Rwnil

The twins spent another two hours both fucking and talking. Ahsch was curious where his sister's outfit had come from, and was a bit surprised when she revealed that she'd been hoarding her 'allowance' from him to save up for it. Even with that not-insignificant income, the commission had blown through most of what she'd saved, though for great results. The chains were obsidiite, a moderately uncommon Tier Three ore that could be refined into either a more glass-like substance that was superb at channeling Mana, or into a more metallic material with rather absurd toughness - given Exhibitive Creation could mimic defensive materials' effects across the Mage's whole body, the latter was the refinement of choice for Ariin's outfit. The cloth was significantly less impressive on a practicality point, though no less remarkable, being fluid silk, a rare Tier Two textile that had to be processed using rather Mana-intense procedures, given than anything below a certain Mana saturation threshold simply went through the fabric like it was water - excepting living things, unless they intended otherwise, and even then, only to a certain point of stress, in which case they also just passed through. The collar was dusk amethyst, a rather common Tier Three crystal which behaved more like a metal above certain temperatures, and was excellent at holding enchantments; the ring was more obsidiite.

The materials coupled with the number of enchantments placed on it (including a small pocket space to store the outfit when not being worn, the enchantments to apply or remove certain parts of the outfit, the leash that could connect to not only the collar, but also Ariin's piercings, the enchantment that gave Ahsch control over everything, and some more options aimed towards bondage and other kinky things) would probably cost enough to buy most of the land in Sarvas.

And, true to her word, Ariin wore nothing besides that outfit. The stars of others when she went with Ahsch somewhere made her flush in exhibitive arousal, and the small, nervous smile informed the Dominant Mage that his sister truly enjoyed the experience. He did ask that she make one change, which was to add something to the lower end of the 'tit curtain,' as he called it, to prevent it from simply flying up in a brisk wind, or if she had to run anywhere. With how petite her build was, support wasn't an issue, but as much of an exhibitionist as she was, Ahsch didn't think his sister needed to be flashing any random passers-by on accident.

The real fun happened the first time Avery saw the ensemble. She stared for a long moment, before grabbing Ariin by the wrist and dragging her back to the Lord's room. "I'm ruining your tease of a sister," she called out to her husband over her shoulder, and Ahsch followed to watch Avery put her cock on and make good on her word, before joining in after his wife had cum twice - once with her cock deep in Ariin's tight cunt, the other with the hrafthi girl's tongue frantically worshiping Avery's pussy. The husband and wife duo spent plenty of time driving their tiny lover insane with need, though on Avery's insistence that such a good, slutty girl deserved it, Ahsch allowed his sister to cum - an event that Avery did everything in her power to extend until her body literally gave out.

Mahat also enjoyed Ariin's new look, though from a more equal position. While Ariin was insatiably submissive, and Avery clearly enjoyed being in control or being controlled to roughly equal extents, Mahat tended towards submission, but would sometimes enjoy dominating the hrafthi girl. She alternated worshiping Ariin's silky smooth skin between the chains with shoving the girl's face all the way down her cock.

Suffice to say, while expensive, everyone agreed it was money well-spent. Even Dorin forgot his usual professional cool for a few moments upon first seeing his master's sister, making Ahsch question if the human was gay or bi - no other women seemed to catch the servant's eye. I should get him a date, Ahsch laughed to himself. Poor guy works way too hard.

A week passed with little of interest happening. Ahsch continued to work on combining spells, but between checking in on the construction, writing up more sermons and teachings for Enochiel, and keeping up on his studying as a royal (and with most of the rest being of more immediate concern), little progress was made on the magic front.The pace changed when a royal courier arrived, bearing a letter. Frowning, Ahsch opened it, trying to think if he was expecting any personal correspondence - all his usual mail was sent to 'Lord Ahsch Odestag' and included in the House mail, which Butler or another servant sorted between himself and Avery (and was further sorted into different types of correspondence, and regularly screened to make sure no spam ate up the Lords' attention). However, this letter was simply intended to 'Ahsch.' It wasn't until he read the 'to' line in the letter itself that he sat bolt upright in his chair.

My Son,

To address the less serious parts of your message first: everyone hopes you are doing well at R'sath, and miss you greatly. A few of your sisters - I'm sure you can guess who - were plotting to run away to visit you only a few days before your letter arrived, so a visit home would be most welcome. And I'm sure they would all love to show your wife around.

