Echoes of War, Ch 6: Departure (Patreon)

Not long after they left Alora’s world, Sam directed the Ice Drake to a system that was teeming with Void beasts. His eyes traveled across the bright white sun and the half a dozen worlds around it before he nodded in satisfaction. These worlds were almost barren, their surfaces covered in scars and acid pits, but there were thousands of beasts at the Second and early Third Evolution. Besides them, nothing good lived here.

It would work.

The beasts were a particularly vicious type called Blackscar Destroyers. They resembled the wyverns that plagued the Western Reaches near Highfold, but they were far stronger. Each of them was about fifty feet long from snout to tail with a wingspan to match. A skeletal, bony armor that was harder than iron protected their vital organs and ran down their spine. Their skin was almost as hard as their bones and their fangs held a corrosive acid they used to kill their prey.

More than most Void beasts, these destroyers were inclined to travel in large groups of a hundred or more as they flew between systems looking for food. Areas they targeted ended up as wastelands of corroded stone and scattered bones, just like this system. A hundred years ago, before he’d gone into the dream, this had been a green area teeming with wildlife. Now, it was desolate and the surface of the small worlds was completely destroyed.

The destroyers’ presence here was a sign of the violent imbalance appearing in the Void. Their own natural predators should have kept them in check, but they hadn’t. Now, they presented a sharp threat to Verdant and other nearby systems. It was as good a reason as any to get rid of them. His eyes were calm as he studied the area and counted their opponents.

Already, a dozen of the beasts had launched themselves from a nearby asteroid and were hurtling toward them, ready to rend the visitors limb from limb. It would be a difficult fight for the nagas, but it was also exactly what they needed. He would step in if needed to make sure they didn’t suffer casualties.

“Sleset,” Sam said over his shoulder to the naga commander, “it’s time to see how capable your descendants are in battle. Let them test their new powers here. I want to make sure this area is quiet for at least a century. I’ll leave the tactics to you. I’m sure you trained hard while I was gone.”

“Yes, my lord!” Sleset replied with a delighted hiss as he stared at the destroyers. The beasts thought they were the hunters, but soon they would learn differently. He hissed again with expectation. “We shall conquer this region in your name! The younglings need tempering and these vermin will be a good target: they are dangerous, but stupid.”

“Gather all the crafting materials afterwards and bring them to me,” Sam added. “We’ll need them for the journey to my home. I’ll see about equipping everyone on the way. Make sure that everyone stays under Level 399 too. If anyone reaches 395, stop fighting.”

“Understood, my lord!” Sleset replied. Then he turned to his three captains and began to issue orders, his voice a booming hiss that made the Silver Nagas turn toward him expectantly, their eyes glowing with excitement at the prospect of a fight.

Sam chuckled as he watched them. With four hundred Silver Nagas, he wasn’t too concerned for their safety. He just had to make sure they didn’t get overwhelmed by numbers. If all the destroyers came at them at once, it would be about 10 to 1, but these beasts weren’t known for organized tactics. They were small group raiders.

He doubted there would be many chances to fight on the way home, so hopefully the nagas made the most of this opportunity. Beyond tempering their personal abilities, he wanted them to try out the unique offensive and defensive power that came with his Blessing of Silver Stars. It should be impressive.

The nagas formed up in orderly ranks, each of them composed of a squad of six to eight under the command of one or two older Silver Nagas. Most of them were family groups, with their parents heading up the squad. Then they made three larger companies under their captains, each of them over a hundred strong. Their silver scales shone like deadly blades in the Void as they reflected the light of the white sun. When they were ready, Sleset took his place at their head and hissed an affirmative to Sam, waiting for his command.

Sam stepped off the ship, his size expanding back to his normal height at 138 feet. His aura flooded out across the Void. Astral energy gathered around every naga, making them gleam like star-lit lightning as their attributes swelled. Their delighted hisses rang out across the area as they stared at him expectantly.

Sam held back a chuckle as he saw that, but he knew what they wanted. Their entire bloodline was based around having an Oathlord to follow. And since that was the case, he couldn’t let them down. The first group of Blackscar Destroyers were closing in as he stepped forward to the head of the Silver Army. He was five times taller than any of the nagas as he raised his hand.

Burning silver stars appeared in the Void around him, flaring with deadly energy. They spiraled into streams that gathered in his palm. With each turn, the energy became more concentrated.

“Advance.” His voice rang out with a deep rumble that made the area tremble under its force. As soon as the word left his lips, he reached out toward the destroyers and released the massive bolt of silver power. The Astral Strike tore through the Void, leaving a brilliant signature behind that burned like a silver river. Half a dozen of the destroyers were torn to pieces as fragments of bone and hide flew in every direction.

