Aidan

The Realms

Fourthday, 3rd week of the 9th month, Age of the Chosen 1

Night

Sunnild's Quarters, Caer Macht

"Aidan?" Sunnild's voice jolted Aidan from the mental loop he was caught in. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," he said. "It's just... I know that song. Sunnild, were you born in the Ayrie?"

"Huh? Yes, I think so. Why? Aidan, what's wrong?"

His mind slowly processed the implications. "Did your mother ever talk about her life before she had you?"

Sunnild frowned. "No, not very much. Why? Please, you're starting to scare me."

He shook his head. "Sorry, Sunnild, I didn't mean to. It's just... Alright, time for some secrets to come out, I guess. What I'm about to tell you stays between us, alright? Brighid is the only other person to know all of it. I'll tell the others eventually, but I think this is something you need to hear now."

"Mm, I promise." Sunnild's blue-grey eyes met his without flinching. He had her full attention now.

"Okay. The first, and least secret, thing is that I'm what's known as a Chosen. To make a long story short, the Brighaid chose me to act as Their agent in the world, which gives me some major benefits and makes me a target. Other Gods and Powers of the Realms have their own Chosen, and many of them would be hostile to me if they knew who I was."

Sunnild nodded her understanding, so Aidan continued, "The tricky part is that I'm not from the Realms. Until a few weeks ago, I lived on a different world, one without magic, centaurs, harpies, or anything like that. I first came here by playing a game, and at first, I could come and go as I wanted, but when I died fighting the Taig the first time, I became stuck here."

"Wait, when you died? The first time?!" Sunnild broke in.

Aidan grimaced. "Yes. I faced the Tannath Taig twice, and both times I died. The first was when you saw me go through the wards; I was on a Quest from the Starchaser Council to clear out Ceallach Macht. The second time was during the Battle of Ceallach Macht when I killed it with help from the Three Flames. I had to sacrifice my life to use that spell."

"But how?"

"One of the 'benefits' of being Chosen is that we have multiple lives. When I die, I return to life a little while later in a specific location. There are all kinds of costs associated with it that I won't get into, but the important thing is that we're really hard to kill permanently."

"I don't know how to feel about that. But... what does that have to do with Mum?" Sunnild stared at him with wide eyes, hands clutched in her lap, wings wrapped around her body.

"Sunnild... I recognized that song. It's from Earth, where I'm from. The only way your mother could know it is if she, or someone she knew, was from my world. If I'm right..." he looked into Sunnild's eyes, then glanced away, unable to bear seeing the emotions he knew would come. "If I'm right, if she's a Chosen too, she might still be alive somewhere."

Sunnild was silent for so long that Aidan almost gave in and looked back at her just to make sure she hadn't left. "Aidan," she finally spoke in a hoarse voice, "I love you, but if you're lyin' to me, I will never forgive you. If," she sniffled, "if you give me hope like that only to take it away..."

"Everything I've said about myself is the complete and honest truth. I can't promise anything about your mother. It's just a suspicion. Maybe I should have kept it to myself—"

"No!" Sunnild shouted, then whispered, "No. I... It hurts ta think she might be alive somewhere out there an' never came back ta me, an' it hurts ta think about why that could be. It hurts ta imagine that she might have died over an' over tryin' to reach me. But..." she sniffled again, "but now there's a chance that I can see her again. Aidan, look at me."

Sunnild waited until he looked up to her tear-streaked face. "Will you help me find her? Please, Aidan?"

"Of course! I'll do whatever I can."

Something flickered within Sunnild's eyes. She swallowed, then straightened. "Your honor is my honor. Your life is my life. Our hearts beat as one. Together we will meet what Fate has to offer, for from today we are Companions."

Aidan's eyes widened. "I—Sunnild, are you sure?"

"If you're bein' honest with me, then swear the Oath back ta me. If ya aren't, leave now an' don't ever come back." There was a cold, proud determination in her eyes now.

