Chương 241: Elevenfold Unity

Seeing the lands beneath as well as the clouds around them blur past with a speed hitherto unparalleled during Kite's adventuring career while he himself barely felt a breeze of what should have been roaring winds, he once again found a reason to take a long look and appreciate his life and all the wonders it contained.

Even the aches of his rigid, crystallized arm - previously hidden beneath his cloak during their emergence from the Jade-Sky gate - didn't seem to register beneath the experience, and from the feel Kite got from his companions where they knelt along the multichromatic metal back of Gleam, they shared the sentiment.

Given their numbers, the construct couldn't offer them the comfort of the small cabin in her interior, but her magic made the flight at an insane speed surprisingly comfortable as a barrier around her kept away the wind as well as the other forces which should have threatened to throw them off. It wasn't Gleam's top speed of course, and for that Kite was thankful, because the time to process and meditate upon their venture inside the gate and its conclusion surely did not hurt.

"I… Is this what it's been like for you after the past two gates?" Dragonfly asked from where she sat close to his side, sounding a bit dazed.

"People waiting outside and shouting all kinds of things before being swept away by something even more spectacular? Heavens, it feels like a bizarre series of events. I had barely recovered from that 'final forging', and now all this. Gods, it feels like my insides are one big, sore bruise."

"As for the forging, it… it's intense," Kite admitted.

"I honestly thought it would be easier with time, but it seems like the gates keep surpassing themselves. And in this case, I even believe that we shared parts of the strain."

"So you mean that this was the less intense experience? Gods, no wonder one of your racial gifts evolved after the first time…" Kite chuckled at that, kissing the top of Dragonfly's head before he continued.

"As for the experiences when emerging from the gates… Well, facing the two angry silver-rankers the last time honestly felt a lot more relaxing. That was just some local nobility after all. The first time and now this? Having a diamond-ranked construct descend to intervene is quite the experience. And now it has happened twice, which I suppose is quite out of the ordinary."

"Well, in case you started feeling complacent, we are apparently also on our way to see the Queen. The Queen. Soaring Soul, the Queen of Jade and Sky. The woman who basically revived our kingdom before wandering off to seek the heavens beyond this world."

"I will admit that that particular detail does feel novel."

"Heh. Novel. Sure, let us call it that," Dragonfly retorted.

"I'm so excited, exhausted and nervous at the same time that I think I might throw up. And I should barely be able to anymore."

"Regretting your choice of intended and the life he leads?" Kite asked with a teasing smile, only to get a proper kiss in return.

"As if! We're adventurers, Kite. And what have these last few days been if not just that? We made it through, caught some enemies for answers, endured plenty of tempering and received some impressive treasures at the end. And while I do have a distinct preference for you wearing nothing -," she said, reaching up to knock at Kite's breastplate with the back of her hand, "- this new addition does come as a close second." Looking down at the new suit of armor that covered his body, Kite couldn't help but agree.

The officiator of this last trial had apparently decided that it would truly put the additional materials it received from absorbing the other orb to good use. WWJS: [Item] Elevenfold Unity Regalia Heavy armor Silver rank - (Growth) Legendary Soulbound Eleven paths acted in unison, their direction forged in purpose shared. Eleven paths were tempered, their growing unity holding firm. Eleven paths stood victorious, bonded through trial and experience both.

One fulcrum orbited by pieces ten, their unification bringing power no matter what might follow. [Effect] At will, the wearer can sense the direction and rough indication of distance to each currently worn Elevenfold Unity Band. [Effect] At will, the wearer of the Regalia may have it change shape into an armband similar in shape to the Elevenfold Unity Bands.

[Effect] The wearer and anyone wearing an Elevenfold Unity Band may choose to share the effects of a single boon or similar ongoing positive effect among the other wearers as long as they are within close enough proximity. The shared effects are reduced, and any stacking effects shared suffer drastic diminishing returns. Only one such effect may be used by each among the Elevenfold Unity at a given time, and the cooldown for switching effects is 1 minute.

The wearer of this regalia also suffers less reduction to the shared effects, and may receive them over any distance. [Effect] For an ongoing cost of moderate mana, the wearer may gain an ongoing increase to one attribute of their choice. Once the wearer stops channeling this effect, it may not be used again for 1 hour. The ongoing cost of this effect is reduced for each member of the Elevenfold Unity within range. This effect has increased range for the wearer of the regalia.

