Binding: A Slice of Life Progression Fantasy (Millennial Mage Book 3), page 1
Binding
Book Three of Millennial Mage
By J.L.Mullins
Copyright © 2023 by J.L.Mullins
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.
The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.
Contents
Chapter: 1 – I’m Going to Become an Archon
Chapter: 2 – Are You Heavier?
Chapter: 3 – Flow
Chapter: 4 – Worth Every Copper
Chapter: 5 – This Won’t Kill You, Directly
Chapter: 6 – Yay, Me…
Chapter: 7 – Already Lost to the World
Chapter: 8 – Group Breakfast Deal
Chapter: 9 – Mana
Chapter: 10 – That Has Merit
Chapter: 11 – A Hodgepodge Foundation
Chapter: 12 – Fleeing the Madness of Reality
Chapter: 13 – She’s a Scary Lady
Chapter: 14 – Watching for a Trap
Chapter: 15 – About Time You Finished
Chapter: 16 – A Taste of Human Blood
Chapter: 17 – Wish Me Luck?
Chapter: 18 – The Real Work
Chapter: 19 – What the Rust?
Chapter: 20 – False Choices
Chapter: 21 – Plentiful and Free
Chapter: 22 – The Crux of the Matter at Hand
Chapter: 23 – In Ancient Times
Chapter: 24 – That’s a Bit Embarrassing
Chapter: 25 – To End a Very Long Day
Chapter: 26 – Progress is Progress
Chapter: 27 – More Questions
Chapter: 28 – Mistress Odera
Chapter: 29 – Only a Mage Protector
Chapter: 30 – Crystal
Chapter: 31 – A Calm, Uneventful Evening
Chapter: 32 – I’m Hardly Standard
Chapter: 33 – A Start
Chapter: 34 – Fool’s Folly
Author’s Note
Chapter: 1
I’m Going to Become an Archon
Tala was in her own room, that she had paid for herself.
She had a lucrative, if unideal, contract with the Caravanners’ Guild as a Dimensional Mage, and she was starting to make a few friends.
In fact, one of those friends was renting her this room. Lyn really has been amazing to let me stay here.
Sighing, Tala took one last look around her room before turning around to see Lyn standing in the doorway.
“Gah!” How did I not hear her? She thought back and realized that she had, in fact, heard her arrive but hadn’t registered it. I’m going to have to figure out how to control that better…
Lyn smiled. “I know it probably feels even smaller now, after the Wilds…”
Tala smiled, her stance softening. “It’s wonderful, Lyn. Thank you, again.”
Lyn’s smile widened. “So… you’re sure you want to stay?”
“Absolutely.”
The older woman stepped forward and gave Tala a quick hug. “Good.” After the brief contact, she pulled back. “How about I go grab us some dinner?”
Tala brightened. “That sounds fantastic! How about some more of Gretel’s meat pies? I feel like I could eat a dozen… maybe two.” She felt her stomach rumble slightly. “Make it three? And anything else you think looks good…” I lost a few earlier, rather violently…
Lyn gave her a questioning look.
“Holly said I needed to eat, a lot.”
She shook her head. “Fair enough. I’ll do that. Take some time, settle in. I’ll be a bit.”
“Sounds good. Thank you, Lyn.”
“See you soon.” She left without another word.
Tala stretched, again. “You know, if I’m going to be without my salve for a bit, I should enjoy baths more often.”
Terry looked at her skeptically.
Tala coughed, looking away. “You have no idea how often I’ve taken baths before.”
Terry let out an oddly deep, seemingly disbelieving, chirp.
“Fine, well, I’m going to ready a bath.” She grabbed one of Holly’s books and her review notebook, using the latter to narrow down what to study in the former as she strode from the room. The digestive system was her first focus. A smile tugged at her lips, and she glanced back, seeing the terror bird on her bed and the tools on her writing table. It looked horribly bare, but it also looked right. Not that I’m going to leave it like this. She smiled.
Time to relax.
***
Tala’s bath was not quite ready before Lyn returned with food.
Tala had forgotten that a fire had to be built to heat the water in this place, and she hadn’t wanted a cold bath. I’m getting spoiled, it seems.
She had filled the tub and just stoked the fire when Lyn called out to her. “Dinner!”
“Coming.” Tala walked out, moving carefully as she continued to read, only to find Terry already sitting beside Lyn, eyeing the basket full of mini meat pies. Another basket of food sat off to the side, the contents wrapped in linen.
Lyn smiled up at Tala. “Can he eat one?”
Tala shrugged. “I’ve seen him eat worse.”
Lyn smiled and tossed one to Terry. The bird devoured the mini-pie quickly.
Tala grinned. “Watch this.” She grabbed one of the pies, then looked to Terry. “Up for some showing off?”
Terry tilted his head, eyes on the pie, and gave a slight nod, hunkering down, almost dancing from foot to foot.
Tala tossed the pie to the side.
Lyn opened her mouth to protest but stopped. “Where’d it go?”
