The Hart family continued their research and settled into a holding pattern for a few days. Crafting and training and spending time together at night as Jake tried out his new essence crystallization technique, and closing Rifts during the day while Nessa and Fhesiah worked with the truth seekers on the tokens.
Ultimately, they were waiting for something before they moved to help the other worlds: the results of the hearing and a word on their reward. They already heard a preliminary answer–about what happened to Cassius and Avaron, as well as their guilds.
The token work was eventually completed, and they managed to trap a few other leaders with their own words. The truth-seekers were capable of much better tracking, able to tell who the target they were speaking to was through divination.
They had turned up some details about Tier 3 worlds in the sector and even some happenings across some of the smaller Tier 1 worlds influencing their subguilds and their Conquests. Thanks to their findings, they may actually save a few other sabotaged worlds.
It was safe to say that over twenty worlds’ contests were being influenced negatively, and they flipped the table on their enemy. Because of this, things were looking much more positive for their upcoming War Trial if they could capitalize on their success and claim the worlds.
Finally, two weeks after the hearing where the betraying divine were sentenced, the family did hear from Hestia as they were winding down for the day. The fighting parts of the family had all gathered in the Sanctuary much like they had done before, when they spoke to Hestia last in front of the shrines to their family’s Divine.
The family was gathered across the various chairs and stumps, with Jake across from Hestia’s shrine and with Tanda on his lap, and Fhesiah floating above him. Bree once again chose to kneel on the ground next to him, and the rest of the girls chose to sit together with one another.
Hestia appeared in motes of light, and everyone happily greeted the goddess before she sat down. “I have good news, Hart family–the hearing to determine if Baron Jake Hart would become a Count was accepted.”
Everyone clapped, cheering, and many of them crowded around Jake in excitement, hugging and celebrating.
Berri said, “Wow! That’s a huge deal, right?”
Hestia smiled. “It is a huge deal. The number of Counts allowed in this Frontier Sector is limited, as the benefits and power granted are significant. You’ve already experienced the differences between a Knight and a Baron, although limited because of your Tier… but the differences between a Baron and a Count are even more drastic.”
Nessa was beaming. “It’s amazing. Jake will be able to start his Territory right away!”
Jake frowned. “My Territory? I thought that’s…what the Divine have. Bree and her sisters had one, or…three, I guess?”
Bree chuckled from his side, looking up at him. “We had one, but like brothers and sisters that don’t get along forced to share the same room, we drew lines and treated one Territory as three. I mentioned our…experiments, as we tried to create our individual divinities and failed. Even when that experiment was done, we still kept things that way.” She smiled in remembrance, her gaze drifting into the distance instead. “It was kind of fun. Because we would compete through them… and sometimes fight over them, of course.”
“So, um…what is a Territory?” Tanda asked.
Nessa explained, “A Territory is like the next stage of the interplanetary network that our Hearthtribe has been establishing. The difference is that the worlds that join your Territory will be more tied to your personal fate and your goals–your sovereignty. If you wished to go to war or to be involved in an event that allowed you to claim more worlds, your Territory would need to be involved or at risk in some way.”
Jake was thoughtful. “I see. Right now, ‘owning’ a world is more like I own the Framework embassy on that world, and in return for collecting taxes and some other benefits from the nodes, I must protect it. If a world is a part of my Territory, it will be more like I rule it more directly, or at least, I have much more control over its fate. Polls for non-Territory worlds decide just how much of it is at risk, but if they become a part of my Territory, they are giving up this option.”
Nessa nodded. “That’s right. And of course, there are benefits. In addition to a bigger improvement to the current benefits of the network, you’re going to have a lot more control over changes to the world or worlds. And…this definitely has a lot to do with your ascent. Someone with a Territory certainly has a higher chance of reaching the Fourth Tier and so on, and then there’s the benefit to your goddess.”
Jake turned to Hestia. “Me having a Territory helps you?”
She gave him a small smile. “Of course. You being a Count should mean that not only should I have a vote in the Sector Councils, but also my shrines and temples will be that much more effective. My connection to the Sector will be greater, and that will have other, widespread implications. My ability to speak to my clergy and grant Quests and directives and thus influence the Conflicts–all of these things will improve. The bigger impact will definitely be once this Frontier Sector matures, however, and your Territory can join mine in truth instead of being like a distant island.”
Even Berri was impressed. “That’s kind of neat. But what about all the other Divines of our family? I wanna help Echidna too!”
