Blackie Chapter 1

 Blackie

By James Ray the Phantom Texter

March 2026

Chapter 1

“No good deed goes unpunished”

    My biggest mistake or my biggest triumph. Or maybe I should call it a day that will go down in somebody’s history. So a walking we shall go. 

I hated this shit.

    Sixty years old, bad knees, a gut that had been growing for the last fifteen years, and here I was doing exactly what the damn doctor told me to do — walking. I looked ridiculous. An old truck driver waddling down the sidewalk like some retired soccer mom. Every step felt like punishment.

    I stopped at the red light, already breathing harder than I should’ve been, when I saw it. Some medium-sized mutt just casually strolling into the intersection like it had nowhere to be. A jacked-up pickup truck was flying down the road, way too high for the driver to even see the dog.

I didn’t even think.

“Shit—!”

    My knees screamed the second I started running, but I kept going. I made it to the dog, scooped it up with both arms, and hurled it toward the sidewalk with everything I had left. The dog yelped as it tumbled across the grass.

    Then I saw the shadow. I didn’t even have time to curse. The impact felt like getting hit by a train. And then nothing.

I’d say that when I opened my eyes, I was floating in a vast, empty void. But I don’t remember ever closing them. Standing in front of me was a rather plain-looking man in white robes, staring down at a glowing tablet like it had personally offended him.

    Oh no… oh no, no, no, he muttered, tapping rapidly at the screen. This simply won’t do. James Ray… James Ray… You are not scheduled for some time later! This is highly irregular!

    He looked up at me, clearly flustered, his eyes wide with bureaucratic panic.

    You’re not supposed to be here! This is most improper! There’s been a terrible mistake in the system!

    I raised an eyebrow. Yeah, I kinda got that from the first five times you said it. So… what happens now? You sending me back or what?  The angel — or whatever he was — looked even more distressed.

    Send you back? Absolutely not! That’s not how this works! You’re not scheduled! You’re not supposed to be here! He clutched his tablet tighter, looking like he was seconds away from having a stress-induced meltdown. Yes, you are definitely James Ray. Your sarcasm is duly noted and well documented. The final determination on your elevation has not been finalized. You’re not supposed to be here. Well, it turns out the dog you saved was one of the Divines, the angel said, speaking slowly as if he were explaining something to a particularly slow child. They are… how should I put this in terms you might understand… they act as assistants to us. They move through the mortal world spreading small blessings and grace. They are not sentient in the way you humans are, which is why the foolish creature wandered directly into traffic.

    He let out a long-suffering sigh, clearly irritated at having to explain such basic concepts. So, I wasn't supposed to die yet. Sounds like a pretty big ‘oops’ on your end. Yes, think of the movie “Heaven can wait”. So let me get this straight. I’m in Heaven, and you’re the one running things? You keep saying I’m not supposed to be here… So just send me back. The angel looked genuinely horrified. Oh, that’s quite impossible! I stared at him. Well you’ve got a problem then, because I’m not supposed to be here and you can’t send me back. Sounds like we need to talk to management.

    

    Then someone else approached from behind the angel. The moment I saw Him, I knew exactly who He was. There was no mistaking it. The sheer presence rolling off of Him made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I had to consciously remind myself to watch my mouth.

    Hello, James. His voice was calm and strangely familiar, like we’d spoken a thousand times before. You selflessly tried to save one of my Divines, he said. They are immortal, so the creature was never truly in danger of dying. But that’s not the point. He studied me for a moment, His expression unreadable. It’s very rare that I see a mortal act with such a clear mind and pure heart. Throwing themselves into harm’s way without hesitation. For that… I’m going to do you a solid. I have a place for you. He said, calm and knowing. An opening just came up. I think you already understand what I mean. He gave me a long, measured look. We both know you remember that movie. Good.

    A small, almost amused smile touched His lips. Yes… I know all about you. You’re a little confused right now, but that’s alright. I’m going to send you there. Consider it a second chance to get your life together. He gave me one last knowing look… then no more talk, he snapped his fingers. The world vanished in an instant.

