Chapter 30

At first light, Aris visits the faeling blacksmith whose forge and starblades are made from distilled starlight. He shows sacred tools linked to his bloodline and a trove of rare materials, including a priceless phoenix feather that could imbue a weapon as a “skylark.”

When Aris presents her sword, the blacksmith declares it a godsword, not a skylark, forged of paladian—an immortal, power-containing metal found only where gods live. He warns that such power poisons and draws would‑be claimants, and notes only the oldest blacksmith, the Great Betrayer now serving a Great House, might know its original god.

Leaving the forge, Aris wrestles with dread over being bound to a godsword and the dangers it invites. The Eldress, revealing damaged wings and a policy of faeling noninterference, leads Aris past slumbering dragon carvings and hints that the Astral Queen’s reappearance is a portent whose meaning is unclear.

At the gates, Aris rejoins Raker, Este, and Gallie. The Eldress reverses last night’s hostility, blessing their quest and gifting Aris a glowing starlight necklace to ward off night creatures, urging them to avoid the Great Houses allied with gods. Este privately tells Aris that “silver breaks through darkness” and to reach for help if needed.

As morning brightens the forest, the group steps out, and the Traveling City vanishes behind them, underscoring the fleeting protection they’ve enjoyed and the heightened peril as they near the Land of the Gods.