Moonlight Relic, Ch 11: A Light on the Peak (Patreon)

It took three hours to reach the central plateau, even with Sam using the elements to boost them up steep inclines that would have been nearly impassable otherwise. He took as many shortcuts as possible, thanks to the map of the relic that the star was constantly providing him, but it was still a long climb through the layers of the relic up to the peak.

From the central plateau at the top to the lower slopes where Highfold had taken root, it was almost a hundred miles, and the distance to the sylvan village was slightly farther. If they’d been a lower level, it would have taken them days, but fortunately, their Strength and Constitution were all well developed. With the wind boosting them, the miles flew away beneath their feet.

Perhaps one day, he would be able to merge into the snow like the older sylphs did and reappear in another area, if his Initiate of Ice trait developed enough. He might also be able to figure out something similar with Elemental Manipulation. Once the relic was working, teleportation through it would also be possible, but that would take a while.

After the battle at the Grand Flaw, Lenei had reached Level 71 and Lesat was 67, just past the Second Cliff. It was a respectable level for exploring the ruins, but there were still many things here that were dangerous for them. The wyverns tended to be the worst of the lot, since they were voracious and scouted the skies, but there were also lesser dangers, like arctic worms, trolls, serpents, Ebonstreak Hunters, and Windscar Stalkers.

As for him, he was approaching the First Evolution. There was little that could normally trouble him here unless there was a wyvern matriarch or something similar, but while he was injured, he needed to be careful. So far, the aura rupture hadn’t interfered with his spells, but he was still barely managing to run in a straight line and a lot of that had to do with the elements holding him up. He didn’t want to push it.

With Lenei and Lesat along, monsters were less trouble and it allowed him to take some detours on the way up the mountain. Eliminating a few helped to make the ruins safer, and more importantly, he was out of auras. They were the only method he had to restore his essence quickly. If he ran low and tried to pull his own aura for energy again, he wasn’t sure what would happen.

By the time they reached the peak, he had collected six auras, all of them at Expert. Three were Auras of Frozen Venom from a nest of Diamondfang Ice Vipers and the others were Auras of Enduring Stone from Arctic Cave Trolls. His chance to reclaim them had maximized at 85% with his increased Wisdom. When he stored them away, it made him feel a little better.

The lower levels of the relic were covered in the broken tracks of adventurers and researchers who had come to explore during the festival. There were several hundred of them now, scattered widely throughout the ruins. The Guardian Star was tracking them and helping him to stay clear of them, but it was becoming difficult to avoid them all.

When they reached the first level, Sam brought their small group to a halt and took a deep breath as he looked upward to the peak, which still extended far above them. He was going to have to go the rest of the way alone, and he doubted they would like it.

“No, absolutely not!” Lenei protested with her hands on her hips. Her thumbs were hooked inside her sword belt. She was wearing a mix of chain mail with solid steel plates layered over it, which she called half plate, and her shield was slung over her back. Despite the cold, she seemed perfectly comfortable in it, and he had to wonder if there was a heating enchantment built in. “We came with you to protect you. How are we supposed to do that if you leave us here?”

“It’s not my choice,” Sam protested, raising his hands slightly. “The relic will not allow anyone else to access the area.”

He had shared the general concept of the relic, including that he had lucked into finding a key for it, but that wasn’t the same thing as full control. When it came to the more important areas, he couldn’t bring anyone else along.

“I’m more worried about you down here,” he added. “Some of the people we avoided on the way up are definitely bandits pretending to be adventurers. There are some houses on this level that are in good shape and we could turn one into a camp. Most of the enchantments are dead, but the materials are strong. It would be difficult for anything under the First Evolution to scratch them.”

“We’ll be alright here,” Lesat broke in. He gave Sam a long look as he did, his features set in a calm indifference that was nearly the same as confidence. There wasn’t much that could ruffle him these days, not after the life he’d led.

“I’ll keep track of you through the amulet,” he continued as he reached down to tap the Amulet of Swirling Winds on his chest. “Just stay close if you can. I have some dice we can use to pass the time once the camp’s done, a souvenir from when I was with the city guard in Osera. We’ll make sure no monsters get too close.”

