Silver Stars, Ch 14: Forging Paths (Patreon)

When Sam arrived at the fortress, he immediately switched places with his avatar in the great hall.

To those watching, the swap was so quick that there was only a flicker of starlight across the avatar’s body, but the sense of Sam’s aura became stronger, which drew their attention.

Eyes turned toward him as the hall fell silent.

The nagas had all run out of the hall to watch Sleset and the twelve champions mount the Vos’Rekan’s head. 

The island was bigger now that it had absorbed more of the Vos’Rekan stone and a few mountain peaks gathered around the fortress in craggy splendor, especially toward the far side where the island had expanded, but none of them were as tall as the central spires. The fortress was on one side of the island now, dominating about a quarter of the total space. 

The nagas had settled on the tallest of those peaks for their trophy, where it would be visible to everyone.

Only the emissaries and Keros were left in the hall.

The treasures from the Vos’Rekan had been stored away in their spatial items and the feast had been going for hours, so it was time to move things along.

He raised the goblet his avatar had been holding in a toast to the crowd. 

“If you are ready,” he said, “then I will help you reach the World Core to form your Paths.”

Their gazes turned intent as they locked on him. 

Berim and Rohne looked ready to jump from their seats. The Dragon Spirit’s muscles twitched as he held himself back.

“Lord Titan, thank you for allowing me to accompany you in this battle,” Tenal’s voice was tight as he stood up and raised his goblet in a return toast. “I will remember it. I feel like there are insights to gather from every moment, ones that I might spend the rest of my life pursuing.”

“That is the nature of progress,” Sam replied as he tipped his goblet toward him. “The Vos’Rekan was an ancient being. Its every movement was in tune with the Void. If you are fortunate, you might be able to comprehend something.”

He looked across the hall and nodded when he saw they were ready.

“This place will do as well as any,” he said. “Prepare yourselves.”

Then he reached out through Silverguard’s connection to the World Core. The artifact core at the center of the fortress, far below the great hall, began to glow with force. Astral light radiated through the stones of the floor, filling the room with a vibrant force.

Then the weight of the World Core descended. 

It was a massive force as the universe seemed to stop for a moment and everything beneath its gaze froze in place.

To Sam, the force was familiar, like an old cloak that didn’t impede his movements, but to the emissaries it was a surprise. They shook as they fell back into their seats, their expressions pale.

The World Core had always felt like that. It was a sign of how high tier the artifact was. It had enough strength to rip a hole in the universe. 

Even when it was being helpful, that strength was always on the edge of its communication.

“Take this opportunity to redeem your rewards from the battle,” he instructed them. “You have each gained 100 Marks for your efforts. It is enough to forge your Path, correct problems in your development, and perhaps to gain a few new Traits, which are one of the rare rewards you can request from the World Core. You can also attempt to create new Abilities or to have the core recognize a Title. Take advantage of it. We’ll speak again when you’re finished.”

The emissaries’ attention was locked on the distance as they listened to the voice of the World Core, which was speaking to each of them, so there was nothing else to say.

Fields of silver light sealed them away in private dimensions. 

It would take about an hour for them to finish, as it always did. 

After this, he intended to send them home and make sure they stayed out of the way. 

Their help had been important, but it was less necessary now that his avatars had increased and he’d broken through to the Fifth Star. With the new fortresses, Keros’s help, and his own efforts, it should be enough.

Instead of dwelling on them, he turned his attention to Keros, who walked up beside him. The two of them looked at the silver outlines of the emissaries and were silent for a while, but eventually Keros spoke.

“That is the first time I have ever seen a Vos’Rekan die.” His words were quiet, but they held a great weight. 

“I don’t believe the Council of Nine has ever killed one without a Titan’s help. The last time was so long ago it is only a legend. They don’t cross into the settled half of the galaxy, and the highest members of the council almost never leave.” 

“Their final attack is dangerous,” Sam agreed. “Few can survive it. Even those who think they’ve won might die in the end.”

