Bonded Summoner - Book 5. Chapter 23: Ophelia’s Movie Night

A beautiful melody was heard, the song of a siren. Empowered by Jake’s Divine Reinforcement, Jasmina’s song overcame the locust’s buzzing. The river surged, the many Naga halting in place.

The Naga quickly turned on the grasshopper people, while Tanda shot them down with her bow, and Ophelia chased them down.

They leaped through the air trying to flee, but Bloodberri knocked them out of the sky with her morphed baseball bat and baseballs. This made them easy pickings for them to be finished off, the party slaying them with ease.

Berri hugged it lovingly with a big smile. “I really like this! Thanks, Echy!”

Jake had even used [Capture Template] on one of the grasshopper people, but found them to be mostly useless.

Whatever power they had over the swarm of locusts was weak on an individual level, and did not seem very effective–at least not against the undead they were fighting, or against the Naga.

The mental attacks it was able to accomplish against a single target were decent–if they were much lower level. In which case, Jake didn’t need their help in killing anything.

He thought if he ever had some kind of advancement where he could summon several of them at once, they may become much more useful.

When Jake arrived on the West Coast, he was just in time. Morwen’s tactical retreat hadn’t just allowed them to capture more betrayers.

It had also prevented them from being assaulted by the Naga. Remnants of the locust swarm were present all over the West Coast, and Jake learned they were the cause of the Alliance’s inability to scout the betrayers across the section of the continent.

They were using the Naga for their purposes still, and so Jake’s task besides closing Rifts was to free them. With Jasmina’s help, he was able to turn it around on the strange grasshoppers, and even use the Naga to fight back against their captors without losing many Naga or beastkin allies.

A few more cells of betrayers had been captured, Morwen trailing Timone all over the continent. Timone and Dahlia were both strong enough that they were not easily fooled by the locust’s droning, their auril providing ample protection over their minds.

Their wills were too strong for the mentalists, and Jake noticed something peculiar. With each grasshopper slain, their powers appeared to decrease. Their power was a sort of swarm or hive mind, which explained why the individual grasshopper summon was not overly effective. Soon, they would have no control over the Naga at all.

It was now getting close to the first evening, an entire day spent flying around the West Coast and closing Rifts and freeing Naga and beastkin slaves.

The betrayers had taken to using a sort of slave collar mixed with horrible scripts on them, and using them to taint the beastkin and fight their brethren. Having inspected them, Fhesiah thought their creation was the result of sacrifice or some other terrible ritual.

This only worked for those not joined to the Framework, but despite the avian beastkin’s efforts, many smaller isolated clans existed and hadn’t been able to make it to a Node in time.

These people were easy pickings for the betrayers, and by the time Jake faced them, there appeared to be no saving them–the taint from their enslavement covered their body and soul.

It was just one more thing in the list of terrible deeds by Tartarus. Mysticus and Zorina had determined they had two to three more days left to assault the Greater Rift, before the boss would spawn.

He thought they would make it, barring some unforeseen problem. They pushed toward the Greater Rift with each Rift they assaulted, as they circled the vicinity.

The Warrior Brotherhood, Morwen and Bedwyr, Rookard, and Timone and Dahlia all moved with their forces to clear out the few areas with undead Rift Spawns that holed up in the nethril locations.

Meanwhile, Vesuvius and Takoda’s force wrapped up the East Coast. With the Greater Rift closed, it was becoming too much of an investment for the enemy to focus its Rifts in that area. Instead, its focus was definitely the west.

The spriggons and the many tamers now headed West, and Valtor was sending out airships filled with the Adventurers and Elysians there as well.

Rather than airships, they were more like a Mark 2.0 Blimp. They had oars filled with auril wood and inscriptions, that made them sort of pull themselves across the air.

They still had the magic motors to set a slow pace, but with many Auril Heroes pulling the oars and drawing auril into the sail-like oars, the speed of the larger ships was quite respectable.

Valtor guessed they averaged around thirty miles per hour, surpassing most horses and Tier 1 mounts on any terrain. Now that they were a little larger, they could carry a much larger quantity of forces.

It would take a little over a day to arrive to the West Coast all the way from Cascadia. As far as Jake could tell, they would soon have thousands in the area, pushing back the Rifts.

Tanda was talking to his new Permanent Summon, the many Naga now free to return to their homes. “Jasmina, your voice is so pretty! Thanks for your help!”

