”Free.” I shrugged my shoulders and handed over my new Glass. He whisked the Throne Glass into the air with his telekinesis.
”Ugh- seriously, someone’s going to lure you away with candy one of these days.” He shook his fluffy head and inspected the Glass.
What was that supposed to mean? If anything, it’d be coffee. I wasn’t a little kid. “Give. Back.”
“Just wait.” A small drive flew over from the side of the room, which he inserted into the Glass. “This is top of the line anti-tracking software. I figured they’d give you something like this. It’s Throne’s way of tracking new Wardens. I’ll put it on your tab.”
All this Grid tracking and hacking stuff went over my head. Guess the saying was true? You really couldn’t teach an old dog new tricks. “Thanks.”
”Yeah. Shouldn’t have to worry about trackers or anything like that unless someone directly gets hold of your Glass.” He paused, eyeing me. “And don’t download anything suspicious, alright?”
“…!” I shot him a look. I wasn’t that much of a slag. I remembered the basics… partially. Something about scams, downloads, and suspicious links.
He raised a paw. “Sorry, sorry… What else did you want to ask about?”
”Star.” That Nighteye entity was seriously freaking me out. Even speaking to it—or I guess thinking since it seemed capable of reading my mind—dredged up bad memories.
”The things in the sky?” His whiskers twitched and his brow furrowed.
“No. Contract?”
”One contacted you?!” His eyes popped open in disbelief. Did ‘contract’ have that much meaning when put beside Star? I was must’ve missing something. “Did you accept?!”
“No.”
His whiskers twitched fiercely. An incredulous expression passed over his feline face. “Are you sure you just awakened?”
[Nighteye gloats, showing off her radiance. See how impressive she is now?]
“Why?” I asked, my head churning with a newly formed headache. I definitely missed something.
Pursius took a few calming breaths, rubbing his snout with his paw. “Right, right. You wouldn’t know. Um- where do I begin? Constellations- Stars- they’re- hmm… They’re legends- myths from various worlds. No- that’s-”
“…”
I sat there for a few moments as he collected his thoughts. ”It’s hard to catch one’s eye, though the growth rate of those who do is unparalleled. Damion, the brat you were with, has a contract with one. Shadow King, or something like that.”
”Okay?” Maybe I was giving Damion too much of a hard time. If I had a window that constantly talked to me, telling me what to do, I’d go a little crazy too. Oh wait, I was already going crazy... was that why he kept glancing into the sky and make weird comments?
“You still don’t get it.” He sighed, rubbing his head with a paw. His ears flicked in irritation. “They’re like corporate sponsors. They pay and give gifts to people in the hopes their chosen awakened grows stronger.”
“Why?” Corporate sponsorships weren’t free. The corporations always got something out of it. Why would an entity—strong enough to use the OS as mere communication—want a contract? What did they get out of it?
[Nighteye laments her child’s poor communication skills.]
[Nighteye draws a simple diagram, showing her giving stuff to you, and then watching you on a terminal as you grow. She cheers and cries as you succeed and fail.]
Oh, so you’re like the people that watched Warden streams, yep? But, like, a rich viewer that donates? Why couldn’t Pursius just say that to begin with? He really did have poor communication skills.
The accumulated stress in my heart vanished. Here I was worried this ‘Nighteye’ was one of them, and in reality she was just a bored viewer looking to make a donation. Hmm… but what about this contract? And what exactly was she? Or stars, for that matter.
[Nighteye rambles about exclusivity rights, slots, and limitations of the OS. She swears on her existence that nothing will harm you.]
[Nighteye formally offers a contract.]
[Accept?]
”Is it talking to you? The Star?” Pursius asked me, his eyes twinkling.
”Yep.”
Pursius calmed down and he returned to his usual cool business-cat expression. His twitching tail gave away his emotions though. “Ask what the terms of the contract are.”
[Nighteye rapidly reassures you that her contract is very fair. All she wants is your continued friendship with the Miix.]
Well, that much was easy? I could do that. No way I’d betray Pursius in the first place. He was the second closest thing I had to a friend outside of Kali and Nivia. That, and although he probably wouldn’t ever admit it, he had taken care of me quite a bit since I came to Bastion. Hell, he was my primary supplier of Dew. I’d be screwed without that.
[Accept?]
