Kios: Chapter Four|Paths Converge [Plot|Azix]

After splitting ways with Yakuroro, Diego forged onward, towards Kios to keep his promise to Ariella. Madam Trixie prodded along at his side, with Zanzibar snoozing on her rump. Slowly they left trudged through the snowy northern lands and came to warmer areas, not that the cold bothered him much. Diego used his Geo-mastery and his glimpse of  Yaku's globe of light  to stick to a south-easterly course.

Not very long into the journey, Diego noticed something weird about his beasts and he thought he was losing his mind. They were traveling through some woods, fighting the undergrowth when a branch knocked Zanzibar off Trixie's back. The furry white spider let out an angry squee that reflect his discontent at being woke up in such a fashion. To Diego, he didn't hear the squee but heard the spider 'talk'.

Frozen, he stared at Zanzibar until Trixie thumped him with her tail. She let out a small whine and again, he understood what his beast was saying. It wasn't very intelligent speech, reminding the Fanatiga of conversations with Ilirran, but Trixie had definitely asked if they were going to continue on. Diego's jaw hung open as he tried to comprehend what was going on. Light glinted off his Wildman's Charm as if in answer to the questions running through his mind.  

A thought struck him and Diego cocked his head at the white and black-striped tiger. "Can you understand me?"

Trixie perked her ears up and she grunted, 'You...communicate...like me?

Diego rocked back at her response and he looked at the charm dangling from his wrist. It was able to not only translate his animal's communication so he could understand, but it allowed them to understand him. He briefly wondered what he sounded like to other people, like him, when he used the charm. He paused as he thought about that statement and glanced at his furry body. There weren't others like him, at least any that he had met. Diego pushed aside that sad thought and focused back at what the charm was capable of.

They continued traveling through the woods and Diego spoke in turn to Madam Trixie and Zanzibar, reveling in the ability to do so. At night they rested before a fire, curled up against each other, talking. An idea formed in his mind, how did his beasts interpret the secret language he used with them, utilizing a series of clicks, whistles, and hand gestures. He tried communicating in their secret language and using the charm after to ask what they took the command as. The secret language was rather limited, mostly used for basic commands and battle strategies.

His experiment taught him a few things, the main thing being that his training with them had paid off and they had mostly understood the commands. He realized he had never made commands for Trixie not to maim, something that tugged at his conscious. Diego had always overlooked her vicious attacks, either through ignoring it or by not seeing it at the time. He made a note to focus more on training her to efficiently put down a target without too much damage. Diego also told Trixie as much, which confused her. The moral implications and the concepts that he tried to explain were too much for her, but she would try to please her master.

The idea of her thinking of him as her master, kind of upset Diego. He tried explaining that they were friends, allies, but he wasn't her master. The idea of a master and servant was an offensive concept to Diego, it bordered to close to the idea of slavery. Trixie was hurt by Diego telling her that he wasn't her master, believing him to be abandoning her. After much assurances that Diego wanted the tiger by his side till the end of time, she settled down and he dropped it. The Fanatiga might not like her calling him her master, but he chalked it up to the charm's translation.

Diego greatly appreciated the ability to talk more in-depth with his constant companions, and the next several days were spent in conversation while they traveled. Finally, they came to the familiar scenery of farmlands surrounding Kios. At the crossroads where the dirt path met the main road that connected Reim to Portsmouth, Diego spied a man driving a wagon that carried four strange beasts. When it turned slowed down and turned at the dirt path, the Fanatiga raised a brow. Taking his oath to protect Kios seriously, Diego whispered to his beasts to follow and took off towards the wagon.

With his Fanatiga speed, Diego would catch up to the wagon quickly, Trixie just behind him. "Hello, there! Where are you headed?" Diego flashed his fangs in a grin, hoping to take the driver off guard.

Azix had finally received word that the Pentax and Boufer cows had been delivered to Opportunity Hall. He quickly prepared a wagon and brought it to pick up the beasts. Silently thanking Lagi, he snapped the reins and departed Remano, leaving from the south gate. After turning off the path for a moment, Azix cast Vanish to encase the area around the wagon in invisibility. It wasn't a perfect disguise, for sound could still be heard, but it would have to do. So far it didn't seem like anyone was following him and he changed course towards Kios.

