Silver Stars, Ch 4: Grand Feast (Patreon)

The music of the reception feast rang out across the great hall. 

It was accompanied by cascading notes from the silver fountains and crystal chimes from the astral energy flowing through the stones that made up the hall and table, which created a pleasant backdrop.

The music that rose up from the waters turned into drifting silver runes, which floated through the air like fireflies above the table and through the open sky. 

The nagas were lively, their shouts and hisses filling the air as they examined the guests.

“My Lord, when can we duel them to test their strength?” Sleset hissed in a mental message to Sam. “The army is ready. Our scales are bright. We must see if they are worthy to hunt with you, and the best way to do that is to fight them.”

The naga knew the emissaries were all at the middle of the Fifth Evolution, but he wanted to try it anyway, as did the rest of them. 

They were staring at the guests with fervent eyes as their tails twitched. 

“After dinner,” Sam sent back with a chuckle. “It would be one way to get familiar with their abilities.”

Sleset hissed in agreement, and then he passed the confirmation on to the rest of the nagas. 

As soon as they heard that, they pounded their fists on the table in delight and erupted into cheering hisses.

They’d seen Sam fighting, so they didn’t want to be left out.

They were so loud it would have drowned out thought in the entire hall if Sam hadn’t already enchanted it to keep things at a tolerable level. 

It was part of the magic on the silver fountains, which made it so that conversations were easily heard by those listening. 

The words were clear and bright, while the rest of the room faded into a calm background murmur. You could hear everything, but you had to turn your attention to it before it became louder.

He would be there to make sure the nagas weren’t injured. It would also give him a chance to sound out the emissaries’ attitudes in more depth.

He had invited them here, but he didn’t trust them yet. 

If he hadn’t stopped them, Aster Fall would once again have become a casualty of foreign powers.

No matter how honorable the emissaries thought themselves, they didn’t care for the world the same way he did.

That was reason enough to be cautious.

Despite that, he suppressed his anger for the sake of the Winter Sylph and the crystal elemental. 

Half of the reinforcements being reasonable would have to be enough. 

Jesra was clearly connected in some key way to the Ice Sylphs and their Mother, while Solis was from the same race as the Astral Guardian.

Currently, they were chatting with the nagas nearest them, trying to learn more about them and Aster Fall.

Their attitudes were the ones he’d hoped to see. 

Hopefully, the others would cooperate, but if they needed another lesson, he would give it to them.

Rohne and Tenal were behaving so far, mostly admiring the food, but from time to time they asked questions of the nagas.

The fire at the end of the hall slowly roasted the wyvern, which filled the air with a rich scent of mana and succulent meat.

There was no indication of time passing within the hall, just a focus on the feast. 

To a mortal who was present, everything would have blurred together into a whirlwind of events and voices, each of them full of power, but all of the guests were on the edge of immortality, and with the support of the enchantments around them, they barely noticed. 

Feasts at this level were rare, so no one wanted to interrupt. 

Lifespans at the Fourth Evolution and above were so long as to become irrelevant, but it was at the Fifth Evolution that the term immortal was popular in the civilized galaxy. When someone could live longer than entire civilizations, it wasn't inaccurate.

The emissaries took the time to sample all that Hall of a Titan had to offer, especially the things that could only be found here. Some of the drinks that Sam brought out hadn't been seen in the galaxy in millions of years. 

To the Silver Nagas, this was home, but the emissaries were keenly aware that there was no living memory of the last time a Titan had hosted their people. 

It would take three days to fully cook the wyvern, but with time only felt on the edge of things, it didn’t matter.

As the conversation continued, the emissaries began to relax.

“So this is the Hall of a Titan,” Rohne murmured as he looked around with interest.

His mood had improved after the food and drink started and he seemed to have mostly forgotten about attacking Sam.

Despite his strength, his personality was uncomplicated. He was straightforward and honest, and of all them, he was finding it the easiest to make himself at home.

He had already started boasting with the nagas about his exploits. Much to everyone’s surprise, he seemed to be enjoying their company.

