Astral Threads, Ch 7: On the Path of Trials (Patreon)

The world was ice and stone. The sky swirled in currents of pale blue and yellow mana that slammed into Jeric’s body and washed through the other side, leaving a trail of energy sparkling in their wake. He was floating in the sky, held there by the will of the Trial, and was only half present. His body was a translucent spirit in the air.

Below him, a river of bubbling lava cut across a sprawling plain that was filled with trees that branched upward like lightning strikes. Their bark was a metallic green as they reached to the sky. In the distance, villages dotted the hills, less than a mile from the lava river.

In a moment, the lava would reach the trees. If that happened, they would melt and the lightning and wood elements in the trunks would be unleashed across the hills in a wave of destruction that would threaten the villages, killing the villagers who lived there. There was too much elemental energy for it to be safe.

With an effort of will, he knew he could redirect the energy into the sky and spare the village, but at the same time, if the trunks released the lightning upward instead of across the hills, it would destabilize the storm and the potential energy it contained. The winds of Ice and Earth mana would explode across the land, threatening more than just the villages with a chaos that put the Storm Plains to shame.

It would only take a spark to set it off, and he had to imagine that there were many more villages somewhere in the distance that would be affected, although he couldn’t see them from here. He could make sure that the storm spared these ones, but their presence implied a greater civilization was somewhere else.

How would you restore balance to the elements? Choose your path.

The choice was presented as the Moonlight Relic spoke. It wasn’t the first one he had needed to make. He’d lost track of how long he had been here, but it had been one scenario after another. The simple option was to choose to either save this village or to destroy it and spare the ones he couldn’t see, but things were never that simple. That wasn’t what these tests were about. They were here to teach him a new way of looking at the world.

He ignored both of the obvious choices as he looked for the root of the problem, darting forward as he followed the path of the lava river back to its origin. Choosing what to destroy wasn’t the real test. The elements were more complicated than that. He needed to see what was going on. He'd trained once as an Arcane Researcher, and he understood a number of runes and the elementary function of the elements, but what he was seeing now was far more primal.

He flew over the river like a ghost as he followed it back to its source. Eventually, he found a chasm in the ground where the lava was roaring to the surface with explosive cracks as stones exploded outward. He dove inward. The lava pressed around him like tar, but it didn’t burn.

As he continued downward, he eventually found where two streams of earth mana and fire mana were twisted together. At some point in the recent past, an earthquake had brought them together, shifting what had been stable into a more explosive path.

He followed the streams back to their sources for what felt like hours until he found an older connection where the fire mana had been shifted. It was a second and much larger earth vein. It was far more powerful than the little one that was closer to the surface, strong enough to contain the fire. Connected to it, there was a vast underground system of caverns and tunnels filled with fiery rubies and flaming caverns that had once held a fire affinity, but now their energy was decreasing. If it was left like this, soon they would collapse inward and the life that had been here would perish.

With an effort of will that strained his translucent body, he twisted the stream of fire mana away from the new knot it had formed and merged it back together with the original earth stream, setting it back down into its old path.

He checked over his choice, nodded once, and then he was gone. In front of him, another scenario appeared.

Moonlight poured across a field of frozen stones that hummed with potential. Ice and Earth resonated with his bones. This time, he wasn’t in his human form. Instead, he was an Ice Elemental that was slowly growing beneath the pressure of a glacier.

Ages passed like gliding days until, one day, he sensed an imbalance.

How would you restore balance to the elements? Make your choice.

Eventually, the world around him faded away, replaced by a bright blue moon that was rising into the heavens. It looked down from above like a vast eye. Within the pupil, strands of the elements wove into an intricate web that connected everything.

---

Aemilia was standing on a path of cobblestones that stretched through a field of golden wheat. In the distance, apple orchards decorated low rolling hills and farms that surrounded a village. Low stone walls led to carefully divided gardens and pens around the homes. Laughter and the shouts of children came at the edge of her hearing. It was an idyllic scene of peaceful life and she basked in it with her eyes half-closed until something tugged at her senses.

