Damien sat in the backyard of the mansion atop a large boulder with Emra in his lap. The Sylphen had a content look on her face as she lay curled in a ball, head resting on his thigh.
"So cute," Damien muttered as he set his right palm on her head, slowly stroking her soft fur while sending trace amounts of harmless electricity-laced mana in her body's general direction.
When he read past the spot he'd went to get her from Gallion, it explained a need for the bond to be established first by utilizing small, harmless amounts of the preferred mana type. After the point it was created, no severity of the Master's magic could harm the Sylphen, unless it was of a different type. The Sylphen's body adapted to the Master's specific signature of that mana and as a mage couldn't harm themselves with their own mana imbued flames directly, they couldn't harm their Sylphen without intention.
He watched his energy travel from all throughout his body into his arms, slowly crawling downward and outward onto Emra's coat. Instantly, the small beast turned her blue eyes up to him, curious and sentient in their wonder. He smiled down at her and after a few moments of staring at one another, felt as his mana was sucked into her small body instantly and disappeared from his control.
"Woah," he murmured out.
Never before had his mana been stolen like that. It had felt like the animal had sucked away a piece of him, but not a piece he couldn't get back. It was similar to losing control of something he'd created, but different in that even the mana was ripped from his control, not just the element.
He sent a steady stream of mana through his body and out around Emra, coating it very minimally in an electrical current. Closing his eyes and feeling his mana disappear with his mana sense, he observed as it continued to draw out of his body into a black hole of sorts in the middle of his pet the moment it entered her body. In the center of that void, he began to notice a light blue and very soft glow that increased in brightness the more he siphoned in.
Opening his eyes again, Damien looked at Emra and saw her still contently sitting in his lap. He carefully increased the voltage of the energy he was supplying and observed as his Sylphen's body twitched slightly but ultimately remained impassive, unimpressed. Steadily, he kept rose the threat of his lightning, but to his surprise, regardless of what he'd read, he watched as it continued to be sucked into her body, not a single negative effect shown.
Eventually, Damien increased the voltage of the lightning so high that it began to arc around his arm as it traveled to her, making loud crackling noises and causing him to consider either moving further away from their home or just lowering the voltage. The noise had begun to startle Emra slightly, her body jumping with each loud crack, and he didn't want Alexa or Kastra to worry. Usually, whenever he practiced with his twin swords, he'd use low voltages since he was after the electromagnetic effects of the energy and not the damaging effects.
"Or I could try and surpress the crackling itself..." he muttered, lowering the voltage to a quiet hum. "Bit sick of blowing my ears every time I crank up the heat..."
Emra glanced up at his mumbling and he scritched her head until it was resting on his leg before beginning to concentrate on the lightning. The whole reason it was so loud was due to the rapid increase in temperature that the air it traveled through experienced, but he was unsure of how to combat that.
'Sound magic perhaps? Or... why get rid of the noise when it can stun my opponents, even scare them. Maybe I should just find a way to buffer my ears.'
With a nod, he considered his options with regard to that instead.
Just as he started testing out different forms of earplugs made from dirt, stone, and various fabrics, he noticed Kastra leaving the house and flitting over towards him.
'What are you doing?' she asked him, or at least that's what he thought her lips said, the overly large round muffs of some kind of foam he'd created around his ears blocking her voice entirely.
"Trying to make a sound canceling things for my ears," he responded louder than he'd intended to if the look on her face was any indication. "Sorry about that," he said after dissolving the material.
"Why not just use sound magic? Or an adjustable enchantment to nullify sound? Or a ward?" she questioned.
"That... that's a great idea actually. Enchantment magic?" he clarified. "And sound magic is a thing? You don't have to actually vibrate the air to make it?"
"Yep to both. And why would you need to... Anyway, I came out here to tell you Layla and Reinal are back. They have a large chest of some kind as well. Says they are Cedar's belongings and that they now belong to you," she said.
"Oh... alright," he said, looking down at Emra in his lap.