In the wake of the strike, the nagas launched themselves forward. Their battle cries tore through the Void like crashing waves, rising and falling as bolts of elemental power, ethereal blades, slashing fangs edged with venom, and more intricate arts flew toward the enemy. With their boosted attributes, even the youngest of the nagas was a match for a destroyer.

Destruction followed.

The initial wave of beasts was swept away in an instant, but there were more behind them. The Blackscar Destroyers attacked in groups of ten to twenty, and sometimes multiple groups flew toward them at once, but they lacked the organization to gather into a true army, so the nagas were never at a real disadvantage. The beasts only came when the ones ahead of them were dead, and even then they paused to rip pieces off of their dead brethren. They roared with hunger as they bolted down chunks of raw meat, their jaws wide as acid hissed in the air.

After the initial wave of attacks calmed down into a steady advance deeper into the system, Sleset hissed a command to the Silver Army. The nagas drew together into orderly ranks as they reached out to the Blessing of Silver Stars around them. Burning points of starlight gathered across their scales, swiftly expanding as a translucent silver armor covered them. An aura of starlight also around their weapons, covering them with a piercing energy.

As the next wave of destroyers launched themselves forward, a shimmering silver light rose up from the nagas and created a barrier in front of them. It was a translucent and interlocking shield of stars that connected point to point. Light rippled strangely across the surface, as if space were unstable there.

When the destroyers’ attacks slammed into it, they disappeared like soap bubbles popping on a wall. Burning points of starlight gathered, intensifying as more attacks struck the shield. Behind it, the nagas raised their weapons and pointed at the enemy. Four hundred spears of starlight ripped upward through the sky. The barrier didn’t obstruct them at all as the attack hurtled toward the destroyers.

Where the lances of starlight struck, they twisted inward on themselves, tearing a gash through space. The edges of the miniature rifts warped with silver flames. They shredded through the group of destroyers and flew onward for hundreds more feet until they disappeared silently into the Void. Each of them was a silent ripple of the Void, a disruption that echoed its ancient ferocity before it calmed into its current path.

The nagas let out a booming hiss of dominance as they saw the effect, and then they pushed forward again, heading deeper into the system where more of the beasts were waiting.

Hours later, the system was silent except for the delighted hisses of the nagas. The only sign of the Blackscar Destroyers was the barren land they’d left behind and their hides and bones. Piles of crafting materials were swiftly disappearing into Sam’s spatial cloak and the bracelet on his wrist. The Will of the Path had made that bracelet for him and it was still useful, since it could expand its interior space if he added more essence to the enchantment.

Thousands upon thousands of hides, bones, fangs, scales, and more went into storage for the trip home. At the same time, thousands of Heroic-tier auras flowed into his aura storage, until it was filled to bursting. At his current Heroic tier, he could hold 5,000 Heroic auras. With this conquest, he’d accomplished that for the first time.

The vast majority of experience from the Blackscar Destroyers went to the nagas and it swiftly boosted their average level close to 300, but he still gained a few levels for himself. The Titan Star announced the improvement in a satisfied tone.

Congratulations, Lord of Silver Stars. You are now Level 329!

You gain 70 Strength, 70 Constitution, 35 Agility, 35 Wisdom, 350 Intelligence, 350 Aura, and 140 Charisma. You have 14 free attribute points to spend.

More importantly, he was able to gather the essence from the battle. Despite their voracious nature, the beasts were weak in essence and only had a few hundred each, which was one reason they had died so easily, but when it was added together, it was a significant amount.

You gain 1,446,855 essence.

Essence Constellation (Second Star): 4,421,177 / 5,000,000.

You gain 2067 Strength, 2411 Constitution, 603 Agility, 3617 Intelligence, and 3617 Aura.

The massive force of essence swelled through his bloodline as endless stars exploded into new life, expanding his essence constellation outward. The two stars burning brightly at the center resonated as the third one next to them began to subtly brighten as well. It was still dark, but it was gathering force and close to ignition now.

When it finally came to life, he would be as strong as a newborn Titan.

The idea made him laugh, since he was really doing things backwards. If the other Titans saw him, they would probably try to get him to hunt in the Deep Wild for years in order to grow stronger. If he were alone and had no responsibilities, he would do exactly that. It would be like an extended dream, but filled with battle and growth.

