Aster Fall, Ch 26: An Unexpected Battle (Patreon)

“It should be somewhere around here,” Jeric said as he glanced at the forest ahead of them, which was filled with silverbark pines.

Ice crystals glinted on the bark of the trees, created by the Ice-aligned mana that infused the air as it touched them, freezing the wind into a second layer of bark.

“Legend says silverbark pines were formed when a god threw a spear of ice at the world,” Lenei spoke up from where she was riding beside Sam. “Sometime during the last Breaking.

"The spear stuck, and when the war was over, the mana infused the forest around it, turning all of the trees into silverbark pines. It's said they still radiate with the cold ice of his attack.”

She’d returned from Highfold earlier that day, but she'd had no luck in warning the church. As far as she could tell, they were ignoring her.

A young paladin telling them about an invasion that was coming, but without any proof, was just too fanciful for the old priests and warriors of the church.

The church was extended in a thousand directions, and even with their size, they could barely manage them all.

They'd told her to come back with a dead Outsider or the World Law's command, if she wanted them to believe her.

If she had that, they would redirect some of their current forces to deal with it.

It was possible for the World Law to grant one of its followers an aura, of sorts, to make their message believable.

At the moment, she didn't have that aura.

She had known not to say anything about Sam’s appearance, and Paladins were routinely independent as they followed their Call to Law, so she’d simply left again, without trouble.

She had taken the opportunity to pick up a few standard supplies, which gave the trip some value.

Now, the group was near the edge of the valley, a couple of hours’ ride from the inn. They were looking for the village where the Ice Sylphs supposedly lived.

“According to the map, these are the foothills of Winter Peak.” Krana spoke up as she shaded her hand and looked at the peak that was towering into the sky above them.

They were just below the most southern of the Three Crowns, the one farthest to the left if you were looking straight at Highfold.

“Winter Peak, Sun’s Rest, and Sky’s Descent,” she added, pointing at the other two giant peaks that stretched to the north.

She’d just learned their traditional names from the map that morning.

The humans tended to call them the Southern Crown, Middle Crown, and Northern Crown, but the Ice Sylphs had more respectful names for them.

In reality, the Three Crowns were so large that only their shoulders curved together here at the valley.

Their peaks were a dozen miles distant and perhaps eight or ten thousand feet higher in the sky.

Stretching outwards from there, their bases stretched for fifty or sixty miles farther, falling slowly away until they merged with the Storm Plains.

The peak of Sun’s Rest was more distant than the other two mountains, creating a rough triangle between the three of them, but it was also the largest, so it looked like it was just as close.

That morning, they had managed to acquire another horse from the innkeeper, so Aemilia and Altey were riding together, looking around at the valley as it turned from green fields to snow here at the edge.

Sam's attention was on the foothills above, looking from one area to the next as he searched the expanses of silverbark pines for signs of Ice Sylphs.

At that moment, Krana looked up from the map she was studying, a frown flashing across her face. Her eyes turned a bright silver as she looked up at the base of Winter Peak.

A pulse of warning ran through Sam's heart as he saw her expression change.

“There’s something happening up there,” she muttered as her frown deepened, “but it’s behind a veil of some type. Be careful. It came so suddenly that some magic is involved here.”

“Is it the Ice Sylphs?” Sam asked, looking over at her. “Can you see their village?”

“I can’t tell what it is,” she replied, her expression turning troubled, “but I have a bad feeling about it. It feels like...there’s blood in the snow.”

She looked around at the others, all of them riding on horseback against the blowing white snow. They looked idyllic, like travelers on the first days of the world where the land was untouched and pristine.

If the warning she'd just felt was right, it was a scene of peace that was about to be abruptly broken.

Sam’s senses swept ahead as well, reaching outward as far as he could with Crystal Focus, but his range was very short compared to Krana’s.

Even with Crystal Focus at Advanced, his aura only stretched for eighty feet. His eyesight and the mana signatures he could see were much more reliable at a distance.

