Path of Stars, Ch 17: Faults of the Family (Patreon)

A streak of silver cut through the Void in a distant system. When it faded, Sam and the rest appeared. He looked around as he took stock of the situation and the condition of the Wild Spirits, and then he nodded.

He could feel streaks of blood running down his body beneath the remains of his armor, but it was something to deal with later. His cloak had absorbed most of the wraith’s attacks that had broken through his other defenses.

The Wild Spirits were injured and exhausted, but they were alive. Alora was still holding tightly onto her guard, and it made him wonder if the two were related.

Without speaking, he surrounded them all in another bubble of energy and headed for the moon of a nearby world that looked uninhabited. Before long, they were on the surface, which was mostly a lifeless umber color.

“Sleset, set up some basic defenses as I work,” he said as he began to mold the stone beneath their feet, quickly raising pillars into a temporary hall. At his command, the naga began to inscribe protective sigils into a circle around the area. Sleset’s wards weren’t as strong as his own, but they would work until Sam had time to spare.

The pattern of the hall that he’d already built was the easiest thing in his mind to copy and there was plenty of stone here to use, so he recreated it in a simpler version where he was standing, only adding a few extra rooms.

The work took him a few hours, but Alora was tending to the knight and looked like she would collapse herself at any moment, so further travel was out of the question. By the time he was done, he checked on the knight’s condition and then he gestured them to the new chambers to rest.

As much as he wanted answers, it could wait until they were coherent. While they rested, he would work on the wards himself, since he wasn’t inclined to leave the area undefended. Even if nothing else came by, there were always beasts looking for a quick snack. As for the golems, Alora had already stationed them outside the hall, so he didn’t need to give them any new directions.

Once the Wild Spirits were asleep and the basic wards were completed on the hall’s pillars, several hours had passed. Sam looked over at the area that would have contained his forge and then he sat down on the stone chair at the center of the hall, his gaze stretching off into the distant stars.

Several things had become apparent to him over the last few hours as he considered the ramifications of the battle.

First, the demons had a Blood affinity, which reminded him of the Demon of Sundered Blood, but he didn’t know if they were connected. That demon was a legend on Aster Fall. There was no telling if it was actually connected to these three. Blood was also a common trait among Outsiders in general.

Second, the fact that Outsiders were present in the Chaos Wild was something he had to investigate, Path or no Path. Their presence threatened all of the galaxy, including Aster Fall. This wasn’t right next to his home, but ignoring it would be naive. Hopefully, he could find a way to combine the two.

The Will of the Path was probably not able to help much out here in the Chaos Wild, but Alora should have some answers for him when she woke up. Then he could make a decision.

Along with that, if there were more Outsiders out here, the wraith might tell them there was a young Astral Titan around. He wasn’t sure what that would lead to, but it could be a spark for more trouble or for the Outsiders to go into hiding.

Third, in a far more immediate problem, he needed to decide what to do with the essence from the giants he’d killed. He’d instinctively grabbed it while leaving, which meant the sacrifice of his artifacts hadn’t been for nothing, but it presented a dilemma. For now, he was holding it trapped in a layer just outside of his body.

The problem was with the essence itself, since it came from Outsiders. He had enough trouble on the Path trying to convert his essence as it was.

Is it safe to absorb this? His thought was directed to the Titan Star as he considered the issue. He could dissolve the essence into the Void, but it was a last resort. It was a massive quantity from the two Level 360 giants and he needed it to advance his racial evolution, especially now that Outsiders were around.

It is infused with the same bloodlust and foreign principles as other essence from Outsiders, the star answered immediately, but it seems to have been diluted somewhat by their time in the Void. They must have been here for a very long time. Perhaps 15% of it has been converted already.

That’s good news for me, but where have they been for all that time? Sam held his chin in his hand as he leaned forward and looked out into the Void. He doubted the Outsiders were trying to convert their essence, so for that much to have cycled on its own, it must have taken a staggering amount of time. Alora mentioned a forbidden area her family guarded. Perhaps something like that invasion artifact on the Storm Plains, where they have been trapped for ages?

