The Storm King

Leon stared in awe at the scene around him. Points of light all hovering in stasis around one central point, brighter than all the rest. Millions upon millions of them, so many that he couldn’t even begin to count, stretching all over his Mind Palace and beyond.

The universe as it was the last time the navigational wisp had been updated—that was what Leon was looking at—or rather, a projection of it, lacking much in the way of details. The wisp didn’t store any maps of these countless planes, but merely their positions to allow its assigned ark to navigate the Void with ease.

Given the sheer scale of what he was looking at, Leon understood the need for such a dedicated wisp. Keeping track of all of this seemed like a nightmarish task, and one that he could barely comprehend tackling.

After learning of just what Nestor had managed to get out of the supercarrier, he’d directed Leon in creating this simple projection enchantment for the wisp to utilize. It was simple, merely representing each plane known to the wisp as little more than a bead of light floating in the air.

While the air around Leon’s Mind Palace and for thousands of feet beyond filled was filled with so many beads of light, the Nexus was still easily identifiable. It was by far the brightest of all the points and lay in the exact center of the projected universal map.

Perhaps more interesting to Leon was the tiny cluster of lights so close to the Nexus that they were almost lost in its halo. They numbered twelve in total and were by a relatively wide margin the closest planes to the Nexus.

“So close, yet so far,” Leon murmured as he hovered next to the Nexus and gave it a good inspection. The Divine Graveyard was only a couple of inches away from the Nexus on this map projection.

Floating beside him, carried on a cushion of his power, was Nestor’s broken golem body. “That amounts to a distance of some fifteen trillion miles,” he said.

“Trillion?” Leon breathed. He could barely fathom getting something the size of the supercarrier to move at all, let alone move so far, and even then, it was only from the Divine Graveyard to the Nexus. On a universal scale, his Clan had moved a titanic fleet much, much further than that, and did so on a regular basis.

“Yes, boy, trillion,” Nestor bragged. “Understanding just a little bit better how much further you have to go?”

“Just a little bit,” Leon said, smiling despite himself. Such power… would be his, that much wasn’t at all in doubt in his mind. It only remained to be seen how much longer it would take to get there. At the very least, it seemed that he’d be able to fly through the Void under his own power once he achieved Apotheosis, but traveling so far and so fast, even in such a relatively clustered universal neighborhood blew his mind more than a little. “It seems incredible. Literally, without credibility. Such difference between what can be accomplished by tenth-tier mages and those who’ve achieved Apotheosis…”

“It’s quite the dramatic change,” Nestor said, his tone softening with nostalgia. “On a human scale, a tenth-tier mage is still within the realm of mortality, even if they’re just about to pass beyond the clouds of the heavens. Their power, as potent as it can be, as catastrophic as it can be, is still understandable by a human. By the time one reaches Apotheosis and moves beyond mere magic, the power they can command is unlike anything they would’ve experienced before. The power to bend the universe as they see fit, making great distances short, and imposing their will upon reality.”

“That sounds… hard to believe.”

“Make no mistake, Leon, post-Apotheosis mages are hardly all-powerful, and reality especially dislikes being treated poorly, but once you condense an Origin Spark within you, you will be able to do things you never thought possible, and the true extent of your powers will become that much clearer to you.”

“’Origin Spark’,” Leon repeated, hearing the capital letters in Nestor’s explanation. “That term sounds familiar…”

“I and our Ancestor have undoubtedly used it in the past.”

“… And haven’t explained it all that much.”

“It hasn’t been relevant to you. It still isn’t quite relevant to what you need to do, but I suppose I can explain it if you so desperately want me to.”

“We’re not going to get very far if you two keep many secrets, you know. What if something were to happen to you both and I were left on my own, without your guidance?”

“Our Clan would end, no doubt about that. I wouldn’t trust you to find your way out of a corridor, honestly. You’d probably smash it to pieces in frustration, despite having doors on either side of you right there…”

Leon took a deep, steadying breath, forcing himself not to rise to Nestor’s provocation.

