Chapter 102: History and Choice

Kaius leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees as he thought about what he wanted to ask Porkchop. The fact that his friend’s secret skill was a binding one was a shock. The fact that it wasn’t one of the predatory command and control types even more so. He was incredibly interested, and had already made his mind up. Sure, it would mean that he would have no dedicated glyph-binding skill, but having literally pioneered the art he would be delusional to think that he wouldn’t get offered classes relating to it. Especially since he had a rune skill, which more than likely would evolve in that direction as he progressed.

An unbreakable link that would let them fight as one, and came with significant experience advantages was too good to pass up. He just had a few more questions.

“Will it affect skill growth?” he asked.

“No,” Porkchop shook his head. “And for that you should be thankful.”

“Oh?” Kaius said with a tilt of his head.

“If our powerful bodies and strengthened resources are a greater beasts boon, then our slower rate of skill growth is our bane. It is not something we spread widely.” Porkchop explained.

His eyes widened, staring at his friend in surprise. That was unexpected, but also made a cruel sort of sense to Kaius. The system was fair in its dealings, rewarding those with the luck, strength, knowledge, and resolve to push themselves to new heights. He’d also thought it a little odd at the sheer unrivalled advantages all greater beasts had. Long life and overwhelming might were hard to overcome, but if it came at the cost of slower skill growth it would make it much harder for a beast to ascend tiers with capped skills. With how vital that was to both class and skill development, it was a significant issue.

“Well, that makes me feel a little better about all those extra years you got to work on your skills.” Kaius said with a shake of his head.

Porkchop snorted. “Without those, no greater beast would ever be able to finish a legacy. I am something of an anomaly for having finished mine so early, and that was only because I found the dens so boring that all I did was practice.”

Kaius grinned. That was a feeling he could empathise with, what with his own childhood of training in the outer reaches of the Sea. Though, as he thought more about what it meant that Porkchop had a slower rate of skill levelling, a frown of worry crossed his face.

“What about this bond skill, will you have any difficulty with capping it before we fight the Guardian? We’ll need every edge we can get.”

“It’s not that slow, Kaius.” Porkchop snorted. “It’s more of an issue for the massive amount of skills over the course of a complete legacy. Besides, the bond levels a little differently than most others, with everything we have been through I will be very surprised if we don’t cap it immediately. After that, it will grow naturally as we fight together.”

That was a relief. He wouldn’t have minded waiting, but having the skill capped would mean they would be able to evolve it immediately. 

“And what of when it evolves?” Kaius asked. “What changes? Or was what you were talking about the evolved option.” He could understand if it was, that sort of experience share was far more than he expected from an unmerged base general skill.

Porkchop grew quiet, before he softly answered his question a moment later. “I don’t know. No one has taken the skill as the capstone to a legacy before.”

Kaius stared at his friend in surprise. “What? How?”

“It’s an old skill, Kaius,” Porkchop explained. “Grandfather might have been an Observed, but even the Matriarch's memories get spotty about that time, he didn’t have a complete legacy. There were a handful of others that have made use of them, and each and every one was during his living reign, before the dens had acquired a full set. After every one of those ended with a meles’ growth getting crippled due to their bond companion being unable to keep up, no one has touched the thing until that cub. The same one who broke his legacy.”

Kaius leaned back, whistling in surprise. “So we’d be going in blind then.

“We would.” Porkchop nodded.

Kaius paused, digesting the information. There was some risk. Any skill that involved a bond of that intensity could directly influence his personality, but the chance was small. Besides, he trusted Porkchop with his life, if he was willing to gamble, who was he to say no? He wasn’t the kind of person to turn down a skill that was even stronger that expected just because of a few unknowns.

“And what of the dens, and the elves? I know we aren’t in any rush to visit the inner Sea, but I would still like to go there, and visit the conclaves, at some point in my life,” he asked.

“The dens would accept it for what it is, though they may think me foolish if we have not yet proven our ability to grow together. Hopefully by the time we return that will have long since been confirmed.” Porkchop explained, stretching out on the cold stone of the kitchen floor. “The elves are different. Most will think you blessed and honourable due to gaining my ‘favour’.” Porkchop rolled his eyes. “Unfortunately, some will be more difficult. Either canonising you, or thinking you an undeserving heretic. A good deal of personal might will insulate you from both extremes.”

Kaius chewed his lip. Another good reason to put off an exploration of the depths of his forest home. Elves were skilled, long lived, and capricious. He had no desire to find himself at odds with a warband unless he had the power to put things to bed. Permanently if need be.

“Well!” Kaius clapped. “A good thing that is a problem for a much later day, then.”

He leaned forwards, locking eyes with the deep red and gold orbs of his friend. “I’m in.” 

Porkchop slumped, drooping to the ground in relief. “Thank the gods.”

Kaius grinned and stood up, making sure the woollen blanket wrapped around his waist was still firmly in place. He took a seat next to his friend, clapping him over the shoulder and scratching between his shoulderblades. “I appreciate the trust in sharing this with me; I understand it is something the Dens would not want shared.”

