Perfect Pet: This Dragon's Kitten

The spirits of the recently departed dance around the two figures at the gates to the Soul Cairn, a realm meant only for the dead. It's one reason Menace opts to keep herself far enough away as she holds out the shattered remains of her sceptre, Setra, to be empowered once more.

“Souls of the oblivion, heed my call! Send forth your mightiest that they may refill my precious artifact and rid this cursed world of-”

“Rabbit.” Branwen interrupts.

“Yes, of rabbit. Wait, no!” Menace turns swiftly toward her new partner of sorts who has a sort of glassy look in her eyes. “Do not disrespect my servants with your nonsense!”

Branwen doesn't answer as Menace tries to pick up where she left off as the gates shine forth a brilliant light.

“Rebuild my utopia with me and you will find riches of this world into the next! Strike back against those that wronged you. Claim this world for your Mistress! Erk!”

Menace freezes up when Branwen swings her sword out stopping just before cutting her head off. Following up the brown blade to the wielder, she finds her in a sort of odds.

“Rabbit is not a nonsense.”

“No. O-o-of course now. Now, would you kindly put your piece of rock away? You're giving these spirits the wrong impression and if the wrong ones come out--”

Too late it would seem as the pieces of Setra begin to ignite. Menace screams out as she tries to fling them away but they appear to be weighted down on top of her hands. Eventually, as the ancient Queen drops to her knees, they explode causing Menace to fall into a sudden state of silence no longer feeling the pain but something rather...pleasing. Perhaps even humorous as she begins to laugh. Looking down at her hands that appear to glow, Menace's laughter grows as she throws out a hand causing a twister of sand to strike up.

“Rabbit?” Branwen inquires as Menace gives the twister a final smile and then comes back up to her feet.

“Yes, yes. Let's go roast your stupid rabbit.”

Things still coming as a blur to her, Sonico's eyes soon adjust to the light as she looks around finding herself back in Isis' manor. Upon this revelation, she looks to her wrist noticing the shackles had been removed and that Alleyne was seated on a chair next to her with the stuffed rabbit, Vert, resting in her lap. She reaches out to touch a hand atop her head when she hears a subtle meow from down by her feet. Investigating it, she notices Meracle curled up there and smiles reaching out to pat her head instead. Though, in response to the shifting of Sonico's feet, Meracle rolls over onto her back exposing the new collar around her neck surprising the rabbit girl.

“Oh, you're awake.” Comes a voice by the door as Sonico looks over to see the Dragon Knight Sharon standing there. “You fainted earlier when you returned and...may have done with the way I acted upon your return.” Sharon shuffles her feet a little nervously. “Sorry.”

Sonico giggles keeping her tone to a matching whisper as to not disrupt either Alleyne or Meracle.

“It's okay. Though I will admit I'm a little confused over what's going on right now.”

“That's understandable. Although explanations will have to wait for now. When your elf is aware then I'll tell you the details.”

“Okay. Oh, but Alleyne doesn't speak English. I've been training her but I don't think she has enough to understand.”

“Then I'll have to dust off my elven.” Sharon says with a smile taking a few quiet steps in. Even with Sonico's heightened hearing she can't detect any bit of noise coming from Sharon's steps as she stops by the bed resting a few fingers in behind Meracle's ear giving it a light scratch. “Is my pet being disruptive?”

“Your pet?” Sonico inquires as Sharon smiles nodding her head a few times.

“Seems we'll have much more to discuss than originally thought.”

==-------^..^_~

Later, in the afternoon, everyone was up. Alleyne and Sharon practiced with their own polearms in the courtyard while Meracle and Sonico sat along the sidelines watching the two warriors train.

“Mistress saved me on that day.” Meracle begins, letter her feet sway back and forth as they dangle from her spot along the barricade as she begins to laugh a little. “She says she saw me being spat out of the pyramid and I flew something like fifty feet before landing!”

Sonico can't help but laugh a little herself, though only because Meracle was doing so. It also helped that she was using her hand to help describe it.

“Luckily all those quakes I guess softened up the sand enough to cushion my fall. Either that or I'm just lucky.”

Sonico nods just thankful for her friends safety.

“And...because of that you decided to become Sharon's pet? I thought you wanted freedom.”

