Echoes of War, Ch 43: Winter Returns (Patreon)

With a flicker of silver stars, Sam appeared inside his forge on the peak. There was a smile on his face from the long night of friends and family, but before long it faded away, turning into a calm and serious expression as he checked on the work in progress.

The silver column of the forge flame was burning brightly at the center of the pillars and another elemental crystal floated within it, slowly being refined into the quality that the relic required. Soon, he would fuse it into the core energy lines on the fourth layer, which would move that area closer to completion.

He walked across the hall to where the pillars met the open air of the mountains that stretched into the distance. The moons hung low in the sky to the west. Silvas and Caelus were shining among the stars, while Amaris was barely seen on the horizon, her presence a faint purple light like the promise of a kiss.

She was flirting with the night.

The mountains were filled with color. Streams of mana twined around the peaks in calm night currents that were waiting for dawn to send them cascading down the slopes. Shimmering ice and crystalline stone pierced upward through blankets of snow like fountains reaching up to the stars.

Here and there, he could sense beasts and travelers. Since he’d replaced the king, the number of people heading to the relic had increased and not all of them were weak. Some were at the First Evolution now. Their auras were dozens of points of flame in his senses as they approached the valley.

His parents would welcome them. Even with the thousands that had already come, the relic still felt empty. It had been built to hold hundreds of thousands. They would need to get the fields working soon, but with the influx of new people and the relic’s golems to help, that wouldn’t take too long.

As for growing food for everyone...Sam chuckled as he gathered a light green aura of Wood and natural mana into his hand. The World Core had given him this Hand of Blessing ability and he would take advantage of it to speed along the growth of crops as needed.

There were farming classes that could hasten the cultivation of crops too. It was a type of crafting class that some people took and a few of them were already at the relic. But it was nice to have the ability himself.

No one would go hungry.

Once the relic’s fields were planted, the natural Wood mana from the elemental crystals here would take care of their growth. He’d already fixed the Wood elemental pillar that was one of the main focus points for that.

The only problem with the fields was that most of them were on the lower layers, so he would have to fix one or two of the relic’s main energy conduits down to that point, even if he left the rest for later. His parents took care of most of the relic’s needs, but these few things were something he was best suited to fix.

Plans filled his mind as he arranged the necessary tasks and assigned them to his various avatars. His three new ones were already hard at work repairing the relic. Their presence was invisible to most people except as a ripple of dimensional energy as they moved around, which made sure that they wouldn’t be bothered.

The timeline on the repairs to the Fourth Layer had dropped to a month, and the Fifth Layer would only take another few months past that, at least for the core energy lines. The later layers would take longer, but the goal was in sight.

Once the core lines were intact, it was a matter of restoring the relic’s energy for complete repairs, and that would happen naturally at the next Alignment of the Three Moons, which was in about five years. Until then, he’d have to travel individually to the moons to gather aura crystals as a temporary method of charging it, but things were coming along.

Once it was repaired, it would help to stabilize the World Seal and put an end to problems like the Dimensional Convergence. It wouldn’t fully stop Flaws or the presence of Outsiders in the nearby subdimensions, but it would reinforce the main part of the Seal that prevented travel across the Nexus and limit the creation of new Flaws.

Then the work would have to begin on the World Core.

That was the only way to repair things fully. If it were intact, Flaws wouldn’t be a problem and the World Limit wouldn’t be necessary. He rubbed his chin in thought.

He had to find Asenya as soon as possible, wherever she’d gone. That was the real key to the future. With the World Tree, he had a link to her and an example of her aura, which would help to locate her. She was the best choice to repair the core.

He could work on it too, but his efficiency would be lower. It would take him an unknown amount of time to grow strong enough to modify the core on his own. It was much more complex than the relic.

Even if he reached the Sixth Evolution and had the necessary strength, there was still the matter of familiarity. The World Core was hers. His efforts would be a fraction of what she was capable of.

That meant he’d have to head into the World Seal. As soon as he got the relic working, he’d start sending his avatars to search for her.

The only problem with that was that she was probably at the Sixth Evolution herself, and whatever had kept her from returning, it wouldn’t be simple. He didn’t plan to risk his main body in the search unless he had to.

