The large horse made a step forward, still radiating animosity.  What might have happened to Astera if he pushed any further, she would never know, for the others moved to her defense.  The leader looked to his companions, each one providing more calm to his mind as he saw their conviction.

“Forgive my aggression.  I am … not as attuned as my family to pure souls.  I gave that up when I grew to the form you see before you.”  He was the protector, but becoming that meant shedding the innocence of a Unicorn and becoming something different.  “By the standard that you humans set, I am of the Fifth Dawning, with a body that has been honed to fight.  That comes with instincts that are less than welcoming.”

The injured Unicorn now stood, wounds healed.  The waters had done their work, restoring the health and strength lost when Rainer’s arrow struck.  The Ether which had bombarded her faded, Ether that had come from a creature of the Fifth Dawning.  That made the giant horse the most powerful Ethereal Artist that Astera had ever met.

“Humans have always been a threat to my kind.  They seek our power, our very bodies, to make themselves stronger.  It is why I moved us to this mountaintop, where no human has been able to reach.  The youthful have a habit of exploring, as you have seen.”

Astera’s companion looked at her, eyes that greeted her like an old friend.

“You walk the path of Cultivation, but you lack a Core.  You came looking for one from a Unicorn, didn’t you?”  The great horse stared at her, his eyes hard again.  They would know her words to be truth or lies, sensing the purity in them.

The one that brought her there remained by her side, going so far as to lower his horn to her chest, an act that made the leader’s eyes widen.

“This one would grant you a Core.  You would be granted the Pure Core of our kin should your heart be pure.  If you are not, you would obtain it at the cost of his life, and I would take yours in retribution.”

Despite the dangers, her friend still looked at her with those kind eyes.  He believed her heart pure.  His horn touched her chest, the power coursing into her like a bolt of lightning.  An Ether Core formed, becoming as much a part of her as any piece of flesh she was born with.  It formed, like a tiny pearl in the center of her heart, where the pumping organ pushed Ether out into her bloodstream.  It was reminiscent of the Fae Core she had in her previous lifetime, yet far more powerful, spreading Ether down to the tips of her fingers and toes faster than her old core had filled her chest.

Her friend remained standing, alive and well.  She had passed the test and obtained the powerful Core she came searching for.  The Leader nodded to her.  “By accepting this Core, you will be recognized as a member of this Tribe, Human.  We are the Ix; add it to your name, and make yourself known.”

Astera Ix-Stalos, they would name her, marking her as one of their own.

“You still alive over there?”  Rainer called out.  Rhys had kept track of the number of arrows fired by his opponent during their battle.  His quiver would be empty.

The two had hunkered down some thirty paces from each other, Rhys in a natural trench while Rainer sat behind a large tree.  The archer had to be thinking of his next move, now that he was out of weapons to fire.  Rhys, meanwhile, worked on tending his wounds, strips of cloth bandaging the grazing blows he had taken.

“You’d love to hear otherwise, wouldn’t you?”  Damn.  He hoped to hide the strain in his voice when he spoke.  There was no hiding he was injured.  Already, he was using meditation to push his Ether to heal his wounds, weakening his overall strength but closing the nasty opening in his shoulder where he’d been run straight through by an arrow.  If he had an Ether Core of his own, his energy wouldn’t have been going down like that.  Without one, all the unused Ether he gathered on his quest to the cusp of the Second Dawning was lost.

Nevermind that.  If he lived through this, he’d just have to gather it back.  First, he'd beat Rainer and lived to Cultivate another day.

“You should have just stayed out of my way, Stalos.  Unicorn hair for a bowstring, horn to reinforce my bow; I’d be strong enough to unseat Daigo as the boss of Fortem.”

“I didn’t figure you for a usurper, Rainer.”

“Ain’t that how it works?  If I can become better than Daigo, I owe it to myself and the gang to do it.  I’d be a benevolent ruler, way more than Daigo has been.”

“I think I’d rather be done with both of you.”  Easy to say but his options were limited.  No Core, no enhanced body, with few weapons to his name.  All he had was his makeshift fighting gloves, some basic smithing tools, his Iron Blow technique, and his Flawless Eyes.

Rainer had the high ground but no more means of firing volleys at him.  Rushing him and engaging in hand to hand might have been his only chance.  Feeling the last of his injuries heal, Rhys bursting out from cover, fist clenched as he —

An arrow grazed his side, forcing him back into cover again.

“Dammit, Stalos!  I thought I had my aim back when the ringing in my ears went away.”  Rhys had managed to disrupt Rainer’s hand-eye coordination with a well-placed punch to the ear earlier in their fight.  It saved him now but where had Rainer gotten more arrows?  Back in cover, Rhys got a look at the new arrow, carved from a branch off the tree Rainer hid behind, with an arrowhead carved from a flint off the ground.

Shit, he’s making more arrows while he’s in cover!

The longer their stalemate continued, the more ammunition his opponent was going to have.

Astera felt the overwhelming power of the huge unicorn and they all could surely sense her fear but all of them formed a barrier, making the proctector pause.  Gratitude for their support welled inside of her and she felt able to look fully into the large one's eyes.  "There is nothing to forgive.  You are only watching over those you love," she said and lovingly stroked the one that had fled with her under the silken mane.

She nodded as she felt his power ebbing.  "Sadly there are far too many of us who are a danger to all that is good," she replied quietly.  "Not all of us are that way though.  My brother has always protected me as you protect your family.  He is a good man and I know he was going after the one who shot at him," she said with a tip of her head to her savior.  "He will make sure that one and others like him will not continue to hurt anyone."