Tala had had her eyes on Terry the whole time, and still, she’d only seen the barest flicker. The only difference was that he’d changed position, slightly, and was now wolfing down the little pie.
“Tala…”—Lyn focused on Terry—“how old is that terror bird?”
Tala grinned, devouring her first pie. So good! Garlic and yams, and is this beef? “Not young.”
“The shortest cool-down I’ve seen between teleports was in a dimensional rabbit. It could jump every three seconds or so.”
Tala shrugged. “Not too different.”
Lyn had a serious look on her face. “It was hundreds of years old, Tala. My understanding from my passing curiosity is that the time is halved every decade or so, for non-sapient users, and the time increases the larger the thing teleported.” She narrowed her eyes, examining Terry more closely. “Is he a dwarf terror bird? That might explain some, but he’d still need to be close to a hundred and fifty years old, at least.”
Terry looked inquisitively to Tala, but she slightly shook her head. “Could be, I suppose. Who knows for sure?” She ate another pie. Oooo! Parsnips and beets? Nicely blended flavors, too. I wouldn’t have thought those would go with pork so well.
Lyn stared at her for a long time, then sighed. “Fine…” As she took up and began eating her first pie, she was watching Terry. She finished her first and started on her second, suddenly throwing another off to the side.
Terry seemed to instantly shift positions, again eating the newly acquired pie.
“Less than an eyeblink…” She examined Tala, again, and sighed. “Fine… I won’t dig.”
Tala smiled. “Thank you for dinner. What do I owe you?”
Lyn waved the question off. “Welcome home, that’s what you owe me.” She smiled. “I assume you want to get back on the road as soon as Mistress Holly’s done and you have your chat with the guild?”
Tala hesitated. “Maybe…” She thought about the training that she’d been doing, as well as the mounting advice to create a sufficient Archon Star. Plus, she’d promised the Guardsman’s Guild she’d give them some time. “What would it mean for our contract if I became an Archon?”
Lyn froze, a new bite of meat filling her mouth. After a long moment, she began chewing once more, and eventually, she swallowed the savory treat. “Tala. How likely is that?”
Tala shrugged. “Depends on the answer?”
Lyn sighed, deeply, scratching beside her right temple, her eyes squeezed shut. Under her breath, she muttered, “Give me strength.” After another long moment, she opened her eyes and smiled. “Tala, dear friend, that would constitute a material change to the services you could offer the Caravan Guild.”
Tala thought back. There was a clause about something like that… “Sooooo…?”
“So, at the very least, we would retest you and alter the arrangement accordingly. The most common result would be that you’d be allowed to take on two contracts at once, being considered a Dimensional Mage and a Mage Protector of the wagon train—assuming you’d be capable of that.”
Tala perked up at that. “So, half my inscriptions would be covered? And I’d earn a gold ounce for each arcanous encounter the wagons survived?”
“You’d earn that for your team, but basically, yes,” Lyn confirmed.
That would be so utterly fantastic. “How does that work, an
Lyn sighed, again. “Depends. If there’s any indication that you personally caused the encounter, then you get nothing additional. If it is unavoidable, then it depends on the quantity and power of the beasts in question. Ten thunder bulls directly defended against would be three ounces gold, added to the payment of the protectors.”
Tala was nodding. “That sounds fantastic.”
Lyn was giving Tala a very wary look. “What are you planning…?”
Tala gave the other Mage a quizzical look. “I’d think that was obvious. I’m going to become an Archon.”
Lyn groaned, putting her head in her hands.
Tala popped another meat pie into her mouth, and Terry flickered just slightly, then held very still. She turned to regard the bird, its dimensional magic burst obvious. “You know, I can sense when you do that.”
Terry looked her right in the eye, then tipped back his head, opening his mouth and allowing the four meat pies he’d snatched to slide down his throat.
Tala just laughed, and Lyn looked up in confusion. “Terry, I’m going to feed you. Is human food so much better than what you’re used to?”
The bird locked gazes with her and bobbed up and down, letting out a low, resonating squawk of affirmation.
Tala cleared her throat, handing Lyn another meat pie. “Now, my room. What can I do in there?”
Lyn looked between her two housemates and sighed. “This is my life now, isn’t it…?”
Tala grinned. “Just when I’m in town.”
“Right! You never answered my question.”
“Oh… you’re right.” Tala thought. “I just did two contracts, so I’d be good for four months, right?”
Lyn nodded hesitantly. “Yes, but it would look bad and lower your priority for taking contracts.”
Tala nodded. “Understandable. A month then? I think I can do what I need to by then… Though, I’ve no idea what becoming an Archon requires. I’ll try to have that at least started in a week and a half. I shouldn’t do anything too crazy until Mistress Holly’s done.”
“That goes without saying.” Lyn took another bite, speaking around the food. “And don’t forget your meeting with a senior guild official.”
“Right… Assuming my contract isn’t dissolved—”
“As I said, I should have been informed if they were going that route.”
