by Philip Read
One of whom being the Ancient Beast method of concealing power. So I know that even as Nilsa uses her abilities of perception to investigate me she won’t get much as I’m confident in my own power cloaking. Her assessment of me as a potential threat has gone way up though, her readiness slightly increased but there is no real worry in her.
Which confirms my belief that she is also an Awakened of some sort. Or she has such an overpowered level of skill in something that she can deal with Awakened threats of the first tier easily enough. Erena’s two guards always at her side I’m yet to see sleep are also Awakened of some kind though. Judging by the density and probably weight of their enchanted armour and greatswords I’m guessing Full Body Vultivation Awakening.
We are seated and Erena starts speaking without preamble, conveying to the 3 men and single woman gathered the situation her nation is in plainly. I advised her not to try to hide anything but infact a picture more dire than it actually is. It puts her at a disadvantage in negotiations for them to see she is desperate, but also an advantage in the sense that truly they must have pushed too far if even with her level of desperation she won’t budge.
“The Church is infringing on our state our State controlled national prerogatives on a daily basis and we have no way to curtail them. Faith magic is something solely understood by the cults with their blessings and curses but I am informed sorcery is a close second to their ways and a parallel way of using spirit power.
“If we could have some of our more powerful and noble sons and daughters trained in the way of sorcery by the Order while hiring out some of your more adventurous experts in the interim surely in only a decade we could have our first defense against their paladins, champions a d priests.”
“What you are proposing is bold, but it takes many years for a true sorcerer to be trained in the arts, while only a few years for a devote believer to do similar feet’s using the power of their deity.” One of the robed Order figures says.
“Yes but that is borrowed power back up by a deity not in the world directly and partitioning portions of it’s power to millions of different believers. Those in the know tell me a true sorcerer harnesses their own power and have a much greater depth to their casting than a believer or a paladin ever could.” Erena’s says quickly, already the negotiations have started and the sorcerers are trying to emphasize how difficult training new apprentices can be.
“You are strangely well informed about a topic of interest not many are privity to. Who is advising you about what sorcerers can and cannot do?” The beautiful mature woman asks studying Erena carefully.
It’s a small thing but her eyes swing towards me before going back to the woman quickly. “The Queen has had specialists that understand the theory of these things working in advising us and keeping us informed of any possible ways in which we could prevent being canabolised by the Church without resorting to open warfare.” She recovers but the game is up, at least the woman is now studying me more closely though not being obvious a about it.
“Because you would not survive a confrontation with the White Church and both the Queen and the Church officials know this. You are desperate young lady and have little time considering how quickly the White Church is spreading it’s influence all over Pangaea.
“Especially considering it’s base of operations is Atopia itself. They will want to control the nation completely. ” The grey bearded sorcery says bluntly, not one for the subtlety of implied threats this one but Erena accepts his point easily enough.
“Yes. As we currently are we could not be able to prevail against the White Church of Purity.” She says mollifying the sorcerer somewhat with her directness.
*
The meeting goes on, with the princess letting her four advisors field some of the questions and respond in her stead to veiled threats. They are actually a good group at working together, and I realise that though she seems young and arrogant and dismissive of her advisors competence in public. Actually she is very close to these four, they have her respect and trust and she their genuine affection.
Nothing is really decided on the first meeting though, which closes with another such meeting scheduled two days from now. It was productive though, every party walks away knowing where they stand in the negotiations and what they are willing to accept and what they won’t. A solid foundation for any further talks and as we walk down the beautifully decorated corridor to where the rest of our party are being ‘entertained’ a young man walk up to us but is stopped by the guards.
“Excuse me sir, I have been instructed to request your presence.” He says from where he stands loudly for all to hear while looking directly at me.
“Why and by whom?” Erena immediately asks.
The man bows to her before responding. “By my Master in the arts who has been bed ridden for almost two years now from a malady of the spirit our healers cannot stop. Master Keir Airell.”
“Ahh.. Airell is awake and talking again. Let him go Highness I will guarantee his safe return if he doesn’t prove to be a threat to the ailing man.” One of the bearded sorcerers says, the leaner one with yellow eyes, Aureus I believe he was introduced as.
Erene looks at my face and I tilt my head forward slightly in a nod. “My personal servant will go with you in case you need to send for a message quickly.” She says waving her and I find myself walking with Nilsa and the unnamed servant towards the spiritual bond that binds me Albert’s summoned spirit possessed.
Chapter 120
Sachihiro
I walk into a set of dark gloomy rooms following the unassuming young man through the grinding door. Nilsa is alert behind me, her feet stepping lightly, her center of gravity shifting as well in readiness for an ambush of any kind. I recognise that stance and its not something a human can do so whatever she may be she isn’t human, got it.
The is a fire burning on the small fire place setup with comfortable practical padded chairs around it. There is a book case just out of arms reach and a little table with water stains from a cut or a mug repeatedly placed on the same spot many times through the years. The is still a frigid air in the room even with the fire blazing.