[Effect] Self repair, which may be further sped up by paying an ongoing mana cost. The suit of armor seemed to be made from the same material as all the other prizes which Kite had received after finishing a gate; pale, odd metal that seemed a tad more real than the world around it somehow.

Like his staff, it had a conflicting mix of lightness and durability that Kite had greatly appreciated when first putting on the suit of articulated plate, each joint so finely reinforced that the moving parts seemed almost made of liquid metal.

It bore no filigree or other such embellishments except where the metal was woven into a few decorative knots and tassels that - along with the lengths of scale which hung down to further protect the legs - came together into a cohesive silhouette that still reminded one of traditional Hua-Xi robes.

"I will have to agree with you there, dearest," Kite replied.

"Our officiator truly went above and beyond, both in theme and utility. The spellplate was a fine suit of armor, but this… This feels like it's from another realm. The shapechanging enchantments let me put it on easily even with my arm in such a state. And just imagine the surprise of a foe who thinks they have caught me unarmored.

Honestly, I actually feel rather self-conscious about it, given that what the rest of you received might seem a paltry comparison at first glance," he finished, reaching out to poke at the wide armband which was clasped around his intended's wrist. WWJS: [Item] Elevenfold Unity Band Bracelet Silver rank - (Growth) Legendary Soulbound [Effect] At will, the wearer can sense the direction and rough indication of distance to each currently worn Elevenfold Unity Band and the Elevenfold Unity Regalia.

[Effect] The wearer and anyone wearing an Elevenfold Unity Band or Regalia may choose to share the effects of a single boon or similar ongoing positive effect among the other wearers as long as they are within close enough proximity. The shared effects are reduced, and any stacking effects shared suffer drastic diminishing returns. Only one such effect may be used by each among the Elevenfold Unity at a given time, and the cooldown for switching effects is 1 minute.

[Effect] For an ongoing cost of moderate mana, the wearer may gain an ongoing increase to one attribute of their choice. Once the wearer stops channeling this effect, it may not be used again for 1 hour. The ongoing cost of this effect is reduced for each member of the Elevenfold Unity within range. [Effect] Self repair, which may be further sped up by paying an ongoing mana cost. [Effect] Will adjust and adapt to fit the wearer if they change their physical form.

"What? That we mere 'minions' got bracelets compared to your plate armor?" Dragonfly replied with mock hurt.

"And here we thought that you valued us as equals. Woe unto us, such a cruel fate for our paths to be overshadowed in such a way."

"It seems that you've spent too much time around Wander lately," Kite remarked at her theatrics, trying to keep the amusement from his voice.

"It's not like it's easy to not be near her, so you might be correct in that regard," Dragonfly replied, giving the rat innocuously seated at Kite's shoulder a long look as the little rodent made a show of looking everywhere but back at her.

"But as to the bracelet… Kite, given the enchantments on this thing, I can honestly say that anyone complaining would be a fool. It was your token to begin with that allowed us to get in there. And besides, I really like my current armor too, so it would have been a shame to have to swap it out. It's also a nifty way to keep track of you. Even though I do think that you can take it off now. We're quite far away from prying eyes" she finished with a wink.

Kite smiled and did as she said, giving a mental command to the impressive suit of armor. It flashed briefly with a grey-blue light not unlike the spectral arms of his mantle before flowing off his body and reassuming the form of a similar armband as the one Dragonfly wore, albeit a bit wider as it covered more of his forearm.

The armbands were likewise made of the odd metal of the gates, and were only adorned with a simple filigree of ten spheres surrounding a larger central one, faint lines connecting each and every one of them. From what the group had discovered so far, both the armor and the bracelets now worn by each and every one of Kite's companions into the corrupted trial had similar enchantments that grew in potency or utility the more of them that were gathered.

Given their welcome and subsequent departure soon after emerging from the trial, they hadn't found the chance to test the range of the set yet, but it had become obvious that it allowed some measure of tracking each others' locations. A moment of focus was all it took for Kite to gain a sense of the others seated along Gleam's form, and he definitely felt similarities to his bond with Glint except that it gave nothing else than the location.

As for the familiar, even she had gotten a bracelet of her own which somewhat surprised Kite as she hadn't counted towards the limit of people able to enter the trial, but he chalked it down to the special officiator orb having judged her contributions as worthy enough. Not that he could ask it though, as its form was what currently made up all of their new treasures. The artifacts had been very well received by all the members present too, with one partial exception.