The unicorn was looking at her, his eyes so kind and friendly that she paused in her speaking and rested her forehead against  his cheek.  "You feel like a friend I have always known ... though I never saw you before," she murmured then pulled back to look at the guardian as he assessed her.  "It is true, I was hoping to find a core but never would I accept one if it meant harm to him," she stated as her friend lowered his horn to her chest.

Even when the guardian told her if it killed the unicorn that he would kill her she stood still and confident.  She would never bring harm to any of them and if that meant she wouldn't receive a core she would be fine and find another way.  The horn touched her chest and she felt the power coursing through her, bolstering her body and ether.  A tear slipped down her cheek, a shimmering symbol of her joy and gratitude.

She trembled with the power she felt but more so the emotions.  Wiping away the tear, she bowed first to her friend and then more deeply to the guardian.  "I am Astera Ix-Stalos, honored beyond all comprehension to be counted among you," she said and stood tall.  "I will do all I can to help you.  Right now I need to get back down there and make sure the one who defiled your land will never do so again."

“You cannot,” the leader said, refusing to allow her to leave.  “Members of this tribe cannot leave the mountain until they are of the Second Dawning.  If you believe in your brother’s ability to defeat the human below, then you shall have to allow him to.”

Still, Astera’s mind could not help but worry, leaving the great steed to gesture to one of the others.  A larger Unicorn nodded and leaped off the mountainside.  “She will watch over him and assure death does not take him.  If you wish to be the one going to his side, then I shall impart training on you.”

The waters began to glow again, as Ether was allowed to flow through Astera once more.  With meditation, she could take it into her, bringing her body to the peak of the First Dawning.  “You push and pull with the power of Pure Ether.  I can teach you a more advanced technique, one meant for battle.  The waters shall keep your strength up, so you may perform it as many times as it takes to achieve it.  You should know, however, you will likely fail unless you reach the Second Dawning.”

It was a test for her that would be vital to her continuing on the path of Cultivation.  She needed to discover a revelation to truly push her body to the next level, but the Ix Chieftain’s training would push her to find the answer.

“Your Sightless Push uses Ether in place of your hand to shove things away.  Your Grip serves as an invisible hand to manipulate objects.  This technique requires you to pull in two separate directions.” Astera bore witness as the waters parted at the steeds beckoning.  A large piece of stone was even torn like a strip of cloth under the force of such a powerful user.  “I suppose the most accurate name for this technique would be the Sightless Sunder.  You will need to master the ability to use two sightless rips at once and then to move them away from each other while they both hold the same object.”

It could be used to rip open doors, tear away obstacles, and ... kill a person in brutal fashion if Astera could ever bring herself to do it … even kill a person in brutal fashion.  It would take everything she had ever learned and more.  The Chieftain was right; she might be able to reach some fundamentals but she needed to figure out her revelation if she was going to reach the Second Dawning and truly use the technique.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:17, Sun 07 Nov 2021.

Rhys had such grand plans.  All his talk of changing his fate, becoming more powerful than he had ever been, only to be facing life or death at the hands of one of his childhood bullies.  Rainer wasn’t even an afterthought in all the things Rhys considered upon his rebirth.  He was someone that he was just going to trounce, along with Daigo and the others, before they moved on to Atheria and further greatness.

He’d been arrogant to think it would be so easy.  He thought of the storied characters from his father’s bedtime tales.  They wouldn’t have a problem with someone like Rainer.

“They weren’t always as powerful as they became, Rhys.  They started on the same path as any Ethereal Artist, a journey of a million steps.”

His father’s voice reached him like it hadn’t since he had come back.  Rainer might have been insignificant in the grand scheme but even a legendary warrior would have trouble if he met him before he’d even begun.  What separated them was skill and wit.  So, how would Rhys use those things to come out of his battle the victor?

Rainer had the high ground, ideal for a sniper, but his advantage was built on piled stone beneath loose earth.  To anyone else, that might not mean anything, but Rhys had his Flawless Eyes.  Their power was to locate structural weak points.  Any piled structure was only as strong as its keystone.  If it were broken, the whole thing would come crashing down.

He had to work fast, or he would lose his only chance.  Bursting out of cover, he activated his eyes, the hillside turning golden to him.  Only a single space, the flaw, did not fit the image of perfection, highlighting the weakness in the hill.  A golden arrow flew toward him, Rhys raising his hand to meet it.  He summoned strength into his wrapped hand, making the bone and cloth as strong as iron.  With a swipe, he deflected Rainer’s arrow, grazing off the back of his hand and altering its trajectory to a nearby tree.

He continued forward, more Ether flowing through his arm as he prepared his Iron Blow.  When he reached the hillside, he delivered an open palm strike to the weak point, a stone the size of his head.  His Ether plowed into the stone, bouncing and reverberating until the stone shattered into pieces.  Shards of stone scratched and embedded into his flesh but Rhys couldn’t focus on it.  He ran back the other way as the trench collapsed, rock and earth falling behind him as he rushed to avoid getting buried.

The rockslide went further than he expected, his muscles aching in protest to such a strenuous act.  Still, he was alive.  Now, he just needed to find out if the same could be said for Rainer.

Tera wanted badly to say that she did believe in her brother but that she felt she should help him if she could, simply because he had always been there for her.  Yet she had accepted the core and knew that she did need the training he could provide.  She still felt a little guilty for leaving Rhys but when she thought about it, she knew he was far more clever and strong than she had ever been.  So she simply bowed her head, accepting that she had to let him fight this battle on his own.

As the waters began to glow, she settled herself into a position where she could focus better.  He was already teaching her and she pushed everything else from her mind, simply listened and watched to all that he did.  It wasn't easy and she found she had to make many attempts though she didn't even try to count the failures.  All that mattered was the success, something that was quite different from before and there was a moment she realized how much she was changing.