If he stuck with the nagas instead, he could probably conquer this section of the Borderlands in a century or so and reach the Fifth or Sixth Evolution. A short detour back to their homeworld would significantly expand his army. The thought made him grin for a moment. That idea was a little tempting, but more because it would make the nagas happy than for himself, even if the idea of a massive army of Silver Nagas was appealing.

He didn’t want to spend a century or more conquering the Borderland, much less ruling it afterwards. He liked fighting Void beasts and crafting. If he had his wishes, it would be a much more pleasant time to do that while occasionally exploring a settled world.

His memories as a Titan pushed him to grow faster, since he knew exactly how he compared to an adult Vos’Rekan, but neither of those paths was something he could do yet. His obligation to Aster Fall was more important.

Based on attributes alone, he was already closing in on the Fifth Evolution. It was probably the limit for what he could be to return home, which meant it was time to head back.

The only reason he’d allowed himself to reach this point was that pure attributes were less noticeable than the aura changes that came with the Fourth Evolution, so technically he wasn’t breaking the World Core’s edict.

He was just bending it a little.

The Fourth Evolution was when you began to draw mana from neighboring dimensions and released a unique aura signature that was easily detected from a distance. He wasn’t doing that, so it should be alright to go home. At the same time, he needed enough strength to crush opposition on Aster Fall and put his plans into motion.

It was a fine balance to walk.

Reaching the Third Star might be fine, since it was similar in many ways to gaining new attributes, but he planned to do it once he was already on Aster Fall. The high density of essence in the ancient Vos’Rekan corpse that made up the foundation of the world should conceal him from the senses of anything that was too far away. It would be like hiding a pebble in a landslide.

His eyes flared with a brilliant flame as the changes from the essence cascaded through his body. His bones crackled as he grew taller, reaching 150 feet. His muscles swelled with power and the stars burning around him grew brighter. It felt like if he reached out, he could crush a meteor in his palm. With that surge of power rolling through him, he tilted back his head and let out an overwhelming roar of challenge to his distant enemies. His horns were lined with silver flames as they shone in the Void and his voice echoed across the chaos winds.

All around, the army of Silver Nagas tilted their heads back as they roared along with their lord. They didn’t know what was coming, but they dreamed about victory. Their hearts beat in their chests like warhammers as they stared at Sam and waited for their orders.

*****

Three weeks later, a streak of silver light shot through the Borderlands, approaching the Great Divide that marked the division between the Chaos Wild and the settled galaxy. At the leading edge of that light, the Ice Drake was surrounded by silver flames. Sam stood at the prow, his hands on the railing as waves of astral light flowed around him and through the ship, wrapping it in power as it began to slow down.

His ability to take others with him on the astral threads was stronger than it had been in the past, but the speed of travel was about the same. The main difference was that his eyes were as clear and bright as a star.

Ahead of them, towering so high that it seemed to have no end or beginning, the swirling black and white barrier of the Great Divide stretched across the Void. Its presence was so domineering that most people who looked on it would feel a sense of vertigo, an impression of age and size that made them feel as insignificant as a speck of dust. Even to Sam, it felt miraculous, an ancient wonder of eternity.

It was so great that it couldn’t be built, only formed by the natural forces of the Void. Seeing it now reminded him of the possibilities of existence, that everything could be accomplished in time. Hopefully, it would be a good omen for the trip home.

Gently, the Ice Drake slowed and came to a stop just a mile away from the barrier. It was so close that the tide of the chaos winds would normally have slammed them into the wall like a pebble tossed onto a beach. This time, however, Sam’s astral flames surrounded the ship, sending the wind sheeting off to the sides.

“We’re here,” Sam announced to Sleset, who was standing near his shoulder. “Gather everyone to bid your farewell to the Borderlands. It may be the last time you see them.”

“Yes, my lord!” Sleset said eagerly as he sent a few commanding hisses behind him, stirring up a flurry of activity. The naga was tense with excitement as he turned back to stare at the great barrier. “How will we get through? Exiles have always been forbidden from passing through the Divide. Every attempt to do so has ended in failure. I hope that one day we can travel to my homeworld and show them your glory.”

“Leave the barrier to me,” Sam said. He understood Sleset’s concern, since he and the other original Silver Nagas had once been bandits who were exiled to the Chaos Wild, but he wasn’t worried about it. “You are no longer the same as in the past. Even without me, you’ve added enough good deeds to your name that the Council of the High Nine would let you back in. But we don’t need to use that sort of appeal. We’ll be taking a more direct route.”