“This way please.” The young man indicates and I follow him around the curved and into a short passage with two doors on the sides and a single door ahead.
We walk to the door that’s straight ahead with the spirit wards marked on the door and the source of the cold fridgid atmosphere in the room. Also the source of the spirit bond that I feel tenuously tethered to me, one of six I am yet to discover to whom it ends. “I’d like to see your master alone.”
I say to the young man and walk past him and open the door without any preamble. The room is freezing cold to the extent that my breath mists as I exhale. There is an old almost dessicated corpse of a man lying on the bed looking at me with beautiful blue crystal clear eyes on a face that’s sunken and dry.
“Greetings master of my master.” The thing sends to my mind in a tired voice that seems to have taken effort to project as far as it was even as I stand less than 2m away.
“I am no master to Albert the Child Molester.” I send back walking forward slowly, cataloguing everything within the room whilst keeping my eyes straight on this creature before me.
“None the less you are the being that banished him to the spirit planes and as such you have the authority to summon him again should you ever choose to.” He sends again with less effort and less exhaustion in his voice as I walk up and stand right next to the bed.
“What is your name?” I send placing my hand on his bony dry arm so we can send easier to each other.
“I am known as Keir Airell a sorcerer with the Brotherhood of the Order for the past 30 odd years.” He responds with much less effort and quicker.
“Why are you in the condition you are in?”
“Being untethered to the world my physical body is rotting away with my spirit bod being drawn closer and closer back to the plane.” He doesn’t even hesit
ate to answer my questions and I sense no falsehood in him. Everything he says rings as truth and I feel a surety in that realisation.
“I know of another possessed being hybrid thing and she wasn’t in this condition even before I claimed her.” I wave a hand to convey his condition but he takes no offense.
“You speak of the slave girl, she is more physical than she is spirit and may last longer in the flesh than the rest of us can.”
How many of you are there?”
“There are seven Master.”
“What is your name?”
“Keir Airell-” it says with a hiss.
“What is your true name?”
“Sshhhh…” It hisses and spits, the spirit within the being coming forward.
“What is your name spirit!”
“Sshaaadshhhh….!” It hisses with long dagger like fangs bared in threat but unable to truly get to me somehow.
“I command you to name yourself!”
“I ama Saliyasis I am Saliyasix I am Caliyacsis I am clraryux I am #&#-£-££-….!” The thing howls naming itself out loud blinding the room in a cold bleached hue.
“You have no power over me daemon.” I say to the thing for that’s what it now was. To fuse the flesh and the spirit this way was to create a physical spirit creature exactly like daemons were composed. Daemons, fat Albert had been creating daemons with his meddling with nature.
“I have no power over you.”
“You have no authority over me.”
“I have no authority over you.”
“You have no authority over those who come to you in my name.”
“I have no authority over that come to me in your name.”
“I bind you to me now and forever more.”
“I am bound.”
I exhale sharply, the frost leaving the room quickly as it gets warmer and my blood starts circulating into my extremities again. My heart is racing and my palms are sweaty, that was intense and that was amazing. I could feel myself pushing against a tremendous force much greater than I am or ever imagined myself to be.
But the backing from that force is tenuous at best, with many isolated pieces that are not working together. I had just stolen a small piece of a huge organism and this piece was glad to be free from the bigger organism, even if it struggled against my claim.
My spirit energy is all but depleted in that ceremony but I was willing to take the risk seeing that Katya had taken so little spirit energy to claim. I am exhausted, but exhilaration, mana, and amazing vitality is keeping me up as I had now claimed second spirit creature for myself.
“What did you mean I could summon any creature I banish?” I ask just to confirm I had heard correctly earlier.
“You can resummon a creature you banish as part of yourself. Whatever it is you did to him you put are large part of your very soul inside of him as you banished him claiming him as your own. Had the banishing failed you would have been claimed as his own, it was a very bold move Master. I extol your bravery for I assure you risk of belonging to Albert is a torturous fate indeed.”
He sends reverting back into something that resembles a human. The dark constanence of a vampire like spirit slowly fading from him. I really had no idea I was playing with the fate of my soul on that one and probably shouldn’t do it again. Better to die cleanly I always say.
“Can I resummon Albert at any time I want?”
“When Master acquires enough spirit energy some day Master will be able to summon both creatures banished to the spirit plane.”
Ahh… the Lilithian what what creature from the dark dungeon in Eldritch. I had almost forgotten about that one, and a truly formidable creature it was. We’d probably be all dead if I hadn’t manage to send it away with how it had just changed form and gotten serious. Shit, it would be a totally overpowered ability if I could summon and control that thing somehow.
“Whats is the most relevant thing you think I need to know?” I ask carefully, testing the binds of our new bond.
“There is blood on the floor under my bed, it is cursed orphan blood I acquired myself. If I drink it I will be able to temporary be out of your control for a few moment’s and you your corpse to anchor myself into the world.” He hisses and my eyebrows rise in surprise.
