They dropped Nyx off inside her air bubble under the pool. Jerome had to explain that he had no other choice but to name the dragoness. It was either that, or she ate two of their group members — one belonging to the Itakars and the other, the Feis.
“Naming a being isn’t something to be taken lightly, Xerae. When you rename Csala, she’ll also be bound to you. But in her case you have to be even more careful. Because unlike the dragoness who just needed to pass for human, she would need to become capable of wielding essence! You’d need to put a whole lot more into consideration, like her essence channels, which for a being that’s more complex than you, will be quite different.”
I imagine it would be similar to the Fae’s, or at least almost similar, Jerome said.
Achilleia sighed in frustration. Did he say something wrong?
“Just don’t name anyone before becoming a Spirit Realm artist first.”
Jerome turned to Csala as they strolled toward Ms. Tara’s and Sheela’s tent.
“Sorry I’ve been ignoring you.” He smiled apologetically at her.
“Don’t worry about it.” She smiled back at him. “I understand you're having a discussion with Achilleia.”
Jerome held her close, enjoying the moment of peace. “We talked about you… renaming you that is.”
She perked up at his words with hope-filled eyes. “What did she say?”
“That I should wait till I’m a Spirit Realm expert — that will be a while though.”
“Not a problem, Jerome. I can wait.”
Ms. Tara and Sheela were in meditation just outside their tent. When was the last time he meditated? They still had three days so he had better make good use of them. After all, he had quite a lot to do.
“For the first time in a while, I feel like I have quite some time on my hands,” he said and Csala nodded in agreement. “We’ve been running around for quite some time now that this feels surreal.”
“Not to me,” she said. “You should meditate. I’ll go for a swim.”
He took in her red overcoat, noticing the dirt and grime on it. “Yeah, you need a good scrub.”
Csala giggled and stalked off.
He found a spot behind their tent. With a lot more time on his hands, he took his time crafting another binding. He reached into the ground with his perception and to his surprise, found it mineral-rich. Veins of essence crystal stones criss-crossed throughout the ground. He was pretty sure there were a lot of ores too.
He stood up looking into the distance. The void world gave a sense of expansiveness. Like it was so massive as to be an independent world on its own. But it wasn’t. Of that, he was sure. But this wasn’t the time to explore.
He reached into the ground and stirred the minerals, pulling carbon-rich minerals to the surface and molding them to the shape he wanted. He made sure to make the end product as small as possible so as to fit in the palm of his hand — a small, blue convex disk.
A blue diamond. It was the finest he had made so far.
“Congratulations, Xerae. Have you been to the bottom of the pool?” Jerome sensed her sift through his memories. “Of course you have. I’m amazed you were able to get three of them. Ilyrrah only got one.”
That’s… he had no idea what to say to that. What are they for?
“They’re keys of sorts. When every human leaves Terra Praeta, the keys would reset themselves and bond to you. Knowing how artifacts bond to you, I’m confident they’ll be safe with you.”
Jerome thought back to how he had bonded every artifact he had received from Achilleia. He smiled. But a question tickled the back of his mind. A question he wasn’t sure he was ready to ask. If the orbs were keys, then they were keys to what…?
“Bring out one of them,” Achilleia said.
One of the melon-sized orbs appeared in his hand. The white-blue glow of it was barely discernible now but he could sense the energy coming off it. And it reminded him of the mystic kin. Were they tied to this as well?
“That is yet to be seen,” Achilleia said. “Touch your blue diamond to the surface of the orb.”
He did so and for a moment, felt the transfer of energy from the orb to the crystal.
“Wow,” he said out loud. What just happened?
“Exactly what you sensed. Your diamond is now magically more durable and capable of holding immense amounts of essence. You should begin carving your runes on it, Xerae. And listen as you work. There’s a lot I need to tell you.”