He failed, remaining silent but dropping Nestor’s already broken body back down to the ground of his soul realm. It was damaged, but it was still made of the finest materials that Elise could provide Nestor in only a few months. The dead man was fine, as Leon confirmed after taking one last look at the map and floating down himself.

“Struck a nerve, did I?” Nestor asked, sounding smug and unapologetic despite what Leon had just done.

“You certainly managed to annoy me, if that’s what you mean.”

“How about instead of displaying how sharp your tongue is, you explain in no uncertain terms what an ‘Origin Spark’ is?”

“It is, in short, magic power that has been condensed so far it returns to its Primal state. The core of the Nexus is a gargantuan Origin Spark, and all magic in the universe that wasn’t produced within a body comes from it, as runoff from its cosmic power. When enough magic power is condensed within a soul realm, a new Origin Spark is ignited within a mage, ascending them to divinity, giving them access to the original powers of creation that forged this universe, as the name might imply.”

Leon stared at Nestor’s broken form, his face blank, unsure what exactly he ought to make of what Nestor had just told him. “That… I have so many more questions…”

“We can cover them later when they’re more relevant. But for now, just know that the process of Apotheosis isn’t contemplating the mysteries of the universe or anything like that. You don’t need to achieve some kind of enlightenment or have a grand realization of the nature of existence. You need only to ignite an Origin Spark. Doing so will give you access to origin power, which will allow you some limited power over the universe that’s a little more potent than magic. It’s this power that properly animates a wisp. You’ll see when you’re older—assuming you even get there.”

As Nestor’s words settled into Leon’s mind, he had to fight to keep his mouth shut, lest he drool all over his clothes. The scope of what Nestor had just told him was large, and while he assumed that a fresh post-Apotheosis mage’s power over this ‘origin power’ might be significantly more limited than an older post-Apotheosis mage at their peak, he had to assume that a fresh post-Apotheosis mage could still perform wonders he could only dream of now.

“Leon,” Nestor sternly stated, interrupting his thoughts, “we can discuss this later. For now, how about you put me down and start planning on how to build me a new body?”

“I’ll put you down,” Leon said as he floated them gently down back to the ground, “but instead of planning out your rebuilding, I’d like a geography lesson. Minos, Tiryns, Kypros, where are they on this map? What were our Clan’s borders? All I’m seeing here are lights, how am I to get any useful information from this map if I can’t identify anything?”

Despite grumbling for a couple seconds, Nestor did start walking Leon through the universal geography as he remembered it. Since there were millions of planes, however, and the political situation of the Thunderbird’s Clan, its many vassals, its tributaries, and its allies, denoting borders was much, much harder to do. But Leon got the general gist of how far-flung his Clan once was.

As the Clan of an Elemental King, he might’ve expected his Clan to rule over at least a seventh of the universe, but in truth, most planes were simply not inhabited—at least, not by life that could be considered human or intelligent. There were plenty of barren planar clusters and plenty more that were under some kind of protection almost as wildlife sanctuaries, where life was allowed to flourish under its own terms.

In short, the Thunderbird Clan had direct or indirect rule over about a twelfth of the map currently projected—a staggering number of planes, to be sure, but less than what Leon had expected.

Making matters far more complicated, however, was when Xaphan rather indignantly mentioned that the realm of the demons wasn’t on the map, and Nestor begrudgingly stated that the map was incomplete, only showing what was in essence, the ‘realm of man’. There were even more planes off the edges of the projected map, and the Elemental Planes even further beyond. Beyond even those, not even Nestor knew—though Xaphan claimed nothing lay beyond the Elemental Planes, just the wide, empty Void, bereft of even the most basic forms of life.

