Silver Spoon Series

"That wasn't very nice. Those nice people were just trying to have a meal together and you two viciously attacked them." Tamee's voice echoed in Alan's head.

He and Akilatjin were once more back on the tutorial disk. The task of collecting the treasure that was their reward had been an interesting one. Mostly because he had to try and store stuff before his partner ate it. The first chest had contained a magical hammer, the type for smashing heads, not nails. It was enhanced with heaviness and durability. It wasn't the most amazing weapon, but it was solid.

The massive metal head had looked like a lollipop to Akilatjin, and she had been clamouring to devour it. He had managed to get it stored before she could do so, but the issue came up again when they opened the second chest. This one contained a metal chain, and without identify Alan wasn't sure what it did. He had been able to determine the enchantments on the hammer because he recognized both the symbols and the mana infusing the weapon.

The chain was small, and had a clasp on the ends. It made him think of a dog collar, although it would have been a huge beast. The tricky worm had gotten her mouth on one end of it and tried to slurp it down like a noodle. Alan had only managed to save it by opening the third chest as a distraction. He had no hope of saving what was inside of that.

It was a single bar of metal, with more of a coppery color than the last one they found. He also briefly sensed pure fire mana before she chomped that one down. A similar event occurred to what happened last time she ate a mystery metal. Her body grew and some of her scales now had a brownish-red sheen. The green was still there in places, and some scales even showed hints of both colors.

Alan was able to open the rest of the chests in peace since she was distracted by her meal and then exploring the way her body felt different. Alan only briefly scanned the remaining chests before storing the items in his necklace. He took one of the chests, but left the rest. He didn't really need them for anything, and leaving the others would allow the dungeon to retain more energy for future rewards or growth. He had seen a staff, two potions, and what looked like a bag of dirt.

After rooting around on the table, looking for any food worth salvaging, the two had finally hit the exit. But not before Akilatjin ate her body weight in wolf skewers. Tamee's voice had greeted Alan on the outside.

"Now you're going to give me crap about what happens in a dungeon?" Alan answered her.

It was only after he did so that he remembered he wasn't alone. Tamee usually restricted her comments to when they were alone. Neither of them wanted to let on that he had outside help.

"Who are you talking to Alan?"

At the same time, Tamee answered his question. "You are the one who was worried about their actions becoming habits."

"Hold on a second, I'll explain in a moment." He thought at his companion.

"Is there a reason you are talking to me now, even though I'm not alone." He said out loud to Tamee.

Using their party chat, he could have whispered the words and she would have heard. Akilatjin was so close that she would have heard anyway, so it was a moot point.

Tamee's answer proved once again that while she might act silly at times, she was an intelligent and experienced adventurer. "We didn't want to reveal our connection to others, but the worm shows no sign of leaving your side. If your Bond truly takes, then you will be spending a lot of time together. That means either revealing myself at some point, or never talking with you again. So I might as well do it now,"

The only answer she got was a grunt. "I'm gonna have to explain this to Akilatjin soon, any ideas?"

"She's most likely going to be with you for a long time so you might as well tell her everything. That would also mean that we can talk more again."

"Makes sense, but I have two questions, well, maybe three. First, did those giants have souls, or were they just dungeon spawn? Second, why couldn't I use identify and some other skills while inside?"

Tamee paused for a moment. Either she was organizing her thoughts, or deciding if she could tell him. "Well, those two questions got together, really. Giants are one of the sapient races you will find in the Network. They are thankfully rare as they are total cheats. The strength and constitution they get naturally just isn't fair. However, I don't think the ones you faced were true giants."

Akilatjin was looking impatient, so Alan gave her the hold on gesture before talking to Tamee again. "What does that mean?"

"Well, some dungeon cores have a way of creating creatures that are similar to some of the sapient races, but it comes at a cost. It requires them to block some of the Network's functions, which affects the adventurers' skills. These dungeons are usually not too popular, since people don't like the handicap. I would guess that's what happened here, so don't feel too bad about that horrific slaughter, they were most likely just dungeon spawn. You said you had a third question."