Could she use this on a person, to end their life in such a brutal fashion?  She wanted to say no, and in her other life she never would have considered it for a moment.  But now she had seen so much evil and knew it was going to happen again.  She could save so many lives, so much suffering, if she could bring herself to such an act.  As she continued trying and failing to push and pull, she thought of her mother dying in the fire and the sweet little girl losing her family.  She thought of how her life ended.

Yes, she could do something about the impending evils.  Yes, she didn't want to sit in the corner of a library anymore and believe it wasn't going to happen.  The strip of rock suddenly shattered as she realized she truly wanted to do and be more.  The blinders were gone and she knew she would have to do things that were awful but mostly she could do good with her power.  Her eyes went to the huge unicorn, a bit of her own innocence gone.  She understood him a little more now and oddly felt a bit of comfort.

“You still alive over there?“  Rhys called out, sounding nowhere near as dominant as he wanted to.  He’d dropped a cliffside with Rainer but had taken plenty of damage in the process.  He was limping, enough cuts on him that he was no longer capable of healing himself.  He was no stronger now than someone who had just awakened as an Ethereal Artist, his Ether reserves completely spent.

“You’d … love to hear otherwise, wouldn’t you?”  Rainer sounded no better, the sound of his voice drawing Rhys to his location.  Loose gravel covered more of his body than it revealed, his own body too weak to lift his arms or legs.  He had an Ether Core, though, which would be enough to see him recover faster than Rhys could.

“So what now?  You wanna rip my Ether Core right from my body?”

“Might be worth something, but I ain’t got any interest in putting that thing in me.  If I wanted some wolf soul again, I could find my own.  I got bigger plans this time.”

“Again?  This time?  What’s that supposed to mean?”

Rhys stopped.  Was he entering dangerous territory?  “I guess there’s no harm in saying it now.  I’ve lived this life before.  This is my do-over.  I’ll set things right this time.”

“Do-over?  So, you saying we’ve done this before?”

“No.  Last time, you and Daigo burned Fortem to the ground.  I went to Atheria and you stayed here to play thug in the ruins of a charred town.  I never thought about you again after I left this place behind.  You weren’t worth a second thought.”

Rainer stared coldly.  Even if he was on his way out, he wasn’t going to stand for an insult like that.  “So we never fought before?  Makes sense … you wouldn’t know all my tricks.”  Rainer spat a needle from the back of his throat, a final trump card to be played when nothing else was left.  Rhys raised his hand to block, the needle piercing through his palm.  Rainer’s last move was met with a boot striking his head with enough force to break his neck, ending the man’s life.

Rhys had done it.  He’d taken down Daigo’s right-hand man.  All it cost was …

Rhys collapsed in a heap, the innocuous poison having spread through him.  Rainer may not have saved himself from death, but he was taking Rhys with him.

Shit … it can’t end like this.  I didn’t even get as far as last time …

Astera felt, perhaps for the first time, the capacity for change within her. She could become powerful, not just because she needed to, but because she wanted to.  She would train, fight, even kill to protect those she loved.  In that, she found her inspiration, her revelation.

As brightly as the waters around her glowed, Astera glowed brighter, her Second dawning bringing with it a transformation.  All the books and manuals about the process referred to it as a reforging, taking all that you were and rebuilding it as a more perfect version of itself.  Her awkward body, which always felt so clumsy, reshaped to a more graceful form, her footing growing more sure as she gained some attractive muscle.  Her hair seemed cleaner, healthier, while her skin lost much of the blemishes and imperfections she had always longed to be rid of.  Her eyes grew more vibrant as the world itself seemed more detailed and beautiful than it ever had before.

Astera’s Second Dawning saw her Sightless Sunder rip apart not only the stone in front of her, but even tear a new channel for water to fall from the mountain top.  The well of Ether that had once felt full to the brim was now minuscule, not because she had lost any power but because her limits had grown large enough to make her current strength a drop in a bucket.

“You are transformed,” the giant horse said to her, nodding his head to her.  She had accomplished the task he set out for her, beginning her down what was bound to be a long and arduous path.  For once, that path didn’t feel quite so impossible.

The Unicorn watching her brother returned, looking frantic.  “Your brother succeeded in his battle but finds himself at death’s door.  Take with you some of our water, that it might heal his wounds.  Astera Ix-Stalos, you have proven your strength and earned the right to step off the mountaintop.  I will take you to your brother.  The rest will be up to you.“

In some ways she felt the same but in so many others she felt like a completely new person.  There was more strength and power in her than she could ever recall and it felt … good … right.  There would still be much pain and heartache along the road but maybe now she could keep it as minimal as possible.  "Thank you," she breathed to the giant unicorn, gratitude radiating from every fiber of her being.  The joy she felt was tempered by the duty and responsibilities she felt, but at least now she knew she could face things without feeling so utterly useless.

Then the other unicorn rushed up to them and the news was grave.  She uncorked the canteen and without a thought drew up water with her power, filling it with the magical water.  "I will never be able to thank you all enough though I pledge to always do my best for you."  With that she swung up on the unicorn, glancing once more at the one who shared the core and felt like her oldest and dearest friend.  "I hope to see you again," he said and patted the one she had mounted.  "Please take me to him," he said and prepared herself for the descent, gathering the ether to make her as light as possible and steady so she wouldn't fall.

The Unicorn took Astera onto his back and jumped off the top of the mountain.  His feet galloped on the air, controlling their descent as easily as treading downhill.  Their movements felt more in sync, instinct seeing the pair lean and break in the right directions, making their ride smoother than their previous one.  They were aimed to land near a rockslide, Astera’s eyes already making out the details better than they once could have.

