Chapter 14-390: A Road to Fake Archmagery (1/2)

“Shvaughn took Freyalise?” I was rather surprised. “I thought she would Bind and Consume the erlking for certain!”

“Shvaughn’s reasoning was that if another hamadryad popped up, she would likely be of Spring or Summer, and she would not be allowed to take them. However, erlkings by default are ravagers of civilization and killers of mortals looking to advance themselves, and she would certainly be allowed to take such.”

There was a ripple, and suddenly golden hair became elegant golden feathers that perfectly complemented fox ears, and draconic wings rippled to glistening, gleaming dark feathers. Clawed fingers that could chop up skulls as easily as water settled softly on the heads of the two Fey, who leaned into the touch despite themselves.

Black and gold theme. Danger, Will Robinson!...

“Hmm.” I could do it. My Binder Levels stacked on top of Druid and Wizard when dealing with entities of Nature here, and Fey were included. I could thus Bind 48 Hit Die worth of them, with a cap of 18 Hit Die from the Theurgy. That cap was 14 and 28 total for Miss Lilithi Five-Tail and things like her.

That would give me a full trio of Bound and Sealed entities, although at least one of them would be Going Away soon enough. Another week of burning slowly or so.

It was like the Shroud was preparing me for something like this with stupid Binder Levels and Summoning Feats and stuff.

I slid off Sleipner, feet not touching the ground. “You have their Truenames.”

Talons caressed cheeks, able to rend steel, making both Fey shudder as tails whispered over their skin. They blurted out the Names instantly.

I looked into the blue and gold eyes of the sylph, who looked accepting, defiant, eager, and afraid all at once. “By your Name, I Bind and Seal you,” I stated calmly, and expeditiously leaned forwards to kiss her and draw her in.

Wind swirled into my lungs and through me as she disincorporated, and went into the Sealing Tat on my back.

My wings popped out and spread wide. The silver on black Runes had now been incorporated into a dazzlingly beautiful butterfly-esque pattern, swirling with elemental power added to the magic there.

My new antennae reached out and twitched as I slid over to the nymph, gold and grey eyes staring at me with the exact same emotions, only this time adding desire to the mix.

Ah, the two of them were also more than good, good friends...

“By your Name, I Bind and Seal you,” I told her, and she leaned into it, and I let her taste holy fire before the magic activated, and she dissolved into wisps and a hale autumn wind that flowed through my lungs and into the Tat on my back.

And yes, I Feebleminded both of them, and Cursed their Wisdom down to 3. They were enemies of the advancement of mortals, and normally I would just kill them. I definitely wasn’t going to let their minds and wills influence my own directly, and they were Fey, living tropes. They couldn’t ‘just change’.

It was the penalty for all the deaths they were responsible for. It wasn’t the active malice of winter, but the cold and cruel impartiality of the most unconcerned aspects of Nature.

I could, however, dump a Geas onto them, and have them open up all their powers and memories to me. Normally such things would be a bargaining point between a Binder and Bound Entity, but I had no need to be polite here. What was theirs was now mine with to do as I wanted, as they were the losers in this fight.

Hmm!

“The great warlord looks marvelous inside My Warlock,” I observed, rising to my feet and smiling at Legion. We took a step together and flowed into an embrace as if made for this, new Fey energies joining the dance of Wrath, ki, and holy magic.

“His harem grows without him,” Legion murmured as we parted, blue and green around silver on black Mask of Tats glowing as they feasted at the sight of me.

“Binia and Usephila, however?” I touched their antennae with mine.

“Well, they were not his lovers, and we did not want them to go to Shvaughn, who has Encela and Nipeotryx.” I inclined my head, tallying up the three sylphs and nine nymphs of who had followed Freyalise. “Our lovers we reserved for our lovers, as it were.”

I had to smile. “And you think I do not know of the dryads among her Royal Guard?” I laughed softly. “And the satyrs, who were his Secondary Grantors?”

“Yes, we had to split them with Shvaughn. The satyrs are unrestrained womanizers who are massively turned on by their current circumstances.”

“I did say dryads were in your future, did I not?”

“You did.” We kissed again, and I enjoyed the ethereal feeling of fey magic mixed with some new elemental potency there. “Was the Binding useful?” they asked, parting while our antennae still danced.

“The two of them are hundreds of years old. It will take time to go through their insights, and effectively make a Permanent Binding.” Which I would do. “I am curious if it will break Twenty for me, but I doubt it.”

“Twenty?” They blinked at me. “How?”

“My current Wizard Level is Five. I have nine Faux Levels layered on it via the Double Helix.”

They glanced at my antennae and newly ornate wings. “Limalisx is a Twelve...” they murmured.