He used his connection with the World Core to study the emissaries’ progress, and then he looked at Keros and the aura of experience around him. 

At Level 599, the elemental couldn’t progress until he Evolved, but the experience continued to build up. It was a significant amount now, perhaps enough to help him see the path.

It was also mixing with the astral energy Sam had given him during the healing.

The problem of Keros reaching the Sixth Evolution was a matter of energy as well as insight. The Vos’Rekan had been full of both. 

It might be enough. 

“You noticed,” Keros chuckled. “I feel an opportunity in front of me for the first time. I should go into seclusion soon, but I need to find the right place. I don’t know of a good one around here. I might need to head back to my homeworld for it. The caverns have deep laws of Fire and Earth that I can study to enhance my crystal flame. But I can’t do that while I remain the guardian here.” 

“You need Fire and Earth laws?” Sam said as he looked into the distance, considering what he knew of the Void around Aster Fall. “Let me check something.”

After a moment, he found what he was looking for. 

It was one of the elemental dimensions near Aster Fall, too far out to be part of the World Seal. Once upon a time, it had been a system like the one in front of them, before its star exploded.

Most of the energy of that star had been dumped into a lower dimension, creating a miniature realm all its own.

There were many laws tied into it, but among them was a massive pool of Fire and Earth energy. With some effort, he could create a dimensional barrier that would separate that area from the rest.

A flicker of attention diverted half of his avatars from their work on the fortresses and within seconds they teleported into the dimension and began erecting a dimensional scaffold to separate the area into different laws.

The instructions and necessary runic enchantments poured in from his avatar in the Void, who had plenty of time to study the best method.

He didn’t change too much of it. He just created a stable space for Keros to arrive, a space of pure Fire, another of pure Earth, and then a mix of the two.

After that, he established a series of areas with different levels of force that proceeded from calm energy to the original wild force of the star.

It was done in less than two minutes.

He raised his hand and an oval portal of dimensional energy appeared in the room. The other side radiated with magma and elemental flame, releasing a wave of heat that roared out. 

Neither he nor Keros was affected by it.

“Will this work?” he asked as he pointed at the portal.

Now that Silverguard had been upgraded to a Divine artifact, it was easy to open a stable portal from here for other people. The fortress had enchantments to support it, the same as the city he’d just upgraded on Aster Fall. 

He intended Portal and Silverguard to work together for travel to and from the world in case he wasn’t around to teleport people.

“What is this?” Keros’s eyes were wide, but he studied the portal with interest. The flame inside reflected from his crystalline skin. “I can sense it’s separated from this dimension, but I can’t follow all of the energy patterns.”

“It’s one of the subdimensions nearby,” Sam explained as he indicated the portal. “A star left this energy behind when it exploded, so it’s full of higher laws of the Void. The energy will eventually return to the main dimension, but not for a while. It will leak out into ore veins and other sources first, or fall into the grasp of another star.”

He raised his hand again and a plaque made of astral metal appeared on it. The surface was carved with a field of silver stars surrounded by a band of intricate runes.

It was a permanent artifact, a badge for his old ally. It would help him to link with the enchantments of Silverguard.

“This will bring you back when you’re done,” he said he handed it to Keros. “It will also act as a communication array to reach me or Silverguard. If something goes wrong, you can use it to signal me and I’ll come after you. But you should be able to step back at any time, as well as to keep track of those five with it. Just use it to open a portal when you’re ready to return. The dimension isn’t going anywhere soon, so you can come and go as you like.”

Keros studied the plaque for a moment before he took it.

“It might take a while for me to find the right insight,” Keros said slowly as he held it in his hand, “even with a place like this. But I can’t turn down the chance you’ve offered. I don’t know when something like this will come again.”

He glanced at the five emissaries and then nodded.

“Will you make sure that those five get back home?” he asked. “Except for Solis and Jesra, they’re likely to get into trouble otherwise. You could ask them to help with other things, but it’s probably best to send them back directly.”