Through his expanded vision, Kite could see River still regarding the bracelet - currently worn - with an inscrutable expression. The thought of being able to be tracked in such a way had not sat well with the priestess even though its power was undeniable. Simply not wearing it was one way to circumvent it, but Kite suspected that the reaction was not just mere paranoia as the scarred young woman seemed to have a lot on her mind since the final clashes inside the gate.

And at that moment, it seemed like Wander couldn't hold back anymore either.

"Oh, Kite. You worry too much," the rat said, patting his shoulder in commiseration.

"I mean, the thing is awesome. Like, really awesome. Look, it can even adjust to me. Me!" she said, shoving off her tail where a small band was clasped around its base, as was the case with each and every one of her rat bodies.

"It even seems to work for Laevyeth. What would I have done with a pile of scrap like tha…~?" The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. As Wander finished though, each of the three could feel Gleam's aura shift to regard them with the spiritual equivalent of a raised eyebrow and a meaningful cough.

"I mean… like that amazing piece of craftsmanship unparalleled by anything or anyone I have ever seen. It's even prettier than me, which is saying something. The lines, the playfulness of the curves~" Kite and Dragonfly let Wander keep throwing out her more and more desperate excuses for her poor choice of words, instead leaning against one another and just enjoying another moment of relative calm.

Being carried by such a powerful being was in a way terrifying in and of itself, but Kite had also found an odd bit of comfort in such a presence too. If Gleam wanted to do them harm, there wasn't really anything they could do to stop her anyway. Still, he hoped that the trip wouldn't be overly long, but that was more out of curiosity of what was to come rather than any current discomfort.

"You might as well rest and meditate," came Gleam's voice, apparently sensing the direction of Kite's thoughts through his aura.

"Given that I must limit my speed to carry you, we are still a bit over two hours away. I am looking forward to it myself too. It has been so long since my Mistress made a return trip back home." Given how fast they were actually traveling, Kite wouldn't be surprised if their destination lay somewhere well outside Hua-Xi's borders.

From the position of the sun, he thought that they were traveling southeast, but it was hard to tell as they were flying above the clouds which meant that he had no other landmarks to go by. So he nodded.

"Thank you, Mistress Gleam. We shall do so. Anything in particular we will need to be mindful of, assuming we are intended to see the Queen in person?"

"Given how polite you are, young Kite, I foresee no trouble. While she might have been more formal in the past, I've found that the Mistress has grown more tolerant in the past century. Although it should be said that it might be you whom I would counsel to muster your patience. Because during that time, some of her more eccentric traits have grown in equal measure."

As he made his way south atop a giant, flying snowflake, young master Hope once again cursed his fortune to have denied him the portal power which his family had hoped for. Seeing Young Mistress Brilliance's smirking face as she vanished through her own conjured gate still haunted him, as they both knew that she would be the first to bring the news to the capital and bask in the glory of others needing to crawl to her to confirm the rumors that would no doubt spread like wildfire.

A few rural silvers being the first in over a century to openly be called to an audience with the Queen of Jade and Sky, and for a favor given no less… The eyes of the heartlands would be on them in a heartbeat. But with even the hint of favor from a diamond-ranker, it also meant that families like the young master's couldn't just apply any pressure on them without a valid reason.

This left currying favor and the like the best and most direct way, but the mighty couldn't just be seen lowering themselves to such a level either or they might lose face. Hence the needed time to prepare. And hence the young master's frustrations at his conjuration not flying faster.

"At least it also gives me a reason to make good on my promise to Lilac and her family," the young master mused to himself, finding a bit of comfort in the thoughts of once again seeing the young flower of the Eden family.

"This little misadventure has shown me that cultivating contacts in the north might be more worthwhile than any of us had thought previously. If I show enough initiative on this matter, the family elders will surely find it in their hearts to overlook me taking Lilac as my lover, no matter her lowly city of origin. Small mercies. But small ones are better than none at all."

"Rouse yourselves, young silvers. We are nearly there." Gleam's voice brought Kite back out from the depth of his meditations, and from the feel of his companions they were similarly roused. Standing up atop the metal carapace, he joined them in peeking around the raised head of the construct, and Kite was once again swept away in deja vu as he laid eyes on the multicolored castle floating in the sky.

Like during his reunion with Gleam, his higher rank only meant that he could appreciate the craftsmanship even further, and that his body didn't even register the freezing cold these days was yet another boon. The castle itself looked unchanged, crafted from jade in every color of the spectrum.

High, interconnected spires sheltered courtyards and gardens beneath that were all bathed by the late afternoon sun, and Kite even caught a glimpse of the plaza where the Jade-Sky gates returned after their trials were completed. But unlike his first, serendipitous arrival at the wondrous structure, this time it seemed like he would actually enter through the main gates.