Avatars would be the best way to search, and he could continue leveling up in the Void at the same time.

He looked toward the blue star that marked Silverguard’s location as he considered the next step. The building of the fortress continued at a furious pace as the nagas and his main body worked on it with two avatars. He would have to make sure to heavily arm it with offensive enchantments in order to keep the nagas happy.

If they had to live somewhere without that, they would be depressed. In their minds, a warrior needed to have fangs and it was best if his house did too.

He rubbed his chin as he considered the other issues in front of him, including the reinforcements from the civilized galaxy. He could reach out to the Will of the Path and ask it to slow them down, or at least to not help them arrive so quickly, but there was a chance that he might need them to face the Vos’Rekan again.

Hindering their arrival might be detrimental to his plans, even if they were an unknown quality. They should be here in the next three to five months at a guess, not long after the Conclave of the Moons.

He would just have to make sure he could deal with them when they arrived.

The Vos’Rekan was a threat that could return at any time, and it was not the only one in the Void. He also needed to deal with the Boundless Alliance and the people who wanted to leave Aster Fall.

It was time to set a few plans into motion.

He composed his mind and then his attention turned to the world around him as he reached out to the World Core. He’d been thinking about what to do with the World Limit for a long time and he’d finally decided.

It was time to call in a favor.

The pressure of the World Core’s attention appeared across the peak like the sky had descended. There was an expectant quality in it, as well as a thread of impatience. Normally, his connections with the World Core were brief and at a distance, but this time he’d asked for its main presence, something that was rarely seen.

A translucent image of the World Core appeared in front of him. Unlike most artifacts, it had no interest in a human appearance, only in what it was. It looked like a galaxy of stars contained inside a crystalline sphere as it spun in place. With each rotation, the massive scar across its surface passed in front of Sam’s view.

“I’d like to make a deal with you,” he said calmly as he activated the trait for the World Core’s Favor. He felt one use of it disappear, flowing away into the world. The core was waiting, so he didn’t hesitate to add the rest of the plan. Being direct was best with it. “Modify the World Limit. Allow me to act as a gatekeeper and choose individuals to leave. I will provide you with Void beasts that are equal to Level 399 or higher for every one who departs. The exchange for experience will be in your favor.”

There was no shortage of powerful beasts in the Chaos Wild around Aster Fall.

He was planning to hunt the Void anyway, so bringing back a few extra beast corpses now and then without absorbing their experience wouldn’t be too difficult. If bigger ones were hard to find, ten or so weaker ones would add up to the same amount of experience as one at Level 399.

It would slow down his own experience gain a little, but it wouldn’t matter too much.

The World Core was silent as it considered his words, apparently calculating the cost. The favor was getting it to listen to the deal, even if it was against the World Limit it had created, but if he wanted it to change things, he’d have to convince it.

“The people who want to leave only cause trouble here,” he continued. “They experiment on Flaws, damage the World Seal, and try to break through to the Fourth Evolution on their own. They are a force of disruption for you.

“Instead of confining them year after year, which costs you energy, send them to me. I will make them work for the benefit of Aster Fall and release them into the Void once they meet my requirements. I will make sure that they pay a price equal to what you have given them here.”

Everyone on Aster Fall benefited from the World Core’s power and its ability to grant traits, bonus experience, and successful Evolutions. The Cabal saw the World Core as an enemy, but in reality it was the reason they had been able to level up so easily and reach their current status.

They just didn’t have the right perspective to see it.

If the World Core was going to let them go, it needed an equal exchange for all that it had invested in them. Its energy was carefully balanced, and a lot of it was invested in each individual. That was one of the key factors here.

The World Core’s attention pressed down on him as it considered his words, and then it spoke.

The experience exchange is acceptable, but it is only one part of the World Limit. That limit exists for the protection of Aster Fall. Those who leave the world must not become a lure for Void beasts. How will you deal with this?

“I will send them far outside of the World Seal’s limit and leave no track between them and Aster Fall,” Sam said as he shared the rest of his plan with the World Core, as well as the location of the new fortress.

“They will go to Silverguard, and from there they can choose to stay as external guards or to depart into the depths of the Chaos Wild. If they wish to travel to the civilized galaxy, I will give them directions and ensure they do not leave a trail. This plan should meet the intent of the World Limit and reduce problems for Aster Fall.”