A mechanical chime rang through my head, followed by a long, long contract. The OS acted as the signatory- the witness. I carefully read through it, watching for any tricks or deceptions. To my surprise, there were none that I could spot. It was completely unlike the last contract I accepted. The one that made me like- well, like this.
If anything, it seemed too favorable for me. I didn't have to go out of my way to do a single thing. I hesitated for a few minutes longer, rereading and double checking the contract again and again just to make sure. Eventually, I accepted it.
[Nighteye celebrates!]
[Nighteye would like to formally reintroduce herself.]
[Nighteye, Miix Guardian Star of the Guiding Moonlight, bows politely. Her tail twitches in excitement behind her.]
Nice to meet you too, I guess. Miix Guardian Star though… That explains why she got so excited when she saw my cat form during Dream Stride. She must’ve noticed me in the first place because of Pursius, yep? Why not pick a Miix to contract with?
Oh! Pursius should know of her, right-
[Nighteye hurriedly raises a paw!]
[Nighteye wishes to keep the fact she is also here, in this world, a secret.]
I closed my mouth, nodding my head. I got it… I didn’t know why, exactly, but I’d follow her wishes. For now. As long as it didn't hurt Pursius.
[Nighteye offers a gift in celebration!]
A mechanical chime sounded off, and a moment later the OS announced my information. It'd grown quite a bit since last time. I still wasn’t sure how the OS worked, but its tracking abilities were super impressive.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
[Aylin Io
Innate Trait: [Dream Stride], [Ebonshroud], [All-Speech]
Skills: [Basic Ether Sword - 1], [Shoulder Charge - 1], [Basic Ether Dagger - 1]
Star: Nighteye - [Guiding Moonlight]
Bound: [Will Wire]]
Guiding Moonlight? It fit my new name of Moon, I guess. A moment later, the mechanical chimes of the OS came once more.
[Guiding Moonlight
-
The moon guides you to all that gleams
-
Summon a wisp to guide you to that which you seek the most
-
Once during a full moon]
-
[Nighteye’s tongue hangs limply in exhaustion. She offers one last, tired cheer before going off to rest.]
“Done.” I announced to the watching cat.
”Good… you get anything lux from the Star?” He tilted his head as his ears perked up.
”…” I nodded my head. Guiding Moonlight… It looked okay, I guess. Finding that which I sought the most? What was it exactly that I sought? And how could the wisp find it so easily if I didn't even know what I wanted? The full moon wasn’t for another two weeks though, so I’d have to wait patiently. Time would probably fly anyway.
”I’m happy for you. Really.” He sighed deeply. “Too bad Miix can’t awaken, or I’d be able to give you more advice.”
I guess that answered why Nighteye didn't contract with a Miix Warden. Can Stars only have one contract? How does that work? ”More. Than. Enough.”
“If you say so…” His ears perked up cheerfully. He changed the subject to one he looked far more excited about. His tail wouldn’t stop swaying. “What’s your alias?”
”Moon.”
“Oh? Are you… going to swap up your concept? It wouldn’t be smart to have Nyx, the Anarch, and Moon, the Warden, both operate under the same MO and style.” He shrugged. “Should be obvious why.”
I got why, but- ”Concept?”
”Yeah? A theme? Like your all black style for Nyx? Is that not what you’re doing?” He looked genuinely surprised.
”No?”
“All this time… I just assumed it was a concept. A- uh- a theme? Like Nyx, the personification of night. You wear all black and masks hide your face all the time.” Pursius’s ears flattened to his head. He coldly harrumphed and looked away dismissively. “Figures you wouldn’t know what a concept is either.”
“Why. Concept?” I could just show up? No need to stick to a theme, yep?
He crossed his paws, taking on a refined pose. ”The three M’s, my dear Stray.”
I knew this one! ”Mean. Medium. Mode?”
“What? No… how do you even know what those are, but not a concept?” The cat shook his head in a miffed stupor. His amber eyes glowed with an expression I couldn’t quite read.
“Sorry.”
“Don’t apologize- ugh… The three Ms: marketing, memory, and media. A concept is marketable, which makes advertisers like you. A concept is memorable, which raises your status and popularity among the casual populace. Finally, Media loves concepts. Unless you become super strong, concepts are what they thrive on.”
"Popularity?" Wasn't super important to me. No point for a concept.
Pursius tilted his head to the side. "Maybe it should be four M's? Marketing, memory, and media all help sell merch. Win-win all the way around. For both Anarchs and Wardens, actually. It’s why some of them go so far out of there way to stick to a concept, especially at the low-ranks when its hard to stick out.”
