Golden beams of sunlight fell down on a figure lying atop a sealed carriage. Wisps of smoke rose from a white stick in his hand, easily seen in the cloudless blue sky. The figure lowered the stick to his mouth, a bright ember flaring to life on the end of the stick. Exhaling a small cloud from his lungs, the figure continued staring up at the vast expanse of blue, while the carriage trundled on, bouncing off of small rocks in the road behind a pair of large black horses, sweating slightly from the sun and the effort of dragging the large piece of wood. A single battle-scarred Bear Beast-Kin drove the carriage, a piece of straw hanging from his mouth. Behind them, a cart filled with supplies manned by a pair of soldiers trundled along, the duo talking amiably with each other.

Jake watched a flock of birds travel in their ‘V’, heading God knows where. He allowed his mind to wander, letting thoughts bubble forth from the back of his conscious. It had been three days since the Alpha, Mr. Cuddles, had asked Jake to escort his daughter on a diplomatic mission to the High Elves of the Dark Woods. The previous two days were a mad rush to prepare for the journey, which was supposed to take roughly two weeks by wagon. By himself, Jake could have probably made the trip within a week to a month, depending on how motivated he was. They had left that morning,

He took another drag on the cigarette, watching the wisps of smoke be sucked away by the wind. Rolling over to the side of the carriage, he hung his head down to one of the windows. Inside was the delegation sent by the Alpha, along with one addition. Mizutsune was curled into a ball, his silver fur glistening in the light. He rested his head in the lap of Felicia Ember-Tail, the head maid back at the keep, Serena’s personal retainer and, incidentally, the first maid that Jake and Mizutsune had run into the first day in the city.

Felicia, her red fox-tail lying beside her and thumping lightly against the seat, was slowly petting the large white fox, smiling down on him. The other member of the carriage, watching the hills roll by at the window, was Serena. Her white and brown wings were tucked behind her back, situated in a way that they would not be strained on the soft cushions behind her. Her arm rested on the sill of the window, holding her head while she gazed out into the distance, lost in thought.

Before Jake could interrupt their quiet gathering, Mizutsune opened one clear sapphire eye and glared at him. His cold voice, mixed with contentment and slight animosity, echoed through Jake’s skull. “Master, if you interrupt her while she is petting me, I will make sure that you never have a peaceful moment in your life again.” With that, the fox closed his eye again and snuggled in closer to the maid, causing her smile to grow wider.

Jake blinked, then slowly withdrew his head from the window. Got it. Don’t cock-block the fox. Mizutsune chuckled. “Don’t forget it, Master.” Tendrils of emotion slowly moved through the bond, giving Jake a small taste of the pleasure his fox was going through. Jake chuckled to himself. Must be nice.

Staring back at the cloudless sky, Jake reached out to the portion of his mind that was attached to a creature of Dark that he had left back in the city.

During their trip, Jake had gotten too anxious sitting in the wagon, not to mention the effect he was having on the female Beast-Kin, and had decided to lay out on top of the roof. Letting his mind wander, he had run across a thread of consciousness at the very limits of his mind. Surprised, he had followed the thread to its source. He had found a being at the end of the thread, a being that he had brought into this world through his magic. The creature’s mind was empty, devoid of all thought except for a single sentence delivered by its master and creator. ‘Have fun.’ As Giggles had described, this was the mind of a normal Binding, instead of the Transcended version that his first Bound creation had been.

Back in the present, Jake followed the thread to his Binding of Dark, and watched its progress through its eyes, letting the senses of the Binding override his own. He could still feel the wood of the carriage beneath him, and the wind through his hair, but the senses were dulled, indiscernible unless he was actively looking for them, while he was in this state.

The scent of dead flesh and decomposing waste was the first thing that Jake noticed. The second thing was the crunching of bone and the tearing sounds of flesh as his Binding feasted on a poor unsuspecting victim. Grimacing to himself, Jake retracted his presence from the Bound, and came back to his own body. I might be brutal, but that is still fucked up. And where was it at? The sewers? Jesus. Opening his eyes, he found a blue screen before him.

New Skill Acquired Possessive Creator: Beginner 1 You have gazed through the eyes of a Bound Creature, and gained insight to how their empty minds work. With greater practice, you will be able to gain control over your Bound through ‘possessing’ their body and mind. Allows orders to Bound Creatures to be issued at distance. Increasing this Skill allows for a greater distance to the Bound for orders, and at higher ranks, will allow the Binder to take direct control of the Bound for a limited time.