Hestia smiled. “Let’s just say that those with shrines on your worlds won’t be fully left out from the benefits. Now, let’s move to the next order of business. We no longer have need for the evidence you painstakingly collected–justice has been meted, and we have what we need from them. It is now all yours by right, a reward for triumphing against all odds.”
Jake tilted his head. “So you’re…returning the shears to us then?”
“I am giving you a choice. It is, unfortunately, one of two not very great options because of how the reward was granted. The value of the shears is high. Ideally, we’d like to give you something of equivalent value–but this was rejected. A Tier 2 Divine item was the only other option, matching your feat.”
Jake frowned. “Can we even use a Tier 4 Divine item, even if you could?”
“Not yet, but with equivalent values, there was a lot that I could have done instead. The truth is that with Divine-grade items, the overall cost or value triples with each Tier. So for you to upgrade your Divine Hearth weapon to Tier 3, Jake, the token will be three times as expensive or as difficult to earn as before–it may be best to imagine it costs three tokens. And for Tier 4…thrice again, at nine tokens. Then, this particular item is far above even that. With all the special essences injected into it, it was pushing near the God-grade…or Goddess-grade if you prefer. I know I do.” She smiled.
Nessa noted, “So it’s safe to say that the Tier 2 option is less than one-ninth the value, or perhaps as much as one-fifteenth or even one-twentieth. But if we can somehow… I guess purify this thing and reforge it….”
Hestia sighed. “I can’t help you there on whether that will be possible for you. This is a choice you will have to make, and I cannot influence your choice on the matter. With that said, the same choices will need to be made on the other items.”
Jake asked, “What other items?”
“The stakes and the skull, which include Avaron and Cassius’s sacks. The items enabling betrayal have already been removed, a bounty supplied as part of your overall reward. Calix’s items were not worthy of any reward, unfortunately, and I think you’ll agree when you look inside.”
Jake frowned. “What do we get in lieu of these other items? You only explained the shears so far.”
Hestia replied, “For the set of stakes and the skull, a Tier 2 Mythic item can be allotted of your desired category or purpose. For the sacks, despite them having numerous items inside, they can only equal one Tier 2 Mythic item each. Even the Nameless Monk’s sacks.”
Fhesiah snorted. “Tier 2? I saw some amazing stuff in the monk’s sack!”
Jake asked, “Are these items themselves dangerous to our safety, just by their very presence?”
“If you accept any one of these items, for a cost, all tracking and self-destruct spells could be removed from them, making them safe if you so choose. For the shears, a special storage container will be provided. If you want an item to be purified entirely, a price can be paid for that as well–with the exception of the shears. For those, the cost would be too high for you to pay.”
Blood asked, “The cost being…from the rest of our reward, the mix of the Fortress Assault and the half-dozen or so divine entities we faced?”
“That is correct.”
Jake asked, “We can make the choice on a per-item basis?”
Hestia shook her head. “The items are grouped based on the opponent you defeated. To keep one, you must keep all.”
Fhesiah stood up, looking confident. “Well, I think this choice is simple. We want it all!”
Berri looked disgusted. “Ew, Faye-Faye–you want the shears? I don’t want that thing anywhere near our babies.”
Tanda’s ears were flat on her head. “I can’t say I want that in our house either. Can we put them someplace else?”
Ophelia’s wings fluttered. “I feel like even the bottom of the ocean wouldn’t be safe enough. What we felt from the monk using them was the item when it was supposedly limited down to the Second Tier. Imagine how much corruption it would have without any limitations. It’ll be worse than the Death God on Highlands.”
It was true. Jake had carried the shears with the chain for hours, and it was worse than carrying a dozen Balor statues. Still, Jake watched the byplay of his wives but actually kept his thoughts to himself; he wanted to see what they felt without his thoughts or feelings on the matter influencing them.
Fhesiah entreated, spreading her arms wide. “Aw, c’mon! That sack of the monk’s is like the mystery box! It’s got a ton of interesting stuff; I saw it with my Divine Sense. And all we’d get is some boring thing that we can probably get from a Dungeon Raid, or like what we just got from the Greater Rift and Fortress Assault? We’ll probably do about a dozen of those before we reach max level.”
Blood hummed. “I think the skull and the stakes are valuable for Lord Husband and Faye to research–there is no doubt in my mind about this. But the shears…even if we can purify them, won’t that be in the distant future from now that we can even touch the things? And won’t it be similar for such items inside the monk’s sack?”
She continued, “That said, I’m in agreement that two mythic items are not all that valuable for our family. Odds are, just melting down some items in that sack will give us materials for us to make our own Mythic-grade items. But Divine-grade like husband’s hearth… I can certainly see some value in this, as I doubt we can achieve the same.”
