Bonded Summoner

Book 9. Chapter 28: Sweet Victory

The Battlegroup had materialized on the sweeping, repaired, pristine courtyard of the Crystal Citadel. They were outside the castle, not far from where a giant slab of stone had landed and where a gargantuan centipede was killed. Only now, the city was rebuilt, with numerous buildings and thousands of natives present.

The moment their boots touched the ground, a massive, heaven-piercing explosion of pure light erupted from the Citadel HQ’s central spire, the hexagons of the Framework tracing upward and into the sky. The brilliant beacon shattered the gloomy, oppressive clouds that had hung over Serthune, signaling their ultimate victory to the natives and Adventurers scattered across the globe with Framework Script.

Simultaneously, deep within the various secondary dungeon instances, every surviving raid group received a localized Menu notification. The Prime Instance had succeeded, and victory was theirs.

For those battered warriors fighting impossible hordes in the dark, it was an overwhelming beacon of hope. They knew they had a home to come back to. The world was not lost, and they only needed to extract what they needed from the enemy.

There was actually a fair number of raid instances that had already been successful–and failed. Those who failed wouldn’t be here, but Valtor was ready with a report–the Raid Instance he and Amara led had already been completed.

The two had been incredibly underleveled, barely allowed to enter thanks to the level scaling of the natives–if fewer had initiated, Jake didn’t think they would have made it at all. Including them was a calculated risk. Increasing their strength to go along with their critical talent and leadership was crucial for their guild's progression and also served as an essential anchor for the lower-level allies to lean on.

Valtor beamed, twirling his mustache proudly, his spirit hovering inside his floating robed-armor form. “Milord! I knew you would be successful. Just knew it!”

Amara smiled fondly at her husband, her spirit floating next to her large tome and at Valtor’s arm. “He’s been watching that gate like a hawk–along with his Menu, of course. He’s been trembling in anticipation.”

Jake smiled at the two. “How’s it going so far? I know it’ll be skewed thanks to some bias in the timeframe–the Raids not yet completed.”

Valtor shook his head. “There may be a little of that, but it appears the secondary instances had a shorter run of it. Those that remain may be enduring a greater challenge thanks to the escalating environmental hazard, true. But the success rate has remained relatively stable–those who endure are likely to have been strong enough to manage it by taking a slow and safe approach to manage their corruption. Most of those that failed to assess the threat backed out or failed early. Many have already failed or have backed out, but the prognosis is good, is it not, my dear?”Amara smiled. “That’s right. So far, it looks like we’ve done even better than Highlands. It seems we didn’t just repeat your success at the First Tier, we squashed it thanks to our experienced and diverse people. This bodes well for the future of the guild, in addition to just this world. Our doctrine and research have proven most effective.”

Valtor smiled at Jake through his open helmet. “I couldn’t be prouder of our brethren. Couldn’t be prouder! Anyway, I’ll let you all go shop. Lissandra had already come through, so she’s preparing for the parade. We’re at 85% reporting, so I don’t think it will be more than a few more hours before we reach completion. There should be some time for you to get some rest before the big party!”

The post-raid logistics were handled with practiced efficiency. The Hearthtribe Alliance members were already accessing the Raid Point Store at the special node, and many random Adventurers could be seen. The interface allowed them to bank and spend points for unique materials only available there, just as they did at the peak of the First Tier. Many stood in line, and the Prime Instance members quickly joined the weirdest queue Jake had ever seen.

Beastkin, orcs, elves, dwarves, humans, treants, tamed Auril Beasts, and more patiently waited in line. Even Garona, the titanic stone tortoise, followed Jake’s party. They were able to start perusing the list as they got close enough, which allowed them to think more about what they were going to get before they could actually receive the items.

Nobody in Clan Hart received a personalized reward from the Raid this time–last time, Jake had received a deduction of Raid Points for a special token to upgrade the Divine Hearth of the Refuge to the next Tier. Basically, his goddess had selected it for him, and he couldn’t deny that if she hadn’t, he may have blown his points on something else, forgetting its significance. Now everyone had their own points, but they did have three more raids to go.

Fhesiah had already claimed a peak Tier 3 Dragon’s soul for refinement from the boss, and in truth, her soul had already been anchored and limited by the Framework–she was already a Nascent Soul, merely rebuilding her body. But she was transforming the soul with the Divine Sparks of Bastet and altering her path as she went to match her second life, her cultivator core feeding into altering her soul slowly but surely.

She seemed to think she didn’t really require anything else. The resonance of this special dragon mixed with the purified resonant parasite was actually perfect for improving her Celestial Alchemy. With her Ascension largely handled already, she could focus on other aspects of her gear, as well as look for others.

Like Ruby. The poor white-and-red-haired beastkin looked at the Raid Point store in confusion. “What... should I get? I don’t even know where to begin.”