As to your query: hrafthi are indeed gifted when it comes to sympathetic bonds, however, it is a matter of racial skills, not innate knowledge or talent. It hardly surprises me that you have not seen more of our kind - we are a relatively reclusive race, some might say our traditions are outdated, and few find appeal in the 'stagnation' of civilization. I myself am unskilled where it comes to bonds, as I left my flock for reasons I would prefer not to discuss, especially not through such **** means as this. As such, I lack the knowledge to give you what you seek myself. However, I have reached out to a... suitable mentor for you, and she agreed to travel to the Capital and at the very least evaluate for herself if you would be worthy of her tutelage - she should be the bearer of this letter. Be warned, I informed her of all that I know of your situation, in the interest of capturing her attention and - hopefully - keeping it for you. I implore you to be respectful and cautious in dealing with her, though I doubt you would be in any direct physical danger.

Your Proud and Loving Mother

Ahsch reread the letter to absorb its contents, then frowned at the courier. "Where is the one who delivered this letter?"

The lizard-girl blinked. "Begging your pardon, Lord Odestag, but outsiders are usually not permitted above the lower floors of R'sath without explicit invitation." She hesitated for a moment, shrinking away like she was expecting to be yelled at. "She... uh... did have enough information that usually the guards would allow her passage, but they... marked her as a feral and refused to let her into the Tower, let alone up here."

Ahsc frowned darkly. "Then I extend explicit invitation for her to be here," he almost growled, before closing his eyes and letting out a breath. "No, apologies, you are not at fault. Is there anything else?"

"No, My Lord; but if you'd like, I am reporting back down to the lower floors - if you wish, I could take an invitation for the messenger?"

Ahsch nodded, quickly scrawled out just that, and gave it to the courier, along with a silver. She blinked at the coin. "For the explanation and further delivery - I hope I'm not disrupting your duties."

"Oh, no, My Lord; we deliver letters on an individual basis - I am at your disposal until this is resolved." She extended the coin out to hand it back.

Ahsch waved it away. "Keep it. Consider it appreciation for your good work."

She blinked, then smiled widely. "Much obliged, My Lord," she said with a bow before hurrying from the room. About fifteen minutes later, she returned with a hrafthi woman in tow, and Ahsch immediately understood how the guards identified her as a 'feral,' a monster who did not abide civilization. Her hair, pulled back in an ebony ponytail, was decorated with several charms, including feathers that obviously weren't hers and tufts of fur. Her strong, proud face was painted - or possibly tattooed, Ahsch couldn't tell - with markings that put him vaguely in mind of Celtic knots, with a flowing, organic-yet-geometric design. Most remarkably, she was dressed in an assortment of hides and furs, though not an insignificant amount of her skin was exposed - boots reached midway up her shins, before leaving smooth, tanned skin up to her mid-thigh, where the lower edge of her skirt hung. The skirt itself was actually part of her chestpiece, though the two were only connected on her left side, and said chest covering was rather minimal on that side, though it gradually became wider so that it covered her right side from just below her breasts to her neck, and even covered her shoulder and her upper bicep. A cloak with a deep hood was draped across her shoulders, and Ahsch could see a number of feathers woven into the hood.

With another bow, the courier gestured to the hrafthi. "This would be Miss Rwnil, who delivered your letter, My Lord," she said.

"Thank you; I think that will be all."

With another bow, the lizard-girl left, and Ahsch and Rwnil looked at each other for a long moment. "Regardless of whether I teach you or not," the woman said, her voice carrying an odd sense of weight to it, "I think it best that I give you some advice: namely that you do not so much as touch the bonds between you and Phashak, nor that between you and your draconic observer... who I have to imagine is one of the Mystical Calamities from what I can sense."

Ahsch opened his mouth to respond, but found himself at a loss for words. "'The bonds between...'" he managed to echo after a moment.

Arching an eyebrow, the woman stepped closer, peering intently at him as she leaned over his desk, hands planted wide to either side. After a long moment, she asked, "How much _do _you know about bonds, boy?"

He quickly reviewed in his head. "Well... I have some Innate Magic that creates them between me and the target of the spell or ability... and I know of some more magic that does the same?"

Rwnil blinked at him in disbelief, then sighed, hanging her head. "I suppose 'nothing' is better than 'a lot, but wrong,'" she muttered. Straightening, she looked around Ahsch's office and frowned. "Is there somewhere less... confined where we can speak?"

"Uh..." he had to think for a moment. "There is the garden?"

She seemed skeptical, but nodded assent. "I doubt it could be worse than here."

