A few days later, August found himself helping Fei to prepare for her gemming ceremony.
At least, that’s what he told himself.
Fei moaned and mewled in his lap.
He moved the comb slowly, gently, and deliberately so as to not hurt her.
Her body quivered against him.
Her tail continued to move despite his persistent reminders to Fei that she had to stay still.
The scent in the air was the least arousing thing about the situation, and it was pure arousal.
Fei wore only her underwear, as she always did when getting her tail and ears groomed.
Her nearly naked body rubbed up against August’s.
She definitely felt his erection.
In his old timeline, the next step when Fei got this aroused would involve no clothing.
This Fei didn’t seem to pay much attention to August’s arousal.
If she did, he wouldn’t be able to control himself.
Not that he wanted to.
Fei had been his lover in his timeline, and he planned to take her when she was ready.
"How are you so good at this?" she gasped out after he finished.
During the grooming session, forming actual words was impossible for her.
She continued to lie across his lap, curled up tightly against him.
Her newly fluffed tail tickled August’s nose as it swished back and forth.
Holding back was hard for August.
Fei pressed her bare stomach against his crotch.
But she didn’t react or comment on it.
Until she showed open interest in him sexually, he’d hold back.
Let her go at her own pace, he told himself.
He really hoped that her pace moved as fast as the rest of her.
"I’ve had some practice," August said, blowing off her question again.
Fei looked up at him, her eyes glazed over and fluffy ears twitching curiously.
"Did you have another beastkin that you groomed before me?"
Ruffling her hair, August initially didn’t answer.
But Fei continued to stare at him, her gaze growing clearer and more penetrating.
The movements of her tail slowed until only the tip swayed back and forth beneath his chin.
"You don’t have any competition, Fei," August said eventually.
"You’re the only beastkin in my life right now."
Her ears perked up, and her tail resumed its usual movements.
But her expression darkened, and she laid her head on the bed.
"I’m not so sure that means I don’t have competition, August," Fei complained.
"What do you mean by that?" August asked, although he had a strong suspicion as to who she was referring to.
Fei sat up.
She gave August a sidelong glance, as if to ask him "are you serious?"
Then she straightened up in his lap and faced him.
Her face sat only inches away from his chest, and he was reminded of her petite stature.
If he leaned forward, he could easily sweep her up in a kiss.
Her legs rubbed against his hips as she curled them around his back.
Her crotch rubbed against his, and he really questioned if she was acting innocently.
He held in a groan as she pressed herself against him and tucked her head beneath his neck.
Her cat ears flicked at his chin.
That was it, he decided.
A knock sounded at the door.
"August, are you ready? Fei’s not in her room, so I’m guessing she went ahead," Vera said.
Fei sprung to her feet, eyes wide.
"Oh no! I forgot that I need to get all dressed up."
The beastkin shot around the room and gathered up her uniform and armor.
August had gone ahead and brought her things here while she showered earlier.
"You’re taking this too seriously," August said.
Fei stuck her tongue out at him.
Or maybe she stuck it out because she was struggling to slip into her breastplate.
He walked up behind her and helped her do up the clasps and tighten it around her hefty bust.
Vera knocked again, then opened the door.
She blinked at the sight of August helping Fei into her uniform.
"We’re almost ready," Fei said, face red.
Vera sniffed the air, then turned her head to the side.
"I’ll wait outside."
The door closed.
Fei turned her head, then sniffed the air.
After several attempts, she appeared to find the smell she was looking for.
Her face lit up.
Then she glared at August and let out a pout.
"You can smell me, can’t you?" Fei demanded to know.
"It’s hard not to. You do this every grooming session," August said.
She blinked.
"Wow. So I should shower after grooming?"
"What would be the point of grooming you if you immediately mess up your tail again?" August sighed.
"Let’s get you changed, then we’ll head out and begin the gemming ceremony."
Fei remained in a sour mood until they left August’s bedroom and scowled at Vera when she stepped outside.
"Interrupted something, did I?" Vera asked, a smirk on her lips.
Fei didn’t answer.
She strode ahead of August and Vera.
After a couple of corridors, the beastkin fell back into step with August.
Vera exchanged glances with him.
The three of them walked together for some time in silence.
"Um, are you sure this will work?" Fei asked, her eyes flicking between the floor and August.
"No gemming ceremony is ever guaranteed to succeed," August said.
Fei’s ears flattened against her head.
He continued, "But I think you are ready. You’ve acclimated to the power of the binding stone extremely fast. Plus, the first gem is always the easiest one. A well-trained Champion can often be gemmed within their first few months."
"You talk as if you’ve done it," Vera said.
"If we’re going to be sent off on our own, we need to know what we’re going to do," August responded.
Truthfully, he really shouldn’t know this.
At least, not in the Empire.
In his homeland of Falmir, Bastions went through an apprenticeship for a few years before being posted independently.
The Empire eschewed this system and preferred to use its vaunted academies to train both Bastions and Champions.
The upside of the academies was that they could quickly assess and train a large number of candidates in a relatively standardized way.
The Empire had the largest proportion of beastkin Champions for this reason, as most nations didn’t have the infrastructure to train them from nothing.
The downside was that Bastions gained little hands-on experience during their training.
