High Artificer, Ch 22: Bright Sky

Some days later, Sam and Alora appeared on a moon near the Winged Fury’s home world. The astral light of the Titan Gate hummed as it faded around them.

“Welcome to Bright Sky,” Sam said as he waved his hand toward the world.

The planet hung in the Void in front of them, shining with a white and blue light. The nearby sun was a similar shade. Brilliant white clouds covered most of the world. Oceans were present, but small. 

Most of the surface was craggy, rising into high mountains and cliffs where the Winged Furies made their homes. Below them, plains and valleys twisted across the surface of the world, creating open hunting areas for the winged race.

A single glance at it was enough to see how everything was structured. 

Their dwellings were built high on the cliffs, sometimes rising into palaces and towers with flaring balconies and other times carved into the stone like a swallow’s nest, with tiny caves acting as individual rooms. 

The mountains were filled with their settlements, especially near the peaks, while the plains below had none. Their preference for the sky and open air was obvious.

Even among the Winged Furies and with all of them living at high altitudes, it was easy to see a division between the classes. The lower on the mountain a home was, the cheaper it was. 

“So this is where all of the Winged Furies are from?” Alora asked as she looked around curiously. “Is it just the one world?”

“They have a dozen other worlds as well,” Sam explained, “but this is their original home world, where they lived when the Titans found them. The geography of Bright Sky is unique with most  of the world covered in mountain ranges, so most of them still try to live here, where they find it to be the most comfortable.

“The Titans built them a teleportation network that is connected to Council now, as well as to other worlds. They are somewhat distant in this region, so Council acts as one of the main hubs of that network for them to reach the rest of the galaxy.”

Eventually, that was the type of arrangement he planned for the human worlds as well, once his avatars found some suitable ones. He wanted to make sure they had a lot of elemental energy, auras, and other potential.

He would try to make sure the worlds were vast, wild, and untamed, as well as teeming with beasts and other life, so that humanity would have something to struggle against as they settled them.

He held out his hand and Alora placed hers in it. Then they began to walk toward Bright Sky. 

Astral light surrounded them, accelerating their steps. Within a few moments, the world loomed large ahead and they crossed through the atmosphere.

Swirling white clouds parted onto a grand vista of sharp blue-white mountain peaks and open plains. Storm winds broke around them as they descended through the sky, but none of it was able to do more than ruffle their hair.

Even without him, Alora was strong enough to visit this world on her own, although it would be difficult if she faced a coalition of the strongest families.

According to the Path of Stars, there were six major family clans who controlled the future of the race. All of them had their ancestral home and main presence on Bright Sky. 

Their full records were open to him, but the Path didn’t record every moment of their history, just their evolutions, classes, and the occasional significant event. If he wanted to know the how and why of things, he would have to find out for himself.

He wasn’t sure how many of the major families agreed with Yuris Highwing or Solecea, or with the current member of their race who was on the High Nine, but he intended to see.

He scanned the world, searching for powerful life signs, and then they headed for the largest city. It was the most likely to have the information he wanted and also to have interesting things to see.

The city was called Summit, and like the rest of their settlements, it was high in a mountain range, settled across six major mountain peaks that towered into the sky and cradled a rich alpine valley between them. 

Each of the major family clans held claim to one of the peaks, which were named after them. 

Yuris’s Highwing family held one, while the family of Tenal Whitewing, the Winged Fury he’d met as a reinforcement near Aster Fall, held another. 

Their two mountain peaks were slightly more developed and richer than the other four, which showed off their status as the two leading clans of the world.

The other four peaks were named for the Aetheri clan, which was the one Solecea was from, and then Windsoar, Brightfeather, and Skysurge.

Sam scanned them all and noted the presence of several Fifth Evolution beings in each one. The Highwing and Whitewing families had five each with the strongest around Level 580, while the other four families had three each, with their top levels in the 540s.

All told, that was 22 Fifth Evolution Winged Furies on the world, and there were probably a few more scattered around in other locations, similar to Yuris on Council and Tenal who had been sent to Aster Fall.

Placed anywhere in the galaxy, it was a threatening array of power. 

The High Nine races had used millions of years to gather their strength and they were well positioned in their homelands.

He wasn’t sure what they hunted to gain all those levels, but there was clearly a source of experience for them somewhere here. 

It made him wonder how much of a loss Solecea would be to their forces. Her absence was unlikely to cripple them. It seemed more like a minor setback.

This was what humans would have to deal with when they created their own domain, and the reason they hadn’t been able to yet.

As they entered the city from above, Sam obscured their arrival from any watchers, making sure that no one saw them arrive so dramatically. 

Otherwise, they wouldn’t get any peace.

A moment later, their feet touched down on the cobbles near the entrance to the city, just a little way inside the gate. 

A silver veil of light around them subtly warped space to create an area where no one could see them or enter. The construction of it was precise and elegant. 

People who were walking in a straight line toward them continued on without noticing anything different, but in reality, they moved around the outside of the veil, leaving plenty of space for Sam and Alora inside. 