Another strange rule he'd run across, the transferring of belongings. If one's death was natural in cause, they would go to next of kin. If there was no next of kin, finders keepers. If someone was murdered, their belongings would be treated the same way. However, if someone was killed and the cause was due to criminal activities of their own doing, their belongings were given to whoever deserved them most, whether that be the person they wronged most or the person who contributed the greatest toward their capture and execution.
It seemed the council had chosen him.
Damien reached down with his left hand and tried to pick Emra up off his lap, where she struggled to stay seated. He'd already run through about half of the mana he could create, and yet the glutton still wasn't done stealing from him.
"We'll continue later, it's ok," he coddled as she reluctantly let him pick her up, midsection retracting upwards like she was a cat, foxlike ears twitching in discomfort, and letting out a mewl of protest.
He set her on the ground as Kastra grew to full size, wrapping an arm around his waist as they began to move forward, Emra in tow, trotting along while rubbing herself on Damien's legs. They moved down a rock path through the backyard/garden, winding around a few trees and ponds. It was almost like an elaborate park: expansive, colorful... definitely the portrait of excess. If it weren't for... whatever managed to keep this all looking so good, he was sure the place would have gone to shit by now.
Kastra leaned against him as she usually did whenever they walked like this and was smiling gently. As was the usual though, no natural feelings of happiness or intimacy was felt from her side of the bond. No feelings were felt at all of late, now that he pondered it. He'd noticed she'd seem out of sorts, thought she might be unhappy with something, but she was always the one that appeared happiest out of all of them...
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Kastra asked with a smirk, leaning up and pecking his lips. "Am I so attractive you can't look away?"
"Absolutely," Damien said with a smile, hugging her tighter as he felt a slight tinge of warm bleed through from her end.
The thought left his mind as they got closer to the house and passed by their pool, finally making it to the back sliding doors. When they moved into the living room Damien froze, a bit confused at what he was seeing.
"You said it was just Reinal and Layla," he said.
"I did," Kastra replied.
"Well, why are they not here, and who is that?" Damien asked, looking at a girl who was standing by the far wall by their fireplace and not making eye contact.
"They left already," Alexa chimed in, standing near the fireplace as well. "This," she said, motioning towards the girl, "is Adrenna. She's a-"
"Brinter," Damien interrupted. "I've... met a couple, but she looks extremely... unique," he said, settling on his last word carefully.
"I know," Alexa replied. "But I wasn't going to say Brinter. She's a slave. She belongs to you now as well," she finished.
Damien didn't respond as he squinted at the girl before him. She looked... evil, in a way. Skin as pale white as snow, white hair like Alexa's that was cut to her shoulders and messy, a lithe frame, and pitch black eyes. Her nails all grew to sharp points and just like most Brinters, her eyes closed from all four corners whenever she blinked.
"Damien?" Alexa asked.
"I'm... she's a slave?" he registered. "My slave? What?"
"She was Cedar's concubine, though from what Layla told me from medical scans, she was never touched," Alexa explained carefully.
"I'd have killed him," the woman spoke in a scratchy voice.
"You'd have killed him..." Damien repeated, watching as her dagger-sharp teeth shown from behind her lips. "Wouldn't that-"
"I would have died too, yes," she said, turning to make eye contact with Damien. "Worth it. I would have killed myself through the pain of this collar to just injure him. If he had been that close to me, I might have been able to rip his throat out."
Damien nodded and shuddered.
"I guess I couldn't fault you for that... and you're mine now?"
She bowed sarcastically. He sighed.
"Is there any way I can just... set you free?" he asked, scratching the back of his head.
"The collar is on for life. If I try to take it off, I die. If you try, I die, you might die. The masters bond was transferred to you when he died thirty minutes ago," she responded.
"You're a slave though, why not just-"
"Doesn't matter. He died, the contract needed a new master, and they set it to be you, just like they would do with a material item. Sell me if you want," she said with a shrug.
Damien moved further into the room and sat on the couch as Kastra and Alexa both left to give them time to talk. He wished they hadn't.
