Wally the Wellspring Wyrmling [https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczNZyrKGLV7HR83BH0C9RP3m-E7EX4T95Gqz6PLAzFU_SjBAwOaNOCHYxS4RqV_f-QVwH8dlNgE_-28lblEw1l7U5ZTu4h5Mo3EJC4oIKAZP69KGDvY2Jt00agJZj3feSB7bAfiIpEJjJ2znr2bQmd8i=w639-h958-s-no-gm?authuser=0]
Everin awoke in an unfamiliar room surrounded by the scent of parchment and ink. The last thing he remembered was being healed by a priestess of the Cultivator who had been part of the recovery forces that responded to find their missing Saint. The healing had been a harsh one to speed up the regrowth of his tails, and he was fairly certain he had passed out from the rushed pain.
It couldn’t have been that long since then, though, considering his Emerald Caste Fortitude speeding up his recovery and needing less sleep overall. He sat up and found he had been dressed in a plain set of Scholar robes. Then, he looked around to try and get a better idea of where exactly he was, only to be surprised to find a garnet gemite sitting in a chair propped in front of the door.
Veldrix seemed to be asleep at first, but those glittering red eyes looked up at him a moment later, and he couldn’t help but smile at the knight, “Playing guard dog?”
“I am a knight,” they replied softly, “I protect those who are important to me.”
He chuckled, choosing to ignore the implication of his importance, “I didn’t think you were a Defender.”
“I protect by making sure those vile monsters won’t see another dawn.”
“I guess that means you killed them all?”
“Any that I found. However, I think some managed to escape thanks to the alarm. Apparently, there was a maze of tunnels down there that blended into the lower levels of the city. There are still Guards and Adventurers looking, and I will be here to carry out justice when they are apprehended.”
Veldrix stood then and moved the chair closer to the bed he was lying on before sitting again and saying, “For now, I wanted to make sure you were well and learn more about what happened from your perspective.”
Everin nodded, having difficulty with looking away from the devastatingly beautiful Ruby Caster, but managed to recount everything that had happened. It was difficult to do without divulging the secret of Phoenix’s resurrection and Uriel’s importance as one of the Chosen, which was a bit of a shock to himself as well.
He wasn’t entirely sure what to make of Destroyer’s Chosen being so close to his Saint this whole time, but it made the appearance of the god during the final battle with the Soul Reapers make more sense, as well as the kid’s past with the god’s cult.
Veldrix just listened to him patiently. The knight was always patient with him, which made him feel all the more special, but he shoved that impossible notion aside. Veldrix was patient with everyone.
It was odd to sense the bond between them shift as he spoke. His [Bondsense] passive let him innately feel the types and strength of a bond between objects, people, and magic, and it had helped him with plenty of diplomatic situations in the past, but now he wasn’t so sure he appreciated feeling the ebb and flow of it from Veldrix as he spoke.
When he was finished recounting the events with a few missing pieces, the Royal Knight just looked at him for a long moment that seemed to stretch further from the silence. He knew he had weakened their bond of budding friendship by omitting key pieces.
“You won’t tell me how Regent Wayland managed to escape while silenced in a god’s sanctuary enchanted against teleportation?” they finally asked him.
“I can’t,” he replied, “I wish I could, Vel, but I am literally bound to secrecy. It isn’t because I don’t trust you or am ungrateful for you saving me from torture or death.”
Veldrix gave a small smile as they asked, “You trust me? The Royal Executioner who carries out the authority of the nation’s oppressors?”
“Believe me, I’m still struggling to rectify that dissonance in my mind,” he admitted with a chuckle, glad to feel their bond strengthen again, “You saved me, though, despite me being an Avatar of the Rebel. You protected me and have earned my trust through your actions and words.”
“I’m just glad I arrived in time for you,” they softly replied, “Too many times I’ve only seen the aftermath. Dazien’s mother is the latest failure, it seems. I have been watching over the gemites within this nation for almost a century now and had no idea his family was here in Tulimeir. I feel like I failed him and his parents.”
Everin gave a small smile, “You helped save his life yesterday. I’m sure that counts for something.”
“Only because Regent Wayland managed to find me. I should have been here years ago when he first became an orphan. His life would have been very different if I had taken him to Blomstra to be raised within the gemite community there. To be raised by parents who wouldn’t have shunned him or taken advantage of him because of what he is. To look around the crowded city and not feel so alone.”
