Echoes of War, Ch 18: Thunder Strikes (Patreon)

When Sam appeared outside of Garild’s home in Highfold, he didn’t bother fully materializing. Instead, he stayed in a half-displaced state between the dimensions as he looked around the area and took in the signature auras of the Bloodline Clan visitors. There were a dozen of them, with two that were at the peak of the Third Evolution.

“Now I see where they got their confidence. For what it’s worth.” His tone was not amused as he headed inside, walking directly through the walls. Garild’s wards were too weak to sense him, much less block him.

The problem with being locked on Aster Fall was that the peak existences were used to their position and the arrogance that came with it. It wasn’t easy to reach Level 399 here, since there was a lack of targets to hunt. It took a long time of killing monsters at the lower edge of the Third Evolution and sometimes a supporting subclass for crafting that could feed experience to the main one. It was why Sam planned to hunt in the Void and do it more quickly.

Those who did manage to reach 399 did so after a long and arduous process, one where they spent years or centuries pummeling things weaker than them and learning that they were the strongest around. At the same time, they grew closer to the top end and received more respect from those they had once worshiped as heroes. Then they eventually reached that stage themselves. It wasn’t a good way to learn humility.

If they’d been in the Void, the chaos winds or the beasts that were all around would have shown them the price of arrogance, but they weren’t able to see that. They yearned for the Fourth Evolution and what they saw as true power, but they failed to understand the depths beyond their reach. They might have heard legends about it, or seen records in some ancient artifact from when the Fourth Evolution was more common on Aster Fall, but without experiencing it for themselves, it wasn’t the same.

Sam shook his head as he walked into the library where Garild was meeting the clans. It was the same place he’d once met those three Bloodline youths: Salara, Ashomar, and Eranis. They’d come from the Ruby Desert Nomad clan, the Ash Clan, and the Fade clan, respectively, and had tried to defeat him for fame and a bounty. In that, they weren’t so different from their elders, just a little more direct. He looked around the library and grimaced.

It seemed the governor still hadn’t learned not to hold meetings here. That was a shame, since he liked books. He doubted there would be much left of them soon.

Garild’s expression was pale as he played host to the dozen elders who were lounging on the low couches and padded chairs. He was safe enough, since it looked like his family ties were good for that much protection, but clearly under duress as he tried to answer their questions and pay them the proper respect.

Eleven of the elders were unknown to Sam, but there was one familiar face in the corner. Uncle Snake was standing behind a more powerful man from the same Fade clan. Sam chuckled at seeing him again, but a rematch from their old training spar could wait.

Of the others in the room, there were two Ruby Desert Nomads, two Ash clan members, and then three bloodlines he hadn’t seen before. The Wraith clan had sent two members, as had the Silversteel clan and the White Lotus clan to round things off. Six clans in total. It was probably representative of their forces within the kingdom. If Sam’s father joined them, there would be a new Bloodline of Frozen Earth to keep an eye on, but that wasn’t likely at the moment.

He could have Analyzed them from the Void, but he held off for now. The impression from their auras was almost as accurate at judging their levels, and it told its own story about who was in charge. Of the twelve elders present, seven were men and five were women.

The Fade clan elder next to Uncle Snake and one of the White Lotus clan elders were the two at Level 399, while the other four clans had a leader around Level 370. Close, but not at the World Limit. The auras of the two highest elders gave Sam a strangely doubled impression, as if there was more depth to them than normal. Their base aura had been overlaid by something a little stronger that had an inconsistent feeling.

He didn’t know what it was, but they had clearly tried some method to increase their strength. It was partial confirmation of something he’d been wondering about.

The Boundless Alliance had been trying to break free of the World Limit for a long time, and it would be surprising if they hadn’t tried every method they could to get around it. These two auras suggested either artifacts or some other sort of external energy was supporting them. It wasn’t too much stronger, but it increased their strength by perhaps 20%, placing them effectively around level 407.

As it had with analyzing Garild’s message spell, Sam’s Charisma made comprehending the personalities in the room as easy as reading one of the books on the wall, and he made some notes as he glanced around, including that Uncle Snake looked embarrassed, but he didn’t waste any more time on eavesdropping.

