The man said, “So you are to be my new student! My name is Emir Sagewood, I am (Sage of the Woods). After 132 years you will be my new student. I am excited to have someone who is a (Grand Ritualist), (Otherworlder) and (Chimera) to boot. So tell me about you!” He said with an almost manic energy. I feel a muted surprise at him being the teacher I am meant to study under. I say, “I am Anavrit Toho. I have those Achievements but how did you know? And do you know about my race?”

He laughs a bit and says, “I like your curiosity and your poker face, it seems you are integrating your affinities well! And the answers to your questions are, I have a Ability for the first and I have seen many Chimeras in my time.”

“Ok. Then I have some questions I want to ask. But the first ones are, will my runescript work here?”

“That is a good question indeed! I don’t truly know. I will have to see some of your runes to tell you if they will work or not. So I have this paper and this pen so show me some of your runes.” He took out a sheet of paper and a pen out of thin air but I felt a slight hint of energy fluctuations from where he took out the things.

I took the square piece of paper and pen from him. I got a bit of a feel for the pen and started drawing the runes of animation, bond-loyalty and bird on the paper in a circular formation in the centre. Then I connected them through lines. When I completed it I saw them activate, but the paper did not start to fold or animate yet I felt a slight bond to it.

“Good! You even subconsciously infused them with mana, not only that you even made it into a ritual. I felt your arcane, knowledge and technological affinities helped you make the runic script, and then Nature and Arcane affinity mould it into the ritual. Now you just have to complete the ritual and for that, you can ask for some tier 1 materials from me. As I want to see what you can do.” He said in a proud and interested tone.

I nod my head at his proposition and think of what I can do to make it better. As I don’t know the plants or animal ingredients and what is in tier 1.

“I don’t know much about the ingredients here so I will give you a description and you give me what you think will match that,” I said and start thinking about what I might use as I cannot use my {Modulator} to help it, because I don’t know how, every time I tried it it failed. At last, I ask him to give me a feather of a flying white bird, a vial of magically conductive ink, one night-attuned crystal crushed into powder and a flower that signifies night.

“Ho! I would like to see what you can come up with these ingredients. I will give you a tail feather of a common lightflutter, a vial of cheap magic ink, a tier 0 beast core with night affinity and not crushed as I will say that these are better whole than crushed even if did not ask for it and last but not least is the Stargazer Lily, this flower blooms at night and absorbs only the starlight, this has given the flower attunement to starlight and night.”

He puts the items on the table and I nod my head. Then I ask for a needle to get a drop of my blood. He nods his head and gives a needle made of plant matter. Then he tells me to burn it after I have used it to not let anyone get a hold of my blood because that can lead to a lot of bad things. I nod my head at that suggestion then I start the ritual and then remember that I do not how to do it in this world but I still felt the world respond so I continued.

I put the paper with the runes in the middle then I put the beast core in the centre of the runic circle. The flower is then put on the marble-sized core upside down like a hat. Then I poured the vial of ink over the flower into the page. I used the feather to make a bird shape out of the spilt ink, then put it in a corner. Then I started chanting,

”I, the lost child of the unknown, call upon the lord of the night,

With runes of animation, bond-loyalty, and bird hidden from light.

From the realm where shadows dance and stars ignite,

Let this creature awaken with might.

With a tail feather from light’s grace,

And ink of magic’s deep embrace,

Merge with the core of the night-attuned beast,

Let this creation from dreams be released.

Stargazer Lily, bloom under star’s gaze,

Grant this ritual its mystical blaze,

As I chant and weave the threads of fate,

Let this creature rise, no longer to wait.

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By the powers of ancient lore and mystic might,

I breathe life into darkness, shaping flight.

Awake, creature of shadow and star,

From realms afar, come as you are.

Fly now, night-bound spirit, free and bold,

With wings of darkness, let your story unfold.

Bonded to me, in blood entwined,

Together, let our magic bind.”

As I said the chant the energies around me started to dance to my ritual. The feather broke into motes of light which dove into the ink which gave it the look of a starry night. The ink then started getting sucked into the beast core and runic scripts. Then the flower went ablaze in a pale bluish light that also got sucked into the core. The paper then started folding itself into a black bird-like form. While saying the final part, I prick my finger with that needle. I see that my blood was not leaving my body as it should, so I try to will a bit of blood onto the needle. I see a bit of blood leave the tiny hole on the front of my thumb in a small tendril which coils around the needle. I then pushed it into the paper bird's head and completed the ritual.