Somewhere, she could sense a growing darkness that was spreading through the village, but it was vague, just a possibility of what could be. It teased at her awareness as a storm cloud loomed on the horizon, lightning lashed across its surface in a resonance of the building problem.

She walked slowly through the village like an invisible spirit, her fingers trailing along the tops of the walls and brushing lightly over children’s hair, until eventually she found the source of the problem. In one house in the village, which was average in almost every way except for a few designs of bluebirds above the door, she found a young couple with two children, one a boy perhaps two years old and the other a baby girl just beginning to crawl.

The wife was sitting on the edge of the bed, her hand on her husband’s forehead as he tossed in the throes of a fever. His face was pale and streaked with sweat, but he was only half conscious. His left forearm was hugely swollen and an angry red where a snake had bitten him. The serpent’s corpse was in the other room of the house, near the front door where the man had thrown it in a panic. The dangerous stripes on its back glimmered in the light.

Worry rolled off of the young mother in waves. On the other side of the bed, the toddler was playing with a wooden ball, rolling it back and forth across the room and then chasing after it. As Aemilia studied the scene, she brushed her hand across the front door, the toddler’s hair, the woman’s shoulder, and the man’s arm. Slowly, the scenes came to her in shards of vision.

The toddler had found the serpent in the vegetable garden outside the house, sunning itself on some rocks in the cool of the morning. The serpent had been too sleepy to stir when the toddler, entranced by the pretty patterns on its back, had picked it up and brought it inside. Then, forgetting about it, he dropped it by the fireplace and went back to playing.

The warmth had woken the serpent, which became angry at its confinement in the room and began to search for an exit. The father came inside just in time to see the snake ready to strike as the child stood between it and the door, with one little curious hand reaching for its head. He leapt between them, grabbing the serpent and flinging it away, but it had sunk its fangs into his arm as he broke its neck against the stones.

There was no healer in this small village, only an herbalist, and the snake’s venom was too potent for the man to handle. If it had bitten the child, the boy would have died in an hour, but the father was stronger. For him, it would take longer.

Aemilia looked further, turning her sight to the future as she looked through the possibilities until the major paths became clear in her mind. In one future, the man died and the family suffered. The mother’s grief made her hate herself for not saving him and the toddler grew up in an ocean of unspoken blame that she refused to speak about, but there was a silent neglect for the boy and a desperate love for the younger girl who was the only memory of her husband that she could accept.

The boy couldn’t help but see the difference. He grew up with his mind in a tangle, his emotions dark as he sought other ways to make himself feel wanted and to escape from the guilt that he swam in. He had no memory of the serpent or his father, but he was never forgiven. In time, he left home and grew powerful, but the village suffered as he blamed it for his origins. His mother and younger sister wasted away from illness and eventually died in a plague that began in the village and ravaged the entire kingdom. The few remaining families in the village buried them next to the man who had died so many years before, and in time nothing remained but tattered fields and the three lonely graves.

How would you change this path?

The voice of the Moonlight Relic spoke in Aemilia’s mind as she came back to the present and looked down at the man who was suffering on the bed.

“There are two paths,” she replied quietly. Her voice was heard only by the relic as it waited for her answer. “Heal the man or, if that is not possible, we must help her to forgive.”

As she spoke, she saw the paths ahead of them. In one, the mayor of the village learned what was happening and sent to a larger village nearby for aid. A healer came before the man died and cured the venom, and the cost was borne by the village together, to keep one of their own safe.

In another, the mayor never heard of the problem and the man died, but the woman and the children were supported by those around them, who shared their grief. In time, the woman remarried, the children grew up and married in turn, and the boy’s act of bringing in the serpent faded away as a terrible misfortune, but something that could only be accepted and forgiven.

In both futures, the boy grew up knowing that his father had saved his life and loved him. He became powerful as he grew older. With his help, a healing house was established in the village in honor of his father and eventually, hundreds of years later, the village became a city that brought healing to the entire land around it. The plague of the first vision was dealt with before it could even begin.

What is the lesson?

Aemilia brushed her hand over the boy’s head before she turned and left. She walked slowly through the fields as her senses reached out to check on the other villagers and their well being. Emotions filtered through her mind, their troubles and their joys. Most of it required no intervention, but at times there were problems that needed more attention. As she moved on, she considered the question the relic had asked, and eventually she found the answer.

