Moonlight Relic, Ch 25: Micas Hastern (Patreon)

His ward on the staircase had clearly failed. A quick glance told him that the approaching adventurers were mostly at the First Evolution. The monsters weren’t far behind, all of them above 80. It looked like they were all racing each other to get here, which had kept them from fighting. Unfortunately, that meant as soon as they arrived, complete chaos was going to break loose.

Fourteen monsters and six adventurers have reached the first layer. The star’s warning resonated through his mind as it calculated the trouble. Another two hundred monsters are heading in this direction, along with forty adventurers. They will arrive within the next few hours. The aura here is probably visible everywhere in the valley.

He hadn’t expected the self-repair enchantment to get so much attention, but he should have prepared better for it. Most of the monsters and adventurers were nothing special, but the Level 184 could be trouble. If he’d met him during the day and outside of the ruins, he would have tried to avoid him. Now, there was nothing to do except to stand fast.

He wasn’t going to allow a bunch of opportunists to interrupt his work. They were about to learn why it was a good idea to avoid the Horned Hunter’s home.

He growled as he slammed his hands together, reaching for the storm that was dissipating from his shield. A stormfront of crackling ice recondensed around the four of them as it began to spin faster and then it rose into the air, spinning above their heads in a threatening cyclone. A new series of runes flew skyward, merging into it, and arcs of lightning began to appear as well, jumping from cloud to cloud.

“Get ready,” he growled to the others. “We have company incoming. Monsters and adventurers both, and one of them looks like trouble.”

It didn’t take him long to share the rest of the information. Within moments, the four of them were standing side by side, looking toward the oncoming forces. Above, the storm continued to build. Moonlight flashes were visible in the winds as the energy in the area poured toward it.

A few moments later, the first of the monsters arrived. It was a muscular white lizard with six-toed claws that bit into the snow. A deadly-looking tail extended behind it with a spade-shaped point at the end. Its speed was fast enough that it blurred as it whipped around the corner of buildings, making it clear how it had outdistanced the rest.

Spade-Tail Frost Lizard. Level 92.

It didn’t notice them at first, since all of its attention was on the peak. When it did, it skidded to a halt and stared at the opponents in the way. A long, white-pink tongue flickered out of its mouth as its head swung toward them.

A moment later, two more monsters raced up behind it. These were a pair of oversized, heavily armored spiders that reminded him more than a little of the ones he’d killed when he first encountered a Flaw. Their bodies were layered in a dark chitin with jagged spikes at the edges.

Dark Chitin Spider. Level 86.

The second one was at Level 88. These didn’t look like they belonged in the mountains. They were probably more home underground. When they saw Sam and the others standing in the way, unlike the lizard, they continued ahead without stopping, skittering toward the peak in a rush of scrabbling legs.

Three bolts of icy lightning imbued with crystal flame shot down from the storm. When they hit, the monsters were blown backward with half of their bodies missing. Defensive shields faded out of existence around them as they crumbled away. Thunder rippled through the sky as the adventurers and the rest of the monsters arrived, pouring into the area in a flood of scrambling limbs.

They were all intent on the mountain, but as the reverberations of the impact hit them, they staggered backward, spinning around as they searched for the attack. A surprised shout rose up from the adventurers as they saw Sam in front of them and they slid to a halt, but the monsters didn’t stop. They spun in place as they reoriented themselves and let out a roar. Then they charged forward again.

There were two things that looked like tigers with striped red and white fur and no tails. Their paws were covered in long white tufts between the claws and their bodies bulged with muscle. Their faces were nearly flat, with tiny eyes. The last monster was a scorpion of some type with brown-yellow chitin.

He didn’t bother Analyzing them. As soon as they moved toward the peak, another three bolts of lightning descended from the storm. Each bolt was a jagged bar of lightning and flames wrapped in moonlight. Three thunderous cracks exploded through the area as the monsters were hurled away, their corpses smoking.

Another eight monsters were approaching, but as they heard the echoes, they scattered across the first layer, slithering into the corner of broken buildings as they looked toward the center. Their tongues flicked out and their eyes were intent as they stared at the peak, but he ignored them for now, since they were no longer challenging the peak.

As the thunder was still rumbling, Sam leapt into the air, pushing himself higher on a blast of wind until he was twenty feet above the ground. Then he hovered there, standing on the moonlight as he crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at the adventurers. His posture and the lightning said everything necessary.

“My tigers!” One of the adventurers on the side shouted as his eyes went wide. His head snapped toward the corpses of the two tigers and then up at Sam. The connection was obvious enough that even he was able to put it together. “I’ll kill you!”

It didn’t start with what Sam was expecting to hear, but it ended up in the usual spot. His eyes grew colder as his hands tightened on his biceps. The tigers must have been the adventurer’s pets, but it didn’t matter.

“YOU HAVE INTRUDED INTO MY HOME.” His voice rumbled out like a tidal wave, swelling with the force of the storm behind him. “THIS WILL BE YOUR ONLY WARNING. THE PEAK IS NOT FOR YOU.”

“Who are you?” The shout echoed out from more than one voice as the adventurers drew their weapons. Defensive shields from abilities and artifacts began to spiral around them as Sam Analyzed them.

