As the feeling of being one with the hive faded, Jeb had a moment of panic. He knew that he had been close to Binding with the lute, but he had never thought that he would be bound to the hive as well. Sighing, he made his way back into town. Hopefully the Librarian would have advice for him.
“Good afternoon, Jeb,” the Librarian called to him as he entered.
“Good afternoon,” Jeb replied, a little muted. It wasn’t that he had any real problem with Binding the hive, but his mind was listing every potential issue that making a swarm of bees a part of him could have.
“Is something the matter?” the light in the Librarian’s eyes that had been growing over the weeks suddenly went out. In its place was confusion and what looked like anger. “Did something happen?”
“I’ve nearly Bound my lute,” Jeb replied.
“Congratulations?” the Librarian replied, clearly confused. “Am I misremembering, or was that not what you had decided to do?”
“I had.”
“Then why do you seem so down?”
“I don’t know if down is the right word for it,” Jeb managed to get out, “I’m just confused and a little worried.”
“From what I can feel radiating from the case, your lute is less likely to be injured than you. If anything, you might want to learn an Enchantment to shield Magic so that you aren’t a beacon.” The Librarian paused. “Sorry, that was out of line. It is not my place to suggest avenues for you to focus your efforts. Why are you concerned and worried about Binding your lute?”
“I’m not worried about the lute!” Jeb nearly shouted. Immediately, he realized what he had done. “I’m so sorry,” he quickly followed the shout. “I also am almost Bound to my hive and I have no idea what that means or whether that’s a problem or-”
The Librarian cut him off, “I understand. There is no need to apologize. The knowledge that you might become Bound to a swarm of bees without any preparations for that would be concerning to anyone.” His calm tone helped Jeb to relax a little. The fact that he didn’t seem worried did just as much to help.
“Do you have any books on Binding bees or living things in general? I don’t want to end up enslaving them or anything,” Jeb said. “Also, I would appreciate an Enchanting Schematic for something to reduce how visibly Magical my lute is. I’ve gotten a number of comments from people able to see Magic that it is incredibly obvious that my lute has been heavily Mana Enforced, and I don’t want to have to keep answering questions about that.”
The Librarian gave him a small smile, the light starting to return in his eyes. “I think I can help with both of those issues,” he said, “though anyone commenting on how Magical your lute is should really learn to hold their tongue.” He delivered the last line with a wink, which made Jeb feel better.
Even before he’d finished speaking, the Librarian’s eyes had started to flash. Pages only rushed by for a few seconds before the Librarian held out two books. “I have the two books you’ve requested,” he said, “though to set your mind at ease, you will not be locked in a battle of wills with the swarm. It will just make it easier for each of you to exchange Mana with each other, and it may make it easier for you to communicate with each other.”
“Are there any detriments?” Jeb asked. It seemed strange that more people wouldn’t bind themselves to living creatures if it just gave you more Mana.
“Not explicitly,” the Librarian said, “though there are a number of Classes which preclude being Bound.” Seeing Jeb’s obvious curiosity, he continued, “in some cases, the Classes do not allow any Bindings at all. In others, Classes require not Binding specific items. There are, of course, also Classes which require Binding in specific or general.”
“Thank you!” Jeb said. “Am I allowed to ask your advice as to whether it would be better for me to Enchant my lute case or my lute? It seems like it might be better to have the lute itself Enchanted to not seem Magically Enforced.”
If Jeb had any doubts that he was still able to surprise the Librarian, his expression at the question answered it. The Librarian had been in the midst of turning around. He froze, clearly thinking about the many ways to answer Jeb’s question.
Jeb watched as a torrent of pages rolled past the Librarian’s eyes. Faster and faster they flowed, until he stopped being able to even see them move. When the Librarian’s eyes cleared, he spoke. “For now, the only recommendation I can give would be to Enchant your case, rather than your lute. There do not appear to be any good records of interactions between Bound items and Enchantments, especially when the items were bound by Bardic Magic.”
“Thank you!” Jeb said, rushing out. He looked at his lute case, thinking.
Maybe it would be possible to Enchant the case on the inside, at least, Jeb thought. It somewhat defeats the purpose of Enchanting something to hide a Magical signature only to be obviously Magical.
By the time his thoughts had settled, he was back at the hive. A quick glance at his Mana showed Jeb that it had refilled. “I think that I’m going to just Enforce the lute normally this time,” he said to the hive. “It also appears that I will likely Bind the hive at the same time that I bind my lute. Do any of you take issue with that?”
A swarm of bees erupted out of the hive. If Jeb had been paying more attention, he might have wondered how all of the bees were able to fit in the hive. Instead, though, he watched as they all flew off.
“Did I say something wrong?” he asked. The hive’s queen flew out of the hive and began to dance.
