The rite upon an existing beastkin couple adds another to their relationship involves either a challenge or an offering by the prospective new mate with the sponsorship of one of the spouses. Usually, it is initiated by the male attempting to add another female to the group or by a female willing to become part of an existing couple or harem as most beastkin tribes are patriarchal.
The challenge can be a fight or some other athletic or intellectual endeavors such as a race or even a riddle contest. Such a challenge can be presented by either the outsider or the sponsoring spouse. As an extreme example, a wolf-kin male could beat his mate into submission in order to accept another female to their pack. As his pack grows, however, the challenge must be issued to all mates. The same wolf-kin now must defeat his two mates in combat to add a third, and so on. The mate being challenged usually has the right to decline or set the terms of the challenge, unless it is to a fight. Challenges to a mating fight end either in the submission of the mates or with the death of the challenger. The wolf-kin male of our example might as well be brutally clawed to death by his three mates if he attempts to add a fourth.
The offering version is usually done peacefully. The prospective mate must make an enticing offer, monetary or otherwise and this offer must be accepted by the spouses. For example, a fox-kin male could gift gold and gems to another male in order to be accepted into the leash of a many-tailed kitsune. The male would then do as he sees fit with the treasure, most probably curry favor with the kitsune. The offer can be also one of knowledge, succor or anything that is deemed valuable by the one receiving the offer. Sometimes it can be just a token offering.
When dealing with beastkin mated pairs or groups, one must be careful. They always mate for life and regard losing their union a fate worse than death. Just as the rite of tail-grabbing can end in combat to the death, no beastkin fights more ferociously than to defend one's relationship.
Excerpt from the Great Compendium of the Races, vol 4.
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Regarding the ability of some mages to wield spells outside their element, it took us fifteen centuries of study to understand why and how, and it was only possible with the help of otherworlders. Magic affinity for a spell is calculated using a technique called 'geometric mean' that averages the affinities. The exact formula is complex and putting affinities to numbers is a fool's endeavor. Refer to volume VIII, section XXIX for the exact details. What is really important is that the lowest affinity dictates how the mage's mana will react to the spell. Another important conclusion brought to light three centuries ago is that no mage has an absolute zero in any affinity, otherwise it would be impossible to cast spells out of one's assigned element.
Excerpt from Archmage Level Wizardry, vol 1.
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Spell Entries:
> [Mistwalker] - 3th circle spell.
>
> Element: Mist.
>
> Type: Alteration.
>
> Classification: Support. Movement.
>
> Target: Self.
>
> Allows the caster to walk on mist, vapors or clouds as if they were solid ground. The caster does not lose the ability to move through these substances, but he need not fear losing his footing or dropping through.
> [Slowfall] - 2th circle spell.
>
> Element: Air.
>
> Type: Alteration.
>
> Classification: Support. Movement.
>
> Target: Self.
>
> The spell lowers the caster's falling speed from any amount between a half and a twentieth of the normal falling speed. If a solid surface like the ground is twenty meters under the caster, the falling speed is automatically reduced to a twentieth. This spell fails if the caster is carrying a heavy load.
> [Soul Disruption] - 4th circle spell.
>
> Element: Underworld.
>
> Type: Soul.
>
> Classification: Attack. Non-Lethal. Crowd Control.
>
> Target: A creature in line of sight.
>
> The non-lethal version of a series of soul attack spells created by Aidan, Soul Disruption doesn't attempt to damage the soul. It dislodges the soul from the physical body temporarily, causing a state similar to death for up to 50 seconds. After this time is over, the soul realigns with the body, with no lingering damage. This spell cannot be used in an already dislodged soul. Underworld affinity and magic resistance lower the duration. The spell's circle was increased from 3 to 4 to add extra control glyphs to ensure the time limit, non-lethality, and that its effect cannot stack.