He looked around, trying to see what had disturbed Krana.

The snow around them flurried with particles of ice as it drifted on the light breeze, carrying a gentle but deadly bite.

Without the weather-resistant belts he’d made, it would have been difficult for Aemilia and Altey to travel any higher.

The sun was clear and bright, promising a day of ice-edged brilliance that pierced his eyes.

In the sky all around and above him on the slopes of Winter Peak, he could see the mana gathering in the air, ready to pour down to the lower slopes.

All he could feel out of place was the essence tainting the snow, filling it with a sense of twisted energy, like blood on porcelain.

It felt stronger here than it had down in the valley.

Perhaps that was what Krana had felt as well?

At that moment, the Guardian Star on his hand began to flicker, a pulse of energy sweeping outward from it as it scanned the local area.

Then its voice rang in his mind, bringing with it a heavy warning that struck his heart and made his blood run faster, like the beat of a drum calling him to war.

Guardian, a second concealed Flaw has been detected two miles from your location.

At least two dozen Outsiders are present near it.

Two Flaws so close to each other indicate a Grand Flaw may be present.

A moment later, the World Law's voice resonated with cold authority in his mind and everyone's in the party.

All nearby Authorities of Law are Summoned to Defend Aster Fall from Outsider Invasion.

An Outsider breakthrough has been detected near your location. As the closest combatants, you are required to assist. Refusing to do so will mark you as Defiant.

You are currently Defiant. Assist in the sealing of four Flaws to remove this Trait.

Failure to assist will result in Greater Defiance.

Estimated Outsider Threat Level: Moderate.

Time Until the Flaw is Sealed: Unknown.

A sense of horror hit Sam as he looked toward his mother and sister, and then a building fury.

They were much too close to the battlefield, far too close to send them back and protect them.

This was not what he’d expected to have happen while looking for Ice Sylphs.

All of them with combat classes would have heard that same command.

His sister was too young to be involved, and he could only hope that his mother had been left out of it as well, since she didn't have a combat class.

He didn't want her to fight here.

He wasn’t sure how the Flaw was being concealed, but even if Highfold received the same message and was able to send forces, there was no guarantee they would arrive anytime soon.

“Rally behind me!” Lenei’s voice echoed out with calm clarity as she spurred her horse forward, moving to take the lead at the head of their group.

A brilliant white glow radiated out around her, carrying a sense of spiritual connection and a bright force that touched each of them.

It was like a gossamer thread as it touched Sam, bringing with it a sense of connection to everyone else around him, one that was even stronger than the Amulet of Swirling Winds.

As soon as it touched him, he could feel everyone’s location, their presence and thoughts swirling at the edge of his mind.

He instantly knew their position, general health, and general emotional state.

“This is a Battle Formation, a skill common to Paladins that is part of Spiritual Awareness,” Lenei’s voice echoed in their minds, faster than the words could have been said.

The information came with pulses of emotion and intent that gave it depth and made the meaning clear.

“It will help us to keep track of each other and to communicate, as well as to coordinate our attacks.

“This Call is unexpected, but I doubt that the timing is a coincidence. The wyvern you killed and our attempts to warn the city may have been noticed, accelerating our enemies’ timeline.

"The Ice Sylphs are key figures in the valley and one of the allies we need. If they are under attack ahead of us, we have to help them or the balance of power here will fall apart.”

Frustration and anger surged through Sam’s veins, waking up the essence stars that slumbered there.

He couldn’t leave his mother and sister here, but he also couldn’t refuse to help.

The stars surged to life, creating an internal web of energy that began to sing as it called him forward to battle.

Ahead of him, he felt a thin barrier shatter like dust in the wind, and suddenly he could feel the distant pull of essence, like bloody stars burning in the dark.

“We can’t leave you, so move to the center!” he called to his mother, waving his hand toward the center of the party as he tried to sound reassuring.

“Focus on defending yourself and Altey. Use the defensive amulets. We’ll take care of the rest.”

