Aidan

The Realms

Sixthday, 2nd week of the 10th month, Age of the Chosen 1

Early Afternoon

Caer Macht, Mistvale Highlands

Aidan led his Chancellor into one of the many empty chambers along the east side of Caer Macht's inner ring. Although there was no furniture or decorations in the circular, domed room, the wall bore dozens of scorch marks. As soon as Ailis stepped through the door, Aidan closed and locked it behind her, then invoked a Sound Barrier around them.

Ailis arched an eyebrow. "I gather from the lack of bedding that this is a matter of business, not pleasure, then? And from the looks, you have been using this room for training. I do not know whether to be pleased or disappointed." She flashed Aidan a teasing smile and flicked her tail at him. "I assume you have made some new, miraculous breakthrough?"

Aidan let out a short, sharp laugh. "Quite literally. Do you remember telling me about Arcana skills?"

Ailis nodded. "Of course. It was only a few days past; I am not that old, I assure you."

"Well, during the battle against the Labyrinth's first boss, I unlocked one. Language of Origin." Ailis's eyes widened, and she leaned forward, intent on Aidan's words. "It doesn't work the same as my other spell schools, though; it's closer to Glyphs and Incantations. I don't have any Language of Origin spells. Instead, it seems to function as a power multiplier when I use it for Incantation."

"Interesting. Is it safe to demonstrate? I remember what happened the last time you spoke to me in the tongue of the Gods."

Aidan flushed at the reminder but nodded anyway. "Yes, that's why we're here. I'll cast a basic Flame Jet, then one using a short Language of Origin Incantation to increase its raw power."

Aidan turned to face the far wall, then held up his hands, palm out. After a short chant, a thin jet of fire arced from his hand and splattered against the stonework. He let the spell run its course, waited a moment for the hazy smoke it left behind to clear, then said, ""

Bluish-white flames poured from Aidan's hand in a stream as thick as his thigh. Ailis yelped in surprise, taking a step back and throwing an arm in front of her eyes. Five seconds later, she dropped her arm, then gasped and shivered, despite the heat remaining in the room.

While Aidan's first spell left a tiny blackened patch on the wall, the second casting left the stones glowing cherry red in a two-foot diameter circle. "Such power...!" Ailis whispered. "And with such a short Incantation!" The silver-haired Druid turned to Aidan. "Does it have a similar strengthening effect with non-combat spells? Imagine what even a simple Enrich Soil or Prospector's Blessing could do when so empowered!"

Aidan nodded. "I haven't had much chance to test it yet, but nothing makes me think otherwise. The description states that Language of Origin is what the Powers used to create the world, Ailis." Aidan sucked in a breath, then let it out in a shaky sigh. "If I can be honest with you for just a moment, this terrifies me. I can't help but think that this is power no mortal should have."

Ailis turned to Aidan and frowned at him. "Do not let such doubts betray your purpose, my Lord. You swore that you would be our shield against the coming chaos; will you forsake your vow for fear of what might be? Will you turn your back on a tool whose only flaw is that it has too many applications?"

Aidan frowned back at her. "There is a saying where I come from: 'Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.'"

"And you think the Gods are any more immune to that than you?" A slim finger poked him in the chest. "I know we have discussed historical Ages. Do you remember what happened before the Gods were exiled?"

"That others who wielded this Skill are imperfect does not mean that I am any better-suited for it, Ailis."

"Nor does it mean you are less so!" she snapped back, then stopped and took in a deep breath. "Aidan. I understand your concerns. The Arcana each have the potential to reshape the world in their wielders' image. It has happened in the past and will again in the future. But Aidan, my King, my love," Ailis pinned him with ice-blue eyes, her tone velvet-wrapped steel, "that is the point. What you are forgetting is what that image will be."

Ailis stepped forward, then pressed herself against his chest and wrapped her arms around him. Aidan returned the hug almost by reflex, relaxing into her warmth. "You will be tempted," Ailis murmured into his neck, "but even if you cannot believe in yourself, believe in those of us who love you. Just as I trust you to tell me if I wander astray, so too can you trust your mates to do the same."

"Each of us leaning against the other, huh?" Aidan mused. He pulled back from the hug just far enough to brush his lips across Ailis's. A few moments later, he continued, "I am still afraid of what may happen, but you're right that I made a promise. I'll do everything in my power to protect this city and its citizens."

Ailis smiled at him. "Then shall we test the limits of your new strength?"

