Astral Threads, Ch 33: The Council of Runekeld (Patreon)

The Heart of Magma floated above the pool as Sam fed it the last aura related to fire and earth that he had. There were about thirty, so it took a little while as the Heart absorbed each of them. A few were Auras of Burning Stone, but most were the Auras of Enduring Stone from arctic cave trolls, which had been a threat to travelers a few times after he left Highfold.

The central ruby and the three garnets orbiting it like moons bobbed in the air as the Heart chimed happily. A lick of flame swirled out of the ruby and brushed along Sam’s hand like a friendly cat. If it had been someone else, it probably would have incinerated their hand.

The artifact was hot enough now to melt iron and it wasn’t done. The lines of enchanted metal imbued into it glowed with white heat and flames were flickering around the gems, spontaneously appearing and disappearing as the air warped. It was directly over the center of the pool and the magma below had become a brighter golden-red.

The auras had accelerated the Heart’s growth by years or perhaps a decade. It and the magma pool were supporting one another now, which was why the magma pool was changing. They would continue to advance in sync as long as the Heart remained here. The magma had been hot before, but it was reaching another level, which meant the dwarves might need to modify the enchantments they used to forge.

Sam rubbed his chin as he considered the necessary changes. Then he reached down to the magma pool with his will and summoned out an arc of magma. It warped into a golden-red sphere as he directed it to the side, just beyond the containment enchantment, and he poured his aura into it as he reshaped it.

A few hours passed as he worked, but before long, a black stone tablet was fused to the ground and inscribed with golden characters. The top half was a set of instructions on how to modify the enchantments used for the forges here to work better with the Heart and the hotter magma, while the bottom half was a model of a new enchantment, one that he thought might work better.

On the reverse side, he inscribed instructions for how to care for the Heart, as well as a warning about how hot it would get. They would need a special class of smiths to approach it in the future, or someone who could resist the heat for long enough.

When that was finished, he studied the room and then got to work inscribing a new containment enchantment around the old one. He shaped the runes from the magma and fused them into the stone just below the surface, with the only obvious change being a new circle that glowed with a golden light as it absorbed the energy from the pool.

He didn’t want to disrupt the dwarves’ ancient forge, but at the same time, he didn’t want to leave the Heart completely unprotected. This enchantment would help to contain the heat, to keep away people with ill intent, and alert him if the Heart were ever moved. He also included a message enchantment and linked it to himself, so that the Heart or a smith here could contact him if they tried hard enough.

With the power of the magma behind it, the enchantment should be able to reach him within a few thousand miles, or perhaps more. It was definitely within range of the relic, and the relic could relay it farther.

While he was working, Boren and Krana just watched, as well as a few dwarves who had stayed, and he spent a few minutes explaining the tablet he’d created and the new containment area.

“It’s been four thousand years since we changed these enchantments.” Boren frowned at the tablet as he listened, but the glow of the gem above the pool left him in a good mood. “But with that here, perhaps it’s time for an upgrade. We can’t let a gem like that go unrecognized. That darling needs a proper setting.”

“You never do things by halves.” Krana just shook her head as she held back a chuckle. “I received a message while you were working. The Council has made their decision and is ready to see us now, if you’re done fixing things.”

“Let’s go meet them,” Sam agreed with a surge of interest. Hopefully with Boren on his side, they would agree to help with the relic and the World Seal, at least as much as they could. “And then to the seers?”

“Right afterwards,” Krana said with a grin. “We’ve been requested to come and see them too. My mother will show us the way. I haven’t been to their oldest halls before.”

“I’ll meet you at the council chamber, Titan,” Boren said with a gruff nod as he gave the Heart of Magma a last look and then headed for the door. “I need to go see what we have to offer you in return for this little beauty.”

Be good, Sam sent to the Heart in farewell. It should be fine here now, especially with the enchantments he’d added to protect it. Make a lot of helpful things.

The Heart responded with a trio of cheerful musical chimes and a sense of wordless agreement as the garnets orbited faster. There was a lot more energy in it than before he’d fed it and it was still happily digesting it.

It would probably miss him, but it had a purpose and it knew who its creator was. That was enough for an artifact, even a sentient one. It was part of the earth and its scale of time was measured in the rise and fall of mountains. To it, the years would be like passing clouds.

With Boren gone, Krana led the way out. Fortunately, she was familiar with the path to the council chamber from here. That gave Sam a chance to turn his attention to his free attribute points and Charisma requirements.

