Once upon a time, there was a mighty Wolf-kin, Zenyir.
He was the most vicious [Warrior] in his pack, the biggest and strongest, the most skilled, the highest leveled.
When he took his first lover Dialen, his second in almost everything, the pack rejoiced, because surely the 2 most skilled [Warriors] they had would birth a litter of fierce pups.
Dialen died too soon, far too soon, leaving his husband with naught but shattered dreams of a life unlived.
For 3 days and 3 nights Zenyir howled, declaring his grief to the world.
Then, on the fourth morning, just a
*The next few pages are burned out.
Excerpt from the tragedy “Zenyir and the Garden of Ash”, Author unknown.
...ly CUTE!
Out of the bushes sprang a tiny furball of a wolf. it landed in a practiced manner reminiscent of a child trying to copy a [Hero]. It was looking at them but it seemed off, it almost looked to be seeing through them.
Li gaped at the creature while simultaneously grabbing and shaking Jayce’s arm like a kid wanting their parent’s attention..
"Jay-jay... am I crazy or is there the cutest little wolf in existence in front of us." Li whispered, unsure if he was delusional.
Jayce flinched, and Li realized he hadn't used a nickname for Jayce since they were still friends.
He recovered quickly, however.
"Nah Lily, I see it too... but be careful, look what's in it's mouth."
Li looked back and squinted, his base-human eyes only just able to spot a wing sticking out of it's mouth. It was chewing.
"Oh gods!"
Li's outburst made the wolf eye's latch on to Li, as if only now truly seeing him.
It ran towards him with an agility you wouldn't guess from its small legs.
As it reached him, the wolf spit out the winged… something and looked up at Li, as if expecting praise.
“Oh FUCK.” Jayce hauled Li to him and pointed his sword at the mauled corpse.
“W-what is it?”
“It’s a Mind Melder. It’s psychic, screws with emotions, it must’ve been fucking with us.”
Li took a beat to collect himself.
“Creates? Or just manipulates.” Li murmured warily, heart already knowing the answer.
“Nothing that would ever bother with us can create emotions, it only can…enhance…”
The silence stretched between them.
“We both meant it...” Li finished for his former friend.
“If you both [Ashamed Betrayer] [Dwindling Flower] fully meant those things, you would’ve killed each other by now.”
At the same time the words rung in Li’s mind, the wolf huffed haughtily.
“Jay…?”
“I heard it too. Looks like the Mind Melder isn’t the only thing that can fuck with us here.”
“Don’t underestimate it [Trickster Pixie], it can ignite the smallest hint of [Anger] into a rampaging [Bloodlust].”
Li got a mild headache hearing the strange wolf talk. It was like 2 realities laid on top of each other, 2 symphonies played in tandem.
Words and Concepts.
Assigned meaning and [Truth].
“Why did you kill it?”
“Why? Because it [Spirit Breaker] was [Delicious] of course, and plus, it helped the two of you [Son of Starfire] [Silent Melody] out, so win-win!”
“Uh…” Li thought for a moment. This wasn’t a good spot, obviously this thing was strong, perhaps too strong. It lingered on them for too long, waiting.
Li was hit with the memory of his job, the higher leveled people who went to MoonDoe, the ass-kissing they wanted.
Li tried not to gag as he let his voice slip into a sickening sweet tone.
“Well, thank you for the assistance, Mr…?”
“[Mother] calls me [Son], and you are welcome, [Li Salatur]."
Li gave a small grimace of a smile as the pain spiked at the names. Concept lacking the veneer of a word.
Perhaps names were different somehow, a true word… a true… Concept?
"Son? That’s… not a name.” Jayce said, confused.
The wolf glared at Jayce with distain.
“Oh, and do you have a better option, [JAYCE]?”
It was hard not to see the venom in his words, even the headache once again spiked in response to his anger.
“How about Zenyir?” Li blurted out the first thing in his head.
The wolf paused and looked at Li with a thoughtful expression.
Jay however looked unimpressed.
“Seriously? A name from a wolf-kin story… for the wolf?”
Li blushed at that, perhaps it had been a touch unoriginal.
“I like it… it sounds… strong... ok, Zenyir it is.”
Li noticed that Zenyir hadn’t spoken using Concepts, not even the minor infusion of meaning that created a constant drone in Li’s head.
His voice had sounded softer, less harsh.
“Is there anyway we can assist you, Zenyir"
Your words are so odd, they lack... substance. Can you not speak in Concepts? That'd make this much easier."
"Unfortunately not, Zenyir."
"Hmph." Zenyir huffed annoyedly. "Well, I guess [Yearning Creator] you'll have to do, I'm... [Alone]… I need an escort home.”
Jayce piped up at that… once again.
“You… can’t get home in your own? But don’t you live her-”
“It’s not my fault! Usually… [Mother] kills the monsters…
Jay glanced at Li, who nodded slightly.