He appeared in a wash of silver stars from the Void, sending a roil of silver flame across the room. It flowed across the carpet and the walls, and then curled around the books on the shelves as it rose toward the ceiling. The stars flared into runes as they completed a sphere and the dimensional space around them suddenly hardened, locking down the entire area.

“What the...Horned Hunter!” A half-yelp of surprise turned into a shout as one of the Silversteel clan members jumped from his chair and stared at Sam. He wasn’t alone in moving.

The Bloodline Clans were known for their physical traits and they showed them off now as they all leapt to their feet and half-drew their weapons, their expressions turning from complacency to shock at the interruption.

“You politely requested my presence, I hear?” Sam’s tone was a mix of burning force and sarcasm. He stood near the center of the room, his eyes glowing as he looked down at the Bloodline Clan. He’d taken a height of just twelve feet for this meeting, since it was all Garild’s house could contain, but it placed him at nearly twice the size of the clan members in front of him.

He watched the consideration go through their minds as their expressions shifted. In Snake’s eyes, there was a trace of relief as he recognized him, but in the rest it was a mix of shock and guarded anger as they adjusted their breathing and took a more confident stance. They didn’t like being surprised.

“You are no World Spirit,” one of the Wraith clan growled. His features were a shadowy gray and he was bald, with ears five times larger than normal that thinned out like a bat’s at the edge. His fingernails were short talons. “But even if you were, you would have to give us more face than this! You barge in on our meeting?!”

“Hunat, enough!” the Fade clan member by Uncle Snake barked as he cut his hand through the air. His appearance was the same pale white as Snake’s, offset by curving black lines that moved of their own accord, thinning and broadening as he breathed. His eyes were invisible, hidden behind vertical black lines that stretched from his jaw and across his face to the back of his skull.

His words made the rest of the group’s protests fall silent as well. All of them turned to stare at Sam, taking in his height and the astral flames curling around the room with cautious glances. Frowns followed.

“Why have you come?” Sam asked calmly as he folded his arms and looked around the room. He gave Uncle Snake a brief nod as his eyes moved past him. “Unless it is to apologize for failing the valley, you are not welcome here any longer.”

He wanted to push the elders into declaring their relationship. From the looks of it, however, it wouldn’t be so simple.

Instead of answering, the clan elders spread around the room with their hands on their weapons. Their expressions hardened as some of them drew artifacts from their spatial bags, while others summoned more powerful blades and spears into their hands.

Only Uncle Snake hung his head and backed away. His body turned almost insubstantial as the black lines spread, seemingly devouring the white blankness of the rest of his skin and leaving shadow in their wake. He mouthed a phrase that was nearly silent, but Sam made out the words “I’m sorry. They wouldn’t listen to reason.”

“What are you doing?!” Garild’s shout was panicked as he looked around the room and then ran to the side, removing himself from the circle they’d made around Sam. “You idiots! How could you think...”

Garild’s words were cut off as one of the elders of the White Lotus made a gesture. A bolt of pale white energy struck the governor in the chest and threw him against the far wall, where he fell to the floor paralyzed, but breathing.

“Horned Hunter of the Moons,” the Fade clan elder intoned as he ignored the exchange. “You are accused of disrupting the kingdom’s stability and threatening the king’s peace. By order of the king and the treaty that holds our clans as the protectors of Aethra, we have been commanded to arrest or kill you for your crimes.” He paused as he pointed a thin black sword at Sam, its edge shining with shadows. “Surrender or die. The choice is yours.”

The group of elders around the room had all drawn their weapons and were casting preparatory spells that shimmered in the air. Their bloodlines surged as their eyes, hair, skin, and weapons changed to match, becoming an array of flames, shadows, molded silver metal, ash-colored armor, and drifting white lotus petals that trailed across the floor.

Artifacts at their belts were shining as cobalt blue lines of mana connected with each other, forming a suppressive enchantment with Sam at the center. From the heaviness of it, it was somewhere around the middle of the Third Evolution.