Raising his eyebrow at the non-sarcastic notification, Jake mulled the idea of talking to Lilith about it. Deciding against it, he waved the notification away and continued to stare at the sky. I’m bored, but I’m not that bored.

Thinking of nothing better to do, Jake decided to go over his stats to pass the time.

Status Race: Human Name: Jake Roshaven Level: 26 72% Titles: Voidwalker Friend of Beasts Alignment: Chaotic Neutral Health: 230 Stamina: 210 Mana: 675 Attributes Vitality: 23 Strength: 10 Endurance: 21 Agility: 10 Dexterity: 10 Intelligence: 45 Wisdom: 45

Sighing, Jake closed out the window. While his stats were rather incredible for his level, he still knew that there was so much more room to grow before he was able to get to the reason why he was here. Well, technically, I’ve already started on that. I’ve got the Orcs hating my guts right now, so all I need to do is make the elves pissed off at the Beast-Kin. After that, I’ll strike them while they’re wounded from the fighting, and either they will join up to take me out or be crushed. Sighing again, Jake flicked the burned out butt of his cigarette over the side, and lit up another one. Why is that so convoluted? Knowing my luck, the fucking Elves will think of me as their savior and throw women at my feet.

Inhaling the toxic smoke, Jake closed his eyes and began to drum his fingers on his chest, creating a staccato of a song from his world. Mumbling under his breath, he quietly sang the words ingrained into his memory, ignoring the fact that he was as tone-deaf as a rock. “Oh E-Oh E-Oh, there’s a Demon inside. Oh E-Oh E-Oh, just like Jekyll and Hide. Oh E-Oh E-Oh, all this anger inside. Oh E-Oh E-Oh, I feel like Jekyll and Hide.” He passed the time, going through song after song.

As the sun was ending its path through the sky, the quiet muttering of Bohemian Rhapsody was abruptly stopped as Jake opened his eyes and glanced over to his side. Poking their heads above the wagon roof’s edge, Serena and Felicia were staring at him with wide eyes. Jake froze, staring back at them. He slowly moved into a sitting position and, tentatively, reached out to Mizutsune.

How long have they been there?

Mizutsune responded with slight dejection. “After your third horrible attempt at singing. I believe it was something about ‘putting your love into a babe’. While I tend not to judge, Master, pedophilia is frowned upon in most societies.” His voice grew colder. “Not only that, but you have interrupted my time with that vixen Felicia. I shall remember this, Master, and return the favor to you.”

Shit.

Scratching the back of his head, he shot the two Beast-Kin an embarrassed smile. “Sorry about that, I already know that I can’t sing.”

“Mageous Jake, were those the songs of your people?” Serena asked, her pupils growing larger, focusing entirely on Jake. Felicia leaned forward as well, her bushy tail swaying back and forth behind her.

“Uh, yeah. I am sorry that I can’t do them justice. My throat doesn’t allow me to sing. And please, stop calling me Mageous. Just Jake would be fine.” Jake lowered his hand, and looked around. They were still in the rolling plains, but in the far distance a row of mountains jutted up from the ground, their white peaks breaking through the clouds. On their left, a dark forest had appeared, and Jake noticed a few small glowing lights coming from their depths.

“Could… Would it be possible if you taught us them, Mag… Jake?” Serena asked tentatively, slightly blushing. Felicia, on the other hand, nodded forcefully, showing that she was far more excited to learn. Serena cleared her throat daintily. “They seem rather interesting, and you looked like you were enjoying yourself. But, why were you singing them in the language of the Beast-Men?” She tilted her head cutely.

No, don’t think like that Jake. You’re not here to get laid, you’ve got a job. Bringing his mind back on track, Jake thought what he should reveal. “While they might sound better in my own language, I wanted to test myself to see if I could properly translate them into this language.” Jake thought, hoping they would not ask any more questions. Shit, why couldn’t I just sing them in English?

Serena had a thoughtful expression on her face, nodding slowly. “I see. I would be honored if you would be able to teach us.” She bowed her head, her owl-ears rotating slightly. Felicia, on the other hand, was staring at Jake, her eyes sparkling with an indistinguishable emotion. Jake forced a smile, and responded. “If we have the time.” Mizu, distract your fox-lady. She’s looking at me weird.

