Moonlight Relic, Ch 13: Trouble Rising (Patreon)

The threads of aura flowed together beneath Sam’s hands, twisting into a crashing silver current as he carefully guided it through the channel. He’d finished carving the path just a few moments before and the pressure of the aura he’d gathered was pressing down like a landslide at the moment just before it fell. All of that energy needed somewhere to go.

He had to do both at once, since he needed the force of the relic’s aura to carve the path. Otherwise, the signature wouldn’t match and the energy flow would be reduced. It was a delicate balance. Fortunately, the relic’s energy wasn’t opposed to him. If it escaped, he’d be injured and lose a lot of time, and the cliff might explode, but he’d probably survive. Woven through the silver was the moonlight of the relic, and Sam’s own aura rippled across his skin, merging and separating with it like siblings playing in a silver ocean.

With a sharp whistle of breath, the relic’s aura crashed down into the path. A cascade of liquid silver boiled out of the line, tearing a path from one side to the other as it carved through the greenstone along the trace he’d laid out. For a simple break, bridging a gap would have been enough and a much quicker fix, but here he had needed to carve an entirely new channel.

As the line grew, it gathered together the loose aura that he was holding together, pulling it along with it and, slowly, the pressure faded. With an icy chime, the line bridged the gap and met the relic’s old pattern on the other side. A resonant, high-pitched bell like an icicle striking the side of a silver cup rang out. There was a moment where the aura suddenly sped up, nearly pulling him along with it, and then it was gone, blending into the relic’s enchantment.

Icy snowflakes drifted down through the air, summoned by the exposed pattern, as they always did when the relic’s enchantment was visible. It had something to do with how the relic tapped into the ambient mana on the mountain. With his Ice affinity, it was a pleasant setting.

Analyzing, the star announced as the aura in the channel began to stabilize. The energy was smoothing out, settling into the steady background hum of the relic.

Repair successful. The new conduit is 37% as efficient as the original, which is better than expected. There is some loss due to the damaged greenstone, but the remaining efficiency can be restored by the relic once the self-repair enchantment is functioning.

Your speed with Transfer Aura has improved the timeline. This section took 14 hours. The last one took 29. The remaining sections can be completed within three days, including time to rest. That will leave you with a five day buffer before the alignment.

Sam wiped the sweat from his forehead as he nodded. With all the attention that was undoubtedly coming to the peak, he needed to get this done as soon as possible. Three days was better than he’d hoped for, but there were a lot of other things he needed to do, starting with the wards to keep people away. He sent a last look at the new line before he turned and jumped off the side of the cliff.

---

The sun was rising as he hid a yawn behind his elbow and studied the illusion on the stairs. He hadn’t been able to carve into the greenstone, so he’d laid down a thin line of silver to form the runes instead, which had taken most of the ore in his pouch. The effect made the stairs look like another section of the wall that divided the layers, a steep cliff covered in ice and snow.

It might be enough to delay those unfamiliar with the ruins, but it wouldn’t block the more determined adventurers. The peak towered above and no matter what he did, they would try to climb the walls to reach it.

He looked up to where the plateau was hidden, perhaps half a mile above, and shook his head as he placed his hand on one of the supporting runes, pouring his essence in as he encouraged it to stabilize. It hummed quietly in his senses, its song weaker and higher than the relic’s. He could already feel it fraying, its energy dissipating under the overwhelming aura of the relic. Making something permanent here was possible, but this was as good as it was going to get for today.

He hid another yawn as he pulled his hand away. The lack of sleep could be held off for a while, but it didn’t make him happy, even with his high Constitution. With a flicker of movement, he was gone, sprinting up the stairs as the wind pushed him along. He needed to check on the camp and then there was another broken line to repair before he could rest.

---

Setting up a defensive ward took him half a day and after that he had to catch a few hours of sleep before he could keep going. Creating that many enchantments was draining and he wasn’t in the best of shape. When he woke, his sense of balance was off and it took him a few minutes to figure out which way was up, but eventually, the world resolved into its familiar self.

He pushed his complaints aside as he teleported to the next broken section, setting back his healing by another half of a percent. The damage to this section was simpler, but it was just as hard to gather the aura.

As he worked, the day flowed away into a night that was marked by the clear, cold light of the stars from the peak. Strands of moonlight cut through the haze like ships sailing to unknown shores. The flow of essence through his meridians kept him centered as he gathered the relic’s aura and when his attention began to wobble, the star was there, its warning bringing him back to the task.

The rest of that day and most of the night passed away, highlighted by the glow of the moons as they wove across the sky. Their light sank into the greenstone, giving rise to swirling patterns that sprang up and imprinted themselves on his vision, leaving streaks behind.

By the time the silver line was burning brightly through the greenstone, it was closer to morning again than midnight. His eyes were blurring and he was swaying on his feet, even with the wind to keep him balanced. As he landed on the first layer, he stumbled, falling to one knee before he could catch himself. The world was a haze of moonlight and sparkling stars that grew closer and then retreated, pulsing in time with his heart.

Where’s the next section? he asked blurrily as he pulled himself on a nearby wall, resting his head against it. I should finish the next two before anyone comes up here.

