Writing/Ceylon - \r\n\t\t\t\t\t
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In this story, an equine apprentice seeks the magical guidance of Ilorek and Valencia to lean the intricacies of Physical magic, telepathic magic, and alchemical magic. He does well in his studies but can't quite lean transformation magic - the most difficult of all the magics.
This is where Ceylon gets involved! As the foremost master of transformation magic in the region, she takes on Nib as an apprentice and is willing to grant him the changes needed to utilize this high-level spell...for a price, of course.
This submission is the introduction and lead-in to the scene in the image. The rest will be posted on InkBunny and Sofurry as well as here on FA on a proper story submission.
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\tTask of the Apprentice
\tNib-Roc sipped some tea and set the saucer down on his calf, using his lower leg as a table resting upon his opposite knee to ensure he didn't spill anything. He was being treated to a lovely dinner with a long-time friend of his and dignity was an important part of his image.
\tThe donkey stallion was at Ilorek and Valencia's ranch, a rather sizable establishment north of his own home that dealt in steeds for all purposes. Ilorek – a black, red, and gold colored bipedal hippogryph – ran a business where he bought and sold feral horses, dragons, gryphons, and ulokar that were meant to be used as mounts or workers. He also sold a special breed of ulokar, cows and pigs for meat if the buyer was interested. The business was booming but that wasn't why Nib-Roc was visiting.
\tWhile Ilorek and his wife Valencia – a petite biped bat with red braids and a canine tail – lived as traders of livestock on the surface, they dealt with the arcane arts on the side. Unbeknownst to many of their clients, Ilorek was a master of alchemical magic and there weren't any greater psychics than Valencia in all the land. Both studied and researched magical artifacts, sold potions to the Guild, and had connections to powerful mages around the world. They were the kind of partners one would desire if they were looking to break into the realm of the mage.
\tThat was why Nib was visiting. He owned a ranch of his own, where he grew his own crops and raised his own livestock so it made sense to be a client of Ilorek's but his real motivation was magic. As an apprentice sorcerer, Nib-Roc was still learning how to best utilize the magic contained within him. As a donkey stallion, he was a part of the errov species and therefore not naturally gifted with the most powerful of magic so he had to work harder than others for any progress in the field. One thing he knew for sure was that there were no greater teachers than Ilorek and Valencia.
\tNib-Roc, Ilorek, and Valencia were in the rustic, log-cabin-styled living room of his ranch home, all in their own seats around a crackling fireplace and sipping tea. An entire wall of the room was nothing but books on magic and ledgers for the buying and selling of livestock on the ranch. On the opposite side of them was a bar filled with various alcohols and some materials to make snacks and other small styles of meals like chicken wings or battered veggies in case they got hungry.
\tIlorek leaned back and set his tea on the end table between he and Valencia. “So tell me again what it is you hope to get out of this?” He asked Nib as he interlocked his fingers from both hands on his lap. “Why did you tell the Potions Guild about the gemstone ore deposits north of Rhybute?”
\tNib took another sip of his tea and laid it back down on his raised calf. This subject had become a bit of a sticking point since it was the impetus for the rapid expansion of Rhybute Pass and for some of the natives that was somewhat egregious. “I lack the equipment to excavate the materials myself and in exchange for the help in locating and harvesting it, I get dozens of kilograms of the stuff to experiment with. I think it's a pretty good trade-off and it's not like anyone else was claiming the vein.”
\tValencia glanced over to Ilorek with a shrug. The two of them made a few subtle head motions towards one another as though they were conversing telepathically before Ilorek responded.
\t“That makes sense, yes. Did you think about the potential ramifications of that?” Though his words came across as accusatory, the hippogryph's tone remained neutral but curious. He had no plans to lecture Nib but had an investment in the region due to his history dealing with gem enchantment.
\tNib nodded. “I did, yes. And I assumed you would want a harvest of pure, untainted gemstone so I brought you a veritable harvest in exchange of your services.” He reached into his satchel and pulled out a small fabric bag about the size of his fist and tossed it to Valencia. “One hundred unrefined gemstones. Each one worth fifty gold at least; I'll leave it up to you to test their purity.”
\tShe used her thumb and forefinger to dig out a sample of what he offered, revealing a ragged and rough but mostly spherical gemstone that was translucent and tinged with a faint teal colouration. “Looks good to me.” She said before slipping the gem back in the pouch. “High quality, too. Not as good as the ones Luero sells us but for the price we're getting a hell of a deal.”
\t“I told you.” Nib declared with a smile before he took another sip. “We've worked together plenty in the past, you know I'd never stiff you or cut you out of my dealings.”
\t“Indeed; you have certainly proved your loyalty.” Ilorek concurred. “But you do know I can't gift you the power of magic. I can only help you hone in on the skills you already have. Your ademane is not as strong as that of an avian or even a dragon. Errov aren't exactly known for their magical prowess, as I'm sure you understand.”
\tNib nodded, almost bowing in respect before looking back up at Ilorek. “Indeed I do. I've done plenty of research, I've travelled to Klyneth to spend weeks in their libraries and I've even had some limited success with utilizing physical magic. You know, remote manipulation and object control.”
\tThis declaration made both Valencia and Ilorek pause to glance at one another, impressed.
\tValencia was the one to speak as she leaned in close on the edge of her relatively small chair. “That is truly impressive. Anyone can manipulate the elements but controlling matter? That's a whole other story. When did you discover this and what did you do? Tell us everything!” Her lips curled up in an almost sinister grin, revealing her fang-like canines as her tapered tongue slipped out in delight.
\t“I know it's impressive, that's why I'm so willing to part with such valuable material in exchange of your services aiding me to refine my skills.” He stood up and bowed to them once more. “I would be happy to give a demonstration, if I can muster the energy.”
\tIlorek leaned back and laid his ankle on his knee as he watched with vested interest. “Go on, I'd love to see what you can do. Your last visit was pretty impressive but taking the leap to physical magic in your own time is the sort of feat I'd love to play a role in developing.”
\tIn the world of mages and sorcerers, the hierarchy of magical disciplines from simplest to most complicated started with elemental magic and increased in challenge with restorative magic, physical magic, telepathic magic, alchemical magic, and finally transformation magic. Most anyone had at least a weak ability to harness elemental magic with about one quarter of the population fluent enough in restorative magic to apply medical aid to others even if most people could heal their own minor cuts or abrasions. Physical magic and anything more complicated than that were considered to be pretty rare.
\tLess than five percent of the population was capable of utilizing physical magic, and almost all of them were avian or saurossin in nature – the two most powerful species when it came to magic. For an errov – the weakest species of mage in all of Dalon – to have learned how to use physical magic at all was incredibly impressive and showed to Valencia and Ilorek that Nib was no slouch.
\tNib-Roc was a dedicated mage in training, and while he was still fairly new to the advanced techniques, he had showed promise. He was even the one who conjured the heat and flame that cooked the tea the three of them were drinking.
\tGiven his interest in showing off and proving to Ilorek and Valencia how far he'd come in the months since their last visit, Nib walked over to the wall that was comprised almost entirely by bookshelves and kept himself just out of arm's reach of any books. He turned to his hosts with his back to the wall and took in a deep breath, one hand up and eyes closed as he concentrated. “Sometimes it takes me a minute to conjure up the energy.” He cautioned.
\t“Take your time, as much as you need if you can get this to work.” Ilorek assured him. Though he was a staunch alchemical mage who took magic very seriously, the hippogryph absolutely loved to help others out and despite coming across as judgmental in regards to the Rhybute Pass ademane mine situation, he and Nib were still loosely friends and partners in many ways.
\tWith this encouragement in mind, Nib took in a deep breath and focused as much of his energy and concentration on his raised hand. By imagining what he wanted to happen in his mind – to pull out a single book and spin it to open to a random page – he was able to envision the path of magical activity with relative ease while applying increased energy to the region.
\tNothing happened at first, but both Ilorek and Valencia understood that sometimes conjuring energy for higher level spells took a moment so they waited with bated breath for something to happen.
