Bonded Summoner-BS7 - Prologue

Hearthflames wrapped around the spearhead and shaft, searing and suffusing the metal with Jake’s unique mana and creating runes on the surface. Spreading out his flames, he used Manaweave Reinforcement to optimize the object’s integrity, and maximize the mana’s effectiveness.

Smiling, he marveled at the spear as he held it in front of him. If they had this spear back during their first Trial, their Mana Blades would have cut through the dark elves and their armor like a hot knife through warm butter.

They didn’t have access to Epic quality items at that time, and yet now this was something Jake and Ophelia could mass produce.

Stowing the spear away, he worked on another. The flames of his hearth quickly coalesced into the runes once more, Jake easily able to complete the enchantment rapidly with his proficiency. The Hearth of the Refuge quickly refilled his Hearthflames, allowing him to use them almost indefinitely, just like normal mana.

He moved on to some more difficult materials. Qi-infused metals were now something Ophelia could make, and so Jake added some demonic runes of sharpness and cold to some swords. Making them for the Blizzardblade Clan, the many Tier 1 warriors would benefit from his creations.

“Aw, come on! That can’t be right, you must be cheating!” A child’s voice entered his ears, his focus being interrupted.

“Shove it, Blaze, we won fair and square! Just because you don’t like birds and flying units doesn’t mean using them is cheating!” It appeared Nora, Tanda’s raven beastkin daughter, was not happy with Blaze’s antics like usual.

“Birds are lame! Even Aunty Bree says so!”

“You take that back!”

A shoving match began behind him, causing him to chuckle at their antics, and Aiko, chirped in annoyance from his lap. Petting his kitsune daughter’s head, he ignored the other kid’s bickering and continued with his work.

While his kids got a little physical from time to time, getting hurt was a rare occurrence, and something quickly rectified. They’d learn more from him letting the scene play out.

Jake looked at the time in his Menu, realizing that it had been far too long, as it was nearly lunchtime. Once again, he had gotten carried away in his crafting. He turned to look over at his daughters, the four having decided to play their games while near their dad.

Blaze and a new echidna daughter faced off against Nora and Clara, making it like snakes versus birds.

It’d already been over a year since the first of his children were born, and sixteen months since removing Tartarus from Highlands. His many daughter’s ages, let alone names, were becoming somewhat difficult to for Jake to track. He had to cut off his loving Echidna wives from having more, because of a problem: she did get better at making babies, just as she had vowed.

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There were now six eggs waiting to be hatched, and just as many more had already been born since the day they summoned Bree’s new body, making it fifteen echidnas in total.

To have twelve more in just a little over eight months was absurd, and it appeared Jake had Zhang Fei to thank for her improvement: eating the special monster corpse he provided had somehow pushed her chimeral constitution forward, and then she was off to the races. On some level, he was thankful–it proved that her odd echidna body trait could actually be improved. On the other hand, it had already produced a few headaches.

Bloodberri was more easily able to fit in their body and soul tempering thanks to their ability to rapidly make and lay eggs, and Jake was able to alternate his nights between groups. After the first few sessions, he had started needing a bit of a break to recover his body and soul, as he could not keep up with all of his girls. He was being tempered with every session, after all, while his girls got to recover in between.

That meant that they had some fun without the leveling. Each of his wives and mates found some time to enjoy their vacation, and fortunately, this meant their bedroom times never felt like they were just for the power ups. ʀÄƝοΒÈṢ

Thankfully, the idea that their family could form two baseball teams among all their children was finally enough. After these six hatched and the seeds from Avalara grew into treants, Jake would have well over twenty children out and about the Refuge. He was sure before the five years were up, Tanda and Ava might ask for more, but there were enough snake girls in his house now, in his opinion.

Some hair started getting pulled, so Jake cleared his throat before feathers joined the mix. “Alright girls, that’s enough screen time for today. Come join me for some enchanting like you said you wanted to do like Aiko here, or try to go do something a little more productive. Remember–”

“Work hard today, bleed less tomorrow.” Blaze and Sharona sighed after both mimicking his and her many mother’s words.