A notification tried to bully its way into Aidan's vision, but he forced it away. He knew that this was a breaking point and that turning Sunnild down here would destroy any hope of a relationship with her. At the same time, though, he felt that everything was going too fast. His romance with Brighid had been lightning-quick, but that was glacial compared to how things were going with Sunnild. He had to admit that he was falling in love with her, but was it really a good idea for them to tie their lives together like this when they hardly knew anything about each other? At least he and Brighid spent days talking about themselves on that first trip to Ceallach Macht.

In the end, though, Aidan wasn't able to let go. Sunnild did make him happy, and he didn't want to cut her heart out by rejecting her. He took his misgivings, his feelings of inadequacy, and his fear of eventual rejection and shoved them into a dark corner of his mind, then closed and locked the door. Aidan took a deep breath, then relaxed and let it out. "Your honor is my honor. Your life is my life. Our hearts beat as one. Together we will meet what Fate has to offer, for from today we are Companions."

Congratulations! Your relationship with Sunnild has advanced from Trusted to Companion.

Having spoken the ancient Oath together, the two of you are now of one purpose. Only a grave betrayal can break this bond.

Know this: The bond of Companionship is sacred in the Realms and conveys many benefits, both subtle and overt, but so too does it carry heavy responsibility.

Always remember, words have power.

Congratulations! Your relationship with Sunnild has advanced from Loving to Committed.

She has committed her love whole-heartedly to you, come what may.

You have earned 41,250 experience for gaining a new Committed relationship.

You have earned an additional 825 experience from Stolen Destiny.

You have earned an additional 2063 experience from Novice rank in Animamancy.

Congratulations! You have advanced to level 20.

As a Chosen Helltouched Human, you have six Attribute points to distribute and your Willpower and Charisma increase by one each. You also gain 25% advancement towards a Skill of your choice. Allocate these points within 72 hours, or they will be randomly assigned.

You have received 18 Talent points to spend on any of your available Talents.

Honor thy Patron and follow thy heart!

Sunnild threw herself at him, knocking him back into the cushions. She pinned him down and molded her body to his, showering him with kisses. Her mouth found his, hungry and passionate, and she squirmed with barely-restrained desire. Sunnild's hips tilted, rubbing her groin against his, then her hand slid down between their bodies.

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Congratulations! You have reached level 50 in Sex.

You are now a Journeyman in Sex; each time you bring a unique partner to orgasm, you gain a slight stacking buff to all Attributes for 24 hours. Repeated orgasms refresh the duration.

You have earned 6,250 experience for advancing a Skill to Journeyman rank.

You have earned an additional 125 experience from Stolen Destiny.

You have earned an additional 313 experience from Novice rank in Animamancy.

Aidan ran his fingers through Sunnild's downy crest. Her passion had been like an afternoon thunderstorm in the summer, overwhelming in intensity but brief in duration. He thought at first that she'd fallen asleep atop him but she banished that thought by asking, "Do you really think we can find her?"

"I'm not sure. I'll do what I can, but it's going to take time. What do you know about her disappearance?"

"It was about ten years ago. Mum went out on a mission with Ecgwena's mum, and neither of them ever came back. Nobody ever found their bodies, but there were signs of a fight at the remains of a big camp they found. Ecgwena's convinced it was a slaver caravan; it's why she hates humans so much."

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"But not you?"

Sunnild shook her head against his chest. "Mn. Mum always said that hatred leads to suffering. I don't think ordinary slavers would've been able to catch Mum. At the time, I thought she died trying to rescue the slaves. Now I'm not so sure."

"Do you know anything about their mission or where they disappeared?"

Another headshake. "Not really. Mum always kept her missions a secret; I think she didn't want me to worry about her. All I know is that it was somewhere south of the Ayrie."

"Well, I'll see what I can do. Right now, there isn't much, but I think it might be possible to do something with my dream magic if I work on it. Right now, I can only link to the dreams of someone I've met, but I bet that later on, I'll be able to expand that." Aidan grimaced and sighed.

"The problem is that it's hard to train; I can only cast the spells when I'm asleep and dreaming, and the more powerful version leaves me tired when I wake up."