“Worry not, my sanguine friend. I am already looking for you,” Fhesiah smiled. “You have made clear your path, and now it is much easier for me, Nessa, and Nana to advise you. I do believe I see something you can purchase immediately and something to save up a little bit for.”

Ruby’s ears went flat on her head. “Two raids worth of materials? But... don’t you need my help? To buy things for Ava and Sati?”

Blood also reassured Ruby. “There are four Dungeon Raids we intend to participate in the Prime Instances with. To spend two on yourself leaves plenty left to help out your pack. Not only that, but there is also Haldrith and The Great Maw. We were largely going to leave those worlds to the guild to handle, but we may participate there in a rush if we find that our preparations are lacking.”

Nessa added, “And we are already going to start marking materials for our people to gather. The Raid granted us some interesting objects from the Bosses. Then, their Raid Points can be spent on items within the list, to be traded for items like Jake and Ophelia’s tailored gear. Combined with our auctions and trade connections we’ve been building...”

Ruby gave a small smile at that. “Okay. So what did you find for me, Faye?”

“I found a replacement manual for your sword array that I think is much more fitting for you; that should carry you well into the Third Tier. It is called the Myriad Crag Subjugation Array and should directly translate to improve your personal power when combined with the other item.”

Tanda was easily impressed. Her tail was wagging. “Wow, that sounds amazing! What... does it all mean?” She tilted her head, blinking. The name was a mouthful.

Fhesiah grinned and read the flavor text of the manual, her voice making the text sound extra grandiose. “The Myriad Crag Subjugation Array. To master this array is to become the primordial mountain itself. Let the heavens weep and the earth shatter; the practitioner roots their spirit in the absolute center of creation. While fools dance and perish in the storm of violence, the master of the Myriad Crags stands confident, subjugating all existence beneath ten thousand unyielding pillars of absolute earth and divine metal.”

Ruby's ears perked up. As a badgerdillo raised in the chaotic, heretical urns of the Bloodbeast sect, the idea of being a frenzied beast terrified her. But those words–rooting her spirit, standing confident in the storm of violence–resonated deep within her core. She didn’t want to be the storm anymore; she wanted to be the mountain that broke it.

“That... I like that. The... rooting part,” she added, shyly.

Jake narrowed in on a detail. “That sounds great, but it says 'absolute earth and divine metal.' Ruby uses blood and flame. I take it this means you think this earth and metal fit her Daoist Path?”

He, of course, trusted Fhesiah to understand the big picture regarding cultivation and that she treated Ruby the same way as she treated Sati–as a mentor and friend, or perhaps big sister. So it wasn’t as though she would ignore Ruby’s desires and select something ‘just because.’ This was highly targeted, but this was still somewhat of a surprise to him.

Fhesiah grinned. “You got it, Husband. On some level, she had an affinity with it–such was the nature of the gem-like armor she forms and how the iron in the blood she drinks or uses interacts. And that it’s earth and divine metal is far from the only issue. ‘Subjugating all existence’ can often mean little more than dropping giant rocks on people’s heads. The name and information on the technique are often little more than magical marketing. It’s a cultivator thing–they sure love their grandiose names, don’t they, Nessa?”

Nessa chuckled at that. “You’ve got that right. There was that cultivator on Aetheris. They literally called him the Sword Saint. His ultimate technique was the 'Heaven-Piercing Slash.' It didn't pierce the heavens, and it wasn't even a slash–it was just a really fast forward stab. Powerful, truly, but don't take their names too seriously.”

Now Ruby tilted her head at Fhesiah. “But if I don’t match the earth part, and you doubt its use or value... then why, for me?”

Fhesiah chuckled. “I may have played the joke of magical marketing up a bit–it’s more trustworthy than usual, and that is why it is so costly–it is a true Third Tier Technique with limited use in this one, but it should translate to power immediately. The other item will help with the metal and earth affinity, transforming your hearth to aid in this. As for the manual, it comes from the Apex Mountain Pavilion, and it is marked as a true Skill Book for a Technique. This means The Framework has deemed it a true and complete technique, and it doesn’t contain many half-truths or harmful knowledge.”

Nessa let out a surprised gasp. “Oh! We met some of them! At Old Man Xuan’s tournament!” She then nodded. “You’re right. If it’s from them, I don’t think the technique will be so bad. Or if it is, Old Man Xuan can probably extor–I mean, convince them to give us the real deal and even guidance for Ruby. But you’re planning on applying bloodflames to the array, and...shifting her to handle earth and metal? That’s... complicated.”

Fhesiah nodded. “We’ll talk more on this later, but I believe she should make the purchases, because I am confident we can rack our brains together and make it work for Ruby’s Daoist Path she recently chose. And if not...”

She then shared the same item Jake had used to evolve his Yin-Yang Body Tempering Manual into the Void-aspected tempering–the [Skill Personalization - Evolution Array]. The item was vastly pricier for something that bordered the Third Tier in the Raid Point store, and it meant another Dungeon Raid reward would need to be used. When considering the girl might need to gather Nascent Soul materials as well, it was a lot.