“It would have been different, but that doesn’t mean it would have been happy,” he pointed out, “Plenty of us grow up with our parents and turn out miserable.”
Veldrix gave a light laugh, “How optimistic of you.”
“Just speaking from experience,” he quipped and turned to let his furred feet hang off the edge of the bed, “He has a family he cares about now. We can focus on protecting that instead.”
“I feel like you’re more invested in his sister’s safety than his.”
“Not true. I am actually much more concerned about the survival of the others than that divinely blessed Wayfarer. I was sent here to watch after her and her party; they are equally part of my quest,” his voice dropped as he admitted, “I failed to protect them, though. I wasn’t strong or smart enough. They trusted in my protection, and I—” he cut off his words when Veldrix tensed and looked towards the door, “What is it?”
“Looks like they found us,” the knight said with a slight sigh before adding with a tease, “I was hoping to have you to myself today.”
Everin felt the shiver of delight trail all the way down his tails. He gave a matching smirk and said, “What can I say? I’m a very desirable man who is in great demand for his time and attention.”
“I can understand why,” Veldrix replied as they stood to go open the door before whoever it was could even knock.
Dazien and Phoenix appeared a few moments later, and while she let herself in to give him a greeting hug, the amethyst gemite paused at the door while looking pointedly between the two more powerful Casters and asked, “Sorry, are we interrupting something?”
“Oh, right!” Phoenix suddenly exclaimed as she pulled back to look towards the knight he had previously admitted to having a crush on, “I forgot that you—”
A furred palm muffled the next words Everin was terrified of her uttering in her obliviousness. He should have never admitted it out loud, let alone to this socially inept girl.
Veldrix gave him a wicked smile and prodded, “Forgot what?”
“Nothing,” he replied for her, not helping his situation in the slightest, and tried to redirect, “You aren’t interrupting. I just finished recounting everything that had happened. So, what did you two need?”
“Well, aside from checking in on how you were doing, Phoenix came up with an idea that I was hoping you might assist us with,” Dazien explained.
“Something to take down whatever might remain of the Scarlet Banquet?” Veldrix inquired.
“Ah, no…” the younger gemite replied, looking slightly embarrassed, and Phoenix spoke up.
“He wants to apologize to Uriel for ordering him to kill him and try to reassure him that it won’t happen again. He got a gift but was worried that he might not be trusted enough. So, when I mentioned that they belonged together and he mentioned that not everyone had a Kindred Spirit, I thought, why can’t they?”
Everin shook his head, feeling slightly confused as he asked, “Wait, what exactly are you trying to ask me to help with?”
“Well, Scholar mentioned that if Paul and I hadn’t been Kindred Spirits, then the ritual that saved him would have simply fizzled and failed. I also believe the part of the ritual that caged his soul was separate from the one that bonded us. If we can extract that part out, then we should have the ritual that can effectively identify and bond Kindred Spirits together!”
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
“It would still be the Ruby Caste version of that ritual, though,” Everin replied with an uncertain frown, “If you’re thinking Dazien and Uriel could try using it, it will kill them instead of simply fizzling.”
Phoenix waved a hand dismissively, “I’m sure we could figure out how to scale it down to Sapphire for them once Uriel ascends soon. It only needed to be Ruby before because Paul was; otherwise, I would have totally lived through that.”
The door to the room slammed shut, and they all turned to stare at the Ruby Caster, who was staring pointedly at Everin before saying, “So, that was the missing piece to everything.”
Veldrix’s gaze shifted to Phoenix before stating quietly, “You can resurrect yourself.”
Phoenix winced and glanced back to accuse him, “I thought you told them everything that had happened with the cult!”
He lifted his wrist and pulled the sleeve back to show the rainbow runes almost camouflaged now by his rainbow fur, “I couldn’t! If I had betrayed your secrets, I would have lost my magic!”
“Oh, right,” Phoenix replied with a frown, then glanced back to Veldrix and asked, “You’re not going to kidnap me now, are you? Fair warning: that hasn’t gone well for most people in the past.”
A small smile crept across the garnet gemite’s perfect lips, which made Everin oddly relax, and Veldrix asked, “Do you have a habit of getting kidnapped?”
Dazien gave a huff and crossed his arms as he retorted, “Not as much as her habit of dying.”
