I park my bike at the café. Quest fresh in mind, I didn’t notice it before now, but it seems to be even more mist-wolves than before. Have they bred, or have more come from elsewhere or… spawned (or however they appear)?

I should point out, I’m in my combat ability-layout, so the effect from [Pack Leader(non-beast)] is active. It also puts my power level at a neat 43.

Enough about that, I see a face I recognize. “Eivind, was it?”

He looks up from petting a wolf, and after a moment of thought, says with a grin: “Lars, was it?”

“Are you already wearing the remains of your enemies?” He asks with what I assume is sarcasm.

“Well, I’m not about to eat these particular enemies, so why not?” I reply with a similar tone.

“Anyway, have I missed something important?” I ask.

The wolves seem excited, and there seems to be a whole lot more of them than last time I was here. As clever as they are they can’t exactly speak, though…

“You see how the café has become more popular? Well, many people come here for the wolves, and some of us have learned [Beast Empathy].” He looks down at the happily wagging wolf.

“If you level it high enough, you can get them to be a [Beast Companion].” He looks at Tåke by my side. “You probably already knew that, but quite a few people have wolves as companions now.”

I do a short nod and close my eyes, feeling through the vague bond of [Pack Leader(non-beast)].

And open them in half disbelief. Do the people with wolf companions count as being in the pack? Is that why there are aso many pack members?

Experimentally, I try to read Eivind through the pack bond, the same way I would read the wolves.

It’s faint, but he seems… curious? He is overall content and desires… closeness, I think? With the pack? With his companion? Both? This is confusing, there are so many subtle and not so subtle things through the link.

Boy am I glad the wolves are mentally much simpler than this. It doesn’t help that he’s a person, so the [Beast Empathy] ability has little to no effect. Ah, it levelled up.

What if I go the other way? Can I order him like I order the wolves? Hmm… I can’t think of a reasonable order. Raise your hand, then!

I stare at his hand . He actually did it… “…absolute madman…” I mumble to myself, low enough for only me to hear.

“Why did you do that?” I ask.

He looks from his hand to me. “Because you wanted me to?” He doesn’t sound convinced.

So I give another order: Do it again!

“Why?” He asks.

“Because I have the [Pack Leader(non-beast)] class and you seem to count as a pack member. In other words: I wanted to know if I could.” I answer, before jokingly asking: “Should I give the assemble order to all the avengers?”

“Aveng-? Oh. Do everyone who have a companion count as pack member?”

I nod. “Think so.” A thought strikes me. “Hey, do you have the [Aspectian] ability?”

“What’s that…” He stares into space for a moment, likely checking it via the [System]. “Oh, that sounds cool. How do you get it?”

“Not sure. I got it on the night of the Upheaval. I got two Aspects then, Wolf and Mist. You’ve seen my mist-form, and I want to be able to do the same with [Aspect of the Wolf].”

I produce a little swirl of mist around my hand to demonstrate. “Anyway, I think I could teach you the ability.”

I was able teach him the ability. And in less than fifteen minutes, as well. A couple others also joined in, so it took five more minutes after that until everyone had the ability.

“Well, that was efficient. I got[Teaching] to skill level ‘Competent’, increased affinity with [Aspect of the Wolf] and levelled [Aspectian] to {Level 6 - ‘Skilled’}.” Which was not at all why I taught them

“What? Seriously?” One of the newcomers, name forgotten, looks like I told him I’m level fifty or something. “What’s your power level? Like fifty or something?”

…

I half expect to learn mind reading, “Aaaaaactually… I’m level forty-five. Though I think I could reach fifty if I swap my abilities around a little.”

Is it bragging time? Of course it’s bragging time. “Or level the abilities of [Artificer] from level one and two. Which I will do for my [Quest].”

Of course this raises quite a few questions, which I disarm by waving my arms “Whoa, I’ll answer questions, but let me explain first.”

“Let’s see…” I think for a moment “I gave myself the [Quest], and succeeding will give me a meta-ability called [Quest Giver - Rank 1]. Meta-abilities are basically passive skills, by the way, but do not have a power level.”