Jake frowned as he realized something. “I’m glad we found something that looks good for Ruby. But to think that a Prime Instance reward was not enough. Not that I’m complaining, but this is supposed to be near the pinnacle of what an individual might earn. Only a hundred people out of thousands involved in a world’s liberation, and it’s only getting her a Technique–a book, basically–and part of a rare core, needing to earn more to afford them both? There are several other aspects that a cultivator must prepare for, from materials to form their Nascent Soul to Source Energy treasures to improve their Dao.”

Fhesiah sighed. “It is, unfortunately, our fault for being unable to support Ruby in ways that a normal Sect would. The Framework complicates this a lot–usually, some Nascent Soul elder would simply devise techniques and abilities with shadows of the truth for lower realm cultivators, and those would easily be upgraded as their pupils arrived in the next one and had the strength of spirit to understand the truths. But if you think Alliance Guilds hoard knowledge, that is nothing compared to cultivators. They seed their traded information with nonsense to protect their legacies. I’m surprised the Apex Mountain Pavilion would put up their manuscripts for sale. In fact... I bet many of these manuals are recovered from dead cultivators. The Sect may not even like Ruby having it.”

Ruby’s ears went flat on her head. “Aw, I don’t want to cause any trouble for my pack...”

Fhesiah smiled and hugged Ruby from the side. “Do not worry, our precious gem sister. We have Old Man Xuan and Gods and Goddesses on our side. Get it, and then let us worry about the fallout. Besides, when we’re done with it, only a true expert will be able to tell what you’ve started with.”

Ruby smiled up at Fhesiah, her ears perking up and her thick tail wagging slowly. “Okay. What was the other item, then? I’ll get the one and mark the other.”

“I actually want you to get this one first so that we can work on that core and hearth of yours immediately. It is the Molten Slag Pangolin Core, a creature that eats metal and has a fiery core of refinement that hardens its scales. With traces of its dead, Nascent Soul’s will trapped within, it’s a true treasure and perfectly fitting for you, our dear Ruby. It might not be the right thing for you to ascend to Nascent Soul on its own, but it should fix that hearth amalgamation of yours and aid with your affinity.”

Ruby made the purchase of the core, an ornate box arriving in her hands. “Oh! I could almost afford the book, too. So there will be plenty left over from the next Raid.”

Jake cleared his throat. “Alright, glad Ruby’s path is set now–I’m looking forward to seeing the results. Let's refocus on the broader budget. We already have the plan for capstone gear and ascension catalysts, but I want to make sure everyone is crystal clear on how we are splitting these purchases between our personal Raid Points and the guild treasury before we spend anything else.”

“It's all about the Ledger,” Blood smoothly took over, addressing the group. “If the guild simply buys a Tier Three ascension catalyst and hands it to Sati or Ava, the Framework registers it as unearned potential. It will spike their future challenges or tank their loot to balance the cosmic debt.”

“Exactly,” Fhesiah agreed. “So, we use the sweat equity ‘loophole.’ The guild treasury is buying up massive stockpiles of peak Tier Two materials–the raw fuel. Because you and Jake still have to put in the grueling physical and spiritual work to temper that energy, it doesn't harm your Ledger, just as eating and working out, or how I must cultivate Qi to make it a part of me, doesn’t either. With my alchemy, I can refine those peak Tier Two materials to push them to the absolute limit. But for the actual items that cross the threshold into Tier Three...”

“...You have to buy them yourselves, with your own Raid Points, CP, or Credits earned, almost like a party-found-only sort of challenge, because the sweat equity loophole doesn’t quite work for things that cross into the next Tier.” Jake finished. Though, within their Raid Group, trade was also possible, and while the ‘loophole’ didn’t work for that, the cost was still less overall on the Ledger compared to treasures that directly improve Potential. “Which is why everyone's personal points are so critical today and going forward, and we have to manage our purchases. Were there any other pain points or standouts outside of our established plan?”

A soft, melodic hum resonated beside him, accompanied by the gentle pressure of scales against his arm. Jasmina, his Naga Siren, had slithered up to them as they arrived at the node. She didn't speak–her communication was entirely based on wordless songs and empathic pulses through the Summoner’s Bond–but her intent was clear. She needed help navigating the vast list of treasures.

“Right. Let’s look at the Tamed Beasts and Summons,” Jake said, pulling up her interface, and Ophelia did the same with Valora as he did.

The Framework handled tamed beasts distinctly from standard Adventurers and even standard beasts that managed to join the Framework on their own–usually only seen on Beast Worlds.

Because they drew from their... guardian's connection and authority, summons and tamed beasts had strict Battle Power caps and physical limitations to maintain game balance. It was why Takoda’s Brachiosaurus, ‘Missy,’ was notably scaled down in size compared to a true prehistoric behemoth; the system forced a trade-off between physical mass and combat density, among other things. Jake had only barely limited Garona, accepting the Battle Power cost of the titanic being.