Or a deliberate prison, the star agreed. They may have been sealed there since the First War. You’ll need to get more information from her.

When she wakes up, Sam agreed as he turned his attention back to the essence. If he’d been alone and had no other concerns, he would have absorbed it, but doing that would increase the instability he already had. He didn’t want to lose his head and jump off into the stars while Outsiders were around. He’d much rather deal with them first.

The Path is about attuning myself to the Void, right? he asked as he considered the possibilities. Attunement, Essence Cycling, and the Dream of the Void. Surely I can do that by fighting Outsiders instead of the beasts here.

It might be possible, the star agreed slowly. You are supposed to be replacing foreign essence with the native essence, and something has caused the essence from those Outsiders to change. However, it might not be due solely to the process of time. That alone would be difficult.

What are you thinking about? Sam’s gaze fell on the star, which was glimmering brightly on his hand.

There is something strange about the essence that the Wild Spirits have, the star replied. They accumulate it, but it’s different from what a Void beast does. A beast infuses their body with it for durability. The Wild Spirits seem to be holding it in their spirits, almost like it’s infusing their magic instead, and there’s a quality to it that matches the changed part of the Outsiders’ essence.

You think the Wild Spirits have something to do with the Outsiders’ essence changing? Sam frowned as he considered the idea.

It may be that their forbidden area was designed as a prison for Outsiders, but it’s also possible that Asenya wanted to help them by cycling their essence or by showing them a different way, the star agreed. The World Forger had connections to both sides, so it wouldn’t have been impossible.

And these are Asenya’s people, Sam added as he followed the idea, so you think she might have entrusted that effort to them. But it could also be an unintended effect of their imprisonment.

Affirmative, the star agreed. All I can tell is that a small part of their essence has changed in a unique way that matches with the Wild Spirits. The connection is undeniable. Perhaps Alora will have an idea if you ask her.

Interesting, Sam said as he put his chin back on his hand again. He’d noticed the strangeness of the Wild Spirit’s essence, but he hadn’t had time to study it. The Titan Star’s analysis made him even more eager to speak with Alora.

He glanced at the layer of essence that was hovering over his skin—it had already half-changed to sapphire blue, but he was preventing it from changing the rest of the way. To anyone else, it was probably invisible, but to him it sparkled like a layer of starlight as it pressed down on him. He could hold it there for another day or two, but it was slowly draining his essence as it fought to be free. If he didn’t absorb it, the Void would.

You think they might be able to deal with this Outsider essence? he asked. Or have some way to speed up the conversion?

I can’t say for sure, but if they were assigned to guard an Outsider prison, there must be a reason for it.

Perhaps it was a duty that came from their relationship to Asenya, Sam said as he considered the idea. It might be an unintentional effect.

She should awaken in a half day or so, the star said. Her guardian will probably take longer. If there is additional healing you can offer, it may help to give her a positive opinion of you and then she will be more willing to tell you what’s going on.

I already saved her life and gave her healing scrolls, Sam said as he shook his head,

so I’m not sure what else would help. She’s a priestess, so she must have her own healing abilities once she recovers her mana. I’ll just have to ask her when she wakes up.

The next several hours passed as the stars burned brightly in the sky. There were no clouds here to block his view, so he watched them as he meditated. After a little while, he turned his attention to the experience he’d gained from the battle. He’d absorbed it from the Void just before stepping onto the astral thread.

Some of the experience had gone to Sleset and the Wild Spirits for their part, but four dozen beasts over Level 300 and the two Level 360 giants had been worth a good amount. From that one battle, he’d gained twelve more levels.

There were also a few older notifications waiting for him from his travels over the last months, so he combined those together with the new ones and focused on the highlights, including the levels he’d gained earlier while traveling. He didn’t pay attention to the total experience numbers except to note that it was now about four and a half million experience per level.

