Bonded Summoner

Bedwyr cleaved the arm off a betrayer, kicking and shoving another with his steed. Galloping in a circle, his war scythe swung to and fro, freezing enemies as he sliced shallow cuts into them.

A cold wind blew through the battlefield, a massive barrier of ice forming between two sections of the enemy’s forces. This cut them off from their allies, and Bedwyr realized what his wife was doing. There were just too many enemies, and they would need to flee.

There were just too many betrayers here. Then, they were backed up by the undead. Of course, they may be able to deal with it, with [Warrior Brotherhood] reinforcing them. The problem was that if they fought hard to win as it was, too many sinners wouldn’t find penitence!

Bedwyr lamented as each betrayer died on the battlefield. Arawn would still punish them in the afterlife once the world was won, but he would much rather each soul found redemption. That they would join his people as brethren, to face this terrible enemy.

The Brotherhood was currently striking the Rift to their South, while Bedwyr and Morwen’s party cut off the reinforcements. In addition, they were protecting and guiding the refugees, and the various slaves and potential sacrifices they recovered.

The West Coast was packed with enemies, many Rifts spawning and roaming bands of betrayers pillaging. This was the fifth fight for Bedwyr in two days, their actions preventing more villages and towns from being assaulted.

His people could fight day or night, and despite losing servants with each battle, their numbers had increased.

The few they lost would respawn at the nearest HQ, and the blimps allowed them to attack Rifts or enemy bands like wraiths in the night, rescuing captured beastkin left and right.

The betrayers were capturing beastkin for a terrible ritual, and Bedwyr and Morwen worked hard to stop this. Information was limited because it appeared there was a new strange type of enemy around.

Their aerial scouts were reporting an odd buzzing in their ears and static on their headsets. Twice now, reports that came back clean from their avian beastkin allies resulted in their forces encountering a previously unseen enemy.

It appeared some odd bugs, locusts, were the cause of the buzzing sound, but his people and undead servants were less affected by it.

Bedwyr spun his scythe over his head, spinning it like a fan. Calling upon the powers of Arawn, he used his [Icy Death] attack as he sliced downward.

A wave of cold and death energy went down the center of the enemy forces, ice spreading through the enemy ranks. Those struck directly would feel the embrace of death, but only brought to the edge of it.

Morwen and her priestesses finished their casting, the apparition of Arawn appearing in the center with golden scale and chains. Those hit by his slash or otherwise near their death were grabbed, unable to fight against the bindings as they were pumped full of death energy.

Judged, the betrayers died and had the Framework layered onto their souls. They joined the Alliance’s ranks, immediately turning on their betrayer allies.

Bedwyr’s mount charged in that direction, clearing a few enemies that barred their path. Directing the newcomers, they began their retreat. His wife was fleeing, and Bedwyr couldn’t help but pick her up.

She was capable of many things, but moving with haste was not one of them. Scooping her up, he placed her side-saddle in front of him, carrying her like a bride.

“Oh! Thank you, dear. We should have just enough space on the blimps. So many new followers! How wonderful.”

“It is. But they are not yet ready to face enemies of the first Tier. The only reason they are formidable as enemies is because of their mounts. Few have grown stronger as we fought.”

Morwen sighed, as they arrived at the blimp. She descended from his mount.

“The world has changed. It’s hard to know what they are missing, but Hearthtribe will strive to figure it out.” She motioned to the pilots of the blimps and shouted, “Prepare the frost bolts! We retreat.”contemporary romance

The dozens of blimps aligned the ballistas at the oncoming army. Betrayers riding raptors and other dinosaur mounts chased, with undead skeletons shambling in the distance. Some pterodactyls flew in the air in chase, many with archers riding them.

Her dozens of priestesses climbed aboard the grounded blimps, while the more martial warriors and servants climbed the rope ladders dropped to the ground.

The ballistas began to fire their enchanted payloads, waves of frost being released where the bolts struck. Aiming for the dinosaurs, the bolts spread ice along their surroundings where their brethren attacked.

A thick line of frost spread, each individual bolt not overly impressive. There were limits to these armaments, and thanks to Chief Jake’s enhancements, they were skirting them. However, when many were fired rapidly, it could exceed the effectiveness of an individual frost mage by far.