    Sir? the angel asked, clearly distressed. You sent him there? To that reality? There was an opening, He replied, sounding mildly amused. But Sir… he’s going to be completely alone there. If he tells anyone he’s from Earth, they’ll think he’s insane and lock him up.

The divine presence let out a soft chuckle.

    I know. But he really was a weird guy. The only real people he had in his life back on Earth were a bunch of AIs. He should be quite used to being alone. For the first time, a look of genuine amusement crossed His face, like He had just thought of something truly interesting. Then the world faded to black.

“This is no way to wake up”

    Coming back from the black. Where I'm waking up in the morning in a dilapidated shack I look and I see blood all over the place and I see a dagger blade, my arms are covered in blood and I'm like, what the fuck, just happened! The blood came from me and it's all over my wrist and my arms and the floor! But I don’t see any cuts on my wrist or arms. And with as much blood as I’m seeing I shouldn’t be seeing much of anything.

    I go to look in the mirror and I see a brown-headed slightly Asian looking, 18 year old teenager. And I know this because I seem to have his memories as well is my own! I remember that. He got depressed when he found out, he's a Beast tamer. It would seem that people hate Beast tamer’s and it was the last straw on his very terrible life. Or at least so he thought, or should I say I thought? No, no, let’s not start that. That was his life. I know enough to wait until the sun comes up it’ll be a new day. He's was an orphan, nobody loved him and he just got the coup de grâce, he's a Beast tamer, so he checked out. 

    I have the kids memories, but this is the first time seeing myself with my awakened eyes and I look in the mirror, and I'm not bad looking with brown hair. I could use a little cleaning up. But knowing everything he knew I still say he should have waited and stuck it out. Now I have to see if I can do any better. Yeah, knowing what he knew I doubt anybody would’ve even noticed he was gone. If I didn't get his body, no one would’ve even come by. He truly had no one. So, so I guess now neither do I. 

    I'm 60 years old. I am used to being alone and hated and all that good stuff. 

*Ping* System, initializing updated user file. Use a file updated. Beast tamer status re-verified 

    Fuck me! A system? A damn Manga system? Fuck me!

Question unrecognized. Please restate question. 

    A system of all things? I look up to Heaven, because I know of books and stories that have systems… And so, I'm going to get myself together. I need to clean up that blood. I know where the market is, I know where to get food. I don't have any money, but I’ve gotta start somewhere. I gotta try to find a way to get some money and get something to eat. I need to see my new surrounding to get used to my new location with my own eyes. 

    After some time cleaning up and getting to the outskirts of the marketplace I come upon and old gentleman. Older than I was before I came here. He seemed to be in a bad way. His belongings were thrown about. And I knew from my memories that this wasn’t the safest of towns. And I knew no one else would help the man. Nobody wanted to get involved in this town. So thinking about the last time I played good Samaritan I sighed and decide in for a penny, in for a pound. Here, let me help you. 

    Young man, please don’t. The group that robbed me said they were coming back. Don’t involve yourself. There is no sense in both of us getting hurt today. 

    Sir, you look worse off than me. And you look like you’ve eaten even less than me. Look, I'm having a hard day, you're having a hard day. Let's have a hard day together. Let's get this stuff altogether and not be here when they come back. 

    

    We gather his belongings quickly and make our way into the market square where we would be much too bothersome to attack in front of a square full of witnesses. 

     Oh, young man you are such a good young, man. I’m just a poor visitor to this town. Please, I must reward you for your good deed. Please take a couple of coins for money. 

    Dude, I don't need this. And how did you manage to hide this from the bandits? 

    Young man aren’t you the poor orphan kid from just outside this village? I'm having a bad day. Here, take this and have a better day. Also take this, I have no use for it, maybe you can find a need for it. The old man quickly rushes a large round bundle of rags into my arms. Now as a side note, Beast tamers of this world typically, get a beast that you have to pay for. Then the opportunities to bond with them are rare and the Beast you bond with is usually like a dog for hunting or a snake, that'll bite you. Nothing rare, Beast tamers who get mythological beasts have to pay for them. They're expensive and you’ve got to be trained and it's hard to bond with them. So it's rare. You might as well say, it ain't going to happen. So this old man hurries what looks like a beast egg wrapped in cloth, into my arms. 