"Take a seat," he said. "Wait," he hurriedly corrected as she jerked forward to comply. "Take a seat if you would like to."
The woman rolled her eyes and moved toward the couch opposite him, plopping down abruptly. Damien furrowed his eyebrows at her posture, leaned forward with her legs spread wide, elbows on them. He adjusted his seated location to be at more of a side-angle to the indifferent woman before him.
She was wearing rags. Her shirt, skirt, or dress, whatever it was supposed to be was torn in multiple places and loose-fitting. He wondered if her hair was short because she liked it that way or because it was too unhealthy to grow any further. It appeared brittle, like hay.
"Do you have anyone you trust that I could sell you to?" he asked. "Give you to?"
She shook her head. "No friends. Why, don't you want me? I'm attractive, wouldn't you at least want to try something?" she asked. "You don't seem like an asshole. I wouldn't mind."
Damien rolled his eyes.
"No. I... just no. I don't want you. Can I just tell you to do whatever you want and you live your own life?" he asked.
"No. I have to be within at least a few days travel of you at all times, or the slaves bond will kill me. Nothing will happen to you, though, so abandon me if you want."
"I'm not going to do that. It's not that I wouldn't mind you staying here, I guess, better than giving you off to some random asshole... I just don't think I'd trust you living with us, especially after how brutally honest you just were," Damien explained. "Also, I don't like the idea of ordering you aroundb and giving you free rein by saying, 'do whatever you want', seems like a surefire way to get myself hurt while I'm sleeping."
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"Why would I hurt you if you are a good master?"
"What if you're insane and would do that regardless? I don't know you. I don't like the idea of having to keep an eye on you," he responded, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees as Emra jumped up into his lap, curling up underneath his arms.
"The bond would render me unconscious due to pain after just a few moments of going against your wishes, just tell me I can't enter your bedroom or the hallway near it," she explained, turning her body to match his angle so they were staring face to face again.
Damien settled back into the couch, eyes looking at the ceiling as he pet Emra.
"Oh boy, a prude," he heard her chuckle out.
'Great. One problem handled, another obtained. Maybe the school will take her...'
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"Why don't we see if she's a good fit?" Kastra asked as he turned around to look at them.
"No," Damien replied.
"That's not how she means it," Alexa clarified. "We think we could use her though, Damien. She's strong, a Combatant, and specializes in ground manipulation. It would be a boon to our fighting potential in the future."
Damien stood still for a moment, eventually nodding to that.
They'd stayed away for too long, and even though he could have demanded she close her legs, he was averse to the notion because of the slave contract. If she had been a guest, he could have thrown her out, but the fact that he had that unnatural power over her...
"True... When you think of it like that... dammit," he eventually said. "You two are already set on your decision, aren't you?" he asked, seeing the two nod.
He sighed and set his hands on his hips, looking away before eventually turning back.
"Why don't we... set ground rules and... try it out then, I suppose? As much as I don't like this, you two get a say so... I'm outnumbered here anyway," he relented as his two women smiled at him.
He shook his head and made for the door leading to the hallway from the kitchen, then into the reception area. He had hoped they wouldn't feel pity for her situation, but that was a bit naieve of him. Looking like she did, in the situation she was in... why wouldn't they feel pity?
"How old are you?" he asked Adrenna, still seated on the same couch as she was, albeit in a way that was more understanding of her current attire.
"Twenty this year," she responded.
"Twenty? That's... young," he said.
"His family raided our village when I was young. They killed and raped the rest, choosing to keep me. Something about a dispute they had over prices. I was too young to remember. They gifted me to him when he turned five. He tried to lay hands on me once and never did again after I nearly castrated him. I was supposed to grow alongside him as a bodyguard anyway, not as a concubine, so I've been taught to fight and given free rein to ruminate, but here in Eleram I was told I was to be just a house slave. Not allowed to keep him safe, per the teachers and his own wishes. Lot of good that did him," she said impassively.
"That's terrible," Alexa whispered from behind him.
