The Wandsmith [LitRPG, Isekai, Harem]

Tess had remained with him until the middle of the night. Their conversation had flowed easily, her restless drive and reflective mind still present, but now somehow aligned with his. He could feel the faint tether between their souls strengthen, the early stirrings of Taurna'diem growing clearer as they spoke more about themselves and what came next. In the morning, they would return to Strafhollow with her father, Ricoh, to help with the rebuilding.

Ori told her about his agreement with Bis'quin, the lamia headman, to stay and offer assistance. Meanwhile, Tess expressed her immediate desire to help her friends while also offering Ori some advice on how best he could assist.

Throughout, they had held hands, tentatively at first, growing more comfortable as they continued. Unlike Ruenne'del, whose presence was as enigmatic as it was peaceful, her interest and evident joy in watching the world around him unfold, akin to that of a cheerleader, Tess had a far more practical air. There was a restlessness in her to do what needed to be done, tempered by caution, tact, and an empathic understanding that made it easy to connect with someone who often struggled to clarify his intentions into words. With the fear and stress of the recent days lifting, Ori was beginning to see who Tess truly was, and he was liking what he saw.

Now, here in the dreaming, Ori wandered towards the crater; however, as he drew nearer to his familiar fishing spot, Ori slowed. Something was wrong, and a tightness gripped his chest.

"No!"

The shards were gone. The soul fragments he had painstakingly recovered from the ethereal realm were no longer by the crater's edge.

Had he been foolish to leave them unsecured? Had something taken them? Had they fallen to the abyss? Or had Seraphine chosen to return to the peace of eternal death? Panic began to overtake reason as Ori's thoughts spiralled. He was already preparing himself to dive back into the Ethereal Realm.

Stripping off his jacket and shoes, more from instinct than necessity, he turned toward the crater, then stopped.

A hand gripped his own.

He froze.

His breath caught, shock flared, then eased into relief, then into joy.

Seraphine stood before him. Her pale skin shone in the light of the dreaming, golden curls framing a modest, almost plain beauty, one touched with the minor marks of age and humanity that made her seem more real than any dream, more grounded. Vivid blue eyes sparkled as an impish grin formed on lips that quickly gave way to laughter at the sight of his reaction. He saw many things in her gaze: the happiness and gratitude of reunion, the amusement of his reaction, the echo of fear, all dissolving in the warmth of joy.

Without a word, Ori wrapped his arms around her. In the dreaming, sensation was usually vague, shaped by memory and imagination. Yet as she hugged him back, tentative at first, her hands resting against the bare skin of his back, something about Seraphine felt solid. Her presence carried a weight and clarity that went beyond a dream.

"What happened? This is real, isn't it? Are you okay? How are you even—" Ori began, the questions piling faster than he could shape them.

She hugged him back more firmly, clinging to him as if afraid to let go. He heard her sobs, his own words faltering as they stood together in silence, both trying to convince themselves that this moment was real.

"Thank you, Ori," Seraphine said, pulling back, though their hands remained joined. "I can't express how much this means. You've given me a second chance."

"It's the least I could've done. Are you... I mean, is this all of you? I thought there were still pieces left? Parts of your soul I hadn't recovered yet?"

"I'm whole now." She smiled, eyes glistening. "What you did was enough. I found the rest of myself. The fragments came to me. And now—here I am, wherever here is… Where are we?" She glanced around, brow furrowing.

"This is the dreaming. My dream, I think. Though I suspect it's a real place now. Somewhere in the Astral. When I was searching for you, this is where my mind led me. It's become my home here."

She took in the surroundings with new appreciation.

"Where were you, just now?" Ori asked, realising he had sensed nothing of her presence upon approach.

Seraphine glanced towards the wand. "Inside there. I believe you named it after me… Seraphine's Beacon? My phylactery... It should have been shattered beyond salvation, but somehow you—" she paused. "You managed to reforge it and preserve the link between us."

"Probably a good thing you weren't around to see that," Ori said, forcing a self-deprecating chuckle as he fought down memories of the pain it had cost. "Wait, if you were in there... then..."

"Only for the day, but… I saw everything. I had intended to observe quietly from a distance, to understand your situation before revealing myself. Never did I imagine your time would be so full with peril and passion—slaughtering brigands, liberating and caring for captives, crossing leagues before midday, and then doing so again without pause. And to end it all seated beside a lake beneath the stars, speaking of futures as if long-time lovers, having just secured permission to court, all in a single day, no less." Seraphine all but swooned, her expression settling into a satisfied smirk as Ori scratched his head with a touch of embarrassment.