“I did, but...Menace and Aldara were right. I'm bred to serve, it's like it's not just in my DNA but that is IS my DNA. Then I thought about my great grandmother and remembered how you and Alleyne were...and I realized that I might be bred to serve but who I serve is still up to me. I chose Mistress Sharon. She's kind, devoted, she doesn't order me around or anything like that.”

Sonico nods watching back out as Alleyne and Sharon finish up their training session. Sharon tells Alleyne something about her style but the elf simply stares back at her. Eventually the dragon knight remembers and repeats her words in a manner Alleyne was more accustomed to.

“So are you still taking Alleyne home?” Meracle queries as Sonico nods her head.

“I suppose as soon as we conclude our business with your Mistress. She wanted to know something about Branwen. I can only say we've just met her the one time.”

“How was she behaving?” Sharon asks overhearing Sonico's words as she comes over with Alleyne following close behind. “Was she shouting? Screaming mad?”

“No, she was actually quite calm. She was being abused by an imp and we helped her to escape. The last we heard she was taking the imp and his partner to the authorities to the nearby town.”

“My trails led me there.” Sharon says resting her spear to the side. “The heads of those two imps proved quite the foreboding welcome.”

“What?” Sonico gasps.

“There were also bones of various creatures by the cave's entrance. Investigating inside I found the imp's journal and a note about obtaining a well endowed rabbit and a...cute elf.”

Sonico blushes at the comments before looking over to Alleyne feeling, at the very least, the truth in the last one there. Alleyne just stares back before looking herself over wondering if her Mistress had just noticed something out of place over her uniform.

“When I failed to notice any elf bones, I realized they might still be out there. Meracle informed me she had met two people fitting that description and here we are. But you're saying you have no other information over Branwen's whereabouts?”

Sonico shakes her head.

“I'm sorry. We never met her again after that nor have we met anyone discussing her.”

Sharon sighs grabbing up her spear. “Then I suppose our business is concluded. Let's get going, Meracle. Perhaps there's something I missed back in that cave.”

Meracle looks a little saddened to hear of them going but does as she's told and hops down from the barricade checking back at Sonico.

“There's a village just on the other end of this forest. Supposed to be really nice.”

“Thank you, Meracle. Good luck to you and your Mistress.” Sonico replies putting a hand atop the cat girls' head getting her to purr.

Soon, Meracle has to take her leave as she hurries off after Sharon who nods to Alleyne and the two depart leaving the elf with her Mistress who lets out a long breath.

“What do you think, Alleyne? Do you really think Branwen is this much trouble?” Only really hearing her name, Alleyne looks back at Sonico. “She seemed nice in that cave. I mean, I don't wanna call Sharon wrong, Meracle really likes her and she did save her life, but...I dunno. Either way, I hope they at least find her. As for us,” Sonico says hopping down from the barricade herself taking hold of the thick chain connected to Alleyne's even thicker collar. “Let's go check out that village Meracle was-”

Sonico quickly finds herself cut off by a loud scream from the desert. Not wasting a moment, the two rush off to find Meracle lying dazed on her back and Sharon with her spear ready looking all around her. When she notices the rabbit and elf quickly approaching she throws out a hand to signal them to stop.

“Don't come any closer!”

The two stop as suggested as Sonico begins to look around the desert as well.

“What's wrong? What happened?”

“The rumblings from the pyramid going down must have woken it up.” Sharon says still keeping her eyes fixed to the sand.

“What?” Sonico asks as Sharon, feeling a tremble down by her feet, jumps back in time to avoid the massive fish popping out from the ground with its mouth open wide.

It crash lands on its side and wriggles about as Sharon slashes at it but to no avail as the beast manages to dive back down into the sand.

“Muldoga.” Sharon eventually says bringing name to the beast. “One of Menace's ancient pets during her reign as queen. Powerful enough to destroy entire armies. I didn't think it was still alive but it must have gone dormant after the Amaran empire collapsed.”

“Wh-what do we do?” Sonico asks wanting to go out and at the very least help Meracle back to her feet.

“You do nothing but remain there!” Sharon snaps back. “This beast sees its prey by the vibrations you send in the sand. If you come out here you'll only be announcing yourselves to it.”

“Then you have to run back here!”

“If I run the beast will only track me down faster, it's movements will cause a shift in the sand that will drive my foot down deeper. I'll fall and then be swallowed up.”

