“For a tree to become tall it must grow tough roots among the rocks.”

Friederich Nietzsche

“Ah yes, Level 4 is it? It is growing well.” She did not seem surprised by this fact as she patted the roots proud of their progress.

“Yes, level 4. How can a tree have a level?” Aleera asked the burning question.

“Well just as gemstones and . . .” she pointed at the pearls I had organized by tiers, “pearls can have tiers, due to their quality, clarity and the level of mana they can hold. So too can metals, wood and other crafting materials.” She opened her explanation.

“Okay we understand that, but this tree has levels,” I argued. I know we had not attended the Lodestar Luminary – the school for children – due to our mother’s disagreement with the church but that seemed like something that everyone should know if it was the case.

“Well things that can grow such as plants, animals or monsters can also have tiers it’s true but sometimes they can also level. In the end, it comes down to a confluence of their intelligence and their mana. If they have sufficient mana they can gain a tier and when they have sufficient intelligence they can also then start to level.”

“Okay, I understand animals and monsters but a tree? How is the Elendil tree even levelling?” I asked. “And what intelligence?”

“An Elendil is not called an elf friend for nothing, Kai. When I sing it into the shape I wish for I am not commanding or forcing it into compliance. I am asking it to grow in the way in which I wish it to. Most times it will listen to me. I am offering protection for its support but it is a symbiotic relationship. We spread the trees, guard them, protect them and they shelter and support us.”

“But where is its brain?” I asked confused.

“Kai,” she said reaching out to hold my hand. “Feel don’t think.” And pressed it against the roots of the tree. “This is called the heart grotto for more than one reason. Feel its heart.” She whispered while she held my hand still against the root.

The root felt cool and smooth against my fingertips I knew the tree was alive but I was missing what she was talking about. I could feel my blood pumping through my fingertips I could feel my pulse but not the trees.

“I can’t feel.”

“Not just touch use all your senses.” She admonished.

I closed my eyes using mana sense to search for something I could not feel and I could see the green mana of vitality glowing in the roots. Focusing on it I could see it ever so slowly wax and wane like a whale's heartbeat in and out a few times each minute but oh so slowly. I looked down following the mana into the mountain as far as the roots went down. Watching as the roots pulled in the flickering motes of red mana drawing them up and changing them to green as they continued to grow down into the earth. The pulses, are a form of heartbeat unconnected to the light that beat down on its leaves. Raising my senses higher I could see how the green mana pulsed against the blue light of the lodestar connected and helped it to grow while small motes of blue drifted into the tree in a slow exchange of mana and colour. Now that I could see the pulse I could feel it with my hands the slow flexing of the mana as it wound its way through the tree. I could see it being pulled up from the roots, breathed in from the sky, absorbed from the pool of water, and exchanged with the Lodestar. I had always known the tree was alive but now I could feel it too.

“I can feel it,” I whispered back.

“How can you not say that it is alive then? If we can have a status and level why not an Elendil?” she asked rhetorically.

I still did not truly understand how the Elendil could be alive or think as we could but I could not deny that it was alive now that I could feel it. She had not answered how it could think or how it could level but she had shown me that it was alive in a way I had never realized. Maybe it is levelled by absorbing mana. Maybe it levelled by growing tall. Who knew?

“What about animals and monsters?” Aleera asked concerned.

“Just as the Elendil is a rare tree that can level so too are animals and monsters that can.” She gestured for Aleera to calm down. “As I stated earlier the conditions have to be right. They need to have both mana and some measure of intelligence.”

“Monsters?” I whispered thinking about the couple of times we had been ambushed over the years. The Goblin shark, the eel, the rock worm and the octopi. Had all of them had levels? A level of intelligence? Had they been attempting to level themselves through our deaths or merely attracted to the possibility of fresh food?

“There are surprisingly few monsters within the walls of the island.” Lady Acacia commented. “But when the town was first built there will have been some certainly as evidenced by the height and strength of the town walls. I imagine over time the hunters and townspeople have gradually culled their population until they are no highly levelled animals or monsters left.”

“What about the ocean?” I asked apprehensively.

“The waters are wide and the ocean is deep. Animals and monsters of all levels live there.” She answered honestly although perhaps I wished that she had not. I was going to have conniptions from my paranoia searching the depths for anything that might be lurking beneath our boat. The only benefit from observe will be knowing quite how deadly the creatures of the deep will be.

“That’s hardly reassuring,” I muttered.

“It was not meant to be. The oceans are dangerous. The lack of human habitation of these isles is not solely the distance from the compass continent. Every year boats are lost making the journey through the waters. Some to weather, some to pirates, but just as many are probably lost to monsters when you consider how skilled their crew and how high levelled sailors can become.” She answered.

Why were we sailing? I knew father to be cautious but was it really worth the risk when she described the dangers that might be submerged beneath our feet? But then if base races lived in the depths of the Lodestone anyway how was it any different?

“I think I’m going to have nightmares.,” I added.

“Nightmares are not necessary, but knowledge is. As a child, you speak and understand as a child. But you are growing up and going to be an adult before your time. You need to know the dangers of the world.” She explained

“I’ve got inspect.,” Aleera shouted excitedly.

While we had been talking Aleera had continued to practice finally unlocking the skill.