Aidan

Late Afternoon

The Lord's Chambers, Caer Macht, Mistvale Highlands

By the time Ailis was satisfied with his progress, Aidan had a throbbing headache. One of the things they'd learned over the last few hours was that using Language of Origin to modify his spells not only increased their Concentration costs, it also increased the rate at which he accumulated mental exhaustion. Fortunately, it had a similar effect on his Skill growth.

Congratulations! Your skill in Beast Magic has advanced to levels 24 through 25.

You are now an Apprentice in Beast Magic. Altering Beast Magic spells with Glyphs, Incantations, Invocations, or other Skills is easier and takes less Concentration. Congratulations! You have learned the spell Control Beast. Control Beast: Beast Magic, level 25.

This spell allows the caster to seize control of a single beast. The weaker the target is relative to the caster, the less hostile and intelligent the target, and the more Concentration spent, the stronger this spell is and the longer it lasts.

Cost: 200 Concentration minimum. Duration: 10 minutes maximum. Casting time: 10 seconds. Cooldown: 60 seconds. Congratulations! Your skill in Fire Magic has advanced to levels 34 through 35. Congratulations! Your skill in Language of Origin has advanced to levels 2 through 4. Congratulations! Your skill in Incantations has advanced to level 13.

"Welcome home, Lord Aidan," Aoife greeted him as soon as Aidan stepped through the door. Aidan stopped and gave her an appreciative glance. The catgirl wore an apron cinched tight around her waist—and nothing else. Seeing that she had his attention, Aoife smirked and strutted up to Aidan, her hips swinging and her tail lashing the air behind her.

Once she reached him, Aoife wrapped her arms around Aidan's neck and stood on her tiptoes to press her lips to his. Aidan, remembering the Mist Stalker's preference for direct, aggressive action, stroked his hands along Aoife's spine [content censored by Royal Road's advertising overlords]. Alas, the sudden movement also sent a spike of pain through his head.

Aidan broke off the kiss with a groan of pain and apologized, "Sorry, I've just spent the last three hours casting spells. I've got a monster headache. Can't believe I'm actually saying that in this circumstance," he added in a mutter.

Aoife pouted at him, then gave him another, softer kiss. "Put me down and go sit down on the bed," she told him. "I know a bit of massage. I can't guarantee it'll help your head, but I won't make things worse."

"That would be heavenly," Aidan agreed. He took a step back and lowered Aoife until her feet hit the floor, then plodded into the bedroom and sank down onto the bed with a sigh. A minute later, Aoife followed him in, sans apron. He felt the bed shift as she knelt down behind him.

"Lean against me," she murmured, her soft hands pulling at his shoulders. Aidan followed directions, letting himself be drawn back and down until his head nestled between Aoife's bare [content censored by Royal Road's advertising overlords]. Her fingers rose to his temples and began to press and rub.

"Mmm," Aidan let out an involuntary satisfied moan as the insistent stroke of Aoife's fingers eased his pain. "You're hired," he joked.

Aoife giggled. "As if there were any doubt of that. Still, it's good to be wanted." She was silent for a few moments, then asked, "While I have you here, we might as well do something productive. I told you that I want to help optimize your abilities, so why don't you tell me what I have to work with?"

Aidan hesitated for a long moment. While Aoife couldn't physically harm him, nothing stopped her from using indirect means as far as he knew. Passing on his secrets, for example. Could he really trust her?

Then he sighed and relaxed, sinking further into Aoife's plush body. I can't live in paranoia like this. Besides, she can't leave the city without me, and the guards will tell me if she heads out of the hill. She can't use Mist Shroud in here. Decision made, he started to explain his various spells, Talents, and abilities.

"Hmm," Aoife intoned after he finished. "Alright, those are your combat abilities. I told you before that I believe you're under-utilizing your available options, and the fact that you didn't tell me about anything not related to violence confirms my suspicions. Come on, out with it. Before that, though, how's your head feeling?"

"Much better," he confessed. "You're good at this."

"Good!" Aidan could hear the smile in Aoife's voice. "Then get out of those clothes and lie down on your front. I'll give you a proper massage while we talk."

There was no way Aidan was going to turn that down. He wriggled out of his clothes, then stretched out face down on the bed. Aidan felt the bed shift as Aoife moved around. A cool, wet sensation on his back made Aidan shiver, but Aoife kneeling between his legs and placing her warm hands against his shoulder blades kept him from complaining.

