Wildflowers are a medley of flowers with different colors, appearances, and temperaments—but they appear together and have a simple and harmonious relationship. They are companions of circumstance and bonded through life experience. Aren’t we all wildflowers, aging together with our companions of circumstance?

~Blodeuwedd, Goddess of Flowers and Wisdom

Acco remained restless all night. Even after Mara and Crow stopped, their contentment affected him. No one in his previous Constellation had ever had sex, so he felt out of sorts and itchy. It made him feel awkward, but he knew he had to talk to them.

Slowly, he climbed out of his bed and picked up the manuals he had thrown at the wall the night before. This was a fate he could no longer avoid, so he sat down and read both from cover to cover. He wasn’t a prodigy, but his retention was good. After reading them both half a dozen times, he felt he absorbed most of the content.

A childish part of him wanted to covet the barrier spell and prevent the Astrologers from ever seeing it. They abandoned him, so what did he owe them? Fingering the gold filigree on the front of the cover, he could only sigh in resignation. Nebula’s Spatial Barrier was both simple and profound. It was as simple as each Star in the Constellation opening their Source and allowing the primary caster to draw upon everyone. The only real danger was paying attention to the weakest Star and not overdrawing their Source. At best, the spell collapses. At worst, the Star burns out their cultivation—or potentially dies.

The reason it was profound wasn’t the barrier spell but the fact it was a group spell. Only the oldest clans had access to spells like this, making them the most feared Astrologer clans in all the islands. This one spell could elevate his clan or lead to its destruction. Making up his mind, he decided he’d learn it first and then leave it up to fate. If he ran into some of his clan, he’d hand it over. If not, that’s their own tough luck. He knew it was selfish, but fuck, they abandoned him.

As far as Rite of Shield Awakening, other than Crow, he’d take that manual to his grave. Sadly, they couldn’t use it on anyone in the Constellation, or the spell would fail. There were two other requirements: the person’s Source needed to be open, and they had to be inside the Tur Briste. Well, there was maybe another requirement. The amount of mana required was beyond their current ability. They’d all need to have their Shield at the very least.

Both group spells required a primary caster, the one that cast the actual spell. The other people had simple hand gestures that linked them into the spell to act like mana batteries. On the surface, Acco felt that using the strongest Star to cast the spell was a trap. No, he felt the weakest member should be the primary—they’d know the limit, but even more than that, they might be able to overtax their Source to extend the duration. Only they knew how far they could take it before they had to stop.

Thump. Thump.

Acco’s door rattled and broke him from his reverie. Without even looking, he knew who it was. There was no way to hide from each other once a Constellation formed. Unless the Constellation randomly failed, he’d always know where they were—it was one of the major downsides of being an Astrologer.

Opening the door, he waved the two inside. The three of them looked at each other awkwardly.

“I’ll start,” Crow said. “I am Crow, son of Maddox. I am a Druid cultivator, and I chose this path because I plan to save my mother from a tyrant. A mother I haven’t seen since I was three years old. I’m not interested in riches, fame, or anything most people want. I want to be powerful enough to save and protect those I care about.”

Mara placed a hand on Crow’s shoulder and felt tears stinging her eyes. No matter how many times she heard his story, she couldn’t help but feel sadness, pity, and a desire to help him. Despite her disgust toward her father, she had a good relationship with her mother and couldn’t imagine growing up without her.

“I’m Mara, this idiot’s wife—one of them. I am now a daughter of Maddox, a Druid cultivator. I owe Crow my life. I am with him because he has given me everything I thought I didn’t deserve. I want to become powerful enough to stand at his side and protect him. The only thing I want in this life is a family.”

Crow coughed from beside her, and she glared at him.

“Fine! I want a family and loot. Try to steal my pretties again, and this mommy will break your legs.”

This time, Crow slid his arm around her waist and chuckled. Acco gagged. He could feel their bond through the Constellation.

“First thing I’m going to teach you is how to shield your thoughts and emotions,” Acco muttered. “I am Acco, a Dark Star Astrologer—well, former Dark Star. My clan shunned me because I lost my place inside my previous Constellation. I’ve never heard of a Dark Star forming another Constellation, so I’m not sure what the fuck this is. I’ve been without family or friends because they all fear Dark Stars—I’m considered a bad omen. I don’t know what the fuck caused you two to form a Constellation with me, but maybe that is karma. I decided to use you both, and then I got too greedy. And now here we are.”

“Good, the pleasantries are out of the way,” Mara smiled, and Acco stepped back, feeling an icy chill down his spine. “Now, this mommy wants to know how to teleport, and you are going to teach me.”

Acco’s back hit the wall, and he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

“The question is, are you going to teach me the easy way or the hard way?”

“Th-the easy way. Definitely, the easy way,” Acco stuttered and looked at Crow. “C’mon, man, call her off!”

Crow chuckled. “You’ll learn, when she’s in mommy mode, you are on your own.”

“Shit, you bastard! We are brothers now. A Constellation is a bond tighter than family. You can’t do this to me!”

“Why are you blaming me? Just teach her already.” Crow grinned. “Call it interest for all the treasures you stole from us.”

“W-wait! You said you were interested in riches, why are you—”

“He said that,” Mara grinned. “But I didn’t. When it comes to character and abilities, he is a much better person than me. This mommy will treat you well, but you have to show some sincerity.”

Acco sighed. Fuck my life.

“F-fine, but you ca-can’t bully me anymore. Before I teach you, you must learn what a Constellation is, control your mind, and stop leaking so many sickening thoughts. I can barely think straight. Especially you, Crow. Your mind is overbearing as hell.”

“Does that mean you are joining me?” Crow asked.

“What does that mean?”

“It means if you betray me, cause any of my people harm, I’ll kill you. However, if you are sincerely joining me, we’ll protect you as if you are our little brother.”

“Fuck you. I’m older than you by at least five years. You are the little brother…” Acco looked over at Mara’s narrowed eyes and tight grin and shuddered. “Fine. Fine. You can be the big brother.”

Crow stuck out his hand. Acco hesitantly reached out, and before he could react, Crow clamped down on it. The Astrologer tried to pull free but found that when it came to strength, he wasn’t anywhere close to Crow’s equal.

“Relax. Druids have a specific vow,” Crow explained the ritual, and with his free hand, he indicated Acco should make one.

“Father Oak, please bear witness. By limb and root, I vow to follow Crow in good faith. If I cause Crow or his people intentional harm or plot against him and his, may the roots of the earth pull my body apart limb by limb. By root and limb, I freely make this vow,” Acco vowed and felt mana between heaven and earth stir, and his soul suddenly felt heavier.

“Father Oak, please bear witness. By limb and root, I vow to protect Acco, provided he remains by my side in good faith. If I intentionally break this vow, may my soul be stripped from my body and turned into a seed to help future generations of the Druid people. By root and limb, I freely make this vow.”

After they both made their vows, Crow released Acco, but Mara quickly grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to the other side of the room.

“Now teach me!” Mara snapped her fingers in his face.

“Fine. But first, the spell is called StarSlide. Not teleport. Are you not going to learn this too, Crow?”

“No need, my aptitude for space and the Void isn’t high enough at this time.”

“He’s just being nice. He isn’t like us and learns better through books, so he has his own way of doing things,” Mara explained. “Now, let’s begin.”

“Well, if that is the case, and to show my sincerity, Crow look at those manuals on the bed. I think you’ll find them beneficial.”

While they were busy learning from each other, Crow had already tuned them out as he sat down to read. He memorized the barrier spell immediately and read it a second time to make sure he got it all. Then he flipped open the cover of the next book—

“Holy fuck!”

Acco chuckled.