He paused as he looked at Sam. A smile quirked at his lips.

“And I get the feeling that you no longer need their help.”

“They were important in the battle against the Vos’Rekan,” Sam said politely, although he agreed with the sentiment. “It would have been riskier without them. But I plan to send them back as soon as they’re done here.”

He was thankful for their arrival and how it had accelerated the hunt, but if he’d had his wishes, he would have called others to help or waited for Keros alone.

There was no need for more discussion, so Keros gave him a nod as he stepped through the portal.

The following silence in the hall was pleasant. 

He was used to his Silver Nagas and his family, but he preferred the expanse of the Void to idle chatter. He checked on the emissaries’ progress as he waited for them to finish. 

Fortunately, the work his avatars were doing kept him from becoming impatient. He was making good progress and this would be done soon enough.

A few minutes later, a message from the World Core appeared in his awareness.

Builder, the trace of an Outsider bloodline has been detected in one of the visiting emissaries. He is descended from a mix of local and invasive forces. The origin is very distant, at least a thousand generations.

The words caught Sam’s attention and his eyes narrowed.

“Which one?” he asked as he looked across the table.

Berim, the Archalis.

Sam turned to look at Berim. 

He was mostly hidden by the silver field, but it didn’t stop Sam from seeing through it. The Archalis was smiling at something only he could see.

Do you wish to eliminate him?

He considered the idea, but then he shook his head.

“No,” he said. “He has not shown any signs of betraying us. There are bound to be some descendants from the First War still remaining. The Outsiders were prolific and it fits the nature of his people to experiment.”

His own family had an Outsider bloodline, so he couldn’t judge Berim on that basis alone. 

He wouldn’t be surprised if Berim’s ancestors had jumped at the opportunity to see what mating with Outsiders was like, followed by taking copious notes on it. 

But he still filed the information away for later.

It wasn’t the first trace of Outsiders in the galaxy he’d seen, and Berim was not the only one with a trace of their blood. 

Asenya’s homeworld had that prison on it, and Aster Fall had some real ones who had escaped from the seal.

Even with the Titans watching them, they’d spread far and wide.

At exactly the hour mark, the silver fields around the emissaries faded away.

They hadn’t gone through an Evolution, only a revision of their Path, so they looked the same as before, but he could sense their changed potential. Their auras were deeper and more promising.

There were also traces of energy that swirled around them in different patterns. The Traits and Abilities they’d gained were settling into their meridians.

The World Core had fulfilled their wishes.

They were coming to their senses and studying their notifications, so none of them spoke.

Perhaps one day, the galaxy would see five new Sixth Evolution heroes from this group, but he had a feeling it would take a while. They felt too immature to develop their law to the necessary height. Perhaps the memories of the battle would help.

“Congratulations,” he said, breaking the silence. “Our agreement has been fulfilled. Do you have any other requests?”

The emissaries looked at each other and then at Solis, who shook his head.

“We’ve been strictly instructed to return once the threat was dealt with,” the crystal flame elemental said. “The council just didn’t expect that it would be over this quickly.”

He paused, his head tilting to the side with a half smile.

“Well, thirty years of travel wasn’t too quick, I suppose,” he added, “not to mention the return will be the same.”

“Is there a chance to see more of the Deep Wild before we go?” Rohne asked suddenly, looking up from his notifications. “The battle was glorious, but I feel like we shouldn’t leave without making a few more memories.”

“My instructions were the same as yours,” Tenal replied, shaking his wings in irritation. “The longer we spend here, the more time passes at home. My father is aware of that, as is the council. That is the reason we’ve been ordered back.”

“We have gained a great deal from coming here,” Jesra added quietly. “We should not ask for more. The chance to battle a Vos’Rekan and consult with the World Core is something that every elite would jump at, even if they only had a thin chance of survival.”

