5 The Past: The Tapestry of the Cosmos II

After taking a few stairs through the manor, Aster finally arrived at the door of his father's study. Built directly at the top, the room was meant to provide the best view of the whole town of Spire and the mountain range beyond. A hallway existed at the front filled with imposing caricature meant to impress those who visited as well as an ornate door decorated with their house's crest along with various mystical markings that shed all doubts of the door and thus the room beyond being enchanted.

As this was not his first time visiting his father's study, Aster quickly took some deep breaths and then finally knocked on marked door. Only instead of his father at the threshold, the door abruptly opened to reveal an old wizened figure garbed in silvery hued robes patterned with moons in its different transformational stages.

Stunned, Aster stared until he finally recognized the crest on the man's chest. He was about to bow down in greeting when the old man turned once again towards the room leaving only a few words behind.

"You will soon regret this, Alistair."

With that, he huffed away from the study, leaving Aster confounded by the exchange and the abrupt rude behavior. The House of Lunar was well established as their neighbors and allies, with bonds formed during many of their banquets. Wondering what has just happened, it only took a single command from his father for his wandering thoughts to vanish.

"Enter."

Aster immediately collected himself before entering inside, the door automatically closing behind him. The room before him was one he had entered several times throughout his childhood and it housed some of his favorite memories. At the middle of the study stood a geometric table full of paper, scrolls and strange artifacts, one which was an Astrolabe, a spherical globe full of glinting stars floating on an enchanted platform. On the right, there was a wooden cabinet filled with books to the brim opposite of a large window revealing the promised vista on the left. Directly at front, behind his chair was a wall filled with stars. His father lovingly called it the Tapestry of the Cosmos, meant to represent all of the constellations spread across the sky above. Even now the wall threatened to hold his attention as at each star marked across the wall, a piece of starite stones was embedded, causing the surface to glint in various hues of crystalline blue seemingly as if a piece of sky was brought into the study.

But this wasn't the time to ogle at the wall. Aster bowed down again, showing his due respect.

"Greetings Father" he said, as a striking middle aged man in twinkling glasses with long cerulian hair raised his gaze.

"My son," He smiled at him from the heaps of paper on his desk.

"What brings you here?" He then checked something at one of his papers before he continued. "If I'm not wrong, today is your scheduled turn at the scaffolding. You ever rarely miss it."

Aster was just about to respond when another question formed at his lips.

"Can I...ask why was the Ardent of the Lunar House here? I was not aware they were visiting today and it seemed the talks did not end well…"

A shadow crossed over his father's face before returning to normal.

"Hopefully just a man desiring for what's not his." He shook his head before he focused on him. "Pay him no more attention. Unless of course you want us to resume our talks of marriage…" he mischievously smiled.

Aster groaned as he felt his face flush in embarrassment. Oh how his father and mother loved to tease him about it after all this time. A few weeks ago when a banquet was held to celebrate and deepen the bonds between the two families, Aster had made a near fool of himself. And it was just his bad luck that the event was witnessed by everyone.

Such incident went on something like this.

As both of their families possessed a similar heritage; the School of Stars from the House of Arius and the School of the Moon from the House of Lunar both existing as branches under the School of Night, his father had thought a close relationship between their two families would have done well for both in broadening their magic. There were both minor houses, and in lower strata it was common to see lower houses bonding over resources or exchange of knowledge. But at this banquet, the maiden descendant of the House of Lunar Selene herself happened to be attending for the first time and her beauty was enough to cause everyone's downfall, including his own.

This was because on the same night, Aster filled with courage he didn't know he possessed, had approached her with the intention to form a connection, a base relationship or perhaps to get to know her but the glacial beauty with her aloof and detached manner had shot him down so fast that every good thought he had of her vanished before they took hold. Humiliated in front of everyone, it took her father's apology, the Lord of Lunar House himself to diffuse the whole thing. The grudge formed on that night might lessened and the whole event taken as nothing more than a joke, but the story soon spread like wildfire as everyone who had attended the banquet gossiped about it for the days on end.

Finding himself eager to change the subject, Aster went straight to the point.

"Father," he hesitated, "I think my astral gift has awakened."

His father's eyes glinted as he gave him his full attention.

"When was this?"

Aster replied, "The moment I rose from bed a few hours ago." He mused, "Or maybe it's better to say it woke me from my sleep?!"

His father frowned, "Then why didn't you come to me straight away?"

A hint of exasperation filled Aster's voice. "I-I wasn't sure of it. It has been so long that I was in doubt if it truly was my strange gift. I went to tell mother and…"

"…she told you to come here."

Aster's head bobbed like a chicken, inwardly nervous that he might have made a mistake by being stubborn.

Taking a deep breath, his father commanded him.

"Start from the very beginning and leave not a word out."

With that his narration started. Aster faithfully began to reiterate from the moment he woke up to the decision he made to visit his mother. His father repeatedly grilled him for details, and made him form words on the exact sensations he experienced. When he told him how his mother had admonished him before she sent him on his way, his father let out a small smile which made Aster feel a shred of relief.

