Bonded Summoner

BS7 - Chapter 5: Fhesiah and Nessa - Cleanup and Celebration

BS7 - Chapter 5: Fhesiah and Nessa - Cleanup and Celebration

They spent some time freeing the captives and hunting down cultists, and they got to test Sati and Ruby’s capability in finding them. They managed to clear out all of the cultists from the building, calling in the ship worth of reinforcements. There were numerous other cultists within the dungeons, as well as the upper levels.

On Jake’s side, Jake, Avalara’s Battle Avatar, and Ophelia took down their altar to Balor with no difficulties. His Scorching Ray, combined with Avalara’s usage of her flames of conflict and Ophelia’s powerful righteous vajrafire flames, cut through the malevolence with ease. All had the powers of purification, and the cultists were no match for Jake’s summoned monster and beastkin army.

Tanda’s was easy for a different reason, as she had the most numbers with her. With the Radiant Sun Sect and Blizzardblade Clan, and a handful of strong Celestial Nekomatas, they took out the altar and the many cultists.

After wrapping up their tasks, Fhesiah’s party got back on the ship. They had many former captives in tow that would require healing and relocation, and even removal of some of their corruption. Many of their homes were destroyed as if the sect wanted to wipe them off the map, so others wouldn’t realize they were gone with enough time passed.

Jake could just call Fhesiah at any moment now, but she wanted to have at least one more chat with the shy snake girl.

Fhesiah smiled at Nessa as they once again stood on the deck. “So, it looks like Jake and Tanda’s parties were victorious. Party at your place?”

Nessa hesitated. “Um, don’t you guys have somewhere else you need to be? We do appreciate your assistance, but thanks to your success with extracting details from the cultists, I do think you’ve helped more than enough. We do need to continue with recruitment for a time and campaigning for Initiation, but... I wouldn’t feel bad if you headed home now. You did offer me Sati and Ruby here, after all.”

Fhesiah smirked. It seemed this Nordic warrior was shy, much like a certain other one was when she met her. “Say? Was your Divine Trait why you didn’t want to pair yourself up with any of us, especially Jake?”

Nessa froze. It seemed like she wanted to deny it, but couldn’t, for some reason–Fhesiah had noticed a similar reaction before. “Why...do you say that?”

“Just intuition. You’re afraid to meet him, it feels like. You didn’t even want me to go, but I practically forced my way onto this ship.”

Nessa laughed a little awkwardly. “Ahaha... yeah, that was a surprise. You just appeared inside the ship just as we were about to leave! Um...can you keep a secret?”

Fhesiah arched her brow. “From Jake? If it’s a pleasant surprise that will probably make him happy, I already keep many secrets. If it’s related to love, I’d be happy to keep a small secret for you.” True to her word, she lightened her connection to Jake. He was busy anyway, but she left only her emotions, rather than him being able to just view through her eyes or listen to her thoughts.

Nessa blushed, and her tail twisted and wrapped around her arms, and some of her tail hiding part of her face. “I... Father said Jake Hart would pass in my Gaze, years ago, and it has been my goal to... somehow join with him, for me to be his...battle maiden. I’m sure Champion Ophelia understands this? I knew he would be compatible, despite my issue, and that he was a worthy warrior.”

Fhesiah smirked. “Yes, Ophelia was a Shield Maiden and pledged herself to Jake. But what is the issue with your Divine Trait? You talked about it before, is it the blemishes and scars thing?”

Nessa sighed, and looked back out to the passing landscape. “My Gaze, it forces me to see people’s flaws in their character as flaws on their visage, like scars or blemishes, and I cannot turn it off. Very few men that are worthy warriors are not riddled with these, and many even have demonic features, like I told you about before. It makes me sick just being near them, and now, my bloodline is all about purity. Even small flaws feel like my partner would be impure and unacceptable, and I just cannot seem to help it.”

Fhesiah thought about it for a moment. “It sounds almost shallow, to have problems with just a few imperfections. I suppose it’s different if a scar or mark was earned in battle or by birth, however. I can see how being reminded of even small character flaws every time you look at your lover is very different.”

Nessa nodded. “I do want to meet him, as seeing is believing. But... I may have built up his image in my mind, and became fearful about him meeting my expectations. If he doesn’t, it feels like I will really be alone for so much longer, or...forever, and that has me full of anxiety. And...meeting you and seeing you fight has made me even more worried, but about me instead.”

“You? Why would that be?”

Nessa twiddled with her tail tip. “It’s just...you’re so strong, and so are all of his wives–I saw the Dungeon Raid. And you’re even heroic, too–I saw how you worked to avoid harming those in chains, despite your words. How can I be your match? I didn’t want to be a weakling, or a woman that has no value. A battle maiden should never be a burden to her warrior husband. For that, I have improved myself, gathered allies and even worlds. But even still, he and his Hearthtribe pulls ahead. As it stands now... I don’t think he or his kingdom truly needs someone like me.”