His Charisma was 206, which could handle up to 824 essence, but he needed to plan for the future. Some mental calculation and an estimate of his attribute growth told him a few key things.

First, he only had 54,670 of the necessary 200,000 essence for his sixth tier and next racial evolution. If his attributes continued to increase at the same rate, he had gained a quarter of what they would be. He had to plan for what would happen when it filled up.

Second, he had about 50% more Intelligence and Aura than he would have had without his essence attributes. He had quite a few other attributes too, but for now, he ignored those.

Third, if his essence continued to give him attributes at the same rate, then by the time he hit the sixth tier, the benefit would be four times higher than it was currently. That meant he had to plan to handle a lot of essence...triple what he would have with experience alone. It would be roughly 440 from the experience side at Level 200 and twice that from essence, for a total of 1,320 Intelligence and Aura.

That would require 330 Charisma.

He frowned at the estimate, but without hesitating any longer, he added all 48 of his free points to the attribute. It was nearly a 25% increase and it brought him to 254. He felt an intense crackle of energy rush through him as it remolded his features and proportions. At the same time, his sense of self deepened, becoming more stable and sure.

He wanted to grumble about the cost, but the promise of so many attributes in the future made it worthwhile. He would be three times stronger than most people and better rounded. Some more calculations of how many attributes most people got told him that by Level 200, he might be able to face a mediocre wizard a hundred levels above him.

As for dealing with anything at Level 200 or perhaps even up to 250, he was already capable of it.

It was harder for him to deal with Outsiders than inhabitants of Aster Fall, since his essence didn’t have as much of an advantage, but he doubted that most of them had as many attributes as he did. That was thanks to his race. For them, he was probably on par with Level 210 or 220.

He looked down at his hands as they walked and flexed his talons, feeling a sense of crackling strength. He wasn’t as powerful as he would be in the future, but the calculation gave him a sense of confidence in dealing with the bellisagi. They would have to send a truly powerful team in order to take him down.

Unfortunately, his main disadvantages were still in speed and endurance, as well as against abilities like a mana field and more unique things. He could ignore a lot of mana pressure, but it was a hindrance to projecting his spells. He also burned through energy quickly and that meant numbers could wear him down. The assassins had an advantage in that regard, which he would need to plan to overcome.

Hopefully, they would find a few more Flaws and he could improve his essence constellation until it met his expectations. That was the quickest route to gaining strength and it also meant more Marks. The bellisagi offered their own route to experience if they insisted on coming to find him. On either of those paths, his search for auras would be easier.

He cracked his knuckles as he looked up and saw that they had reached their destination at the council chambers. Krana had paused in front of a pair of large, ornate doors that were closed at the end of a tunnel. They were made of ironwood and reinforced ebonsteel and filled the tunnel like two monoliths, each of them heavily engraved with dwarven figures from the past. He could feel the enchantments on them for durability and rebounding force, which were charged with enough mana to slag the tunnel they were standing in. It was an impressive set of defenses and enough to keep the chambers secure against all but the strongest blows.

There was an honor guard of six Dwarven Battleguards outside the door, three to each side, but the tunnel was wide and they weren’t blocking the way. The sergeant at the front nodded at their arrival and made no movement to block Krana as she knocked. The doors echoed with deep, rolling booms as she put all of her strength into it.

Apparently, knocking loudly was a sign of dwarven respect.

The doors swung wide on silent hinges. They moved so easily they had to be hung on perfect counterweights, a mark of the dwarves’ skill. Inside, a council hall warmly lit by glowing golden lights stretched back for a hundred feet. A scan of the sides of the room showed that its shape was an octagon, and a tracery of enchantments on the floor spoke of the defenses here, but there was no sense of threat.

The floor rose up inside the room on a gradual angle that hid the back from him and obscuring enchantments covered the area, but he could sense a number of people gathered inside. As he approached the door, his attention fixed on a council of twelve dwarves stood waiting by the sides of a rectangular stone table. All of them were on their feet, which was far more courtesy than he’d received in Highfold. Either his speech at the gates or his crafting had earned their respect.

He walked through the doors with Krana by his side. His head was high as a surge of purpose flowed through him. If things went well, his time in Runekeld was coming to an end, at least for this part of it.

Auras awaited.

---

“Honored Chaos Smith,” Esana called out from the side of the high table where she was standing with the rest of the council. She inclined her head to him with a smile, but there was a trace of tension at the corner of her eyes.