“It’s not that.” Porkchop said, leaning into his touch. “I was worried you wouldn’t be interested. Can you imagine how embarrassing that would have been?!”

Kaius laughed, deep and bellowing. “Of course I am interested, you dolt, I would be dead a dozen times over without you. Who else would I want at my side when I inevitably do something stupid like trying to fight a dragon? Besides, the skill sounds strong.” 

“It is,” Porkchop agreed. “At least it supposedly was what helped Grandfather and Orym stabilise the sea. Unsurprising, considering it is a Unique skill at baseline.”

“Unique?!” Kaius looked at Porkchop in shock. “Hells, you should have just skipped all the kerfuffle and mentioned that we had a shot at a Heroic skill when it evolved!” he said, barely stopping between words in his excitement. 

The only other Heroic skill he had heard of an unclassed possessing was his own Rapid Adaptation and Porkchop’s Savage Arsenal, and they were legacy skills made up of a full ten merges. They were also build defining in their power. Another skill like that would make them a truly potent force to be reckoned with indeed.

“How are we doing this?” Kaius asked eagerly.

“You want to do it now?” Porkchop asked, slightly surprised. “I would have thought you needed to think on it more.”

Kaius snorted. “Hells no, you’re already stuck with me for life my friend, may as well make it official. Besides, it might evolve into a bloody Heroic skill!”

Porkchop chittered happily, rolling up to sit on his haunches. “Okay! I guess we’re doing this.”

Kaius grinned.

“It’s actually not all that difficult. I need to deepen the mental connection between us until it forges a link between our soul-spaces. Then we need to open it. Apparently its easy, on a technical level, but it’s supposed to feel like you’re letting someone hold a primed spell to your head.”

“So it’s about trust, then.” Kaius said.

Porkchop bobbed his head, sending a fleeting impression of agreement across their link. “The skill won’t actually take unless both of us accept it, so you can back out at any time until then.” 

“I already said I'm in, Porkchop, let's do this.” Kaius said, giving his friend a confident grin.

Porkchop nodded, and then frowned in concentration.

A moment later, Kaius felt it. A subtle pull on his mind, the ever present connection he had with Porkchop clamouring for his attention. He knew immediately, though not how, that if he assented the thin tether that let him understand Porkchop would start to widen, growing the link between them. That he would be vulnerable to influence and control in that state. Far less used to the powers of the mind than a greater beast who was born with them, lowering his innate mental defences would put him at risk.

He dropped them immediately.

This was Porkchop afterall, he trusted him with his life.

His heart lurched, the entire room spinning as a primal will latched onto his mind, widening their connection. Something sank into the edges of his soulspace, foreign shards of power piercing the veil, grabbing his innermost self in an iron grip.

Kaius gasped. He knew then, that if he wanted to, Porkchop could start to shred. Everything inside of him screamed in warning. An instinct, like the desire to flinch away from a knife held to your throat, surged. Adrenaline coursed through his system, urging him to fight, or die. He grit his teeth, holding himself back from lashing out.

“You holding up okay?” Porkchop asked, concerned, as his voice echoed with booming force to buffet his centre. 

Kaius winced. He felt Porkchop cringe.

“Whoops, sorry. Not used to this yet.” Porkchop said.

“I’ll live, not exactly pleasant though.” Kaius grunted. 

Amusement trickled through the growing conduit between them. “That’s good, because this is about to get a whole lot worse for both of us.”

Kaius furrowed his brow. “What do you me-?”

The iron hard shards of will that Porkchop had set into the edges of his soul-space started to rip, tearing at the very boundaries of his being. It didn’t hurt, not in the sense of a stab wound, or a broken bone. 

It was the agony of having his most intimate defences torn from him. The utter surety of a total loss of control, a crushing of his will, and a total dissolution of the most basal boundary he’d had since he was a babe.

The claws broke through, a ragged hole opened what should have been inviolable. Suddenly he was…more.

Kaius’s soul screamed. An ethereal bonfire surging to new heights, golden conflagration consuming his centre in a desperate autonomic attack on all transgressors.

It burned. He felt the strange golden flames lance into their mind. Could feel the molten heat dripping to the tips of their claws, scouring their fur in an inferno of uncontrolled fear.

They nearly gave up, but they had to. To stop now would leave them shattered, separated, with ragged holes in their souls that would slowly bleed them dry of all that made them, them. First it would be a searing agony, slowly stretching from their chests until it reached the tips of their fingers. Then their hopes, their dreams would fade. Then their minds. Until, eventually, their bodies gave in.

They were past the point of no return, they had forged the link, now they just had to stabilise it.

A/N: Might have gotten laid off yesterday.... still waiting on details. Best case is 2-4 months of unpaid leave due to cashflow issues. Annoying since I've been crushing it performance wise. But hey, i'm not gonna be homeless thanks to you guys! So like, genuinely, thanks. I hope you guys have been enjoying the story.