The nagas appreciated a good boast and were returning his words with their own, each of them trying to outdo the other.

If things continued, it looked like they would be sworn allies before long. 

He might end up being the easiest of the emissaries to deal with. 

“I have heard legends of the Halls of the Titans and your famous hospitality,” Rohne said as he looked at Sam. 

He raised a full mug of golden mead in a toast. 

“I never expected to be here myself. I thought your people were long gone on the chaos winds. I raise this drink to your health, Silver Lord.”

“And I to yours,” Sam said as he raised a glass of his own. “It is always good to have guests. Stars may fade, but in these halls, your memory will burn forever, as will a record of your deeds.”

It was a promise the Titans had once made to the races of the High Nine when they met them and hosted them in their ancient halls.

Now, he was repeating that old moment. 

The younger races hadn’t believed they could change their civilizations and come together as a council, so the Titans had promised they would help.

It had taken a long time to bring those early races together, but they had done it together.

That was the foundation of the Council of the High Nine.

The Titans had always been the great wheel of progress for the galaxy. Even now when they hadn’t been seen for so long, the plans they had set in place were influencing a vast civilization.

“Our oaths will hold as long as the stars endure.” Solis raised his glass as he spoke. His words were solemn.

“That was what the Titans asked of us so long ago, when you taught us about classes and how to travel between worlds. All you asked was that we create a civilization where all could succeed.”

“That you have come here to help says you have not forgotten.” Sam returned Solis’s toast. “I will remember it.”

He didn’t need to ask the basic questions. The Will of the Path had given him a lot of information to digest when they met years before, all the core understanding of history that a Titan needed.

He was familiar with the arrangement of the galaxy, as well as the civilizations started by the Titans, their traditions, cultures, and other key points. 

As the meat and drinks flowed, Berim was industriously taking notes in his journal, and every time he looked at Sam, his questions almost burst out. 

The Archalis had an array of glasses in front of him with varying levels of liquid. He was analyzing the different properties to each drink and comparing the effect of consumption on himself.

He also had slices of meat cut to different thicknesses, each of them arranged by color and mana density, followed by further divisions for elemental affinity, innate properties, and more. 

A web of annotations was written beside them in small fiery runes that hovered in the air.

He had been keeping himself busy, but now that he had the opportunity, his attention was firmly locked on Sam.

If he had to wait much longer, he might explode.

“Ask your questions,” Sam said. “You might as well.”

Berim practically jumped in his seat. His entire posture turned intense as he stared at Sam. His stylus rose.

“My lord...just to confirm, you are an Astral Titan, right?” Berim spoke up with the question as he held his hand above his journal. 

“Yes.” Sam chuckled, but he answered the question, as well as the ones that followed it.

Besides the first few questions to confirm what was obvious, Berim’s interest was in a different area than the others.

They wanted to know about the Vos’Rekan and Silverguard, as well as where the Astral Titans had gone, but he wanted to know about the World Core and the Nexus.

“How does it work?” he asked as he wrote swiftly, looking up from time to time. “The Titans really built it?”

“Long ago,” Sam said with a nod. “They were searching for a way to travel beyond the galaxy. The Nexus was the result. It compresses space so intensely that distance means nothing.”

“So it’s like a portal?” Berim asked immediately. “Where does it go?”

“To the Outsiders’ home galaxy,” Sam replied. “A very far distance across the dark Void where there are no stars, a place it would be almost impossible to reach otherwise.”

“Why did the First War take place?” The scholar’s stylus flew across the page as he took notes. “Was it for resources? That’s the prevailing theory in the Ninth Academy.”

“Most wars are for resources,” Sam replied with a nod. “This one was about energy and life. The Outsiders thought they could reach the Seventh Evolution by seizing the energy here. There is no evidence they ever succeeded.

“Eventually, the war ended in a stalemate when the World Seal was constructed, which brought an end to the fighting, but they have not given up.”

He kept his answers brief as Berim asked more questions, giving the scholar a summary of things, but he didn’t reveal the inner workings of the World Seal or the Core, nor his plan to reset the World Seal after rescuing Asenya.

