The instant the Command touched his tongue, it transformed before his senses, rapidly forming a series of chains and binding around his own Soul. Then, the unending chains-that would form their bond-began to slither, and in less than a nanosecond, the Bond was being established.
'Dopamine. Serotonin. ALL THE NEUROTRANSMITTERS! ANYTHING!' Isha thought it might help, but there was no effect on the outcome.
The Orc began to struggle with all its might. The runt might have been smaller than its brothers, but it would not be dominated by one so small.
They stood frozen in time, an instant stretched into infinity.
And then there was a shift.
'Please! I will treat you well!'
The Orc recoiled as it thought back, 'Outsider...you speak our tongue?'
Isha was taken aback by their ability to communicate, but continued, 'We would be good friends. I am smart, just like you!'
The Orc was stifled slightly and asked, 'How do you know I am smart?'
Isha could feel the sheer nervousness radiating from its Soul and asked a probing question, 'Why wouldn't you want to be known as smart?'
The Orc squirmed, 'Intelligent Orcs become Shamans, Warlocks, and Sorcerers. I do not have talent with Mana, so, I will die trying.'
Isha felt an inkling of understanding and let it flow through the Bond. Slowly, chains began to materialize over the Soul of the Orc.
'What is your name? I don't want to keep thinking of you as 'Orc.' My name is Isha-or was, I suppose in this life I am known as Orion.'
The Orc was motionless, but its Soul began moving slightly, making the chains slip as it spoke, 'My name is Zog Blacktooth, not 'Orc.' I am the sole heir of Chief Blacktooth of the Tarkor Forest Tribe, a Warrior in my own making, and the leader of the best cohort in the Western Training Camp.'
Zog's Soul was welling with Pride. It was mapped out before Isha, almost like it was the weak spot of the Orc. Ego would be his key to victory.
Isha felt the challenge begin to form in Zog's Soul but crushed it by saying, 'If accolades will win me your favor, then I shall indulge you. But. You must swear to never tell another soul.'
The Orc nodded, and then a golden chain formed from the Ether surrounding them, wrapping itself tightly around the Orc's Soul.
Isha began, 'I am not fully confident in my hypothesis, but it appears I have 'fallen' through my reality and into yours. This 'System' does not exist where I am from, and while this could be a game that someone plugged me into, I highly doubt it. I was adrift in space with my Mother, when...when it ended. When reality ended. We ceased to be. And now, here I am.'
Zog seemed confused as Isha continued, 'I have knowledge that would make me dangerous, primarily because I have interacted with things like the System before, but also because I know things...things that would revolutionize planets like this.'
Isha began to elaborate, 'I know how to create matter from energy, I know how to travel faster than light, and I know the source of my reality.'
He tried to continue speaking, but there was an excruciating pain growing in his Soul. Then, red motes began seeping out of his Soul and into the Ether.
[Cease.]
His head was pounding, and the Bond's formation began to unravel.
Then he tasted it.
Blood.
[You are not in a "game" as you put it. This world is very real. Do not attempt to voice these thoughts again, as you will be unable to.]
The sudden pain was gone, and then the Bond formed completely, ejecting them out of the Ether of the Soul Realm.
The ominous messages were off-putting at best.
"Hello?" Isha tried to say to the System.
Zog stood with his shoddy crossbow aimed at Isha.
"Hello." The Orc responded.
Isha gulped as the bolt flew past him and struck a crab on the beach floor.
The small twang and subsequent thud nearly made Isha wet himself, but he realized that the Bond was in place. They would not harm each other. It was...fundamental.
Isha tried to put his thumb on it, but it felt like a familial connection. One he would defend to his utmost ability.
As Isha daydreamed, Zog began to work the bolt out of the crab's shell. There wasn't much meat on it, but it would have to do with them being this close to the sea.
Isha squeezed his hand a few times, trying to find some nerve to ask the System a very important question.
[Your mother is safe. She is with you. Check your [Trader's Satchel], but I will warn you, she will be under...constraints once she is restored. We cannot have that level of destruction in our Universe.]
Isha immediately opened the small bag on his side, which he assumed was empty because it lacked all weight.
Inside the satchel, he found a small whip - [Pleasure & Pain], a small chest - [Portable Trade Station], a few coins of different make, and a single sphere - [Suspicious Orb].
The whip popped out and read - [Pleasure & Pain - An Uncommon Whip created with conflicting Enchantments. Designed to use Command instead of (Unaspected) Mana, it can administer various mental magics for minimal cost. The Feather Fall is designed to leave no mark, but it will still deliver the pleasure or pain that was desired. Crafted by Albert Witkin.]
The ornate handle seemed to denote his class, which must have been high. Then, the inlaid enchantments tickled his mind.
He could easily will a sliver of Command down the handle and feel it sitting on the Fall-the small (usually leather) part of the whip that would contact the target.
A single Command would do minimal damage, but 100 Command? It might feel like the person is being torn asunder.
Just as Isha was going to test out his new whip, someone interrupted them.