Moonlight Relic, Ch 8: Silvas (Patreon)

The blood veins slammed into Siwasir’s shield in a thousand hammering tendrils, shaking it like a leaf in the wind. They wrapped around the vision of the field and covered it in an ugly, red web that blocked it away. It didn’t seem possible for Siwasir to turn any more pale, but as he absorbed the blow, his body shrank on itself until his bones were defined in sharp angles. His hands were wrapped around the crystal and he was half-curled around it, but there was no blood.

The elemental had its own difficulties. It was stretched out for more than a hundred feet, its body thin as it struggled to reach them at the same time as it was being pulled away. It lived on blood, and it had been a long time since it fed. It wasn’t going to let them go so easily.

The green barrier continued to protect them, carrying them above the void as the stones of the floor were torn away. The spatial cracks stretched like grasping fingers through the hall as they shot from one side to the other.

It was an equilibrium that wouldn’t hold for long. Either Siwasir, the elemental, or the void would win in a moment. If Sam was going to do something to help, it had to be now. The shards of the runic circle were already drifting away, taking with them all the auras he’d poured into it. Now, all he had was about a hundred essence and a few artifacts on him.

Now that the spatial barrier was open, the Guardian Star wasn’t idle. It flickered as a thread of energy shot out through the opening, reaching toward a distant peak. Its voice was sharp and authoritative.

Establishing connection to Moonlight Relic. Requesting dimensional transport. There was a pause as it waited, and then the star’s voice echoed out again. Its tone was flat.

Request denied. Transportation is not available. The relic is too damaged. Searching for alternatives.

Sam looked through the gaps where the blood elemental was blocking the portal. With the void beyond it, the flowers of Aster Fall stood in stark relief. The Western Reaches towered into the distance, so close that it felt like he could reach out and touch them. The only thing in the way was that snarled net of blood that should have decayed long ago.

As he kept looking through the opening, he saw the sky stretching out into the distance, into unknown lands where other races must live. Perhaps there were things like the Moonlight Relic there, or even remnants of the gods, things like this Blood Elemental, but on their side. As he continued to look, the familiar sight of Silvas shining in the sky pulled his attention.

A flickering memory of something Lenei had told him passed through his mind and refused to let go. Silvas, the Moon of the Forests. The Guardian of Life. Her soft green glow shaded the clouds around her as the sky continued to darken. His attention sharpened, his mind locking onto a slim possibility as he sent the Guardian Star a command.

Connect through the Moonlight Relic to Silvas.

At the same time, the moonlight aura on his skin pulsed, shining brighter as he poured his energy into it and reached out. He’d never thought about connecting from the relic to the moons before, only the other way, but now the moon was a beacon of hope in the dark. There was a fraction of a second of hesitation as the star processed the command and then acted.

Transmitting request. The star’s voice sharpened as it understood his intent and sent it to the relic. Intense pinpricks of energy ignited on its points, flickering through a cascading rainbow. Attempting to establish a connection between Guardian Sam Hastern and Silvas, the Moon of the Forests, using the Moonlight Relic as a bridge.

As the star worked, Sam’s attention was focused on the moon in the distance. His moonlight aura expanded outward as he focused on Intensify Aura. It was the first time he’d ever used the ability on himself. Streamers of triple-colored light radiated from his skin, brightening by the instant. It wasn’t as bright as it had been at the Grand Flaw, when he was infused with energy from the relic, but it was enough to throw streamers of light across the hall. The light curved as part of it was absorbed by the void, but there was an enduring quality to it.

He felt as if he were grasping at a straw, but he didn’t see a better option. They were on their last breath. Even if they survived the elemental, it was strong enough to block them from returning until they were all pulled into the void. Lenei’s words rang in his mind. She had said that Silvas was placed in the sky by the gods in order to guard Life and counter the Demon of Blood.

At that moment, the flickering light on the star settled into a steady pulse and its voice rang in his mind. Through it, he could feel a looming, green pressure that weighed down on him. It was thin through the distance, but it felt as if the forests of the world were all pressing down on his shoulders.

Connection established. Transmit your message.

The star’s words were overlaid with a deep, rustling sensation like ten thousand leaves were vibrating as one. Beyond that, there were the stronger movements of sliding roots and crumbling stones. Sam’s mind spun as he looked to the Blood Elemental and then back to Siwasir and the sylphs. Only an instant had passed since the elemental attacked, but even now its veins were wrapping around all of them, sealing off their escape. Siwasir was growing paler by the instant, but his shield continued to hold. The portal hung there as the web of blood covering it grew denser.

He didn’t know what the right thing to say was or if it would help, but it was the opportunity he had created. He seized it as the words poured out of him, along with an ever-intensifying aura..

Moon of the Forests, aid me! A servant of the Path of Blood threatens Aster Fall, a remnant of an ancient war.

His essence was pouring out along with his aura, gathering around him. The sapphire hue of crystal flame blended into the strand of Caelus’s light as it wrapped around the green and purple. He wasn’t sure if Silvas heard him, or if the moon was aware enough to help, but he wasn’t going down without a final strike.

