I awaken into agony.

The fusion is more intense on your body than anticipated. I've yet to reach part of your brain where I can dull your pain. I've never actually practised on a demon's brain before and exploring your body is taking time.

Leokan's thoughts ring in my head clear and close to my own as if they were mine. An analytical explanation that is lost upon me.

A fresh flood of pain wracks my flesh and my back arches in a futile attempt for relief.

"It hurts!" I scream.

"I know, August, we've tried to help but no magic is working. The spells work for a moment then something new happens! We can't even keep you under anymore." answers a familiar voice.

But the pain and distortion to my vision are too intense for me to make out who it is.

I trust that gentle tone.

Good, any comfort is better than none. The useful news is that we are compatible. But, it is taking time for me to complete the bonding, the complexity of the operation is... well, beyond anything you have ever known.

A flicker of the hulking warrior who helped me starts to surface in my mind.

"Bara!"

She is not here.

"Bara? There is no Bara, your new friends are Lovia and Subia."

We left her?

The soft, familiar voice continues, "They are safe, your friend is already famous in the right circles. Her abilities already exceed expert class enchantment, and to think she was a mere slave before you saved her."

An accident, we were in too much pain to remember to care for her.

"You and Gareth have made a legend, please, get better so you can see it."

"We forgot her." I say in despair.

Yes.

"Who is Bara?" asks a less familiar voice.

How could I have forgotten her? I failed.

No, you succeeded in saving me.

"I don't know, I don't think they are real. I think the pain is too much, can he get more help?" says the familiar voice.

"No, I've already given him more than he is worth to me. He brought the subject back, even if he dies it will not and we can bind it to another."

I am no subject! Arrogant fool, does he think that because he can lord over a pond he can comprehend a predator of the deep seas? Even in my current humiliating state, I can kill him. Magic will not protect you from necrotic mists, it would be easy as crying.

Help me, I can't. Leokan. Please make it stop hurting.

"He will not die, ... not while he owes me an apology. He has too many obligations to the living to stop now."

"Wishful thinking does not stop the long hand of death, Alessia. I've seen Masters in sorcery die and they made no mistakes. Your friend gambled against the odds, and his struggle does his memory merit. Let him go. There is work to be done and there are plenty more far useful pawns waiting to be used." said the less familiar voice coldly.

My body trembles with pain, and I suffer greatly.

"Make it stop!" I cry out.

I'm trying, August, I am. It is going to take a while yet, I have to explore every part of your body including your brain in detail and integrate myself into you. I need you to understand, I am doing my best but your friends are your best hope for relief from the pain.

"Do you understand, Alessia? I don't care that he is in pain or that he is going to die, compared to the purpose we pursue he is nothing, this city that I am trapped by is a stepping stone to greater things. I am offering you the opportunity to rise with me or are you not grateful?"

"I do Dracos, I'm sorry, forget I said anything."

"Good. Don't stay too long, you have duties to attend to... I'll see you tonight." says Dracos.

"I'll see you then." says Alessia.

I feel a hand on mine. I do not open my eyes, for I cannot bear to look upon my old friend without feeling overwhelming sorrow in her submission.

"Alessia." I say mournfully.

"I will be back, stay alive, August. Stay alive."

She lets go of my hand and soon after I hear a door close.

Fresh pain spikes down my spine and I scream.

I need Gareth he can...

"Gareth..." I mumble.

I shift, contort and writhe in tortuous anguish. Time passes but I spend an eternity suffering in each moment. There is no refugee or help and I am not alone. I am confined to the person hurting me who says it is for our good.

I'll never forgive you for this!

If it helps, I won't forgive myself for this blunder either. I have no idea why I can't soothe the pain you are experiencing.

"Kill me." I beg, in a moment of desperation.

We are not at your dying moment yet, there is too much to be done.

It is obviously not working, find another, stop this.

No.

My eyes burn.

I whail and my throat cracks from the intensity of the screaming.

"I am burning alive!"

Sleep!

I don't know what Leokan does but I drift off, no longer aware...

...

..

.

I feel the pain now, nearly done. Soon I can rest and the process will be over.

What?

What was that?

What is happening?

August!

Who...?

It's Leokan, remember?

Flashes and fragments of memories fill in gaps.

Leokan, yes. Am I alive?

You've been asleep for a long time. Using your senses ... I'm guessing a few weeks... it is called a coma.

Where, what?

They moved us but I have no idea where. Except from Dracos's attempt to kill you awhile back we have been safe.

Kill me?

Judging from your olfactory senses and memories it was the one called Gareth who helped me stop him.

Gareth!

My eyes blink open.