Jasmina swayed happily in place, giving Tanda a smile with her tapered snout. While Jake had wanted to send her back to her people, it appeared she was delighted to help out.

Her song actually aided their usage of auril, allowing her to even shield their body using it.

It was a little strange for their auril to be controlled by her, but it was extra helpful when they lacked the ability to control so many energies at once.

Berri added, “Yeah! See, Jake? Snake girls are the best!” She snorted. “I can’t believe you were going to send her home.”

Jake chuckled. “We didn’t know how bad it was out here. Still, thanks for your assistance, Jasmina.”

The creature blinked at him, and Jake got the feeling she sort of understood what he was trying to convey. With a serpentine grin, she nodded.

Berri patted her shoulder as she looked her up and down. “She’s such a cute little thing! We need to feed her more.”

Jake couldn’t help but shake his head at that. Jasmina’s body was definitely larger than his, then she had the snake or fish-like tail. While much shorter than Berri’s, Jake guessed the creature likely weighed at least half a ton.

He remembered he had a few more dinosaur carcasses. Being a half fish or snake woman, he guessed she probably would not want her food cooked.

Blood hummed. “True, we are not really all that much like a snake, so this wasn’t a thing for us. Still, your cooking is good, even the hound liked it.”

Jake shrugged. Digging into his storage bracelet, he found some leftovers from his cooking, and an auril beast carcass.

Jasmina was Jake’s first permanent summon that went beyond the party limit that was a normal creature. The Garuda being of a higher Tier, didn’t need to eat–or at the very least, it subsisted off something Jake couldn’t understand.

When the creature joined the Framework and became his summon, the laws of it were enforced onto the creature. In order for Jake to summon it, it was as if he had to pay to constitute its body, or avatar, for it each time he brought it out from where it rested within the void of his hearth.

Because of that, the creature had certain limitations. If it used mana or even auril, it was as if Jake had to pay for it–when summoned, it was only given a small pool of resources, part of what he used to summon the creature.

In that way, they were quite similar to the mana constructs created by his [Advanced Summon Beast] or [Summon Humanoid] spells.

However, these creatures had a mind of their own, a memory, and were able to level up their avatar in the same way Jake and his wives could. The only real difference was that for the girls, they already had their bodies fully constituted and partially maintained by the Framework.

In the case of Bloodberri and Ophelia, it was by the Summoning Token–or Bloodberri’s resurrection. For Fhesiah and Tanda, their bodies were already present when he bound them.

In theory, Jake could desummon any of his girls and keep them within his Hearth. They would witness the passage of time in an odd way, only for their mind to function when he brought them out to fight.

This was why Jake hadn’t wanted to try turning a living beastkin into a permanent summon just for fighting, even if he had found someone willing. It was a strange way to live, only living to be summoned to fight one fight to the next.

It was the primary reason why he wanted to let Jasmina go, as her life would now be a strange one. He hoped that when he reached the next Tier, he may have some way to keep the creatures somewhere else or give them a more natural life, like living within his Refuge.

For now, he tried to keep her out a little more before and after fights, and provide her a little enjoyment in helping out her brethren. He could see and hear the satisfaction on her face and in the music of her song, as the naga people achieved freedom from their captors.

Jake held the two meats out to Jasmina, and she bent down to sniff each one. Her body was covered with scales, and an odd rainbow coral armor and a blue stone trident.

Her snake-like tongue flickered out to taste each one, but her eyes narrowed on Jake’s cooking. With a serpentine grin, she took the barbecued auril beast meat and nearly swallowed it whole.

She looked to the other, and gave Jake a pleading expression. “You want more of the cooked? I have more.”

Jasmina nodded again, so Jake then fed her one after the other. He was shocked by how much she ate.

Blood said, “Poor thing, I don’t think while she was chained up she ate much.” She rubbed Jasmina’s neck and snout caringly, which she seemed to lean into. “You’ll have to let Jake know next time that you’re so hungry. We’ll take good care of you, don’t worry.”

Fhesiah smiled at this. “Yes, that’s right. Here, eat this pill, too. It’ll help make you stronger.”

Jake was surprised when she leveled up as a result of the feeding.

[Permanent Summon Information: Jasmina]

[Level: 22]

[Race: Naga Siren]

Fhesiah hummed. “Interesting, so her race is considered not just a Naga. She’s a little behind, but I bet she’ll level fast if we use her plenty in fights. I wonder what kind of magic she can learn?”