"You would have tried to save him?" Damien asked at the same time Alexa spoke, eyebrows raising.
She nodded.
"I want to live and shitty as he may have been, he let me have some modicum of freedom and didn't touch me."
Damien rubbed his forehead.
"It'll be fine," Alexa said from where she stood behind his couch.
He looked at the Brinter's dark eyes again and held back a shudder. The way they contrasted with the rest of her features was too eerie to him.
"Fine, fine. You may stay. For now," he stated, standing and moving to the end of the couch to pull a piece of parchment and pen out from one of the end tables situated there.
Once in his grasp, he moved back to the couch and sat once again on the right of Alexa and Kastra.
"You aren't allowed to be on the second floor-" he began, writing on the paper as he spoke.
"That's a little excessive Dami-"
"She can stay under my conditions," he interrupted Alexa back, looking up and pointing the fountain pen at her. "I don't like it, but you two think it's ok and whereas I'm willing to give in for that, I'm not going just to let her do as she pleases. You two get her here, I get to set the rules," he declared, turning around to look at Alexa.
She nodded to him and he smiled at her lightly. He wasn't trying to be an ass, but he'd be damned if he was risking either of them or himself. He turned back to look at Adrenna.
"No going to the second floor. Listen to Alexa and Kastra as if they are me. No doing anything that would bring harm to any of us. Doing anything that would bring harm to another person is only allowed as a form of self-defense and never to be done in a manner that could be fatal. I'll get kicked out if you screw up, so don't. In fact, don't leave these grounds unless accompanied by one of us three," he demanded. "Don't steal things, hide things, or do anything mischevious that could lead to our irritation or indirect harm either. Just... please be a good house guest," he sighed out at the end. "Also, if I'm speaking casually, please do whatever you'd like. If I tell you to take a seat, grab a chair for someone, get the plates out for dinner... anything, don't take it as an order. Do it if you want. In fact, if I preface a statement with 'This is an order', that is the only time I want you following my words as if they were one. Except what I said earlier. All of that was an order," he finished. "Do I have to say all of that again? I don't know how this works," he asked, twisting around to look at Kastra and Alexa again.
Kastra shook her head and Alexa responded.
"That should be fine. I think you went too far still," she said.
"That's fine, I'd rather err on the side of caution. Let's get lunch going," he said, standing up and watching Emra roll off his lap. "By the way, where's Piper?" he asked.
"He's somewh-"
"Is this Piper?" Adrenna asked, holding out the squirming Pippin by the scruff of its neck. "He was crawling up my legs."
"Must like you then," Alexa said with a smile, moving toward the girl. "Come on, let's get you in a room and dressed in... well something that isn't this. Kas, can you bring clothes down?" she asked as she wrapped an arm around the girl.
Damien tensed up immediately, bleeding unease through the bond unintentionally which caused Alexa to pause for a moment before ultimately choosing to ignore him and pick at the girl's hair, leading her for the door.
"I'll come-"
"You, will stay out of her room while she's changing," Alexa said, looking over at him while they passed.
Even Adrenna appeared uneasy with how Alexa was treating her. So close, so familiarly... the Brinter seemed to want to escape.
"Just... Kastra," Damien said, looking up at his Fae who had yet to leave the room, "please keep an eye on her."
"Don't worry, I'll watch her," Kastra responded with a nod.
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"Well good luck, I'll be looking forward to the results," Lemshire said with a smile, teleporting to his office after one of Dewitt's heartwarming smiles. "Ahh, Belinda. If only I were younger," he mused, moving around his desk and reaching under it to grab a rock that was inscribed with yellow writing. "Juggernaut."
With the word spoken, he once again disappeared and reappeared in another room, this one without any windows or furniture of any kind. He moved toward a wall and pressed his empty palm into it, the stone wall glowing blue for a moment before fading away. With a low rumbling sound, the wall slid downward and he began descending a staircase.
He raised his hand and placed it gently against the stone wall to his right.
"Light, please," he murmured happily while creating a discharge of lightning energy from his palm as he moved downward.
