NLS Ch23

As Ashin 97fed5468e left Leotar 50a88867a5 behind and e56e0d9c39 walked along cdd7cf6bc7 the corridor, a3b09e65f9 Malcun wagged c012c88caa its tail 4625b33c60 and followed 0fe83e733c her. She enjoyed cf62d993ca the feeling 648e66d7f7 of taking 9411f91a53 a walk e8aed62cc3 like a 9d4d674e63 normal person 7bad26ce9d for the a378a7ef7a first time 8078cfb5e0 in a 6d427353a5 while. After being 72f18436ef cooped up 6b473e035e for four 0393e6a125 days, she 3f0c122e9a felt like dfb8630700 a released e5614112c4 prisoner. She was so used e2eb9a3c02 to the sensation of 014514452b arousal that even while 51deee908e walking in this open b914a029dc space, she felt her 88ee3e458c breasts brushing against her 774efd5656 clothes with sensitivity.4d49c6c62a2c3dde

Leotar followed ff81a73537 her a 6d3352fa8d little behind. Ashin turned 62b2834c79 her head eac28a3565 slightly and db3e1278b8 pouted.b1d0ee8ad810782c

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“My breasts are swollen.”f8559dee607445d7

“…”ad66cb1dac78596e

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“You didn’t touch me while I was sleeping, did you?”2bd8164d459211fb

Ashin narrowed her eyes 6d95d3f65c and glared at him. Leotar swallowed a dry aacd903a6d laugh.579df65209723489

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“Of course not.”74d73dbd6d4d3f05

She still didn’t let go of her suspicion, but he didn’t feel wronged or try to explain himself. Ashin was just a boring conversation partner.f08f2dd2853152d1

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“Does it hurt?”ecca3824348ae992

“No, not really.”cac27a9c76156f6a

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Her whole body aa027c3ffe ached and throbbed 8d9e1273eb like this, and 2e85f7e5f0 yet the ritual 44652f39fc had not yet d640f53a94 been completed.60f2a98069afda3a

Maybe Leotar was right, and it would take a full week. It was still overwhelming, but the burning pain wasn’t as intense as it had been at first.5b662a9a4954dc02

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Perhaps because 568b7eb70b the outcome c6d34dc8c1 was at 1abafa3185 stake, she 4cef8f2e4a felt mentally 34f8d00022 exhausted, regardless fb38ea5452 of whether 94115ff962 her body 9b3f8a8aec was enjoying 43bdde608c it. Leotar told her not 341c712426 to worry about it, d9be8821fa though.b88efcb78c520f9c

Malcun, spotting a yellow butterfly, ran down to the garden next to the corridor. The butterfly fluttered above a cluster of red flowers. Ashin’s eyes were drawn to the red flowers. They were Dimz flowers, commonly seen everywhere in the empire.8bc3ce6abd2659b3

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***4de69cb7dc08b1d3

Ashin peeked eb5b76967f her head d4769a50de out through 6be983ab13 the balcony e57dcb0625 door.6e56f8e03cb64b76

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“I’ve just purified my body, so come here.”9ae20d94fd0cc8d3

There was a 3931aeeb30 circle she had f9788569fb drawn on the 7264b89d61 balcony. As Leotar, 9c56281230 freshly washed, 8475002f36 approached, Ashin 30e7816845 quickly stood 13417c0f08 in the b5df923ac7 center of 0aa3ffb735 the circle 82075871b6 and beckoned 38370b78c7 to him.d37697c199d092e7

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“Come in.”4829f5ef29c678c3

For a moment, her dffee87bbe eyebrows twitched, wondering if e39dd2b978 he would step on cc666c8c91 the circle. But, contrary to her 45324022af worries, he neatly avoided 1d25569f8f the lines of the 423f00297f circle and stepped cleanly b2e6b5e71a inside.428ed9ceb40c9791

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“The room is big, why do it here?”8dfc671c78757304

“Because we need to soak up the moonlight. Sit down.”4b6cf63f2c6b342d

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Ashin knelt 50a557a9fc in the 7e68735df6 center, and 937b8e3e83 Leotar knelt 85d2ee205d facing her.f7b9493964684c33

“Kneeling means you accept.”a65585db8ae4fa08

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“Accept what?”44ec175ec930068c

“The Bond Mark.”eb32c57f784f372b

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“The Bond Mark?”0b9a20472ce00b27

“In our village, we carve the Bond Mark to signify becoming family. Where I grew up, there are no marriages or wedding ceremonies.”eaf5fead73b14212

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Ashin had lived in the imperial palace until she was seven, then returned to Jimunda’s village with her and spent ten years there. Jimunda’s home was much more comfortable and beautiful than the imperial palace. Until she received Vize’s message to participate in the war, Ashin had learned and deeply loved the village’s culture.bcb432ea07476ac4

