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12.06% Unbound Familiar / Chapter 86: Terrible Morning

Chapter 86: Terrible Morning

Michael stands stock still in his cage as the clamouring around him gets louder and louder. It gets so loud that it's defeating, giving him a migraine that seems to burrow into his skull and stabs at his brain. He can't even squint his eyes and grimace at it due to him not having control of his body, only making the sensation worse.

*Creeeak!*

The cage door opens and Sheffield steps inside with a large grin, she walks in and caresses his face like how a mother would inspect her son. Only, there were no tender feelings between them. "It's time again, Gandalfr. Wake up and give our guests a show... What shall we do today? Shall I have you tear your own nails off and hold your fingers in jars of salt? Shall I cover your legs in honey and have insects devour you?... Well? Give me your answer, pet, what would you prefer?"

...

"This is an order, Gandalfr, wake up and answer me. Wake up."

"Wake up."

"WAKE. UP!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael rapidly sits up and draws the dagger from beside him, his eyes shooting open as he scans the surroundings. His breathing was ragged and heavy, and his sleeping bag was moist and damp with what he hoped to be sweat... "Wha-t..." he mutters after spotting nothing in the surrounding forest, running a finger across his lips to check his teeth for the Nth time.

Finally, he shakes his head and scowls as he looks down at the dagger, "A dream. again... Damn." he growls, wondering how long he'd be visited by visions of Sheffield. He'd escaped from her clutches, yet it felt like she was hovering unseen over his shoulder no matter where he was.

"Maybe they'll stop when I carve my name into that bitches face." he murmurs, feeling like a pitiful child with the way he was agonizing over this.

He flips the Book of Commoners and opens Shadow Shaman's page, spotting Rhasta sleeping under a tree with some Serpent Wards curled up next to him...

"Hey, Rhasta?" Michael tentatively asks, not wanting to wake up the guy out of the blue with his own personal issues.

...

"Ya?" the shaman sounds out.

"Can we talk?... If you want to, that is." he mutters, feeling self-conscious for having to talk to him about this.

Rhasta rubs his eyes and sits up, looking straight at Michael with a curious yet tired look. "What's wrong, young one?"

Michael chews his lip for a moment before airing his thoughts, "I've been having trouble sleeping lately, and I keep dreaming of someone I dearly want to kill... Do you know if there's any way to stop these nightmares?" he asks.

...

Rhasta sighs, "I suppose you weren't treated well during your capture then, young one?" he says but doesn't wait for an answer, "Listen. I do not know exactly what you are feeling, but I myself was afflicted with terrible nightmare after my master, the one I considered my father, was murdered." he looks down at the ground solemnly, "I dreamt of that day every night for years, hearing his screams as those he had swindled butchered him like a pig..." Rhasta looks back up at Michael, "Understand young one, that these nightmares are but your fears made manifest. It was only when I came to terms with my master's death that I truly freed myself...

I do not know if it will be the same for yourself, but perhaps letting go of your anger and hate for those who made you suffer would free you too?" he ventures, but only succeeds in angering Michael.

"What? And let them get away with what they did to me!? I absolutely refuse! I promised to repay every single slight against me one hundredfold! I promise myself to tear them apart when I was free!... I won't allow them to escape after what they did to me." he flowers, his hands trembling as he tightly squeezes them, unable to restrain his hatred for those bastards.

"Now, now, young one... I wasn't suggesting to forget your quarry, only that you don't let your emotions dictate your actions! I know vengeance very well, after all, I massacred those that killed my master... But understand this, you are allowing them control over you if you let those feelings of hate fester!...

Think of it as a battleground! You are the commander, but the enemy leader knows of your hatred. As soon as you spot your hated enemy, you would concentrate your efforts on destroying them... But, the enemy knew this, allowing them to trap you... Your hatred makes you predictable, and weak! Overcome it and prove that you are stronger than the impression they left on you!" Rhasta states while pointing at Michael.

...

Michael sits against the tree with a hard look, he understood what Rhasta was saying, but it wasn't all that easy to forget. And it was even harder to try and ignore and overcome his hatred for his enemies. "I... I'll think about, Rha-Master Rhasta. Thank you for listening to me." he says, feeling slightly better after having this talk. While he didn't completely agree with what Rhasta said, he knew the man was far wiser than Michael himself was. He at least had the humility and self-awareness to know he could be wrong, and was willing to take Rhasta's advice for now.

"No problem young one, remember that I'm always willing to listen... Even if it's something embarrassing. After all, it isn't like I can tell anyone! Huahehahahaha!" he laughs as Michael closes the book, dematerialising it and leaning against the tree with a self-deprecating smile, which slowly turns into a frown as his thoughts drift. "I wonder what you'd think of me now, Lillith? Would you care that your brother's a killer? Would you be embarrassed that he's suffering from night terrors?" he mutters with a chuckle.

