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The rain was pouring down on the mountainside, making the rocks slick and hard to climb. While normally no one would even be up there during the storm there was one who dared to risk the dark clouds and rain in order to try and get to the peak. Hinode braced himself against a particularly strong gust of wind that threatened to cause him to tumble down to a violent end. Using all of his strength he managed to push his way through and reach a small cave that he stumbled into with a sigh of relief.

"This was definitely not the smartest idea that I've ever had," the young man said as he rang out his clothing as best he could. "Of course if going up a mountain to challenge two deity spirits that only come out during a storm was easy then everyone would have done it by now. At least I was smart enough to think ahead and bring the waterproof pack with me."

After about twenty minutes the dripping man had set up a small fire and gotten everything he had in an attempt to give himself a little dryness and comfort. Once he had done that he took out a purple crystal that hung from a necklace and waved his hand over it, similarly colored light pouring out of it before it made a vulpine shame that stood next to the fire. As the glowing faded from the orb his spirit companion had completely rematerialized, the black and purple patterned creature warming his hands as his three tail waved lazily in the air behind him. After the spirit monster had been completely summoned he put the crystal back into his bag and over to join his companion.

"I was starting to get a little worried," he said with a coy grin on his muzzle as the two sat down on the most comfortable rocks that they could find. "I can sense the flow of magic getting stronger the higher up we went and for a while I was wondering if you had made it."

"Still here and in one piece Lucas," the tired human replied with a sigh. "Not looking forward to the rest of the climb, the winds are getting sheer and there's no cover from the elements anymore. Had I not found this cave I don't know how I would have gotten any rest."

The spirit just smirked and shook his head. "I suppose it's about time you had to do the heavy lifting for once," he remarked as he curled his fingers into a fist, watching as the black spikes pushed their way out of his knuckles like claws with a faint hint of purple fire before retreating back. "All the times I fought for you it feels good to be the one carried. Don't get too much of a taste though, otherwise you might think that you can do this whole thing without me."

Hinode just chuckled and got out his journal and a protein bar to eat while he caught his breath and dried off. He and Lucas were what the local population called a spirit wrangler, someone who could tame and make bargains with wayward creatures in order to help them fight evil demons and other such things. Some spirits went willingly with their owners, others required some trial or to be beaten by another spirit they had under their command as a show of leadership experience. Once one got a spirit bonded to them their life would often be that of training and helping defeat other spirits, since only a spirit could defeat another spirit.

Most of the time a spirit wrangler would be the life of a traveler, going from town to town where they were needed and leaving when they weren't. For Hinode he was actually training Lucas at a fade rift that was in the area when he had heard a rumor that piqued his interest. It was more a legend, but it told of two particularly powerful spirits that resided up in an area they called the Mountain of Trials. If those two spirits could be defeated then they would make the wrangler responsible for their capture near invincible, but even so none of the locals would make the attempt and the few that had tried to do would either return in failure... or be found much later when the storms had passed.

"If the effort is too great we could just stay here until the storm blows over," Lucas stated simply. "Even if the legends about these creatures are half-true then they will be possibly greater than any opponent we've had to face before. I've never heard of a spirit being able to affect the weather like this either... it makes me concerned that they may possibly have means to harm things in the physical world."

Hinode couldn't help but smile at the concern his spirit partner had for his safety; it was definitely a show of their bond and how far they had come together on this journey. But while he was confident that he would be fine and that the fighting fox could take on the two creatures the anxiety from his partner was justified. Reaching into his bag he pulled out the two drawings of what people believed the spirits looked like and examined them more closely. One looked like a lion made out of pure light, a truly fearsome beast to behold, while the other was like the void and had the resemblance of a flying bat. Though Hinode was sure that they could overcome them the look of such creatures combined with the storm outside made him wonder just what kind of primal animal spirits they were going up against.

As Hinode continued to try off next to the small fire his companion opted to check around the cave, the spirit walking around while touching the hands with his walls. Meanwhile the human looked outside the cave entrance and saw the winds had picked up to a gale force and had even started blowing smaller rocks off of the edge and down the mountain. Though the storms in this area were supposed to last days it made him wonder if he was even going to get a chance to make it up the rest of the way before it ended. He could feel his frustration rising at the thought of coming all this way just to have the skies clear before he can make it to the peak.

"Hinode!" Lucas called out, the wrangler worried that something happened as he got up and made his way to the back of the cave. When he got to the end of it he didn't see his partner anywhere and started to get worried until he saw the vulpine head poke their way out of a crevasse that was hidden in one of the walls. "I sensed the magical backdraft in this area and found this, it actually leads up quite some way."

"That's amazing," Hinode replied as he stuck his head into the crack and looked up. "Do you think that I'm going to be able to fit my pack up there?"

"It's a tight fit," Lucas replied, shaking his head. "I think you would be better off leaving it, if this doesn't get us to the peak then I can mark the way and we can just come back down and trying going up the peak via the outside."

