"No." Responses a solem Tekanis, "I may have said anything, but that is too much."

"Whyy not? You proomised." Said Stygian very childishly.

"Look I know I owe you, but I don't think want that Stygian. If you were my apprentice then you'd have to stay with me for years. Is it just the secret of how I obtained so many threads that you are after?"

"Noo. I also want you to teach me more about magic and how to get better."

"Look I can't make you my apprentice, bu-"

"Make mee apprentice." Stygian mental tone was getting quite pouty now.

"Stygi-"

"APPRENTICE!" Screamed the bug into Tekanis' mind. Tekanis for his part severed the mind link and spoke aloud.

"I won't make you apprentice, but I will teach you a few things while I recover." Seeing the bug's look of dissatisfaction Tekanis continued, "And since you have unlocked the artisan section I can teach you the job that has let me come this far, sound good?"

Stygian shapeshifting a fake pixie mouth and made it frown absurdly, before saying, "Okay but you have to help me with everything I ask, and tell me why I can't be apprentice."

"Stygian," Tekanis sighed the name before he continued, "You know as well as I do, that eventually you will try and eat me. I mean, I am human and powerful. You would try and eat me and then I'd have to kill you, and neither of us want that, right?"

Stygian didn't like being looked down on like that, but Tekanis was right even now the bug was possessed with the desire to eat the human.

"I'll start with what you all are probably wondering, how on Fracture did I manage to bind so many threads. Well it starts when I was just a boy. I was the apprentice of a local artisan, not because my family was rich, but because I had talent for the craft. My master specialized in molding materials together in such a way that they seemed like a seamless whole. Glass, wood, metal, and everything in between. She would work with blacksmith, carpenter, armorer, and nobles to create things of a seamless whole that had both function and form. Many assume, wrongly I might add, that I was a wizard's apprentice and my first job was a magic one, but it wasn't. My first job was an artisan job. I was a Shaper."

"Why do you say was? Are you not still a Shaper?" Asked a curious Vae.

"Hold on, I'm getting there. Now most shapers have a prefix in front of the job, like Earth Shaper, but that is where my master was different. She spent most of her life collecting as many different Shaper jobs as she could and slowly the jobs bleed together, becoming one. She thought she had failed when the new job title was just Shaper, but to her astonishment the class became not just a Shaper of stone or steel. She become a Shaper of everything. Unbelievable potential opened up before her, but she only cared about her and passing along her life's work. So when I reached level ten in artisan I rejected my awarded class and learned all my master had to teach. I study under for years and she died happy. However, I felt her work was incomplete. I began to research threads, and without meaning to I bonded with my perfect thread."

"Perfect threead?" Ask an increasingly curious Stygian.

"Yes a perfect thread. It is a thread of magic that is perfectly suited to the user. It is the hardest type to find. There are the normal bonds, those grant access to magic and not much else, and then there are deep bonds. Deep bonds slowly change you over the course of the bond. They shape you, but slowly. Perfect bonds they don't shape you, but... Well it's hard to explain. It is like the unlock something inside of you, something that has always been there just asleep. You suddenly have powers and insight that feels as though it has been. It honestly feels like a drug, once you have a bit all you want is more. This the downside of a perfect bond, and something I wish I'd have known. Listen well, a perfect bond will take and take and take until there is nothing left. It is unfortunately what I let happen to me. My thread took until I essentially became the mortal embodiment of my thread."

"What did it take?" Inquired Vae.

"Well it completely filled my center and then flowed into my physical form."

"Whaat thread?" Asked our ever curious chitin covered friend.

"It was the thread of binding, and though there are many different threads of binding, mine was the parent thread. Now usually someone with a perfect bond is viewed as crippled by the mage community. After all once bonded it takes a very firm will to suppress the desire to indulge the bond. I however had an advantage over most mages, and that was my Shaper job. You see very early on I acquired the skill Merge, when it reached twenty five slots, it let me merge empty job slots into jobs. At level fifty I could merge skills together, seventy five let me merge slots from different sections. Finally at one hundred I could perfectly merge jobs. Now this might not sound important, but I was able to create a jack of all trades job with fifty slots. And awarded retroactively, well let's just say I had a lot of slots to play with. Enough that I was able to increase the basic spell I had gotten with my thread, Bind, to one hundred slots as well, and the most wondrous thing happened. You see I had wanted to upgrade my masters perfected class by tying different threads to it. Unfortunately the obsession with my own perfect thread ran away with me. At level one hundred of bind I could restrict every part of someone's status. And that's when I had my brilliant idea."

"You used an incredibly powerful spell of binding to bond threads to yourself?" Asked a flabbergasted Vae, "But that shouldn't be even remotely possible."

