Starlight Life Of The Sage

Public Release: March 11th, 2019 - 3:30 am EST

Most of those present didn't understand. How 'long-lost' could a friend of a child be? The Dixon Head didn't question it. He knew better than to question the strange duo. He knew about their decision to renounce the Stonelight name and, despite that, he was still willing to give them all of the information and heritages related to the Four Families.

Tikki Stonelight didn't react to the news of his niece renouncing the family name. He also didn't question the new name chosen. He just wanted to know one thing.

"Cara," said Tikki, his voice soft and low, "I just want to know, how did George and Selena die?"

"We were robbed by bandits," said Cara, recounting memories that weren't entirely her own.

"So they were killed?"

"No," said Cara. "The bandits just took our money and food. Mom and Dad ate a poisoned mushroom while foraging."

…

Zara coughed. She hadn't heard the story about her teacher's current parents. She wanted to laugh at such a stupid and pathetic death, but she couldn't find it in her.

Tikki, to his credit, didn't react in a negative way. He wore a firm expression, but his eyes spoke volumes. Of everyone present, he knew his brother George the best…

"That doesn't sound like how he'd go," said Tikki under his breath.

Tikki misunderstood. He assumed that, because Cara was still alive, that his brother George and his wife tasted wild mushrooms for poison to protect their daughter…

Cara conveniently didn't mention that she, too, ate the poison mushrooms.

And so the name 'George Stonelight' passed on into local legend as a man who sacrificed himself for his family's future, all due to one miscommunication.

A memory fragment of her body's first death existed in Cara's mind. She watched it again, in that moment, just to make sure she didn't mess up any details:

-

'Oh look, a mushroom,' said her father.

'Look, Cara, we don't have to worry about food again!' said her mother as she collected armfuls of poisonous mushrooms.

'Yay!' yelled Cara herself, excited that she'd get to fill her belly.

They tossed several over an open flame and then fought one another over the mushrooms, each of them eating as many as they could...

-

Cara closed her eyes and shook her head. Idiots truly were destined to live shorter lives. She supposed that it made sense, though. George Stonelight was exiled from his opulent life due to poor talents, and he lived a simple life in a tiny village where most of his needs were taken care of by a small pension from the Stonelight family…

His wife, too, wasn't a very bright woman with similar circ.u.mstances.

Cara's 'family' in this world were all idiots. The head of her 'clan', her uncle, and her parents never stood a chance at life. They were destined to fall.

-

"Okay," said the Dixon Head. "Miss Cara, what do you want to do with these three? Should I schedule an execution?"

"Yes!" said Zara.

"No!" said Cara.

"They tried to marry you off!" said Zara.

"That's not a crime worth the death penalty…" said Cara.

"It is in my eyes," asserted Zara.

Cara sighed. She looked over her uncle and the other elders. She didn't feel true animosity for them. She didn't like them, either.

If she had to name how she felt, she would call it indifference.

In her eyes, she no longer had any ties to the Stonelight family. In her many years she learned that, often, the best way to deal with people she didn't like was to outright ignore them, to pretend they didn't even exist.

"I suppose," said Cara, "that exiling them to the southern villages would suffice."

"Ah!" said Zara. "A karmic punishment. Make them suffer what they made you and your parents suffer. Truly a worthy…"

"It's not karma," Cara interrupted. "Nor is it a punishment. I just fear for the Stonelight family's future with these three at the helm. Exiling them is in everyone's best interest…"

"Except the poor people in the southern villages," said the Dixon Head under his breath. He didn't intend for his comment to be said aloud, but when he glanced up he found everyone staring at him. He realized his mistake and his face blushed a deep red. Cara, to everyone's surprise, started laughing.

-

Cara followed the Dixon Head. He lead the way through the Stonelight estate to the 'Library', the armored building where the Four Families kept all their cultivation techniques, skills, and other important secrets.

Cara wondered why the families decided to put such an important building on the Stonelight estate, of all places. She didn't ask, though.

The building was made of brick and stone, but the masonry hid the true beauty of it. Carved in the stone and mortar were a myriad of arrays. Their construction resembled an electrical circuit in design, and Cara found herself mesmerized immediately.

In all her years, she hadn't ever seen arrays carved in such a fascinating or familiar pattern. They were exquisite but also unbearably simple.

"Who designed the arrays here?" asked Cara.

"Array?" said the Dixon Head. He followed Cara's line of sight. "Oh, you mean the enchantments?"

"Yes, if that's what you call these magic runes engraved in the building…"

"The Stonelights commissioned this building for the Four Families many generations ago, long before my time," said the Dixon Head. "I believe they hired someone from the East Empire to design it. Probably a company owned by the Boshwa."

"Boshwa?"

"The Boshwa are a special class of citizens in the East Empire. What's the term… Aristocrats? They're like nobles but have no recognized lineage. They are often tied to the royal family. I don't know a lot about them, because I can't travel much with my duties leading the Dixon family. The prince at the auction house would know more."

Cara sighed. She didn't feel like going on an information 'fetch quest'.

"Can you send someone to get that information for us, later?" asked Cara.

"Of course," said the Dixon Head as he channeled his mana into the front entrance to the library. "We can talk about the Boshwa later. For now I need to open the door… I think the magic words were something like…"

"Don't tell me it's Open Sesame," said Cara with a silly grin. She knew neither Zara nor the Dixon Head would get her joke, but…

A loud rumbling noise echoed from the door as it started to open.

"Did someone tell you the password ahead of time?" Asked the Dixon Head. Cara closed her eyes and took a deep breath through her nose. She started counting down from ten.

She only managed to reach four.

The inside of the 'Library' was filled with an assortment of scrolls. Glowing lamps made from shining gemstones were hanging on the walls and the air smelled of old books.

"There are four floors," said the Dixon Head. "The first here has the lowest tier of techniques and skills alongside historical doc.u.ments. It also has the Key. Before you ask, the Key is a small filing system that will tell you what floor, what shelf, and what specific spot on the shelf any scroll you're looking for is on."

"So I have access to the complete Library?" asked Cara.

"Yes. You have free access to everything and all we ask is that you don't take out any original scrolls. We have an enchanted machine that will print out copies of any scroll you want so you can take them with you…"

"Thank you," said Cara with a grin. "My Master and I will be fine from here on."

"Ah, but I should probably personally show you the bloodline techniques…"

"We'll be fine," said Cara as she put a hand on the Dixon Head's shoulder. The old man looked at the two women and, after a moment sighed.

"Just, please don't break anything," he said. He turned and left after that.

Cara looked on at the library before her like a kid in a candy shop. So much knowledge was now at her fingertips…

"Teacher," said Zara, "I'm going to dig through their alchemy sections on my own. If you need me, call for me."

"We've got three days," said Cara. "After that we need to leave. Any later and another Ascendant could show up."

"Or something worse," said Zara with a sharp smile. She was itching to try out some new ideas. During the last week her teacher taught her about a strange subject called 'Chemistry' that involved a table and elements...

Zara couldn't help l.i.c.k.i.n.g her lips. If she could combine Mana, Qi, and this 'Chemistry' into her own alchemical Divinity, what would the result be?