Fhesiah could see how worried she was, and how embarrassed she was by this detail. Even Ophelia had thoughts like this around the time Jake became a Champion.

“Isn’t that fine? You shouldn’t worry so much about this. In the end, half of my power is his, from his support of me. And Jake’s kingdom has grown thanks to all of his wives efforts, is it fair to compare you alone to all of us combined? If you join us, the same can be true for you. He seeks to uplift his wives and empower them, the same as the people of his kingdom, his guild. It is his path, his Dao. So don’t give up. I think if he knows you worked so hard and accomplished so much to get his attention, he will be moved and give you a chance.”

Fhesiah smiled at Nessa. “I think you are a fine battle maiden and serpent princess, besides. He cares what us wives think. I’m rooting for you, and there is at least one more of his wives that you win by default thanks to your ancestry.” She chuckled thinking of Berri and Blood, “And another already told me she had her eyes on you for marriage because of your efforts, and at least two of the others are, quite frankly, pushovers and would cheer you on too, so long as you get along with the rest of us. If you really want to join Clan Hart, your efforts have already begun to shine.”

Nessa let out a breath and looked relieved, a smile returning to her lips. “That...thank you for saying so, that helps me a lot. And thank you for your help today, we have saved so many thanks to your expertise and heroism. This is another thing I strived for, so even if things don’t work out with Jake in the end... I think I can be content with that.”

“Well, why wait? I can call Jake over, and we can have you go on a date, and hopefully join–”

“W-Wait a minute. Even if... my Gaze is not a problem, I really do want to accomplish as much as I can on my own. It might be mostly my pride speaking, but... I want to do this for myself. And... I know that the War Trial is coming. It might help us sneak up on our enemies a little better if we wait until closer to the end to merge our...holdings in... matrimony.” Nessa was now blushing furiously, hiding her face behind part of her tail and hands.

Fhesiah chuckled. “Well aren’t you such a shy little battle maiden? How cute, that you, a daughter of Tyr doesn’t think yourself good enough for my dear Jake. How about this? Just meet him, even if it’s just viewing him from afar. Make sure he can live up to your Divine Trait, and let it firm your resolve, to work hard and prepare for the War Trial. That he’s another reason worth fighting for, that you were not wrong in fighting for love and justice, the path you have chosen. I promise you that we need all the help we can get, and I’ll even be your advocate.”

“You’ll do that, for me?”

“Of course. I’m trying to get Jake all the best waifus. To miss out on any good ones is a real tragedy, and I would be saddened if, after meeting you, that you didn’t end up joining us in truth.”

Nessa’s eyes widened. “W-waifu. You meant wife? That means...these two?” She looked over at Ruby and Sati, then she hesitated, looking at Fhesiah with a frown. “...Really?”

Fhesiah shrugged. “It’s a hobby.” She narrowed her eyes at Nessa. “One that you should be thankful that I have.”

Nessa looked alarmed. “Y–yes. Of course, and I am. I’ll...do my best to aid these two, as promised.”

Fhesiah laughed, the girl was blushing cutely–she would be a lot of fun to tease. “I was just teasing. And Good! That’s wonderful.” She gave Nessa a hug, causing her to freeze in place. “All of us Harts are good and close friends–like sisters. If you join us, I’m sure we’ll get along just fine, and accomplish much together.”

Nessa returned her hug, and it almost seemed like she wanted to cry, with her eyes watering up slightly. She separated and then said, “That sounds lovely. I’ll try to meet with him. We’ll have your party, it’s the least I could do to thank all of you.”

***

Nessa activated the fixture, and several people appeared within the room, including Astalder, who now stood next to her.

Astalder laughed as he took in the party with wide eyes. “Not bad at all. Nice party, Princess! This is really unlike you–hosting something like this.”

Nessa groaned. “Please don’t make me regret inviting you. I can just turn that thing off, you know.”

Most of her allies were working hard to claim another world, Astalder included. She had paid to have a fixture installed at a similar banquet hall at each world’s Alliance HQ, allowing them to participate as projections within this hotel.

The banquet hall they were in had numerous tables filled with refreshments from several cultures, those that both cultivators and the many Framework warriors would enjoy, where Nessa and Astalder now stood.

Many blue and white cloth covered tables with chairs filled the hall, but also numerous lounging couches and sofas facing one another near the center. Many people were eating and drinking, but some were just relaxing and chatting with one another. It was important for her to keep it simple, to ensure the several locations could have a symmetrical experience.

