“You only know what you had once you lost it.”

 

“You only know what you can gain if you have nothing to lose.”

 

“To lose one's Dream is terrible, but to gain a Nightmare is better than having nothing.”

 

Annals of the Lost and the Found, Chapter 31, Book of The Great Shaman.

 

*

 

To lose one's physical body is a terrible thing. 

 

But one won't understand that terrible loss unless one has undergone transformative experiences over a long period of time.

 

A physical body, even when asleep, is full of physical stimuli. 

 

There is always something to keep it occupied.

 

There is always something that piques its interest.

 

In the worst-case scenario, the need to keep the body going will also keep you going.

 

Without that baseline on which to ground your existence, it is just a matter of time until you lose sight of that line and become something you despise.

 

My grounding line was Alexander. 

 

His health was my number one concern, and his progress was my second.

 

How much time had passed outside my Dream Realm, I did not know. 

 

My time keeping was not the best in my current state. However much has passed, it was enough for Alexander to recover what I had taken from him.

 

His Consciousness has recovered fully. Because of that, the excess Life Essence he ate and gathered has been entering my Dream Realm. 

 

It gave me a much larger pool of spending currency for my liking, but my current favorite was investing in Alexander. 

 

Once I had noticed the increased income of essence, I began to store it for one specific goal. 

 

My discomfort could wait. 

 

Now I was staring at that goal in my minuscule Dream Realm. 

 

Alexander, in all his Honey Badger meekness, was courting a female, a Dream girl, one could say. 

 

After I had pulled him here, all it took was a hidden suggestion to have him think in a specific direction, and using my Dream Realm as the playground, his memories enacted the live drama play.

 

With my permission, he could enact changes in this Dream Realm. But I wasn't stupid enough to let him do as he wanted. 

 

All landscaping projects stopped immediately. They were too cost-intensive at the moment. 

 

In fact, anything not having to do with enacting the love drama was interrupted.

Expert Honey Badger grace, some sniffing, some biting, some cuddling here and there, and they found themselves inside a burrow.

 

Unaware I could spy on everything he did with his dream girl, Alexander enacted the roleplay. 

 

At first, it was a bit bizarre. However, by now I was used to it.

 

For the most part, I have figured out the mating ritual Honey Badgers used, at least what the males think is the mating ritual. 

 

The females were an enigma as only Alexander was generating data for me. For that reason,  at some point, I have nudged how the dream girl behaved to gauge Alexander's reaction.

 

The ritual mainly consists of the male being dominant in his expression for mating. The female would reciprocate in wanting it or not. 

 

However, the mating ritual is more or less going to happen since males were that much larger than females, at least if what I have gathered so far is correct.

 

This brought me to the problem at hand. All my current data was old. 

 

The current generation of females is rejecting Alexander unconsciously as his Quantum Locked Signature is dissimilar from anything they have known yet. 

 

Meaning, that the bonding between Alexander and me was successful, in a way. But I did not gain the key to the whole Honey Badger species. 

 

Our bonding must have combined our signatures into a new one. 

 

Meaning, that even if I wanted to add other Honey Badgers to the nexus that my Dream Realm is supposed to be, it is bound to fail. But if my current thoughts are correct, then children born from Alexander's bloodline will be closer to me, giving me influence on them.

 

How much exactly, is to be explored in the future? First, I have to become the best wingman for my friend. The problem is I still have no idea how to bypass the innate distrust that the other badgers will feel. Unless?

 

With an idea in my mind, I considered the likelihood of finding an answer somewhere in my memories, but I had to be careful of attempting this.

 

The energy demands of recalling something were enormous. The last time I tried it, I lost everything I had without getting anything in return. That being the case, testing it is not a good idea since I had no idea of the input needed to gain an output. 

 

This will be a gamble. To win this gamble, I have to bet big.

 

More cycles passed. I passively observed Alexander, but never once did I call for him to my Realm. 

