Instinct sat across from the dying fire, his golden eyes fixed on the unconscious elf.
Her breathing had steadied during the night, becoming deeper and more rhythmic.
The claw wounds across her shoulder had stopped bleeding, though dried blood still stained her pale skin.
He wondered how long she had been wandering through the forest before collapsing near his cave.
“Nyx,” he called softly.
“What is she?”
Her presence stirred within his mind.
” A HIGH ELF.
”
Instinct’s eyes narrowed slightly.
” BONE STRUCTURE, MAGICAL DENSITY, THE RESIDUE IN HER BLOOD… EVERYTHING I CAN OBSERVE IS CONSISTENT WITH HIGH ELVEN LINEAGE.
”
A brief pause.
Nyx’s usual playfulness disappeared.
” SHE IS ALSO DYING.
”
Instinct looked back at the elf.
“How long?”
” WITHOUT TREATMENT?
TWO DAYS.
PERHAPS LESS.
THE CLAWS DID MORE THAN TEAR HER FLESH.
SOMETHING HAS CONTAMINATED THE WOUNDS.
”
Two days.
Instinct turned the number over in his mind.
He had barely begun to understand his own existence, and somehow he had already found himself responsible for preserving someone else’s.
The irony wasn’t lost on him.
Then Nyx spoke again.
” YOU MAY BE ABLE TO FORM A BOND WITH HER.
”
Instinct’s attention sharpened.
“A bond?”
” YOUR ABSOLUTE TAMER CLASS ISN’T LIMITED TO BEASTS.
HUMANOIDS AND OTHER SENTIENT BEINGS CAN FORM BONDS WITH YOU AS WELL.
”
“I thought I was a Tamer.”
” YOU ARE.
APPARENTLY, “TAMING” ISN’T A SINGLE MECHANISM.
DIFFERENT BEINGS INTERACT WITH YOUR CLASS IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
”
His gaze returned to the elf.
“And bonding with her would heal her?”
” ACCORDING TO THE INFORMATION I CAN ACCESS, YOUR ESSENCE WOULD REINFORCE HERS.
WITH ABSOLUTE RECOVERY INVOLVED, IT SHOULD PURGE THE CONTAMINATION, REPAIR THE DAMAGE, AND STABILIZE HER BODY.
”
“Should?”
” I’M INTERPRETING A CLASS NEITHER OF US UNDERSTANDS YET.
I’D RATHER GIVE YOU AN HONEST ANSWER THAN PRETEND CERTAINTY.
”
Instinct considered that.
Fair enough.
“And I’d gain levels.”
Nyx laughed softly.
” LOOK AT YOU.
LEARNING ALREADY.
”
“How many?”
” UNKNOWN.
BUT THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO ME SUGGESTS THAT FORMING A SIGNIFICANT BOND CAN PRODUCE SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH.
AND HER MAGICAL RESERVES ARE… CONSIDERABLE.
SHE IS NO ORDINARY ELF.
”
Instinct’s fingers absently traced Moonfall’s hilt.
That reminded him of something.
“When I killed the boars, I reached Level Two.
You said my attributes changed even though they still displayed Absolute.”
” YES.
”
“What actually changed?”
Nyx was silent for a moment.
Then—
” I HAVE A THEORY.
”
Instinct waited.
” ORDINARY ATTRIBUTES APPEAR TO BE MEASURED NUMERICALLY.
STRENGTH INCREASES.
AGILITY INCREASES.
MAGICAL CAPACITY DEVELOPS.
LEVELS PROVIDE A WAY OF REPRESENTING THAT GROWTH.
”
The fire cracked between them.
” YOUR ATTRIBUTES DON’T WORK THAT WAY.
THEY STILL DISPLAY ABSOLUTE, EVEN AFTER YOU LEVELED.
SO WHATEVER CHANGED ISN’T BEING SHOWN TO US AS A SIMPLE NUMBER.
”
“Then what do you think levels are doing?”
” ACCESS.
DEVELOPMENT.
CONTROL.
PERHAPS MASTERY.
YOUR CLASS MAY ALSO HAVE ITS OWN PROGRESSION THAT WE HAVEN’T SEEN YET.
”
Instinct glanced at Moonfall.
“So I have abilities I don’t fully know how to use.”
” THAT MUCH IS PAINFULLY OBVIOUS.
”
He raised an eyebrow.
Nyx sounded delighted by the insult.
” THINK OF IT AS BEING HANDED A WEAPON FAR BEYOND YOUR CURRENT ABILITY TO WIELD PROPERLY.
HAVING IT DOESN’T MAKE YOU A MASTER OF IT.
”
Instinct looked down at Moonfall.
“Comforting.”
” I TRY.
”
“So you don’t actually know exactly what leveling does to me.”
A pause.
” I KNOW ENOUGH TO BE ANNOYED BY HOW MUCH I DON’T KNOW.
”
Instinct smiled faintly.
At least she admitted it.
His gaze returned to the elf.
“Tell me about the bond.”
Nyx’s amusement faded.
” BEASTS APPEAR TO ALLOW A MORE DIRECT FORM OF TAMING.
INSTINCT, WILL, SUBMISSION… THERE ARE SEVERAL REFERENCES, BUT NOT ENOUGH FOR ME TO GIVE YOU A COMPLETE EXPLANATION YET.