Ophelia frowned. “I don’t know, we could just feel the taint drifting from the shears, and can there ever be a time when we, I don’t know, use them? But a Divine weapon of our own choice… we can surely use that, and we can use it right now. What do you think, Nessa?”
“I think… I can’t say which I feel is more valuable, just like Hestia can’t. And I bet Bree can’t say either.”
Bree snorted. “I can say plenty. I think it doesn’t matter what we think–it’s up to the Chief. Who’s been awfully quiet.”
Jake chuckled as all the girls focused on him, realizing this. “I just wanted to know what you all felt. I’d like to keep all of the items. They have the most value to us this way. While we may never be able to, or…perhaps, would prefer to never use the nasty shears…over time, we can purify them. Or if that is not possible, we could extract some of the superior energy or essence in them to achieve other things. And since they are ours by right, we can trade or exchange them if we don’t find some other use for the materials–there should be someone trustworthy enough to trade them to. The same can be said about probably every single item inside of the monk’s sacks.”
Fhesiah nodded. “Jake is right that we may not be able to purify them. In the mere process of doing so, it might destroy the item. Extracting the energy, though–that I can certainly do. I have a dozen formations that can do this. We just need a powerful enough energy source, and then…anyway, I’m not saying I can do this right now–I’m not so foolish as to believe that. But near the peak of the Third Tier… I don’t think it’s impossible. Perhaps even sooner, when we have someone like Avalara at our disposal.”
Ava was surprised. “Me? Oh! Yes, I can see that.”
An entire world’s worth of energy at their disposal granted them some unique options. Of course, Avalara was linked to the entire race of the beastkin and those that lived there, so it was not something done lightly, failure potentially causing a terrible backlash on the entire world.
Ophelia sighed. “If Jake and Faye are confident, I suppose I am too. A Divine and two Mythic items for the Monk’s stuff are pretty good, but I do think a Tier 2 Divine item is only worth a Tier 3 Mythic, and a Tier 2 Mythic is only worth a Tier 3 Epic item. If there are a lot of items of that quality in there, it’s easy to see how this choice is better even without the shears.”
Fhesiah grinned. “Then you’ll be happy to know that there were at least one or two Tier 4 items in there and more than a dozen Tier 3 ones. I’m not sure what purpose the items served or why he had them, but they are definitely valuable items within.”
Sati spoke up. “I do believe they were meant as items meant to balance karmic debt. Jake had said the monk almost looked like he was going to swap Cassius and Avaron’s sacks in Fhesiah’s hands before he noticed Jake staring at him. Stealing something from another would certainly create a karmic link, which could be used to track him. Even if she gave him the items like he wanted, he likely would have given her the items to balance it.”
Blood hummed. “Now that I think of it, it’s almost like this option was given to us in hopes we would choose the lesser option.” She looked at Hestia, who said nothing, but her eyes almost seemed to twinkle at that.
That made them seem even more valuable. Now all doubt was removed; his wives all agreed they’d rather have the items in the monk’s sacks, as they now felt almost equal with some Tier 2 Mythic items and a single Divine item.
Jake said, “So we would like to accept the stuff. Does this storage box and purification or anti… boobytrapping cost a lot? If we do that, what will remain of our reward?”
“Your victories over the betrayers and the enemy Divine entities were rather significant, and you earned even more sparks than you had during the Clash of Champions. 5 Aspects, a Champion, and an Aspirant, for a total of 7. All of which contained a Tier 3 spark or better. Then, you defeated three betrayers, and the bounties on these were even greater, thanks to them using contraband items, which we penalized Tartarus for. Calix, Cassius, and Avaron each had three sparks, for a total of 9. We weren’t able to grant you them all, unfortunately. Two each goes to the slayers, the rest to their Divine.”
Tanda tilted her head. “So…me, Jake, and Faye get two? Or Nessa?”
“These things go by the killing blow. Nessa and Ophelia no doubt benefitted a little by being nearby, but you had finished Calix off, Tanda, then Jake defeated Avaron and Fhesiah defeated Cassius. So now, that puts you at 13 gained. A monumental victory, and that’s not even including that you are likely to defend this world and claim it as a result of that singular battle.”
Hestia let that sink in. It was a massive victory when listed out like that, and that wasn’t even including the 23 contained on the Aspirant. She smiled at Jake’s thoughts. “That’s right, Jake. There is no question that this victory was the biggest yet, and so we have a lot of reward to go through. To answer your question, the special box and purification of the dangerous items will only cost you a single Tier 3 spark–and not quite. There will be just enough left for something else minor.”