Blaze added, “Let’s go see mommy Lia! Maybe she’ll train us with these!”

She grabbed a mace off one of the weapon racks, which Sharona, her younger snake sister with equally flaming patterns on her scales copied. The weight of the mace was difficult to hold in her smaller grip, but she still managed it.

They were about to slither away, but Jake grabbed a hold of the maces and the two snake girls with his hearth flames with little more than a thought.

Jake groaned, as he swiveled in his chair to look at them. “Wait, at least take these instead.” He presented two training maces with a lot less… violent points on them. Using his telekinetic flames, he placed the flanged and spiked mace back on the rack.

Blaze pouted. “Aw, but those were cooler. A-And sorry, Daddy. We did watch for a bit, but…”

“It was pretty for a while. But Space Wars is cooler.”

Blaze and Sharona left, leaving Clara and Nora, who both looked remorseful. Nora and Clara flapped their wings to fly over to Jake. They landed next to him, and hugged each of his legs. They were both over a year old now, but they already looked to be nearly 6 or 7 years old. Still, Jake was huge now at nearly three meters tall, so they only reached a bit past his knee caps with their heads as he sat.

Clara said, “We’re sorry, Daddy. We did really want to watch you, but Blaze distracted us when those two got bored.”

Jake chuckled, and lifted them up with his flames and brought them into a proper hug. They squished him back lovingly, unable to wrap their arms all the way around him, as he engulfed them with his arms. “It’s alright, my dears. I have much more work to be done if you still want to watch. Then we’ll go have some lunch.”

The two nodded, and he placed them atop his shoulders as he continued for a time. He spent some time telling them what he was doing and why, and the two asked him dozens of questions as they oo’d and aww’d at him using his hearthflames for enchantments.

Aiko listened and watched with rapt attention from his lap, her head barely reaching over the table. And Jake made sure to give the intelligent fox plenty of ear scratches and head pats, a reward for her diligence. Though, he had a sneaking suspicion that was the primary reason she was there. If she did learn something, that was still a victory in his eyes.

When the alarms went off–the girl’s stomachs growling–he realized it couldn’t wait any longer. Stowing away his crafted items, he teleported himself and the girls to the living room, and Aiko chirped and immediately took off to a seat on the table.

The kids had lost their privilege of using teleportation shortly after they learned of its existence. It was all due to one of them getting sick from an unending game of teleportation tag.

Ava’s lesser avatar was feeding two newly born echidnas with spooned food and sippy cups, and plenty of food was laid out for the older children to eat. Much of the family had gathered for lunch just a bit ago, it seemed.

“There you are, love.”

“Oh! It’s Master, and little Aiko, Clara and Nora. Would you like some lunch?”

Jake looked over at the Celestial Nekomata maid, Yona, who was currently preparing food and drink on a cart–likely to bring to the training area–for Ophelia and Tanda on the go. The catgirl had arrived about a month ago, where Fhesiah was more than happy to introduce her as his servant–in all the ways he desired.

He made it clear that he very much desired a nanny, and nothing more for the time being. Taking care of nearly twenty kids with several on the way was way too much work, even for them and with two lesser avatar’s from Avalara–at least with all the other tasks they did.

Her arrival occurred when the rest of her race from Sector 81 had arrived, along with many of the other clans and sects that had met with Fhesiah during the Celestial Nexus Battleground.

The Blizzardblade Clan and the Radiant Sun Sect were among those that arrived at the Mystic Expanse, their preparations to join the sector finally completed. It seemed that since many of them were of the Second Tier, they had to both pay a cost in CP to enter, but also receive several restrictions about where they could travel or how they could influence the war.

A cultivator world was sort of like being a half-framework world, and they would often participate in the war by mostly only joining special events at the peak of their Tier. Joined to the Framework they would have fewer restrictions, but they would have to work hard to earn what Tartarus gained for their entry.