Congratulations, Astral Titan. You are now a Level 230 Astral Artificer.

The summary of attribute gains from Level 208 to 230 followed.

You gain 110 Strength, 110 Constitution, 110 Wisdom, 220 Intelligence, 220 Aura, and 264 free attribute points to assign.

It was quite a jump from where he’d been before, especially for his Charisma once he added all the free points to it. There was also some essence from the Void beasts, which had been local and fine to absorb.

You have gained 47,385 essence.

Essence Constellation (Single Star): 728,599 / 2,000,000.

You gain 68 Strength, 79 Constitution, 40 Agility, 119 Intelligence, and 119 Aura.

Altogether, his attributes had grown significantly, even without the Outsider essence. He added the latest free points to Charisma and began to study the result for his base attributes.

STR: 1,945

CON: 2,107

AGI: 612

WIS: 600

INT: 3,307

AUR: 3,307

CHA: 825

The energy from his attributes rising was swirling through him as he felt his height increasing by another few feet and his features changing, but this time there was something strange happening. It felt like his mind was clearing as a cool breeze cleared away a fog that he’d barely known was there.

At the same time, his thoughts sped up dramatically as they flowed unimpeded. Designs for runes and artifacts began to gleam with a new intensity. Most importantly, an ever-present feeling of irritation that he’d barely been aware of disappeared, leaving him feeling centered.

A quick calculation of his Charisma compared to his Intelligence and Aura told him why.

He’d achieved what he had set out to do by hunting in the Borderlands.

His essence had just balanced.

He spent a moment in stunned silence as he felt out the changes and then he began to do some more calculations. He had no buffer, but 825 Charisma was exactly enough to balance 3,300 in his essence attributes. The fact that it worked when he was just over that at 3,307 told him he’d made a little progress toward lowering the requirement.

His understanding of essence and the Void must have improved some.

This wasn’t what he’d intended when he’d decided to save the Wild Spirits, but it was definitely a welcome side effect. It meant his plans were leaping forward faster than expected and some new options were open to him now.

He glanced down at the layer of essence next to his skin as the clarity made him realize something else. He was able to absorb experience and essence separately now, and even to control the amount. He didn’t have to take all of the essence he earned. He could hunt whatever he wanted.

With that thought, the majority of his concern for the next few years disappeared. Attunement and Essence Cycling could proceed at his own pace and as long as he kept the balance, the Dream of the Void should be easier to handle. It would be a shame to waste essence, but he could stay ahead of it if needed.

A quick calculation told him that if he could work toward Level 300 at the same rate of progress or faster than the Second Star, he could keep it under control. He would just need to improve his essence to Charisma ratio a little more.

The Will of the Path might not be happy with him forcing the balance like this, but he had bigger concerns than doing things the traditional way. The Will wasn’t going to let him leave the Path until he completed the requirements either way. This just gave him the ability to do it on his own terms. Running around as a wild Titan was all well and good, but there was a time and a place.

A slight smile creased his lips as he realized this also meant he could explore the worlds in the Borderlands now. He sent a glance toward Alora’s room. It would be nice to see her homeland, if it truly was the origin of Asenya.

He spent a little while reviewing his plans and making some adjustments now that his mind was clear, and then he returned to his analysis of the Outsiders. Eventually, he pulled an object from his cloak that he’d taken in the heat of battle and held it between his hands, studying it with a frown.

It was the wraith’s hand.

It was attached to several inches of the creature’s bony wrist and it had partially curled fingers that were long, serrated blades. Each of them was almost a foot long. The knuckles and other bones of the hand were larger than they would have been in a human, making it look almost the same as a living hand, but where there should have been flesh and tendons, there were sections of bone plating like armor.

Overall, it looked almost like a bone gauntlet rather than a skeleton’s hand. There was a faint sense of essence drifting from it, as well as a smell of blood. The odor was unpleasant, almost oily, and he could feel it tugging at his senses as it tried to draw him into an illusion.