 

Cycles passed as I amassed the energy requirements. 

 

All my initial estimates were overshot, by any large measurement I knew. But just in case, I waited for quite a few more cycles.

 

Then when my moment of confidence came, I prepared myself. 

 

During all this time, I prepared myself mentally, since my questions had to be precise. 

 

Knowing how and where to project my thoughts for a recall, I began with the most basic question.

 

Who am I? I asked myself and fueled the essence to receive an answer.

 

Mir came to me and answered instantly. 

 

It was not said, nor was it a thought sent to me. 

 

The name was recalled, but not as I imagined it would be. It was as if it was always there, only hidden under a veil that I barely knew existed.

 

Who is Mir? I asked again.

 

Instantly a face came to me of a man in his thirties. It was a slightly tanned face with admirable bone structure and handsome proportions of the eyes/nose/lips. 

 

However, it was the color of the eyes that struck me the most.

 

My eyes were green, bright jade-like green. 

 

I lost myself in that strange image and those familiar eyes. 

 

Moments passed as I stared at my image when I felt a short shudder. 

 

It came and woke me up from my trance.

 

Have I already reached the first threshold? That was fast? Still, before I go for the main topic, I need to seek one more important answer, and I hope with all my immaterial heart that the answer is there.

 

What happened, and how am I here?

 

With the question asked, a momentary pause came over me before pressure began to settle on my immaterial self. 

 

Like a light at the end of a tunnel, the pressure began to squeeze me from all sides. 

 

At the same time, I felt another shudder reach me as the second threshold had been satisfied. 

 

Moments later, the third echoed its reminder.

 

Realizing what was going on, I knew I had no choice but to interrupt what was going on. 

 

I did just that, or at least that is what I tried. 

 

When nothing happened, I threw my whole immaterial existence and intent at the pressure pressing on me. 

 

But all of my immaterial existence got ignored. 

 

Then, the fourth threshold was satisfied. Only one remained, and it too was approaching with speed, not to my liking, when the pressure stopped pressing on me.

 

In its place, a voice reached Mir.

 

[INITIATING BASIC SCAN]

 

[BIOS SPECTRUM SCAN - ERROR - CAUSE - ABSENCE OF PHYSICAL ANCHOR]

 

[PSYCHIC SPECTRUM SCAN - LEGACY HOLDER CONFIRMED]

 

[SOUL SPECTRUM SCAN - ERROR - CAUSE - ABSENCE OF METAPHYSICAL ANCHOR]

.

.

.

[BASIC SCAN COMPLETE - REQUIREMENTS MET - 1 [⅓ ] ]

 

[ ERROR - INHERITANCE REQUIREMENTS NOT MET. INITIATING SHUTDOWN SEQUENCE]

 

[SHUTDOWN IN 3, 2, 1]

 

*

 

Words came, spoke, and determined that it was not my time.

 

The pressure that had appeared suddenly and treated me like its little plaything receded. 

 

Gaining a moment to take a fresh breath, I took an imaginary deep breath. 

 

I did not need it, but I did it anyway. 

 

Once I had calmed down, I began to go over the words that had come to my immaterial ears.

 

Many things I learned from them, and many things got confirmed for me. The most crucial detail was that I had bungled it all up with the Inheritance in favor of amassing a Honey Badger army.

 

Even if I had chosen the Beastmaster path the same would have happened. But if that is the case, then the only option was the first one, yet I had still taken the third. 

 

Yes, the Dream Craze made me choose the third option. However, the choice was done under some logic escaping the current me. Meaning, that there is a way for me to achieve the requirements if I think a bit outside the box.

 

Let's leave it for later. I want to see if I can find a solution to my current largest problem. 

 

How do you approach females that hate you?

 

With the last dregs of the essence in my possession, I initiate another memory dive.

 

*

 

Alexander, the Honey Badger, opened his eyes.

 

He looked around. 

 

He noticed the brown earth, the brow-green bushes, and the brown-white trees around him.