With less Charisma or Wisdom, Sam might have noticed it, but it stood out to him as clearly as the presence of the council themselves and it instantly made the smile on his own features become a bit firmer. He wasn’t sure what had happened to the negotiations, but perhaps he’d been expecting too much, even after crafting the Heart of Magma.

As he looked around the room, he noticed that Boren wasn’t here yet and he nodded. He would have to hope that the smith kept to his promise and that he was capable of forcing the council.

Another escort of Bloodguards was inside the chamber, two dozen of them this time, arranged in rows to either side of the chamber, but that wasn’t what drew Sam’s attention as he looked past the council table. The Bloodguard and the council were not the only ones in the hall.

Set onto a higher dais at the back of the hall, behind the line of obscuring enchantments, there was a low throne carved from red marble and inlaid with mithril and golden swirls. At the top of the backrest, there were six bright rubies arranged like a crown around the head of the dwarf who was seated on it.

He was a powerfully built older dwarf with arms that were thickly corded with muscle. He was wearing a set of ornate mithril armor in a combination of chain and plate, but he wore it so comfortably and naturally that Sam’s attention instantly moved to his features instead.

His beard was a dense, grayish red that spoke of strength mixed with wisdom. It was woven into thick braids that reached his waist, which were adorned with beads of different metals, including some very rare viridium and selandrite. The first was a magical variant of copper that held a tinge of emerald green and the second was a Fire-aligned metal with a bright ruby sheen.

At his brow, his hair was threaded with brighter streaks of a dignified grey that were restrained by a slender mithril crown, which rested just above his temples. A large ruby was centered on the front, its facets shining in the light of the golden torches as it matched the pattern on the throne behind his head. Near his right hand, a dark ebonsteel warhammer rested on the floor, its leather-wrapped hilt leaned against the throne.

Sam hadn’t been expecting it, and he kicked himself for a fool, but he was clearly seeing the King of Runekeld. He knew from Krana’s comments that the king rarely stepped into disputes. Normally, he stayed to his own pursuits, including leveling, and allowed most things to be handled by the council, but for something as important as the World Seal breaking, there was no doubt that he would come.

The king radiated power and a charisma that filled the council hall, or more appropriately his throne room, and once Sam caught sight of him, the councilors looked thin and frail by comparison. There was no doubt that he was in his Third Evolution, and perhaps at the very top of it.

He also wasn’t alone. On either side of the throne, nearly invisible in the aura he was giving off, there were half a dozen Dwarven Royal Guards. He didn’t need to analyze them to see their classes. Their position and their armor was enough to say who they were. Each of them radiated less power than the king, but they were all stronger than the council and at the beginning of the Third Evolution, about on par with Uncle Snake.

The assassin would probably have the advantage with his bloodline, but Sam wouldn’t place too much on the bet. The dwarves were heavily armored in dark red full plate with gold embossing across the chest. They held matching tower shields in one hand, which rested on the floor near their left foot, and they each had a spear in their other hand as well as individual weapons on their belts, which were either warhammers or axes.

They were silent and formal, but their strength spoke for itself. They were a red wave that would break the enemies of the kingdom. After he took in their positions, Sam nodded and directed his attention to the king alone. He realized now at least part of the problem.

He had made his request to the council, but the king could overrule them. Given that he was here, it looked like the king wanted to meet the Chaos Smith and see for himself what he had to say. It wasn’t clear if he was inclined to agree or not, but Sam had the feeling that the next few minutes would be a test that would determine a great deal about how much the dwarves could help him.

“Greetings, King Dorsan of Runekeld,” Sam said as he inclined his head politely to the dwarf.

At least he knew his name. Krana had given him that information as part of her history of the city. The seer was currently frozen next to him in shock as she stared at the throne and there may have been an “eeep” sound a moment before, though she was unlikely to admit it.

Apparently, she hadn’t been expecting this either.

The head nod and greeting was all Sam offered as a formality, but it should be enough. He didn’t bow, since the dwarf wasn’t his king. Given his position with the Moonlight Relic, the two of them were both heads of state, which made for complicated politics, but the dwarf was stronger and in his own home, so courtesy was critical, especially if Sam wanted his help.

It helped that the dwarves were not much on formal manners or bowing. They cared more about trust and honor. Being forthright was the best policy with them. It also helped that he’d increased his Charisma so much recently. He could sense the mood in the room far more clearly than before. So far, things were tense but not a problem.

It looked like the king and his guard were also unsure of what to make of his arrival.

“Honored Chaos Smith,” the king rumbled as he nodded in return. He used the same address that Esana had a moment before. His voice was low and deep, like boulders grinding together. It suited a king. “I have heard such stories of you that I would believe you are a legend walking, or at least a young legend who will one day shake the world, even if the ripples have not yet been felt.”