"You saw all that, yeah?"

"Yes, Ori," Seraphine confirmed. "I must apologise for the intrusion, though I found it utterly engrossing. If it offers any consolation, it spares my dear Apprentice the task of recounting all that has transpired since we parted. Your exchange with the elven girl—Tess, was it? was especially revealing. It showed all I dared hope you might become, and all I feared might unfold. Tell me, should I now address you as High Redeemer, Bondweaver, or Progenitor of High Humanity?" she asked, teasing.

"Still Ori. Still your apprentice."

"Oh? Apprentice, is it? And here I was, wondering if humble little me might still presume to address one so exalted as yourself in such familiar terms. Tell me, does your august station still permit such indulgences?" Seraphine said, her tone laced with mock formality.

Ori laughed. "Please, I get enough ribbing from Freya."

Seraphine's smirk faded. "Your first familiar, the one who prevented your Awakening... I see she still remains by your side. Mark my words, she and I will soon have a... conversation."

Ori shook his head, allowing his knee-jerk instinct to defend Freya to fade.

"She has been warned," he said instead.

"Harumph. So, if you still call me your master—"

"Mistress," Ori corrected.

Seraphine raised an eyebrow, then continued. "—Then I suppose I should assess your studies and progress. But first," her voice softened, tinged with uncertainty, "any word of my home? My family? How long has it been?"

"I... I believe your sister, Cordielia, still lives. It's been a thousand years though," Ori said, drawing from the notes he had received through Freya's gift of knowledge. "They renamed Astor to Orinth. Though if they were to name it after anyone, I think it should have been you... Also," he added, scratching his head again, "that light orb—the first one I cast? Even after all this time, it's still there. It's become a pilgrimage site, apparently."

"I see," Seraphine said, her eyes distant as she took in the weight of his words.

Ori continued, explaining what he knew, the details of the battle and its aftermath, the Sovereign-ranked foes defeated, and the conflicts that had arisen in the region since. The topic shifted to his Cosmic affinity, and the implications of it being not only a transcendent affinity, but also a demiplane. From there, they spoke of his evolution and Awakening, and finally his progress with their shared class.

"I think, knowing what I've faced, if given the option again, with all the chromatic classes available, I'd still choose White Mage. It grounded me. It's allowed my old morals, or at least most of them, to remain relevant. Looking back, it would have been so easy to become someone who only looked out for himself. To walk away from other people's problems, or kill just because I didn't like someone. But the good I've done, the people I've helped, and keeping that promise to myself to become someone I could look in the mirror and respect… For me, it's the difference between surviving and thriving."

"I'm glad. Many would have called my offer an opportunity, one which you accepted and flourished with, even though you didn't have a true choice. But I'm still pleased to hear its beneficial effect on you. More so, to hear that you've surpassed me in the complexity of your magic."

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Thank you. A lot of that is thanks to Freya—" Ori laughed as Seraphine gave him an exaggerated scowl.

"If we could have Awakened you back then, who knows—" Seraphine sighed. "Still, just because you can cast Archmagic now, doesn't mean your old teacher doesn't have a thing or two to teach you," Seraphine said.

"Oh yeah?"

"Ori, you've embraced the Light aspect of White Magic, but not the Life aspect. Why?"

"There's a difference? I… I mean, I guess it's due to my affinities?"

Seraphine shook her head. "You do have a Life affinity, quiet and likely dormant, but it's there. Your instincts to heal those you save, to care for those you meet. You reach for healing too readily for someone not attuned to it. I suspect that with a little effort and study, we can bring your comprehension with the Life aspect to an appropriate level."

Ori nodded. "I'd like that. I always thought of healing as part of my Light or Cosmic affinity. Maybe with a better connection to Life, I could figure out how to make you a new body, or heal missing limbs, or restore withered flesh." Ori's eyes lit up in realisation.

"Oh, that is easily answered. But no shortcuts. Now that I am aware again, with my soul intact and my phylactery restored, I am in no great hurry to become corporeal. I do want to live again, of course, but it is no longer a pressing need. With my Page from the Library of Fates reactivated and access to ambient mana, I can still reach beyond and affect the world if necessary. So, focus on yourself—on becoming the Bondweaver, and I shall be here to help and guide you as best I can."

