> [ Unholy Union (provisional name) ] - 7th circle spell (at least, incomplete diagram)
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> Element: Death (quad-element combination: Fire, Water, Earth, Darkness).
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> Type: Soul.
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> Classification: Curse. Instantaneous. Reversible.
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> Target: Another sentient being.
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> Forcefully removes the soul of a touched sentient being, bringing it into the caster's body. At the same time, splits the caster's soul in half and sends one half to possess the target's body. The target's body is under the caster absolute control and can be moved about as if a second set of limbs. The target soul may be used as a secondary source of mana to feed the caster's own spells but this damages the stolen soul.
>
> This spell is instantaneous and the changes are permanent. If the target body hosting half the caster's soul dies, the caster will immediately become permanent insane and mindless. A second casting of this spell can reverse the swap, taking the split fragment back inside the caster's body and placing the stolen soul in its rightful place. However, if the damage to the captive soul is too much the target will immediately die.
A spell created out of desperation by Aidan to save both his and Lumina's lives. The effect cannot be reversed without completing the diagram, whose only copy was reported stolen. In any case, the huge amount of effort, resources, time and risks the research requires make finishing the spell a daunting task.
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Morning came and Dawn awoke without feeling anything ill from her tether to Aidan. She climbed out of her tent and looked at the already bustling camp. Deb and Lola were up and running around doing errands, taking care of clothes and preparing breakfast. The two knights that swore loyalty were keeping watch and Gurf was talking to the driver. She willed Aidan awake and the first feelings transmitted were of fluff. He stood motionless.
One boon of his dual existence was the lack of drowsiness when waking up if the other body was already alert.
Feeling fluff like this when waking up was something Aidan was very careful of. He opened his eyes and saw aburn brown-red fur in front of him. A lot of it. Without moving he assessed his situation. Sora was in front of him, sleeping with her back toward him. They've shared a tent for rest purposes several times before, it was a non-issue between them. The problem was her tail. It was right in his face. And another was that he was now aware of his true feelings. He couldn't move her tail. Nobody touches a beastkin's tail without dire consequences. He tried to wiggle backward but hit another body. Cythrel was sleeping behind him.
Trapped he decided to remain still and use this time to check himself. Physically he was fine, whatever damage Lumina caused was healed by Dawn's magic. Mentally he was alright. Somewhat weary because of the stressful day and all the new things he discovered. But he has been mentally tired for months now. And it would probably only stop when he and Lumina stood apart as separate entities. He could cast Soul Reveal to check but he was very afraid of what he would see.
Cythrel stirred behind him. Good, she should be waking up.
"Cythrel? Can you please move aside?"
"Lord Aidan, you are awake! Are you feeling well? Are you still hurt? I was so worried about you!" She rolled on top of him, putting her head over his chest.
"Get off me. Yes, I am well. Thank you for your concern. Now get off me, please before someone misunderstands something." He couldn't move his arms. Sora's tail was still right next to him.
"There is nothing to misunderstand. We are looking after the Lord's wellbeing, just that. Lady Sora is right there, she barely slept this night out of concern with you. Everyone in this camp knows the Lord is a gentleman that wouldn't touch a woman even if the woman threw herself on you."
"That sounds like you are insulting me. And should I believe that said woman is you?"
"No, I'm not and no, you should not. I'm just checking if your heart is beating correctly." She lied. Sora's tail twitched.
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"And what is the verdict?"
"It requires further investigation." She answered without moving an inch, ears still touching his chest.
"Sora, help me here. Peel this elf from me, please. I know you are awake."
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Aidan waved a hand and the earth swallowed the corpses of the two knights they killed the day before dozens of meters beneath the surface. There would be no grave marker for them.
They began packing and binding the extra horses for traveling.
"We should leave now if we want to reach the capital before nightfall." One of the knight scouts warned.
Getting there before nightfall was bad. They would head out to the castle, meet the King and get wrapped up in kilometers of red tape, inane pleasantries, people seeking to traffic influence, people seeking to confirm the status of the newcomers, schemes being cast away and redone on the spot, etc. All the while being tired from a day on the road. And they would have no chance to look for Claire in the stockades or in the prisoner records. And now their priorities shifted. Aidan had to meet headmaster Astromelicus on day one of their arrival because he needed the support of the archmage to start working on Lumina's restoration before the whirlpool of court politics sucked them in.
