The Wandsmith [LitRPG, Isekai, Harem]

"Life feels like Light, as if it trades brightness for something deeper," Ori said, watching several orbs of magic float above his lap.

"It's an observation I share as well. I've found this a helpful initial exercise, a way to familiarise yourself with affinities at or near the Threshold of understanding. Within the orbs you'll see shadows of your own comprehension, but it's important to look beyond that and see the affinities, to see more than what you believe or expect to see. It takes time and practice, but it should be another useful tool for exploring your magic," Seraphine replied.

The orbs circled one another in a silent orbit. One shone with solid white radiance; the other looked ghostly yet somehow richer and more substantial.

To Ori's eyes, the similarities were obvious. Life seemed almost a pale echo of Light, a faint reflection on the surface. Yet, within the orb of Life, he sensed a greater depth, a richness of potential and possibility. There was something profound in witnessing the purest expression of a concept. Life was something he belonged to, something that surrounded him, but as a distilled orb of magic stripped of all the distractions and complexities it was known for, Ori's understanding of his newest affinity seemed to soar.

He sat on the porch of his forest cabin. Edran and Mirrel, the mixed-fae couple who had come for fertility treatment, had left only minutes earlier.

Light Orb had been Ori's first spell. Taught by Seraphine, there was a pleasing symmetry in returning to it now that she was once again by his side.

Things were very different now, though.

With Freya's meticulous, scholarly grasp of High and Arch magic, Ori had begun to bridge his early intuition with the esoteric lore locked within the soul fragments of Eltitus the Ravager and the Nameless Black Magi.

While Freya's academic teaching was dense with lofty abstractions, time with Seraphine showed him how much of his foundation was missing, both in magic and in his own knowledge of Fate's history. Seraphine practised a practical craft shaped by family traditions, by humanity's explorations and hard-won discoveries. That grounding made every lesson richer. Here, he was not only learning magic; he was glimpsing humanity's long march out from under the primordial powers, across realms far beyond the stars of Earth's night sky.

"In some ways, you have too many, highly developed affinities," Seraphine said.

"How do you mean?"

"Take one of your recent ones, Air—."

Ori summoned a new Light Orb as she spoke, laying the spell down engram by engram until it was no longer made from light. A colourless, almost invisible orb joined the others, each a globe of magic tinted by a different affinity.

"I asked you to make these so you could see the relationships between your affinities, their common origins, and how one affinity can arise from more than one source, depending on the wielder's comprehension. Air is a good example. For you, its origin sits firmly in the Material. However…"

A second colourless orb appeared beside his own. To Ori's Vision of the Progenitor, it blazed with mana.

"Wind shares near-identical properties with Air, yet its origin is Elemental," she said.

"Yours seems more vigorous," Ori noted, watching a storm stir within. "So are these truly different affinities, or not?"

"It depends on the mage's comprehension. Cast another Light Orb with this engram. It will give you finer control and let you shift the affinity of the spell after casting." Seraphine instructed.

Ori spent the next hour sliding orbs from one affinity to another. It felt like moving a weight along a scale, pushing the properties of the orbs from one origin to another. With Air, rooted in the earthbound science of states of matter, he pressed from gas to plasma. His Lightning and Flux affinities carried the 'Air' orb all the way into Lightning. From Lightning, to plasma, to Air, then to liquid, wherein he promptly lost control of the Orb, the solidified ball of air quickly sublimed as it fell to the ground, sizzling like dry ice.

"What happened to the spell?" Ori wondered.

"Clearly, when you have no affinity, the spell will fail."

"Oh."

"Is that a rare note of disappointment I hear? I shall cherish it. One day when you have an apprentice of your own, little stumbles like this will be a balm to your pride."

"Ha!" Ori laughed. "You're right, I need to think about my own apprentice soon, don't I?"

"While you could step into the High White Mage class evolution at any time, do not think for a moment there is not a great deal I can still teach you, Ori. As for the spell and why it failed, although you may know of, for example, Elemental Water, an affinity is more than simply knowing what a thing is," Seraphine explained.

"But didn't you just cast Wind? You have an affinity for Wind?"

"Yes. I have Attained affinities for Elemental Wind, Water, and Earth, all at the Threshold of comprehension. I chose Life as my first Inherent affinity, then Spirit as my second soon after acquiring a special accolade for summoned you."

"Nice," Ori said, recalling her other affinities of Celestial, Order, Regolith, and Minerals.