Triple-wound ribbons of moonlight and flame compressed into a cutting edge that carried the heavy weight of Shatter Aura as a Moonlight Edge shot toward the veins blocking the portal. The spell crashed into them as they bowed inward. The blades of light spun, twisting around themselves as they tried to cut through. The Starflame Bracer on his arm burned with essence as charges poured out of it, augmenting his attack.

The spell hung there, a twisting expanse of moonlight that warred with blood. The drain on his essence deepened by the instant. Wyvern scales had fallen apart like paper in front of this spell, and this version was much stronger than the one he’d used then, but the Blood Elemental wasn’t so minor an opponent.

His essence reserve ran low as a dull echo of emptiness spread through his limbs, until finally his attack dissipated, twisting away in a ripple of moonlight. The few remaining strands flew away from the blood net, most of them fading out into the void that had swallowed the walls. A few slipped through the smallest cracks that were left in the net, flying out into the distant field of Aster Fall.

The void deepened as the last few stones in the hall crumbled away, until there was only the altar, the elemental, and them. The ruins of the runic circle hung around the altar, a few runes shining with the auras he’d imbued. It was still trapping some parts of the Blood Elemental, but the majority of its form was stretched out like a thin blade, part of it around them and the rest stretching out into the distance, both near and far at once.

Without any landmarks to compare it against, it was difficult to tell how far into the void it had fallen. All he could see was that it was struggling. That thought flashed through his mind with some satisfaction. If he was going to die here, at least this thing wouldn’t have it easy.

He hadn’t broken through the portal, but the blood net had stopped expanding. Even now, there was still a flicker of green in the distance, a fragment of Aster Fall hanging in front of them. It was so small that he couldn’t tell what it was, but he focused his attention on it, even as he tried to reach deeper for another thread of essence.

His attention turned to the closest red strand as he focused his will. The net had grown closer to them now, trying to wrap them up in its tendrils. It was only a few inches from his face. A deep, stabbing pain tore through his meridians as he pulled something loose, and then a hazy flicker of crystal flame and moonlight formed in front of him, so translucent that it was barely there. He shaped it with a thought, stabbing down into the red net with a growl, even as his eyes were fixed on the gap.

If it was the last thing he saw, he wanted it to be his home. Thoughts of Altey and his family, friends, the sylphs...all of it filled his mind, along with an unwillingness to leave them. He didn’t know what others looked for when they died, but for him it was a sharp refusal to give in. He hadn’t taught Altey enough magic yet, or how to make a scroll. His family’s shop in the city was depending on him, and without him, the relic would never recover.

He bared his fangs as he bit down on the closest strand. A vile taste of old blood and copper filled his mouth, even as the green gleam filled his vision. He snarled, jerking his head to the side as he tried to rip through the net. His talons were slashing up at the same time, warring with the closing web.

A piercing green glow was burning between the strands and he kept his attention fixed on it. It was a soft hue, but there were a thousand layers in it that rippled with life and aura, a field of green overlaid with every tone from summer grass to dusk-lit emerald and viridian. It filled his vision.

The thread he was biting lashed back at him and his head snapped backwards with a splitting pain in his neck. He spit out a mouthful of blood as he bit down again on another spot. The green aura was pouring through the gaps, and he tore at the net, trying to break through.

This time, instead of striking back, the net began to give, shrinking away. He chased it, jerking his head to bite at it again as he felt it loosen.

A lance of green aura burned through the opening as he watched. All around it, the blood web sizzled. It shrank away, accompanied by a distant shriek of pain that sounded like it was coming from down a long tunnel. More of the green light poured through the opening, melting through the blood web.

Transmission received, Guardian. The star’s voice echoed in his mind. Silvas approaches.

Sam’s head spun as he turned toward the light, lunging for it. The green light was coming closer. It grew in his vision, pouring into the void in blinding emerald lances that burned through the elemental’s veins. There was a sizzling sound as it purged the area and the intensity of the blood aura suddenly lessened. A shrill scream tore through the void as what remained of the elemental was pulled away, falling into the distance.

He was out of essence, but he tore the last fragments of energy from his bracer and amulets as he reached out and grabbed the ice sylphs in bands of wind. Then he yanked with him through the portal. The four of them fell into the embrace of an all-encompassing green light.

---

When the world resolved again, it was the sunset gleam of dusk falling on the fields. Winter’s Peak towered above them, stretching upward to where the early stars speckled the night, and beyond it other peaks rose in the distance. Silvas shone brightly, hanging low on the horizon. The moon seemed closer than it had even been before as it hung there, almost near enough to touch.

The world felt like glass, as if everything were sliding on a flat plane, but then it suddenly shifted as Sam and the sylphs slammed down onto the grass. His mouth filled with dirt and herbs. Behind them, he could just make out a faint, warped circle where the portal was fading away. There was a web of green light covering it, making it appear translucent, but on the other side he could see a field of black and a single speck of red. There was no way to tell distance, but the Blood Elemental, or whatever was left of it, was far away and being pulled deeper into the void.