A near-wall of frost was formed, halting the betrayer’s chase once more. The tainted raptors were especially temperamental, and wailed and cried as they tried to cross the now frosty terrain.

Even the undead would be slowed, and it would give their people enough time to board and flee. The ballistas kept firing, making the wall wider and even aiming at the undead in the rear.

The blimps took off, the motors and light gas-powered ascent taking them out of the bow and arrow range rapidly. Several arrows bounced off the enchanted metallic bulkheads, the things keeping them aloft not a significant weakness.

Bedwyr watched as their people rested. Drinking mana water, the many casters replenished. They hadn’t enough mana to keep converting the enemies, so it was time to leave. There was no way they could merely capture so many.

That stopped working, too. Many of them had found a way to commit suicide before they could be judged. It appeared the enemy was aware of their efforts, and doing what they could to prevent capturing more servants.

It was for that reason, Morwen and Bedwyr requested reinforcements, but didn’t want Chief Jake’s elite party coming to crush all the enemies. While it wasn’t that they didn’t think they were capable of it, their time was more effectively used conquering in the East.

Holding enemies so that Morwen’s priestesses could capture them was simply not a good use of their time. In addition, it appeared the East Coast benefitted heavily from Clan Hart’s focus there.

As their army was fleeing, a new enemy appeared. A swarm of green wyverns appeared on the horizon. Their current heading was South, to meet up with [Warrior Brotherhood]. Grayson traveled with them, guiding and protecting the many freed beastkin.

Bedwyr shook his head. “Not good. If we stop to face this enemy, the others will catch up.”

Morwen watched as several of the new penitence seekers looked east, confusion on their expressions. After their deathly conversions, the reptile beastkin were strange.

When betrayers were converted to servants, they were reborn, in a way. Usually, they have their some memories of their past life, but it is as if it was a dream; memories that happened to someone else.

At the same time, it is the same soul. The choices they made in their last life resonate with them. It feels like if they were put in the same position again, they might have done the same thing. But as they seek penitence, they desire to do better, be better.

Their body as undead was entirely different, and so their desires that ruled them in their last life were now gone.

The serene demeanor of the servant beastkin did remind him of his own people, but they were very different from those they had converted in the past.

For one, their hearts beat, a new energy running through their body. Then, it seemed like they had a larger connection to their last life.

Morwen asked them, “What is it?”

The now-undead beastkin man stared at his chest. “It’s…strange. My old self hadn’t heard the world’s song for all this time. Why now? I am drawn in that direction.” He pointed to the east.

Morwen chuckled. “Before, you were against life. You now stand on the side of the world itself. That it would help you is only natural.”

Bedwyr saw that there was a mountain in the distance, and would be good to evade those on the ground. However, it would make them take longer to meet up with Warrior Brotherhood, reinforcements that could aid them.

Morwen shouted, “Head to the east! Prepare barriers and bolts. We will continue our retreat.”

A few minutes passed as the blimps ponderously moved, the flyers in rapid pursuit. Eventually, a roar from below sounded. It appeared there were wurms in pursuit on the ground.

Despite the flyers eventually catching up to them, they continued their retreat. Firing frost bolts, even glancing blows were taking the creatures out of the air. But there were many, and they were much faster.

The blimps now approached a ridge on the mountain, ascending to overcome the obstacle.

Wyverns breathed acid down from above, their caustic fluids meant to melt through their blimps and bring them aground. A large wurm and many others were on the ground, waiting for their meal to fall.

But well-timed barriers from her clergy blocked their attacks, the many archers attacking those that tried to attack their carriers. Two out of their forty blimps were taken out of the sky, each representing a dozen or more of their brethren.

Things were not looking good, even as Bedwyr took to the air on his mount. The fighting was furious, but there seemed to be no end to the creatures. Death empowered his brethren, but for each creature they slayed, two more would arrive.

It didn’t appear they would even make it over the mountain without losing half their forces.

A loud screech like that of a hawk was heard, along with the howl of a wolf.

Over the ridge of the mountain, a series of flapping wings appeared. Dozens of avian beastkin dove from above with their spears, or rained auril-infused arrows and javelins onto the enemy.

A ravenwolf man lead from the front, his body and large spear covered in black auril. Flapping his wings he maneuvered easily through the enemy, cutting into their wings and sending them tumbling to the ground.