Rainer, Daigo’s right hand, was buried chest high in rubble, his neck twisted in such a manner that it could only be broken.  No Ether stirred in his body, now lifeless.  Rhys was face down on the ground nearby, energy faint.  He had exhausted all his strength and his body was slowly dying.  Had she taken any longer, she might have been too late.

Astera’s partner touched his horn to the container of water, restoring its light as she showered her brother in its healing light.  His body soaked in the ether-rich energy greedily, expelling ailments and filling him with strength.  He did not stir right away but when he did, it was like waking up on a groggy morning.  Rhys’ gaze fell upon her, seeing the transformation that had taken place.

“Dammit … Gonna be chasing off boys left and right,” he said, voice strained.  Too soon, he was pushing himself up to his feet, desperate to feel everything moving again.  It was the only way to be sure it all still worked.  “I know it was the plan and all but I didn’t think it’d be so easy for you.”

Astera had reached the Second dawning, making the chances of defeating Daigo much higher than before.  When his lieutenant didn’t come back from this trip, it was possible that Fortem could be feeling his wrath sooner than expected.

“I’m on mission, Tera.  I was always looking to the next step and forgot about the current one.  Second and Third Dawnings can wait until I’ve done everything I need to in my First.  We’re gonna save Fortem.  I swear it.”

The twins reunited, Astera's Unicorn nuzzled her shoulder.  He hadn't run off in Rhys' presence, proof of their bond.  He wanted to go with her but he could not.  Despite them going their separate ways, a mutual feeling rose in both steed and woman.  They would see each other again when both were stronger than they were now.

Tears welled in Astera's eyes when she saw Rhys, Saw how depleted he was.  "Please hold on," he pleaded with him as the unicorn touched the flask and ignited the Ether within the water.  She poured it all over him and then sat down to hold his head in her lap.  She brushed his hair out of his eyes and kept whispering to him until finally he started to stir.  She could See his energies and strength returning and let out a soft sob of relief.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again," she whispered and then blushed when his first words were about chasing boys away.  She had no idea what she looked like and hadn't even taken any time to think about what the transformation had done to her.  She had noted she moved less awkwardly but again it had been in passing.  It seemed from what he was saying that her ascendence had gone rather well but still she shook her head in disbelief.

She helped him stand, still concerned but when seemed okay enough relaxed a little.  "Of course you are," she said with that simple confidence that she always had in him.  "And maybe now I'll be able to be of more use," she added with a lopsided smile.  As the unicorn touched her shoulder, she reached out and cupped his jaw in her hand as she rested her cheek against his.  "I wish you could come with me but I know you cannot," she sighed.

When she looked into the unicorn's eyes, she managed to smile.  "I have no words adequate enough to say thank you but know that I love you so very much and will see you again.  I will visit as soon and often as I can," she promised.  She had another family here, a very powerful family, and knew there was much more she could learn from them.  More than that, she felt welcome for simply herself and that was something she had never truly felt anywhere else besides Rhys and her mother.

Unlike the master of their community, her companion could not speak, no matter how much he wished he could.  He gave her a nuzzle instead, his nose pressing to her before turning toward home and starting in a gallop.  He didn’t look back, not when doing so would only make the farewell harder.

Turning back to Rhys, Astera found her brother uncovering the corpse of Rainer.  He had dug the man out of the ground, exposing his chest.  “You probably shouldn’t watch this,” he warned, pulling out a knife.  Robbing the dead might have been morbid but Rainer still had something of value worth taking.  Cutting into his chest, Rhys extracted what looked like a small marble, one that made the one in Astera’s chest tighten.

Rhys had removed the Ether Core from Rainer’s dead body.

“A Wolf Ether Core.  I had one like this on the last go around.”  If he implanted this, Rhys had no doubt that he could have been Second Dawning before they returned to Fortem.  That path, however, was not the one he had planned on taking this time around.  “I’m not putting this in me but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a use.  Rainer shaped this Core with his every meditation, his every technique.  It can be used to make a Willcore weapon.”

Willcrafting was a technique used by higher-level smiths.  Powerful artists created powerful techniques and stored them inside their core.  Most created a space that compressed space and time, allowing them to store small objects.  Rainer was an archer, which meant that a weapon created using his Ether Core would have speed, accuracy, and piercing power.  “Rainer mentioned that if he had the chance, he’d kill Daigo and take his place.  He might be able to still do one of those things.”

Cleaning the Ether Core, he pocketed it for later use.  Taking the bow that had once been used by his opponent, he would find a way to combine the two items into a weapon they could use against Daigo.

“When we came looking for Unicorns, I didn’t expect that you were going to make friends with one.  Why don’t we fish for some dinner and you can catch me up on what happened?”

Astera felt a tightening in her chest as the unicorn galloped away, a moment of prayer following him to stay safe.  In just mere moments he had become a dear friend and she felt the abence strongly.  When she turned back around, Rhys was preparing to cut out Rainer's core and warned her not to watch.  She didn't turn away though, instead forcing herself to observe.  This was yet another difference in her as before she would never have watched and would even have suggested he not do such a thing.  "It should not be wasted and it should not fall into hands that would harm innocents," she said solemnly.

The task done, Rhys finally let his curiosity loose and she couldn't help smiling.  "I didn't just make friends with one but many.  Their leader is huge and trained me himself, made me part of their family," she said as they went to fish for their supper.  She told him everything, knowing it was safe to do so.  She wouldn't even tell her mother the tale when they returned home, wanting to keep the unicorns a secret.  "I know there's much more to learn but they gave me a good start.  Now it's up to me to get over myself," she said with a lopsided smile.

“Leave it to you to go looking for an Ether Core and come back married,” Rhys mused.  It was true she now had a new family name, being adopted into their clan and reflecting with the addition of Ix to Stalos.

