Chapter 47: Horse with No Name

‘Yeah, I killed a few non-sapient creatures that tried to attack us,’ Pneuma confirmed, ‘You got some Exp while you were asleep. You’re welcome.’

‘Well, thank you,’ he gave a slight bow. ‘You are just too good to me. You find any civilizations or anything interesting?’

‘No, a few small groups of nomads and a caravan of people headed in another direction on our left side. If this world is set up like earth, we are headed west, so they were to the south. Unless you wish to use different ways to measure the directions?’

‘Your suggestion will help me, thanks,’ Trint agreed. ‘You know I should probably thank you more often. We’ve been running and fighting, yet I haven’t been very appreciative. You have been consistently patient with a confused and selfish man-child. I suppose you didn’t have much choice, but the least I could do is be appreciative.’

‘You are right. I didn’t have much choice,’ Pneuma acknowledged. ‘But I hoped you would come around to see how amazing I am. It’s nice to hear to acknowledge it. Unless you want to do any more brown nosing, why don’t you go wait for Tree Two to wake up.’

——--

It was not much longer before Tree Two awoke. Trint was quietly waiting and trying not to laugh as Tree Two wildly swiped his hands in the air, likely trying to clear the System notifications.

“How are you feeling,” Trint asked. “You were asleep for a few hours more than I was.”

“How is my son?”

“He is fine. He is still resting, so let’s not wake him. I can tell you his breathing is good. Feel free to look at yourself and your son to see the changes.”

“What do you mean? I can’t see past the screens in my view,” Tree Two asked.

Say, “hide Screens,” Trint suggested

“Hide screens,”

“That better?” He asked

“Say ‘Stat Menu,’” Trint suggested. Tree Two read through his new information.

“Is it okay to call you Jester now? Or should we ask the system for another name? That might still be an option.”

“No, if that is what the system says, then I will be Jester. I never had a name before that wasn’t just a play on my number. The subsystem id always felt impersonal and made us feel like just a number.”

“Well then, now you are Jester, and what do you think of your new body and son? Don’t worry; I didn’t touch him, just covered you both with extra cloaks I had. You should change into the clothes I set next to you, and I will step outside when you are ready.”

“Cajan! Is that his name now? I love it, as long as he does. What is a Sovereign Page, Scholar, and what is a Spirit Smith? Also, there are choices for other things. I only read a few things.”

“I imagine those are the classes or professions you will have to choose when you are ready, Trint guessed. “Is there a timer on how soon you need to decide on them?”

“Either way, we will figure that out later,” Trint redirected. “Get dressed while I step out, and then I will let you rest and read your system notifications. You have a lot to figure out, but I will help. If it is too much to process, maybe I can have you share your screens with me.”

Trint stepped out and walked to the shoulder of the giant beast carriage speeding across the land. Traveling so fast, the wind resistance was intense, and trint used his spirit control to connect his feet to the beast’s body, braced himself, and then walked directly behind the neck to avoid the blast of wind. As he surveyed the land they were crossing, the head of the centaur-shaped carriage turned unnaturally 180 degrees to face Trint and smiled. The eyes of Pneuma looked down upon Trint’s armored form.

“What do you think of our progress and this new form?” Pneuma spoke aloud but also communicated telepathically through their connection to avoid having to yell over the roar of the wind.

“So much for secrecy, “Trint voiced his frustration, “did you forget we have people with us?”

“They are contracted summons now,” Pneuma challenged. “There is nothing to fear from them, and they couldn’t hurt you if they wanted to, at least not intentionally. We learned that from Iliana. Plus, down here in human form, they will be anomalies as much as you are.”

“Okay, that makes sense. Why wait till now to speak to me like this? I didn’t know you could use the form to speak through it without me. Are you and I able to both exist in separate forms?”

“That is a good question. I am certain we can have separate forms and pilot them, but I am inseparable from you. I can pilot them, but I am you, and you are me. We can never again be completely separate. Sorry, I’ve grown attached to you. So…sorry, not sorry.”