"Thank you," Ori said, his voice hoarse as he came to terms with having this woman back in his life again. "Having you with me again... It's like all the gloom and uncertainty I was feeling before... it feels smaller. You'd think spreading my soul so thinly, and forming these bonds, would feel like... I don't know... like something painful or uncomfortable. I mean, it's certainly difficult being aware of everyone's needs, but the more bonds I form, the more... right I feel. I don't know if this is part of being an entity, like elementalisation and how that takes over your will—"

"It's not," Seraphine interjected. "As you said before, I believe this is simply who you are, who you truly wish to become. Where others, stripped of civilisation and limitation, might descend into cruelty or selfishness, concerned only with their own desires, you seem to move in the opposite direction. As your power grows, you seek to share it, I see a deepening of principle rather than its erosion. It's endearing... and strangely beautiful. It makes me proud of the one I summoned and the apprentice I chose. Still, that does not mean I'm not upset about the, intentional or not, antagonistic nature of your first soul bond. I should have been the first," Seraphine added, almost under her breath.

"You well know that without Freya's help, I'd have never made it to the Crucible, to our trial and summoning. As for not Awakening back then, I think it worked out for the best. I'm even planning to recreate the scenario, to see if we can forge new, powerful Irregulars."

"I heard. Do be cautious with that power, and with whom you choose to bestow it upon. Powers like yours are rare, likely for good reason."

Ori nodded. "Actually, there was something I wanted to ask you."

"Oh? Planning to proposition me as well? Two women in one day is rather audacious, if I may say," Seraphine teased.

"Well… sort of?" he said, with an anxious chuckle.

"Oh?" she prompted, voice laced with intrigue. "So is this Ori the Bondweaver speaking now? Come to tempt me with power in return for a lifetime of carnal servitude?"

"No… I mean—"

She sighed, feigning disappointment. "I see. I suppose that once one has been ensnared by fae glamour and elven grace, mere human women shall forever be beneath your consideration."

"You know it's not that. And for your information, I do find you beautiful. A beautiful mind, a beautiful soul… as for your body… well, I wanted to know if, when we bring you back to the living, you would be willing to become the first female High Human? The matriarch of High Humanity."

Dawn had come, bringing with it the hazy remnants of a recent dream. Ori smiled in quiet satisfaction at Seraphine's reaction, her eyes wide as saucers as new implications and possibilities unfolded with his offer and its explanation. The absence of female High Humans remained the primary reason an asterisk lingered beside his racial designation. Beyond that, the librarian's suggestion that he repeat the evolution four more times was something Ori now felt eager to explore.

Seraphine's "humble acceptance of his most gracious offer" was anything but, as a new, enthusiastic twinkle lit her eyes. Worse, her teasing and innuendos had increased tenfold afterwards, to the point where Ori was uncertain whether it was still just teasing, a part of her nature to constantly keep him on edge or genuine flirting. Eventually, the dream ended, but as he woke, he knew his White Lich mistress was already watching.

"Hey, where did you guys go off to last night?" Ori said, awaking to find himself under the awnings of the lakeside cabin. Morning dew made everything damp, and the cold air, normally unnoticed by his Nascent Rank constitution, gave a numbness to his skin and a stiffness to his joints that he had to groan past as he fully awoke.

Rue had approached with Freya in tow, both seeming far more rested and fresh than he felt.

"Tess wanted to speak with you, so we gave you some time alone," Rue said, sliding to sit beside him. Ori wrapped his arm around her as she sat.

"You okay? I felt… you were feeling a lot over the bond?"

"We can talk about it later. What are your plans?" Rue deflected.

"Are you sure?"

Rue nodded.

"What about you, Freya?" Ori turned to the pixie upon Rue's shoulder.

"Sleepy," she yawned. "I was up being watch for the both of you last night. But I too, am curious about what's happening next."

"Well, here's what I'm thinking. I spoke to the headman of Strafhollow yesterday. I mentioned helping them out while we base ourselves there. We've saved weeks on travel thanks to Lucas, and now I want to put that to use, spend a little more time here. I need to re-craft my weapons and maybe forge some new ones. There are also lots of Aether Rifts, resources and other opportunities to explore around this area. And unlike that other town we passed, the people here seem more welcoming," Ori explained.

