Astral Threads, Ch 6: Clans and Preparations (Patreon)

“You defeated Eranis and Ashomar together,” Salara said thoughtfully as she looked at Sam. She had just answered another of his questions and was looking for a break as she shifted the subject, but there was an interest in her tone that he wasn’t used to. Red fingernails tipped with small ruby flames tapped on the edge of the long couch where she was reclining. “Even if I had helped, I doubt it would have changed anything.”

Her eyes were a piercing ruby as she studied him, glinting with an internal fire. Whatever her clan of Ruby Desert Nomads was, they had a unique grasp of the element. The aura resonance from her flames was very different from regular Fire and even further away from crystal flame, although his crystal flame was in a class of its own. Something about her bloodline had woven other auras into that one. Maybe it was the aura of the gemstone that gave her clan its name.

“You should visit one of the Clanholds,” she said at last, as she came to a decision. “By my clan name, the Ruby Desert extends you an open invitation as an honored guest. Speak our name to any guard and you will be welcome. You should know that it is a rare thing.”

“Salara!” Eranis muttered in irritation from the side. He was still bruised from the fight and sulking. “Are you certain that’s a good idea? He’s unknown.”

“It is done,” she replied with only a glance at him before she went back to studying Sam. Her eyes were intent as they roamed across his body and horns, and he saw her gaze lingering on his hands, or more accurately, on his talons. Her fingernails continued to tap at the arm of the couch. Burnt black streaks were slowly appearing on the wooden arm. “To withdraw an invitation would be an embarrassment and to try to impede it would be a dishonor. I’ve never seen his race before, but he could be a new Bloodline.” When she was finished examining the rest of him, she stared into his eyes.

“Look at him. Similar to a human, but not. If not a Bloodline, then still someone powerful enough to greet as a guest. The clans will grow stronger from the connection.”

“May they flourish for many generations,” Garild said ceremoniously, and the phrase was echoed a moment later by Ashomar and Eranis.

“Now we will be able to fight again!” The Ashen Brawler looked excited as he slammed his hands together with a great crack of air. “Guests can be challenged once a day, by whomever is the strongest in their tier!”

“If he is in a Clanhold, you will not get a chance to fight him.” Eranis scoffed at the brawler. “He threw you across the room with one punch. I can’t see his level, but it must be near the Second Evolution. He might even be able to fight up tiers.”

“Do not ask about his information again,” Salara said sharply as she glared at Eranis. Her nails charred a deeper line in the wood as she gripped it. “We are not qualified to see it for ourselves, so it is his to reveal if he wishes.”

“You treat him like a visiting prince already!” Eranis scoffed again, but he looked away as he refused to meet her eyes. “Your clan will be embarrassed if he is not as good as you think.”

“I do not think he will lose many challenges.” Salara gave Eranis a dark smile that was half between friendliness and warning. “Now stop causing trouble and stop sulking. Losses to someone stronger are natural and he did not shame you in defeat. Your family is too prone to pride.”

Eranis froze for a moment as he clenched his teeth together and stared at the ruins of the far wall, but then he released his breath as he let his shoulders relax. When he looked back, his eyes were clear.

“Very well,” he said as he looked at Sam more directly. “I accept the defeat. The ransom has been agreed upon by both sides. What else do you wish to know?”

“And this is why the Bloodline Clans are both trouble and not so much trouble, despite these three unruly brats,” Garild chuckled as he nodded at Sam and then to Eranis. “Just be sure to know their rules and to abide by their code of honor. Breaking that is when the difficulty starts. They’re a strong part of the kingdom and make up much of the military forces. They also have Clanholds in neighboring kingdoms and sometimes treaties are brokered through them, although they look forward to fighting more than to peace. They constantly desire to challenge themselves.”

“If I’m able to, then I will visit,” Sam said after he considered the idea. From what he’d learned so far, the clans were heavily focused on their honor and formalities, so it should be safe enough. It had taken him a little while to get over the irritation of their initial meeting, but it helped that as soon as they’d been defeated, their attitudes had completely changed. Garild had also facilitated. He was right that they were young and unruly, but once they’d been defeated, they had become rather polite. It painted a picture of how to deal with the clans. “Where will I find the Clanholds?”