“You still stealing old American phrases,” Trint sighed. “I wish you never were exposed to the internet.”

“Please, I read and processed all that in less than a day. The videos were disturbing. I understand that your people were obsessed with procreation, but there was no need to capture so much of it into video.”

“Yeah, we were a messed up world with lots of free time,” Trint admitted. “Let’s find a safe enough spot to stop in the next hour. Any new sightings of civilization?”

“No, but I have been scanning with greater intensity to our north and south as we head west. There have been signs of well-traveled roads leading in different directions, and I detected groups of people and creatures traveling along some of them. We were in a sparsely populated place, and now we are approaching a place with more travel and trade. I have skirted many groups and avoided roads. There have been many more recent caravans, and they travel to the west.”

“Okay, find us the best spot you can and settle us down for the night,” Trint requested.

“Aye, Aye.” Rather than turn the centaur’s head forward, the face melted in on itself and became the back view of the head. Pneuma resumed scanning and controlling the movement of the carriage.

“What now were pirates or something?” Trint laughed and returned to check on Jester.

——---

Less than an hour later, they were settled in a valley surrounded by dried-out trees and rocks. It was open to the sky but not exposed on the sides. If they were regular creatures, they would be moderately sheltered and safe.

Trint had fashioned a tent structure out of Spirit. It was black and sleek. Inside there were two large beds and a table with four chairs.

They all sat in the chairs. Even Pneuma sat in the fourth as a non-descriptive human-shaped form composed entirely of void-colored Spirit.

“As you have seen and probably been uncertain, I need to introduce my friend Pneuma.”

“Yes, hello, Jester,” Pneuma spoke to him. “I am a friend and contracted Spirit bond with our Sovereign Trint, and I will protect you as Trint does.”

“Good to meet you, Pneuma,” Jester said as he turned to face the void black figure. He had intentionally not been looking into the abyss that was Pneuma’s face but finally did look him in the eyes.

“Your eyes are like the stars,” Jester spit out, surprising himself. “I apologize, but something about you makes me feel like a monster is watching me.”

“That is not far from the truth. I try to suppress it around you, and I will work harder not to project that.” Pneuma smiled, but the smile had a few too many sharp teeth.

“Thank you,” Jester said, happy to look back at Trint.

“So Jester and Cajan, what do you think? Will you adjust to this human form, or will you miss your previous life and bodies?”

“Sovereign, thank you for this chance,” Jester gave a seated bow, “I have not felt so refreshed and strong, ever in my life. Not even when I have been sent to an instance, I can feel what I believe is Spirit, and every breath I take is charged with something powerful.”

“That is good.” Trint smiled. “My theory is that the Subsystem has an excessive amount and density of Spirit. Since I arrived, I can do things I never could in the system. I wasn’t very high in the system iterations but compared to where I was; this is a massive increase. ‘Maybe my dragon form will be easier to complete here,’ Trint wondered.

“I imagine, Jester, that your option to choose Spirit Smith has something to do with the level of Spirit here,” Trint continued. “I don’t know what you desire to do as a profession or what class you would like. But I don’t know whether I recommend the Sovereign Page or the Scholar. I don’t want servants, and even if they are basic, I suggest taking any of the fighting options. I’m afraid you will need to protect yourself and your son at some point. I will do all I can, but as you know, life is not kind here.”

“Yes, I agree, I have read through my options, and I’m leaning towards Spearman,” Jester said. “My people fought with spears while shepherding. That would be my most natural weapon, but I never had a class for it. This should give me much greater strength than I’ve had. I wonder what will happen when I am pulled to an instance?”

“That is a good question.” Trint agreed. “I think you won’t be pulled as long as you are my summoned bond. I think that will remove you from the group of people that the system can summon since I already summon you. But I could be wrong. I will try to give you our general plans, so if you are summoned and we can’t wait for you to return, we can meet back up. Also, can you see this?” Trint sent him a system communication.

