Eldest: Sarah, Come.

How did Liora know? The timing was almost perfect. She was as enigmatic and elusive after she left as the first day I met her. After spending the last month living in the wilds – if a peaceful, perfect meadow could be called the wilds – with her, I still had little idea of who she was or how she fit into the wider Mage community. Solace could not find any records of her or any references to her in the Mages Guild archives. There was very little public information about the Spelldancer class in the first place, let alone historical figures.

I suspected that Grandmaster Claudine wanted me as far away from the Guild as possible as quickly as possible. She had sent one message to me during my time with Liora that told me nothing and was just to let me know that I was officially pausing my studies pending recovery.

At least I was still a provisional student in the Academy, yet I was still not a fully-fledged member of the Guild. I was not being investigated, and Claudia had assured me that my involvement would be buried. A dead head of school with links to Karass, embezzlement at the highest levels and not enough evidence to pin a crime on anyone made it easier to let go. It was a sad state of affairs that murder and death, even of high-level people, were somewhat accepted within the System. Solace rationalised that you would not advance without risk, and the higher the level, the higher the risk.

Everyone involved or remotely connected to the events had gone underground, hiding or refusing to talk. Besides, pragmatically and sadly, it was a chance for advancement that only occurred every few centuries.

The summons came again, and this time, they were compelling. As bad as I felt about a forced summons, I had agreed to it and put it off for as long as possible. The magic had hooked into me and made thinking of anything but responding sluggish and painful.

Eldest: Sarah, Come.

It also helped that I felt the summoning as if by the ancient whispers of the cosmos, some deep underlying connection that I could see with my mystical sights. It was as if Nalios itself were pushing me. It was the undeniable call of the Eldest, an entity with more mystery and less information than Liora, reputedly as old as time itself, sanctioned by my Elder Being mentor.

I could not refuse.

The Eldest, or Javonte, a sentient being with vast oceans and unfathomable depths, sought his requested audience with me.

It was time, and I knew where I needed to go – Vitohydre. The homeward of the Vitohydress.

A hidden planet, unknown to most others and hidden to all but those invited. Outsiders were Forbidden, and knowledge of the planet was locked down. To visit the Vitohydress was to step outside of the Systems' purview.

It was maintained by a grand racial skill, empowered by the entire shared collective of the water elementals. Hydrox tried to prepare me for this, but she completely missed the mark.

Solace: Incoming Summons. High-tier protected and encrypted.

Solace: Go quickly. He cannot hold the calculations and maintain the distortions for much longer.

Accept it.

This was the first time I had been summoned, and knowing what I knew about teleportation was an incredible feat. Locking onto a being at a distance and transporting them across time and space was not something that could be done lightly. The fact that there was no circle or marker where I was, still standing in the meadow, feeling melancholy about Loria's departure, was tantamount to the power and skill of Javonte.

As I prepared to leave, Liora's teachings echoed in my mind, reminding me of the strength and wisdom I now carried within. The promise to my Mentor, the promise to the Legacy of the Spelldancer, the pathway I was now walking.

I felt the pull of power, and seamlessly, without the usual gut-wrenching lurch of teleport or portal use, I was somewhere else.

The shift from one realm to another, one place to another, was still an experience. Space folded around me, and in moments, I emerged into the vastness of deep space near the orbit of Vitohydre, home of the Eldest.

Shit. I was in deep space, floating in orbit around a planet. Crap. I went into panic mode.

Solace: Stop. Think. You are better than this.

Shit, Shit, Shit, I am ….

Not going to die.

I had never been somewhere I did not need to breathe before. After a month of intense training, it took me a moment to quell the panic and regain my centre. I didn’t feel the cold or register the deadly cosmic radiation that bathed me as I was suspended in space. I was slightly embarrassed at my panic; my training was not second nature. In a battle, the moment of distraction could result in catastrophic results.

Solace: The staff.

Being high-tier had its advantages. Thanks to Solace's suggestion, I had time to equip the Staff of the Battlemagus. Instead of the cold of the void of space, I was comfortable. The shield also absorbed some of the solar radiation.

I thought that radiation would be an energy shield, not fire.

Solace: At a fundamental level, fire with enough power emits radiation, so the shield works, although not for too long. Your Tier should reduce any long-term damage anyway. You do not need to breathe for several hours; I will put a timer in your HUD if it becomes actionable.

Once I calmed myself, I took in the splendour.

