High Artificer, Ch 31: The First Pillar

Sam’s Perspective.

Sam moved to his throne and sat down. He looked out at the stars as he considered what he’d learned from Winter about the Ice Sylphs.

He was glad he’d had the chance to meet her.

Her explanation about Siwaha explained why he’d always found the elder to be wise and insightful. 

“The last time Winter visited was about 62,000 years ago on Aster Fall,” he said as he looked into the distance for a moment. “After one of the worst Breakings.”

Siwaha had been alive since then, which meant she was one of the oldest beings on Aster Fall.

Many World Spirits were younger than her.

It was something like 13 million years ago in galactic time. 

It was interesting that Siwaha had reset her levels and had given up her Evolutions only to regain them again later, but it made sense. It let her live among her people without feeling out of place. 

She must have been at Level 399 more than once, but how many times, he wasn’t sure.

Even the generals of the Legion of Ice treated her as their superior. She was Winter’s daughter, but to the Ice Sylphs she was their eternal grandmother. 

Siwasir and some of the other Ice Sylphs had come with him from Aster Fall, and he had made sure to tell Winter about them. They wanted to meet her, so a few messages from him were enough to arrange it. 

He had no doubt that they would be meeting soon.

As for how that meeting went and how much it meant to the Ice Sylphs, he would leave it to them to decide. It wasn’t his place to interfere.

Soon he would invite Winter to Aster Fall to see Siwaha and the other Ice Sylphs as well. Now that the world was stable, that type of visit was no problem. 

Travel between his home and the wider galaxy could begin again.

He had promised to give those who completed a trial access to the World Core, so it was only a matter of how to accomplish it.

It meant changing the relationship between Aster Fall and the rest of the galaxy, making a visit to the world a reward for those who were lucky or successful enough to gain entry, but that was better than the current state of affairs.

He tapped his fingers on the arm of his throne as he considered the ramifications of building a more permanent teleportation gate for general use, one that could handle regular teleportation there and back.

The Silver Army and his golems could act as the local police force to keep the visitors in line, with his avatars and Asenya as support if needed. 

Plans spun through his mind as he considered the possibilities, as well as how to oversee it.

After a moment, he decided the Path of Stars could serve as the arbiter of who was allowed to travel to Aster Fall. 

It could also oversee the trials. 

It had once been the primary assistant for thousands of Titans, helping them with their research, classes, establishing worlds, and more, but right now he was the only Titan left in the galaxy.

It was being vastly underutilized. 

Given the distance to Aster Fall, it was also one of the only available options.

The distance between Aster Fall and the rest of the galaxy was too far to make the transfer without the Titan Gates, which required astral energy at the Fifth Star to activate them. 

It would take a million times more effort in terms of regular mana. 

The two types of energy were vastly different. Astral energy was close to the primordial energy of the Void and it was much easier for it to fold space and cross the stars.

Even with that, it required the force of a Fifth Evolution domain and a connection to the Heart of the Void, the dimension of ancient chaos at the root of everything, in order to bridge the distance.

The only other option he had was to personally escort people to Aster Fall, whether that was through a Titan Gate or with a portal between his avatars.

Putting the Path in charge of the gates would save him a lot of effort.

Until he had reactivated the first one, the gates had been sealed even from the Path’s knowledge as a way to protect them from Outsiders, but with Asenya and Silverguard to protect the one near Aster Fall, there wasn’t much need to keep them secret any longer.

The Path of Stars had sufficient power in the settled galaxy to protect the gates here and he could install a series of new wards to help. Then the Path could teleport worthy individuals from their world to a gate and escort them to Aster Fall and back.

The energy expenditure would be significant, but the Path was constantly gathering new energy from the Void on a scale that was greater than a thousand suns. Even if it teleported thousands every day, it shouldn’t be an issue.

If the cost did become too steep, the trial takers would have to pay for it with their own accomplishments, whether that was in mana or some other service. 

The Path could also help to oversee the other decrees he’d given the High Council. It had rarely interacted with them since the Titans left, but they were at least aware of its existence.

He would just need to set out the plan for it to follow.

The future of the galaxy would be different from the past.

Strengthening humans and the other races was a key part of that.

If the Outsiders ever managed to invade again, he wanted them to find a galaxy that would tear them to pieces before they could get a foothold.

He had more work to do to set that up, but first he needed to take care of a few small things.

He looked toward Council and searched across the world until he located the Cer’Aleth councilor. He gave the elemental a few minutes of warning and then he teleported him into his hall.

The crystal flame elemental arrived in a field of silver light that swiftly dissipated, leaving him alone at the center of the hall.

“Greetings, Lord Titan,” the Cer’Aleth said as he bowed, his head low. “How may I assist you?”

He wasn’t surprised any longer by the teleportation, but his voice was subdued. Sam’s arrival and how he had executed Nurim were fresh in his mind.

“Raise your head, Kiran’Telai’Nerathi,” Sam said, his voice filling the room like the rays of the sun. 

