The Path of Ascension Chapter 403

Chapter 403

Giving Esmeralda and Jericho the devices they had stolen from Raffi, the six of them sat in the suite just decompressing for a long few minutes after the last stressful few weeks. It felt much longer than that, but, in reality, it had only been a short few weeks.

Allie sighed as she popped to her feet. “Want me to start digging once we get any leads? Once I get something, we can start making them really hurt.”

Phoenix Liz fluttered off Matt’s shoulder and gave Allie a feathery hug before pecking her on the head.

“Ow. You could have said so nicer. With actual words.”

Liz grinned. “Thank you, Allie, but no. At least, not for now. I’m not happy, but we are far too weak to actually fight these people, even if we identify them. Which we haven’t done, let me remind you. And I don’t need you getting squished for me, even if I appreciate the offer.”

Returning with a plate of finger food from the suite’s kitchen, Allie started munching on the various fruits and snacks.

“What’s your plan now, then?” Susanne asked the question they were all pondering.

Liz looked towards Matt and Aster. “We need to do four things, as I count them. Work on repairing my reputation. Finish clearing the mess these assholes made of Aster’s initiative. Start looking out for shit they might be stirring in our duchies. And, finally, Matt needs to do more PR stuff as the skills spread. While Raffi’s hatred towards me seemed more for our ducal reforms, I don’t think he was lying when he said we ruined business interests of the society he was a part of. We can’t start worrying about everything else and then forget what forced their hand to begin with. Actually, five, because I want to check in with Melinda and see if she needs additional help since Raffi didn’t spill. I don’t like secret research facilities tainting the reputation of blood magic any more than they already have.”

Matt winced. “Sorry about that. I knew the skills would have a reaction, but I didn’t think it would be quite as big as it turned out. At least from our enemies’ reaction. I expected something more along the lines of the aura potion. Not an attack on your character.”

Liz leaned over Aster and rubbed his hand. “You aren’t to blame for the reactions of others.”

Matt was nodding when he saw her swipe a handful of food from the tray. Wanting to lighten the mood, he gasped. “You didn’t really feel bad, you just wanted snacks.”

Liz just made a motion like she couldn’t hear him over her perfectly quiet chewing.

Seeing her grin, Matt looked to Susanne and Zack. “What about you two?”

Zack looked at his glowing hand. “I really need to return to this.”

Aster leaned over Susanne grabbed the hand, and wiggled it, which showcased its weird after image effect. “Yeah, what did you do to your hand?”

Zack absently allowed Matt’s sister to draw shapes in the air with his hand as he explained, filling his plate with telekinesis instead. “I have been corresponding with Ellen as of late, and we have been studying historical Ascenders in an effort to replicate some of their notable capabilities. Willoh – the Legend, not the Master of Willow Streams – was known for possessing a hand which was simultaneously wholly physical and spiritual, enabling him to physically interact with mana in ways that could be further modified with skills and other Natural Treasures. I am currently experimenting with a combination of Wraith Claw, Last Moon’s Breath, and an Arcane [Palm of Tranquility] for stability and safety. Unfortunately, when actually testing it, I discovered that the combination had not adequately kept my spirit and body in-sync, so while it technically works, the delay between my biology and spirit renders it largely useless. I have more luck with fine manipulation utilizing my Domain.”

“You said it’s a skill, right? Why can’t you just turn it off?”

“It is [Palm of Tranquility] which enables my hand to move at all, and that is still after several additional methods of temporary stabilization to make myself mobile enough to travel. What I am doing now is not dissimilar from running a strength buff to bypass a broken arm. Simple enough to do, and not hazardous with proper care, but nonetheless frustrating to work with. Ellen has some ideas in regards to what will fix it, as do I, but we’re still working on gathering the required materials.”

Matt leaned forward and inspected the arm before pulling himself away.

He had way too much on his plate to start getting involved with a new project right now.

Still, he couldn’t help but say, “Send me what you ran into. I’d love to look it over when I get a minute. It’s really quite fascinating.”

Zack did so, and Matt sent himself a reminder for a few months out. Surely he’d have more time then.

Susanne got them back on track with a nod to Aster after swallowing her own snack. “I’m willing to help where I can. At least until my next delving block, but that’s five years out, and I don’t have anything critical to do until then.”

Aster tried to thank her, but what came out of her overstuffed mouth was unintelligible.

Seeing just how much the others were enjoying the snacks, Zack included, Matt tried one, only to open his eyes wide.

“You assholes could have told me these were from Tal Vesti’s and not the staff here.”

Grabbing the last of the food off the plate, Matt frowned at his meager portion. Tal Vesti’s was a Talented restaurant they had been to a few years ago, and the owner and chef occasionally sent food up to their suite if they were at the Capital.

The style had been so unassuming, he had assumed it had been made by the hotel staff, but now the others’ behavior made a lot more sense.