Yona had both gray hair and fur, with black and white patterns of suns and moons, much like the rest of her race on what little fur she had. But unlike her giant cat people ancestors, she was mostly human and had two tails, with furry ears atop her head. Her short hair in a bob framing her small face, and with a shy smile often on it with her smaller body, Jake would definitely describe her as cute.

In truth, Jake hadn’t had a lot of time to talk to her. She was often busy helping with the kids or the chores and errands around the manor, and Jake was equally busy with his own tasks, helping the guild or managing his budding kingdom.

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“We’ll take some of those sandwiches. How have you been settling in?”

Nora and Clara both took seats, and Yona started grabbing several sandwiches off the cart, placing them on a tray over her shoulder like a waitress.

“Oh, living here is just so nice, Master! I’m so glad that Aunt Aria gave me this opportunity. Even though I’m a servant, I’m treated so very well. I am…not used to it yet, but the kids and your mates have all been lovely.”

Jake arched his brow. “Faye was telling me you became one of Bastet’s priestesses. This should be well sought after, they really didn’t treat you well?”

Yona walked over and delivered sandwiches to each of the kids. “That…is new, for our people. And that made me so happy when I learned it was an option. But…before then, I was really talentless. It felt like I was a burden in the wilds to my Clan. To think that this Framework…anyway, here is your lunch, Master.”

She then set the plate down in front of his spot, along with a glass of Ava’s honey apple milk, or nectar, with a smile.

He thanked her with a nod and a smile, sitting down in his chair. Yona tucked the tray under her arms as she watched him and the kids tuck into the meal, her two tails flicking behind her as he took bites of his sandwich.

Suddenly, Yona was startled. “Oh! I better get these sandwiches to the kids, they get so rowdy when they’re hungry!” She rushed away, pushing the cart down the hall. It seemed she hadn’t yet mastered the storage bracelets, though with her in early Foundation Establishment, he thought it wouldn’t be very long if she tried.

Jake realized that moment with her was basically like nearly every interaction he had with her so far.

Ava’s avatar hugged him from the side before she sat down next to him with the two echidnas latched onto her with their tails, and asked, “Was the morning productive as usual?”

Nora beamed. “Daddy made lots of stuff! The Guilds will have plenty of sweet weapons and armor to choose from!” Her feathers fluttered in place as she enjoyed the fried chicken sandwich, sharing the same seat with Clara who was doing the same.

“It was productive,” Jake replied to Ava, “I got a lot done. It’s just as Nora said. Our recruits will have some of the best items to earn for their hard work, though we’ll need to limit how many high-quality items they can grab for themselves. If they over prepare for their Trials, they’ll be worse off.”

Ava nodded. “Some struggle is definitely better for them, and the Framework agrees. What’s on the docket for today?”

Jake checked his Menu. “Looks like training with some Hearthtribe, mostly. I’ve got a meeting with Valtor later to go over our Sector-wide progress, making our final plans prior to the grace period ending, but I know that things are looking good.”

Ava smiled, and closed her eyes, as if sensing something somewhere else. “And the dungeon shall open soon, I feel it. Our people will soon seek to enter. Many rewards for those that succeed within, and even opportunity for heroes to be born.”

Within the dungeon, there were ways to reclaim worlds lost to Tartarus. Those initiated to the Framework whose ransom wasn’t paid would be rescued, and sometimes these numbers were quite significant. They would receive a new shot at life, even if they would now be somewhat lesser as a result of waiting in the void for some time.

Jake was a bit envious. He was already starting to get a little stir-crazy, and their vacation was not quite over. “I almost want to explore there myself. If not for Hestia’s desires…” He took another drink of Ava’s nectar.

Fhesiah suddenly appeared, teleporting into his lap in her kitsune form–simultaneously moving him away from the table’s edge so that she could fit. She wrapped him up in her five velvety tails and arms, kissing him. Her cultivator robes had shifted to a purple with gold motif when she took on her kitsune form, and her generous chest was nearly spilling out of them as she smashed them up against Jake.