“There’s no arguing you came back stronger.  Even I can tell that much.”  Rhys still had the senses of a First dawning, dulled in comparison to what Astera now possessed.  Smaller traces of Ether were now clearer, and forms she hadn’t known existed in anything but books were starting to become noticeable.  In the setting of the sun, she saw how the rigidity of Earth Ether made water ether turn to Ice, cooling down the night air.  The four Primal Forces were far more complex as they started to blend into the more advanced Higher Forces.  Having her senses open to it now was like seeing colors you never knew existed.

While they spoke, they worked.  Rhys had fashioned a part of Rainer’s bow into an atlatl.  It was nothing more than a forearm length shaft, cupped at the end to nestle a spear or dart.  Its shape allowed it to serve as a sling, while Rainer’s Ether Core attached to it provided additional power.  Rhys tried the weapon several times with and without the Core attached.  With it, he always managed to hit the target he was aiming for, with enough strength to bury an arrow shaft halfway in the side of the old elm tree he used as target practice.  Without the Core … well, Rhys proved he was better up close than from afar.

Astera, meanwhile, was tasked with crafting elixirs.  The herbs they had gathered from the Pure Lake proved fine material for making One-Year Elixirs.  Some even proved to be closer to Two-Year Elixirs, vital in replenishing their Ether in the heat of battle, especially for Rhys, who was less capable of keeping his Ether without a Core of his own and limited to only keeping Ten Years of Ether in his body at a time.

“Rainer was already messing with Dark Ether, you know.  His last attack hit me with poison.  If he’d been given the same kind of chance we were, who knows what he might have done.  He might have actually killed Daigo and taken over Fortem.  Something tells me he could have been worse.”  Daigo might have treated Fortem as his playground, but Rainer seemed the type to kill anyone who stood in his way.  The spirited would have suffered under him until only the downtrodden remained.

“You still need to figure out what you’re going to do for the rest of your Foundation.  Have you given thought to your body or eyes yet?”  In her previous life, she had used oils to give herself an Ether-Sensitive body, making it slightly easier for her to sense Ether in the air.  It had been a training tool that served no purpose once she knew how to do it on her own, a waste of a body transformation.  Her eyes, likewise, gave her the power to mark objects and never lose sight of them.  It was great for her job in a library but there were far more powerful options out there for her to consider.

“Atheria is home to a temple of Kaitos.  They say people who visit it can see versions of their future selves, even ask questions of them.  It’s hard to get into but I got a plan.  Maybe you’ll find the right path for you in there.”

"Married?!" Astera squeaked, then laughed and shook her head.  "No no no … adopted, yes," she corrected.  "I've never seen myself ever being married to anyone.  That's your thing after all."  She paused then, looking a bit apologetic.  She knew being away from Dyanna was difficult for him and with the way things were now, things could really get complicated.  "No, I've never figured anyone would want me.  Too clumsy and awkward," she added with a laugh, though she knew with the changes that she wasn't nearly so clumsy anymore.  She did still feel awkward, though, at least regarding relationships outside of family.

She fell silent for a while then, her focus fully on the elixirs.  She knew most of this by heart but she was always careful when making them.  If there was one thing she was known for, it was being quite precise in measuring ingredients.  Even when cooking or baking, she tended to be quite precise.  When he said Rainer had been messing with Dark Ether she grimaced and set the vial down.  "He was repulsive enough but hearing that makes me shudder," she replied.  "I don't doubt you're right about him being worse.  You did the world a favor by ridding it of him."  She was obviously still quite miffed that he had hurt the unicorn and her brother.

Then he switched the topic to changes she would make, just as she started to work on another elixir.  She hesitated and set it down, not wanting to mess up from being distracted.  "I … I'm really not sure," she admitted and looked at him with one of those little furrowed brow expressions that meant she was thinking really hard.  "There are so many possibilities, so many things I would like to do but I never thought I would ever be able to do them.  Now though," she said with a little wave down her body.  "Now some things don't seem impossible anymore.  Maybe if we can gain audience I'll be able to get on the right path."

Rhys grew distant when she mentioned that name.  Dyanna.  She’d never left his thoughts but to hear her name spoken … it hit him harder than he expected it to.  Of all the mistakes he made in his previous life, she was the one thing that he wouldn’t trade for anything.  “I’m still … trying to figure out what to say to her.  How can I make her fall in love with me all over again?”

Their relationship had begun far differently than it could this time.  She chose him after his Ether Core was damaged and his path made impossible to advance.  He couldn’t allow that to happen again, leading him to wonder what might need to change about their first encounter, especially if he wanted to move up the timetable.  Why wait to see her face again when he knew the exact day she would arrive in Atheria?

“If you find the right one, sis, you’ll know it.  It’s like … gravity.  You’ll be pulled toward them with every fiber of your soul.”  Rhys wasn’t much of a poet, but when he got to talking about Dyanna, it just came out of him without thinking.

It was another sign of what love could do.

“Come on, let’s get these potions finished.  The more Ether we have to back us up, the better.  You might be second Dawning now, but Daigo has been one longer.  We don’t know how much he can do.”  The Elixirs would restore their strength in battle.  Sometimes, it was the more prepared person who won, especially in a battle of attrition.

—-

They thought it better to return home sooner than planned.  Rainer not coming back to Daigo’s gang might have set off some red flags with his group.  Even if they knew things about the future, they were also affecting that with their own decisions.

They were proven right to do so.  Fortem already had one burning building in the distance.

Rhys took off into a run, speeding ahead.  With her Second Dawning, Astera did not lag behind as she once did.  She arrived only a few seconds behind him, finding the general store in flames, the villagers trying to douse it with water from the river.

