Chapter 10 - I knew I liked you

“As fond as I am of your little blue windows Kai they make you vulnerable. And your still not hiding them.” Syl said

“Hiding them?”

“Yes!, watch me open my status sheet.”

Nothing happened.

“Nothings happening…” Kai said realising too late that that was the point.

“Exactly!” Sly cried out in exasperation.

“Alicia, can you make a quick system oath not to reveal our race to anyone either directly or indirectly without expressed permission from either of us.”

Alicia nodded.

“I Alicia, vow on the System not to reveal your race to anyone either directly or indirectly without expressed permission from either of you.” A piece of gilded card appeared and Alicia imminently tossed it as if it was nothing.

“Right,” Syl said starting another lecture, “The first thing you both need to understand is that the system is made up of parts. Everyone has their own personal system, it adapts and grows with them. It’s why Kais system behaves the way it does. Both of you, open your status sheets.”

With a thought a blue window appeared in font of him as a piece of paper appeared just in front of Alicia.

Syl grabbed Alicias paper before she could react.

“Do you see the problem with this?” Syl asked as she made a point of waving the paper about.

Alicia look confused, “it should break up, turn to dust.”

“Anyone with enough willpower will be able to stop your system from interfering with their own, the moment I took this from you it was mine.” Syl said as she scrunched up the piece of paper and tossed it over her shoulder. “Now try and take Kais status screen for yourself Alicia.”

Alicia reached across the table to grab the window but her hands just caused the blue screen to shift and dissipate as her hands travelled through it.

“What did you learn?”

“Kais personal system is better than mine?” Alicia answered tentatively.

“No its worse. It just can’t be taken physically. However,” Syl gestured and Kais blue window moved to sit in front of Syl instead of him “taking it is still a matter of willpower.”

“Hey, that’s mine.” Kai complained apathetically.

Syl Gave him a knowing look, “You didn't even fight me.” The window returned to sit back to where it was summoned.

“It has more problems then that.” Syl turned to Alicia and tilted her head his way, “Go look over his shoulder.”

Alicia got up and stood behind Kai.

“He doesn't even try to obscure his information does he, anyone with a decent perception skill can take a peak.”

Alicia didn’t say anything she just slowly walked back around the table and sat back down in a daze.

Kai closed his status and studied Alicia wondering what was wrong.

Her eyes were wide and she was blinking slowly.

“See something interesting Alicia?” Syl asked her with a knowing look.

“High’viairen, Kai is high’vei, I, I…” Alicia puled one of her note books close, opened it and froze with her stylus hovering just above the page unable to write anything because of her fresh system oath.

KAi looked at Syl, “the system put my race in terms she could understand didn’t it.”

“Yeah, seems it favoured the el’viairen bias this time.” Syl said as she tapped the table for a bit, lost in her own thoughts. “Its interesting that there is also a bias to the el’viairen as well as humans, could just be coincidence.”

“So high’vei is what el’vei call the… call the lost race.” Kai said.

“Seems so. Alicia you should see his traits, these two in particular.”

Another piece of paper appear in front of Alicia, she took it with trembling hands and started reading to herself.

“One of a kind? Adaptable…”

“Yeah, as I understand it, any children you two have will be pure el’viairen.” Syl said with a sly smile.

He really didn’t understand Syl, she confused him witless at times.

“I mean when we have kids they should come out as high’vei, but since I had to give up my body that’s going to have to wait.” Syl said as she stared him down from across the table.

“I don’t know if your coming or going…” Kai confessed, utterly bewildered.

Syl just sighed and turned to Alicia, “he has this trait too.”

“Clueless… I see it.” She said reading a fresh piece of paper.

“I’m sitting right here.” Kai grumbled.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Alicia you get one question before I move back to your personal systems.”

“Both of you are high’vei, so you are not actually a system guide…” Alicia said as she processed things out loud, “At least you are not just a system guide. Can, can I tell my master?”

“Why? does he need to know?” Kai asked.

“It changes everything, the adaptable progeny trait alone will put Kai at risk. My master is The Sage. He will know how to protect you from others, no one dares make him do anything he does not want to do. He has power, connections. I mean if he can get my mother to agree to the engagement that alone will afford you both protection.”

“Oh so now you like the contract?” Syl said teasingly, “You like Kai because he wont give you half human children? Or has he already started to grow on you?”

“I do not.. I think he is… I do not know what he is yet.” Alicia said as she tried to hide behind her notebook.

“I feel like I might be missing something.” Kai said.

Alicia looked at him tilting her head, “he doesn't know does he?”

“I tried to tell him ahead of arriving. but he kept saying stupid things, I wanted him to suffer a little,” Syl sighed, “I guess we will comeback to personal systems in a minuet.”

Syl reached out and took Kais hand in her own as if she was about to deliver bad news. “Alea’s population is skewed, over eighty percent of the population is female. Society is majorly matriarchal with males mainly living lives of luxury and polygamy.”

Syl gave him a moment for it to sink in.

“Bob said that I would love it.” He said as sudden thought of being locked in a room and forced to make babies with beautiful el’vei woman flittered across his mind, “is that why I need protecting, people will want me to have children with them?”

“Bob has a sick sense of humour.” Syl muttered. “And yes, if the wrong people find out you’re a pure baby making machine. You’ll be kidnapped and locked away in a lavish estate and forced to pump out snot nosed heirs one after another. And this if its the nice wrong people. Think permanent sex dungeon.” Syl said not looking at all pleased with the prospect. “You’re way too vanilla for that life and I’m not tagging along for the ride.”

