Path of Stars, Ch 26: Astral Rift (Patreon)

He spent a few days walking the astral threads and exploring nearby systems as he adjusted to his new abilities and tested them out. Here and there, he found a few more beasts to hunt, but there weren’t many that were good sources of essence so close to the Firesail Void Lizards’ home. They’d probably long ago been driven away or eaten.

He would have hunted the lizards more, since they were an excellent source of essence, but the presence of the Fifth Evolution lizard king kept him away. The beast was on the defensive and was no doubt waiting for him to return. It might even be actively searching around the core region. It wasn’t worth the risk in dealing with it, so all he could do right now was hunt elsewhere.

Unfortunately, if he wanted any new opponents that were as good as them, he’d have to go deeper into the Chaos Wild. As much as he wanted to do that, he didn’t have the time right now.

So, instead, he let himself sense the flow of astral energy in the Void and slowly walked through the stars as he practiced. It was more peaceful than anything else he’d done in a long time. Thoughts of his family and his sister’s birthday took up a lot of his attention, but they combined with the views in front of him to create a serene atmosphere.

Eventually, when his time was nearly up, he managed to find a pack of Bitterweave Void Spiders that had strung their webs through an asteroid field. The strands of spidersilk were a bright, translucent green that had lighter streaks throughout, making it look like grass covered in morning dew as the light of the stars hit it.

Without his keen senses, it would have been difficult to see, but to him it stood out like a painting. The web resonated with the elemental energy of Wood and another concept that felt like Venom or Paralysis, both of which were clearly contrasted on the Void behind them.

As for the spiders, they were curled up into nearly invisible balls that blended into the asteroid field. Each of them was a couple of dozen feet across and with their legs tucked in, they looked like small stones floating with all the others. The surface of their skin was grey and mottled, very similar to the stones.

They were clearly a type of ambush hunter. Once some prey fell into their webs and was entangled, they would awaken and go after it. Until then, they hid away and pretended to be part of the asteroid field. There were about two dozen of them, their level mostly in the high 200s and a few that were stronger in the 300s. Alone, they weren’t much, but as a pack, they were a force to be reckoned with, at least in this area.

The system here had a dim green sun and a small white one that circled each other, creating a color pattern that helped to hide the webs. In the distance, he could sense the traces of other beasts, including some Darkscale Hunters. There was a strong Wood and Water presence in the system that provided the conditions for many things to live nearby.

He studied the spiderweb for a few moments as he stood in the Void, and then nodded. It would be a good test for his new racial ability. Although he’d been studying it, he hadn’t used Astral Rift in a fight yet.

He looked inward to the silver flame that represented the ability, feeling how it worked, and then he faced the spiderwebs in front of him as he reached out a hand. A silver aura surrounded him, flaring intensely around his hand and fingers.

His hand stretched away into the distance of the Void until it looked like he was grasping at the stars beyond the spiderweb. Streaks of silver light from nearby stars poured toward him. Dark ripples surrounded his hand as space trembled, wavering like a pond that suddenly had a stone thrown into it. With a slow movement, his hand gently closed and disappeared, fading away like a mirage of starlight fading into night.

In a line between where he was standing and the stars in the distance, space suddenly collapsed inward, sinking toward where his hand had been. The spiderwebs, stones, and everything else that was caught up in the path were pulled inward. They trembled as the forces crushed and tore at them at the same time.

The webs shone brightly, flickering against the stars as they wobbled, and the spiders tried to unfurl from their hidden spheres, but they were too late. Everything within the line of the attack disintegrated, falling apart into dust as the pressure of the Void tore it apart.

There was nothing left in a line a hundred feet wide and two miles long in front of him except for dust and shattered bits of stone.

At the same time, three thousand points of essence disappeared from his essence pool and he felt a slight strain on his astral energy, making it clear that he could only do that once in a while. It took nearly half of his available essence.

Fortunately, it was actually a fairly quick attack.

He studied the result as he waved his hand and gathered the experience and essence from the spiders. At the same time, he walked from point to point, searching for corpses that might have auras, but after a few minutes he had to give up. The auras had been scattered into the Void along with everything else.

The only thing he was able to find was a large quantity of spidersilk that was strung around other asteroids, which had been spared from his attack. There were a few spiders that had been spared, but he let them go since he wasn’t in the mood to depopulate entire species. While they scuttled away deeper into the asteroid field, he collected several hundred yards worth of the spidersilk. Perhaps he could use it for something interesting.