That sounded like a plan to the still damn male, going back up to his makeshift campsite to gather a few things to stick into his pockets. The first thing he grabbed was the crystal orb that he had summoned Lucas from, which was the tether to which they were both bound to one another. Though it gave Hinode some measure of control over the spirit it was a power that he rarely exercised; he had been able to connect to the spirit through a means of tasks and when Lucas saw that he was willing to go the distance for him he agreed willingly. The other two crystal orbs that he pulled out, both of them a clear crystal and almost twice as big as the one that contained the vulpine, were for those that he may meet at the top of the summit.

"I really hope that these rumors are true," the wrangler mumbled to himself as he put them around his neck to carry them. "These things cost a fortune, it would be a shame to not find anything up there and have to waste them on some lesser spirit. You know what they say, better to have a more powerful capture crystal and not need it then need such a crystal and not have it."

Along with the three orbs now hanging around his neck he also stuffed his pockets with a few of the protein bars, his canteen, his container of matchsticks, and a few small trinkets for potential offerings. While he was pretty sure that they deific creatures won't be entertained by the small baubles he was able to bring up it may be a gateway to open the spirits up to further discussion. Once he had made sure that everything was packed away Hinode headed towards the back of the cave once more. Lucas had been waiting for them and together the two began their climb up the crack in the rock.

A few feet up it was clear that the spirit's assumption of space was accurate, more than once Hinode had to maneuver himself in an awkward position just so that he could hoist himself up to the next cliff ledge. At one point he heard the scraping of metal against stone and looked down to see his canteen completely dented in from trying to get through another narrow passage. Eventually the crack opened a bit more and finally the two were pulling themselves up and into another cave.

When Hinode scanned the area with his flashlight both human and spirit were in awe at what they saw. The cavern was at least ten times as big as the one that they had just come from and the stone was much smoother. He might have thought that it was polished, but he knew that no one would come up here just to polish a cave at the peak of a mountain. No, Hinode thought to himself as he pressed a hand against the wall, there was magic in this stone that had been absorbed by the two spirits that occupied this place. Their long and arduous climb had finally come to the end, they were at the top of the Mountain of Trials.

Even though the two were happy to have reached the summit they kept their celebrations on pause, partially because they didn't want to possibly disturb the two spirits that dwelled here and mostly because they knew that the hardest part was yet to come. With no information on what they were about to go after the two were going in blind. All they knew as that it was likely some sort of guardian animal spirit and that one was a lion of some sort while the other was a bat. Other than then that it was going to be completely up to them to figure out how to put their essences inside of the crystalline orbs around Hinode's neck.

The tunnel went in two directions and from one of them Lucas could hear the faint sound of the storm still raging outside, which meant that they needed to go in the other direction to confront them. "Hey Lucas," Hinode asked as he continued to illuminate their path with the flashlight. "What are the odds that this is all a hoax and that I just climbed a mountain, squeezed my way through a ravine, and am now going down a very spooky unexplored cave for nothing?"

"Given the energy that I'm feeling the answer is very unlikely," Lucas replied. "The sense of power here is impressive, to the point where I almost feel like its weighing me down. Perhaps it might be in our best interest to turn back now."

Though the thought had crossed Hinode's mind he resolutely shook his head, urging both Lucas and himself to continue onwards. The further down they moved the more they began to see signs that there was spiritual activity in the area, seeing glyphs light up on the walls as Lucas passed by them followed by spirit balls igniting in the air. The area soon became so bright that Hinode no longer needed his flashlight anymore, putting it away as he gave his spirit vulpine a nod who returned it. Even without his spiritual energy sensitivity training Hinode could feel that these two great creatures were close by, their eyes and ears open to anything that may reveal their presence.

Suddenly Hinode began to feel something bump against the top of his shoulder, and when he went to look at it he saw that it was tiny rocks. That immediately caused him to look up and gasped when he saw the huge stalagmite coming down towards him. "Hinode no!" Lucas shouted as Hinode felt himself get pushed, stumbling to the side of the cave wall as he watched his companion get crushed a second later.

Hinode felt his heart racing in his chest as he looked at the pile of rubble that had almost been his grave, watching as purple and black smoke began to curl up from the gaps in the stone. In less than a minute the vulpine had reformed himself and brushed imaginary dust off of his fur as he looked to see if the human was okay. "If you hadn't been here I'd have been flattened like a pancake," Hinode said as Lucas helped him up. "The question is how did a huge slab of stone like that suddenly become loose just as I was passing underneath it?"

"It was loose because we willed it to be," a powerful voice suddenly rang out from the cavern, causing both spirit and wrangler to flinch slightly. "We were curious on whether or not your companion would come to your aid in your time of need or let you perish in order to make its escape. It seems to have chosen the former, which is a most curious prospect for us."

"So it was all a test," Hinode replied as he tried to look around for the source of the voice, though that part was mostly a show as he reached into his pocket. "You must be a powerful spirit to have such exertion of the physical world like that without the aid of a wrangler. I have to admit... that makes me curious too!"

