him, or it would have been a good opportunity.

Sam turned his attention to the Winged Fury who was coming up on his other side. 

Tenal was barely flying in a straight line. 

He’d been barraged by half a dozen redirected spells, all of them combined with astral energy to intensify the impact. It left him battered and weaving back and forth like a drunk, but he was tenacious. 

Illusory white armor that looked like full plate and was etched with intricate feather lines covered his body, reinforcing his defense. It came from an ability, but it was augmented by an amulet on his chest that resembled a small pair of white wings. 

There were two long blades in his hands. Each of them was single-edged with a thin curve to the length, as well as wavy quillions. 

Everything about him showed he came from a place with strongly integrated arts and a cultural concept that matched his classes. 

The Dragon Spirit was mostly physical, even with his magical abilities, but Tenal was a melee hybrid, transferring between blade and magic with ease. His style was furious and fast-paced, focusing on Strength and Agility, but also magic.

Most interestingly, as he was injured his blood dissipated into streams of white vitality that infused his abilities, making his attack and defense stronger.

He also had a racial gift to drain vitality from his targets, which was channeled through his blades, but he had no success in using it on Sam.

As he flew closer, Sam decided it was time to wrap things up. 

He had a basic understanding of their abilities and if he dragged it out too much longer, the other three still on the traveling platform might become uneasy. 

He had to strike a delicate balance between establishing his authority over Aster Fall and making it possible for them to work together.

He reached out with a river of silver runes, sweeping up Tenal in a sphere of power that locked down space and held him frozen. 

The Winged Fury began to struggle, but before he could make any headway, Sam sent a command to Silverguard and the Silver Army.

The Stellar Wall behind him burned bright, but in the distance the fortress erupted with power. A wave of astral energy flared from its walls. Silver stars gathered above it, forming a constellation of force.

Hundreds of silver meteors rose upward from their posts, their speed augmented by Sam’s presence and the wards.

They shot toward the Stellar Wall and divided into two waves. 

The first wave resolved into the forms of three hundred Silver Nagas. Each of them was at the early Fourth Evolution and the power they added was significant. 

The ward tripled in strength as it was reinforced by their presence. 

Each of them was a natural node in the enchantment with everything linked together by Sam’s aura and the Blessing of Silver Stars.

They assembled into gleaming ranks, their armor and weapons glowing with enchantments, but their scales were the brightest of all. The silver half-crown of scales on their heads and the lightning bolts patterned on their cheeks gleamed as badges of honor.

The points of their spears and blades glittered in the dark.

Behind them, the second wave of meteors arrived and took up a position behind the nagas.

Each of them was a silver eagle, Sam’s favorite type of astral assault golem. 

There were four hundred of them, a third more than the nagas.

They were just a touch bigger than the nagas, their wings stretching thirty feet from side to side. 

Each of the golems was Level 400.

He hadn’t been idle over the last week. 

His avatars had continued working on Silverguard and the Moonlight Relic while he focused on healing the Astral Guardian.

They were the first products of Silverguard’s golem chamber, which he had finished just a few days before.

He had copied the basic enchantments for the golem chamber from the relic, but updated them to his own style and needs. It was functioning now, but he still planned to expand its capacity. 

They took a massive amount of resources to create, but resources were something he had no shortage of right now, especially when he could gather astral quintessence from the Void. The golems were infused with a large amount of it, along with astral ice and metal as their primary base.

They were also blessed with Stellar Infusion, the class ability he’d gained at Level 450, which allowed them to continue to increase their level on their own.

Fortunately, they counted as his sworn followers.

Each of them added another node of power to his enchantments and benefited from the Blessing of Silver Stars while they were in his aura. 

It boosted all of their attributes by 30% of his Charisma, increased their abilities by a tier if they weren’t already at Epic, and gave them joint formation abilities for attack and defense.

It was almost the same as what the Silver Nagas received, but the blessing enhanced the golems’ enchantments instead of their innate abilities.

The golems and the nagas’ presence turned the ward into an army that bristled with danger. The eagles’ wings spread across the Void and hummed with stabilizing force, making the dimensional space turn harder than steel.

In order to bring them to Aster Fall and inside the World Seal, he needed to infuse them with an enchantment for dimensional stabilization. That same ability meant they were anathema to teleporting enemies.

Nothing could move near them unless he authorized it or it had the power to break the enchantments of the entire army. 

It was similar to having four hundred stabilizing domains overlocking in space.

As they took up their position, Rohne’s movement froze, leaving the Dragon Spirit drifting as he had to fly under his own force rather than by relying on dimensional energy. 

