A Tutorial and Cheat Code

It was surprising how easy it was for him to sleep, Yuji slept most of the morning away not waking until well into the evening. When he woke, he found a tray of fruit and gruel on his bedside table, it was lukewarm, so whoever left it must have done so not too long ago. He ate the rather unpleasantly textured meal as he observed the changes in the room, the shutters had been closed, the fire fed. A deep shadow hung and bounced in an erratic near sentient manner.

When he finished, he examined his body. There were bandages everywhere, but where there weren’t there was old scars. His body ached but the pain was not unbearable.

“Maybe he has as good of pain threshold as I did.”

Yuji grinned at the old memory of making money in grade school by showing off his ability to withstand unreasonable amounts of pain. In high school his mom had made him quit football when he fractured his ankle at the beginning of the game and didn’t notice until halftime.

“I wonder what she’s doing right now. I bet she would be surprised that my constant tv watching would have prepared me for something like this. It’s amazing how the most useless things can be useful at the right time.”

“It is indeed.”

Yuji jolted, a vibration of seizing muscles screamed at his sudden surprise. A harsh breath, he fell back onto the pillow in defeat.

“You scared me.”

“You should be always alert if you wish to survive your stay here.”

The door closed silently behind Mirk. He crossed the room taking his seat atop the chest staring at the unfortunate replacement.

“You should have been resting.”

“I had to eat.”

“You dared to eat what was left for you?”

“I figured it didn’t matter if your master’s body had a poison buffer.”

“A what?”

“A resistance to poison. Why do you think someone would try to kill me like that, or rather him?”

“Unlikely, his ability to resist poison isn’t a secret, though it is out of his character to eat just anything presented to him. No, the most efficient way to kill someone from the line of blessed blood is to do it by hand.”

An image of something glittering in the darkness, Yuji could see it so clearly, he could smell the earthy undergrowth. A shiver itched at his skin at the memory.

“I think whoever shot me with that arrow was going to stab me.”

“It is likely they were. As I said, it is the best way and as my master has trained so diligently, even under physical duress, likely the only way.”

“You know hearing you say things like blessed bloodline and thinking about that meeting with Lady Dagney, maybe you should tell me a bit more about this place before I commit another faux pas.”

Which at this rate I am likely to do in spades.

“Faux pas?”

“It means mistake, I think it’s French.”

“French?”

“It’s a language spoken in a country where I’m from.”

“I see. You know you are handling this far better than one might have thought. Does your world have magic as well?”

“No. I just watch a lot of tv, which now that I think about it, I don’t think you will have context for. Uh, let’s try this way of describing it. TV is kind of like a box that lets people watch plays at home.”

“You have a box that lets you watch plays from your residence and yet you say your world is devoid of magic.”

“It’s a long story, but we don’t have magic. Trust me, we don’t.”

“I suppose I can do little but acquiesce as I know nothing of your world. As for mine, I can tell you all you need to know about it and guide you through it while you are here. However, you are not my master, and it would do him a disservice and show a lack of loyalty to serve you without conditions.”

Of course, this can’t be easy. I suppose it can’t be any worse than a terms of use agreement.

“And what are your conditions?”

The mongoose stepped onto the bed padding casually onto Yuji’s chest where he sat, staring into his face. “You, Yuji Valentinov, must swear upon your life and honor that you will uphold my master’s dignity and perform his duties while he is unable to do so himself, and that under no circumstances will you reveal any secrets or confidences you are entrusted with while you are serving in his place. You will listen to me as your guide and will forfeit your life if you violate this agreement.”

A long exhalation, Mirk’s small body felt a burden.

And just as with a terms of use agreement, I don’t really have a choice if I want to survive.

“Fine, I agree.”

A surge of light appeared, just a small spark that momentarily blinded him.

“What was that?”

“It was the seal on our contract. You are bound to your word now.”

“Bound to my word, what does that mean?”

“The contract is sealed in magic. It means if you should go against your promise to me, you will be dispelled.”

“Dispelled, you mean like cast out?” He couldn’t help a sick shiver at the thought.

“Exactly, you didn’t think I would use magic that might hurt my master’s body. I wouldn’t be a good servant if I did such a thing.”

The loaned body felt no different. Yuji’s mind was clear. Just to be sure he made a conscious shift on the mattress, every single part of him complained with their own versions of sharp searing aches.

