No Such Thing as Coincidence
Chapter I: Affection
Their affection for each other touched Jack to his core. The girl – the trader had called her Ayano – curled around the other half-breed's possessive stance. The other was a black wolf with lightning-like streaks stretching through his fur. The trader had called this one Yusei.
What touched Jack the most, however, was that Yusei was a wolf and Ayano was a panther. In his experience, the two different breeds rarely got along. They wouldn't converse with the other, let alone be seen next to the other.
Ayano's coloring was similar to Yusei's in that she was black-furred, but she had a slight crimson tint to her fur. Her sapphire eyes stared at Jack with fear as Yusei's navy orbs growled with his voice.
"It's okay," Jack soothed.
"Those two are inseparable," the trader said as he rounded his stall corner.
The two half-breed's were in the same cage. It was big enough for them both, but still was small in comparison to the other half-breed cages.
"Why?" asked Jack, looking back to the two.
"They were orphaned at the same place. Ayano was wounded and Yusei stayed and helped her back to health. They then wandered together, probably for a good two years before I found them. They've really been hard to tame. I had to tame Ayano first before I could even touch Yusei. I've never seen either of their human forms, but I'm sure they'd rival the beauty of their animal forms," he added as an after-thought.
Jack looked at Ayano, who did appear tamer than Yusei, who still growled at the newcomer, his front paws protecting his friend.
But, Jack had to ask himself. Were they really friends; or was there something else, some other feeling? And would he be able to fit in there somewhere?
The trader was talking about how rare both breed were. Ayano was the legendary creature panther from medieval lore. Her fur holds a crimson luster that has not been seen in panthers since the Dawn of the Domino. Her eyes were also very rare among the panther breed. Most panthers had green or gold eyes.
Yusei was a pure-bred half-breed. His father had been a pure breed, as had his mother and they only had Yusei before being taken away from each other.
Most half-breed are the result of a human and another half-breed procreating. So they weren't true half-breeds, more like quarter-breeds, but half was easier to say. Most half-breed have two forms: total human, pure animal. There's the rare kind that have a third form; a mix of both total and human forms.
"How do you know all this information if they haven't changed in front of you?" Jack asked the trader who smiled.
"The webs of intelligence stretch far."
"I'll take Yusei," Jack said, watching the two half-breed's reactions.
Yusei growled louder, but Ayano placed a paw on his and mewed softly. Yusei leaned down and licked her ear, and let out a small whimper.
The two communicated for a moment and the trader grew impatient.
"Yusei, come," he called, opening the cage door and pointing to the ground by his feet. "You have been chosen by a Master."
Deflating fast, Yusei looked at Ayano and howled lightly. Ayano mewed again, standing and nudging Yusei towards the open door.
Reluctant, Yusei walked out of the cage, and turned to see the trader slam the door closed on Ayano who had attempted to follow as all attention was on Yusei.
Ayano looked down at the ground and mewed again, turning back to the back of the cage and laying down, her head on her front paws. Her sapphire orbs watched Yusei and Jack as Jack made the payment to the trader.
"What will you do if Yusei escapes?" the trader asked.
Jack smiled. "I'll find you as I know where he'd go," he said, glancing at Ayano who looked close to tears. The look tore at his heart.
Yusei looked down at the ground by Ayano and attempted to lick her through the bars. Ayano stood and brushed against the bars much like a cat would to get attention, her actions allowing Yusei to reach her with his tongue.
"Yusei!" the trader called. "Come!"
Ayano mewed once more and Yusei deflated. He returned to Jack's side, his tail between his legs.
As Jack turned to leave, he felt a tug on his jacket. He turned and to his surprise, he saw a young man sitting where the wolf had been. He had black hair with the same lightning like streaks and navy eyes. "Please don't leave her," he said, his voice soft. He looked so close to tears as well, it wrenched Jack's heart.
Jack sighed and looked at the trader once more. "How much for her as well?"
"Well, since I can't guarantee Yusei's cooperation without her in the mix, she'll be free of charge," the trader smiled kindly. He opened the cage again and Yusei crawled to the door, and sat cross-legged at the entrance.
"Well Ayano?" he asked, holding out his hand.
Jack blinked. Ayano was in her total human form. She had black hair with that slight crimson haze and sapphire orbs that looked at Jack, then to Yusei, then to the trader with curiosity as well as confusion and caution.
"No need to be afraid," the trader said.
The cracking of bones echoed in the surrounding vicinity and Ayano changed back into her panther form in unison with Yusei. She walked out of the cage and sat next to Jack, Yusei following suit.
"Collars?" the trader asked.
Yusei growled again, his eyes narrowing at the trader.
"Yes," Jack said. "And make sure they are the electrica-type," he whispered to the trader, making sure that Yusei and Ayano hadn't heard him.
"Sir," the trader said, smirking. He handed Jack a pair of collars, one a bright, lime green and the other a duller red. "The green one's for Yusei. They have their names on them already. Just be sure to engrave your address on them."
"Alright," Jack said, and walked over to Yusei and Ayano. "I'm going to put these on you," he said, addressing both half-breeds. "They are so when you get lost, I can find you." He leaned over Ayano's neck and Yusei lunged forward, his teeth sinking into Jack's arm.
Jack howled in pain, but resisted the urge to tear the wolf off him and fling him against the stall.
Ayano mewed and Yusei loosened his grip on Jack's arm. A hiss from Ayano and Yusei let go of Jack completely.
"Thank you, Ayano," Jack said, shaking his arm to get feeling back into it. He placed the duller red collar around Ayano's neck. "Yusei?" Jack asked. A look from the wolf told him all he needed to know. "We'll wait until we get home to get the collar on you."