“Well, you do work fast.”  Daigo stood, holding a torch in hand, flanked by the other dozen of his men who were still First Dawning.  Astera’s transformation hadn’t escaped his notice.  “From Awakening to Second dawning in less than a month.  That’s unheard of.  Now, I really want you for my woman.”

“She’s not interested,” Rhys said, muscles tensing.  They both knew a battle was coming but neither expected it this fast.

“I’m not exactly giving her the option.”  Daigo’s free hand waved his men forward, who scattered out and ran toward the siblings.  Rhys was ready with his first Iron Blow, striking one in the chest hard enough that he could transfer the force of the attack through the man and hit the one behind him with a wall of air.  The first one went down, the second knocked off his stride enough to let Rhys run in and unleash a flurry of pummels.

Sooner than predicted, the war of Fortem had begun.

Astera could see the effect on Rhys at the thought of Dyanna and hearing him talk about gravity and love, she could only reach out and touch his shoulder.  She wanted to comfort him but wasn't sure how.  She knew her love for him and her parents but no one else had ever touched her heart the way Dyanna had his.  Sometimes she was a little envious and deep down she never thought she would ever have anything like that, but as long as she at least had family and a few friends she would be okay.  "Right," she said when he focused back on the potions and gave him a soft smile.

---

As soon as they entered the village and saw one building on fire, Astera groaned.  "Crap!" she sputtered and pulled her new staff in preparation.  Rhys had worked with her but she knew people were a lot different than an unmoving tree.  Still it was Rainer's words that solidified her resolve.  "Ugh!  As if," she retorted when he said he had to have her as his woman, her nose wrinkling in distaste like she smelled something extremely rotten.  "I will always have a choice," she added as he gestured for his cronies to come after them.

Rhys faced off with a few but she kept her attention on those coming at her.  The staff whirred as she shifted into a fighting stance but before they reached her, she drew on the ether within her.  Two of the men were suddenly thrown against each other, one hitting his head hard enough to knock him out and drop him to the ground.  The other staggered into the path of another and their legs tangled, bringing them down at least for a moment.  One managed to get close enough and found that she did in fact know how to use it as a bone in his arm cracked from the impact and then the other end swept up to hit just hard enough to knock him out cold.

Astera had never been an aggressive soul.  The last time he had gotten in a fight with her, the extent of her attacks was limited.  She used her Sightless Grip to throw a potted plant at one guy's back, and her Push to shove a few around like they were in a schoolyard scuffle.  Now, she used her Grip for a greater purpose, slamming two men together like dolls being made to play fight by a toddler.

The combat staff proved even more powerful in the hands of a Second Dawning, shattering bone with ease.  If Astera were as trained in the Martial Arts as Ether Arts, she could have won this fight single-handed, he suspected.

Rhys used his Iron Blow to the fullest, striking through opponents to knock down multiple foes or keep down the biggest threats by making his strikes bounce through their bodies.  One of the larger foes would see a strike to his shoulder bounce around his ribs a few times, each reverberation feeling like a brand new hit in quick succession, Rhys’ gloves making each one feel like a piece of iron slamming at high speed.

When only Daigo remained, Rhys rushed him, delivering the best strike he could to the man’s chest.  It left Rhys recoiling, like a kid smacking a cliff face and expecting a better result.  Daigo’s Second Dawning Iron Body was too much for a First Dawning, no matter how close to a revelation, to damage.  Daigo had ingested iron shavings for weeks, months, to slowly introduce them to his body.  In the heat of a forge, that iron had bonded to his skin.  The grainy texture did not do justice to how dense his flesh truly was.

Rhys and Astera had no body enhancements yet, which put them at a disadvantage.

“You took down all my men.  I should commend your skill for that.”  His commendation was to draw out his weapon, a wide, curved blade at the end of a metal shaft.  The polearm had been sheathed on his back until now, waiting for a use.  “Still, you’ll find I’m worth more than twice all of my men put together.”

The blade glowed with the deep blues of Water Ether.  When he swung, it released crescents of water, flying like blades.  Rhys dodged one, leaving it to slice through the burning building behind him like an ax cleave.  The next swing was a horizontal one, aimed at abdomen height in the direction of Astera.

Astera didn't think about what she was doing, simply let the Ether flow through her as she fought against Daigo's men.  She knew if she hesitated it could be disastrous.  There was no time for being careful and pulling punches.  At least that had been her intent at the beginning.  Later she would think about how she'd shattered bones and could feel remorse but when Daigo pulled out the wicked polearm, she felt that moment of hesitation nab her.

The weapon cut through the building like it was butter, barely missing her brother.  It was a malicious attack and she realized almost too late that another was coming right at her.  She flung herself backward but felt the burning sensation along her abdomen.  Rolling to the side and leaping up, she saw her torn tunic and some blood spreading to stain the material.  He had meant to cut her in half and would keep trying, not only on her but Rhys and anyone who stood against him.

Her sadness from before changed within her and she felt a righteous fury pour through her.  She knew he had to be stopped and the only way was to kill him.  He had killed so many before, her mother included, and left a sweet child to be orphaned and live a life of pain and sorrow.  "No more, Daigo," she said in a whisper that still carried across the breeze to reach his ears.  Like she had done in the river, she used her Sightless Grip.  It wrapped around his spine at the neck, her intent to snap it and end his life as quickly and cleanly as possible.

Her Grip was strong and, unlike every other time she had ever used it before, she had every intention to do harm.  Ether energy and the performance of a technique were only one half of the equation, with Will being the other.  Willcrafting had forged the weapon from Rainer’s Core but Astera used it with every one of her Sightless techniques, imposing her Will on another.