“Hey, it’s not my habit! Tell everyone else to quit kidnapping and killing me!”
Veldrix laughed and shook their head, “I’m not planning on forcing you to do anything against your will, Regent Wayland. I shut the door because you shouldn’t be so open with that kind of knowledge even within the Scholar’s temple. Now, if you wouldn’t mind, I would appreciate a complete explanation of events with both the Scarlet Banquet and the Soul Reapers.” The knight glanced towards Dazien and added, “Then perhaps once I awaken from my Obsidian Evolution recovery, I can help with this Kindred Spirits ritual as well. It sounds intriguing, at the very least.”
“Obsidian Evolution?” Phoenix asked, obviously unfamiliar with the term.
“I finally had my Epiphany for my Fire Aspect. It triggered its evolution into the Obsidian Caste. I’ll go through a similar recovery now like I did at Ruby, but I hear it’s like walking backward through the Castes, where the next one will be about the same length of time as Emerald as my body adjusts more incrementally to becoming fully Obsidian. I likely bought myself a few centuries of time, but I still need four more Epiphanies to become fully immortal,” Veldrix explained, then added with an amused look toward her, “Though, I guess you’ve already surpassed me in that regard. So story, then sleep for me, please.”
Phoenix grinned, then began recounting her tale to the Royal Executioner, whom they were all taking a leap of faith in trusting.
----------------------------------------
It was later that evening when Phoenix and Dazien said farewell to Everin, Veldrix, and Bliss and returned via portal back to the Wayland Estate. Despite Phoenix wanting Dazien to go see Uriel immediately to apologize, her brother insisted that he was not quite ready to. Needing a bit more time to figure out exactly what he was going to say and take the moment of space to sort himself out first.
They were also intercepted by Saiya and Rayna before they even reached the front door and were informed of a request from the Healer, who so rarely asked for anything from them. It was also a request that they couldn’t refuse.
So, the group gathered.
Dazien awkwardly explained what had happened with the AOA and that King’s Dream was “officially” disbanded because he and Phoenix were no longer licensed Adventurers. The only reason it felt so awkward was because of the obvious tension between him and Uriel refusing to look at each other and Saiya repeatedly stopping Rayna to ask what happened until Phoenix took her aside to explain the utter stupidity the pair were going through.
Phoenix wanted them to hurry up and go back to normal, but she understood that Saiya’s request was more important tonight. She could always poke them more tomorrow after Saiya had a new Familiar.
She had portaled all of them back to the World Tree first to inform Patricia of their plans, who didn’t like the idea but admitted there wasn’t any extra danger to it like a mission might have posed since no one else would know where to find them. After that, she portaled them to the same spot outside of Tulimeir where they had first summoned Snowbelle.
“Are you sure you want to do this so soon?” Rayna asked her twin, who was standing in the center of a large ritual circle.
Saiya gave them a determined look, “I don’t have more time to mourn. None of us do, really. I don’t want to be down one of my abilities for the rest of the blood moon.”
“It’s only another week or two,” Phoenix pointed out, having heard the rumors as the spawns had already begun to drop off. The magic levels weren’t rising as much now from the World Tree, and the moon’s effects were diminishing.
“True, but we still plan to work on the wall Response teams under the Ducal Guard now. So, I don’t want to lose out on that progression. I’m trying to be more practical about this.”
Dazien patted Saiya’s shoulder lightly as he assured her, “We understand. We just don’t want you to feel pressured about obtaining a new Familiar immediately like this. If you need time, know that you have it.”
“Thanks, Dazien, but I want to move forward,” Saiya replied with a gentle smile before continuing with the ritual.
He nodded and moved to sit near Phoenix with Uriel on her other side to keep the space between the two men for now.
As Saiya finished the long incantation, they all waited for something to answer her call.
Nothing appeared.
They waited longer…
After an hour, the ritual dimmed, and Phoenix asked aloud, “Wait, what just happened?”
Saiya remained silent as she stared out at the ocean awash in red moonlight.
She turned to Rayna, who shrugged, and Uriel helped explain, “The passive Familiar abilities that bond with a living creature basically send out a magical call to the surrounding area with a contract offer. If there are no willing or suitable creatures nearby, the ritual ends, and no bond is formed. She’ll have to recast it, but we’ll probably want to choose a new location with different potentials in range.”
“How far is the range?” she asked in concern.
