“I surely do not know what you mean, as I am no longer privy to your thoughts, though my class does assist me with an awareness of your needs. I believe the ability even contains some minor divination properties to allow me to meet those needs before you, yourself are aware of them.”

I raised a paw to cover my eyes, frustrated with what I was certain was a deliberate evasion of my question.

“That is a very interesting ability Thorn, but what was this about people pledging themselves to me? I'm in no place to be guardian. If we forget for a moment that I've still got a lot to learn about living in this world, and I don't feel ready to be responsible for the safety of others, which I think should disqualify me as a Guardian, there's the very important matter of my mission. Even if the mana here wasn't so thin that I feel like I'm starving, I wouldn't be able to stay in Brightwood. Belua has requested that I go elsewhere.”

The hearty scent of life mana tickled my nose, and I removed my paw from my eyes to see Thorn holding a fistful of life crystals in front of my face. I gulped them down without thinking, I still had the presence of mind to be careful not to harm my companion's hands.

I closed my eyes, enjoying the sensation of the crystals dissolving. As much as I enjoyed eating normal food, the densely packed mana in those crystals gave me more of what I really needed. Life was definitely my favorite, I wished I could eat them for every meal, but such a diet would get expensive fast.

“Where did you get those? I know I didn't have any in my pack.” I barely stopped myself from asking if he had more. He answered the unspoken question anyway by holding out another handful as he spoke.

“The System granted me a few hundred gold to help get me started after my evolution. I picked them up for you last night. Don't worry, you can pay me back once the sale of the wood goes through.”

I couldn't help but purr as he presented me with a third handful of the savory mana.

“Thank you.” I said, feeling warmth radiating out of my belly. I was so enraptured by the feeling that I forgot what I'd been so irritated about. My eyes were focused on his hands looking for more. I was a little disappointed when the brush reappeared in his hands, and he returned to his previous task.

I relaxed under his hands and had almost fallen asleep when he spoke quietly.

“I'm well aware that we must leave. The people I found are also aware. They are all of high enough level to follow you if they choose. But even if they do not, they will be in a much better place then they started. Frankly, these people need help you are uniquely positioned to give.”

I flexed my claws as a sudden impulse to find the people who needed my help slammed into my mind, it was one of the least subtle influences that I'd ever felt. That didn't make it automatically easy to resist. Only the fact that I had told Torill I would stay put, combined with the rational knowledge that whatever the people needed, it wasn't an emergency kept me from running off like a madman.

“That was uncalled for, why did you have to put it like that?” I didn't keep my frustration from filling the background of my message.

“I’m sorry, creator, I did not do that intentionally. I have to admit, much of my speech is… well… It's assisted by one of my class abilities. It is meant to help me speak properly, and allow me to sway others to my point of view.”

“I see, well consider me swayed, explain what I need to do.” I didn't bother to comment on my feelings about having an ability that altered what you said. It wouldn't be the worst System feature to have, triggering my new Concept was definitely effective.

“Yes, well, it's quite simple. You meet the supplicants, listen to what they have to say, and give your approval. We will have to ask Torill to act as spirit talker, but fear not, her role will only be communicating intent. I cannot be sure, but I believe their spirits will jump at the opportunity to link themselves to a new rising Legend.”

“What do they gain? Aren't they already pledged to Guardians?”

“If you mean the demihumans, their reasons are for them to tell, it is a part of the ritual. If you mean the spirits, I believe you should ask Torill. I don't actually know the details.”

“I see. When she shows up, you are going to be the one to explain what you've set up.”

“Of course.”

While we waited Thorn finished grooming me, and even produced a rag and shined up the jeweled collar that my clothes became when I shifted. The large green jade-like stones that were based on the necklace I had purchased from Hoyt seemed to bring out more of the green in my tri-colored glowing stripes.

It was something I'd never had the opportunity to notice before since I routinely dismissed my collar in my true form. I didn't think it meant that the stones I had imbued enhanced my connection to life mana, though it was possible that they might. It just made.the green stand out more. The blue and yellow in my stripes showing my connection to air and water were still plainly visible, and not at all suppressed by whatever was going on.

I did know that the necklace made it harder for death mana to notice me. It was something that pleased me with my newly enhanced revulsion when I even momentarily thought of the stuff. I would still probably avoid wearing it in combat. My instincts were flatly opposed to the idea of giving my enemies something to so easily grab hold of.

It didn't take very long for Torill to get back. Heroic’s constant pulsing need to help those who needed me made it feel like hours. As soon as Thorn finished with me, I began pacing.

When she finally opened the door, I held myself back from pouncing on her by the thinnest thread of will.

I sent, “Get explaining” grumpily to Thorn. He jumped to do so, I felt a little bad since he seemed slightly nervous.

She listened, and nodded.

“Sure that makes sense, I might join them. I could even bond with a spirit, it's not too late for me, given my class. There are plenty of minor spirits hovering around you now for me to ask.”

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“I accept? What would that mean for you?”