Astral Rift was even stronger than he’d thought, but it came with a few limitations. One, he could only use it once in a while, perhaps every few hours at most. Two, it was a devastating area attack, but it was also one-directional. It had a very long reach, but a fairly narrow focus, almost like a sword blade extending through the sky.

The distance actually wasn’t a very big consideration for the ability. Two miles was short compared to its future potential. In his memories, this was the ability that gave Titans the legend of being able to crush the sky with a single hand.

Lastly, while it was absolutely effective on mid-level enemies like these spiders and probably most things in the Third Evolution, he wasn’t sure it would have the same effect on something as strong as he was. It would depend on their defenses and how well they could resist spatial compression and distortion. Using it against a Fourth Evolution enemy would be less effective, since they had better control of spatial energy.

Killing a swathe of enemies wasn’t the only thing it was useful for though. It would also be an excellent tool for ripping apart large enchantments or spatial nets like the ones the Firesail Void Lizards had tried to use on him. He could probably fuse Shatter Aura into it as well, to make it even more effective.

Thoughts on the best way to implement it drifted through his mind. as he turned away from the spiders’ system and walked onto another astral thread. As he left the system, he let out a gentle breath of air as he relaxed into the wash of starlight in the Void, like a child returning to the sea where he was born.

It was about time to head back, but he wanted to enjoy the last few hours of peace alone before he got there. The stars were calling to him, tugging at his attention more strongly than it ever had before. The Dream of the Void was building on the horizon like a vast wave that had just begun to rise upward.

*****

About a day later, Sam left the astral thread and headed for the asteroid that held his Titan Hall. The Blue Star system looked calm and a shimmer of starlight clung to his body as he descended, making him glow with an ethereal light. His hunting trip had been effective and he was feeling a lot more confident about heading to Alora’s home world.

As soon as he set foot on the surface, however, a clash of heated words came to his ears.

“Alora! I’ve raised you since you were a child, even more than my brother did! What did I teach you that you’re trusting a stranger so quickly? You know Wild Spirits are often kidnapped in the Chaos Wild. Too many seek us out for their own gain. The only truth is our own strength and caution!”

Sam paused as he overheard the words, but then he just chuckled. It sounded like Alora’s uncle, Laimar, was finally awake and not very happy about being here. It actually gave him a good impression of the man, since he seemed to be worried mostly about Alora. He was about to head over to the hall to meet him and allay his fears, but before he needed to, another voice responded.

“Uncle!” Alora’s voice was just as heated as Laimar’s. “Trust that I know what I am doing! I am not such a little child anymore. When the Astral Titan returns, you will see the truth of it for yourself. Just look at the hall around this and the enchantments on it, and at the Silver Nagas who follow him. They have all been transformed in his service. Is this not enough to convince you?”

For them to still be arguing about it, it sounded like Laimar must have just gotten his strength back and was fully awake. Alora’s estimate of a week for his healing had been accurate. Astral Focus swept through the area, giving Sam an idea of where everyone was.

The argument was only going in circles, so a moment later he stepped through the wards and into the hall. The curtain of light that marked the ward circle parted like water around his horns, and it was at that point that he remembered he hadn’t changed his height yet since returning. At 89 feet, his horns were nearly as tall as the pillars of the hall.

As he entered, he turned toward the table and fireplace where Alora and Laimar were talking. Out of habit, he analyzed them.

Wild Spirit. Verdant Priestess-Spiritweaver. Level 313.

Wild Spirit. Knight Guardian-Defender of the Glade. Level 363.

She had gained two levels and Laimar had gained one after the battle with the Outsiders. It wasn’t bad at all. Her healing had probably also given her some experience.

Alora was wearing a different outfit this time, a white and blue tunic and breeches combination with a green cloak that outlined her shoulders and one that hugged her back. It gave her an adventurous look, as if she were ready to head out and see what lay on the other side of the horizon. Her blue-silver hair was also tied back and it formed a river down her back. Her eyes were shining emerald with a translucent light that drew his attention.

Beside her, Laimar was sitting at the table with his side toward Sam. He looked much healthier than the last time Sam had seen him. His color was back and he had the same pale ivory skin with a touch of green as Alora. As soon as he felt the change in the wards, he spun around.

“By the Grove!” Laimar said as he tried to look at Sam, but at first he was only looking at his shin. Immediately, his head tilted backward as he looked up and then up some more, until his chair was tilted back as well. His eyes grew wider the further up he had to go.

