Chapter 16: Simba Khan

"Garmond, thank you for your hard work," I said, praising his efforts as he greeted me in the room filled with cursed items and skeletons, his hands still bearing traces of grooming Simba.

It was clear the 16-year-old had taken my instructions seriously, as evidenced by the cages on wheels containing the lions and tigers, positioned ritualistically around Simba.

Either it is because of luck or fate. These tribes of both sides are Simba's family. The closer relation improves the chances by about 10%. A significant amount.

As I surveyed the scene before me, I couldn't help but feel a sense of trepidation. This was to be my first ritual, my first foray into the world of magic. Hopefully, it counts as something, even if it's a minuscule significance. As Magic of Westeros is quite obscure weighed on concepts, gods, and significance. 

"Are you ready, Garmond?" I asked, my voice betraying a hint of uncertainty.

He nodded eagerly, but his wandering eyes showing a mixture of curiosity and uneasiness.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what was to come. With a steady hand, I commanded Garmond to help me create the seven-pointed star on the ground using the ritual knife made of Valyrian steel. But before he could begin, a thought occurred to me.

"Wait," I said, halting his movements. "Fetch the dye made from plants and the blood of Simba."

Garmond looked at me with confusion, but he obeyed my command without question, disappearing momentarily before returning with the requested materials.

I contemplated adding my blood to the mixture, but I quickly dismissed the idea. It was a risk I wasn't willing to take without fully understanding the consequences.

With a sigh, I instructed Garmond to resume his task, guiding him through the intricate process with the help of the AI.

[Add the groove 25 cm more]

[Cut the groove deeper into the following points- The 3 '0' clock point, 3cm inwards from 9 'O'clock point, etc]

[Adjust the position of I.V drip from 2nd lion. Increase the pressure in I.V drip of 1st grass.]

Together, we painstakingly carved out the seven-pointed star, ensuring that Simba remained at the center, surrounded by the lions and tigers, each connected by IV lines that would gather their blood at the seven points of the star. The blood will flow from the centre that has Simba at the centre.

I am impressed each day with the precision skill of the Smiths and Jewel casters. Just by hand, they are reaching post-World War Precision. I suspect there might be a magic influence on the inheritance map. AI, add this to a project of investigation.

[Project No. 83 recorded : Influence of Magic on common people's inheritance tree and wide-ranging effect.

Note: Project has a relation to Project 9: Magic and its influence on the world. ]

I nodded with satisfaction as I completed the task.

With a sense of determination, I made my way to the ancient Weirwood tree standing proudly at the center of the room.

Reaching out, I gently brushed my hand against the rough bark, feeling the pulsing energy emanating from the ancient wood. With a steady hand, I cut my palm with a sharp branch, allowing the blood to flow freely until it collected in my cupped hands. I waited until a clot formed to seal the wound. Making sure the next ingredient won't enter my body. 

Next, I carefully scooped up the sacred sap of the Weirwood tree, ensuring that the blood and sap mixed thoroughly. I noticed a few drops dripping on the weirwood roots. With a sense of hoping for luck, I prayed to the Old gods for luck and started my plan.

With a sense of reverence, I approached Simba, who lazily sat as I approached him. With a smile, I held out my cupped hands before him, offering him the mixture of blood and sap.

To my relief, Simba lapped up the sap eagerly, his simple nature making the process much easier.

This simple procedure can form a prospective warg bond between the animal and the blood's owner, a revolutionary technique in warg training according to an Archmaester.

But despite its simplicity, the success of the bond depended on the strength of the human mind. In that regard, I had no doubts. Most importantly, Simba showed no signs of aggression, making the process much smoother.

[Warg bond formation initialized]

As I felt the pull of our minds intertwining, waves of memories flooded through me, each sensation and event experienced by Simba becoming clear in my mind's eye.

I saw myself through his eyes, different from both his father and mother, not just in appearance but also in communication. It was like speaking a different dialect, one that only he and I could understand.

I delved deeper into his memories, searching for the moment of acceptance, the point where he would acknowledge me as his bondmate.

[Warg bond formation halted. Bond target is considering the host at the same level as rest of the world.]

But as the AI notification flashed before me, I realized I had not yet established the warg bond.

Undeterred, I continued to search, scouring through his memories until I found what I was looking for—a tender moment between his half-brother and his mother, a scene of affection and closeness that he longed for.

With a gentle touch, I projected an image of myself and Simba, side by side, closer than anything in the world. I could feel his question and excitement at the prospect of such a bond, and I responded by showing him a step-by-step comparison of our relationship.

 One of food and him.

At a higher place, the animal raisers and him.

At a higher place, the previous image of his half-brother and his Mother's close relation.

At the apex, I showed him an image of him and me. Closer than everything in the world. A word described in the first men's literature as Warg bonds.

[Warg bond established.]

And as the AI notification confirmed the establishment of the warg bond, I knew that our connection was just beginning.

Though it was still a fragile thread, I was determined to nurture it, to strengthen it until it became more unbreakable than Valyrian steel itself.

I returned to reality, my senses heightened by the echoing sensation of Simba's presence.