Like Meracle could be, Sonico tells herself as she does what she feels is right and lets go of Alleyne's leash rushing out to get her friend to safety.

“I said stay where you...”

Sharon growls stabbing her spear into the ground then quickly dives out of the way landing to her side with spear in hand as Muldoga shoots itself up where the spear was pierced down. Unfortunately, in its flailing, it notices Sonico and Meracle making a dive for the two looking to take them into the sand with it. It doesn't get what it wants though as Alleyne rushes in smacking it alongside its mouth with the end of her staff. After a bit of flailing, Muldoga sinks back into the ground as Alleyne reaches out her staff to help Sharon back to her feet.

“Thank you, but now the two of you are as trapped as I am.”

“We'll figure a way out of this.” Sonico assures resting Meracle's head over her lap working to keep the unconscious cat girl comforted.

“Fine.” Sharon reluctantly accepts the dwindling hope before looking to Alleyne. “Uma lle sinta templa?” Alleyne shakes her head. “Neither uma amin.”

Sharon sighs looking around for any sign of Muldoga's whereabouts. Seeing nothing, she looks back at Meracle still resting against Sonico's lap. A troubled expression runs along the dragon knights face as she can only think about how she sent the young cat girl to her potential doom.

“I...shouldn't have done it.” Sharon says.

“Mani naa lle saying?” Alleyne asks.

“I should have distracted the beast, give time for her to run. I should have-”

“She would have hated that!” Sonico shouts back startling Sharon. “She wanted to protect you, to show that she matters more in your life than something to look upon. A pet isn't something to only keep physically close, you need to love them, accept them, let them do what they can to be of benefit to you. Meracle knew that, she still knows that, Sharon.”

Sharon, still trembling a little, begins to understand as she nods while Sonico smiles stroking a hand along Meracle's head. However, good feelings are soon gone when the ground surrounding Sonico and Meracle begin to tremble. The rabbit only has time to lock eyes with her elf when the ground, the cat, and her are all swallowed whole as Muldoga surfaces snapping its mouth shut before crashing into the ground.

“Mistress!” Alleyne shouts rushing to the fish attempting to get at it before it could sink itself back into the sand.

Alleyne jumps swinging her staff down but it bounces off the hardened scales sending the elf back against the sand. It does cause the fish to groan as Sharon notices Meracle's hand once more nearly buried by the consumed sand. The hand begins to sink in deeper as Muldoga flails about attempting to gain some momentum to dive back down as Alleyne comes back stabbing the point of her staff into the massive fish's mouth.

“Mistress...sana...kwara! Ah!” Muldoga closes its mouth over the staff and works to get it in its mouth entirely as Alleyne struggles to keep herself out.

“I...I can't...” Sharon stammers watching as Alleyne's hand is taken into the beast while she stabs her heels into the sand for all the good it does her.

“Mistress!”

Sharon looks in behind her from the pyramid ahead of them. In a vision of a few days ago, Meracle sits just a few feet from the woman who had just saved her. The dragon knight stands proud with her spear pointed upward though gives the cat girl a curious look.

“Mistress?”

“That's what I'll call you! I was thinking Meowstress but you don't seem the cutesy type.” Meracle giggles as Sharon continues looking down at the cat girl shaking her head.

“You shouldn't be so willing to give your life to someone who grants you the opportunity to have it in the first place. Otherwise, wars would never cease as fighters would be switching allegiances constantly.”

“It's...not about that.” Meracle says looking down. “It's a little complicated to get into the why I need to, but the why I want to,” She begins as she looks back up. “Is because you look lonely.”

“Lonely?”

“Like you're looking for someone. You're not traveling to get to a place, you're traveling to get to a person, aren't you?”

Sharon doesn't answer, she just grips her spear tightly. However, it fails to deter Meracle from speaking any further.

“It's okay if you don't wanna talk about it, but you should know I know. We felines have a sense about such things, you know.” Meracle announces proudly. “That's why I want to help you, because I know how it feels. To be chasing someone for reasons that seem so complex.”

“Who are you chasing?”

“Not to give you more questions,” Meracle begins as she looks up at Sharon. “But...I suppose I'm chasing you.”

Alleyne's cry snaps Sharon from her trance noticing the elf losing her other hand in the fish's wide mouth. Yet she doesn't let go, she still pulls, still calls for Sonico to grab the staff. The dragon knight steels herself, grips her spear tightly, and yells out for Alleyne's attention.