Blood frowned. “Something minor? Jake’s book of Champions only gave us a few options for spending the sparks–primarily on ourselves, our skills, or our items. And that’s among Champions. Is there anything new available for us to choose from? We were already hanging onto many sparks, not having a use for them.”
“You needed to wait until your souls were ready to absorb yet another. I do believe we have enough that we could spend five sparks, spend a few more on what Jake wanted to, and then still have plenty left over for your Ascension into the Third Tier.”
In total, they had 15 sparks earned just in the last year, and they had some left over from before. Spending five, one per Champion, they would have 10 left. That was nearly two per Champion.
However, Jake intended to spend at least three to make three of his lovers Hearthians, and there would definitely be three more in time–perhaps even more by then.
Jake said, “In that case, I guess we’ll go ahead and take the purification to all of the items harmful to our family and the special box to hold the shears.”
“It is done. I do believe you’ve chosen well.” Hestia smiled.
In motes of light, the items appeared in front of them with several sacks and an ornate box.
Jake frowned. “Where are the stakes and skull?”
“The box has a few compartments–it is multi-purpose, like many of your other stasis items. You only need to interact with it with your thoughts or using the Menu. Worry not, for the shears will give an additional warning if you try to remove it.”
Fhesiah was excited to look into the sacks, but Hestia continued, “Before we talk about the hearthforging, I do believe your family is ready for additional sparks to be spent on you, increasing your power and bringing you just one tiny step closer to divinity. Did you have anything in mind, or would you like to leave it to your Divine to select for you?”
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Fhesiah tapped her lips. “I don’t know what kind of ability I could need, or what ability could really be upgraded. I feel like we’re already plenty strong, minus the ability to deal with the interplanar enemies. I think I’d prefer the option that unlocks the most potential for us later. Or if you can give Jake his Auril or Nethril Heart, or his Dantian so we don’t have to Frankenstein it.”
Berri frowned. “Why not? It worked out great for me!”
Blood groaned. “Barely. It almost went very wrong, remember?”
Fhesiah snorted. “Yes, it worked out wonderfully thanks to your Fleshshaping, Berri. But I tried it a little bit more with Jake after that day, and his void cells…let’s just say it was more challenging than I had predicted to influence them. I’m not going to say it’s impossible, but it’s risky and time-consuming with so many unknowns.”
Hestia interjected, “The option that unlocks the most potential for you later is aligned with what we had in mind. And this doesn’t cost a lot–it only costs Tier 2 Sparks. With this, there will be plenty left over, preparing you all for the Third Tier–whether or not you run into any more enemy divine entities.”
It was strange, Hestia bringing them back to the original topic and ignoring the talk about the auril and nethril hearts. Perhaps it was better for them to continue the way they were trying to…Frankenstein it for a bit longer. His family took this in and decided.
Ophelia responded, “What Faye said is true; we are already defeating our enemies handily. I do believe we all trust that you know better than us on this matter, deciding on our development.”
Jake, Fhesiah, Tanda, and Bloodberri nodded at this, agreeing.
Four Divine Sparks shot out, arriving in Bloodberri, Tanda, Ophelia, and Fhesiah’s chests.
Each of their Hearth Core levels increased, and their presences became more powerful to become more like Jake’s Champion Presence. Ophelia’s presence provided a blanket percentage reduction to all damage, and the damage absorbed would feed toward restoring her vajrafire flames directly.
Fhesiah’s was much like when she had called upon Bastet in the Celestial Nexus. She could use the moon aspect to boost the Yin energies and the sun aspect to boost the Yang energies of allies, depending on her current form.
Tanda’s would provide a retributive thorns aura, reflecting damage to attackers and drawing additional deathly energy for her abilities. Lastly, Bloodberri’s provided Echidna’s monstrous strength to allies around her.
In all, the influence each of his wives had on the battlefield had just become even more drastic. When they would split themselves up to fight on many fronts, Jake certainly saw it as valuable that each one had some kind of ability to improve the effectiveness of their allies.
And from feeling the effect for himself from his wives in his Refuge, he could tell that somehow, all of these Auras stacked, even with Bloodberri’s Twilight Monarch Aura. Jake’s Aura was already extremely powerful, boosting the effectiveness of his allies to sometimes be worth double or to accomplish that much more in a fight.
With all these auras, their allies would be worth even more than that if he and his wives just stood there and did nothing. With the idea of how most challenges were balanced based on Battle Power, it felt overpowered, really.