The World Core spun in thought. Then a gleam of light flashed on its surface as if it had come to a decision.

As High Artificer of Aster Fall, you are authorized to make some changes to the world’s operation. Its safety is in your hands. You have proven your ability already.

Very well.

Due to your efforts to defend Aster Fall, your Favor is redeemed.

You are granted the right to modify the World Limit as specified. The ability will be added to your Trait: Voice of Law.

With that, the World Core spun faster. A tickling sensation flowed over Sam’s body as he felt the change take effect in his trait, and then the pressure and the image of the World Core both disappeared. They faded away like mist and left the quiet night behind.

He looked at the space where the World Core had been and at the stars in the sky behind it, and he nodded. He hadn’t expected it would be too difficult to deal with the World Core, but the impact of that simple bargain would have wide-ranging ramifications.

It was a good use of a favor, but without his status as an Astral Titan and High Artificer, it wouldn’t have been possible. The World Core wouldn’t have trusted him enough.

This agreement set everything into motion for the Conclave of the Moons in a couple of months.

He gathered his essence and focused on the trait for Voice of Law as he prepared to speak to the entire world. Before he could send out his own announcement, however, the World Core’s voice rang out across the world, appearing clearly in the mind of everyone who was Level 300 or above.

By decree of the High Artificer of Aster Fall, the World Limit is no longer the end.

If you wish to leave Aster Fall, seek out the High Artificer and negotiate for his assistance. He is the only one authorized to grant what you seek.

You can find him at the Conclave of the Moons.

Be prepared to pay the necessary price. He is in search of rare ores and elemental crystals, as well as unique artifacts

Be warned that any hostile action against the High Artificer will be taken as a direct attack on Aster Fall itself.

There was a heavy note of warning on the final line, implying in no uncertain terms that the World Core would be very unhappy with anyone who attacked him. It gave the announcement a sense of deep seriousness, even as it was accompanied by some information on Sam’s location at the Moonlight Relic and the timing of the Conclave of the Moons.

Sam chuckled as he heard it. The World Core had beaten him to the punch, but perhaps it was better for the announcement to come from it. People were familiar with the World Core and would be more inclined to believe it than him.

In the past, revealing his home like that would have made him worry about who would come to find him and what their intentions were. Now, he looked out across the world and a smile tugged at the edges of his mouth as he cracked his knuckles.

He wasn’t sure the warning would be enough to stop everyone from attacking him and trying to force him to release them from Aster Fall, but he wasn’t concerned. If they came to cause trouble, it would be the last thing they did.  It would be a good way to sort out the worst types.

Their experience would go back to the world either way.

He would have to make sure that the Conclave of the Moons took place outside of the main area of the relic and away from his family. The peak of Sky’s Descent to the north would be good. It was part of the relic, but no one used it for anything, and a Level 399 wouldn’t have any problems getting up there.

He was looking forward to the resources people would bring to accelerate the repairs. Even with what he had, he could still use a lot more elemental crystals. If they weren’t useful for the relic directly, then they could go into storage to make more golems.

Silver light flared around him as he reached into the forge flame and pulled out the crystal that was inside. It glowed like a brilliant red ruby, shining with an internal heat on his palm. This fire crystal would go into one of the lower layers and help balance the temperature as part of the weather wards.

His golden form towered among the pillars of his hall as he placed the elemental crystal into his bracelet and put a different one into the forge flame. A pulse of elemental  energy flared into the sky as the energies crashed together, making the peak shine like a beacon to those below.

*****

At midnight, the sky was dark and clear as a biting cold shivered on the wind. Sam stood on the peak as he looked above the valley to where the Gate of Winter was glowing with a brilliant blue-white light.

The gate had been brightening for the last few days as the mana in it gathered, preparing for a great release of power. The outline of the rune was so bright that it was visible to everyone in the valley, an intricate outline that hung in the air with lines made of pure elemental power.

Now, it was opening.

The twelve ley lines of Ice mana flowing into the gate were all visible, like ethereal rivers connecting it to the sky, the earth, and the mountain peaks. As those lines came together, they wove around the Winter rune, creating a towering arch with ice columns on both sides. At the center, the ancient rune burned with a pure and frozen light.

