“W-what? I thought this is what the priest wanted!”
“But the priest guided us here. She hears the elemental spirits, they must have guided our paths towards this outcome!”
She clearly believed what she was saying. I was willing to believe her.
I metaphorically sighed, defeated, and began to think deeper about it. The wolves were waiting for us to decide the next step.
This was not like any game I played. I had played strategy and similar games, but this was real life. Even with the System, that I already acknowledged that it worked like an RPG, I was dealing with lives that were trusting in me. Would it actually help me?
[Now you need me?]
Why was it giving me attitude now?!
[My job is to provide assistance, and I will be adjusting to provide help]
[Even if it can take me a few moments to calculate parameters, spells and other jobs, I will be evolving with you. So yes, I will provide with as much help I can provide you]
Well, that made me feel easier. I could defend the wolves and the System was going to help me. So I decided it was going to be my assistant!
[Erika System is now upgraded to assistant. Hurray!]
That was the most robotic hurray I had ever seen.
And Erika? That was the time it mentioned it had a name.
“Elder Alice?” the actual elder came in to speak to me, “excuse me, but we need to talk.”
[That would make you older than them]
Shush!
“As you can tell, many have died in the attack you two stopped. We are worried this might make us a target for the other two clans and other beasts.”
[Dead calculation… there are 14 wolf bodies who would fall in the category of warrior/defender. Other 5 non combatants also were killed. 10 members of the survivors are injured, but can recover. Only 6 warrior type members are still alive]
That was precise and helpful! The non combatants were divided between young ones, caretakers, old ones that could not fight anymore, and pregnant female wolves.
Aspen was not lying when she said that those creatures were a threat. They lost more than half their warriors to 2 of them, and they might be in danger of being targeted by the other clans if war broke out.
Yeah, not a good spot.
At least, we had food already, but I was not sure how long it was going to last. The carcass of the drakelings had to be filled with meat they could eat. The issue was cutting it and giving them access to it.
After that, we had 6 warriors that could work as hunters feeding the rest of the pack.
[Moonless Dark Wolves and Silver Mountain Wolves are carnivores]
That’s what I guessed.
My first act as the leader was… to cut open the two drakelings… I was not going into details.
After resisting getting grossed out, I let the wolves manage the meat, and they did a good job at it… same thing that happened with Aspen earlier, but with the intention to make rations.
“Only me, elder Alyce.” the elder said.
“Mages and healers are rare between wolves. I think the West Clan has 2 mages counting their elder. And the King has at least 8 mages and 3 healers.” Aspen explained.
More disadvantages.
[Please, remember to rest to continue your progress]
The System continued presenting that message after my last level up.
I already knew I had to rest to do that step, but I wanted to go to sleep at ease.
Next, came the bodies of the dead wolves.
“We usually let the elements take them back into the Ether.” the elder answered, “their bodies slowly dissolve.”
That worried me about possible illness and infections. Rotting bodies were going to cause problems if left unchecked.
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While I approached to see the bodies, I saw some of the wolves lamenting and crying around them. It was a jarring view, they were mourning fallen people they loved. Losing people you care about so suddenly, I understood that feeling.
“If that king continues, we will see more of this.” Aspen spoke, “this clan was already weak, this just cemented its destiny.”
“That tailless bastard is the leader of the Southern Clan. He leads the biggest pack, and claims he should be the one leading our kin towards the exit.”
“He is a damn fool!” a wolf that was nearby claimed, “no one is making it past the spiders, and we don’t even know what’s between that and the exit besides the demon priest Adela speaks about!”
“There are a few that have tried it. It is said that we have to continue going up until we find the light.” the elder explained, “but no one has seen it. Tales Adela has told us from Ella is that it is a land as green as you can imagine, with plants and animals to feed everyone for eternity. She said that if we ever reach it, we would no longer be fighting for territory and food.”
That was the promised land of their creed then, the world out of those caves!
Which meant that if I went there they would follow me, so my plan of leaving worked together with them… perfect! If it’s that way, then they will want to help me.
But if that was Adela’s plan then what was I? A prophet in the name of Ella?
Well, we got to work. Food was cut and rationed, although it could go stale pretty quick and hurt the wolves.
Which made me think about the ice magic I saw when I met Aspen.
