Selene was sitting outside the mansion with the twelve Dars lined up around her like a bunch of obedient kittens.
She tried to keep her expression serious... she really tried, but their tiny heads and little glowing eyes made it impossible to be strict.
Every ti one blinked up at her with that squeaky "Dar" noise, she lted a little more inside.
She sighed, picked one up, and hugged it to her chest.
The little creature squird for a second before curling up comfortably, making a soft purring sound.
"These things are so cute... I don’t get how they can harm others," she muttered under her breath.
The Dar’s body was warm like holding a little lump of soft rubber and when she patted it gently, it cooed with delight. "You’re just misunderstood, huh?"
Around her, the other Dars waddled in circles, bumping into each other, trying to mimic her every movent.
One tripped over another and rolled on its back, tiny legs flailing in the air.
Selene covered her mouth to stifle her laugh.
She was supposed to be watching them as a commander. Instead, she looked like a mother hen surrounded by twelve blob-shaped chicks.
The ground around the mansion was quiet.
The hunters had already dragged the massive bird monster from earlier to Marty for cutting up... They would probably be helping him out too with the influx of new monster corpses to process.
Selene glanced up at the moonlit sky.
"Where’s my lord?" she whispered. She missed him already, though it had only been a few minutes.
Then she heard footsteps although they were heavy.
Her eyes lit up imdiately.
Azel walked down the road to the Lord’s Mansion, carrying sothing enormous over his shoulders.
His figure was outlined by the fading light, and as he got closer, the sheer size of what he was dragging made her jaw drop.
"My lord... are you sure you should be carrying sothing like that?" she asked with her eyes wide.
The creature was massive... spiked from head to tail, its black hide glinting in the dim light. It looked like a monstrous mix between a lizard and a porcupine.
"I’m fine," Azel replied casually. His tone made it sound like he was carrying a sack of feathers instead of a monster. "Let’s go to the backyard."
Selene followed quickly, trying not to trip over the tiny Dars that waddled after them like a small army.
Azel reached the mansion’s backyard, which the maids had been tediously working on since they had arrived then he dropped the heavy monster onto the ground with a loud thud.
Dust puffed into the air as he admired his work.
"Oof..." Azel exhaled and straightened his back, stretching his arms with a sigh. His hands were slightly bruised, but he didn’t seem to care.
A glowing window appeared before his eyes.
[BlackDust Squirrel, Rank 4]
"Damn," he muttered with a small laugh, "I didn’t know how hard it was not to kill monsters until this day."
Monsters below Rank 3 were really fragile... he was only able to capture this one on the third try, the first two tries had resulted in exploded skulls.
He rolled his shoulders and looked over at the leader of the Dars, who stood proudly among its tribe. "Will this be enough?"
The Dar nodded once and then jumped forward.
At its signal, the rest of them rushed toward the monster, their tiny legs moving surprisingly fast.
They surrounded the unconscious creature in a perfect circle and began to glow softly.
Azel tilted his head, he was curious. "So that’s how you feed?"
Thin magical chains appeared around the BlackDust Squirrel’s body, binding it completely before sinking into its flesh.
The creature shuddered once, then went limp.
The Dars’ bodies glowed as the air rippled with strange energy.
"Darr..." they chorused in unison, their voices lodic as if they were part of the choir.
Wisps of magic like thin silver threads flowed from their tiny bodies and seeped into the sleeping monster.
[Note: When a Dar is feeding, it must not be interrupted.]
Azel raised an eyebrow. "Not be interrupted? How the hell did they even survive in the forest?"
He rubbed his chin. "If they fall asleep while feeding, they’d be perfect snacks for anything passing by..."
But as he watched them, he realized their feeding ritual created a small protective barrier... a shimr of magic that distorted the air around them.
It wasn’t particularly strong, but it was enough to deter smaller predators. "Ah. That’s how."
Selene stood beside him, her hands folded. "My lord, should I tell the maids to avoid them?"
"Yes," Azel said. "Tell the maids and anybody else that’s coming here not to disturb them. They need to feed properly and gain their power."
"Yes, my lord." She nodded obediently, then hesitated when she noticed his gaze drift upward toward the sky.
He looked... distant.
"My lord... are you leaving now?" she asked quietly.
Azel didn’t answer at first.
His eyes lingered on the dark clouds above, and his thoughts wandered back to dusa.
She was probably pacing around his room again or worse, destroying more property. Her "mood swings" were much more terrifying than Edna’s. He could only imagine how Veyra’s own would be.
He sighed.
"Yes."
’I need to go back before she gets... emotional again. I’d rather not return to a broken house.’
Selene’s heart sank a little, but she forced a smile.
"I’ll be coming on nights like this," he continued, "and sotis in the day when I’m free. But you’ll see everyda—"
He didn’t get to finish.
Selene suddenly stepped forward and wrapped her arms tightly around him, pressing her face against his chest.
The warmth of her body caught him off guard.
"Okay, my lord," she whispered softly, her voice trembling ever so slightly. "Just... be safe. And get back to soon."
Azel blinked in surprise, then relaxed slightly.
He could feel her heartbeat through the embrace. She pulled back after a mont and looked into his eyes.
"I’ll handle Lycas until you’re back," she said with a determined smile.
"Thank you," he replied quietly.
Then his stomach growled.
Loudly.
"..."
Selene covered her mouth to hide her laugh. "My lord, are you hungry?"
Azel scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Right... fighting that monster without killing it burned more energy than I thought."
"There’s dinner left over," she said quickly, tugging on his sleeve. "Co. I made it myself."
Azel froze. "Wait, you cooked?"
"Yes, my lord." She smiled proudly as she dragged him toward the mansion. "I told Irene to let make it myself, so I’m sure you’ll like it."
Azel’s eye twitched.
Why did he feel like he was going to go ho with a stomach ache...?
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