“Here.” A ruby glass plaque appeared in Salara’s hand and she held it out to him. “This will be both a guide and proof of your invitation. It is my family symbol. Some information on locations is recorded inside, although it is limited. There is also a copy of our customs.”

Sam nodded as he took the plaque and slipped it into his dimensional pouch, and then he turned the conversation toward more important things. “What else do you know about this bounty? Is it going to cause trouble from your clans now that they know about it?”

To his surprise, Salara and all three of the others in the room shook their heads almost at the same time.

“Do not be concerned,” Salara said immediately. “No one will accept a bounty on a guest. It would dishonor us. I will send word of your status to the clans. The only ones who might be interested in it are those without clan or foundation.” Her expression made it clear how distasteful that idea was.

“So, only the typical assassins or adventurers then?” Sam asked drily.

“Correct.” Salara nodded in agreement. “No one worth paying attention to.” Her voice was clear and proud, as if it were simply a fact of life. “I also offer this advice as ransom. When you meet the clans, you must not allow them to insult your honor as a warrior. A challenge must be honored. To refuse it would seriously harm your reputation.

“There are trials to initiate new clansmen and determine their rank and status. Guests are invited to show their strength as well, and the result will determine many things. Much of our way is based on fighting prowess. You look young, although it is a little hard to tell, so you could compete. I’m sure you would win a high rank and that comes with increased respect and access to information.

“As for the bounty, it must have been placed by a jealous fool.” Salara looked at the other two and got their nods. “We will tell our clans. They will suppress it in our lands and deal with those who cause trouble because of it, even beyond what is normal for a guest. You are not an embarrassment to your name or family, so it is not honorable. No clansman will hunt you. The world would grieve to lose you to anything but true battle.”

Sam rumbled thoughtfully as he looked from one of the young clansmen to the next. Then he nodded. They’d had a shaky beginning, but there was more to them than it seemed, especially with the way Garild was treating them. Whatever the clans really were, they seemed to have a significant amount of power.

These three were a good example. They were apparently the young and lazy version of the clan members who had been sent off into the world to get a bit of experience. Or just to get them out of their families’ hair. But they were still very strong for their level. Without his own unique advantages, like his Battle Aura, he might not have been a match for them.

“New allies are always welcome,” he said at last, as he looked at the three of them and then turned his attention back to Garild. “I’d like a map of any recent Flaws or other disruptions, and then I’ll stage an obvious departure to draw attention away from the city. If someone wants to follow me and cause trouble, I’ll make sure they don’t return.”

“That’s how to do it!” Ashomar agreed cheerfully as he smashed his fist into his palm. “I like you! I would also invite you to the Clanholds, but Salara beat me to it. She is always too fast to catch. Like a desert gecko.” His grin was slow and honest, and it took Sam a moment to realize that he was teasing.

“Try to be faster than this one,” Salara let out a sigh. “I will prepare a map for you. Do you have any other questions for us or is the ransom met?”

“The ransom is met.” Sam nodded in agreement as he stood up. His words had a tone of finality to them as he looked around the room. “When it’s ready, Garild knows how to find me. It has been an interesting meeting. I look forward to seeing the clans one day. For now, I need to seek more information. Farewell.”

He gave them a short nod and then he disappeared from the ruined hall in a spiral of crystal flame. When he was gone, Salara turned toward Garild, her attitude changing to one that was far more demanding than it had been an instant before. Her grip burned grooves into the wood of the couch.

“Do you know if he has a wife?” she asked as her lips gained a devilish curve. Her eyes lingered on the area Sam had just left.

---

The next two days passed by quickly and Sam spent most of his time in the house that he’d claimed as his own. Over the last few months, he and his family had remodeled a section of the first layer of the relic as their home for the future and he had reinforced it with strong runic wards. Little could come here that would bother them, even without the relic’s defenses.

The house he had chosen was set near the inner part of the first layer, near the peak that led to the control plateau, and it was built in an open courtyard design with several sections surrounding an interior garden and fountain. It was really more of a small mansion and it was some distance from the other homes nearby. Once, it had probably been the home of a high-level councilmember or someone else in charge of the relic, or it would not have been so close to the peak.

