“I thought you said it was your choice?” Ifrit replied, amused. “But I have one final question before I agree to the possession. You may feel that I will agree no matter your answer, but this ritual is an odd one.”
The spirit leaned toward Nathan, until his demonic visage hung only an arm’s breadth away. The heat let off by Ifrit spilled across the summoning circle. Nathan broke out in a sweat. The barrier was supposed to keep Ifrit in. If his natural heat broke through, what else could?
“Tell me, how and why did you summon me, specifically?” Ifrit asked. “I can recall all circumstances relative to which I have given out my true name, and I do not believe you could know it.”
Nathan gulped. Ifrit had asked the one question he’d hoped to avoid until after the possession, but he’d known it was highly likely to come up.
Ifrit’s name was not “Ifrit.” All spirits possess a true name, which they do not give out lightly. A sorcerer can use a true name to directly call upon a spirit, and the spirit must respond to their true name. The spirit can refuse any requests made, but they must always respond to a summons, and often the mere knowledge of their true name implies a level of trust.
Knowing Ifrit’s true name had allowed Nathan to summon the specific ifrit that Sen had been possessed by in Nathan’s timeline. Nathan trusted Ifrit. But he shouldn’t know his true name. Ifrit had given it to him as a gesture of faith, to be used should the worst occur and Nathan need to summon another ifrit again.
Without those memories, it was natural for Ifrit to be curious, and perhaps even upset.
Taking a deep breath, Nathan decided upon the only answer he felt he could give. Ifrit would possess Sen shortly regardless, and have his own answer.
“You may not recall the circumstances, and you may not think I can know your true name, but I remember,” Nathan said, matching Ifrit’s terrifying gaze. “We’ve met before.”
Nothing more needed to be said. Even if Nathan tried to explain, the simple fact he knew Ifrit’s name was proof that Ifrit had trusted him. Spirits were immortal. Not even a binding stone could slay them. No spirit could have their true name forced from them.
Ifrit stood still for close to a minute. Nathan continued to sweat.
Eventually, Ifrit said, “I see.”
Nathan blinked. “You do?”
Straightening up, Ifrit gave Nathan a sidelong glance. “I have existed since time immemorial. While I may not recall the birth of this world, I have knowledge of mysteries and wonders that nobody else has. You are a Bastion. I know your magic well, and the things it can do.”
He did? Nathan never recalled Ifrit sharing this kind of information.
“I don’t remember any spirits ever speaking of binding stones,” Nathan said.
“Because it would be dangerous to do so. You have sworn an oath to protect such knowledge, have you not?” Ifrit held a claw to his mouth, as if to symbolize silence. “I may not believe in the divinity of your goddess, but I know her power.”
With that, Ifrit fell silent. Nathan took that as a sign that he had said enough.
“Then you are satisfied?” Nathan asked.
“I am. This will prove entertaining,” Ifrit said.
That was the go-ahead to complete the ritual. Unlike the summoning itself, finalizing the possession was simple.
Sen brushed aside some of the salt separating her from Ifrit. The wall of smoke that protected her from Ifrit vanished into nothingness, and she stood face-to-face with the spirit.
Ifrit placed the tip of one of his claws against Sen’s head. At that moment, Nathan activated the summoning circle again. The room flashed. Smoke churned about the room, thick, black, and acrid. The protective barrier of the summoning circle shattered, and Nathan instinctively reached for the power of the binding stone.
No need, he realized as the smoke cleared within moments. Sen stood alone, unharmed.
But she was possessed.
Her green eyes had turned red. A single, thick lock of her hair had turned white. No other visible changes had taken place, but Nathan could feel her presence in a way he couldn’t earlier. She felt like Ifrit to his senses, an explosively powerful presence that drowned out almost everything else near it. Over the next minute, Ifrit’s presence faded, as his power wasn’t being actively used.
Sen met his eyes and smiled. Nathan smiled back. She was still herself.
Then Sen tilted her head and wandered over to the chalk summoning circle. She inspected the circle, mouthing things he couldn’t make out.
