Thorns In His Side: Part 1

For October-November, our top tier patrons voted for Elias Ainsworth, the skull-headed Beast to Chise Hatori's Beauty in the anime, Ancient Magus Bride, which I've come to really enjoy. Elias, ever thinking of Chise's safety, binds himself to a guardian spirit from Filipino mythology (thank Silver for that) with very predictable, but enjoyable, results. Stay tuned, and thanks for your support!

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Elias Ainsworth, more commonly called the Thorn Mage, was a powerful being of magic. Neither fully human or fae, he was tall, imposing, and wore the guise of a wolf's skull for his face. For centuries, he had woven spells that had created miracles and calamities, and while never malicious, he had never really had to worry about anyone else. His household, which was previously composed of a single household fairy, Silver Lady, never needed his assistance or protection- his reputation alone kept all but the most foolish threats away. But now, he had someone he had grown to care about- Chise, his apprentice. And, one day, his bride.

Despite Elias setting up Chise's apprenticeship and planning their engagement, it had started to take him off guard. His new apprentice had surprised him at every turn; she was kind, deeply empathetic, and increasingly talented in magic. He felt satisfied to have her in his home- no, grateful. She had slowly been teaching him how to recognize his human emotions, and he was trying to prove a quick study. But as time went on, he also felt a desire- no, an urge- to protect Chise. Furthermore, he had been thinking of more effective ways to protect her; together, he and Chise had faced demons, powerful fae, and rival mages and alchemists. What if they come up against something his current powers and the spells she had learned couldn't overcome? This had become his chief concern, and his new project. Now, he hoped, after months of research, he finally had a solution. It would be risky- but Elias had risked more before. More importantly, if it meant peace of mind where Chise was concerned, it would be worth it.

Stepping outside into the courtyard of his home, Elias withdrew his gilded staff, striking the ground once. "Nettle in the shadow, false holly in a ring, twine the branches, entangle, enmesh, spin a spider's web." The ground around him sprouted with black, thorny vines that wrapped around the mage in a giant cocoon. There was a rush of energy, and then Elias found himself standing in a very different forest from the idyllic English shire he called home. He now stood in the midst of a deep, tropical forest; it was the middle of the night, but there was still a humid heat that hung heavy in the air.  Elias' eyes, two pinpricks of red light glowing from the recesses of his wolf skull, scanned the trees until he spotted what he needed; a towering, gnarled old tree with twisted branches, heavy with thick vines that reached down into the earth, propping up the largest branches. The tree was pulsing with magic; inside was a powerful guardian spirit that would serve his purposes well.

He held out his hand, summoning an axe with a shimmering blade that caught the moonlight, and held it over his head, ready to strike the three- and then he felt a thick, large hand grab his wrist. There was a heavy, musky smell in the air, and cigar smoke was blown at the back of Elias' head.

"Watcha doing, Puñeta?" a deep, heavily accented voice growled. The Thorn Mage was forcibly spun around, facing a monstrously huge creature. He was a mountain of thick, sinewy muscle, swarthy skin, matted hair, and a trail of thorn-like spines running down his broad, bristling back. He grinned broadly, looking down at Elias, whose skull stopped halfway up his broad chest. One arm, thicker than Elias' waist, went from his wrist to the top of his head, pulling his gaze up.

"Getting your attention, actually," the Thorn Mage said. His voice was measured and calm, even as a small instinct in the back of his head was warning him about how strong this spirit was, that he could jerk Elias' head around with one hand. The mage's gloved hand tightened around his wand- just to be careful. "You are a Kapre, are you not? The spirit of this banyan tree?"

The Kapre grinned toothily, his broad face illuminated briefly by the dirty, organge glow of a massive cigar. "I might be, I might be. A thing of beauty, ain't she?" He glanced back to the huge tree. "A more sprawling, twisted, gnarled old tree you won't find anywhere else on this island." His grin, and his grip, tightened. "Which is why I don't take kindly to fancy mages threatening my home."

"I have no interest in harming your tree," Elias replied, keeping a level tone. He let the axe slip from his other hand. "I'm more interested in you, actually."

The Kapre arched his brow, looking Elias up and down. "Eh, alright. You're a little on the skinny side for me, but the skull might be fun for a few things."

The Thorn Mage's glowing eyes flared, only vaguely aware of what the Kapre was assuming, but even then, he did not care for it. "Ah- uh- no. No, that is not my interest. I mean to say, I want us to join."

The Kapre laughed loudly, slapping Elias on the back. "That's what we're talking about, aren't we, bibi?"

The Thorn Mage blanched. "No!" Elias sighed, batting away the Kapre's hand at last. "No. You are a powerful guardian spirit. I have something worth protecting- but I'm not looking to hire a guard dog. I want us to join our power. I and my household are an object of fascination for the local fae, so I have come far away to find a spirit of your strength and caliber that will have no prior bias where I am concerned."

The spirit folded his heavy arms, spitting out his burnt out cigar. "Alright, Skull-boy. What do I get out of it?"

Elias gestured to the tree. "I am a powerful mage- I can make certain anyone that tries to threaten your tree will never be able to do so again."

