I allowed myself several minutes of bemoaning and wallowing in self-pity. It felt reasonable, but I knew it would do nothing to solve any problems. There were too many problems before me, not the least of which was puzzling out this new, magical bond with Cat.

Lila soon returned with a steaming bowl of meat stew and another drink. I set aside my grand plans in favor of satisfying my now-enraged stomach and still-dry throat. My impromptu magical healing had taken far more from me than I liked, and I needed every bit of food I could get.

After devouring the meal, I thanked Lila, who all but ordered me to get more rest. I assured her I would and, the moment the door shut, closed my eyes and focused inward on the thrumming Aether within the center of my body.

My core was whole and full once more, the only part of my body that had gotten through the last few days unscathed. I was a good ways away from advancing again but close enough that I could likely break through by next winter.

However, there was also a strange...leak? It felt like I was sustaining a spell of some manner, with a thimble flowing outward. Not down any channel, though, but in another direction entirely. What...?

Ah, of course.

My Aether was not being channeled into a spell. It flowed down the faintest thread of entwined mana, extending in a direction impossible to parse with my physical senses.

The bond itself was not wholly mine or Cat's energy, which raised even more questions. One-third was identical to my Aether, and another third matched the beast's mana signature. However, the rest felt somewhere in the middle, as if our powers had blended and merged into something new.

As I focused on the tether, I realized that sensing Cat's location was only the most unconscious part of our new familiar bond. I could tell where he was and even get an idea of how far away he was, but with that came other things. There was a hint of his thoughts and emotions, though most of both were unfamiliar. I could sense something akin to happiness or satisfaction and a burning curiosity, but they felt distant. Muted. Strangely twisted in a way I assumed had to be a consequence of his non-human nature.

How much would this tether take from me to support itself? Was the drain consistent, or would it shift over time? Was a part of it Cat drawing in mana to recover from his recent exertion? Was this blending process something that would spread throughout my core? And what kind of abilities and changes might arise as a direct result of the familiar bond? Too many questions arose, and the first step to getting some answers was getting back on my feet, both figuratively and literally.

I opened my eyes and sat back up, pushing the covers back as I twisted. My body protested the movement, and I glanced down to find my chest and torso thinner than I would prefer. I had not lost too much muscle, but any lingering bits of fat had vanished, leaving me noticeably slimmer.

My feet hit the floor, and I took a long, bracing inhale before pushing myself upright. Immediately, my balance tipped forward as my legs shook, and I stumbled forward against the wall. I caught myself before falling over, swearing under my breath as I shook my head.

It took me longer than I liked to reach the door at the far end of the room. I paused to catch my breath and collect myself before opening it and stepping into a long, narrow hallway. A single door sat before me, and if I glanced down the hall, I could spot two more on my left and another further along on the right.

Voices came from that last doorway, so I walked in that direction with one hand braced against the wall to my left. It was embarrassing, but I struggled to care about my pride, or lack thereof.

I opened the door and found myself in what looked to be a sitting area. The room was square with a low ceiling, and in the middle was an oval table surrounded by six chairs. All six were occupied, though I did not recognize five of the people sitting there. The sixth, Emma, saw me step into the room, eyes widening as she muttered something to the others.

A man stood from the table, turning to face me. He was my age, shorter than me but wider in stature with dark hair and vaguely familiar features. I watched as he smiled and walked over to me.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"You really did wake up," the young man said, shaking his head, "I thought Lila was trying to trick up!"

"I...am sorry?" I replied, unsure how to respond

"Lukas!" a voice snapped from somewhere else in the house, and the young man—Lukas, I corrected—winced.

"Sorry," he rubbed the back of his neck, "Lemme start over. I'm Lukas. This is Liam, Kai, Isabel, and Sybell. Oh, and my sister—"

He paused mid-way through introducing the rest of the table, pointing towards the seat Emma had occupied just seconds ago. She must have made a quiet retreat while we were distracted, and her brother stared for a second before shrugging and continuing, "Must've gone to help Lila. Oh well, free chair. Please, take a seat, mister..."

"Simon," I offered, pushing off from the wall and extending one hand.

"Simon! Nice to meet you," Lukas grabbed my hand and pumped it twice before slapping my arm, "Now, please take a seat."

I nodded, and thankfully, it did not take me quite as long to reach the table as it had to meander down the hall. I had regained some measure of my balance and grace, though I suspected the lingering weakness and the aches in my body would persist for some time.

At best, it would be weeks until I recovered wholly, though I could accelerate that with careful magical healing. Doing so carried further risks, but I might not have a choice.