“Huh. You really did write his name down here,” Sen said. “That’s a little rude. Although I don’t have the slightest clue what it means. And Ifrit won’t tell me. I get the feeling he was always like this.” She scowled. “Goddess, no wonder the two of you get along fine. He’s as secretive an old bastard as you are.”
“Hey!” Nathan said.
“You’re my secretive old bastard, if that helps.” Sen winked and caught Nathan in a hug. She froze. “Oh. That’s super awkward.”
“What?”
“Ifrit reading my emotions. I kind of underestimated what it meant to let another being take up residence in my mind.” She shrugged. “At least he pays rent. And I know why I felt like I’ve been missing a limb. If he’s this pervasive, then no wonder I feel like I need him.”
Nathan ruffled her hair, finding her annoyance cute. He pulled his hand back when he felt his palm begin to heat up.
“Why don’t we take you somewhere else to exercise your new power?” Nathan proposed. “Like outside. Before you try to light me on fire.”
“Why would I ever do that?” Sen asked, her smile too wide to be genuine.
After quickly cleaning up the summoning circles, and making sure to obliterate Ifrit’s name from the floor, the two of them ventured out to the outer wall of the fortress.
A large clearing lay to the south, away from the road and free of the forest surrounding it. Nathan suspected this area had been populated by the Empire at some point relatively recently. Or else the trees would have grown over the land by now.
“What spells do you know?” Nathan asked.
“Um. Not many?” Sen shrugged. “Fourth rank spells only. I know the one sixth rank spell, but only because it’s super famous.”
“It’s the inferno tornado, isn’t it?” Nathan asked.
Sen nodded sheepishly. The inferno tornado was renowned as the spell of choice by the Bastion who founded the Kingdom of Falmir, back when they had split from the collapsing Anfang Empire. Many sorcerers learned the spell merely because of its historical significance.
Also because creating a tornado made of fire was awesome. The nature of the spell meant you didn’t even need the wind element, although very talented sorcerers combined the two elements anyway.
“Well, don’t use that one,” Nathan said. “I don’t want to waste power from the binding stone to put out the forest fire you’ll start.”
Sen clicked her tongue and leaned against the crenellations of the wall. “So, what? I use fourth rank spells against Champions?”
“Don’t dismiss fourth rank spells,” Nathan warned. “Despite the name, lower rank spells will be your bread and butter for a while.”
“What about second rank? Nobody seems to use them.”
Nathan held up a hand, and a blue line appeared between his fingers. “First and second rank spells are largely indistinguishable, save for the magic power in them. Common magic users rely on them, but actual sorcerers never go lower than third rank. Unless you’re in a pinch and need to brute force something.”
“Okay, but Sunstorm seemed immune to third rank spells. What about fourth rank?” Sen pressed.
“That’s where things get complicated.” Nathan summoned a triangle over his palm. “Third rank spells are usually powerful enough, and far more flexible than higher rank spells. You can cast several at once”—a triangle appeared over each finger in his hand—“or supercharge the spell so that it’s effectively one rank higher.” The
triangles vanished, and one appeared on either side of Nathan’s hand.
“And that works against Champions?” Sen asked skeptically.
“Yes. You’ll also have Ifrit’s power to increase your spell effectiveness.” Nathan lowered his hand and the triangles vanished. “The rule of thumb is to use fourth rank on Champions; fifth rank on duogems; and sixth rank on trigems. Some trigems will need higher ranks, though. The innate magic resistance of a Champion is one thing, but some gems can make a Champion immune to spells that aren’t strong enough.”
Sen grimaced. “Trigems? You really think we’re going to fight one soon?”
“No. But a duogem? Maybe. And planning around gem abilities is always smart. Any Champion with a sapphire is likely to have increased magic resistance.”
Nathan pointed at the clearing. “Now, test out Ifrit’s power.”
“Are you sure I can’t use the inferno tornado?” Sen asked.
“Don’t even think about it,” Nathan said.