Sunnild propped herself up on her elbows and looked down at him. "It's okay," she said, "I trust you. We're Companions now, so our fates are intertwined. You'll do your best."

"Of course I will, my beautiful songbird."

Sunnild gave him a dazzling smile. "Songbird? I like it. I'll sing for ya whenever ya want, my love."

Aidan couldn't help but smirk and tease her, "I may hold you to that. You sing such beautiful songs when we make love."

Red bloomed on Sunnild's cheeks, but she didn't back down. "I said it an' I mean it. Ya want me ta start wearin' skirts so ya have easy access? They get in the way when I fly, but I'll make the sacrifice if yer gonna follow through."

"I may have created a monster," Aidan laughed. "If you go around in short skirts every day, I'll never get any work done."

"Maybe fer special occasions then," she murmured, "like when I'm feelin' broody."

That brought another of Aidan's concerns swimming to the surface of his mind. He accessed his Paragon Point interface.

Paragon Point Store Permanent Options (unlimited purchases):

* Attribute Points

* 3 Attribute points for 2 Paragon points

* 7 Attribute points for 4 Paragon points

* 11 Attribute points for 6 Paragon points

* Talent Points

* 5 Talent points for 2 Paragon points

* 11 Talent points for 4 Paragon points

* 18 Talent points for 6 Paragon points

* Skill Bonuses

* +5% affinity in a random Skill for 1 Paragon point

* +5% affinity in a chosen Skill for 5 Paragon points

* +25% advancement in a random Skill for 5 Paragon point

* +25% advancement in a chosen Skill for 10 Paragon points

Temporary Options (limited stock, refreshes at noon):

* Rare construction materials suitable for building a Core building for 10 Paragon points [3 in stock]

* An Essence of Passion for 1 Paragon point [10 in stock]

* A random assortment of valuable gems for 1 Paragon point [4 in stock]

* A random unidentified magical weapon of at least Epic quality for 10 Paragon points [2 in stock]

* A powerful curse cast on an enemy of your choice for 5 Paragon points [1 in stock]

Special Offers (one-time purchase each):

* +5 Skill levels in a chosen crafting Skill for 5 Paragon points

* Unlock a unique Profession Specialization option for 10 Paragon points

* Unlock a unique Prestige Class option for 15 Paragon points [you do not qualify for this purchase; must be level 25]

* A set of seven rings with empty settings for 5 Paragon points

* Two emeralds suitable for use in rings for 5 Paragon points

* Two blue-gray chalcedonies suitable for use in rings for 5 Paragon points

He skimmed down the list—taking note of the building materials for possible purchase in the morning—until he found what he was looking for. As expected, now that he hit Journeyman rank in Sex, the unique Specialization option was available for purchase. Aidan went ahead and confirmed the expense, then closed the interface.

Quest: Progenitor Specialization Far beyond a simple Stud, a Progenitor is the ancestor of a bloodline that could stand for millennia. In addition to the Stud's bonuses towards siring children, Progenitor enables you to pass down benefits to all of your descendants. This is a rare Specialization only offered to exceptional beings. Success: The Sperm Must Flow IV; Ease the Burden IV; have at least four women in love with you; impregnate a willing woman. Reward: Gain the Progenitor Courtesan Specialization. Failure: Complete a different Courtesan Specialization Quest. Penalty: 10 wasted Paragon points.

Aidan quickly skimmed his other options. He had quests for Stud, Tamer, Mindbreaker, Lothario, Househusband, Master, and Harem Lord Specializations. He didn't even bother reading Mindbreaker, and after browsing the other descriptions and requirements, he discarded everything but Househusband, Master, and Progenitor.

Even then, he knew which he was going to choose. Househusband was a nice dream, but that's all it was, and while Master would likely let him make Brighid deliriously happy, he wasn't as dominant as she was submissive. Then, too, Sunnild enjoyed both sides of the coin, and Aidan didn't want to upset that balance. No, Progenitor really was the only thing that interested him, although he felt a little railroaded by his Patron.