“I can use water magic and make it colder and hotter” he answered.
|Good! If you can make it cold enough so it turns solid, then I need you to freeze the room where they are storing the meat. It will make it last longer and only need to unfroze it. And I cannot continue calling you elder… you will be Fir! The flame and ice keeper!|
“T-thank you, elder Alice! I will appreciate the name you gave me!”
He ran out, excited, until his arthritis from the age made him almost trip and had to slow down. “ow, ow, ow… my old legs…”
“Names mean we have something special, and makes us feel we represent it. Adela was named by Ella herself, so we usually only accept the names of higher beings.”
“But our legends speak about humans as higher beings! Fighting demons, killing evil, ascending to godhood! For us, you are a higher being!”
Ugh… that was going too fast for me. I was in no way a goddess or anything, not even a prophet for Ella, if she was considered a goddess.
[Analysing… with the information gathered so far, the wolves seem to be part of a collective of tribes with spiritual believes on the elements, all converging on the human Ella, with stories and tales told to and by the High Spirit Priest Adela]
[Ella expelled a big amount of Ether because of what made her die, so the development of their capacities and life in the area is thanks to her]
[Also, when your soul and hers fused as part of your pact, you got the title [Sword Maiden] which includes an aura of awe that surrounds you, perceived by other beings. For them, unknowingly, you are the representation of Ella, or at least a powerful spirit]
I completely forgot about that aura. Damn. Then they really must see me as something impressive. Even the wolves that attacked Aspen were impressed when they saw me for a few moments before snapping out of it.
[You’re welcome]
Fir took charge as my administrator for the town, as he had more experience on the topic. I would try to learn from him, but for the time being, he could deliver the orders on my plans.
The food got stored and frozen after he drank some water and rested his magic for a while. It seemed that biological beings needed water to recover magic, not that I had a way to know it myself.
The bodies got buried after their families were given time to mourn over their bodies. Hearing them cry tore me apart, the families I saw ripped apart that day made me feel sad, and wished we would have appeared sooner.
Children lost mothers and fathers that died inside those deep caves.
}------------------------------------------o~o------------------------------------------{
Hours later, after we worked on town, Aspen asked me if I wanted to rest, as she was going to help the guards for a few hours, or cycles as they called them.
As I was feeling a bit down with all the dead bodies and wolf families getting divided, with the System reminding me about the need to rest, I decided that yes, I wanted to go first.
Normally, with all I saw that day I would not get any sleep, but I did not have the body functions that allowed for panic attacks or anxiety like I would when I had a human body. And sleeping was different.
I turned off all my skills, falling into darkness, and tried to control my thoughts, until I entered something similar to REM sleep.
That night, things were different though. The System spoke to me.
[Requirements for body evolution obtained]
[Choosing possible paths based on skills, experience and titles]
Around me was an abyss of currents of different colors, dancing in the infinite distance. I was standing in the middle of nothing, with a transparent but solid body.
In front of me, three swords appeared. They shone, new and wonderful. But what I loved more about them is that they were my type of sword.
Katanas.
I inspected each option, and the System gave me a short description.
[Iron Poisoned Tanto]
-Short type of japanese sword, coated on a permanent lethal poison.
[Iron Fire Chokuto]
-Straight japanese sword. Causes fire damage.
[Iron Bleeding Uchigatana]
-Curved japanese sword. Has a bigger chance to inflict significant bleeding after any cut.
[Any of these choices would increase your damage output by about 20%]
[Form, element and properties will be unlocked based on your choice. You won’t get more choices until you reach your new level limit]
[Forms unlocked will stay with you. You can change forms any time you want. With this next rank upgrade, you can have 1 permanent element or property active]
Good to know that my choice was not completely permanent, and I still had other ways to keep adding effects with my spells.
I decided to pick the one I had more practice with. The Uchigatana. A curved sword, the one usually imagined when anyone says katana. I grabbed it by its tsuka, the handle, which was covered in silk wrap. It was elegant, beautiful, and firm.
I tried the sword. The blade was shiny, polished and well made. Sharp edges that could cut through steel (I was going to try, eventually). I gave one horizontal cut, then a vertical, then a stab! The balance was perfect, made with the utmost professionalism and love for the art of forging weapons.
Then… I woke up. Things were just beginning.