“About a quarter the distance of your portal,” Saiya finally said in answer. The small voxen stood from her place within the dead ritual circle, then added with a heavy sigh, “I’m not sure if you have an aural imprint for anywhere else close to a large body of water like this.”
“What about the lake to the south?” Dazien suggested, “It’s not an ocean but could work.”
Phoenix agreed and portaled them immediately, not liking the sorrow that had been obvious on her Healer’s face along with the drooping ears and tails making her appear smaller than normal. Saiya deserved to be happy all the time and the world didn’t feel quite right when the emotional voxen wasn’t smiling and hugging them. She knew that she couldn’t force Saiya to stop feeling sad or feeling all of their own sadness but she could try her best to lessen it.
At the large lake where she had first begun feeling like this odd party of people might actually be her friends instead of just teammates, they attempted the ritual once more. Phoenix wondered if there was some god that she could pray to for help in finding Saiya a new companion, but she couldn’t think of what deity might have that particular domain.
“Scholar mentioned there was no god of friendship, but is there one for Familiars?” Phoenix found herself asking aloud.
“Some consider the Servant and Sovereign to govern that aspect of our lives,” Dazien quietly explained as they sat and watched over Saiya. “Others might consider the Socialite or Confidant. However, as far as I’m aware, there is no deity of summoners or Familiars specifically. Not yet, at least.”
“Do new gods happen often?” she asked with a raised brow.
Her brother chuckled, “I feel like that’s subjective since some might consider the birth of a god happening once a millennium to be ‘often,’ considering it can take hundreds of thousands of years for one to form naturally.”
“Does that mean yes?”
He laughed again, “Not recently, that I’m aware of. A new god is more likely to be one of the ascended than a naturally formed one, it feels like, but the stories surrounding how that actually occurs are a bit… muddied. Likely from the gods not wanting people to know.”
“Even Scholar?” she asked in surprise.
“She likes learning but even she doesn’t want to try encouraging mortals to chase uncertain divinity, I believe.”
She fell silent and mulled over that idea more, wondering which deities might have been ascended ones. She remembered somebody mentioning that the Mentor was one of those who used to be mortal, but how many more were, and would she ever learn those stories for herself?
They didn’t have to wait much longer for Saiya’s ritual to work as Dazien noticed something tiny flying towards them over the lake. He gave a low whistle of appreciation as he said, “If that’s what I think it is, Lady Saiya is lucky indeed.”
As the magical creature came closer, the rest could finally make out the little blue flying serpent that sparkled almost as much as the lake in the sunlight.
Uriel’s eyes went wide as he exclaimed beside her, “A Wellspring Wyrmling?!” He looked towards Saiya with more excitement, “Those are really rare. I’ve only seen the one before… I wonder if they are drawn to healers more often than not.”
Phoenix looked confused for just a moment before she recognized the familiar Familiar as well and asked, “Didn’t Simmon have one?”
He nodded to her, “Yes. That was the first one I had ever seen. From what I’ve read and overheard Simmon saying, they are basically personal little mana batteries. Any of us would be lucky to have one.”
They all fell silent as the tiny winged serpent flew up to Saiya, circling around her a few times before slowly entering the ritual circle.
Saiya held out a hand, which the wyrmling seemed to slither up, carefully wrapping itself around her arm in a tiny hug. She let out an audible gasp and exclaimed, “Wally?! You’re alive?!”
“Wait, that’s the same Wellspring Wyrmling Simmon had?” Rayna asked incredulously.
“How is that possible?” Phoenix asked, turning to Uriel who was more knowledgeable about the subject despite not having his own Familiar.
He helpfully responded with a sad smile, “It’s not a common occurrence, but when a bonded Familiar’s summoner dies, the Familiar is simply released from their contract and becomes just another creature roaming the world. They’ll still become the summoned kind once they die, and I’ve heard of some seeking out a quick death after their summoner dies, but those that stay and roam can reenter into a new contract.
“Simmon was at the peak of Crystal when he died, that’s probably how Wally has reached Sapphire by now since Wellspring Wyrmlings are avals that naturally increase in Caste up to Emerald. They can’t go beyond that though without becoming a Familiar,” Uriel finished explaining.
Saiya’s sniffles distracted her as she turned back to see the tears running down her face. The summoner then whispered to her new Familiar, “I’ll try to do better for you… I won’t lose you too.”