“This enchantment is strong enough to hold even a World Spirit,” the White Lotus elder added as pristine white petals floated through the air around him. “You don’t stand a chance. Surrender and you will be taken to the king, where you have a chance for mercy. You will need to swear to serve him and his interests, and to protect the kingdom, but that is better than being a rogue power like you are now. You will have status and wealth. You should know what to choose.”

For a moment, Sam just watched them and shook his head. His back was straight and his arms were still folded across his chest. Drifting silver flames and motes of starlight flowed across his skin and through the air all around him.

“Is this your loyalty to the kingdom?” he said with a low growl as he ignored their spellwork and argument. “To serve the interests of a greedy fool? There are many ways you could have approached me, or renewed your faith with the Ice Sylphs and Highfold, but this is what you choose?”

He studied their postures, taking in their emotions and the way they looked at him. It was a mix of things. A few looked guilty but under pressure, like Uncle Snake, while the majority were looking at him like a fat prize to take. Arrogance shone brightly in their features. It didn’t take long for him to understand why they’d come.

“Now I understand,” he said as he put it together from the pieces in front of him. “You were working with the king since the beginning, and waiting nearby to step in at the right moment.” The changing expressions of the elders told him he was on the right track. As he added a few more words, they guided him onward.

“You were going to pretend to be friends with the Ice Sylphs and protect them in negotiations with the king, but say it was all you could do to keep a little bit of the valley for them and to please forgive you? Meanwhile, you would get something you wanted, part of the ruins perhaps, and the king would take the rest.” Sam shook his head. “There would have been nothing left for the sylphs or the dwarves whose home this is.”

He ignored the weapons pointed at him as he looked across the room at the shadow that Uncle Snake had become as he caught his attention. Then he nodded toward Garild. Snake moved quickly over to the downed governor and grabbed him, pulling him farther away. Shadows surrounded both of them.

“There are two things you gravely misunderstood when you made this plan,” he added plainly as he rolled his shoulders and tilted his neck from side to side. “The first is that you would never have succeeded in taking this valley from the Ice Sylphs. They are not as weak as you think. The Gate of Winter is open and the king will find that his throne grows cold to the touch. If he doesn’t make amends soon, he will freeze to it.”

He unfolded his arms and stretched out his hands, waiting as he looked from one elder to the next.

“What’s the second thing then?” one of the Silversteel clan asked angrily, unable to take it any longer. His body looked like poured metal and there were two sharp swords in his hands, each of them with a faint curve.

“This.” Sam gave the man a brief smile as he raised his hand, but his tone was flat. Silver flames flowed around it, shining with a dozen miniature silver stars inside. Then he flicked his hand toward the ceiling.

The room exploded with a thunderous roar like the Void had descended to Aster Fall. The walls tore apart in a wash of silver light and the stones of the roof blasted outward, turning into meteors that flew high into the sky. A column of silver fire rose a thousand feet into the air. At the base of that blast, Garild’s library dissolved in a wash of silver flames.

The remaining chunks of the walls disintegrated, followed by the walls farther out, until the governor’s mansion was little more than a ruined outline of stones holding court around the column of fire that extended into the heavens like a pillar of silver lightning.

At the center of the Astral Strike, Sam stood with his hand raised, looking around. His control over his power was precise, and not a single person inside Garild’s mansion was harmed. Instead, they were floating, each of them protected inside the silver bubble of an Astral Shield. Garild and Uncle Snake were likewise shielded off to the side in a bubble of their own as they looked on with wide eyes. Splitting his attention in many ways was something else that came with high Intelligence.

In the sky above Highfold, four hundred Silver Nagas stood in the air, surrounding the palace in every direction as they looked at the column of fire and their lord at the center of it. Their weapons were drawn and they let out a long, angry hiss of warning that spread across the city, sending shivers down the spines of the citizens.

As for the Bloodline Clan elders, they had been hurled through the walls like ballista bolts, joining the chunks of stone that had flown outward. Sam reached outward, grabbing all of them in similar silver bubbles as he dragged them back to him. When they were present, he tossed them on the ruined floor in a pile.