Gleam slowed as she swooped in towards a platform - which felt like the right description even though it was the size of a city district - extending out into the open skies from the main floating plateau. The construct's many legs touched down with a surprising grace, her body barely rocking from the impact before her shimmering wings dissolved. Kite and his companions leapt down from their perch while Gleam herself extracted the two collared prisoners who had been transported inside the construct's internal cabin.

They had both come to during the hours flying, but any attempt at struggling mattered little as one of Gleam's legs split into multiple thinner, more flexible arms whose pincers clamped down over both arms and legs. But of the two, only the priestess with the robes made any moves while her armored companion simply hung limp, eyes distant as her aura was flooded with grief and despair.

"I will take these two to containment before I rejoin you," Gleam stated, ignoring the two prisoners as she bent down to look at Kite and his companions.

"You can all go ahead through the main gates over there. They'll take you to the courtyard where the Mistress holds her audiences. I've made sure that the palace recognizes you as guests, so you can all relax. There are only a handful of people in this world that could attempt to harm you here and have any chance at success in the short term."

"Thank you-" Kite began, but the construct had already vanished in a colorful blur before he had completed even a fraction of his bow.

"- mistress Gleam…" His companions were all looking around at their surroundings, suitably awed. Even River and Soul seemed stunned by their surroundings, but the priestess of Pain was the first one to snap out of her gawking.

"We should get moving," she stated with her usual terseness.

"We are completely at the mercy of our hosts here, and I would prefer to take my leave as soon as possible."

"Speak for yourself, River. I, for one, could die a happy man if I never had to venture out into the world again," Little Crow countered, before adding.

"But I would suggest that you don't attempt to wander off, Wander. In any shape or form." While Wander seemingly stood at their side in her main body, the assassin's comment made a lone rat freeze just as it was about to turn a nearby corner. Rising on its hind legs, it turned to give Little Crow a disappointed look before audibly sighing and starting to make its way back with its tail dragging behind it.

"Sorry, habit~," Wander replied, not seeming sorry at all, but she made no further attempts as the gates in front of them slid open on their own. Up close like this, Kite could see many hints of Hua-Xian architecture in the palace; from the sliding colorful gates to carved murals in an ancient style.

This feeling was further driven home as they passed through a long corridor of jade archways that eventually led out to the aforementioned courtyard where beautiful, exotic trees and bushes grew in tastefully arranged patterns.

"There is something off with this place. Be vigilant," River muttered as they walked through the corridor. From the looks Kite got from the others, none shared the sensation, and nothing ill befell them as they emerged out into the garden courtyard. Still, no one was there to greet them either, which led to the group just standing there looking around, unsure of what to do next as none wanted to insult their host by acting presumptuous. But to no one's surprise, it was Wander who first broke that air of hesitation.

"Wow! Just… Wow! If I ever become a diamond-ranker, I definitely know who I will hire to make a home for myself. I wonder how good the Queen is with burrows. Just look at these flowers. Are… are they made of smoke? And there! Think you can eat those glowing berries? And-" The outworlder kept making her observations as she eventually started into the garden, looking closely at everything that caught her attention. And given the environment, that was pretty much everything there was to look at.

"I… Better go keep an eye on her," Braid said with a suffering sigh, setting off after his long-time friend. This seemed to break the spell over the rest of the group as well, and they started breaking off in pairs or trios to take a careful look around. Kite was about to join Dragonfly and Fantina when he noticed that River was the only one who had not moved, still looking around with furrowed brow.

"I do not believe that our honored host would take offence if we would enjoy the marvels she has created," he remarked, turning to face the scarred woman.

"I care not for such sentiments. It is something else. Something I cannot sense, yet still notice; like a word stuck at the tip of my tongue."

"That would be me, as improbable as that is," a light female voice suddenly said from River's side. The acolyte of Pain reacted instantly, lashing out with both hand and spirit in a strike to her left. Her extended fingers struck only air though, and Kite could feel her aura seeming to slide off something unseen like rain impacting a pane of glass. And beside River's outstretched hand - just a half-step away - stood a short Hua-Xian woman with raven black hair arranged in a messy bun with a pair of jade hairpins.

Her slight frame and pristine looks meant that one could take her for a teenager at first glance, dressed in tightly fitted colorful robes not unlike those Peony wore while working although with a cut that was more akin to antique images. But that first assessment would not survive longer than the moment it took to make, as the woman was also distinctly more in every regard.

