Chapter 346: The Vargulfening (1/2)
”I have made the connection.” Aberth murmured. ”After a few minutes I should be able to…hmm.”
”What's the matter?” Mike asked, disembodied head slowly floating in a lazy orbit around the fallen god.
”You did not tell me that the one you are looking for was a Vargulf.”
”She's not. Well, I should say that she isn't one anymore.”
Aberth glanced at him. ”Please explain. To my knowledge, there is no means of returning one of them to their original state.”
”Honestly? I don't know, really. When I encountered her originally, I noticed that she had some unusual abilities. Out of curiosity, I attempted to cure her affliction with Healing Magic. While it was a difficult process for both of us, I eventually succeeded.”
”That shouldn't be possible. The transformation into a Vargulf is not an affliction so much as a metamorphosis. The system does not recognize it as an abnormal condition, and therefore it should not be possible to 'cure' it, regardless of the method you employed. There should be more to the story.”
Mike frowned in thought. ”Well, the only other thing I can think of is the fact that she ended up as my familiar in the process.”
”…You made a sentient humanoid into a familiar?” Aberth asked incredulously.
”Not intentionally.” He shot back defensively.
”Still, that should also be impossible, at least with the original version of the skill. Perhaps if there was a strong enough link between the two of you…no, even then there would need to be an incredible difference in soul density.” The god spoke, almost to himself, as he gracefully paced along the shelves of the inventory/pantry. ”Tell me, are you by any chance a fallen deity or some kind of divine being from another realm?”
Mike shook his head. He considered explaining his situation as a Reincarnator, but wasn't sure if he could trust Aberth yet. For all that he appeared to be sane and reasonable, there was no telling how a millennia old divinity would react to that piece of information.
”Then I can only assume it was some fluke of circumstance. Nevertheless, if she is truly your familiar, then there should be no need for my involvement.”
”Normally that would be the case, but several hours ago the connection was severed. I don't know how, but I do know that the process was immensely painful for her.”
Aberth rested a finger along his right cheek in an unconscious gesture of concentration, a surprisingly human affectation. After a few moments he said, ”There are a few ways to break that kind of bond. Most require the master's permission, or, at the very least, presence. To my knowledge, there is only one that can be used in this manner. Her abductors would have needed to remove or destroy the portion of her soul that was bound to you. Something that would not only have been immensely painful, but left her weak and vulnerable until she healed.”
”What would something like that take? How would they even do that?”
”There are some magics in this world that can even affect the soul. Typically, such things are only available to practitioners of Divine Magic, but Arcane mages can learn a few tricks. I suspect that you, with your Elemental Healing Magic, are also capable of such a feat. No doubt that played a role in causing her change of form to begin with. However, of the various options, I suspect that the perpetrator used a ritual based on Divine Magic. It would simply be the most straightforward option given their resources.”
”I see…I'll have to apologize for getting her into this mess when I finally find her. Speaking of which, have you narrowed down her location.”
Aberth shook his head. ”I am still working on it. There are some complications which have increased the difficulty of the task.”
”What complications?” Mike asked, feeling slightly apprehensive.
”Her identity as a Vargulf has changed things. They are creatures of intense hunger, even in comparison to other vampires. Quite simply put, my connection with her has driven her into a frenzy, and attempting to determine something as complex as her precise location based on her sensory input is challenging to say the least. I am attempting to use others of my kin in the same location to learn more, but unfortunately, your former familiar is making that difficult as well.”
”But she's no longer a Vargulf, right?”
”It seems you are under a false impression.” Aberth replied with a sad smile. ”As I said before, the transformation into a Vargulf is irreversible by anything short of divine intervention. I believe that your familiar bond, coupled with your mastery of Healing Magic allowed you to force her into a temporary reversion. Once that bond was severed, it was only a matter of time before she returned to her natural state. My involvement only hastened the process.”
”I see…”
Mike had to digest this for a moment. Truth be told, he'd never questioned the miraculous transformation before, assuming that his innate luck had made it possible. It never occurred to him that he was only temporarily changing her form. For some reason, the idea bothered him. It felt like a bond of obligation that was tying him down.
After some further introspection, he determined the origin of the sensation.
[I never did plan on staying in this world forever, did I? As soon as I discovered there were ways to travel to other dimensions, a part of me had always planned on leaving. And yet, I understand that in doing so I would have to give up on the things left in this world to some extent. I would need to leave behind the people here. To be reminded of the fact that my departure might cause those closest to me to suffer, is…unsettling.]