My mouth went agape as we made our way fully into the temple’s main chamber, a circular room decorated in carefully placed candles, flames flickering amidst the humid air. Vines grew from the temple’s stone walls, accompanied by tiny insects and reptiles that moved in and out of the greenery. This place was much more developed then the outlying temple I had visited in Airrigar... it was truly a sight to behold.
“Lady Yonda will see you in the inner sanctum,” an old man’s voice called out, startling me as I admired the building’s architecture. His robed body stood near an open door on the other side of the room as he gestured for us to enter. I looked to my father who gave me a curt nod, and together we proceeded.
After traversing a short, angular hallway we found ourselves in the temple’s inner sanctum. This area was a bit cozier, with less foliage and more common décor, such as the wooden shelves lined with dozens of ancient manuscripts and leather-bound books that were worn well past their time. On the opposite side of the room sat Hilda, her legs crossed and her avian familiar perched comfortably in her lap. She smiled at me as she methodically ran her fingers through Ivan’s feathers, an exercise that seemed to bring comfort to both her and the Sprite.
And then there was Yonda.
The woman stood tall and rigid next to Hilda’s relaxed form, her hands wrapped tightly around a strange, hexagonal relic. On her body she wore loose-fitting robes of grey, and on her face a seemingly permanent look of discontent. Her black hair was pulled back in a tight braid behind her head, accentuating pointy elvish ears that seemed to perk up at the slightest bit of noise... dammit all, why did she always seem on edge?
“Welcome,” Yonda said curtly, giving my father and I the slightest of bows. “I’m grateful for your aid in releasing me from my imprisonment. I owe you a great debt.” The woman spoke in a dry, factual sort of tone, as if she were simply listing facts.
“Of course,” I replied, speaking in earnest. “I mean, I can’t thank you enough for keeping Hilda safe.”
The seer turned and gave Hilda a knowing smile, perhaps the first sign of emotion that I’d noticed from her. Then she returned her gaze to me and began to speak. “Hilda spoke to me at length about your journey... about your failed attempt to return to your realm, about the loss of your friends.”
“They’re not all gone,” I replied coldly. “Not all of them... And now that Hilda and I have found each other, we’re going to march back up to the gates of Ravenhold, slay those bastards, Morose and Vexes, and get our friends back.” My words seemed to surprise even myself, coming out before my brain could process them.
Yonda smirked. “Is that so? From what I’ve heard, your last encounter with them didn’t end so well... Hilda told me that you even encountered one of the world breakers first hand, that you’ve felt its sting and somehow managed to survive?”
“I did,” I responded, grimacing as images of Vexes’s blade piercing my stomach flashed through my mind. “Those damned manipulative bastards...”
As my anger stewed, a very important question cane to the forefront of my thoughts. Channeling my resolve, I forced back my anger and met the seer eye-to-eye. “Tell me something, Yonda... ever since my fight with Vexes, I’ve had something bothering me. The world breaker blade... the way everyone spoke of them... well, I had assumed they were mythical otherworldly weapons.”
“Yes?” she responded.
“But...” I paused, considering my next words carefully. “But the blade was no relic… hell, it wasn’t even a normal sword at all! That weapon was the manifested form of a goddamned Sprite!”
Yonda gestured with a solemn nod. “You seem surprised. I would’ve thought that by now you’d realized that the sprites, that the Aether has ties in all things… even the near downfall of the very realm itself.” She paused, considering. “Perhaps it’s time you learned the true history of this land, and the part you play in it…” With that, the woman gave the hexagon in her grasp a twist, causing a soft blue light to fill the room. “Gaze into the Codex of the Realms, Zander Darkblade, and let all be known.”
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Yonda strolled about the chamber with careful, deliberate steps as the Codex filled the room with light. The soft glow pulsed outwards, encompassing the center of the room as it began to take form. I watched in awe as mere seconds went by and the light finished its transformation, settling on the form of an expansive star system. Shortly after, Yonda began to speak.
“This is Ashadar, a vast cosmic kingdom and home to the many realms of man and elf, of dwarf and beast. Each of these realms falls under the domain of one or more of Ashadar’s divine creatures... gods if you will. With their unique powers, these gods foster life, creating living, breathing worlds in their very image… though it was not always this way.
“Many eons ago, these gods stumbled upon Ashadar and gazed upon its realms, unfounded realms of limitless potential, like fertile gardens waiting to be planted with the seeds of precious life... and planted them they did. Elunia and her brother Kor’borrath forged the realm of Valion, the Asurans birthed the dark planet Sunder... and then there was Aetheria.
“Aetheria was naught but an empty husk before the gods arrived. Six mighty gods made their homes on this realm, each of them taking claiming domain over a vital part of Aetheria’s landscape. There was Titelus, who ruled over the storm skies; Crateus, who tended to the dark caverns of the deep; Vorghan, god of the great marshlands; Mightania, god of the mountain peaks; Cindross, Savant of the Scorchlands; and Sin, god of the soul winds.
“As I said, the realm was barren upon their arrival, but it wouldn’t remain that way for long. Each of the six gods gave up a piece of themselves, sacrificing a portion of their power in order to create an energy source stable enough to create and sustain life.”
