(Author: Hello. Second chapter of a 5 chapter spam release. Now you know why I haven't released any in a while. It is a side project because it is so long (to me). Well, enjoy the chapter.)
-------------Chapter 3: Meeting Relatives------------
Regis began the long travel to the base of the tallest mountain. No one was allowed inside the mountain until it was time for the ritual. If one looked closely from afar, the mountain peak was shaped like a volcano as it was broken and looked as if the mountain was hollow. Regis was constantly stared at by a lot of people from the sub branch as they saw a member of the main branch wearing a pure white, hooded robe with a gold mask covering his face.
They also saw his incredibly shiny and seeming indestructible scales. They admired his abyssal black scales and the unique gold crescent and star patterns on either side of every crescent moon image on his body. This was, no doubt, a member of the main branch. Twenty two other people were participating in the ritual, most of them wearing pure black robes and silver masks save for two others. Most of the participants had the lower body of a snake and upper body of a human, but some looked entirely different. One had human legs, another had stag horns, and another even had the lower body of an octopus and had the lower half of his body in a water tank.
After an hour of waiting, rumors and gossip increased. The shamans presiding over the ritual said the Undying One, himself, was personally going to oversee the ritual. They knew immediately that the reason he was is because the main branch member before them was the only male descendant who hadn't yet become a shaman: Regis Star. They all knew that only Isabelle and her children were able to see the Undying One in person and without his golden mask and pure white robe.
He always appeared in human form before them during formal events and the last time he made a public appearance was thirteen years ago when he destroyed five empires to the east which threatened to conquer their territory. The east had become a barren wasteland for thousands of miles. When the humans found out, they declared Star Mountain and its territories as off limits and didn't dare travel into it. The only ones who did were the ignorant and greedy with both suffering a slow, painful death.
"That's Regis Star! He must be why the Undying One is coming!" one whispered.
"The Undying One....how long has it been since he last left the Inner Sanctum?" another asked.
"Not since the empires to the east were annihilated. Not only that, the Undying One actually sunk the empire closest to us into the see, severing the land and making a new continent comprising of, what used to be, the remaining four empires," one said in awe.
"The power of the Undying One is the greatest in the planet," one agreed.
"Of course he is! He's an eleven star magical beast!" one laughed. "Those humans dare not threaten one of our own."
The twenty two other participants stared at Regis with mixed feelings. He was the grandson of the Undying One himself. No doubt, his abilities would be terrifying as well. Some were members of the higher echelons of the sub branch and knew that Regis was the favorite, but he was not arrogant or prideful like Caius. They knew Caius left in order to redeem himself for losing against a sub branch clan member.
"Hello," one of them greeted Regis, bowing his head while the others watched to see how he would react.
"Hello," Regis said, nodding his head in acknowledgement and stared at the boy. "Hmm. Stag horns? You must be a variant of the sub branch. I heard highly of you guys from the guards and my sister."
"Ah, yes. Thank you. I got them from my mom. My name is Theo Star. As you can guess by the color of my robe and mask, I'm a member of the sub branches of the clan," the boy grinned behind his silver mask. "My mom also has horns like me but she's not a descendant of the clan. She's a beast kin from the south east. You know, you're as kind and humble as my elders said."
"Oh, a member of the echelons of the sub branch?" Regis asked and saw the boy nod. "You must have a lot of expectations then."
"Yeah. They want me to become a guardian knight of the main branch like my dad. He's not a variant, but he is a seven star magical beast," Theo said with pride. "I hope to be as strong as him someday. Not all variants inherit beneficial traits from their parents. Like that guy with the octopus power half over there."
They walked over to him while Theo continued, "This guy's like also a variant. Luckily no mutated clan members are here this year. Unfortunately, he has limited prospects as he has to remain in water all the time until he gains a human form upon being a two star magical beast like the rest of us."
"Hello Lord Regis. My name is Javi Octane. My mother is a member of the sub branches of the clan," the masked boy bowed, the water in his tank splashing a little.
"That looks so cool!" Regis said as he stared at the tentacles. "Can you breathe underwater too? I know I can't unless I'm a four star magical beast."
"Yes. It is one of the reasons I am not labeled as a mutated variant and was allowed to attend the ritual," Javi answered. "They would have to wait for the next full moon and perform the ritual under heavy guard."