Leon came away from that discussion feeling fairly well enriched—though he was certainly going to be bringing up the matter of Origin Sparks later with Nestor, Xaphan, and the Thunderbird, for now, he was content with what Nester had told him. He was just a little bit more preoccupied with now having some general idea of the direction he had to go to secure his Clan’s legitimacy. Seizing Minor and Tiryns—his Clan’s symbolic capital outside of their palaces in the Nexus, and their most powerful fortress plane—would be coups that would firmly establish him and his as the heirs of the Thunderbird and the inheritor of her will, and the wills of all the Storm Kings who’d come before.

Seizing Kypros, however, would firmly establish himself as the next Storm King—the richest plane in their vast multiplanar Empire, and the one most fought over in the wake of his Clan’s downfall if Justin could be believed. Such a rich addition to his pool of resources, in his mind, would prove to all the universe that the Thunderbird Clan was back, and ready to reclaim its ancient powers.

For now, though, he had to deal with a few Empires and the remnants of his Clan’s vassals still here. They seemed almost like petty concerns after the talk he and Nestor had just had, but he forced his perspective back from the universal scale. He’d get there eventually, but he could only fly through one storm at a time.

---

After more than a week spent in the Sacred Golden Empire, Leon was ready to return home. The Grand Druid had had to call him back out to the supercarrier a few times since they’d first entered the wreck, and Leon had had to endure some condescension from Stephanos in those times, but otherwise, he was largely left on his own. Cassandra stopped by thrice more for sparring and to chat for a few hours after, but though they’d said much to each other, little of value had been passed along.

Now, it seemed that Leon wasn’t needed in Evergold, so he decided to leave the following morning, despite both the Grand Druid and Cassandra inviting him and his people to stay a little while longer. While he was tempted—mostly by the latter’s invitation, spoken softly and with a look that promised much, if only he stayed—he wanted to get back home. He’d spoken with Elise often during these days, so he’d known almost when she did that a message from Anshu had just come in of great importance.

But more than that, he just wanted to be home for a while. He enjoyed the aesthetics of the Sacred Golden Empire, but it couldn’t hold a candle to the villa he considered to be his home.

He had to make sure that everyone else felt that way, though. Valeria, Maia, Gaius, and Nestor were more than happy to get home. Helen and Anna, however, Leon was about to check in with.

Heading over there not long after dinner with his whole retinue, he was shown in by a surprised Helen. His conversation with Helen and Anna was short but productive enough. They both seemed more relaxed, and Anna in particular looked much happier, having spent much of her time off reconnecting with old family friends who still remembered their parents fondly.

But like everyone else, they were eager to return home. Helen had a great deal of work to get back to, and Leon suspected if he told them he was going to stay a little longer, even if he name-dropped Cassandra or the Grand Druid, Helen would’ve been frothing at the mouth in anger.

Leon could understand, having a few pies in the oven that he was waiting for updates on, so to speak.

So, the following morning, Leon and his retainers were escorted back to Occulara by the Grand Druid, who left immediately after dropping him and his off, returning to her Empire without even setting foot off her personal ark.

Given what Elise was waiting with, Leon was glad the Grand Druid didn’t stick around.

---

A frown deeply etched itself into Leon’s face as he read and re-read the letter in his hand. It was short and succinct, as was Anshu’s usual style for these sorts of things, even when writing in code, but it was still quite concerning.

The man had finally managed to get into regular contact with some Sky Devils. More concerningly, there was a plan being hatched to smuggle a few of them to the mainland, though Anshu wasn’t yet sure what they wanted on the main continent.

The Indradian was just waiting on Leon’s go-ahead to proceed with the plan, and Leon had to admit that he was conflicted.

“We don’t know what they’re trying to come here for,” Elise said, her voice tremendously concerned. “We don’t want to be responsible for the sacking of another city, which might be in the works. Even if something of that level is prevented, we’d be burned if we’re at all connected to bringing Sky Devils across the Veins of Vigilance.”

“We don’t have to do anything,” Valeria insisted. “Just talking to them should be enough.”