He made good time without any issues and after some time, he dropped the invisibility in time to see the dirt road in the distance. As he turned on the dirt road, movement caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. Azix turned to see a somewhat frightening sight, a tall tiger-man quickly running towards the wagon. The man-beast was armed, something that Azix did not fail to notice. Still holding his wand, Azix summoned two shadow-hands with Kage Youshiki, directing them to hold the tiger archer in place, and stopped the horses.

The shadow-hands would wrap around the tiger-man's legs just as he asked where Azix was going. The orange magician narrowed his eyes, who was this tiger-man? He was suddenly reminded of the leopard-headed Imuchakk that he had met during his arrival to Imuchakk. Azix arched a brow as he realized they were nearly the same height and a curious thought struck him. "Did Asisiak send you?" As he asked the question, Azix kept a careful eye on Diego.

[240/300 magoi]

Spoiler:

Diego felt two hands grip his legs, pinning him in place as he spoke. He looked down and snarled to see two shadowy shapes immobilizing him. Trixie was still running behind him when she saw the spell and her battle instincts kicked in. She changed course to angle herself around the back of the wagon to sneak up behind the magician. Diego stood his ground and noticed Trixie's movements, but didn't let it show on his face.

Instead he twitched an ear when the magician asked about Asisiak. "Asisiak?" The name sounded familiar, but he was unable to place where he had heard it. Shaking his head, Diego raised a hand to his bow, "I asked you a question. Where are you going?" He exhaled and tried being more diplomatic, realizing approaching aggressively had been a mistake. His hand fell away from his bow, "There have been bandits attacking some of the farmers further down the road, so they banded together to hire some protection. I apologize if I intimidated you." It wasn't a total lie to Diego, there had to be a reason Janus hung around.

At about the time Diego finished apologizing, he heard a roar from the other side of the wagon. To his surprise, Trixie leaped up from behind Azix to wrap her jaws around the magician's throat. Diego panicked, remembering her previous savage displays and let out a shout. "TRIXIE! NO!"

His fears were unfounded, for Trixie was not seeking to harm the magician, but simply warn the magician against raising a hand to her master. When her master shouted, she recoiled, letting go of the magician and hopping off the wagon.

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Azix sighed when Diego kept up the aggression, but the tiger-man finally apologized. Just as the orange magician started to release the spell, he heard a roar behind him. Suddenly he felt something large standing over him, with its fangs around his neck. Azix hadn't seen the tiger approach with Diego blocking its vision. He started to call the Rukh, thinking Diego's apology was insincere until the tiger-man shouted out.

When Azix felt the fangs release their grip, he brought his hands to his throat and looked at the tiger. His Borg hadn't released because there was no ill intent behind Trixie's actions, which spoke of her training. Finally, the mention of Trixie's name and Diego's form clicked in the magician's head. He whipped his head back to the Fanatiga, "Diego? Is that you?"

He let out a deep breath before settling into a hearty laugh, "Ari told me about you. Here, jump on, we'll go to Kios together. Trixie and Zanzibar can jump in the back with the other beasts." Azix paused, hoping Diego didn't take offense.

Once they were on board, Azix would tug on the reins to urge the horses forward, following the dirt path towards the looming woods ahead. "The name is Xenos. I heard you're a fan of Madam Trixie, is that right?"

The Fanatiga was surprised the man called him by name, "Yes...how did you know?" Diego smiled when he learned that the magician was a friend of Ari's and accepted the ride. He understood what Azix meant and didn't take offense, instead he told Trixie and Zanz to join the beasts in the back. Diego studied the creatures the magician was transporting, noting two were a plant-like species, while the other two were cows.

He sat down next to Azix, pointing towards the creatures, "Some interesting beasts back there. What are they for?"

Diego's ears perked at the mention of Madam Trixie and he looked Azix over once again. An excited look crept over the Fanatiga's feline features and he bobbed his head. This was probably the friend of Ariella's that had met the Pirate Queen. "Yes, its where Trixie, the tiger, got her name. Ari said the Pirate Queen is real, is that true?"

In the rear of the wagon, Trixie looked up, disgruntled that they were talking about her and not knowing why. She sneezed at the back of Diego's head grumpily before resting her head back down to snooze. The journey so far had been long and it felt nice to rest.

