And like that, I started a paradigm shift, with the Great Beasts seen not as these awesome looming, malevolent presences they’d been painted as, but complex beings of their own with plans and motivations that just maybe we could work with, and who were going to have an effect on our world regardless of whether Humanity liked it or not.

And like the Totem Beasts of old, they might even act as Patrons!

The Tier 3 and higher spells were not ‘necessities’, especially to Archmages and Sages, who could simply bend their magic to accomplish much of what they were meant to do. However, they were distinctly ‘better’ than the mainline spell bent to duplicate them, and I soon started releasing the Tier 3 data showing the differences.

It wasn’t the only way, or even the ‘pure Human’ way, but it was definitely a BETTER way, if you could swing it, and it got people thinking.

The media broadsides from conservative sources went to effing town on me, however, only ameliorated somewhat by the fact they couldn’t do outtakes and clips that distorted what was said and going on to fit their own warped thoughts and narratives, either in print or on video.

There was a lot of ranting and raving about me and my goals. In between, I released the upgraded Patterns for the Floodbreaker Ritual daily, along with the requirements in manpower to Make It Happen. There’s something to be said for paranoid supremacists bitterly chewing on my name and trying to make me look bad when I was releasing the Ritual to Save the World every day, without being paid to do so.

A certain Mr. Newford’s viewing numbers had started dropping like a rock, and he’d lost a lot of his corporate sponsors, too. This naturally drove him even further to the Right, into the arms of his most rabid supporters with extreme views, but some quiet whispers to mainline media to make him Not a News Item simply expunged him from most of the popular consciousness, and his fall into mediocrity was assured.

Notably, the websites for volunteers to help with the Ritual were exploding, and there only remained to secure the proper locations and make sure there was no interference...

----------------

I knelt and calmly fit the Dreadskull of the Cloudraking Dragon Emperor onto Thunderbird’s right central talon. There was a momentary pulse of blood as red as rubies, glittering like diamonds, but the Dreadfire eyes of the Dreadskull slowly dimmed with no living Dragons around. Thunderbird regarded the sight, looking to Fire Phoenix perched nearby, who simply inclined His own head in confirmation of the effect.

“EVEN HEAVENLY FIRE EMPEROR CARES NOT TO TEST MY CLAWS NOW,” Fire Phoenix said. “I WILL SAY NOTHING FOR THE OLD THING IN THE SOUTH, BECAUSE HIS POWER IS BEYOND SIMPLE COMBAT...”

The pure suppressing power of a High Emperor Aura would likely be enough.

“COME, LITTLE HEALER!” Fire Phoenix was almost hopping with impatience. He had been here for my second Bring Down the Moon and Stars for Thunderbird, along with an eager scattering of His own servants, and was eager to experience another at His own Nest.

“With His Imperial Majesty Thunderbird’s permission,” I bowed to Him. “This one shall return once a month, as His Imperial Majesty has bid.”

“I WILL CONSIDER THE MATTER OF THE TOWER,” He stated to me, and I bowed again. “TAKE CARE OF THIS LITTLE ONE, FIRE PHOENIX. SHE IS A DANGEROUS AND VALUABLE LITTLE HUMAN.”

“SO I HAVE SEEN, ELDER BROTHER!” He agreed readily. “COME, HEALER FAE! LET ME SHOW YOU MY OWN LANDS NOW, AND SEE WHAT YOU CAN MAKE OF THEM!”

I flew up onto His back, not because I couldn’t Teleport to the outskirts immediately and then Linejump to His Nest in literally under a minute, but because being seen riding the Emperor there meant I was under His protection, and there wasn’t a Beast in His Fireland who would mess with me after that.

------

We were winging south at probably twice the speed of sound, Chaos Magic keeping air resistance to close to zero, and Fire propelling us like a rocket as we trundled leisurely along. If He wanted to go fast, Fire Phoenix could easily go hypersonic and terrify the crap out of anything watching Him move.

“WHAT IS THIS MATTER OF TOWERS?” He asked me carefully, having not been privy to that.

“Has His Majesty seen the White Mana Zones in Michigan?” I asked Him calmly.

“I HAVE.” I was unsurprised to learn He’d done a flyby of the place and not been seen or sensed at all. It would have made all the news if He had.

“One of the effects of the Refractory Towers is to condense what is called Elemental Essence. This is the Fire Essence that the Towers condense.”

His head turned to peer back at me as I sent out the Soul Jewel containing the stripped Essence up for Him to regard, hovering it right in front of His burning golden eye to examine.

His chirp was far more musical and less cutting than Thunderbird’s. “THIS IS SIMILAR TO WHAT HALF-EMPERORS NEED TO BREAK THROUGH, THE CONDENSED POWER OF AN EMPEROR...”

“And as such, a very useful tonic to lesser Beasts in gaining strength, Your Majesty. Of course, it is useless to such as you, whose power is nearly ten times as dense.” I reclaimed the Fire Essence Jewel and stowed it in my Pocket once more. “Thunderbird wondered if such a Tower could further condense the Essence.”

A very subtle ripple passed through the glorious crimson, gold, and silver feathers of the Phoenix like a ripple of harnessed flames. Such Essences didn’t have a lot of use among Humans as yet, being as they were ‘nature’ without ‘power’. They could be used to Energize substances, basically doubling the effect of spells, or allowing us to just bathe something in the Essences and change them slowly over time.

