Yahime

The gaping darkness of the cliff gained appeal as the jowless hounds raced from the forest at me. A pack of at least a dozen of them bound towards me, their thick muscles rippling beneath taught skin threatening to burst and tear with every movement. Black pupils dotted their glowing yellow eyes casting just enough light to reveal long mouths serrated with teeth, dripping and ready to feed.

I moved on instinct when the first came into range, snatching up the thickest stick I could spot.

"MEN!"

Muscle memory of my Naginata kata triggered and I swung the branch down on the dog's head. The branch snapped on contact, barely barely fazing the beast and only knocking it off course. Its teeth grazed my forearm and as a thin line of blood welled on my skin, I saw my health bar drop slightly. Why was this world so hellbent on killing me?!

In the few precious moments I had left I scooped up the thickest, heaviest stone I could see and hammered it into the next attacking hound. It gave a high pitched yelp and rolled sideways on the ground, but was back on its feet, teeth bared, barely a second later.

All the while the creature of darkness watched blankly.

"Don't just stand there! Do something!"

It remained static and I barely dodged another set of jagged teeth snapped at my calf. I stumbled backwards, falling onto my back. I was helpless and the three monsters knew it. They joined together, leaping at me in unison and I squeezed my eyes shut.

A thick liquid warmed my frozen skin, covering my face and chest. Sickly, wet thumps on the ground followed and I blinked my drenched eyes open.

Like a black knight, the shadow stood above me. Blood dripped from its bladed fingers as its arms hung at its sides and its gaze locked with mine. It didn't flinch when razor sharp teeth sank into its shoulder and stood unmoving when more buried themselves in its leg.

"What are you doing?!" My heart ached at the sight. I couldn't understand why I was concerned, but I knew I didn't want something willing to save me to let itself be ripped apart.

Spurred by my demand the creature's face split, opening wide to reveal bladed obsidian teeth. But what mesmerized me was what was behind. Behind the creature's teeth was an endless expanse holding a sea of glittering specks of light. It was enthralling, a strange juxtaposition of beauty against its unsettling form.

Then a shrill shriek rang through the air, shaking the air, threatening to burst my ears. The hounds responded similarly, digging their snouts into the ground and thrashing, desperate for a way to shield their ears.

My eyes couldn't follow what transpired next; I witnessed the aftermath. The shadow creature disappeared in a flash only to reappear at the tree line. A trail of corpses sat between us with entrails and limbs smeared and scattered across the ground. Then in one step then two the creature flitted back to me.

"T-Thank you," I rasped. My throat and mouth were a desert. My hands trembled when I pushed myself to my feet and my knees buckled. I somehow managed to keep my balance. But now what?

Whatever the creature was, it had taken a liking to me, at least enough to protect me. Maybe that was enough. I was helpless on my own; a decade had passed since my university Naginata days and my job hadn't even left me time for a daily jog. Without the creature to protect me, I was dead. No question.

"Why…" I didn't feel the need to finish my question. If the creature could speak it would have already. Instead I looked at the butchery surrounding me.

It was a grisly sight with most of the strange canines so mangled and chopped that they were unrecognizable. Still, their remains had to be useful somehow, not that I knew anything about processing animals. I could barely slice carrots without cutting myself.

I still had to try. I managed to scavenge some intact fangs that were pocket knife length and after tearing some of my rags and wrapping them, I used them to skin one of the more intact carcasses. It was a messy affair and the result was a thin, dripping skin riddled with holes. I abandoned the meat since I didn't have a fire or any way of knowing if it was safe to eat. It would freeze anyway, so I could always come back if all else failed.

The monster watched me silently as I worked. What had once felt unsettling had become reassuring and I made sure not to stray too far from it. Not that it let; whenever I stepped too far it appeared beside me. It had startled me at first, but I adjusted after it happened a few times.

By the time morning came I was exhausted. I was used to sleepless nights from work and it had been fairly normal for me to spend the night at the office. The difference was at least there I got a blanket and a cot. I also had a newfound appreciation for climate control. Here I was exposed to the elements: blistering winds, frozen ground, and soon a blinding sun. I knew it was common for people to get sunburned in cold environments and I didn't want to gamble that [SECOND CHANCE] would save me.

"Are you serious?"

I stared at my status screen and wanted nothing more than to punch it. Having an INVENTORY tab had led me to believe there was some sort of magical storage, but in actuality it was just a useless list of what I had on me.

I'm so weak I'm struggling to carry just this skin. How the hell am I supposed to carry anything else? My bones will snap under any more weight.

I looked at the shadow creature.

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to help me carry this, would you?"

Another blank stare followed by a sudden pop-up.

RELATIONSHIP WITH ??? HAS DEEPENED.

??? CAN NOW BE REGISTERED AS A [FAMILIAR].

WOULD YOU LIKE TO PROCEED? Y/N

"A familiar?" I tried to discern the creature's thoughts on the matter to no avail. "Would that make it my pet?"

I opened my status screen for any clues. Certain items had a tooltip that would give a more detailed explanation and I pumped my fist when I saw one available for the new, though greyed out, skill [PACT].

[PACT]

FORM A PACT WITH A CREATURE TO MAKE IT A [FAMILIAR]. CREATURES HIGHER LEVEL THAN SKILL USER MUST CONSENT TO PACT.

"Familiar has a tooltip, too? Nice!"

[FAMILIAR]

CREATURES BOUND BY MAGICAL PACTS. THEY WILL OBEY ANY COMMAND THEIR MASTER GIVES UNLESS IT CONFLICTS WITH THEIR NATURE.

"Their nature? That's hardly specific. But there doesn't seem to be any downside to this and if it's giving me the option of a pact, it must mean you're okay with it."

I checked the shadow creature again for any sign of dissent before selecting yes.

??? HAS FORMED A PACK WITH AURELIE

WOULD YOU LIKE TO NAME ???

"A name? If you have any suggestions, tell me now."

It didn't react. Who would have guessed? Still, I didn't want to give it a dumb name. What would fit? Now that the sun had risen I could see the creature properly and realized it had more distinct features than I'd realized. For one, it had long flowing hair that shifted between thick tendrils and wispy strands that melded into its fluid-like black skin. That was another thing; its skin constantly shifted, ebbing and flowing like the tide while rippling against the wind. I wanted to touch it but I wasn't confident in how safe it would be.

Other than that, the only other thing I noticed were the subtle curves along the creature's body. While I would hardly call it feminine, there was a noticeable shape to its thin waste that gave it the subtlest hourglass figure.

What would be good? Something to do with darkness? Kurai? That doesn't feel right. Its mouth did remind me of the night sky, so Yozora? But that's my surname. It should be something unique.

"What about Yahime?"

The creature's ringed eyes flickered, the first reaction it had given to anything in a while. The name was a bit clumsy, but somehow combining yami and hime felt right.

"Then Yahime it is. Now help me carry this while we search for a shelter."

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