As time passed, the metal coat Aster had gained seemed to slowly seep into his skin and after a whole day had passed he opened his mental eyes and pulled up his notifications.

You are no longer petrified.

Acclimation to Metal complete!

You gained an Elemental Affinity!

Your Metal Affinity reached 10%.

Skill Acquired: Magic (Metal) (Beginner 99, 99%)

Both strong yet brittle, unyielding yet malleable. Desired by all to be subjugated yet all are subject to it. A symbol of power in war and economics.

Your Intelligence increased by 1.

Skill Acquired: Resistance (Metal) (Beginner 99, 99%)

Stunningly steadfast.

Your Constitution increased by 1.

New Ability is unlocked.

New Spells are unlocked.

New Technique is unlocked.

New Party Ability is unlocked.

Your Strength increased by 1.

Your Karma increased by 1.

You gained 1440 experience.

Crimson Destiny gained 720 experience.

His soul space had grown once more and another door to a new room had appeared. It seemed like they had gained a more formal dining space as the three women sat around a table chatting amiably with mugs and what appeared to be cookies on a platter between them. He sat himself up on the couch just watching them for a moment and taking in the slight environment change. As they noticed him stirring, the newest addition moved gracefully to his side and caught him off guard by pressing herself against him, instantly destroying any concept of personal space.

“Mi amor! Thank you so much for bonding with me.” She had a slight spanish accent and was now clothed in a deep red dress matching the red rose pinned in her hair which was pulled into a tight bun. Aster could see the striking makeup on her face highlighting her long lashes and high cheekbones and giving her a dusky gaze and even redder lips. She reminded him strongly of a salsa dancer, aimed to entrance those who looked upon them.

He couldn’t find his words for a moment as the sight, scent and warmth of her body sent his libido into overdrive. It was her coy grin that actually brought him back to his senses as he realized that this reaction was exactly what she had been hoping for and he cleared his throat, extracting himself from her arms and gently pushed her back to sit next to him on the couch rather than on him.

“Hello Rosabella.” She frowned slightly at his separation but smiled once more when he added, “Welcome to our family.”

“And what a wonderful family it is. I was just learning all about it from the others.” she elaborated as she gestured to Hitsuki and Imbratisa. He assumed that Kanati had retreated once more to his room, briefly wondering if the bonding ritual was forcing him to come out during those times. She seemed to notice his gaze shifting towards Kanati’s room and she continued, “While all families have their complications, I am grateful to be a part of this one.” She shifted closer to him once more and whispered into his ear, gaining his full attention again, “I wouldn’t mind trying to grow it even more with you.”

He felt her hand slide up his leg and he involuntarily shivered before giving a nervous chuckle then couldn’t help his stupid curious brain from asking, “Haha, is that even possible?”

She gave that coy grin again that reminded Aster that he kept falling into her little traps of seduction as she taunted, “I guess we will not know until we try…” and the nip at his ear lobe caused him to force himself to create space as he stood and quickly walked towards the table where the other girls were holding their laughter back.

“Imbratisa, got a mug for me?” He asked with false cheer as he forced the change of subject. Taking one of the empty chairs, he closed his eyes trying to regain his composure. This new bond seemed to enjoy playing with his carnality and he had not been prepared at all for it.

She came to sit next to him and as she grabbed her mug and began drinking from it once more he relaxed slightly, thinking the presence of the others so close might hold her back now. It wasn’t until Imbratisa had slid his own, already prepared, mug over to him and he took a sip that he almost choked on the liquid as he felt his thigh being rubbed and realized her feline tail was now teasing him.

The others couldn’t hold back this time and the whole table burst into laughter at his red face.

“Rosabella, you tease Master too much!” Imbratisa said between laughs in a mockery of a reprimand.

She grinned and replied, “But it is so easy, he is practically begging for it.”

Hitsuki spoke up this time, “You have seen his memories, you know he totally doesn’t have, like, any experience with girls...”