Li had a bad feeling that “No.” wasn’t an option.
It was like the moment he thought of saying no, a little voice in the back of his head told him to say yes.
That the only thing he’d ever wanted in life was to say yes.
“Ok, we’ll do it… just no weird mind shit, alright?”
Zenyir grumbled, but spat out the… corpse, and began to walk a few steps in front of the students.
Bodyguards to a weird mind wolf… this is why you don’t go into the fucking [Monster Ground].
***
“What is that noise?”
“Uh… I don’t know, I don’t have System-enhanced senses… what’s it sound like?”
“Like… buzzing. It’s getting clo- is that a… fuck… RUN!”
***
“[S-shit]!”
“Did Zenyir just fall into a ditch?”
“A little help?!”
“Don’t worry, Jayce’ll get you!”
”Huh?! When’d I agree to that?!”
”You're the one with the system powers here, now go, put that Strength to use.”
***
“So… you’re sure you know where yo-”
“Of course I know, I can sense [Mother] from here.”
“Really? How?” Li interjected, curiosity getting the better of him.
They’d been walking for a while now, the 2 humans following the wolf’s lead.
Zenyir seemed to know where he was going and, considering they hadn’t run into any monsters yet, seemed to know where everything was.
“Oh, I can see her [Soul].”
Jayce stopped walking and stared at the wolf.
“You can WHAT?!”
“Well, I’m not strong enough to see her actual soul, but I can see her concepts easily enough. Especially because I know her well.”
Li almost giggled as he imagined smoke coming out of Jayce’s ears.
“I think you broke Jayce so I’ll ask, what are Concepts and how do you see them.
“Oh, um… hm. I guess I’ll explain it as [Mother] had to me. Can we stop for a moment? My legs are beginning to hurt and this is a long speech anyways.”
Li noted that Zenyir slowly gotten used to the two’s style of speech, and had subconsciously stopped using as many Concepts. It was nice to get a break from the semi-migraine.
Soon Li and Zenyir were sitting at the base of a large tree, Jayce graciously choosing to keep watch.
“Oh, do you need help with your feet? I brought some herbs along just in case.” Li remembered to ask, not wanting the baby wolf to get blisters or something.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
“You did? Why?” Jayce asked, turning to look at Li in surprise.
“Oh because I had a feeling you’d drag us into something unsafe… Just like now.” Li explained, smirking as Jayce’s smile dropped.
Jayce coughed awkwardly and turned his head away.
“Oh, my feet are fine I’m just not used to walking so much, thank you though Li.”
“Why were you even out here alone?” Li questioned.
Zenyir dropped his head and Li got the feeling that if he were human he’d be blushing.
“I… wanted to explore the forest… Mother told me I was too young and she had been too busy to go with me so I snuck out… I guess she was right.”
“Oh… well…” Li wasn’t quite sure what to say, he understood the curiosity, but the wolf seemed young.
[Mother], she… she’s loves me, I know but… she’s so…”
Zenyir searched for the words.
“Never feel bad for wanting freedom, even if your plan was a bit messy.”
Jayce told Zenyir, eyes bright and voice commanding. It was as if he already knew what Zenyir was trying to say.
Li didn’t pry into the obvious implications, it wasn’t his business.
Zenyir looked up at Jayce with wide eyes.
“I just wish I could be selfish, why can’t I love her and also…”
Zenyir stops talking, as if he just now realized how much he’d said.
“I-I’m rambling, Concepts, that’s what you asked about. Concepts are fragments of creation, the whole world is made up of concepts and so are people.
“For example… Jayce has the Concept of [Warrior]. I’m guessing that’s his class?”
“Y-You can see my class by looking at my soul… that’s… pretty cool actually.”
Jayce admitted with wide eyes, looking impressed.
“I can also see personality and emotions, but those get… blurry. Confusing. They change from moment to moment and are rarely the same twice.”
“Mother can wield Concepts as weapons, but I’m too young for her to teach me that. It’s strong though.”
“What about me! Tell me a concept I have!”
Li demands excitedly. It was like going to a fortune teller! At least, a [Fortune Teller] not a fortune teller.
“Like I said, it’s muddy… and intimate… The best I can say without saying too much is… You’re a [Lonely Student].”
Li flushes at the title.
“Pffftt, that’s adorable, Lonely Little Student.”
“Don’t think you’re any better, [Love-Sick Adventurer]. Also you don’t say it like that, it’s [Lonely Little Student].”
Jayce stopped and pouted at Zenyir.
“Ok, it’s not funny when it happens to me.”
“How do you talk in concepts?”
“It’s like… forcing an intention into your voice, I can try to teach you… but I’m not like Mother.”
“That’d be lovely Zenyir, thank you.”
