Intrigue Of The Paths

Hell if I know anything about this place. I literally just came here! This is a rather unfortunate thing I'm encountering though....

I'm not sure how to respond. More importantly, why do I sense some sort of... What is that, reverence? Bewilderment? Confusion? I don't know. But it's one of them, or all of them from these three.

But really, what should I do though. Honestly, I think it's my fault they're here in the first place. Those stars... After I touched them, they were pulled in. Must mean that the other stars are also connected to people outside this space.

Well, lesson learned then: Don't touch the stars unnecessarily. Noted. But, since I've already done that to three of them I should at least apologise to them...

No, wait. This is actually a perfect opportunity. I can gather information from them about this world. Not knowing a lot really is bad for you. Ignorance is bliss, but when things are right in front of you, why not take it? Not like it's that hard.

For now, I'll just hide my identity from them. Would rather not have them be angry at me for bringing them in like this.

At the very least I should be partly truthful.... Would be better on my conscience.

"Greetings to you all, your presence here is merely an unforeseen consequence of me having done a slight.... Experiment."

That was the best way to phrase it for now. And it's technically true.

The moment the softly spoken words fell out of my mouth, the lady before me repeated the final word, taken aback.

"As for who I am..." I recalled that mysterious Drinkkin of Roy earlier engraving the mark of Virgo on me, smiling. I continued, "You may call me Virgo."

....

"You may call me Virgo." As the gentle voice spoke, the three felt chills running across their whole body.

No matter what. As people who had different understandings of mysticism, they all recalled a certain Emperor who injected new ideas into astrological mysticism. He named 88 of the Constellations all by himself. And even now they were used by those who studied the stars.

Virgo was what astrologists called a Zodiac constellation. A star that invoked the powers of femininity, fertility, purity, growth and nature itself in general. But the one who called himself Virgo shattered their thoughts of a being that represented the constellation. Now, it was displaced by this robed entity before them.

As they all held back their shock and repeated the name in their minds, the one they called Virgo suddenly thought to himself that it would be nice to have somewhere to sit....

As if on cue, acting according to his thoughts; the space around suddenly began to shift as a palace began to be constructed around him and the other three. Marble pillars sprouted from the ground, all around them and a high dome that was engraved with strange symbols in its interior.

It was a lofty palace, fit for an emperor. Or even perhaps a God.

"How marvellous." Elias and Sophia mumbled, practically in sync. They looked at each other briefly before looking away.

As they all gazed on in shock, a long table fused with wood and crystal manifested before them. And twelve tall seats encircled it, its back engraved with mystical symbols. At the very end to the right, was the Seat of Honour. The esteemed throne belongs to Virgo.

The moment Virgo sat upon it, the symbol of his chosen constellation manifested in golden light on his throne.

Following his lead, Sophia and the others each chose a seat and sat down. Each of them inspected each other and tried to recall if they were someone famous or at least had heard of in passing.

Fortunately for all, the three did not know each other. What Sophia and Elias did know however, was that Nathaniel was likely a Church official from the robe he wore. Though the specific embroidery was clouded by the fog, nonetheless they could tell.

Sophia, out of the other two, was the most enamoured with all this. This was her first time witnessing such a magical scene and even being part of it brought her great joy.

But still, she felt that it might all end soon so she spoke up, "Sir Virgo, is your experiment over? Are we allowed to return now." She didn't want to leave just yet. A little more time to talk to the others was what she wanted. But if she had to leave now, she would.

The other two leaned on the table a little, awaiting for Virgo's words.

"Hmmm. I suppose you can leave now if you so desire. I can help with that."

Virgo, or rather, Zach figured something out. What he had done was actually strangely similar to what he believed a video game in real life would work. He had made an avatar for each of them, the stars were similar to their accounts. He connected them to the space that acted like a game server.

With the revelation, he wondered if he could change his form a little. And to his surprise, the fog obeyed his command. He cloaked himself into a golden robe to obscure his features completely and make himself more mysterious.

Since it was really the minds or something similar being sent up here, the form could change. At least that's what Zach currently theorised.

As Zach was contemplating as to how he could gather information from these people, Sophia became giddy as she thought of the same thing. Of course, she was far less cautious than Zach was, so obviously she took the chance to break the ice and ask a straightforward question.

"This is such a wondrous experience. I cannot believe it. It's like a- Yes, like a dream come true.... I've always wanted to witness such miracles and Magic...."