The Council itself barely registered on Sam’s mind. Their determination of exiles mattered even less. He had a more personal way to solve the issue of the nagas’ status and didn’t feel like consulting with them about it. The Council was in charge of the settled half of the galaxy, but even they would bow their heads to the founders of their entire system: the Astral Titans.

His aura poured through the barrier as he reached across the Void to the Path of Stars. It was absent in the Chaos Wild, but the entire region in front of him echoed with its presence. It was a river of power running through this half of the galaxy that connected star to star, its energy as familiar to him as his own hand.

As he reached out, he called to that power and the will within it. An invisible wave tore through the Void, echoing along the Path as it shot into the distance. Almost immediately, an answer came.

On the far side, he could feel an approaching intent, its speed so swift that it couldn’t be comprehended in general terms. It was bending dimensional space as it traveled faster than starlight. With how quickly it was answering, it was clear that it had been waiting for him.

Seconds later, the wall of the Great Divide began to separate as a hand reached through it. The hand was a brilliant swirl of starlight and dust, its palm larger than the entire Ice Drake. The barrier parted around it like a waterfall, the energies pouring off to the sides. As the curtain continued to open, the enormous figure of the Will of the Path became visible, towering thousands of feet into the Void.

It looked very similar to Sam, its build like an elegant and muscular Titan with curving horns, but it was made entirely of blue and silver light that was densely packed with swirling dust and stars. Its figure was so incredible that even the Great Divide felt normal beside it.

“Congratulations, young Titan, on completing the Path of Stars.” The Will’s voice echoed in Sam’s mind, heard only by him. There was a pleased tone to it, as well as a deep sense of satisfaction. “Your accomplishments prove your heritage and thereby grant you access and status. You are now the only recognized authority of the Path active within this galaxy. What do you wish to do?”

“Thank you, uncle,” Sam said silently in the same manner. The Will had always been well-inclined to him, but he could feel its attention had changed. It felt expectant, as if it were waiting to help him with whatever he needed.

Before, he’d been the one to listen to the Will and it had sent him to the Path with just a short explanation of why it was necessary. Now, things had changed.

“I’d like to return to Aster Fall as quickly as possible, and to take my Silver Nagas with me,” he added. “Some of them are marked as Exiles, so please remove that status. You also once promised to teach me about dimensional laws and how best to repair the Seal. I have the background to understand those lessons now.”

“Very well,” the Will agreed easily. “Bring your followers through. It is good to see that you are taking up your duty as a guide for the younger races. The naga race has always been chaotic without a commander. It is a pity their original leaders all died in regional conflicts with other systems before we could find them. Perhaps you will correct that in time.

“I will assemble the path back to Aster Fall for you, as well as that set of dimensional lessons. You can study them on the way home. The journey will be slightly faster than the last time, since I have more power available here, but it will only speed it up by a few years. The time compression around the Nexus is the main obstruction.”

At Sam’s command, the Ice Drake sailed forward through the barrier and entered the stable region of the galaxy. The nagas had been seriously intimidated by the giant figure of the Will of the Path, but as they crossed the barrier, a wave of silver light washed over them and the original 29 suddenly looked up, their hisses resonating with surprise. A wave of cheers followed as their “Exile” status was erased.

“Hail the Lord of Silver Stars!” Sleset shouted, echoed a moment later by the celebrating nagas as they hissed loudly in agreement.

Cheerful naga hisses crashed across the ship. If there had been an enemy at hand to attack, it wouldn’t have survived another minute. A few of them were even looking at the Will as if debating whether or not they could get away with jumping at it.

“Congratulations, little nagas,” the Will spoke aloud, clearly amused by their willingness to fight it. “You have chosen a good lord to follow.”

A few moments later, rivers of silver light gathered through the Void and turned into a swiftly spinning disk below the ship. Slowly, it transformed into a platform that was marked out in the center by a nine-pointed silver star.

It was an old and familiar presence to Sam, one that he’d spent thirty years on, but this time he could sense every detail of its construction. Memories tingled in his mind as he put together the voices of the past with those who had designed this platform. Some of the arts stood out to him, each of them with a unique name of their creator, and as he looked at it, even more information flowed into his mind from the Path itself, revealing all of the platform’s secrets.

There was the communication point on one side, an enchantment to gather ambient energy and sustain the life and health of those on it, protective barriers to ward off attacks, concentration runes to make it feel like time was passing more quickly, and more, including an option to suspend oneself in stasis if you were truly bored, only to wake up when you reached your destination or were interrupted by something.

A dueling arena was inscribed near the center of the platform, at the heart of the protective barriers, which was something he only noticed now. It was just waiting for the command to activate it. If the nagas got bored, they could train there against each other. It would undoubtedly get some use within the first few minutes of leaving them alone.