"You are half right, I could used Bind to forcibly bond a thread, but only one at a time. So I created a new technique specifically for binding more than one thread. I based it off of a technique master mages used called cross bonding. They take two threads overlap them, and at the point where the cross a new thread can be bonded. However there are limitations, like the new thread has to share at least one quality with both threads crossed. Tricky, but extremely useful. My technique was similar except mine was a massive web of cosses. When I finally perfected it and got awarded the spell I devoted one hundred slots to it and it grew far stronger than I had imagined. It was fast and useful though I expected it would be a chore to keep the spell going, but once cast it remained for a day. Unfortunately, I had more surprises in store for me. The spell was so powerful that every cast let it linger longer and longer. Until I stopped needing to cast it, the spell changed my center and my perfect bond slowly filled the web bonding threads to my thread. It was amazing, at first, but I slowly began to realize why mages don't go over twenty threads. The power, and various types of mana leak. It wrecks your body and ages you. I lost everything but my eyesight, and that isn't what it used to be. I could use threads to reinvigorate my sense but they would just fade rapidly again, so I just use magic substitutes. It isn't ideal but I make do. Currently with the amount of energy I generate I spend about thirty percent just keeping my body in working order. So Stygian this is why I can't recommend this path to you, or to anyone for that matter."

A long silence followed as each party dealt will this info in there own way. Leon just wrote it off as too much work, and too high of a cost. Vaelin began to formulate the bases of a new technique, sure she didn't have the binding thread, but maybe she created a web with her basic thread. It would solve both her craving for power and help her become more rounded as a mage. Stygian, well Stygian began to attack the problem from every angle determined to the flaws with Tekanis' method. All three agree that they wouldn't go down this path, and all with various levels of honesty.

Over the next few weeks Tekanis taught Stygian, and despite what the wizard had said, they were behaving as master and student respectively. Tekanis taught Stygian the Shaper job, and teaching the bug a multitude of techniques. It was a single slot job so the bug picked up Merge, which unsurprisingly had excellent synergy with Meld. Using the skills in tandem increased the likelihood of success on a living creature.

Stygian also learned a skill called mediate that helped cycle energy through the bug body. Apparently it was vital to gaining more stat points. After training with Stygian Tekanis would work on shaping a physical form for Leon. Since the treant part of Leon was bonded to the nymph, and since it didn't have much of a mind to begin with the treant was an empty vessel. Was is the key word friends for our perverted Penny now resides within the treant. Violent and monstrous Penny doesn't have any memories from Earth. She is not Awoken like Leon, at least not yet.

Finally the nymph gets it more physical form and Stygian learns how to increase its attribute limit. First the stat has to have the maximum number of points otherwise you'll be wasting your time. Next you have to call upon every last point and circulate it through yourself. Or rather the parts of yourself that the stat enhances. Holding it your physical form, and improving the mana pathways in your body. Once you hold it for long enough your body will adjust and will not only be able to hold more energy, but also remain permanently suffused with the stat. Meaning you will always have access to some of your stats, even if you are cut off from the rest.

While together Stygian mentioned the Woods treasure horde and together they raided. Leon managed to convince Stygian to store of the mounting of silver coins in the garden. Stygian wasn't interested in wealth, but would like the freedom to buy things or animals for experiments. That is if they ever managed to reach a city and not be attacked on sight. Leon grabbed all the magic rings he could and fit them on branches of the treant. The treant did really like the things in her branches but the nymph was nice.

Stygian was staring at a pile of weapons and armor, when something began to stir. Two something actually. The spears of A Knight's Fork had been gestating since their new souls were forged. As they stirred Stygian summed the weapon, and watched as the metal writhed of its own accord. Twisting and churning right out of Stygian's firm grasp. The spears separated flopping like a fish out of water. Then Stygian heard a voice along the soul bond of the spears.

"Hungry." The voice was squeaky and high pitched like a child's voice, but less annoying.

"Feed us."

"Cuurious, what do spears eat? Soul perhaps?" Inquired our bug along the same connection.

"Shinies." It was still the same voice, apparently the other was reluctant to speak. Stygian cock its head and asked, "Is that a yees?"

"Shinies." This time one of the spears gestured, by pointing it's tip towards the pile of weapons and armor.

Intrigued to see what would happen Stygian brought the spears to the pile. The intricately carved hafts split open as the tendrils used the carved tendrils mouths snap pieces of metal off the pile. It was slow going at first, but the more the spears ate the faster they went. As Stygian watched, everyone else came over to observe. After asking a lot of questions Stygian had no idea how to answer our bug examined the link. Which accidentally opened their status pages. Apparently the spears had gained a copy of Stygian's sins, but Lust apparently couldn't take hold. It was there but crossed out like it was defunct.

