Gwen directed me to a processing facility to dispose of the Desmodus draculae and Compsognathus I had collected. One that was capable of rendering the beast carcasses into the different parts the town could use with the smallest amount of waste. They would trade the leather to armor or tailor shops, the meat and organs to grocers and restaurants, and the bones, claws, and teeth to weaponsmiths. Very little would go to waste, even the offal would be composted and used.

If the draculae had been able to grow larger in size, I might have considered capturing some of them to use for my Beast Tamers, but they simply didn't get large enough to support the weight of a rider.

In hindsight, I wish I had just used stealth to reach the tier-three Desmodus draculae and killed it leaving the rest of the animals alive. The other Compsognathus and draculae would have made a great place for training and hunting for the newly recruited cultivators. Something relatively safe to test themselves against while earning contribution points. I would still send them to that location. They could gather the spirit stones I'd ignored.

I considered hiring people to harvest them, but decided to wait to see how the new cultivators did. I was fine if they decided to keep the stones and use them for purchases. Those purchases would help stimulate the economy. Having the vast number of resources in my hands was helpful in getting things started, but there was no way to sustain my Fief without giving my citizens a way to contribute.

The barely subsistent living they were trapped in had most living on the edge of starvation and homelessness. Chon's policies could not have been worse for the people and the town. He had done more damage than the smugglers and cultivators had when attacking the docks.

Storm had not been able to find the missing hunters while I was dealing with the bats. I had to assume that they had been attacked and killed. That Storm had not found their remains or a campsite suggested that they had been eaten before they had time to set up a base.

She hadn't noticed any animals or beasts in the area that might have been responsible for the attack. Hopefully, it was a wandering beast that had just stumbled upon the hunters and left the area, not something native to the area that might become a bigger problem.

The representative from the neighboring territory had been given rooms in the Keep. Rooms we designated for ambassadors or visiting cultivators. He still waiting once I returned from dealing with the Compsognathus, but I had Gwen schedule a meeting with him for the next day.

After confirming with the Hunter's lodge that we had found no signs of the missing people, I decided to take a break from the headaches of government. I wanted to find out if Siam could bond with Pluton. With Pluton's age and tier, I wasn't certain it was possible, but if any of the Beast Tamers I had adopted to my House could, it would be Siam.

"You mentioned that the way Beast Tamer's bond with their companions differ from the ritual I had used to bond with Storm," I said once Siam and I had reached the area where the Dojo and Stable were being constructed.

The progress that had been completed in only a day was already beyond my expectations. The foundation for each building was finished, and people able to create arrays were working diligently to complete the functions each building would need.

I was pleased to see that people from the Sect joined those working to create the arrays. It would mean the arrays would last longer, and that the affinities I was hoping to foster would become an integral part of construction woven into the foundation instead of an add-on.

Even better, Cinder was here working, overseeing the work of the apprentice array professionals. I hadn't asked her for help, so she must be here as part of the agreement Clement had negotiated. Why she wanted access to the Rift was her own business, but if I had to guess, she was probably going to try to understand how Earth Elementals existed without the structure of runes and programming of arrays.

If she could understand the way their core and meridian channels worked, it might translate into a breakthrough in array techniques. There was also a possibility for new resources that would strengthen flux properties or improve the stability and longevity of arrays. A new type of ore that the Earth elements ingested that gave them cohesion.

The chance to research materials and methodologies in other worlds was unique. A new rift was a rare occurrence that might never come again in an Elves' lifetime. The Sect, as an organization, might not care about research, but every secondary profession would expend massive assets to explore and hopefully discover even one unique item or resource.

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I already knew that they were there to find. The Golden Lodoicea had originated from this rift. There was no other explanation for the plant's existence. They simply didn't fit the paradigm that existed on our world. Plants could and did become saturated with spirit energy, but they never formed cores like beasts.

"There are some similarities," Siam informed me, regaining my attention from those working on the buildings. "The most obvious concerning how blood is exchanged. The difference is that a bonding array isn't required and that if the blood bond fails, the Beast Tamer isn't locked out from using that species of animal in the future."

