The Star Shepherd

The deep-red cosmic dust drifted in from the distant reaches of the universe like a slowly flowing mass of honey. Within its rolling waves, several pink, crystalline planets could be faintly seen turning at an unhurried pace. As they rotated, the sounds of the cosmos grew both lively and silent. The wondrous contradiction made one's heart itch, torn between wanting to listen and wanting to resist.

"Aljinan, if you wish to visit Shubodu, a Pure Sound Star Core would make a fine gift."

Two figures gazed from afar at the distant tide of dust.

Their forms were illusory, a thousand meters tall. Their heads were swirling vortices, wrapped in threads of flowing light and ablaze with every color, with darkness at their very centers.

One stood upright, its humanoid head adorned with more silvery flowing light and its voice ringing like a great bell. The other crouched, like a strange beast with short legs and long arms. Its head bore more bright-yellow hues, and its voice rang like a long reed. As they spoke, they seemed to pluck at some kind of instrument, yet their words conveyed a great deal of information with perfect clarity.

Aljinan—or rather, Guen, who was using the Origin Mask—watched the scene with interest.

The Yinshou Race had many peculiar traits. Their racial talents were tied to their voices. Those whose voices rang like bells or chimes, clear and bright or rich and resonant, were the most gifted. The voice of the Aoke'an beside him was too sharp and monotonous; his talent was generally a great deal weaker.

The fate of this race rested on those colorful vortices, like black holes.

Their vortex-shaped heads were the source of their talents and abilities, while the form of their bodies mattered far less. Different forms did grant different