His words were straightforward, but there was still a layer of diplomacy in them where meaning was hidden between the lines and phrases could be delivered with a hidden hammer blow. It was clear he didn’t quite believe the rumors yet, but he wasn’t entirely against them either. He was here to find out more.

“When I heard the report that a legendary race had appeared here with words of grave warning,” King Dorsan continued with a serious tone, “I had to come and see for myself what was going on. At first, I feared you were a diplomat with hidden motives or some trick at hand, but then, much to my amazement, I heard of what you were forging as a demonstration in the ancestral hall.” He smiled then, more broadly, as he nodded at Sam.

“I have always loved to see the crafts from other races and I am honored that you have come to my halls to share what you know. After hearing of your new artifact, I have no doubt of your ability as an honorable smith and as such, you are always welcome in Runekeld. For the gift you have given my kingdom, I grant you a boon. Please, ask of me what you will.”

Sam walked forward across the hall and stopped about thirty feet from the throne. It was close enough that he could feel a slight tension from the Royal Guards. The king was on an elevated dais with his throne, but with Sam’s height, they were basically eye to eye.

He understood what the king had said, and he also heard the implicit request that he be just an honored smith. There was no doubt that the king wanted to avoid trouble in Runekeld. He would much prefer that Sam had only come to give them the artifact, and then he could reward him for it and throw a celebration and that would be the end of it. No doubt the reward would be better if Sam left it at that.

Unfortunately, the Heart of Magma wasn’t the real reason he had come. He needed the dwarves' help with finding auras, to meet with their seers, and then their support for the relic and repairing the World Seal, if they could offer it. The task was enormous and the more people he had to help, the better.

Of course, he couldn’t say that straight out. It was better to frame it in a way that would keep the king happy.

“The Heart of Magma will grow in strength over the years,” Sam said with a smile he didn’t need to fake. Speaking about the Heart put him in a good mood. “I hope that it will bring warmth to your forges and prosperity to your realm. You can bring it powerful sources of Earth and Fire to hasten its growth. Just offer them to it and see if it will absorb them.

“You should be aware that it has its own mind, like any sentient artifact, and it will help those most who respect it. It is young, so it may not know everything yet, but it knows its purpose is to aid with forging and it will advance over time. If possible, it should not be moved from the magma pool. The two will grow in strength together.”

“I appreciate a smith who cares so much for his work.” The king smiled even more broadly this time as he nodded. “I heard you left instructions in the forge as well, with improvements for the enchantments there. I thank you for this and will include my thanks in the boon. What would you have of me?”

“I would ask you to open trade with the Moonlight Relic, which rests on the mountains above Highfold,” Sam replied easily. It was the simplest of his two larger requests. “My people are there rebuilding it after it has suffered ages of damage. We have an agreement with the dwarves of Highfold to assist, but they are a small clan compared to Runekeld.

“I could use the assistance of master crafters who would be willing to speed along the repairs and teach what they know. The relic also holds many old records of crafting, which can be opened when the repairs are more complete.”

“It will be done.” The king nodded without hesitation. There was a gravity to it that felt like a hammer blow, but there was also a sense of relief in his words, although it was only the barest trace that Sam could detect. He was clearly glad that Sam had not asked for something more. “We dwarves do not trade easily with others unless they have proved themselves, but you have done that and more. You are a Friend and Honored Guest, and I also name you Honored Smith for what you have made here. I will be happy to trade with your people and to compare our methods with yours. The first delegation shall leave within the week!”

“Your good will and generosity will be known for ages.” Sam inclined his head again, a hair more deeply this time to show his thanks. Even if he got nothing else here, he was confident the king would uphold his words. That wasn’t the only thing he needed, however, so he subtly pushed the topic in the necessary direction. “In helping with the rebuilding, you will be supporting the World Seal. The World Core will understand this and will surely approve of your efforts in terms of the experience gained.”

“The world is ever in danger, balanced on a narrow precipice of present and future.” The king’s face became graver as he nodded in agreement, some of his humor fleeing, but he didn’t disagree, which was promising. “I have heard of your quest to repair the World Seal, but I must confess that even with all the skills of the dwarven crafters of Runekeld, I do not know how this can be done. I also know well of those who would become involved, for good or ill, should such an opportunity arise.”

He was clearly speaking of the Boundless Alliance and the Cabal. Given his level, there was no way he wasn’t familiar with them. The real question was which side he fell on.

