The Land: Forging (Chaos Seeds Book 2) (9 page)

Richter returned his attention to the source of his ire, “Well Futen? I’m waiting!”

“I do not believe that was a lower plane of existence.”

“What,” Richter asked exasperated and confused.

“You asked what type of hell that was. It was not a hell. It was simply an alternate dimension.”

Richter ground his teeth. The lack of idioms in this new world was going to kill him! This stupid conversation was not helping the headache that had barely started to subside. Through gritted teeth he said, “I wasn’t asking if that was a hell or an underworld. I was asking you why I was almost eaten by a dinosaur on steroids when I was trying to summon a familiar. Was that thing it?”

“Ah, thank you for clarifying, my Lord. As you know, my memory is still fragmented, but I have no recollection of a familiar trying to eat its master. Except for perhaps a demon familiar. As we have already
established, however, that portal did not go to a netherworld.”

Futen’s inane babble was driving him crazy, “So what was that thing?!” Richter felt like he was shouting. Was he shouting? He couldn’t be sure. His ears were still ringing from clunking his noggin.

“I believe that ‘thing’ was a monster intent on eating you, my Lord.”

Richter just started his silent mantra, ‘Don’t kill him, Don’t shoot him, Don’t see if you can light him on fire. Don’t kill him, Don’t shoot him, Don’t see if you can light him on fire.” By his fifth
iteration,
he was calm again and opened his eyes. In a tranquil
voice, he said, “Futen.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

“Then where is my familiar.”

“Behind you, my Lord.”

“What,” Richter asked as he twisted in the sitting position he still occupied. He turned almost all the way
around
and locked eyes with the small creature on the ground behind him. His world changed forever.

Know this! You have summoned your soul’s familiar. Every living being is born incomplete. Connecting with others is the only way to move beyond this limitation. You have cast the spell: Summon Soul Familiar. The spell has reached across all timelines, dimensions, realities and fractal causalities to find another piece of your fragmented soul. You and
your familiar are bound until this Universe ends and all souls are once again returned to the True Essence.

Know this! Unlike the paltry connection of most mages and familiars, the Soul Bond between you and your soul familiar has unlimited benefits. You will have to discover these over time, but
the first is perhaps the most powerful. Abilities are bound to the soul. As such you will have access to some of your familiar’s abilities. Increasing your familiar’s strength and level will unlock further abilities for you to access.

Congratulations! You have been granted the Ability: Psi Bond. Thoughts can be shared with another being that has the ability Psi Bond. A connection can only be completed by both parties being willing to participate.

Congratulations! You have bonded your soul familiar. You’re familiar is a Psi Dragonling.

Know this! You have summoned your soul familiar at the center of your Place of Power. As you level your Place of Power, your familiar will evolve. As Master of a Place of Power, your familiar has the ability to cast spells in any Power you unlock, and the associated resistances. You’re familiar has access
to: Air magic.

The psi dragonling was about a foot and a half long. Its tail was another foot long and was a deep black. The body was long and sleek. The
diamond-shaped scales on its appendages and back were slate grey, like the color of a storm in late
afternoon. No light reflected off of its hide. The lack of shine didn’t make it look boring or dingy, however. It looked beautiful. Two wings were folded against its sides. They were the same color as the body. It sat up with its two back haunches folded and its two front legs extended. The dragonling stared up into Richter’s eyes. He didn’t know what to do with this new creature which was bound to him, for eternity it sounded like. He was about to reach out to touch it when he heard a small voice.

*
Hungry!*

Richter was confused for a moment. The voice was different than anything it had ever heard. It was slightly high pitched and definitely insistent. It didn’t seem to come from any direction, however. Had the familiar spoken?

“Say that again,” he said.

*
Meat!*

Richter pulled his head back slightly. He narrowed his eyes and shook his head lightly. He focused on the small dragon and thought
at it, *
Did you just say you were hungry?
*

*
MEAT!
*

The dragonling blew a small but strong burst of air into Richter’s face. It felt like being whacked in the forehead with a chicken leg. His head jolted back slightly, and he looked at his new life long companion with an amused grin. Well, Richter thought, I guess I don’t like stupid questions either.

“Come on little guy. Let’s get some food.”

Another gust of air struck Richter in the eye.

“Gah! What was that for?”

The dragonling just stared at him
and extended its neck to full extension, head cocked slightly to the side.

“Girl,” Richter asked with a questioning note in his voice. The dragonling relaxed and purred slightly. “Okay girl, let’s go get some food.”

He stood up
and then turned to face his familiar. He was about to reach down and pick her
up
when dragonling hunched her body and with a powerful jump, launched into the air. One flap of her wings allowed her to gain altitude. Soon the familiar was gliding lazily above Richter’s head. Fair enough, Richter thought.

He started walking to the exit. Before he got to the
tunnel,
a slight weight settled onto him. The dragonling had landed on his shoulders, draped across him like a mink stole. She wrapped her tail around his arm to secure her position. Her weight was in no way troublesome. He had expected a reptile to be cool or slimy, but she radiated a gentle heat. Shaking his head in disbelief of how his life had changed in the last few minutes, he continued into the tunnel.