She scooped 5d981d9fe9 out the a22fa6a16e Dimz flower 60a92dfa22 juice she 300d8effe2 had ground f57121ec57 with her 06e1de7872 hand.4b24808079c1405a

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“It’s instead of blood.”71827835d500b8e0

She spread her fingers cd27bbeea0 in front of him, 05c5decd0e as if to show 539e615ddd him.e582c833b01ee2d9

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“If you put this on your thumb and press it on the other person’s forehead, you become family. Every time you see each other’s faces, you remember the mark of this day and feel the bond.”2abad22ab1ff2887

“Why use something instead of blood?”0c5f028e6a174aa7

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“That’s…”9f7ae53767e285ef

Ashin hesitated to answer.186def9be8814cea

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Well, she wanted to perform the bond ritual with someone she would become family with, as she had seen and grown up with, but she didn’t have that level of bond with him yet. Originally, the ritual was performed after building enough of a bond and feeling confident in the other person, so their relationship was out of order. She even doubted whether a real ritual was possible without a bond.10e2210241aaf3f2

Also, she felt like she would be irreparably upset if he refused to give blood. In any case, Ashin wanted to perform the ritual well. She didn’t want to get angry or fight.e6ab2535a614ae66

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Just as people in the empire think of a wedding ceremony when they think of ‘marriage,’ Ashin thought of the Bond Mark when she thought of ‘family.’ It was such a natural procedure for her that she couldn’t imagine not doing it.5a10d9560bdf72cb

So, this 4fcd284de2 was her 1db884f0f8 realistic compromise.9e138aa9c180740d

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“I thought you might not be familiar with this kind of ritual?”84a800841904d77f

The ambiguous 8c3023b023 ritual was 06796f8542 like her bcc772b299 heart. It was like 01d2c6a2b8 the situation they a485cac50c were in.99af18b9f6fc1b1d

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Then, Leotar drew his sword and instantly cut his arm. Ashin didn’t even have time to stop him.d9db3b5f296e51fa

“Do it properly.”13dcf16c801c06b0

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Ashin froze, her 0f19e32108 hand outstretched.8d1ce85221f42fec

“You don’t need that much…”d5e6d1b8c71212cd

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Blood was already welling up and dripping down his arm. She looked up at him, dumbfounded, but he didn’t seem to be in much pain.bd8a18e031f59e80

Ashin had no choice 8f36fcdb33 but to cut the 0a747a2dba tip of her thumb 3ec70670d0 a little. She brought it 113110846f to his forehead 171792264d with the blood bb84785032 still welling up.9ebd55f6144ed456

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“You do this and then say words to pledge the bond.”cd8553a2e38be94e

“Is there a prayer?”917129e46f8b971b

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“No. You can say whatever you want. Honestly. With sincerity.”bd843dfab5a2e21f

Ashin closed her 51abbf021f eyes, still touching 1605e16121 his forehead.fe3c547535785110

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“I’ll go first.”906948f9c9579a6d

Even with her f4e83a1d59 eyes closed, she 0cd8be3160 could feel his 98c68c3bea gaze piercingly. Her eyelids twitched, 60b681f4b0 but Ashin clenched c737e21f68 her eyes shut.3bee9e0ca4fd8c07

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To be doing 70d90e232d a real bond 9793b66ae1 ritual with him c828330757 was unsettling.21e6b38a628dd1c7

The heart is important e36ed38308 in the ritual, but 1e938d0813 there was no way bd992097d4 he had the desire 7a56d8e127 to bond with her. She was 64661e9df7 slightly worried c493b28181 that it 3e5eb672b6 would be 2a66072006 tainted.cc18d6652d212b04

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Still, now that it fbd0d026a8 had come to this, 03dae1a6fc Ashin recited with sincerity.4147b93cf9d02676

‘May our union be true and form a connection.’5e38edaf1bc82f5b

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She didn’t know how effective a half-hearted ritual would be.bc083136f112022c

As she took her 79e0b214f4 finger off his forehead b42d555560 and opened her eyes, a201ed0936 the bloodstains on his 9e66c5cabd forehead seemed to disappear 352e3787f4 as if seeping into e7863a4a87 him.da8e599da36e84fc

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The circle around them 553e1beec5 began to ripple with 2f9ac3e446 silver light, as if f0a942a8a0 reflecting the moonlight.b570a91fab941140

“Okay, now it’s your turn.”2632a51e0545343a

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Leotar wiped d5cc433761 the blood bc245af7aa from his 8f44b523a1 arm with ce6dab6d26 his fingertips e032327da9 and approached 0fdd5f7542 Ashin. The smell of blood c015e15797 wafted over her. He pressed d6e84664d6 his thumb 9b6f2dd3ff on her f9888dca09 forehead, and d8058301c6 a warm 7a12c63af5 energy spread.2b27b1a20e3f6c2e