\tMuch to their delight, both hosts caught a glimpse of one of their tomes struggling to move, the binding of its spine tugging outward as an invisible force strained against it. This was already quite impressive but they could tell by the look of concentration on Nib's face that he wasn't content with that level of object manipulation, so they patiently waited to see what was next.
\tInternally, Nib could feel his remote magics working as they tugged on his flesh and fur from inside. The ademane gland in his wrist was heating up as he focused as much energy as he could on energizing it so that it may influence the books behind him. After a minute of concentration and gradual control over the object, he felt confident enough to slowly push his hand forward and away from the bookshelf, an act that was supposed to gradually tug the tome from it's spot but ended up backfiring.
\tAs he shifted his hand, his concentration wavered just a bit and the energy from his spell exploded, forcing every book on that particular shelf to burst forward like shrapnel next to a stick of mining dynamite! The sudden and intense concussive blast of energy made him relinquish control and duck down, arms covering his head as he anticipated the shelf to fall on top of him!
\tHowever, none of that happened and he didn't even hear any of the books land around him.
\tWhen he tentatively opened his eyes to see what had happened, he saw that Ilorek had gotten to his talons and had outstretched his hand, each and every one of the dozen books impacted by the magical blast hovering in the air, suspended in place by his own reactionary physical magic.
\tOne by one, the hippogryph manipulated each book to return to its proper spot on the shelf. He could have been angry, furious that Nib may have ruined his books, but he was smiling and so was Valencia. The two shared a few brief glances before returning to their spots on each of their chairs, expressions having completely shifted from that of concern to that of interest.
\tWith caution in his heart, Nib stood tall once again and made a face as if to show off his skills. “Ta da?” He spoke with an upward inflection, unsure if he'd impressed or annoyed.
\t“Very good work.” Valencia applauded as she folded her wing-arms on her lap. “Very, very impressive if I must say so myself.” Once again she grinned, baring her fangs and poking the tip of her tapered, tendril-like tongue out in the process.
\tNib gulped. “You're not upset? I mean, I may have damaged some of your books.”
\tIlorek waved and shook his head dismissively. “Books can be remade, I can commission them to be fixed or whatever. I'm not too worried about it; besides, it was only physical magic and not fire or anything that'd damage the pages. No worries. However, it's not often I get to see pure unfiltered, unrefined skill from a donkey. That's priceless.” His expression was that of pride, not concern.
\tPart of Nib still wanted to be bashful and borderline worried about what had happened but it was hard for him to not swell with pride hearing that. After his last visit he had doubled down on his studies and had worked hard to make the progress he had, resulting in skills that apparently impressed the most competent magic users he had ever met or heard of up to this point in his life.
\t“No need to be bashful, Nib. That's not your style.” Valencia teased before hopping up from her seat and over to him. “You should be proud, even if you fucked up a bit.” She finished with a coy wink.
\tIlorek leaned back and reclined in his chair, foot-talons up on the coffee table next to all three of them, claws gently tapping on the rim of his own teacup. “So, I was always eager to help you from the day we met, I like your spirit. I could feel your desire and so could Vel – and we both know she's an expert at reading people. I feel bad taking these gemstones from you as payment for training, so I'm not going to do that. I'm still keeping them, though. Not as payment but so that I can help train you how to enchant them. Learning materials, as it were.”
\t“Wait, what do you mean? If you're keeping them, how are they not payment?” Nib did hate being pedantic but Ilorek's choice of words had confused him.
\t“Simple! You'll be getting them back once you're done!” Ilorek explained. “They're part of the curriculum, I imagine. What might start as simple concentration exercises meant to help you focus your ability and control it better should eventually turn into potion and gemstone enchanting sessions. I can't guarantee you'll get there in good time – it does look like we have a lot of work to do before that – but I do feel that enchanting is the best way to hone one's skills. It's kind of like teaching, once you've learned what you need to do to share that knowledge, that power, with another, you better understand it yourself. Same basic principle, and I think that, if you do this right, you could learn a lot.”
\tNib stood in place and rubbed his chin goatee. “You really think I have what it takes to make an impact, to learn? You changed your tone pretty quickly. If I didn't know you to be sincere I'd wonder if you were being disingenuous.”
\tThis coaxed a chuckle from Valencia. “I'm psychic but I don't need it with him. Ilorek doesn't lie and he doesn't try to hide the truth. If he says something, you can believe it.”
\t“She's right.” Ilorek joked. “And at this point I have to clarify that I was always happy to help you out; pretty sure I already said that. However, what might not be evident to you is that you just displayed a rather impressive burst of magical power, and while it wasn't focused it told me all I needed to know. You've got moxie, you've got unrealized potential, you've got heart that I already knew was there but just witnessed for myself. If I can teach you to focus and concentrate, it'll take a lot out of you but it will give you strength beyond even your impressive physical stature.”
\tThe compliment made Nib flex his thigh muscles to show off his physical strength; not what he needed to do since Ilorek was even larger and better build than he was, but it still felt nice to do. “I appreciate the compliments. So, uh, when do we start? Are we starting?”
\tIlorek nodded and offered a thumbs-up from his spot on the chair, an almost nonchalant approval of Nib's inquiry. “You're damn right we're starting, but I think we'd best do so tomorrow. I've got a client coming in from up north to buy a horse and I think I know exactly what mare I wanna sell him. In the meantime, I think we can hang out, discuss what you like, relax a bit, have something to eat, and generally chill until tomorrow. Sound good?”
\t“It does, yeah.” Nib agreed. “So just chatting, sharing stories and meals today?”
\t“And company, of course.” Valencia added, slyly grinning with a seductive look. “If you're into that, I mean.” She shifted in place and licked her one fang, flirting with Nib as she did so.
\tOf course, Nib wasn't familiar with this sort of behaviour from her. Sure, he was used to Ilorek making casual passes at him, flirtations that the donkey often rebuffed since that wasn't what he came to the ranch to get, but this was different. He'd casually fantasized about Valencia in the past but never dared make a move because he wasn't the type to break up a relationship due to infidelity.
\tHe also wasn't the kind of person to rat someone out based on his own interpretations of their actions, so he kept his mouth shut about her sensual motions and glances as he returned his focus to his studies and the next step in his training. “Sounds like a plan! Let's have some fun!”
\tFrom there, the trio of them casually made their way to the kitchen while discussing the plans Ilorek had for Nib and the training the two of them would be commencing over the course of the next month or so. The whole situation seemed awfully convenient to Nib since it all felt like Ilorek was making up the plan on the spot but upon asking he got the clarification he needed that the hippogryph and his wife were always planning on training him regardless. The display of unfocused but raw power in the form of physical magic simply excited them, changing their tone but not their plans.
\tThat made him happy and it wasn't very long at all before he comfortably settled into a state of mind that allowed him to relax around the two of them.
\tNib's relationship with Ilorek and Valencia was an odd one. While they did consider one another to be friends, Nib always harboured a feeling of awe around Ilorek ever since he first found out just how talented the hippogryph was when it came to magic. To any outsider, a hippogryph owning and operating a ranch that dealt with livestock both for riding and for eating didn't sound like the sort of person who would be one of the world's foremost experts on alchemical magic.
\tTheir first experience together was the same sort of business transaction a rancher and a new home owner would have shared any other day as Nib was getting a consultation on how he could go about starting his own farm, what cattle he needed, and what creatures would best work the fields. Then, during the course of that day, Nib heard Ilorek conversing with Rex – his feline ranch hand – using advanced terminology that only adept mages would have understood.
\tCurious, Nib asked and was educated on the matter by Ilorek after the hippogryph revealed how many books he'd written in the past on the topic. With a bit of research and cross referencing his own memories, Nib came to realize just how ubiquitous Ilorek was among the magic-using community. He thought at first that Ilorek was just a common name for Hippogryphs – named after the god of alchemy himself – but as it turned out the Ilorek that ran the ranch was the same one who had contributed to the schools of magic that best interested Nib.
\tIlorek and his wife, Valencia, spent their early years as scholars and professors at the Klyneth Academy of Science and Magic but then retired and used the money they made selling potions to start the Ranch in the SoSemma frontier. They still dabbled in magic but mostly focused on their livestock.