"There are likely more affinities I could raise to the boundary of Threshold, but as I said before, there comes a point where grasping too many disparate affinities becomes more burden than strength. It may aid High Magic, but that dilution of focus hinders the deeper empathy and desire needed for an affinity to breach the boundary of Sublimation. Instead, seek synergies among your highest Affinities. That should be your aim, especially if you wish to progress your classes and grow in strength."

"So it is possible? I have been thinking about it a lot," Ori all but shouted.

"Not only is it possible, it is one of the few attainments your poor little teacher still holds over her prodigal student."

"After Sublimation, Assimilation! Which affinity? Spirit?" Ori asked, his eagerness plain.

"Yes," she answered serenely. "When I reassembled my soul from the fragments my dear apprentice recovered, my comprehension of Spirit crossed from the third rank directly to fifth."

"Mistress is Mighty!" Ori praised.

"Oooh… please praise me more."

They spoke at length about her Spirit affinity, comparing it with Ori's Soulcraft and exploring what she could do with it now, and what she might achieve once she had her body back. Then they returned to the Light Orb transformations.

Returning to his magic, his attempt to hold Plasma faltered. It felt like his difficulty with Water, hard to seize or control. He could, however, sustain a blue, near-ghostly flame that quickly resolved into sparks of Material Lightning before transforming to Elemental, Cosmic Lightning, then Flux. With little effort, Flux became Material Light; his inherent grasp of the link between electrons and photons made that transition far easier than most.

"That was impressive," Seraphine said. "And a transition I have not heard of before, though I've always suspected such a link."

Morning blurred into mid-afternoon as he worked through his affinities. Air shifted to Elemental Wind, then stalled at the limit of his talent. Celestial and Cosmic Light flowed easily into Life, and Material Air slipped into Material Light by way of Altus.

From Lightning to Material Light, the transitions to Elemental, then Celestial, and finally Cosmic Light were just as smooth. Only Astral Light resisted. When he focused on Harriet's Moonlight, something clicked. His borrowed affinity reached the Threshold rank of comprehension, and through it, new transitions opened. Moonlight could sink to Void, the edge of his knowledge of the Abyssal demiplane. From Void, it could settle as Material Shadow, then deepen into a new Darkness of Cosmic origin.

He practised further, unsure how this would serve in spellcraft, yet with each change, his grasp of his affinities sharpened.

As he worked, the anchors of his magic tugged at him, each tied to a bond. Astral, Aether, Freedom, and Fate ran to Harriet, Freya, and Ruenne'del. Celestial, Life, and Light to Seraphine, while both Seraphine and Freya were bound to his Mana affinity and to his entire path through magic. Void to Poppy and Raven, Lightning and Flux to Lysara, Air and Altus to Lucas. These affinities were both a part of him and bridges to the extraordinary individuals who were now his family. He could not have been happier for the power they brought and for the connections that came with them.

"Why do you boys do that?" Tess asked.

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She cut a striking figure in the copper light. Tall and long-legged, her skin held the warm tan of hours spent outdoors, while a short, wavy bob of almost platinum blonde framed her face. She had traded her usual practical leathers and hooded coat for something far less sensible: impossibly short shorts that showed off those impossibly long legs that more than hinted at a very firm rear, paired with a loose white woollen jumper that flashed a sliver of lean midriff. Ori did not bother to hide how much he liked her look. Tess noticed, and the small, satisfied smile she gave before they left her family's log cabin for a quiet walk around the lake told that she liked being noticed.

Ori turned to the elf with a mirthful shrug after casting the latest rock into the lake. It was sunset and, after his promise the night before, he had joined Tess following their lessons for another date.

"It feels… satisfying," he grunted as he threw another stone. "The throw, the splash, and then the ripples. It is like a whole thing, a continuum of satisfaction."

Tess snorted. "I have never heard it put in such grand terms, but I suppose I see it."

"And with the right stone…" Ori skimmed a flat piece of slate across the still water, sending it skipping several times.

"More ripples, more satisfaction?" Tess smirked.

"Exactly."

Ori nodded towards the neat wooden box Tess had held tightly since leaving her family's log cabin. "Are those the crystals you wanted to show me?"

Tess nodded. "It is a little silly. I have been debating whether to show you, thinking that something as childish as rock collecting was beneath… well."

Ori shook his head and chuckled. "Despite Awakening, and the magic, I am still basically a boy."

"Yes, after listening to your antics from Freya, I'm starting to realise that more and more."