“Time is unfurling quickly at home,” Berim said as he tapped his notebook with a stylus. “As much as I would like to stay, my family has demanded I return so they can study my notes.”

Seeing as there was no objection, Sam called out the traveling platform that had brought the team here. It appeared on his hand as a tiny disk.

As he looked up, the roof of the great hall disappeared, leaving the view open to the Void. He tossed the disk into the sky, where it expanded into its full traveling size and hovered above an open field on the island.

Then he stepped forward, bringing the emissaries with him. The group reappeared in a flicker of silver flame on top of the platform.

A few quick instructions to the enchantment in the disk reset its route for the settled galaxy and the world they had come from.

“When you reach your home,” he offered, “look for me there. I will send an avatar on my own path to speak with the council. Aster Fall has been left alone in the Void for too long. We will work toward a better understanding of one another, so that dangers cannot threaten the world’s stability so easily.”

“Will the Titans return to the galaxy?” Solis’s eyes were wide. 

“I am here,” Sam replied with some humor. “But I am working to call some others back from their research. Things have gone unattended for too long.” 

A flicker of amusement passed across his face as he looked at Berim.

“Like the Archali, a Titan’s curiosity is great and we wander far in search of answers. Aster Fall was once the launching point for a very important question.”

He waved at the traveling platform.

“Works like this and others much grander still support the council and keep the worlds connected. The greatest of them is called the Path of Stars. It oversees the major teleportation gates between the worlds, among other things. If you need to speak with me, you can ask the Path of Stars to carry a message. 

“Simply ask aloud near a teleportation hub or a high-level Evolutionary Node on any central world. They are nearly all connected to it, and those that are not are monitored. The Path also speaks to the council at times. That is how this platform was called for you. You might not receive an immediate answer, but you will receive one. If I am not available, the Path of Stars will tell you that. You can share that with the council.

“Remember what you have seen here. It will shape your path forward. You know now what some of the true threats to the galaxy are, and why fighting amongst the worlds matters so little in the face of them.”

When he finished speaking, his eyes settled on Jesra, but then they moved on. 

He’d originally intended to ask her about the history of the Ice Sylphs and how she was connected to them, but the Path of Stars had already filled him in, so there was no need to delay.

He would speak with Siwaha about it instead.

“Fare well on your journey,” he said as he activated the enchantments of the traveling platform. “I trust that your futures will be bright.”

As soon as he stepped off, the outer shield rose around the edge of the disk, securing the five emissaries inside, which ensured that they couldn’t escape even if they wanted to.

He nodded at them through the shield and then he rose up to his full height until he towered over the disk. 

He called the platform up to his hand, and then he gathered streams of astral energy from all around until a twisting vortex of force roared behind the platform.

Then he bent back and launched it with a crack of sound that roared across Silverguard, echoing from the towers and the mountains. 

Space around the platform warped, turning it to nothing but a silver speck in the distance.

Sam folded his arms as he looked after the speck, making sure that nothing happened as it continued to move away.

With the Path of Stars controlling the platform, they wouldn’t be able to cause any trouble, but until the World Seal was repaired, he didn’t plan to take any chances.

Once he was satisfied, he turned away, looking at the fortresses floating around Silverguard instead. They would be done soon and he could set them around the world.

He turned toward Aster Fall and then he disappeared in a streak of silver light.

When he reappeared, it was on Caelus, the Moon of the Elements.

The home of the teleportation gate Caerlon had built that connected to the main half of the galaxy. 

Now that he’d reached the Fifth Star, he should be able to activate it.

His avatar in the Void was useful, but its time differential was only around 100. It was increasing slowly, but if he could get this gate working, he could send one to the settled galaxy instead, where it would be 215 times faster than Aster Fall.

It would also open up other options, including contacting the nagas’ home world.

The idea of unleashing a horde of enthusiastic Silver Nagas into the World Seal and letting them hunt the Outsiders made him chuckle.

They would love it.

Now he just had to see if it worked.