Once we’re most of the way down the mountain, I’m struck with curiosity. How would this thing react to Energy? The only time I’ve been able to really experiment with another living thing reacting to it was with that fucking rat and it was actively trying to kill me, so I didn’t get much of a chance to figure things out. I just got those weird ‘fragments’, but that might have been from another factor I didn’t take into account. But… with this cathid, it doesn’t seem to have any animosity towards me, so I probably won’t get counterattacked… So I won’t have to use the Energetic Attack, right?

“Hey, do you mind if I try transfusing you with Energy?” Honestly there’s no way it’ll understand me I don’t know why I asked- *Click*

Huh.

Ok.

While mindlessly continuing my descent, I concentrate Energy in my shoulders and push it towards the cathid, being very careful to not activate the Energetic Attack skill. It’s almost like it knows it could be used here, and it presses on my mind. The push is easily ignored, but it’s certainly noticeable. There is resistance for a moment before a trickle starts to leak out of my purview, and I carefully watch as the golden Energy sluggishly moves through the barrier. Interesting, that was the easiest so far out of anything, living or not, to infuse energy with. I let the trickle continue until my Energy bar decreased by two points, and a notification appears:

[Domination (cathid) at 10%, -1 total Energy pool]

Accompanied by a sudden, pounding headache that stops not only my hike, but also any rational thought in my brain. My eyes squeezed shut on their own and I try not to whimper while the worst pain I’ve ever felt courses through my head.

An eternity, or only a moment, passes before the pain clears, leaving so abruptly that I know it couldn’t have been coincidence. That ‘domination’ thing caused it, almost certainly.

Also: what the fuck. I quickly check and, sure enough, I’m now only capable of regenerating Energy up to 20. Son of a bitch, this thing knew! It willfully let me give away a permanent chunk of my Energy! God damnit that was hard to train up! I mean, I kinda got it on accident while healing myself, and I know how to get more, but that’s hard! I stop and grab the offending cathid, prying it off my shoulders and holding it in front of me. It doesn’t resist much other than coiling slightly around my forearm, and stoically meets my gaze.

“Dude, what the fuck.” the only logical question, honestly. “Give that back!” *Click* (Can’t). “Yes you can, you got it in the first place now gi- …” I was so angry I didn’t notice, but that was different. “Do that again” *Click click* (yes) *Click* (can’t). It blinks. I blink. “You can talk.” *Click* (no). “You are literally clicking words or something, I can hear it.” *Click* (no). “I… what?” I swear I can hear it saying things, but closer inspection reveals it is still just clicking its tail at me, the same as before. The difference is that I can detect more nuance in it. Some amount of meaning is conveyed. “What happened here? What did I do to you?”

*Click Clack* (bond).

“We’re bonded?”. The cathid merely stares back. This goes on for several awkward minutes before I wordlessly place the cathid back on my shoulders and sit down, resting my head on my knees. I can’t explain it, but the thing I was absolutely terrified of this morning now feels comfortable to have hanging off me. It’s… unsurprisingly, similar to the feeling of the Energy infused stick.

I focus on the section of the notification regarding ‘domination’ and a small blurb appears:

[Domination: The superimposing of one’s ego on to that of another being. A dominated being feels the influence of the dominator at the intensity of the domination. Domination creates a two-way connection for information between dominator and dominated. Cost of domination determined by skill level and Will/Energy pool of target. More research required for further analysis.]

That’s… a lot to take in at once. I didn’t know you could evolve game-provided information through your own experimentation. And, much more troubling, that I seem to have inadvertently overwritten ten percent of my cathid partner with… myself? I’m not totally sure what that part means, but it feels like I took a piece of myself and transplanted it into this creature, making it more… me? And that transplant allows it to communicate with me in a more meaningful manner. Which, in all likelihood, would increase in comprehension if I increased the domination percentage. This is all really creepy. It seems like the cathid knew this would happen, but… would something ever really sacrifice some of itself like that? “Why would you willingly submit to that?” The cathid doesn’t move or make any noise for a bit. Long enough that I look over to see it staring off toward the monster camp. I guess it has its own reasons. I wouldn’t have imagined a glorified centipede-snake hybrid would have any higher level thinking, but I think this one might. Which means the intelligence of these monsters might be more than just meat puppets. What if they aren’t just wild animals, but they actually intended and planned the wholesale slaughter of all those people?

...

My face feels hot as shame and anger mix in my mind. Shame I didn’t do more, anger it had to happen at all. I’d ask the cathid… who I should really name at some point… but I don’t think its in a communicative mood right now.

[Congratulations, you have discovered a hidden skill: Tamer.

Insufficient Power detected to learn skill.

Processing…

As the first of your race to discover this skill, payment is deferred. Subsequent Power gains will be consumed until Power defecit is removed. Continue?]

I… *really* don’t need this right now. Not, the skill, the… this shitty game is trying to put me in debt?! Fucking typical.

A brief, wild thought has me almost decide to dismiss it.

But.

‘First of your species to discover’ is a very compelling line.

Accept. Maybe it will shed some more light on what’s going on here. Whether these monsters are intelligent, whether they can be understood… whether they truly deserve to be annihilated.

[Congratulations! You’ve learned the Secondary Skill: Tamer!]

(-90)

[Tamer: You have the capacity to forge bonds with the native creatures of this world, and so can grow to learn from and understand them. Caution! Avoid attempting to bond with strong creatures, especially if they are unwilling!]

Ugh. I’ll think about it more later. Hunger and confusion do not make a happy, understanding person, so let’s deal with at least one of those. With a huff, I set off again, newly bonded cathid in tow.