Dan stood and stared dumbly at the twilight raven. He opened his mouth. He closed his mouth. It probably looked a bit like a fish trying to breathe air. Finally, words happened.

"I, uh, am honored that you would consider such a partnership. We do not know one another well. On my world, I was a scholar of contracts. I have little patience for some things, it is true, especially right now, but I have great interest in and great patience for learning about the contract you just mentioned. Thank you for the short answer. Would you please give me the long and detailed answer as to what type of partnership we are discussing?"

The bird hopped on its branch and cocked its head.

"Really? A scholar of contracts? Truly, the System works in mysterious ways. That may well be a reason why you were gifted the rare and powerful class of Esper, then dropped in my humble wood upon passing your initial trial. But enough of an old bird's musings.

A level five Esper with Sense Aether unlocked has access to the perk 'Aether Contractor'. That opens as an option the Aether Ability 'Contract Familiar'. Aether Contracts are binding agreements enforced by the System. You don't want to break them. That goes badly. Familiar Contracts are a branch on the Aether Contract tree. They bind a master of a System integrated race, such as you, with another being such as a noble beast like me as a familiar. They are, sadly, unequal from their root, and can not grow into fair shapes. A master will always remain a master. But those formed through the 'Contract Familiar' Aether Ability can come much closer to just than those formed by crueler methods. We may negotiate terms, and both must agree. Neither can be forced into the master/familiar bond.

I will speak now of why I would consider such a thing, as you will have trouble listening to any other words until I do. For those of System races like you and for noble beasts like me, there is a wall at level twenty. For each wall, there is a stone to break it. My kind forms the stone to break our wall when our Perception reaches 100. We gain our first level when we hatch, then another with each twenty years of life until stopped by the wall. With each level, we gain three Perception. The only reliable method my kind has found to get the last 40 points of Perception is by submitting to an Esper as familiar. There is a perk available at level 18 to Espers that grants their familiars, permanently, half of the Esper's highest attribute. So long as that attribute is Perception, and is at least 80, we can break our wall. More than most beings, twilight ravens have need to break their walls.

If we were to form a partnership, I would insist, among other conditions, that the Aether Contract require you to select that perk when you reach level 18, and that you ensure Perception is both your highest attribute and at least 80 at that time. Neither of those conditions should be a challenge for an Esper. It is why Espers and twilight ravens get along so very well.

Do you understand so far, Daniel Martin?"

Dan looked at the bird. It was large for a raven, with beautiful black feathers, and looked to be in perfect health, but also just looked like a bird. The bird being more powerful, older and smarter than him was taking some getting used to. That was a moment's thought and did not distract him from the matter at hand, which he felt he understood quite well. Which left him quite confused.

"I believe so, yes. In order to advance past level twenty, you need to become the familiar of an Esper, and we are a rather rare class. For that to happen on mutually agreeable terms, it must be through an Aether Contract accessible by a Perk and an Aether ability I can take. In other words, my realm shift dropped me into the domain of a powerful noble beast that happens to need exactly me as a potential master and has reason to watch over and protect me. Doesn't that seem odd?"

The raven cocked its head twice, a strange mechanical movement like the tick of second hand on a clock. That seemed to be one of its primary expressions of body language. "Somewhat, yes. As I said before, it may be linked to your prior study of contracts. I suspect the System at times takes notice of such things. You are an Esper, and so must have been given a Blessing by the System. What was it, and what was its rarity?"

"Chosen Esper, R10 Legendary Rarity."

Lord First Ray of Dawn Through Wet Leaves cocked his head twice to the left, four times to the right, twice more to the left, then hopped in place three times. It seemed that even sapient, centuries old birds could not think while standing still. It was undeniably cute. Dan was uncomfortable in recognizing it as such, because the reality was that the alien before him was an enormously powerful existence, the strongest being he'd ever been in physical proximity with (Sam admitted the orientation took place in a simulation). And it was an adorable hopping bird. He wanted to pet its feathers. That impulse was not at all difficult to restrain, but it was there, and irked him. He had no reason, none at all, to feel superior to this creature, not even in something so minor as finding them cute.