As he spoke, he realized that he’d been lying on the snow. He didn’t remember falling over. He oriented himself with the flow of the relic’s energy as he pushed himself back to his feet and turned toward the peak. It seemed lighter than it had been a moment before, but his eyesight was hazy. It had to be dawn.

You must rest. The star’s voice cut through the fog in his mind, carrying a trail of rainbow aura with it. Its words came to him in separate layers, as if they were divided into different sections of reality, and he struggled to piece them together. You were unconscious for the last six hours.

A flickering image of himself lying in the snow came to him, a slumped form half-hidden in a snowbank. The star sent several more images, showing him the progression of time as snow built up, hiding him beneath it. Without his Ice affinity, that might have been dangerous.

Six and a half days remain until the alignment. It is currently midmorning. Lesat attempted to reach you twelve hours ago. You told him everything was fine. The star reported the events of the past day, its notes concise. The second repair was successful at 38% efficiency, but your mental state is questionable. You cannot afford to repeatedly damage your aura via teleportation.

It is advisable to return to the village and rest in the healing enchantment before continuing with the next section.

Sam kept one hand on the wall and a deepening frown appeared as he listened to the star. He felt clear-headed now, but he hadn’t noticed time passing and he didn’t remember talking to Lesat. All he remembered was drawing the relic’s aura together for the repair and the colors of moonlight spinning through everything. He remembered it turning into people and animals, images from the past that flitted through his vision.

Perhaps the aura rupture was affecting him more than he’d thought.

---

Sam glided down a cliff toward the third layer as he headed back to the sylph village. He’d checked on the camp, but given how far it was between the village and the peak, Lenei and Lesat had decided to stay and work on the physical defenses. If he hadn’t needed to go back to the healing circle, he would have done the same.

The loss of time grated on him, but now that he was alone, he was moving faster than on the way up, even though his sense of balance was still off. Stones and ice flowed away beneath him as he leapt from a tumbled wall and plummeted toward the ground.

Halfway down, a rolling echo like a drumbeat resonated through the mountains, ringing off the slopes. There was a thread of mana in it, but also the force of some natural law of the Earth. It crashed through his veins like a tidal wave, reverberating in time with his heart. It didn’t stop there. The sound echoed in his blood, his mind, soul, and bones. It felt like it was calling life to rise and stone to wake.

Before he knew what he was doing, he raised his arms and let out a loud roar that echoed along with it. His voice joined in with the drum, rolling on through the valley as the force redoubled, passing over the slope like lightning-infused magma.

It was sound, but it was also pure energy, like the moment of spring arriving at a meadow and summoning the plants to wake. As it moved on, it left him feeling energized and more relaxed than before. He could feel his balance improving as the world became steadier, and a moment later he landed on the ground, letting out a slow breath.

Aura recovery is now at 9.2%. The star’s analysis confirmed the feeling a moment later. You have healed by 0.7%.

What was that? he asked as he looked toward where the sound was disappearing. He could see the energy wave it gave off. It was a hazy light blue that was almost gone now, traveling away through the ruins.

Analysis suggests it is the resonance of a natural law. It has an unknown aura effect that is beneficial to you. The waveform indicates it was generated by a magical construct.

Someone created that? Sam felt puzzled, even as his curiosity was piqued. He’d never encountered anything like it before. He watched the wave disappear across the slope as tried to figure out what was going on. When no answer was forthcoming, he pushed his curiosity aside as he continued on his run. Perhaps someone in the village would know.

As he descended through the layers, he kept part of his attention on the map of the ruins. There were even more people scattered across the relic than he’d imagined. Thousands were on the lowest three layers and hundreds more on the middle layers. Few of them were close to the peak yet, but it had already been two days since the Light of Silvas appeared. They would find their way there eventually. He was going to need to hurry.

---

“That was a Dwarven Clan Spirit Drum!” Krana’s expression was wide-eyed as she looked into the distance. “They’re only sounded on the most serious of occasions, but the sense from this one was welcoming, instead of an alarm.”

“Why is it happening then?” Aemilia looked at the dwarf curiously, even as she shaded her eyes and looked toward the distance. The drum had been very loud, but there was something soothing about it, so she didn’t give it too much attention.

What she cared about was that her son was heading back to the village and she wanted to keep an eye on him. He was too stubborn to know when to rest, so she had enlisted Krana’s help to make sure he stayed for a bit.

“They must be welcoming a visitor, but it takes a vast store of mana to sound them even once,” Krana replied, her eyes glowing as she searched for the origin of the drum. “Who is so highly honored that they would use the drums?”

The Seer knew that it wasn’t just mana used to sound the drums, but she didn’t say it. Aura from their bloodline and runes from fortifying enchantments that were laid deep into the earth were used as well, both of which were part of their strongest defenses, but that information was too close to a dwarven clan secret and she wasn’t allowed to share it, even with her friends.

“I haven’t heard of any visitors like that. Maybe Siwaha will know.” Aemilia shook her head, brushing her long golden hair back behind her ear. Ever since she’d received the Initiate of Ice trait, her hair had been easier to manage, as if the elements here were constantly tending to it for her, but a few strands had the stubborn tendency to float on the breeze. She touched the amulet on her chest as she checked on her son’s position.

