—-Nephis POV—-
The pair had reached the cavern where the statue of the goddess stood. It had been a long walk of intermittent chatter. Now knowing her next step, Nephis was truly relaxed.
Approaching the statue, Aldric spoke out.
"It's here. Now, I need you to uphold one of our agreements. You can't enquire or learn about how I got here. I might trust you, but there are wondrous aspects in this world. Especially those controlled by the domains."
And it was here that Aldric hinted at somebody learning about the Aether through Nephis' memories or thoughts. A risk that he was not willing to take.
Nephis was silent in response. Silent as Aldric wrapped a smooth, thick fabric around her eyes.
'It smells like him.'
Nephis noted. The hints of vanilla and a deep woody smell clashed to form a rich scent.
While her instincts told her to be wary, this was her only option. She knew how ridiculous it would be to challenge the second nightmare as a dreamer. Lacking in both soul essence manipulation and an aspect ability. And to be honest, she was scared. It was the freedom of returning home that drove her desperation earlier; however, now that a much easier path revealed itself, she could not fathom choosing her earlier option. Even with the prestige she might receive from becoming the first dreamer to skip a rank and conquer the second nightmare. Even if that would make her stronger in her return against the sovereigns. Or should she say less weak? The danger was not worth it.
Her eyes looked to Aldric's position under the blindfold.
It seemed that she truly did not know just how deep the hunter's knowledge of this world went and how far his plans reached. The contract that they had agreed to was not just regarding the present and the near future but much further. Each clause had been filled with iron terms with no room for misinterpretation as well as consideration for every possibility that would affect their bottom line.
But the biggest reason why she could trust Aldric to return her to the waking world was simple. Outside of the bond they shared in the Forgotten Shore, it was the newly revealed goals shared earlier.
To her, finding out about Aldric's next steps was the equivalent of finding an oasis on a desert planet. More so, finding the only one. It was just that rare.
'To think the only other divine aspect wielder, outside of Sunny, wants to take them down as well.'
Nephis thought with surprise.
Her mind thought back to the moment that it happened. When Aldric revealed the next step he would take against them.
This was what she needed. This was exactly what she needed! It was rare enough that someone with Aldric's strength and potential was unaffiliated, but more so, his goals aligned with her own in what obstacles needed to be removed. To them both, the sovereigns had to go. Nephis dreamt of revenge and culling the cause of humanity's stagnation. While according to Aldric, he could not achieve his own goals while humanity was under their control.
It was that air of arrogance that could not fathom somebody controlling him that sparked Nephis' own flames of revolution.
It reminded Nephis of what Aldric had said that night in the Forgotten Shore. On how his dream was 'beyond the nightmare spell', amongst many other things. It seemed that she did not understand just how serious the young man was. And to think that he would begin to plot against them so soon.
Moving past her feelings of elation, Nephis could feel the beginning of a descent. Steps and steps continued on. She was confused as to where a staircase would have appeared in the middle of a cavern. Were they even still there? But nonetheless, Nephis stopped thinking about it. Partly because of the agreement they made but also because her mind was filled with the idea of her returning home. Of seeing Cassie again, of being near Sunny. It warmed her.
CREAK
The sound of a door opening rang out as Aldric's large hands guided her forwards. And it was here that she felt it. That she truly was somewhere different. The air felt static and empty. She could feel grains of sand beneath her feet. Her heart suddenly jumped at the reminder of the last time she tried to brave the desert.
Unknown to her, something had awoken.
"Brace yourself."
Aldric spoke in an edged voice.
Two large hands suddenly maneuvered her body to rest on Aldric's shoulder in a carry. And they moved. It was a speed that Nephis had never felt. A showcase of precise essence manipulation and its application.
And she felt it above her, something moving. Even if she could not see, her senses were acute enough to tell her that something was wrong. But knowing that Aldric did not attempt to remove her blindfold meant that she was not needed.
In a small burst of movement, they were seemingly out of the danger, or so she could tell. Rather than being let go, Aldric continued to hold her over his shoulder. It was a ridiculous and insulting position, but she did not care. Not at this point, with freedom so close.
