ASCENDANCY THE TREELINE -- 1 day, 6 hours after initial spawn

  My hands were shaking. Not from fear... the adrenaline was wearing off, leaving me with sticky raptor blood on my face and the realization that I'd just watched my familiar save my ass.

  ARi's projection flickered as she studied the construct still crouched over the dead raptor. The thing hadn't moved since the fight ended, its mantis-like arms retracted but still poised, ready to strike again.

  "Gavin, I need you to claim your familiar," she said, her voice urgent. "Right now it's eating up all my control points. I can't spawn my utility construct until you take full command of it."

  I wiped raptor blood from my face and looked at the motionless construct. Now that the fight was over, I could actually see the details. Hooked claws on its feet had left deep gouges in the mud. Two arms extended from its back, ending in spear points that I now realized weren't simple spikes. They were complex and able to fold into lethal points or unfurl into three-fingered grippers with secondary hinges.

  The way it'd moved during the fight, though. Fluid. Decisive. Like someone had looked at every predator on this nightmare planet and built the perfect counter.

  "How exactly do I..."

  Before I could finish, a system window snapped into view in front of me.

  [SYSTEM WINDOW] FAMILIAR TRANSFER

  ARi relinquishes control of Adaptive Combat Construct.

  Accept transfer?

  [YES]?[NO]

  I selected yes, and immediately felt something shift in my head. Not painful, but different. Like I'd become aware of a new limb I'd forgotten I had.

  The construct's head turned toward me, and for the first time, I could see its eyes. Glowing yellow orbs recessed deep into dark sockets, staring right back at me like the thing was waiting for instructions. I focused on my new familiar and was able to bring up its stats.

  [SYSTEM WINDOW] CHARACTER SHEET

  Initial Scan Complete:

  Unnamed Familiar, Adaptive Combat Construct, Level 1.

  Experience: 23 out of 500 for Level 2.

  Health: 67 out of 70. Energy: 66 out of 95.

  Base Attributes:

  Strength: 15.

  Constitution: 10.

  Agility: 12.

  Willpower: 4.

  Intelligence: 2.

  Perception: 7.

  Charisma: 1.

  Physical Configurations:

  Combat-Mode: Bipedal stance with spear manipulators active.

  Utility-Mode: Quadrupedal stance with manipulators configured for work tasks.

  Scout-Mode: Hexapedal stance optimized for speed and stealth.

  Available Hard-Points: 0 out of 3.

  Hard-Points determine how many upgrades can be installed into the construct’s chassis. Each installation consumes one Hard-Point and may add armor plating, weapon systems, or tool modules. An upgrade may be installed for every five points of Intelligence. The total limit depends on the construct’s chassis and level.

  "ARi, can you project this so the others can see?" I asked.

  ARi waved her hand, and the same window appeared for everyone else. "I can share the System window with them directly. No need for a static projection."

  "Holy hell," Kyle said, staring at the window. "It has stats like us."

  "Look at that agility score," Tanya said. "Twelve points at level one? That's higher than most of us started with."

  "Makes sense," Tim said. "That thing moves like liquid lightning."

  ARi's projection flickered. "Yeah, but an intelligence of two is interesting. That's barely above animal-level reasoning, but it's still reasoning. I think this was intentional. This way Gavin can choose how autonomous he actually wants it to be."

  "What about these hard points?" I asked.

  "Upgrade slots," ARi said. "But we need to boost its intelligence first. Every five points unlocks another hard point."

  "It shares experience with me if I'm in direct control," ARi continued. "I gained 577 xp for fighting that raptor. Looks like 23 of the 600 points awarded went to the familiar."

  "So my familiar is only gonna earn like four percent of the total experience?"

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  "Gavin, I think it depends on how much it's doing on its own. I was pulling most of those strings during that fight."

  "Show me combat mode," I said, curious if it would respond to verbal commands.

  The construct rose up on its hind legs immediately, and holy shit. Standing bipedal, it towered nearly six feet tall, all four arms extended and ready. The stance was unmistakably aggressive, designed for maximum reach and intimidation. Its rear feet had shifted configuration too, wider now with a large rear claw protruding past the heel for stability.

  "Oh my god," Kyle whispered, taking a step back. "That Strength score of fifteen looks impressive on paper, but seeing it like that..."

  Yeah, no kidding. Fifteen Strength on a stat sheet was one thing. Fifteen Strength standing six feet tall with four-bladed arms was something else entirely.

  "Utility mode."

  The familiar dropped to a stable four-legged stance. Its spear-arms retracted and unfolded into three-fingered grippers. The transformation was smooth, almost organic, leaving it ready for work while still mobile.

  "That's actually pretty clever," Yumi said. "Four legs for stability, but the manipulators are still free for tasks."

  It was more than clever. The design was intentional, purpose-built for exactly this kind of environment. Combat, utility, and if the pattern held...

  "Scout mode."

  The familiar flattened low to the ground, all six limbs functioning as legs now. Its profile dropped to barely knee-high, and when it moved into the brush, the motion was silent and fluid.

  "Okay, that's seriously unsettling," Tim muttered. "It... disappeared into the grass."

  "You need a name, don't you?" I asked as I mentally commanded my familiar back to the group.