”
“And sentient beings?”
A pause.
” DIFFERENT.
”
Instinct waited.
” A SENTIENT SOUL CANNOT FORM THIS KIND OF DEEPER BOND THROUGH FORCE.
THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO ME SPECIFICALLY MARKS ACCEPTANCE FROM BOTH SIDES AS A REQUIREMENT.
”
“Acceptance?”
” CONSENT, INSTINCT.
TRY TO KEEP UP.
”
His eyebrow twitched.
Nyx continued before he could respond.
” FOR THIS TYPE OF BOND, ACCEPTANCE ALONE ISN’T ENOUGH.
THERE MUST ALSO BE AN EXCHANGE OF ESSENCE BETWEEN BOTH PARTICIPANTS.
”
Instinct frowned.
“How?”
For perhaps the first time since he had known her, Nyx actually hesitated before answering.
” INTIMATE PHYSICAL UNION.
”
Instinct went very still.
The fire crackled between them, throwing dancing shadows across the elf’s sleeping face.
“You mean sex.”
” YES.
”
There was no teasing in Nyx’s voice.
Instinct looked at the unconscious woman.
“And that would complete the bond?”
” IF BOTH OF YOU HAVE ALREADY WILLINGLY ACCEPTED IT, THE PHYSICAL UNION ALLOWS YOUR ESSENCES TO CONNECT.
YOUR ESSENCE ENTERS HERS, HERS RESPONDS TO YOURS, AND THE BOND CAN FORM BETWEEN YOU.
”
Instinct was silent for several seconds.
“And that would save her?”
” ACCORDING TO EVERYTHING I CAN ACCESS, YES.
ABSOLUTE RECOVERY WOULD PASS THROUGH THE CONNECTION AND REINFORCE HER BODY.
THE CONTAMINATION SHOULD BE PURGED, THE WOUNDS repaired, AND HER MAGICAL RESERVES STABILIZED.
”
Instinct stared at her.
“And what happens afterward?”
” SHE WOULD BE BONDED TO YOU.
”
There was something different in Nyx’s voice now.
Not teasing.
Not clinical either.
Serious.
” THE BOND WOULD CREATE A CONNECTION BETWEEN YOUR SOULS.
AFFINITY.
AWARENESS.
PERHAPS OTHER EFFECTS I CAN’T SEE YET.
THE DEPTH OF THAT CONNECTION WOULD DEPEND ON BOTH OF YOU.
”
Instinct’s expression remained guarded.
“Would it change her?”
” NOT IN THE WAY YOU’RE ASKING.
”
Nyx seemed to understand immediately.
” IT WOULD NOT ERASE HER PERSONALITY, HER DESIRES, OR HER ABILITY TO CHOOSE.
SHE WOULD REMAIN HERSELF.
”
That mattered.
Instinct wasn’t entirely sure why.
But it did.
His eyes returned to the elf.
“Could I do it now?”
Nyx went silent.
Instinct looked down at the unconscious woman.
“Nyx.”
” PHYSICALLY, THE ACT WOULD BE POSSIBLE.
”
His expression hardened.
Nyx continued immediately.
” THE BOND WOULD NOT.
SHE CANNOT CONSENT WHILE UNCONSCIOUS.
WITHOUT HER WILLING ACCEPTANCE, THERE IS NO BOND.
”
Instinct exhaled slowly.
Strangely, he felt relieved.
“Then there’s nothing to discuss.”
” OH?
”
“She’s unconscious.”
Instinct leaned back against the cave wall.
“Whatever this bond is, she’ll decide whether she wants it when she wakes.”
Nyx remained silent for several seconds.
That alone was unusual enough to make Instinct suspicious.
“What?”
” NOTHING.
”
“Nyx.”
” I’M OBSERVING.
”
“That’s ominous.”
A quiet laugh whispered through his consciousness.
” YOU AWAKENED WITHOUT MEMORIES.
WITHOUT FAMILY.
WITHOUT A SOCIETY TO TELL YOU WHAT IS RIGHT OR WRONG.
YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN A CLASS THAT COULD PLACE ENORMOUS POWER OVER OTHER LIVING BEINGS… AND YET YOU IMMEDIATELY ESTABLISH A LINE YOU REFUSE TO CROSS.
”
Instinct looked toward the fire.
“I don’t need memories to know that taking a choice away from someone feels wrong.”
Nyx became quiet again.
Then, softer—
” INTERESTING.
”
Instinct looked at the sleeping elf.
She would wake eventually.
At least, he hoped she would.
Then she would have questions.
Who was he?
Where was she?
What had attacked her?
And perhaps most importantly, whether she trusted the strange man sitting beside her enough to accept whatever this bond truly meant.
Instinct had none of those answers.
But one thing was becoming clear.
Power gave him the ability to make choices.
It didn’t make every choice worth making.
For now, he would wait.
He would watch.
He would let her sleep.
The fire burned lower, casting the cave into deeper shadow.
The elf’s breathing remained steady.
And Instinct sat vigil through the night, one hand resting loosely against Moonfall’s hilt.
For the first time since awakening, he wasn’t wondering how powerful he could become.
He was wondering what kind of man he wanted that power to make him.