After he was done, his father laid back on his seat, his face deep in thought. One of his hands absently played with his silver beard which Aster noticed it hasn't been trimmed for a while. Any further thoughts were suddenly cut off when his father snapped his fingers.

"Although this is less than optimal but it should work." He murmured before he swiftly rose from his chair and made for the filled bookshelf.

"For a while now your astral gift has been a mystery I have been trying to solve."

Pulling back a blue and purple rimmed book, he got back into his seat.

"I have been searching throughout our records for signs any another predecessor has awakened the same or similar gift but no such luck. All I was left to do was to look for all kind of skills, techniques or even rituals that might help us determine exactly what your astral gift is and I finally stumbled upon a potential solution. A solution that possessed quite a few requirements"

Raising his eyes from the book he held, his father's gaze settled on him.

"You did good son to come here. A major part of being an Astrologer is to always keep an ear open to one's intuition. And luckily even if a few hours have passed, the criteria are still met." He rose to his feet again only to stand in front of his bookshelf again.

Knowing where this is going, a hint of excitement filled Aster's chest. A familiar word of incantation from his father's throat and the wooden cabinet filled with books flickered under the motes of starlight before gliding smoothly aside revealing a hidden passageway carved directly onto the wall. Gesturing for him to follow, Aster accompanied his father through the doorway into the one place he knew his father treasured the most.

Even as the corridor was narrow and enclosed, it was well lit by the familiar enchanted stones as they meandered shortly until they arrived at their destination. This time it was in front of another door, this one filled with so much markings their magical light fluctuated like a shimmering wave under the shadowed halls.

By now, Aster was exhilarated. When the marked door finally opened under another incantation and gesture, it revealed a small room somewhat similar to the scaffolding but ultimately different. This was the Asterium, his father's private place for meditation and comprehension where varying markings of power flickered on the walls, filling the whole room with presence akin to starlight and night. Glinting starite and art spanned on every surface of the room emulating the movement of stars and planets and other celestial bodies. And just like their family's scaffolding, a transparent pane of glass covered above providing a clear view of the skies and the stars beyond. Only on the floor, there was a pair of cushions instead of the whole spread. After all, this was his father's private place. Aster bet he was the only one to ever step inside.

"Sit," his father ordered which Aster eagerly obeyed. A part of him hoped that after they were done, his father would allow him to meditate inside the room. A few hours inside this place was akin to almost double the results he would have gained if he was at the scaffolding. Something about the markings here made everything more powerful and efficient.

After they were both on the floor, cross legged from one another, his father started.

"What we are about to perform is an altered form of meditation. This was the only method I found that would allow you to form a deeper connection to that which you already possess. The only thing required was for your astral gift to awaken and then using the sensations birthed to delve deeper in order to form a coherent picture of what your astral gift is trying to tell you."

Looking at his son, Alistair sighed. "The very first time your astral gift awakened, you found yourself in danger. Let's hope this time your astral gift means something else entirely."

They both spent a few seconds preparing themselves before they began.

"Now, are you ready son?"

Aster nodded. "Yes father"

Alistair inclined in acknowledgement. "Then just like the first time I led you through your first meditation, you will listen to my words and follow exactly what I tell you until we both get an understanding of what we are dealing with."

Keeping his head high and his back straight, Aster took a deep breath, trying to still the excitement in his bones as he prepared his mind to enter the familiar state of awareness and deep concentration.

Seeing his son doing everything right, a small burst of pride filled his chest.

"Now put your body at rest and slow down your breath."

Aster did just that. He used the next few minutes to consciously loosen up his whole body, starting from the toes of his legs, up to the top of his head just as his father had taught him. Once he was fully and well relaxed, he let his mind go, letting it wander for a few minutes before steadily and gently bringing his focus to the center.

 As if he was aware of what he was doing, his father continued.

"Pay attention to what I am about to say son. Instead of widening your senses to the sky and feel the stars as usual, I want you to summon what you felt this morning when you woke up today. Remember what had happened and feel that with such clarity that you can trace its source. Follow those sensations back to the core…grasp the link that has eluded us for a long while."

Almost in a trance, Aster gently made his mind recall the morning's events. The strange despair he felt after being hunted by a non-existent beast, the chill that spread throughout his body as if plunged into the depths of a frigid mountain. He summoned each memory and felt each sensation so deeply that he could feel it in his bones. But that wasn't enough. In fact he wasn't even sure of what he was supposed to do until a twitch occurred beyond his senses that he immediately latched on, instinctively feeling an ephemeral connection to something deeper into his body.

"I think I found it…the connection." He whispered in amazement before he realized something. "It's… fading away."

His voice barely restraining his excitement, his father urgently spoke.

"Do not let go of it, son. Firmly hold on to it and try to trace it back to its origin."

