Chương 516: AF Chapter 515 - Epilogue 1: Ispar

The Gate opened up in a swirl of magic that cut across the dimensions by slicing through higher space, easing open a way to a land that called out to me, for it was the land of the physical birth of my body. Without any hesitation, I hefted the backpack on my shoulder and stepped on through.

The Pyramid on the other side was small, made of smaller blocks and only ten tiers high, without all of the masterful Shaping typical of my own work. Still, those who had worked on it had followed the designs I had presented to them to the letter, and I had narrowed in on it and found the anchor-point with very little problem. The Pyramid hummed in acknowledgment of me being a Maker of such things, also proving that it was indeed a Pyramid, even if of lesser Quality.

There were about a dozen people there to meet me, but the Ranthas and Briggs taking center stage naturally drew the most of my attention. Their resemblance to the two I knew on Dereth was unmistakable, although the skin tones and eye colors were different. There was no mistaking that scarring on the side of the faces of the women, or the sheer size and power of the Ancients standing next to their Hags.

"Emperor Briggs, Empress Sama," I greeted the two pale-skinned neo-Aluvians, doing a proper court curtsy sans skirts. Emperor Briggs had sandy brown hair, deep violet eyes, and a ruddy tan, while Empress Sama was as blonde as a northern goddess and as blue-eyed as the high heavens.

Both swirled with the Auras of those who ruled others in a massive Allegiance, one that stretched across nations and states, families and clans, heading up the greatest nation on this world and attempting to move it towards a better future.

"Lady Magos Shamira al-Ryinth," Sama greeted me warmly, quickly stepping forward to lift me back upright.

"No more bowing to me or any of us, after everything you've done with our daughter, and especially with your purpose here." Her blue eyes twinkled with burgeoning excitement.

"Do you have what you spoke of?" I shrugged off the backpack, flicked up a Disk to put it on, and withdrew three tomes, one by one, to hand to her.

"These are all the names that we could find, and dates and times of death as appropriate. If they've new children or other descendants, those are also so noted.

"Please contact their kin and let them know the fate of those now on Dereth." The empress nodded calmly, taking the tomes and handing them off to a scribe waiting to receive them. The man waved up his own Disk, turning and heading down the Pyramid toward the capital city of Roulea a short distance away. I brought out several more parcels and packs, while everyone there restrained themselves from crowding around to get a first and closer look at everything.

"Copies of the Rubies for the Crimson Silifi of Stars, including the one unique to Dereth." I handed over a box of milk-white jade.

"I am sure the Amir will value the strengthening of his ancestral Weapon," Emperor Briggs told me somberly as he accepted it. Two goldweight bars of Chorozite. An I temized Scroll of fifty goldweight of pyreal, for use in their smithing. Most of the techniques for forging pyreal had already been passed over, but I had written copies to be on the safe side.

"Your Grace." I took a sealed brazier from the pack, and lotused it open. The flame within was gentle and subdued, missing much of the great power it held back on Dereth. Still, it was The Lost Light, there was no mistaking it for anything but the Celestial Object it was. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

The jars of Fire Essence in all four colors glittered about it as I held it out to the Grandmaster of the Knights of the Golden Flame, the Aluvian-based Order here whose membership had been recently increased and widened to all the lands of the Isparian Empire. The older man's eyes were wide as he received the Celestial Light, knowing that this was a gift that was going to change his entire Order forever.

"I thank you, Lady Magos," he bowed slightly, clutching the treasure in his arms.

"The flames I have given you will only help it survive when you settle it into a proper Font," I informed him calmly.

"You must feed it with the essence of the Fires of Ispar, seeking them out and bringing them to the Lost Light to enable it to grow. Feed it with valor, good deeds, and faith, and it will grow and empower your knighthood to greatness." Swirling motes of Lost Light, like leashed stars of the heavens, woke up around Crown and spun happily about it, declaring their faith and belief in me as I did in them.

"We have already begun planning such quests, Lady Magos!" he assured me fervently. I bowed formally to him, and then turned back to my Disk to raise another folio.

"This holds Itemized samples of smithcraft made with Empyrean techniques for your perusal, including the Imbued Weapon effects."

"James," Emperor Briggs nodded. I held it out to the reddish-haired son, who stepped forward to receive it eagerly in his massive callused hands. A wooden coffer was next.

"This will require a place of great natural power to grow. This is a seed from a Deru Tree, which I do not believe exist upon Ispar." Sama accepted it, passing it off to her eldest daughter Morgan.

"I have a place in mind for it already, Magos!" Kris' older sister said cheerfully, tucking it away. My last gift here was a pair of large metallic eggs, glittering with crystalline veins. I held them up calmly.

"Gromnatross eggs, or dragons, you might say. The main issue with them is they are born savage and ferocious, and it takes a good fifty years for them to grow out of it, although they can start breeding long before then. It takes nearly a century for them to reach adulthood, grow their wings, and embrace true reason, but once they do, they are considered among the wisest and most sensible of sapient beings."

"Dragons, huh," Empress Sama shook her head.

"Arthur, they are yours to care for. No doubt we will have to build a preserve for them." The second son accepted the eggs with an eager light in his eye. Kris had told me his Natural Smithing Talent had been replaced by Soul of the Beasts, and he was a magnificent trainer of animals of all sorts, including even the cranky ursuins. I opened my hands, and looked past the Imperials, where a whole herd of young horses was gathered and waiting.

"So, who am I taking?" I asked calmly.

"For today, just us," Emperor Briggs stated calmly, indicating himself and his wife.

"When we return, we will alternate with our children, and once we have everything worked out properly, we will begin exchanging soldiers to work in the training Dungeons Kris has spoken about. The reliance on one person's high-Valence magic means we can't risk more than a fraction of our strength at any time, of course."

"Of course! The Gate is still open, and we can depart immediately." Everyone looked at the swirling nexus of dimensional energies behind me, the Emperor and Empress clearly expectant. They were about to go on their first real vacation ever, on another world!

"I am so looking forward to comparing Hammers with my son-in-law!" Emperor Briggs chortled, turning around and waving his arm. The small crowd of his children and attendants parted to allow the horses to be driven up the steps towards the Gate.

"He is looking forwards to meeting you as well, sir!" I assured him, leading the way back through to Dereth. I was followed by the Emperor and Empress of Ispar, off to enjoy themselves for a week, and the first horses to arrive on Dereth, all of them bearing packs full of stuff from Ispar that might be useful on Dereth, including quite a few cases of wine, and a whole lot of seeds and cuttings that could be grown in the magically-healthy climate there.

============ Immigration from Ispar is slow and erratic, as there's plenty for normal people to do on Ispar under the Empire of Briggs and Sama there, and the fantastic items and lore coming from Dereth are making changes there, as well. The primary people emigrating to Dereth when permitted end up being Viamontians, who are looked down on in the Empire for their past sins, and the House of Bellenesse being part of the ruling council on Dereth draws in many young Viamontians yearning for some of their old glory.

Of course, they immediately get drafted into rebuilding and replanting the Hlaetian Islands, undoing the sins of their ancestors square mile by mile, feeding Eater hordes back to the Land, a lesson that sinks in deeply. However, the siren call of the Dungeons and the endless 'wealth' of the golum spawns and Elemental Fields mean that agents and soldiers of the Isparian Empire, including the Imperial Family, are frequent visitors to the island for purposes of upgrading both themselves and their Named Gear.