After they took an afternoon nap, Sora returned from her shopping trip. She bought clothes, sundries and more important, food. Cythrel fell asleep minutes after hitting the pillows and they didn't bother waking her up. She had such a lovely sleeping face.
"I got good news for you," Sora announced over dinner.
If only they could call that dinner. Dawn was being fed a vegetable purée with meat paste and for once Aidan was glad her sense of taste was completely messed up. For them some meat cubes and chopped steamed vegetables drifting in a thick broth with a side of fluffy bread.
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"Yes, what is it?" Aidan asked.
She reported with enthusiasm, "Some roaming entertainers came to town a few days ago, the kind that advertises themselves as a freak show. They have one woman that has no arms. I heard some students saying she can do everything with her feet."
It made Aidan raise an eyebrow. Using the foot for everything? Including eating, washing, and everything else? It was really mind-boggling.
"Everything?"
"Yes. She can even do embroidery or write a letter."
"That is very good, but we need to see this woman first. I don't want to give her false hope."
They kept talking and feeding Dawn her purée. "There is one problem, They are leaving town in three days. What will you do? Do you think Dawn will be able to go?"
"No. I can barely make her walk and I can't speed up the process any more than this. Her body is at its limit. I got her senses of touch, hearing and sight almost right, but there is too much work ahead. I remember most of these sensations. Except for the pain of having the body broken, they are the same thing I had to adapt in the hospital."
"How did Kamak and the others recover so fast?"
"Because for them the body and the soul came from the same source. In our case, the body is from Lumina and the soul, mine. It is progressing pretty fast if you think about it."
"What should we do about the roaming entertainers?"
"I don't think it would be wise to go there. I have a pretty solid plan for Cythrel and she won't need to learn how to use her feet for anything other than walking. Recovering from Dawn's ordeal takes priority. I'm sure these traveling entertainers will travel around Yutis for some time, we can always fly and find them later. Brody is coming, we need a fully functional stand-in for Lumina. It is good to know about that foot woman but for now, let's shelve it for later as an alternative plan."
Sora was not too happy that her 'big news' were shelved like that. But Aidan had a point and she trusted her mate. If anyone could get around an otherworlder's absolute bullshit skills, it was him, she was sure of it. About Cythrel... the conniving elf needed to come clean and apologize for her deception, or things would take a turn for worse. Sora might be a diplomatic and conflict-avoiding person, but she was still a proud beastkin. And the way the little girl wormed herself into their relationship left a sour taste in the fluffy-tailed woman's mouth.
"How is Dawn's headache?" She asked about an entirely different subject to force herself not to dwell in those less-savory thoughts.
"Pretty much the same. Sleep helped, but she still has a mild fever. At least I can see, hear and feel properly. Tomorrow we are going to work on moving, walking and speaking. All she can do right now is babble as if her tongue was numb."
Aidan made the almost bald girl tried to speak and only mumblings came out. It sounded like a baby trying to speak but one octave lower. Or maybe like someone whose tongue and lips were stung by a couple dozen bees. At least now she could focus her sight on whatever she was looking at. It made her look less of a dolt but still a very long way from the regal princess she was supposed to look like.
"Go back to sleep, I'll handle these," Sora took their plates and cutlery away, shooing them away from the table. "I'll feed Cythrel when she wakes up. I can't sleep right now."
Aidan held her furry arm and kissed the back of her hand as she came near him. He rubbed his cheek on her palm before he let go of her.
"Thank you, Sora. I'm glad you are always there for me."
They exchanged a smile and a kiss. Sora nudged him in the direction of the bed, "You are welcome, my love. Now, why don't you go and lay your pretty faces back on the pillows to give me some room to tidy everything up?" Aidan was about to raise an objection to let her handle the dishes but Sora cut him off, "You are recovering. Be a good patient and go recover, I'll find ways for you to pay me back later. Now get out of my way."
They fell asleep as soon as they hit the bed. Sora came over and pulled the blanket over them.