But because they directly contributed to the raid's success, and Jake had used both Garona and Jasmina as permanent party members that took up slots in the raid, they absolutely generated their own Raid Points for their personal Ledgers. They could spend it on their own or guided, and Jasmina preferred to be guided by her master.

Jake browsed the options with Jasmina, feeling out her empathic nudges until they settled on an [Abyssal Siren’s Pearl]. Once it was consumed and became a part of her, it would become a passive aquatic catalyst. It would deepen the resonance of her wordless songs and empower her crowd-control auras without taxing Jake's mana or auril reserves and still strengthen her when she acted completely on her own.

Part of the purchase would help her consume it, increasing the cost of the item. She had some points left over in the end, too, but the girl was more than happy with just this. She gave a happy, trilling hum as the pearl materialized and looked to Jake with a small, pleading smile.

“Go ahead and enjoy it–you’ve earned it, Jasmina.”

“Yeah! Jasmina is such a good girl! We love you...you’re the best snake-fish girl I know!” Berri happily patted Jasmina’s snout and hugged her just before Jake sent her back to their Sanctuary in motes of light.

Suddenly, the ground vibrated with heavy, deliberate footsteps.

Garona stomped up to the interface. The massive creature didn't bother browsing or waiting for Jake to guide her. She simply slammed her heavy paw against the node, which might as well be a toothpick compared to her, letting her pure, beastly instincts drive the interface. Thankfully, the object held, and it appeared she knew about the other option available to her or had somehow figured it out.

A high-priority prompt instantly flashed across Jake’s vision.

[Notice: Permanent Summon 'Garona' wishes to expend 1,500 RP of her personal RP for a Curated Framework Bloodline Evolution meeting her criteria. Awaiting Approval.]

Jake blinked. “You paid everything you earned for the system to pick for you?” He hadn’t expected this and had primarily selected on his interface for purchases to require his approval to ensure his summons didn’t do anything... wasteful.

Bree hummed, framing her chin in thought with her hand. “That’s a good move for her, though I don’t know what her criteria were. Bloodline evolution is recommended for most beasts, a great way to advance. Just think, the difference between a wyvern, a drake, and a dragon is often just some bloodline refinement. A qualitative step forward–”

Fhesiah narrowed her eyes and interrupted, her tail lashing, “More like a leap and fly over the gorge, in my opinion.”

Bree rolled her eyes. “Yeah, it would be, wouldn’t it? Anyway, I’m curious how such a titanic stone tortoise would evolve. It’s costing her all the points she earned, and she earned a lot. That’s got to be pretty good.”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Garona just let out a low, impatient grunt.

Jake shrugged and accepted the purchase. Letting the Framework pick for her was probably the smartest thing to do anyhow. His eyes widened as the item itself appeared and the Menu message displayed.

With a flash of heavy, earthen light, a massive, violently glowing gem-heart the size of a boulder dropped onto the courtyard. Garona caught it effortlessly as her jaw snapped forward, holding it in her mouth. She simply gave Jake a single, satisfied nod and immediately vanished, unsummoning herself back into the depths of their Sanctuary to enter an evolutionary food coma. Now that she was gone, Jake reviewed the item details, sharing it with the group.

[Framework Selected Item: Mythical Bloodline Catalyst - Geode-Crowned Sovereign]

[Description: The condensed crystalline heart of an apex earth-aspected behemoth. Consumption and Framework assistance unlock a deep, qualitative bloodline mutation, granting the baseline abilities of the Sovereign bloodline without overwriting the user's foundational species. Greatly enhances terrestrial affinities, allowing the beast to naturally cultivate and weaponize earth and magical minerals. When supplemented with highly condensed mineral flora, the beast will actively grow a resonant crystalline fortress along their endoskeleton, culminating in a sovereign’s crown of offensive crystalline horns.]

Jake stared at the empty space where Garona had just been standing, re-reading the last line of the description.

“Did that just say she needs to eat mineral flora to grow a fortress and a crown?” Jake asked, looking at Fhesiah. “Does that mean what I think it means? And damn, Mythical? She must have carried the raid a little more than I thought.”

“It means your giant tortoise is going to need a very strict, very expensive diet of treasure-level crystal-infused vegetables if you want her to reach her full potential,” Fhesiah laughed, clearly amused by the massive beast's shopping habits. “I hope you know a good supplier for gem lettuce, Husband. Tanda, do you know anyone?”

Tanda fumed, shaking her head. “Noooo! Nuh-uh, not happening. Those trolls are going to need to pick up the slack! No, wait, I have a better idea. That lazy, bedazzled princess is going to have to learn to grow her own! Clearly, she’s smart enough to do it.” She huffed.

Berri giggled. “She did a great job in the raid! I think it’s worth it. Moxy and I will help some more, Tanda. Besides, we just got lots of gems to sprinkle on your garden!”