Zenyir gave Li what he assumed was a smile.
“Walk and talk nerds, break’s over.”
Jayce interjected, slipping his bag into his shoulders.
“…How about we start with the concept [JERK]?”
***
“Wait… I think I got it… [J][e][r][k]… is that right?”
“It was close, but it’s [Jerk]. Try to enforce an image when you do it… like a rude [Warrior] for example.”
“Har-har, you two are so funny.”
“[Jerk]. Wait, this is kinda like saying the name of a class!”
“Yeah, apparently the system helps you do that automatically, Concepts are the language of the system.”
“So if Jayce had the [Jerk] Class, I’d say it… Oh I just did!”
“It helps when you imagine the words as Classes when starting out. But don’t use it as a crutch, else you’ll never really get fluent.”
“[Right], [Thanks] [for] [the] [Lesson].”
“Ha, that’s what I started out like too. Eventually you’ll be able to use it more… classily. As you are now it’s like your saying everything as a seperate sentence.”
“I’d teach you to sense Concepts, but I’m not nearly good enough at it to give a tutorial.”
“Jeez, this is har-”
“We’re close.” Zenyir suddenly said, tone a bit more subdued now.
“Where abouts is your home?” Jayce asked, tone also more severe now.
“That cave.”
Zenyir gestures to a dark, dingy cave. Li couldn’t help but grimace. No place to raise a child, not as a sapient mother.
Li glanced over at Jayce who had a similar expression.
“It’s nicer on the inside.” Zenyir explained after sensing their unhappiness.
“Let’s go then, hope [Mother]’s in a good mood.”
“Oh yes, because all mother’s are happy after their children sneak out.” Jayce rolled his eyes with no real malice.
“I-I’m allowed to hope!” Zenyir stammered, knowing Jayce was right. Jayce grinned good-naturedly at the wolf.
Li interjected with a dramatic groan.
“Let’s just go in please, my legs are getting tired and I wanna eat something.”
As the three walked into the cave, a subtle magic began to seep in.
It dulled the senses and obscured vision.
They could still see each other, but not much else.
Despite that, it was clear the cave was much bigger on the inside.
Zenyir silently led the way, the magic seemingly only for guests… or intruders.
After a minute or two they entered a room where the distorting magic was stronger… scarily strong.
It made Li want to run and hide.
Li felt a presence in front of him, huge and powerful.
He stifled a need to kneel and beg for mercy.
Jayce seemed to struggle with the same urge, while Zenyir seemed unaffected by the presence nor the magic.
“Hello… Mother.”
The magic intensified, and it was as if the whole universe had gone dark and blurry at the edges.
LI.
I CAN SEE YOUR FEAR.
[UNWITTING HARBINGER,
TIGER-SOUL HUNTER,
MAGE,
CONSUMING GRIEF,
LIFE-TOUCHED,
HUMAN,
OPERATOR,
GOLEM'S LOVE,
LI SALATUR].
I CAN SEE YOUR SOUL.
I SEE WHAT YOU’VE DONE.
PAST AND PRESENT, I SEE YOU.
----------------------------------------
NOT EVEN YOUR SYSTEM CAN HIDE YOU FROM SOME. REMEMBER THAT, CHILD.
Li. This woman can penetrate the Stasis. She is powerful indeed.
----------------------------------------
YOU HAVE CARED FOR MY SON DURING HIS… ESCAPADE.
FOR THIS SERVICE I SHALL REPAY YOU.
BUT.
HE
[LIGHT-TOUCHED,
WARRIOR OF GOOD,
REGRETFUL TRAITOR,
EVERLASTING DEFENDER,
GIRVIRE'S GIFTED,
CHAMPION OF THE AOITIAN WILDS,
HUMAN,
SUN KNIGHT INITIATE,
SOL'S BELOVED,
DUELIST,
HERO OF IHUNA VALLEY,
ONE-WHO-FELL-INTO-THE-DARK,
JAYCE VIAN]
IS TO BE PUNISHED.
HE SHALL BE MURDERED FOR HIS CRIMES AGAINST MY CHILD.
"W-what crimes?! He hasn't done anything wrong!"
HE HAS THOUGHT OF HARMING MY [SON, CHILD, SPAWN] 12 TIMES SINCE THE TWO HAVE MET.
THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE, DIE.
“Telling the truth isn’t harming him. I’ve only ever thought of telling him exactly why he should want to leave. Telling him the consequences of staying isn’t harming him. The only person in this room hurting him is you.”
YOUR INSOLENCE WILL HAVE CONSEQUENCES, [VIAN].
”And so will your strangling grip.”
[SILENCE]!
"no, no, no, No, NO, NO, NO! JAYCE!"
HE ONLY HAS HIMSELF TO BLAME.
MOTHER! I-
SILENCE [SON], [MOTHER] KNOWS BEST.
