Chapter 2

The Beginning

The white light faded to nothing, for a moment I felt nothing, saw nothing, was nothing, but still somehow conscious. Then a capacity for emotion returned, and I felt terror. My mind shuddered, true nothingness, is not something the mortal mind is meant to tolerate. After a moment I felt something connect with me, and lost focus, I didn't understand why I had been so upset. I know now that the system had blocked me from thinking about it, until such a time as I could perceive it without damage. I was drawn out of my confusion by a message delivered three ways. Text appeared in my vision, a calming masculine voice spoke, and strangest of all, I simply felt the meaning.

Analysis Complete

Contract in line with primary task

System Integration Successful

New Soul Detected

Analyzing Soul

Verifying System selections with ruling entity.

Selections Altered

Rejoice! Due to an exceptionally rare opportunity, you will be incarnated into a unique entity.

The Ruling Entity has seen fit to equip you with many valuable aids.

Warning: you may experience mild disorientation and/or rapid mood shifts until the aids synchronize completely.

System Analysis has determined a short period of sequestration is necessary.

Allocating Additional Resources

Welcome to your new life

Name pending : choice postponed

Please relax, a place is being made for you.

Sleep

The last word resonated through me, a command that I could not hope to fight, all thought faded.

I'm not sure I have the ability to adequately describe what the experience of being placed into a completely foreign body is like.

I woke slowly at first, then all at once. Even with my eyes closed I felt completely overwhelmed. I noticed my sense of smell first, it fed me vast amounts of information. I couldn't interpret any of the smells, but a part of my mind filed them all away. I noticed my hearing next, it was quiet, but my breathing sounded like bellows, and I could easily hear the faint sound of the movement of cloth as my chest rose and fell. I noted with a start, there was something breathing other than me.

My eyes flew open and I shot up, sending sheets flying, I heard a ripping noise. I also ended up flat on my face on a thickly carpeted floor. I felt fear momentarily strike my heart as I heard a loud growl, before I realized it came from me.

"Woah there, calm down big guy. Don't rush things. Just stay still, and let yourself feel for a bit." It sounded like a child's voice, but it also sounded like good advice.

I groaned, and in a surprisingly deep voice that sounded like it was filtered through gravel before it exited my mouth, I asked the obvious questions "Who are you? Where am I?" After a brief pause I asked a very pressing additional question "What am I?" As I waited for a response, I felt the extremely disconcerting sensation of my tail lashing back and forth, periodically slamming into something soft, without any conscious input from me.

"I don't have a name, the System judged there was a high probability of failure if you were sent in without adequate time and assistance adjusting to your new life. I was generated to offer that assistance. You are currently located in a private space set aside for your use, you will stay here until you are ready. You appear to be a form of tiger demihuman? I am not certain, I will only have access to greater details if you accept my aid." The youthful voice said, from somewhere behind me.

For some reason I felt a sensation of offense at being referred to as a tiger demihuman, it wasn't that there was anything wrong with demihumans specifically, however I knew to my core that I was a superior creature.

Nothing up to that point was as unsettling as that set of thoughts, except for the fact that I realized I was growling again. Anger welled up along with the sense of having been insulted, I struggled against the preposterous idea that no one should be allowed to disrespect me like that and walk away unscathed. It took me some time to push back the foreign feelings, and force my growls to stop.

I couldn't help but think how absurd that line of thought had been.

First, I wasn't superior to a house cat right now, laying with my face practically buried in the carpet, I was still afraid to try to move.

Second, the kid didn't say it as an insult, he was just saying what he thought he saw.

Third, if fiction was to be believed demihumans were human-animal hybrids. I didn't even know what I was. Marilyn said the contract would make me a spirit beast, a sapient animal with some special powers, but she was pretty light on the details there. I guess I was a tiger? I didn't feel tiger shaped, and the childish voice had said they thought I was a demihuman. Something was obviously different from what I expected.

I still didn't know what I was, I only knew my instincts told me I was something more. "Spirit Beast, not demihuman" I growled out, unable to stop myself from at least correcting the kid.

"Oh dear, I see that now, a thousand pardons, Sir. Now just lay there as long as you need. When you feel you are ready, you should try to move very slowly." The kid said, actually sounding contrite.