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Azix arched a brow at the child-like reaction emanating from Diego, until he remembered that the Fanatiga was still thirteen years old. It was hard to imagine from a tiger-man who stood over six feet tall. With a chuckle, Azix nodded in response. "Yes, Madam Trixie is real."

Diego's curiosity over the beasts gave Azix a thought, "The plant creatures are called Pentax and the cow are a breed called Boufer. From what I've been told, they are invaluable to have on a farm. The Pentax produce the seeds of whatever they eat, while the Boufer's feces can be used as a fertilizer that allows crops to be grown on nearly any surface." Azix made a show of thinking to himself, "You know, I heard you were a beast tamer. If you could help train the beasts and teach some of the farmers how to use them, I'm sure I could set up a meeting with Trixie as thanks."

Azix waited to see if the boy agreed and was glad when he did so. Sending an Opportunity worker to train them would make one more person who knew about Kios. "I appreciate it."

Diego listened intently to Azix's description of the Pentax and Boufer cows, immediately seeing the potential they had for farming. His eyes lit up at the proposition the shadow magician made, offering to set up a meeting in exchange for his services as a beast tamer. Diego looked back at the Pentax, then past them to where Madam Trixie lay snoozing. He smiled at her before turning back to Azix, "Of course, I'd be happy to help. Especially if I get to meet the Pirate Queen."

Diego settled back on the bench-seat, thinking of what it would be like to meet the Pirate Queen. "What's she like? Is her fleet of a thousand ships truly a sight to see sailing into the horizon over the glittering sea?" He had a hundred more questions, but he held back. Further down the path, the Fanatiga could make out a break in the trees, which signaled they were getting close to their destination.
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Azix pulled out a scroll that he had Kylar make, detailing the specific instructions that had been given to the workers being trained by the El Nagi. It noted proper feeding schedules, what foods were acceptable to give both species, as well as the best enclosures to build for them. Since Diego didn't seem too familiar with handling these particular species, Azix figured it would be enough information for the boy to get started. He passed it to Diego, as the boy barraged him with questions.

Azix laughed, thinking that he had sounded the same by barraging Cimeies with a series of questions in the dungeon. "Well, she's a fierce woman, but caring to those she trusts. She's smart and knows how to manage a fleet of ships. She's also a bit of a tease." Azix paused, wondering how to break it to the boy that she no longer had a large fleet of ships. It was the orange magician's fault, to be honest, albeit somewhat indirectly.

Finally, Azix decided to tell Diego the whole story of how he met her. He started with the journey with the Instructor and fighting the Black Crows. He noticed an odd look when he described the Instructor, but continued on, detailing how he had been taken on board as a prisoner. By the time the farmhouse was in sight, Azix finished recanting his story. "Anyway, between the rebelling Black Crows and a major storm, she's down to a handful of ships."

Diego held onto the scroll as he listened to Azix's description of Madam Trixie. It sounded just like the stories Jagang used to tell him. When the magician continued with his story of how he met the Pirate Queen, Diego furrowed his brow. Something about the Instructor seemed familiar, the long golden hair and golden eyes, but he couldn't place it. He stared in awe, learning how Azix had tricked Madam Trixie into keeping him alive. Diego understood why the magician had done it, but Azix did not wield the command necessary to hand the bandits over. He found it ironic that it was the same bandit group that had taken Trixie and led Diego to learn archery.

The Fanatiga frowned at Azix, "That sounds like an amazing experience. I've fought the Black Crows before, they had kidnapped Trixie. Thankfully, they didn't kill her, but I was worried for so long." Diego shook his head and changed the subject, interested in the Instructor. "That magician you described, he sounds familiar. I think I saw him in Trylor, a few towns over when I was fighting the zombies."

Diego shuddered thinking of the man, "Something about him gave me goosebumps."
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Azix arched a brow at Diego, surprised to hear that not only had the Fanalis child run into the Black Crows, but the Instructor as well. Ever since that adventure, Azix hadn't heard from the Instructor and thought the man dead. He mused that it must have been more of Fate's engineering, but that train of thought abruptly stopped. "Zombies? In Trylor?"