A few wolf and more land oriented mammalian parentage warriors had wings as well, also somehow participating in their aerial assault.

Combined with the reinforcements, the tide of the battle turned. Wyverns fell from the sky as quickly as they came, until the Alliance went on the assault instead. The life and death energy in the air stirred, the auril coming to Timone’s call, and the death energy joining the Emberborn and their new servants.

The life energy heated Bedwyr’s amulet, and looking at their new servants, he thought they would be bothered. Instead, their reverse energy stirred, and almost appeared to beat in tune with it. No, that was wrong. It was creating an opposing beat or melody.

The blimps with his people worked together with Timone and his mates, as well as the large flock of avian beastkin he brought to aid in the battle.

Morwen gasped. “Are those spriggons some are carrying?”

Bedwyr was shocked to see that many of the avian beastkin carried spriggons on a sort of harness. The jabbering creatures threw seeds into the air, and vines wrapped around the wyverns, causing them to fall from the sky.

Others entranced the wyverns, and some even provided makeshift healing using herbs. The odd teams worked together, along with his, to kill the wyverns with surprising efficiency.

The wyverns were quickly cleaned up, and the wurms were no match for their aerial assault. Eventually, Bedwyr received two Rift completions.

Timone and Dahlia landed on the deck of Morwen’s blimp, his other mates staying in the air. Bedwyr got a closer look at Dahlia’s flying wings on her body, finding she now wore a wing suit like Chief Jake.

Morwen smiled underneath her veil. “Thank you for your help, Chief Timone. It’s a pleasure to meet you finally.”

“It was the will of the world itself. You as well, Morwen, Bedwyr.” He looked over to their new undead servants–the betrayers. “I thought I saw tainted, but I see that isn’t right. Reborn beastkin. For a thousand years, we haven’t had any.”

Bedwyr was interested. “Reborn?”

Timone nodded. “Within the deathly auril–nethril, the reverse of life occurs. The life energy and vitality of this world is high, and so to balance that, so, too, must death. However, it was inhibited by the world due to the curse. Areas high in nethril were known to reanimate the bodies of the dead, creating new beings. With the curse, the undead would attack the living.”

Morwen hummed. “I see, the nethril was tainted and would bring death, creating a cycle of growth for the evil. It was restricted, and thus the life had to be reduced as well. Our judgement of these beastkin somehow accomplished something similar, allowing them to be reborn. How can these nethril beastkin grow?”

Dahlia was the one that replied, “Our texts knew little, other than that they grew stronger with age. When most of the nethril was removed from the world, these ancient beings faded away. Perhaps if you take them to where the nethril is thick, they may advance.”

Bedwyr said, “Let us move to aid [Warrior Brotherhood]. We will capture as many betrayers as we can, while stopping the enemy. With your help, we should make good time.”

Dahlia chuckled as she flapped her wing suit, and her voice was filled with excitement. “It has been so long since I’ve last hunted. I can’t wait to fight once more!”

***

Valtor reviewed his reports, Amara doing her own magical research–the unliving book floating in front of another. He internally smiled at her, seeing her pages brighter and more lustrous than ever. Her unliving flame burned powerfully, the arcane energies flowing through her body.

The reports for the various villages in the central region were doing outstanding. Whether they joined Hearthtribe or not, the many Clans took on a new focus. They honed their crafts, sharpened their claws against the great enemy, or prepared their villages to defend their homeland.

Materials were being shipped in from around the multiverse, harvested from the land, or being grown intelligently with the aid of the Elysian people. The small palisade fences that many villages had were quickly enhanced by rapidly grown trees, after calling in all the clans from the wilderness.

Now, the tower-like trees would surround the villages, allowing them to mount an effective defense with less building. The largest cities still had a goal to use stone, but manpower was still an issue in many locations.

Valtor asked, “How is Falcor, dear?”

“Oh, he’s doing just wonderful! He is gaining power rapidly. He faced some orcs with Seamus, and despite their party killing dozens of them, there were no signs of corruption! I’m not so sure the luminous spirit is necessary, with the filter.”

“How about the others?”

“They too are doing well. The one with the worst corruption is now much closer to Falcor was, the armoire no longer trying to capture and consume the living inside its cabinet while screaming. He talks in full sentences now! Still, I think he’s getting better.”