"Will the age or tier of the prospective bond make a difference?" I asked, assuming it would.

"Not in making the offer," Siam said. "I could try to bond with a tier-nine beast if I could get close enough to one and not be killed. The chance of the bond being accepted would be zero, but any Beast Tamer can use the cultivation technique they practice to make an offer.

"It is more an issue of the resilience of an individual's Dharmic body than a disparity in tiers. Beast Tamers that cultivate daily, work to strengthen their Qi resources, and fill their spirit ocean will have a higher chance of success. Because we temper the soul associated with the Dharmic body as we cultivate."

"How long should I wait before offering new Beast Tamers an animal to bond with?" I wondered.

"It depends on the cultivator," Siam admitted. "Cultivation and technique allow a person to create the structure that allows for a schism of mind inherit in the process. But talent and luck can also influence how an individual develops."

"And physiological considerations like Spirit Root and crystal matrix?" I asked.

"Forget about Spirit Root, that only determines how many connections you are able to form with each bond. Diligence and practice are more important. The crystal matrix is also something we don't need to consider; the matrix only becomes a concern once the bond is formed.

"On the other hand, your affinity has a greater chance of influencing your first bond. It is almost guaranteed that cultivators with air affinity will form a bond with a flying beast. The affinity creates a symphony of vibration as meridians and beast paths merge, creating a harmony of Qi and Dharma that draws on that affinity for resonance.

"In general, for most Beast Tamers, the earliest they can form a bond is six months. They need that time to open their meridians, begin to hone their bodies, and create the first partition needed to contain their bond within their soul space."

"Should I train them in martial techniques and secondary professions during that time?" I asked.

"That, and if you have potential beasts for them to bond with, you should assign them to the feeding and care of the animals. The bonding process goes much smoother if they have had time to develop a relationship. Once the animal comes to trust them, that first bonding will go smoothly and set the tone for all future bonds.

"They are forming a partnership, exactly like the one you and Storm enjoy. Those Beast Tamers who try to subvert the will of their bonded, who treat them like beasts to be enslaved, will have a harder time forming bonds. That type of behavior leaves a psychic imprint that unbonded animals can sense.

"And if they do succeed, those types of companion bonds come at a cost. The animals that are treated badly grow to resent the bond instead of embracing it. Eventually, they will rebel and attack the person they have bonded with.

"Often that leads to both parties dying because even if the bonded animal manages to kill the cultivator, the psychic strain and backlash from killing and severing the bond sear the channels that were formed, shattering the animal's core, and killing it."

"If I make beasts available now, do you think you could weed out the type of cultivator that would try to dominate instead of befriending the animals I will supply?" I asked.

"There are obvious signs to watch for, as well as some subtle cues that will give some warning. Obviously, anyone that hits or beats an animal should be eliminated. But you should also eliminate those cultivators that treat their animals with indifference.

"If they slack off or are too lazy about grooming or cleaning up after an animal. If an animal displays signs of hunger or thirst. If a cultivator tries to train aggression into his companion. Then you should release that cultivator from your service."

"Would it be better to supply each person with the common cultivation technique for Beast Taming?" I wondered. "Once they have proven themselves and bonded with a companion, only then upgrade the technique to something uncommon?"

"It would be better not to force a Beast Tamer to change cultivation techniques. Supply them with the best you can. If they are forced to learn a new technique, that will set not only the cultivator but his bonded back. The soul-bond they have formed might break as their soul ocean is destroyed and rebuilt.

"I suppose it is worth the risk if you don't care about the animals," Siam finished, his voice suggesting that if that were the case, he and his wife would be looking for a new place to live and grow.

A shift in mental thought, a step sideways almost was all that was needed for me to extract Pluton from the torc it and the chicks had been living. It took a second to get oriented before noticing Siam and me.

I had discussed the Roc with Siam ahead of time, and he was positive that he could make the connection. That his talents were polished enough that he could succeed without time spent nurturing and caring for the animal.

It was the difference between a Beast Tamer that had been cultivating for decades and one just getting started.