Worry set into Azix's features, he knew Trylor was a small town to the north of Kios. Both towns were similar in the fact that they were small farming communities, but beyond that he knew little. To hear that something strange had occurred next to Kios and he had received no word upset him. Seriousness etched into his features as he stared at the Fanatiga, "What happened?" His tone was cold and it was plain to see that the magician was extremely protective about Kios.

Diego gulped when he saw the look in Azix's eye and heard the chill in his voice. He was suddenly thankful that Ariella had told the orange magician who he was beforehand. With the look of thinly restrained violence in Azix's eye, Diego realized that he could have been slaughtered earlier. With a heavy sigh, Diego explained what he and Janus had run into when he had first arrived to Kios. The memory of the zombies digging greedily into a horse still gave him panicked dreams.  

He then went on to tell Azix of what he had experienced in Trylor, leaving nothing out. He even shared his belief that the sickness that had wiped out the town was caused by Jagang. Unsure that Azix knew who Jagang was, Diego assumed he didn't and began telling the tale. Once again, he relived the painful memories of seeing his tribe wasting away to a disease. He mentioned how Jagang had a hand in the events of the Slave Auction and that it was in part to Diego's ignorance. He told the tale of chasing Jagang to Reim with Ilirran, even though the leopard-headed man vanished into the night, and explained how the Imuchakk had come to be.

Diego finally finished his tale and looked up at Azix. Startled, he realized they had stopped moving some time ago. He shrugged, "I'm sorry if I worried you more, but I feel obligated to warn people about Jagang. Twice now I've been fooled by the man and both times people died."
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Partway into Diego's tale, Azix realized the boy would not be finished before they arrived at the farmhouse, so he pulled them off the path and had the horses stop. He paid close attention and filed away specific details he found important. Diego's description of the merchant's appearance closely matched the Instructor and Azix wondered what at the man's intentions. He was surprised to hear Diego mention the enigmatic Jagang, someone he hadn't thought of in a while. Azix hadn't thought of Jagang as dangerous, so much as borderline insane. While Azix understood the spiral-eyed man's fascination with Fate, he didn't believe that something as large as Fate could be challenged or imposed upon.

If it wasn't for the apparent pain in Diego's orange-rimmed eyes and voice, Azix wouldn't have fully believed him. The raw emotion that could be felt from the Fanatiga, ensured him that the stories he told were not exaggerated. Azix was glad to learn that Jagang was capable of Plague Magic, something the orange magician was growing very familiar of. It was curious to note that Diego had been in the vicitinity of a plagued area twice and not been infected. Was Jagang purposely keeping Diego alive? Was it a game or was it a test? Azix supposed both were equally possible with Jagang.

Azix smiled at the Fanalis, "I may be worried more, but I also am armed with more knowledge. That must have been painful for you to tell me, but I thank you. I am glad you are looking out after the town." Azix considered telling Diego that he had met Jagang, but decided against it. He couldn't tell the boy anything more than he already knew.

He snapped the reins, urging the horses forward, "Let's get this unloaded and the beasts settled so you can get to work."

[exit]

After unloading the Pentax and Boufer Cows, Jarl helped Diego build some temporary pens for the creatures. Diego read the scroll of instructions, finding most of the information extremely useful. Towards the bottom was also information related to breeding, but it wasn't very detailed. Diego didn't think the animals needed to be bred yet, so he focused on getting the animals settled into more permanent quarters.

Jarl gathered a group of people to be trained, consisting of a few of the Grumptoes families, a few of the farmers from the towns and Leo, one of the Grumptoes Officers who had taken to Diego. Most everyone had quickly gotten used to Diego's appearance, but a few acted nervous around him. Ella had seemed to know it was him and leaped into his arms, burying her face in his furry chest.

Diego worked with the group, starting his training by how to care for beasts in general. From learning how different species gave off subtle clues that gave insight into their thoughts and moods. He stressed treating animals as equals, sharing a space together, rather than treating them as subservient. As he went over the basics like his father had taught him, Diego couldn't help but smile. He guessed that at some points, a ranger had to be both student and teacher.

Trixie and Zanzibar were easy beasts to work with, the group quickly learning how to care for them. Of course, all Trixie needed was loving pets to get in a good mood, so Diego asked if there were "problem" animals around. One of the farmer's had an ill-mannered horse that wouldn't let anyone ride it. Taking the group on a field trip, Diego had them go the farmer's property to see the horse.