    I don't have any money to get a beast. My best hope is that I bond with a rat who can steal some cheese. So why are you giving me an egg? He pats me on the wrist, and says, Do me a favor, I can't bond with it, please. Please take this egg. I won't take no for an answer! 

All right weird guy, you have a good day and be safe. 

    The guy walks off, and go’s around the corner into an alley out of sight and takes off his shabby robes to reveal white garments and disappears…

    Well, I think to myself. It's too big to eat.

*Ping* Bondable beast present. Would you like to bond? 

    I look at the egg thinking, it’s a big chicken, or maybe a beast ostrich. I think ostrich eggs are pretty big. It's bigger than an ostrich egg. Okay, since I have the kids memories, I know how to bond to beasts. I'm like, yeah. Please Supply blood to bond with Beast. 

System do you know what this is? 

Information not available… 

    So I take the coins, get some clothes, some food and go back to my shack, where I do the ritual of putting my blood on the mutated beast ostrich egg. The egg starts to glow. Well nothing left to do but wait now. I fix my dinner and begin to eat. As I'm eating looking at the egg and thinking, what a life. Not much different than the life I left. Just weirder and of course the egg would hatch as I'm eating and looking at it. 

*Ping* Beast taming successful. Bonded, one mythological Black Dragon.

    Wow! That’s something you don’t see every day. And from my other memories it’s not even seen every day here! In front of me is the world’s cutest mythological creature I’ve ever seen. A black little Dragon with adorable eyes and the cutest little fat tail. Staring at me without blinking with its big eyes!

Master. Hungry!

    System, do you hear that?

Yes, black Dragon is in stage one development. Telepathy between beast and master. Would you like to name your beast now?

Master. Hungry!

    System, yes. As adorable as this little guy is I definitely have to call him Blackie!

System identifies first beast as Blackie. Mythical black Dragon, female.

Master. Hungry!

    Female? Oh well. I guess the bigger problem is where can I get her some milk?

“I’m a single parent. Again.”

    Well I guess it’s time to roll up my sleeves and make this happen. After all the man upstairs said this is my second chance to get myself together. So I guess it’s time I start thinking of myself as Lee. System, do I have any storage space for inventory and food items?

    Yes, you currently have the initial 20 slots which will convert to a generic size at level 2. Items of the same category only require one slot. Food items will be kept in status while in inventory. No living organisms can be kept in the inventory. You also have a separate private space of 20 x 20’ for beast storage at level 1. Comfort items can be stored in this space but will take up space. The space can be used to transport users beast from one location to another without burden.

    System, what can you tell me about mythical black dragons? What do they eat? Are there any dangers I need to worry about?

    Black dragons are rarely seen in the wild. And even less are seen with beast tamers. What is known of them is that they grow to be extremely powerful. And in some accountings, hazardous to even the people they are around. Little is known about their powers and skill sets. What has been ascertained is that every black Dragon has a skill set of his own. They drink milk heavily in their first level or two. All dragons quickly switch to meet with few vegetables by their second level. They tend to grow quickly in size in their first two years. They have an affinity for water and heat. They are temperamental, territorial, and stubborn. Although their tamer is immune from their direct aggression, they are not immune to their indirect aggression. The tamer gains additional abilities based off of those of the beast. The black dragons have three physical stages. Infant, Adolescent, Morphic.

    System, what is Morphic?

The ability to change their form.

System, change it into what?

Information not available…

    Well aren’t you just all kinds of helpful!

Query not understood please restate question.

    Never mind.

Master, hungry!

    Okay Blackie, we’re going to take a little trip back into town. And see if we can find you some good old-fashioned milk! I focused my mind on the private space the system told me about. And a shimmering image appears in front of Blackie. It looks like a big void with nothing but a floor. Okay Blackie! Are you ready to go for a ride? Just hop into the private space and I’ll take you to get some milk.