“You haven’t surrendered your will to me human, there is no need to ungulate. You need only fear if you violate our agreement, and I can assure you that my powers, despite my appearance, are not to be underestimated.”

“How exciting.”

“Apply yourself to listening to my description. Don’t fall asleep, and don’t give me cause to repeat myself.”

“I won’t.”

Mirk gave a dissatisfied grumble, his feet shifting irritably on Yuji’s chest like two little, dull pencils.

“My master Lord Till is the third son of Margrave Idwal Bastion, born to him by his consort. We are in Bastion Fortress at this moment, it is a well-fortified castle, with surrounding lands within a great forest in the Kingdom of Eventide. My master’s two elder brothers Lord Halius and Lord Dain are favored by their father and are full brothers born of the margravine. They are allied with the house of Wark and Ciddle, two high noble families close to the throne. My master, despite his engagement to Lady Dagney, has not managed to secure the Main family’s allegiances, nor the Tress family from whom his mother descends.

“This is a dark world. Bloodlines rule and even more is shed. Violence is the answer to everything. Within his father’s house my master is a vanguard, a position of exceptional danger most do not survive longer than two years within its ranks, my master has managed seven. However, he nearly perished on a mission within the Forest of Gloam, it is a dark wood where beasts of horror reside.

“There are strict codes of conduct in this world, etiquette is expected for appearances, artfulness required to survive. My master has no allies, other than myself. He is alone in a dark world that has rejected him. I tell you this so you will know what life you must accustom yourself to.”

Yuji sighed, counting the beams that formed the roof as he listened, a myriad of dramas, anime, and movies running through his head in a jumbled mess.

“Sounds as if I got the short straw.” He commented with an unusual sense of resignation.

My luck is truly amazing. I should have gotten a lottery ticket before I died.

“Short straw?”

“It’s something people where I come from would do to decide who would be the one to do something, I think it’s fair to say its associated with finding out who has to do an unpleasant task.” Yuji looked up into the strange horizontal pupils looking down at him. “Do you think it’s possible your master got my body?”

What a cliché if he did.

The thought occupied Mirk for a long time. “I don’t see why it couldn’t be possible. I imagine it is quite likely in fact.” The idea appeared to please him.

“Well, if he did, he’s going to have a much easier time then me. There’s backbiting and fighting where I come from, but it’s not at all necessary to live and my life really didn’t include it.”

A resounding pong of jealousy and resentment ruffled his calm. “He’ll get a family that loves him. A job that is actually rather casual. A good apartment. A car. It will be easy street compared to this.”

“What is this easy street you refer to?” Mirk tilted his small head seeming at that moment too animal-like in appearance to be capable of casting a voice into his mind.

“I don’t know where it comes from, but it means his life won’t be difficult. If he’s got my life.”

“Do you imagine it’s a possibility?” The creature appeared to doubt his earlier confidence.

“Why not? If I ended up in his body, isn’t it possible he ended up in mine?”

And his body was pretty wrecked when I got it, so if it survived surely mind did.

The aura around Mirk somehow appeared too thin, growing lighter and more wispy. His small feet shifted three or four times like a needing cat, the idea providing a level of contentment to him and in some way that relieved a portion of Yuji’s resentment.

I suppose everyone wants to know the person they care about is alright.

“Yuji, we cannot allow Lady Dagney to hold your secret. She is a difficult woman with ideas and plans of her own. She is not, nor has she ever been, my master’s supporter and he believed strongly that she was working with his brother Lord Dain to discredit and harm him in what ways she could. Even her mentioning Sarkis was meant to provoke.”

“Who is Sarkis?”

“He represents my master’s brother Lord Dain in court while he is away.”

So, I start the game at a disadvantage… and on hard. If what he says is true. I guess I have no choice other than to listen to the tutorial narrator.

“Alright, then what am I supposed to do?”

“I was expecting you would need more convincing.”

Yuji shrugged, receiving an annoyed pulse of pain from his back and shoulders. “I am prisoner to the rules, right? And besides that, you seem to care about this body and that being the case your kind of acting like a cheat code to protect it. So, there is really no point in me going against your suggestions, at least not until you prove yourself untrustworthy. Besides that, I have this weird sensation I can trust you.”

Maybe that’s this body at work?

Mirk stood a bit prouder head lifted. “I would never do anything to jeopardize my master’s safety,” he seemed to deflate a touch, “What is a cheat code?”

“It’s something that makes your life easier.”

The pride returned, “Such a title suits me well.”