I seem to be in a bright and blurry room.

"Hey, I think I saw him blink." says an unfamiliar, nasally voice.

"He is awake!"

"Wait, were his eyes meant to be red?"

"How am I supposed to know? Call the Archmage's son unless you want more trouble."

"No need." commands a new and authoritative voice.

I blink and see a Draconian woman looming over my bedside.

Did her voice precede her body?

Purple eyes glow from underneath a wide-brimmed wizard's hat. Long, flowing robes cover her body and are made out of a material I do not recognise. She is tall and the wings on her back leave an imposing presence that is nothing compared to her magical powers that rank her as one of the deadliest beings on the planet.

The Archmage.

"Are you there, Leokan?" she asks.

"Yes but I am August while I am one with his body."

"'Yes, your science is strange. Magical almost in its effects.'

"As you say."

"But it is not your method but your knowledge that I value."

"They are one and the same."

"For the practitioner, but not for myself. You see my son, requires a powerful weapon and for that end, I have conspired to bind August to him. For rare is the mettle to survive summoning an Artoici, not to mention his encounter with Lord M. Le Fey. A weapon that is even deadlier now with you..."

How does she know about Le Fey?

"I, on the other hand, require the mind that outmanoeuvred Undanlian's prey."

"What do you need from me?"

"Where is the Lurker behind the Saforth? Where is Abigai?"

"Why?"

"How admirable you were to be unfettered by flesh. I profess I do not understand what weakness drove you back to a body. But you have one now and she has something I want dearly."

Leokan does not say anything for a moment.

"Tell me!" The archmage raises her voice slightly, betraying a slight hint of anger.

"Last I saw her she was on the planet Felan hiding in her lair beneath the vibrant-ripple sea."

"And is this where she keeps her collection of otherworldly treasures?"

"Yes, but that was before I was on the Isle, my information is dated."

"It is not and thank you, that wasn't too hard now was it?"

"No."

She fades away.

"That is all, I doubt we will see one another again. Do serve my son well not that you have a choice with the binding and all." she says with a light laugh lingering after she is gone.

She perhaps is my least favourite person on this tiny floating rock, she likes to pretend she is in control and determines everything but it is a mist yet that her access to information is great and her influence subtle. She could destroy the city but instead makes lightly touches and reaps the rewards of a successful harvest.

Even worse than her son, haha?

Perhaps not that bad. He replies wryly.

I try to speak but fail to, and the effort to keep my eyes open is immense. My thoughts start to jumble and become confusing.

What is happening?

You are slipping back into the coma, it is perfectly safe, you will be awake again soon.

...

..

.

Sharp, stabbing pain cuts through the inside of my skull and I come into consciousness with a shock.

Then the pain fades and I blink a few times and see I am in a bright room with light pouring through an open window shining upon the familiar form of Gareth. He is looking out the window, his gaze far off focused on something or someone in the distance.

The process is done.

Leokan says in my stream of thoughts.

We are linked until separated. My consciousness is fused to your body and mind. Perhaps never have two beings ever been so close before in all the histories of realities. Nevertheless, it is nice to be with a body again and feel alive. Thank you, August for your sacrifice, I will pay this debt off, I will support you as best as I can, I hope you can do the same for me and forgive any pain I caused.

I don't think you meant for it to hurt, but I also don't think you were honest either about our bargain. I would ask that you give me space, but I don't think I have the luxury to peace anymore.

When has your mind been peaceful? I know your memories as well as you, if not better. The lack of mental health care in this world is astounding but if you want peace you can have it. I'll be back, so go be yourself for a while. You've more than earned it.

I could still feel his presence, but it was distant like knowing someone was in the same building but they are too far away for them to hear you if you shout for them.

Peace.

"Hey." I croak.

Gareth's head spins around and his eyes widen like ripples in a pond.

"You're awake!"

"Good at stating the obvious, I see not much has changed." I say and laugh weakly.

"It's only been a few weeks, not much time to change between checking in on you, the twins and work."

"Right."

"Enough time to get better looking than your sorry state. What happened you get possessed by an otherwordly ghost?"

I laugh at his joke.

"You wish."

He laughs politely.

"I stole the joke from Alessia, she said it first when she came by."

"Ah, she did?"

"Yeah, she feels responsible, I think, not that she stayed long. Dracos called for her, keeps her on a short leash, he does."

"Right... how're things, how are you?"

"Yeah, alright, been busy making sure the bills are paid and keeping an eye on Subia. You know, making she is getting into too much trouble."

"Trouble?"