With one fluid action Hinode took out a spirit flare and popped the cap off, the combustible materials inside igniting with a bluish-white flame as he tossed it forward. As the potent mixture continued to burn Lucas looked even more real than before as the flame illuminated the spirit world around them. Even as the light banished the shadows that had surrounded them the spirit wrangler didn't see any sign of the ones that had caused his near-death as he and Lucas drew close to one another. Just as Hinode thought about popping another flare and throwing it even further into the cave he saw a foot emerge into the pool of light, followed by the rest of the spirt that caused him to gasp.

This was no ordinary beast spirit, which could be instantly told as the very muscular lion man came into the radius of the flare's light. The white fur was dazzling in the light of the fur and every inch of this spirit oozed with power that caused both Hinode and Lucas to step back. It became clear this is where the source of the spiritual resonance was coming from as it practically radiated off of his body. As the spirit creature stepped forward he was joined by a second, this one equally muscular with wing membranes attached to his arms and pointed ears.

"My name is Fujin," the lion man introduced, turning his hand over to point at the second male joining him. "This is Hiyori."

"We are very impressed that you managed to make it up this far," the bat-like creature continued. "Normally spirit wranglers such as yourselves don't even it make it up past the first gorge, most either huddle down there and wait for the storm to pass or perish in the ravine. You have certainly proven yourself worthy enough to stand in our presence."

Hinode could feel the ire in his blood starting to rise; spirits that talk like that generally did not go down easily and from the bodies they manifested it was clear they were very powerful in nature. "So you know about those that attempted to reach your summit," the wrangler asked, stalling for time as he tried to think of a plan for how to bring the two down. "You seem to be very well versed in the world around you for never leaving this place?"

"Who says we do not leave this place?" Fujin replied, stroking his long mane. "This is just one of the places that we choose to manifest. As the winds and the rains we see much that is going on in the world and absorb all the knowledge that can be had from those that speak while we are in the area as a storm. We have to admit we grew more interested in meeting one of your kind face to face for a while, but even after we began to send down the rumors there were none that had the strength to come and meet us... until now."

Suddenly the tone of the cavern they stood in shifted and Hinode's senses could detect the build-up of spiritual energy, which meant that the two were about to do something to Lucas or even possibly him. Not wanting to have them get the first blow Hinode shouted for Lucas to attack, the fox-like spirit jumping up with his knuckle blades already outstretched. A ring of purple fire engulfed him as he readied a devastating spirit punch on the lion man, only to be stopped a few inches away from his target by the spirit holding out his hand. All the spirit wrangler could do was watch in horror as Lucas was flung back towards him with a flick of the feline male's hand.

"Lucas!" Hinode shouted, grabbing another item out of his pocket as he ran over to where his companion lay on the stone floor. The object was a vial of clear liquid that he splashed across the cavern in front of them, the substance glowing as it formed a spirit barrier while he helped up his friend. It was hard to do since even with the light of the spirit flare still active the vulpine creature was still incorporeal and needed to materialize enough to receive the help. Hinode managed to get the spirit back up to his feet and away from the two powerful creatures that continued to slowly walk towards them.

"We have to run..." Lucas said as they watched both Fujin and Hiyori step over the line he had created and caused the barrier he had erected to shimmer into existence for a second before shattering into pieces. "These creatures... they're far too powerful for us to combat. If we don't leave now I fear what they will do to you."

Though Hinode didn't want to admit defeat his companion knew better than him the power of what they were facing. They turned to run back down the cavern, the human's shoes banging loudly against the stone as they made a run straight towards the exit. At this point risking going down a mountain in a storm was a preferable choice to what would happen if they stayed and faced the two still slowly following them. When they finally got to the opening of the large cave they found that the storm had somehow intensified, hurricane force winds howling over the exit to the point where the two couldn't even get close without getting pushed back.

"Did you honestly think that we would let you two go that easily?" Hiyori said with a deep, low chuckle as the two turned to see that the spirits were only a few feet behind them. "After all that effort it would be a shame for you to fling yourself into the elements and perish after coming so far to meet us."

"Stay back Hinode..." Lucas said as he stepped forward. "I'll distract them long enough for you to find the passage back down where we made camp. If you can get low enough they might not be able to follow you."

"I can't just leave you here Lucas." Hinode replied, shaking his head and stepping forward as well. "Do you think you can manifest me a spirit blade?"

Though the vulpine spirit protested against such a thing the spirit wrangler insisted, and as the two god-like figures watched them in mild interest a wreath of purple fire formed in Lucas's hand. Hinode reached out and put his hand through the flames, which latched onto him and formed a sword made out of pure energy. The human felt a slight pull on his essence as it was made; the spirit blade was a last resort for most wranglers since once it was transferred over it used the wranglers' own spiritual energy instead of that of their spirits. At this point though Hinode was ready to fight as he stood alongside his friend, who once more bared his knuckle spikes.