Hestia laughed. “And why wouldn’t it be overpowered, my Champion? If we put five Champions on the battlefield fighting together, should it not be nearly insurmountable? It would be a failure of ours if this were not the case, don’t you think?”
Berri sniffed. “It’s strong, but kinda boring. Also, what about our Jakey? You didn’t give him anything!”
Hestia chuckled. “You’re right, it’s not nearly as flashy as your other abilities, but I stand by my choice. As for Jake, I have something special for him in mind. Let’s move on to the next topic then, shall we?”
Jake let out a breath. “I did want to ask about using Divine Sparks for Hearthforging. Can I just spend them from our total, or?”
Hestia nodded. “With a few restrictions. However, I knew this would be of interest to you, and I have prepared some options for you. If you have a request, I may be able to find a way to accommodate it, as long as they are in the Aegis Accord. Whose spark would you like? Or would you like a plain, purified spark?”
Jake frowned. “Whose…spark?”
“Of course. When you defeat a Champion or other Divine Entity such as an Aspect, you get a spark of the evil gods–purified by the Framework and given as currency. But we Divine also produce our own sparks, containing the echoes of our Origin, our Eternal Essence. When I created your Hearth Nexus through hearthforging, I had used different sparks for each of you, influencing your racial evolutions at the same time with the help of the Framework.”
Hestia pointed at each of them in turn. “Ophelia–Athena’s mixed with some of Guan Yu’s, since he did not yet have his own Origin. Fhesiah–Bastet’s. Bloodberri–Echidna’s. Jake’s–My own. While these did transform your flames and your spiritual bodies somewhat as I forged them, Jake here knows that the essence is a fuel for the transformation and the creation of the bond. While the Origin within the essence matters, it is not as though this is the same as you becoming their Champion. Nor is it having more than a minor connection or resonance to them. Perhaps the most significant change might be how your race shifts to be that of a Hearthian. He is the weaver, the forger, and how much of the Origin remains intact will be up to his actions. And knowing my dear Champion’s thoughts, your choices.”
Jake nodded at this. In a sense, he had already aligned his Hearth Enchantments to do this, reinforcing what made each of his girls special. Perhaps this was at least in part why his girls’ paths did not really shift; they were only enhanced.
So when he wove them in the future, like he had done with Bree, they should only take the traits most like those he enchanted, especially so if he focused on them and wove more essence into them.
Nessa looked shocked. “Athena gave her essence? I mean, I assumed with Lia that was the case, but that is still surprising to me. She’s not her Champion, let alone her clergy!”
Hestia smiled. “We of the Aegis Accord are a little more liberal with sharing or trading for our essence. That’s not to say I can get you a spark from anyone in the Accord, as they are not forced to assist or trade. But I may even be able to obtain one that is not–thanks to our many connections. So–here is a list of those in the Accord. If they give you any ideas or you see someone missing that you want, don’t hesitate to ask.”
She floated a list over to Jake, and he began perusing the list with his girls, each sharing their thoughts.
Jake said, “I see. So, we have…Nessa, Sati, and Avalara for the time being, can become Hearthians soon, forming a Hearthian Bond. And so you are asking… whose spark we would like for each one, if anything at all. I was…not prepared for this question. Thinking on it, it’s clear to me that it is best to get something close rather than using the blank Divine Spark. Well, that’s not quite right.”
He frowned in thought. “I suppose the more complete our path is already, the better a blank Divine Spark would be to enhance what is there and only what is there. Because as I weave it in, I’m just enhancing what you already are. It’ll be efficient.”
Avalara smiled as she looked over the list. “Of course, my father’s is most appropriate for me. My path is different from his, true, but I believe it is appropriate. Oh! Gaia is there now? Hmm. Maybe I should think a little more on this.”
Hestia smiled. “She was a recent addition, thanks to your victory over the monk.”
Tanda’s wings fluttered. “That should mean…we don’t have to worry about Gaia for our World Tree on Highlands then? Nadessa will be happy to hear that!”
Hestia replied, “No, that shouldn’t be an issue any longer. Overall, that appears to be a bit of a sad story. Gaia will likely wish to reach out to those from the Elysian Glade, namely, Nadessa and the descendants of the king and queen of the world. In a way, Gaia should be thankful that you had taken the Elysians in, as well as sheltered and nurtured one of her precious World Trees, in addition to her being thankful for uncovering this tragedy and preventing more.”
Jake asked, “What actually happened?”
“It turned out she did have a Divine Descendant defending another world of hers, meant to head back to the Elysian Glade to help defend it. However, she never made it back, as she was erased by the shears, and the world lost by terrible schemes, never to be uncovered–until now.”