Those requirements were rather curious; the Talents were no problem, but Aidan needed to get four women to fall in love with him, and he had to knock one of them up. He had three if Ailis counted, but nary a lead on a fourth. The mercenary nature of that calculus turned his stomach a bit; the idea of seducing a woman only to complete a quest was repulsive. He resolved to pretend that requirement didn't exist.

That left getting a woman pregnant, and at the moment, there was only one possibility in that regard. He turned his attention back to the harpy sprawled out on top of him and asked, "You mentioned getting broody; do you actually want children?"

Sunnild cocked her head. "I hadn't considered it until Ecgwena reminded me. It wasn't anything that I considered a real possibility until you came along. You gotta understand, harpies aren't like most of the other races when it comes to children. Even beyond always giving birth to female harpies, we're a bit weird."

"Well, that doesn't sound like a 'no' to me," Aidan teased. "Enlighten me on what makes you so weird, love."

Sunnild's eyes widened a touch, then closed as a dopey smile crept onto her face. She lowered her head to nuzzle against his upper chest. "Well, fer one thing, while it's true that we're always fertile, that's misleadin'. We kin get pregnant at any time, but not ta any given male. In fact, the more often one male sows his seed in a Sister without another male doing the same, the less likely it'll take root."

Aidan frowned. "That makes sense given what I've heard about harpies, but I don't like the implications. Call me a hypocrite, but I don't like the idea of sharing you with another man, especially if we're trying to have a child."

Sunnild opened her eyes and squirmed up his body until she could kiss his nose. "Silly, ya think I'm the first harpy ta want ta settle down with just one man? There are ways around it. Anyway, the other thing is that we're sorta halfway between humans and birds as far as pregnancy goes. Once we get knocked up, an egg grows inside for about three months. After that, we lay the egg and the baby hatches about six months later."

"You're right; that is a little weird." Sunnild pouted at him, prompting Aidan to chuckle and give her a kiss. "Not offputting, just strange to think about. Keep in mind that harpies don't even exist except as myths where I'm from, songbird. I'll get used to it. Anyway, you never gave me a straight answer. Do you want children?"

Sunnild sat up. "Are ya volunteering ta give me some?"

Aidan frowned. "You're dodging the question again. Do you want me to stop asking? I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"Oh, hush," Sunnild scolded, "I was just teasin' ya. Does this feel like yer botherin' me?" She wiggled on his hips.

"No, I can't say that it does," he had to admit.

"Yes, Aidan, I would like your child someday. What's makin' ya so persistent about it? Are ya gettin' hot under the collar thinkin' about it?"

"A few things. One, yes, thinking of you or Brighid carrying my child gets my blood pumping. However, I have ulterior motives that make me feel a bit icky about it." He explained his two Quests.

"Hmmm. So yer sayin' that yer Goddess is tellin' ya to knock someone up before the end of the year, an' if ya do, all yer kids'll be healthier, stronger, an' just better in general?" The teasing lilt in Sunnild's voice and the heat coming from where she sat on his belly showed that it didn't bother her as much as Aidan feared it would.

"That's the gist of it, yeah. It feels wrong for me to suggest it just to complete a Quest, though."

Sunnild shook her head. "But yer not. Ya said yerself that ya liked the idea, so we know yer not opposed to it in general. Let me turn the question around on ya. Forget all yer Quests, forget Caer Macht and everything else. Would you like to have a child with me?" Her hips undulated against him.

Aidan considered her question, carefully blocking off all the external considerations. In a vacuum, just him and Brighid and Sunnild, did he want a child? Did he want to start a family now?

"Yes," he answered. "Yes, I would."

Sunnild's smile was radiant, though her voice was teasing. "Well, yer not gonna get yer wish today; I've been drinkin' maiden's tea every mornin' since I left. An' by now, I've built up a lot of resistance to ya."

She lifted off him, then rolled over onto her back and spread her legs. "You'll have ta go at least three weeks without spillin' any seed inside me ta reset things. A month'd be better. But ya already gave me some earlier, so there's no harm in gettin' in some more practice tonight. C'mere!"

Aidan took a second to purchase the Talents he needed for Progenitor, then obeyed his lover's demand.