"So, if you like rocks and such, I am curious which ones catch your eye. Also, everything here fascinates me. There is so much that is new to me, things that interest me." Ori held Tess's gaze. "People who interest me."

Tess blushed, then looked away.

"Fine." She sat, and Ori joined her on the pebbly bank. The low orange band of Twilight reflected off the calm lake as she opened her box. "Mother has been teaching me about Awakened High Elves, about how society holds traditions around the creative arts, and how they are based on class synergies. Some choose dancing or singing; others choose more practical arts such as cooking, smithing, crafting, or enchanting."

Ori nodded. Inside the box lay several vibrant crystals of varying colours, shapes, and sizes. Each had been meticulously cut and polished into geometric forms that reflected the light within.

"Wow," Ori said, stunned not only by their beauty but by the paracausal properties that stirred within them.

"I have been collecting these since I could walk. This red one," Tess said, lifting a pea-sized ruby from the padded box. The stone caught the late-afternoon light and seemed to glow with an inner fire. "It was the first I cut properly. When I Awaken, and if I evolve to High Elf like you keep saying I will, when we form our Taurna'diem, I want to pursue lapidary, if I have the right affinities, that is."

Ori nodded, filing away her keen acceptance of their bond for now. "I would be surprised if you did not have the affinities you want. This one…" He picked up a cloudy pink crystal. "You know what it is?"

"From the books on gemcraft I've read, I believe it is quartz, though locally it is known as Rosemist."

Ori nodded, then described an early trial in the Cornucopia when he triggered a rock avalanche and wiped out hundreds of monsters below a cliff with sparks from shattering quartz. He demonstrated the crystal's piezoelectric property by striking it against a boulder, producing a sharp, disproportionately loud snap.

"I feel like I have a natural affinity for this crystal, though my comprehension's nowhere near Threshold. But the rest are all different. Some have Aether or Mana. Some feel like… like this one." He picked up one of the larger crystals. Its colour shifted from deep pink to violet, blue, and green, dark echoes of the prismatic hues he associated with the Astral. "…is really special. Do you know what this one is?"

Tess shook her head. "I've had it appraised as Dreamstone, but I don't know if that's its real name."

"Yes, it definitely has an Astral feel," Ori said, lifting the stone to the light. The refractions within seemed to come from somewhere else entirely, with hints of a starry night rather than daylight.

Tess continued through her collection, which Ori reckoned would be worth tens of millions of pounds sterling back on Earth, based on size and clarity alone, with diamonds and sapphires the size of fists, all cut to a dazzling faceted shimmer, and other crystals with properties he could only guess at.

Her interest made Ori wonder if, instead of archery and her background as an elven ranger, Tess might be better suited to some form of geomancy, Yellow magic, or its elven equivalent.

"So, how was your day today? Did you have as much training as I did?" Tess asked.

"So, yeah. I had a bit of a weird one this morning, helping a couple with fertility issues… Don't look at me that way, it was in a strictly professional sense."

"Really?"

"You know the fletcher Edran…" Ori went on to explain their visit and how he healed an old injury and would hopefully help them conceive. "So, yeah, if my enchanting or guild career doesn't take off, at least I've got a firm back-up as a fertility doctor."

Tess gave him a restrained look that couldn't hide her surprise. "Life… Affinity? I knew you were talented, but…?"

Ori chuckled. "You sound more surprised than impressed?"

She cleared her throat and focused on the box. "I've seen how little you leave behind after a fight. The traders... I didn't expect hands so capable of death to be so aligned with life."

"Knowing I must save at least as many as I kill is an anchor I take seriously. It keeps me grounded, and it gives me joy," he said softly. "Without it, it'd be too easy to turn into someone I wouldn't like."

A small, approving hum escaped her. "I can see that."

"About your trial," he went on, "how do you feel about facing an Immortal-rank demon as a mortal? By the look of things, you all seem to be taking it in your stride."

Tess shrugged, hiding a flash of excitement. "I think we'll be okay. Why? Worried about me?"

"Yeah, absolutely. An Immortal-ranker's no joke. Except for that dying god, I don't think I've faced anything that strong head-on yet." Ori said seriously.

"But you faced that god alone, as a mortal." Tess's eyes brightened despite herself. "I won't be alone, and if your spell empowers me as well as I've been told… well, I want to know myself, see how far I can push. Mortal or Immortal, the more I hear about the challenge ahead, the more I look forward to it."

"You sound confident. Excited, even?"