Looking at her coral-stone-like trident, Jake wondered if there was a way he could make something that would amplify the power of her songs. A question for later.

“Let’s get moving. We have more Rifts to clear.”

***

Having arrived back to their Refuge, the girls stretched and removed their armor. Clean spells were used, the girl’s sighing in relief as they removed the restrictive equipment from their bodies.

Ophelia was excited. “Just another day until the Greater Rift. I feel like we have helped a ton of people. We’ve really accomplished a lot.”

Tanda hugged Ophelia and Jake, pulling them together. “We did! So now it’s time to get some rest. We all earned it, but you worked extra hard, Lia! Maybe, do you want to pick the movie?”

Jake chuckled. “That’s hardly much of a reward, but I’ll do my best to think of something else for later. I’ll start by pampering her in the bath, and Bloodberri can start making her favorites?”

“It–It’s okay. You don’t have to. I was just the fastest, I only needed to ride Valora, after all.”

Fhesiah said, “Nonsense. You worked hard for us, and missed out on some rest and enjoyment. I know you fancy some duels. While we won’t do it right now, I’ll make sure to give you my best tomorrow after some rest–how about it?”

Her proclamation got affirmations from the other girls and Jake, they would all face her soon.

Ophelia smiled and was filled with excitement, as she wrapped her wings around Jake and Tanda. “You’re all on! This should be fun! For now, I guess we can watch that Zorro movie?”

Blood hummed. “Sword fights to the death, romance, and politics. Seems like my type of movie.”

Fhesiah smiled. “Hmm, that does sound like a good one. The love interest in that one is supposed to be quite enticing,” she waggled her brows at Jake.

Berri yawned. “Sounds boring, but I’ll try to enjoy it for Lia. For now, it’s time to get grilling!”

She rushed off, and Jake, Tanda, Ophelia and Fhesiah headed to the bath. Removing all their clothes, they got inside the large hot tub. Ophelia blushed, as they all took positions around her to pamper her under the hot tub’s jets.

Jake took to massaging her back, as Tanda cleaned and took care of her wings. Fhesiah started massaging her feet, causing her to blush further.

Ophelia sighed in bliss. “T-Thanks, Faye. That feels really good.”

“It’s the least I could do, dear sister. We all appreciate you.”

Tanda added, “You also kicked that Enforcer’s butt! You were amazing, Lia.”

Ophelia smiled with pride. “Hestia really helped. It seems Jake’s ability to summon her like that is quite special–even among summoners, according to the Enforcer.”

Jake continued massaging his beautiful, yet powerful wife’s back. Digging into her muscles with his own strength was a simple chore, one that had her stifling moans.

“That’s fascinating. There are plenty of oddities that we take for granted. I’d like to understand how Bree the other female Heroic Beasts work, too. They seem connected in some way.”

Fhesiah hummed. “Connected to even their souls, though? Could they be like Blood and Berri?”

Jake chuckled, and shook his head. “Maybe? I wonder if we should try to ask Bree. Her…disposition seems to have changed, since I made that connection. It’s still there, and it may be increasing. When we get to the next Tier, things may change in numerous ways.”

Tanda’s wings fluttered. “I can’t wait! None of my people have entered the second Tier for a thousand years.”

They wrapped up pampering their nordic angel wife, and enjoyed cleaning each other. Returning to the living room after getting dressed, the room was already filled with a wonderful aroma, making Ophelia drool.

Jake went and hugged the much larger Bloodberri from the side as she worked the stove and the grill. He saw some excellent looking steaks being cooked. “Thanks, Bloodberri. It smells fantastic.”

Berri beamed. “I really wanted Lia to enjoy it! We have T-Rex steaks this time!”

He watched as various ingredients floated around the kitchen, and Blood manipulating various utensils using her Telekinesis. The mana whipped around the area, her using her [Advanced Mana Control] that provided some level of sensory of the area around her with mana.

Even behind her back, she was preparing the batter for frying.

“You’re really getting the hang of that now, Blood. I’ve been trying to catch up so that I can use a sort of pyro-kinesis with my Hearth Control, but it’s clear you’re amazing.”

“Thank you for your praise, Milord. I have much incentive to become good at it, and it’s thanks to our bond that I have near limitless mana to practice. Now that the Framework aids me directly, I am curious as to how the skill might evolve.”