“I apologize, Master, but I do not know if I can. There is something keeping me precisely where I am at.” Mizutsune responded with a hint of happiness betraying his normally cold voice.

What the fuck are you talking about!?

An image came through the bond between human and fox. A beautiful picture of a pair of long white legs underneath a frilled black and white maids dress. Mizutsune, from where he was in the carriage, had the perfect view up Felicia’s dress where she was sitting on the window sill, giving him an unobstructed view of her underclothes. They were thin, black, and very lacy.

GOD FUCKING DAMNIT MIZU!

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The crackling of flames provided comfort for the party, the breaking logs spitting sparks into the night sky. The group had found a spot next to the road to camp for the night, and had gathered around the campfire, waiting for the evening meal. Mizutsune and Felicia went hunting, and returned with a large boar, which was roasting on a spit over the flames. Grease occasionally dripped down, causing the flames to sputter and snap with hunger. Jake was not too sure what else they did besides hunting, but Felicia was slightly flushed and Mizutsune had a sense of contentment rolling off of him in waves.

“Mageous Jake,” one of the guards, a Wolf-Kin with one of his ears cut off around halfway, giving him a lopsided look, broke the silence of the group. “If at all possible, would you relate the tale of how you fought that massive Stone Golem during the siege? I have heard some of it, but I am not too sure if it has been heavily embellished or not.” His voice was gravelly, as if he had been gargling stones. The rest of the group looked on with expectant faces.

Jake shrugged. Reaching into his Inventory, he grabbed a cigarette and stood up. The Bear-Kin that was driving the carriage saw this and, with recognition on his face, made a grabbing gesture. Jake stared at him for a second, and slowly reached into his inventory and grabbed another cigarette. Handing it off to the grinning Bear-Kin, Jake began to retell the story to the gathered group, his deep voice creating a back drop to the cracking and hissing of the fire.

When he had finished, he sat back down and looked at the Bear-Kin. “I am surprised that you know about cigarettes.” He took a drag, feeling the toxic smoke sooth his body. The Bear-Kin grunted, inhaling as well. With an exhale, the Bear shot Jake another feral grin. “I don’t know about cigarettes, but the smoke-sticks that my family makes look exactly the same. But, I think that these are stronger.” The Bear took another long, slow drag.

The Wolf-Kin leaned forward, nudging the other soldier at his side, a female Spotted Leapord, and asked Jake a question with a shit-eating grin on his face. “Is it true, Mageous, that you fought off the Golem while completely naked?”

Jake groaned, leaning backwards with a hand resting on his face. Serena blushed furiously, and covered her face. Jake looked back at the Wolf-Kin, grin covering his face. “How the fuck did that make it around so fast?”

The party laughed loudly, except for Serena who had her face still covered, and Felicia who was glaring daggers at the Wolf-Kin. She spoke, her quiet voice holding a dangerous undertone. “I would appreciate it if you did not ask such questions while in the presence of Lady Serena. I would hate if something were to… happen to you.” Her hand slowly went up the sleeve of her dress, and a glint of metal could be seen, reflecting the light of the flames.

The Wolf-Kin’s face quickly paled, and he started waving his hands furiously in the air. “No no no no, I won’t ask any more questions. I swear it.”

Smiling slightly, Felicia returned her hand to her side. Jake stared at the exchange, feeling some amount of pride. HAHA! FUCKING NEW IT! The maids and butlers are assassins!

Felicia turned her gaze towards Jake, and slightly bowed her head. “Mageous Jake, I am interested in the spells that you used to fight the Golem. I have never heard of anything like them.” She held up her hand, and a small ball of golden flame appeared, floating above her outstretched palm. “As a fellow practitioner of Fire, I would be interested in trading notes with you.” She had an expectant smile on her face while she stared at Jake, eyes flashing with a hunger for knowledge.

Jake paused, thinking. “Possibly. I’ve mostly discovered my spells through trial and error. I also haven’t been around other magic users, so I am not too sure if it would be possible to teach others my magic.”

Everyone was quiet, staring at Jake in shock. Serena spoke up, voice slightly quavering. “Y… you mean that you are a self-taught Mageous? You have had no formal instruction?”