Her light brown eyes had an intense glimmer of seeing through you on every level, and as she reached out a hand to gently push River's armored one to the side the careful motion somehow belied vast power contained beneath the surface, kept in check only through the mercy of the one wielding it.

"Honor be to Soaring Soul, the Queen of Jade and Sky," Kite quickly greeted, cupping his hands and falling to one knee as he bowed deeply. Or, well, at least one arm performed the gesture, as his left was still unresponsive at his side. But the diamond-ranker only glanced his way before returning her attention to River, who in turn stood frozen like a mouse looking up at the descending falcon.

While Kite didn't feel the aura of the Queen, he did feel River's own aura be smothered for the first time since he had met the scarred woman. It was as if the world itself had decided to fall upon her spirit, and River even staggered back slightly as her eyes went wide.

"I was quite curious to see this little adherent of Pain for myself," the Queen said, cocking her head to one side as she started pacing a slow lap around River.

"Gleam, ever the good girl, did report of your presence, but I wanted to properly feel you for myself. Up close. Honestly, it was impressive that you detected even the slightest hint of my presence. Just how deep do those scars run for your spirit to have become like this?" Having completed her lap, the diamond-ranker stopped to face River again, looking up at the taller woman even though her presence felt more like a mountain towering above them all.

Kite knew better than to intervene, and while he waited for the Queen to do whatever it was she was doing he also noted that none of the others strolling around the garden had even looked their way, as if their minds simply wandered in other directions whenever they glanced back towards the entrance.

"Well, it is a question to which I might find the answer another time, even though the souls of people aren't my forte, although that other outworlder of yours does make me think that I should perhaps correct that…" she said before correcting herself.

"But I digress. You might follow a deity shunned by most people of this world, child, but fortunately for you I see little reason to persecute you for that. The height of power gives great perspective on certain concepts, and besides, I suspect that the rest of the world will give you trouble enough as it is. Your path will have to carry you through, as is the truth for all of us. At least in this little venture, your intentions seem to have been as pure as Gleam suspected."

As the Queen finished, whatever pressure she had been exerting over River seemed to go away all at once, leaving the scarred woman standing stiff and trembling slightly as she fought to steady herself. It was only then that Soaring Soul turned to Kite, who took the risk of speaking up.

"Honored Queen, it is as you say. Even though she follows a deity whose practices I find distasteful, River has indeed been only a boon to our cause in the past two years when our paths crossed once more."

"A cooperation that has surely been as smooth as silk," the Queen retorted with an amused smile, seeming to somehow glean every moment of contention between Kite and the adherent of Pain in his expression.

"But alas, sometimes you will find yourself with more or less pleasant companions when you need to accomplish a particular task. And you, Kite Flown in on Winds of Fortune, seems to have been quite busy in the companion-department in the recent years. I have spent time elsewhere, but Gleam appraised me of your little attempt at introducing new elements to this homeland of ours. A guild was a bold choice, but you seem to have managed. And I know very well that it is the bold choices that define us.

A craftswoman challenging a warrior for the throne cannot be meek, after all."

"I am honored that you even know my name, honored Queen."

"I would be remiss to not at least find out that much of the young talents who assisted my dear Gleam during this little incident. As I said, she is a good girl, but she still has a lot to learn, both in her arts and the world. And you have helped her with that, as well as made me aware of a little oversight of mine." His curiosity piqued, Kite decided to dare push forward with another question.

"I hope I am not overstepping, honored Queen, but are you perhaps speaking of how these Builder cultists and followers of a certain god managed to somehow subvert one of your gates?" It seemed that he had judged correctly, as Soaring Soul did not at all seem bothered by the question as she instead gestured for him to rise.

"I do. A bit embarrassing, honestly, but one's path will only weaken if one does not address and admit such mistakes. But I believe that we have kept the others out of the conversation for long enough, and I do not like repeating myself." For the first time since she appeared, Kite then felt the Queen's aura fade into existence around them, like a perfectly camouflaged colossus suddenly shifting ever so slightly to make everyone aware of its presence.

And while she did not raise her voice as she spoke further, Kite had no doubt that everyone heard her with perfect clarity.

"Greetings, young silvers. As of now, you stand in the presence of Soaring Soul, former Queen of Hua-Xi. I welcome you to my palace, the full range of its hospitality available to you. Because there are conversations to be had, and gratitude to be offered so that our karma might once again be balanced."