“[Artificer] is basically a magic engineer, my quest is to make a {magic gun}. Aside from that, check the [System] information on the things I mentioned.” What else…

Of course, my level. “I’m high levelled because my classes give nine, nine and six levels respectively and the rest gives about four each. Any other questions?”

“How do you get [Artificer]?”

Oh right, they can’t see the requirements from the [System] description. “At least one magic infusion and one carving skill, and make and infuse an artifice item. I made this [Simple Oaken Wand of Mist].” I display the item in question.

“Teach me, sensei!” Eivind says, excitedly.

Sensei? I mean, I might look vaguely like a samurai, if you squint, maybe. That said, I am not displeased with this treatment.

“All, right, I can teach you, but I’ll focus on becoming better with [Aspect of the Wolf]”

So now I’m basically sharing knowledge with everyone, on everything from my classes to various abilities and how the [System] works.

“I should take payment for this.” I bet I can. I should learn more abilities, so I can earn more money! “In fact, I’ll take payment right now, if someone is willing to go buy me a waffle or two. Sugar or strawberry jam.”

While my half-serious request may or may not be fulfilled, I half cuddle, half study my canine companion. I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on the aspect, so I attune to [Aspect of Mist] for a reference on how to do it.

Attuning greatly helps for detecting that particular aspect and swaps my [Aspectian] stat boost to that aspect’s stat. I think it can also give other boons, for example mist might make me harder to detect, but I’d need to confirm that.

I sit down and [Meditate] on the aspect. Slower and more carefully than I’ve done before. I notice a few things I haven’t consciously thought about. For one, the process of entering my mist form starts with covering myself in the aspect.

Controlling the aspect is a little similar to controlling mana, but where mana is sorta like leading/guiding a fluid, controlling the aspect feels more like trying to handle a bunch of tiny balloons.

Let’s ignore whether or not that description makes any sense. After covering myself in the aspect, I have it merge with my body, particularly my legs, i.e. where I turn into mist. Then I do what I can only describe as activating the aspect.

When I open my eyes I already know I was successful, but it also seems like some of my spectators had not seen my half-mist form yet.

I connect to the wolves’ mist with a tendril, while carefully paying attention to what the aspect does.

Through the connected mist I sense the wolves and the aspect they hold and embody it. It’s… complex. I want to study it, but that will have to be later. I let out my breath as I let go of the connection and return to human form.

“Time for the real experiment.” I mutter to no one in particular.

I attune to the [Aspect of the Wolf]. I refamiliarize myself with it. With my armor, sitting on the ground, holding and petting Tåke, I probably look strange, at the very least.

Again I sense how she embodies the aspect, this time the much less familiar [Aspect of the Wolf]. After some time, I start covering myself in it. I am not quite sure what will happen if I succeed, but I will try to go for a half-form. A werewolf form, if you will.

As I start merging the aspect I start noticing things I’ve never noticed before. Smells, sounds. Even some colors. I knew that other species literally experience the world differently, but wow!

I instinctively grasp new information from these new sensory impressions. Food here, territory claimed, Eivind is ‘big packmate’. Danger in that direction.

Tåke is about to become adult, her heat should come before autumn. She is happy that the pack leader is here. She is happy that the pack leader is strong.

Wait, the pack leader is me, isn’t it? “Uuurgh!” so much new information. The pack is strong. The pack should stay here. The pack should go for a big hunt. Pack members are hunting, little danger, that way.

I’m getting overwhelmed. Eivind is making a sound. Worried. Tåke is worried, but encouraging. Nearby pack members are alert. Protecting pack leader.

Dancing leaves, the wind is here. A pack member howls. More pack members howl. They all howl. Do I howl?

Light is fading, the mist is here. Guide pack leader. Too much is…! Tåke will show me. Pack leader will see the great Mist.

The great Mist. Pack leader. Guide, Tåke. Wind, howling. Howling wind? Words, ahh!

I lie. Earth. Big packmate; worried. Tåke; encouraging. Mist, coming. Howling ends.

I embrace the Mist.