"You make me feel so much better, Tamee." He said sarcastically. "And yeah, you mentioned 'if your Bond truly takes,' and 'she's most likely going to be with you for a long time.' I'm a little confused. I didn't think bonds with ascended beings required us to travel together. Also, aren't we Bonded already, why wouldn't it take?"

"You could ask me these questions, you know. I'm not sure what this phantom person said to you, but I can answer what you just said."

"I will definitely want your answer in a moment, but I would like to hear their answer first."

"Well, part of the problem is that you forget we are talking about two different things. There are bonds with ascended beings, which you are right, don't usually involve traveling companions. The other is a Bond. That's not a common thing to form with a dragon, usually people Bond with more mundane creatures. This type of bond is much deeper, and if it manages to grow to maturity the two become like family."

This was another one of those times when Alan felt like an idiot. When he had first learned of what the egg was, he had visions of flying around on the back of his very own dragon, forming a bond like Tamee now spoke of. The fact that it would be an ascended being had been secondary. Then, somewhere between her emerging as a worm and also hating him, the idea of a companion had withered.

"Ok, give me a little bit to explain to Akilatjin what is going on."

All things considered, that discussion went pretty well. She knew in general of tutorials from her memories, even if her ancestors didn't have much first hand experience with them. Like most people, the existence of the seldom used 'party with the tutorial assistant manager' feature wasn't something she was aware of. However, the concept wasn't that farfetched.

Explaining the deal they had made was a longer discussion. There were plenty of questions about whether or not Tamee could be trusted, and what he had shared with her. It was a good thing they were having this discussion mentally. Even just hearing his side of the conversation might have offended her. Eventually their talk turned to the final question he had asked Tamee.

"So how exactly does a bond with an ascended being differ from one with a Bonded companion?" He asked Akilatjin.

"To bond with an ascended being, even when they aren't as amazing as a dragon such as myself, is like ratifying a contract. Each side has responsibilities and benefits, but as long as those are being maintained then there is little actual contact required. Occasional consultations are recommended to keep the bond strong, but it is relatively low maintenance."

"But that's not what's happening with us?"

In a rare display of social grace, she didn't insult his intelligence, and instead answered directly. "That's not the only thing that is happening for us. That bond kinda comes with the companion Bond that we are forming. In this type of partnership, the two parties must spend a lot of time together to truly know one another. Unlike the other joining, which is more either it exists or doesn't, the companion Bond has various levels. We are currently at the lowest level. We have acknowledged that we are compatible with each other and are willing to work together."

Sitting on the grass next to the young dragon as she explained all this, Alan was seeing her for the first time as the regal being that she was, or could be anyway. The memory of her wanting to eat the family in the hut wouldn't quite go away. "How would we deepen that bond, and what would that do for us?"

"As we talk about this, I am finding more memories about it. It seems that there has been a dragon in my line that bound itself to a mortal before me. The only way to deepen the bond is to grow to know one another better. That is how it came to be to begin with. All of TS's constant yammering about you was laying the groundwork. Now that a connection has been formed, by working and struggling together, learning more about the other's true self, and seeing if we are compatible we will either strengthen or break that Bond."

"Okay, I think I get what you mean about making our Bond stronger, but what does that achieve, other than us feeling closer."

"I'm not surprised that you are downplaying that portion of the connection. I have noticed a certain mercenary trend in your thoughts." Alan winced at the disdain he heard in her voice. It seemed that he would forever be tainted in her eyes by the original sin of her abduction and his part in the end of that saga. "In addition to that worthy goal of knowing a friend better, it will also allow us more access to the other. You might have noticed that you can use our bond to locate me and learn some about how I am feeling. We have already seen how we have limited access to each other's status sheets."

"Hey, I appreciate getting to know other people, but I have a job right now and billions of lives could be affected by my performance. Sometimes that means that I look at tangible benefits more significantly than the intangible ones. So that's all the Bond will give us, is information about each other?"

Akilatjin seemed unmoved by Alan's explanation. "No, that's just the easy part, the tangible reward that you can see now. As the Bond strengthens the two start to merge, inheriting stats, talents, and abilities from each other. Often it is not a straight adoption, but they affect each other's growth. I have never heard of this leading to a weaker result than someone would get otherwise, but some companions are better than others."

"Lemme guess, dragons make the best companions."