Hestia continued, “The loss of two worlds in quick succession really made Gaia bitter and hateful. You see, when someone is erased by that tool, it’s not just that you don’t remember them. There is a scar, an unmistakable emptiness or void where that connection, that thread, was. For a Divine who is especially sensitive to this, it truly eats away at them more than just about anything I’ve heard of–it’s maddening for them to not know what is missing. And when someone is whispering hateful things in your ears or putting you up against the wall as Loki, Ares, and Hermes no doubt were…at any rate, your victory restored her memories of the daughter that she had lost, so at least now she can properly grieve.”
Jake shivered at that, remembering the Nameless Monk’s threat. “Damn. The monk did say that the sea of bitterness would drown me…”
The group was somber for a minute, thinking about just how that would feel. And now, it wasn’t as if the pain was gone–now Gaia knew that her daughter she had forgotten was dead.
But eventually they returned to the task at hand.
Nessa looked conflicted as she reviewed the list. “While my father’s path is close to mine, it is different. And… I’m not really a Norse anymore. I’m not sure it’s best for me to have his spark. Can we…maybe mix them like you had done?”
Hestia shook her head. “Merging them was something that I was capable of doing, but Jake, in his inexperience, will be unable to accomplish the same without tremendous waste. And unfortunately, he needs to be the one that does this for Sati, Nessa, and Avalara. They are not Champions–they cannot spend Divine Sparks in the way that Jake or the rest of you can, or I would offer to do it for you for a price.”
Fhesiah frowned. “Why would it matter? Isn’t he sort of already spending Divine Sparks on non-champions right now as it is, to form the Hearthian Bond? Clearly this is allowed, so how is it a problem to pay to get one modified?”
“It’s a fine line Jake is walking, a unique scenario in which he can spend a spark on his bond and for it to impact someone else’s potential in such a big way. To pay extra for a modified spark that doesn’t influence him at all is directly spending or investing in someone else’s potential, which is not allowed. While he may be able to get away with it, it’s fair to say that soon he will be under a lot of scrutiny, and this will surely backfire.”
Tanda gasped. “Ah! So this is…like some kind of loophole, then, that he can do this?” Her tail started wagging in excitement.
Hestia grinned. “Undoubtedly, Hearth Enchanting laid a special groundwork for Hearthforging to become a possibility. And achieving it allows our dear Jake to achieve something that is not entirely unique but certainly rare and special. Many pair-bonded beings considered a separate entity are capable of advantages such as this, though it’s fair to say nearly zero would have any sort of control over the process at this Tier, and even the next one. It is a rare thing indeed for him to be proud of, even on a multiversal scale.”
That made all of his wives excited, especially those who would be affected–Sati, Nessa, and Avalara. Their hearts swelled with pride, happy that their mate and lover could bring them to amazing heights, increasing their potential. Because becoming a Hearthian was undoubtedly powerful; their cores granted them significant advantages.
As for the sparks and which would be appropriate, it required a lot of thought, as such a thing could certainly influence the three girls’ overall path, and maybe even their personalities, somewhat. It was complicated, but Jake’s Hearth Enchantments reflected their path and positive personality traits–their values and virtues.
Using the Hearth Enchantments, he would try to balance the forging of the essence. But the fact of the matter was that the essence coming in would be aspected in a certain way to match the Divine the spark came from.
Naturally, the elements that resonated the most would gather more in those enchantments. His efforts to even things out too much, as it were, would cause the loss of the advantage of using their specialized spark in the first place. So in a way, these sparks could skew his wives if they weren’t careful.
Jake brought them back to the original topic, turning to Nessa, “You currently have your father’s essence of truth and your mother’s lake serpent bloodline. Your father also has an essence of justice, which is fitting of what you desire as well. There are other aspects that are not fitting, like war and sacrifice, and even more in law, which…could work for you. When we weave the essence, I can certainly focus on the justice aspect. When Bree and I wove the essence, it certainly helped that we kept things closer to Brigid.”
“Then… I suppose my father’s wouldn’t be bad. Unless there’s someone better or more fitting?”
Hestia sighed. “Unfortunately, I cannot advise you in this either. This is an important decision, there is no doubt about this, and you could take your time and come back to me with an answer if you like. That said, I do have some confidence that if you as a family think hard on it, you’ll come to an excellent conclusion all on your own.”
Ophelia pointed out, “Hm, what about this Varuna from the Hindu Pantheon? He embodies rivers and lakes, as well as law and justice.”