His mother had a Spell Shield ability as a Seer, which would last for as long as she had mana. They also had the defensive amulets and the rings he’d made.

Sam pulled a handful of scrolls from his belt, mostly Earth and Fire, and pushed them into his mother’s hands.

“Take these and use them as needed.”

Ahead of him, his father’s face was pale as he looked back toward his wife and daughter. His strong hands clenched on the reins, the sign of an internal struggle that passed through his mind in an instant.

An instant later, he gave his wife a reassuring nod as a golden-yellow shield flared up from his skin, burning with a furious light.

"We'll take of it. Keep Altey safe."

He cared more about defending his family than he did about closing the Flaw, but there was no way to run from this battle. Not in the long run.

If the Ice Sylphs died here, their hope of staying in the valley would go with them. More than that, the politics in the valley would fall apart, and perhaps the magics that sustained it as well.

Whatever the enemy hoped to achieve here, they couldn’t let them have it.

Only a handful of moments had passed since the World Law's command echoed in their mind, and an instant later, they were moving.

“Let’s go!” Lenei called as she spurred her horse forward, heading in the direction of the World Law’s summons.

Straight ahead of them were the icy slopes of Winter Peak, where some shroud hid the Flaw among the wind and snow.

---

A shimmering veil that was felt instead of seen burst apart as Sam and Lenei led the way, riding through the field of snow toward the call of the World Law.

There was a sense of displacement as they broke through it, as if the veil were trying to redirect their attention, but Sam ignored it as he followed the summoning that was pulling him forward.

Ahead of them, the view of the mountain changed.

It had looked like a clear, snow-covered slope that rose gradually upward toward the peak.

Now, it was a sprawling village, filled with small, circular houses with pointed, thatched roofs in vibrant shades of sharp violet, icy blue, and green.

Swirling designs like billowing clouds and wind marked out the walls and doors.

The area around the village was clear of snow, except for a dusting that seemed to float in the air like a reminder of the ice outside.

At the edge of Winter’s Peak, far past the houses, the real slope of the mountain rose upwards.

It was a hidden valley on the shoulder of the mountain’s slope, surrounded by the barrier they’d just ridden through.

The houses looked as if they’d grown from the grass here and then been painted and decorated. From the look of it, they were moveable with a bit of effort.

The Ice Sylphs had a semi-nomadic lifestyle as they moved around the slopes of Winter Peak, the mountain that was their traditional home.

The summon from the World Law and the sizzling power of the stars in his blood pulled Sam's attention instantly away from the village to the far side, where a group of a dozen Ice Sylphs was facing off against a much larger horde of Outsiders and monsters.

The Ice Sylphs were recognizable in an instant, even without Analyzing them. They were dressed in white cloaks with swirling blue patterns, with blue-white hair, bright eyes, and thin builds.

A wave of information came to Sam as he looked at them.

Ice Sylph. Hunter-Smith. Level 56.

Ice Sylph. Sky Mage-Healer. Level 87.

Ice Sylph. Ice Weaver-Ranger. Level 61.

Ice Sylph. Cook-Ranger. Level 72.

Ice Sylph. Ice Spirit-Trader. Level 64.

Their classes were a mix of crafts and combat, but they all had at least one crafting or support class.

Despite their levels, they didn’t look like they were warriors. They looked like villagers who were defending their home.

Behind them, Sam's eyes skipped back to a point near the center of the village, where a group of younger and smaller Ice Sylphs were gathered around an older Ice Sylph woman.

Most of their levels were in the teens and 20s, except for her.

Ice Sylph. ?

When he tried to Analyze her, the skill failed, returning no information.

It was the first time that had happened to him, which meant her level was higher than anything he’d seen so far.

He only had time to Analyze a handful of the sylphs before his attention was pulled back to the battle and the enemies they were facing.

Splatters of blue, green, and red blood, as well as other stains, covered the ground between the Ice Sylphs and the monsters attacking them.