The glare that she gave him now made him shrivel inside a little. "Dragons are indeed amazing creatures. You should consider yourself blessed that one would deign to show you any attention other than the inside of her stomach. But, there are many quality companions, and there is no way to say which is truly the best, because some of it depends on the compatibility of the pair. I should also point out that much of our discussion is nuanced by the fact that I am a dragon."

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"And what does that mean?" Alan was getting so exhausted by this conversation that he forgot to think that at her.

"Not everyone is lucky enough to Bond a powerful ascended being like me. Most people form a bond with normal beasts or monsters. It is the same concept, but the process is greatly accelerated. Since they usually don't have as much intelligence, there is less time spent determining compatibility and they can move through the stages faster. It does usually mean they gain fewer benefits from merging, though."

"You guys sure are having a long discussion, how's it going?" Tamee asked.

"Thank you for sharing all this with me Akilatjin. Are you ready to get going?"

At the same time, Alan answered Tamme. "It's going okay, we're just discussing how our Bond works."

The fact that each of them could only hear Alan meant that things could get complicated if he was trying to talk to both of them. Hopefully it wouldn't drive him crazy.

"Yes, let's get going. That dungeon was fun and I'd like to try another. Don't think I have forgotten about those rewards you stole at the end."

Letting out a sigh, Alan responded to that outloud. "I didn't steal the rewards, I just didn't want you eating them before we even saw what they were."

"As if I would steal your share like an ungrateful thief. I'm offended." It was amazing how she conveniently forgot that she had in fact been eating everything, with no regard to sharing.

The next destination was a dungeon Alan had found during his original time in tier two, but that hadn't interested him enough to explore it. It was located in a literal hole in the ground, looking like the entrance to a warren for a supersized rabbit. It was big enough that Alan didn't have to crouch as he entered.

What followed was entertaining for Alan and a brutal experience for Akilatjin. The dungeon ended up being a warren, or possibly burrow would have been a better word. Instead of rabbits, this one was populated with badgers. These were similar in appearance to badgers Alan had seen on Earth, but much bigger. A large badger back home would have been around thirty centimeters tall, and somewhat less than a meter long.

What they found in the dungeon were at least twice that size, making it similar in proportions to a cheetah, but much denser. If that doesn't sound terrifying then you have obviously never seen a badger when it's cornered. This particular variety had mostly reddish fur with stripes of a much darker red running the length of their body. As a pretty clean animal, the color may have been an adaptation to deal with all the blood. And, boy was there blood.

Their first encounter was with a single level eight badger with an uncommon rarity. Akilatjin had eagerly engaged it, and Alan had figured she would be fine. It was a good lesson for both of them in the fact that there could be a wide variety of quality at a specific level or rarity. The dragon worm was a great example herself, as she could usually hit far above her level.

Her initial attempt to fight it was what Alan chose to call snake mode. She stayed back and attempted to dodge incoming attacks, while lashing out with her vicious bite when there was an opening. He had seen her use it effectively in both of the previous dungeons, but snakes were a natural prey animal to badgers.

Not only was it fast as well, able to dodge many of her incoming attacks itself, but its hide was also very tough. At first Akilatjin thought that her all devouring maw ability was being blocked again, but the truth was that its hide was just that tough. All devouring was apparently a bit of a misnomer, at least at her level. It let her eat an astounding assortment of things, but there were substances that were beyond it. Badger was apparently one of them.

Its claws were also long and sharp. Akilatjin was thrown off when her first attack barely scratched the skin on its neck, expecting instead to bite through its throat. The badger made her pay for her miscalculation and raked her with both of its front paws, leaving deep furrows in her previously impenetrable scales. First blood went to her tenacious opponent.

It could have been worse, too. It also tried to bite her in return, after latching on with its claws. Fortunately her thick body meant that its smaller mouth had trouble gaining purchase and the powerful bite slid off. Alan was getting ready to intervene when his companion let out a lard snarl, not mentally, but audibly.

Her next few attacks weren't attempts to bite it, but instead she tried to bludgeon it with her own dense body. She still took the occasional claw in return, but it seemed like the tactic was working because the badger was becoming disoriented. It seemed that Akilatjin was also feeling the effects of bashing the dense mammal with her own head, as she started to wobble a little as well.