Tala nodded. “Assuming that’s true, a month should be a good amount of time, but I’ll know more in less than two weeks?”
Lyn sighed. That was becoming a habit. “Alright, Tala. I won’t start looking for your next trip, yet.”
“Thank you. Now, my room?”
“Do what you like with it, just please don’t break down any walls or destroy the furniture. If you want something different, let me know, and I’ll pull out what’s in there.” Her eyes twinkled just a bit. “You can buy whatever you want to put in there.”
Tala rolled her eyes. “Yes, with my thousands of gold ounces, I shall customize this room to perfection.”
Lyn just smiled back at her. “If you so choose.”
Tala ate one last meat pie, feeling a bit past half-full as she swallowed the final pieces. Her eyes fell on the other basket. “What’s in there?”
“My, you weren’t kidding.” Lyn grinned. “This”—she picked up the basket, handing it to Tala—“is a selection of desserts. I certainly don’t need them.” She picked out a chocolate puff pastry. “So, you should take them before I eat them all.” She winked.
Tala rolled her eyes. “Thank you.” She took the basket and began eating, savoring each bite. “Mmmmm… Thank you.” She sighed contentedly. “Well, I’ve a bath on. I should get to that. Good night, Lyn.”
“Good night, Tala.”
Tala walked back and placed the basket of pastries in her room. Then, leaving her books beside the basket, she moved to the steam-filled room, undressed, let her hair down, and climbed in.
Terry didn’t join her, but she sensed him from the direction of her room through the collar, with no added feeling of warning. Close. Likely on my bed.
With her next few days already planned out, she simply relaxed in the water, allowing the embers below the tub to keep it just below her maximum temperature.
This is nice.
***
Tala woke early, her window still showing no sign of morning’s light. Even so, she knew it was time to rise.
No nightmares last night. She would have thought that all the fees she’d been forced to pay the day before would have made the nightmares more prevalent, not less. Don’t knock it, Tala. Just be happy. So, she put them from her mind.
She glanced under her covers and felt herself smile at the subtle, yet obvious, glow. True to her guess, the light didn’t even illuminate the blanket above her, but she could clearly see herself, fully covered in the magical lines.
She stood slowly, then, with careful deliberation, she moved through her wake-up routine: stretching and exercising her mind, magic, spirit, and muscles.
The last was expectedly surprising.
I knew there would be improvements, but this seems incredible. Every single exercise, she had to shift towards harder variations, and even so, she struggled more with proper form and balance than with the strength required for the movements. In the end, she was left frustrated with her lack of control more than any missing strength.
A clear way to improve, I suppose.
Her room wasn’t really big enough for the longer range calling of her knife, so she simply did a couple dozen summonings from around five feet, at which point, she had to lie down due to dizziness. That’s right, Tala. Overwork your soul. That seems wise. She’d still been focused on how much her physical strength had improved that she hadn’t been as careful as she should have been. I’ll be more careful next time. I swear…
While she was trapped on her back, the spinning room holding her prisoner, she contemplated the day’s tasks.
Charge the cargo-slots, go to the Guardsman Guild’s training yard, go to the Constructionists’ Guild, massage… then Mistress Holly. She felt tension grow at the last. Maybe, I could skip today? At the thought, a memory of Holly’s visible aura of power surfaced, and she shuddered. Maybe I won’t skip…
Still unable to stand, she made random noises, playing with what sounds she could make. I’m bored… She looked to the side, and even the act of turning her head brought her near to retching. She stared at Kit from across the room. “Must get book…”
The pouch did not respond.
“Terry?”
The bird shifted in his corner, opening one eye to regard her.
“Can you bring me my pouch?”
Terry tilted his head, regarding her. Then, he was suddenly beside her on the bed, the dimensional magic blip unpleasant in her current state, though less so than she’d expected.
She felt a light pressure on her arm, then Terry let out an oddly indifferent, low, thrumming squawk. The bird vanished back to his corner and curled back up.
“You’re no help.” She raised her arm lightly, looking where she’d felt the pressure. “Did you just try to cut me?”
Terry chirped happily.
“Still happy with your decision, eh?”
Happy chirps were her only reply.
“Won’t help with the pouch?”
He settled back down, closing his eyes.
“You’re kind of mean.” Hey! Moving my arm didn’t make it worse. She flexed, bringing her arms up in front of her, her hands clapping together with surprising force. She felt the last vestiges of the endingberry power left in her system drain away, and a crack like thunder exploded through the room. She felt extra power shunt to the inscriptions around her ears, protecting them from the incredibly loud sound.
Terry jumped up, looking around in alarm.
Tala felt a fresh wave of dizziness at the loud sound despite the dampening scripts.
Lyn’s voice floated their way. “Tala? Is everything okay?”
Tala groaned, and she heard Lyn hurrying to her door.
“Can I come in?”
“Sure…”
The door opened, and Lyn stood in it, regarding her for a long moment. “Tala.”
“Yes?”
“Why are you naked?”
“It’s my room.” And… I forgot to get dressed.