\tWhile Nib's primary concern had been that of a buyer looking to populate his own homestead, his interest in Ilorek and Valencia shifted to that of an apprentice seeking guidance an his focus had rejuvenated their interest in their old lives. Ever since establishing that mutual interest, they had kept in contact with Nib and had invited him to their ranch multiple times.
\tIt wasn't until news got around that Nib had found and sold off the information about the ademane crystal mine next to Rhybute Pass that Ilorek had basically demanded Nib's company.
\tThere was a hint of resentment towards Nib for not keeping the knowledge of the ademane crystals to himself, but doing so had been what gave him the time and money to settle down and focus more on his magical studies so it balanced out in the end. He was also gifted a sort of permanent compensation in the form of being gifted the tiny bead-sized scraps of ademane crystal the potion's guild couldn't sell. In this case, it worked well for him and nobody was complaining. Not anymore.
\tOnce everything had settled, the trio had enjoyed their meal, and they had concluded tea time, Ilorek decided to take Nib out to the barn to meet up with Oceras, the mare that Ilorek was planning on selling to some kirin folk from Port Sanri. As the three of them were walking from the house, Ilorek couldn't help but excitedly explain what made this particular equine so interesting to him.
\t“Ocerre is a bit of an anomaly. They seem to possess magics that not even I truly understand.”
\tThis was an odd thing to hear from Ilorek, a master of the second most complicated of all the magic types. Nib couldn't help but clarify. “What do you mean by that? Transformation is the only kind I know that's harder to understand and control than alchemy.”
\t“You are correct.” Valencia interjected. “I'm actually kind of surprised you know that.”
\tIlorek chuckled. “Yeah, that's not known by many. But yes, Ocerre came to us without gender, donated by some noble family from Arrenthen. I thought this was peculiar but not a deal breaker, it just meant they couldn't be used for breeding. However, after I had them for a while, I came in to notice that Ocerre was now a mare and was teasing all the stallions in the barn until she was taken care of!”
\t“Wait, can ferals even use magic?” Nib asked. As far as he knew, some plants and animals possessed ademane systems and thus had potential to use magic or be treated as though they were enchanted but he'd never heard of any non-sentient being using spells, especially not one as advanced and complicated as a gender shifting spell.
\t“Turns out they can! I didn't know that before, apparently the Arrenthens didn't either. But nope, I can say with certainty after having Ocerre for a year and doing a few tests to see what was going on, this horse can in fact become a stallion or a mare, though it appears to be either at random or inspired by hormonal shifts in their body. Today, and for the last few days, she's been a mare. I call her Oceras. When he's a stallion, I call him Oceris. Similar names, but it gets the point across.” Ilorek then pushed open the door to the barn and invited both Nib and Valencia inside before shutting it behind them.
\tTo Nib's surprise, the entire barn was devoid of any livestock aside from a peculiarly massive mare standing between two stalls with her head over the gate to eat from the bucket of oats handing off the stall wall. She was easily twenty hands or more, could have been as much as twenty-four, and had a golden-tipped mane and tail as well as feathers on her shoulders that traced her flank in the shape of wings but were patterns, not limbs. An absolutely gorgeous chestnut mare with black and gold highlights all over, a mare who's scent was so thick in the air it practically assaulted Nib's nostrils.
\tThe donkey had to actively resist lifting his lip to sample her scents like some carnal feral. “Is that her?” He asked, deliberately focusing his thoughts away from the overwhelming cloud of her estrus aura that hung heavy in the barn. It was so thick, in fact,t hat he could already taste her.
\tIlorek nodded and took the few steps needed to close the distance between himself and the mare. As he patted Oceras on the shoulder feathers, she lifted her head up and continued to chew on her oats while her tail swished back and forth. She was content, happy, and seemed to appreciate his company based on the way she stepped innto him and laid her chin on his shoulder from behind, an equine hug. “Yeah, this is her. Or him.” He glanced back to check under the enigmatic equine. “Her.”
\tValencia hopped up onto a nearby bale of hay and used that to scale Nib's entire body before perching on his shoulder. She was considerably shorter than both Nib and Ilorek, about half the height of either of them and incredibly light as a result of the genetics that granted her bat-like wings and presumably bird-like hollow bones. From up on Nib's shoulder, she squatted and leaned against his head, elbow between his ears. “Not for long, though.”
\t“You said you were selling her?” Nib asked, referring to what Ilorek had indicated prior.
\tOnce again, Ilorek patted the mare on the shoulders and gave her flank a gentle caress from the neck to her haunches, the very touch of his hands coaxing her to widen her stance and lift her tail. “Yep! Been keeping her for myself over the last year so I could do some research on her, check and see if any of her body chemistry could explain the gender-shifting. Sadly couldn't figure out the secrets of her unique situation and haven't made any progress with the research for months so I think it's time to put her up for sale. My buddy Ceylon recommended this buyer by the name of Therris, so I set up a meeting with the guy for this afternoon!”
\tNib cocked his head to the side and flopped an ear. “What's so special about this buyer? Why would you hold Oceras for him?”
\t“I don't actually know! I trust Ceylon and this is the first real thought I had about the whole situation. All I know is that this girl here is very loyal, very affectionate, and in need of only the best and most compassionate of riders. Ceylon tells me Therris is one of the best fits I'll ever find for a mare like this so I'm happy to do what I can to make it happen.”
\t“This bloke sounds like a lucky fellow.” Nib mused. “You gonna miss her?”
\tValencia answered for Ilorek. “Oh, I think he will. Guy has been out here every night ever since she did her most recent mare transformation. She's insatiable and so is he!”
\tNaturally, Nib couldn't help but prod a bit deeper into that comment. He was certain he knew exactly what it meant but he still felt the need to clarify, to confirm his assumptions. “Wait, you mean Ilorek, uh, has relations with her?”
\t“Of course he does!” Valencia chirped. “I don't think he's been able to say no to her since the day she first revealed herself as female!”
\tThis only brought up so many questions for Nib, but he didn't feel entirely comfortable just blurting them all out in quick succession so he kept his inquiries brisk. “And you're okay with that?”
\tValencia Shrugged as Ilorek shot her a glare. “Okay with what? Ilorek fooling around with mares and not just being with me? Naw. When you're with someone as long as he and I have been together, you understand that sometimes you won't have what best suits his needs.”
\t“Okay, now I'm even more confused. Ilorek, you mount your horses and Valencia's okay with that? Not only okay with it but encourages it?” The thought made Nib Roc pretty excited but didn't want to misread the situation so he needed clarification on the matter. He wanted it to be that simple and that straightforward but didn't presume.
\tBoth Ilorek and Valencia paused to glance at one another before breaking out in laughter. In an odd twist, Oceras threw her head back and made a grunting, nickering noise as if to join in on the bellowing laughter. This put Nib at unease but he patiently waited for them to stop. When they did, Ilorek casually slipped his hand under the mare's tail as if to prove a point when she arched her back and hoisted it up to ensure he had no obstruction.
\t“You really are new to the farmland scene, aren't ya?” Ilorek teased. “Yes, I'm permitted to fool around with whomever and whatever I want when Val's not around and she's allowed to do the same.”
\t“Psh, like I need your permission to get off.” Valencia joked, then turned turned to hang off Nib's neck with her wings over his shoulders and her feet-paws on his waist band. “Did you not notice me flirting with you earlier? You think I'd be so brazen in front of my husband if he wasn't going to watch and join in later?”
\tNib gulped and made a series of confused faces. “Uh, I guess not? I really don't know, to be honest. I just never imagined-”
\t“You need a better imagination.” Valencia joked before hopping off his chest and then jumping back onto Ilorek, using him as a totem to make her way onto Oceras's back. “If you're gonna get into the magic arts, you really gotta be more creative! Now come here, I'm going to show you something.” While she was on Oceras's back, she laid down on her belly with her head leaning over the mare's haunches, feet up in the air while Oceras kept her tail raised.