Sam looked between the two of them. Both were allies. Lenei was still a bit hesitant, but her Call hadn’t changed. It was still pulling her toward him. Unless it did, she wasn’t going anywhere. As for Lesat, he’d agreed to follow Sam and that was apparently the only decision he cared to make.

At the moment, he looked comfortable enough staying here, which was partly due to Sam’s enchanting. He was wearing even heavier armor than Lenei and there was definitely a “comfortable fit” pattern in it that was moderating temperature and other minor issues. With that on, Lesat probably didn’t care if they camped out in a blizzard or in a desert, as long as he had something to do with his time.

Sam looked around at the first layer, taking in the homes that were half buried in snow. In the daylight, the area was a rolling expanse of white snow and green stone that revealed few of its secrets.

“If there’s a wyvern, stay inside,” Sam suggested. The relic’s defenses up here weren’t active, and the peaks were the most dangerous when it came to the stronger monsters, who seemed to regard them as their personal territory. He would have liked to set up some wards for them, but he wasn’t sure he had time. A good set would take at least half the day. Instead, he pulled out a few scrolls. There was a Slow Ice and a few others there.

“These might help,” he said as he handed the stack over. They were trustworthy, and they had come up here to help him without any real complaints, just to watch his back. Perhaps that was the real definition of an ally. He needed to do the same for them.

“I’ll work on a quick ward later, if there’s time before we head back. Signal me through the amulet to let me know which location you choose for the camp.”

And more than that, he would have the Guardian Star keep an eye on them. There was little that was capable of evading its detection within the bounds of the relic, except in the most damaged of areas. Then, he let the wind speed his steps as he headed for the peak.

---

A wash of triple-colored moonlight obscured Sam’s vision for a moment and then he was standing on the central plateau, next to the control pillar that was carved with ancient runes on every side. From this angle, it had a clear hexagonal shape, like a crystal more than a stone. He still had no idea what material the relic was made from, but the pillar made him wonder if it was really stone.

As soon as the light faded, a stabbing pain echoed through his chest and the world turned to vertigo, flipping around and around as it spun away. He felt himself hit the ground and twitch wildly, but all he could do was struggle for breath. A few moments later, the effect faded, leaving only a sizzling reminder behind, like lightning had burned along his nerves.

The relic used an aura fluctuation to relocate you. It costs very little energy within the relic’s domain, but it appears that it is inadvisable until you are healed. You have lost a small amount of progress. You are now at 9%.

Sam growled something unflattering under his breath as he struggled to get a lungful of air. When he was able to move again, he sat up, brushing aside the feeling of pain that was darting along his nerves. He hadn’t expected that the relic’s teleportation would interfere with healing his aura, but he didn’t see a way around it, at least to get up here.

It didn’t take him long to analyze the impact. If he only teleported once each way, it would set him back about a percent each day, or a little less than two hours inside the enchantment at Siwaha’s. He growled under his breath as he stood up and turned toward the control pillar. Maybe he could get the relic to let him through the shield around the plateau and then jump down on the way back. He’d done it before to reach the repair enchantment nearby. That would save some trouble on the way back.

He dusted himself off as he turned toward the control pillar, looking for the rune that matched the self-repair enchantment. He needed to see if it looked any stronger after his last repair effort. There were four more areas to fix, but he was almost halfway done with it, and it should be showing some progress. Even broken, every part of the relic was connected to this pillar. The star was able to give him a report, but he wanted to see for himself.

The repair mechanism was represented by an octagonal rune on the far side of the pillar, near the top. When he touched it, his awareness expanded, flying outward at lightning speed until it felt like he was hovering above the mountain. The core enchantment hummed in his mind as thin strands of runes flared out from it like the energy from a sun, reaching through him to connect to the pillar.

Then something unexpected happened. All across his body, the moonlight aura that was usually contained burst forth, flooding the control pillar and the area around him with three-colored light. Beneath his hands, part of the pillar turned translucent as it began to shine. A bright green light emanated from it, pouring upward from below like an endless fountain of spring that shot toward the sky, piercing through the clouds.

The light was so bright that it looked like an emerald column beneath his hands and it took him a moment to realize that it extended directly from the top of the control pillar. Around a third of the pillar had turned translucent and was glowing with green moonlight, both the underlying structure and the runes on it, as energy poured upward into the lance that was piercing the sky. The rest of the pillar was still dark and somnolent, as if whatever had happened, it only applied to a certain part.