“Despite the failure of the High Council in overseeing the galaxy and the machinations of its members, I still must thank your people for remembering your duty and for your help over these many years. You have done better than most.”

“Thank you, my lord.” Kiran’s head rose as he looked at Sam. “How may I serve you?”

“I brought you here to share good news with you,” Sam said with a smile. “I am old friends with Kerosto’Era’Naratoth, the guardian at Aster Fall. You will be pleased to know that soon you will have another Sixth Evolution being among your race. His breakthrough is happening as we speak.”

Kiran looked astonished for a moment, but then a blaze of approval surged through his heart flame. It resembled a wave of molten sapphire light that moved outward through the crystalline facets of his body.

“That is excellent news, my lord!” Kiran said with delight. “Another Sixth Evolution being will be a moment of great celebration to my people. It has been millions of years since we last had two living among us.”

“The future will be different now that you will have access to the World Core for support.” Sam said. “Your people will need to complete the new trials, but the path will be open for you. I expect many Sixth Evolution beings to rise across the galaxy over the next ten thousand years, and perhaps even more. With enough effort, some will come from the Cer’Aleth.”

“Thank you, Lord of the Void,” Kiran said gratefully as he bowed again. “We will not fail to meet your expectations. I am certain that Kerosto’Era’Naratoth’s success was only possible through your mercy.

“And if I may be so bold as to add, I and the rest of the High Council are honored to be in your presence. Although I am not old enough to remember the last Titan to visit us, I know that the High Seat has waited for eons for your safe return.

“The old protocols will be reestablished. My people have always been willing to follow yours. You have only to tell me what you wish and it will be done. I await your command.”

He paused for a moment as he considered his words.

“Will other Titans be returning as well, my lord?”

It was a question that Sam had been expecting.

“It is possible, but unlikely to be anytime soon,” Sam said, shaking his head. “There is no contact with them now that they’ve gone beyond the Nexus. That is one of the research projects I’ll be working on.”

“I understand, my lord,” Kiran replied gracefully. “I will remind the rest of the council that their return is a possibility, but the time is unknown.”

Left unsaid was that the reminder would help to frighten the High Council into action. 

Sam’s presence was enough on its own, but the idea that even more Titans might return and have questions about what the councilors had done in their absence was a different sort of terror.

Sam nodded at the Cer’Aleth in approval.

“There is another reason I called you here. Tell the rest of the council that I have recently come from Aster Fall and the fight with the Vos’Rekan. Several of the council’s descendants were there. Their arrival drew my attention and I invited them to assist me in the battle where we killed the beast. 

“As a result, they earned enough merits and gained access to the World Core. Their paths have been improved and they have a chance to reach the Sixth Evolution in the future. One day, Solis’Erasti’Nestim of your people should also rise to the Sixth Evolution.”

Kiran’s body shook as flames radiated around him, but he restrained his shock as he bowed his head again.

“May I ask if there were any casualties, my lord?”

“They were fortunate that there were none.” Sam shook his head. “They have taken a slower route back to the settled galaxy than I did, but they should return within the decade. Use this time well, so that the era they return to is better than the one they left.”

He didn’t mention it, but it was fortunate for that group that Sam had already dealt with the Wind Wraiths. Otherwise, some of that group might have been assassinated during the civil war.

With that, he exchanged a few more words with Kiran and answered some questions before he teleported the elemental back to Council.

Sending Kiran to carry his words was enough for now.

He had no intention of spending his time in council meetings or dealing with the thousand minutiae of daily life and politics in the galaxy.

He was setting out a new path and righting old wrongs, but he didn’t want them to learn to rely on him to fix their problems. He had told them he would be watching, not that he would be there for every decision.

That was the flaw the Titans had left behind the last time and why the council had turned out to be so useless. They had grown up in the shadow of the Titans’ power and were too used to having them fix everything.

He wasn’t going to allow them to return to that mindset. 

The council only needed to know that he was the one who would judge them if they failed.

He had considered the likelihood of their rebellion, but it was low. They should all be aware at this point that if they tried to cause trouble, the outcome would be death.

He wasn't asking them for too much, just to work for the greater good of the galaxy rather than their own interests. If they decided not to, he didn’t mind removing a few more of them.

Hopefully they would do the right thing.

He looked toward Council again and this time he searched out a different figure. Then he teleported him into the hall the same way he had with the Cer’Aleth.

A moment later, the man was standing there with his hair as wild as ever. His eyes were wide, since he’d never been teleported like that before, and lightning blazed around him, coiling in violet arcs as he prepared to lash out at an enemy.

He looked around the hall with astonishment before his attention settled on Sam. The lightning began to die down, but it was replaced by a frown. 

“My lord?” he asked cautiously. “Is something the matter?”

“Asperio,” Sam said with a slight smile as he restrained his voice. “It’s time we talked about your future, as well as that of the human domain.”

The man had told him about the pressure facing humanity, so now it was time for him to live up to it. 