\tNib didn't know what to do until Ilorek made a casual head motion to encourage him to go ahead and stand behind Oceras.
\t“You sure?” Nib asked. “Seems rather odd to, well, you know. I was here to learn.”
\tIlorek stepped away and made a hand motion. “You don't have to do anything, really. I'd still recommend maybe taking a look; you're a stallion so I doubt you'll mind the view.”
\t“This must be pretty commonplace for you, isn't it?” Nib asked as he conceded the point and slipped between Ilorek and Oceras; the mare nipped and nuzzled at him as he walked past, the warmth of her cheek on his making him weak at the knees. The sweet aroma of her estrus got stronger the closer he got to her backside and it was so thick he could have sworn he saw a cloud of steam billowing up from under her tail, coaxing drool from him as he tasted it.
\tIn an almost casual manner, Ilorek leaned back against the stable gate opposite where Oceras was standing as he continued. “Oh yeah, it's not exactly socially encouraged but 'round these parts there's no bond as tight as the one between a rider and their mount. Lots of my customers come in saying they expect to spend days at a time alone with just their horse or dragon or gryphon as they explore the vast Sosemman Frontier. I can't assume their intent but it's fair to say that most of those ladies and gentlemen want a partner with them as well as a mount.”
\t“And it's best to at the very least check to make sure at least most of our stock are at least amicable to being given that kind of attention in particular.” Valencia added, still swaying her feet as she massaged each of Oceras's rump cheeks to keep the mare engaged. “That's why I tend to stick around for every sale. I don't like using my psychic abilities for evil but I try to pair up our clients with the best stock that fits their needs. Some riders have no interest in physical intimacy with their mounts and some of our livestock hate being given that sort of attention, so I match them up accordingly.”
\tAll of that actually made a lot of sense to Nib, who hadn't really put much thought into such relations with horses or feral gryphons. He still wasn't sure he was completely comfortable casually discussing and potentially engaging in some sort of kinky threesome or foursome with the couple and their mare but knew that the pheromones in the air may have had something else to say on the matter.
\tFrom his vantage point behind Oceras he could see under the mare's tail while Valencia pulled it to the side. The equine's vulva were soaking wet and literally dripping with slimy arousal that soaked both of her inner thighs to the knees. He couldn't help but comment on this. “Girl seems to be easily excited.” He joked, deliberately shifting so that neither Ilorek nor Valencia could see his growing bulge.
\tIt didn't work. “You, too.” Valencia observed. She was a psychic and had made it clear in prior discussions that even when she wasn't actively probing someone's mind she was still capable of reading their emotions and feeling their desires, so not only could he not hide his arousal from her but the sheer intensity of the mare's estrus scent ensured there was no angle at which he could hide his bulge.
\tBefore Nib could respond to confirm or deny her accurate accusations, Ilorek paused and raised a finger as his ears went up. He had heard something. “I think Therris is here.” He interrupted. “If you two are gonna fool around, do it quickly. I'm giving you about ten minutes before I bring him in.” And with that, the hippogryph zipped out of the barn and locked the door behind him, leaving only Valencia and Nib in the barn with Oceras casually grunting and nickering to them both.
\tFor some reason, this made Nib a touch bashful about the whole situation. When Ilorek was around everything had a casual, laid-back feeling to it. Even when they were talking about the intricacies of potions or joking about the differences between gryphons and horses from an anatomical perspective, it always felt like a group of like-minded magic users just having fun and being normal. However, with the knowledge that all those subtle flirtations from Valencia were sincere and that Ilorek was not only okay with it but encouraged him to act on it, being alone with her felt awkward.
\tHe couldn't tell at first if it was a good thing or a bad thing that Valencia was so forthright with her behaviour. Mere seconds afte the barn door closed, she rolled over onto her back and dangled her foot-paws over the back of the mare's rump. “So what do you say? Interested at all?”
\t“Interested in what?” Nib asked, feigning ignorance. He knew what she meant but didn't want to say it, at least not first; she needed to make the offer.
\tShe wiggled out of her shorts and tossed them over a nearby hangar meant to hold a horse bridle. “For me! We've got ten minutes if you're interested and as a stallion I figure that's plenty of time to finish up. Oh, and since I'm a hybrid myself you don't need no condom, partner.” She finished by winking at him, still on Oceras's back with her legs parted and plump, triangular pussy exposed in all its moist goodness. The faint scent that mixed with Oceras's was nice but not as pleasant as the mare's.
\tBy this point, Nib was pretty sure he knew exactly what he wanted to do but needed to clarify a few things first. He was a scholar, first and foremost. “You sure I'm gonna fit? I mean, I'm pretty thick.”
\tValencia let out a hearty but subdued laugh. “Yeah, I may be a bitch but Ilorek's my man and he's as thick as any stallion. I can handle you if I can handle him.”
\t“But you're...uh, canine. Aren't you people like, super tight because of knots?” Despite his reservations, he was still idly unbuckling his belt to let his trousers slip past his thighs and expose his member. He was in fact a donkey stallion and came equipped with an appropriate member that was thick and long and unfolded from a meaty sheath that mostly kept it inside his groin when not in use. A moist, musky stench billowed up from his midsection the second he revealed himself, one that Oceras caught a whiff of and immediately responded by stomping her hind hoof and winking her clit at him.
\tAll the while, Valencia remained on the mare's back with her legs spread and knees up. She rubbed her pussy lips and parted them to show the tender pink inside. “I may be a canine, yes, but I stretch. I'm still pretty tight compared to you stallion folk, but that doesn't mean I'm not a lot of fun.” She then hoisted herself up into a sitting position and motioned for him to come in closer. When he did, she grabbed him by the scruff of his collar and pulled him so close she could whisper. “But why do you think Ilorek's got a thing for mares? Sometimes I'm too tight and he needs a partner that's roomier.”
\tNib immediately understood what she was getting at, so he pulled back and nodded. “I see. Well I guess we'll see, then, won't we? No real reason not to go ahead.”
\t“None whatsoever. But be quick.” Valencia concurred. “We've got maybe seven minutes left, which for a stallion should be plenty. Don't worry about foreplay.” She then leaned over to see just how excited Oceras had grown ever since smelling Nib's musk. “And don't you dare ignore her.”
\t“Aye.” He said with a salute. And just like that he had shed much of his hesitation. Ilorek had left the barn, he was literally faced with both mare and bitch pussy and could have chosen between either of them and was happily invited to try out both, and the overwhelming scent of estrus had carved away any semblance of self control he may have expressed.
\tHis cock unfurled fully from its depths and swelled to maximum girth as his tip inflated to its pre-flare position as a bead of precum dribbled down the underside of his shaft. It all happened quite quickly but that was very characteristic of any male equine, be it a horse or a zebra or a pegasus or even a donkey – even though donkeys like Nib had a bit more endurance than most stallions.
\tValencia got a good look at what he had for equipment and deviously grinned, tongue sticking out and sensually rubbing each of her fangs as her fingers danced over her plump canine vulva. “Don't make either of us wait, Nib.” She cautioned while slipping a pair of fingers into herself and spreading her loins apart to better entice him.
\tThough he was eager to dive right in – preferably into the tighter of the two ladies so that he may expedite his climax – he knew that his own fluids were not going to be enough to slip into Val's tiny little bitch pussy. Knowing this, he cautiously glanced over to the sliding door one last time before stepping up to Oceras and tugging over the bale of hay that Valencia had used to hop up earlier so he could get a bit extra height and leverage.
\tOnce upon the bale, he grabbed the base of the mare's tail with one hand and the tip of his member with the other and brought the two together. Using his thumb to guide his length, he rubbed his cock head up and down the mare's plump lips to soak his flesh with her fluids before finding the right angle and easing every last bit of himself into her. He grunted loudly as her flesh swallowed his, the heat of her body permeating through his and making his loins tingle as his climax began to build.