“Excellent, a pair of prodigies the both of you.” Lady Acacia congratulated her. “If that is all I will see you for dinner.”

“What about analyse?” I asked.

“Keep working on observe but search deeper for more information.” She shrugged turning to go.

“And what about obfuscate, substitute, or the other skills you mentioned for covering up my status?”

“Practice, Kai, practice. You have learnt to touch and see, combine the two to change your own.” She left me with that cryptic advice as she left once more. Maybe it was like the tree something you had to feel to work out. Aaaaaaaargh. But I was getting there I was getting there. If it was easy it would not be worth it.

. . .

Meanwhile on Wester Levante,

“I bless thee in the light of the Lodestar.” Archbishop Grigori confirmed while laying his hand on the head of the man in front of him his hand shining with the divine blue light of the Lodestar which was the very symbol of his office. Before moving on to the next person in what seemed to be an endless line of townspeople.

It felt like the whole town had turned out for blessings when he had offered them as part of his pilgrimage. The local deacon had done his best but had yet to acquire the skill to bless or the power to do so many. He stood to the side providing order to those who arrived in single file through their church alongside his acolyte who handed out a candle as a symbolic representation of the light of the lodestar spreading. It was a beautiful ceremony and he was glad that he had brought sufficient pilgrims in his retinue who were also blessing the townspeople to ensure it did not take an unreasonable amount of time to complete.

“I bless thee in the light of the Lodestar.” He intoned once more the light shining forth again. It was important to bring balance to those without it. The people would leave today knowing they walked in the light of the lodestar. It calmed him in return the satisfaction of spreading the faith and supporting the people washing away his frustration in the failure to acquire the land he had hoped to earlier in the week.

Despite his position and overtures to the Mayor, the mayor had been unable legally to release the land or approve his petition. Their conversation had given him some understanding of the family that he would have to make an arrangement with. It appeared the Silversea family were as new a family as nobility could be. Raised within the last year or two according to him. Which in itself was a surprise seeing as how Ponente had prided itself on its body of a hundred lords. He could imagine their raising had ruffled a few feathers.

It had not been a complete waste of time though. He had been able to leave his plans for the shrine and the particular location he wished it to be built. The mayor had promised that should permission be sent from the Silversea family he would build it immediately. It was a shame that he would not see it as he was due to continue his circumnavigation but he could rest reassured that it would be completed in memory of his pilgrimage.

Another adult hobbled forward, “I bless thee in the light of the Lodestar.” The light shone forth once more but this time he noted something unbalanced. He held his hand down holding her still while he re-read her status using his skills to inspect, observe and analyse to look deeper.

Name: Mala

Level: Lv 18

Race: Human

Metier: Candlemaker

Affliction: Ergot

Vitality: 51

Strength: 46

Endurance: 55

Dexterity: 95

Senses: 89

Mind: 42

A common status for a commoner but she was afflicted. It was not immediately obvious from her face or her hands but she had hobbled to meet him. No doubt her feet were the location of the infliction. Such was the case when blessings were few and far between. He wondered how long she had suffered without asking for help.

“Do you seek balance in the light? He asked the ritual question.

“I do, your honour.” She hopefully answered.

“Would you let the light balance what has become unbalanced?” he continued.

“I would, your honour.” She whispered.

He silently used his skill cure with a flaring of light once more to kill the affliction as his mana filled her and attacked what the light of the lodestar had detected. Then another use of heal and another burst of mana flooded her feet to repair the damage already caused by the Ergot.

“Then find your bearings straight once more in the light of the lodestar.” He replied after removing her affliction.

“Thank you, your honour,” she raised her head in wonder, as he lifted his hand, her feet once hobbling cautiously moved more energetically as if nervous to cause themselves more pain.

“There is no need to thank me. Thank the Lodestar for falling. Now that your four points are rebalanced you should find your feet well when you return home.” He murmured.

Their conversation had been quiet, but by the end of the day, people would be aware of what had happened. The path of pilgrimage was as much for the people as it was for the priests. The light of the lodestar continued to spread, and good works made for a good reputation. No doubt the tithes given this year would be higher and help to raise the town. A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. While he had intellectually understood the proverb before his pilgrimage it was humbling to be planting those seeds. Perhaps one day he could return to see the trees they might become.

Hopefully, they would be able to heal any other afflictions the people might have before they left but they were also going to have to visit the grain store, and bakery at a minimum to ensure they were purified before departure. It was such a simple skill but at some point in the last decade, the poor woman had been infected so it must not have been cleansed properly. He might have to leave a member of his retinue to continue the work and teaching the current deacon and acolyte if it ended up taking up too much time.

A pilgrimage could take as long as it required but he hoped to complete it in this lifetime at least.

. . .

Back on Wester

Everyone was quietly proud of our progress during dinner but we did not discuss it in detail. Other than Lady Acacia informing them that we were making good progress. Even though I had failed to make much more headway on the skill I wished to acquire. After dinner, we decided to spend a night in our beds having made more progress than Lady Acacia had believed possible. Before I went to sleep I placed my secret project back into the chest to keep it out of sight and stop Lady Acacia from having a go at me again I decided to test out my latest skill, Observe.

Compass Empire Emblem

Amulet of ???

What had I been wearing for the majority of my life and where had Grandfather gotten it from? This did not seem as though it came from the Kingdom of Maestro at all.