“Now I know why this hall is so big,” he muttered in shock, although it was half to himself. Almost instantly, however, he pushed away the surprise and stood up. His expression calmed as he studied Sam and then he gave a formal bow.

“Sir, I have to thank you for saving our lives, especially that of my niece.” Laimar’s voice was straightforward and his words felt honest. “As a Defender of the Grove, it was my responsibility, and you stepped in where I was unable. I owe you a debt.”
“You were fighting my enemies,” Sam said with a smile as he put a bit of astral energy into his voice. His words resonated across the hall with a trace of warmth. He thought it might help to convince Laimar he was an actual Titan. “That is also why I will continue to help you. Outsiders have somehow found their way here, whether it is new or old, and I need to find out why and then stop them.”

“I understand that,” Laimar said, “and I have no wish to be rude. I’m only concerned for my niece’s safety. Could you tell me why that’s important to you?” He paused for a moment and then added something else. “Many people in the Borderlands would see that wraith and be attracted to it and the powers behind it. Out here, might makes the rules. You do look like an Astral Titan, but they have been gone for so long that I wouldn’t hold out for help from them. Even in the past, I hear they didn’t come by all that often to fix things. They just left us to sort them out.”

“Uncle!” Alora’s voice was sharp. “Don’t doubt him like that! Not after he saved our lives!”

“Alora, I’m not trying to be rude,” Laimar grumbled as he looked back at her and folded his arms. “I just want to know who he is!”

Sam chuckled again and then he willed himself to change size. A wave of light surrounded him until he was about seven feet tall again. He walked over to the table as he gave them both a nod.

“It’s alright,” he said as he let the power in his voice fade away and he spoke more simply. “Doubting is natural. I haven’t made any claim to be an all-powerful Titan. I’m just a young one, or this would be much easier. This task does involve a lot of risk, to us as well as to your family. Ask your questions and I’ll do my best to show you the truth.”

Laimar gave him a long and steady look, and then he nodded once. It was brief, but it looked like just this was already enough to settle some of his concerns. “You seem honest,” he said eventually. Then he returned to his previous question. “But why do you care about these Outsiders?”

“They are a plague on my home as well, Aster Fall,” Sam replied honestly, “just like they seem to be on yours now, if that wraith is any indication. Their presence threatens its existence, as well as the lives of my family and the people I care about there. To see them out here as well, it suggests something much more is going on than I thought.”

He paused for a moment as he considered the bigger picture, and then he asked his own question. “Are you familiar with the Nexus?”

“The what?” Laimar frowned as he heard the word. “That sounds strange, but I can’t say that I’ve.... Wait, there is a story about a Nexus that I heard once as a child. It was a family legend. It was said that it opened one day and everything evil in the world poured out of it. Supposedly, it’s the exact opposite of the Wild Grove.”

“Yes and no,” Sam said with a nod as he began to explain the history of Aster Fall and the Nexus. It took a little while for him to go through it all, but since the High Nine races were already guarding it and aware of the problem, it wasn’t something that he needed to keep secret. He’d shared some of the information with Alora before, but it hadn’t been their main focus, so this time he laid it all out.

“The Nexus is still there now,” he said as he wrapped up, “but the barrier, the World Seal, that blocks travel between the two sides, is heavily damaged. That’s why the Outsiders are able to come through. I’m worried that there’s a connection between their entrances there and this one, or even that the portal in your Wild Grove, if that’s what it is, is somehow connected to the World Seal. If it is, I don’t know yet if it’s a good or bad thing. So, I need to see it and to stop the Outsiders there from making it any worse.”

“I see,” Laimar said slowly. His eyes were a bit wide as he took in all of the information, as well as how casually Sam discussed the ancient works of the Titans and their ancestor, Asenya, who had founded their Wild Grove. “It sounds like quite a problem. But if the World Forger was on your world as well, I can definitely see why you’re interested.”

“You didn’t know about the Nexus or her history with Aster Fall before?” Sam asked with some surprise.

“Only fragments of stories that she once worked with the Astral Titans to build something wonderful,” Alora answered as she shook her head. “I think she may have deliberately kept much of that information away from us, or perhaps it was lost over time. It has been hundreds of generations since her time.”

“Then are you ready to head out and find the truth?” Sam asked as he looked at both of them. “To see what your ancestor was really doing and what secrets are at the heart of your Wild Grove?”

Laimar frowned in thought, taking his time before he answered. It was clear that a lot of the information was new to him, but the gravity of the situation was also apparent. As a Defender of the Grove, he was also obliged to look into it.