\tPart of him was disappointed in the time constraints put upon him. By this point he had less than five minutes to please two women but all he wanted to do was get down on one knee and bury his muzzle under the mare's tail and eat her out for an hour. He wanted to taste her fluids, smell her scents, and feel her silken lips kissing his as he probed her depths with his tongue. As a stallion, he knew and understood that he could mount hard and fast and repeatedly but endurance wasn't his forte; the best way to alleviate that shortcoming was with a tonne of foreplay, something he absolutely loved.
\tWith him in so close and distracted by his thoughts of how much he preferred using his tongue first, Valencia teased him a bit. “Aww, I was really hoping you'd fill me instead. I promise I don't take an hour to climax like most lady-canines.” She deliberately avoided calling herself a bitch.
\tNib nodded and wrapped one of his thick hands around her waist to pull her in close, ensuring her pussy was resting just above the base of Oceras's tail. With her that close to him, he grunted in her ear. “Don't worry, I don't plan on seeing the mare. I just need to collect some of her lubricant if I wanna fit.” He then snorted as he bit down on her neck – a common stallion move of dominance – while bucking deep and hard into Oceras.
\tThe mare grunted and nickered as she leaned back into him. Her walls squeezed in waves, her clit winked, and a steady flow of viscous equine fluid escaped her lips to dribble down the underside of Nib's shaft and onto his ball sack, eventually soaking into his pants. He knew that the scent would cling to him for hours but he didn't care; not only did that make him even more excited but it was eminently encouraging to know the mare was as into it as he was. That mattered to him.
\tNormally he would have slowed down or paced himself to get as much pleasure out of the ordeal as equinely possible but even lost in the cloud of arousal, his mind was able to tell he had three minutes or less to finish and pull out before Ilorek returned with this Therris fellow.
\tAfter giving a few particularly deep and powerful bucks into the mare's shockingly snug pussy, he gave her haunches an apologetic pat and pulled out of her with a gooey squelch, her pussy lubricant soaking his shaft and forming bridges and slimy drips all over the place as he repositioned himself. He grunted, she winked to spew more of her fluids down his front, and he wrapped his thick hand around Valencia's upper thigh to hold her in place as he used his free hand to aim his slimy member at her.
\tValencia yipped in approval and grabbed his cock head to help guide him. “Here, you gotta get the right angle.” She chirped as she leaned back and raised her hips to aid his invasion.
\tThis did take him by surprise but he knew he had no time to waist. With her guiding his cock this gave his hands free reign to curl around her thighs and grip her hips. From that position he yanked her in as close as he could go and started grinding against her, testing every angle to see what worked.
\tNothing felt quite right at first. Her lips were tender and her flesh felt like it could have opened up to swallow a cock twice as thick as his, but her inner muscle ring seemed too tight and only the crown of his head seemed to be able to tease it and loosen it up. This was almost disheartening until he heard her growling at him with a toothy grin at the same time he felt her depths open up for him.
\tThe instant he noticed this, he flexed his arms, pulled her in tight, and did all he could to force himself in her! With any other partner he'd have been gentler – especially given how tiny she was compared to him – but Valencia had casually been chatting about how easily she healed all afternoon and her blunt explanation of how easily she handled Ilorek had convinced him that even if he was too rough she wouldn't mind. If nothing else, his cock was coated from tip to base in mare juices.
\tKnowing that while also giving in to his carnal desires, he forced himself on her until he felt her flesh twitch and relax. She dilated just enough for him to pop into her amidst an audible squelch of flesh in flesh, plump canine pussy lips stretching and distending as they struggled to swallow all he had to offer! Once he was in, he continued to ease himself in until he had gone as deep as he could, which turned out to be a little more than half of his length and just barely included the bulge of his median ring. This meant that all the most sensitive parts were squeezed tight inside her clamp-strong pussy!
\t“Come on, go ahead, don't waste a second; Ilorek will be back in a minute or two.” She urged as she furiously rubbed her clit. “And you better finish in me; I wanna feel you all afternoon.”
\tNib flared his nostrils and peeled his lip back in typical equine fashion as he slammed himself into her as hard and as deep as he could go. No matter how rough he was, however, he couldn't go much deeper than that median ring of his. Which was fine for him, as his head was the part of him that was most sensitive and the mare lubricant that soaked him right to the base ensured every thrust was full and slick, hot and wet.
\tShe was so tight, too. He was shocked he managed to fit inside her given their difference in size and anatomy, but he did and it was an incredibly intense feeling to have her depths squeezing so tight he felt like she could have force him out of her on a whim! Of course, the added friction and the intense sensation that came alongside her tightness ensured he couldn't hold back even if he tried!
\tAfter a few dozen thrusts – each one slamming Valencia and making her scoot a bit down the mare's spine – Nib's flare exploded inside her knot reservoir as the spongy tissue plugged her depths and started pumping stallion seed deep inside her. Given her anatomy, that was the only place his flare wouldn't have split her in half' of course, this also dictated that only the tip and a small portion of his shaft remained inside her as his length started pumping her full of stallion cum.
\tValencia aggressively rubbed her clit as she continued to grind down on his shaft, using his expansive flare in much the same way she'd have enjoyed a knot tugging on her pussy lips. After a few seconds, she started to twitch as her depths constricted around him, the extra pressure threatening to coax a second round out of him before he started to go limp.
\tHowever, Nib knew well enough that he had mere seconds to pull out and pull his pants back up if Ilorek's promise of ten minutes was to be believed. With a pat on Valencia's belly, he yanked his softening cock out of her depths with an audible pop as his length folded itself back up into his sheath. A gooey slime of mare juices, bitch fluids, and his own seed soaked the front of his pants as he buckled up so he shifted his satchel to a position in front of him, hiding the wet spot.
\tThe second he pulled out, Valencia pinched her vulva to seal herself up while reaching over to grab her shorts so that she could put them back on. Still, some of his essence escaped her and formed a bead on Oceras's back as Valencia jumped down and into her shorts.
\tWithin seconds, both Nib and Valencia were standing tall next to a panting Oceras, which felt odd because mares were not known to pant. They were nonchalantly focusing on one another, struggling to think up casual banter that didn't discuss or address their brief tryst as the barn door opened to reveal Ilorek and a shorter mauve and magenta dragon-hybrid.
\tNib and Therris casually acknowledged one another as the estrus aura of Oceras caught the newcomer and they shared a moment of mutual understanding that painted Therris's relationship with her. From that point forward, he knew that Oceras was a hell of a ride even if it may have taken him a while to learn that for himself.
\t“Whoo boy!” Therris commented as he waved his hand in front of his face. “Smells like sex in here! You didn't tell me the girl you were sellin' me was a slut!” He joked with Ilorek.
\tNib snorted to himself as he was escorted out of the barn by Valencia, leaving Ilorek and Therris with Oceras. From there, Valencia took some time to get Nib acquainted with the grounds since he'd be around there a lot over the next few weeks. It was a journey he was all too excited to partake in.
\t====--=--=====
\tHours after Therris arrived he was already heading out on Oceras's back, content with his purchase and heading south to Rhybute Pass to go on an adventure with his new companion. It was clear from the way he walked with a spring in his step that Therris was happy with his decision and the mare felt the same way, acting playful and more like a dog than a horse.
\tNib stuck around to get a tour from Valencia only to have Ilorek join them later and opine about how sad he was to let go of Oceras but that he knew it was the right choice because the mare had taken an instant liking to the fellow and they were inseparable from the moment they met. Nib did not see any of this but Ilorek was very descriptive when he told the story and made it sound like Therris and Oceras were long-lost lovers from a previous life or something.
\tAfter that, things on The Ranch slowed down a bit as Ilorek and Valencia took Nib as their apprentice in an attempt to help him learn the intricacies of advanced magic. Moving up from the basics of elemental and curative magic, they did all they could to help him out with his physical magic and eventually training him in the basics of telepathic and alchemical magic. It was all quite difficult for Nib, since his race wasn't known to be the most adept with even the most basic of magic, but his intelligence and diligence combined to make him an excellent student.
\tOf course, in exchange for this training he was expected to help out with the chores at The Ranch but he had no problems with this. He expected to help out regardless since he actually came to spend the majority of the following month in the loft above the stables.