"Alright, mister, start talking," Aoife ordered as she started spreading the massage oil all over his back.

"You're getting awful bossy so quick in our relationship," Aidan teased.

"Deal with it," Aoife responded, digging her fingers into a knot along his side. Aidan gasped at the sharp pressure, just short of being painful, then moaned as he felt the tension in his muscle release.

"Yes, ma'am," he agreed, instantly ceding the point before her skilled hands. Aidan took a moment to gather his thoughts, then started explaining.

"I knew you couldn't be that good all on your own!" Aoife laughed when Aidan listed off his Courtesan talents and Sex Skill perks.

Aidan felt a sudden wave of shame at her words. [content censored by Royal Road's advertising overlords]

"I just realized how manipulative that all sounds," Aidan said.

Aoife smacked his shoulder. "Don't you dare apologize," she scolded. "There's nothing in there that does anything other than make you a very good lover."

"The Initiate Sex perk makes you think better of me every time [content censored by Royal Road's advertising overlords]," Aidan protested.

Aoife smacked him again. "If you think that wouldn't happen anyway, you're dumber than I thought you are. Stop trying to ruin a good thing." She leaned down to kiss the back of his neck, incidentally dragging [content censored by Royal Road's advertising overlords] across Aidan's back. "Yours is the best [content censored by Royal Road's advertising overlords] I've ever had by a long shot," Aoife breathed into Aidan's ear, "so shush and accept that women are going to want more of that regardless."

Aidan couldn't suppress the shiver that went down his spine in response to Aoife's words and actions, nor the inevitable reaction to her naked body pressed against his.

"Good boy," she cooed, then returned to her kneeling position and resumed the massage. If her hands strayed a little farther [content censored by Royal Road's advertising overlords], Aidan opted not to raise the issue.

"Now then," Aoife continued, "you're definitely not making the best use of your resources. For one thing, you have incredible spying tools available with your Dream and Soul Magic spells. If you tell me that you didn't leave at least a handful of those Soul Spies scattered around Searlas's manor and Termondoon in general, I'll be very disappointed in you."

Aidan shook his head. "I didn't, sorry. I didn't want to risk the soul damage given that I had no idea when I'd be able to return and collect them."

He could practically hear Aoife pout in response. "I guess that's fair," she conceded. "You should leave some around here, though, especially in the Sisterhood and Stalker areas. I'm sure you're about to protest about spying on your allies," she cut in before he could raise that very issue, "but stow it. I assure you that both are gathering information on you and the Starchasers. If you don't do the same, you'll be at an ever-growing disadvantage."

Aoife's hands moved lower on Aidan's body, kneading and pressing along his spine near the small of his back. Her fingers found another knot, causing Aidan to break off his protest to let out another moan. "You also need to take better advantage of your harem," she told him, taking advantage of the situation to change the subject.

"With just the four of us you're already sleeping with, you could be getting two multiplicatively stacking ten percent bonuses to all your stats. All you have to do is [content censored by Royal Road's advertising overlords] then one more to max out the second Talent. In fact, given your Talent doesn't list a cap on the number of unique orgasms you benefit from, you should expand your pool of lovers. There are diminishing returns with regards to time, but Magic Hands makes you a one-man orgy."

Then Aoife poked him in the middle of the back. "By the way, that's another thing you're not taking full advantage of. Magic Hands has amazing utility outside the bedroom. On its own, you can use it as a distraction in combat, and combined with its enhancers, you can use it to observe or listen in on people without exposing yourself."

"I already figured that much out," Aidan grumbled. "I just don't have the temperament to be a spy. I never was one for eavesdropping."

"Eh," Aoife let out a verbal shrug. "Soul Spy makes it mostly redundant, I guess, at least for state-level espionage. Keep it in mind, though. You can't afford to throw away advantages like that."

"Yes, ma'am," Aidan sighed. That earned him another poke.

"I'm not old enough to be a ma'am," Aoife scolded him. "Besides, a ma'am wouldn't do this for you," [content censored by Royal Road's advertising overlords]

"Ah, yes, dear," Aidan corrected, his mind paying only partial attention to her words.

"Good boy," Aoife cooed again. "You're going to remember what we talked about and make better use of your abilities, right?"

"Uh-huh," he agreed, tilting and lifting his hips to allow Aoife's hands better access.

"Very good. Now, turn over. [content censored by Royal Road's advertising overlords]"

Aidan rolled over and pulled Aoife down on top of him [content censored by Royal Road's advertising overlords].