Berri helpfully added, “And snakes! It’s nearly perfect.”
Hestia smiled at that. “Another recent addition to the Accord.”
Sati liked that. “Mmm, one might say that it might be fate or destiny then. Worth considering for that reason alone.”
Jake nodded at that. “That does seem close. I was also thinking–of the Celts, Arawn would be somewhat fitting. If you were to be someone’s Champion aside from Tyr’s within the Accord, I thought he would be the right option for you, Nessa.”
Nessa was surprised. “That’s… you’re right. Though Arawn is an Elder God, albeit weakened, he has numerous domains that are not exactly fitting for me, including the domain of death and afterlife.” Nessa sighed. “But you know, I almost feel like I have to take Father’s. He’ll probably be salty for the rest of my life if I don’t take his.”
Fhesiah snorted a laugh, and Nana was teasing Nessa inside her mind–calling her a Daddy’s girl and more.
Berri giggled. “I hope our girls remain half as cowed by the need to please their daddy in the future! It’s so cute!”
Hestia laughed at that. “You’re absolutely right, Nessa–knowing your father, he would be at least a little salty about it. But you know he cares about what is best for you and that you are happy with your choices. I don’t think he would have placed you in a vessel more like your mother’s if he didn’t feel that way. He would lament that you felt you didn’t have a choice. He’d want you to choose his for your own reasons…unreasonably.”
Nessa chuckled, smiling wryly. “You’re right. So it’s safe to say that if the spark is as close to us or our goals, we can gain the most from it?”
Jake nodded. “This is the case. As I mold the essence to fit you, the essence that doesn’t match will slough away, unable to be merged in. And it’s not just about my personal skill at it–even if I could force it, that would be like altering what is you. The hearth isn’t your soul, but it is connected and will influence it, along with your mind.”
Nessa noted, “Varuna’s waters are meant to cleanse sins and evil, washing them away into oblivion. I think… the essence is just more fitting for my path at this time. I’ll…have to take this if I can get it. I suppose if he says no, I can just take Father’s.”
Hestia smiled at Nessa, then turned to Sati. “Very well. And how about you, Sati?”
Sati hesitated, looking at this list and comparing it with those that might be aligned for her path. “This… I am not sure. I do believe the most fitting for my path would be Svaha, the consort of Agni–but she is not on the list. And…neither is Tripura Sundari, or rather, her incarnation as Shodashi. And Parvati reflects my own story, but she too is an Elder Goddess who is not a part of the accord. Otherwise…”
Sati looked at Hestia’s chest, as if gazing at her flame. Of course, Sati could not go wrong with Hestia’s spark. Her flame contained various aspects that even Jake wasn’t sure of all of them, including compassionate flames, purifying flames, and a form of righteous or sanctifying flames that burned in the defense of the home and the hearth. Not only that, but her flames were sacrificial, and while Sati’s sacrifices were different, they were certainly similar enough.
The goddess smiled at her. “The Elder Divine of that Pantheon are a bit different; their many aspects and incarnations causing… complications. And certainly, making it difficult to negotiate with them for things such as this. As for Svaha, I think we can swing that. She is not in the Accord, but Skanda, her son, is. I do believe both of them will be sympathetic to your cause–why, I bet Svaha and Agni may be willing if only they hear your personal story. Are you sure that’s whose spark you want? If so, I can put in the request shortly. With any luck, I can hear back in under a week and transfer it to you.”
Sati hesitated. “Is that…okay? I do think yours is wondrous for me. It’s just… I do feel that Svaha’s resonates most with me and my Dharmic, or Daoist, Path.”
“Worry not. You will not offend me for seeking the spark that most resonates with you.”
Jake sensed that she definitely had more to say, but it would resemble advice. Svaha was one that fit Sati and her path of sacrificial devotion. In fact, Svaha’s name was uttered during the mantras as Sati performed her Bhakti Yoga, her yoke of devotion.
Sati nodded, and Hestia replied, “Then I shall request Svaha’s spark. If that doesn’t work out, we have what we need already, but I’m pretty confident we should hear good news.”
Avalara was still looking over the list. “Thinking on it, and with what was revealed, I’m really going to have to go with Dad’s. I’d prefer a combination of my mom's and dad’s, but that’s not an option.”
Hestia nodded with a smile. “Of course, this spark was already prepared for you. Jake can merely call upon it in his Menu when he is ready. As for Varuna and Svaha, I should have answers for you within a week’s time.”