Victory came when a particularly powerful blow knocked the large badger into a wall and it exposed its soft belly. Her eyes gleaming with triumph, Akilatjin bit down and found the hide there to be far less resilient. It left a giant hole from which blood and organs started leaking. Such an injury would have been debilitating for most creatures, but the badger stood right back up and tried to continue the fight.

Akilatjin was incredulous that it would dare to attack her with its intestines dragging on the floor, but she backed up in respect for its tenacity. That proved the correct decision as it soon bled out and collapsed on the spot. She actually waited a full minute before triumphantly moving in to devour its heart. Old Alan might have made a comment about her being scared, but now that he knew more about their bond, he decided to be more diplomatic, so he watched silently.

After she had her victory meal, Alan moved in to heal her. That reminded him that he should be using healer's mark. He just wasn't used to having other people around while he was adventuring. He did ask for consent before fixing her up, but she readily agreed.

"That stupid furry varmint better not have messed up my scales."

"Relax, let me work and try to hold still."

With a little dip in Alan's mana, Akilatjin was soon good as new, physically at least. Mentally she had a chip on her shoulder, something that was readily apparent when they ran into the next badger. This one was a little smaller, and she tried to wrap it up and crush it with her long body. It ended up being an effective tactic, for both fighters.

In the end, the badger was crushed, but it took a while since its body was naturally tough and dense. It also kept fighting even after its ribs had started breaking. The problem was, that while she was wrapped around its body, the badger could still claw at her. It couldn't use its full effectiveness since its limbs were being restricted by her bulk, but it left plenty of cuts all over her. Another chunk of Alan's mana disappeared before she was all better.

After that fight, her speed and surety in the tunnels took a significant plunge. Akilatjin hadn't been kidding when she said she wasn't challenged before. Her dragon arrogance, combined with her experiences had left her feeling invincible. Those two badgers had put the lie to that belief and she was struggling.

"Sometimes in life you run into a bad matchup, or someone who is just better than you. When that happens, you have two choices, give up or adapt."

"You make it sound so simple, but these things are cursed monsters. They won't back down and their bodies are so strong. It's not right!"

Alan held back a smile as he answered. "You know, a lot of monsters probably died thinking the same thing about you."

Instead of putting her troubles in context, thinking about all the things she had killed seemed to cheer her up. It might not be the healthiest mentality to foster, but hey, she wasn't looking quite as down anymore.

"Unless you want to admit it's too tough and run away," An audible scoff was her only comment about that option. "Then you'll have to figure out a way to overcome. Look at your last two fights and come up with a plan to maximize your advantages, or to take advantage of any disadvantages you have found."

That got her thinking. By the time they found another enemy, she had an answer. He was her advantage. After walking through their current tunnel for a while, they came to a larger chamber and inside they found three badgers. Akilatjin encouraged him to draw their attention while she flanked them.

Now that he was getting his own chance to fight them, he had to admit they were a lot to handle. Both of his weapons were capable of cutting through their thick skin and hard muscles, but it wasn't as easy as normal. His spewn cut through most things, even bone, like a spoon through jello. Trying to get through the vicious badger's armor, that was more like beating the jello with a thick bar. It cut, but there was a lot of resistance.

They were fast, but not nearly as fast as Alan, so he didn't have to worry about retaliatory swipes like Akilatjin. They were just as determined as they had looked against her, though, so it took a lot to put them down. While he was carving up two of them, the prideful worm was harassing the last one. To its credit, it was willing to take on all comers, but with its attention focused more on Alan, she was able to deal some damage to it without getting raked in return. Her bite wasn't unable to get through the fur and skin, it just took a few attacks on the same spot to make a real impression.

The first two badgers had turned into small piles of gold. Akilatjin had eaten them both and Alan had been forced to endure it. Maybe they should have a long conversation about things if they were going to be Bonded. He didn't want to walk on eggshells around her, and doing so wouldn't help them deepen their bond, either.