“Mmm, Ava tastes so good second-hand too! Our vacation is not yet over, husband. Why, raising all these children, can you even call it that? She wants us to stay out of conflict for almost four more years, but at least there should be some time between then and the War Trial.”

Aiko chirped, and then leaped onto her mother’s shoulder, nuzzling against her neck, to which she chuckled and hugged her in response.

Jake chuckled, and returned his wife’s embrace, and hugging both Aiko and Fhesiah to him. Their hearths flickered as they enjoyed some warmth for a moment, the two connection and sharing the joy of time spent together.

Eventually, he said, “I’m already feeling pretty well-rested. But I guess I’ll have to live a little vicariously through our people for a bit longer.”

Fhesiah smirked as she shifted in his lap, and ate one of his fries. “I think we’d have gotten bored, to be honest. Of course Dahlia is no slouch, but even she was getting bored in PvP against those scrubs. It is much better for our family to continue uplifting Hearthtribe, and its many subguilds. We’ll need them when the real fight begins.”

[And make more babies, I say. Just imagine how many we could have at the end of five years, so many lovelies!] Berri added in Jake’s mind, helpfully.

Jake groaned. He really did not want to imagine that. “We talked about this…” He replied in his mind.

[I know. But… each one is so amazing, so beautiful! We should make as many as we can, each one is so different, it’s like opening a wonderful gift when they hatch. A-And, we’re just short of two full teams of echidnas.]

Jake narrowed his eyes. Was his wife addicted to baby gacha? What she said was true. Each of his daughters seemed to take after both flames in their hearth, but also monsters that she had eaten. His eyes nearly bugged out of his head when one seemed to take a little bit after the muckbills she kept eating. Thankfully, that child also took a lot more after Avalara, having bark-like scales in addition to likely having some kind of flaming poison. This was one of the most recent births, and was still breast-feeding.

He shook his head. “Fifteen echidnas once they finish hatching is more than enough, for now. Already, Blaze has whined you spend more time in front of the incubator than you do with her, has she not?”

Blood replied, [Of course, I told Berri this, but she can’t help it. And I can’t help but want to build our dynasty even larger too. Besides, you shouldn’t forget that for now, you only have one son.]

Hestia and Echidna had hinted that Jake could have a son through Bloodberri–if the child carried his void bloodline. He did want another son, but wasn’t willing to pull that lever as many times as it took to receive one from her–he was zero for fifteen so far already. If it happened, it happened.

For now, one of Ava’s three growing treant children was a son, and they were the slowest among his children to grow. The echidnas were likely to reach adulthood probably by the time they reached around five years of age, and his hearthian beastkin and valkyrie children, Nora and Clara, would be not that much longer.

It was all thanks to their crazy race, the Refuge’s immense vitality and the magic within them, along with all the magical food that they were putting into them.

They were not entirely sure how his treant children from Ava’s lesser avatar’s would grow, as they would be different than the originals that grew on Highlands over a thousand years ago. Still, it appeared they would have many similarities. Based on their current growth, the treants would still mature faster than an Earth human. They would likely take ten years or more to reach adulthood physically, let alone mentally.

They would spend much of their time asleep early in their life, and while they would listen to the world’s song somewhat while they dreamed, Jake doubted it would be the same thing. One year after birth, his first treant daughter was only just starting to wake up and interact, the sapling-like tree having a face, arms, and hands.

Finishing his lunch and thanking the chef, Ava, with a kiss, he went to go check on his other kids. Teleporting to the forest of the Refuge, their Sanctuary, this was where most of the family spent most of their time.

The egg incubator, which looked a lot like a giant bread oven with a clear crystal door, tapped into runes on the grass floor–a connection to the Refuge’s Divine Hearth.

Ophelia and Tanda were now giving Blaze and Sharona pointers, the two fiery echidnas often sticking close to one another. And now, Rene and Nyxa, the light and dark twin echidnas and Jake’s two oldest, also got sucked into Blaze’s pace practicing with a mace at the moment.