\tHis own home west of Rhybute hadn't been fully established for the spring yet so he had time to spare. The donkey stallion was free to roam, explore, foster relationships, and build friendships with locals and folks in the surrounding towns to his heart's content before he'd have to plant seeds and till the fields. He chose to use that time learning magic under the tutelage of Ilorek and Valencia.
\tEvery single morning he'd wake up early from his room in the loft, feed as many of the horses and other livestock as he could while cleaning out stalls, then he'd practice on his own before enjoying a lesson from each of his hosts – one in the morning and one in the afternoon – before enjoying a group session after dinner before bed.
\tWithout exception, this was the schedule for each of the twenty days he spent at The Ranch, and every day he learned something new or tried to learn a new spell. Fortunately for him, he was coming into his lessons with a fundamental understanding of how magic worked and he had a keen mind so he absorbed information about higher level skills and magic like a curious child.
\tIn truth, he felt like a colt again. Everything was exciting and new to him when it came to high level magic and the intricacies of potion and gemstone enchantment were intellectually engaging. Of course, actually learning how to enchant was a whole different practice to the act of enchanting. All the academic knowledge in the world meant nothing if one was unwilling or unable to infuse a gemstone or a potion with all their energy.
\tThere was one thing he learned from Valencia and Ilorek that he hadn't even considered before, something that he had never come across in any of his studies and never even heard tales of in the past so he hadn't considered it a possibility. Storing magical energy in gemstones or potions!
\tWhat everyone knew and understood about magic use was that ademane fueled one's ability to manipulate the arcane. Ademane stored energy to be used in the form of magic and could be extracted to create potions or crystallized to form gems, but there was a lot more to it than that. While the body could only hold so much at a given time, the ademane glands could potentially be creating a renewable supply of it! If ademane was extracted via a needle or a drip – preferably without being contaminated by blood – one could harvest their own supply and store it.
\tNot only could they do that, but they could enchant their own ademane to 'store' energy inside. By focusing on the enchanting process without triggering any elemental or alchemical magic, one could drain their own energy into a potion and save it for later, thus giving themselves a boost if they needed it during a fight or if they got exhausted. The key was to blend non-elemental magic and restorative or healing magic, that way when the potion was imbibed it wouldn't only give the one consuming it any one form of magic.
\tGemstones and potions could be infused with specific spells and energies, so if Nib created a fire potion and gave it to a friend, that friend could better utilize fire magic without expending their own energy. The same thing could be said for specific effects like transformation or alchemy.
\tThe main problem with this method of self-storage when it came to potion making was that it was far harder to infuse and extract energy from crystals, and for this particular purpose any sort of magic storage enchantment would drain the caster to a fatigue almost certain to make them pass out.
\tWhen Nib and Ilorek tried this for the first time on one of the small crystal shards Nib had used to 'pay' for his lessons, he passed out and didn't wake up until the following morning, curled up in a pile of hay with a feral horse standing over him. He was groggy and needed something to wake him back up but the euphoria of learning such an uncommon and rare skill gave him all the enthusiasm he needed to carry on. After that, he continued his studies until the day he had to depart and return to his homestead.
\tHis time on Ilorek's ranch had seen him vastly expand his knowledge and understanding of the intricacies behind the various elemental magics as well as new elements he didn't even know were possible. Fire, Ice, Water, Shock, Earth, and Wind magic soon bent to his will, but it was the restorative magic he made the most progress with since that was what would give him extra energy, heal his wounds, and keep him from sickness. Of course, he also made great strides in physical magic, but even at the end of the month he was lucky to be able to magically move items as big as his physical body could move and could only do so within ten meters of his location.
\tMuch practice would be needed to increase the strength of his physical magic as well as the distance at which he could utilize it. Just like physical muscles, magical strengths were best expanded upon with practice and repetition while being conscious of one's energy limitations.
\tFinally, he managed to be taught the very basics of telepathic and alchemical magic but conceded quickly that it would take him years to be able to do anything with those types of magic. At best he was capable of very faintly picking up on the emotions and feelings of those around him but was unable to read minds or communicate nonverbally. He didn't let this dissuade him, though; Valencia assured him that even being able to do that was remarkably rare and challenging even for high level mages. What did disappoint him was that he was unable to effectively utilize alchemical magic.
\tIlorek tried his best to assure him this was nothing to be ashamed of. Only a handful of people worldwide were capable of altering the structure and form of the natural world and that Nib shouldn't feel bad about not being one of those few. While this certainly alleviated some of Nib's self critical attitudes, it still hurt him to think that he could fail in any one school of magic.
\tOne recurring theme of Ilorek and Valencia's teachings was that they only had a month to help teach him all they knew. One month was not enough time to master anything, let alone high level, complicated spells and enchantments. The key lessons they hoped to convey to him was more about learning how to learn and understanding the fundamentals of practicing. Even after he left, he would need to keep trying to enhance his skills, flex his magic, and never stop getting better. Their goal was to teach him how to do that to best maximize his self-training sessions.
\tFortunately for all parties involved, he took well to their lessons and combined his knowledge of magic with his own diligence to make great strides in three of the five main types of magic. Upon finally departing, he not only had a firm grasp upon even physical magic but also had all the info he needed to progress his studies in enchantment for those higher levels of magic.
\tPlus, as an added bonus, Nib quickly learned just how open Ilorek and Valencia were in regards to their relationship as well as how experimental they were both with each other on the side. Almost every day the three of them would find some time to be physical with one another or the livestock on The Ranch or maybe even with the ranch hands or customers if the situation called for it. Therris was by no means an outlier in their daily lives.
\tAs it turned out, living together and travelling together for so long gave the two of them a very worldly outlook on intimacy and physical passion so the concept of shame and traditional dignity were non-factors to them. This worked for Nib, and even though the donkey stallion wasn't the type to focus on that sort of thing he still appreciated it and felt appreciated in return. He was a stallion, after all.
\tThroughout Nib's tenure on The Ranch, Ilorek kept assuring him that his progress would not go unnoticed and that one day he would be met by Ceylon, the only master of transformation magic in the area. Of course, the caveat to this was that he had no idea when the two would meet. Ceylon was notoriously busy and hard to get a hold of at the best of times so it might be days, months, or even years until Ilorek met up with him and told tales of Nib's meteoric advancement in magical arts.
\tWith that knowledge in his mind and that assurance in his heart, Nib and Ilorek and Valencia parted ways, with Nib returning home with a small stable of work horses meant to help him with his homestead. He was gifted a few advanced tomes that taught new spells he'd only heard about as well as the bag of gemstones he'd used to pay for his lessons and practice on. They promised to meet again once a month until the gryphoness blessed them with their presence.
\tThe understanding that Ceylon may have arrived at any time to continue his training ensured that no day passed without Nib training himself or practicing new spells. He worked on his physical magic the most, flexing those spells as best he could while maintaining his elemental and restorative skills via the daily chores on his homestead.
\tAfter spending a full month on The Ranch with Ilorek, Valencia, the various ranch hands, and the customers that'd buy and sell daily, returning to his own homestead in the frontier west of Rhybute felt lonely. Of course, this wasn't a bad thing. Nib, despite being social when times called for it, loved the spiritual purity of serenity that came with solitude.
\tThis allowed him to focus most of his efforts on maintaining his property. This meant tending to the crops, building maintenance, and erecting fences to ensure that outside creatures such as rabbits didn't slip in and eat his veggies. One thing he did that was unlike what most people would do in the area was to make his house look a little dumpy on the outside while keeping the property pristine.
\tThe goal, as far as he was concerned, was to appear like his property was devoid of any goods or valuables inside. He lived in the valley near a river surrounded on all sides by a thick forest, bandits were known to pass through quite frequently and if his house looked dumpy they wouldn't rob him. He was, after all, alone in the middle of nowhere and frequently had to leave home to stock up on supplies.
\tWhen he was home, however, his homestead was impenetrable. Between the spell-traps he'd set up via the crystal shards around the perimeter and the fact that he had a single ulokar mount patrolling the perimeter of the property ensured that no bandits would dare. No packs of wolves, no bear families, and no prides of irruns would dare cross those shock-gem-powered metal fences.