Sen winced and rubbed at one of her ears. “You and Ifrit said the same thing at the same time.” She smirked at Nathan and left her remaining thoughts unvoiced. He knew what she was going to say anyway.
Pointing at the clearing, Nathan waited for Sen to obey. She straightened up, held both hands out, and summoned a pair of red squares into her hands.
Moments later, the clearing exploded. A spiral of flames gushed into the air. When the smoke and dust cleared, a blackened crater had replaced the clearing.
“Oh,” Sen said. “Okay, that’s way more powerful than what I could do before. I can only imagine how powerful my tornado is.”
“Don’t get cocky,” Nathan warned. “Casting higher rank spells and supercharging takes longer. In battle—”
“Seconds kill,” Sen said. “Ifrit’s lecturing me about my focus and how long I take to cast spells. Urgh. Getting used to this will take a while.” She blinked, then gave Nathan a sidelong look. “Nathan, can I ask you a question? Ifrit’s refusing to answer.
That didn’t bode well.
Despite his misgivings, Nathan said, “Sure.”
“How does this work when we have sex?” Sen asked. “Does Ifrit feel you inside me as well? Does that mean you’re technically having sex with Ifrit as well?”
Nathan stared at Sen. Then he placed his palm over his face and groaned.
All of his worries had been for nothing. The possession hadn’t changed Sen one bit.
Chapter 21
A few days later, Nathan found himself helping Fei to prepare for her gemming ceremony.
At least, that’s what he told himself.
Fei moaned and mewled in his lap. He moved the comb slowly, gently, and deliberately so as to not hurt her. Her body quivered against him. Her tail continued to move despite his persistent reminders to Fei that she had to stay still.
The scent in the air was the least arousing thing about the situation, and it was pure arousal. Fei wore only her underwear, as she always did when getting her tail and ears groomed. Her nearly naked body rubbed up against Nathan’s. She definitely felt his erection.
In his old timeline, the next step when Fei got this aroused would involve no clothing. This Fei didn’t seem to pay much attention to Nathan’s arousal.
If she did, he wouldn’t be able to control himself. Not that he wanted to. Fei had been his lover in his timeline, and he planned to take her when she was ready.
“How are you so good at this?” she gasped out after he finished. During the grooming session, forming actual words was impossible for her.
She continued to lie across his lap, curled up tightly against him. Her newly fluffed tail tickled Nathan’s nose as it swished back and forth.
Holding back was hard for Nathan. Fei pressed her bare stomach against his crotch. But she didn’t react or comment on it. Until she showed open interest in him sexually, he’d hold back. Let her go at her own pace, he told himself.
He really hoped that her pace moved as fast as the rest of her.
“I’ve had some practice,” Nathan said, blowing off her question again.
Fei looked up at him, her eyes glazed over and fluffy ears twitching curiously. “Did you have another beastkin that you groomed before me?”
Ruffling her hair, Nathan initially didn’t answer. But Fei continued to stare at him, her gaze growing clearer and more penetrating. The movements of her tail slowed until only the tip swayed back and forth beneath his chin.
“You don’t have any competition, Fei,” Nathan said eventually. “You’re the only beastkin in my life right now.”
Her ears perked up, and her tail resumed its usual movements. But her expression darkened, and she laid her head on the bed.
“I’m not so sure that means I don’t have competition, Nathan,” Fei complained.
“What do you mean by that?” Nathan asked, although he had a strong suspicion as to who she was referring to.
Fei sat up. She gave Nathan a sidelong glance, as if to ask him “are you serious?” Then she straightened up in his lap and faced him. Her face sat only inches away from his chest, and he was reminded of her petite stature.
If he leaned forward, he could easily sweep her up in a kiss. Her legs rubbed against his hips as she curled them around his back. Her crotch rubbed against his, and he really questioned if she was acting innocently. He held in a groan as she pressed herself against him and tucked her head beneath his neck. Her cat ears flicked at his chin.
That was it, he decided.
A knock sounded at the door.