“That... was both expected and unexpected, somehow.” Bree turned back to look over the Menu with narrowed eyes. “There’s a borderline Fourth-Tier raw treasure with plenty of Nascent Divine Essence contained within for me, a [Savage Firebloom]. I’ll need another raid’s worth of personal points to purchase it, but it’ll be the perfect power-up before we face my sisters.”

Ophelia suddenly said, “Oh! That’s good news. That means you’ll have a leg up on them, won’t you?”

Bree laughed a little awkwardly. “Well, I wouldn’t count on that. Ainora is devious and cunning, and Isolyn might be a bit competitive with me, to boot–fire and ice are like oil and water. It wouldn’t surprise me if they’ve participated in nearly every raid that we have not and collected as many boosts or buffs as they could get for their avatar’s hands on in the last few years. They might have even gone into the dungeon.”

That was a bit worrisome, but Jake had some confidence in what he was building. While his family might have missed out on quite a few raids Sector wide, doing four or more in a year or two with them all being Prime Instances was difficult to beat. It was unlikely they got into the same elsewhere, even if they might have gotten into more standard instances of them. His enhanced State of the Pack was also something else entirely.

Jake didn’t forget about his important protector, Ira. The creature hadn’t needed to act during this raid, really, but he wasn’t saving it for an afterthought later. Unfortunately, just as last time, the familiar was seen as a part of him, so it did not get Raid Points and had to spend from Jake’s pool. But just as Jake was about to purchase something, Ira nudged him and sent a hungry emotion.

Directed at his void flame in his solar plexus. He thought he understood–it didn’t want a treasure. Jake already had what it wanted. “You just need that, Ira? You can have some–but not too much. I’ve noticed it's important for what we’re trying to accomplish.”

The creature sent him a mental nod, as well as a feeling of confidence. Jake remembered how much it wanted it since he formed the flame, but the creature had barely touched it. True to its original thoughts, it had waited patiently for it to grow into something more.

Ophelia selected a treasure with Valora, picking a tailored treasure much like Garona did, only to improve her affinity instead. Because the Longma, the dragon horse, was marked as a combat mount, she was entitled to a small portion of Ophelia’s RP. In a sense, Valora’s contribution to the battle increased Ophelia’s points earned and thus mostly evened things out.

He turned to Avalara. “Did you see anything for you, Ava?”

She tilted her head, her golden deer eyes sparkling with a mix of amusement and curiosity–seeing her towering form just standing nearby was a scene all on its own. “I did, actually. Though I must admit, the author seems to have possessed more ego than actual rhythm, and I have doubts about their singing voice. I think I will be purchasing this.”

[Manual: Treatise on Harmonic Dominion]

[Tier 2-3 Esoteric Knowledge, Guild Research Compliant.]

[Description: Details advanced acoustic and spiritual harmonic theories designed to subjugate lesser wills. By manipulating mana frequencies and spiritual resonance, the user can override local energy fields to enforce a singular, dominating rhythm across a battlefield.]

[Warning - Incomplete Paradigm: The mechanical knowledge contained within is fundamentally flawed. The author lacked a complete understanding of high-tier energy transformation and drew erroneous conclusions regarding mana-wave propagation and its interaction with spirits and Origins. Implementing these theories verbatim will result in rigid casting, high ambient mana rejection, and rapid spiritual fatigue in addition to poor results. True mastery requires extracting the functional acoustic equations from the author's flawed magical algorithms and discerning the foundational principles hidden within, and is outlawed to be used on unwilling Framework participants.]

“I made sure to filter for things that were Guild Research Compliant,” she noted, her voice light and melodic. “We certainly wouldn't want to upset Amara and ruin the guild’s bonuses over a grumpy author's bad use of music or be bound by one of those nasty contracts, unable to talk about what I know, like poor Nessa.”

She gazed thoughtfully at the text in her Menu. “My mother and father taught me the art of the song, and I have transmitted my will intuitively to the beastkin using it for over a thousand years. To me, the song is as natural as breathing. This manual... it is rigid, and its desire to dominate is quite nasty. But if I can untangle these flawed equations and wash away that obsession with subjugation, it will teach me how to weave raw mana intentionally into my chorus.”

Her smile returned, warm and practical. “And at less than a quarter of my earnings from this single Raid, it is a bargain. I think it will pay dividends of all kinds.” Then, her expression shifted into something decidedly more mischievous, and the little deer tuft at the back of her battle avatar started to flutter rapidly. She leaned in a fraction closer to Jake, her voice dropping to a teasing, devoted purr. “Besides, I hardly need a book to understand subjugation. If my stag wishes to practice it, he only needs to use it on me!”

Jake chuckled, a matching smile tugging at his lips as he held her mixed-color eyes. “We can definitely carve out some time for... intensive domination weaving later,” he replied smoothly. “Strictly for magical research, of course.”

Fhesiah nodded seriously. “Yes. And everyone here knows that I am big on research. Of course, that means I must join too.”

