Interlude XVI

The Rebuilding of Sidhertha

The trio, as they were soon referred to, stayed around for three months to not only rebuild Sidhertha, but to make the lands better. Not only did they rebuild the lands around the capital, but the trio also went around the countryside, building waterways and roadways to parts of the land that had long since been cut off due to famine, strife, or other natural disaster.

Looking at the land, it was clear that the third old world law was not meant to be wielded by a mortal. That the emotional volatility of King Philipon was too much for the land to live by.

In reality, it was clear what the true intention of the third old-world law was for. It was for cultivators like him. People who already had a firm grasp of the elements. They were to use the connection to the land to enhance changes.

Seeing it all now, Lykan was disappointed in his own actions. He had been greedy, and the land paid for it. He could of course have set himself up to be the leader of the lands, but that would have done many things. First it would have tied his soul to the land, making it so he could not move around. Second it would have forced him, an outsider, to be in control of the safety of people. Third, it would mean that his mission to stop the distress beacon would end.

That said, Lykan felt a karmic tie to the place. It was after all his own indiscretion that led to the state that Sidhertha was currently. As such it only made sense that he take ownership for the state.

Of course, this time was not spent idly, as Lykan spent the entire time working on forming a cultivation form that utilized all four elements. While Air would always be his center, there were obvious ways and places to utilize the other elements. Adding fire allowed more energy to the speed of the currents he controlled. Taking that one step further with water, allowed steam to both superheat and cool different parts of the air flow. This trifecta of energies allowed for tornadoes.

His control over such complex elemental forces was not complete by any means, but that was a start.

Lykan even touched upon the basics of lightning, at least he assumed that would be the culmination of all four elemental forces into one cultivation base. Unfortunately, Lykan never got that far.

They were three months into their dig, when a shooting star could first be seen hurtling through space in the night sky.

That night was the night when they were met by an urgent transport ship from a foreign delegation.

At first Lykan did not care to meet such a representative. He had no plans to be part of the cultural repairs of this land. Apparently, the person wishing for the meeting expected such a response. That was why the messenger made sure to state.

“Sir, I was informed to tell you that the person wishing to speak with you is Dathney Lorain.”

At that, Lykan paused.

“She has now grown to be a quite capable oracle, and she has foreseen the dangers that are coming with the great red comet.”

At that, Lykan nodded his intention to meet his long-lost friend.

“Shouldn’t you dress up to see your friend?” Brenna asked.

Lykan himself waved away the concern.

“I am not meeting her as anything other than myself. I do not represent any great nation, nor do I represent any great ideal.” Lykan said, as he put on his same clothes he had worn for the past few months. Now that they were in a proper city, Brenna made sure to get him a few clothes that would not rip apart in a stiff breeze, but they were still worn and faded after so many months working the fields.

With that concern dismissed, Lykan, Brenna, and Pentra all went to meet the Belkins delegation.

Of course, there were a number of delegates and warriors present.

Of Lykan’s trio, only Brenna had her customary war axe with her.

“I will have to ask that you leave your axe behind.” A guard said.

Lykan for his part was about to say something about the way their guards all had swords strapped to their sides, but fortunately any altercation was deftly and swiftly put down by Dathney.

“They are fine. Let them through.” Dathney called out regally from the meeting room.

With that the guard gave one more derisive snort at having to let these uncultured Sidherthans through, though he did have a pause as he looked at the veiled face of Pentra. Not quite realizing that the veils were put in place to avoid having everyone freak out about the Titan’s face tentacles.

Seeing the man before her. Dathney paused, as the man she now saw looked little like the recently awakened warrior she had seen all those years ago. The same boy who had rescued her from Azani slavers.

Now he was clearly on a level of power far grander than most could imagine. His clothes were worn with age, but even still seemed to radiate a form of defiant power.

Just seeing the man and his two companions enter caused a vision to form in Dathney’s mind.

Then, just like so many other times, Dathney’s body was no longer her own, as she gave way to the powers of her vision.

Her voice changed, as it seemed that the planet itself was now using Dathney as a conduit to warn of the impending doom.

“The comet of death will arrive. There is a monster on board, a master of Titans. You must face the monster when it arrives.” Dathney said.

Then with that, the vision ended just as quickly as it began.

Panting, Dathney regained her consciousness, as dark wisps of ethereal smoke began getting coughed up from her lungs.

“That is all I can offer at the moment.” Dathney said, as she violently coughed a few times.

“You must excuse my wife,” Khan, the king of Belkins said.

Lykan for his part just saw the ethereal smoke for what it was, pure qi.

With a gesture, Lykan forcefully sucked out the qi from Dathney’s lungs.

Everyone watched in awe filled horror as the black qi was forcefully ripped away from Dathney and converged into a ball of power that Lykan then consumed simply by touching it.

Cough.

Dathney coughed a few times, as her lungs still swore the vile substance was still there. But after a few coughs, she managed to regain control over herself. “That is a hand trick.”

Lykan just stared at Dathney and wondered for the first time, exactly how Oracles were able to see the future. He was about to ask, but then seeing the nearly exhausted state of his former acquaintance, he nodded thoughtfully, then left.

He had been given a lot to think about.

Only after they left did Pentra ask in her own alien tongue, “what was that about?”

Looking at her, Lykan answered. “It was a vision of the future. Of what the comet coming truly means. Can you tell me what the saying the Master of Titans means?”

With that, Pentra’s face went ashen as she tried to comprehend the meaning of that statement. Well to be more accurate, she tried to comprehend any other meaning. She tried to think if there could be any other way to decipher what was being said.

Then realizing there was no other way, she answered.

“That likely refers to the Celestials, the beings who enslaved my kind so long ago. The race that began this conquest of infusing planets with qi, so they could establish more planets to cultivate from.”

With that Lykan nodded, he too had thought much the same, but now his suspicions were confirmed.

“So, what should we do now?” Pentra asked.

With that Lykan paused for a moment, before answering.

“The same thing we have been doing. Fixing the land, while improving our understanding of qi.”

“Why should we fix the land? Shouldn’t we devote ourselves fully to practicing?” Pentra questioned.

Lykan for his part just shook away the question.

“What is the point of saving the world, if there is nothing to go back to.” With that Lykan left, he had a mission, and now a comet to protect against.