Mord started his normal monologue but hit a hitch only a few seconds in. It was as if whatever intelligence was behind our non-programmed interactions took over. This was surprising because I assumed that the intelligence could always see what I was doing.

  “I see you have found the first power of using a Neophyte Inliking.”

  “You know what he is?” I asked, hoping to get more information.

  “Yes.”

  “And?”

  We met each other’s stares for a solid minute, neither willing to break.

  The minute stretched on. As I was considering the futility of a staring contest with what was the magical equivalent of a robot, he finally broke.

  “Ok, Fine.” Mord huffed. “Inklings are shapeshifters at their very core. They are respected familiars for their ability to mimic anything they have come into ‘contact’ with. I emphasize contact because each color of ink has its own method. Likewise, each has its specific advantages and downfalls. A ‘Neophyte’ is basically their equivalent of a baby. You are its first summoner, or in their terms, host.”

  “Host? Like a parasite?” I mimicked a shocked and disgusted tone. I sent warmth towards Ink, hoping he would know I didn’t consider him a parasite.

  “They are a mix of symbiote and parasite, yes. They use summoners to gain knowledge and accumulate potential to make themselves more powerful and thus more attractive to future summoners. While summoned, they are useful companions to perform a wide array of tasks. Just note that when you die, they will siphon off every drop of energy they can before slinking back to their realm.”

  “That’s a lot to take in. Did I make a bad choice?” I asked plainly.

  “Choice? Boy, you act like you were presented with options. I watched you summon this one. A little meditation, and he popped into your hand. I had not seen nor heard of a purple one before, but it seems he does have advantages.”

  “I guess not.” I realized he missed my time in Inkworld. “You said advantages?”

  “Yes, it seems like he, I assume it's male, can replicate the actual structure of a material, not just its look, like the others. It’s too bad a black would have made you very strong, or a blue would have been a trusted companion capable of adapting to your needs. That said, he does make a very good set of pants.”

  “What about a Red?” I couldn’t help but ask.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “Ahh… the seductress red. They are nothing but trouble, depending on how they are used. They are capable of perfectly copying anything they ‘mate’ with for a short duration, including knowledge or memory. So convincing are their copies that they are outright banned in a few kingdoms across the world, due to some unpleasant events. Assassinations, high-society scandals, and whatnot. Wait, how did you know about reds?”

  “‘Black’, ‘blue’, ‘ink’, with terms like that, I guessed that ‘red’ just made sense. Just overall academic curiosity. You know, for the future.”

  “Right…Right. Just don’t go thinking that familiars are disposable and you can just upgrade all willy-nilly. They are not summons that pop out of existence when you are done with them. It is a long-term relationship that should be allowed to come to a natural conclusion. Though that said, it’s not like they are ‘companions’. Now that is a lifelong commitment and exceptionally rare. I doubt even a prodigy like yourself has that particular skill. Though saying that, if you have a familiar skill before or without a summons, it is possible to get such a skill.”

  I was intrigued. Also, this was a rare interactive Mord session, so I intended to milk it for all that it was worth.

  “He does seem to be quite gifted with materials, though I don’t feel any faster or stronger, like you said the black could do. Can you tell me more about that, and what was that about ‘companions’ again?”

  “Well, I guess I could tell you. The knowledge is mostly academic, and I'm sure once you get out into the real world, you will find a library and look it up. Black inklings are poor shape shifters, but what they lack in versatility, they make up for in durability and power. They can only really manifest in their black form but can take the form of armor as their form is highly durable. Their true power is their ability to absorb power from the blood of their foes. Hence, they are given the nickname ‘Blooddrinkers’ or ‘blooddrinker armor’. It is an inefficient process, but with their durability and self-repair, they tend to last a while attached to their host. While they utilize the majority of the scraps of power they absorb, some does trickle to the host. Not a significant amount, but a little for every foe they consume. Over the lifetime of the bond, that’s a lot of foes. You do the math.”

  He paused for a second. I was about to ask about companions when he started in.

  “It seems prudent to educate and warn you about companions. First, they are rarely explicitly called companions, but that is the general term given to a number of known abilities that allow you to summon, craft, or materialize a lifelong partner. These companions are that. They are their own entity that is so compatible with you that they will never leave nor harm you, mainly because you wouldn’t either. We are not sure if this is due to compatibility or due to the world adjusting your thinking. Regardless, all the companion abilities have the ability to form what is called a ‘Soul-Bond’. This is important because you are your soul more than you are your body. Healing, like the room of regeneration, generates biological material in the pattern provided by your soul. This is what allows it to go so fast. As soul-bound, the creature or construct becomes part of your soul. This grants them more power, but it ties them to you. If you die, so do they. In turn, though no matter what happens to them, you have a part of them in your soul, so as long as you persist, so do they. It might just take a bit to regenerate or rebuild them. Fascinating stuff, but nothing for you to worry about for a while, if ever, right?”

  “yeah…A future me problem, definitely not a thing for now, or that has already happened. Definitely not.”

  “Good!” He returned to his normal programming after that. So I moved on.