A cold snort pushed the energy back toward the hand and then a flicker of runes surrounded it, creating a containment spell that locked its energy in place. More runes followed, until eventually the hand was completely constrained by a web of silver and icy blue symbols that interlocked across its surface.

He hadn’t taken it as a trophy. Instead, he planned to rely on its blood connection to the wraith it had come from. There was no way he was going to let that wraith run around in his galaxy. Once he was a little stronger, he intended to use it to track it down and kill it. Hopefully, it would also lead him to any other Outsiders that were with it.

It would just take a little while for him to create the right spell.

At that moment, he sensed someone stirring behind him, and he turned his head to see Alora walking out of her room. Before she could see it, the wraith’s hand disappeared back into his cloak, since he didn’t want to startle her. It would hardly be a good impression if she saw him holding onto it.

Her features were still pale, but she looked much livelier than she had when they arrived. There was a pristine aura around her that reminded him of forests and the elemental rivers of the Chaos Wild and the scent of jasmine was stronger. The sense of essence around her was different as well, more subtle and harder to find, which left him curious.

“Good morning,” he said quietly as he turned toward her. He’d spoken to her as plainly as possible while they were fighting, but suppressing the aura in his voice felt unnatural, so he let astral energy fill his words with a familiar and comfortable heat. He wanted her to hear it so she knew who he really was. “How’s your companion?”

Alora paused as the wave of energy in his voice washed over her, and then to his surprise, she suddenly smiled and walked forward. Some of the worry lines on her forehead had just disappeared.

“I’d heard Titans spoke with a voice from the stars,” she said as her smile bloomed, “but I never knew what that meant until now. Listening to you is like being warmed beside a fireplace. Liamar, my uncle, is recovering, but it will take him a while. Please, accept my deepest thanks for your protection.” She stopped near him and bowed deeply, her movements elegant and refined. Before she could hold the posture for more than a moment, Sam raised her back up on a current of wind.

“There is no need for formalities,” he said with a shake of his head. “I only did what was necessary. It is too bad I wasn’t able to eliminate that wraith.”

When she was standing again, she looked up to meet his eyes, but she had to tilt her back quite a way to manage it. At his current height, she barely came up past his shin. The height difference bothered him, so without even thinking about it, he willed himself to be shorter.

His body shimmered with silver and golden light as he shrank down to something closer to her own height, settling at about seven feet. Even at that, she only came up to his chest, but it was much more pleasant. A wave of his hand brought a table and two stone chairs up from the floor and he gestured to one.

“Please, sit. You must be hungry.”

Before long, they were seated across from one another as he set some fresh fruits and bread on the table. He’d found them on some bandits and they were of decent quality, probably something they’d stolen from a merchant. At least now they served a better purpose.

“My apologies, but these are all I have to offer,” he said as he picked up a loaf of bread. He broke it in half and set one part in front of her. Now that they were face to face, he made an effort to suppress the energy in his voice, speaking to her plainly again. “Perhaps one day I’ll be better about stocking food. I do have some beast meat to cook, but it will take a little while.”

“This is more than enough,” Alora said with another smile, but despite that she was watching him cautiously. “If you would like, I can add some variety, although it’s just a few poor things. I’m sure you’re not used to eating with mortals. Please, try these dishes from my home.”

A wave of her hand brought out a series of steaming containers and a bottle of translucent green wine from a spatial bracelet that she set on the table. She was speaking carefully, but it looked like she was relaxing a bit.

Sam joined her in the meal, letting familiar comforts and the taste of new food distract him as they chatted about small and polite things. Once they were done and just lingering over cups of the wine, Alora broke the silence.

“I can sense a wild energy around you,” she said slowly as she looked at him, her eyes lingering on his arms and shoulders, as if she were too bashful to meet his eyes. “It feels like the energy from those two giants.”