This water planet, home to the Vitohydress, was perfect for beings of pure water and elemental power. It had been a part of my journey, and perhaps the final part before I could return home, partly because I was indebted to them, to Javonte, for the Tier 5 core.

Fucking Karass or whoever stole it. Returning it or at least recovering it was something that I was working towards. I felt responsible for Rax and the shit he was causing, and that was something I was going to deal with at some stage.

There would be a reckoning. Oh yes. When I thought about it, I almost went full Sideshow Bob, evil with a deranged chortle.

Solace: Focus.

I took in the majestic blue planet. I could see cloud cover and blue oceans with tiny dotted archipelagos. Large Storms, cyclones and hurricanes were visible. I could not see any large land masses. It was beautiful, peaceful and a place of power.

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My brush with Transcendence, an encounter with an Elder Being, Nalios, momentarily lifted the veil between the known and the unknown, sparking curiosity in the Eldest. How it knew was a mystery, but the power did call to power, and at such levels, there were some genuinely miraculous skills and powers.

Such events were rare, ripples in the cosmic dance that even ancient entities like Javonte noted. Despite my Geas not speaking of this, I could because Javonte was also on the Path of Transcendence, and he had found out without me telling him.

Solace: The energy readings from the planet are off the chart.

What do you mean?

Solace: It’s a water planet. No significant natural land masses. Minimal crust and a small, intense molten core. No moons, tide locked. Sentient, semi-hive-minded species, all from one body of water. Life signs are impossible to read as the entire ocean is sending erratic results.

Eldest: Welcome Sarah.

Shit, Jovonte is the planet?

Solace: Evidence suggests that would be the case.

Here, in the silent expanse, I moved with grace. My body seemed to adapt to the vacuum of space, and I was able to Fly and manipulate my personal gravity field around me to generate thrust. I was not as graceful as some superheroes in space, but I was doing well. Momentum Manipulation and Spectral Leap were perfect for maintaining my relative position to the planet.

As I approached the planet's surface, the waters of Javonte reached out to me, currents of thought and emotion swirling in a complex dance. Maybe that was just my class projecting, but I felt the underlying music in the movement of the oceans and the patterns of the clouds.

"Sarah, child of the cosmos," the voice of Javonte enveloped me, as vast and deep as the oceans it embodied. "Your journey has touched the edges of Transcendence, brushing against the fabric of what lies beyond. Speak to us of this encounter, the knowledge gained, and the mysteries glimpsed."

Having a quiet chat with a planet was staggering. It was nothing I had ever expected to be doing.

Every time I seemed to grasp my powers, I soon realised that there was something bigger and beyond my understanding. I was humbled for the second time in my short career as a walker on the path of Transcendence. The planet sent out a pseudopod of living water, and I was soon wet, cocooned within an ocean of sentient water.

The infinite depths of Javonte surrounded me, and he, or it, shared my experience. Limited as it was.

We spoke of the moment of Transcendence, where time and space seemed to fold, where I felt the unity of all things and the whisper of the Elder Being, Nalios. From my connection to Nalios, I felt both approval and fear, not fear but more worry and joy at change. Though spoken in the silent language of thought, my words carried the weight of my awe and humility in our shared quest for understanding.

Solace: Be careful. A Geas is complex. I can feel yours reacting. I'm sorry, but I can't help you.

I could feel it, too. While there was a compulsion, it was not all-encompassing. I knew there would be consequences if I stepped over the restrictions Nalios had placed on me. There was a level of trust and respect that I did not feel I deserved.

While we spoke, it was as if a part of my brain was shut down.

Not yet.

Javonte spoke, and I answered, yet I could not recall our conversation or the threads of knowledge that he gleaned from me. As hard as I concentrated, I could not fathom what he asked, what he wanted, yet the Eldest listened, currents and tides reflecting the depth of its contemplation. It was an equal exchange, for the knowledge and shared experience I gave him in our intimate thought bonding, I received the same back, knowledge of hidden truths, of alternate ways of power and deeper secrets that could not be shared without consequence.

In this exchange, I felt Javonte's ancient wisdom, the interconnectedness of all life, of all the Vitohydress and a glimpse into the vast tapestry of the universe into which the Vitohydress had woven their existence. It was not a shared consciousness; it was not even an entire race; Javonte was the Vitohydress; he was all of them scattered across the galaxy.

Sol, I think all Vitohydress is Javonte, and Javonte is all Vitohydress. That is big. Well, it seems like a big secret.