“Alright,” Laimar said at last, “as long as you can promise that you’ll do your best to protect the Grove and not harm the foundation of our people. It’s how we get our classes and evolve, so you have to understand its importance to us.”

“I’ll do my best to protect it,” Sam agreed easily, since he understood Laimar’s concern. For the Wild Spirits, the grove was their version of the World Core. It was the center of their world. If possible, he definitely wouldn’t damage it.

“What I’m worried about the most,” he added, “is what the Outsiders have been up to and how many might be there. As for how Asenya created the Wild Grove and if it was with the help of the Titans, if there are secrets there, I hope they can point us in her direction. I need to find her and see if she can repair the World Seal, or if she has left anything behind that would help.”

His voice was resolute and echoed across the hall. It made Laimar nod in agreement.

Outside the hall, Sam could also sense the Silver Nagas stirring now. They’d noticed that he’d returned home and were coming to meet him. It looked like they’d created a den for themselves beneath the surface of the asteroid, in a series of large caves that they’d hollowed out beneath his hall. It looked like they were putting their elemental abilities to good use.

“One thing puzzles me,” Sam added, “since it doesn’t seem to be related to the Outsiders directly. Do you have any other information about this group of people who wanted to take over your Wild Glade, the ones working with your uncle? It’s possible they’re the ones who have released the Outsiders. They might even be working with them.”

At that moment, Sleset and the other three naga captains, Ajoa, Juai, and Hasuk, entered the hall and came up to Sam. They bowed low, their silver crowns shining against their scales.

“Welcome home, my lord,” Sleset hissed in greeting. “May all of your enemies fall before you. We are ready to follow you wherever you may go. We have divided our forces up into three armies, each led by these three captains, and I will be the commander who takes orders directly from you. Does this meet with your approval?”

“That sounds reasonable.” Sam nodded at Sleset. “I will need your strength to aid me in this fight.” He waved for all of the nagas to stand back up, and before long they took up a position just behind him, listening to the details of the plan to head to Alora’s home.

“About Nares and the forces behind him, I don’t have much information.” Across the table, Laimar returned back to the question that Sam had asked. He sent Alora a long look, asking if she had any other news, but she shook her head. “The only thing I can say is that for a while, he was associating with a clan of Blood Hunters. They’re a powerful force in the Borderlands, with many at the Fourth Evolution and a matriarch who is at the Fifth. If they’re involved, it might be difficult. They’re a very touchy race.”

“Blood Hunters?” Sam asked with a frown. He’d heard of the race, but he knew almost nothing about them. All he recalled about them were that they were generally humanoid, but much stronger than most races, and that they had antlers. They had a reputation for being quick to anger. “We’ll deal with it as it comes then.”

“My lord is mighty,” Sleset hissed from behind him, followed a moment later by the pleased agreement of the three captains. Their hisses sounded like metal being quenched in the sea. “He will crush all before him in a silver tide. Those who do not respect his greatness will fall.”

Sam held back a sigh. It seemed Sleset and the nagas were dreaming of following him into battle. He could practically taste their eagerness for a fight. He’d have to do his best to keep them out of trouble. At the same time, if they did need to fight, he’d be glad to have them. The small army of 29 nagas at the Third Evolution was a force to be reckoned with.

“We’ll find out soon enough then,” he said as he nodded. Then his head turned to his forge at the other end of the hall. His hands were itching to be over there, especially now that he had some materials to use.

“Everyone should prepare to leave in three days,” he said as he looked around. A wave of nods came back at him. “If there are any other difficulties, bring them to me before then. Once we’re on the way, the journey should only take a few weeks. We’ll be traveling quickly.”

As soon as he said that, a series of low bows came from the nagas and they hissed respectfully before withdrawing. Eagerness radiated from them as they headed back to their nest to get ready. The silver patterns on their scales shone brightly in the starlight and the glow of the enchantments as they passed through the wards.

“The sooner the better,” Alora agreed. Then she and her uncle also stood up and gave him a slight bow. “We’ll be waiting for your word. I’ll start work on some healing talismans that might be useful later.”

“And I’ll try to repair my armor,” Laimar said grimly, referring to the set that he’d been wearing when they’d met. The entire side of it had been shredded by the soul wraith’s talons.

“If you need help, bring it to me,” Sam said. “I’ll be at my forge until we leave.”

With that, he gave them both a nod and then headed toward the other end of the hall where a pillar of silver flame was burning brightly. It was time to reforge his second bracer. If it went well, he might even have time for a few other things.