Numerous people were conversing, the various warriors from her guild that could make it, even from different worlds. She had decided to turn this into a wider celebration, a thank you for their many efforts.

Nana, her bloodline ancestor that shared her body, interrupted her thoughts, [You should really do more things like this. They are not just a waste of time, even if they can often feel that way. People like to feel appreciated, even if it’s a mere token.]

“I know what you mean, but... don’t you think it’s a little condescending? Their efforts are worth more than a few finger foods and booze. They are fighting for what they believe in. And even if they are resurrected, many of them have experienced death while doing so.”

[That is a good point, but I have a better one. If your father came in here and patted you on the head and told you that you did a good job, are you sure that new tail of yours wouldn’t wag like a dog’s? That you wouldn’t be thankful for it and think about it for a while, believing that he cared about you, when all he did was touch you? On some level, your people respect you–it’s why they follow you. Even a small token of appreciation can go a long way, even if you properly compensate them for their efforts.]

Nana laughed. [Well yeah, your shit don’t stink when you don’t do it anymore! A plus of being a cultivator. But yes. You can use your Gaze to find those that are only lightly heading the wrong direction or lacking or virtue, and bring them onto a more righteous path. Your power can find those whose hearts are wavering, and help them make the right choices, to become true heroes–like that man and his family.]

As she thought that Nana just might be right, it seemed that one such person was determined to make her wrong. Jake was conversing with a few warriors when Astalder and a friend of his approached.

Nessa almost rushed over to prevent an issue, but Nana stopped her. She rolled her eyes as Astalder got the Roman warrior to get a promise for a fight. It seemed his plan was for Jake or one of his wives to fight the Roman warrior, and then Astalder would fight the Roman warrior later and compare. It was...stupidly clever, somehow.

Nessa continued her chat with Xara, Weiyan, and Aria, until Jake and his wives arrived to meet with her. She gave her greeting, bowing her head to them.

“Baron Hart and Ladies, it’s good to finally meet you in person. Thank you so much for your aid today and these past years.”

Jake smiled at her. “We’re also thankful for yours, and I’m happy you called us so that we could crush these evil cultists before it got worse.”

Tanda’s tail was wagging slowly, and she had a victorious smile on her face. “That Balor had also tried to taint our world, and was nearly successful. I was happy for a just a little more payback.”

“Hi there, Nessa! I’m Berri. It’s so nice to meet you!”

Berri then invaded her personal space and shook her hands with both of her massive mitts, and Nessa couldn’t help but feel a little alarmed. She could see Berri’s true visage, which meant an absolutely massive snake woman was now covering up nearly her entire view. The woman was nearly the size of many of the bosses she had to face during the Tier 1 Dungeon Raids or Greater Rift she experienced.

At the same time, her flame was warm and loving. Pure of spirit. Still, while her disguise had her standing in front of her like an elf or human, her giant snake coils were now wrapped around Nessa, as if trying to keep her from escaping. Berri’s coil sat just outside of her own, but while Nessa understood it wasn’t real, it was weird. Just how did she even do that?

Nessa’s eye was twitching from the oddity, but she managed to smile. “And you as well, we haven’t had the chance to talk either. I know your sister Blood is often sending me reports.”

Jake added, “It seemed you worked hard to investigate them, so while we helped, I do feel that this was your victory.”

“It was...a challenge. When I was given the report of what was happening here, I did rush back as quickly as possible.”

Ophelia asked, “How did you track them down, anyway?”

Nessa couldn’t help but feel a little proud. She chuckled. “Well... I kind of cheated a little. Cultivators are smart, but, they are not much used to Framework items. Only those who are truly capable can sense there’s something really strange about the item, let alone its true purpose. If anything, they sense that something is weird, and so they want it even more, to bring it back to their lairs to investigate it further and to unlock its secrets. They didn’t imagine that it was meant to track them. We...handed a bunch of the items out to villages in the relative areas where they were going missing, and...eventually they went missing.”

Jake gave her a small smile. “That was clever. It’s too bad you had to resort to that, but it seems these cultists were pretty crafty in hiding from you. Do let us know how you would like us to aid you going forward. Fhesiah told me she lent you Ruby and Sati, so I’m excited for them to get some good life experience.”

Nessa couldn’t help but try to look deeper into his expression, and then look back at Fhesiah. Did he have any idea about her strange designs?

They talked for a time making plans, and it seemed she would have Fhesiah around for a short time to help with recruitment to the Framework, but the rest of the family would head back to Highlands.

Eventually, Jake and his family moved on to talk to the many other cultivators and warriors. Nessa did spot that the Roman warrior went outside and lost a melee match to Jake and Ophelia, though she knew that was going to happen just from feeling his aura.