I collapsed into the chair with a sigh, smiling as I nodded toward the rest of the table. Liam and Kai were clearly related, with the former taller and lankier and the latter a little shorter and a touch wider, but both had near-identical facial features. Isabel was slim with dark skin and curling brown locks, and Sybell's auburn hair was tied back into a braid, revealing a narrow, sharp, pretty face.

For a moment, I imagined a different group of four teens. It was a fleeting fancy, one that caused an ache in my chest entirely unrelated to my injuries, yet it stung all the same. Did any of them regret not joining me?

I pushed those unpleasant thoughts aside and said, "First, I need to thank you. As I understand it, you were the ones that found me and brought me back here. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

Lukas grinned, "Well, I'd love to become a duke, but gratitude's nice too. That, and a story. What the hell happened? I mean, it's not often someone our age gets stabbed in the side. And your outfit. Not to sound nosy, but it wasn't the sorta thing you see a regular person wearing."

"Ah," I coughed, "That. It is a bit of a long story and not a particularly interesting one."

"That's not how Emma told it," Lukas said with a grin, "She was spinning a tale about how you narrowly fought off some bandits and made a daring escape. So, if you do owe us a favor, why not give us the whole story?"

I sighed as if uncomfortable, but after a second, nodded, "A fair enough trade. As I explained to your sister, I was traveling to Aranth. I am—or was, I suppose—a trader of minor wealth and ambition. Some bandits waylaid me and my companions along the way to the city. They demanded our wares, and we complied, but they decided it was best not to leave behind any loose ends."

Sybell covered her mouth, and Kai leaned forward with a thunderous expression, muttering swears under his breath while his brother simply glared as if I were the bandit in question.

Lukas looked less horrified, simply nodding as he responded, "Can't trust people already willing to ruin lives to improve their own. How'd you escape?"

"There were more of us than them. I ran when they attacked and managed to get away from all but one. He followed me, and we fought, and..."

I trailed off, placing one hand against my half-healed wound, and winced, "Thankfully, his blade did not pierce too deeply or damage anything vital."

"Lucky you," Liam remarked in a rumbling voice.

"Yes," I nodded, thinking back to snapping the assassin's neck like dried kindling with their blade stabbed into my flesh, "Lucky."

"Why didn't you bleed to death, though?" Liam asked in a soft voice, "Your wound was already clotted over when we found you. Did you treat it?"

"Ah, that," I made a show of looking uncomfortable as I rubbed my legs, "I had a few things on me. Call them...special wares bartered off of mages. One was an alchemic potion designed to close wounds. I had planned to sell it to a hunter once we reached Aranth, but possible wealth versus certain death was not a hard choice."

"And the bandit?" Lukas pressed.

"We fought, and I managed to turn the blade back on him. It struck him in the neck, and, well..."

I closed my eyes as my heart began racing, realizing I did not have to fake this reaction as I grasped just how close I had come to dying. A stab just a little to the side would have disemboweled me. I knew how to repair lacerations through muscle and skin, but healing an organ was another order of complexity beyond my skills.

After gathering myself, I opened my eyes and finished, "And the rest, you know. I followed the first round I stumbled onto, trying to slow the bleeding as best as I could and hoping the knife I took from that bandit would be enough to keep me alive."

It was a middling story filled with holes no one experienced in combat or travel would believe. I was relying on their naivete to sell it and cursed myself for not coming up with someone more open-ended when I first spoke with Lila. It felt a touch paranoid to lie, but if people came to this town searching for a mage, it seemed best not to leave too obvious a trail.

Thankfully, Lukas and his friends did not seem interested in prying too closely. The young man nodded a few times, his conflicted expression clearing away in favor of respect, "Well, damn, yeah, you're not just lucky. You're blessed. Must be that pet of yours, eh?"

"Pet?" I repeated, "Ah, you mean Cat."

"Yeah, the cat. Furry black, about this tall?" Lukas held his hand flat over the table, "He's been hanging around ever since we found you, though I haven't seen him since last night, now that I think about it."

"Yes, he tends to come and go," I chuckled, "Sometimes, I wonder if he even likes my company."

I felt a twitch at the edge of my senses along with a flicker of vague annoyance and tried to push it aside as Lukas nodded, responding, "Well, it's probably best you get some more sleep, right?"

Yes, probably, but...

"Actually," I said, "I was hoping you could show me around town. Once I get changed, of course."

Lukas blinked and replied, "Umm, are you sure?"

My mind conjured fantasies of a hundred unseen assassins closing in on the town, blades in hands and faces shrouded. The sooner I figured out where I was and how best to get moving again, the better.

"Utterly."