He stays there for ten minutes before shaking his head and packing up his sleeping bag, "Time to get moving I spose', can't wait around here all day, Tiffania's waiting for me."


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Niggross Niggross

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Chapter 87: Brimir Club for Cool Kids

A week quickly passes as Michael continues his efforts in finding Tiffania. Yet he'd not seen hide nor hair of her yet... He'd visited around ten or so villages thus far, yet not a single one had heard of the 'fairy' he was referring to. It was honestly kinda aggravating how lost he felt, fortunately, he had other things to focus on while he conducted his search. The first of which was actually Michael trying to learn Halkeginia's form of magic.

The magic theory book he possessed had finally reached the point where he'd learn what element he had the best affinity with. The ritual itself wasn't all that difficult to conduct, all it required was some lead paint infused with crushed gem fragments. Michael picked up the ingredients as he ventured through the villages, and now all that was left was to actually conduct it.

He kneels in the middle of the ritual circle and slowly moves his wooden wand in a strange pattern you supposedly needed to memorize. The chant itself was as self-masturbatory as you'd expect from a guy who called himself a god. It required you to beg for Brimir's grace and for the spirits to 'show your true self', whatever that meant.

Thankfully, he didn't have to do this for long until the wand glowed slightly, the lead paint under him composing the ritual circle slowly shifting to show his affinities. After a moment, the ritual ends and Michael stands, looking down at the circle with his theory book in hand. With that done, it should show what affinity he was best with.

Strangely, it seemed that there was more than one affinity shown, something the book didn't speak on at all. There, the symbols for Water, Fire, and something else the book had no information on. The symbols didn't glow all that brightly, meaning he only had a lesser affinity with them which would have upset him had he not possessed multiple affinities.

Michael takes a moment to analyse the third symbol and crooks a brow at how similar it is with the wind element... He had a few ideas on what this could be obviously... Lightning affinity. It makes sense as his Water Affinity would match with his Slark Spirit, and Fire and Lightning would coincide with Shadow Shaman. He wasn't shocked that the Spirits would have an effect on his elemental affinity, even if the book suggested that such external changes were impossible.

It wasn't as if the book and the Spirits made much sense in the first place anyway, if anyone found out just what the book was capable of then there'd be many wars started just to get their hands on it. After all, Michael was sure the power it could provide would eventually be universe destroying.

Dota 2 had characters which were way more powerful than just Gods. These were known as the Fundamentals, and they were essentially just manifestations of fundamental forces of the universe. Enigma for instance was the Fundamental of Gravity, and possessed the ability to casually create black holes that'd destroy entire universes... If Michael gained such power...

He shakes his head of those thoughts, he was a long, long way from getting to that point. He'd not even escaped Common Tier yet, and he had no idea how many more tiers there were until he reached the Fundamental Tier.

Anyway, with the ritual down, the next thing he needed to do was to actually try to cast some Halkeginia magic. The book possessed basic spells belonging to each element. A spark spell for Fire, Cool Breeze spell for Wind, Summon Pebble for Earth, and Conjuring Water for, well, water... There was also the element for Void, but, no one knew anything about it aside from the fact that Brimir once used it.

Regardless, Michael attempts to first Conjure some water, due to how useful such an ability would be while on the road. He makes the requisite wand movements, chants the correct words, channels his magic in the correct manner, and... Nothing happens.

Well, not 'nothing' per se, the tip of the wand lights up slightly at his attempt, but no spell is cast. "What? Why?" Michael mutters, wondering what he'd done wrong. According to the book, he'd done everything perfectly, yet...

He backtracks through the book to see if he'd missed something, going through the entire thing until he finds a single passage that might explain the problem...

"Brimir graced his descendants with magic so that we might fight off the heretical Elves who first stole the holy land. None who are not descended for Brimir can utilise his gift, not even the Elves who claim superior over magic can wield it, such is Brimir's will."

"... Well, fuck." he mutters, easily realising the problem.

Michael wasn't a descendant of Brimir, meaning he couldn't use his form of magic, even if he had the capability for it. That was a bummer, to say the least, this world's magic was far more flexible than anything he'd gain from his Dota Spirits... Still, this could mean that Elf magic is still an option...?

Michael honestly wasn't sure how the Elves of this world would react to him. Maybe he should visit with Tiffania, it'd probably go far better than if he went alone due to her being a half-elf... He'd probably be declared a heretic if any human found out though, not that such a title would change his situation much.

He lets out a sigh, "Just another thing to add to the list of shit to do I guess..." Michael pulls out his map and for the next village he'd be visiting... "Westwood, eh? Hmm, I've got a good feeling about this one." he mutters to himself as he folds the map away and starts heading in the direction of the village.


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Niggross Niggross

Hope you bois liked the chap, if I missed anything please let me know. Thanks!

Also, thanks to my patrons for their support :

ShinAmazake

Kingsprovince

Nazlican Erdem

Shameful69

JayJonnaJamison

Jack Allen

Faruk Ereng

Nathaniel Clayton

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