Despite their wings, the Winged Furies walked through the area as much as they flew. Traffic here was similar to other capitals he’d visited. Summit was a busy city with millions of inhabitants.

Like most cities, there were open market stalls and booths serving food and snacks near the gate that were a welcoming sight to hungry travelers. Colorful awnings from silk and other cloths marked out their roofs and walls, which the merchants seemed to prefer instead of sturdier wood.

“I’ve never tried this style of food before,” Alora said as she looked around at the stalls. “Should we?”

“Yes, let’s find something to eat,” Sam agreed. “Every world has its delicacies. We can pick up something here and wander through the city, and when we get tired of looking around, we’ll find a restaurant.”

“Should we use an illusion to look like Winged Furies, you think?” Alora asked. “There aren’t many people of other races here. I don’t see a single human in sight. Wild Spirits are close enough in appearance that I’ll likely be mistaken for one.”

“No illusions yet,” Sam said as he shook his head. “Not for you anyway. I’ll keep a human appearance for my part. I want to see how they react. But for now, let’s look around in peace.”

With a wave of his hand, interesting bits of food from the stalls disappeared and was replaced by silver coins. Sometimes, he sent an elemental to collect them if it was necessary to wait for one to be finished.

The two of them walked happily through the city, studying the Winged Furies’ architecture and historical buildings, and looked curiously into more ornate awnings hung over relaxing gardens full of food and light music that was accompanied by drinks. 

Those were the inns of Summit.

This city was the hub of commerce for all of Bright Sky and it was full of inns and meeting areas, gardens and pools. It was an elegant place, full of ethereal touches, color, and music. 

The streets were designed in long, straight lines so that the wind was constantly blowing along them, stirring the colorful awnings that were everywhere.

It was a very open concept for a city with a sprawling design that left the majority of the sky visible no matter where they walked. The buildings were mostly narrow and tall, like slender towers, with balconies and arched entryways open to the sky, which made them easy to access.

Travelers and merchants flowed along the streets, and they often took flight to reach one balcony or another, which were the doorways to shops and offices.

One large building that was made of a crystalline stone that reflected light while still managing to be opaque was the city’s bank. It had heavy wards inscribed into the walls to block intruders and prevent theft.

It wasn’t the only warded building in the city, just the best defended, but as Sam walked past, he felt the wards whispering their secrets into his mind all the same.

This city was an open book to him, its enchantments constantly filling his awareness with information. Every security ward, viewing rune, speaking mirror, and enchanted message was clear in his mind.

As he wandered with Alora and looked at everything that interested her, he sorted through that information to get a better picture of the Winged Furies’ politics and who they were as a people.

He wanted to know why Tenal had been upstanding, but the ones he’d met on Council were the complete opposite. 

Both families came from this same world. 

He had a feeling that if he could pin down the difference, the story of the Winged Furies would become clear.

They wandered through the city for a while and sampled the strange foods, roaming to their hearts’ content.

Of all the foods, the one Sam liked the most was a roasted and spiced egg that had been slowly baked in layers so that it was crunchy on the outside and molten inside. It had an interesting and complex texture.

Alora’s favorite was a frozen drink that was made of spun sugar and flowery herbs, which was served in a silver goblet.

“It’s delightful,” she said as she smiled over the rim at him. “Like I’m flying on the clouds.”

“That’s because it’s half alcohol.” Sam laughed as he replaced it with a new one. “I’m glad you found something you like.”

After they explored for a while, they headed toward one of the more interesting inns, which was covered by a bright blue and white awning that was painted like a summer sky. It was currently spring in the mountains with cold air and a touch of chill, so the contrast made the inn seem welcoming.

Delicate trees, tall  golden fronds, and a garden warmed by magic with half a dozen small, sparkling pools completed the image, making the inn into a tropical scene.

“Let’s let them see us this time,” Sam suggested. “I want to see what happens.”

He still hadn’t seen any humans around the city. Even the presence of other High Nine races was extremely limited. 

He’d detected several Wind Wraiths near the main peaks, and there was an occasional merchant from the other races, but their presence was muted.

Alora nodded in agreement as they headed for the inn, so he let the dimensional bubble around them disappear. He also left his status on full display as a Level 577 Human, the same as he’d been using at the academy.

His real level was up to 585 now thanks to his hunting avatars, but there was no need to display it.

Hand in hand, they walked as a Level 577 Human and Level 512 Wild Spirit who looked human enough toward the entrance.

At first, there was no reaction as people went about their business, but then heads began to turn backward, looking a second time as confusion rippled across the Winged Furies’ features.

It was like a wave as first a few and then the rest turned to see what was going on. Necks twisted and heads snapped around until the entire street was staring at them.

“Where are their wings?” The whisper rose up from a few who didn’t identify them quickly enough.

“A human? Here?”

“How did a human get here? Two of them?”

“No, it’s one human and that’s a Wild Spirit...whatever that is. She looks like a human, mostly. Her hair is better.”

“Their levels are so high...like the patriarchs of the great houses. That is incredible. Is that how they were able to come here?”

“Her eyes are like an eagle’s. She’s striking.”

“Look at him. He’s so...dense. Don’t they call that muscular? Are all humans like that?”