“It is a dangerous task,” Sam agreed easily. “And one too large for any one person. But the threat of Outsider invasion and another Breaking is approaching as the seal wavers. If that happens, many innocents will be lost. I plan to act first and do what I can to prevent it. The Moonlight Relic will stand against that darkness. It is what it was designed to do in the distant past. Once it is repaired, it will stabilize the seal.”

“You will need allies in this task,” the king said as he looked at Sam. Strength radiated from him, but also wariness. He was still waiting for Sam to ask for direct help.

“Any help is welcome,” Sam replied, “but I will work alone if needed. All I ask is information before I take my leave. Your boon is most welcome and well received, and for it, you have my deepest thanks.”

He had the feeling that the king would respond better to an open invitation than to a direct request, so he didn’t push him. Let him choose how he wished to assist. There was no telling what sort of other pressure he was under, especially from the Cabal if those madmen were involved. Perhaps he could help more if he chose the method.

He was also still banking on the king’s good will from the Heart of Magma. He’d given Runekeld a great benefit with that and the king knew it. A small trade deal to support the relic wasn’t much in return, especially if the dwarves received experience and crafting knowledge for their help.

“I will look into other ways to assist you in this critical endeavor.” The king nodded as he pushed up from his throne and stood. He moved easily despite the weight of his armor and his beard rattled musically against his breastplate. “Duty calls me away, but I will remember our meeting, Honored Chaos Smith. I am glad to have met you. I have the feeling that I will one day look back on it with amazement.”

Sam nodded, but he didn’t say anything else. It looked like the king had made up his mind. He wasn’t sure what Dorsan would do in the end, but hopefully he helped. A few moments later, the king and his Royal Guard were gone, having exited through a concealed door at the back of the chamber.

Sam turned toward the council, ready to ask about the seers and the map of elemental areas, but at that moment, Master Smith Boren arrived, stomping into the room with a grumble. From the looks of it, he’d been delayed in the vaults and then rushed here as soon as he could. His shoulders were covered with dusty grey cobwebs and there was a bright green stone glowing in his hand.

“What are all you thin-arms looking at?!” he growled at the council as he ignored the Bloodguards scattered around the room. Their expressions apparently made him think they were refusing to help and he became even more disgruntled as he looked at them. “You’d better have agreed to help him or I’ll put you to hammering steel until your bones shake! In two days, he made an artifact that will reshape our ancient forge. Our ancestors would break out of their graves and pound us to stone if we refused him!”

He didn’t bother waiting for an answer. Instead, he walked straight up to Sam with the gem in his hand. It was giving off a strange and unfamiliar aura related to Wood that felt like stormy skies and grass. That much was obvious even at a distance, but it was hard for Sam to say more without examining it. It reminded him of the Storm Plains.

“This is called the Star of Life,” Boren growled as he held it out to Sam and waited for him to take it. “It’s the closest thing I could find in the crafting vaults to your Heart of Magma. Everyone who’s ever examined it has said it was powerful, but unfortunately, no one can make it do anything. It was dropped off here in trade by some elementals who needed a load of rare ore about seven hundred years ago and it’s been kept in the vaults ever since. Hopefully, you have better luck with your methods. I was looking for something else down there, but for some reason, as soon as I saw it, I felt like it would be the best match.”

Sam took the stone in his hand and looked down at it. It held a turbulent source of energy that reminded him more of his old home than anything he’d ever seen before, like it was a seed of the Storm Plains themselves. Its depths glimmered with a swirling green fire that spoke of endless forests glowing with lightning, their branches rising upward until they pierced the sky.

If he didn’t miss his guess, the stone held a secret to the Storm Plains. He’d always thought they were formed naturally from the mana pouring down from the mountains, which saturated the plains, but with this stone in his hand, he wasn’t so sure of that anymore.

This felt like there was more to it.

His attention was drawn deeper into the stone as he felt a pull on his aura. It was tugging at the energy in his meridians as he held it like it was begging for food. The stone didn’t want his mana or his essence. It wanted pure aura. It was the first time he’d ever felt something like that, although it held some similarity to enchantments on the verge of failure that needed to be stabilized.

He hesitated for a moment as he looked up at Boren and around the room, but the demand from the stone was growing greater, as if it were desperate for energy. He felt bad for it, especially when he thought of how hungry the Heart of Magma had been, so he didn’t hesitate any longer as he poured his aura into the gem.

His vision exploded into a field of swirling green light as he felt his mind being drawn into the gem.