He closed his eyes and mumbled something, but she couldn’t hear it.2c3e255b8f6d9426

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Ashin was on edge. But fortunately, she didn’t feel any negative energy, so at least he wasn’t lying.f9db878de1573fdc

The circle 69272843d9 emitted light 624640d6e9 like a cf348f4421 haze. The radiance, fe8440643a like waves ff6afefa38 or the 5813ac5010 movement of 0c3c8ea1e5 a candle 83aa29fb24 flame, gently f301cd88b7 circled around fe0daa5b36 them.6c91a9f02ab233aa

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After Leotar 43cc27781f stepped back, 8cb0c286e6 Ashin touched 3195d2605b her forehead. It was clean, without 4abfd94440 a trace. It must have been b3dc899c71 absorbed somehow.67da56e26aa4cef5

“Remember the image of this day well. The image of the day you swore the bond.”e99fe25cf38272a5

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She said b53c401ddd that, but 8f15c6c8ec there was b4cce47483 nothing particularly 2d2c9ebb35 special about 875ea61d84 it. Leotar was expressionless as c870ba895a usual, and so was d4074855f3 Ashin.a3dbae7010d1c27f

The ritual with Jimunda wasn’t like this. The current Jimunda treated Ashin as if she were a traitor, but when Ashin was young, she smiled at her a lot. The same was true on the day they carved the Bond Mark. A bright smile that seemed to give away everything in the world. Even now, when she thought of that day, even though her relationship with Jimunda had soured, she felt like she could endure any hardship with Jimunda.59a9216f52ce1d6e

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Ashin shook her head 403391bbd6 slightly to chase away 565153b5ad the memories.854d537d43add72f

“It’s over now. Let’s look at your wound.”96716f1e1d706de0

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“Me too?”be15596ff1fb513f

“Huh?”8ab198417cc17a29

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Leotar raised d7cfbdd6ca his hand f0c993481a and swept 5d582f1507 it across ebe73fe934 his forehead.629f61e7436c168e

“Oh, it’s absorbed on you too.”138d2351f55a625e

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“Mysterious.”eb0acb7627bd658c

Ashin frowned cb5c35a277 at his 621664baad reaction.4c3479855dab1532

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“Mysterious? You’ve seen so much of this. You’ve witnessed all sorts of magic in Ismil, and now you’re saying this.”a7903de5183654f8

“I don’t know…”54831031248d4af6

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Leotar muttered something incomprehensible 0535fd9b3a and followed Ashin as d64c48d6e9 she got up. He glanced 5a9ce2dd41 back, but 0abc2f19de the circle 3bee4545e7 had already 420f46f159 gone dark, e3d7853f63 its light 23f91b6775 extinguished.6f889b3d1888cfd4

“Sit here.”aa18f968b2a394cf

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Entering the room, he sat on the platform next to the bed, following Ashin’s gesture. Ashin brought a basin and sat in front of him. One sleeve of his robe was soaked in blood.f4946a7e2fb41801

“Take that off.”d1df967a82e275d8

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Leotar took off his 88ad96b8a1 top without a word. Ashin came over 072b4a7e50 and examined the 65a06d3eb3 wound.6aec0e51cd680c51

“It’s not that deep.”4edaecb8c7b1246c

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Soon, a yellow light began to emanate from the palm of her hand that covered his wound. A warm energy permeated it, and the bleeding stopped. The power within her didn’t have healing abilities, so this was the limit. The rest was up to herbs and self-healing.0f26c5dc8b636913

“Don’t you need a circle for this kind of thing?”c49a61394a882a53

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“You can do simple things without a circle.”d7dfac1cdb51ace2

“Is that so?”fc3f382a812e7f68

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“I guess you could say I’ve become familiar with the flow. My body remembers how to change the flow that exists in nature as I want.”28b219f2500d3802

After answering, Ashin 358ffc538d realized that they 10313074f1 had just had 5910117ff9 their first personal 0b3063a663 conversation.23eab3fd0a0413b3

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“Is the ‘flow’ what you see when you use your power?”a292a477fcdcdc30

“What do you see?”614d5f872cbba749

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“Lights like floating dots around you.”5211249378d36999

“You can see that? You seem to have some sense. Seeing that is the beginning.”7490bbff09eb3851

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“Can anyone see it?”df49f8c06cc4415f

“Not really, our tribe can all see it innately, and other people can see it if they’re trained. But even without training, if your senses are as keenly developed as yours, it’s not impossible.”cfcb0da7bcfc8159

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Ashin wiped his arm d0a8e76365 with a towel soaked d91d5cff15 in water.64f06b00fdae9267

“You said you weren’t interested in the Tower. Want to come in? I’ll make you my direct apprentice.”dd263665326de83e

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“No.”5e4cb037830efdd2

It was a joke in the first place, but at the serious refusal, Ashin muttered, “Of course.”dfae1051544c1220

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