He didn’t mind confirming a few things, but that information was too sensitive. There was no reason to hand someone ideas that might let them interfere.

The Vos’Rekan was one thing. 

The possibility of them helping with the larger problems was another, and it said something that the older Titans hadn’t told them everything. 

The Astral Guardian hadn’t even known for sure that the World Core was built by the Titans. He just knew it was part of Aster Fall and oversaw the Nexus. 

That showed how closely the information was kept. 

Part of the secrecy was the Titans’ keeping their own counsel and the World Core’s preference for its creators and Asenya. 

It didn’t give out information about them easily.

Another part was that after the First War, the Core was too damaged to take risks. The most the younger races had managed was to convince it to let them be guardians if there was something it couldn’t handle. 

Berim’s curiosity wasn’t a good enough reason to change that.

The Archalis was interesting, but his race was known for getting themselves in over their heads, usually with an explosion.

Some of the biggest magical disasters of the settled galaxy came from an Archalis’ experiments. 

Sam wasn’t going to give him the tools to break something.

Eventually, the conversation turned to the backgrounds of the emissaries and their positions among their races.

Most of them were like Solis, young for their strength and talented rising stars. 

In a more pragmatic sense, they were disposable. 

Losing them wouldn’t harm the core forces of their home worlds.

Solis was basically an Astral Guardian in training, although it would be a long time before he was considered for the role. He didn’t seem to be aware of it, but Sam could see that future for him.

His race was the most faithful of the High Nine. He was also the one that Sam had the fewest doubts about. 

Rohne and Tenal were the sons of military commanders among their people, while Berim and Jesra were from high-ranked noble families. 

All of them had been raised with resources and high expectations.

What Sam hadn’t expected was the promise they’d been given before they were sent here.

“We were told that by coming here, we might be able to access the World Core,” Tenal said slowly. “My father said it was one of the only ways to reach the Sixth Evolution, and to fix problems with our Paths that we might not even know about.” 

He’d recovered from the fight, but he was still cautious about Sam and he gave a quick look at the others. 

“I think we were all offered the same thing...a chance to speak with the World Core about our Path and to improve our foundations. That is the main reason I agreed to come, beyond that it is our duty.”

He paused as he looked around for support.

The others nodded in agreement, even Jesra, who looked faintly embarrassed. 

“It was mentioned,” she agreed, “but I am certain they would not have offered it if they knew you were here, Silver Lord. It is impertinent to assume we could enter your territory and take its resources at will.” 

“They would not have dared,” Tenal agreed quickly. Then he looked to Solis for help.

Solis tilted his hand in the air, wavering on what he wanted to say. 

“It is not so easy to reach the Sixth Evolution,” he explained. “Many of those known to have reached the Sixth Evolution have done so with the help of the World Core...the rest have done it purely by luck. It is the only known artifact capable of advising on it.

“I wasn’t aware of this until I was ordered here,” he added, “but there is some information in the records they gave me to support it.”

A small crystal appeared on his hand, which he held up for Sam to see.

“The Path of Stars is the only way to reach Aster Fall unless you want to travel through the Chaos Wild on your own, so very few have this opportunity. It is kept as a secret of the High Nine. Releasing it would lead to many deaths as people tried to reach the world. When we were asked to come, it was the most attractive thing they could offer.”

Sam suppressed a flare of anger as he maintained his calm. 

They were looking at Aster Fall and the World Core purely for the value it had to them, not as an artifact with an essential mission.

He understood their perspective, but at the same time, he debated whether visiting the High Nine and knocking some sense into them would be useful.

It had clearly been too long since the last time anyone had done it.

“It is not a simple thing to get the World Core to help you,” he said as he studied the five of them, “but it is possible. Were you told about the system of Marks?”

The emissaries’ attention was locked on him, their eyes bright.

“Marks?” Solis asked with a frown, shaking his head. “What are they? How do we get them?”