Jeb quickly gathered what was happening. The hive had known that they would bond with him, and they had no issue with it. On that account, he was grateful. But, to make sure that the Binding actually happened this time, she wanted the entire hive gathered to ensure that there would be enough Mana to complete the process. As a result, she had sent the hive out to go and bring back all of the bees that were currently at work on the farm and surrounding areas.
The hive began streaming back towards him. As they did, Jeb noticed that the sun was setting. As the last bee arrived, the hive began to dance, showing him their excitement for the process.
When the last rays of sunshine had disappeared, Jeb began to play.
The Song came easily now, which made sense. As the thread of his Mana spun and connected to the lute, Jeb noticed that it was not the only thread forming. Each bee seemed to be sending their own strand of Mana to the queen and their hive, both of whom shaped a thread that broke back apart and flowed into each bee.
Just as there were layers to the Magic in a Glyph, Jeb noticed that there were weaker connections forming. He and his lute, being so close to Binding, were both sending a nearly imperceptible thread of Mana towards the other. The hive and swarm both had their own strands reaching out to Jeb. When he looked closely, he saw matching strands reaching out from him.
The world seemed to stop, just as it had when he first played the Song successfully. The Elemental Mana inside of the lute was somehow becoming balanced. Even the extreme amounts of Air Mana that he had poured into it only a few hours before didn’t seem to be overwhelming the other Manas.
Looking more closely, Jeb saw why. The excess Air Mana was flowing back out of the lute and into the Air Attuned bees in the hive. Even as that Mana left, though, Earth, Fire, Water, and Sand Mana all poured out of other bees. The Elements were all kept in close balance and check by the Unattuned Mana from the final section of the bees.
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As the strands all reached out to each other, Jeb was curious which pair would connect first. He should have known that the bees would Bind their hive first. After all, they had never had second guessed whether it would be beneficial, like he had with his lute.
As they connected, the bees’ dance changed. Jeb had already known that the bees tended to act more as a swarm than individuals. Now, though, it was as though the entire hive were one being acting through thousands of limbs.
Their dance of the Song locked in. He couldn’t articulate how they were moving different, but it was clear that they were. The threads of Mana coming from them looked almost physical with how stable they were. Before Jeb could analyze them too deeply, though, the second pair of threads connected.
He was bound to the lute. Something in the Song changed. Jeb could feel that now he was not only making the lute stronger, but on some level, he was becoming stronger. His Mana no longer flowed from him, through the lute, and into the Song. Instead, his Mana just flowed from the lute as though it was a part of him.
It had an equivalent effect on the Song as the bees binding their hive had. The Song locked in somehow differently, and he saw the final threads reaching out faster. There were only half as many now, though.
The threads from the hive and the swarm were now a single thread, just as he and his lute were only a single thread reaching out. When they connected, Jeb saw a light so bright that he knew it had to be visible to everyone for miles. Then, as the light faded, the bees fell from the sky.
Jeb had just enough time to notice them falling before he too fell.
Jeb’s Status Sheet at End of Chapter:
Jeb Human Age: 16 Class: Least Mud Initiate Level: 1 Experience: 6457/100
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Total Statistic Load: 352 Physical Load: 127 Strength: 29 Dexterity: 22 Endurance: 31 Vitality: 41 Presence: 4
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Mental Load: 225 Intelligence: 47 Willpower: 52 Magic Affinity: 55 Mana Depth: 37 Charisma: 34
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Mana: 1070
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Glyph Attunement: 26 Least Shape Earth (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Hold Earth (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Create Earth (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Destroy Earth (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Shape Earth - Efficient (Modified) Tier 3 Spell Least Shape Water (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Hold Water (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Conjure Water (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Destroy Water (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Move Air (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Hold Air (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Create Air (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Destroy Air (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Move Fire (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Hold Fire (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Create Fire (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Destroy Fire (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Create Mud (Modified) Tier 2 Spell Attune Earth Mana (Modified) Tier 0 Spell Attune Water Mana (Modified) Tier 0 Spell Attune Water Mana - Efficient Tier 2 Spell Attune Air Mana (Modified) Tier 0 Spell Attune Fire Mana (Modified) Tier 0 Spell Attune Sand Mana Tier 0 Spell Least Create Sand Tier 1 Spell Attune Sand Mana - Efficient Tier 2 Spell
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Bard Songs Known: 1 Lute Enforcement
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Skills: Least Mud Magic Meditation Mana Manipulation Spell Glyphing Improved Glyph Groking Gift of Gab Running Identify Soil Savvy Animal Handling Fertilizing Lifting Athletics Lute Playing Singing Musician Pollination Brewing Distilling Bardic Magic Smithing Wood Identification Woodworking Soil Improvement Enchanting
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Achievements: Focused Meditator Student of Magic
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Quests: Major: Slay the Dragon of the West (Progressive)