Blaze was the second born echidna, and had a mixture of bright orange and dark red scales throughout her tail and on her arms, like lava was flowing through flames. Sharona appeared to have taken on Fhesiah’s flames somehow, with red and gold scales instead.

Blood and Berri also shouted out pointers as the girls swung their maces, while breastfeeding their newly hatched, and singing or talking to the other eggs in the incubator.

Not far away in the clearing was Bree, who was resting. One of their echidna children was climbing her vines, but that didn’t bother the dinodog one bit.

In all, he didn’t think Bree had changed all that much since he named the Heroic Boar, summoning it during the Life’s Haven assault for the first time. The mixture of thick red hide and green vines mixed with fiery flowers on a large body were not all that different.

But now, instead of the tusks of a boar, she had horns on a crown like a tricerotops–but only two. Then her mouth was more canine with large sharp teeth of a predator, and paws and claws to match at her feet. She had canine ears on top of her head, and finally a tail with a spiked ball at the end of it, like an ankylosaurus. Thanks to all her weaving of vines, she was like a walking, flaming tank.

As the newest member of their strange family, Jake was admittedly a little put off by the intensity of her feelings. Learning that the day he and Blood bad pushed their wills against the unruly summon and branded her started a series of major changes for the Tier 4 being, was more than a little surprising.

The idea that an argument that amounted to, hey, you should help us clean this up, caused a chain of events that might have influenced thousands upon thousands of lives was just bizarre to him.

The climbing child, Moxy the possible muckbill child, stumbled in her climbing and started to fall, crying out loud as she did. Jake had nearly sent over some hearth flames to catch her, but a vine was waiting, and snatched her from the air.

Bree chuckled. “Careful there, little one. Go ahead and try again.” She brought Moxy back to where she was near the top of the mound that was her large body, and even grew a small vine for her to continue onto.

Jake said, “Thanks for helping watch them. I imagine it wasn’t what you had in mind when you wanted to join us…our pack.”

“It’s no problem at all, I am used to resting for long periods. Plus, I’m still working on my form. Something about being here with my new pack feels so different. Closer. I often spent time with mother’s…spawn, but, she…has a more hands-off approach, after her children reach a certain age.”

“Law of the jungle, is it?”

“Yes. Very much so. To coddle children and keep them from harm, can mean to weaken and bring about their demise.”

“But you caught Moxy.” Jake pointed out.

“Yes. Well, you were right there and watching me, after all.” She winked. “But I also respect that my new pack has a more gentle approach to parenting. I don’t think my mother is wrong–her strength, and her children’s strength, is her proof. But… seeing your children grow, and your family’s strength… I believe that you can both be right.”

Jake let out a breath, nodding. “I don’t think there’s necessarily a right, let alone perfect way to raise children. Every child is different, and so is every family. Just the mere presence of other children sends things askew from even a perfect plan. I think the best thing a parent can do is to love them and do their best, and more often than not that will lead to success. It sounds like Echidna does that, but she is just a lot more focused on setting them up for success at birth, and what happens after that...”

Bree laughed. “Yes, I suppose that is very accurate. She is definitely focused on that, and also providing us many opportunities to test ourselves. To struggle and surpass.”

Jake’s Menu pinged, reminding him that he had a schedule to get through. “Well, I am glad you are enjoying yourself. I do need to get going. We’ll practice together later sometime?”

Bree gave a canine grin. “Yes, I do think I’d like taking on some more of your puppets when you’re next available. Farewell for now, Chief.”

Jake teleported from the clearing, leaving Bree with the vine climbing Moxy. She once again corrected the child, helping her reach the center part of her back.

When she arrived behind her crown, she held on to several of the vines, now properly in a riding position. “Ride!” Moxy said.

“Want a ride, little one? Very well. Aunty Bree will oblige.” Bree stood up, taking a break from her internal weaving and practice with the vast amount of auril energy. She would work on her avatar again later.

As she stomped through the Hart Pack’s Sanctuary, she couldn’t help but think back to her arrival. It was a mess at first, but now… she was feeling like she had joined an amazing pack.