My first few days of new life were fairly uneventful. Apples, who I've since learned is my mother cared for both my brother and me. Being a puppy did not lend itself to easy grooming. Or walking. Or… anything, really.

Regardless, I persevered. This new existence was strange, and I found my former memories fading quickly. I could no longer remember my parents or the house I grew up in. Childhood friends gone without a thought. The only thing I could distinctly remember with clarity was my sister, Elena.

Elena had been a light at the end of a dark tunnel for me. When everyone else abandoned me, she never gave up. She was always encouraging, cheering me on with enthusiasm. I missed her.

Despite the tragedy of it all, I was quite apathetic to the rest. It must have been the new puppy chemicals, because instead of sadness and loss, all I felt was a growing anticipation. This new world was so exciting!

There was so much to explore and learn, both with the System and the world in general. New senses bloomed in my awareness as I grew more steady on my feet. The world outside the barn was a vibrant mix of autumn leaves and rustic beauty.

And the smells! I could smell colors! Every seemingly unimportant patch of ground was so interesting. For instance, just outside the barn was an old fence in need of repair. The second post to the left held an unknown scent, reminiscent of pizza mixed with tacos. It glowed a deep crimson to my newfound senses and gave off a sense of foreboding.

Instinct told me that my natural enemy had claimed this post. The System, helpful as always, confirmed my suspicions.

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While I didn’t know what a Dungeon Formation was, that a claim could lead to one was ominous. So, I did what any self-respecting good boy would do in that situation.

I peed on the post.

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Well then, that was exciting. Unfortunately, that meant the damnable tail was making me shake again. Stupid thing.

While all this excitement and exploration was addicting, there was one thing that had been worrying me. I had yet to meet the Master of the House. My “owner.”

Exploring the grounds had revealed that this was, indeed, a farm. Following the long dirt path that stretched out to the horizon, I encountered many new areas.

There were fields of wheat and barley, typically surrounded by a more modern style fence to keep out scavengers. The fields were also home to monstrous equipment meant to make the planting and harvesting easier. Tractors and combines, backhoes and augers, I avoided them all. They towered above my slight form and gave off an uncomfortable sense of danger.

Further along the path, I found pastures of sweeping green and gold. These were home to a plethora of creatures, from cows to sheep to pigs. I didn’t take my chances and gave them a wide berth, at least for now. The urge to [Scan] then was persistent, but I found it more prudent to avoid the enormous creatures that would seriously injure me with a single step.

Various facilities were also scattered about the grounds. There was a gigantic building that was used for milking, complete with storage and pasteurizing tanks. It was quite impressive. The farmer didn’t even need to be present. When the cow felt uncomfortable and needed to be milked, it just walked in through the front doors and into a stall and the machines took care of the rest.

There were also many silos present on the grounds, I assume, for grain. They towered above the pastures, casting an ominous shadow upon the grazing area. Everything was intimidating when you were the size of a softball.

Eventually, the path led me to the main event. The farmhouse. This was where the owner and his family, if he had one, lived. Someone constructed it mainly of logs, in a classic “cabin the woods” style. The warm glow of the hearth through the windows contrasted with the rich brown of the exterior, giving it a pleasant and welcoming aura.

Sitting on the porch was a child, no older than four. She was playing with a dollhouse, and a veritable mountain of dolls was strewn about around her. Even from here, my new senses picked up every detail.

She smelled of lilacs and spring. A light purple hue emanated from her, radiating out in subtle waves. She was the first person I had met, and it threatened to overwhelm me. There was just so much to take in! People were even more complex than that territory claim!

My damn tail gave me away, the insufferable thing causing me to tip over from the vigorous motion. She looked at me with wide, excited eyes and screamed when she realized what I was.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Puppy!!”

The excitement in the air was palpable. She darted from the porch, stumbling forward on awkward legs. Luckily, she understood the danger of stairs and didn’t dive headfirst off the slightly elevated entrance. Her brilliant crimson locks bobbed back and forth as she waddled down the single step to the rough ground below.

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Normally, I wasn’t much of a hugger, but there was a sense of calm acceptance radiating from the child. Talia, apparently. I thought about running off, but the System seemed to think that one option was wiser than the other.