Wincing slightly at the derision - and grateful it wasn't necessarily aimed at him - Ahsch led his guest through the suite to the far end. The garden was one of the more Mana-intense areas of the suite, as it was outdoors, yet shielded from the elements to a degree - after all, given how high up they were, the air was probably too thin to breathe properly, and the wind would cut straight to the bone. 'Garden' was also a poor descriptor, as, contrary to many things he did, Butler cultivated the space to have a more natural, unconstrained feel. Ahsch had no doubt that some pieces were specifically placed for effect, but just by looking, the lack of rows and columns and any real indication of organization lent a natural air to the garden.

Rwnil apparently agreed, given that she let out a mild hum of approval, before heading over to a bench, walking across from it, and sitting on the slowly-inclined trunk of a small tree. Ahsch took the bench. "Nothing you said was wrong," the woman began, "but spell effects only encompass a tiny, insignificant portion of bonds." She thought for a moment. "Take your relation with Phashak and her daughter: by meeting and interacting with you - and especially by having intent towards you - they have created a bond to you. Likewise, by having met and interacted with them - and by having at least some minor intent regarding them - you have created a bond to them."

She fell quiet, allowing Ahsch time to think. "You're speaking of singular bonds and... suggesting they go in one direction?" he finally asked.

"Correct. All bonds are one-way, but many are paired. That's not to say that sole bonds cannot be created, but in the case of people, that is often by design: an assassin will have a bond to their target, provided they have studied and observed the victim; but that target most likely won't have a bond towards their assassin until the deed is done. Put another way, the bond from a mother to her daughter is vastly different than that of a daughter to her mother, regardless of the age of either."

Ahsch nodded. "Okay, that makes sense. But how can you tell what bonds are which?"

Rwnil smiled. "Experience and sensitivity," she stated. "I have been dealing with bonds for far, far longer than you have walked this world, boy. Though the bond of a god is a difficult thing to mistake."

"You specified bonds between people, and I know about spell bonds," the woman raised an eyebrow. "I know _of _spell bonds," Ahsch corrected. "But what about other kinds?"

"Simply put, every thing in existence can have a bond with any other thing. A person and a place. A place and a time. A weapon and another weapon. Concepts and people. A god and a concept - though these are known as domains and are a bit more... involved." Rwnil paused, frowning as she once again peered at the younger hrafthi. "Or a boy and angels... your mother failed to mention that."

Ahsch tensed, and only grew more so when the woman looked even closer. "And... just the vaguest bond to concepts?" Her gaze met his. "Don't tell me... no, you're not a god. Not yet." She leaned back, thoughtful. "Explains Phashak's interest, I suppose," she muttered, her gaze shifting as though watching something move away from her. Then she sat up straight, eyes slightly wide. "What... your domains, boy!" she snapped.

"I..." he hesitated, still on edge from being found out.

"Now."

"Sex," he blurted, immediately blushing. "Sex and... bonds..." he added quietly. "And bodies and... uh... domination..."

Rwnil stared at him for a long moment, before leaning back and holding her forehead in her fingers. "I don't know whether to laugh or cry or scream," she sighed before looking back up at him between her fingers. "Or if I should end you before your recklessness causes a calamity.

Ahsch's jaw clenched, but he remained seated. He felt Mahat stirring in concern, but sent his intent for her to only stand by - he didn't want to provoke the woman.

A tense moment passed before Rwnil's gaze drifted to the side. "You can drop that veil, sheid," she called, her gaze fixed on something.

Ahsch blinked and turned, seeing nothi-

"How the fuck did you know I was there?" Avery asked, popping into existence with her rapier drawn.

"Bonds. The one between Ahsch and you moved, and a new one formed on me when you entered the garden." She smirked. "Also..."

An oppressive pressure suddenly appeared, causing both Ahsch and Avery to groan in pain, before it suddenly was gone. "I am much, much stronger than either of you."

Ahsch's mouth went dry. "Ascended," he breathed.

Rwnil nodded at him. "At least you recognize that, boy." Ahsch shivered. Ascended were practically demigods, having pushed past the normal mortal limits and became so saturated in Mana that their physical, mental, and magical capabilities were far beyond what most could accomplish. Much like how the reincarnation CEO hadn't included those who had pushed themselves in the averages - as even a Tier Three or Four was noticeably above the average of 10, let alone the Tier Ones who had at least one stat near 100 - Ascended obviously weren't included in the calculations, given that they had at least 500 in their magical stats.

How the fuck does mom know an ascended? Ahsch wondered.

"Suffice to say," Rwnil continued, "if I decided you were better off dead, there's nothing either of you could do to stop me. However," she paused, and Ahsch couldn't tell if it was for dramatic effect or to think, "I reserve judgement on that front. For now." A smirk grew on her face.