Familiars are formed from a bond, not a command. While the prospective familiar can be bought, the bond itself cannot be forced, summoned, or purchased. The familiar link must be formed through a connection between the souls. This is often why druids are the most common class to have a familiar; they spend so much of their time bonding with nature that the familiar bond is effortless.

  -Traveler’s lecture on familiars.

  With the boss and the noble taken care of, there’s no one else left in the underground pond. I see the body of the boss slip into the murky depths before the water drains, and a stairwell appears on the far side of the cavern. Light drifts down the stairs, revealing four items on the ground. I walk over to see a heater shield made of metal with flowing patterns engraved in the metal, a set of pristine white silk gloves, a steel sword with similar engravings to the shield, and a plain steel chest plate.

  I whistle as I look over the loot. I had hoped to be able to use some of the artifacts, but all of them will be beneficial to me. I don’t hesitate to don the items, starting with the caster’s gloves. They will benefit my magic the most, but I need to think more about what spell I would store in the gloves. I slip on the chest plate, wrap the shield around my left hand, and slide the naked sword in my tunic belt. I will need to find a sheath for it. Next, I look at my notifications.

  A grin sneaks on my face as I see not one but two level-ups. A welcome message, considering I had sacrificed the free level up for a chance at survival. There’s nothing like level-ups to brighten the mood after a pyrrhic victory. I jump up and pump my fists.

  I spread my points out, adding two to charisma, strength, dexterity, agility, and endurance. A quick boost to all the stats I have neglected. With my new ability to generate mana, my endurance will determine how long I can last in battles.

  I look across the room and raise the remaining knight to help carry the remaining gear. Neither of the knights had enchanted gear, aside from the hammer, but the noble decked out.

  I slip his rings into a pocket sewn into the robe to examine later. I look at his other items. The orb has a few points of wisdom and allows the user to store light in the orb. A neat trick for a light affinity user, but not useful for me. He has a few other items on him that are enchanted, but most of them revolve around his light affinity. The red overcloak, I'm surprised to learn, contains fire resistance and a considerable amount of it, too.

  A strange decision to wear fire resistance in the midst of a domain dominated by fire affinity users. I wonder if he had it in case the Heartbrans ever turn on him. Not pondering it for long, I put on the overcloak and let the zombie carry the rest.

  I’m not going to carry the bodies out. The poor state and the missing hole in the noble’s chest aren’t anything I want being examined in any detail. I wind my way back through the dungeon, trying to think of ways to distract the guards when I get back, so Morgana can sneak out. To my surprise, it’s a non-issue. There is no one at the entrance when I get back.

  Morgana and I slip through the garden. With no guards around, this is Morgana’s best opportunity to sneak off unnoticed. She treks off into the woods as I make my way back into my room. I don’t quite remember the way, but with only a few unintentional detours, I make it back to where I started the day. I close the door behind me and have the knight posted outside. I set down the gear I pulled off the noble and more mundane items from the shield knight before making my way down the dining hall for some food.

  Once I offload most of my gear, I look outside my room again. In all the time I have been at the mansion, I’ve never been alone. Guards were stationed outside my room, at intersections, and just outside the building. I haven’t heard any echoes of fighting or seen any burning buildings so far. I’m a little cautious as I walk back into the hall and go towards the kitchen.

  I take in a deep breath and release it. No one would know about my third affinity or what happened in the dungeon; Morgana saw to that.

  After five minutes of wandering, the smell of food leads me to the right place. I poke my head in to see two women busy kneading bread and cutting vegetables. The smell of spices fills the warm, humid air. When they see me, they pause, and I can feel a subtle fear leak from them.

  “Hi there,” I say in the most upbeat tone I can muster. “I’m wondering if you could give me some food.”

  They look at me, then around themselves as if in the mountains of dough, vegetables, and meat, there is nothing to eat. Well, none of that is cooked, so I guess it’s not edible.

  “O-of course, my lord. What would you like?” The closest woman says with only a minor stutter. I follow her eyes to my chest, where my robes are soaked with blood. It had been so long since the fight I had forgotten, but even if I did remember my bloody clothes, I didn’t have a lot of alternatives. Putting on my dress suit would only get it covered in blood, too.

  “I’m thinking some bread and whatever else might go with it,” I say in my friendliest tone.

  The woman quickly grabs one of the freshly baked loaves of bread hidden behind a basket of corn. Food in hand, she looks around frantically. “I’m sorry, m’lord, I can take it out to you in the dining hall. It’s quite a mess in here.”

  “Oh, I do not mind if it is ok with you, I see some space over on that table.” I see as I point to a wooden bench that is mostly covered in a smattering of various jars of spices or bowls full of cooking knives.

  She hurries over to give me a plate, some bread, and a ladleful of hot stew in a bowl. I give thanks and dig in. The women resume working, but I can see something is bothering them, and I’m not sure if it is me or something to do with all the guards missing. Either problem will be easier to solve with a full stomach.

  “The hallways look empty earlier, do you know what is going on?”

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  They pause in their work until one stutters, “N-no my lord.”