Jerome did as she said. Achilleia had him repeat the process of creating gemstones, this time she guided him to create sapphires, rubies, amethysts, emeralds, and many more gems. But she instructed him to make them grain-sized so he could fit them on the outer surfaces of rings, or just big enough to be the size of a pebble.
“You’ve learned about the different forms of energies in the world: the natural essences and the forces. There are others, as you’ve witnessed, that are beyond this world — the material plane — but can function in it.”
Jerome nodded.
“I also only just unlocked a part of my nexus that had a whole library on the subject so don’t think I was holding out on you.”
What?
“Ilyrrah designed me this way so you wouldn’t have access to knowledge you weren’t ready for.”
Makes sense, Jerome thought. Honestly, he had thought Achilleia was holding back information, but even then, he knew it was for a good reason.
“Well,” she continued. “This new energy creates a plethora of elements called the ‘ascended elements’. The Church of the Light in your world calls them the ‘divine elements’.”
Did they invade Vorthe? Jerome asked. Has war begun?
“Calm down, Xerae. There have been a few battles with the Alvrics. But not all-out war. The Church hasn’t played their hand yet. The Avrics are planning to trap you though — all of you, but you in particular.”
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Why me?
“Remember Blade’s Edge Canyon? Apparently, Nolan Alvric has been searching for Vorthe’s ‘monster’, and now he not only has confirmation that you exist, he knows where you are.
“With help from the Church, Alvric plans to hijack the portal that’ll get you all back and bend the Houses and Clans to their will. It won’t work though. At least not for those from the Great Clans and 2nd tier Clans — these clans already have safety protocols in place to counter such a thing if they ever occur. Those from the 3rd tier Houses like Sheela’s might be in a bind, but the Royal Family is working to save them too…
“I know what you might want to ask, ‘What about me?’ … They won’t save you, Xerae.”
Jerome could choose to be angry at that but what was the use? Anger was a choice. There was no need for wasted energy right now. Instead, he had to work out his own salvation. Vorthe owed him nothing after all.
“That’s a great mindset to have, Xerae. Because you’re going to need it. Alvric isn’t directly a threat to you — at least not yet. The Church and its soldiers, however, they’re the real threat.”
Because they wield the divine elements?
“Because they have a system in place to enable them wield the divine elements. Sacred artists have an advantage when it comes to investing in their strength for the long term, but you’re still young. They on the other hand have the advantage when it comes to short-term strength. In battle… in a war, they can be very deadly.
“The Church doesn’t raise sacred artists; they don’t have the structures in place. In fact, it is considered heresy in their land to cycle and create a core of your own.”
But I remember Rihal saying they’re light-wielders.
“That’s the illusion they create when they wield ascended elements. But light itself can be said to be an ascended element — darkness too. In fact, all the forces are. It’s just—”
Really? So I can—
“No, you can’t, Xerae. It’s a lot more complicated than just wielding a light technique. Even absorbing the darkness in the Northern mountain range of your world isn’t going to magically make you capable of wielding darkness as an ascended element.”
So it would be like giving a loaded gun to an infant, Jerome said. I’d just be banging it around like a blunt weapon.
“Every nightmare you’ve ever had of the darkness and those who wield it pales in comparison to what you can actually do with it, when you use it right,” Achilleia said in response. “The Church takes a different approach to using these elements: they create super soldiers. Powerful humans who are capable of wiping out entire armies — be they sacred armies or human armies. Only the best of the best can stand up to them.”
So I’m at a disadvantage… Jerome said.
“Yes. And that’s why I taught you spell frames — which you haven’t been practicing!”
Jerome flinched.
“These gems you’re making, by the way, are going to help you mimic spell frames the way they should function if you were capable of using them properly.”
Oh…
“Oh, he says.” Achilleia snorted. “The ascended elements are quite different from anything you’ve ever experienced, Xerae. The mystic kin aren’t good at wielding it… yet; they’ve been groping in the dark for millennia as it were. The Church is a different matter. They’ve perfected the ascended arts that they can now churn out Judges every dozen years.”