\tFlocks of birds could still dive in and steal the seeds, which was why he planted sunflowers around the gardens and fields to entice the birds to eat them instead of his carrots or broccoli.
\tMonths passed without hearing a chirp from Ceylon. The entirety of spring came and went before Ilorek came for a visit and to check up on Nib's progress and to gift him with another book with more advanced spells and methods to amplify his enchantments. Ilorek and Valencia both assured Nib that Ceylon was coming but that they had no idea when that would be. The gryphon still hadn't visited them, which made them realize that Ceylon was even busier than usual.
\tNib, ever the optimist, used this time to keep practicing and get better. As far as he was concerned, this gave him more time to test his skills, get better, and impress Ceylon when she did eventually show up. The hope was to make her so happy with the stallion's progress that she took him under wing and continued to help train him and maybe even help him complete his steps towards the higher level magic that he couldn't fully grasp under the tutelage of Ilorek in the brief twenty days he spent on the ranch.
\tSkilled or not, a month was not enough time to master anything, especially not advanced magic.
\tTime continued to pass after that and Nib's elemental and restorative magics seemed to hit their plateau. He didn't seem to be able to manipulate the elements any stronger or further away and he wasn't able to purposely injure himself to practice restorative magics on himself beyond the sorts of injuries one might sustain in a low-level farming accident. This meant that, for the majority of summer and right into the early days of autumn, Nib found himself focusing almost entirely on physical magic.
\tBy the time the leaves turned to a lovely and warm orange and red, Nib was able to manipulate objects up to twenty-five meters away and at its strongest was able to lift things twice the weight his own physical form could handle but the further away the object was the less he could lift in terms of weight. So, right next to him, he could hoist barrels of water up with ease but he struggled to move tools for tilling the soil when on the opposite side of his field.
\tThis all made perfect sense but it was a discovery he made that really made him realize the true potential of physical magic.
\tOne day, only a week into autumn, he was harvesting many of his apples into a rather huge barrel so he could keep them for the winter and turn what he could into pies when one of his horses got loose and spooked due to a pack of wolves getting close one night. The horse, which was easily thrice the mass of Nib, barreled past him in an attempt to escape danger only to be stopped dead in its tracks!
\tThis happened not by an electrified fence or by Nib's calm demeanour but the donkey's pure physical strength. The horse barreled right into Nib and Nib stood his ground and managed to overpower the panicked equine before eventually calming it and leading it back to its stall.
\tSuch things were not meant to be possible. Nib was strong – most stallions regardless of form or shape were physically intimidating – but he didn't compare to the pure power of a scared, feral beast. After reflecting upon the situation he realized it was a reactionary use of physical magic that was augmenting his natural strength!
\tNot only was his physically body putting in the work, but his magic was focused on his arms and hands, reacting in much the same way a normal physical magic spell would work except it was so close to his body its strength was amplified.
\tA revelation, of course! Physical magic was stronger the closer to his body it was used, so using it adjacent to his skin and fur meant it basically functioned in a way that gave him super strength! Further research and testing proved this to be true, and with practice it proved to be intensely useful during the harvest of his veggies.
\tMuch of this distracted him by the time the leaves began to fall, and by the time Ceylon finally arrived some six months after his departure from The Ranch, he was taken completely by surprise.
\tThis was a good thing, though. Good for him and better for Ceylon, as it turned out.
\t=====--=--=====
\tHours after Therris arrived he was already heading out on Oceras's back, content with his purchase and heading south to Rhybute Pass to go on an adventure with his new companion. It was clear from the way he walked with a spring in his step that Therris was happy with his decision and the mare felt the same way, acting playful and more like a dog than a horse.
\tNib stuck around to get a tour from Valencia only to have Ilorek join them later and opine about how sad he was to let go of Oceras but that he knew it was the right choice because the mare had taken an instant liking to the fellow and they were inseparable from the moment they met. Nib did not see any of this but Ilorek was very descriptive when he told the story and made it sound like Therris and Oceras were long-lost lovers from a previous life or something.
\tAfter that, things on The Ranch slowed down a bit as Ilorek and Valencia took Nib as their apprentice in an attempt to help him learn the intricacies of advanced magic. Moving up from the basics of elemental and curative magic, they did all they could to help him out with his physical magic and eventually training him in the basics of telepathic and alchemical magic. It was all quite difficult for Nib, since his race wasn't known to be the most adept with even the most basic of magic, but his intelligence and diligence combined to make him an excellent student.
\tOf course, in exchange for this training he was expected to help out with the chores at The Ranch but he had no problems with this. He expected to help out regardless since he actually came to spend the majority of the following month in the loft above the stables.
\tHis own home west of Rhybute hadn't been fully established for the spring yet so he had time to spare. The donkey stallion was free to roam, explore, foster relationships, and build friendships with locals and folks in the surrounding towns to his heart's content before he'd have to plant seeds and till the fields. He chose to use that time learning magic under the tutelage of Ilorek and Valencia.
\tEvery single morning he'd wake up early from his room in the loft, feed as many of the horses and other livestock as he could while cleaning out stalls, then he'd practice on his own before enjoying a lesson from each of his hosts – one in the morning and one in the afternoon – before enjoying a group session after dinner before bed.
\tWithout exception, this was the schedule for each of the twenty days he spent at The Ranch, and every day he learned something new or tried to learn a new spell. Fortunately for him, he was coming into his lessons with a fundamental understanding of how magic worked and he had a keen mind so he absorbed information about higher level skills and magic like a curious child.
\tIn truth, he felt like a colt again. Everything was exciting and new to him when it came to high level magic and the intricacies of potion and gemstone enchantment were intellectually engaging. Of course, actually learning how to enchant was a whole different practice to the act of enchanting. All the academic knowledge in the world meant nothing if one was unwilling or unable to infuse a gemstone or a potion with all their energy.
\tThere was one thing he learned from Valencia and Ilorek that he hadn't even considered before, something that he had never come across in any of his studies and never even heard tales of in the past so he hadn't considered it a possibility. Storing magical energy in gemstones or potions!
\tWhat everyone knew and understood about magic use was that ademane fueled one's ability to manipulate the arcane. Ademane stored energy to be used in the form of magic and could be extracted to create potions or crystallized to form gems, but there was a lot more to it than that. While the body could only hold so much at a given time, the ademane glands could potentially be creating a renewable supply of it! If ademane was extracted via a needle or a drip – preferably without being contaminated by blood – one could harvest their own supply and store it.
\tNot only could they do that, but they could enchant their own ademane to 'store' energy inside. By focusing on the enchanting process without triggering any elemental or alchemical magic, one could drain their own energy into a potion and save it for later, thus giving themselves a boost if they needed it during a fight or if they got exhausted. The key was to blend non-elemental magic and restorative or healing magic, that way when the potion was imbibed it wouldn't only give the one consuming it any one form of magic.
\tGemstones and potions could be infused with specific spells and energies, so if Nib created a fire potion and gave it to a friend, that friend could better utilize fire magic without expending their own energy. The same thing could be said for specific effects like transformation or alchemy.
\tThe main problem with this method of self-storage when it came to potion making was that it was far harder to infuse and extract energy from crystals, and for this particular purpose any sort of magic storage enchantment would drain the caster to a fatigue almost certain to make them pass out.
\tWhen Nib and Ilorek tried this for the first time on one of the small crystal shards Nib had used to 'pay' for his lessons, he passed out and didn't wake up until the following morning, curled up in a pile of hay with a feral horse standing over him. He was groggy and needed something to wake him back up but the euphoria of learning such an uncommon and rare skill gave him all the enthusiasm he needed to carry on. After that, he continued his studies until the day he had to depart and return to his homestead.
\tHis time on Ilorek's ranch had seen him vastly expand his knowledge and understanding of the intricacies behind the various elemental magics as well as new elements he didn't even know were possible. Fire, Ice, Water, Shock, Earth, and Wind magic soon bent to his will, but it was the restorative magic he made the most progress with since that was what would give him extra energy, heal his wounds, and keep him from sickness. Of course, he also made great strides in physical magic, but even at the end of the month he was lucky to be able to magically move items as big as his physical body could move and could only do so within ten meters of his location.