I continued to lie on the floor for a few more moments, trying to slowly get acquainted with my new body. It wasn't long before I started feeling agitated at my situation. It was embarrassing, and I was keenly aware of the other person in the room with me, even if I hadn't yet seen them. Some new part of my mind also insisted that laying there exposed and vulnerable was intolerable , it pushed me to remedy the situation.

So I moved, slowly and carefully, and pushed myself into a sitting position. My tail seemed to move on its own, curling around to slap the side of my leg. That was when I got my first real look at my new body. I was covered in a thick layer of white fur, with wide black stripes, that tapered off on the insides of my arms and legs, and my chest and belly were stark white. Looking further down I realized this body was very much of the male variety. Strangely that didn't bother me one bit, everything about this body was new and different, but it felt right. It was new, certainly, but I was what I needed to be at the moment, that unshakable thought pressed itself firmly into my mind.

I blinked as I realized that maybe I should consider whether or not that feeling came from my own mind. In the very short time since I had woken up I had felt more than once how my thoughts were being shaped by something foreign to me. I was horrified that I was having a hard time trying to tell what was being altered.

Were these the aids the System mentioned? I wanted to reject them, if I could figure out how to do so. But after a moment's thought I knew that I wouldn't have been given such things without cause, and let it go. Not being freaked out by my new body was probably a very good thing.

So I mentally moved on. Since I had already taken the time to have a good look at my new body. I decided to take in the place I had woken up. I sniffed the air reflexively, though I had a hard time understanding what my sense of smell was telling me. The best way I can think to describe what it was like to gain that level of depth to a sense, would be like someone who was only ever able to see the world as blurry shadows suddenly being gifted exceptional vision.

The room I was in was small, and uninteresting at that moment. The first thing I wanted to do was locate the kid who had been talking to me. No, I needed to find them. Another being was in my space, and I needed to assess the threat.

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Seeing me looking around fruitlessly, the youngling said "Up here, big guy!"

My ears swiveled, locating the source of the voice. On a perch on the wall, was a sparkling silver dragon the size of a chihuahua. My eyes widened at the sight, I had always loved stories about dragons. Seeing one living and breathing in the room with me was awe inspiring, even if he was tiny. "Little dragon, you are beautiful!" I belted out without thinking.

The dragon preened at the words. "The system gave me this form because it determined that it would set you at ease. I must say, you should be made aware that if you were to run into a creature with my shape outside, it would be best to be wary."

I wanted to get closer to it, so I tried to stand up, and failed miserably, landing on my tail with a short roar of pain. As it turns out tails are pretty sensitive, I had a new appreciation for why cats always seemed to be so touchy about them.

I looked down at the reason for my failure to do something as simple as stand up, I had large digitigrade feet. They were equipped with a healthy set of retractable claws that were currently making my life even harder by being fully extended and snagged in the carpet. I somehow knew that their extension was a physical response to my agitated state. I had to calm down, before I could try to stand again.

I wasn't looking forward to learning how to walk again, currently it felt like trying to stand on my toes with a completely foreign center of gravity.

"Will you accept me as your personal assistant?" I heard the dragon ask out of nowhere, something about the words sounded like more than just a simple question. It sounded special, it felt like it was very important that I agree to take his help.

"I accept" I said immediately, the words practically pushing themselves out of my mouth without consulting my brain. The moment they came out I felt something outside of myself connect with my mind.

It should have been disturbing, but it felt comforting instead. The presence was like something that had always been missing, it was right.

As I sat there feeling the sense of wholeness, I noticed I was making another involuntary sound. I was purring, purring felt strange, good, like the sound of my own pur meant everything was perfect. I put my large clawed hand on my chest, and felt the vibration. It was weird, but a good sort of weird.

The little dragon flew over and landed on my leg. I reached forward and ran my hand down his back. He and I were linked now, I felt how he was a gift from the System itself. He was part of me, we shared a bond. I should have been worried, a faint part of my mind wanted to rebel against being invaded. But my brain was flooded with feelings of love and joy, it was irresistible.

I pulled the little dragon into a hug and put my head against him, my purr threatened to shake the room we were in. I felt him through our bond, felt how new he was, how helping me was coded into him, I also felt how he liked the novel sensation of being held. Then I felt a spark of sadness from the little creature. I pulled my head away, and asked "What's wrong?"

"Nothing to be concerned about, nothing you did." The sadness disappeared "We can take some time, but we do need to get to work. I want you to focus, try to feel a need to know every bit about yourself, think of the System telling you all about it."