The weather here was chill, but repairing the ancient enchantments on the walls to moderate the weather hadn’t been too difficult. They were far less complex than the core enchantment, probably some type of simpler system that had been taught to promising students that would prepare them for the real thing, if they were qualified one day. The result kept the home clear of snow and at a pleasant temperature, enough for many different flowers and herbs to be grown in the garden. He had done little to it yet except to add some basic greenery and restore the fountains, but at some point, he suspected his mother or sister would want to decorate it or he would add some more things to make them happy when they visited.

The main advantage and the real reason he’d chosen this place, apart from its key location, was that it was built with doorways that were twelve feet high and sometimes more, and the interiors were on a similar scale. Whoever had lived here, they had been about the same height as him, or even a bit taller. It made for a more pleasant setting. When he’d first found it, he hadn’t realized why he liked it until he let out a breath and felt himself relax. With his increased height, he really only felt at home below the stars, but this place was better than anywhere else he’d stayed so far.

Instead of sitting inside, however, he still spent most of his time in the interior courtyard where he could feel the moons and stars above him. He’d taken to meditating there in the nights, slowly gathering astral energy from the stars.

One surprise over the last few months was that he was able to slowly increase his essence that way, resulting in a small improvement to his essence constellation, with a handful of new stars created each night. He'd formed thirteen over the last two nights.

Essence Constellation (Fourth Layer): 22,190 / 45,000.

It wasn’t as direct as slaying Outsiders and gathering the essence from them, but it had its own advantages. With each new star in the nebula inside his soul, his astral energy became denser and he felt his connection to the void growing stronger. The Fourth Layer was equivalent to the Elite Tier, which meant the Fifth was Epic. He still wasn’t sure what would happen when he reached the sixth Layer, but the Guardian Star believed his race would Evolve again. On the other side of that was the unknown.

He dismissed the thought for later as he walked into one of the chambers near the entrance, where he sat down to wait for Krana. Her meeting with the other Seers had finished earlier in the day and she would be here shortly to meet him. The dwarf would be more comfortable in halls of stone than beneath the open stars.

When Krana arrived, she grumbled as she flopped down heavily into a sturdy armchair that was near the fire, and Sam pushed a pitcher of dark ale and a hand-carved stone mug toward her. Her expression was grave, with a shadow between her brows that he hadn’t seen before, but she kept it in check with the same sturdy resilience that she always had as she grumbled and have him a nod.

“I’ve been saving that for you. Try it,” he suggested as he nodded at the ale. A small smile tugged at his lips as her interest turned to the mug. “Henar made it. He’s not a dwarf, but he’s a good brewer.”

As things had become more settled, his family had kept in touch with Henar, that brewer they had saved months ago in the valley, and the man and his grandson Rusel continued to supply them with drinks. They insisted on paying him, but at this point, the silvers it cost for ale were not something his family needed to worry about. He had several barrels of the man’s goods stored away in various spatial tools. The drinks made for a relaxing way to spend an evening with friends, if no monsters or other things were bothering them.

“Ahh, he did?” Krana’s attention was immediately drawn to the ale as she grinned, her expression clearing a bit as she poured a mug. “His work’s not bad, but I’ll still have to get you in touch with a real brewer!”

Sam just chuckled as he took out another mug and poured himself one as well. Dwarven competitiveness over ale was well known and it was a good way to boost her mood. He raised his mug in a brief toast and clinked it with hers, and they finished the first mugs before they got down to the real business.

“There were ten Seers at the gathering, but the result was mixed,” Krana reported as she looked at him over the rim of the mug. “It was six humans and three dwarves, plus one Ice Giant Shaman who traveled from their tribe two days away. Whatever it is, none of us can see it clearly. It only feels like there is a pressure from beyond the skies that is descending.

“That pressure somehow rang the bell. I saw lines of Foresight that connect Highfold, the Harbinger, and the relic all together, as well as one strong one that reaches into the sky, but it fades away before I can tell where it goes. Whatever it is, it is still too far away to confirm, but it feels like it is approaching quickly.”

“An invasion?” Sam frowned as he listened. “Do you think it’s related to Flaws or Outsiders?”