“Know your people,” she said as she looked up into the sky. “Don’t leave them to suffer alone. That will make all the difference.”

As the words hung in the air, the scene shifted and another location appeared. This time, it was a city. Her senses spread out until she found what she was looking for, and then she began again. Somewhere here, there was madness spreading from a small cult that needed to be stopped. People were falling into their clutches out of desperation and fear. The city was like nothing she had ever seen on Aster Fall and even the mana in the air felt different.

Find the heart of the problem.

It took days, but eventually she found the source of the cult and shared the information with the local baroness, carefully balancing the information. The lady’s daughter was one of the leaders of the cult, and the key was in how she handled that realization. With Aemilia’s help, it was grief instead of rage. Many lives were saved.

The cult was removed with the least damage to the people of the city and the daughter was judged by a council of city leaders, sparing her mother the burden, and eventually reformed. If the baroness had done it herself, she would have felt obliged to execute her daughter and her spirit would have shattered. In time, the city would have fallen and the land it protected would have descended into chaos.

One scenario blended into the next until Aemilia lost track of time, but it seemed as if she had been here for years, passing from one moment to the next. Sometimes the people were humans and sometimes other races that she had never heard of, but in each task, she had to choose the wisest course of action. It was always about the hearts of the people and helping them toward progress instead of destruction.

Eventually, a path of moonlight appeared and stretched into the distance. Her form shimmered as she walked along it and disappeared. The world around her blossomed into radiant purple light.

---

Jeric and Aemilia’s hands met as they stood on the rocky plateau that stretched into the distance. Above, the moons hung in the void, shining brightly as they looked down at them. An aura of bright blue light gathered around Jeric at the same time as a dusky purple one gathered around Aemilia.

You have passed the Trials of the Moon. The Moonlight Relic’s voice echoed out all around them. It was followed a moment later by the more powerful and commanding voice of the World Law that resonated in their minds. It spoke to both of them at the same time as they held hands.

For undergoing a unique Trial and succeeding, you are each granted 1,000,000 Class experience.

Congratulations. You are now a Level 100 Earthen Marauder and a Level 100 Historian.

You have exceeded the experience requirements for your Initial Paths. You have met the requirements for Evolution.

You have ten minutes to collect your rewards from the Trials and then your Evolution will begin. While Evolving, you will be protected by the World Core. If you wish to accept the World Core’s assistance, do so now.

Aemilia turned toward her husband with a smile, her attention slowly refocusing onto the present after what felt like years away. The memory of the Trial was retreating to the edge of her mind as the sense of time in it disappeared, making it feel like it had all happened in an instant, but the lessons learned and the heart of it all remained.

Jeric gently squeezed her hand as he looked down at her. Then the voice of the World Law returned as the moonlight aura around each of them sank into their skin.

Titles Granted: Light of Caelus. Light of Amaris.

He could feel a strange energy fluctuating there, like a protective shield weaving through his meridians, and an awareness of the moons in the heavens sprang into his mind.

“I can feel the moons and the presence of the relic so clearly now,” Aemilia murmured as she looked at her hands and then up at him. “They’re almost ready to rise.”

“I never thought this day would come,” Jeric said quietly as he looked down at her. “We’ll have to make a new life of it. Are you ready, love?”

“With you, always,” she said with a smile that was just for him. “Ever since you asked me for directions the day we met.”

They held hands as they stood there looking at each other until silver light poured through the world around them and they both disappeared.

---

When the world resolved again, Jeric was standing alone in a great hall of stone. Somewhere far away, he could feel his wife’s presence, but he didn’t see her. The world around him was enormous, large enough that vast mountains and crags stretched into the distance and somehow tumbled together, yet the sky far above him was the glowing ceiling of a cavern.

The sense of Earth was all around him in a thousand forms, from crystals shining in the light, to gems embedded in the stones, to dust crumbled beneath his feet, to strands of ores that were interwoven through the walls and that shone from the slopes of the hills in the distance.