“Their essence,” Sam said with surprise. He hadn’t expected her to see it so clearly, but then her eyes were similar to his with vertical pupils. Perhaps that was what allowed her to see it. “I’m holding onto it because I am not certain if it’s a good idea for me to absorb it. There’s an imbalance in it that I need to solve first.”

“I might be able to help,” Alora said. It looked like she was choosing her words carefully. “But I need your help too...the help of an Astral Titan.”

“What do you mean?” Sam’s attention was locked on her, since he hadn’t expected her to bring this up.

“I am a Verdant Priestess and a Spiritweaver,” she explained as she named her classes. “Among my people, I am responsible for healing, balancing energies, and keeping our world pristine. That requires purifying and balancing the elements when they get out of balance. That energy around you is very familiar to me, and I think I might be able to fix it, but it will take some effort.”

“It’s familiar?” Sam asked as he raised an eyebrow. “Where have you seen it before?” He was interested in her idea, but first he wanted some answers to his questions.

“I mentioned that I might know where those demons are from,” Alora said, “and that my family must be involved, but if something really has happened, I don’t have the ability to investigate on my own. That’s why I need your help.”

“I’d be happy to help,” Sam agreed. He was also eager to turn the conversation to what he really wanted to know. “But tell me more about this. What’s the connection to your family?”

Alora let out a soft sigh as she looked down into her wine and then up at him. A mix of emotions played across her features, but it was mostly sadness and frustration. Then she began to speak.

“I have thought more about it, and I am sure that my family is involved somehow,” she said slowly. “I don’t know much about the details, but I do know where those demons probably came from. The trace of essence on them is unmistakable. It is the same as the Wild Grove that my family guards. It was created by my ancestor, the one you called the World Forger, and by your people, I believe.”

“Asenya and the Titans built this Wild Grove?” Sam asked with a frown. “Is it a prison for Outsiders?”

“I don’t know if that was the intention,” Alora said as she shook her head, “but I am certain those three came from there, so it might have that function. The Wild Grove is the center of my family’s home, an area we go to for meditation and to gain our classes. It’s a sacred site. It is beautiful, filled with trees and streams of mana that sparkle from the leaves. All of us are sworn to protect it and the idea that Outsiders might be part of it disgusts me. It’s our greatest heritage and until now, I would never have considered that idea.”

“How could they have come from there then?” Sam asked, his frown deepening. “Is there another part to it?”

“There is an area deep inside the Wild Grove that is forbidden to all visitors except for the head of the family,” Alora explained. “It is supposed to be a sacred retreat, but I snuck in several times when I was a child. It is very large and there is a profound enchantment blocking off a set of giant silver doors that are engraved with a moon and a sun that radiate cold and heat at the same time.

“I think that is where they may have come from. But the head of the family is my father and he would never have betrayed the trust of our ancestors. Even if something is trapped there, he would never have freed it. That is what worries me the most.”

“Something must have changed at your home,” Sam said gently. “Is there someone else who could have been involved? Earlier, you mentioned something about the faults of your family and a traitor?”

“Yes,” Alora said as she twisted the cloth of her dress between her hands. She was clearly fighting to keep her composure. “About a decade ago, some differing opinions began to appear in my family, headed by one of my distant uncles. He wanted to give up some of the family secrets to an organization in the Borderlands and to allow them to enter the Wild Grove, which is something that we have never allowed.

“He thought it would be valuable to sell access to our unique classes, or at least to see if other races could get them, but allowing anyone else access would break our traditions, as well as the oath we swore to our ancestor and the Astral Titans. That oath is engraved at the entrance to the Wild Grove and it specifically forbids entry to anyone except Wild Spirits or Astral Titans.”

“What happened?” Sam asked. Even if they let others in, he had his doubts about whether it would work. From what he’d heard, unique class locations like the Wild Grove were usually highly selective.

