The young master was chasing a lightweight nutrient bead across the chamber floor again.
He kept rolling it with his snout, wobbling side to side like a drunk worm. Whenever he pushed too hard, the bead went too far, and the little beastling yelped and scrambled after it, crashing into everything except its target. It was simply a failure at this point.
Everyone found it adorable though. Because before now all the young master did was lie on dry ground weakly like a stickler.
It didn't matter if he was failing in getting hold of a non-animate object. He was playing! Again!
Linda, on the other hand, sat beside her bowl of chalk-tasting nutrient mash, staring at the spectacle like an exhausted kindergarten teacher. Why is this creature so proud of rolling a ball crookedly?
The silver slim beastling tripped over his own tail—again—and squeaked in frustration.
Linda finally had enough.
His failure was too displeasing to the eyes. At least, her eyes.
With a little hop, she landed in front of him, blocking the bead.
The workers froze mid-task. Even the medical officers lifted their heads.
The beastling blinked at her, upside down and confused.
Linda raised one paw and tapped the bead twice. Then she nudged it forward with slow, controlled pressure in a push… stop… push… stop rhythm.
She couldn't talk but action did speak louder than words.
The young Imoogi stared at her, then at the nutrient bead that was as weak as a cheese ball.
Then he tried it. He pushed gently it and stopped. Pushed gently and stopped it.
His eyes went wide. It worked!
He squealed in a hiss, his tail wagging like a puppy. Then he head-butted Linda in excitement and nearly toppled her over.
Around them, the chamber erupted in awe.
"Amazing…"
"The beast pet just taught the young master control!"
"That was intentional, right?"
"I didn't know rabbits could train dragonlings."
"Isn't it a beast guardian? It is simply doing what it's born to do.."
They weren't even whispering anymore.
Every tiny hop Linda made turned heads.
When she flicked her tail, someone amongst the crew actually clapped.
It was like she was a celebrity all of sudden.
But Scliff's face darkened. The veins in his temple pulsed.
If jealousy were a scent, the whole room would stink of it.
Gaffer stood by the corner, arms folded, trying to hide the small, traitorous smile creeping onto his mouth.
His chest tightened in the strange way it only did when he was deeply, stupidly proud.
He was no just proud of his son for choosing the right beastman to open up to aside from him, he was proud of that beastman—Little White!
'That's my little rabbit,' he almost thought. Almost.
Just then, the ship's intercom crackled, and the King Cobra's smooth drawl filled the deck: "Greetings Master and Young Master Imoogi. Attention Crew. We are approaching home. Prepare for descent."
Cheers erupted again. Everyone was happy again afresh.
Linda perked her ears. Home.
She didn't know what it was, but everyone else lit up like lanterns upon hearing that word. They loved it.
So maybe she would love it too. That is if this 'Home' let's her.
"Master, I have some news for you," Scliff said to Gaffer.
Gaffer finally tore his eyes from her and walked into his private chamber with Scliff.
Behind the shut door, Scliff bowed once. "Master, I have good news and bad news. Which do you prefer first?"
"Bad," Gaffer said.
Scliff didn't soften it since it was bad news. "The Council of the Scales Tribe… has decided to place the Blue Pearl Relic on auction."
"…."
BOOM!
Gaffer's palm smashed through the side table in anger. The room groaned as his aura cracked through the air, black scales crawling up his neck like wildfire.
"Auction?" he growled. "My son needs that relic. And they, they dare wish to sell it like a toy?!"
His dragon horns pushed through his hair, sharp and curved. They were long-aged horns. His tail slammed against the floor, the blade-like tip that was like a trident had as a result carved a groove through the metal.
The lights flickered.
Scliff swallowed. His own scales rippled across his arms. He was trembling under his master's pressure. His lesser-dragon instincts screamed 'Run!' But he stayed. He had to.
Gaffer's chest heaved as the transformation pushed harder, angrier.
"What then the good news?!" He spat.
"At least, Master…" Scliff said carefully, "now you won't need to explain why Miss May Scalden isn't with us. The elders… already know she rejected and abandoned you."
Gaffer's aura exploded. The entire room rattled.
Scliff flinched hard, his smaller dragon form reacting. He too was transforming but from sheer anxiety.
If Gaffa went full dragon here, one spitfire roar could blow a hole through the ship.
Scliff braced himself, his heart pounding, praying that silly rabbit outside would not decide to hop in at this exact deadly moment and make things worse for everyone.
Knock. Knock!
Before anyone could even say a word, the door swung open.
Doctor Swaid burst in with a data-slate clutched to his chest, his eyes shining like he had just found the cure to immortality.
"Master!" he exclaimed. "The result for the final test is out. The rabbit's gender, the beast pet's gender is here…."
Before he could finish, Scliff snapped. "Doctor, this is NOT the time!"
"It is the time," Swaid shot back without missing a beat.
"It is NOT the time!"
"It IS the time!"
"It is NOT!"
"It IS!"
Back and forth they bantered fast and loud, it was ridiculous.
Gaffer's eye twitched. Smoke leaked from the corners of his mouth like an incense burner losing patience.
"Enough," he said.
Neither man stopped.
"This is the master's pet we are talking about so you shouldn't have a say in this."
"And before that beast pet, I was here! No!"
"Yes!"
"Not the time!"
"It is…."
"BOTH OF YOU. LEAVE!" Gaffer yelled in such a deep voice filled with so much anger and irritation.
The air shook and lights flicked.
Scliff instantly bowed and scrambled backward.
The lead doctor too froze, then bowed too, though his eyes remained sparkling with desperation.
He opened his mouth again. "But Master, the rabbit… surely you must hear this! You brought it yourself, you owe it responsibility! And it's not just any rabbit, it's a beast guardian! And the final result over the gender… Master, you will LOVE this…"
Gaffer snapped. "The rabbit, the rabbit, the rabbit! The beast pet, the beast pet! That is all I hear. Just STEW IT!!"
"…"
"…"
The room went dead silent.
Even the shadows seemed to flinch.
The doctor's mouth hung open. Stew it? Like make a stew out of its meat?
Both men bowed so low their foreheads nearly hit the floor and fled the chamber with their hair practically smoking.
Linda who was at the door suddenly had her eyes shrinking back. Those purple eyes lost its light at once.
Immediately, she hopped her way down the exit corridor of the ship, her soft paws making tiny pat-pat sounds against the floor.
The ship had landed and the whole crew were going to get off the ship after the Master's command. But the master was in his private chamber, not coming out. And everyone, including Linda and as getting impatient to alight the ship.
She wanted. No, she expected that Gaffer would personally carry her in his warm arms, off the ship the way he always carried her before.
She was already picturing herself jumping into his arms.
So she hopped her way to his private chambers, ears high and a rabbits heart full of warmth.
She didn't expect to hear "…..Just STEW IT!!" Through the open chamber door.
Her whole tiny body had frozen that moment as her tail went stiff. Her whiskers had straightened like needles.
Stew it?
Stew WHO?
Stew… her?
Her little bunny brain scrambled. She was thinking, maybe this was their plan all along.
Man or beast, who would see a rabbit as tiny and easy as her and wouldn't want to eat?
Her heart thumped so hard her fur puffed up. Her ears twitched violently. Her hind legs trembled with pure prey instinct.
No… no no no… he wouldn't… he couldn't… not after weeks together… not after everything…
Her vision blurred.
Her instincts screamed RUN!
So she did.