The mana entered the cavern wall and traveled along a carved pathway, moving towards the ceiling and deeper into the tunnel. When it reached the center of the ceiling, a large, crude glass lantern flared into existence, followed by another and another further down into the tunnel.
Lemshire giggled to himself.
"Who would have thought the boy was a lightning Mage of all things! Ah, my greatest creation," he said, speaking fervently to no one while grinning. "I wonder if Luna has figured out how that explosive material works yet. If he has successfully communed, maybe I should try myself... too risky? I'll have to see if he is communed first. Oh, even BETTER if he hasn't though! The possibilities..."
The King continued to mutter and shout randomly as he stepped downward, further and further into the well-lit tunnel.
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"'Don't worry, I'll watch her'," Damien mocked. "An hour later, here I am bringing you around with me."
Damien and Adrenna were currently both walking around the lake toward the school. He was headed to Basic Spells to see if he couldn't convince Mr. Feival to give him some tips or ideas of what to do with regards to enchantment. He wasn't sure if he was allowed to attend his normal classes on his free day, Lemshire had made it seem like he shouldn't, but he figured going to ask a question or two was alright.
He'd been piecing through the books for the past thirty minutes while eating and had gotten nowhere. They were all explanations of how to set the spell up, what they did, and the potential reagent requirements for the spell, but none spoke of how you even enhanced something with mana in the first place. None explained how to do it without a spells structure, either, and Damien wasn't particularly good at crafting them yet. There was no way he'd be able to get started on ones this advanced.
So, he'd begun heading to the school. Unfortunately, Kastra and Alexa decided to head out back and spar, which left Damien in charge of Adrenna.
"You're the one that made me come," Adrenna responded.
They would be busy focusing on each other, so he forced her to come along with him despite Alexa's protests. It was the smart decision.
"Just... in the future, don't tell people you'll risk losing your life to kill them," Damien pleaded. "And don't a-"
"Hey!" Ranger shouted out, jogging toward them from the direction of the school. "Didn't think you'd be in today. Where are y-"
He stopped mid-sentence, suddenly widening his eyes as Damien cocked his head in concern. When he followed his friend's eyesight, he realized the fool was fixated on Adrenna. Damien was growing slightly worried from the unnatural interaction.
"She won't hurt you or anything," he explained quickly. "This is Ranger, a friend. Don't hurt him," Damien stated to make double sure it wouldn't happen. "Y-"
"Don't order someone with such beauty around!" Ranger nearly shouted, causing Damien to recoil slightly. "I am Ranger Farren and I would love it if you would make me the happiest man alive and mar- tell me your name," Ranger choked out while grabbing one of her hands, biting his tongue partway through his statement while trying to kiss the back of said hand.
Damien cringed as he watched Adrenna yank her hand away from her assailant and hit him with the heel of her foot square in the diaphragm, causing him to stumble backward a few feet and hunch over, eventually crumpling to his knees.
"Creep," she exclaimed coldly.
'He'll... he'll be fine from that. It wasn't that hard of a kick. This doesn't count as harm.'
"It was in self-defense," Adrenna explained quickly, turning toward him with a look of apprehension.
"That it was, but... could you use a little more restraint in the future, please?" Damien pieced out.
Adrenna nodded quickly.
"I'm sorry he... well, always preferred I use more violence than less..."
"Maybe I should keep you around to be my bodyguard then," Damien said with a dry chuckle, turning to look down at Ranger who had fallen to his elbows, trying to catch his breath. "You shouldn't try to kiss random women bud."
"I think I'm in love," the fool wheezed out from where he was looking up at the woman. "Can I have your, haaaah, name?" he asked.
Damien shook his head. He'd only known the man for the duration of the trip and hoped he was normal. He'd appeared normal. Conversed as if he were normal. Acted normal. But apparently, that was too much to ask for in this country.
"No," came the immediate reply as Damien began moving toward the school, Adrenna following along behind him.
"Wait... haaah... Damien, buddy."