Garmond stood before me, his expression awestruck. "Master, there was a pure white hue of both your eyes."

[AI Notification: Unusual eye color detected.]

[ Referencing the database : Warg bond sign Identified.]

I offered him a reassuring smile, dismissing his concerns with a wave of my hand. "It's a sign of success," I assured him, my voice steady with conviction.

"Congrats master."

Garmond congratulated me on the success of the ritual, but I shook my head in response.

"While this is indeed magic, it's not merely a ritual," I explained, eager to clarify any misconceptions. 

Stepping out from the seven-pointed star, I addressed both Simba and Garmond. "This ritual is not just for show," I began, my tone earnest. "Initially, I thought I could teach Simba everything he needed to know myself. But I realized it would be inefficient and, more importantly, I might overlook the defects he was born with."

I gestured towards Simba, showing the specific issues that needed addressing. "He's sterile, has atrophied muscles in his paw, and hypertrophied muscles in his trunk," I elaborated, my gaze unwavering. "So this ritual is my gift to you, Simba. Using the blood of your family as a source, I will help you overcome these defects and learn the skills necessary to be a true king of the animal kingdom."

With a command to Garmond, I signaled for the procedure to begin.

He nodded in acknowledgment, deftly opening the IV lines one by one as I collected more Weirwood sap, the only magical catalyst I had at my disposal, and infused it into the pool surrounding Simba.

As the air seemed to crackle with energy, I steeled myself for the next phase of the ritual—a step so audacious that only a truly mad individual would dare attempt it.

Well, Madmen did attempt and proved it's worth.

[Wolfdog warg mentioned in Chapter 6]

Yet, driven by determination and purpose, I pressed on, drinking the sap myself, the first in this moon cycle.

Suddenly, I found myself back in the familiar mindscape of Simba, but this time, he appeared scared and nervous. With odd sensations and feelings, which I have no clue about either.

I reassured him, reminding him that as long as he wished for his defects to be resolved and his skills to be honed, the ritual would succeed.

Rather than me, who has complicated intent, Simba [animal's] mind, with the pure intent of their desires, is a better activator and controller of ritual.

Yep, it will be Simba who is going to do the ritual.

As the flood of memories from Simba's family overwhelmed us, I felt myself being side slammed by the sheer intensity of sensations and experiences.

From the simple scents of the forest to the exhilarating rush of the hunt, every moment seemed to blur together in a chaotic whirlwind of emotion and sensation.

Amidst the cacophony, there were moments of absurdity—odd sensations of them marking their territory, futile struggles against itching, and even the most basic bodily functions like farting and mating.

It was a bewildering array of memories, each vying for attention and recognition.

[AI Notification:

Ritual underway.

Task :Guiding Simba has halted.]

With the familiar reminder from the AI, I forced myself to focus, pushing aside the distractions and honing in on the task at hand.

Drawing upon my own experiences and knowledge regarding AI, I guided Simba through the torrent of memories, helping him select and absorb the ones that would be most beneficial to him.

Step by step, I watched as Simba navigated through the memories, his determination unwavering despite the overwhelming nature of the task.

With each passing moment, the effects of the sap waned, and I could feel myself being gradually pushed out of his mind.

I saw that the ritual is still continuing, and Simba has already transformed under its effects.

His once-orange fur deepened in hue, his muscles growing more defined and powerful with each passing moment.

A subtle hint of white highlights adorned the tips of his fur, lending him an air of regal majesty unlike anything I had ever seen before.

[Profile pic]

Simba opened his eyes, fixing me with a questioning gaze that spoke volumes. Already, the effects of the ritual were apparent, and I couldn't help but marvel at the sight before me.

"What?" I asked, meeting his gaze with a mixture of curiosity and anticipation.

In response, Simba unleashed a deafening roar, a sound that echoed through the room with the force of a lion and tiger combined. It was then that I realized the true extent of his transformation—he was no longer just a lion or a tiger, but something entirely new. He was the first true liger, a creature of unparalleled strength and beauty, a progenitor of his species unlike any that had come before him.

I felt his gaze shift towards the cages containing his weakened family, and I knew he was questioning the consequences of the ritual. It was a decision I had made with careful consideration, drawing upon my knowledge of ancient texts and journals to guide me.

"As long as you desire it, you have the potential to become even stronger, smarter, and faster," I assured him, meeting his gaze with unwavering conviction.

But as I spoke, I couldn't ignore the plight of Simba's family, who now stood weakened and vulnerable in their cages. Their expressions are a mix of sorrow, fear, and anger, the latter directed largely at me for my role in their current state.

Simba paused for a moment, his gaze shifting between his family and me, before he decisively raised his paw and slashed a wide arc across the seven-pointed star, effectively ending the ritual.

It was a gesture of finality, a clear sign he had decided and was ready to move forward.

My lips twitched in a wry smile at the display of determination. If I had attempted such a feat, even a hint of unwillingness would have likely spelled explosive death. No wonder Peremore said animals are better suited for magic in his journal.

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Summary : I formed a warg bond with Simba and gave him a gift.

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Oh right ! I also mentioned Garmond.