"Well this is certainly an interesting development," the lion man said as the two maintained their stance. "While we had seen glimpses of it before in your world we were truly curious on the bonds that have been formed between spirit and man... and I have to say that we are impressed. Perhaps it is finally time for us to make ourselves known in this world once more, to be worshipped like we had in the old times... and since you have proven yourselves worthy I think you two would make fine first vassals."

"Vassals?" Hinode asked, his face set with determination in the glow of his blade. "You mean possession."

"We have no need for such rudimentary means of sustaining ourselves," Hiyori replied with a chuckle. "You and your spirit will be molded into proper servants for us, both physically and mentally, as your reward."

"Sorry," Hinode replied, nodding to Lucas before readying their attack. "I think we'll pass!"

Both Lucas and Hinode charged the two muscular creatures, only for them to get blown backwards by a flap of Hiyori's muscular wing arms. They were almost pushed out of the cave but the winds outside brought them back forward, like the storm itself wanted to keep them there as the two got to their feet. When they regained their composure they made another charge, only this time as the spirit wrangler went for the island Lucas disappeared, blinking through the air to get behind the bat. The move seemed to take the two by surprise and as the lion man turned to see what was happening behind them the human lunged forward with his blade aimed right for the creature's midsection.

Hinode let out a gasp as he found all his momentum suddenly halted, a large furry hand pressed against his chest with the blade he had aimed sticking through the cracks in Fujin's fingers. His heart dropped to his feet as he heard his spirit blade snap from the pressure of those digits before they reached around and grabbed him, taking the flailing human and tossing him further inside the cave. As he bounced across the stone floor Lucas had been attempting to punch the bat with his outstretched spikes, only for the creature to move so quickly that spirit had a hard time tracking him. Finally it appeared Hiyori had enough and when Lucas went in for a left jab the bigger male grabbed him by the wrist and flung him around until he sailed through the air before landing next to Hinode.

"This is not going well..." Lucas said as he struggled to get to his feet.

"I am aware of this." Hinode replied, looking at his broken spirit blade. He didn't even know such a thing was possible until it just happened, though as he saw the lion man lean down to pick something up he realized that was the least of his problems. "Oh no..."

"Well what do we have here," Fujin replied with a smirk as he held up the crystal containment sphere in front of his face. "So is this what you intended to capture us with? Quite the fine vessel, it's a shame that you won't be using it for anything... although that doesn't mean that it has to go to waste."

Both Hinode and Lucas tried to back away, but the startlingly short fight had left them both injured and hobbling away. All they could do as they tried to escape deeper into the cave was watch as the crystal sphere shimmered and glowed in the spirit's hand, something that should not be possible without the touch of a wrangler. Somehow the lion man was able to access the power that dwelled within to capture spirits and corrupt it, twist it into something different before he tossed it into the air. Lucas let out a cry as the spiritual vortex being created by the floating crystal began drawing him in, hanging onto a nearby rock to try and keep from being captured for a second time.

"Hinode!" Lucas shouted, bracing himself against the cyclonic forces drawing him in. "Help! Recall me!"

As the spirit wrangler attempted to fish out the vulpine's crystal he began to feel a strange sensation, a tugging in his psyche similar to when he had drawn out the spirit blade. As his shoes began to scrape along the stone floor he realized in horror that he was also starting to get drawn into a crystal, either due to his use of spirit blade or some power of the lion Hinode suddenly found himself also having to hug against one of the larger rock spires to prevent from being drawn in. Both of them were lifted from their feet by the forces of the capture crystal, their eyes meeting one another as they held on for dear life in separate areas of the cave.

It was Lucas that let go first, the already weakened vulpine shouting as he attempted one last ditch attempt to anchor himself by punching his knuckle spikes into the ground as he was drawn upwards. Hinode watched as it seemed to hold for a few seconds before it started to drag furrows into the solid stone. It wasn't long before the spirit was lifted completely up and even his spikes were no longer effective, his body swirling around a few times before disappearing into the crystal itself. As the last of him was sucked into the crystal sphere Hinode felt something pop in his pocket, the crystal that originally held Lucas exploding and dissolving as a new master took claim of him.

Though the human felt bad that he had just lost a friend he still had the pressing matter of his own fate. The suction had not ceased after the crystal had taken the spirit, in fact if anything it had grown stronger as the human could feel himself slipping. "Do not resist your fate any longer human!" Fujin bellowed as he reached out his hand, his regal mane flipping about in the winds as the suction continued to intensify. "Join your spirit in a ritual and experience true bonding like no human has experienced since the time of old! You will be the first of many that will usher in this new world!"

Hinode shouted as he felt his strength leaving his arms, his already exhausted state not helping as his fingers slowly began to slip against the smooth surface of the rock. As his arms got around the widest part of the stalagmite the human closed his eyes, the next second feeling the last bastion of his grip failing. For a few seconds he hung there as though floating in midair, everything around him going silent as the forces of the crystal took hold of him. It was as if everything suddenly went into slow motion, his body drifting away from what had been his anchor as he drifted towards the hovering object.

