The Celestial Forge
By: Schin Ka'Tharos
CHAPTER 18
(Part 3)
Ultimately, my goal was to retrieve grandfather's soulcore. However, that wasn't a realistic mission to currently focus on, more like an unifying goal that all missions would serve.
I was utterly deficient in many ways. I needed significantly more information and understanding in addition to the staggering amount of personal power and ability I needed to accumulate. But "get stronger and more intel" isn't really a mission. That's more akin to childish wishing. Hopeful desires would not actually help accomplish my goals, short or long term.
I needed my full inheritance. In order to walk the path of saving grandfather, I needed the information and resources contained within my tower. The first major milestone to accomplishing that would be to get the Voids Eye fixed and ascend Atonement.
My primary major objectives would then be twofold: reach Adept and make contact with the blacksmith Uncle had mentioned in Stone Crown City. Fortunately the two tasks were symbiotic in nature since in order to reach Stone Crown City and traverse the Unending Waste I would need to grow well beyond 1st Apprentice in power. Which prioritized advancement first.
At that time reaching Disciple seemed like a distant mirage on my Path let alone reaching Adept. However, I knew I would need to approach it one step at a time and break up the larger looming tasks into smaller manageable ones. As it's said, an artist paints the sky one star at a time. Which is true, but I've also found there are sometimes ways to paint many stars at once.
With my mission clarified I moved to identifying assets. The siblings, items Uncle left, the tower, and the garden.
Possibly the greatest yet most complicated of the assets were Ciara and Adeon. They had potential as great companions, training partners, and even friends. I had truly felt a connection forming between us and while I would not put them as friends yet, there is an unexplainable bond that is formed when fighting side by side with someone and overcoming life or death scenarios. Unfortunately I had potentially severed any good will between us with bringing them into the tower and into their current circumstances. I would need to repair our relationship if possible and recultivate a true connection.
I went about finally reviewing the contents of what uncle had left me while mulling over how to deal with the siblings in the back of my mind.
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The simple bedding and large basin of water was as I had remembered. I ripped a small edge of the bedding off and used it as a cloth to soak up the spilled mixture from the vials. I wrung out the thick liquid into the emptied clear vial labeled "Lesser Thousand Hands." The smell still burned to breathe but the liquid cooled and soothed to the touch. Once done soaking up all I could I tied the piece of cloth around the vial to denote which bottle it was and set it back within the cabinet.
With the mess cleaned up I moved on to grab what I was most interested in. The scroll in Uncle's writing detailing the contents of the cabinet. While grandfather's lettering was precise and neat, Uncle's writing flowed in beautiful elegance, each stroke a piece of art.
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Schin,
In my haste, I could easily procure only a few items that I believe will be useful for you now. I have included brief notes on each but I trust grandfather has taught you about them at least in part.
Bottom shelf:
Lesser Thousand Hands of Healing (4x)- Vials are labeled. Highest quality of the lesser/low tier healing elixir available for physical healing. Can repair most minor physical injuries. Not a life saving measure. Will not repair significant mortal wounds.
Golden Rising Tide (2x) - Vials are labeled. Repairs and heals soulcore and flowline damage. Taking more than small amounts can cause damage instead of healing.
Red Lunar Drop (7x)- small vials of bright red liquid. One vial can significantly help speed processing of the equivalent of one small dregs worth of cinder.
Middle Shelf:
Sleepless Grave Leaf (dark green powder within the small pouch)- consuming this dried, curated and ground up leaf stimulates the senses, awareness and reduces fatigue. Be wary as it can have nasty side effects after prolonged or over use.
Deep Cellar Root (Black Prism Root)- root from the Black Prism plant but commonly referred to as the Deep Cellar Root. Extremely rich in nutrients and calories. A small amount can provide multiple days worth of food.
Top Shelf:
Five Year Winter Pill - (2x) pill of alternating white and blue hues. provides mild fire and heat resistance. Useful in harnessing eternal flames. Effects take place for 5 days wherein 25% of effects remain permanent and the remaining 75% rapidly decay within an additional 0 to 2 days.
Lesser Lights of Heaven Pill (1x)- white pill spotted with flecks of yellow. Provides some increased control over celestial essence. Can only be consumed once all flowlines are opened. Useful as a Disciple or Adept.
Skin of Silver Wind Pill (3x)- dull gray pill. increases interconnected link and use between the 1st and 2nd flowline. Most effective at the Disciple stage but provides some benefit at both Apprentice and Adept as well.
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My mind whirred processing the new information and its implications. Possibilities and options flooded my mind. I would need to think through the best way to use these blessings Uncle had left me.
I made one decision immediately. The cinder that still swirled within my soulcore from the rendings I had consumed disturbed me and I needed it gone as soon as possible for both practical and personal reasons.
An utter disgust and disdain for cinder had been built in me by grandfather since my earliest memories. If he knew that I had consumed the impure essence, his disappointment would have crushed me. I'm sure he would understand my choice given the circumstances but the decision weighed heavy on me nonetheless.
Also, practically the cinder was blocking all other progress and advancement I could make and hindered me like a thorn in my side. Thus, I downed two vials of the Red Lunar Drop hoping that it would be enough to quickly burn through the remaining cinder. I soul-forged the heart of five foundations and could feel the impure nebula burning away quicker than normal. I continued the process and thanked uncle again in my head before turning my attention back to the task at hand.
Next was my tower.
Next Chapter...
Chapter 19