“They are rewards for helping the World Core,” Sam said as he gave them a brief explanation. “It has a limited amount of attention to spend on these matters, since most of its effort is dedicated to maintaining the Nexus. If you help it with that task, it will spare some effort for you. That is how the people of Aster Fall gain assistance with their Evolutions and forge strong Paths. It is the best way to progress on the world.”

“Then they are truly blessed,” Jesra said with a smile. “I was wondering why it was called the Garden of the Gods. Now I begin to understand.”

“Can it help everyone?” Berim asked intently. “Even the strangest classes?”

“Classes and races both,” Sam agreed. “Its capabilities have only grown over the ages. Even if something is new to it, it will likely be able to help. The laws of experience are part of its nature.”

He understood their desire.

Part of Evolving correctly was forging a Path for the future. It was necessary to set a strong foundation and ensure that your abilities and meridians were balanced for growth. That was part of what the World Core did. 

He’d had to pay five Marks for it in the past, during his own Evolution on Aster Fall. 

Given their backgrounds, they’d probably had the help of guide artifacts or locations like the Wild Tree on Alora’s world, which was how they’d reached the Fifth Evolution safely.

The Titans might have even built some of them.

But the World Core was the only one that had been built to help with the Sixth Evolution.

“But if we cannot go to Aster Fall...” Jesra asked carefully, “how can we speak with the World Core?”

“Silverguard is linked to the World Core,” Sam replied. “I built it with a direct connection, so that those who visit here would have a safe way to Evolve. It will work for you as well, if you can get the Marks. My Silver Army has already earned many of them. It is part of how they all reached the Fourth Evolution with strong classes.” 

He nodded to the nagas, who cheerfully bared their fangs in response and banged their fists on the table.

“How do we get them?” Rohne asked eagerly. “I can’t pass up the opportunity if it’s here, even if it means a risk. If it’s possible, I’ll do it.”

“You are already working toward it,” Sam said with a trace of amusement. “It will recognize your efforts against the Vos’Rekan. The beast is an old enemy that has threatened the world many times. If you help to kill it, you will earn the World Core’s attention, and I will make sure that it rewards you appropriately, including with Marks.”

The Core had given him a trait called Edict of Law, which gave him the ability to appoint people to receive special attention from the World Core and gain its assistance in their Evolutions.

He’d already used it for his family and followers.

It was well within his ability to draw the World Core’s attention to Silverguard and to ask it to help the emissaries, whether it was with Marks or forging their Paths.

He wasn’t sure how effective it would be to do it in the middle of their Fifth Evolution, but there was no harm in trying.

It would be a good reward to keep them in line, to be handed out once they helped.

The light that gleamed in the emissaries’ eyes became brighter as they heard his words.

“Then we will fight with everything we have,” Solis promised. “We would not have held back anyway, but it is good to have motivation. We know little about the beast, despite rumors. Can you describe it to us, its weaknesses and habits?”

Sam raised his hand and sent a flicker of silver runes through the air, which swiftly resolved into an image of the Vos’Rekan above the table.

The nagas hissed with anger as they saw it, their hands beating out a louder chorus on the stone.

“Let’s discuss how we’ll deal with it, once we find it,” Sam said as he left the image there. “Take your time and consider how to fight.”

From there, the dinner turned into a discussion of the real purpose of the emissaries’ visit, and Sam’s mood began to improve. 

The eagerness of the nagas was a pleasant accompaniment to the night. They were still planning to stick the Vos’Rekan’s head on Silverguard or the Ice Drake, and it was a frequent debate which one would be better.

As the scent of the roasted meat and drinks filled the hall, Sam silently exchanged places with one of his avatars, leaving it to handle the rest of the questions.

HIs main body disappeared in a flare of silver light, and when he reformed, he was on the peak of Silverguard, standing in front of the Astral Guardian’s life gem.

His work to restore the guardian had finally reached the critical point.

The Cer’Aleth’s help would be key in dealing with the Vos’Rekan, just like the last time.

If anyone deserved a chance to take revenge on the beast, it was him.

“Old friend,” Sam said as he looked down at the brightly burning sapphire. “It’s time to wake up.”

Stars burned in his aura as he gathered his energy.