"Yeah, she fair bloomed with all the power and attention. When she is not out doing a quest for the guild, she is partying. It's not all bad, I only worry about some of the mages out this tower, I made sure neither of the came despite them wanting to, dangerous folk here. Luckily, the Archmage doesn't seem much too interested in Subia after their talk. Said something about needing to get stronger before she would be of much use. Come back later or something."

I wave of exhaustion washes over me, listening to Gareth.

"I look forward to seeing her. Though maybe not just yet I feel a bit too tired. Where am I by the way?"

"You are in the Archmage's Tower, as an official underling of her son you are being treated here. The real reason is that they want to move the otherworlder to another host in case you died."

"I'm grateful, I guess?"

"How is it? Living with someone else in your body? Is it talking about me?"

"Different, and no. I asked Leokan to give me space and he did. It is like he is thinking my thoughts but it is clear that they aren't mine that they come from a different place? Like I can observe my thoughts and his thoughts and tell they are different."

"Strange."

"He is alien, and yes strange but great and terrifying. Like having something even greater than a dragon as part of my body, that is grafted within my muscles and bone."

"Huh. I don't have any words for that."

"Neither do I."

My stomach rumbles loudly breaking the silence before it can build.

"Here, it is cold but should fill your stomach." Gareth says as he hands over a plate of cold meats and bread.

I tuck into it, starved, eating properly for the first time in who knows how long.

"Did anything interesting happen, while I have been dozing?"

"Two, well, two and a half things."

"Oh?"

"I reached out to Rina and Borei, the other week. They helped rescue Lovia when she was locked up in a dungeon, by some aristocratic family. Apparently, Subia had rejected their offer to marry their son, so they tried to blackmail her by taking her sister."

My brow furrows and I exclaim, "Marry her son?"

"Yep."

"Is Lovia alright, wait is Subia okay as well?"

"Yeah, Lovia is good. A bit spooked though her new partner swooped in and seems to have levelled her nerves out."

"Partner?"

"One of the ex-slaves you helped free during that nasty business at Goblin Tooth. He's not perfect but they seem to get along well enough. He's not cowed by the new Subia so he has that going for him."

"Good for her I guess." I say with a sigh.

I suppose weeks in a coma are long enough to kill potential romance, even if it was messy with her having been my slave and all. Maybe this was for the better. Especially for her. Maybe not for me. Do I even hear myself? Potential romance, my slave? That is far too close to those disgusting aristocrats for comfort. It is good she is happy, she has nothing to do with my misery.

"I pocketed a new enchanted sword during the raid, it can conjure a giant magical construction in the form of a mace. Seems made to break walls and crush knights. It's very nasty."

"Oh, very good. I had a new spear but I broke it."

"You and your poor luck with spears." he chuckles at the memories of all the spears I have wrecked over the years.

I finish the plate and place it down on the counter next to my bed.

"The second thing was a letter sent by someone who claims to be a friend of Sal of the Shooting Star. The Shapeshifter, if you recall from the second day after we left the academy?"

"Booted out more like it." I interrupt with bitterness.

"Sure, do you remember them?" he asks patiently.

"Vaguely, a lot has happened since, to be honest. We faced the dragon-killer and protected that baby dragon. She didn't like that Lord Fey we survived, right?"

"Yeah, the letter writer mentions the Circle he is a part of."

"Another favour?" I mock.

"Pretty much, something, some monster is killing the poor in the city. I've been on the trail and found the mauled corpses of the homeless, prostitutes and young orphans. Something is using weapons to kill them then eating them." Gareth explains.

"Any clues?" I question.

"I thought perhaps it was a killer with a cannibal fetish but the victims are random and scattered across the city. They also leave a rotting stench behind so I am thinking a necromancer is in town looking for parts and testing out their latest creation." he reasons.

"What weapon?" I ask.

"It is odd that one, spear, knife, sword, mace they don't seem to have a performance."

"Not pet, but escapees. They are either caught again or disposed of by the creator of the city's citizens defending themselves." I deduce. "But what necromancer would dare enter a city?" I wonder.

"If they have the backing of the Circle and keep their mistakes hurting only the ..."

"Undesirables, the miserable and the outcasts of the city." I finish.

"Yeah, then perhaps someone is ensuring the city guards turn a blind eye?" speculates Gareth.

"It is bad enough when the undead spontaneously rise, let alone when they are forcibly risen and improved by a Magi. It shouldn't have to be us, but you're right to have taken this on."

"I knew you would agree."

I am overtaken by a loud yawn, and my eyes blink weakly.

"I will let you rest, get some sleep. I'll see you later, okay."

"Right, it is good to see you."

"Same."

I rest my head on the cushion and I am out like a candle flame in a hurricane.