“Not pushy ones,” Imbratisa added.

“But that is why it is so easy!” Rosabella scoffed but she withdrew her tail and gave him a kinder smile, “Do not worry though, mi amor. I would not do anything serious without you asking me to.” He seemed to be able to breathe easier now as he silently nodded at her and she added with that coy grin again, “Just know that my door is always open for you.”

He felt his face flush once more and quickly said, “I think I should see how my party’s doing now.” and before he could get teased further he opened his real eyes to find Donoma sitting next to him.

She smiled as he stirred and sat himself up, “Feelin’ better now?” she said as she handed a small pocket mirror to him and he took it, looking at the new metal symbol at the corner of his right eye.

“Right as rain,” he said, groaning slightly as his muscles strained in protest after having been petrified for so long.

Donoma gave him a slight look of confusion before shaking her head and saying, “Ya Winter Elves ‘ave some strange sayin’s.”

He mentally facepalmed and berated himself as he asked, “Where’s Saelak?” as he looked around the area he realized they were in a tiny valley surrounded by hills.

Donoma gestured to the west, “He went ta scout a bit before we moved again, think ya can go as soon as he gets back?”

He nodded and Donoma started to pack things back up. “Thanks, by the way.” She gave him a quizzical look and he elaborated, “For trying to save me earlier… you could have kept running but you tried to fight for me.”

She smiled and shook her head, “That's what friends do. I know ya wouldn’t ‘ave left me behind.” She gave him an unexpected hug, “Ya 'ave already given me so much, I feel like I’ll ne’er be able ta pay ya back but I’m plannin’ ta try.”

He returned the hug and whispered, “Thanks, Donoma. You’re a good friend.”

A loud sound of a throat clearing broke them apart as they both looked up to see a miffed elf glaring through his glasses at the pair, “Well don’t you two seem… cozy.”

Donoma was actually the one to blush and stammer a bit, to Aster’s surprise, “I-I was j-just thankin’ him fer savin’ us…”

Aster stood, “Should we get going then? I’ve already delayed us enough.”

Saelak’s expression softened slightly as he nodded, “It’s not your fault, and like she said, you saved our lives.” He moved to help finish packing things and added, “Besides, your new bond should help us all if we run into any more walls in the road.”

Aster was confused for a moment, then brought up the party menu and found the new addition.

Strength in Numbers

Effect: Strength check success increased by 15%.

Requires: a Metal Blessed party member

Well that was useful. It also prompted him to go check out his other new shinies. For abilities, he got the expected:

Metal Bending

Effect: Manipulate metal with mana cost being dynamically based on the amount, duration and complexity of the desired task.

Duration: ∞

Cooldown: None

Cost: X mana per minute

Requires: Metal Blessing

His new technique was also par for the course.

Empowering Steel

Effect: You can imbue metal into your unarmed strikes and kicks for additional metal damage and a chance on hit to disarm.

Duration: ∞

Cooldown: None

Cost: 5 qi per minute

Requires: Metal Blessing

His new spells were interesting though and would probably come in handy.

Sense Metal

Effect: Detect the location and type of metals within 100 meters of you.

Duration: ∞

Cooldown: None

Cost: 5 mana per minute

Requires: Beginner Magic (Metal)

Steel Skin

Effect: Coat your skin with a layer of protective metal increasing defense.

Duration: 5 minutes

Cooldown: None

Cost: 20 mana

Requires: Beginner Magic (Metal)

After a moment, Aster realized that Saelak was watching him closely and looked as if he wanted to say something, “What is it?”

Saelak took a breath as though to speak but no words came out and he quickly shook his head and Aster knew he changed his mind as the elf said, “Let’s get back on the road.”

Aster didn’t push him and quickly grabbed his packs and followed his companions as they continued towards the mountains in the distance.

Lux touched the earthen wall with a gaping hole that blocked most of the road. He looked around seeing the blood stains on the road and wondered what could possibly have happened to cause his subordinates to stop responding to him.