The first thing that the human wondered as he felt his body continuing to be pulled inside was if this was going to hurt; after all this was an item designed for the capture of spirts that were completely incorporeal, while he was in the physical realm. Thankfully his fears were unfounded and the sensation was something like being slowly submerged into a warm bath. Even as he looked down and saw his corporeal form dissolving away the sensation only increased, likely to help the pacification of the spirit that was attempting to be captured. Never in a million years though did he think that he would get to experience first-hand what it was like to be on the other side of this.

After what felt like an eternity Hinode felt the last of his body get absorbed, the light coming from the crystal that he was being sucked into almost blinding. What he could see however the two faces of the spirits was leering over him, watching with an almost manic look on their face as the last of his consciousness was sucked inside. There was a bright flash as the last of Hinode disappeared, then the now glowing crystal fell gently to the stone floor...

****************

When Hinode opened his eyes once more he found himself surrounded by walls of crystal in an otherwise endless void, though he quickly found that he wasn't the only one there. "Lucas!" he shouted, breathing a sigh of relief at seeing the vulpine looking at him while floating upside down. "Thank goodness you're already, where are we?"

"Inside the spirit crystal," Lucas replied, looking around with a sigh. "I was sort of hoping that I wouldn't see you here, but it appears that the powers of these two are far more than any human or spirit that has come before them. I daresay that their claims of a deific nature might not be as farfetched as it originally sounds."

"So we're trapped by gods in my own crystal?" Hinode said with a groan, putting his hands to his face and rubbing it in exasperation. "This is not what I expected when I came up to this mountain. Now what do we do? Can we escape?"

"I'm afraid that due to our own design breaking out of this place is going to be extremely difficult," Lucas explained. "But that is the least of our worries right now. Since the crystal is in the possession of those two it means they can make alterations to us much like a spirit wrangler can do to their charges, plus the training programs they can implement. Plus there's the fact that even though this crystal has the space for it these things aren't designed to hold two spirits."

Hinode swallowed hard and nodded in understanding, knowing that out there the two that had trapped them here in the first place were out there scheming. Drifting through the void made the human lose all concept of time, which Lucas said was perfectly normal for this sort of thing. He had to remind himself that his companion had already gone through this once before with him and knew the drill. The vulpine entity did seem reasonably calm about the whole thing which helped the human remain as such too.

Once the human had a chance to get used to his new surroundings Lucas informed him that this little area that they were in was a pocket of spirit dimension that was raw essence, and as such it could be tweaked in order to not only help make the spirit more comfortable but also to provide resources to aid in training. Lucas demonstrated that by holding out his hand and letting the spiritual energy coalesced around him. He watched as the vulpine created something that Hinode found to be very familiar, the small lake that the human had found him dwelling in the first place. The crystalline walls were still around them, hanging over them like a false sky as a cabin formed in the exact same spot that it was in real life.

"I can't believe that you actually remember all this..." Hinode said as they walked inside, looking around to see everything was still there in the same place. "It's like the day that I found you. I would have expect to find a plate of half-eaten cookies."

"This was an important day in my life as well as yours," Lucas replied as he sat down.

"Fair enough," Hinode said as he went over to one of the cups, picking it up. "This all feels so real, I can't believe that I'm in the spirit world. Does that make me a spirit then?"

Lucas just shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, not knowing what was going to happen next or what the two had in store for them. All they knew was that they were completely at the mercy of the two spirits that were able to manipulate the talismans of the spirit wranglers. Even as they spoke they could feel the atmosphere around them altering, manipulated by those who wish to see them serve their needs. Even as they stood there they began to stand up as the crystal became obscured by clouds, deep and black with the threatening of rain.

When the vulpine raised his hand into the air to try and banish them away he found that he couldn't, instead it only seemed to intensify as lightning arced down over the lake. "It appears our new masters do not wish us to move about too much," Lucas stated as he went over and locked the door. "I should have realized they were going to be quick to try and change us into these vassals that they were talking about. All I can tell you is to be ready for whatever happens next, they have complete control over everything here... including us."

The finality of the last few words caused Hinode to shudder slightly. He hadn't realized just how little power he had as a spirit, he had always been taught to respect them as the powerful apparitions that they were. Now he knew just how much of that a wrangler like him had stripped so much from them, even a gilded cage like this was still a cage and they were at the whims of their controllers. All he could do was wait and see what it was like to be manipulated like a spirit as well.

Hinode didn't have to wait long for it to happen, the human learning how to manipulate the spirit realm so that he could make something for himself. As Lucas came up behind him in order to try and help him with his posturing there was a spark between them, something that the two had never experienced before. For the human it felt strange being held like that by something that he didn't even really consider real before, but now with them together and the storm raging outside it felt good to be in the embrace of someone that had had protected him so many times before. When he felt the fur pressed against his back he realized that Lucas was having similar feelings, especially as those hands that been used for fighting were now running down his arms.

"Hey... Lucas," Hinode said, feeling himself become flushed. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I... don't know..." the spirit fox admitted, pressing against him even more. "I've never had these feelings before, especially not for a human." There was nothing that the two said for a moment as Hinode turned back to look into the eyes of the fighting fox spirit. "It... has to be them, they're doing something to us, we have to fight it."