“Sam is almost here.” A smile crossed her face, washing away much of the stress that was there as she relaxed. She was never fully comfortable when her family was away. The village was a blessing, even if the curseborn had found it, and she wished they could just stay here together. Unfortunately, life continued to move on despite her wishes.

The shop needed to be arranged, Sam needed to grow, and Altey needed to continue her studies. She hadn’t forgotten about getting Altey into a good academy, but now that was going to have to wait until her daughter could control her magic better. The sylphs were wonderful with teaching her, and the magical principles she was learning would help her in the future, probably more than an academy could offer.

The only thing Altey was missing out on was socializing with other humans of her own age and the friendships and political connections that came with studying at the same academy as others. But those concerns would have to wait, and they had a bittersweet sense anyway.

“Raelia and Danir have been asking for Sam to visit,” she said to Krana, turning her attention back to the present. “They want to speak with him about the curseborn.”

The dwarf only nodded. Her expression was intent as she continued surveying the valley. Whatever was going on with the drum, it had definitely grabbed her attention.

Over the past couple of days, Aemilia had spent a great deal of time with Raelia and Danir, as well as with Siwaha, trying her best to help. There wasn’t much she could do to help them heal faster, but at least she could give them someone to talk to and try to make the time more pleasant. Altey spent most of her time there too, when she wasn’t learning from Siwaha. The sylphs liked teaching her new things with Ice magic. They didn’t have a lot of children in the village, so one more was always welcome.

It was also a chance for her to ask about her brother and get stories of the battle against the elemental that he wouldn’t tell her. Sam was never much good about explaining what he’d done. He was off looking for the next thing instead. Aemilia shook her head with a smile as she sensed him coming closer.

She remembered him best as a tiny baby in her arms as she walked around the house, showing him the sun and toys that Jeric had carved for him. He’d loved the garden and chasing the butterflies. Now, he was grown and fighting to make his own way in the world. It was hard for her to reconcile the difference.

Years had flowed away, one into the other, marked by the seasons and new inches of height, and she’d kept her eyes fixed close to home. The months he’d been gone were the first time he’d been away from her for more than a day. After that, the travel to Highfold had seemed more normal, since at least all four of them were together. Now, he was gone again more than he was home, and his work was dangerous.

At least Altey was still with her, but that time too was passing. So, she held onto every day, engraving it into her memory. She was selfishly grateful that Altey had to stay at home a little longer. She wasn’t ready to let go of her yet. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh. If she could have given up being a Seer and replaced it with a quiet home in a forest beside a gentle river, she would have done it in a heartbeat, but that wasn’t a dream that fit within the world.

To dream of strength, yes. But a dream of peace? Perhaps only the Ice Sylphs understood the life she wanted. Their oaths were by the Mother and by the mountains of Aster Fall, a promise to endure until the world took the shape they wanted. Since she could not have that simple life, she would have to take the next best thing and become powerful enough to keep harm away from her family.

Even if in her mind, true power was the image of a boy chasing butterflies and a girl laughing among the herbs in the garden. She chided herself for sighing and distracted herself again by checking the amulet.

Their life in Highfold was beginning to take root, even if it felt like they were still drifting on the wind, but from what Jeric had told her, the Enchanter’s Guild was starting to give him a difficult time. He had the proper permits, so they couldn’t stop him from opening the shop, but as soon as he’d put out a few items to attract customers, they started plaguing him with questions about where the items were from, who made them, why the style didn’t match anything they were familiar with, what tradition they came from, whether foreign enchanters were trying to open a shop in their city, and so on.

They’d even gone so far as to hire shabby people to loiter around the shop and eavesdrop for information, and they looked so disreputable that they scared away potential customers. No matter how many times Jeric chased them away, they came back and stood just outside the shop’s area in the public street and tried to slip inside the door when his back was turned. If it got much worse, they’d have to hire guards to keep the entrance clear.

Still, those were minor nuisances. The enchanters who were behind it were only around Level 40 to 50, and Jeric’s presence alone was enough for them to mind their manners. Aemilia shook her head as she looked to where Sam was approaching.

A moment later, Siwaha faded into existence next to her, making Aemilia jump as she let out a breath of surprise. Unlike with the younger sylphs, there was barely any breeze or swirl of ice to mark her arrival. She was simply there between one moment and the next, accompanied by a small flutter of snow. Even Aemilia’s gift for Foresight didn’t help her predict the elder’s movements, and she was fairly sure Siwaha did it just to tease her.

The injuries to Siwasir and the others weighed on her, and the years were carved deeply into her face, but she smiled at Aemilia’s reaction, her face transforming like a withered tree blooming in the spring, and she patted her on the shoulder with a weathered hand.

“There is more trouble rising,” Siwaha said slowly. “The light from the ruins has called great attention to the peak. Monsters are moving across the mountains and dark things are stirring, ones I have not seen in many winters. Additionally, the scouts tell me that curseborn have appeared again. They are not yet eliminated.”