“Humans need more,” Maia argued. “There will be no dialogue if one side doesn’t think they’re getting what they want.”

“Is getting Leon in contact with them not what they want?” Valeria asked.

“No one can say,” Elise replied. “That Jaguar’s reaction to Leon’s power aside, we still don’t know anything about their internal politics. We haven’t heard so much as a meow from the Jaguar since he retreated from Argos. Maybe he was executed upon returning to their lands? Can we trust anyone other than him? Is the man himself even trustworthy?”

Leon sighed as he scanned the letter again before turning his eyes upward to regard his family. Elise, Maia, Valeria, and Anzu were all with him in one of his private sitting rooms, discussing the possibility of finally getting some contact with the Sky Devils, thanks to Anshu’s efforts. Of all of them, however, Anzu was the only quiet one, as the griffin seemed barely able to stay awake despite the disagreement, his blood-red eyes drooping even as he curled up in front of the hearth, his large wings mostly blocking out the light from the fire lit there.

“The Jaguar seemed an honorable sort,” Leon said. “Honorable enough, anyway. If he were to reach out, I’d respond. Were it anyone else, I’d hesitate. Probably even refuse. But we still need some kind of contact within the Sky Devils. I’m inclined to tell Anshu to go with them. He’s not working alone, anyway.”

“That hardly makes it better,” Elise protested. “Working with smugglers and pirates is…”

“Necessary,” Leon finished. “Detestable, sure, but in this one case, necessary. We’re not going to be getting in contact with the Sky Devils through legitimate means. So that only leaves the illegitimate ones. And who knows when, or even if Anshu might get in contact with the Sky Devils again? This is an opportunity that can’t be wasted.”

Elise sighed and leaned back in her chair. “If you think this is the way to go, husband, then I’ll support you. I trust your judgment.”

Leon smiled, though he had to resist the urge to make some self-deprecating joke at her statement. And then, he began composing his response.

---

Anshu stared out across the dark bay. He was far to the south of the Empires, along the coast of the Pegasi States.

For the most part, the Pegasi States were flat along the coast, so there weren’t any coves tucked away in mountains or hills to hide in. There were, however, a few forests and swamps that could, and often were, used by smugglers to move cargo into and out of the region. That the areas were often patrolled by Imperial and Pegasi ships didn’t matter since few ships actually stayed too long. Only long enough to load or unload cargo.

In this case, Anshu and his colleagues weren’t waiting for any shipments of contraband, but rather a small party of people who were entirely unwelcome on Aeterna’s shores.

But Anshu, and the hundred or so people he was working with, including the sixth-tier pirate who was at least nominally in charge of the entire operation, were willing to work with the Sky Devils, in exchange for a hefty payment. They just had to meet with the Sky Devil party, escort them further inland, and provide them with some needed resources, such as a guide and local clothing.

They hadn’t had to wait on the shore for long when a huge beast emerged from the water, startling the entire force of assembled and mostly-hidden pirates. The creature appeared to be some kind of massive eel, with pale white scales and cloudy white eyes, each eye larger than Anshu was tall.

It was clearly uncomfortable being above the surface, and not just in a psychological way, but it lingered only long enough for half a dozen figures clinging to its back to jump off and land among the trees of the shore. The enormous eel then turned around and dove back beneath the sea, disappearing so quickly and with such speed and grace that it hardly seemed like it had been there at all.

Anshu, however, kept his eyes firmly locked upon the Sky Devil party that had just made landfall, and on the man who seemed their leader. He radiated power and authority and cut quite a distinctive figure with his pale yellow skin covered in black moles and spots. Somehow, despite this, he was still possessed of handsome looks, but Anshu registered almost none of that, as the man’s aura was so great that it towered above even his.

Any further observations had to be cut short, however, as speeding around a small tree-covered island several miles off the coast was a large Sunlit warship, and it was quite clearly turning unerringly in their direction.