Tenal was already locked down, but his struggles became weaker as the additional energy suppressed him further.

Sam reached out a golden hand and grabbed Rohne from space, followed by a second grab to bring Tenal to him as well.

He placed them both down on top of the traveling platform, next to the other three reinforcements. Then he called the travelling platform closer, waiting as it stopped just in front of him.

From the frustrated look on the Cer’Aleth’s face, he didn’t like that the platform was ignoring him and listening to Sam, but the expression disappeared a moment later.

No one moved. They just stared up at him.

He was tall enough that the platform looked like a toy in comparison, so he changed his height to match theirs and stepped onto the edge of the platform.

His racial Charisma trait, Aura of the Stars, and the power of his domain radiated from him, making everything shine like it was bathed in starlight.

He looked calmly at the five reinforcements, studying each of them in turn. 

Rohne and Tenal were slumped over, but conscious, and with a flick of energy, he released them, allowing them to sit up.

They jumped to their feet and began to gather their energy, but when they realized the situation and that their allies were standing quietly next to them, they paused.

A brief mental phrase from Solis’erasti’nestim made them frown together, almost at the same time. They grimaced, but then they inclined their heads to Sam.

“Lord of the Void,” Rohne muttered, followed by Tenal.

The other three inclined their heads as well.

“Lord Titan,” Solis said carefully as looked at Sam. “We did not know you were already here.”

The elemental clearly wanted to ask why Sam was blocking the way to Aster Fall, but he was being polite. 

It was obvious he already knew Sam was an Astral Titan, so there was no need to deny it.

Sam nodded to all of them, and then looked thoughtfully at the elemental and the Winter Sylph.

Those two got the majority of his attention, since he was curious about their origins, but asking about Jesra’s connection to the Ice Sylphs and the elemental’s to the Astral Guardian would have to wait. 

When no more attacks came, he spoke.

“Welcome, emissaries,” he said. His expression was calm now and he didn’t mention the attacks. “I know why you have come and of the Council of the High Nine that sent you. Your assistance will be invaluable in dealing with the Vos’Rekan.”

“You know who we are?” Solis’s question was quick as he looked at Sam. His emotions were clear in the currents of crystal flame that ran through his body.

He was human in shape, but his body was translucent sapphire crystal with lines of bright flame in the same color running through it, lighter in some areas and darker in others. 

At his heart, there was a bright core of power that shone in Sam’s vision.

“Of course,” Sam replied. He indicated the traveling platform as he continued. “The Path of Stars, an artifact of the Astral Titans that watches over the galaxy, is the one who directed your travel here and who commanded this platform. He told me of your progress.”

“Then I must apologize for the actions of these two.” Solis said as he bowed more deeply.

His wariness of Sam was on full display, but he didn’t seem to be frightened. 

It looked like he just wanted to make a good impression.

That made Sam curious about his connection to the Titans. Whatever knowledge Solis had about them, he had automatically become deferential. 

It made Sam feel responsible for treating him well, so he decided to set aside the attacks and start again. 

“It is natural for them to want to test themselves,” Sam replied. “I do not mind. It has been a long time in the settled galaxy since my people last visited. Even my presence here is a fluke of time.”

Solis’s attention was piqued as he looked quickly at Sam, but the explanation could wait for later, if it was appropriate.

He wanted to examine the character of these reinforcements before he told them too much about himself, but for now, there was no reason to treat them as enemies while they were being polite. 

“More importantly, I overheard your words as you approached, so I must make some things clear.” His expression was still calm, but his voice hardened. 

Despite forgiving the attacks, he needed to clarify a few things.

“Your arrival is welcome and I am grateful you have come to assist Aster Fall, but I will not allow you to Break the world. It is far too important.

“If you can keep that at the front of your mind, we will be strong allies and I will do what I can to support you while you are here. I will also protect you as one of my own people when we hunt the Vos’Rekan.”

He took in the array of expressions on their features, which covered the gamut from fascination, to anger, to concern. Fortunately, there wasn’t much fear, either towards him or the hunt.

He indicated the Silver Army behind him. 

“These are my forces to defend Aster Fall,” he said simply. “The Silver Army. They will hunt with us. The nagas are looking forward to the challenge. They have a blood debt to collect from the last fight with the beast.”

The power radiating from the army was enough to drive home his words, not to mention the fortress behind them. He moved his hand to indicate it next.

“Aster Fall is my home and where my heart lies, but this fortress is Silverguard, my hall beyond the world. I built it to be a defense and a reception point for those above the Fourth Evolution, to prevent disruption to the World Seal while it is weak. 