Jake thought about it. “A week then. Okay. And so I think the final piece of business is how you want us to proceed for the war. Should we push as quickly as we can and try to rise to the Third Tier before the War Trial begins? I feel like without having a clear goal, we’ve been stuck in limbo for a bit.”
When Hestia had said it was time for them to participate in the war once more, they had entered the dungeon first and formed the alliance with Nessa second. She hadn’t given them much guidance at that time, merely stating for them to continue building their allies and kingdom, the same as their goal was during their nearly five-year vacation.
But now, the War Trial was coming up. Whether they should participate early in the Third Tier or late in the Second Tier was an important distinction for their plans.
Hestia nodded slowly. “I see. In that case, I’d prefer you enter the War Trial’s first stage in the Second Tier. The event is not yet decided, but the War Trial is going to have at least two stages or events and will resemble a bit like a single-elimination tournament. Only those that succeed in the first stage will continue onto the next to gain larger benefits and participate on a larger stage.”
Hestia continued, “I think your massive success in the First and Second Tier and your current rank of Baron, pending Count, will give you a unique opportunity–to influence this challenge at the highest possible level at this Tier. If you move up to the next one, you’ll be at the bottom of your Tier, and your ability to impact the battle will be far less. And perhaps most importantly, the ability of your current allies will be less as well.”
Fhesiah let out a surprised breath. “Ah! That’s right. Even if we have confidence in ourselves in entering the Third Tier and being ready for the War Trial in about a year or less, our people and allies will not. It would be like Highlands all over again, with only a few elites even coming close.”
Ophelia nodded. “We just spent four years and some change investing in our people, and to leave half or more of them behind to push on ahead could be a waste. Our elites will be ready, but the rank and file won’t be.”
Nessa spoke up, “At the same time, the Third Tier’s stage is that much more important. I can see wanting to be involved at that stage more. Losing a single Third Tier world is worse than losing a half-dozen Second Tier worlds or more. And a gain at that level is that much more significant.”
Hestia sighed. “And this is true. However, I have some confidence now that you’ve removed such betrayers from the equation in that we, The Alliance and The Aegis Accord as a whole, should do quite well in the Third Tier, even without your help. I believe that the way you can make your largest impact in the long term is this. But ultimately, I leave it up to you to decide. You are the ones who must live with this decision, who must work hard to achieve it, and then bear the burden of failure.”
Jake asked, “How does the Fourth Tier influence the battle? They still fight restricted to the third, don’t they?”
“That is correct. Their wager is considered the biggest, and their influence on the battlefield is unquestionably the greatest to match. How they are involved depends on the Battleground or overall event selected. Sometimes they are separated into their own conflict, and other times they are not.”
Jake thought about the implications and remembered the people they had met up to now. To join the Third Tier without the right support could mean that his people would be a burden to the battle itself.
And most importantly, they could lose big. Something their enemy was unhealthily interested in. It was important to face such a major challenge at their absolute strongest, and at the peak of the Tier instead of the bottom was absolutely that.
His wives agreed that they would prefer this path for them. Once again, they would focus their efforts on their allies and winning the wars they’ve already joined and reach the peak of the Tier to be at their very best when the War Trial began.
Jake had some trust in Guan Yu and people like Marcus Aurelius and Cyrus the Great that they met. That they would put The Alliance in a good position for Hearthtribe to join in the second stage.
And importantly, by not rushing to the peak and participating in the Second Tier, this enabled them to grab the most Merit in this one. That meant when they entered the Third Tier, they would maximize their potential and be the strongest level 50s that they could possibly be. The same was true of their allies.
He said, “In my mind, that makes it simple. We should focus on our current conquests and worlds, preparing our guild members and allies for the War Trial’s first stage in the Second Tier. We’ll ascend to the Third Tier during or after, and our guild will be ready to rise as a result as we prepare for the second stage.”
Hestia smiled, meeting his wives’ eyes with her own as they all got excited. Their goals were now in mind, and it was easy for them to become excited about the upcoming battles and means of advancement ahead of them.
“How wonderful to see you all so excited to face our great enemy, to do battle for good. You have several Dungeon Raids ahead of you and thousands, even millions, of people to save over the next several months before a challenging War Trial.” She smiled broadly at them. “Truly, a family of heroes, a blessing for this Sector and for the great cause. I wish you all the success in the months to come. Farewell, I will no doubt be in touch with you again soon.”
The family said goodbye to the goddess, thrilled about their plans they were already making. Now that the goal was set, how they achieved it was up in the air, with many options available to them.
They had allies to assist and several worlds to claim. And Fhesiah and Jake had plenty of loot to play with.