Shrugging the bug moved on, and realized that there was almost no difference between the spears. Except one had the ability Flame Body, and the other had Ice Aura. So much as Vaelin had named the nameless bug Stygian named the nameless spears. After barely any thoughts Stygian called the spears back, and they obeyed like trained dogs. Well that is if dogs could slither like snakes.

Looking at the fire spear Stygian said, "Yoou will be Reya." Then turning towards the other Stygian continued, "And you will be, Nora."

Reya the only one who had spoken thus far seemed to glow with happiness, or fire. Maybe both. Nora on the hand remained silent, only the feeling of deep appreciation that flowed acrossed the soul bond let Stygian know how she really felt. Stygian hadn't given much thought to gender before, but it had felt right to call Nora and Reya female. They were made from the soul of the Lost Woods and she was female. What did that make Stygian then? Well Leon was male, but both the aväk and marg were genderless. So an it, but being called it or that thing never felt exactly nice. So maybe...

Stygian stamped down on the swelling of human emotion, that piece of Leon's soul seemed to be having odd after effects. That was definitely the reason, it was actually the bugs feelings. It's not like that carnage machine could feel anything...

At least that's what Stygian kept telling itself, in truth the bug wasn't as heartless as it wanted to be, and there were no after effects of eating the soul. Stygian was just finally able to process and understand complex emotions now that the bug had a larger soul. These emotions hit Stygian harder because its soul was twice as large as a normal soul. And much like a child feeling sad for the first time Stygian had no idea how to deal with it. Thankful Stygian was gifted with a high mentality and could suppress the useless waves of emotion.

Having looted just about all they could carry the temporary party left the treasure horde. Stygian grabbed stacks of metal to feed Reya and Nora, Vae had some ancient looking books and some enchantments she had never seen before, Leon equip a slew of magical items to the treant and looked on the verge of developing the greed sin, and Tekanis found several curse breaking artifacts that weren't enough to break his own cure, but were enough to weaken it severely.

As the days passed the feeling of something coming to an end washed over the group. Everyone was a bit sad to leave, it was surprising but Tekanis was actually fun to be around. He laughed loudly told story of his life and dumb situations he had gotten him self into. Vae thought of him as a bonfire burned on a candle wick. The candle had burned far brighter than it had any right to, and it had burned for century's longer than it should have. Vaelin feared that this would be the very last time they saw the wizard.

Finally Tekanis announced that he had to go, he had recovered his strength and the next day he would journey to the heart of the Woods to unravel the mystery of the white tree. That's when Vaelin told Stygian about they next destination.

"The Desert of the Midnight Sands?" Asked Stygian.

"Yes it is supposedly where the Fae kingdom was established." Stygian looked hesitant, and Vae continued, "It also has an entrance to The Ways, I'm sure you will be able to find some Aväk to hunt."

Stygian looked ready to go right then and there, but Vaelin turned to Leon and opened her mouth.

"He's coming." Cut in Stygian before the pixie could even ask, and then continued, "I own him and the treant."

Leon scowled at the bug, as a tight knot of fear settled in the nymphs chest. Leon saw felt the threat, as Stygian pulled on the thin connection between them. Stygian would be happy eat Leon's soul if he didn't want to come. So Leon just nodded solemnly before turning away. Just like kids before Christmas, the three members of our party were both excited and nervous. Penny didn't understand a word of what they were saying, she just enjoyed the time of night when Leon would be close with her for hours. Leon had tried teaching the treant a bit, but the tree wanted nothing to do with anyone else. It just wanted Leon.

The night passed and morning came breakfast was subdued. Tekanis helped the group tech the edge of the woods to the South. According to the wizard, the desert was a week's journey south which wasn't terrible according to Vae, but they would need supplies. So a stop at a village would be necessary.

Finally came the moment for goodbyes. Vae flew up to Tekanis and whispered softly in his ear. The wizard laughed and smiled at the small pixie. Leon thanked the wizard profusely without him Leon would still be mindless. Tekanis looked at Stygian and the bug stared right back. Then our bug bowed at the waist and spoke aloud for all to hear, "Thank you Master for all you tutelage I will uphoold you name with honor and pride. Foor I, Stygian Half-light, will make the world knoow of your greatness through my own greatness."

The bug was mimicking Vae's shit eating grin. Tekanis just shook his head.

"Make a name for yourself and I'll be more than happy to take credit for training you. Even though I didn't."

Tekanis turned around and started walking into the Woods.

"Oh, and if you meet Rhind tell him we said bye." Hollered Stygian at the wizards retreating form. His only acknowledgement was a wave over his shoulder, as he left a chill breeze swept over the group. It truly felt like it was the end of summer, and that things would get much harder from here.