It wasn’t really accurate to call it a platform except in the most basic sense. It was an immensely complex moving enchantment that was self-sustaining. Laws of the Void were woven into the construction, making it as stable as a world. It drew in energy and materials from the region around it, cycled them through its enchantments to support its passengers, and then released what it didn’t need. Overall, it was more complex than anything he’d seen on Aster Fall except for the World Core and the Moonlight Relic.

Before long, all of the nagas were assembled on the platform in front of the Ice Drake, waiting with Sam at their head. They stared up at the Will with sharp eyes, keeping careful track of his movements. Whenever the being moved, they twitched and reached for a weapon. Sam held out his hand as he waved at them to be calm.

“This traveling platform is one of the lesser constructs that the Titans built over the ages,” the Will explained to Sam. “It serves its purpose, so there is no need to make it more complicated. Only a few Titans liked them, since most preferred to walk through the stars on their own, but they are good for guests or anyone too busy to pay attention to traveling. There are controls to direct its path in the central core if you need them, but I will take care of that on this route.

“Now, for my other promise.” The Will sent a bolt of translucent silver light toward Sam, which filled his mind with layer after layer of dimensional principles. The information swiftly compiled itself into a unique framework like a puzzle, where only the first layer was visible. “As you master each layer, it will unlock the following layers. 30 years is a short period of time, but you should be able to complete the study by then. You already have the most important foundation from the Dream of the Void. This will give you the more practical aspects of dimensional laws, as well as examples on how to use them.

“I’ve included a specific arrangement for the World Core and also my records on the Moonlight Relic, as much as I know of how its dimensional anchoring was designed to function. Hopefully, they will be of some use to you. Study them well.”

“Thank you,” Sam said as he looked up at the Will. The being was proof of the heritage he’d received as a Titan, and there were a lot of things he could ask it, but right now there was only one question on his mind. “It was no accident that you sent me into the Chaos Wild so close to Asenya’s old world, was it? Do you have any theories on where she could be? I have a sapling of the Wild Tree to take to her.”

“The World Forger’s world needed a Titan to visit it, to reaffirm our old alliance,” the Will of the Path agreed. “They have not pushed themselves to advance enough in recent years. I reasoned that you would encounter them eventually and your relationship with Asenya would push them forward. Hopefully, your visit is a reminder to them that there are many dangers in the deep and that still exist from the ancient war. It would be a pity if they lacked the ability to defend themselves and were killed. They are a unique race that has always refused to live in the more stable lands.”

The answer confirmed what Sam had suspected, but it sounded like not even the Will of the Path had thought they would release the Outsiders locked away there. He looked across the platform below the ship and then he waved his hand at the Ice Drake.

The ship shifted over to one side of the platform where there was nothing important and slowly sank into the surface until only its main deck was visible. A flicker of his will furled the sails and made the masts retreat into the center of the ship. Now, there were only a few buildings and a slightly elevated deck on top of the platform. The doors that led down into the ship were still there, allowing access to the interior just like they had before. There were a few portholes below that would only see a blur of magical energies and silver light, but the nagas had a habit of covering them up anyway. They would feel more comfortable with this type of nest below ground and it would get the ship out of the way for the journey.

With everything arranged, Sam looked across the platform and nodded. He refused to wait another moment.

“Prepare to depart.” His words rang across the traveling platform with an echo of power. The nagas snapped to attention, checking their gear and reforming their orderly lines. As he looked at them, he added a few more words to firm their hearts for what was to come.

“This will be a journey into the dark, but the world we are going to is an ancient wonder filled with mysteries and great powers to fight. No where else will you find a battle that means as much against an enemy that is so strong. When we are victorious, your deeds will echo in the stars as the guardians of your people, the first of the Silver Nagas. So let us show Aster Fall why you are called the Silver Army.”

The nagas let out booming hisses of approval as they drew their blades and saluted Sam. Their tails hammered on the platform like a war drum with a fierce and driving rhythm and their hisses rose in a crescendo, driving their emotions higher until a storm of sound covered the entire platform.

As their shouts reached their highest point, Sam stepped to the center of the platform and activated it, sending a curtain of starlight shimmering along the edges. He raised his hand in farewell to the Will, whose enormous form was standing off to the side. There was no more need for thanks between them, since they had the same goal.

As the platform disappeared in a current of starlight, the Will of the Path raised its hand as well. A slight smile crossed its face, barely distinct in its blurry features.

“Safe travels, young Titan, and good luck.”