“It has been many years since I left home,” Alora said, “nearly a century, and the reason I did was because I couldn’t bear to be around my uncle, Nares, any longer. Back then, I was only part of the younger generation and I had no power to oppose him. Since I couldn’t stand it, I left. My other uncle Liamar came with me to protect me. Since then, we’ve been living in the Borderlands on our own, slowly gaining strength.”

“So you believe this Nares had his way and opened the Wild Glade, and somehow the Outsiders escaped?” Sam concluded as he rubbed his chin. “The rest of your family didn’t oppose that?”

“That’s what worries me the most,” Alora said as her complexion paling. Her skin was an ivory color with a touch of light green and it looked particularly stunning on her, like a leaf that was slowly turning white. “Even if Nares managed to convince a few people of his plan, I don’t believe the majority of my family would have gone along with it. Something must have happened while I was away.”

“Assuming it happened that way,” Sam said thoughtfully, “how did these Outsiders find you?”

“Although I ran away, I never stopped sending letters home to my father,” Alora explained. “He’s kept in touch with me too, but neither of us ever talked about Nares, since he knows how much I dislike him, and perhaps because he didn’t want to worry me. The last letter I sent home was just a couple of months ago, before this journey, and I told him where I was going. No one else knew, not even my friends.

“I was planning to collect some more virescent ore from the Green Aurora system and then to trade it for more golems like the ones you saw, but it was going to be a surprise. I have a friend who makes them on Briarshore, a world that’s half a dozen systems away from there, but she doesn’t do anything except make golems and her ability to keep track of dates is atrocious. There’s no way it was her.”

“So you think the letter was intercepted at your home?” Sam asked as he put things together. “And that’s how these Outsiders knew where you were?”

“That letter was sent to my father,” Alora said, “and it would have only passed through a couple of hands at most before it reached him, all of them highly trusted. But somehow those demons were waiting for us. I worry for what that means. That’s why I would like your help. I know it’s a lot to ask, but please, will you come home with me and help me to figure out what’s going on? You’re an Astral Titan, a living reminder of my family’s oath to protect the Wild Grove. Just your presence alone should be enough to convince them to do what’s right.”

Sam didn’t say anything for a while as he considered what Alora had just told him. There was a small chance the Outsiders could have learned about her destination from another source, like the original messenger, but if they truly had that trace of energy on them from the Wild Grove, it was unlikely. For her sake, he hoped that was the case, but as she’d said, all the signs pointed to her home. Someone in her family must have betrayed her or been forced to give up the information.

As for his presence convincing them to do what was right, he was less optimistic than she was. It sounded like the time for that had passed long ago. It was much more likely that he’d have to fight and then fix whatever cage the Outsiders had been trapped in.

Either way, however, it worked for him.

“I’m very young for an Astral Titan,” he told her with a smile, “or else I would have been able to deal with that wraith, but you’re right that we need to see what’s going on. I would be happy to accompany you to your home and to see this Wild Grove, and to find out if it’s where the Outsiders came from. Even if it’s not, if it was built by Asenya and the Titans, it’s definitely of interest to me.”

He didn’t want to make her doubt him, but at the same time, he didn’t want to promise her an instant fix from an all powerful Titan. It was best to start off on an honest foot.

“Thank you,” Alora said, looking relieved. She went to bow again, but his hand caught her on the shoulder and pushed her back up.

“There’s no need for that,” he said, shaking his head. “We’ll be allies here. Our goals are the same. Now, though, what did you mean about this essence from the giants? You can help to balance it somehow?”

“I think so,” Alora said hesitantly, her eyes traveling over his arms again, and then she nodded. “It’s very similar to the energy that comes from the center of the Wild Grove. There’s an annual ritual my family conducts to bring it into alignment with the elements. As a priestess, it’s my duty to lead that ritual. I think if you help me prepare a few things, I might be able to conduct it for you.”

“Then let’s get started,” Sam said as his smile grew. He didn’t know if it would work, but he was happy to give it a try. “And after that, it seems we have a trip ahead of us. We’ll leave once you and your uncle have recovered.”