“The human domain?” Asperio looked puzzled as the rest of the lightning faded from around him. “There is no such thing. We are scattered across a thousand worlds.”

“That will change,” Sam said. “And as the first High Councilor of the human race, I’ll let you choose where.”

As he raised his hand, a map of the galaxy sprang into existence above them. It was a grand image that covered three quarters of the sky, but even so he had to compress the dimensions in order to make it fit. 

“Where do you think is a good area for humanity to settle?” he asked as he looked up at it. “How about there?”

He waved his hand toward a section that was in the middle north of the map near the Great Divide. It was bordered on one side by an expanse of Titan worlds, but it was mostly barren on other sides.

It was one of the potential regions his avatars had decided on.

“It should have good resources,” he continued, “especially with its proximity to the Chaos Wild and the Borderlands. I’ll have to see it in person to decide, but it looks like it will have plenty of raw materials. It’s just lacking in worlds.”

He studied the area for a moment, considering the best placement. Ideally, the worlds would be rich in resources themselves as well as near even richer ones. 

He didn’t want to go to the trouble of moving humanity there only to leave them poor. 

Moving the main worlds would consume enough time. He didn’t want to have to bring in even more.

“If we do settle humanity here,” he added, “they will have to make sure to avoid the Titan lands to the south. Those are protected. The Path of Stars will help to ensure they don’t cross the border, and it will also be a good reminder of the greater forces of the galaxy.”

He looked over at the headmaster to get his opinion, but Asperio was completely ignoring the map as he stared at Sam. He hadn’t moved since Sam started talking.

“You’ll let me choose it as the what of the human race?” he asked as he began to move again. His expression was nearly frozen, as if he couldn’t handle what he’d just heard. “You can’t have said what I just thought you said.”

“High Councilor of Humanity,” Sam said with a smile as he looked down from the map. “Yes.”

Asperio froze again as he stared at Sam. But then he frowned and wisps of lightning began to crackle around him as his temper flared. 

“What High Councilor?!” he snapped, tossing away his usual deference to Sam as his emotions overcame him. “If humanity had a councilor, we wouldn’t be in this state! This is a poor joke! Are you toying with me?”

“No, Asperio Prosseto,” Sam said calmly as he let power fill his voice again. “I am not.”

There was no smile on his face as he looked down at Asperio.

“I am offering you a job.”

Asperio trembled as the words echoed through the hall. The wisps of lightning around him flared into a grand spiral and then disappeared, along with his anger.

All that was left was a gaze fixed on Sam, one that combined disbelief with a sliver of hope, as well as something fragile that felt like it could be broken with the wrong word.

“You’re serious?” he asked slowly. “I know you’re a Titan and you have a different perspective on things, but I don’t see how that could happen.”

“The Titans created the High Council,” Sam replied. “No one said it was limited to nine. And I’ve already made room.”

He raised his hand and a recording of everything that had taken place inside the council chamber appeared in the air between them, slowly playing. 

Asperio’s face turned pale as he watched.

“So Nurim is dead?” His words were hesitant as he put the information together. “And it seems Yaivon is doomed.”

When it was finished, he looked up at Sam. His expression was half terrified and half in wonder.

“That decree...your decree. You mean it? Humanity will join the High Council?”

“As the Tenth Race,” Sam agreed with a nod. “Or if you want to count the Titans as the Primordials, since we rarely attend, there will still be nine seats and you can use the current name as the High Nine. It doesn’t make a difference to me.”

“This is....” Asperio shocked his head as his words failed him. It took him a moment to recover. “Do you know what this means to my people? To humanity? How many of us have died struggling for a place to call our own?”

“Too many,” Sam said. “That is why we will change it. You will be the first High Councilor of humanity.”

He rubbed his chin as he looked between the map and Asperio. The man’s aura had been changing as he helped him to reach a better understanding of Lightning. 

His domain was growing stronger as well.

He was already on par with some of the High Councilors. He just needed another push to fully come into his own and then he would be the perfect representative.

But he needed to cast off this timidity that marked his life, to transform and become what humanity needed him to be, a pillar of support for them all.

“One more lesson should be enough to correct the remaining flaws in your domain and to strengthen your Truth,” Sam said as he came to a decision. “That way, it won’t be an issue when you meet the other High Councilors as one of them.

“After that, we’ll have enough time to settle these questions about the region and to decide on your assistants before I begin to move worlds.”

Silver stars burned around them as he spoke, and then he began to walk upward, pulling Asperio with him into the Void. 

Instead of creating a Lightning dimension to practice in, he headed into the distance, toward where he could sense a natural river of Lightning energy. 

It would take a little while on the astral paths to get there, but it would work better.

“I’ve shown you pure Lightning,” he explained. “Now I think it’s time you saw it in the wild. Lightning does not bow its head or give way to barriers, no matter how many enemies surround it. It is the boldest element. It flourishes in the most dangerous places.” 

He looked down at Asperio as he pulled the man along.

“And so will you.”