The three badgers' swirling loot wind combined to leave behind a single prize. This too was edible, but Akilatjin didn't seem as eager. Instead of a pile of money, bars of magical metal, or some weird chain, it was a plant. It was in a pot that was about twenty centimeters across and was filled with rich black soil. The plant itself was almost a meter high and was a bright, vibrant yellow green. The stem of the plant was a deep green, evoking feelings of life and health, while the leaves were circular and had a similar green border while the center was yellow like the sun.

His herbology knowledge was coming up blank, and identify was only a little helpful. This was going to be one of those rewards that he had to investigate on his own, unless Tamee happened to know anything about it, and was willing to divulge her information.

Plant: Luminouswort (Rare). This plant has many alchemical and magical uses.

His gut was telling him it was a good reward, and Alan was lucky enough to have a storage place where he could keep it. Most spatial items were incapable of holding living matter. That consideration was a little blurred when it came to plants. His necklace had contained a variety of plant parts when he had found it, but they were pieces of plants, not the whole thing. He could use them later to grow another plant, but they weren't really alive on their own.

This pot contained a fully thriving hunk of vegetation and a standard storage item would most likely harm it, or even cause it to die. Luckily, Alan had a nipple ring. The little gold barbel was a spatial item that used its connection to his aura to keep things inside of it alive. It couldn't take a person, though, only things with a small lifeforce. That was enough for eggs, and he was pretty sure it should work for plants.

Alan took a quick whiff of the single flower before storing it away. The long white petals rose up similar to those on a tulip, but there were fewer of them, more like a daisy. The smell touched something inside of him, seeming to resonate with a part of his being. His flora lore wasn't strong enough to figure out what was going on. A quick check with Tamee revealed that she had no knowledge of it.

That wasn't too much of a surprise, his overseer was very knowledgeable about a variety of topics, but mostly those that pertained directly to adventuring. For side hobbies like gardening, alchemy, and engraving she was far less helpful.

"She's not so helpful it seems. Why do you keep her around?" Akilatjin asked, with perhaps a slight hint of jealousy.

Alan wasn't about to have this discussion in front of Tamee, so he used their bond to talk. "You didn't know what the plant was either. Besides, Tamee has been able to tell me about a lot of things that I never would have figured out myself."

"Well, that counts as your share of the loot, I've got dibs on next."

"And you accused me of being mercenary." That actually shut her up.

The rest of the dungeon consisted of three more burrows. The next was similar to what they had just found, while the third actually contained a group of foxes. These were bigger and tougher than the ones Alan had faced in the first tier, but Akilatjin had eagerly engaged them, diving into the pack like a dog after a skunk. Just like the dog, she came out filthy and reeking.

The idea of an opponent who wasn't as difficult to deal with as the badgers had released something in her, and she had torn them apart with utter abandon. Alan actually felt bad for the furry things. In the end, she was covered in a lot of blood and little bits of gore. Alan used a series of castings of conjure water to get her a little cleaner.

The final room had contained four badgers, the normal three plus what his skill told him was an Elder Badger. It was an opal level beast, but still at the uncommon rarity. Alan had been forced to rely more on magic to get through that fight. It wasn't that he couldn't have taken them down himself, but if he was going to keep them off of his young companion then he needed a little more punch. When the fight was finally over, that made Akilatjin ask him a question.

"How come you don't use your magic more often? You were much deadlier with those fire bolts and stone spears. The only other time I've really seen you use it was against the giants."

"Well, I've been a fighter for most of my life. Back on Earth I was a special kind of soldier and I learned all kinds of ways of killing people. That kind of stuff comes naturally. We didn't really have magic though, so it's not as ingrained into my fighting style. It also is a limited resource. My mana pool gets drained way faster than my stamina. And, also, I haven't really been pushed to the point in these dungeons to where I need to use it."

"I get it, you're stronger than me. You don't have to run it in."

"That wasn't what I was trying to say, but even if it was, is that such a shock? You're barely out of your egg, it would be pretty embarrassing if you were already a better fighter than me. I have no doubt that soon our roles will be reversed, however."

She hadn't really seemed that upset when she thought he was flaunting his power. When he pointed out how much more powerful she would probably become, she had almost vibrated with pleasure. Akilatjin definitely had a healthy dose of arrogance in her, but also a good amount of ambition. It wasn't that shocking to find those traits in a youth, but he would have to watch how that developed.