“Angle lle wandil upward!” She orders as Alleyne looks back and nods taking a knee so she can angle the staff. “Meracle,” Sharon begins to herself as she races around a little ways back. “If you can truly sense what I'm feeling...you won't be holding that staff right now.”

She rushes forward tossing her spear aside to allow more momentum before jumping at the last moment kicking her feet against the bottom of the staff sending the other end straight up through Muldoga's head from the inside. It groans and cries out as it flails in pain before ultimately dropping and dying. Alleyne pries the beasts mouth open and reaches in grabbing hold of Meracle's hand pulling her and Sonico out of the fish. Sonico begins to cough as Alleyne hugs her tight all the while Sharon watches down at the still unconscious Meracle.

_________________________

| |

| Dear Meracle. |

| |

Back at the manor, things were quiet. Meracle was allowed to rest and although her waking up would be a great moment...it would only leave the cat girl in a living nightmare given the note that resided at her bedside.

Dear Meracle,

If you're reading this then allow me to be the first

to welcome you back to a conscious state. A state

deprived for you by my actions. I commanded you

to earn your worth, to show me what you could give

me if you were indeed giving me your life. I made

a mistake. Not in trusting you, but in forgetting

myself. Owning a pet is a give and take situation.

I can't only take what you're willing to give and

I can't expect myself to change anytime soon. I

put you in danger because I mistook what you

wanted from me. I can't do that again, so by the time

you read this I'll already be gone. I wish I could have

done this in person, not be such a coward in

leaving you this note, but I know what the outcome

would have been. As much as I would like to think

differently of it, I know I cannot say “no” to you

and you would once more be right along the trail

with me. Put back into the dangers of my selfishness.

Please don't follow my trail, Meracle, you'll only

find hardships and heartbreak.

Sincerely, Sharon

P.S. Allow me one more selfish act in informing

you that I rather liked the term “Meowstress”. I'm

certain Sonico will enjoy it just as much.

Tears hit against the paper as Meracle presses the note to her face as she begins to cry heavily into it. She was awake now, but no one would be happy.

o\_/o...........@_@

“I'm so happy!” Menace calls out gleefully as Sharon drops her spear grunting at the feel of Branwen's stone blade twisting deep into her side. “First Setra merges with me and when I want a real chance to see just how much...along comes a potential candidate! Not just any candidate, but one who can fight! Who can protect! Mm...sort of.”

“This one smells familiar.” Branwen says as she leans in sniffing the air around Sharon who tries to speak but only feels the blade being pushed further into her. “This one...smells like rabbit.”

“Yes, yes, again with the stupid rabbit.” Menace sighs pushing Branwen back who pulls the blade out in the process allowing Sharon to gasp as she drops to her knees. “Well now, let's just see what we can get here.”

Menace grips hold of Sharon's hair pulling her head back as she waves a glowing hand before her. Almost immediately Sharon's eyes go blank as she stares back at Menace who begins to smirk.

“Quite a bit, I say.”

“Where is the rabbit?” Branwen commands as Menace plants a hand over her forehead shooting her away a few feet.

“Shut up.” Menace says growing annoyed before focusing back on the mindless husk before her. “Come on out, I know you're in there. Don't make your Mistress angry.”

“No,” Sharon replies void of emotion. “I would not. Mistress.”

“Aldara.” Menace smiles as Sharon nods.

“This vessel is different than the last, but if it pleases Mistress all the same...allow me to continue my service.”

“I shall.” Menace states standing back up as she slides out a foot. Sharon promptly comes down to her hands and knees to kiss her Mistress' toes when she feels a sharp pain in her side.

“This...vessel is wounded, Mistress.” She states still managing to plant her kisses.

“We'll fix that.” Menace says not bringing her foot back until Branwen shoves her out of the way so she can grab hold of the kneeling woman's hair.

“Rabbit!” She screams out as Sharon remains silent only looking to Menace who nods.

“Yes...this vessel of yours should still have some recent memories inside it. If she's indeed come across that...rabbit, tell us.”

“The one who defied you and stole my last vessel, Mistress?”

“The very same.” Menace replies as Sharon begins to smirk.

“With this vessel's memories, I can do more than tell you, Mistress.”