Sophia suddenly realised she was getting off track. The other three gazed at her, especially Nathaniel and Elias. They were curious as to what she was getting at.

"Um, that is to say. Sirs, I would like to know what I must do to become a Luminary?"

Her excitement grew the more she spoke, this was a fantasy she longed to reach for. And now that opportunity was right before her. Unfortunately, she wouldn't be getting anything from Virgo today. But the other two could help in his stead. Well, at the very least that's what Zach was counting on. Otherwise he'd have to feign amnesia or act really mysterious to avoid the question.

Elias thought carefully, wondering how he should reply. While Nathaniel narrowed his eyes and deliberated for a bit before saying something.

"If.... If you want to be a Luminary you can think of going to a Church. Depending on which Nation you're from, go to the official religion that holds jurisdiction over your Nation and join them. For example, if you're from the Xenia Empire, go to the Church of the Sanctified Flame. Or if you're someone from the Nation of Knowledge, you might want to go to the Church Of The Lord Of Knowledge And The Sea....

"You have to know that each Nation has different Luminary organisations outside of the Churches. There are also Luminaries amongst the upholders of the law such as the courts and the police. Of course, certain official agencies as well have a direct connection to Luminaries. It's getting rather difficult for them though, compared to a decade ago, official and unofficial Luminaries not from a Church are more easily persecuted by each of the governments in the Nations. No one knows why, but some believe it's because some of these unofficial Luminaries hold Paths that are not yet documented by the Churches. As such, many of the Churches are searching for these Paths."

Elias nodded. As an unofficial Luminary, he had a particular insight into this and agreed with much of what Nathaniel had said.

On the other hand, Zach listened carefully. He was rather interested in all this and was relieved there was someone who actually had information that he wanted.

As Nathaniel stopped speaking, Sophia gave a sigh. "Yes. I know all about the Churches and the organisations under their control. Whether it's the Hearthkeepers, Knowledge Seekers or the Craftsmen Guild, their Paths seem interesting. But it would mean I would lose my freedom..."

Nathaniel felt a sting in his heart, but brushed it off with a chuckle. "Hah. Right. In this world, if one wants to seek the light at the end of a Path, one must always be ready to at least sacrifice something. Ever since the beginning of the Iron Age, change has always come. Since this is a chance to change your life, why not consider other options then? If you don't want to join a church, you can think of finding noble families or clans that wield Paths as part of their inherited legacies. Or, a secret organisation that can lead you to a Path...."

Nathaniel turned his gaze to Virgo, all could feel his smile. It felt strange to them. But really, Virgo was just smiling because he gleaned a lot of information from just this piece of conversation.

He was curious though about what a Path was.

Sophia harrumphed, "Then, what should I do then? I'd rather not go looking for an ancient clan, who knows what their intentions are? As for an organisation..... Isn't this one right here?" Sophia muttered those last words. But they all heard it.

At this moment, Elias burst in laughter. "Alright little girl-"

"Not a little girl." Sophia interrupted.

"Ahem, alright, miss." Elias continued, "If you want a Path that badly, I have Sphere 11 formulas for two specific Paths with me." Elias spoke slowly, as if tempting Sophia.

Then, Nathaniel interjected as well, "I too, have a few formulas for Paths up my sleeve. Three Sphere 11 formulas...."

"Alright. I'll hear both of you out." Sophia, intrigued, nodded to Elias, indicating that he starts first.

"The first one I have is Sphere 11 Liar. The Major Aspects are a glib tongue, increased charm, knowledge on how to craft believable lies. Liars are also able to see through illusions and simple disguises. On the more mystical side of things, Liars have the capacity for three unique rituals. Now, as for Minor Aspects; physicality is enhanced, control over muscle movements is reinforced greatly. And Liars seem to have nigh superhuman speed...

Secondly, I have Sphere 11 Comedian, it's rather similar to Liar. The Major Aspects are as followed; knowledge of different forms of comedy as well as a natural predilection for jokes. Comedians can ease or provoke a crowd with their jokes, directing their emotions towards how a Comedian wants them to.

Comedians naturally know how to elicit laughter from a crowd, invoking different emotions and different types of laughter as well. As for Minor Aspects, Comedians must also be capable of physical comedy, as such a nimble body is needed to do acts that need one to be swift, sleight of hand, capable of acting and the like. Control of the body can also help in eliciting laughter, for example making funny faces is a form of comedy that is considered a classic."