At that moment, the Guardian Star’s voice rang in his mind. Its tone was heavy, carrying an unaccustomed sense of oppressive formality. It was also deeper, more similar to the World Law’s voice, and he had the impression that it was speaking for the Moonlight Relic.

Aura Detected: Light of Silvas.

Scanning Host Memories.… Authority Validated.

Querying Moonlight Relic Command Core for Approval.

Request Approved. Controller Meets Mission Parameters.

Forming Key: Light of Silvas.

At that moment, a simple but profound rune appeared in Sam’s mind. It was curved like a blade, with a crossed bar at the top that had tiny marks on it like the thorns on a rose, and the base was a half circle. The sense emanating from it was one of flourishing life, but it also shared some similarities with the runes in the core enchantment.

The beam of emerald light had been shooting straight up, but as soon as the rune appeared, it bent, reaching toward the green face of Silvas in the heavens. An instant later, it connected with it and an answering pulse of light came back from the moon, flaring down toward the pillar and then directly into Sam’s mind.

The beam of moonlight reached toward the spinning sphere in Sam’s soul that was the core enchantment. The new rune shot along the path it formed, until an instant later it flew straight into the heart of the enchantment and disappeared, hidden by the haze of light that would only disappear when he fully comprehended it.

Merging Key with Core Enchantment.... Complete.

Partial Command Access Granted.

Storehouse: Silvas is now available for access. It contains Material: Greenstone.

A new location appeared in Sam’s mind, this time on the second layer. It was marked with the symbol of a small, green stone that closely resembled the moon. The star continued to speak as the green strand in Sam’s aura brightened, becoming slightly more vibrant than the blue and purple.

Quest Granted: Obtain Command Authority.

Keys Remaining: Light of Caelus, Light of Amaris.

Then the star fell silent, leaving only the beam of moonlight proudly piercing through the heavens. Slowly, its form faded and became more transparent until it rippled away, turning into a wave that swept through the sky from one horizon to the next before fading into the clear sky of morning. Above, Silvas shone brightly, her green light tinting the snowy peaks of the Western Reaches from north to south across the breadth of the kingdom.

---

“Look at that.” Lesat growled out. He was carrying a stone on his shoulder to block the door, but he paused as he looked at the sky. The sudden change from his typical silence grabbed Lenei’s attention.

“What?” she grumbled as she turned to see what he was talking about. She’d never liked camp chores and building up defenses here was too close to that for her taste. She wanted to be on Hero, riding through new lands, saving the citizens from monsters, resting in comfortable inns....

Something exciting and different where she could do good in the world and maybe be a little famous! That was what had driven her to become a Paladin. Aster Fall was full of mysteries and the World Law needed all the help it could get. Without the church and Paladins, the life of the common people would be a lot worse.

Sam was definitely different and he had more than his share of battles to fight, but she’d already been around Highfold for more than a week and that was enough for her. The church had too much of a presence here, including a bishop, and she felt their authority breathing down her neck. They wanted her to check in and to give her tasks to take up her free time.

She shuddered. She’d managed to escape by claiming there was an emergency in the location of her Call, and then she’d disappeared before anyone could ask questions. It was true, and she had some scraps of hide and fangs from the Curseborn as proof if they asked, but she’d much rather be out roaming the lands with no one to question her.

When she finally noticed what Lesat was looking at, her mouth dropped open and she stared into the sky. There was a massive beam of green light shooting up from the peak of the mountain above them. It rippled in a thousand shades of green, from the dark, lush color of moss to the bright shine of emerald, to the soft yellow-green of new grass. It had to be at least a hundred feet wide and she couldn’t see where it ended. All she could tell was that it burned upward like a pillar striking through the heavens.

The Festival of Three Crowns was coming and she’d heard that there were sometimes lights in the sky as the ruins reacted to the moons, but she hadn’t expected this. The next thought was the most logical one she could come up with, and it was that the pillar of light had to be related to Sam. That man was nothing but trouble. He attracted strange events like honey did bees, and not the small, nice bees. Sam’s bees were angry hell hornets crossbred with wyverns that broke through the World Seal looking for souls to steal.