At the front of the property was a large field, sectioned off with barbed wire, where several horses were kept. The farmer led the group past the field and to the stables where a single horse was kept. Throughout the stables, bits of splintered wood could be found near poles that were cracked. The farmer, Landon, stood back several feet and gestured at the horse, "There he is right there. Mean as can be."

Diego arched a brow, "Why he is not in the field with the others?"

Landon shook his head, "Like I told you, he's mean. When we first put him out, he's fine, besides the usual scuffles to determine rank in the herd. After a while though, he goes wild and busts open the gate. He kicks and bites everything."

Diego frowned, understanding the desire to keep it away from the other horses, but not agreeing. Horses, like most animals, were free-spirited and thrived on the open air. "That is problematic." He approached the horse slowly, whispering softly to it. "What's his name?"

"Malfese."

Diego nodded and held out his hand, "Hey there, Malfese. How are you doing?" He was close enough to touch the stallion now, but he waited for the horse to sniff him.

Malfese snorted and kicked the stall door, uneasy by the approaching tiger. When Diego spoke, it took a step back and shook its head, 'Stay away!' It seemed disturbed that it could understand the obvious predator.

Landon chuckled from behind Diego, "I told you so."

Diego ignored Landon and took a step back, respecting the Malfese's wishes. "My name is Diego. I would like to take you out into the field, is that ok? Smell the fresh air, see the sun shine, I bet you'd like that."

Malfese stamped its hoof, 'Diego...is this...trick? I can go outside?'

Diego smiled but shook his head, "No trick." He gestured to Landon to grab a lead rope and the man handed it to him. Diego held it up, "Is it ok if I put this on you?"

Malfese snorted in fury and walked further back into his stall, stamping the ground violently, 'You trick! You trick! No pain! No pain!'

Diego turned his gaze towards Landon, his eyes narrowed, "Have you beat this horse with a rope?"

Landon took a step back, giving Diego a sheepish look, "You don't understand, that horse has bit me and my son. He damages everything he touches. It's hard to control him without whipping him a few times."

Diego wanted to lash the man for his cruelty, but thought better of it. An outburst of emotion would set Malfese off even more. He exhaled his disappointment in Landon and managed to speak in a soft voice. "Malfese, watch." Diego snapped his fingers for Trixie to approach and she padded over. He gently wrapped the lead rope around her neck and guided her around in a wide circle. When he was done he turned back to Malfese, "That is all I wanted to do. Is that alright?"

Malfese cautiously approached the stall door and watched Diego lead Trixie around. He hesitated for a moment before sticking his head all the way out. 'Alright. Trust you.'

Diego nodded and slowly approached, taking care not to spook Malfese as he put the rope around his neck.  Once it was loosely secured, Diego opened the stall door and led the horse out. The group parted to allow Diego and Malfese through and followed a distance back as they went to the field. Malfese waited until Diego opened the gate and let him loose before cantering into the field, kicking its legs happy to stretch out. Malfese ran a few laps around the field before the other horses approached and started the process of sorting out rank.

Diego closed the gate and looked to Landon, "Not too problematic so far." He grinned at the astonished look on Landon's face. Diego had cheated, the Wildman's Charm letting him directly communicate with animals, not that they knew it.

The group chatted amiably with Diego, asking how he was able to calm such a wild beast. Diego listened to several of his students point out the different body-language that Malfese presented, as well as the tactics he used. He beamed proudly at their accurate guesses, pointing out things he would have looked for if he didn't have the magical tool at his disposal.

They stayed around Landon's farm for a few hours, going over adjustments he could make to the stables to make it friendlier for the horses. He also gave some tips on interacting with the horses and how to develop a harmonious relationship with them. Diego had always been fond of riding horses, something he hadn't done in a long time since Trixie got big enough to ride. Even then, there was something thrilling about rider and ride joining as one, learning to move with the mount depending on the shifting of their gait.

As he finished sharing some of his experiences horseback riding, Landon's wife came out to feed the horses. Diego paid close attention, seeing how she interacted with them. He watched her take some hay and toss it in each of the horse's stalls before filling their buckets with oats. The sound of food being served drove the horses to crowd around the field's gate. Malfese was the first one to the gate and he pawed anxiously to eat. The horses gathered around him and began fussing with each other, slowly driving him to be pushed against the barbed wire fence.