Nyx looked into her brother's eyes as she said simply, “This is obviously that elf’s work. What was their name again?”

“Cainen.” the Light Blessed twin replied automatically. He knew everyone’s name and powers, he was retentive that way, paying attention to all the little details. He walked over to the slightly faded pool of blood in the center of the path. It was not a small amount and he assumed it meant someone’s death unless an exceptional healer had been nearby.

It had been four days since they were supposed to meet the scout team in the city but that never happened, having been delayed by wild monsters and injuries on their way. When they had arrived in Chiplewich, they had already lost contact, not getting any messages through the communication sphere.

Nyx huffed and kicked at the wall in annoyance, “The fools. If we lost our quarry just cause they thought they were tough enough to take on those three and claim the bounty for themselves then they deserve whatever horrible fate might have befallen them.”

“Now, now, sister,” Lux said, returning to her side and setting his hands on her shoulders and rubbing down her arms in a comforting gesture, “‘Tis never good to speak ill upon our comrades.”

She scoffed and rolled her eyes, “Ha. Don’t act all righteous towards me, brother. I’m the one who sees what you are in the dark, remember?” She brushed his hands off her shoulders and walked through the hole to look closer at the dried blood. She ran her gloved hand along the dirt and lifted some of the fragments to her nostrils, carefully breathing in the scent, “This is the life blood of that human Acolyte.”

“Ryden,” Lux responded automatically once more.

Nyx tossed the dusty remnants back to the ground in frustration as she stood straight again, “And they were fools to disobey orders to not engage. Now we have to keep chasing and my toy is getting further away!”

Lux gave a sigh, he had become accustomed to indulging in her obsessions. The chase, the cornering, the capture, the toying and then breaking. It was her drug, her addiction… and he always gave in.

He walked up and brushed the hair that had fallen into her face behind her ear as he said, “Shall we pursue then? The others have given us a clearer picture of their motives, the cursed orphan leading the thrice blessed noble and runaway murderer. Quite an odd party.”

“It makes him all the more unique.” She grinned up at Lux as she leaned her cheek into his hand, returning the small symbol of comfort. “It’s so rare to have a Cursed turn out to be Blessed, and by the Sovereign no less, but that he’s captured the hearts and loyalty of those around him, he must be quite intoxicating. I must have him, brother.”

“And we will get him. Have I ever failed you before?” He replied reassuringly, giving a gentle smile.

Nyx gave a conceding sigh and omitted, “Never…” She turned at that point and returned to the Wind Dire Wolf they were using for mounts, “You’re right, let’s continue on.”

Lux joined her, mounting his own wolf, and gestured to the rest of the contingent of mercenaries, “Shadows! We ride!” and they rushed down the road kicking up dirt and dried blood.

Aster stared up at the huge stone gates embedded into the mountainside with pure wonder. They were huge! Like giants, not dwarves, had been the ones to create them. He briefly pondered if they might have been trying to compensate for something when he chided himself for the immature thought even though he couldn’t keep the small smile from his lips. It had been a week since they left Chiplewich and while they hadn’t quite made it to their destination this was the first major way point.

“Once we get through da gates we’ll technically be within da city o’ Domov,” Donoma explained while they stood in the short line awaiting their turn with the gate guards. The road had gotten slightly busier with hunters and scavengers reaching the road at different places from the wild lands surrounding the mountain city. “Most o’ da layers closest ta da surface are dwarven dwellin’s and small market places and da like. Da deeper ya go da more crowded, more tradin’, more wealth, and more everything da amenities become.” Aster was strongly reminded of a large metropolis back on Earth surrounded by residential suburbs.

“How far are we to where we want to go?” Saelak asked, all business.

“‘Bout three days.” She replied matter-of-factly.

Both men stared at her in disbelief before Saelak broke the silence with his voice dripping with the incredulity that matched how Aster felt, “THREE DAYS?!? To cross a single city?!”