He sighed, “I’m up for a bit of fun, but on my terms.”

Syl just rolled her eyes and continued, “They use System enforced contracts when arraigning partnerships. Like the bid the orec put it. Stuff like how many children or whether the farther gets to stick around. Your contract with Alicia is one between equals, its like a wedding ring, it doesn't do anything but form a connection between the two of you. Its more symbolic then anything else. Typically reserved for those who fall in love and don’t want complicated contracts confusing things.”

Kai fiddled with the soul ring on his ring finger, “Thanric said engaged and married, I kind of just zoned everything else out…”

“Oh we know.” Syl said.

“I thought I could just get the contract annulled.” Alicia added.

“I thought as much, but as you said, Kai being engaged to you protects him from others. I gambled and now I’ve decide to embrace it.” Syl paused, “Alicia you do realise you wont be able to annul anything, at least not until everything to do with the system event is resolved.”

“I, I did not think of that...” Alicia said, the conversation turning her a light shade of pink in her embarrassment.

“Why would the contract protect me if polygamy is common?” Kai asked, still feeling like he was missing something.

“Poaching a princess’s husband would be frowned upon.” Syl announced as if it was nothing.

“Alicia is a princess?”

Alicia nodded coyly.

“Because of course she is.” Kai said as he got up to pace a bit.

Alicia wouldn’t look at him.

“I thought Orrick was in a harem or something like that the moment I saw him. But he is married to all those woman isn't he?”

He had to wonder if it was Mistress of The House, or Mistress of The House.

“He has allot more wives then that.” Alicia said softly. “Each braid is a wife or favoured consort. They braid them themselves… it’s romantic.”

Kai found himself stroking his own meagre beard. “What were all the accessories for? I’m guessing its not a fashion choice.”

“Lots of things: things to commemorate important life events, gifts from his children and potential suitors he favours, or even things that bring him shame. Dwarves wear there beards proudly.”

“I’m guessing they don’t want to mix anything up then, the man jingled when he walked.” Kai chuckled just remembering the man.

“Yeah dwarves are complicated, your not even considered an adult until your beard reaches a foot long and a girl gives them their first braid.”

“By the way, you are going to have to shave. Unless you want a few dwarven ladies taking interest.” Syl said grinning maliciously.

He didn’t really want to shave, he looked like a child without his scruff of facial hair, but he was never actually happy with his beard. He also didn’t want to draw anymore attention then he already had.

Alicia piped up, “there’s an ointment you can get that stops hair growth. Its commonly used with human consorts…” Alicia realised what she was saying and turned a deep shade of red.

Syl just grin grew as she got up, “Since you’re up on your feet Kai I can show you the other problem you have with your personal system. Open your status and start reading it aloud for me.”

Happy to have a change of subject he opened his status window.

“Name: Kai, Race High’vei…. Oh hey my race chan-“

Syls fist came through the blue window scattering everything as she punched him straight in the face, knocking flat on his ass.

Syl looked down on him, “it makes you incredibly vulnerable to surprise attacks,” She said with her hand outstretched ready to help him to his feat.

“So to summarise, its obvious when both of you use the system, both of you make it too easy for your systems to be observed and intercepted, and Kai’s system is so in his face it distracts him.”

“So what we do? How do we fix It.” Alicia asked, once again scribbling in her book.

“Well normally things would change overtime as you get to use to the system, but its also possible for you to get stuck in your ways. Kai summon your status again, but this times try to keep it private, actually intend for it to be invisible to others.”

“You wont punch me again will you.” Kai said half in question, half in request.

“I promise not to punch you,” Syl said smiling apologetically.

Kai did as he prompted and once again summoned his status, just with a little added intent.

“Alicia you see anything?” Syl asked

“No, but I can tell he is looking at something.”

“Exactly,” Sly said as she kicked Kai in the gut.

Grunting Kai blurted,“You said you wouldn't… oh you evil woman you.”

“Definitely didn’t punch you,” She went back to the table. “Both of you need to work on wanting to know stuff, even feel it. When you want to see your stats, messages, notifications, change your desire. Focus on simply knowing what it is you seek. You will eventually be able to feel your status without even thinking about it.”

“Let me guess, it can make the difference between life and death?” Kai said rubbing the spot Syl kicked him, he was just glad she hadn’t manifested a blade to make her point.

“Say you take an injury in a fight, you wont have to even stop to look at it or your status, you'll just know if it needs attention or if you can just continue to fight a bit longer. It’s faster and you’ll find you can process things instinctively with practice.”

“If your not actually a system guide how do you know all this? This is a literal treasure trove of knowledge.” Alicia asked seriously as she patted one of her note books.

“Alicia its complicated I… I can’t even tell you. Lets just say my job for the entire time Kai was stuck in a time loop was directly involved in system integration. Kai lost almost all his memories and I lost my job and all its privileges.” Syl said as she looked up at her core above them, “luckily I lost all its restrictions too, so its not so bad.”

“Can I tell my master? I mean it explains why Kais want is to get you a body. I want to help,” Alicia hid behind her note book again, “it’s romantic.”

Kai just barely heard her whisper the last part, he didn’t think he was being romantic at all, Syl more than deserved a body.

Syl however got up and pulled the little el’vei woman into a hug, “I knew I liked you.”