“The Aether,” I muttered.
Yonda nodded in agreement. “Yes, the gods each gave up a part of themselves to form the ever-powerful source of world energy, Aether. The Aether was planted in the world’s core and from there it grew, spreading like wildfire until it consumed the once-barren planet… and with it, it brought life. Creatures were spawned in the likeness of the gods… elves, dwarves, men, even the l’karri. Civilizations began to form… but the Aether continued to grow. Soon, mighty beasts began to spawn on Aetheria, creating creatures with the ability to wield devastating power.
“The gods were dismayed… their precious creations were falling victim to creatures born of that very same power. They had to do something…”
“And?” I replied eagerly, interrupting the woman’s pause.
“And they did do something,” she continued, cutting her eyes at me. “The gods bestowed a gift onto the people, an ability to use and manipulate the Aether to their will. And thus, magickk was born.”
“And thank the gods for it!” Ivan chimed in, flittering his wings as he made his way to Hilda’s shoulder.
“Yes,” Yonda said, growing irritated with the interruptions. “As I was saying, the people of Aetheria were granted the ability to manipulate Aether, which in turn they used to forge spells and obtain powerful abilities. But again, something unexpected happened. The Aether reacted to its prolonged use by the people of Aetheria; it adapted to them and took on a life of its own, forming into living, breathing creatures that we now refer to as—”
“Sprites!” Razyr growled triumphantly, drawing a glare from Yonda. The drake immediately went wide-eyed before scurrying behind my boots.
“Yes, sprites,” she said, her tone now exasperated. “These sprites contained a natural instinct to bond with the people of Aetheria, granting them even greater power than they held before. These early sprites were by far the strongest, and when bonded took the name familiars… The first were the mighty ancient familiars. With powers that rivaled the strength of their celestial creators, these familiars granted their partner unyielding strength … such as you saw with your Asuran friends in Karrihdan.”
I gave Yonda a scowl, which brought about a rar
e grin on her angular face. It quickly faded as she continued. “Realizing the potential danger of these bonded ancients, the gods began to siphon back some of their energy. Soon after, other, less volatile sprites began to take form on Aetheria. These creatures were not almighty like the ancients before them, but rather each possessed different characteristics that they bestowed upon their bonded counterparts. A particular group of Vorghan scholars even managed to classify the different sprites, separating them into houses based on their habits, nature and power set.”
“Houses?” Hilda asked with piqued interest. Clearly, she hadn’t heard this entire story yet.
“Indeed,” Yonda replied cordially, showing Hilda a bit more respect than the rest of us. “Here, let me show you.” With a twist of her hexagonal codex, the light in the room shifted, bringing up a glowing table of data that seemed to mimic the form of an ancient scroll. I, along with the others, began to scan through the data with my eyes.
Nobility House
-Noble familiars
-Valor familiars
-Sanctuary familiars
Earthen House
-Nature familiars
-Water familiars
-Insectoid familiars
Dark House
-Umbra familiars
-Exodus familiars
-Wraith familiars
Ancient House
-Ancient familiars
-Dragon familiars
-Divinity familiars
Known hybrids: Steel familiars
“Soon, the emergence of sprites became widespread in the realm, and bonding with them became a common occurrence across the peoples of Aetheria. These bonded sprites became known as familiars, and the multitude of unique and imaginative powers they offered were quickly integrated into everyday life... But there was a problem.”
“The ancients,” my father said, drawing a nod of affirmation from Yonda.
“Yes. Those that were first to form their bonds, the Aetherians who bonded the ancient sprites, had grown mad with power. They saw themselves as sovereigns of the realm… they even dared to claim divine right. It didn’t take long until these ancients took up arms against the people of Aetheria, until they tried to force them into subservience.”
I scoffed. “So why didn’t the gods just put an end to them. It was their power that created the problem, after all.”
Yonda nodded, as if she expected such a response. “The gods of Aetheria were wise. They knew that if they handled every problem thrown at their people, that they would only be fostering a society unable to take care of itself… a society of servant fools.
“Instead, the gods left their people’s fate in their own hands… and in time the people found their way. Amidst the darkness, champions emerged from the people of Aetheria… warriors with a special affinity for the realm’s Aether. Unlike the others, these warriors had the ability to bond multiple sprites at once, granting them power that rivaled their ancient counterparts. These warriors banded together to vanquish the ancients and their familiars, forming a mighty sect of protectors that came to be known as the Azure Wardens.
“Soon the ancients were defeated, and their familiars sealed away, bringing an era of peace to the realm. Sure, there was infighting between the great guilds and the occasional catastrophe like the attack of the great red, but mostly the realm’s people lived long and happy lives.
“And then they came. The Asurans, demonic creatures from the realm Sunder, arrived on Aetheria, seeking to drink of the planet’s natural energy. They remained hidden at first, disguising themselves as humans while they slowly sought ways to obtain the Aether for themselves. They dug deep beneath the planet’s surface, searching… and then they discovered the ancients.”
