“Keep it under control…” Nestor whispered, his artificial head pointed in at the blob of silver-blue lightning that Leon had summoned.  “Make it do what you want to do…”

If Leon had heard him, he would’ve rolled his eyes; he knew what he was doing at this point and didn’t need the reminder.  He may not have succeeded to Nestor’s exacting standards, but that didn’t mean that he needed the introduction—and he especially didn’t need the distraction.

However, Leon didn’t hear the dead man, so complete was his concentration on the task at hand.

The little lightning ball that he’d summoned roiled and churned about half a foot above his upturned hand.  His golden eyes were locked upon the ball and the tiny core of origin power that brightly burned within.  The lightning ball shone like a light, not even a spark of power escaping with Leon’s prodigious power and will holding it in place.

Everything was ready, he just needed to make the final step.  Of course, it was this final step that was the most important and complex.  He had to imbue the lightning ball with a certain level of intelligence, allowing it to perform the tasks that he desired.

He focused on the bead of origin power at the core of the lightning ball and sharpened his intent.  It was still his power, so it readily responded to him, altering itself based on his desires.  Patterns formed upon the bead, but even with his eleventh-tier senses, Leon couldn’t quite tell what those patterns were.

It took more than half an hour for Leon to be confident that the ball of power was ready to stand on its own, but once he was, he pushed it into a waiting chunk of thunder wood amber.  The warm yellow-orange color of the polished and shaped gemstone shifted to a bright white with a hint of blue at the edges.

“Going well so far,” Nestor observed.  “Bring it here.”

Leon complied, picking up the amber and placing it in the central glyph of a relatively simple enchantment.

For a moment, nothing happened.  Leon and Nestor stared at the piece of amber for so long that it almost seemed like the polished chunk of glowing tree resin would spontaneously combust.

After a long few seconds of staring, Nestor audibly sighed and said with an almost gleeful tone, “Looks like we’re just going to have to keep tr—”

Lines of runes suddenly illuminated over most of the enchantment, and the amber flickered briefly.

“Eat shit, dead man,” Leon exclaimed as he literally jumped and threw his hands up in triumph.  “Fuuuuuuuck yooooouuuuu,” he followed up with, making rude gestures to Nestor the whole time.

“Bah.  Calm down, kid, you’ll embarrass yourself.”

Leon pointedly looked around.  They were standing in the middle of his Mind Palace, no one around except Xaphan quietly absorbing a thin line of mist in his pavilion.

“Within my own soul realm, there is no such thing as shame,” he quipped.  “Besides, what embarrassment is there to be had when I finally, fucking finally, made a wisp?!”  He emphatically gestured at the amber, the power within flickering as if trying to respond.

“Yes, finally,” Nestor drily replied, “I’ve only been waiting on this for longer than you’ve been alive.  Now let’s see if this is actually something to celebrate or not.”  The long-dead member of the Thunderbird Clan waved the only living member of said Clan away and leaned over the table to more closely examine the wisp that Leon had supposedly made.

It was only meant to be a simple thing, meant to monitor enchantments and ensure that power flowed correctly through them.  Perhaps the simplest possible wisp that Leon could’ve made, but it was the best place for him to start with wisp creation.  As he did so, a presence behind Leon made herself known.

“I see you two are getting along,” the Thunderbird observed.  She was lounging on the stairs in front of Leon’s throne, a sarcastic smile pulling at her lips.

“Close enough,” Leon stated as he sauntered over, leaving Nestor to his examinations.  “How have things been?” he asked as he sat next to her.  “I don’t mean to be rude, but we haven’t spoken much in the past couple months…”

The Thunderbird nodded contritely.  “My fault,” she stated.  “After your… meeting with your maternal kinsman, I intended to speak with you further once you had some time.  Before then, however, I flew out into the Mists of Chaos to have a chat with your other, surlier Ancestor.”

Leon scowled.  “I assume he was as rude and dismissive as usual?”

“No,” the Thunderbird replied, eliciting no small amount of shock from Leon.  However, the greater shock came when she continued.  “He wasn’t there at all.”

“…  Huh?  Wasn’t there?”

She nodded in confirmation.  “Finding an Ancestor like this shouldn’t be too difficult, which brought quite a few questions to mind…  What I want to know first is whether or not you’re still able to use the power you’ve inherited from him as you could before?”

Almost without thought, Leon snapped his fingers and summoned a brief burst of black fire.  A moment later, he sprang up and leaped onto his throne, waking up in the physical world in the same instant.  He repeated the quick test, and then channeled the Great Black Dragon’s power a little longer.

When he returned to his soul realm, he stated, “Everything feels normal…  Why would the Great Black Dragon’s absence matter?”

“It shouldn’t,” the Thunderbird admitted.  “I just wanted to make sure.”

