Hiroxi had felt the awakening in the forest that morning.

There was nothing particularly unusual about an awakening outside of one’s own territory. It was however considered poor form to allow an awakening on the doorstep of another Regulator.

The occurrence of a second awakening directly in his land was outright rudeness.

Hiroxi allowed his being to adopt a material focus to have a closer look at the indiscretion. His eyes now having formed to function in the gas-based low-pressure atmosphere. He found himself observing a naked, tailless, simian. It was lying on the sand by an old stone ruin.

Hiroxi altered his form to something more similar to the intruder. He had never found panic to be a good first tentacle to waggle with.

Hiroxi rubbed his tongue over his soft flappy beak. Lips. They are called Lips. Hiroxi ran his tongue over the lips of his vessel to prepare them for speaking.

“You are not supposed to be here”

The simian moved to stand, over balanced, settled for a crouch. It stared at him, but quickly lost interest and went to examining itself.

Hiroxi thought he had perhaps used the wrong tongue. There were hundreds of languages belonging to the simian races, after all. That was without taking into account the number of universes this one might have come from.

Unwilling to repeat the same statement endlessly, Hiroxi felt for the soul of the creature. The experiences and history that make a sentient an individual.

Distressingly, there were none.

The simian started to back away from Hiroxi. Not fleeing, but doggedly inching away. It looked to be making for the old stone wall. Its progress was laughably slow. Hiroxi needed a moment to think. His head skin compressed over his eyes. An unfortunate trait of flesh vessels. Any attempt at concentration was made even more difficult by the body’s attempt to voice its own opinion.

Hiroxi’s scalp stretched the frown and other skin away from his vessels face. A cephalopod smirk that looked very out of place on a mammalian head.

This violation of etiquette might be the greatest gift he had received in five hundred years.

None of his Chosen had survived longer than a year in the last four centuries. Simply too little gravity for those native to his universe’s dominion. Not to mention the technological dependence. That, and being hated, feared, and hunted for their appearance. A common interest of the warm blooded. If it has tentacles and talks, kill it.

He was masterful in making the necessary changes to the body and neural networks of his vassals. Even in the relative isolation of the mountains by the sea, even with the help of the native Vey, they found ways to die. It seemed a kind of physical culture shock put them at insurmountable disadvantage. They inevitably died off for being unable to adapt.

Now, right in front of him, was an unaligned simian. Certainly no one would mind if he made a claim. After all, the energy spike from the being having Awakened twice in quick succession had called no attention. It would not be coming back when it inevitably died again.

Hiroxi was doing a service. That he might also benefit was purely incidental.

Hiroxi let his vessel collapse to the sand. He needed to help the simian understand its circumstance before it hurt itself in an attempt to escape. First, he must grant a Boon to attach the creature to himself.

The nature of Boon would normally be established before arriving upon Amacore.

Not being able to speak to the simian became the solution as well as the problem.

Hiroxi wrapped the simian in his energy. An invisible wave of himself enveloping the odd being.

It had stopped trying to flee and now cautiously made its way toward Hiroxi's collapsed vessel. To eat, perform violence, or to try to help. Hiroxi did not know.

He focused on the creature. Hiroxi learnt the energies that made up its body.

It was not often that a Regulator lay claim to a corporeal form. Hiroxi might be uniquely skilled among his peers at the task. He got bored once every few decades, not having any of his own Chosen to observe. This however, was the first higher sentient he had performed the process on.

A trickle of his energy flowed into the human. Yes, definitely human.

From the radiation signatures, sophistication of fillings in the teeth, and micro amounts of harmful disease bacteria in its blood, likely from a Class 1 or early Class 2 planet.

Not technologically developed enough to be mechanically dependant. That was an advantage.

So excruciatingly little magical resonance as to be worrying. Hopefully he was as adaptable as the others of his species Hiroxi had observed over the millennia.

The human was able to absorb more energy than simple animals or monsters. Every fibre of its being was hungry for more power. Barely any residual bleed from its aura.

No, that wasn’t right. It didn’t have an aura. It was growing one from Hiroxi’s own energy.

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A powerful Boon might be granted if it survived the process. The swell of energy that was Hiroxi pulsed with excitement.

Now, to be very careful with his wording. As simple and specific as possible.

Many a careless Boon had made for an entertaining curse.

The will and intent of the Regulator guided the magics as much as the command itself. But wait, where was the fun in that? He chose his word, but kept his intention vague.

UNDERSTANDING

The energy trickle lurched. The simian stopped breathing, its eyes and mouth opened in horror. lt collapsed to the cold sand.

A tremor passed through Hiroxi. A concussive wave that began inside the human and surged throughout his essence. Hiroxi felt himself flatten and expand. Then, like a tsunami, rushed back toward the simian. Hiroxi imagined himself to be a nebula drawn to a black hole.

Impressive as the human’s capacity was, it was finite. Startling, perhaps, but Hiroxi had enough energy to Awaken a small city.