 

The sky was blue, but he rarely glanced or bothered to remember if the sky was blue or not. 

 

White clouds dotted the blue sky, yet even they did not matter.

 

None of that mattered as Alexander had long ago realized that he was somewhere else than when he went to sleep, but even that did not bother him for long. 

 

The reason was that soon he would meet with a female of his kind.

 

They would meet, sniff, bump, bite, and most of all, they would mate.

 

With eager hope, he began to sniff the air and ground in hopes of scenting a trail to her. 

 

When he did reach her, he trotted to her with his swagger. Deep down inside, he knew that he was irresistible to all females, so he had no fear that she would reject him.

 

Yet, rejected, she did.

 

“Khrya-ya-ya-ya” 

 

Alexander stopped his gait towards her and observed her. The sound she produced and the slight body language he saw in her brought forth a memory he did not want to remember.

 

Not quite believing that it was happening, he approached her slower. 

 

The female Honey Badger began to growl and retreat slowly from him. Her behavior indicated that she did not want him, but Alexander would have none of that.

 

He was no longer the same Honey Badger he was the last time it happened. 

 

Now he is more powerful and faster than ever before. 

 

His reactions were better than before. 

 

His recovery from bites was faster and most important of all, he was slightly larger than before.

 

He would not be rejected.

 

“Grrr, Grrrrr[Stay, Mate]” Alexander delivered his message and approached even close to her.

 

“ Khrya-ya-ya-ya.” The female growled for him to stay away because he would not listen. 

 

With every step he gained distance, the female retreated. 

 

Then a tipping point was born. The female turned around and began to run away, and Alexander followed en suite.

 

Through bush after bush, one ran away, one chased. 

 

It continued like that for quite a few moments without Alexander giving up. 

 

He would mate with her today. No other outcome was allowed.

 

Then the impossible happened. The female curved around a tree and vanished from sight. 

 

When Alexander reached the same place, there was no female. 

 

Not believing that she disappeared, he stopped and sniffed for her. Yet, no matter how much he searched for her scent, there was none. 

 

It was as if she vanished into thin air. 

 

Multiple times he circled the tree and the area, but there was no trace of the female.

 

Still not giving up, he did it again, but the result was the same. 

 

There was no trace of the female. 

 

Finally giving up, Alexander left the tree and began a new search. 

 

After all, there were other females to be found.

 

From that point on, Alexander began to experience nightmare after nightmare. Every female he met behaved in similar ways. 

 

Most had run away. A few had attacked for real before running away.

 

Every time it happened, despair and frustration built up inside him. 

 

A few times, he had not cared how the female behaved. He had gone straight in, with maximum aggression behind every bite of his.

 

This could have continued for much longer, but a familiar sound interfered with his frustration.

 

“Alexander. How is it going, my buddy?” The sound came with its familiar calming intent.

 

The calm Intent washed over and inside Alexander’s body. For a few moments, Alexander began to immerse himself in that soothing feeling of calmness. 

 

After he had calmed down enough, the sound came again.

 

“Remember, me, say, help, you, mate?” 

 

This time the sound was far more apparent in its intent to translate meaning and clarity to the Honey Badger. 

 

Having understood what the sound said, Alexander titled his head left and right. His beady eyes glared here and there as if the answer lay someplace else, and not in his mind. 

 

“Grr[Maybe]” He replied in an unsure manner. 

 

His mind recalled something. It felt slightly distant. As if it had happened a long time ago.

 

“I see. Me, help, gain, mate.”

 

Again, Alexander took a moment to understand the message he received. 

 

“Hnng” Grunting in agreement, the sound returned. It pointed out to him to search for a mate in a particular direction. 

 

Immediately Alexander made his way there. 

 

Passing a few bushes here and there, he found her. 

 

Seeing her frustration began to build up inside him again. His vision focused on her as if there was nothing else in existence.

 

“Calm.”