Everyone in the small chamber collectively grimaced, sensing the direction this history lesson was taking. Likewise, Yonda grew quite somber. “When the Asurans discovered the ancient sprites, the creatures were desperate, they were hungry to restore their bonds and achieve their former glory. Of course, the Asurans happily obliged, bonding the ancients and forging a power that far surpassed anything either of them had achieved before. Together, the Asurans and the ancients bonded, creating a power that would shape the future of the realm… a power that would come to be known as the world breakers.”
Without thinking, I slammed my fist onto one of the chamber’s small wooden tables, drawing a look of surprise from the others in the room. My cheeks reddened as I quickly composed myself… dammit all, I’d been channeling Salence’s anger again and I hadn’t even realized it!
Yonda cleared her throat as she shot me a disapproving glance. Then with a heavy heart, she continued. “Wielding the power of the world breakers, the Asurans waged war on Aetheria in an effort to secure the realm’s power for themselves. They were unstoppable, shattering the ranks of the azure wardens, dismantling any army thrown at them. Fearing for the fate of their realm, the gods chose to intervene and attacked the Asurans, only to be slain by their own creations.
“The Asurans then set their sights on the realm’s Aether, draining the planet until it was on the verge of collapse. They took all that they could, completely dissipating the Aether until they believed it was no more. With the Aether diminished, the power of their ancients began to fade and the Asurans abandoned the planet, leaving it to crumble…”
“And that’s where we come in,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.
Yonda nodded. “Indeed, traveler. The mass migration of your people breathed new life into this realm. It revitalized us, revitalized the Aether. Zander Darkblade… it is because of you and your Earth brethren that we live.”
I couldn’t help but smile at the seer’s comment. It felt good to be appreciated, especially on a strange, cosmic level, no less. My father, on the other hand, bore a look of concern. “That was a wonderful story, Yonda…. But why tell us?”
The seer’s face straightened with resolve and she briefly locked eyes with each of us. “Because the world is at risk again, travelers… and you may be the only thing that can save it.”
21
Vulnerable
The chamber remained silent for several seconds as Yonda’s words rested on our minds. The world was at risk… Those words bounced around in my head, causing me far more grief than they had any right to. It made me think back to Earth, to the world war that had taken my mother from me. I remembered how powerless I had felt back then, watching the news every day with bated breath as we waited for those bastards to drop a bomb and send us into oblivion… Dammit all, I couldn’t just sit back and watch that happen again, not when I had the real power to do something. I’d been told that this new life on Aetheria was a second chance, and dammit I was going to make it count!
“What can we do?” I asked, speaking directly to Yonda with a newfound firmness in my voice. “I’ve already gotten my ass kicked once by the Asurans. I don’t plan on letting it happen again.”
Hilda nearly fell from her chair as her gaze fell on me, a look of surprise etched into her face…. And was that a bit of adoration I sensed? Either way, I glanced her way and gave her a quick nod before turning my focus back to Yonda.
“W-well,” Yonda stuttered, clearing not expecting that sort of reaction from me. “My duty as a seer has been to collect data on the history of the realm. From what I’ve gathered, it appears that the only entity able to claim victory over the Asurans was a group of azure wardens led by Captain Cadmus Black.”
“And we’re to assume he’s dead?” my father chimed in before giving me a quick nod of affirmation. It seemed that he approved of my approach to the situation as well.
“He is,” Yonda responded. “Though that doesn’t mean he may not be able to provide us with a bit of help. You see, Cadmus Black was one of the earliest incarnations of the azure wardens and a great source of pride for the gods of Aetheria. He was both a staunch protector and an elite swordsman…. The first to be called the blade guardian. When the deities first chose to intervene in
the fight against the Asurans, they decided to first gift Cadmus a weapon. Titelus, god of the storm skies, granted Cadmus one of his blades, a legendary relic that he and his familiars used to fell one of the Asurans. They hoped that the weapon would be enough, but eventually Cadmus perished in a mighty skirmish against the Asurans and his weapon was lost to the winds.”
I thought back to the storm god’s massive blade plunged into the ground near Stormgard. Even a much smaller version of a weapon like that might prove to be enough to take down Vexes. “Cadmus… he’s not gone for good then, is he?”
Yonda shook her head. “Oh, he’s quite dead, but due to the recent arrival of your kind and the upheaval in Aetheria, I think may have uncovered the location of his lost weapon. My colleagues to the northeast in the city of Lorethain have discovered a strong energy source emanating from a once-hidden temple… an energy source that closely resembles the power of Titelus.”
“Then we’re going,” I said with vigor, drawing looks of surprise from the others. Still, I continued. “From what we’ve seen, our past lives are over. This realm is our home now, this is our reality… Those dammed Asurans nearly killed me, they have my friends… If there’s a chance that this could help put an end to them, then dammit, I’m going for it.”
Quest Accepted:
Discover the Blade Temple
My father and Yonda both stared at me with looks of pleasant shock on their faces… hell, I’d even surprised myself. Perhaps it was a testament to how much I’d changed on this realm.
“I’m with you, Zan,” Hilda said, suddenly rising from her seat and lacing her fingers in mine. That strange, distant aura that had encapsulated her earlier had seemed to fade, at least for the time being.
The Blade Guardian Page 14