“Well it would mean that I get to keep a part of you with me for the rest of this life. I'd end up changed physically, given my class' advantages I would be very likely to resemble your demihuman form. I'd appear to be a spirit's chosen. That would be funny, considering how this life grew up as the opposite of that.”

“Can you explain what the spirits get from this?”

“Oh sure that's easy. What you are agreeing to is to let them feed off your Legend. In the short term, it slows your Concept growth. In the long term, it allows for a unique form of Concept sculpting.”

My ears perked up at that, I knew Concepts held power, but I wasn't entirely sold on them being worth it. Slowing their growth wasn't something that would bother me.

Torill smiled as she saw the interest in my eyes.

“Yeah I thought you'd like that. The way the Concept sculpting works might weird you out a little bit though. Demihumans pick an aspect of their Guardian that they want to enhance in themselves, and ask their spirit to give it to them. It doesn't have to be a Concept they have. It just has to be something they personally see in you.”

“Don't tell me…”

Torill laughed, and nodded.

“Because of their spirit’s direct mystical connection to your Legend, and the fact that they will be thinking of that aspect of you several times a day, every day. It will eventually grant you a Concept. This is why it is important to discuss what they want of you before you grant them your approval.”

My eyes widened, and I nodded.

“What would you want?”

“Your outlook. There's a small chance I could get the same Concept I gave you. Which would probably be something like, unflappable, I don't know for sure. Don't say you aren't, I'm well aware that you can't perfectly embody a Concept you don't have. I still see it in you.”

“That… I don't think I'd mind that Concept. How do we start?”

“Oh we won't get to me until we see to the others, there's going to be a pretty substantial downtime for me when the spirit alters my body.”

“And you're okay with the change to your form?”

“Angel, I'm not a new Contractor. I'm not attached to this incarnation’s looks. I think it will be for the best anyway.”

“Alright, that makes sense. Should we go meet them?”

I looked at Thorn.

“Are they nearby?”

“Quite, they are staying in these very apartments for the day. Samuel insisted on it when I asked him to let them in. I will bring them here. It would be improper for you to go to them.”

I shrugged as he walked off. I was pretty sure it was very early in the morning, but it was Thorn's fault for telling me they needed help.

Torill and I moved to the smaller room that had once been my bedroom, and spoke about my new Concepts while we waited. It took nearly an hour.

Thorn used the circle on the door to officially announce the visitors. Torill told me to stay put and let them in.

There were only five people which set my heart at ease, from the way Thorn had talked, I had expected more. What shocked me was that Samuel was among them.

They filed in quietly, they each stared at me for a moment before they got down on their knees in front of me. One of them, a person in filthy tattered robes with a hood obscuring his face, seemed to be slower than the rest, their movements screamed of pain. I wanted to tell them to stay standing, but Thorn sent me a telepathic message.

“I see that look in your eyes, this is part of the ritual, do not speak yet.”

I stayed silent, and waited.

“Who comes before the Lord? Speak your request.” Torill said, surprising me.

The first to respond was a woman with a thick coat of dark brown fur and tiny round ears. I wasn't sure what beast she got the features from.

“I am called Anya, and I seek to bind myself to a new lord.” She spoke quietly, and I could smell how nervous she was. She smelled so much like prey that my stomach growled.

“Why?” Torill asked.

She looked at the man she had been kneeling close to.

“I wish to have children with my husband, and neither of us are welcome in our clans.”

“What do you envy?”

I raised an eyebrow at the word choice.

“I can tell he sees what others cannot. I envy his perception.”

That didn't sound so bad, and I certainly wasn't opposed to helping young love flourish.

I inclined my head at her, and saw a glowing smile grace her face.

The man spoke next, his name was Peter, I had no trouble identifying the Lion in him, he was built like a furry bodybuilder. He obviously came for the same reason as Anya. He envied my strength.

I nodded, expecting the rag adorned person to speak up, but a woman spoke instead. Her name was Leona, she was a wandering bard. She was cut off from her original Guardian because the people of her clan were not allowed to leave. The poor woman looked entirely human, even Torill had some beast-like traits. She envied my beauty, I wasn't sure how I felt about that, but I nodded.

The robed person spoke next. His name was Gregor. He had once been a hunter, and had lost his class after he was exiled from his home. He had been found guilty of murder for killing a wolf by accident when it and its pack tried to steal a fresh kill of his. His clan's Guardian forbade the killing of wolves as he considered them all to be extended family. It apparently did not matter that the wolf was the aggressive one.

The poor man had been a spirit's chosen, his former clan had done their very best to take away all that the Guardian had given him. When he pulled his hood back, I saw that his body was covered in scars.

I couldn't stop myself from shifting my core to life and healing him as he began to answer the envy question. Everyone but Torill gasped at the small display of power, even Samuel. It hadn't even been hard, it was like the man's body wanted to soak in the life mana that I sent his way through my aura.

“Power, I envy your power.” He gasped.

Samuel looked at me next. I had always wondered what brought him to Brightwood. He seemed to truly miss the Homeland if the shine in his eyes when he spoke of it was any indication.

He told me how he had been run from his home. My heart went out to the man when he told his story.