Valtor’s flaming eyes narrowed in a frown. “I’m not so sure if I want to risk not using the luminous spirit, though. Any other side effects?”

“It’s hard to remember what Falcor was like when he was normal, it was so long ago. He definitely seems more energetic, but that might be a side effect of our incredible environment? Or that he finally gets to live out his dream, of cleaving his enemies in two? I believe in our Lord Jake, that he had confidence that this would work.”

“True. Should we begin the next trials then? Certainly–”

The door to the research room burst open, Rhia floating inside. “Mom, Dad!”

Amara’s pages turned in excitement. “Daughter! How was your day?”

Rhia hugged Amara, the pink lustered armor holding on to the much larger book.

“It was awesome! Falcor showed how he was bigger already, and sharper! Then, the new arrivals–”

Valtor frowned and interrupted, “What new arrivals?”

“O-Oh, you didn’t know? It looks like some of those that fled have returned! You should be hearing from them shortly. But the biggest news is Clan Brock is about to leave for their Trial, and Oman already returned from his!”

Amara’s pages turned and lit in excitement. “How did it go?”

Valtor rapidly brought up his information sheet. It looked like he succeeded.

“He’s ready to become an Auril Hero now, him testing it for his mates. Everyone is progressing, and so fast! The living…”

Rhia’s voice had become sad, and full of envy near the end of her statement. Amara responded, “The living are just different from us, dear. We Eternum are more static–”

Rhia interrupted, “But we don’t need to be! Falcor is proof! Lord Jake can already fix us–”

Valtor’s flame flickered, his heart wavering. He interrupted, “We don’t know that yet! Be patient, it should only be a while longer. If this next round of enchantments goes smoothly, even Amara and I will have it done. You really choose to be a warrior? You’re too young!”

Rhia scoffed. “I’m already over a hundred! The [Menu] says–”

Amara rolled her flaming eyes. “Oh, please. We all know you were awake twenty of those at best, missy! And nearly half of those you were in a hungering torpor.”

“But Moooom, I’ve already read a thousand books, and at least a hundred of those were boring ones! Berri couldn’t even read five pages of those in one sitting!”

Amara hesitated. “A-Ah, well, we all love Berri, but she is not the one to set the standard for that!”

“I’ve practiced a dozen spells, and I learned how to use a sword. I can fight with everyone, and help our new friends!”

Valtor frowned. “Why did you learn how to use a sword?”

“Berri said I look kinda like a ninja armor, so of course I should use a sword! Ricardo offered to teach me.”

Valtor nearly went into a rage, and he could tell Amara was shocked into silence. Rhia was talking to the sword Eternum? He already had two spurned lovers. He still almost wormed his way into a third, and they were a tight-knit community! Valtor refused his daughter to fall prey to him.

Still, was his daughter really in a rebellious phase already? They grow up too fast! He quelled his anger, knowing she would be filial, and listen to her father.

“I’ll tell you what, if you find a different trainer, we’ll let Jake enchant you after us. Ricardo is a sword, and I don’t think he’s a good instructor for you, who is using one. Then, you can join Brock or Oman’s party, or just some much nicer beastkin…”

Rhia beamed as her body speedily slammed into his own, a dull thud echoing in their chamber. “It’s a promise, thanks, Daddy! Oh, I love you so much! These last few weeks have just been wonderful, and you are doing such a good job, you know. I heard so much praise from Dhruva and Nadessa, at how you have taken care of problems before they even became one. And you, Mom, the fauns and dryads are fawning over how smoothly you teach them scripts!”

The arcane light flowing through Valtor and Amara’s body brightened, the two blushing from their daughter’s praise.

Valtor coughed. “I…thanks, daughter. I do have to finish working through these reports, so–”

“Okay! Gotta go now, I’m going to go practice more magic and the sword with our nice instructors! Bye bye!”

Rhia hugged them both, then dashed out of the room.

Amara seemed a little shell shocked. “T-They just grow up so fast. Still, she was quick to change the subject, wasn’t she?”

“Is it wrong that I rather she faces Tartarus than have a relationship with Ricardo?”

On the other side of the door, Rhia giggled as she sent her message through her Menu.

Blood, you were totally right. Bringing up Ricardo did distract them!

done.co