  As I finish up, a servant bursts in. “Lord Heartbran has ordered me to bring food. Where’s Arnold?”

  “He’s grabbing more meat from the butcher for the stew. The bread is ready, but we need more time to make stew if we are going to feed the entire manse.” One of the cooks answers.

  “I guess that’ll have to do. The nobles are quite anxious. Best to break open some sugar for a few sweets.” As he’s about to leave, his eyes latch onto me.

  “Wait, who are you and what are you doing in here?” He asks.

  I shrug, “I’m hungry, so I came to get some food.”

  Whatever he was about to say catches in his throat as I see the light of recognition in his eyes, “You’re that wilder that entered the estate a few days ago.”

  I give him a big grin, “That’s me.”

  He looks like he’s chewing something over.

  “The man looks famished, give him another portion,” then mutters, “This is going to be a long night.”

  The ladies murmur acknowledgment as they give me another helping of stew. I savor the second portion, enjoying the rich spices until I feel stuffed. After I thank the cooks, I start to make my way back to the room. I start thinking about what I will do next. Next, not only in the next few minutes but the subsequent months to come.

  With the guards occupied, this is the perfect time to sneak out. Aside from the dungeon run, nothing good has come from taking Olivia home. It has been more of a ‘no good deed goes unpunished’ situation. I don’t regret helping her, but I also don’t see a reason to stay. Sure, there is the “reward,” but the dungeon drove home how much danger there is here.

  If one noble finds out my secret, I’ll be in considerable trouble. With my training stones and enchanted gear, I’m confident I can hole up in some mountain as I hone my skills. Making it on my own until I’m strong enough to defend myself. I will sell the enchant items I didn’t need for food and spend my time using the training stones. If I need more money, I will earn it hunting monsters for quests. I like the plan, but it does sound a little lonely.

  As I near my room, I notice there are two guards standing in front of my room, eying the undead guard I had stationed. Their hands rest calmly on their weapons.

  All of the hallways are empty except for the guards in front of my room. I think back to the servant in the kitchen. Suddenly, the offer of more food doesn’t seem so benevolent. It was a stalling tactic so someone could intercept me at my room.

  As I near them, I see both holding what look like giant tiki torches, except they were made of metal. One of the guards silently opens the door and motions for me to go in. I slip inside to find two identical torches mounted to the end of the bed, like those in the guard’s hands outside my room. They are standing up on either side of my bed, so they light up the room.

  “I was quite surprised when I learned of your return alone. Of all those who journey in, I thought you would be the least likely to make it out.” A feminine voice cuts through the dim light of the room. I turn around with a start to find Lady Heartbran sitting in one of the chairs. I had been so focused on the peculiarity of the guards that I didn’t reach out with my empathy to the room.

  Her eyes flick to the pile of armor and gear sitting in the corner. “I assume the others did not make it.”

  I shake my head to confirm her statement.

  “A pity,” she says. “Lord Brighteye did not have much to his name, but he did have initiative in abundance. Of course, that is why I chose him to go with you.” I ponder her statement, wondering which she favors more, his not having much, should he disappear, or his initiative to act.

  She sighs, “I see you are not much for talking tonight, so I will get straight to the point. You create a problem for me. You are clearly quite capable despite your appearance, but no one misplaces a mage of your lineage. If I take you in, I welcome unknown enemies, but getting rid of you might cause just as many problems.”

  I swallow as I feel the tension come to a head, “Are you going to have me marry Olivia?”

  She bursts out laughing. Wipes tears from her eyes. Then, as her episode tapers off, she chuckles some more.

  “Oh, Olympus no. I see what you are thinking. The weak lineage rumors could be dealt with if we introduce new, fresh blood,” Her eyes then sharpen just a little, “of a potent mage lineage.”

  She pauses to gather herself again. “No, if she were married, our enemies would swarm and fall on us by year’s end -if we are lucky. Despite the rumors, it’s just part of the negotiation of marriage contracts. They say our hand is weak, and we say it’s not, but none of that really matters until the final deal is struck. The greater danger is those who no longer see opportunity through bargaining, so they will try to take what they can through force.”

  She straightens up, and the smirk slips from her face, “So tell me, young wilder, why should I not throw you in a cage for whoever is hunting you and be done with you?”

  My blood goes cold. The threats, the blackmail, and every injustice I have gotten since arriving meld into a cold, calculating anger. Slowly, I begin cycling my darkness mana, breathing it in and pushing it out. The two torches providing some light ward away darkness mana, but they are only small flames in the vastness of the night.

  “I think you have things backwards. It’s your house that owes me the favor, and I would ask why I should have anything to do with a house that has enemies on all sides.” I say, projecting confidence as I continue to build my strength. It’s not hard with ice running through my veins.

  I ready myself to snuff out the torches with water and summon my shadow armor. I’m sure she can make the fires much larger, but if I snuff even one of them out, I will greatly reduce her ability to channel fire. I’m not sure what her affinity is, but with the torches and being of house Heartbran, it’s a safe bet it’s fire or light. The only sources of that right now are the torches in the room.