'How many steps are there?'
With what felt like two storeys of stairs, Nephis felt the man come to a stop and approach something. After a moment of stillness, she could feel soul essence burst around her.
And Aldric walked forward.
They had entered the Ivory Tower.
—---Aldric POV—----
"So what will the story be? How is it that you returned from the Forgotten Shore?"
Aldric asked her.
He watched as Nephis took in the Ivory Tower. The contours and architecture of Hope's prison seemed to enrapture the woman.
"I will tell them what I failed to do. I will say that I found a gateway somewhere on the edge of the Forgotten Shore. It is not rare for regions of the dream realm to have more than one gateway."
She answered as she looked at the chains lying on the ground. Her back to Aldric.
"That's good. Better to not mention other regions like the desert you went to or the Hollow Mountains. That would give you too much of the wrong attention."
Aldric responded. While he had many more questions to ask about her next plans, it was not really his place to enquire. Besides, it had been a long day since becoming a Master and Cassie needed to come here.
"Stay here. Cassie, Sunny, myself, Kai and Effie are the only ones that have access to this citadel. If you look outside, you can see why I say that."
Aldric spoke as he tugged on his anchor and returned to the waking world.
—--Cassie POV—---
It was not often that she got messages from Aldric. The man gave an air of nonchalantness in his texting habits. But this one caught her attention. The anomalous text.
She was in the old manor of the Immortal Flame Clan. Given her status as Nephis' right hand and the leader of the Firekeepers, Cassie had gained access and was beginning to take stock of the site.
Grabbing the communication device from her pocket, she used her voice to utilise it. While she could have used her aspect, Cassie had sworn to truly acclimate to her flaw.
Aldric: "Hey! Come to the tower. I have a special surprise…😱🌟🌟🌟"
You: "???"
You: "Ok, I'll be there."
She spoke into the phone, using a voice-to-text feature. It was her aspect that sparked her intuition, telling her that something enormous was about to happen. A change that she had not foreseen.
The star symbol gave her a sick kind of hope. A hope that this was something related to Nephis. And so she did not waste any time. She pulled on her tether and transported herself to the dream realm.
In the basement of the Ivory Tower, Cassie appeared. Rushing up the stairs, her awakened ability was fully in use.
STEP
STEP
STEP
Her boots echoed on the stone slabs. She saw it in her mind before breaking past the door. A spread of greyish-white hair. A tall feminine body facing a man she recognised as Aldric.
At that moment, Nephis had turned around and saw her.
"Cassie…"
Her voice spoke out.
'That's HER voice. Nephis' voice.'
Her mind raced as she analysed what she was witnessing. But her mouth followed too.
"How?...Just how?..."
Her mind stilled as she trailed towards the figure.
'Please… Please let it be her…'
Her aspect shut down involuntarily, as the only thing on her mind was holding her. With a push, her smaller figure smashed into Nephis, clasping her tightly with the strength of a Master.
"I'll leave you guys to it."
Aldric spoke out for the first time. His gaze sharpened as they stared right into Cassie's soul. A much deeper meaning hidden within them.
Her blindfold, drenched with tears of joy, could only acknowledge them with a nod.
—
It had been many hours since Aldric had left the pair in the Ivory Tower. He was now in his office, having a look through a report completed by Team Hermes. Since his return, there has been a lot of work to catch up on.
PING
Aldric's communicator went off. Faced down in the drawer, Aldric reached out to grab it. Opening the messenger app, he read.
Cas: "Open up."
Just as he read it, there was a sudden knock on the door. Standing up to go open it, Cassie stood in the doorway.
Returning to his seat, Cassie made her way into the room.
"So, did I surprise you?"
Aldric asked with his back turned. Clearly alluding to Nephis.
A sudden shimmer of light caught the corner of his eye. Cassie stood there now without any of her robes, recovering her body. A simple tunic hung loosely around her figure.
"I swear it. Whatever you need me to, I will swear by it. I've decided that I will do whatever it takes to follow you."
Cassie said. Her golden hair draped over her lustrous skin.