Tanda giggled from the side, her tail giving a happy wag. “Just don't make the rest of us march to some weird, mind-control beat while you two or three are 'researching.' We've got enough on our plates without doing synchronized dance routines for the beastkin.”

As for the Guild's overarching logistics, Jake and the leadership pooled their massive influx of CP, Credits, and RP. They began buying out the materials necessary for The Burning Steps and Highlands, officially stockpiling for the planetary-level improvements for his Hearthian Bonds. They had, of course, already been building up, but there were a lot of ‘in the air’ materials, depending on just what might be available to them at the Raid Point store.

While the Prime Instance’s Raid was a bit ahead of others, the vast majority of them arrived in the next few hours, as Valtor had predicted. The family had gone home to rest and get themselves and their children ready for the parade and party later, happy to be reunited and excited for the fun.

Eventually, Jake received a prompt.

[Conquest Complete! Victory: Alliance.]

[Overall Conquest Rating for Serthune: A]

[Personal Conquest Rating: B]

[Dungeon Raid Rating Prime Instance: S]

[Top Contribution: Hearthtribe]

[Previous World Energy Rating: Tier 2.21]

[Ending World Energy Rating: Tier 2.54]

The world had gained a lot from the successful raids–almost as much as Highlands had gained, and without defeating a crazy cheat that actually saved six worlds at once when the entity was penalized.

Jake’s personal Conquest Rating appeared to be based on the detail that he hadn’t been personally involved in many of the major battles or overall Conquest compared to others–just tons of Rifts. Likely, Darris, Vesuvius and Roxo may actually get A or S here because they had been involved in what were effectively three HQ recaptures.

Jake’s Rating granted a bunch of personal Contribution Points for the overall victory, which would just go into his war chest. So many things had rate limits for purchase from the CP store, even as a Provisional Count.

Receiving a message from Lissandra, Clan Hart left home and finally headed out to join the victory party.

The celebrations began with a massive victory parade through the repaired, gleaming streets of the capital. Tens of thousands of Serthunian natives lined the massive thoroughfares, the reptilian people of all ages showering the marching Battlegroups in vibrant, crystalline petals.

Garona was still in her food coma, so down on the street, Bulldozer and Avalara’s Battle Avatar got to lead beastkin, Roman Legionnaires, Warrior Brotherhood Martial Artists, Cultivators, and Elysian Treants marching in perfect, earth-shaking synchronization.

High up in a secured VIP balcony overlooking the parade route, Jake watched with a warm smile as Yona leaned over the railing, cheering loudly alongside his children.

Nora, Clara, Rena, and the rest of the kids had been safely portalled in for the festivities, their eyes wide with awe as the native crowds chanted Clan Hart and Hearthtribe’s name. Seeing Yona so relaxed, her silver hair blowing in the wind as she hoisted one of his younger treant daughters up to see the marching treants, made Jake’s chest swell with a heavy, quiet pride.

And of course, Jake and his wives got to show their Hearthian Presences to the gathered nobles of Serthune. A show of power that they wouldn’t forget, one that reached them on a spiritual level. Lissandra had made it far easier for them to cement Jake as not just the Planetary Lord of the Framework side but also to ensure that his overarching governance was accepted, now and into the distant future.

By nightfall, the parade transitioned into a sprawling, vibrant grand ball in the Citadel’s main courtyard and a private party up inside the keep.

It was a beautiful, chaotic clash of cultures. Queen Lissandra and the female nobility glided gracefully across the courtyard on lizard-centaur-like lower halves, their faces possessing a distinctly human-like beauty framed by fine scales and gems scattered across their upper bodies.

They wore clothing that was meant to show off their personal gems, wherever they might be located–as if they cut holes in the dresses for them. Many also wore longer dresses that were a lot like barding, trailing down their large reptilian lower halves.

The males, however, were an entirely different breed. They were imposing, bipedal figures, resembling a mix between an upright reptile and a heavy stone golem. They possessed thick, sweeping tails, heavy lizard muzzles, and scales encrusted with natural, glittering gemstones. The male Vouivre looked incredibly rugged, yet they carried themselves with the stuffy, refined air of high nobility, with robes that made them look more regal than they would otherwise.

The Vouivre now mingled with Romans in their togas, the Asiatic Warrior Brotherhood in their more formal robes, tribal beastkin, plant-clothed treants, dryads, and fauns, undead Emberborn and their Servants of Arawn, and just a few Eternum, as well as numerous Adventurers.

Standing near an elevated balcony overlooking the courtyard, Jake held a crystal goblet of Serthunian wine. He had meant to relax further, but something stirred within him, something primal that few fathers could avoid. His Umbral Gaze was currently locked onto a cluster of his daughters near the crystal fountains.

A young, gem-studded Vouivre male–likely the son of a high-ranking noble, judging by the polish on his snout–was actively trying to court Nora and a few of her sisters.