Ranger's voice grew more and more faint the further away from him they moved until Damien could no longer hear it. Moving up to the school's main building, they entered through the front doors and began to pick their way forward through the maze.
"What classroom are you looking for?" Adrenna asked after they backtracked for the third time.
"Basic spells," Damien sighed out. "I always get lost in here. The signs aren't descriptive at all."
"We are in the wrong wing," she said, turning and walking in a different direction. "It takes most people a full year to learn these halls, don't worry about it."
Damien lifted his head to look at the vaulted ceilings and turned to follow after her in an exaggerated manner when a hand clamped down on his shoulder.
"Mr. Tearen. Not only are you supposed to be out on official leave from my class for the THIRD day in a row, but you come here to flaunt that in front of me?"
Damien's body went rigid at the voice.
"If only it weren't Tresil's explicit demand that I not remove you from my class. Care to explain why you've come into these halls to ruin my day?" Mr. Terrell continued.
"Just looking for Mr. Feival, sir. Need to ask him about chantless enchantment magic," Damien explained while trying to pry his shoulder free from the man's vice grip.
"And you thought to go to him instead of myself? I teach the very class that defines chantless manipulation of mana. Are you insulting me?" Mr. Terrell questioned in a cold tone. "Is my teaching not good enough for the privileged Tearen family?"
"No, sir, I just figured you wouldn't want to waste your time on me," Damien squeaked out as his shoulder began to creak. "I'd be glad to have your assistance if you'd offer it."
There was a pause as Damien looked in Adrenna's direction, pleading with his eyes for her to say or do something to get him out of this situation. She shrugged and leaned against the wall.
"I could think of nothing more I'd hate to do during my lunch hour, boy. Be at my class in an hour. I have a free period I usually use relaxing or coming up with lesson plans," he said, releasing his grip on Damien's shoulder and moving past him. "Adrenna," he said with a casual nod, disappearing without a sound a half step later.
Damien inwardly cursed himself for thinking it was an intelligent idea to come in on his day off.
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"It failed, as expected, Master," a Shade spoke, standing in the corner of a small cabin.
"That's fine," a voice responded.
"Shall we try again?"
"No, it's really ok. I don't need him dead, I just need him to understand that we are a threat. He hasn't done anything that goes against the rules, anyway, so killing him would be frowned upon. Perhaps we can even persuade him to help with the cause later, depending on his personality," the man's voice continued. "However, I believe we'll have to speak with him directly for that. For now, I want reports on the Hellials and Nivari. How close are they to an alliance and how soon should we expect the Empire to begin collapsing?"
"A few more days and they will be in agreement, Master. We all estimate a year before the collapse begins," the Shade replied.
"And the Elves?"
"Still assisting the Dwarves and moving north slowly. In about six months, their capital, along with all of their higher echelon persons, will be over the ranges to safety."
"Stop allowing the migration in a month then. Kill off any who try, set it up so they believe the Dwarves are sick of more Elves entering their lands. That will sour their relationship," the voice ordered. "If we need we can incite a war between them later."
"As you wish."
A few moments went by where neither spoke. The wind howled outside, and the sound of it cut through the void left by their silence.
The shadowy figure began to fidget slightly until it's master finally spoke again.
"I know I'm going to regret asking as usual," the voice said, "but did any of you manage to gather information on what that fool is up to in Eleram?"
"No sir," the Shade replied. "Nothing. Only that he is interested in the lightning Mage as well."
The voice let out a sigh.
"Of course he is. I'm sure Rai is as well and we can't exactly touch either... continue keeping an eye on them. Tresil knows better than to disallow us back into his country altogether. If he does convince the Mage to join them, Rai be damned, we will end him before this becomes a problem. Look into the Mage's past if you can. You are dismissed."
The amalgamation of shadow stood taller than usual and saluted before disappearing out a window. Afterward, the sole occupant of the room moved for the door.
"Like clockwork," he murmured with a sigh, opening the door and stepping out into the sun, a glint of silver being the last thing seen before the door shut, closing the cabin off from the outside world once again.