So I sat down and waited. Talia finally managed her way off the step and ran excitedly toward me. She was reckless and uncoordinated, as most small children are. About halfway there, she tumbled head over heels, tripping over her own feet. The sky blue dress she was wearing was scuffed and ripped in places.

Tears welled in her eyes. Her knees were scuffed and her dress ruined. I felt terrible. I should have moved closer.

Creeping closer to her, I tried to figure out a way to ease her pain. No one wants to see a child suffer. The puppy instincts kicked in again as I reached her, causing me to lick her bruised knee. Maybe that would help.

“Puppy!!” she screamed again. Pain was a fleeting concept in the face of a cute animal.

Coordination was clearly not her forte as she attempted to manhandle me into an embrace. Squirming and repositioning, I did my best to help her. Alas, I was but a mere animal and could not help too much. I didn’t even have thumbs.

Deciding it was futile, she abandoned the attempts of trying to lift me into her arms and instead dropped to my level to wrap her arms around me. It was nice; I suppose. The light purple aura deepened as she calmed, forgetting about her scuffed knees and torn dress entirely.

I had to admit; the petting was comforting. She stroked the fur of my head gently, almost cautiously. As I relaxed, I felt the tension ease away from me. Tension I didn’t even know I had been holding onto. Being reincarnated as a dog was a stressful affair, but it seemed like something was suppressing the overwhelming majority of that.

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Finally! The stupid System had been asking me to assign a Class since I first woke up with no way to do so. I thought I was going crazy. This was great. Now I just had to escape from the grasp of a toddler without upsetting her too much.

Attempting to wriggle free of her grasp was entirely ineffective. Every time I squirmed, she would latch tighter and tighter around me. Breathing became an issue.

Help!!

Of course, as a dog, I couldn’t actually speak. My pleas for help came out as a bark, instead of a squeak, this time. Progress!

My barking continued in vain. Talia would not lett go of her deathgrip over the cute newborn puppy. Helpless, I focused on something productive.

>> Scan Complete

>> Name: Talia Mercer

>> Class: N/A

>> Level: 1

>> Talia is the youngest daughter of the Mercer family. She is three years old and loves to play with her toys and eat pizza. She may not have pizza. Do not feed her pizza.

Interesting. This [Scan] provided more information than the last time I’d used it. The System even included additional background into Talia. Perhaps sometimes the System wasn’t a tremendous pain in the ass. Although it seemed to admonish. Where would I even get a pizza out here?

Finally, blessedly, the girl’s father heard the ruckus. My bark was loud enough to shake the world!

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Yes, thank you System. I would like nothing more than to select a Class. And another skill! I didn’t know what the difference between my normal bark and [Bark] was. It had to be something, because the System did nothing without purpose, at least in my experience.

“Tali! What are you doing all the way out there?” he quipped.

“Puppy!!”

It appeared her vocabulary was limited. Understandable, considering she was 3 years old.

“Ah, I see. Ol’ Apples must have finally birthed that litter.”

“Puppy!!”

“Yep, that’s a puppy.” He tousled Tali’s hair as he knelt down to examine my majestic form.

I stilled, allowing him to admire what a fine dog I was. I took the time afforded to become familiar with the illustrious man the System had named my “owner.”

He had chestnut brown hair, cut short and slightly wavy. He wore blue jeans and sneakers, with a plain white tee-shirt and a thick work jacket. The picture of a modern day farmer. Despite his appearance being modest, he seemed to genuinely love his daughter.

He knelt at her level, kissing her scrapes and bruises to make them all better. A deep green and brown aura coalesced as I used my new ability to smell colors. He smelled of cut flowers and a warm summer’s day.

“Well, aren’t you on your best behavior? I think we’ll call you Charlie.”

He reached over to scratch behind my ear and I couldn’t help but kick my back leg. I hadn’t even known that spot was itchy until he scratched it. I could get used to being a dog.

He named me Charlie! That was already my name, so I was sure there was some sort of System nonsense going on here. Regardless, the man had saved me from the clutches of Talia, so I was grateful.

“Run along back to your mother, Charlie. I’ll bring Tali around to play soon.”

He picked up Talia and smoothed out her dress, letting the remaining dirt and debris fall to the ground. They went inside, leaving me alone with my thoughts.