The bird completed to form. I felt a small presence on the back of my mind which I knew was this bird. I then looked at the bird, which had the look of a raven with midnight black feathers that twinkled in small stars with a slight pale blue light. It had blood-red eyes and a silver moon at the centre of its chest.

“Fabulous! You even made use of the spiritual energy in the items to give it a pseudo-soul which is connected to yours. And not to say of you using ink to represent both the black depth of outer space and to strengthen the runes with it. I felt the ritual change to fit the ingredients more than anyone without a highly Skilled (Grand Ritualist).”

I glare at him slightly for saying too much about my capabilities as I like to be inconspicuous most of the time. Then I tried to prod at the small mind at the edge of my mind. As I try to feel a bit I see the bird look at me suddenly. I try to tell it mentally to come to me. Then I see it flap its wings to fly towards me and land on my shoulder. It was a lot lighter than it looked and more than just a paper bird.

I look at Emir and say, “ I am meant to be your student, so I would like to get into a non-disclosure contract. I want your and my hair on it with our signature and I will make it binding by a ritual. Do you agree?”

He looked at me and laughed, and then he pulled some sheets of paper from somewhere and began to write on them. His hands became a blur. Then he held what he wrote in mere moments for me to see. It was the contract with his signature on it. I quickly read the contract and nodded for it to be to my liking. I sign it and pull a strand of hair. When I try to pull a hair it comes out very easily. Before I could ponder much he pulls a strand of hair and hands it to me.

I take the pen and make my usual ritual of binding contract with the runes of binding, contract, witness and restriction-speech. I then start the ritual and chant,

“I, the lost child of the unknown, I call to The Watcher,

Beneath the Watcher’s gaze and magic’ dance, here gather.

With binding runes etched in the fabric of fate,

Let this contract be sealed, no secrets to narrate.”

As I say the chant I feel some being look at this ritual, as if it sees all that was, is and will be of us all. I temper my mind which comes unnaturally easily I continue the ritual.

“By the whisper of winds and the river’s hush,

Let silence cloak the words, in secrecy we trust.

With the power of binding, we forge this pact,

No divulgence of truth, no knowledge to extract.

Witnessed by The Watcher, the sentinel of sight,

In the realm of shadows, where darkness takes flight.

May our tongues be bound, by chains unseen,

To guard the mysteries, in this cryptic scene.

So mote it be, let the contract be sealed,

In the realm of shadows, where truths are concealed.

By the runes of binding, we’re forever entwined,

In silence we dwell, our secrets confined.”

As I complete the ritual I feel something coil around my soul and settle around it. Then I hear a laugh, I look up to see Emir wide-eyed and laughing hysterically. I just sit there waiting for him to stop laughing. I look over to the Guild Master to her wide-eyed and clutching her throat.

After a couple of minutes, Emir stops laughing and looks at the contract and an energy field sprouts around for a few moments and starts laughing again. Then he stops after a minute looks at the Guild Master seriously and asks her, “Tell me whatever may you about Anavrit.”

She then told her what she knew about me. Then Emir summoned a small rabbit and told her to say it again. This time when she tried to say something she just started talking gibberish that I could not understand. Then he unsummoned the rabbit and nodded, “It seems like you were also bound by the ritual. It makes whatever you want to say about Anavrit that is not common knowledge or is not known by one of the minds present during the talk, you will say something which holds no Knowledge in it. And it is on your soul so it will still work even if you destroyed the contract paper. Don’t try to work around it as it has The Watcher as the witness, so it will read your intent and stop you. I will say that I did not know about this greater entity. I thank you for this knowledge. At first, I thought I would be able to break the contract but when The Watcher finds me trying it causes my soul a lot of pain and takes a bit of Knowledge from me, this will cause someone to forget about Anavrit and the contract if they don’t have a countermeasure like me. And for your knowledge, we are bound to not share the secrets of each other. I think Anavrit being my student should remain a secret. I want you to cancel his inn room booking and give him the money for it.”

The Guild Master just nodded and handed me a pouch. Then left the room quickly. I put the pouch in my bag, then look over at Emir drawing something on the stone floor with a purple chalk. I ask, “Why did you ask her to cancel my housing arrangements?”

“That is easy. You will live with me for some time.” Then he completed his drawing, which was a drawing of a pond with a lotus in the middle. Then I saw a portal open above the lotus, the portal was an opaque purple in colour. Then I felt a push and found myself diving toward the portal.