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It didn't take long for Cythrel to wake up. Sora was practicing her newfound magic, keeping the elf's food warm.
"Rise and shine, Lady Cythrel. Your food is ready, come here and I'll feed you. Wake them and face my wrath."
She yawned and carefully left the bed. Aidan and Dawn were tangled up like a couple of puppies and sound asleep. It would probably take a lot to wake them up but from the face, Sora was making she really didn't want to face her wrath. She used Sylph's Hand to clumsily dress herself up. It would take a lot of practice to use it as Dawn could even though Cythrel's wind affinity was higher. After covering her modesty, she approached the frowning beastkin.
"Hi, Sora. Thanks for feeding me," She meekly greeted her.
"Sit down and eat. We have things to talk after you are properly fed," Sora gave an irritated sigh.
Cythrel did as she was told and promptly ate her food, silently for a change. After Sora put the dishes away and cleaned the table, the squirrel-kin sat facing the elf and they studied each other without any words. Sora was the one to break the silence after a while.
"You know why I want to talk to you, don't you, Cythrel?"
Sora was uncomfortable with Cythrel butting in their relationship. She manipulated her fears at the Gala and then blatantly broke her side of the plea to enter their relationship. Hadn't this elf already proved her valor and dedication, Sora would've already invoked the ancient rites of her people and dealt with her.
"We just kissed." She hurriedly defended herself. Now that she was taking steps to fulfill her love, she needed to come clean. "Sora, I'm sorry. What I did at the gala was not nice. Can you forgive me?"
"Maybe. If you are willing to really commit to this. No trickery. No double-speak. Become one with us for eternity."
Cythrel swallowed a swig of tea and looked back at her, "Sora the beastkin, I want to be excused from my previous vow."
Sora paused to think and collect her thoughts. The words that followed were solemnly delivered with a great deal of gravitas.
"What you ask is too grave. A female from another beastkin tribe would have already killed you. I won't lie to you, I'm very angry. But I will accept your plea. You are exempt from the bargain we stroke at the Royal Gala and are now ejected from our scurry. Aidan and I have no relationship whatsoever to you. We hold no debt or ill will toward you. Cythrel the elf is a total stranger to us now."
The words hurt. But it was a hurt that her mischief and carelessness inflicted on herself. She wanted to really be a part of that relationship, she had to break the tainted bond and reforge a new one. Cythrel rose and pulled her chair back. She lowered one knee on the ground in front of Sora and delivered her next line, very similar to the one she used at the night of the Gala.
"Sora the squirrel-kin, I, Cythrel the elf, am in love with your mate, Aidan. I plea you let me become part of your family as a mate to your man. I offer my life and the sacrifice both of my hands as a gift to you and your mate and swear to look after you and him and your kits for as long as I live and in the afterlife."
"Arise, girl," Sora announced. "Give me your arms. Look deep in my eyes. I know he likes you. Maybe even love. I also know that you will fight any enemy and even give your life for him. You already showed it, not once and against powerful foes. His path is a dangerous one. His entire family's paths are. There are forces in the world that desire nothing more than ending him. You and I, we might die to protect him. I can only pray we are able to birth an heir to his bloodline before our time in this land is over. But we have to do this together. The two of us must be of one mind, one heart. No upstaging, no jealousy, no deception between us. Do you agree with me?"
Cythrel blinked and two tears rolled down. She nodded, "Nothing would make me happier than to know that my life saved his. I'll never hide anything from you or betray our trust. I'll fight any enemy for the wellbeing of our family, be it Prince, otherworlder, or a dragon. I'll look after your kits as if they were birthed from my own womb as I ask you to do the same to my children if I am ever blessed with them. I'd not bear to live if not as a part of your family, your scurry.
"Please accept my vow or end my suffering now."
Sora pulled her in and planted a peck on her forehead. "You are now mine as much as I am yours or we are his. I accept your offering. You are worthy, Cythrel the elf. Welcome aboard."