She pulled her attention back to the pillar of light, which right at that moment seemed to bend, stretching out across the sky until it touched Silvas on the western horizon. The moon was just about to set, but as soon as the light struck it, it flared to life, its face turning a bright, emerald green that drew the eye like the dappled depths of a forest glade, pulling her in as it promised rest and renewal.

The beam flared once more as it turned on its side and flashed away across the heavens. Then it was gone, leaving behind a fleeting taste of loam and summer mint. Silvas shone with a brilliant light for a minute before it disappeared, dropping down below the horizon.

Lenei’s mouth was still open as she stared after it. She closed it with a snap as she turned toward the peak, as a dawning realization hit her, one that was followed an instant later by an intense desire to curse.

That man.... She growled to herself. He couldn’t do anything quietly!

The ruins were already packed with visitors who had come out of curiosity and the hope of striking it rich, knocking about between the layers as they got in the way and caused trouble. With that flare in the sky, even the ones who had been content to just enjoy the festival and the food would now be looking toward the peak, their curiosity piqued as legends floated through their minds.

The image of Sam as the Horned Hunter a week ago had already drawn special attention to the mountain, making this festival bigger than it had been in many years as people came to see one of the new legends of Aster Fall. This would add even more trouble. She shook her head slowly as she considered the ramifications and then she shared a horrified look with Lesat, who had come to the same conclusion. His face was grim and he was already testing the draw on his blade as he turned away, scanning the slopes below.

Unless she missed her guess, every adventurer within a few hundred miles had just turned their attention to the peak.

---

Highfold, Governor’s Chamber

Garild Morlan, Governor of Highfold, frowned as he looked toward the peak of the mountain above his city. The locals called it Sun’s Rest, but he only thought of it as Highfold Mountain. It was the city that was important, not the legends of the past. Legends didn’t pay taxes.

“Report,” he ordered without turning around. An hour before, he’d sent a messenger to gather all the available information about the green light that had shone from the peak. Whatever was known in the city, he would have it now.

The messenger coughed as he looked back toward the door, hesitant to speak. The governor’s aura was oppressive, weighing down on the room like a lead plate. The messenger was only Level 50, and the governor was striving for his Second Evolution, somewhere around Level 180, if the rumors could be trusted. He couldn’t Identify him, or he would have made quite a few gold on that bit of information.

“Speak,” the governor commanded again. His voice was even, since there was no value in berating servants. At the same time, he didn’t bother withdrawing his aura. The messenger needed to know his place.

“There’s some word from the Enchanters Guild,” the messenger coughed out. “They think it’s the ruins reacting to the moons, just a flare ahead of the alignment. They suggest that it will bring good luck to the festival, and that manifestations of Silvas will be more common than in previous years. They are hopeful that the Wood elemental pools will open, raising the affinity of anyone who enters them.”

“There is no Enchanters Guild,” the governor waved his hand dismissively. “Not a true one, anyway. It’s just a council of blowhards who have too much money for their own good. That news is the same as they gave me last week, when they were analyzing fluctuations in the ambient mana. It means they have no idea what’s going on.”

His arms were behind his back and his right hand tightened almost imperceptibly on the other wrist as he tried to control his temper.

“Leave. Go and ask the dwarven council, and then the Ice Sylphs, if you can find them. Bring me whatever they say.”

“Yes, my lord.” The messenger bowed his head as he fell silent and then he withdrew, moving as quickly and silently as possible.

Behind him, Garild continued to look at the peak, his frown deepening. More than most, he understood the strangeness of that flare. His initial Class had been as a Visionary, one that had served him well in gathering information, and he’d Evolved it into Aether Mage, which allowed him to observe most of what happened nearby. Yet, when it came to the ruins, he’d never been able to see a thing. Some power shrouded them from his sight.

That flare, however, had reached out to the moon. According to his best records from the previous governers, and in the records that he’d scryed from all of the guilds in the city, that had never happened in the entire history of Highfold.

As for his Subclass, he’d taken his mother’s advice about the dangers of politics and specialized in combat, first as a Magical Brawler and then as a Storm Knight. The combination allowed him to be at his most dangerous while never carrying a weapon.

A greyish-white cloud surrounded him as his form faded away into the air, leaving behind a polished desk with only some loose papers and a bare dagger on the top, which he’d been using as a paperweight.