Jake watched the boy’s posture with the intensity of a sniper scope. “Look at him,” Jake muttered, his eyes narrowing. “His footing is completely uneven. He's leaning in and laughing at their jokes that he doesn’t even understand. Deceiving them. I don’t like it.“

“And he hasn't even sung his intent,” Timone grumbled, leaning further over the balcony rail beside Jake. The large Ravenwolf beastkin crossed his arms, looking down at the courtyard with deep disapproval. “Not a single note–don’t their gems sing? How does he expect to project the shared dream of his clan? You cannot simply walk up to a female of a Champion's line and initiate a courtship duel without singing of your potential and dreams.”

“Exactly,” Jake agreed, his protective instincts for some reason completely validating the beastkin's cultural outrage. “It's disrespectful. And frankly, it's an unfair match. If he challenges Nora right now, she’s going to accidentally break his collarbone–the whole thing might traumatize her! As the father, it is my absolute right to step in and test him if the duel is unbalanced.”

“It is the old way,” Timone nodded solemnly, likely as he imagined thrashing his biological granddaughter’s potential suitor in Jake’s stead. “You must descend to the courtyard, Chief. Demand an honor duel. Batter him against the fountain to test the strength of his spirit. Show these soft nobles how the Hearthtribe handles suitors.”

“I should go down there,” Jake said, entirely deadpan.

“Or you could just let Blaze handle him. I think she might be about to.” Blood’s highly amused voice purred from behind them.

Jake turned as a pair of soft arms wrapped around his waist. Bloodberri snuggled up beside him, resting a soft hand against his back, while Tanda, Fhesiah, Ophelia, and Avalara’s lesser avatar stepped up between him and Timone.

Tanda was grinning from ear to ear, her furry tail wagging rhythmically behind her. “I don't know, Blood. I think Jake should go down there; it’s beastkin tradition! Nora should experience what I did.”

Jake suddenly groaned, rubbing his temples as he realized exactly what he was doing. He was human. For most of his life, his baseline for courtship involved movie theaters and awkward dinners, not battering teenagers against public fountains.

“I got completely swept up in the beastkin's pace,” Jake muttered, shaking his head. “How? I was actually calculating the trajectory to throw him.”

“You did not just get swept up, my love,” Avalara chimed in, her serene voice carrying a note of deep, musical amusement as she gave Timone a pointed look. “You were listening. Timone has been standing here broadcasting his overprotective, grandfatherly outrage into the Song of Highlands for the last ten minutes.”

Timone cleared his throat loudly, his wolf ears going flat on his head as he crossed his arms and tried to look dignified. “I was merely observing. It’s the father’s role to–”

“You were practically howling,” Avalara teased gently, before resting a soft hand over Jake's Hearth. She looked back up at her Chief, her green and gold eyes softening with pride. “As we prepare for our final bond, your soul is actively reaching out to Highlands and to our people. You are beginning to feel the Song on a subconscious level, I believe–and all on your own. You didn't lose your human sensibilities, my mate; you simply resonated with your packmate's fierce protective instincts. You are feeling what your clan feels. And now that you know it is there...”

Jake blinked, reaching out with his senses. He realized she was right. There was a faint, thrumming rhythm in the back of his mind, tying him directly to Timone and all the other beastkin present.

He felt their traditions so fiercely because his empathy had expanded to speak their spiritual language natively. He was their Chief. And now that he knew it was there, it was easy to lean into it if he wanted to, cut it off, or even control it.

It was subtle, the song, and Jake would liken it to how fast-paced music in the background just might make people move a little more quickly without realizing it, just with a little more emotion mixed in. His...mood or thoughts were already close, so he got dragged into Timone’s pace. Perhaps soon, he could natively use Auril just as the beastkin did. While he could listen through four of his wives, a proxy was still different from having it be a true part of him.

“A powerful resonance, and it was precisely what you were hoping for, was it not? You wanted the equivalent of an Auril Heart to achieve this on your own, and it feels as though something is forming.” Fhesiah noted, tapping her chin with a smirk. “But regardless of whose overprotective song you were listening to or how you were doing it, you’ve both read the situation wrong anyway. Your daughters are currently terrifying that reptilian boy.”

Her golden eyes sparkled with sheer amusement as she pointed down at the fountain.

Jake looked closer. The young Vouivre noble was visibly sweating–could reptile-golem people even sweat, or had he sprayed some kind of perfume? But now looking a little more closely at the boy’s scared expression, it became clear he had tried to impress the girls with poetry or high-society politics–for a reptilian underworld, anyway–but Jake’s daughters were an entirely different breed.

Nora was currently using her hands to passionately explain the tactical advantages of an orbital drop-ship pincer maneuver in Space Wars, while Clara was aggressively breaking down the batting averages of the Alliance baseball league.

Then, Blaze slithered forward, causing the boy to stumble back as he looked up. The teenaged Vouivre boy was already built like a miniature tank, his gem-encrusted torso significantly wider and thicker than most adult human males. But Blaze was even larger than him.