There was a flash as the portal rotated on itself and shrank, and then it disappeared with a crack as air exploded into the space where it had been. All that was left of it was a spinning metal disk about half a foot wide and burned black. A crack shot through it that split it in half, and then it fell to the ground, sizzling as it charred the grass. On its surface, he could barely make out runes that matched the circle in the hall.

At that moment, the Guardian Star stopped flickering and the pressure of Silvas’s aura filling his mind disappeared.

Silvas has withdrawn. The star’s words were simple, but filled with a sense of satisfaction. The connection was successful.

The moon that had felt so close began to flow away, until it was once again a distant green glow on the horizon. Sam’s mind was filled with questions, but he pushed them aside for the moment as he shoved himself off the ground. His hands fumbled for healing scrolls as he turned to the Ice Sylphs.

Siwasir was as thin as a skeleton. His eyes were pure white and only open a sliver as he lay on the earth, but there was a subtle movement to his chest, as slow as a glacier rising, that said he was still alive. The crystal that he’d stabbed into his heart was nowhere to be seen. There was only a torn patch in his shirt and unmarked skin left behind, which had a faint flicker like crystal.

Raelia and Danir were tangled together where they had fallen next to him. They were struggling to move, but they were so exhausted that the only result was a twitch in their limbs. They’d poured out all of their strength fighting the Blood Elemental, probably in more ways than he had seen.

His efforts to pull scrolls out of his belt came to nothing as his fingers fumbled off the opening of the pouch. He didn’t have even the flicker of essence necessary to open it. All through his meridians, there was a bone deep ache that felt like it couldn’t be filled. He breathed in, pulling ambient mana and aura into his lungs and forcing it to his fingers as he tried again.

The world spun around him, the stars and mountain peaks dancing in a circuit with the moon, and then Siwaha was there, along with his mother and more of the Ice Sylphs. He heard Krana’s voice as the dwarf picked him up.

He could feel the crackle of the World Law descending, flooding the area around him with energy. Then the world faded away.

---

When he woke, the room was bright with sunlight. A window was open to the cool breeze of the valley and the verdant scent of pollen and herbs drifted in. His mother was near the bed, sitting on a stool as she watched him. There was a void-like ache in his meridians that demanded attention, as well as a bone-gnawing hunger.

You have been unconscious for fourteen hours, the Guardian Star announced. It is currently midmorning. Your physical condition is suboptimal. Eleven days remain until the alignment. Time is short.

Additionally, a significant amount of energy from the battle is currently surrounding you. You need to deal with it. When the spatial portal collapsed, an enormous wave of energy flooded out. The World Law redirected much of it to you and the sylphs as a reward for the battle.

The Hall of Sorcery appears to have attracted chaotic energy from the void, which slowly wrapped around it in layers that were causing it to crumble faster. When the portal opened to Aster Fall, that energy was redirected here. The World Law dealt with it.

It is not as much as you would have received if the elemental had been killed on Aster Fall, but it is still significant.

Even as the star spoke, Sam could feel the pressure of the World Law’s energy weighing against his skin. It warred against a gnawing emptiness from inside him that was rising up in the other direction.

Whatever he’d done in trying to pull more essence from his body, it had left an aching void behind. It felt like he was going to fall into it at any moment, his body dissolving into nothing. He didn’t look down at himself for fear that he’d see his bones falling inward.

He struggled to sit up, but as he did, the pressure from the World Law descended, along with its voice that resonated through everything. A notification banded with silver borders and the sound of a dozen bright chimes shivered through his mind. It was accompanied by a flood of experience pouring into him.

Congratulations, Battlefield Reclaimer. You have eliminated the Outsider intrusion and discovered the source of the problem. The Blood Elemental has been pulled into the void. Much of its energy was absorbed by the dimensional portal.

You are rewarded with experience for five levels. You gain 45,000,000 experience.

You are now a Level 94 Battlefield Reclaimer.

Class Experience:  173,000,000 / 182,000,000

You are now General Level 94.

Experience:  173,000,000 / 182,000,000

You gain +5 Intelligence, +5 Aura, and have 15 free attribute points to distribute.

For entering a dimension connected to the primary plane of Aster Fall and returning, you gain the Trait: Dimensional Navigator.

[You will be able to better navigate the primary dimension in which Aster Fall exists, and be more able to find your way home should you become lost. +5 Wisdom, +5 Intelligence.]

For facing an historical enemy of Aster Fall, but not killing it, you are granted an Elite Tier Reward. You may upgrade any Ability to Elite. Make your choice now.

The rush of experience pressed down on him, but as always when the World Law presented him a choice, his mind was clear. This time, the choice boiled down to his combat abilities or his crafting ones. He could raise Essence Shield or Combust Aura from Advanced to Elite or he could choose one of his main class abilities. The choice didn’t require much deliberation, not with the relic in need of more repairs.

He selected Transfer Aura. A moment later, the rush of the World Law’s energy descended as a whirlwind spread through his body. Before he could even assign the points, he felt his mind blacking out. This time, it felt as if he were falling away into the all-encompassing void, its mouth reaching up to swallow him whole.