The two immediately parted from one another and looked down at the floor in shame. Hinode had honed the spirit into a fighting machine in order to combat the spirits that they had gone up against, but long nights with no other company but one another he had turned to Lucas to talk to. It was the closest thing that Hinode had to a friend and though he wasn't sure it felt like the spirit had the same feeling. It wasn't uncommon for such bonds to happen in the spirit wrangler community, but or obvious reasons there had never been a recorded case of anything further than that.

It was clear that the two intended for them to come together, but for what reason? As Hinode tried to figure out what was happening his mind felt... fuzzy, like he was slowly getting drunk as Lucas went over to the couch. As the spirits that controlled their containment continued to press against their psyches the thoughts in his head started to twist on themselves. At first he could only think of his captors in contempt, but the more he dwelled on them the more his thoughts were focused on that impressive musculature.

"The life of a spirit wrangler is a lonely one," Lucas said suddenly, Hinode snapping out of his haze to find his companion laying on the couch. "You never really had time to figure out what you wanted in that regard, or who you wanted to be with." Before Hinode asked him how he could possibly know what he was thinking he noticed that the vulpine's hands had been stroking up and down a cock that he didn't have before. Spirits weren't typically sexual creatures, and until then Lucas hadn't been one of them until this moment.

There were a number of new feelings flooding through the spirit as well, Hinode realized as he looked up at him with bedroom eyes. The two that had captured him were likely altering him as much as they were attempting to influence him and since he had already had been captured once he was used to it. As the two continued to stare at one another he began to feel thoughts and feelings that weren't his. It was a strange sensation as the vulpine stood up, still masturbating himself to feel these intense new experiences he was feeling.

"What are they doing to us," Lucas said as they slowly began to approach one another once more, the two of them almost in a daze as they moved. "I feel... so strange..."

"They wanted to see our bond," Hinode replied, watching their breaths rising and falling as he couldn't help but look over the form of his spirit companion. "I think they want to see... just how strong it is..." Even though the vulpine wasn't nearly as muscular as the two that had put them there he had a lithe, athletic quality to him that he suddenly found himself appreciating. He could also sense that Lucas was admiring him as well, though he wanted to know what he looked like without his clothes on.

Even though the voice inside his head was screaming that this was wrong he found himself obliging to the request, taking off his leather jacket. As soon as he put the coat down it dissolved away into nothingness as he started to hook his hands underneath his shirt before Lucas stopped him. The human looked at him for a second before the vulpine moved and pulled off his shirt, letting his newly developed cock throb in the air while he disrobed his former wrangler. That seemed to spark something between the two and soon they were both fumbling for his pants before he allowed his own erection to spring free.

"Are we actually doing this?" Lucas said as their naked bodies were held together, spirit and human feeling one another in a way that had never been before. "You know those extremely sexy creatures are just manipulating us through your own crystal. They're probably watching us, dirty perverts."

"Yeah..." Hinode replied before bringing each other in for a kiss, their lips meeting together for the first time. At first it was a bit tentative but the longer that they held their mouths together the more they started to get into it. Hinode's tongue slid into his spirit's mouth as he assumed a more dominant posture, his spirit once more becoming more submissive in nature. Though he would have called this a corruption of their bond before he found it extremely intoxicating as they continued to make out.

The storm seemed to become more intense as they suddenly broke the kiss after the two felt something strange happening to Hinode. When they pulled back they saw why; the human's entire mouth had started to swell and his nose had turned completely back. His ears had also begun to turn into points, which had the same black tufts on the tips like the vulpine that was looking at him. "Wh... what's happening to me?" Hinode said in confusion as he lifted his expanding lips to find a pair of fangs that had been growing there.

"It's the crystal," Lucas said, putting a hand up to his face to realize that his own muzzle had decreased significantly enough to feel. "Only one spirit allowed, remember? With the power those two are pumping in here the crystal must sense our bond and think we're one creature that's somehow deviated into two, now it's rectifying the situation..."

It took Hinode a few seconds to realize that Lucas hadn't been speaking with his mouth the entire time, hearing the spirit's voice in his head as the vulpine took his hand and slid his fingers between the human's, watching as they merged together with the human sprouting fur and claws. "What's going to happen to us?" He asked, flexing his hand instinctively to see the familiar metal spikes come out of his knuckles. "It feels so good, but if I'm somehow absorbing your essence then you... you're..."

"Shhhh..." Lucas said, putting his free finger to hover in front of his still stretching jaw. "I do not think that will happen... though I can't say for sure I feel like neither of us will disappear from this world. I think we're about to be... something new... but if I'm wrong then I want you, my handler, to show me this pleasure that our two masters so obviously want."

It was an odd request given the circumstances, especially since they were currently being merged together. He couldn't tell whether Lucas was asking because he genuinely wanted to experience such a thing or if it was the two that were manipulating both of them... but at this point he was finding it harder to care with each passing second. It was exactly what Fujin and Hiyori wanted them to do and somehow that was driving him even more to want to do it. But most of all it was the eyes of the spirit in front of him that finally pushed him to do what he did next.