In front of him, a crag of stone began to shift as vast slabs of stone and dirt along the sides crumbled away and were reabsorbed. It grew larger as it changed, until there was an enormous earthen elemental looking down at him. It was vaguely shaped like a human, but it was a massive form with boulders jutting from its skin and stalagmites rising up from its head to form a crown. It looked down at him with brilliant topaz eyes that were each the size of a castle door.

A human.... That is rare. When it spoke, its voice was a rumble that shook the entire cavern. The words vibrated from Jeric’s bones like an earthquake as a wave of force passed through him, but it didn’t harm him. You are Blessed by the Earth.

A hand the size of ten wagons linked together slammed into the stones by his side and without needing to be told, he jumped onto it. A moment later, it rose into the air again, bringing him in line with the giant topaz eyes. It wasn’t clear what the elemental was, but the sense of power radiating from it was greater than anything he had ever known. It felt like its will was strong enough to reshape the world.

I am Egraga. You have choices to make for your Evolution. As there is no suitable creator for your Class, I have been requested to assist.

The massive elemental shrugged its shoulders as the world spun around Jeric. When it stopped again, he was looking out at a vast field of stalactites hanging from the ceiling of the cavern. They glowed with power.

Each is a choice. Would you like help in selecting one?

“I am...honored to meet you, Egraga.” It took Jeric a moment to gather his voice and he was worried that it would be too faint for the massive elemental to even notice, but when he spoke, the sound was as clear as if he were in his own home. He coughed in surprise, and then he spoke again, more easily. “What do you recommend?”

The options in front of you are many. You could walk an Elemental path or one of a Human warrior. You have a Blessing of Earth, of Ice, and of the Moons. All of them give you options. The elemental’s voice was the sound of the earth shifting, deep and profound, but it came to his mind easily.

Your Class currently is one from a monster, and normally it would Evolve as you grow, but your physique is not suited to such a change. This Evolution could correct that, if you wish, but you might not keep your humanity. The next step for that path is to become an Earthen Commander.

It would turn you partially to stone, and you would be able to consume stone and sources of Earth mana to grow. That path may not be the most suitable for you. You have more options available. You have Marks to spend as well. You may do so here. What do you wish to become?

“I want to provide a home for my family, to protect them, and to keep our home safe from monsters and other things. I want to stay human, or at least mainly human. I don’t mind an elemental part to it, but no stone skin.” The answer was on his lips before he even needed to think about it. It wasn’t eloquent, but it was honest. Aemilia would not appreciate it if he turned into a rock. “I want the best for my family. I want whatever will let me be there for them.”

Do you wish to forge a unique Class that uses your strengths? You have ten Marks. In this way, your Class and Race issue will be resolved together. It will require all of them to create a Path. If you wish for a simpler process, you may spend your Marks for Abilities or Traits that will elevate your Class. The World Core is listening. Speak your desires.

“I want stability, a place for us to live and grow.” His words were careful, but they tumbled out at once. “I need a Class that incorporates all of my abilities and that will support this home we have made. I still need to be able to fight, but if it had something that would let me stay here and oversee the building of the relic while gaining experience, that would be the best. If forging a new class is the best choice, then I will do that?”

And for your Subclass? Egraga’s voice rumbled through the cavern again as it pushed him to clarify his desires.

“Something that lets me oversee the area, maintain trade and order, and that gives me an option to support my family. I would still like to oversee the shop, but it looks like new options might be available now with the relic.” As he spoke, he felt the elemental’s spirit touching his mind, and he pushed his thoughts toward it, trying to give it the full impression of what he wanted.

I understand your desire, Egraga rumbled after a few moments and the sense of a visitor in his mind receded. The options are many. Do you wish for me to advise the World Core and assist in creating your path? Understand that I have been requested to aid you because I hold good will toward you as a Child of Earth. My advice will not harm you.

“Please, provide whatever help you can.” Jeric let out a sigh of relief as he heard the elemental’s words. He wasn’t sure what to ask, but this ancient being had to have a better idea, especially when it came to creating the right class.

Your request is heard. Let your Path be forged.