“How easy is it for you to make such a potion?”
“I would require another 16 years to be able to gather all of the ingredients again.”
“Why didn’t you use this to get away from Albert?”
“His hold was too powerful Master, yours is still weak. There are still ways around it for at least the first 100 years.”
“Interesting…”
I move the bed with a heave and immediately feel the pentagram drawn under the bed more than see it with my eyes. It shines brightly in my awareness though and the one on the underside of the wood of the bed frame to cover this one up. “Unlock this.”
The ward fads slowly and spatters out. A circular whole is left in the ground in which I put my hand. I bring out the vial of blood and store it in my ring.
“Albert is no longer your master, I am now. You will not betray me yo anyone or anything, you understand?” I say emptying out the safe before standing.
“Yes Master.”
“Good. Now, tell me all you know about Circle operatives that have infiltrated the Order.” I command and the thing starts talking fulfill my entire mission to Tiba in a single afternoon.
* *
Nilsa and I walk back to our traveling group and I am in a good mood today. I think I can go home now, just like that most of my mission is over and I can go see my kids. I’m giddy with happiness but of course I still have a few things to take care of, dot the ‘i’s cross the ‘t’s. And anyways there is no 100% way I can confirm all of the names he gave me to be accurate but I have certainly done my due diligence in the questioning.
The thing is also healing rapidly now that its getting an infusion of spirit energy again. But now my spirit energy reserves have been permanently reduced by half for as long as I have that thing as my summons. I didn’t feel it with Katya cause her demand is miniscule as she is mostly flesh but the creature pretending to be a human name d Keir Airell is more of a drain on my reserves.
I’m starting to see the cost of spirit summoning and why no one just summons a whole host of powerful creatures. Erena’s party doesn’t stay in a the Order Palace long and in no time we are being escorted out. There is an air of optimism from the advisors and Erena is in her carraige with her maid. The horses are rested and not facing the hot sandy wind anymore as we travel back to the city.
Everything is looking up. I grin at the guard with his helm held in his lap, one of the two Awakened warriors forever on Erena’s side. He ignores me but nothing can ruin my mood today.
Chapter 121
Sachihiro
“You were brilliant.” I say pushing her against the wall and taking her lips in mine.
I grind my hard erection against her, causing her to such in a breath and turn her head away. Catching her breath she pants heavily pushing me away from her. She is flushed with intoxication and arousal as she stumbles towards the table with the drinks. I follow closely behind and as she takes a heavy drink from the chalice I’m already behind her with my arms around her and my hands exploring her smooth thighs through the silk dress sher is wearing.
She leans into me as I lick the side of her neck and pulls her hair away turning her head. I bite into her flesh and she gives a little moan instinctively bending backwards and rubbing her ass into me before catching herself and trying to move away again. I grab her around the waist though and pull her back towards me. She is used to running when things get too heated, she’s used to getting away but I won’t let her.
We kiss as she turns her head towards me and my hands roam her body through the silk gown. She startles with a scream as I rip the expensive gown off her body with a good grip at the hem of the neck and she is suddenly naked in my hands for the first time a
nd gasps as my warm hand cups her breast. The rest of the gown falls at her feet completely ruined and her as naked as the day she was born.
“Wait, maybe-” I catch her words with my mouth over hers not giving her a chance to protest further. I turn her around to face and have her up in my arms with a little squeak of surprise from her. My lips are on hers again and she wraps her legs around my waist as we kiss passionately.
She finally manages to separate her lips from mine and takes a breath. “..enough.. This is enough for today… I no longer require your ser- ahhh..” She is surprised as I drop her onto the couch on her ass. I bend down and push her chest down as well as my head dives down to her nether lips.
“Ohh….” Is what comes out of her mouth as she tries to close her legs but it’s too late, I’ve already had a taste now, she’s already had a taste.
I coerce her legs open further which they do reluctantly and I lick her kitty lips again. “Ooouuhhh…!” She exclaims involuntary and her thighs start opening on their own accord as I lick her gently and pleasantly.
I can see she is looking down at my activity with open mouthed wonder as her little kitty is directly stimulated for the very first time in her life. Her tongue is sticking out of her mouth slightly and there is genuine drool making its way out of the corners of her mouth. She swallows it and sighs deeply before spreading herself even further.
“White mother forgive me.” She mumbles under her breathe as she does looking up at the ceiling so as not to directly see what I’m doing to her. Which is how she misses my hand going to her nether lips but she does feel that first stroke of my finger as she convulses like an erectric shock has just passed through her system.
I stoke her clit with my finger again and again she convulses, her legs trying to get back together but I hold them back. I pull the little hood of her clit back and lick her nud gently and she cries out loudly, her guard is in the room quickly but out again almost as quickly without being the wiser. I lick her again and again she screams and looks down at what I’m doing to her her thighs already quivering.