Fiends, all of them.

Food platter demolished, their chats turned to the news as they caught back up.

Liz’s name had been cleared ostensibly, with all of the higher Tier news channels having retracted their statements. But the few weeks were also enough time to have new scandals pop up and push her story off the headlines.

That wasn’t the worst thing, but Matt agreed that Liz would need to do her own press tour to help reestablish her Ascender image.

Being a bloodthirsty or ruthless Ascender wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, as many Ascenders throughout the Great Power’s history were feared more than liked. In the Empire, that meant more negative news stories, but power shone through them all. He also knew Liz was sensitive to the ‘blood mage evil’ perception, and wouldn’t accept that outcome.

He also knew she was right. He needed to get out there and do more interviews with the new skills, even if he had wanted to avoid it.

They, at least probably, had some time before the next attack, given their response to the last one and their pattern of attack.

Though, Matt wanted to attack first. “So, about the society. We can’t attack them directly quite yet, given our Tier and their probable Tiers. But I had another idea that could piss them off and possibly even make life difficult for them once we figure our target.”

Matt had everyone’s attention at that statement. “Let’s force our way onto several school’s Board of Governors. Once there, we can start making waves until something splashes back. I’m sure most of the people on those boards are part of the stronger societies. Throwing wrenches in their plans is a good first step to finding society members.”

Aster put her hand in the air. “Oh, I’ll do that. That sounds like a blast and I’m the only one here who actually was a part of an academy.”

Matt shrugged. “I figured we all do it. Once we have leads, pick the three most suspicious academies and buy our ways onto the boards. Go on the offensive. It’s not like the boards meet up all that often. It’s usually once a decade. We should be able to work around that.”

Liz shook her head. “I doubt that would actually harm the societies. They are far more than a school board. That would just be a waste of our time even if we knew the society in question and their assets. No, we need to wait for the information on Raffi’s data to come back and we can start chasing down people he was in contact with and unravel things that way.”

Midway through his idea, Allie groaned as she leaned back in her chair. “Ugh. No, we actually got a job. This one is your fault though, Matt.”

Matt checked his AI and looked for any Imperial messages, but found none. Just when he was going to say something, a forward arrived from Allie.

The heading immediately caught his attention because it was from Carissa, Manny’s wife.

Reading deeper, his eyes went into his hairline.

Winter Hornet was requesting a meeting with the ascender who had brought up the knowledge of the new skills.

Apparently, Rah had agreed to the meeting, and Carissa had okayed it in Manny’s place, but someone, specifically Allie, needed to bring Rah to Sect space and back. Safely.

“How did he even find out about Rah? Did Sien spill?”

Aster’s question was a good one, but Allie shook her head. “No, I already asked Carissa. Apparently, he figured it out all on his own, due to the different structure and ideology behind the skills.” Popping to her feet she clapped. “Chop chop. Up! On your feet. You are all coming with me. I’m not quarantining alone. That shit sucks and if I have to suffer so do you.”

Matt sighed and leaned back on the couch just to annoy Allie. “I’m sure he’s not the only one. I didn’t hide that we got the info from someone else and just polished it up. It’s not like ascenders are unheard of in our realm, just really rare, so it’s not that crazy he, or more likely his people, put the clues together. I’m just surprised that Rah said he’s ok with it.”

Allie rolled her eyes. “Let’s go ask him. Get on your feet you lazy bums.”

A second later they were on Titan Torch’s moon, just outside Rah’s compound.

Luna greeted them with a yawn as she lay in a sunny spot in cat form. Next to her was Ciceron who looked… disheveled was the most polite word Matt could come up with.

Rah, however, looked as put together as always, but from his body language was clearly frustrated as well.

“Yo!”

Allie announced their arrival with a wave.

Rah blinked up at their arrival. “Thank you for coming, Allie. I didn’t want to impose, but Carissa said you were willing and it would save years of travel.”

“It’s fine. I don’t like being a taxi, but helping a friend is enough reason to do it. Really, it’s just about making sure everyone knows I’m not at their beck and call.”

Rah stood and looked down at Ciceron. “Let’s call it a break here and we can resume when I get back in a day or so with fresh eyes and minds.”

Ciceron groaned. “No I don’t need a break, I need to figure this out. I swear the answer is right in front of me, I just can’t see it.”

Matt looked to Luna, who just swished her tail over her eyes and flattened her ears, pretending to not hear any of it. “We’ll talk about just what you did to your spirit when you get back, Matthew, but I don’t have the energy to deal with two idiots right now, so begone.”

Allie gestured, and Rah appeared next to them. Before they could be stopped, they vanished to appear on Yun Me’s world.

Instead of the Sect’s strongest non-Ascender waiting for them, they found a clone of Winter Hornet. That had been part of the deal Carissa had struck, and had been in the briefing, though its presence to Matt was all but indistinguishable from that of a proper Tier 50.