 

Again calming Intent washed over him. It smoothed his nerves, and the tunnel vision he was under began to recede. 

 

“Observe. Learn.”

 

Understanding the sound, Alexander began just that. 

 

He watched her every movement. The female of his kind was clawing at the ground with her claws in search of something to eat. 

 

There was nothing special she did, but Alexander, under the calming Intent, observed and observed. 

 

“ Walk closer.”

 

Following the instruction, Alexander closed the distance between them slowly. 

 

As if she heard him, the clawing stopped. Her head swiveled in his direction, and white teeth reached his eyes.

 

Once more, instinct and frustration began to build inside him in response, but another calming sound reached him.

 

“Stop, wait, observe.”

 

With that, both male, and female glared at each other, but Alexander stayed calm. 

 

It took a few moments, but the female stopped growling at him. Although, she did not give up on staring at him.

 

“Lay down.”

 

Again, he followed the instruction and plopped his body down. His beady eyes stared at the female with calmness. 

 

More moments passed, and eventually, the female began to ignore him and returned to clawing at the ground. 

 

Eventually, a squealing sound reached Alexander's ears. 

 

“Don't move.”

 

The sound told him, and that was what he did. 

 

Not one muscle of his twitched, but his eyes did not give up on observing the female. 

 

He saw her glance his way a few times as if expecting him to rise and snatch her snack.

 

However, her vigilance was disappointing as he did not move. A bit later, the mouse entered her stomach, and the female left without bothering him.

 

Once she was gone, a question popped into Alexander’s mind. 

 

“First find, observe, get closer, stop, get used, not scared, you.”

 

More sound reached his mind as his mind translated the Intent into a coherent thought.

 

“Practice, mate, that way.”

 

Listening to the sound, Alexander began his trek in the pointed-out direction. 

 

Not long after, another female appeared. This one was gnawing on a large lizard but a bit smaller than her. 

 

Seeing her, Alexander wanted to get closer, but another calming Intent came his way. Alongside it, more sounds came and told him what to do.

 

“First find, observe, get closer, stop, get used, not scared, you.”

 

Without any frustration building up in his body, Alexander did just that. 

 

He got closer. The female growled for him to keep away. He stayed in place for a while. They stared at each other for a bit before he plopped his body on the ground.

 

It took a few moments before the female began to eat again. Alexander just watched. 

 

Done eating her snack, she moved away and vanished inside a bush. 

 

Then the sound pointed out another female, and Alexander began his trek. 

 

From that point on, he found the females in many scenarios. Some ate, some slept, some marked their territory, and some engaged in something else.

 

Through all of those, he observed them and their behavior, but after some time, he began meeting the same female, and when he did, the sound told him to approach them a bit more.

 

And then closer and closer and closer. All that happened under the requirement that Alexander was the calm one. 

 

No matter if the female threw a fit or not. It continued like that until one day, he reached her side without her attempting to bite him, but then the ultimate temptation appeared to Alexander.

 

The next female he found had a large honeycomb in her mouth and was chewing on it. 

 

However, besides her, there was an even bigger one. And the most important fact was that there were no bees to be seen or heard.

 

Not quite believing what he was seeing, he unconsciously closed the distance between the female and him when her growl interrupted him.

 

Alexander stared at her and her aggression. 

 

His mind pondered for a moment before he ignored her entirely. 

 

He approached the honeycomb with only honey on his mind. 

 

The female Honey Badger stood up and wedged herself between the honeycomb and him. 

 

Unsure what to do. Alexander’s gaze switched between them for a few moments. 

 

Then an undeniable conclusion in his mind manifested. 

 

Fury burst out of his little frame. 

 

He chased away the female, only to return and enjoy himself with so much honey that he would have remembered it for a lifetime if not for the fact that all of this was a Dream, and memories of a Dream rarely stayed.

 

They did not share, but it's a better end than a simpering Honey Badger. I will count it as a success. 

 

Mir, in his incorporeal form, murmured.