Dungeon Raider System

50  Shadow companion n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Alright, all I need now is grab some stuff from my dorm and then I'll be ready to go today." Uriel addressed Nika who was standing by his side.

"I don't think that'll be possible." Nika awkwardly replied.

"What do you mean? Is there anything stopping us from departing?"

"Actually, we set off a couple hours after you boarded the ship." She shrugged. "The trip should take less than two days, in the meantime you are allowed to do as you please and I'll be in charge of making sure you're comfortable. Please ask me if you want anything." She finished with a playful wink.

"So the ship took flight even before I signed the contract? What if I refused?"

"Tee hee! it's your fault anyways for chatting for so long!" Nika giggled playfully.

Uriel didn't notice the ship's takeoff or the passing of time because he was mesmerized into his conversation with Mister Walter. Of course none of that bothered him in the slightest, if anything, he was actually grateful because it meant they would be able to reach their destiny even sooner and now he had the whole zeppelin as his entire disposal. He could come and go as he pleased into any and every room or do whatever he wanted.

Borrow books from the ship's library? He could simply take them without telling anyone, food too, even clothes which was really fortunate because he was still wearing his old clothes, he could ask for absolutely anything and within a couple minutes everything would be solved. He was given free reign over the airship and he enjoyed every second of it.

The best part, though, was enjoying Nika's attention. Not because she was a beauty, but because she was really good at her job. All he needed to do was say something like "I'm a bit hungry." and then she would disappear only to come back with a lavish meal. The same thing happened over and over, it was so efficient it was annoying.

"You know, you'd make a great maid. I would absolutely hire you after this expedition if I had the money." Uriel joked after she brought him a drink from the ship's cefeteria.

"Then If I ever come out of my retirement and find myself without an employer I'll take your word for it." She joked back.

Being a scientist, Uriel felt like testing the extent of Nika's ability. He purposely left a book in one corner of the ship and once he was at the exact opposite corner he complained about 'forgetting' his book somewhere in the ship. Nika nodded slightly and then vanished in front of his eyes, not even a full minute after she appeared back with the book on her hands. Uriel couldn't tell if she was too fast or if her trait had something to do with it.

"Is there anything else I can help you with Mister Sage?" She said with a smug.

08:40

"How are you doing this!? It's really unsettling that you disappear and appear out of nowhere!" He finally gave up in attempting to secretly find out about her trait.

"You're asking me about my trait? I thought it was some sort of an unspoken rule among hunters to never ask other people's traits but I don't mind telling. My trait is called shadow companion, I can merge with the shadows of any one person and emerge from there too, but as you know, there are some requirements and also restrictions."

"So, that was it!? Then what do you do if you're not employed?"

"That's why I'm telling you, my trait is called 'shadow companion', it only works if I am attached to someone's shadow."

With his curiosity satisfied Uriel leisurely spent the rest of the evening exploring the zeppelin and getting familiar with it. Everyone on the airship saluted him as if he was a high ranking military officer, it made him feel really awkward, but deep inside he reveled in it.

Just as it happens with most good things, he grew tired of all the attention and there was nothing else for him to do on the vast ship but heading to the luxurious room he was assigned but then it was Nika's time for mischief. She had endured Uriel's whimsical commands the whole evening without complaining even once, she flawlessly performed her duty despite Uriel's clear attempts at annoying her and it was time for revenge.

The first thing she did was to pop inside the bathroom just as Uriel was about to take a shower, then she popped behind him while he was changing clothes, then finally she popped behind him when he was using his phone. Uriel did his best to remain alert, but she always appeared out of thin air and every single time he was startled.

The worst part was when it was time to sleep, though, because Uriel was tired already and the only thing he wanted was to get some sleep.

"Can't you just go somewhere else?" Uriel begged.

"No can do." She said with a smirk. "I'm currently your bodyguard, wherever you go I must follow."

"You say that like my life is on danger, but I just want to sleep!"

"Wasn't it funny to send me look for your 'lost' book?" She grinned.

Uriel resigned himself to the situation he was in, but it was incredibly odd and awkward to try to sleep with someone staring at him from the corner of the room. After a while he opened his eyes and she wasn't in the room.

"Nika, are you there?" He asked tentatively and when he didn't receive a reply he sighed in relief.

"Yes, how may I assist you?" A shadow crept from below the comfortable bed.

"That's enough! I really need to get some sleep and I can't do it with you stalking me! If you don't go somewhere else I'm asking for another bodyguard."

"You won't ever find a prettier bodyguard than me. Come on! There's no need to be so shy, in fact, I could sleep with you if you ask me." She said in a seductive tone that would have worked, if not for the fact that Uriel knew she was out of his league and he was tired after the eventful day.

"I don't need a pretty bodyguard, I need one that will let me get some sleep!"

"Fine, I'll go." Nika went out the room faking a sad smile, then she looked back towards Uriel who was still on his bed expecting for him to call her back, but he didn't and she finally left closing the foor behind her.

"She's really pretty... I wish I wasn't so shy and could have asked her to sleep with me." Uriel said out loud a few seconds after Nika exited the room.

"A HA! I knew it!" Nika said as she crept out from below the bed using her trait once again, only to instantly receive a pillow to her face.

"I can't believe you actually fell for it!" Uriel laughed. "Now go, seriously, this time for real." He said glaring at the bodyguard.

Although the ship was supposed to be a safe place, it was on her best interest that her 'Asset', as bodyguards referred to their proteges, remained safe at all times.

"This guy is no fun" Nika said once she was out of the room, for good this time, but in truth she was thinking the exact opposite. He wasn't arrogant or entitled like most of the people she had worked with before. Despite her being the head of security in the Mapple corp, she started her career as a mere bodyguard because of the restrictions on her trait. That explained why she was so good at her job, her trait was exceptional when it came to being a bodyguard but it wasn't nearly as good to hunt.