A Wolf's Howl, A Fairy's Wing

After leaving Kirkenes, they travelled quickly. Or as quickly as they could, considering there were two humans in the group.

The world of Arcanists offered many rapid modes of travel, but these were out of reach for a first and second rank, such as the sisters.

Their aetherium could only rejuvenate their tired muscles and mind so they could endure the long trek.

Sometimes, Erik would carry one or both of the sisters if they encountered particularly difficult terrain or the girls simply became too tired. Often doing this in werewolf form, his supernatural strength would navigate the rugged landscape with effortless grace, even as one sister clung to his neck and the other lay in his arms.

They travelled like this for at least 12 hours across various beautiful frozen landscapes, lakes, rivers and taiga forests. Emma, particularly, was enchanted by the sights of these wilds. Her eyes would often light up at the frozen wonders around them.

They didn't travel along any well-established roads, as they might encounter more so-called 'ghoul patrols' from the dominion that way. Instead, they stayed on the more rugged hiking paths.

They encountered a few mutated animals, some aggressive and some less so, but none dangerous. Any that attacked them were mere first rank and quickly dispatched by either Emily or Erik.

Eventually, they came across an isolated log cabin. At this point, it was already past midnight, and Emma looked a little haggard as she turned a pair of beautiful pleading eyes in Erik's direction, who sighed and relented.

It's not like he was in any serious hurry, not to mention that this might be an excellent opportunity to do what he had planned for Emily.

They entered the cabin to find it covered in thick layers of dust and occupied by two frozen corpses. Likely humans who, even after becoming Arcanists, couldn't handle the increased cold during winter.

Emma looked a little sad, but Erik was not going to take the time it took to bury the unfortunate souls, so he dumped them outside and gave them a cremation burial using his lightning.

The cabin itself was small but looked cosy. It was only a single room with a table, some chairs, a sofa, a two-person bed, a stove and, of course, a fireplace.

Some wood was already prepared there but had gone unused by the previous occupants, likely unable to create a fire after lighters and matches ran out, and neither of them having an affinity that could be used for such a purpose.

Erik, however, was not one such being. None of them really needed the heat, but it would certainly make things more comfortable, so he quickly started a fire with a spark of lightning.

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Next, Elora created a few sigils to conceal the smoke from their fire and then a few on the door and windows to protect against intruders and stop any light or sound from escaping.

When all that was done, Erik took out some food from the storage in his armour, which he had barely touched over the last few weeks, as those flying fish had been particularly delicious and nutritious.

Soon, the three of them were seated around the single table in the cabin, a fire crackling in the hearth, spreading warmth and light. At the same time, they enjoyed the delicious food prepared by Erik. Elora had gone back to Erik's soul for now.

Were it not for the realities of the world outside, it would almost seem like the awakening had never happened, and the three of them were a family or group of friends on vacation. There wasn't much conversation, but the happy smile on Emma's face prevented the atmosphere from becoming awkward.

When they were done eating, Erik's face grew stern despite his inward excitement. It was time to punish Emily for earlier and teach her some much-needed discipline. Naturally, his method for doing both would be sexually charged, but he couldn't show that on his face.

He needed to maintain an air of authority despite his excitement. He truly would be doing this mainly to help Emily, but if she suspected Erik might be doing this for other reasons, she would surely baulk.

That said, there was simply no reason Erik and Elora couldn't enjoy themselves.

Plus, there was something else: he didn't enjoy Emily's currently subdued state much. He liked her spunky attitude. He just needed her to direct her rebellious nature towards others while accepting his leadership.

Luckily, he suspected a layer of Emily's personality was hidden behind her attitude and rebellious nature. Something he could use to give her back her confidence while accepting her role as his follower.

He turned to Emily, who gulped a little when she noticed his gaze. Today's events had somewhat undermined her usual bravado and confidence when facing him.

A spark of dependence on Erik had appeared in her mind, and she found it hard to continue thinking of him as just the guy who woke her up from her corrupted state and kept her out of the council's hands in exchange for her and Emma's servitude.

Now, she thought that, perhaps, this whole deal was not so bad. The question was if she would still think that way after tonight.

Erik raised an eyebrow, "You know what's going to happen now, right?"

Emily nodded, some unwillingness showing on her face but no real defiance.

Emma's eyes flickered with concern as she glanced at her sister. "Uhm, but, Sir, is this really necessary?" Her voice quivered slightly, a testament to her inner turmoil. She was torn between her loyalty to Erik and her protective instinct for Emily.

Erik maintained his stern demeanour, addressing Emma with a firm but understanding tone. "It's about more than just necessity, Emma. It's about understanding the consequences of actions and making choices.

Back in London, Elora and I offered Emily a way to keep her corruption at bay without needing to fight it constantly. But she didn't like the consequences of accepting our help, so she refused and chose to face the corruption on her own terms.

I must admit I admired her for that. But now, she has failed to control herself and must face the consequences of her choices. If she doesn't, then today will also be the last time I help to calm her down. Next time she loses control, Elora will simply turn her into a puppet again until we can fully cleanse her."

While Elora needed an opening or a damaged soul to take control of someone, the covenant provided more than enough of an opportunity.

Emily's eyes widened slightly at Erik's words, and she regained some of her defiance. "What you and that-" she was doing to say bitch, but remembering what happened last time, she quickly swallowed that word and continued. "I mean.. what you and Elora offered was slavery!"

Erik shrugged, "And?"

"You…" Emily released an exasperated sigh and deflated a little. Her mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. Part of her still screamed to resist and maintain her defiant stance, but another part was worn down by recent failures and a feeling of dependence on Erik.

The fact was, she couldn't afford to lose his help in the future. After trying and failing twice, she didn't really believe she could control this on her own anymore. So long as magical slavery was off the table, she could at least take responsibility for her actions.

With a heavy heart and a sense of resignation, she finally nodded. "Fine. I don't like it, but I get it. I can't just expect your help if I'm unwilling to face the consequences. So just… get it over with."

Emma seemed to accept Erik's explanation and certainly didn't want her sister to turn into that lifeless doll again.

She turned to Emily with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, big Em. I'll be here with you, no matter what. Besides, you know you can trust Sir, right? Especially after what happened today."

Emily closed her eyes and nodded with a sigh. The fact was, she still felt immensely grateful for Erik's actions earlier. He could have just focussed on the vampire and left her and Emma to sort things out for themselves, but he didn't.

Erik turned to Emma, asking, "Are you sure you want to stay? You could simply go to sleep. Elora can make sure you don't wake up."

He needed to propose this for the girl's comfort, but he and Elora hoped she would refuse. The more, the merrier, after all.

Luckily, Emma shook her head without hesitation and instead, with a determined gaze, proposed something even more interesting. "No, what happened today was my fault, too. I should have protected myself better. So, instead of keeping me out of it, I- I want you to punish me, too."

Elora laughed and cheered inside Erik's mind while Erik himself had to do his utmost to keep a straight face. The sisters didn't even know what he and Elora had in store for them, but they seemed happy to jump in with both feet.