The rest of the participants did not approach them as they had feelings of jealousy, anger, envy, and pride. Javi and Theo were excited to talk to a member of the main branch and the three relatives began talking for a while until they hear a loud rumble from Star Mountain, the mountain where the main branch and the Undying One lived among their mountain range territory. Everyone save for Regis, the rest of the main branch members, and the guards bowed their heads deeply in reverence.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Regis noticed that two other members wearing white robes and mask were among the ones participating as they also did not bow. He had learned from Javi and Theo that they were the children of his mother's younger siblings. He did not know his mother even had siblings. As the rumbling got louder, they whispered to him that the Undying One's wife died upon giving birth to female triplets. Unlike his mother, they did not hatch from an egg so their births were much more painful as the Undying One's wife had to remain in her weaker, human, form. The only reason they remained as members of the main branch was because his wife begged him not to cast them away as she breathed her last.
"What a sad story," Regis muttered. "No wonder he never talked about grandma when I asked him. He must have loved her very much."
"It would seem that there are quite a few people this year. Has the reproduction rate gone down since the last decade?" the Undying One asked in his abyssal black robe with silver stars and a gold moon embroidered on his back and over his robes. He also wore a mask of pure mithril, a white metal that was seeming indestructible beneath adamant metal, dragon bones and scales, and immortal rank holy metals.
Most people on the planet never saw mithril in their life unless they were of dwarf nobility. Fewer people saw adamant metal as only the most ancient of races guarded the secret location of the metals, such as the high elves. However, they were metals normally found in the Mortal Realm and useless against immortal rank holy metal. This was why humans owned most of the planet. Holy metal was just too powerful and allowed the weaker species to thrive, but it was rare and rarely used outside the capital of their kingdoms and empires.
"The Undying One will now speak! All will hear and obey!" one of the shamans announced and everyone remained silent.
"I am Vizog the Undying, pillar of our beloved Star Clan and have no equal in this realm," an ancient voice said, yet his voice boomed loudly in their heads. "Today I have come because my grandson, my direct bloodline has finally become of age. I see that there are three others who are here from my bloodline. They too, will come with Regis and I into the heart of the mountain. The rest of you will undergo the ritual in the hollow region of the mountain as is tradition."
"Know this, their ritual risks death itself. I do not expect less than a single death," Vizog continued. "If their hearts are weak and their minds, fragile; they will die and not even ashes will remain. This ritual is the sacred Ritual of the Moon Goddess. We can become immortal, but we can never become a god. Only gods have blood the color of gold. Only gods are created from nothing. They just are and appear as they are. Who are we to claim ourselves as gods? You will contract with a spirit who serves Her. She, whose name cannot be uttered by creatures of the Mortal, will bestow on you power to rival the gods themselves!"
"We all know that only humans, dragons, and humanoid creatures can use spirit energy. We are monster born! We were made to exist before them! We were the primal creatures that ruled this world before Man and other races took over! We are not meant to become mages, so we will become shamans! We, who contract with spirits, will attain the power of the gods as humans do! They will know not to look down upon you. They will know not to underestimate you. They will know to FEAR YOU!" Vizog boomed.
"The Moon Goddess is our patron. She is an entity of the Divine Realm. Not even Men and other creatures can communicate to the Divine Realm, but WE CAN! We are abnormalities of creation. Look around you. We are combinations of several species. We have dragon blood, the blood of the most holy of creatures made by the gods, running in our veins!" Vizog continued, stimulating their hearts. "We are judged as monsters and even we have used their star classifications to determine our own power. We are not cattle to be slain when we number more than they desire. We are not fiends to be slain or materials for their horrible alchemy! We are Star Clan! WE ARE INVINCIBLE!"
"YES, UNDYING ONE! WE ARE INVINCIBLE!" the shamans cried and soon everyone in the area began repeating what the shamans said like a chant.
"Come, members of the main branch. It is time for you to undergo the ritual and be judged as worthy or worthless in the eyes of the Moon Goddess," Vizog said as the chant died down. "I wish you all luck in succeeding with the rituals. :et it be said, that shamans are the prosperity of our clans and guardians of our lives. You will become one of them and the pride of your families and respective branches. Make them proud."
Regis and the three other members in pure white robes and golden masks quickly followed Vizog into a separate tunnel on the far side of the mountain, opposite of the main entrance where the crowd was gathered. Soon, they will undergo the ritual and determine their paths as shamans.