Chapter 2: An Unwelcome Bond
A sensation like a lightning strike, but forged of pure, warm light, erupted from the point of contact. Kaelen, Alpha of the Silvermane Tribe, froze mid-swing. The battle rage that consumed him evaporated, replaced by a shocking, foreign calm. A wave of… something… flooded his senses. It wasn't fear, or aggression. It was confusion, a sharp, pragmatic intelligence, and beneath it, a core of steel he wouldn't have guessed the fragile-looking soft-skin possessed.
The golden light enveloped them both, forming a shimmering cocoon. The roars of the boar-men, the snarls of his own warriors, even the enraged screams of the Scorpio-Ursa—all faded into a dull hum.
[Bond Forged! Initiating with: Kaelen of the Silvermane Tribe.]
[Bond Level: 1 - "Unwilling Acquaintances"]
[Bonus: "Pack Calm" Aura Activated. Duration: 60 seconds.]
The aura washed out from them in a visible wave. The battling wolf and boar-men staggered back, their weapons lowering. The bloodlust in their eyes cleared, replaced by bewilderment. The Scorpio-Ursa, confused by the sudden cessation of noise and the strange energy, stopped its assault, clicking its pincers in frustration before turning and lumbering back into the forest.
Silence descended upon the clearing, broken only by heavy breathing.
Kaelen was the first to move. He spun around, his ice-blue eyes blazing with a new kind of fury. He grabbed Astra's wrist, his grip like iron. "What sorcery is this?" he snarled, his voice a low, dangerous rumble.
The glow faded. The strange calm lifted, and the reality of her situation crashed down on Astra. She was surrounded by very large, very armed, and very confused beastmen, and the one holding her looked like he wanted to wring her neck.
"Sorcery?" she managed, her voice trembling only slightly. "I'd call it a mutually beneficial intervention. That thing was about to turn us all into shish kebabs."
One of the other wolf-men, a younger male with reddish fur on his ears, stepped forward. "Kaelen? What happened? I felt... calm. It was weird."
"The soft-skin did it," a boar-man grunted, pointing a thick finger at Astra. "She's a witch!"
Kaelen's gaze never left Astra's face. He could still feel it—a faint, gossamer thread in his mind, connecting him to her. He could sense her fear, a sharp, acrid taste, but also the steady, thrumming beat of her resilience. It was the most profound violation he had ever experienced.
"She is my prisoner," Kaelen declared, his voice cutting through the murmurs. "The Silvermane will take responsibility for deciphering this... magic."
The boar-men grumbled but, without the drive of their battle-rage and spooked by the earlier events, they began a wary retreat, carrying their wounded.
Kaelen finally released her wrist, only to gesture to his tribesmen. "Bind her. And be careful. Her touch is dangerous."
As rough hands tied her wrists with a length of tough sinew, Astra's system chimed cheerfully in her mind.
[Quest Updated: "First Contact."]
[Objective: Survive capture. Don't get sacrificed to a moon god.]
[Reward: 50 System Points. Increased familiarity with your new "roommate."]
"Roommate?" Astra thought, exasperated. "You've got to be kidding me."
She was shoved into the middle of the wolf-man pack. As they began their march, Kaelen walked slightly ahead, his broad back rigid. Astra could feel his anger and confusion through their nascent bond, a storm cloud she was tethered to.
She took a deep breath, taking in her captors. They moved with a fluid, powerful grace, their senses constantly scanning the forest. They were predators, through and through.
"Well," she muttered under her breath, a wry smile touching her lips. "This is a fine mess."
The red-haired wolf-man next to her glanced down, his ears twitching with curiosity. "You speak, soft-skin?"
"Astra," she corrected, meeting his gaze. "My name is Astra. And yes, I speak. Mostly to complain about the accommodations."
The warrior looked baffled. Kaelen, from ahead, let out a low growl that was clearly meant for her. The bond thrummed with his irritation.
Astra sighed. It was going to be a long walk.