The raven spoke. "Truly? A Chosen with a R10 Blessing? By the three moons! If I did not know you believed, I would be certain you lied. There have been other Chosen in this world, all remarkable, all powerful, but no Espers that I know of. I also do not know of any others who have received R10 Blessings. I have lived long and learned much, but there are many who have lived longer and learned more. I wish I knew more of the System. Here, though, is what I believe. Many times the System's words are unclear, or confuse. Many other times its words are plain. I believe Chosen and Blessing are plain words. The System chose and blessed you. I do not know why, or to what end. But I think it, or those who are its caretakers, keep their eyes on the ones it chooses and blesses. It will not intervene and save you if bad choices or chance endanger you. I think it may guide you to situations where there is opportunity for you to find if you are clever, if you are bold, if you are capable.

Tell me, the ball of fire you used to slay the wrax. It came from an item you earned in your initial trial, yes? What manner of goblin wore it before you?"

"Yes, System Identify calls it a Firestone Amulet. It belonged to a level 10 Goblin Shaman."

"An Aether user of some kind?"

"Yes."

"And there was a Chieftain I assume? Did it have any unusual abilities?"

"Yes, it could use aether as an aura that enhanced its physical abilities."

"And many of these goblins were of levels greater than one?"

"Yes."

"The System gave you a very, very powerful Blessing. Then it tested you with a very, very difficult trial. Then it rewarded you with an item that is more rare and powerful than you know. I suspect that portends a pattern. It would be wise, by the way, not to shout from tree tops that you have that amulet once you reach others of your kind. Then the System shifted you to this world and into my wood, and your path led you to make your camp in the hunting ground of a bull wrax. You defended yourself capably and impressed me. That gave me cause to consider you seriously as a master although you are but a fledgling in this world. Do you see the pattern I speak of?"

"Maybe? I do not know if this world values mathematics as much as mine does, but where I come from there is a thing called sample size that is considered to be pretty important. Patterns taken from large sample sizes are thought to be reliable, and those taken from small sample sizes are viewed as untrustworthy. Two is a very small sample size."

"Ah, if only life were more certain, my new friend. Though I am a thinking being, I am also a creature of instinct, and years have taught me to trust my instincts no less than I trust my reason. My instinct tells me that the System takes great interest in you, Daniel Martin. So much so that it over-rides the greatest cause I, and those of my kind, have to shy from the familiar bond. We are of feathered kind, born to the open sky, and it is against our nature to hop into a cage, even one freely chosen, of our design, even when there is great gain. I do not believe there are gods, as some beings do, but I do believe a power greater than either of us arranged our meeting. There can be only one reason. We can discuss the details, but I do not believe they will be onerous or difficult to agree upon. I offer the Familiar Contract if you will select the needed Perk and Aether Ability to form it."

"I am deeply honored, Lord First Ray of Dawn Through Wet Leaves. It seems quite clear to me from our conversation so far that I have much to gain from this partnership, and I agree that it does not seem plausible that our meeting is accidental. However, my kind has a principle of decision making that it is unwise to make important decisions in haste. I don't feel that I know enough about you, or about Aether Contracts, or Familiars, or the System in general yet to feel comfortable in making such a weighty choice so quickly. There is another decision making concept called information asymmetry. That describes a scenario between two parties where one has greater understanding of or more access to information about the situation than the other. These situations are to the great disadvantage of the side with less information, especially when the situation is a negotiation. In our situation, you have both greater information and greater understanding. So everything I have been taught and believe about how best to make wise decisions tells me that I should not agree to anything yet, no matter how much I want to, how favorable it may seem to be, or how generous of an offer it may be. Not until I understand everything more clearly."

The raven chuckled.

"I am pleased to hear that. Do these thoughts come from your study of contracts? In any case, the will of the System aside, I have little interest in tying my fate to one who is incautious or a fool. My kind have little regard for either. The moons will yet play for many hours before the sun wakes, and I have no tasks more urgent than continuing our conversation. Do you?"

Dan did not.