As soon as the barbs dug into Malfese's flesh, the horse went wild, bucking and shaking its head violently to and fro. The other horses panicked and backed up, giving Malfese space. They weren't quick enough though and Malfese kicked open the gate, charging out of the field, with several horses behind him. They rushed the stables and fought to get to the stalls.

While the others had witnessed Malfese misbehave, Diego had learned the source of the horse's problems. As the others agreed with Landon that Malfese could not be tamed, Diego stayed silent, listening to their reasons. When they had stopped and looked to Diego, he gestured to the stables, "Let's get the horses organized and then we can discuss what's going on."

Diego went first, to calm Malfese down and put him back in the stall, before allowing his students to take care of the rest. Once Malfese was eating, Diego ran his hand along the horse's back as he walked around it, studying the horse's coat. Each of his students used everything he had taught them to calm them down and get them back in place. Once they were done, Diego led them back out to the field. "Landon, I assume you bought that horse elsewhere?"

Landon nodded, "Yes, at an auction in Remano."

Diego smirked, "I thought so." When Malfese had touched the barbed wire fence, it had shouted a young girl's name and something about monsters in the woods. There were old scars, long faded along Malfese's breast and shoulders. "While you guys were right about how I handled the beast, you were wrong that Malfese can't be tamed. There were two issues at heart here. One, is because of poor handling. The horses get too anxious when you pour their food first. Put them in the stalls before you feed them from now on."

Landon huffed, "Ok, but I don't see what that has to do with Malfese."

Diego pointed to the barbed wire fence, "The horses gather at the fence and push one another against the barbs. Normally, horses will move away without a problem. Malfese on the other hand, had an accident long ago. I don't know if you noticed, but I think someone was riding him and he got tangled in something sharp. It must have been extremely painful, because pain triggers that memory."

Landon looked defiantly at Diego for a moment, thinking it over. The more he thought about Malfese's misbehavior, Diego's reasoning made sense. He looked down, ashamed at how he treated the horse, "That...that is...how did you know that?"

Diego winked at Landon, "Because I think of a horse as I would a human. I see them as an equal, not as something meant to be caged. Have you seen a herd of wild horses gallop through a sprawling pasture? It's an amazing sight." He paused, "Not to say I fault anyone for keeping animals separate. On a farm, it is wise to section off your land to keep animals from trampling crops. But it is something to keep in mind. Horses love to roam in freedom, so you should try to give that to them."

Diego let that sink in as he thought of how to help Malfese overcome his fears. "Well, looks like the next class project will be replacing Landon's fences with something more friendly to the horses. After that, you guys will learn how to train a horse to accept a rider. We will work with Malfese, it may be hard work and take a lot of understanding, but I believe in you guys."

For the next few weeks, Diego split his lessons between the Pentax/Boufers and Malfese. It didn't take long for Malfese to warm up to Diego's students, once they changed their perspective in handling animals. It took some time to get Malfese used to just wearing tack, then came the harder step, accepting a rider. Diego got Malfese comfortable enough to ride bareback, before trying a rider with tack.

Leo fell in love with Malfese, often spending a few hours after dinner sneaking over to Landon's to watch the horse canter in the field. Leo was the first person, other than Diego, that Malfese ride him without tack. So, by the end of the month, after everyone was able to ride Malfese without issues, Landon gave Leo the horse. The farmer felt bad for mistreating Malfese and seeing how much Leo loved the stallion, he felt it was right.

The people of Kios saw Malfese's acceptance of a rider as a milestone for Diego's training and Viri set up a feast in his honor. She made her famous 'Shut-it Stew' and everyone gathered in the town center to enjoy the food. Diego danced with a few of the farmer's daughters, awkwardly, but they were nice enough not to point it out. At Landon's insistence, Diego indulged in several mugs of ale and soon was dancing freely with everyone.

By the end of the night, Diego stumbled back to the farmhouse to head to bed. Drunkenly, he found the stall that had been converted into his room and crashed onto the pile of hay that served as his bed. He curled up snugly against Trixie and buried his face in her fur. With the alcohol in his system, the warmth of her body pressed up against his led him to some strange thoughts.

[1902+2130(4032)/2000|Dom Trained]