The Kapre's eyes lit up with a glimmer of excitement. "Oh-ho! Can you make them explode into little bits?"

Elias only needed a moment of consideration. "Yes, if I wished it."

"Hah!" The Kapre grabbed Elias' hand, nearly yanking his arm off as he shook it vigorously. "Perfect! There's a Kantotero that keeps messing with my tree. I'd love to trip him up for once."

"Then we have an accord," Elias said with some relief. He turned his attention to the tree, and spoke a single incantation. A ring of thorns snaked its way around the tree, barely visible on the forest floor. "There. If anyone crosses this ring, they will have only a few seconds to get away from the tree before they, as you put it, 'explode into little bits.'" Elias glanced back to the Kapre. "Is that acceptable?"

"We've got a deal!" The tree spirit grabbed Elias roughly and pulled him close, thick muscles pressing into the mage's side. "For now, Mr. Mage, we're going to get real close."

The Thorn Mage braced himself; this was magic he was familiar with. The Kapre pulled him closer and tighter, the wolf skull wedged into his chest and the mage's body slowly getting crushed by the spirit's powerful arms. Elias held his breath, until the Kapre's hold began to loosen on his physical body. The spirit's hold on the mage wasn't weakening, far from it- the spirit was seeping into Elias' body. He could feel the tree spirit's power coursing through his veins- including, unfortunately, the rather strong odor- as his physical form seeped away.

Elias appeared alone in the dark forest, but he did not have peace for long.

"Bah!" the Kapre snarled inside Elias' head. "I feel like I'm being squeezed into a bamboo stalk! You're thin as a rail! You have so much power, Thorn Mage, why do you limit your physical form like this?"

"Because I am comfortable like this," Elias said simply. "Come. We are going home." With no further ceremony, the Thorn Mage vanished from the tropical forest, and was once again in his well-kept manse; a large, beautiful house surrounded by a neatly cultivated garden in an English shire. The Kapre was quiet as Elias crossed the threshold, but the mage paused, his hand on his waist. His clothes felt oddly tight, to the point of discomfort. Elias stopped in the hallway, steadying himself against the wall. Instantly, Elias' housekeeper appeared, having sensed his distress.

"I'm alright, Silver," Elias said reassuringly, waving off the loyal fae. He shrugged off his heavy overcoat, and moved to unbutton his waistcoat, but found his now increasingly tight shirt sleeve restricted his movement. Yanking his arm free caused the cloth to tear, and the Thorn Mage saw his arm was now roped with a new layer of muscle.

"What happened here? Spirit, this was not part of the bargain." Elias scolded. He then gasped as he felt the Kapre's spines poking him in the back from the inside.

"Sorry, mage- if this is going to work, I'm going to need some breathing room!" the Kapre replied, and Elias felt the breath knocked out of him. There was a tingling, prickling sensation that ran down his spine and into his extremities, a crackling of electric energy. Elias was feeling his form shifting and growing of its own volition- not tied to his emotions or will, but by the presence now sharing his body. His limbs grew thicker and stranger, bulging with galvanized muscle- biceps swelled into melon-sized masses, his shoulders spread and thickened into boulder-like masses, and his vest burst apart to make way for a wide, deep chest. He spread out his legs as they surged to support his growing upper body, thighs thickening like trunks. His shirt was shredded to tatters as his lats flared out like wings, completing the transformation. Elias was left looking at his own body, his emotions ranging from astonishment to annoyance, and even a faint flicker of exhilaration.

"This was not something we agreed upon, Spirit," Elias chided. Still, he raised one of his arms, curling it as his newly engorged bicep surged in size, as his thick slab of a tricep tensed. It was a curious feeling, for Elias- he hadn't been entirely aware his body could even do that. "You do know I have to go about town, around regular people, yes? What are they going to say looking at me like this?"

"If they've got good taste, they'll compliment you, won't they? If we're going to be sharing power, mage, I need some room to breathe! This is my home now, too. Besides," the Kapre's chuckle echoed in Elias' head. "Didn't you feel that rush of power? Your spell already caught the Tanga messing with my tree! Think of this as my way of saying thanks- you're looking better already, Skull-boy!"

Elias glanced at a mirror set against the wall. It only showed his bust, but that was enough- sprawling shoulders, a thick neck, and a chestline with meaty pecs that had swelled to impressive proportions with each breath the mage took. Elias didn't know about his looks, but, it was imposing, he supposed- he had looked worse. He was so drawn into his reflection and new physique, he didn't realize Silver Lady glowering in the corner, the house fairy already thinking about the extra work this new situation was going to make for her.

"I see," the mage replied. "We can repair the wards on your tree, if need be. This person you fear might destroy your tree- is he really that much a threat?"

"Threat isn't the right word," the spirit replied. "Especially not now. Look at us!" Elias felt compelled to curl his arm, flex his muscles as they inflated to pleasingly huge proportions. "Trust me, Thorn Mage. We're strong enough to handle anything."

"Pride is a dangerous thing, Spirit- especially for mages." Elias replied. His eyes then trailed down to the thickly roped muscles packed into his augmented form. "But I suppose this… bulk has certain advantages. Perhaps we can find a way to test it."