14 Chapter 14: Contract Beas

Maya's cute face blushes a deep red, "Of..of course husband! I don't really mind helping you, I mean you saved me from a marriage that I would have detested. Not to mention the fact that you are somehow not scared of our cursed form." She looks down a bit forlornly, but quickly returns to look me in the eyes. "Do you need me to get you a Sun Cat?" I nod simply and she shrugs her shoulders and begins guiding me through the forest on the hunt.

Our journey forward is quickly halted by Maya, "You need to get down lower like this you see?" She bends down at the waist slightly curling her body in, so that she's less visible in the forest. I try copying her movements imperfectly, after a few corrections we are ready to proceed further.

It had been a few hours with little happening, but the forest was beginning to thin out again, as if we were approaching the main road. Then I heard it, "Meow!" I nearly jumped out of my skin as I heard the sound a few feet in front of us. Laying there in a sunbeam was the fluffiest and tiniest kitten I had ever laid eyes on! How can something be so cute!

Maya leans towards me and in a hushed whisper, "There's one will she work?" I nod simply and Maya springs out of the foliage a few feet behind the kitten. Her steps are completely silent in the forest. She moves forward fast and stealthily the cat none the wiser. One step away from the prize, and Maya's form changes to her snake body as she coils her self around the sun cat.

"Okay, I got it! Now hurry up, these fuckers are strong!" Wow, I didn't know Maya had such a potty mouth!

"Coming honey!" I run towards my wife and the adorable ferocious beast she has caught in her powerful tail. "Excuse me miss sun cat?"

The small cat stares at me in confusion before hesitatingly answering, Y..Y..Yes..."

Oh good she can understand me too! Knowledge:Langauge is the FUCKING BEST! Oh man this power is awesome!

"Ahem, well you see I would like for you to be my contract beast!" Examining the kitten up close her fur is the softest thing I have ever seen in pale grey colouring. Her Grey fur is separated by bright crimson lines down her back and tail.

"Wait, you want me for a contract beast? Lies! You must be lieing I know that the mages don't use us for anything but our blood!" Her eyes which began as a pale moonlight yellow turned fiery and I can feel her entire body getting significantly hotter, to the point where I can see heat waves radiating off of her body. "Are you okay Maya?" I ask hurriedly but she just waves it off.

I should probably make sure how much stronger my wife is than me....just in case..anyway.

"No, please listen to me little one! I'm not a mage I'm a druid!" I look into her flashing eyes imploring her to listen to me. She pauses slightly her body still radiating but an ounce of hesitation enters her eyes along with the rage. "I'm not going to hurt you or any other Sun Cats, I just wanted to get a bit more powerful." She growls a bit, but I can feel the air getting a bit cooler. "How about this, why not come with me and my wife Maya to live with us, for a few days and see if its any fun? If you don't want to be my beast then you can just leave."

I offer out the olive branch, but my idea is completely rejected in a heartbeat. "No, that won't work. I would need some kind of guarantee of my safety to leave this forest on my own but....I do know the druids old ways..." She trails off and seems lost in thought. I gesture to Maya to loosen her tail to allow our new friend some time to come to her own decision. Finally, "Sigh, well we can start the druidic contracting then. If you really are who you say you are then, I would love to help you. If you aren't, then you won't know how to do it!"

I nod along with her. Her logic does seem quite sound, and with the druidic ritual firmly planted into my brain from the job I feel confidant in being able to successfully complete the contract how she wants.

"Maya she agreed to let me do the contract with her!" I say excitedly as I grin like an idiot. Maya smiles back at me and strokes my chest softly. "That's good husband, just remember to treat her well. I don't want you to neglect your new pet." She nods at her own words and reverts her form to one with bipedal movement.

I cough a bit and start talking my shirt off, "Oh, and honey for the contract I'm going to have to be naked in the forest for a bit. Please stick around in case I'm attacked, you can appreciate the view if you want too." I laugh at my own dumb joke as I finish stripping down completely to sit on the ground with the Sun Cat facing me. From the corner of my eye I'm able to see Maya leaning a bit to appreciate my form, much like how I had to hers last night. I grin, it's only fair for her to get a show as well I suppose.

The Sun Cat faces me me and bows in accordance with the ancient ways. I begin to chant the binding call, "Oh mighty earth mother please give unto me the power of an undying warrior, the passion of an ever burning sun, and a heart as patient as a stone. In the name of the ancient druidic ways I call up on you to be my power. As I protect, love, and nurture you, shall to I be nurtured. I too Shall be protected. I too shall be loved. Our bond is that of symbiosis, and only together can we grow. May our lives be linked. Now, my protector give me your name!"

I'm panting slightly by this point. With every word I had uttered my body was pouring out my mana. If I focus my eyes I can see a faint lattice work of mana linking both myself and the Sun Cat. There is a slight Humming in the air as the bond crackles with latent power. The Sun Cat looks at me and cocks her head for a second with twitching ears. My heart starts to pound, if the contract is rejected at this point the rebound is going to really hurt!

"I am the mighty Sun Cat Esmerelda! I grant unto you my power. Forever shall I live in your forest and manage the untamed wilds. I Esmerelda shall be your sword and shield. My power will never falter in the face of adversity, this I swear."

Shining green light surrounds us both, and I can feel my whole body getting hotter. I'm sweating buckets as my temperature just keeps going up, I focus on my meditation and attempt to enter my inner forest. This is the last and most delicate part of the ritual. The established contract is now valid, but without Esmerelda entering my forest neither party can keep its word, so of course there is a rebound of pain.

I slowly enter the heart of my forest and I can feel a sort of breaking as Esmerelda's power is deposited their. I can see her tiny form in the forest as she stands proudly upon the forest floor. She is the guardian of this land, so therefore, it is just as much hers as it is mine. She will be the steward of my power. It would be highly idiotic to treat her poorly at this point.

I gasp softly and fall over onto my back in exhaustion. My mana is completely empty. "Thanks Essmerelda!" I call softly into the air as my heart rate begins to slow gradually. Opening my eyes I'm met with the color purple. A lot of it. It seems that at some point Maya had gotten behind me to catch me when I was falling. I'm resting my head on her soft lap as her long purple hair frames her face. I'm looking into her beautiful purple eyes and I lean up to kiss her lightly on the nose.

"Thanks honey, I seriously couldn't do that with out you." I say honestly as I start to reaching to get up.

I'm swiftly forced back down on my back into my wifes embrace. "You're not rested yet." She says simply and holds me down forcefully. "For now husband simply rest, after that you can play with your new pet back at home." She says with a wide smile. Looking down I see the tiny grey body of Esmerelda curled up into a ball on my chest.

This was a good day.