  “Quite the sharp tongue. Benjamin said you were told of the tragedy of tri-mages. Maybe I should lock you up for your own good?” She says with a teasing smile.

  I begin to cycle faster, feeling the cold night seep into me. Power at my fingertips, ready for my command. I feel it beckons me to act, to flee, or to move.

  Her smile only deepens as she looks at me, like a predator would look at prey. “Do not worry, I’m not sure how you fooled the test in the city, but it's better for you all you aren’t tested again. What the test might be is far more valuable than what it is.”

  I’m starting to see her thought process, or more importantly, the pattern of how she operates. It’s not hard to understand what she’s saying. She could‘ve forced me to take the test, but then she would know. She would have a duty to act.

  To her, if I’m a tri-mage, she’ll be in hot water. If I’m a dual mage, then she can’t act as though I might be a tri-mage. As things stand, she could act in whichever way benefits her most. A tri-mage if I’m on her bad side and a dual mage if I’m on her good side. She wants options, not truth.

  I lick my lips, feeling the power building within me, calling to me, begging for me to act. I feel the shadows tugging at my aura to enact my will as I get close to bursting, yet even so, I pull more. I hold it at bay, even as the shadows begin sliding over me, nipping at the flickers of light on my cloak. “You have something in mind. You have knights but are short on magi, but for what?”

  She shrugs, “To protect us from the wolves at our gate, to bolster our strength for the opportunities to come, or maybe to marry Olivia.” She says the last line with a teasing wink.

  “House Heartbran finds itself suddenly short a branch member. As your reward, we will offer you the branch position. As part of your reward, we will offer you three personal guards from the house knight heraldry, a hundred gold, and a spot to run the recently evolved dungeon sometime in the next few weeks. Ah, and of course, staff to support your house, we cannot have everyone knowing just how na?ve you are.”

  I’m a little taken aback. Being promoted to a branch membership of the house is not something I’m expecting.

  “I will throw in a few staff members as well. You are quite resourceful, but dungeons are not the only battlefields we fight in the game of houses. You, Wilder, are underprepared, and that cannot stand. Now, I must know your answer. I am not going to make a fool of myself by announcing this offer in court without knowing you will accept.”

  My blood sings to me as I feel the tingle of power building in my core. The stillness of darkness just under my skin vibrates with potential. I stand still, breathing but not daring to move. A moment of clarity hits me, where I see her as an adversary. She will always seek to control and manipulate me. I’m just a piece to be moved on a board in her eyes.

  I imagine unleashing the darkness like a wave, ripping the woman out of the room, and quenching the fire. While Morgana finishes her, I let the shadows flow forth, taking out the guards. I will lay waste to anything in my way as I carve a path into the wilderness where I will accumulate enough power to force the humans and elves to their knees.

  I will be an emperor who brought low the mighty egos of those who would force endless war. The humans and elves will kick and scream as I drag them, against their will, to a peace their minds can not conceive, as clouded by hatred as they were.

  The darkness builds in me like a rising tide, waiting to be unleashed. Reality is puddy in my hands, ready to be molded. I know as the power within me grows that in this moment, I’m a conduit of change. The question of ‘if’ or ‘how’ I can accomplish my goals is irrelevant. I only need to will it to happen, and the darkness suffused with my mana will jump to eagerly make it so.

  At the height of my power, when I can take in no more darkness into myself, and my aura aches with the power contained within, I see faces emerge in my mind’s eye. I see my mother and sister crying over my father’s coffin. I see Euberon’s family crying over their son. I imagine Olivia doing the same.

  My eyes flick over to the conniving woman, and I frown. That path isn’t who I am. I’m not going to murder indiscriminately, justifying the means with the ends. With my head clouded with power, I can’t see anything wrong with the path I imagined. I will save more lives, I will bring peace, and I will have the power to punish those who were responsible for bringing about the death and disorder in the world. In that moment, it’s not about the path; it’s about me. That course isn’t who I am or who I want to be. I will choose my own future and follow it to its end.

  Lady Heartbran brings me out of my inner thoughts, “You are hesitating, Wilder; I promise you the other options will not end well for you. I didn’t think I would need to remind you of your position. You have no power unless I give it to you, but power comes with a price.”

  She crosses her legs and straightens as she lets a silver ring dance in the light. So full of the darkness affinity I can almost taste the ways it brings order to the frantic mana in the room. She continues, “You are in my house, stripped of your magic by the house field, surrounded by adversaries, and I am offering your only way out.”

  The power singing to me almost deafens her words; it takes considerable will not to unleash it in the face of her threat. She has coaxed those enemies to attack me, to test me. All I need is a flick of my finger to pull her out of the room to Morgana waiting above.

  I close my eyes and take a breath to center myself. I’m not going to leave. I’m not going to run away. I’m not going to bend. I will take everything she gives and forge it into something that will change the world, so nothing will ever happen like what happened to Morgana.

  “I will take on the mantle of a branch house.” I mentally begin to release my hold on the. I will walk the path -my path, no matter how narrow it becomes. Not a slave but not a murderer.