The Primal Hunter, #4
The Primal Hunter 4
by Zogarth
Contents
73. A Higher Power? No Thanks
Overview
Jake and Sylphie form a Union Oath under Stormild, but Jake’s Bloodline refuses any higher authority. Drawing on the Viper’s power, he alters the contract’s foundation, suppressing Stormild’s role. The Oath becomes unbreakable yet time-limited and largely symbolic, revealing Jake’s innate defiance and the Viper’s calculated interference.
Summary
In a shared soul-space, Jake reviews the simple “Forever-Friends” Union Oath Stormild facilitates for him and Sylphie. Skeptical of its vagueness, he proceeds, recognizing it mainly serves to qualify Sylphie for events like the Treasure Hunt and share Records.
Upon contact, Jake senses the contract’s structure: he and Sylphie as equals, with Stormild above as judging higher power. The Oath requires acknowledging Stormild’s superior existence. Jake’s Bloodline rejects subordination, and his will cracks the tablet’s symbolism, attempting to equalize it despite overwhelming magical resistance.
Unable to supply enough power, Jake forcefully draws on his connection to Vilastromoz. The Viper opens the floodgates, and the tablet’s iconography changes: a serpent coils around the “heaven,” suppressing it and pulling all parties to Jake and Sylphie’s level. The contract’s foundation is altered.
Time freezes for Sylphie as Stormild, now speaking with a steadier tone, analyzes Jake’s innate defiance and the Viper’s “contrived” intervention. She explains the consequence: without a true higher power, the Union Oath is now stable only for a few decades, cannot be judged or broken in the interim, and its contents become largely symbolic.
Jake apologizes for the mess and reaffirms his commitment to Sylphie. Stormild accepts the outcome as interesting payment and keeps Sylphie a bit longer. Jake is ejected back to reality, where he steadies himself and prepares to explain the situation to Sylphie’s anxious parents while she remains momentarily unresponsive.
Who Appears
- Jake ThayneProtagonist; rejects recognizing Stormild as superior, draws on the Viper’s power, and alters the Union Oath’s foundation.
- StormildPrimordial facilitator; amused observer whose authority is suppressed, explains the Oath becomes time-limited and unbreakable.
- SylphieHawk companion; co-subject of the Union Oath, briefly frozen as the contract is altered for her benefit.
- Vilastromoz (The Malefic Viper)Jake’s patron; lets Jake seize his power, inserts himself into the contract’s mechanics for study and protection.