I nodded, resolving to find out what had bothered him later. I could tell how important teaching me was to him. So I closed my eyes and focused.

Name Pending

Race : Spirit Beast

Level : 0

Class : Adventurer (Wild Mage)

Str 25 Con 20

Agi 20 Dex 6

Int 12 Wis 10

Per 30 Cha 3

Traits

Species Trait: Manavore

Species Trait: Aura of the Apex

Species Trait: Predator Instincts

Species Trait: Cat-Like Reflexes

Species Trait: Pride of the Apex

Species Trait: Bestial Form

Boons

Mana's Friend

Mana's Student

Goddess Mark: Belua

Imposing Frame

Sense Danger

System Assistant

Sense Mind

Abilities :

Mana Call

Mana Sight

Mana Manipulation

Mana Cycle

Assume Form

Forms available: Demihuman, Mana Beast

Contracts :

Belua:

Primary Objective

Integrate into human society

Secondary Objectives

Locate other spirit beasts

Convince spirit beasts to join civilization

Allowances :

● The goddess Belua has allowed you to tell anyone who needs to hear it that she has spoken to you, and ordered you to work with humanity, and to facilitate friendly relations between all sapients.

● The goddess Bellua has allowed some hostile action against sapients, only if you feel it furthers the ultimate objective.

Warning : intentionally harming sapients unprovoked outside of the allowances will result in System adjudicated punishment.

I gaped at the information, like before I received it three ways, what I felt from the stats was that an average, fit, healthy human male would rate a ten, twenty was a top tier athlete on earth. With 25 strength, I would have to learn to be very gentle with things. "That's a lot.. I'm pretty sure I have more Boons than I'm supposed to, not that I'm complaining. Wait, how am I supposed to accomplish my mission and win friends with that charisma? Is the System calling me an asshole? What the hell?"

The little dragon shifted in my arms "I want to answer, but I don't have access. To let me see your stats, you need to focus hard on allowing it."

I did so, without much thought as to whether or not it was a good idea. It turned out that it was easier to ask the System for something a second time. When I opened my eyes I saw him staring off into space. While he perused the data, I looked at my hands.

It was little wonder my Dexterity was only 6, my fingers were thicker than those of human hands. I seemed to be missing a joint too, they were more like long oversized paws with a nod towards being hands, than proper hands.

I flexed my fingers, and realized I wasn't missing a joint at all. The final joint was cocked back, and articulated wickedly sharp claws.

They really were paws with aspirations. I did manage to touch my thumb to all my fingers, but it was difficult, my joints were very stiff. I wondered if I would even be able to do something as simple as hold a pen.

I was drawn out of my contemplation by my tail, it was swiping back and forth again. I put my mind behind trying to still its movement. My tail slowed, but did not stop. When I got frustrated with the thing, it started swiping back and forth even more fiercely than before, heedless of my desires.

"Tails are meant to express emotions. You'll probably find you rarely have to worry about facial expressions, with the exception of anger. But your tail will move, stopping it is like stopping a smile, or a frown. You can learn, but it won't come naturally."

My little assistant looked at me. "That is quite the Status you have! I requested information on the boons from the System. You have extra because it registered a high chance of mission failure without them. The ruling entity, the goddess Belua, also seems to have taken a particular interest in your incarnation. So she requested that the System give you extra aid, and chose to supply a rather large stock of mana for use on you."

The little dragon puffed out his chest proudly. "That's why I was created! To make sure the goddess has not completely squandered her mana. Now your charisma stat, It's not meant to be a commentary on your personality, but your appearance. You are very likely to frighten people by just standing still. Did you know that you are eight feet tall? Well you will be when you learn how to stand anyway. Speaking of which." He jumped out of my arms and fluttered back to his perch. "Cuddle time serves a purpose, but we need to get you functional. Now, stand up, don't think about how to move, just do it. The System gave you strong instincts so you wouldn't take all year to be worth anything, use them."

I chuffed at him, surprising myself at the sound. The instincts he mentioned must be the source of my odd thoughts, I really couldn't say I appreciated them very much. But maybe they could have their uses.

It took me a couple tries to get out of my own head and just let my body move. But after a few minutes, and several reminders of just how sensitive the unruly new appendage on my backside was, I managed to stand.