Having no idea of how exactly to do such a thing, Aster let his instincts guide him.

The connection he felt was slowly vanishing even as he focused on it. In a desperate bid, he forced his senses to merge with it, rapidly following it back, almost like taking a ride that would disappear at any moment. It fely riskly and crazy and he definitely faltered more than once until he finally reached the zenith of what he was pursuing, the threshold of his astral gift.

When he finally burst through the last wall with all of his mental efforts, something gave and shattered and his mind exploded in a cascade of flowing colors and lights. Forcibly stilling his beating heart in case he shattered his trancelike focus, a gasp still escaped him which made his father's concerned voice pierce through his overwhelmed senses.

"Son, what is it? What do you see?"

 "I..."Aster could not even put into words what he was currently witnessing. Even though his eyes were firmly closed, somehow the world presented itself to his senses in the flowing rivers of bright silky lights and glowing nimbus. Somehow he knew the radiant freckles of twinkling dust all around him was the starlight mana the markings on the wall summoned into the room.

But then there was more.

Slowly swiveling his head around, he could see an mystifying crystal-bluish river swirling everywhere and touching almost everything. It mysteriously dipped and ebbed, brushing against the surface of walls, floors and ceiling. It stirred the cluster of stars within the room and then seemingly shifted between the two almost as if there was nary a difference between them. The blue majestic river even coursed through his father, his whole body lighting up with a brilliant lustre of many stars. Even as a pounding headache slowly arose, Aster felt like he was floating on the fluffiest cloud in the sky. A giddy smile formed in his face and it was only his father's voice that broke through the heady sensations.

"Aster… focus…do you see?...your astral gift…does it tell you?"

Almost like he was far away, Aster could barely hear every word his father he said. Still a small part of his mind somehow understood what he was trying to say and it tried to galvanize the little awareness there was in him to focus his mind from the heavenly sight into what the world was trying to tell him.

Like a switch, the heavenly sensations abruptly receded only to be replaced by a sudden still stumbling his addled mind. The blue river of mana and stars continued to flow but from somewhere outside, somewhere beyond him he could feel a rising wave against him, a tide of dark intent so well concealed that even his bewildered mind struggled to comprehend. But a part of him still held on, stubbornly pushing against the tides until it wasn't long before he pierced the veil and the shadowed intent blossomed into a black river, a a deep-seated vicious wave that silently rippled throughout the blue expanse, concealed but deadly, possessed of hunger & pain he could neither make heads or tails off.

Then the ripples ultimately reached him and the first thought he had was that he was finally going to die.

The wave, the dark river crashed into him, overwhelming his senses, shattering the euphoria he had just experienced. The hunger, the deep-rooted craving and greed and ambitions threatened to consume him. It was then that everything clicked into place. The dark river was there for him but he wasn't the only target. Such a huge crest was meant to devour everything on its path. He just happened to be in its path.

The eerily phenomenon was enough to snap him back to his body. He unconsciously jerked to his feet, heaving in short gasps, shivering almost like he was in midst of the raining season with none of his clothes on. Somehow the steadying hands of his father supported him, his presence providing much of the needed warmth. Aster leaned on him, his eyes frenzied and wide even as his father's gaze washed over him with concern.

"F-father, I-I thi-ink I saw m-mana…" Aster's elation burned through the stuttering. "I-t was beautiful…"

Once he was sure his son was okay, Alistair sighed.

"I have had my suspicions for a quite a while… but today you certainly confirmed it." His steely grey eyes bore into him with a tired but proud smile.

 "Son what you have just witnessed was true tapestry of the cosmos, a rare view of mana and all of its endless transformation." He then chuckled. "Do you have any idea of how many mages in these lands would gladly sacrifice everything they have for such a sight? I've had a feeling your astral gift was intimately connected to the world itself. The tapestry of the cosmos. The tapestry of the cosmos flows through anything and everything, touching upon countless concepts and aspects that make up our realm. Our Astral insights only brush against such currents but you my son…you are entrenched right in the middle of it…" His head gestured below him. "...but it seems such a gift does not come without a price."

When Aster followed his gaze, he was surprised to his cerulean robes caked with blood. As he weakly raised his hands to his face, he felt what he thought were tears were instead rivulets of blood coming out of his nose, eyes and ears. Such a discovery was enough to shock him for several seconds until he recalled the all-consuming dark river which forced his mind to throw away such concerns in heartbeat.

"F-father there was also something else...a black river…aiming to swallow us whole…that was what my astral gift was trying to tell me. Something is coming father..."

They locked eyes for a second, the steely gray to the midnight blue until something dawned on his father's face.

"No…no they wouldn't…."

That was all he got to utter before an unimaginable crash reverberated throughout the whole compound even reaching the inner sanctum of the manor.

"They did dare…" a grim look settled over his father, before he immediately rose to his feet, whilst pulling his barely recovered son along as they got out of Asterium , into the corridor and finally through the passageway in order to see what the commotion was.