“Now,” he said as he looked down at their bedraggled forms. Flames twisted in and out of sight around him, flaring with endless silver stars. “Let’s start that conversation again.”

Silence fell over the ruins of Garild’s mansion, only interrupted by the whistle of the wind and the groans of the Bloodline Clan members, until the World Core’s voice filled the surroundings, but its words were only for Sam.

Hostile intentions demonstrated toward the High Artificer of Aster Fall. The cold force of the words was powerful in a different way than his strike that had just torn everything apart, bringing with it old authority that made it feel like the ground was shaking. Do you wish to mark them as Defiant?

“Yes,” Sam agreed as he waved his hand at the eleven elders on the ground. “It will do them good to have to work their way back into favor. Maybe they will focus on Flaws instead of political games.”

A glaring white rune appeared over each of the elders, flashing once before it disappeared. Sam analyzed them and then nodded. The Defiant trait had been added to their status sheets, clearly visible in his awareness. It was a type of poetic justice, since he’d once had the same mark and now those who attacked him earned it.

It wasn’t a huge penalty, since they could destroy five Flaws to get rid of it, and right now there were a lot of those around. The real point was to show that the World Core was on his side, not theirs. Asenya’s title was starting to prove its worth. It made him wonder how far the core’s support would go.

Right now, there were other things to deal with, however, including that he’d just blown apart a notable landmark in the city. The thunder from that strike had probably terrified the people here. He let his height expand back to 150 feet and looked down at the city below him. He could sense the people huddling in their houses, and the children who were hiding in corners.

“Rest easy,” his voice carried across the city, carrying with it a relaxing warmth like a hearth fire. “This valley is safe, as are you. Some enemies made their way into the governor’s mansion and they have suffered for it. Tonight, my Silver Army will see to your needs, repair your homes, and heal any injuries you might have. They are strong and imposing, but they will not harm you.”

There was no need to tell the city who he was. He had been a legend in Highfold for years and his appearance at the battle with the king’s army had cemented his fame in their minds.

Here and there, people began poking their heads out of windows and walking out onto the streets, looking up at Sam standing above the city. He was tall enough that even the spires of the Ice Palace behind him were only at his shoulders. Sam turned his attention to the Silver Army and gave them a nod. Then he spoke to Sleset.

“Stay visible and reassure the city dwellers that everything is fine. Do what you can tonight to help them. This is also a part of protecting our home.”

“Yes, my lord,” Sleset hissed in agreement. “A nest must have workers. Some of us can heal and others build.” He looked a little put out that he hadn’t gotten to fight, but his speed in obeying Sam’s orders was no slower because of it. All around him, orders hissed out and the Silver Army began to fly across the city, looking for places to help.

In the ruins of what had been Garild’s library and was now a sprawling expanse of scorched stone that had once been the mansion’s foundation, Sam turned to the spot that held Uncle Snake and Garild. He let his height shrink back to a dozen feet as he walked over, pulled a healing scroll from his cloak, and stuck it on Garild’s chest, where it went to work on removing the paralysis spell and healing his injuries.

“You have a bad habit of being attacked by your guests from the clans,” he said in a quiet voice as he looked at the man. The same thing had happened when the young clan members came to fight Sam years ago and Eranis had poisoned him to keep him out of the way. “Give it a few minutes.”

Garild grimaced in response, which was the only muscle he could move. Sam could see the effect of the spell that was threaded through his muscles and meridians, freezing his movement. He could have torn it apart, but he didn’t bother.

The governor, or probably ex-governor now the valley had broken with the king, needed a reminder to focus on his training. He was supposed to be an Aether Mage with a Storm Knight subclass, but his level had barely risen since they’d first met. He was only up to 190, barely on par with Sam’s parents.

“The king is unlikely to respond well to this,” Sam added, his tone calm, “but you are probably aware of that. I suggest finding a new employer or learning to stand on your own. The position of governor and tax collector here in Highfold is no longer valid. It has disappeared along with this mansion. If you want to be a diplomat arranging trade for the valley, I’ll leave it to you to manage the details. You know where to find Siwaha and the dwarves to discuss it. Either way, there will be no more fake niceties with the king, and no more taxes sent to the capital.”

