Getting the acknowledgment of a Pocopoco wasn’t hard.
However, you needed to endure its ramblings until it was satisfied.
If the person left the room, shouted at it, or even hurt it even once, the Pocopoco would deem that person unworthy of its allegiance.
So when the bird finally quieted down, Thirteen knew that he was halfway there in getting its acknowledgment.
‘Finally, it’s over,’ Thirteen thought. ‘The true negotiation starts now.’
The Pocopoco sighed before looking at the jug of water on the table.
“Can I have some water?” the Pocopoco asked. “I’m parched from all of that talking.”
“Of course,” Thirteen replied.
The boy took a wooden bowl from the cupboard and poured some water into it, allowing the Pocopoco to drink.
After sating its thirst, the bird said its thanks and proceeded to look at the boy with a solemn look on his face.
“How did you know?” the Pocopoco asked.
It was just a simple question, and yet, Thirteen knew that he must answer it truthfully because this was something very important to the Pocopocos.
“I watched a very dear friend of mine do the same thing, and they were able to gain the acknowledgment of your kind,” Thirteen answered truthfully.
“When did this happen?”
“A little more than three hundred years ago.”
“Oh? But you look extremely young. How did you watch your very dear friend do it if it happened a little more than three hundred years ago?” the Pocopoco asked. Its eyes were narrowed and paying close attention to the boy’s reply.
It didn’t outright say that Thirteen was lying because the bird could also tell if someone was lying to it.
Although the boy’s answer seemed impossible, the Pocopoco didn’t detect any lies in his words.
“It’s complicated,” Thirteen replied.
“It’s fine. I like complicated things.”
“Fine.”
Thirteen explained that he was a System that once accompanied his Host on his journey in Solterra.
The Pocopoco didn’t interrupt and quietly listened to Thirteen’s story with an unreadable look on its face.
When the boy finished his tale, the Pocopoco nodded its head in understanding.
“Well, it is indeed complicated as you said.” the Pocopoco admitted. “I still don’t understand half of it, but I can tell that you didn’t say a single lie. Well then, what do you want from me?”
“Serve me faithfully for three years,” Thirteen stated. “In order to show my sincerity, I will also remove the slave tattoo from your forehead.”
The Slave tattoo only looked like a simple black dot on a slave’s forehead if looked at from a distance.
However, there were many intricate lines embedded in it, which strengthened the power of the beast contract.
“You are a Wanderer, are you not?” the Pocopoco asked. “Also, that snake around your neck is highly venomous, and yet you allow it to coil around your neck as if it’s an accessory. I know that it’s your slave, but I don’t sense any malice or hostility from its eyes directed toward you.
“This can only mean one thing—it likes you very much, and you trust it enough to allow it to coil around your neck like some kind of choker. With that, I can confer that it’s different from those Trolls and Ogres you bought earlier.”
Thirteen nodded. “Yes. I am a Wanderer, and Tiona is indeed different from the other slaves that I bought earlier.”
“Tiona, huh?” the Pocopoco mused. “Depending on the languages of this world, it can either mean Fairy Queen or a Gift from God. A good name indeed.”
The Pocopoco closed its eyes as if pondering for a moment. A few minutes later, it nodded its head as if it had finally made a decision.
“Very well, three years it is,” the Pocopoco stated. “I will serve you faithfully for three years on two conditions.”
Thirteen nodded.
The Pocopoco that his Host had managed to tame also asked for two conditions from him three hundred years ago.
“The first condition is to take the method of befriending us to your grave,” the Pocopoco stated. “Like I told you earlier, my race and I don’t like stupid people. It is only the smart and eccentric ones who actually pay close attention to what we have to say.”
“I will do as you say,” Thirteen replied.
“The second condition,” the Pocopoco stated. “If there ever comes a time that you see my race in need of help, you will help them to the best of your ability.”
“Okay.” Thirteen nodded. “I promise.”
“A promise you should keep, for we are a race blessed by the Deities of Air,” the Pocopoco said. “They hear and see everything. No lies, no truths, and no secrets can escape their senses.
“They will find out if you didn’t keep your word. They will also inform our entire race about you, so be warned. We may not be strong as individuals, but together, we can set many things in motion.”
The Pocopoco then closed its eyes and presented its forehead to Thirteen, allowing him to remove the Slave Tattoo from its head.
Now that he had agreed to the Pocopoco’s conditions, there was no need for the seal that bound it to him.
The Slave Tattoo was also useless on Pocopocos since they had the ability to ignore their Master’s orders.
The only thing the Slave Tattoo could do was prevent the bird from flying away and escaping from its Master.
“I set you free,” Thirteen said as he tapped the Slave Tattoo on the bird’s forehead, making it disappear completely.
A sigh escaped the Pocopoco’s beak as if a weight had been lifted off its body.
“Now that you’ve shown your sincerity, allow me to show my sincerity as well,” the Pocopoco stated. “I will allow you to bestow upon me a name. This will be the name that I shall use for the three years that we would be together.”
Thirteen already had a name prepared for the Pocopoco the moment he received its acknowledgment.
Unlike the Trolls and Ogres whom he gave numbered names, he prepared a special name for the Pocopoco, who would become one of his most loyal supporters over the next three years of his life.
“Vassago,” Thirteen said. “From this day onward, your name will be Vassago.”