The cold around it was so intense that blue-white snow was forming from condensed mana and falling across the land below. With the exception of the green valley that was protected by its wards and the high slopes of the relic, wherever the snow touched, the land froze over in a layer of ice. It was a jagged ice that was ancient and cold, and its edges were as sharp as a blade.

As he watched, the magical snow spread outward from the rune to the edges of the valley, and then it covered the nearby mountain slopes, the peaks, and the road leading up to Highfold.

From there, it went out farther, spreading for mile after mile until all of the mountains nearby were covered with layers of ice and blowing snow. It was a strange and silent storm on the peaks, one that grew wider with each passing moment.

It should have been summer, but before long, the Western Reaches for hundreds of miles were covered in a winter that was deeper than they had seen in thousands of years. Then a cold and clear chime passed through the air, causing the ambient mana of the mountains to shiver.

All along the edges of the valley, the Ice Sylphs’ fortress and defenses that had been silent since the battle with the king glowed in response, covering the valley with a shining, brilliant light. Ripples of Ice mana flowed through the air like rivers, leaping from battlement to battlement and tower to tower.

Ice Sylphs and their allies, the Ice Drakes and griffins, as well as some Ice Giants and other tribes, appeared along the battlements as if they had been waiting for this moment. Their weapons were in their hands as the drakes drew in a long breath and roared, letting massive columns of frozen ice shoot into the sky to join the display.

Beside them, the griffins screeched with voices that sounded like shattering ice and the giants pounded their chests like drums, roaring into the air as they raised their arms.

The Ice Sylphs standing along the fortress raised their hands toward the sky, summoning their own streams of Ice to fly upward and join the energy circling the gate.

Sam’s attention was caught by Siwaha, who was standing at the very edge of the battlement, as she raised her staff. Except for her long blue-white hair, she looked younger than ever, like a frost maiden who was barely twenty, but at the same time, she was ageless. The fresh bloom of a blue rose hue on her cheeks marked out bright eyes that held the weight of time.

She looked at him and he saw a smile cross her face before she focused on the gate. The edges of her white dress began to float in the snow and ice around her. Streams of icy energy gathered around her, rising up from the valley and the fortress, and then a river of pure Ice flew outward from the top of her staff and struck the Winter rune.

The gate crackled as currents of icy power ran along the columns and the arch, and then the rune at the center brightened until it shone like a frozen sun. The rune crackled under the force of all the energy contained in it and it began to spin, swiftly turning into an icy vortex.

It started off at about ten feet wide, but within moments, it was dozens of feet across, covering the entire archway in the sky. A howling wind cut across the mountains and swirled around the gate as the pressure shifted. Then the vortex spiraled wider and its center turned into a pure plane of frozen light.

The gate opened.

From the center, shards of frozen ice began to form, swiftly coalescing into figures that marched from the gate and into the sky above the valley. They formed ranks, one after the other, until there were hundreds of them.

First, there were Ice Sylphs, similar to the ones he knew but a little taller and more fierce. They were all in the guise of Winter, their hair in crystalline spikes and their clothing covered in icicles and shards of frozen power. Their weapons were jagged spears and longbows that shone with a gleaming fury, and their armor was crystalline scales layered above their clothing.

Their eyes were bright and sharp as they looked around, and their attention was like a blade. The intensity of their aura said that every one of them was over Level 300, with some even at the peak of the World Limit.

Despite the fierceness and the military order on display, some of them were yawning and others were stretching, making it look as if they had just woken up. And on closer inspection, the clothes beneath the guise of Winter showed the passage of different years and eras.

A spark of insight came into Sam’s mind at that moment, as he realized where all the high level Ice Sylphs had gone year after year. Some of them must have come from the first era of the legions, but others had come from later times.

Instead of fighting against the World Limit, when they reached the peak of power or decided to rest, they had walked into the depths of Winter, waiting to be called back when the years changed and they were needed.

Until then, they slept in Ice.

The legends said the ancient sylphs were wild and fierce, far more terrifying to their enemies than the Ice Sylphs he knew. While the basic nature of the people was probably the same, the culture they’d grown up in would be different. It might be difficult for them to adjust.