The sound of frying took over the kitchen, as they fried the potato chips and battered Highlands vegetables. Jake helped by preparing the girl’s favorite drinks. Tanda had really taken to smoothies, and the Highlands berry margaritas were a popular drink among the girls.

Sitting down together with all the food laid out, they began their movie. Ophelia was happy to sit next to Jake, wrapping her body and a wing around him.

Tanda chuckled from the other side of Jake, as she did the same. “This isn’t much different than normal!”

Fhesiah nodded as she took her spot in the air above them, laying down on her own invisible couch with her head propped up to the side. “She does glue herself to him more often than not.”

Ophelia blushed. “I share him! Sometimes we use the snake couch, too!”

Blood chuckled. “No need to get defensive, it’s just an observation. Your attachment to him is cute.”

Jake held Ophelia close as they watched the movie. Both of them smiled and watched Tanda, as she sat at the edge of her seat during the many sword fights, her tail wagging and body squirming like she was imagining herself as part of the fights.

She noticed them watching her, and blushed. “W-What? When we watch plays, it’s like we’re part of the dance too. It’s how I learn it to retell the happenings to others!”

Jake chuckled. “It’s cute, is all. You’re really into it.”

“These movies are really neat! The music, the coordination in the fights, and the story are all special. Our plays are like this, but it’s like it’s different every time.”

Ophelia added, “I would like to watch some more of your people’s plays. The war has taken a lot of the focus on it away, though.”

Tanda’s smile was beaming. “I can’t wait to show you more of our plays! We’re going to have many parties after we win.”

Berri said, “That sounds like fun! We’ll have lots to do, even the Elysians were getting in on the party. I wonder what they like to do for fun?”

Fhesiah replied, “It seems they do like to dance and sing, communing with nature. They should get along just fine with the avian beastkin up north, for sure.”

Ophelia enjoyed her favorite foods, and snuggling into Jake as they watched the movie. This was a minor reward for her additional efforts, but one she enjoyed just the same. For everyone, it was some much-needed rest and relaxation.

The movie ended, and the other girls set out to clean everything up.

Tanda smiled, her tail buzzing in excitement. “That was good! It had a beautiful ending.”

Berri nodded. “They even got married and had a baby! That’s the best kind of ending.” She gave Jake a determined look, and her emotions seemed to say, that’s what’s going to happen here, if I have anything to say about it.

Ophelia laughed. “That Zorro and his wife were both heroes! I loved it. Thanks, everyone. This was a lot of fun.”

Tanda swung an imaginary sword, making the z out of her sword slices and danced around, fighting an imaginary opponent. “The masked hero was really neat! Now I see what Berri was talking about, that heroes wear capes!”

Berri nodded sagely. “That’s right! We need to make Lia one now. Jake already has one, after all.”

Tanda frowned. “Aren’t we all heroes now? Everyone thinks you’re so amazing, Berri! And not just the kids, too. The beastkin respect both Blood and Berri so much, so you need a cape!”

Blood smiled at Tanda. “Thanks, Tanda. Let’s not forget Fhesiah’s pills have saved countless people’s lives, and fulfilled uncounted beastkin’s dreams of awakening. Fhesiah’s alchemy alone makes her a hero of sorts.”

“Oh my, it’s so nice to be appreciated. It’s all thanks to the support we get from Jake and each other that we can accomplish so much.”

Jake nodded. “That’s right. I can feel how much each of us want to be better for each other, and help the people of Highlands. Let’s get some rest.”

The family all exchanged hugs and words of gratitude for both Ophelia, but also each other. Everyone gathered in Jake’s bedroom, to sleep together. Ophelia stayed plastered to Jake’s side, the other shared with Tanda.

With no headboard on the bed, Bloodberri wrapped herself around it and laid propped up on herself by Jake’s head.

Able to hug him from above or run fingers through his hair, the two girls were happy with their odd position. Fhesiah was able to float above them as a dragon as she slept, but had positioned herself behind Ophelia as a kitsune for this particular night.

Fhesiah draped a few of her tails over each of them, the family all cuddling with each other as they got some much-needed rest.

As everyone fell asleep in each other’s embrace, Ophelia was filled with pride, at being so appreciated and fulfilled. No matter what, she would always rise to the occasion.