Nestor, who’d either finished with his examinations or decided this was more important, was standing next to her.  “The power is in your blood.  Deeper than that, actually, it’s in the core of what you are.  You shouldn’t be able to be separated from inherited power at all, no matter the intention of the Ancestor in question, just as you were still able to use that power despite the overgrown lizard’s attempt to suppress it…”  He gave the Thunderbird the briefest of questioning glances, and she nodded in agreement.

“It was a remote possibility, but I’m glad to see his absence doesn’t matter.”

“Where would he be?” Leon asked out of curiosity.  “Is he hiding, or not there?”

“The latter.  Given the nature of the Mists of Chaos, I haven’t found it too hard to find him before.”  She paused to think, then explained, “Think of it like the sun.  Though the sun may have sunk below the edge of the plane, its light is still visible.  Something like the Great Black Dragon can hide, but his mere presence can’t be hidden.”

Leon frowned and leaned against a nearby table.  “So then… where is he?  No, no, before that, how about you tell me what… I mean, I don’t actually know that much about the Mists of Chaos other than how it relates to my soul realm.  I use the mist to create the ‘matter’ in here, but because it’s made of the mist, it can’t be taken out into the physical world without dissipating.  At least, for now.”

“Origin power will help with that, but only once you’ve come closer to the limits of human power,” Nestor chimed in.

Leon nodded in acknowledgment.  “I guess what I’m curious about, Ancestor, is how you’re able to live out there…”

The Thunderbird pursed her lips thoughtfully before gesturing at the piece of glowing amber.  “Think of it like a wisp,” she explained.  “You create one with origin power and imbue it with your thoughts, knowledge, and intentions.  The wisp uses what you’ve bestowed upon it to perform the work that you design it for.  More power and clearer intentions make more powerful and useful wisps.”

“Are you saying that you’re a wisp right now?” Leon asked.

The Thunderbird scoffed and shook her head.  “No, my boy, I’m not a wisp.  But the technique I use to live on in this diminished state isn’t too dissimilar to creating a wisp.  Though you’ve inherited my power, making it yours, it still originates with me.  It’s yours in truth, but carries with it an echo of my intent.  Combined with the Mists of Chaos, I can… piggyback off of that inherited power, in a way.”

“The Mists of Chaos can be used to form matter…” Leon speculated out loud as he turned his eyes to the far distance.  “Do you absorb the mist like Xaphan?  Is that what sustains you since you don’t have a physical body with which to generate and absorb magic power?”

“A reasonable explanation,” the Thunderbird conceded.  “To stay here is draining.  That’s why I so frequently leave for the mist.  If I don’t fly through it, then I may die my final death.”

A deep frown carved itself into Leon’s face as guilt for every time he ever felt scorned by her absence hit him.  “I see…  I wasn’t aware of that.”

“How could you be?  I’ve never explained it that well before, have I?”

Leon shrugged.  “So, the Great Black Dragon’s gone, then?  How and why?”

“With the proud bastard, who can say why,” the Thunderbird dismissively replied.  “Though… he didn’t leave when you threw his acknowledgment back in his face; his departure was recent…”

“Do you… exist in all of the soul realms of the Clan?” Leon hesitantly asked.  “I mean, I know that you’re aware of them, but do you exist in them all simultaneously, or can you only manifest in one soul realm at a time?”

“One at a time,” she smoothly replied.  “But I’m still aware of what’s going on in all other soul realms if I want to be.”  She paused, a dour frown passing over her face.  “Or I was, back when you weren’t the only one of the Clan left.”

Nestor lightly chided, “How’s that been coming, Leon?”

“None of your business, dead man,” Leon shot back.

“It’s my Clan too, and I’m deeply concerned for its existence.  Especially with you preparing to charge at half-mast into the Nexus.”

“Are you saying I should stay on Aeterna?” Leon demanded, his anger starting to flare up.  “Just leave my mother imprisoned by my grandfather?”

“Charging without thought or inadequate preparation will only get you killed,” Nestor responded.

“And do you think I’m ill-prepared?”

“Your preparations have been sufficient for one of your level.  Barely.”

Interrupting them, the Thunderbird said, “I’ve never seen the Great Black Dragon manifest anywhere else before.  I could monitor him simply because we share a descendant.  Now that he’s gone, it must mean that he’s manifesting outside of the Mists of Chaos.”  She meaningfully stared at Leon.

“You think… he may be passing information to someone in his Clan?” he asked with increasing trepidation.  “Manifesting in their soul realm instead of in mine?  Or out in the mist at least?”

“He could be gone for any number of reasons,” she replied.  “But… we should prepare for your maternal Clan having greater information on you than it did even a few months ago.”

Leon scowled deeply.  “How bad could this be?  As I recall, the Great Dragon Clans are strong enough to exist outside of Khosrow’s Law.  I haven’t even established an outpost in the Nexus yet.  If I show up and they’re ready…”

“By your own estimations,” Nestor interjected, “you may be establishing your colony on the doorstep of the Ocean King.  The land itself may be relatively sparsely populated, but you may be attracting attention already.  The attention of one Great Dragon Clan, even if it’s the black dragons, may be the least of your worries upon arrival.”