Daigo had a Will of his own, and it was pushing back on her.

It looked as though he fought an invisible entity, lifted off the ground as a phantom hand held around the back of his neck.  He clenched his fists and Astera felt resistance, another Will pushing back on hers.  Daigo’s was the stronger Will, having been a Second dawning longer, having greater power and, critically, more confidence in his abilities.  Astera was starting to lose her grip.

That was when Rhys fired.

The Atlatl he made from Rainer’s bow shot true, burying an arrow in Daigo’s chest, burning with the purple hue of Dark Ether.  His Will began to slip.  “This can’t be … how it ends for me.”  Not at the hands of a couple of kids back from their first overnight in the Cultivation world.  Daigo drew on something deeper, the mixture of Light and Dark with Water Ether that came together into something more.

Blood Ether.

The Higher Forces were mixes of the Primal Forces, something that could only begin to be sensed at the Second Dawning.  Daigo had already been experimenting with a Higher Force, using his natural affinity for water to manipulate another liquid substance.  He forced out the poisonous Dark Ether from Rhys’ attack, blood oozing from the wound and solidifying over him like armor.

“I’ve … never had to go this far,” he said, voice deeper, more monstrous, as the blood continued to seep from him, transforming his human shape into something ghastly.  The solidifying blood made him look like a creature crafted from wax that had been left to melt, a massive human whose lower half had melded into a single appendage, only his gigantic arms to pull his body forward.

One arm raised and extended, slamming into Rhys and pinning him back against a nearby wall, sludge-like blood pouring over him, encasing him.  The Atlatl was destroyed, leaving only the marble that was Rainer’s Ether Core.  Its accuracy was counted on as he flicked it to Astera, finding her hand perfectly.

“Push it … with everything you got.  Aim for … here.”  Rhys’ Flawless eyes detected the weakest point of the enemy’s body, the exact location of his Ether Core.  His finger pointed straight at it, marking his sister’s target.

Rainer had no love for Daigo either.  His Will would be added to Astera’s own, two people who would have loved to see this blood monster dead at all cost.  Daigo had tampered with powers beyond his reach and become a monster.  If they didn’t stop him, he’d likely lose all sense of sanity.  The destruction of Fortem might be only the first of their worries then.

Rainer’s Core was the arrow.  Astera was the bow.  All she needed was to hit her target.

She had tried so hard to do this quickly and cleanly, to not make things agonizing.  Even though Daigo was a horrible person, she was not and it must have been that compassion in her that made it a bit easier for him to fight against her.  Astera felt the grip lessening and beads of sweat formed on her brow as she tried to exert her will more strongly.

Daigo spoke and she wondered if he too had come back like she and Rhys, but was surprised that they were actually trying to fight back this time.  There was no time to dwell on that for the moment, though, as he slammed Rhys against the wall.  Her brother was in mortal danger and she knew she had to do something quickly or Daigo would kill them.

Daigo wasn't really Daigo anymore.  He had become something mostrous, as if his outsides were finally matching his insides.  The marble flew through the air and Astera caught it easily, something that normally would have surprised her.  Normally she wouldn't have even caught it or would have fumbled and dropped it ... but not this time.

Her own Ether joined Rainer's and Rhys gave her the direction.  Along with her will, there was a desperate plea for all that was good and holy to help her strike true.  Not for her but for her brother and the people of this village.  Her palms closed over the marble then pulled away, the small sphere hovering and glowing ...

Then her eyes narrowed to where she only Saw the place Rhys indicated, the place that would end this immediately.  It streaked forward, the whistling sound growing into a scream of defiance and justice.  She didn't see it like anyone else would.  She Saw the power like a beam of purifying light that would cleanse the world of the darkness and evil that was Daigo.

Enveloped within her own Will, Astera could feel the faintest portion of its former owner inside.  Ambition and determination flowed from the marble, not the worst traits in the world to have.  If Rainer had been more willing to listen to compassion, he might have been an ally.  For one brief moment, however, he shared the same feeling as her, that Daigo had to go.

It was enough.

The Marble shot forward with a speed Astera had never seen, a direct path from her hand to Daigo's chest, plunging into the bloody carapace that had formed around the once-human.  It caved his chest inward and halted his movements.  What was left of Daigo's face still capable of expression looked ... dumbfounded.  Whatever he felt, he wasn't sure what to think of it.  That expression was frozen as his body began to break down, the sinister blood ether dispersing into mist, joining the atmosphere.  All that remained was his human body, now looking bathed in acid, a hole straight through his body where his heart had been.  No trace of his or Rainer's Ether Cores remained, having destroyed each other completely.

Rhys was freed from the monstrous arm when it vanished and he now stood as dumbstruck as Daigo had looked.  In all their previous years, they'd never seen anything like that.  It was a warning if ever there was one; don't let power consume you, lest you become a monster as Daigo did.

"We -- You did it."  Rhys looked at his sister.  This was her victory as far as he was concerned.  Rhys might have helped but the true blow was dealt by her.  She had saved Fortem and everyone in it.


A few hours later, the village had been gathered.  There were no casualties in the fire, only things lost that could eventually be replaced.  An impromptu town meeting began in the square, all about how to avoid the next Daigo moving in and laying claim to their home.  Little Eledy clutched onto Astera's side, in awe of the older girl and studying her every minute motion.  Her father Ereden and the old Trader Henn stood together, offering what they could to help rebuild.

"I'll hand-forge every nail that goes in every piece of wood this town needs.  It's the least I can do after Rhys and Astera saved us all today," Ereden said, back as straight as he dared make it.  Somewhere in him was a shame he could not fight.  He was an Ethereal Artist and yet he did nothing to help.  He was a blacksmith, not a fighter, yet Rhys tried his hand at both.