The human made gurgling noises from the ground. It also appeared to be steaming very slightly. Confident it would need a minute, Hiroxi resumed his vessel once more.

      ~  ~  ~

Spitting dirt and sand from his mouth, the human pushed his way off the ground.

His body felt different. The oppressive cold of exposure now a refreshing cool breeze.

His vision filled with blue green light. A flat window appeared as his eyes tried to focus through the sea-green glare.

WHAT IS YOUR NAME

“I don’t know”

The light and window vanished. The strange naked man he had watched collapse was staring at him. He was making faces.

“I thought that might be the case. What would you like your name to be?” Hiroxi asked.

“You speak English? Wait, what language am I speaking?”

The words coming from his mouth were shaped wrong. They were bouncier and quicker than they should be.

Hiroxi’s time as a corporeal entity on this plane was drawing to a close. He didn’t want to waste more time than needed on small talk. He pushed air into the skin pouches attached to his vessel's lips. An unconscious tick of impatience and urgency.

“You have me for maybe another 5 minutes. Pick a name. Do it now”

As much as he wanted to be gentle, Hiroxi did have to attend to certain rules.

The human closed his eyes and started counting. Inhale for four, three, two, one. Hold four counts. Release for five.

Not a single word stood out in his mind.

He opened his eyes to search for inspiration.

The distressing, naked, bossy man only made him think of clothes.

The sand annoyed him and the sound of crashing waves made him want to swim.

He stared into the sky. The answer was there.

“I name myself Sky,”

“No, that’s terrible. Quickly now”

“Cloud?”

“Worse. Hurry, or I will name you,”

Hiroxi had no such power, or inclination, to do this. He really did want the human to take this seriously.

The human stared hard at the dirt and sand by its toes.

“Drawde. I name myself Drawde,”

“Very well, Drowd. Out of curiosity, are you trying to rhyme with the word cloud?

I happen to speak English. I should tell you, those words don’t rhyme in the common tongue of Amacore,”

Drawde’s vision was again eclipsed in a wave of viridian. The naming window resolved back into focus.

WHAT IS YOUR NAME

He thought his new name and it faded into being, like an afterimage gaining definition.

He blinked hard and dismissed the apparition.

Hiroxi chuckled.

“That’s how you were spelling it? Probably for the best. The Drow are a prideful people. They are not known for a sense of humor. Or mercy”

Hiroxi allowed his human a moment to gather itself. The Boon was granted and the Covenant signed. It was time to show some kindness. Likely the only kindness his Drawde would experience for a long time.

“I want you to think your name. Do it deliberately. With intent”

Drawde obeyed. The greenish light reappeared. It was mostly transparent this time. He could still see the strange man and the beach beyond him.

The window was significantly less transparent. It was a table of various words and numbers with his name as a heading.

Name: Drawde Vey Race: Human Level: 1

Strength 9 Dexterity 10 Constitution 8 Intelligence 10 Focus 13 Charisma 7 Luck 7

“I should perhaps have started with this. My name is Hiroxi. You will notice you are now Drawde Vey. Vey is the race of my people. You are now to be considered an honorary Vey. You are also now of my Chosen. This will require both very much and very little of you,”

“Can I ask questions now?” Drawde interrupted. He looked to be getting ready to collapse again.

“You may. I am very limited in how much assistance I can provide and we have little time. Ask away,”

Drawde really wanted to ask who this crazy person was. Had he really died? Were there more of those hyena/wolf monsters near here? Where was here? Why couldn’t he remember anything before being stuck inside a tree then used as a chew toy?

What in the Cursing Hells had electrocuted him earlier? Why did his eyes now double as magical information screens? Why did this Hiroxi person seem to be generating a sparkly teal miasma from his body?

He settled on the most pressing question.

“Where can I get some pants?”

Hiroxi felt a pull on his aura. He had even less time than he had realised.

“Follow the beach South. That’s a left, once you reach the water. There is a cave at the end of it. It should only take you three hours to reach. A grindylow lives inside. His name is Perrak. He will most certainly try to eat you. He has collected quite a little trove over the years from the careless. And the lost”

He had also kept Hiroxi entertained over the last three decades. Hopefully his death was quick.

“If you die, you will return here. Don’t die. It’s a long walk,”

Hiroxi’s arms snapped to his sides. His knees rushed to his chest. He floated in an unnatural foetal position as his vessel began to compress in on itself. Time had run out.

“Whenyousucceed, travelEastfromthecaveforadayandanight. Youwillfind-”

His lungs had collapsed from the growing pressure.

The last he saw of his human was a look of terror as his vessel compressed itself out of existence.

Hiroxi's energy flowed away from the beach and into the sky. Returned to his post and natural form, free to watch over his lonely territories. Hiroxi finally had privacy to express himself.

His mantle and tentacles quivered and undulated with glee.