Solace: I think it is in the scheme of things, but only Scholars and Xenobiologists would care. But it is something private and something not to be shared.

I know. It is incredible but sad that we cannot celebrate something so different.

As our communication concluded, Javonte imparted a droplet of ancient knowledge to me, a token of their exchange and a sign of the debt acknowledged.

"Continue your dance, Spelldancer, across the stages of the universe. Let the waters of your soul flow free, for in them lies the path to true understanding, as I have gained understanding. I feel my evolution may be soon. Not yet, but soon. I would ask another Boon, Sarah. Seek me out, but you must aid your planet and help those around you. When you understand some more, I will converse again when you get more out of the conversation. You have given me much, and the Vitohydress are in your debt. I have much to commune on and to contemplate. What will you do now?”

"I was going to head back to Earth. I have some unfinished business there."

"Perhaps, but you have a friend in need beyond the reach of your System. Your karmic threads are frayed towards him, yet I sense you should help him. If you choose to, there will be other unforeseen consequences. If you return to Earth, you cannot stay; you are too big, grand, and powerful. Your aura, power and agency will destabilise the planet if you remain long."

I had come to know that Earth was not for me. I had not accepted it yet but knew it was not for me. There was too much to see and discover. I wanted to use my class, and as much as I wanted to, I could not deny that I wanted to use my powers. There was a certain sense of guilty pleasure knowing how much power I could bring to bear, fate-altering power.

"So go help Luke, whatever he is up to or return to Earth and deal with a crisis there. Either way, there will be tragic consequences?"

Javonte paused, "Not always tragic, for the future is not set. Even I cannot see all, just predict."

"Can you tell me what I should do?" I knew he couldn’t even as I asked. It was not how it worked. Well, I had no idea how it worked, but I am sure if he told me what I should do, it would be seen as interfering, and that was something that beings of power didn’t do lightly.

"Your role within the empire is set: Consort. Yet you are also the Augury of Chance and Change. Your nightmares of being kept while your Empress wanders are her reality, yet she will not invoke that Title. Be patient with her, gentle and kind; she has lost much yet has much to give. Before you leave Earth, demand of The Hodaa why they are there and ask for her story. Tell them that Javonte of the Vitohydress, who witnessed the end of their hope, demands you tell them, and I beg your forgiveness for what comes after. Yet balance that with the needs of your friend. Once lovers. Should the Consort abandon the Champion in need?"

Shit, this was getting heavy. Luke needed me. Before becoming Consort, it would have been a no-brainer; now, damn, that bumbling idiot, of course, needed help. Shit. Earth had protectors, maybe they could do without me, perhaps I could send them some of Rax's gift. Crap. I hated decisions like this. I loved Luke, I knew that now, but I also had feelings for Rach. Damn. I knew that she also had feelings for Luke, and if she lost him.

"Thow me a bone here. I can't make a choice. What comes after?" I felt a genuine connection to Javonte, and I knew that as a being of almost infinite consciousness, it, or he, maybe, appreciated a little levity in conversation. Despite being connected to everything as he was, Javonte was also lonely.

"Death, destruction, and salvation. The confluence of events, the meddling of outsiders, and the folly that The Drakes have set the stage, and unfortunately, your species may become victims of this. Luke, Sarah, Amy, and Raechina, you are tied together with impossible odds that you all survived, yet the thread that will bind life and karma is strong."

"Can you talk plainly? I don't understand. We all don't have brains the size of a planet."

"Claudia told you that skill will not work if you find out by asking too early. Too much guidance will undo any semblance of free will you feel. Already, you question your agency. Be yourself and trust your heart. Seek beyond the system. Find out what the Drakes are hiding on your planet. Find out why the Karass want your planet."

The massive voice and presence seemed to pause.

"Troubling. Salvation, doom and the balance between. Trust Karma, for surely, finding a measure of someone's worth beyond levels and skills lies in how they treat others. Find the truth and complete your path. When you are ready and if things come to pass as they need to, we will meet once more, so I will not say goodbye."

"Thank you…" I think. I was not sure. I had more questions and some direction, but at least he pushed me to be my own person, not a pawn. Seeking truth and finding good in others seemed like a good place to start.

"Not yet, young one. There is much you will curse me for before you thank me. Your choice has been made."

What choice? Shit. Was he mind-reading me? Crap. Shit, he was.

A water tendril punched me in the stomach, and I was cast back into space.