Ah! In summary, Nytes. It was all for Nytes. And, presumably, popularity. Nytes though! I could pay off my debt… maybe. Sure, I could go with a concept. “Help?”
His lips pulled back into an unsettling grin. "Of course! Where do we even start? So-"
After that, the cat walked me through concepts, famous examples, and everything I needed to know. Most of it went over my head, but he looked like he was enjoying himself, so it was fine. He was really into all of this Warden stuff. Knew more than I could ever hope to about all of this.
Apparently, those scouts back in the Bureau’s lobby? Most of them were for agencies that took care of this stuff. They tried to help a Warden get famous, and then raked in the Nytes afterwards through merch and advertising if they succeeded. It was high-risk, high-reward. Most Wardens were just useless F-ranks that wouldn’t do anything with their powers.
The Wardens that accepted seemed a bit like leeches to me, but whatever. Not everyone could prove themselves through strength and enter rifts. Some had to use PR, media management, and careful image cultivation to make a living. Goblins, Pursius called them. Considering most Wardens never left F-rank? It wasn’t a bad idea for those lacking to take the easy way through an agency.
“Got. It.” My voice struggled to get out. A sharp pain came from my throat. Guess I was starting to reach my limit. I had talked a lot today. Much more than usual.
His straightened spine collapsed and his tail stopped wagging. The charts, papers, and graphs he’d pulled out of who knows where slowly drifted back to their resting places. “Right, why don’t you go get some sleep? You look drained.”
What a splendid idea. I hadn’t had a cup of coffee in too long. I stood up from the chair and waved to the Miix. “Cya.”
”Yeah, yeah. Call me if you need something.” The shuffling of paper behind me filled the silent room as the diligent cat got back to work.
— — —
Two weeks later, I sat on the couch watching TV with Nivia tightly held in my arms. I pressed my chin in between her lopsided ears, taking in her comforting softness and scent. Lana, the main character of Glitch Scouts, faced a B-rank Anarch in the TV. Captain Capitalism or something.
Lana raised her wand. “With the power of frien-“
My show paused and Kali stepped in front of me. I shot her a look of dissatisfaction. She quickly hid the remote behind her back. If I tackled her, what were the chances I could get it back? Hmm… I should use Shoulder Charge just in case-
Kali waved her hand in front of my face. “Did you hear me, Aylin?”
“…” Unfortunately.
“Ugh-” She sighed, rubbing at her forehead. “It’s been two weeks already and you haven’t done anything but sleep and watch TV.”
”Coffee.” I said defensively. She was making me look bad. I made a lot of coffee. And I just didn’t have much of a reason to go out. Although one of his goons dropped off a months’ supply of Dew in advance, Pursius hadn’t called me in to work.
She sat on the coffee table, leaning back with her nose wrinkled. “That doesn't count.”
“…!” I shot her a glare. Coffee always counted! What a tragic world she lived in. Might be even more barren then the Ashlands.
Kali brushed her curly black hair behind her back. ”Look, usually I’m good with you just moping around, but two weeks is way too long. You need to go out!”
[Nighteye agrees whole-heartedly.]
Why are you even still here- oh, right, the contract. Forgot about that… and I’m not moping around. I just- I didn’t have anything to do, okay? Time really flew, huh… My grasp on time was never the best, but two weeks was a little long. I needed to take another dose of Dew soon.
“This? This is an intervention, my dear roommate.” She bowed her head, crouching down so we were on eye level. “If I have to watch a kids show one more time- Ahem, I mean, I’m worried about you.”
Kids show? No way she was talking about Glitch Scouts, yep? Glitch Scouts was pure art. It was so much better than the corporate trash that’s shoved down my throat when I look for something else.
Even Nivia agreed! Right? Nivia? Why weren’t you nodding? I flicked Nivia’s head as. She nodded several times at me. See! Two versus one!
Kali’s expression lit up and she smiled widely. “Look, even your bunny agrees with me!”
“…!” Ugh, Nivia! You betrayed me! I shot a glare at the stuffed animal. She innocently looked back up at me. My faithful companion of seventeen centuries stabbed me in the back just like that.