"I can understand your desire to settle. We have been on the move for a while, and even I wish to slow down for a time," Freya began.

"But?" Ori said.

"But I fear the weight of past actions catching up with us. Perhaps we could escape, especially now, should anything you couldn't handle reach this place. However, the longer we linger, the more likely it is that trouble we can't avoid may find us. Especially if we form attachments and events impact the lives of the people here," she argued. "Still, that only places a consideration on the amount of time we should spend here, not whether we should stay at all."

Ori looked at Rue, who shrugged. "I like it here. I'd like to see more of the region."

"Okay then, it's settled. Also, there's something I'd like you to know," Ori said, summoning Seraphine's Beacon from his soul space. "Lady Seraphine of House Searilian, say hello to Ruenne'del Tuatha Dé Danann and Freya Creisidottir."

"Why, hello, fellow bonded," The voice of a young, noblewoman rang out as the crystal wand in his hands pulsed with a soft yellow light. "Pleased to finally make your acquaintances."

"Impossible," Freya gasped. It was her reaction that delighted him the most, as she repeatedly jabbed her finger at the wand as if to warn him that Seraphine's soul was, in fact, whole again. "But how?!"

"Fished just enough of her soul fragments from the Ethereal Realm during my sleep over the last few weeks. Enough of it that, I guess, it formed some kind of critical mass—enough for her to pull the rest of herself out of oblivion," Ori offered.

"It is pretty much as he described. And now, with my soul whole again, I once more have access to my Page in the Library of Fates, my class is restored, and in this state, I can observe my surroundings, communicate and perform limited spell work." Seraphine paused before continuing. "Tessalyn, was it? Do feel free to join us. There is no need to hide or keep your distance."

"Hi… Sorry. Seemed private. And… hello? You're Lady Seraphine?" Tess said, creeping out from beyond the doorway, sheepishly, though their conversation hadn't been private or hushed.

"Yes, I am. It is nice to make your acquaintance."

"So you're still one of Ori's bonds? Through that artefact? But what does that make you—a wand spirit?" Freya asked cautiously.

"As this artefact is my soul repository, my phylactery, it officially makes me a lich. A Sovereign-rank White Lich of the Chromatic Order, to be precise. Though I suppose it might be fun to pretend to be a wand spirit if needs require it." Seraphine explained.

"What are your plans? You're bound to Ori, not of choice, but through circumstance… you are not—" Freya began.

"One of his lovers? No, though not for lack of trying," Seraphine laughed lightly. "He is my apprentice, and I intend to help him refine his White Magic. Ori did say something about growing a body for me and elevating me to High Human, though there is no real rush on my part to do so."

"And after?" Freya pressed.

"My, my? Aren't you protective? Is this guilt or a projection of your own inner turmoil, I'm sensing?" Seraphine asked with languid provocation.

"I've already pledged myself to him for the rest of time. From you, he's had no such assurances." Freya countered.

"Oh, I've already offered. Ori already refused. It's up to him to decide whether or not he wants me—"

"Ladies, please… know that any of you, at any time, can sever your bond with me, and I with you. I say this not as a threat or warning, but as a reminder that you are mine, that I want you with me for the rest of time. That includes you, Sera." Ori's gaze lingered on each of his bonded, then Tess, before returning to the wand in his hands. "Some of you may not be able to walk beside me at every moment. You may have commitments to settle, families to care for, and your own goals to pursue. But if you're with me now, it means I want you always. Do you understand?" He received murmurs of assent. He went on, "Conversely, our bonds must be a choice. They have to be. If I falter—if I fail to be the person you need, become unworthy, or if irreconcilable differences arise, with me or between any of you—then for any reason, at any time, you may end the bond as easily as I hope you choose to keep it."

Ori exhaled, turning to the wand. "Sera, we'll talk more soon. But know this—you're already my friend and my mentor. That hasn't changed."

"Yes, and I should apologise for my lack of decorum. Perhaps my time in the ethereal abyss has dulled my manners," Seraphine said, voice quieter.

Ori made a note to speak with her further about her tension with Freya, her subtle reminders of her earlier proposition, and what kind of relationship she truly wanted, but it would have to wait.

"I too apologise," Freya said, brow furrowed. "My words were heavy-handed. Caution overcame tact."

Tess eventually spoke into the silence that followed.

"Just came to say, my da's ready to head back to Strafhollow when you are."