Aaaand they also helped make Spirit and Soul Seeds, but we kept that on the sly, too.

“Thunderbird Emperor wished to know if the Towers could be built so as to condense the Essence further. This one has assured Him we could do so, but they would have to be specially constructed and devoted to the task for a single Mana type. There is only so much a generic, Typeless Tower can accomplish.”

“HAAA...” Fire Phoenix murmured in tinkles of crystalline flame. “IT REQUIRES GREAT TIME AND EFFORT TO REFINE THE MANA DOWN TO THE DEGREE WE REQUIRE, HEALER FAE...”

“Yes, Your Majesty. This one has spoken with Queen Gichigumi, Princess Karegnondi, Babe the Blue Ox, and Husker the Great Boar about this matter as well, and even the Golden Howler Monkey King. Given the massive amounts of Mana the great Nobles and Emperors possess, this is a very lengthy process.”

Greater Nobles could easily have millions of points of Mana by Human measurements, and Emperors tens of millions. Refining was not a casual process, as it required the full attention of the Great Beasts so no imperfections would crop up and spoil the purity of what they were doing. Nobles and Emperors alike could spend months and years doing nothing but further refining their Mana, trying for the next tier.

The Essence was basically what they were looking for. One point of Mana was one point of Mana. The purity of it was reflected in its Essence.

A half-Emperor needed ten times the Mana of a Beast King to break through, and it all had to be refined to that degree. It was basically useless and inapplicable until it happened. Refining was painfully slow, a tenth of the speed or less of absorbing normal Mana, which even among Emperors wasn’t all that fast. The Stars of Humans were a major factor in helping this process along for us, and even Summoning Magic coming in helped a Contracted Beast immensely with the task.

There was a reason that Beasts put up with making Contracts with us, after all!

He was silent for a moment, the miles sweeping by beneath us at one per two seconds or so. “ELDER BROTHER TOLD ME YOU COULD SUMMON A PORTAL TO THE BEAST REALM, AND ALLOW US TO SPEAK TO OUR ELDERS THERE.”

“If His Majesty wishes to?” I confirmed calmly. “However, the Emperor must know this one and agree to the contact, of course.”

“I WOULD SEEK TO SPEAK TO SUN PHOENIX EMPEROR.” His voice held a note of reverential awe to it. Given He was an Emperor, He was speaking of a High or Great Emperor, at least!

“This one does not know of Him, Your Majesty. This one would have to send a messenger to Him to agree to the audience.”

“CAN YOU DO SO?” There was definite weight behind the request.

“This one can ask? A moment!” -Hey, Reynard, you clever little golden boy, you. I have something very new and different to ask of you!-

His perky smug /reply came back quickly from the Beast Plane, where he was talking to a bunch of other Foxes about all the crazy things Humans did on the Mortal Plane. -Oh, this sounds exciting! What do you wish Reynard to do?- he /asked through the Contract link. The Mighty Turk was currently Meditating in a Refactory, gathering his foundation to attempt his Rise to Noble, no small thing for a Silver-Bearded Marmoset!

-Fire Phoenix Emperor here desires to speak with Sun Phoenix Emperor there. I do not know Sun Phoenix Emperor. I was wondering if you would care to serve as Messenger and help set up the meeting.-

His emerald eyes got very big indeed. -A messenger? To SUN PHOENIX EMPEROR?!- All six and a half of his Tails started quivering in shock and delight. -Reynard must ask Great Ancestor for permission to do such a thing! And Reynard would need something to convey Fire Phoenix Emperor’s Will in this matter...-

“This one’s friend Reynard the Golden Ghost Fox is willing to do the deed, but he must seek permission of Flowing Silver Emperor, and he would need a token to convey Your Majesty’s Will?”

A single feather, flowing like Flames trapped inside iridescent metal, wafted back to my hands. I could feel the power and Will wrapped about it like a living thing, as individual as a fingerprint, if not moreso.

It was not dangerous, but no Beast would ever mistake it as anything but the Will of an Emperor, and they would give any Beast who held it some face!

“Very good, Your Majesty.” I brought out a glittery jade and diamond collar, made to look both subdued and flashy against golden fur. -Incoming, Reynard!- I /told him, wrapping the quill in an ornate fine black chain and gluing it alchemically into the setting before tying and hooking it into the collar. -I would say wear it on your horn, but that would be unwise, so it’s coming on a necklace I made for you.-

-A present?! For Reynard!?- Patter, patter, patter with the Tails, as I sent something material across our Contract Link.

This was not something normal to do, but as long as it was to my Contracted Beast, it was fine. If it left his possession, it would be forced back to me by the Beast Realm’s nature immediately.

The very excited Reynard received his collar-necklace and the smoldering Feather hanging from it, the attending Foxes all yipping and barking with excitement and awe as they submitted themselves before the Feather, eyes wide as they stared at it.

Of course, something that cool could only happen to a Fox!

Void Magic was as good as hands, as Reynard had been happy to demonstrate many, many times, and then he was off and racing to see his father, grandfather, and Ancestor in turn, very excited about this great adventure he was going to have. The Will of a Fire Phoenix fluttered along with him like a banner of flame as Reynard the Golden Ghost popped away on his great and grand quest!