That was the real reason Sam had destroyed the mansion. It was a symbol of the King of Aethra’s influence in Highfold, a building at the center of the city just below the Ice Palace. It had been here for centuries, marking the slow growth of the king’s influence in people’s minds, just like the title of governor for his tax collector was an attempt to force his influence onto the area.

By sending the Bloodline Clans here to cause more trouble, directly or indirectly, the king had gone too far. He needed a reminder of what was his and what was not.

After that, Sam turned to Uncle Snake. The assassin’s eyes were wide as he looked back at him. It was obvious what had happened, but the change in Sam’s strength had left him too shocked to speak. He’d clearly been expecting someone at the Second Evolution, around where Sam had been the last time they met. That was also what the Bloodline Clan elders must have been expecting, thanks to his information.

“Things have changed,” Sam explained simply as he gave Snake time to wrap his mind around it. “It is time to spread a message. The Bloodline Clans will help. If they do, I will forgive this attempt on me.”

He could afford to be generous. Even if they’d had the right preparation, it was unlikely they would have been able to prepare a trap powerful enough to harm him. He hadn’t been idle for all those years in the Void.

He turned to the eleven elders scattered across the ground and released them from the astral shields that were holding them. They were battered but alive, since he hadn’t been trying to kill them. The Astral Strike had mostly diffused into Garild’s house and the air, only brushing past them as he shattered their suppression enchantment. He’d defused the concept of astral flame and the real power of the strike into the surroundings.

That wasn’t to say he’d let them off entirely.

The concussive force of the blast and the effects of Shatter Aura still hit them. Their defensive enchantments had been crushed as they were slammed into the ground, completely removing any shred of dignity they had. Remnant shards of jewelry and defensive armor hung from their bodies, leaving them covered in dust and torn clothing.

Now their appearances matched their actions.

They were strong for Aster Fall, but no stronger than a Void beast at 325 that had passive essence strengthening it. Their bloodlines helped them a bit, but it wasn’t enough. It had only been difficult to leave them alive and protect the servants in the mansion at the same time.

The most interesting point was their method of strengthening themselves past what Level 399 should have been capable of. A 20% increase was noteworthy. They had also believed their enchantment could hold a World Spirit. He’d felt the conviction of belief in their words. That was another question they would be answering.

He looked down at them as he raised his hand again, watching them flinch. This time, however, the result was a series of stone couches that rose from the earth. He sat down on one before pointing to the rest. Unwillingly, but realizing they had little choice in the matter, the clan elders took their seats. Anger and stubbornness warred on their features. Their arrogance was less now, but they were still glaring at him like he was an enemy.

He would have to do something about that.

“I am the Lord of Silver Stars, Horned Hunter of the Moons, High Artificer and Guardian of Aster Fall,” Sam said as he looked down at them. Even seated, he was twice their height. “I am not a World Spirit, but I am a protector of this world and a caretaker of the World Core. To cross me is to harm the Seal and destroy your home.

“It is fortunate for you that I know you are not my real enemies. That distinction goes to the Outsiders who invade through the Flaws and threaten life on Aster Fall. The Bloodline Clans have closed many Flaws and we should be on the same side. I will not forget your attempt on the valley, but because of that history, I will give you a chance to explain. Tell me what idiot put this idea into your heads, and explain your connection to the king.”

Their expressions wavered as his words filtered into their minds, but he didn't rush them. He let them sit there in silence, barely moving except to study one of them after the other, as they exchanged whispers and came to grips with their situation. They were slow to believe what he'd told them, but they did become more hesitant, their desire to attack mixing with confusion.

Eventually, after Sam prompted them again, the White Lotus elder shared a look with the Fade clan elder and started to speak. His words were bitter and he bit them off angrily as he glared at Sam, but he was talking instead of attacking. It was progress.

“It’s true that we were planning to take over the valley,” he said as he straightened his back. Then his features hardened, becoming accusatory. “But that is only because of the evil that is present here!”