Sophia deliberated for a moment.

Nathaniel on the other hand, knew for a fact that there was a certain organisation that held both of these Paths outside of the official Churches. "Liar and Comedian... The Killing Jokers?"

Elias whistled and applauded Nathaniel for figuring it out. "Indeed, I am from the Killing Jokers." Elias did not feel a particular need to hide his affiliation as the Killing Jokers were a secretive mercenary group. They all worked under different names, as such, no one could trace him. Not without the right information of course.

But seeing Elias be so unabashedly proud to admit he was part of such an organisation made Nathaniel feel unnerved. Sophia and Nicholas however, lacked sufficient information. As such, they did not see anything wrong with it.

Nathaniel digressed and spoke his turn, "The first Sphere 11 formula I have is Leader. As the name suggests, the Major Aspects revolve around leadership and bolstering allies under your lead. As long as they are under your lead, you can bestow upon an ally with a temporary enhancement. There are three in general. Focus, Strengthen and Haste. In addition to this, Leaders have a Shout that they can use to call out to their allies from afar or distract opponents. As for Minor Aspects, it's just the typical physical enhancements. Your voice grows stronger though, and your charisma gains a particular reinforcement."

Sophia thought for a bit and recalled, "That's one of the Paths held by the Church of the Sanctified Flame, correct?"

Nathaniel nodded in confirmation. "That's right. The next two I have are Spheres that I lack knowledge of. I can glean some understanding of the abilities from their names, but the core of them both eludes me...

"Sphere 11, Depressed. From what I can tell, a Depressed is despondent and nihilistic. There's no way for me to fully discern the abilities. But I do know that they enjoy a rather refined use of aura. Some particular spells that I believe are of the water element, leading me to think that it's maybe a Path held by the Church of The Lord Of Knowledge And Sea....

"Lastly, I have Matchmaker. I do know one particularly interesting Major Aspect from this, and it is the ability to create some sort of pinkish thread that has a certain effect. I've never had the chance to see it in action, but I know it exists. Apparently, the core of Matchmaker is the idea of setting the perfect couple up."

Sophia was intrigued by all this. Zach was too. Even though he had to keep up appearances as Virgo, inside he was screaming and ruminating about the information he just managed to gain.

After a bit, Sophia turned to Nathaniel and spoke, "Hmm, I think- I think I quite feel rather interested in Matchmaker. The feeling of setting people up to become a couple.... That is indeed rather romantic, I have indeed felt an interest in such things. What price should I pay for it? And how should we facilitate this trade?"

Nathaniel thought long and hard about this, he knew that he needed ingredients in order to advance to the next Sphere. But he could not think of anything immediate that he required. So, he thought of getting the next best thing.

"Firstly, I would like the meat of a Pideas cattle... Three kilograms of it. And I don't think that would be worth the price of a Sphere 11 formula, so I would also like 2,000 hads for the remainder. As for the trade itself, why not have Sir Virgo do so? I believe he can be our notary for this..."

Surprised that he was going to be any part of this, Zach merely nodded. A notary wasn't too hard for him so he agreed easily.

After discussing a little more about the trade, Sophia pondered for a bit before saying, "Since we all can't use real names, why not choose an alias to refer to each other? I think, following Mr. Virgo's name, we can also name ourselves after constellations. Specifically I was thinking of the Zodiac."

Interested, Zach spoke for the first time since they began talking about the Paths, "Intriguing idea. I approve."

Hearing that Virgo approved of her idea, Sophia took the lead and picked her name first, "From now on, I shall be Libra!"

Nathaniel smiled slightly hearing her excitement, "Then, I shall take Aries." He picked randomly on the top of his head the first Zodiac that came to mind.

Chuckling, Elias crossed his arms and said, "I think I'll take Pisces then."

Satisfied, the three of them had already talked for a good thirty minutes. Feeling the need to check outside, Zach decided to use this time to dismiss the meeting. "Meeting adjourned for now. From now on, every Friday afternoon. About 3 O' clock... Xenian time. We shall meet here. Ensure that you are alone during the meeting. That none of this is disclosed. And if you have any further questions, save it for next Friday."

After saying all this, Nathaniel stood up and crossed his arm over his heart. Perpetuating the gesture he does for his Deacon superior when he is dismissed from a meeting, "At your decree!"

Seeing this, the other two followed. "At your decree!"

And with a slight nod from Virgo, all faded away into gold.