Leon shrugged, but couldn’t refute his statement.  Going anywhere in the Nexus was perilous, especially since the Storm Lands were likely ruled in all but name by Kamran.  Nowhere could be considered ‘safe’, but at least there didn’t seem to be anyone around to immediately contest his chosen spot for the outpost.

“The Ocean King isn’t going to care too much about Leon,” the Thunderbird argued.  “The spot will be fine until Leon draws more attention to himself.  Besides, the spot doesn’t need to be large, it only needs to be defensible and serve as a trade hub, of sorts.”

“You don’t think I should establish my Kingdom there?” Leon asked.

“No,” the Thunderbird immediately replied.  “Use it to build a city.  A large city, sure, but that location should only serve mostly as a logistics hub to acquire rare materials.  You’ve complained multiple times—both of you, wipe that look off your face Nestor—that you don’t have as much Lumenite as you’d like, and you have no Aurichalcum at all.  Establish yourself there so that you can gain access to these materials.  If that’s all you do, then the Ocean King may only see you as a convenient trading partner to gain access to the Storm Lands’ markets—if he deigns to notice you at all.  More likely, you’ll only attract the attention of Strategoi and Despots.  Until you grow in power, the stronger mages will have greater concerns.”

“Even knowing the Clan I head?” Leon asked.

The Thunderbird dismissively waved her hand.  She sneered, “My Clan ruled the Storm Lands almost since the day that that empty-headed moron laid down his Law.  The kind of institutional and cultural legacy that leaves is immense.  In that light, how many successors do you think have attempted, or will attempt to lay claim to that legacy?  In these eighty-thousand years, I’m sure there have been as many, if not more, Clans that have claimed descent from me.  They’re all likely accurate, too, given how long it’s been, but without my power, it hardly matters.  Even with your lightning, you’ll just be another contender for that legacy, and will be able to build your own power base relatively unmolested.”

“That sounds… suspiciously good,” Leon said.

The Thunderbird shrugged.  “For the Nexus, perhaps.”

“All right, then.  If I shouldn’t be focusing on the Nexus, I presume you want me to focus on the planes instead?”

“The Nexus will always demand some of your focus.  But yes, your long-term goals shouldn’t be in the Nexus, but in the planes.  That’s where you’ll find your greatest support.”

Leon frowned deeply, but he could see the logic.  “I’d have better access to resources that way, I’d guess.  And having control over a whole plane would make that position more secure than trying to build everything out in the Nexus…”

“It’s good you’re thinking that way,” the Thunderbird praised.  “The Nexus is a trap.  Valuable—indispensable, even… but don’t overinvest there when the foundations of the Clan must be laid elsewhere.”

“Our Honored Ancestor is right, Leon,” Nestor quietly added.  “Control over the Nexus will only come after you achieve control over multiple planes.”

Leon turned that strategy over in his head several times and found that he rather liked it.  A foothold in the Nexus that he could use as a springboard for expanding his Kingdom into the planes.  The only problem he saw was…

“Where should we start?” he asked.

Without even taking a moment to think, Nestor answered, “Tiryns.  Or at least the planar cluster it protects.  Protected.”

“That makes sense.  Justin did say that that planar cluster fell into anarchy or something.  Minos and Kypros have been fought over ever since the fall of our Clan, but word about Tiryns is sparse…”  Leon frowned again.  “I… don’t like the idea of focusing elsewhere after what Fain and my mother’s message told me.”

“Put that out of your mind,” the Thunderbird insisted.  “As hard as it is, you must not challenge the Great Black Dragon Clan until you’re ready.  Do you think you’re ready to venture into the Nexus?”

Leon nodded.

“That’s good.  But you’re not ready to take on your mother’s Clan.  Focus on gaining strength.  The Great Dragons respect nothing else.  You can do nothing about your mother until you’re stronger.”

Leon’s face contorted in displeasure and his heart raced with repressed anger and indignation.  His eyes flickered in the direction of the memory slate that his mother had sent him via Fain, and for a moment, fantasized about storming some indistinct fortress and liberating her from her Clan.

And then he let the fantasy go.

“Much as I hate to admit it,” he said through clenched teeth, “you’re right.”

“I always am,” the Thunderbird haughtily replied.

Just then, a chime sounded from the enchantment that Leon’s wisp was supposed to be controlling, lifting Leon’s spirits somewhat.  He gave Nestor a proud smirk.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, kid,” Nestor grumbled as he walked back to the table.  “You did it.  This is, indeed, a properly formed wisp.  Your first one.”

Leon laughed in spite of the Thunderbird’s offered strategy.  If strength was required, then every advancement he made put him one step closer to freeing his mother, one step closer to defeating Kamran, and one step closer to returning the title of Storm King to his Clan.

And finally succeeding in creating wisps was quite a large step indeed…

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