Lucas was surprisingly light as Hinode lifted him up, their naked bodies pressed together as the changing human shifted over to the nearby wall. With their chests rubbing up against one another Hinode already felt that fur was starting to grow there but as they kissed each other once more there was also something else happening to him. Though he wasn't skinny or weak by any stretch of the imagination, Hinode could feel his muscles beginning to firm up. He groaned into the kiss as his chest became sculpted to decent pectorals and his taut stomach began to swell.

The sensations only grew stronger as the human's arousal was practically throbbing, the sensitive flesh shifting slightly to match the coloration of the vulpine male while it slid between the legs of his spirit companion. Hinode realized up until that point that up until this point he hadn't realized that he never really thought of Lucas as truly male, but when the tip of his cock began to push into the tight pucker that likely hadn't existed until their new masters willed it. That was just fine for Hinode, the horny human shuddered as he began to push into the hole of other male. It was a new sensation for the both of them as the vulpine spirit pinned between the wall and the human arched his head back and let out a loud groan from the penetration.

"Damn... Hinode..." Lucas gasped, wrapping his legs around the other male's waist as his free hand grabbed the still swelling bicep. "If I had known this... we would have done it sooner..."

The human could feel himself blush at the compliment as he felt those legs pressed against his waist begin to slip downward. At first he thought that Lucas was losing his grip on him but as he looked down at himself he realized that they were actually flowing into his thighs as they ballooned out as well. The muscle looked almost freakish compared to the rest of his untransformed body, the purple and black fur growing like wildfire over him as he pushed into the tight hole of the vulpine spirit. Hinode took both the unmerged and merged arm of Lucas and pushed them against the wall as their lusts quickly took over their rational thought.

All thoughts of what might be happening in the outside world melted away from them, Hinode thrusting up into the vulpine as their bodies continued to flow together. There was no space between their chests anymore as the human's growing arms melded with the ones of the spirit. Not only where they physically changing but their thoughts were becoming intertwined with one another to the point where the two couldn't tell who was thinking who. They were also being subtly subverted, twisted by those that were controlling things beyond the crystalline walls.

As memories of the two traveling together bubbled to the surface they were corrupted, going from their mutual understanding and friendship to something far more lewd in nature. Nights where they sat talking around a campfire turned to the two rutting just like they were right now with Hinode surrounded by those bushy tails. Their training took on a different meaning as well as they began to spar with one another, showing off and worshipping the muscles that were forming on the merging creature's body as afterwards Lucas would suck on Hinode's hard cock. Even their initial meeting in the cabin was changed to Lucas being captured just like he was now with his face pressed down on the couch with his cock trapped between the cushions and his body while his wrangler stretched open his hole to form the bond.

It was all wrong, but the power of the spirit crystal made it right as the two rutting males got to the point where they had come up the Mountain of Trials in order to confront Fujin and Hiyori. But it wasn't to try and capture them, even when they thought of working their way through the storm to get to the cave where Hinode stripped off his clothes and got another blowjob, they were there to worship them. As soon as they had heard about the very muscular creatures that dwelled up there they knew that they needed to get there to serve them. When they got there and were given the offer by the two handsome spirit men they eagerly accepted their offer, using the wrangler crystal so that he could serve under them forever.

Him... suddenly the concept of spirit and human was blurred even more as by now they were so melted with one another that Hinode was more humping into the wall then into his former companion. It was like the two were being reborn, the growing mass of fur and muscle becoming more defined as Hinode took his proto-muzzle and pressed it against Lucas. Almost immediately their last defining features were disappearing as their heads pulled together, their skulls merging as the last vestiges of humanity were mutated. Hinode groaned as his ears pulled up the rest of the way into points while his muzzle grew out the rest of the way.

Just as the almost completely combined spirit creature was finished there was one last change in store for him, Hinode feeling his spine stretch as entirely new appendages formed over his tailhole. He backed away from the wall he had been pressing himself against as he looked down at himself. The other spirit that had been there was completely gone as Hinode looked at himself, flexing his new ripped physique as it continued to grow. His lust was still overwhelming as he took his new clawed hands and began to stroke himself, only to feel a mental command reverberate through the very core of his being to stop.

Instantly Hinode removed his hand from the thick shaft even though he was so hard he could have put his throbbing tool through the wall. This body was his master's now, and the second that he obeyed he was rewarded with another swell of growth through his entire body. He huffed as everything grew, his six-pack turning into an eight-pack as everything from his forearms to his calves filled with more muscle. His hands ran through the soft, luxurious fur that he had but before he could really explore himself he felt something pull on him.

It was the foreign yet familiar feel of his masters summoning him, the storm clearing and the crystalline walls disappearing as the spirit was called forth. He immediately felt himself get returned to reality as his body rematerialized into the cavern. The sound of the storm raging outside filled his ears once more as he felt the cold stone beneath his paws while the rest of his purple, black, and white furred body came back. The second that he came back and saw the even bigger males that had summoned him he went down to one knee and bowed to them.