"Then it is good that we don't want that," Dawn replied. "Are these woods bandit-free?"
The forest between their hill and the farms around the capital was large and it was a fool's endeavor to hunt down all the dregs of society hiding in it. There was a whole ecosystem built around the presence of bandits in the woods. It gave hunters a job as caravan bodyguards, it raised the premium on herbs gathered in the forest, it made the criminal elements leave the city and move to the forest in search of safety. It also gave the guards an extra income source in the form of bribes. So long the bandits didn't kill much, they would be mostly left alone. Hunting down a gang would only open more room for other gangs, and a sudden power vacuum could cause a big turf war.
The broken window fallacy was yet to be discovered in this world.
"They won't dare to attack your Highness' transport. News of your passing has already reached the capital. Everyone along the road is expecting the princess with great joy."
The knight was right. The exception to the unwritten rule of leaving the bandits alone was the unwritten rule of 'don't mess with royals unless you want to be made an example of why nobody should mess with royals'. The knight captain was betting on the chance Lumina wouldn't care about a baronet's heir fate. And he was probably right but Dawn wasn't Lumina.
Dawn thought a bit and decided.
"Go ahead of us and book an inn at one of the towns of the outer ward. We will spend the night there and enter the walls first thing in the morning."
There was a sprawling mess of houses and business outside the walls. It began with a few inns outside that offered shelter and warm food for travelers that couldn't pass the gate checkpoint before it closed. Then people built houses and shops to supply the demand of those travelers. Being outside the walls also meant less surveillance from the guard, and the shadier type of business thrived there. After a century it grew into a proper extension of the city outside the city walls. The further away from the main roads the shadier. At the mid-point between two roads, they became dirty and dangerous slums.
It was said that a bright light casts dark shadows. The shadows of the kingdom of light capital were these slums.
One of the scout knights departed and their hurry to leave disappeared. It was a boon to the former knights. If they were forced to follow the carriage going at full speed they would fall down, get dragged behind the vehicle and end up flayed alive.
They slowly crossed the dense woods and it felt like a heavy overcast day. Although Sora could sense the presence of people around watching they pass, nobody attacked. Aidan would not mind a bandit raid or two. He was surprised that he wanted a fight. He wanted to blow off some steam. He wanted a roadblock to stop him from reaching his destination. He wanted someone to hold his hand and tell him it was going to be alright.
So many things to do, so little time before the world engulfed them. This winter trip could feel like a real vacation compared to what could lie ahead. He needed to heal Pearl. He needed to find a way to put Lumina back in her body. If only he had the diagram Kazuya stole. Cement the deal on the trading route using the tunnel. Find Claire and set her free. Graduate from the academy. Try to not get hanged for kidnapping the princess. For impersonating her. For stealing her soul.
Please some bandit fire an arrow at the carriage. He wanted an excuse to burn the whole forest. An excuse to grab the girls and run away to the ends of the world.
Sunlight ahead was proof that the world had betrayed Aidan's wishes. They were out of the woods and no bandit attacked.
His anxiety was already showing in Dawn's behavior. Pearl held her hand and encouraged her.
"Hang on there, my dear friend. We have a plan, you have me supporting you, the two of us will stop at nothing to see it through. And you have the biggest trump card possible if you use it well."
"What is it?" Dawn's curiosity spiked.
She giggled a little. "Dawn my dear. Did you forget whose flesh you are wearing right now? We are in Yutis and you are Lumina. I doubt even the King would dare defy an angry Lumina. If you could only be as ruthless and confident as she was and just go on to get what you want, to go where you wish to be as if it was your birthright, you could accomplish everything you want. And more so, you have me."
"A foreign royal visiting."
"Absolutely. If we go side-by-side, no one would be foolish enough to stop us. We can walk right in the office of that headmaster friend of yours first thing in the morning."
"Good. The sooner we reinstate Lumina the faster I can get back to my old life." Concluded Dawn.
'Why do I feel like I'm going to release the seal of some ancient evil then?' Wondered Pearl.