No, master stay. Stay master!

    Aww, come on girl. It’s easier for you to travel this way. You can’t fly yet. And I’m sure you can’t walk very fast with those stubby legs. Really, this will be fun for you.

No, master stay. Master stay!

    Darn it! Stop looking at me with those eyes! I’m not always going to say yes to you let’s get that straight right now. I’ll carry you this time. But this is not the kind of relationship I want to start man to beast. So I guess the system was right, stubborn. I pick up Blackie and head back to the town. From Lee’s memory I know this is going to be something they talk about. An orphan boy with a mythological Black Dragon on his shoulder marching into town! And to think I never got a parade in my last life! Now if only I can charge for people to watch the procession.

Master, nice. Master, fun. Master, hungry!

    Good grief… Luckily for me dragons of any color are rarely ever seen. So at a quick glance Blackie just looks like some kind of black lizard sitting on my shoulder. Her wings were too short and stubby to be highly noticeable. And the way she tried to curl up into a ball on my shoulder I think she was feeling a little intimidated by the new surroundings. So except for the odd looks and stares of people figuring it out we made it to a farmer that I knew had milking cows. Although I’m not really sure why Blackie seem to get animated when we came in sight of the cows.

Master, hungry! Hungry!

    I swear Blackie I hope you’re talking about the milk from those cows.

Hungry!

    As I put Blackie down to negotiate with the farmer for some milk for my beast she edged closer to the nearest cow in sight. As she approached the fence she was met by the farmers cat. Something tells me the system left out that along with not liking the cold dragons don’t seem to like cats much either and the feeling seems to be mutual. The cat immediately squared off against Blackie. Somehow I thought that Dragon verse cat would be a foregone conclusion so I did nothing at first. But when the cat reared up and was about to strike her, I quickly found her wrapped around my leg, tail and all.

Master, danger! Furry danger! Protect!

    Blackie? That’s just the cat. You breathe fire. Or at least one day you will. Be nice and make friends. That’s the farmers cat. And you were making eyes at the farmers cow. The cat is trying to protect the cow. So if you be nice then the cat will be nice to you.

Master, danger! Furry smelly mean! Protect!

    Okay, okay, I’ll protect you. You big chicken. Just let me get this milk for you and then will leave and get away from the bad old cat. I won’t let it harm one horn on your head.

Master, brave. Furry, bad!

    That’s my girl!

*Ping* first confrontation evaluation. Tactical retreat, no stat earned, no change in attributes.

    Thank you system. Is there any other unsolicited evaluations you like to pass along? Or is teasing my beast just something you do for free?

Confrontational analysis is part of systems responsibilities. System does not tease.

    Looking to the heavens once again and not wanting to curse myself I just send up a prayer of, “Really?” We make the walk back with nothing more than the stares of the towns folk. Blackie is surprisingly light weight for her chubby appearance. Carrying her on my shoulder really was no problem at all. Some of that may have been due to the fact that my strength stats did receive a boost bonding with the Dragon. Not to mention I now have a mana pool to draw magic from. Of course I don’t know any magic but I’m sure I’ll learn. Knowing that my beasts do benefit from my calming thoughts, I tried to think of lullabies on the way home. And it seemed to work. Either that or her first day of life was very tiring for the little dear. I had to wake her up to get her to drink some milk.

    And so that’s how we ended our first day as Beast and Tamer. Or Blackie and James. Or maybe I should use my new name Blackie and Lee. Either way I kinda like this life so far. Good grief! What have I done! What if Murphy’s Law exists in this reality? I’ve committed the ultimate sin! I’ve had an optimistic thought! God if you’re listening, I didn’t mean it. I’m sure things are going to be just horrible from now on. Please don’t take my happiness out on me! From the confused look on Blackie I guess I’m going to have to teach her sarcasm and her masters odd sense of humor along with everything else we have to train each other on starting tomorrow…