An idea occurred to him as he decided on the perfect liaison for them.

There were still fifty or so Silver Nagas around the relic, a mix of guards and some others who were wounded or who had been too young to go into the battle with the Vos’Rekan. It sounded like the old Legions of Ice would get along well with the nagas, so as soon as possible, he’d have to make sure they met.

They would have a good time planning which enemy to tear apart next.

Behind the Ice Sylphs, the gate was still open and now others came forth. Massive drakes three times the size of Elsanar flew out, roaring as they dived through the air in spirals and let out lancing breaths that pierced through the clear sky.

They were followed by griffins whose feathers glimmered with the blue streaks of an innate Ice affinity that screeched with piercing force as they landed on the battlements beside their descendants.

Then came towering Ice Giants who strode out of the vortex with icy boulders on their shoulders and spears in their hands that were as tall as frozen pine trees. Ice crackled in their footsteps as they walked on a frozen river down from the sky and slammed their spears into the ground beside the battlements.

Last, there were hundreds of frozen lights swirling through the air like spirits. They poured out of the vortex like shining crystals in the air as they shot down toward the fortress and the towers. Icy blue fires spread in their wake as they fused into the walls and the defenses and disappeared.

They were living enchantments of Ice, things both natural and created by the Ice Sylphs. As soon as they were present, the level of the defenses increased instantly as magic and elemental force flooded through them. The walls grew harder, the fires colder, and the icy stones shone with power.

At the front of the battlements, Siwaha stepped into the air and a new river of ice formed beneath her, taking her up to the front of the ranks of the Ice Sylphs. When the Ice Sylphs saw her, they crossed their arms across their chests and saluted with their heads bowed. Their weapons shone beside them, cold and clear.

Siwaha looked at all of them with a calm smile, and then across the valley at the drakes, griffins, and giants who had appeared, and bowed her head in return, barely more than a nod. There was a gravity to her movements that transcended time.

“Welcome home, Children of Winter,” she said with a voice that was as cold and clear as a winter sky. “It is time for Winter to return and the legions to rise again.”

An Ice Sylph at the front of the ranks stepped forward. He looked older than most, and he was at the peak of the Third Evolution, which suggested he was some type of general. His bearing was serious and his eyes were sharp as he saluted Siwaha again.

“Daughter of Snow,” he said solemnly, making it sound like the name was some type of holy title, “we heard the call and awoke. The ancient gate is open and the magic of Winter rises. Tell me, where are our enemies? What land should we seal in ice? Whatever you command, we shall do.”

“Aster Fall is on the verge of a Breaking once more,” Siwaha said. Her hand was graceful as she waved at the valley. “The World Seal is cracking. The time has come for us to fight beside those who would stop it.”

The image of a Flaw formed beside her, made from ice crystals and snow that glowed with the distinctive rainbow colors of a dimensional rift. Beside that, an image of Aster Fall and its subdimensions, as well as diagrams of the Dimensional Convergence and the World Seal appeared, all spinning in the air like frozen illusions.

Some of the designs were ones that Sam was familiar with, while others were even more advanced than the models he’d left below the World Tree, making it clear that her knowledge of Aster Fall rivaled his own.

“We are ready. Winter has slept long enough.” The Ice Sylph general looked at the model and nodded. There was no trace of hesitation in his bearing, only calm readiness.  “Tell me where to go.”

“Our allies are waiting.” Siwaha raised her hand as she pointed to the peak of the mountain, directly at Sam. As she turned to look at him, the general followed her gaze. “This time, we have an Astral Titan by our side. We will follow the Lord of Silver Stars into battle. He also bears the Blessing of Ice and is one of us.”

The general looked upward at Sam. His expression was calm and his eyes were clear, showing that he was unfazed by the titles. His entire bearing radiated calm command and order.

When their eyes met, Sam nodded at him in greeting, and then he stepped down from the peak, walking through the air as he went to join the meeting.

It was time to meet his new allies.

All across the valley, the welcoming roar of the Ice Drakes and griffins echoed with a thunderous force, shaking the mountains as snow blew like jagged blades, heralding the winter of a new age.