Donoma smirked and said all too sweetly, “No, lil princeling. Three days ta reach da center o’ da city.”

“Podnikanie alebo potešenie?” The gruff voice of the dwarf asked, they had finally reached the entrance without realizing it. Aster thought their accent reminded him a bit of the one Imbratisa had bonded with but it felt slightly different, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on what exactly the different nuances were. Either way he couldn’t understand a single thing the bushy bearded dwarf said and he and Saelak both turned to Donoma once more.

“Trochu z oboch” she replied in an accent not quite matching the dwarf’s but he gave a curt nod and continued asking a few more questions that Donoma politely responded to before he gave a wave and the three of them entered the mountain’s vast tunnel system.

Now, while these were definitely tunnels, they didn’t feel dark or dank or lifeless. Quite the contrary, they were tall and spacious roads with lanterns and Light magic were illuminating the paths full of mostly dwarves, that they stood an easy two heads taller than. The closer they got to the city center as the day progressed, the more diverse the pedestrians became.

Fortunately, there were plenty of inns along the way and when they finally felt exhaustion claiming them they stopped at one to rent a room. Honestly, even though the crowds were a bit concerning due to the bounty on Aster’s head, it was actually a bit more comforting because they weren’t likely to be ambushed on the open road anymore. The closer they got to the center, the easier it was for them to get lost in the crowd of people too and become just another face among the multitude of travelers.

As they collapsed on the bed, not even caring about having to share again as sleep claimed them, Aster found himself in his soul space again. Every night he had been learning a bit more about his bonded, save the gryphon that still refused to leave his room. He discovered that Hitsuki had been raiding his memories of anime from his time on Earth. Imbratisa had taken up reading some of the books and independent mini series that taught subjects such as philosophy and sociology, finding the topic fascinating and giving Aster someone to mentally spar with in good-natured debate. Rosabella, on the other hand, continually flustered him, the moment he thought that he could handle what she threw, another curveball would come his way and he would flail around spectacularly in embarrassment.

Aside from getting to know them better, he would also try to get a few more tips about bending the elements they shared with him but mostly he would meditate and try to make sure his Qi points were topped off for the following day. Most of his party would do the chore while on their watch as they were aware enough to be alerted to any danger and there was nothing really better to do that wouldn’t wake the others.

Sure enough, two days later they reached the city center which Aster almost felt suffocated in. It was grand to be sure, lights sparkling all around them and the center was a massive cavern with housing and smaller businesses built right into the walls that curved up and surrounded them. The true center had a grand monument to the current dwarven king and behind that was the palace that glittered with gold and jewels. It was truly a testament to their wealth and affinity for the Earth and Metal that was known to run strong within the blood of the Mountain Dwarves.

Donoma led them to the place where they could charter a ride to Hatford only to discover that they had just missed one that left the day before and that the next one wouldn’t head out for another week. Aster and Saelak couldn’t help the groan of frustration that left their lips in unison but they still thanked the dwarf that informed them and went to a small cafe to grab a bite to eat.

Aster actually begged the others to come to this cafe when he saw it, it was full of beastkin maids serving drinks and pastries! He was in a small otaku heaven and he blushed like he was 14 again as the cute girls with animal features served them. Saelak couldn’t help rolling his eyes at Aster while glaring at the adorable waitresses and Donoma cackled uncontrollably at both of them.

“All that bondin’ with animals makes so much more sense now! Hahaha!” She continued, “Who would ‘ave guessed that a bit o’ fur and tails could be what makes yer blood run hot, Aster!”

Saelak frowned at that and Aster interjected, “It’s not like that Donoma, I’ve just never really seen Beastkin this close up before. I just find it a bit interesting is all.”

She looked at him for a moment then noticed Saelak’s forlorn look before reining herself in and changing the topic, “uh huh, well da food and drink are good at least. What do we do now though?”

They sat in silence for a few moments, slowly chewing their tasty pastries, before Aster spoke up, “Actually, there might be someone we can meet up with.”