Refusing My God’s Advances

Garland sent me back without comment. It was clear that I got the upper hand even if I had to still work for it, but that had been close. I needed to be a lot more careful in the future, but I still didn't understand what Ashagan was.

I opened my eyes and slowly sat up. 

“Are you okay?” Aria asked as I looked down to see that Lyra was still asleep. Somehow That didn't surprise me for some reason.

“Garland has been listening and tricked me into touching a grimoire. There was a demon inside of it, and it tried to eat my soul,” I explained and Aria blinked at me.

“But you're still alive?” Aria questioned, and I nodded.

“Yeah, Garland was pretty pissed about that, but my system gave me a skill before called Restore. I can return anything to its most complete state within a certain time limit. It has no cooldown, but I have to use it within 5 min for it to work right now,” I explained, deciding to be transparent about things.

Aria was quiet for a moment as she thought, but then she gave me a questioning look. “Where is the demon you contracted?”

I gave her a confused look, but then I remembered that Ashagan had said something about forming a contract before he started to attack me. Did that mean that he could also have a real form?

“Well, he hasn't really talked to me since before he started attacking me,” I explained, and Aria frowned at this.

“He? That might be your first mistake… How did you even survive after calling a female demon a male? Male demons only evolve with their queen, so it is an insult to call a queen as such,” Aria explained. 

I blinked at her but then looked down to see Lyra suddenly wake up.

She turned her head to me with a sleepy look. “The princess is right. If there was a demon trapped inside a grimoire, it would have to be a female like me. If it were one of my children, they would just die without their connection to me. Males are an extension of the Queen's power. When a male dies, the Queen's power used to birth the demon is returned to her. Whoever you contracted is definitely a Queen, and probably pretty powerful.”

“Wait, you are telling me that Ashagan is a female?!” I demanded, but both women's eyes got big.

Before anyone could speak, the shadow from before leaped from my body. It felt menacing, but nothing like before.

“Fear me! Stunted demon!” The shadow of a ghost of what looked like a cat declared to Lyra.

Suddenly, Mary was beside me, setting Shelli down. In the next motion, she grabbed the shadow by the back of the neck and pulled it to her face.

“I thought something smelled undead, Ashagan. Where have you been hiding?” Mary asked in a sinister voice that made the shadow start to shake.

“N-Nowhere! I have been captured, but now I am contracted to this man! Yes! Master! Protect me, or you can't use that damn book!” Ashagan exclaimed in a terrified voice, making Mary laugh.

“Oh? You got yourself stuck in a grimoire and now you are contracted to the boy?” Mary asked, and then looked at me, and I nodded. For some reason, that made Mary roll her eyes, but then she let Ashagan go and the shadow disappeared back into me.

“How do you know Ashagan?” I asked, and Aria giggled as Mary rolled her eyes and Shelli sat on the log beside me.

“Ashagan was Mary's student a long time ago, but she ran away. Mary never found her, but it was always one of her favorite stories to complain about,” Aria explained, trying not to laugh as Mary stood there with her arms crossed, tapping one foot with annoyance.

“Another one?” I asked, making Aria finally burst out laughing.

“Ashagan was a student of mine long before Aria was born. She had great talents but always assumed that the way she did things was better than others. Needless to say, we didn't see eye to eye very often,” Mary explained, glaring at me while she did.

Well, this was unexpected, but I could understand why someone like that would clash with Mary. Still, it was a small world.

“So, what do you have to say about all of this, Ashagan?” I asked out loud, and the shadow appeared from my body.

“As long as you don't make me work with that monster, I will share my knowledge with you, and give you access to my grimoire. The deal is that you help me come back from death. I know that this is a lot to ask, and it is probably not even possible, but if you promise me that you will try, I will work with you,” Ashagan explained, and I nodded.

“That is a tall order, but I know what you mean. If I can get my Restore to its highest level, I might be able to do something like that, but I really don't know,” I explained and the cat-like shadow nodded to me.

"That is all I ask. I have been trapped for too long, and I desire freedom," Ashagan replied.

"Alright, we have a deal," I said, extending my hand, and the shadow reached out, forming a ghostly paw to shake.

With the agreement made, I turned to Mary and Aria. "Do you have any insights on how I can improve my magical abilities? I'm a complete novice in this world of magic."

Mary sighed, her annoyance still lingering. "Well, first of all, don't let Ashagan lead you astray. She has her own agenda. Secondly, magical abilities improve with practice and study. Aria can teach you the basics, but finding a skilled mage to guide you would be beneficial. Magic is not something to be taken lightly, especially with dark powers involved."

Aria nodded in agreement. "Mary's right. I can help you get started, but you'll need to find someone more experienced for advanced training. Emberfall has a place where you might be able to learn more about magic."

For the rest of the afternoon, my group and I talked about magic and the place that we planned on calling home shortly. I was excited about the prospect of learning magic and unlocking the potential of the grimoire I had received, even if it came with some dark powers.

As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the floating islands, we made plans to head to Emberfall in the morning. The journey promised to be an adventure filled with challenges and discoveries.

With Lyra still asleep in my lap, I leaned back against a tree and looked up at the floating islands above. The sky was painted with hues of orange and pink, creating a breathtaking scene. Despite the uncertainties and dangers that awaited us, I couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation for the journey ahead.

As the night sky unfolded above us, revealing a myriad of stars, I couldn't shake the feeling that this world held endless possibilities. And with magic now within my grasp, I was ready to embrace the challenges and mysteries that awaited on the floating islands of Emberfall.

With all that had happened, two things remained on my mind. Food, and my printer! While it still had some time to go, I couldn't help but want to check on it!