"I'll call in every favor I have to help replace any essentials anyone lost and to stock up the food stores until; the fields start producing again," Henn added.  The whole town offered their own concessions, from places for others to stay to more time in the woods foraging and hunting.  They were a giant family, not a bunch of people out for themselves.

"What you all truly need is Artists to protect you," Rhys said, fists clenched tight.  He knew he had to say it, but it didn't make it easy.  "Daigo controlled this town because there was no one who was strong enough or cared enough to save us.  Fortem is beneath the attention of a benevolent Lord who will take it as his territory and no life-long Artist can grow beyond the Second Dawning here.  If more of you reached that point, you'd have a group of protectors.  The Pure Lake is rich with supplies that mother can turn into Elixirs, not to mention the fish in the lake that can offer strength to the peak of First Dawning."

"The two of you aren't staying ... are you?"  Their mother spoke, and Rhys felt the tug in his heart.  They'd never spoken the words to her.  Yes, they could have protected Fortem but they could never grow here.  Rhys master plan, his Ether Core, his Path ... Dyanna, all waited for him in Atheria.  They had time to help them all get started but had to be on the road before the next season's change.

Their mother looked at Astera, knowing her to bethe most honest of her children.  She wanted to hear it from the lips of her baby girl.

For one moment Astera felt a rush as the power gathered and burst forth but when the marble struck true, and she saw the look on Daigo's face, she felt as if everything drained from her.  She had hunted a little and certainly fished, but this was killing of a different sort.  The monster began to dissolve and what was left was a mangled body.  Her eyes went wide with what she had done and just as Rhys said they, no SHE, had done it she couldn't stop the bile that rose in her throat.  She turned and bent over, losing the contents of her stomach onto the ground.  It took her a moment and there were a few tears that trailed down her cheeks, but Rhys help her get past the moment.  Something told her this would not be the last time she would have to do something like this.


Her composure was back as the villagers gathered later and she was rather glad for little Eledy clinging to her.  She had changed her clothes and made sure the thin line along her abdomen had been bandaged and wouldn't leak.  It stun a little but not too much.  Perhaps she would try a potion or something later to help it heal quicker but right now there were other things that needed tending.  Plans were being made to replace equipment and food, something she knew they would all pitch in to help everyone.  That was the one thing she always loved about her home.  They always did their best to take care of each other.

Rhys chimed in with his thoughts on the matter and though she felt a tightening in her chest, she nodded in agreement.  They did need people who could protect them as well as teach those in lesser Dawnings.  She knew it in her heart but she heard the hesitancy in her mother's question and it made it so hard to look her mother in the eyes, knowing her answer was going to hurt her.  "There's so much more we need to learn, things that just aren't here … I'm sorry Momma," she whispered the last and felt the tears stinging her eyes.  "It won't be for a few days though.  We will do all we can to help here."

“I should have known it was coming.  Ever since you two awakened … this town hasn’t been big enough for you.”  It was neither insult nor guilt that made their mother speak those words.  She acknowledged that they were different, in ways she could not begin to understand.  Their mission, their years of experience in their previous life, all came together to make Fortem a place they could never truly feel at home.  It was obvious for Rhys but for Astera, it grew more apparent every day.

The few days that Astera spoke of turned into a deadline of one month, enough time to get their community in a good place.  They provided instruction and training to those who sought it, taking on the first students they had ever known.  Elixir components were harvested at the Pure lake, with their most promising being shown were to find it.  Even little Eledy joined in, though she learned little more than how to sense Ether, in preparation for when she was old enough to truly begin.

It wasn’t a lot of time but it would get them started, help them find their own paths, and, maybe with some help from Henn’s contacts, they could find manuals that helped them learn what kind of Artist they wanted to be.  The time helped Fortem to prepare for life without the Stalos siblings but did quite the opposite for Rhys and Astera.

On the day they were to depart, even Rhys had to admit it was like tearing off a limb to leave.  “I thought this would be easier,” he said, putting everything he needed into a single pack.  “Last time we left, there wasn’t a Fortem to say goodbye.  I didn’t really think of it as home anymore.”

This time, the houses still stood, their mother was still alive, and taking the next horse cart out of town didn’t feel like a new beginning.  They were giving something up, even if it was for the greater good.

“I guess I figured you would be the one needing convincing when the time came.  Who’d have thought I’d be second-guessing our plan?”

Even though there was no insult or guilt in her mother's words, Astera couldn't help feeling guilty.  She loved her mother dearly but it was true that she had basically outgrown their iltte village.  There was an urgency deep inside of her, though she knew not why she felt that way, and she also knew that she had to leave to learn more.

She threw herself into helping the village prepare and most especially she worked with Eledy.  There was a deeply maternal instinct within her already but it grew more as she worked with the child on sensing ether.  More than anything, she wanted the girl to be able to take care of herself and she did her best to encourage her to learn not only her chores but other ways to ensure she would survive and hopefully not be traumatized like she was in the other life.

The day arrived that she both dreaded and looked forward to, the tears in her eyes shining as she bid farewell to their mother.  She hefted her pack over a shoulder and nodded to her brother that she was as ready as possible.  There was a bittersweet smile when he spoke and when she spoke, her voice was softer than usual.  "To be able to truly help them, I have to do more.  I'm just thankful that this time they are as safe and prepared as they are."

She sat on the cart, legs dangling over the edge, watching their village grow smaller and smaller.  It wasn't until she couldn't see anything of it before she spoke again.  "There is so much to do and it's hard to know exactly where to start but I'm pretty sure I know where you'll start," she said with a lightly teasing smile.  She knew that even though he was second-guessing some things, Dyanna was not one of them.