Human. Advanced Scout-Beast Tamer. Level 103.

Human. Wind Archer-Steady Defender. Level 117.

Human. Wizard-Ice Mage. Level 86.

Human. Visionary-Ranger. Level 99.

Human. Treasure Seeker-Advanced Scout. Level 105.

All of them were male except for the Treasure Seeker. There was also the last one in the black cloak, the Dimensional Mage-Tower Magus at Level 184. He was the only one who responded instantly, darting backward from the group as he got some distance and watched what was going on. He had a dagger in one hand with a bright yellow jewel on the pommel and half a dozen artifacts glowed from among his clothes.

Without waiting for the rest of them, the Beast Tamer drew two daggers from his belt and hurled them at Sam. Two more appeared in his hands as he leaped forward in a blur, covering the distance in an extended jump with the help of some ability.

Icy bolts lashed out from the storm and sent the daggers flying away into the distance before they continued on, slamming into the Beast Tamer. They spread over his body in an instant, covering him in a dense layer of ice as his leap came to a halt. A blast of wind threw him to the side and the man crashed into a stone pillar before two more bolts of ice fell from the storm, freezing him in place with an even thicker layer of ice.

“YOUR DEATHS WILL BE MEANINGLESS,” he growled as he looked at the group. “EVEN IF I ALLOWED YOU TO PASS, THERE IS NOTHING HERE FOR YOU.”

The rest of the adventurers gripped their weapons as they stared at him, but this time, none of them moved. Fear and surprise warred in their postures as they looked between Sam and the Beast Tamer. Across from them, Jeric and the others stood threateningly, staring across the distance as they waited for trouble.

“Who are you?” The Treasure Seeker-Advanced Scout asked again. Her voice was angry and there was a deep frown on her face. She held a hatchet in one hand and a small shield in the other as she stared up at him. “No, make that...what are you?”

“He’s the Horned Hunter of the Moons,” the Visionary-Ranger next to him muttered as he looked up at Sam. “You must have heard the rumors about him in Highfold. I can see his title, but nothing else about him.”

“He’s right,” the Wizard muttered a moment later as he stared up at Sam. “I can’t analyze him at all. That shouldn’t be possible unless he’s at the Second Evolution, at least.”

The Dimensional Mage at the side shook his head slightly, rejecting that conclusion, but he said nothing. It seemed like he knew something, but he wasn’t inclined to share it.

Sam stayed floating in front of the storm. The only sign that he was willing to speak with them was that he let his voice drop back to a lower rumble, but it still carried through the area. The same energy was in it as always, but now it was a warning heat.

“In thousands of alignments, there has never been anything in these ruins for you.” Sam folded his arms across his chest again as he spoke. “Even the elemental pools are dangerous risks. Now, there is still nothing. The light on the peak is related to me and it will not help you. Go back and tell the others who are following you. This place is my home. Greed will only lead you to destruction here.”

An angry grumble came from the adventurers. Now that they had a moment to look at each other, they began to draw farther apart, sending hard looks whenever they pulled their eyes off of him. They’d raced up here together, but they were all competitors.

“What is that silver light? I’ve never heard of anything like it. Tell me and I’ll leave,” the Wizard-Ice Mage said. He looked around nervously at the corpses of the monsters and the frozen Beast Tamer, but it didn’t stop him from adding, “There has to be something of value here.”

“Why would he tell you?” the Wind Archer snapped at him, shaking his head as he frowned. “Haven’t you heard the rumors about the World Spirit walking the peak? Well, there he is and that’s enough to tell my kids about.” He glanced at the Beast Tamer and grimaced.

“I shouldn’t have run up here, but I’m going to take it as a win. I’m leaving before this gets worse.” With that, the man darted away, but despite his words, he didn’t leave entirely. He took up a position a few hundred feet away and began to observe, ready to run at any moment.

“How could he be a World Spirit?” the wizard muttered. “Look at him. He’s as real as I am, just twice the size. He’s just someone who got here first.”

“World Spirits can be corporeal,” the Dimensional Mage spoke up suddenly, joining in on the conversation. His voice was slightly mocking, as if there were an inborn arrogance behind every syllable. “And the ones that are must be counted among the legendary beings of Aster Fall. World Spirit or not, does it look like you should trifle with him? He is being patient with you, but that doesn’t mean you should mistake his power.”

“Are you a World Spirit then?” The Treasure Seeker looked up at Sam and suddenly relaxed as she gave him a cocky grin. “It looks like those shoulders are big enough to hold up the world. What do you say, how about you take me to dinner?”

“He’s just another adventurer grandstanding!” the wizard protested as he looked around for support. “If we act together, we can get past him and split whatever we find.”

“You’re the weakest one here,” the Treasure Seeker scoffed at him. “What are you going to do, run past him while the rest of us fight? How did you ever become a Wizard? You’re dumber than the town guards. Even if you made it up there, a monster would eat you.”

“He’s just taking everything for himself!” the wizard shouted. “Why would he be here unless there’s something good?! Who knows what’s happening at the peak or if that...thing is even telling us the truth.” Then he frowned at Jeric and the others as he turned his attention to them. “Who are you all and what are you doing here?”