“Evil here?” Sam raised one eyebrow. “You seem to mean me.”

“Of course he means you!” the Fade clan elder snapped as he joined in the conversation, glaring at Sam. His clothing was more tattered than the rest. Apparently he’d had quite a few enchantments on him that exploded under the stress. “You’re the most powerful being in an area completely swamped by Flaws! If you aren’t involved with them, who is? You're some sort of corrupt spirit! We just can't analyze you to tell if you're an Outsider or not!”

“You seem eager to jump to false conclusions,” Sam growled as he tried to keep his temper with the elders. They were clearly too used to being right and were having a hard time adjusting to reality. “Look at your Traits. See the Defiant one that was added for attacking me. Now, before I lose my temper, tell me who told you that.”

“It came from the king’s advisors,” a Silversteel clan elder spoke up suddenly, with a frown that was a clear result of having checked her status. “You’re right...I have been marked as Defiant.”

“Attacking him marked us as Defiant?!” the second White Lotus elder, who was normally silent, suddenly looked up in shock. “How could he be evil then? He’s clearly favored by the World Core! This can’t be what we thought.”

A brief storm of anger and confusion followed as the rest of the clan elders checked their status and confirmed the same thing. Apparently, they’d been too distracted by his attack to pay attention to what the World Core had done.

“How is this possible!” one of the Wraith clan swore. “This place was supposed to be the center of the problem! Even our own seers confirmed it!”

“Something must have gone wrong,” a Ruby Desert elder said with a frown. “Our analysis of the Flaws around the valley was accurate. They are gathering here in dangerous numbers. It made sense to think he was involved. Otherwise, why hasn't he stopped it yet?”

A wave of consternation followed as the elders began arguing with one another, apparently uncaring that Sam was watching.

“Enough,” Sam shook his head. “Argue later about who was right. You seem to have confused the Dimensional Convergence happening here with me, and placed the blame for it at my feet. Why?”

“This place is riddled with Flaws!” an Ash clan elder grumbled. “How could we know who was compromised or not? It wouldn’t be the first time that invaders have taken over a town. That’s the worst sort of fight. We thought that by taking you out, we would cut off the problem at its head.”

“You’re clearly in charge of the ruins here and rumors said you looked like a demon,” the White Lotus elder spoke up again, silencing the rest with a sharp cut of his hand. “Ruins across the kingdom have been activating over the past few weeks, just like this one. But this one was first, and so it made sense to think it was the origin of the rest, especially when it was surrounded by Flaws.”

“You believed that the Moonlight Relic was the cause of the Dimensional Convergence,” Sam said slowly as he put it together from what the various elders had been arguing about, “and that I was the head of some invasion force of Outsiders, using it to create more Flaws and to awaken these other ruins?”

His understanding of the Bloodline Clans and their connection to the king was changing as he gathered more information, but if what they were saying was true, the clans had made an enormous leap in logic in trying to pin all of this on him and the relic. From where they were standing, perhaps they believed it was reasonable, but it was beyond absurd.

None of that mattered, however, because the mention of other ruins had caught his attention. If there was something out there that was activating, he needed to see what it was. The chance was fair that it was an old Outsider outpost, just like the one that he'd found with his father long ago. And if that was true, its history could be very long indeed.

It might even hold a clue to the First War or Asenya's location.

“We weren’t directly involved with the king’s desire for the ruins,” another Ruby Desert elder added as she tried to explain why they'd been after the valley. “He wants to possess them for himself. We want to destroy them. We acted with him in some small ways to make it easier to come here and accomplish that. We were willing to let him take over the valley, but our plan was always to destroy the ruins once we had the chance. It appears that we may have...misunderstood their relationship with Outsiders and you.”

“I see,” Sam said finally as his hand gripped the arm of the couch he’d created. He analyzed the possibilities and the usefulness of the Bloodline Clans, and then he nodded once as he organized everything they’d said into something that made half an ounce of sense. “Very well. Let me tell you how this is going to go. And then you’re going to tell me about these other ruins.”