The pulsing of the Guardian Star in his mind marked them out as enemies, along with the feeling of burning essence that radiated from some of them.

There was a mix of monsters and Outsiders, but that wasn’t the only problem.

Icesoul Wraith. Level 47.

Arctic Cave Troll. Level 52.

Greenscale Abyssal Serpent. Level 58.

Ice Wyvern. Level 48. (Alpine)

He only had time to scan one of each type, and even as he did, he was jumping off of his horse and running forward.

There was a hundred yards to the nearest edge of the village, and the battle was even more distant. If they wanted to help, they had to hurry.

He kept pace with Lenei and the others followed, all of them heading toward the group of young Ice Sylphs in the center of the village.

From there, they could move forward and join the battle. Even as he watched, the dozen Ice Sylphs were being pushed back by the forces arrayed against them.

Ice walls and arrows, bolts of venom, and shrieks of battle cries filled the air.

The only good news was that the enemies only had a single wyvern. It wasn't the highest level of them, but it was large enough to hold down the center of the battlefield by itself.

Around the wyvern, there were half a dozen or more of each type of monsters, from the ice wraiths to the trolls and serpents.

The sylphs were outnumbered three to one.

Essence radiated from the wraiths and serpents, proving that they’d come through a flaw, but the wyvern and the troll were regular monsters from the mountains here.

The wyvern looked very similar to the other one they’d fought, except that the pattern of its scales was a slightly darker green and it was a couple of levels higher.

The trolls were large, blocky humanoids that looked like a walking boulder with arms. Their bellies were so large and round that their legs were nearly invisible beneath them, like short, squat pillars holding up a globe.

Their bodies were pale white with patches of a mottled greenish-grey that resembled camouflage. Against the background of a snowy cliff, they would probably blend right in.

Their bodies bulged with muscles and raw strength. Their arms were nearly as big as Sam’s entire body, and their heads were broad wedges with small eyes, with tusked mouths that looked large enough to eat a human in two or three bites.

The Icesoul Wraiths were nearly invisible, like frosted blue glass hanging in the air. They didn’t have humanoid forms.

Instead, they were like tangled, nearly invisible sheets that floated in the wind, only visible because their bodies were a different shade than the snow and sky behind them.

Claws and fangs were visible at the edge of their forms, more substantial than the rest of their bodies.

The Greenscale Abyssal Serpents were much as their name described, greenish-black serpents that resembled enormous vipers, perhaps twelve to fifteen feet long and more than a foot wide.

Their heads were triangular wedges with black-striped cheeks that marked out their venom glands and hooked fangs nearly a foot long were visible as their jaws opened.

Behind that terrifying horde, three solitary figures stood like commanders behind their troops.

Iceblood Warrior. Level 54.

Iceblood Hunter. Level 52.

Iceblood Shaman. Level 65.

Their equipment differed, but they were angular, thin humanoids between eight and nine feet tall with skin that was a pale, unearthly blue.

Mottled white streaks ran across their skin like veins, and their eyes were opaque, white gashes hidden under thick brows, making them look almost blind.

Their hair was a yellowish-white, close to stained ivory in color, and it tumbled down their backs in a snarled waterfall past their knees.

Their hands and feet were oddly outsized, two or three times larger than a human’s.

Behind them, a rainbow gash was torn in the world, one almost large enough to allow the wyvern through it.

The Flaw scintillated with a raw fluctuation of power that pulled at Sam’s senses, calling to him like a distant home that promised blood and satisfaction.

The names of the three Outsiders and the feeling of the essence radiating from them drove home what was happening.

It also answered some of the questions that had been stirring in Sam’s mind.

The connection between these Iceblood Outsiders and the so-called “Iceblood Guild” was clear now, with the wyvern as the proof of the connection.

He felt a sense of dawning horror as he looked across the battlefield at them.

Whatever they had just stumbled on, this wasn’t a problem of a single Outsider.

This was an entire tribe.

They hadn’t just stumbled into a battle, they’d run straight into a war.