“In the future, I plan to repair the World Seal and balance the power of the Nexus, which will remove the danger of Breakings, but to do that, I must find Asenya, the World Forger.”

He didn’t tell them that he already knew her location, since he wanted to sound out their intentions. 

He watched them as he spoke, but so far their attention was fixed on him and he had a generally reassuring feeling from the sense of their auras.

The one called Berim, the Archalis, was the hardest to read. There was an overwhelming curiosity in his aura that drowned out everything else. 

His attention was locked on Sam’s every word and he was scribbling furiously in his book.

“With your help, we can do even more, and bring an end to the threat of the Vos’Rekan. It is an ancient enemy, but the rewards for killing it are also great.” 

That should be enough of a lure to get them interested in going after it. He didn’t plan to waste any time, so he moved to the most important point.

“Lord Titan,” Jesra spoke up for the first time. Her words were kind and full of a pleasant winter chill, one that soothed the soul. “I know we all have questions for you, about Aster Fall, the Titans, and more. I hope you can help us to understand what is going on and why it has been so long since your people have spoken. The information that was given to us was very limited.”

“Let us move to Silverguard,” Sam agreed with a smile. He was inclined to like this Winter Sylph. “Food and drinks are waiting, and there will be time for many questions. You can tell me about the concerns of the High Nine and I will tell you about the history of Aster Fall and the Nexus.”

A few moments later, Sam, the traveling platform, and the Silver Army all disappeared in a streak of silver light.  

When they reappeared, it was in the sky above Silverguard. 

At Sam’s command, the roof of the Great Hall below them turned transparent. As they descended, they passed straight through.

Rather than being true stone, the roof of the hall was an astral ward composed entirely of transparent energy. 

Now, it gave off an awe-inspiring view to the first guests of Silverguard. Wild stars in a thousand colors shone in the distance of the Chaos Wild. Arcs of astral light from the fortress stretched upward, marking out the horizon like an aurora.

The hall was a grander version of the old reception area he’d built in his Titan Halls, with a massive fireplace at both ends filled with warm silver flames, a white astral stone table that stretched the length of the hall, and comfortable chairs. 

Fountains of silver-hued water poured out a crystalline music around the edges of the hall and the silver threads of astral energy in the stones of the floor and walls gave everything an ethereal presence that radiated welcome and warmth.

It was the best of the Void, like the heart of a star.

The traveling platform shrank to the size of a plate and disappeared into Sam’s spatial bracelet, while he guided the five emissaries to spots near the head of the table.

At the sides of the hall, servant golems began to float in through arches that led out to other rooms. They swiftly arranged plates and utensils beside each seat. 

After them came more golems carrying platters of food and pitchers full of golden drinks that they set on top of the table. 

There was ale and mead infused with mana and distilled essences of the elements that had been turned into draughts. They crackled in their pitchers, releasing a haze of condensed energy that felt like the waves of an ocean and frozen peaks on one side, while a roiling storm of flame rose from another.

Some of the drinks were more potent than others, but they were all safe for consumption, even by a child. 

Should a child drink some of them, the energy would be like a blessing of the gods, infusing them with elemental physiques and strengthening their body.

A few of these drinks had come from Sam’s memories of the Titans, ones they had enjoyed at the beginning of the First Age when they were tasting the flavors of the Void, while others were versions he’d made himself while experimenting with runes and the elements. 

His parents had tried some of them and now their kitchen was stocked with dozens of barrels. 

The nagas had also sampled them, and quickly found their favorites.

For the first time, he had brought them out to welcome these guests and to make the right impression.

As for the foods that the golems were already carrying out, they were platters of bread and fruits from Aster Fall and the gardens at Silverguard, some of which he’d cultivated himself with the Hand of Blessing ability that the World Core had given him.

Platters of meat followed, each of them roasted from Void beasts that were full of mana and rare auras.

Sam waved his hand at the fireplace at the end of the hall, and a roast appeared over the flames, slowly turning. It was the rarest of the beasts he would serve here, a Fifth Evolution Frostscale Wyvern that one of his avatars had encountered in the Void.

“Welcome to my hall,” he said warmly as he waved his guests to the table and let the golems fill their cups. When they all had one, he raised his own to them in a toast.

“Here, you have my protection and you will not lack for food or ale. Eat, drink, and feast. Once we have reached an understanding, then we can hunt.”

As the guests settled in, the Silver Nagas filled the hall as well, taking up their familiar spots along the astral table, and the hall was filled with boisterous conversation.