Soooo, my soul familiar is a demanding female who rejects offered affection
but later clings to me in a way that everyone can see… There is probably a lesson in all of this…, Richter thought. Then the dragonling jumped off of him and dug her claws into one of the wall draperies, and all he said, “Oh shit, my rug!”

CHAPTER 5

Richter walked outside and looked out over his village. His people moved about with purpose and with smiles on their faces. He was witnessing the beginning of something special, he realized. Building this village was a cause worth devoting his new life to.

Apparently none of the events in the chamber of the Great Seal had registered on the people outside. He looked farther out over the surrounding land to see the translucent mists. When they disappeared later, it might cause a bit of an uproar. He decided to make an announcement before people panicked. Cupping his hands to his mouth, he shouted.

“Everyone! Everyone! Please give me your attention.” His familiar shuffled a bit on his shoulders at his shout.

A few people heard him, who then nudged others to give their attention. After a minute, everyone within sight had stopped what they were doing and were looking up at him. “Again, I am so happy to see all of you again! We are already transforming this place. It is no longer the blank slate that we saw when we got off the ships! It has become fields for food,
hearths
for warmth, and roofs for shelter. It is becoming a home!” There were cheers from all around.

“I want to spend more time with each and every one of you, but first I wanted to tell you a few things. One, the mists ringing the town will dissipate through the night. They will be back tomorrow morning, but for
now,
no one should go out past the moat ringing the town. For that reason, we will be withdrawing the logs that serve as our bridge across the moat. We will also be shutting the gate until the protective enchantment is back in place.”

Richter made eye contact with one of the men who was serving as a guard in the village, “Gather all of the other guards, and make sure no one is beyond the walls. I see that everyone working the fields looks to have come back in for the night, but I want to know without a doubt. Please do that now. I want the gates closed in twenty minutes.” The man gave a salute and ran off.

Turning his head to address the crowd again Richter said, “The next announcement concerns what many of you seem to be pointing at. This is my new familiar. She is a psi dragonling. She won’t hurt anyone, but you will be seeing her around so please don’t be alarmed.”

He thought at her quickly, *
You won’t hurt anyone, right?
* She just gave an uninterested sniff. Taking that as
affirmation, Richter continued.

“Lastly, I’m sure you have all seen our friends the Wood Sprites throughout the village. Some of you may have been here earlier, but I’ll repeat for those of you who were not. Tonight we will be planting a Seed Core. It will grow a magical tree that will greatly benefit us. The Hearth Mother has done us the great favor of placing a blessing upon the Seed that will let it grow much quicker than otherwise possible. We are truly lucky to have such good friends!”
Richter looked up at the darkening sky. The color was not just due to the setting sun, but
also
because it was heavy with storm clouds. Richter gave a laugh, “All are welcome to attend the
ceremony
if
you’re willing to brave a little rain.”

The people laughed good-naturedly
along with him. A sympathy laugh, Richter thought, but I’ll take it. Richter raised his hand to signal that he was done speaking. The people dispersed and he walked down the slope that led from the tunnel to the village below. One of the sprites met him at the bottom. The green clad warrior stared at Richter’s familiar before speaking.

“The Hearth Mother is at the lake in the hills north of the village. She asks that you join her. She says that there is no rush, but to please come before sunset.”

“Please tell her I’ll be there soon.” He would have gone straight there, but a stream of air into his ear reminded him of his responsibilities.

He turned his head to look at the dragonling, “Don’t go getting fresh.” His familiar didn’t deign to reply. A quick question to a passing villager pointed him in the direction of the makeshift
store houses
for their food. He walked up to the small series of sheds. He was about to open the first
door
when his familiar jumped off his shoulders with a shriek. She glided through the air and landed on a deer that a hunter was dressing with a
broad-bladed
knife. The man stumbled back with a startled cry and raised his dagger. The dragonling hissed at the man, then turned back to the deer. She stuck her face into the bloody haunch, and then began tearing off bloody chunks and swallowing them whole.

Richter took in the scene
and recognized it for what it truly was, a calamity in the making. There would be no
bloodshed right now
because he was here to intervene. In the
future,
however, that was not necessarily a sure thing. He needed to deal with this now. Better to establish boundaries early. He walked up to the dragonling, and said, “Stop.”

His familiar ignored him. He repeated himself only louder but had the same result. Having had enough, he reached out and yanked the deer to the ground. *
STOP!
*

The dragonling grabbed hold of the wooden frame that the deer had been hanging from. She twisted her sinuous neck to stare at Richter. She let loose a harsh hiss and bared her fangs at him.

Richter didn’t move. He just looked into his familiar’s eyes and waited for whatever would happen. He knew two things. One, in every pack there was an alpha. Two, that alpha was him. They stared at each other for long minutes, the dragonling’s back arched as she hissed at him intermittently. After a
time, she stopped baring her teeth,
though her wings remained flared.

*Mine,* she thought at him defiantly projecting an image of the deer carcass

He had a feeling that a well-reasoned
argument would not convince his familiar.
Instead, he thought of the image of her sitting on his shoulders, and communicated the thought, *
Family*.
Then he
thought of looking at all of the people who had listened to his announcement. He projected
*family*
again, but with less intensity. Then he thought of the hunter and repeated
*family*
at the same level. Finally, he projected the image of the deer carcass back to her, *
Ours.
*