“That’s a better question,” the Treasure Seeker agreed as she looked at them. “Did someone beat me here? If you’re a World Spirit, aren’t you supposed to offer a blessing since I found you? Did they get it already?”

“He doesn’t have to be a World Spirit,” the Visionary muttered, “but you saw what he did to the monsters and that guy.” He looked at the Beast Tamer as he hesitated and then he started to turn away. “This isn’t worth risking my life. I’ll look for another opportunity while the ruins are active.” With that, he headed away with quick steps. Unlike the Wind Archer, he seemed to be really leaving.

“There’s always something new under the sun,” the Treasure Seeker agreed as she flashed Jeric and the others a bright smile. She was waiting for a response from Sam, but when nothing was forthcoming, she just gave him another grin.

“I’ve always trusted my luck and I know when not to push it. World Spirit or not, how about that dinner? Maybe you’ll tell me what’s going on that way?”

Sam shook his head as he listened to them. He’d been intensifying the storm while they were speaking and now he let it grow larger. It whipped around in an ever-increasing spiral as shards of ice the size of a man’s head appeared.

“There is no treasure here,” he said, ignoring her offer. “If you wish to petition me, wait at the entrance to the third layer at moonrise. Light a candle in the color of the moons.”

With that, his hands swept out in front of him. The storm followed, sweeping up the frozen form of the Beast Tamer and then the wizard and the Treasure Seeker as well. Defensive artifacts flared around them but had no effect as the wind carried them away. He managed to push them out to a hundred feet before he had to drop them when his control over the wind faded.

They were sent tumbling across the snow. The Treasure Seeker was the first to recover as she ducked into a roll and then leapt back to her feet. Her hands managed to stay on her weapons the entire time, but once she was standing, she looked back at Sam and gave him a jaunty wave before she ran off.

The wizard fared less well. He hit his head on the ice that was covering the Beast Tamer and rolled to a stop in a heap. When he managed to sit up, he grabbed at his head and let out a curse. Then he vomited.

When he saw what happened to the others, the Wind Archer who still hanging around shook his head. He gave the peak a last glance, as if he was considering how else he could get up there, and then he ran over to help the other two.

“Are you going to leave him like that?” the Dimensional Mage asked as he looked toward the Beast Tamer. He sounded curious, but not concerned, as if he were inquiring for the recipe to make a stew. “He might die up here.”

“The ice will melt in a moment.” Sam growled as he gave the mage a hard look. He hadn’t thrown him like the others, since he wasn’t sure how powerful he was and he hadn’t attacked, but there was something about him that irritated him, even though he couldn’t put his finger on it. He was acting too unconcerned by everything. “Are you planning to cause trouble too?”

“Certainly not. Why would I attack you?” The mage shook his head as he walked forward and looked up at Sam. He bowed with a graceful flourish. “I just have a few questions and perhaps you’ll do me the honor of answering them? I’ll gladly leave your peak alone if you do.”

Sam studied him with a frown as he let the storm continue to build. There was something almost familiar about the man, but he knew he’d never seen him before.

“Ask,” he said at last. “If you mean no harm, I may have an answer for you.”

He didn’t notice his father’s furrowed brow, which was followed by a thirty-year trip through dusty memories that he’d have rather forgotten. After a moment, Jeric’s eyes widened and he sent a message to Sam.

“I know who he is. Don’t trust the privacy of this message.”

“Oh, really?” The mage turned toward Jeric with a smile, clearly having heard the message. “Now that’s unexpected, but it does save time. And a fairly good message artifact, from the resonance, but not more than Expert tier or there would have been more interference.”

He pulled a crystal disk from beneath his cloak and looked through it, turning from one of them to another.

“Ahh, the amulets and they all match,” he said thoughtfully. “A bit passé, but functional. A few other things of interest too, with a strange style. That means you know an Enchanter somewhere, and he’s not from one of the standard schools. Interesting, but that’s not the most important question.” He tucked the disk away again as he studied the three of them and then he settled on Jeric.

“So, Jeric Hastern of Cliff’s End…and formerly of Tower Reach, unless I miss my guess,” the mage said with a devilish smile. “And somehow you’ve changed your class…. That should have been impossible, but clearly I was misinformed. You barely look like your old self, but then, you were only 20 the last time I saw you.”

His eyes traveled to Lenei and Lesat, dismissed them, and then moved back to Sam.

“My apologies for the interruption, but do you know who you have behind you there? I’m sure we can come to some arrangement for him if he’s a servant of yours.” The mage looked around the peak, squinting slightly at the silver lines before he shook his head.

“Those adventurers might not know, but I do. You are no World Spirit, but you are possibly an Envoy or a Champion, and both demand respect. Allow me to introduce myself.” He made another bow, this time with a grave precision that was more martial than courtly.

“I am Micas Hastern, Dimensional Mage and Tower Magus of the Alabaster Palace, the Great Defender of Tower Reach.” Then he turned back to Jeric, his smile widening with a predatory interest. “It’s been a long time, cousin.”