  The construct's head tilted at the direct address. A surprisingly organic gesture that made the yellow orbs seem almost curious.

  "What about Killer?" Kyle suggested.

  I shook my head. "Too literal. This thing isn't just about the weapons."

  I watched it shift its weight; the movement was smooth and precise.

  "Bishop," I said finally. "Your name is Bishop."

  [SYSTEM WINDOW] FAMILIAR BOND STRENGTHENED

  The bond between the user and the familiar has increased. A unique skill has been unlocked.

  Shared-Senses 1: Grants limited sensory input from the familiar. This includes the direction and distance of detected movement. It shows creature size as small, medium, or large. It identifies entities as hostile, neutral, or friendly. It detects environmental hazards within range. These senses appear as impressions layered over your normal perception. They don't replace your vision. You can open a simple UI to request specific information. Clarity and range improve as your bond strengthens. They also improve as the familiar's intelligence increases.

  Yumi immediately grinned. "Like the robot guy from Aliens?"

  "Synthetic person," I corrected automatically.

  "Nerd," Yumi teased.

  Kyle squinted at Bishop. "Why would you name it after a chess piece?"

  There was a dead silence.

  "The movie, Kyle," Yumi said slowly. "Aliens. Bishop, the android?"

  "I have never seen it."

  "How have you never..." I started.

  "It's literally one of the greatest action movies ever made," Tanya added.

  "Really, Kyle?" Tim asked.

  "I don't watch old movies, okay?" Kyle said.

  Bishop's head angled toward Kyle, yellow eyes fixed on him. "Why do I feel like it's judging me too?" he muttered.

  I could sense what Bishop was sensing. Not clearly. More like echoes of perception filtering through my awareness. I could feel the others around us, even the little lizard still perched on Yumi's shoulder.

  Wait.

  "Are you kidding me?" I said, blinking as the sensations came into focus. "Bishop is identifying Yumi's little friend as a water drake."

  Everyone turned to look at the small lizard perched contentedly on Yumi's shoulder, no bigger than a house cat.

  "A water drake?" Tanya said, stepping closer to examine the creature. "Are you sure?"

  "That's what Bishop is telling me," I replied.

  Yumi looked down at her small companion, which chirped softly and nuzzled against her neck. "This little guy? But he's so tiny and harmless."

  "It's a baby," Kyle said, his voice going up an octave. "Baby water drake. Which means..."

  "Which means Mama and Papa are probably a hell of a lot bigger," Tim finished grimly.

  "And I saw what adult water drakes can do to a Ceratorex," I added, remembering the massive jaws that had dragged the creature under the river.

  Yumi's hand moved protectively toward the little drake. "He's been nothing but friendly this whole time. And he's obviously intelligent."

  "That's what worries me," I said. "Bishop's reading it as neutral, not hostile, but that doesn't exactly mean tame, either."

  ARi's projection flickered with interest. "Actually, Gavin, I know the first drake you saw freaked you out, but Yumi's right. Gaining the trust of the locals on this world could be a path to survival here. That drake can move with you right through hostile Control-Nodes. If there are any indigenous intelligent life forms on this world, we should seek them out."

  "That's actually a good point," I said. "If we're gonna survive here long-term, we need allies, not enemies."

  "Right," ARi continued. "And that little drake has already proven it can sense danger and communicate warnings. That's incredibly valuable."

  The little drake chirped and extended its head toward Bishop, who'd moved closer during our conversation. The two regarded each other with what looked like mutual curiosity.

  "Maybe it's the six limbs," Yumi suggested.

  "Or maybe," Tanya said slowly, "Bishop's engineered after a drake. Think about it. Pretty perfect design for a predator in this environment."

  Tim hefted one of the clay baskets, grimacing at the weight. "Speaking of surviving, we need to move these materials back to the den before whatever else might be hunting us finds us out here in the open."

  I looked at the heavy baskets and at Bishop. That Strength score had to be good for something besides ripping raptors apart. "How much can you carry in utility mode?"

  "Only one way to find out: Bishop, utility mode."

  Bishop dropped to its four-legged stance, manipulator arms unfolding into grippers. I pointed to the nearest basket. "Grab that one."

  Bishop's grippers closed around the basket's handles and lifted it smoothly off the ground. No hesitation, no strain.

  "Wow," Kyle breathed. "That thing weighs about eighty pounds."

  "Strength score of fifteen," Tanya said, impressed.

  Not gonna lie, watching Bishop handle that weight like it was nothing was pretty satisfying. "Can you carry two?"

  Bishop angled its head toward me, positioned itself next to Tim, and extended its free manipulator. Tim handed over his basket. Bishop took it without issue, stance widening for balance but holding steady. One hundred sixty pounds of clay and wicker like it was carrying groceries.

  "That's our clay problem solved."

  "Let's get the hell out of here then." I mentally instructed Bishop to move, and it fell into step beside me as we headed back.

  A few minutes later, as we crossed the Earth Territory boundary, ARi absorbed the clay, baskets, and all.

  Thanks again for checking out The First Cradle. I've got other stories posted that you might enjoy as well. Feel free to check out my profile!

  Or check out other great stories right here on RoyalRoad! What really stands out to me about Family Gaudian is that this is not just one person pulled into a game world. It is an entire family! This is a must read!