The massive young Echidna, wearing a charming black dress, towered over the noble, casually cracking her knuckles and loudly asking him if he wanted to go to the sparring rings to test their strength. She would love to see the power of the Vouivre. Heat began steaming off her scales as she got excited to have a bout.

The gem-studded noble went pale, bowed so fast he nearly snapped his own spine, and hastily retreated toward the buffet tables.

Timone sighed, shaking his head and taking a sip of his own wine. “A pity. He lacked the warrior's spirit.”

“His body chose the flight response–it lacked a death wish,” Ophelia corrected with a warm laugh, leaning against Jake's shoulder. “Let them have their fun, Jake. The girls train and study hard in Sanctuary every day, and they've been incredibly well-behaved. Experiencing new cultures, learning social graces, and dealing with... vastly outmatched suitors is good for their development. Besides, these are far from the first boys they’ve met.”

“Yeah, yeah. They were just the first outside of a highly curated circle,” Jake chuckled, finally letting the tension fully drain from his shoulders. He leaned back against the warm weight of Bloodberri beside him, pulling Tanda and Ophelia in close to his side, and letting Yona refill his wine.

Looking out again at his children experiencing socialization, he realized something with a sly smile. “For all your teasing, I just realized you all are throwing stones from a glass house.”

Tanda blinked, looking up at him. “What do you mean?”

Jake simply pointed his goblet toward the far side of the courtyard, near the crystal buffet tables. “I mean, look at Timothy.”

The women all turned their heads.

Timothy, looking sharp and undeniably handsome in his tailored Hearthtribe tunic, was currently walking alongside three young, giggling Vouivre noblewomen. The girls were leaning in close, and a green-scaled lamia-like Vouivre in the center had boldly linked her arm through his.

Blood gasped, her twilight aura suddenly flaring a fraction of an inch as she gripped the balcony railing. “That little harlot! I explicitly told the Baroness that her daughter was permitted to exchange contact information for a formal correspondence of letters. I did not authorize her to link arms with our son and become his date for the evening!”

“To be fair, Blood,” Fhesiah hummed, her golden eyes narrowing with amusement as she studied the group. “Look at his posture. I believe our little raven-wolf might have initiated that arm-link himself. He is practically puffing his chest out.”

Jake smiled warmly, a swell of quiet pride warming his chest. He remembered the private, earnest conversation he’d had with his son months ago. Timothy had been so confused about what it meant to be a man when he was growing up surrounded by terrifyingly strong sisters who suplexed monsters and treated honor duels as casual greetings.

But these young Vouivre noblewomen were different. They were softer, more refined, and... smaller. They were looking up to Timothy, and the boy was finally getting to flex that protective, masculine instinct he’d been so worried about lacking when compared to his sisters. He was standing taller, guiding them through the crowd with a gentle, confident chivalry.

“He likes the attention,” Ophelia noted with a soft, proud smile. “He feels like he can protect them. It's good for him.”

“Plus,” Fhesiah added with a sly smirk, gesturing to the glittering jewels embedded naturally in the Vouivre girls' scales. “They are quite shiny. The boy is part avian. You cannot parade sparkling, gem-encrusted girls in front of a raven-wolf and expect him not to try and collect them for his nest.”

Tanda’s furry tail was completely rigid. Her ears were pinned flat against her hair. “Her neckline is still scandalous. And she hasn't even sung her intent!”

Ophelia side-eyed Tanda. “Since when did you care about that first part? And doesn’t the boy sing first anyway?”

“Perhaps we should descend to the courtyard,” Berri muttered darkly, though her eyes danced with obvious, mischievous delight as she perfectly recalled Timone’s earlier outrage. “Batter her against the fountain to test the strength of her spirit. Show these soft nobles how the Hearthtribe handles suitors.”

“I should go down there,” Ophelia added, perfectly mirroring Jake’s earlier deadpan delivery, as she leaned over the balcony aggressively. She tried to hold the stoic expression, but a wide grin broke across her face as her feathered wings fluttered in pure amusement.

Jake chuckled at their antics. “You see? You hardly have a leg to stand on when it comes to teasing me! You're all just as bad as Timone and I are.”

“This is different, Husband.” Blood insisted. “We are simply ensuring quality control for your eldest son. But...you’re right. I may have gone a little overboard in this.”

“He’s handling it fine,” Jake smiled, pulling Bloodberri in close and kissing the top of her head–the giant of a woman needing to lean in to allow this action. He wrapped his other arm around Tanda, anchoring his fiercely protective–and utterly ridiculous–wives.

For the first time in days, Jake let the heavy mantle of leader truly fall away. Surrounded by the warmth of his wives, the ridiculous, honor-bound loyalty of his friends, and the undeniable proof that they were actually winning the war, he took a long, slow sip of the Serthunian wine.

There were plenty more victory parties to come.