"I did not foresee Nehpis' return. I knew that she would return in the future, that she would survive. But I did not know how or in what state. For the clarity and for the safety she can now enjoy, that is worth it all."
She dumped her stresses onto him.
"You did it all, Aldric. You beat fate in a way that I could not without sacrificing it all. You saved the person I hold dearest to me without a care in the world. My heart, my soul and my mind are telling me that I need to be by your side. And I will pay whatever price to do that."
Aldric did not waste any time. He did not utter a single word. He took a seat in his leather chair and raised his hand face down like a king. A familiar pattern revealed itself.
In his mind, Aldric made a move.
'I sacrifice the knowledge of my ascended ability to whoever I am contracting with at my discretion; in turn, the range of what [Ephemeral Mandate] can encompass increases.'
A faint ring sounded out in his mind. The oath was made.
Cassie moved forward and positioned his palm to rest on her chest, right above her heart.
"Just know, Cassie, this is not ownership or control. It is just insurance and trust. Do not see this as atonement for what you did to Sunny. I am not here to mirror their bond."
Cassie could only nod as those words hit deep. He then went on to explain his ability in full detail without hiding anything. As he spoke, her mind drifted.
A repressed memory came to her mind. Her feigning sleep as two people spoke about her. As the light on her chest began to grow and beam inside of her, Cassie spoke out tentatively.
"One last thing… If at that winter solstice when you were sent to the caverns, you were not alone but I was beside you, would you have abandoned me?"
Aldric had never heard the young woman be this vulnerable. Recognising the moment for what it was. He responded to her trauma with pure honesty.
"No. I would have found a way. These eyes can see the value that you have. Even in those days at the academy when you were trailing after your assistant. Besides, I would not want to live the kind of life that required me to sacrifice the life of a vulnerable girl."
A bright smile formed on her face. That was all that she wanted to hear. That hidden trauma lifted itself off her back.
With that done, Aldric spoke.
"Do you swear to never knowingly betray me or act against my interests outside of unique cases where you are being controlled?"
"I swear."
A sigil formed on her chest. With her tunic weighed down by her chest, a glowing symbol appeared on her alabaster skin.
"Do you swear to never plan against me or those under my purview unless stated otherwise?"
"I swear."
The sparks of red grew stronger.
"Do you swear to never share my secrets or any information that I explicitly state to be hidden?"
"I swear."
"Do you swear to be truthful about any vision that you witness? To never omit or lie about anything, even to my detriment?"
"I swear."
"Ok. Now let's talk about punishments."
---
Some time later, after adding many more clauses and punishments, Aldric reached the end of their agreement. Finishing off the contract with one last clause.
"Do you swear to be truthful about the nature of your feelings? Whether they be manipulative or pure."
"I swear."
"So it is done."
A thunderclap of chaos echoed across the room. Sounding louder and clearer than physically possible, as though it sounded out from outside the building. It was as though they had sworn on the Styx itself. The symbol on both Aldric and Cassie glowed ominously before dying down.
'Nephis or Eurys did not receive one of those... How weird...'
Unknown to Aldric, there were levels to these contracts. Levels to these covenants.
The woman moved forward, adeptly moving to sit on his lap. Cassie started it once more, a burning kiss now shared between them.
"Let's start a different kind of contract…"
Cassie spoke out sultrily. Her face dived to meet Aldric's again.
His hands instinctively reached for her waist, clasping around her shapely figure.
R-18 START
❌❌❌(Find this scene on my Patreon.)
Just as her hands began to reach below his waist, Aldric stopped her.
"If you want this to be more than a hook-up. I suggest you slow down."
Without responding, Cassie stood up and dropped out of her tunic. Her chest lay bare, and silky underwear covered her.
"There are plenty of things we can do before we reach that point, right?"
She spoke as the moonlight danced on her figure.
'Fuck it…'
Aldric decided.
***
Thanks for reading.
Was feeling a bit playful at the end of this. Why is Cassie so thirsty fr???
FYI, there is no secret scene on Patreon. I'm just playing.
Tried to show more of the contract process (Jose 🫡), though had to hide some clauses. Can't reveal all my cards.
That's all for this one; till next time.
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