And Astalder’s wives did end up showing up. To cart him away from making a fool of himself.

Eventually, Fhesiah caught Nessa alone, after she finished speaking with her new Aetheris allies.

Fhesiah smiled at her. “So, how is it? Did he pass your Gaze? Still interested?”

Nessa blushed, folding her arms. “I know you were watching me. I think you should already know the answer.”

Fhesiah smiled wide. “Guilty as charged.” She started counting off on her fingers.”Let’s see. Your eyes widened then dilated, your heart rate and breathing increased, your cheeks took on a lightly pink hue–”

Nessa blushed further, but interrupted, “If you know already, why–”

“I’m still interested, your sight is unique. How did he look?”

Nessa tried to push down her embarrassment of talking about the topic, and took a deep breath. “Just as he looks, you should be well aware of that part? I was surprised that he’s not from a Core Sector, as those would usually have a god or goddess, or at least a higher Tier person deciding on their appearance–and what would that be other than perfection? And then–”

Fhesiah chuckled, and interrupted, “Perfection, really? I do agree my dear husband is dreamy, and perhaps perfectfor us since we love him so much... but I think that perfect might be a little much?”

Nessa couldn’t help but still be shy about the topic, hesitating, “I’m used to people from the Core Sectors, from where I grew up. What I mean is, a series of features that are often uncommon naturally. Smaller pores. Symmetrical face. Hair only where one would want it. Broad shoulders with a narrower waist. He also has a ruggedness that is masculine, while not being overly so. Then, a softness that seems to match his caring personality. It feels almost as if by design, which is the case of those from the core sectors with powerful parents.”

Fhesiah hummed as she thought about it. “It is true, but he certainly wasn’t like that when he was born on Earth. He did change a lot since he got his hearth core in the zeroeth Tier, and upgraded to Divine in the first. They have refined him in significant ways, and he’s gotten even more attractive as he tiered up once again. But so have we, I guess we are all heading towards perfection.”

“On Earth he did? That he achieved such a thing so early is in fact a big deal. And then there’s his strange presence...it made me feel cared for. Somehow, his spirit’s visage looked just as caring and loving as I felt from him, which is just wonderful.” She paused, her eyes following Jake as he spoke to others. It took her a moment to remember Fhesiah was waiting for her to say something, “There was something a little strange, and it would almost be alarming after what we just saw with the cultists.”

Fhesiah smirked as she teased, “You’ve got it bad now, huh. What did you see?”

Nessa was only partially used to being teased thanks to Nana, and she was sure she was blushing even more now. “He had what looked like...tentacles connecting to you and Ophelia and Tanda, wrapping around your cores. I could only see them when one of you got close. But...they didn’t feel or look gross.”

Fhesiah looked down at her chest, as if trying to see it for herself. “Aw, so he had his tentacles inside me the whole time? We’re all bonded, so that must be his connection.” She grinned at Nessa. “So it sounds like you’re in? If you get a chance to join Clan Hart, you’ll take it?”

Nessa’s long tail wrapped around herself on its own accord as she blushed. “Yes, I... think I have much to think about, and maybe look forward to. I will work hard and...help you with your hobby, too. Political marriages are...less than ideal, but it was the path that I was prepared for and willing to take.”

Fhesiah chuckled. “I know you have goals of your own, both for your guild and for yourself. I’m looking forward to when you’ve completed them, and can join our family in truth. When that happens, I’m sure Jake will properly romance you and love will bloom between you quickly, and then you will fight by our side, crushing evil on both sides of the fence.”

Nessa shivered at that. “That sounds like a lovely dream. Thank you, Lady Fhesiah, for helping me.”

“Of course. I did say it, didn’t I? I want all the best waifus for my dear husband, and you are a cute and dutiful one. Now, as for spreading the word and convincing many about initiating into the Framework, I have a fun idea. Cultivators love their tournaments, right? So why not host a grand one? And if possible, we could have a show. A person under the Framework ascending to the first and second Tier, while thousands watch. I think that will sell many on it, and we can show off both our guilds’ influence and strength at the same time, even for Aetheris, who’s visiting.”

Fhesiah grinned. “It’s perfect, right? What do you think of my plan?”

Nessa wryly smiled at Fhesiah’s excitement. She couldn’t help but feel this was another one of those, ‘cultists like caves, right?’ moments. At the same time, she was kind of right, and Nessa couldn’t help but be happy she made a new friend and capable ally.

A tournament did get these crazy old cultivators out of their caves and chambers, if the prizes and glory were good enough.

And Nessa was looking at none other than perhaps the best alchemist in this sector, at least within the second Tier. Cultivators definitely like their pills and elixirs, too.

She smiled. “I do like it. Let’s see what we can do.”