Ewan rubbed his forehead in dismay, Iris’s details still hovering before him in the panel. The upgrade of an Astylind should make them stronger, a better help to their Severynths. The theories agreed with it, the books acknowledged it, and his life experience so far also gave it a nod. Yet, Iris’s upgrade dug two pitfalls and shoved him in, face down.
Even if he remained positive about the first problem, as it was only temporary, the second problem dragged him back into the pessimistic ditch. Life sacrifice—an uncharted territory for him, and the fact gave him a headache. It was the chasm that blocked Iris’s path from accessing her healing spell again.
The ‘survival game’ back in Obria gave Ewan some hints about the topic—its execution, its acceptance, its usage, and its limitations. A ‘Branded’ had performed that sacrifice for his Astylind’s Regal Rite, and yet, he suffered no consequences. At least, no one came forward to stop him before Ewan left. He was a ‘Branded’, an exiled existence that all of Airadia shunned. His strength might’ve overcome the negatives of his marked lineage, but it would still only balance out his lower starting point. It would give him little to no privileges that his level could bring otherwise. Since he could sacrifice a whole active colony without any blowbacks, it only meant one thing—sacrifices were not taboo in Airadia as they were inside those walls.
The conclusion cracked the shade that Obria’s peaceful laws had planted over his eyes. When it did, even more supportive proof flooded in. Iris was a legacy of his Pa, like Frost and Toast. He knew her details, so he must’ve known about her first Noble Rite. Especially as he treaded much further in her evolution path and found her brilliance. Yet, he left Ewan no reminder, no warnings, not even a note about such a topic. This further cemented his verdict—sacrifices were not taboo.
But to what extent? Ewan wondered. Natives powered the world. They were the blood, they were the flesh, they were the backbone to the world’s sentience. So, what amount of damage to them would warrant retaliation? Was there any difference between a kill and a sacrifice? Even with all his confidence in himself, his family, and his Pa, Ewan still didn’t want to poke those hornets’ nests. An uncharted territory called for careful steps. It might not be a taboo, but precautionary measures were necessary when dealing with such uncertain topics.
And so, the fellow natives were out of bounds.
….
Night came and with it came the call for the trade meet.
The introductions went fast, they exchanged names, and the trades began. The spells traded for spells, books traded for books, information went for information, and
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None caught Ewan’s eyes so far; no spell or book could make him bring out his inheritance. Though he wasn’t privy to the details of the deals since they chatted with Ryvia, the parts they did reveal couldn’t compare to his family’s legacy. Thus, his presence faded away in the background.
Trask, Mize, and Sheree were the same and didn’t participate much in the exchanges, so he chatted with them in a hushed voice while the trade continued.
“Did you guys find anything? About what I asked last time,” Ewan said, leaning over.
“Mystic-element material?” Mize asked. “You should really give up on that, brother.”
“I tried some contacts I have; they couldn’t get me anything,” Sheree said.
“Same,” Trask said. “How about the white sand I traded with you last time?”
“I tested it, it’s rather good. But it has a major weakness, not suitable for Varos,” Ewan said. His research and conclusion on different structures to cancel out the material’s weakness was not for sale anymore. If he used Tigog Acrix for Varos, that design would be the foundation of his defense—a secret he would never reveal to anyone who could be a potential enemy. And the sand’s extra features that he found made it his top pick for now.
“Brittle against any physical force, right?” Trask said. “It’s like glass in that regard, that’s why I gave up on it too.”
“Do you have any other good material then?” Ewan asked.
Mize shrugged. “I’m also looking for one, haven’t found any yet.”
“Barbed Marble’s a good option,” Trask said.
“I used Sunmetal, fit my situation the best. You guys can try it out,” Sheree said. “Though I would recommend you choose what suits you the best. A better material might not be a good fit for you.”
They chatted and the trade continued. When it was Ewan’s turn, he took out his potions and asked for a mystic-type material again. He also offered to up his pay and change it to something non-consumable if necessary—it was his final try. Alas, the table met his negative expectation, he only got absolute silence in return. With a defeated sigh that represented the end of his obstinacy, he traded his potions for some Step-1 Cores to show his goodwill and finished his exchange.
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Status: Healthy
Step-0 [8th Awakening]
Name: Ewan Ayres
Species: Human
Vitality: 1.9
Spirit: 16.9
Anima: [Fire – 16.9 | Ice – 16.9 | Blood – 16.9]
Astylinds: 4 [Potential: 0]
Rolling Cat [Toast]: Step-0 [8th Awakening]
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Fire Monkey [Orange]: Step-0 [Level-9] [Grade-B]
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Imp [Frost]: Step-0 [Level-9] [Grade-B]
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Blood Lotus [Iris]: Step-0 [Level-9] [Grade-B]
Equipment: Common Clothes; Yurn [Neck Gaiter].
Storage: Journal; Elementalist—The Path of Anima [Subtype-Book]; Spellbook; Bloodlust [Spell]; Transmute [Spell]; Anima-Crystals [Novas Coins]; Obsidian Dagger; Hub-Connector; Ingredients.
Novas: 27,129
Crelith: 4,061