Sam had to hold back a chuckle at that. He was well built, as a Titan should be, but in this form he actually wasn’t that muscular. The Winged Furies were just too thin, like birds.

Many of the whispers were surprised or confused to see them, but there were others that were darker.

“Wingless dirt...how did they get into the city? You have to be able to fly.”

“Featherless...it’s dishonorable to even look at them. They are polluting our streets.”

“They must have had great sins in a past life to be born as wingless dirt lovers. They don’t belong there. They’re sullying the city with their presence.”

Then there were those who were even cruder, and whose hostility leapt out before they took their levels into account.

“Summit is not for the dirt born! Get out!”

“Mud diggers! How dare you come here! You’re only fit to be prey!”

“Dirtborn!”

“Cursed prey! Leave or die!”

Sam noted the location of every word, his eyes narrow. He was too powerful to feel threatened by anything they said, but it didn’t bode well for the future of this world.

It was telling that this was the reaction they got. 

Alora was frowning as well, but she had too much innate grace to do more than shake her head. 

“Perhaps it’s best to leave,” she suggested. “It seems like this might turn unpleasant one way or another.”

“Things were going well for a while,” Sam agreed, “but this is more trouble than I expected. This explains why there are so few other races.” 

He ignored the whispers as he looked around. 

“Dealing with this would drive most people away. Some of the crowd looks eager to attack too. You see the ones sneaking away over there, now that they’ve seen us?” 

He pointed at a couple of shady-looking ones who were disappearing around a corner. Their hands were grasped tight around the blades at their waist.

It was a fool’s idea to attack him or Alora with the levels they had, but it seemed the idea was still present, which told him enough.

He was disappointed in the Winged Furies. 

Only a handful of them were turning ugly, but it was enough that he could see the trend. The others around them weren’t stopping them. 

For some it was surprise or dislike, while for a few, there was hatred toward anyone not like them.

“What I want to know is how long it’s been like this,” he said. “A generation, maybe? If it were longer, I think there would be more organization. Let’s stay for a bit longer.”

He held onto Alora’s hand as they headed toward the inn. A waiter rushed out to greet them at the entrance. The Winged Fury Analyzed them and his eyes went wide, and then he bowed deeply, hiding his nervousness.

“Lord of Silver Stars, Lady of the Wild Grove,” he said politely. “How may I serve you?”

“A table please,” Sam said, which sent the waiter into an even deeper bow. 

There was a moment of hesitation, but it was barely detectable, and then the waiter stood up and gestured toward the interior. 

“Of course, my lord,” he said. “Please follow me.”

The waiter led them into the inn, where the sound of the wind in the golden reeds and across the water provided a pleasant background, and then to a private booth that had its own awning and decorations.

“Be at ease, my lord, my lady,” he said as he bowed again. “This is one of our best booths. I will send out a selection of our finest if you let me know what you desire.”

He looked more comfortable now that they were inside the inn and he drew a privacy curtain across the entrance, which cut off the view from outside. A brief conversation sent him scurrying away and Sam and Alora sat down in the booth. 

The curtain had some minor privacy wards, but Sam had no trouble picking up the whispers of the guests or from the city nearby. He set part of his attention to scanning through the comments to gather information.

“There’s definitely a strong distaste for other races here,” he said thoughtfully, “but it feels recent and like something is driving it. Not everyone is on board yet.”

Some of the inn’s guests were showing more positive reactions, which he shared with Alora.

“A few are happy to see foreigners again,” he said as he listened. “It sounds like it’s been decades since they’ve had many here. They are also discussing which clan invited us. It seems like bets are leaning toward the Whitewings or the Brightfeathers. It seems there is a division between them and some of the other clans.”

He was pleased that Tenal’s family was among those who supported foreigners. He would have felt bad destroying the man’s home. 

That connection, combined with the few voices that spoke up in favor of foreigners, tempered his actions. If the insults had been in the majority, he would have already decided what to do. 

Instead, he chatted with Alora while the waiter delivered their food and drinks, which turned out to be quite elegant.

He spent the time studying the city at a deeper level and reading auras, which slowly built up a picture of what was happening, but eventually, he had a pretty clear idea.

By then, the lunch was over and they were sipping on some interesting cocktails that had been designed to have blue-white clouds floating inside a sunset orange liquid.

“There are a few things I didn’t expect,” he said thoughtfully as he finished the drink and set the glass aside. “It seems like I’ll be repaying Tenal’s help sooner than expected.”

A dozen targets were outlined clearly in his mind’s eye. 

All of them were Wind Wraiths who were standing guard outside of the Whitewing residence. Their weapons were sharp and their auras radiated animosity. 

One of them was at Level 570, while the rest were high Fourth and early Fifth Evolution. He’d originally thought they were allies who were visiting, but a closer examination told the truth.

In this case, they weren’t there to keep people out, but rather in. 

“We could do this the slow way,” he added as he stood up and held out his hand to Alora, “but I think the fast way will be more effective. It’s time to set some things straight.” 

With that, he tossed a handful of gold coins on the table and the two of them faded away from sight.