“Two weeks is way too long. I need some alone time, and,” Kali waved her hand at me, slumped on the couch with a dozen old mugs sitting next to me, “this isn’t healthy. Go get a hobby! Or a new job! Something…”
I looked down at myself… yeah, maybe she had a point. Besides, I could just leave for a couple hours and then come back, right? Just like last time. Not like she was kicking me out of the apartment forever. “Fine.”
“And- woah, you agreed?” She muttered under her breath. “That was so much easier than last time.”
[Nighteye cheers wildly.]
[Nighteye shouts she’ll be back and runs to start preparing popcorn.]
I could practically feel the Star’s excitement through her messages. Glitch Scouts wasn’t that miserable to watch, was it? The show was great! There was always a new twist! Not to mention it always had a happy ending.
[Nighteye looks the other way. It was great... if you’re three.]
I ignored the rude cat- star- entity? The messages. I ignored the messages and stared up at my roommate. “…?”
“Are you asking me what to do? Go out clubbing in Strata? Get a job? Tour the farms in Bloom Sector? Just- just something.” She shrugged. “I dunno… I go to internet cafes, but I get the feeling those aren’t quite your thing.”
I checked my Glass. The full moon was tonight. I hadn’t just been sitting around; I’d been patiently waiting. Couldn’t she wait half a day for this ‘intervention’?
I just about suggested it, but swallowed back down my words when I saw her hopeful expression. It'd be too cruel to crush that hope. “Okay.”
”Good. I have a guest coming over in an hour, so get out of here before that. Oh, and clean up that.” Kali waved to where I’d been laying. It wasn’t that bad-
[Nighteye looks down at her contractor in pity. Living in a pigsty must be hard for a human.]
I sighed and patted my rabbit on the head. You're the only one that understood me, Nivia. They just- just didn’t get it. This wasn't a pigsty! I was simply surrounded by all the things I liked? Was that too much to ask for? No, wait, I knew the answer to that. Of course it was.
I stood up, feeling the warm blanket I’d been using fall away. What should I do to pass the time until tonight anyway? A rift? Hmm… I guess it wouldn’t hurt to go get some experience seeing how normal low-rank Wardens cleared rifts. And I was running a little low on funds.
Buying stuff for my ‘concept’ wasn’t cheap. I didn’t want to just get low quality goods. Of course, most of it ended up being mundane stuff anyway. No point investing heavily if I wasn’t even sure I wanted to go down the Warden route to begin with. Anarchy with Nyx seemed like a much easier path.
I got on my Throne Glass, closed the Glitch Scouts: Riot! app and accessed the Throne’s official app: Tower. Tower had a fancy LFG system for creating quick fireteams to clear rifts. It even used the Warden’s role system of Vanguard, Striker, and Anchor to make good match-ups quick.
I entered the queue as a Vanguard- or, at least, I was going to. And then I remembered Pursius’s words of wisdom. I needed to differentiate Nyx the Anarch and Moon the Warden as much as possible. That included everything from style to fighting techniques.
Who was Moon? Who did I want to be? Nyx was undoubtedly a Vanguard. Maybe a Striker, but definitely one of those two. Pursius and I talked about it, and that left Anchor. I didn’t have any buff Skills like General’s Rally, so I’d have to all in on controlling like Burst did. I could probably do fine…
Should I go buy a gun? Nah, for now I could just use a bow and my Will Wire. Maybe in the future I’d get more specialized equipment if I wanted to keep acting as Moon. For now, keeping it simple would be for the best. I could always rock crossbows too, but they were a bit more complicated to make on the fly.
I signed up as an Anchor. While waiting, I cleaned up and got ready to go out. I threw on the new clothes I bought a week ago—a white techwear jacket, shirt, and shorts. It was completely different from Nyx; all white instead of all black. They were alright, but nowhere near as comfortable as my custom blend of Ebonshroud fabric.
Even my face was exposed… the Bureau had a render of my face anyway, so there was no point hiding it. Still, I formed a pair of aviators out of Ebonshroud to cover up my eyes and complete the look. I was now completely different from Nyx. No one should connect my two identities.
My Glass dinged loudly as Tower sent me a notification. The LFG feature had found a fireteam for me. I did one last check of my stuff. All good, if a bit uncomfortable. I was used to all black, and wearing all white was very, very different. I tucked the ice dagger into a sheath.
I settled Nivia into my bed and headed for the door. “Bye!”
”Stay safe!” Kali called after me. I left our apartment on tonight's grand adventure.