“Yes, I can read your message,” Jester smiled. “We can communicate this way now? So even when we are taken, we are brought back to the same spot, which would help us find each other. I know you already promised to protect us, but if something happens to me, will you take care of Cajan?” Jester had a tear forming in his left eye at the thought of being separated from his son.

“Of course, I won’t free you only to see you harmed or separated,” Trint reassured.

—-- --

The group spent a few hours discussing Jester’s system options. Eventually, he chose to be a Spearman and the Spirit Smith. They didn’t take time to work on or explore them because Cajan finally woke, and the father wrapped his son into a hug that lasted for quite a while.

After that, they discussed the changes for their future. Cajan was happy and clean. The first thing he noticed was how clean and strong he felt, and he too could now feel the charged Spirit all around them.

Once they explained a few things to Cajan, father and son settled into a bed. The only reason they didn’t balk at sleeping in a bed made of the black void was that Trint had found a couple of blankets in his ring and placed them on the bed, and they were also exhausted after their changes and excitement of the adventure so far.

———

The following day they resumed their travel early in the morning. Clean-up was simple as Trint used the Spirit form of the Tent shelter to make their transport, and Trint wanted to be less conspicuous.

They would not be inconspicuous with so much void black Spirit, but he wanted to avoid issues if he could. So he tried something new and formed three Spirit horses. This was the first time he made things that were unattached yet under his continued control. Trint would ride one while Pneuma piloted the other two for Cajan and Jester.

Trint had gotten up before Jester and Cajan and experimented while Pneuma provided suggestions and corrections. Pneuma had been the lookout and security system during the night, and he had killed several nocturnal predators.

Now they were riding on the void horses. They still stood out but not as much as their previous 3-story-tall void centaur with a carriage in its rib cage.

‘What will we make next with this kind of Spirit concentration,’ Trint wondered.

‘That is up to you, my friend,’ Pneuma proudly said. They had become closer, and Pneuma may joke, but he had grown proud to be paired with Trint the more he grew in confidence and power. ‘It is not a simple thing for me to call you friend Trint. I did not know you well before we paired, but I have grown to care deeply for you, and watching you grow has been fun. I know you thanked me yesterday, but I need to say that I have enjoyed watching you slowly make very incremental progress. Watching you defy general system rules was baffling, but I think I’m getting used to it.”

‘Thank you,’ Trint sincerely welcomed the confession. ‘I enjoy our relationship. It’s easier now that I don’t need you to hold my hand for everything. Although I should have listened more from the start.’

‘That is true but don’t berate yourself too much,’ Pneuma laughed but then grew serious. ‘Now focus. Do you sense what we are nearing?’

‘Yes, I figured you sensed it too,’ Trint agreed.

“Jester, let’s dismount here,” Trint said. “There is a large caravan on the road in that direction, and I think we should try to join them and enter the city. Unless you think we are better off on our own.”

“That should be safe if they are a caravan and not a band of thieves or bandits.” Jester agreed.

“Good, let’s get to the road and walk,” Trint directed. “I think the caravan will overtake us, and we can ask to join. We should be a few days from Joppa. We’ve made great time with the speed Pneuma traveled while you slept.”

“You slept most of it too, Trint,” Pneuma reminded their group, speaking from the mouth of Jester’s horse.

“That’s true; even your Sovereign needs to sleep,” Trint joked as the three humans smiled. Cajan was smiling at the talking horse. But Jester tried to look anywhere other than his talking horse.

They made it to the road and walked for a few hours. Then found a few trees to let Cajan rest next to the road in the shade. That also allowed the caravan to catch up to them. As they approached, several men on unusual mounts came from the front and quickly flanked Trint, Jester, and Cajan. There was no sign of the Spirit forms or Pneuma for the strangers to see. They approached quickly and aggressively and began circling them and the nearby tree. A spear was thrown into the ground a few feet from Trint, and another rider came up behind the others.

“How do you want to die today?” The spear thrower said.