Egraga’s hand rose into the air and Jeric shot toward the cavern ceiling, flying toward it with a crushing force as everything exploded into a brilliant yellow light. For a moment, he thought he would be smashed against it, but then he realized that it was far larger than he had ever imagined. The distance to the ceiling was not decreasing at all.

Instead, the energy across the stone gathered together as it formed into a shining yellow stalactite that glimmered above him and he realized that Egraga’s hand was driving him straight toward it. Somehow, the elemental seemed to be growing at the same rate as the cavern. The stalactite was ornately carved with gleaming Earthen runes and then Ice appeared as well. It held a commanding presence, like a prince among its neighbors. More runes appeared across its surface. When it was complete, it separated from the cavern roof and fell toward him.

As it approached, it grew larger until it was no longer a stalactite, but an entire mountain that was falling through the sky. Compared to it, he was infinitesimal, like a pebble on the beach. As it approached, all around it, he could sense the natural power of Earth, the force of weight and pressure, stone caverns that endured through the ages, and the swelling strength that tore through the foundations of everything as it raised mountains to the sky.

Ice was there as well, the freezing cold of mountain peaks and glaciers, binding the world in frost until nothing could move. Snow covered the peak that was descending toward him, wrapping around it like an eternal cloak that held everything still in its grasp. But neither the pressure nor the cold harmed him.

They were him.

The mountain peak slammed into him with a force like the world was ending as everything disappeared. Information on the class appeared in his mind at the same time as new abilities and knowledge crystallized.

Congratulations, Earth Blessed, on your First Evolution.

Class: Commander of the Frozen Peak.

[Location-Based Commander Class. Unique. Prerequisites Met: Blessing of Earth, Blessing of Ice, Claimed Territory: Moonlight Relic. +3 Strength, +3 Constitution, +1 Intelligence, +1 Charisma per Level. General Levels will provide +2 free Attribute points.]

For Evolving your Class, you gain +10 Strength, +10 Constitution, +20 Intelligence, +20 Charisma.

Class Abilities Gained:

• Command Presence: Charisma-Based Area Effect. You exude an aura that boosts the morale and confidence of your followers. You also gain the ability to see what is happening in your domain at a distance and to speak to those within it.
• Commander’s Contribution: As a Commander Class, you will gain experience from overseeing the defense of your domain and improvements to it. Your domain is identified as everything within the borders of the Moonlight Relic.

Subclass: Blessed Statesman of the Moonlight Relic.

Subclass Abilities Gained:

• Moonlight Statesman: You may create binding contracts related to the function of the Moonlight Relic. You also gain the ability to oversee diplomatic, trade, logistics, construction, and other projects within the domain of the Moonlight Relic and that are related to it. This subclass fully synergizes with Commander’s Contribution at 100% of Class experience.
• You retain all abilities of your previous Subclass: Blessed Trader of the Earth and will continue to receive 20% Class experience from any merchant deals not related to your Commander class.

Your Race has Evolved to Human (Bloodline of Frozen Earth).

With that, the information pouring into Jeric’s mind flowed away, leaving him with an intrinsic knowledge of everything that had happened.

Congratulations on your Evolution, little one. Egraga’s chuckle rumbled out across the cavern and he lowered the hand that was holding Jeric, bringing him back to eye level. Your new Bloodline of Frozen Earth was my suggestion for how to solve the problem of your monster class and the Earth within it. Your innate elemental affinities have been infused into it and there is a chance you will pass them down to any future descendants. If you find other things with these affinities, you might be able to enhance the bloodline further, but it is already very pure. It will grow with you.

Now, our time together approaches its end. We will meet again if you have future Evolutions.

“Wait,” Jeric held up his hand as he gathered his thoughts. Everything that had just happened left his mind spinning. “You’ve given me your name, but who are you? It feels like I should recognize you, somehow. I would like to know who to thank.”

The elemental chuckled as his hand began to descend, lowering Jeric toward the ground. The rumbled filled his bones, and for a moment he thought he would leave without knowing, but as the world began to fade away into a wash of silver light, the words came to his mind.

I am Egraga, the first World Spirit of Earth. Live long and flourish, little brother.

With that, the cavern disappeared as the World Law whisked him away.