The ‘ascended arts’, Jerome said absently as he spun another gem into existence.
“That’s all you got from all I said?” Achilleia ground out.
Oh, I heard everything you said, he replied. The Judges sound ominous. Who are they?
“Jerome?” Ms. Tara called out a few feet away. Jerome looked over at her. “Could you please dampen the heat and pressure you’re working with; it’s becoming too much to bear.”
Jerome took in her appearance noticing she was sweating profusely. He looked around and noticed his work was producing a lot of heat. The surrounding air was hazy and extremely hot.
“Sorry about that,” he apologized. He took a deep breath and cycled, sucking in the heat into his core.
“What are you working on?” She came closer as soon as the temperature dropped to normal levels. “You aren’t even hot. And your clothes are fine,” she said, touching his overcoat. She sat down beside him.
“I’m working on these.” He showed her some of the tiny gems.
“Wow…” she cooed. “They are beautiful.”
The gems sparkled in the light of the sun, producing a beautiful array of colors.
“Do you want to become a crafter?” she asked.
“No.” He chuckled. “These are for… weapons, I guess. I believe there’s trouble in Vorthe and I’m trying to prepare for it as best as I can.”
“And these gems can help you?”
Jerome sighed and pulled her close. “Yes… Ms. Tara.”
“You almost called me Tara, didn’t you?” She smiled up at him.
“I can’t bring myself to do that, Ms. Tara. It sounds disrespectful.”
She leaned into him and breathed in his scent. “I’ll leave you to your work then.” She stood up to leave but leaned down and gave him a peck on the cheek.
Ms. Tara’s cheeks burned bright red and she hurried away. Jerome smiled at her retreating form. He had work to do so he focused his thoughts once again.
So, who are the Judges, Achilleia?
“The Church of the Light possesses a legion called the Order of the Judges — their most powerful force. It is said that they commune with the Light which they worship to gain their abilities through sacred rituals.”
It is ‘said’? Jerome asked. He was sure there was a lot more to it than that.
“Remember, I said it’s the illusion they create. Mortals are taken in by the Church — those who have found favor in their sight, orphans who have no one to go home to, the destitute, the hungry, the helpless… They do this with the guise of charity. Only to brainwash them with their ideology and turn them into weapons.
“Those who become Judges are children of those in the top echelons of the Church. Those who are taken in, become ‘Messengers’. They’re also very powerful and their job is to do the bidding of their Judge.
“The Judges are the ones capable of wielding the ascended elements. But those who are experienced enough… and generous enough, can give their Messengers access to wield the ascended elements.” Achilleia stopped to give him time to process all of it.
So the ascended elements, he said after a while. What makes them so special?
“They are special because they have a devastating effect on the world. Have you ever seen fire that consumes everything in its path, even other fires?”
Nyx’s black flames did just that, Jerome said.
“And do you think you have any defense against that?” He shook his head. “What about water that can heal any wound or eat through anything as though it were acidic?”
Hmm. I think vital aura can do that though.
“Not like this, Xerae. The effects of ascended elements far outstrip that of the natural energies. That’s because they come from planes beyond ours; planes that are far more evolved than ours.”
Jerome nodded in understanding.
“Finish up, Xerae. Runing the tinier gems will take more from you than you know. You need to rest a while.”
One last question, Jerome said. Can sacred artists wield the ascended elements? If so, at what Realm is this possible?
“Yes, Xerae. But from records, even the Fae stumbled upon it. But there is no factual data to instruct one who might desire to wield the ascended elements from said records. I have no concrete data to back up this claim, but advancing to the Saint Realm might be what grants you that ability. But who knows, maybe you could prove me wrong.”
Oh I would, Jerome said. I was told I couldn’t create an Epos until I became a Sage, but I created a mantra that rivals the Epos of Sages. If it takes getting to the Saint Realm to wield ascended elements, I’ll do it in the Spirit Realm.