In August’s implanted memories, he recalled a few brief postings with Bastions and some excursions, but little else.
By contrast, he gained a wealth of experience during his apprenticeship in his original timeline in the Kingdom of Falmir.
Because of this, this posting would normally be death for a new Bastion.
An enemy nation actively attempting to start a war and unleash a demonic invasion?
It was a difficult situation for somebody with experience, let alone for a greenhorn.
Fortunately, August had a lot up his sleeve.
The keep’s rear courtyard welcomed the trio.
August led them to an enclosed spot.
Herbs cascaded down from planters and vines twisted along trellises.
The cooks used this little patch to help feed the keep.
"Any reason we’re getting in touch with nature?" Vera asked.
"This isn’t what I’d call nature," August said.
"And no. Having more room for Fei to move is good, however."
He pulled a pouch from his pocket and pulled the gemstones from it.
Fei licked her lips when she saw the three glittering rocks.
"I get to choose?" she asked hesitantly.
"Along with your final enhancement," August confirmed.
"Whatever you decide on now, you will be stuck with for the rest of your life. There is no going back after this point. As part of this ceremony, I will implant the gem into your collarbone and its magic will run through your body forever."
Fei nodded.
"I’m ready. Um, which should I pick? I know you went for the amethyst first." She gave him an odd look.
"That would have been my first choice if you had your original speed enhancement," August explained.
"Amethysts provide their Champions with greatly enhanced strength, martial ability, and raw power. You would be able to move like the wind and cut through a mountain."
Fei’s eyes widened.
Her fingers twitched.
Was she thinking about Tarako again, the nine-tailed fox who could slash nine times at once?
"And the others?" Fei asked quietly.
"Diamonds are flexible. However you want to boost your physical abilities, a diamond can do it. That’s why they’re the most common gem for physical fighters."
"Common," Fei repeated.
She sounded disappointed.
"Because a diamond can do anything. You can make yourself strong enough to slice through an inch of enchanted steel with your first gem; immune to pain with your second gem; and gain the ability to sweep aside entire companies of soldiers with your third," August explained.
He left out that the diamond was the "jack of all trades, master of none" gem.
It did anything almost any physically focused gem did, but slightly worse.
An amethyst hit harder; a sapphire provided more powerful abilities; a topaz broke the sound barrier.
But a diamond could do all of those things.
The exception was durability.
The defensive abilities of diamonds were second-to-none.
Immunity to pain.
Resilience to powerful blows.
Barrier projection for the Champion and their allies.
Removal of the need to eat or sleep.
August doubted that Fei was interested in durability, however.
"But lots of Champions have diamonds, don’t they?" Fei asked.
Vera interrupted, "I don’t think you should pick your gem based on what others are using. Shouldn’t it be about what you want and what suits you best?"
Fei nodded slowly, but her tail stopped moving and she twisted her hands together.
Had she always been so sensitive about this sort of thing, August wondered.
"There’s also the sapphire," August said.
Fei’s ears pricked up.
"Although it’s typically used for spellblade Champions and a certain type of sorcerer, there’s nothing to say that you can’t use it."
"Um, but I can’t use sorcery? Or any magic at all," Fei said.
"The gem will take care of that." August waved off her concern.
"Sapphires are entirely concerned about gem abilities. That is, granting you magical abilities on top of what you can already do. Common examples for physical fighters are to wreath their sword in flames; to become immune to or even counter weaker magic; or even short-range instant teleportation."
Fei’s eyes widened.
"Eh? I could do that sort of thing?"
"The cost is that sapphires don’t increase your physical abilities directly. Amethysts and diamonds strengthen your body, on top of your enhancement. But gem abilities have to be activated and used. And they also drain your gem’s power reserves faster. That Federation Champion was probably running low when she ran away."
"Oh. Is that why she appeared weaker than I thought?" Fei bit her lip.
"So she could control shadows, but wasn’t as physically powerful?"
"That’s right. An onyx is an odd gem choice for a Champion. Better suited for an assassin than a front-line fighter." August saw Fei’s concern growing and added, "But a sapphire is different. Think of it as a way to become a spellblade, without learning sorcery."
Fei nodded, but remained silent.
She stared at the three gemstones in August’s hand.
Her full attention was on them.
"If only I could test out one gem and change later," Fei muttered.
"Unfortunately, there’s no known way to do that," August said.
And no way was ever discovered in the future.
"I’ll leave the three gems here. Maybe you’ll feel something from them."
"I haven’t over the past few days," Fei said.
"Well, maybe today is different."
Not that August believed in that.
He had always suspected that the idea of Champions "feeling" their future through a gemstone was because their Bastion rigged the gem to react to their touch and trick them.
None of his Champions had ever responded to them.
After placing the gems on a nearby table, August took a short walk with Vera.
"Have you activated your gateway yet?" he asked.
"Leopold said he’d send me the catalysts, but they haven’t arrived yet," Vera said.
"Not that I know where I’ll connect it to. You’re rather close to my tower, and I don’t know if Bastion Leopold’s fortresses will be able to send reinforcements."
"Better to be connected to something rather than nothing," August said.
Vera nodded.
"Are you sure you should leave her to decide by herself?" Vera asked, changing the subject.
"It’s her future, and she knows her abilities as well as anyone," August said.