His mind was full of possibilities, from Outsiders to bounties escaping from the Seal, to even stranger things. He had seen the Nexus and he knew that Aster Fall floated in the Void in a vast space filled with stars and other beings, including the Astral Titans, whatever they really were.

The Astrals couldn’t access Aster Fall while the Seal existed, but they had been here many times before, and if there was a new Breaking, they would be again. Somewhere out there was the Goddess of the Ice Sylphs, the powerful figures he’d seen in his dreams as they met at the Nexus, and many ancient enemies trapped in the prison dimension of the Seal. Any of those was a possibility. He frowned as he clenched his hands and then relaxed them.

“We can’t tell, but it’s possible.” Krana shook her head. “I had the same vision of you again, standing in the Breach as Outsiders flooded the world. There was one difference this time. You look like you do now, but a bit older. Other than that, I need to see my home again. The dwarven clans may be threatened by this as well, and there are Grand Elders in Runekeld who might know more, or be able to advise us. Perhaps the Seers here are not powerful enough.”

“Grand Elders?” Sam was curious. “Are they at the Second Evolution then?”

“Some are. Two are at the Third.” Krana agreed simply, nodding at him. “It is a secret of my people, but every civilized race has its protectors. You will be counted among them one day, but you are still young.”

“I’m planning to leave soon. The Bloodline Clans have extended an invitation as well,” Sam said thoughtfully as he filled her in on recent events, including what the three clansmen had said, and Krana’s eyes widened in surprise. She had been absent with the council for the last couple of days, and so he hadn’t time to discuss the events with her. Now, he was hoping that she would have some advice. “What do you know of them?”

“The Bloodline Clans?” Krana stared in astonishment before she caught herself and took another drink from her mug. “They are powerful, and not just in this kingdom. They have more Second and Third Evolution powerhouses than almost anyone else and it’s a bad idea to offend them. Perhaps they know something.”

“I’ll visit them,” he agreed as he considered the idea. A temporary map for their journey was forming in his mind, starting with any nearby Flaws. “Your home in Runekeld, a Clanhold, perhaps that Crimson Forest, and whatever else is on the way.”

“You’re really going to stage a departure here, and use that to deflect attention from anyone after the bounty?” Krana asked, tilting her head at him as she got used to the idea. “I don’t think that the bounty will cause you too much trouble, really, and especially not if you stay here. It will be more dangerous if you leave. The amount is high. It’s not enough for truly powerful individuals to care, but it is enough for trouble, perhaps even from some at the Second Evolution. You have everyone here on your side. The Ice Sylphs, the Dwarven Council...even the church likes you now.

"More importantly, doesn’t the relic need you to repair it? And what about Lenei and Lesat? Your parents and sister? Will you leave everything that you are working on?” Her expression was serious and puzzled as she stared at him, waiting for an explanation.

“I need to gather as many powerful elemental auras as I can,” Sam replied with a sigh, “and that means natural sources that have accumulated over time, like crystals or strong magical ores, or auras from powerful monsters that match one of the elements. If they're close enough, but not quite right, I should be able to refine them to fit. That’s the real reason I need to go out, if we want the relic to be fully repaired anytime soon. If I stay, it will take 300 years at the best estimate and we don’t have that kind of time. The Seal is too damaged and the Harbinger’s warning might mean that it is becoming worse. No one else can gather the auras or would even know what to look for. I need to see them for myself.”

Most critically of all, he needed to let the energies resonate with the core enchantment in his mind, to make sure that they were compatible with the relic. No one else would be able to do that. He still wasn't sure if his parents would be able to use it in the same way that he did, even if they received it from the Trials.

“If the Bloodline Clans have invited you, it would be worthwhile to go,” Krana said slowly as she looked thoughtfully down into her ale. After a moment, she looked back up and nodded. “I promised to guard you. I’ll go with you when you leave. We could visit my home on the way and meet with the Elders. You will be honored as a guest and a Champion. It’s a little out of the way to go there first, but it is important. Will your parents be alright here?”

Sam looked up at the ceiling, beyond which he could feel the moons moving into position. In a few hours, it would mark the third rotation since his parents had entered the trials.

“Come,” he rumbled as he pushed back from the table and stood. A sense of expectation was building in his chest as he looked toward the peak of Sun’s Rest. “We are about to find out.”