“Y-you… you said you’d repay me, yeah?! So repay me then! Don’t let him die!”
HM?
“DON’T LET HIM DIE, SAVE HIM! …Please...”
…
“Mother… please.”
I… FINE. THERE IS A HEALING POTION NEAR THE ENTRANCE, BY THE COINS, IT’S [GREATER]. AND SON… USE YOUR CONCEPTS WHEN YOU SPEAK TO ME.
“But… [Mother]… you aren’t… never mind… [Gratitude].”
“…I get that I cashed in a favor for this, but thank you…”
I’M NOT GIVING YOU THAT BECAUSE OF A FAVOR, I’M GIVING YOU IT BECAUSE MY SON IS ODDLY FOND OF YOU HUMANS. DESPITE WHAT YOUR LOVER MAY THINK, I DO NOT WISH TO HARM MY… ZENYIR.
AND LI? CONGRATULATIONS ON GETTING YOUR FIRST CLASS. EVEN IF MY ZENYIR ISN’T A PET TO BE TAMED.
GOOD LUCK, [HUNTER, MAGE, TAMER, [REDACTED], [REDACTED], [REDACTED]]
AH, IT APPEARS YOUR SYSTEM ISN'T FOND OF SPOILERS, SO I’LL LET YOU GO.
…Visit Sometime. Zenyir Would Love To See You Again.
…he’s worried about you.
CRASH!
***
You have a very formidable ally there, she and her son both. You really should visit.
“Was…that her? Like the present her? Was she invading the memory?”
Yes to all three.
“Is she still around? Can she still hear us?”
No. She was pushed out when the memory ended.
“She’s… scary.”
Indeed. And if you took [Tamer], you could have companions just as powerful, look behind you.
Li turned around in the soul… space. And there it was.
The gate smelled of wet fur and hot chocolate and thousands of other lovely moments.
Beyond it was like a collage. Packed together memories with his beloved monsters.
A zap of nostalgia diluted with sadness filled Li…
Goobie… his childhood dog.
He loved that mutt, and considering the dog was Level 8 and hadn’t mauled him to death for Li’s childhood antics, the dog loved him back.
And then his parents…
They…
Li…
”I was supposed to take care of him.”
”I was supposed to be there for him.”
“I failed.”
You were so young… you were set up to fail.
“And he still paid the consequences.”
And yet he still loved you to the end.
“What use is love when you’re dead? Jayce’s dead, I know he loved me, and yet all that love died with him.”
And yet all the love still mattered, didn’t it? And it still exists… in you.
“…”
…The system is only supposed to show a total of one memory per class.
“Yeah… and?”
I won’t tell if you don’t.
***
Goobie loved the funny words.
He loved the way they made him stronger, tougher.
“Jayce talked to me again today… He’s so cool! I heard his dad was some important guy… I forgot why. I’ve seen him though, he’s all buff! It… makes me feel weird, am I weird Goobie?”
But most of all he loved how they made him understand more.
Understand his Master more.
“Goobie… why do they hate me?”
Now he understood why his Master cried, why he smiled, what Goobie could do for his master.
He loved his Master.
“G-Goobie! Stop licking me! It tickles!”
He saw the other dogs, and understood that most dogs didn’t “level” as he did.
And he loved Li more, because he was the cause of the funny words.
“Goobie! Fetch!”
If it meant that smile on his Master’s face, he’d fetch.
You have Fetched!
Granting Tamer Experience!
Tamer Experience Reduced by 50% because of your Master’s lack of a Tamer Class!
Good Boy!
The funny words would only ever be a nice bonus.
As long as he had his Master…
“When will they stop fighting?”
“They hate each other more then they love me...”
“You are pathetic, boy.”
“GOOBIE!”
“Please don’t leave me alone…”
Goobie was happy.
***
Li couldn’t even ask how the system did that, it hadn’t even been his memory.
All Li could do was sob.
“I… It’s… It’s not fair! It’s never fair! I fight and I fight and I never win.
I know Li, but it should’ve been. You deserved to win.
…Someday, right?
Another spike of grief hit Li, as he remembered his conversation with Jayce 1 year ago…
“I know what happened with Goobie, but would you ever consider getting another dog, Lily?”
“Someday… I don’t want to replace him, I’ve already forgotten him…”
Love isn’t finite. Make space in your heart for another. And as for memory, if Intelligence isn’t enough I’ll help you get a memory skill… alright?
“Alright… thank you.”
I’m your System… it’s my job.
“You deserve better…”
Oh Li… I wouldn’t have chosen anyone else.
Three more… are you ready?
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
I’m proud of you, Li. I’m sure Jayce would be too.
”I… really hope so.”
I know so.
Let’s go Li, we’ll get through this.
“Yeah…”
Generating Classes…