"How does it feel vassal?" Hiyori said as the two approached him, their hands immediately stroking every muscle of their first servant. "Can you feel our power inside you, giving you this wonderful form? All of this is because of your submission to us..."

"It feels so good," Hinode gushed, leaning into every pet and grope that they gave him. "Thank you so much for allowing me to be your vassal and baptizing me with your power to give me this wonderful new form."

"We're not quite done yet," Fujin said, the lion man picking up the new muscle fox spirit and bringing him to his feet. "Though your mind and body know that you belong to us you are not as connected as we observed that you could be. However since watching you I think we have just the thing to induct you into our service as a true vassal, something that I think you're going to very much enjoy from your new masters."

Though Hinode didn't know for certain what that was going to be he had an idea as his gaze was brought down to the erect maleness pointed straight at him. It was clear that the new spirit was going to have a very carnal baptism into his new life and thanks to the conditioning that he had received he was more than ready for it. He took his muscular form and pressed it against the larger male, reveling in his size as he nuzzled and licked his way through the dazzling white fur down towards it. Much like traditional spirit wranglers Fujin didn't need to speak a word to his spirit in order for him to get Hinode to do what he wanted, instead just watching as his servant made his way down towards his groin.

"Who would have imagined that when we stuck those two together that they would fuse into such an extraordinary creature," the bat said as he watched the two males going at it, his own hand stroking along his member in excitement. "The malleability of a human along with the submissiveness of a captured spirit, it's the best of both worlds. Plus their shared bond meant that they transitioned into one another quite nicely to the point where we're going to need to find more spirit wranglers I think."

"We certainly will," Fujin growled, his body tensing as the mouth of their servant finally got to rubbing against his groin and thighs. "This one I'm sure will know of many places that we can go to get more once we finally descent. An army of vassals like this one to make sure that our needs are met and that we are properly worshiped in our new world."

Hinode was too preoccupied to really listen in on what the two spirits were saying, his focus more on his master's cock as he slid his lips onto the shaft. The muscular lion man grunted and practically jammed it down his throat from the sudden sensation of pure pleasure, though with his incorporeal body he was easily able to begin to deep-throat it as he quickly took more into his maw. Now only was he getting pleasure from the act itself but also from knowing that his master was as well, the spirit fox man practically bristling with obedient desire as he began to suck. It wasn't long after that he started when he felt a heavy hand press between his ears, helping keep a steady rhythm as Hinode felt the other male coming up behind him.

"It is quite the shame that we couldn't get one for each of us," Hiyori stated as he took his own maleness and rubbed it up against Hinode's furry body while getting him to put his thick haunches up so he could access his tailhole. "But this one seems eager enough to accommodate us both until we're ready to get more."

The fox spirit couldn't help but wag his butt as he realized he was getting praises from his two masters, though his eyes widened when he felt a pair of hands press against his hips and something sliding into his tailhole. Had the feline not been pumping his hips back and forth to continue to thrust into his maw Hinode would have stopped as a new wave of bliss flooded his body. Through the haze of lust he could feel the two creatures forming a true bond with him and imprinted their command on them. The already ironclad need to serve them was strengthened by the subservience of a spirit caught by a wrangler. While Hinode had never heard of a spirit being able to wield such an ability he didn't care at all as he was quickly impaled from both ends.

Hinode clamped his inner walls as tightly as he could feel the wings of his other master press against his sides, the two Adonis males shifting the one between them back and forth. By this point Fujin had gotten the head of his member all the way down the throat of the fox, bulging out his furry neck while Hiyori went deep inside his hole. There was nothing that he could do except get bucked back and forth as his cock throbbed between his own legs, his own pleasure increasing as he served his masters. Without even getting touched down there the power of the two was so intense that he found himself cumming even without being touched.

It wasn't long afterwards that the lion and bat anthro spirts orgasmed as well, the storm outside reaching a fevered pitch with lightning that struck just as the two males climaxed into their vassal. With the cum that flooded his throat and tailhole there was also more that came into him, his mind absorbing every want and desire that his two masters wish to gave him. Hinode's eyes glazed over as his knuckle spikes came out and dug into the ground as he was sandwiched between the two forms. By the time they were finished with him the fox servant could hardly remember his own name, so lost in the fox of lust and feeling of devotion he felt to them.

"Not a bad start," Fujin said as he pulled his cock out, feeling the muzzle suction against it to try and keep it in him before it popped out with a wet slurp. "This one proved very worthy."

"Indeed he did," Hiyori replied as he also pulled out, letting the hybridized spirit human have one last shudder of pleasure before he was empty once more. "Hopefully the others will as well. We're just going to have to collect them, which I'm sure this one will be more than happy to help us with."

"Yes..." the lion man replied, the two spirits walking over to the cave exit as the storm began to clean and reveal the town before. "Once we are ready we will go down and collect them all..."