The Chronicles of a Scalebound Sage: Wandmaker Vol.2

WM [50] Honored Guests

Bjorn opened his eyes and gasped as his consciousness returned to the real world. He found that virtually no time at all had passed and Tanisha was still practicing her breathing. His spike in emotion alerted Tanisha whose eyes shot open and in a blink she was at his side holding on to him. Her concern and embrace felt reassuring as he leaned into her.

"Everything alright, Big Man?" Tanisha asked.

"Bjorn, I don't know what you did but we got one of the shared skills unlocked." Failsafe said cheerily. "As soon as she touched us it unlocked one of them!"

It took Bjorn a minute to respond to either of them. His response to Tanisha was returning her nuzzles and sending her a wave of reassurance through the bond. She seemed pleased by the response and stayed cuddled next to him while still practicing her breathing and magic circulation.

"I will take a look but you sound really excited." Bjorn said in his head.

Failsafe responded with nearly squealing excitement. "Of course I am, this is the first step to really understanding how this new soul tethering magic works. In fact you should be more excited!"

Bjorn flinched at that remark. He probably would have been excited if he hadn't just found out that his soul tethering was him putting a chain of servitude around Tanisha's neck. That he was the reason for her recent distress and shift in personality. He tried not to think about it. He would talk to Tanisha once they were somewhere he could write on the ground.

"Right-right, shall I take a look then?" Bjorn said absently.

Failsafe yelled with rushed glee, "yes, hurry up!"

Air Claws

Commune with your master to unlock.

Aetheric Scales

You have felt the power of your master's aura and mantle and embraced the influence of the chain breaker. The power you felt now resides within you. Call forth the power that defends you from harm. Harden your scales with the aetheric touch. As this is a shared natural ability you can not level this ability by any means but through communing with your master. This ability is tied to your master, should your master die or reject your bond you must reclaim her soul or you will lose this ability.

Hydromancy

Commune with your master to unlock.

Water Light

Commune with your master to unlock.

Hydro-breath

Commune with your master to unlock.

Page 2 of 2

"It is a replacement for the maya scales we had," Failsafe said. "Bjorn? Hey did you hear me?"

Bjorn didn't respond; he merely read and reread the last sentence over and over. He couldn't help but think that that wasn't right, that there was something wrong with how the skill functioned. If Tanisha rejected the bond or she died he would have to reclaim her soul? Did that mean he could control her soul or force her to establish the bond? If she was alive, would he have to kill her?

***

The office was far too lavish for Signe's tastes, again favoring the human's sensibilities of form over function. Signe doubted most of the furniture would last more than a hundred and fifty years. It felt like a waste of money and resources, and she resolved to send an auditor to comb through the financial records of the border. A single window no larger than a missing brick in the defensive structure was the only source of natural light and ventilation.