"I am," she admitted. "Ruenne'del has this confidence that rubs off on you despite her softly spoken nature. Freya tells few jokes, and she's the smallest of us all, but she stands in front of you like a wall, and somehow makes you braver."

"You three will terrify anything that has any sense," Ori said, warmed by the image.

He glanced at the crystals again. "Have you thought about Geomancy, or another class that leans into magic to synergise with your craft?"

Tess gently shook her head, fondness in her voice. "I'm still set on being a Ranger. But if Fate's kind, perhaps I'll find a rare variant. Something with a clever twist."

"The bow suits you, and so does being clever," Ori nodded sagely.

"Not as clever as your tongue." She lifted her eyes to his. "But I am coming round to the idea of bonding with you."

"Oh yeah?" Ori looked at her, momentarily surprised by her earnestness. " Finally falling for my charms?"

"More like I said… that tongue of yours—" Tess blushed. "I admit I have really been looking forward to kissing you again, because wow. If just the kiss was that good, then…"

He leaned in, taking her words for the invitation they were. Their mouths met, slow at first. The scent of pine lingered in her sweat and hair. Warmth bled through the soft wool of her jumper as she pressed closer. His fingers slipped beneath the hem, finding smooth skin at her hips, then the small of her back, anchoring her as she sighed into his mouth.

The kiss deepened, and Tess turned into him with a soft, eager hum. Ori pulled her in, firm and insistent, breaking their kiss as she swung a leg over and settled in his lap, facing him. He gathered her into him, one palm at her hip and the other coiled around the small of her back, rocking her gently to the rhythm of their kiss. The knit rode up; her belly was warm against him, the faint rasp of wool against cotton, the heat of her breath at his jaw.

"Please," she groaned.

Ori answered instinctively, tightening his hold.

"Yes. Just like this."

Desire tugged at him to push things further as their souls came within touching distance. Their bonding seemed so close, such an easy and natural progression. But he reined it in, aware of the line he had agreed to keep. She felt it too, unable to go further but unwilling to pull away. Instead, she eased back just enough to rest her forehead against his, cheeks flushed, turquoise eyes bright and a little wild.

"Let me help you," he whispered.

She nodded and guided his hands, pressing his fingers into the curve of her hips. "Please."

He did, drawing her down against him, firm and unhurried. She began to rock again, slowly at first, then bolder, until she found the pace that pleased her. Her jumper slipped higher as he kissed the corner of her mouth, the hollow of her cheek, the soft tip of her tapered ear; she shivered. He revelled in the weight of her firm but pliant ass pressed down upon his crotch, her half-lidded eyes lost in pleasure, cheeks flushed, all her focus turned towards the pleasure she chased. Experiencing their firsts upon firsts, and Ori etched each one into memory, revelling in her sudden passion, her abandon, and the honesty of her desire.

"Please… please," she breathed between kisses.

"I've got you," Ori assured her, his own need pressed hard and constrained beneath his clothing, but he filed it away, intent on the way she moved, on the way her body asked and answered beneath his hands.

"Please, don't stop."

Her breath hitched, brows furrowing as she crested. Her rhythm quickened, then deepened. She broke the kiss with a gasp and buried her face in his shoulder as her long legs tightened around him, her strong thighs shaking and trembling as she came.

"I've got you," Ori repeated. She shuddered, every muscle taut for a heartbeat, thighs locked, fingers fisted in his hair.

She let out a helpless, breathless little laugh against his neck, then another. She lifted her head, eyes hooded, dazed, and gave a disbelieving smile.

"I cannot believe I just did that," she whispered, cheeks red and hair mussed, her eyes full of accusation despite her joy. "Do you need…?" She shifted, the bulge beneath her still evident.

Ori shook his head, expression rueful. "Any further and… well, yeah. Best if I cool off." He grinned. "You able to walk?"

Tess gave him a playful slap before standing. The legs that had been wrapped around his torso now towered over him as he leaned back to enjoy the view.

"I see you've found something you like?" she asked, brow raised.

"Be honest, you stepped out in dem shorts knowing exactly what your legs would do to me," Ori said.

"Maybe I did. Maybe I like seeing you look at me," Tess replied, provocative and amused.

"I'm this close to doing a lot more than looking," Ori half-chuckled, half growled, pinching his fingers to show the tiniest gap. "You should go before my desire to ruin you beats my promise to take things slow."

Tess snorted, turned, then walked off with more than a little sway in her hips, leaving Ori to enjoy the view.