Jake blinked. Shit. “Uh, yes? Is that strange?” I already know it’s fucking strange, but shit. How am I supposed to get out of this?

Mizutsune chuckled at his misfortune, his sapphire eyes dancing with merriment from where he laid next to the fire. “Well, Master, the cat is out of the bag now. Have fun trying to put it back in.”

The group stared at him, slack jawed. Serena opened and closed her mouth repeatedly without speaking, giving a very good impression of a fish. Felicia, on the other hand, was staring at him with mouth hanging open, her tail waving back and forth violently.

“That…” Serena finally found her voice. “That’s impossible! There is no way that you are that powerful without any help! I am only an Apprentice of Light, and I have been training for years! What is your skill level in Fire?!” She nearly shrieked the question. This snapped everyone out of their daze, and they looked at the Owl-Kin with shock.

“Serena!” Felicia said loudly, making the young girl jump. Felicia bowed her head towards Jake. “Our apologies, Mageous. It is beyond rude to ask anyone of their skill levels. I believe that it is time for myself and Lady Serena to retire for the night.” She stood up, and taking a knife, cut a few long strips of boar meat off of the roasting pig. Taking them, she pulled Serena to her feet, the Owl-Kin blushing fiercely, and walked back into the carriage. Ushering Serena inside, she turned back around and bowed deeply. “Good night.” She walked into the carriage, and closed the door forcefully.

The group slowly turned back to the fire, and they began to take pieces of the boar for themselves, each lost in their own thoughts.

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The days passed in much the same manner. Jake would spend the day going through the vast amount of songs that he had picked up from his home and teaching them to the two female Beast-Kin, and at night he would spend the time joking around with the guards and practicing magic with Felicia. Serena would join them occasionally, practicing her Light magic by creating spheres of light and sending them dancing through the plains.

Jake would occasionally check in with the Bound that he left in the city of Trentshire, but there was not much going on. It was either eating, sleeping, or on the hunt. Jake had watched one of the hunts that his Bound went on, and he was rather glad that he was no longer in the city. He could feel his Bound getting stronger, the presence in his mind expanding. It was still thoughtless besides the most basic instincts, but Jake was unsure if it was going to stay that way. Giggles had not contacted him since the night that he had created it, the night of the Orc raid, and he was playing with the idea of getting in touch with her himself.

One night, while Jake was playing with a single ball of deep purple flame, the female Leopard-Kin walked up towards him. Saluting with her right hand slamming against her breast, she spoke loudly. “Lord Mageous, may I speak, sir?”

Quirking an eyebrow at her, Jake extinguished the flame by clenching his hand into a fist. The ball of flame imploded, burning bright for a second before popping into sparks with a light fizzle. He stood, and bowed his head slightly to the Leopard. “Of course, but no need for formalities. Just call me Jake.”

Dropping the salute, she stood with her feet shoulder width apart and hands clasped behind her back. “I cannot do that, sir. It would be against protocol.” Jake remained silent, staring her down. The Leopard returned the stare, not backing down. They stood still for a few minutes, willing the other to break. Sighing loudly through his nose, Jake gave up. Waving his hand, he spoke to the stubborn cat. “What can I help you with?”

“Sir, I would like to spar with you.” She spoke loudly and with force. Jake blinked, surprised.

“And why would you want to do that?” He questioned her, trying to figure out what she gained from this.

“Sir, I was part of the defense of the city, specifically on the wall. When you first arrived, you took multiple of my kills with your magic.” She smiled, her long sharp teeth glinting in the firelight. “Since I cannot take those kills back, I would ask to-“

A low whistle and a thunk interrupted her words. Her eyes opened in shock, her mouth still moving silently. Blood began to bubble up from her throat, coating her lips red. She stumbled forward and fell, an arrow lodged into her throat.

Jake stared at her for a few seconds, shocked. Another low whistle of air being passed quickly was the only thing that alerted him. Jumping to the side, a second arrow buried itself into his shoulder. Screaming, he fell down onto his side. Reaching up, he yanked the arrow out of his body, ignoring the sharp pain of the barbed point tearing through his skin and muscles. Gathering as much air as he could, he shouted at the top of his lungs, alerting the rest of the camp.

“AMBUSH!”