\tMuch practice would be needed to increase the strength of his physical magic as well as the distance at which he could utilize it. Just like physical muscles, magical strengths were best expanded upon with practice and repetition while being conscious of one's energy limitations.
\tFinally, he managed to be taught the very basics of telepathic and alchemical magic but conceded quickly that it would take him years to be able to do anything with those types of magic. At best he was capable of very faintly picking up on the emotions and feelings of those around him but was unable to read minds or communicate nonverbally. He didn't let this dissuade him, though; Valencia assured him that even being able to do that was remarkably rare and challenging even for high level mages. What did disappoint him was that he was unable to effectively utilize alchemical magic.
\tIlorek tried his best to assure him this was nothing to be ashamed of. Only a handful of people worldwide were capable of altering the structure and form of the natural world and that Nib shouldn't feel bad about not being one of those few. While this certainly alleviated some of Nib's self critical attitudes, it still hurt him to think that he could fail in any one school of magic.
\tOne recurring theme of Ilorek and Valencia's teachings was that they only had a month to help teach him all they knew. One month was not enough time to master anything, let alone high level, complicated spells and enchantments. The key lessons they hoped to convey to him was more about learning how to learn and understanding the fundamentals of practicing. Even after he left, he would need to keep trying to enhance his skills, flex his magic, and never stop getting better. Their goal was to teach him how to do that to best maximize his self-training sessions.
\tFortunately for all parties involved, he took well to their lessons and combined his knowledge of magic with his own diligence to make great strides in three of the five main types of magic. Upon finally departing, he not only had a firm grasp upon even physical magic but also had all the info he needed to progress his studies in enchantment for those higher levels of magic.
\tPlus, as an added bonus, Nib quickly learned just how open Ilorek and Valencia were in regards to their relationship as well as how experimental they were both with each other on the side. Almost every day the three of them would find some time to be physical with one another or the livestock on The Ranch or maybe even with the ranch hands or customers if the situation called for it. Therris was by no means an outlier in their daily lives.
\tAs it turned out, living together and travelling together for so long gave the two of them a very worldly outlook on intimacy and physical passion so the concept of shame and traditional dignity were non-factors to them. This worked for Nib, and even though the donkey stallion wasn't the type to focus on that sort of thing he still appreciated it and felt appreciated in return. He was a stallion, after all.
\tThroughout Nib's tenure on The Ranch, Ilorek kept assuring him that his progress would not go unnoticed and that one day he would be met by Ceylon, the only master of transformation magic in the area. Of course, the caveat to this was that he had no idea when the two would meet. Ceylon was notoriously busy and hard to get a hold of at the best of times so it might be days, months, or even years until Ilorek met up with him and told tales of Nib's meteoric advancement in magical arts.
\tWith that knowledge in his mind and that assurance in his heart, Nib and Ilorek and Valencia parted ways, with Nib returning home with a small stable of work horses meant to help him with his homestead. He was gifted a few advanced tomes that taught new spells he'd only heard about as well as the bag of gemstones he'd used to pay for his lessons and practice on. They promised to meet again once a month until the gryphoness blessed them with their presence.
\tThe understanding that Ceylon may have arrived at any time to continue his training ensured that no day passed without Nib training himself or practicing new spells. He worked on his physical magic the most, flexing those spells as best he could while maintaining his elemental and restorative skills via the daily chores on his homestead.
\tAfter spending a full month on The Ranch with Ilorek, Valencia, the various ranch hands, and the customers that'd buy and sell daily, returning to his own homestead in the frontier west of Rhybute felt lonely. Of course, this wasn't a bad thing. Nib, despite being social when times called for it, loved the spiritual purity of serenity that came with solitude.
\tThis allowed him to focus most of his efforts on maintaining his property. This meant tending to the crops, building maintenance, and erecting fences to ensure that outside creatures such as rabbits didn't slip in and eat his veggies. One thing he did that was unlike what most people would do in the area was to make his house look a little dumpy on the outside while keeping the property pristine.
\tThe goal, as far as he was concerned, was to appear like his property was devoid of any goods or valuables inside. He lived in the valley near a river surrounded on all sides by a thick forest, bandits were known to pass through quite frequently and if his house looked dumpy they wouldn't rob him. He was, after all, alone in the middle of nowhere and frequently had to leave home to stock up on supplies.
\tWhen he was home, however, his homestead was impenetrable. Between the spell-traps he'd set up via the crystal shards around the perimeter and the fact that he had a single ulokar mount patrolling the perimeter of the property ensured that no bandits would dare. No packs of wolves, no bear families, and no prides of irruns would dare cross those shock-gem-powered metal fences.
\tFlocks of birds could still dive in and steal the seeds, which was why he planted sunflowers around the gardens and fields to entice the birds to eat them instead of his carrots or broccoli.
\tMonths passed without hearing a chirp from Ceylon. The entirety of spring came and went before Ilorek came for a visit and to check up on Nib's progress and to gift him with another book with more advanced spells and methods to amplify his enchantments. Ilorek and Valencia both assured Nib that Ceylon was coming but that they had no idea when that would be. The gryphon still hadn't visited them, which made them realize that Ceylon was even busier than usual.
\tNib, ever the optimist, used this time to keep practicing and get better. As far as he was concerned, this gave him more time to test his skills, get better, and impress Ceylon when she did eventually show up. The hope was to make her so happy with the stallion's progress that she took him under wing and continued to help train him and maybe even help him complete his steps towards the higher level magic that he couldn't fully grasp under the tutelage of Ilorek in the brief twenty days he spent on the ranch.
\tSkilled or not, a month was not enough time to master anything, especially not advanced magic.
\tTime continued to pass after that and Nib's elemental and restorative magics seemed to hit their plateau. He didn't seem to be able to manipulate the elements any stronger or further away and he wasn't able to purposely injure himself to practice restorative magics on himself beyond the sorts of injuries one might sustain in a low-level farming accident. This meant that, for the majority of summer and right into the early days of autumn, Nib found himself focusing almost entirely on physical magic.
\tBy the time the leaves turned to a lovely and warm orange and red, Nib was able to manipulate objects up to twenty-five meters away and at its strongest was able to lift things twice the weight his own physical form could handle but the further away the object was the less he could lift in terms of weight. So, right next to him, he could hoist barrels of water up with ease but he struggled to move tools for tilling the soil when on the opposite side of his field.
\tThis all made perfect sense but it was a discovery he made that really made him realize the true potential of physical magic.
\tOne day, only a week into autumn, he was harvesting many of his apples into a rather huge barrel so he could keep them for the winter and turn what he could into pies when one of his horses got loose and spooked due to a pack of wolves getting close one night. The horse, which was easily thrice the mass of Nib, barreled past him in an attempt to escape danger only to be stopped dead in its tracks!
\tThis happened not by an electrified fence or by Nib's calm demeanour but the donkey's pure physical strength. The horse barreled right into Nib and Nib stood his ground and managed to overpower the panicked equine before eventually calming it and leading it back to its stall.
\tSuch things were not meant to be possible. Nib was strong – most stallions regardless of form or shape were physically intimidating – but he didn't compare to the pure power of a scared, feral beast. After reflecting upon the situation he realized it was a reactionary use of physical magic that was augmenting his natural strength!
\tNot only was his physically body putting in the work, but his magic was focused on his arms and hands, reacting in much the same way a normal physical magic spell would work except it was so close to his body its strength was amplified.
\tA revelation, of course! Physical magic was stronger the closer to his body it was used, so using it adjacent to his skin and fur meant it basically functioned in a way that gave him super strength! Further research and testing proved this to be true, and with practice it proved to be intensely useful during the harvest of his veggies.
\tMuch of this distracted him by the time the leaves began to fall, and by the time Ceylon finally arrived some six months after his departure from The Ranch, he was taken completely by surprise.
\tThis was a good thing, though. Good for him and better for Ceylon, as it turned out.