“Nathan, are you ready? Fei’s not in her room, so I’m guessing she went ahead,” Vera said.
Fei sprung to her feet, eyes wide. “Oh no! I forgot that I need to get all dressed up.”
The beastkin shot around the room and gathered up her uniform and armor. Nathan had gone ahead and brought her things here while she showered earlier.
“You’re taking this too seriously,” Nathan said.
Fei stuck her tongue out at him. Or maybe she stuck it out because she was struggling to slip into her breastplate. He walked up behind her and helped her do up the clasps and tighten it around her hefty bust.
Vera knocked again, then opened the door. She blinked at the sight of Nathan helping Fei into her uniform.
“We’re almost ready,” Fei said, face red.
Vera sniffed the air, then turned her head to the side. “I’ll wait outside.”
The door closed. Fei turned her head, then sniffed the air. After several attempts, she appeared to find the smell she was looking for. Her face lit up.
Then she glared at Nathan and let out a pout.
“You can smell me, can’t you?” Fei demanded to know.
“It’s hard not to. You do this every grooming session,” Nathan said.
She blinked. “Wow. So I should shower after grooming?”
“What would be the point of grooming you if you immediately mess up your tail again?” Nathan sighed. “Let’s get you changed, then we’ll head out and begin the gemming ceremony.”
Fei remained in a sour mood until they left Nathan’s bedroom and scowled at Vera when she stepped outside.
“Interrupted something, did I?” Vera asked, a smirk on her lips.
Fei didn’t answer. She strode ahead of Nathan and Vera.
After a couple of corridors, the beastkin fell back into step with Nathan. Vera exchanged glances with him. The three of them walked together for some time in silence.
“Um, are you sure this will work?” Fei asked, her eyes flicking between the floor and Nathan.
“No gemming ceremony is ever guaranteed to succeed,” Nathan said. Fei’s ears flattened against her head.
He continued, “But I think you are ready. You’ve acclimated to the power of the binding stone extremely fast. Plus, the first gem is always the easiest one. A well-trained Champion can often be gemmed within their first few months.”
“You talk as if you’ve done it,” Vera said.
<
br /> “If we’re going to be sent off on our own, we need to know what we’re going to do,” Nathan responded.
Truthfully, he really shouldn’t know this. At least, not in the Empire.
In his homeland of Falmir, Bastions went through an apprenticeship for a few years before being posted independently. The Empire eschewed this system and preferred to use its vaunted academies to train both Bastions and Champions.
The upside of the academies was that they could quickly assess and train a large number of candidates in a relatively standardized way. The Empire had the largest proportion of beastkin Champions for this reason, as most nations didn’t have the infrastructure to train them from nothing.
The downside was that Bastions gained little hands-on experience during their training. In Nathan’s implanted memories, he recalled a few brief postings with Bastions and some excursions, but little else. By contrast, he gained a wealth of experience during his apprenticeship in his original timeline in the Kingdom of Falmir.
Because of this, this posting would normally be death for a new Bastion. An enemy nation actively attempting to start a war and unleash a demonic invasion? It was a difficult situation for somebody with experience, let alone for a greenhorn. Fortunately, Nathan had a lot up his sleeve.
The keep’s rear courtyard welcomed the trio. Nathan led them to an enclosed spot. Herbs cascaded down from planters and vines twisted along trellises. The cooks used this little patch to help feed the keep.
“Any reason we’re getting in touch with nature?” Vera asked.
“This isn’t what I’d call nature,” Nathan said. “And no. Having more room for Fei to move is good, however.”
He pulled a pouch from his pocket and pulled the gemstones from it. Fei licked her lips when she saw the three glittering rocks.
“I get to choose?” she asked hesitantly.
“Along with your final enhancement,” Nathan confirmed. “Whatever you decide on now, you will be stuck with for the rest of your life. There is no going back after this point. As part of this ceremony, I will implant the gem into your collarbone and its magic will run through your body forever.”
Heretic Spellblade Page 18
