As the weeks pass, you make sure to do everything Lady orders you to do, exactly as how she commands you to. Your hard work seems to be paying off, for she begins to take a liking to you. She has lightened up the labor from doing virtually everything for her, to simply dusting her off, and bringing her food. Being her servant isn't so bad after all. One thing you have noticed is that she never gave you a task that risks bodily harm. She must not want to lose you so soon. She wants to keep you for a while.
At least it's better than suffering the same fate as your friend. You shudder every time you think about it. Your friend was mercilessly eaten alive by the engine that is holding you captive. You can only imagine the sheer terror, and agony your friend experienced as they were slowly broken down as fuel for the fire deep inside her. That gives you enough motivation to keep going. You would hate to suffer the same way your friend did when you first encountered her. Your friend is probably gone by now. There was no way you were able to save them, as much as you hated to let them die in such a horrible way, it at least bought you a little more time. Their sacrifice led to your survival. The more you think about it, she doesn't seem to want to harm you now that you have agreed to be her little pet. Perhaps you can trust her after all.
One day, she returns to her shed after a hunt, and appears to be rather irritated, as if something was bothering her. Might as well see what's wrong, and see what you can do for her. It could make her trust you just a little bit, and that would certainly help you with your studies.
"Is there something wrong, Lady?" you ask her. Lady growls, clearly agitated by whatever has been bothering her.
"I think there's something stuck between my teeth near the back of my mouth. Do you think you could get it out? I've tried getting it out myself, and nothing worked." Lady raises an eyebrow at you. You swallow nervously. Her powerful jaws can crush you like a toothpick, and it very well could be a trick. However, judging by her body language, she appears to be telling the truth, and you can't disobey either. You don't know what will happen if you don't follow her command. She can easily kill you if she chooses to. Well, she just ate, so it is unlikely she would want to devour you, unless she saved room for dessert. You shudder at the thought, but you don't have much of a choice in the matter. You gather all the courage you can muster. You are about to do something that most people would consider to be insane.
"I might be able to get it out." you squeak. Lady opens her powerful jaws, putting all of her wickedly sharp fangs on display. You swallow nervously. What you are about to do many would consider to be insane, and may be the last thing you do. You reluctantly climb onto her footplate. You take a deep breath to brace yourself, and stick your head into her jaws. She can easily crush you if you're not careful, or if she's still hungry after her hunt.
You look around, and see nothing. You will have to go in deeper. You reluctantly crawl into her open maw, careful not to cut yourself on her sharp fangs that are specifically designed to slice flesh from bone. It's not the most pleasant place to be, especially knowing she can literally kill you in a split second if she chooses to. It is a humid, slimy, and sticky job, but you have to obey her, or the deal will be off, and she would devour you just as how she did with your friend. Hopefully, you will find whatever is bothering her before she decides to turn into lunch.
You finally find what is bothering her. A bone is lodged in between her sharp molars. You grab hold of it, and begin to pull. The bone is stuck fast. You pull a little harder. It begins to move a little. You finally yank it, and it finally slips out from between her teeth. Lady sighs in relief. She probably feels much better after finally having the bone removed. You toss the bone away, crawl out of her open maw, and climb down her footplate. Lady closes her powerful jaws once she is sure you are clear of her fangs.
"Thank you, human. That has been bothering me for quite some time now." Lady smiles. You blink in surprise. This is the first time Lady has ever thanked you for anything. She must have began to take a liking to you after all.
"Uh... you're welcome." you smile weakly. Lady just might be not as bad as she seems. It is clear she likes, but how much? Does she see you as a friend, or still sees you as her servant? Only time will tell.
"Is there anything else I can do for you?" You ask her. Lady chuckles softly.
"No, you're fine, human. I believe I'm good for now." Lady replies. You nod, and sit down in your corner on the cold ground. Might as well relax while you can. Lady suddenly perks up a little.
"Wait, I forgot something." Lady looks at you with her stunning golden eyes. What would she possibly want now? She is fed, and comfortable. What more could she ask for?
"What is it?" You raise an eyebrow at her. Lady doesn't reply. Her boiler begins to convulse as if something was stuck inside. You scoot back a little. Is something wrong with her? After a few moments, Lady coughs up what looks like a rabbit's corpse. It's burned to a crisp from the fire inside her, but otherwise untouched. She looks at you expectantly. You don't understand what she is implying.
"I brought you food, human. The fire inside me cooked it while I was returning to my shed. Here," Lady plucks the rabbit's corpse from the ground in her powerful jaws, and plops it in your lap, "take it. You need to eat."
You jump a little as she drops it in your lap. You are surprised she has caught anything for you, and a little disgusted by the fact she ate the rabbit first. Lady looks at you, and gestures for you to eat. You reluctantly pick up the rabbit's limp, and lifeless body, and sink your teeth into it. True to her word, the rabbit was cooked all the way through, if not a little burnt on the outside, but you can deal with it. This is way better than the usual nuts, and berries you ate whenever you get the chance. This is the first time she has ever provided food for you. She normally has no interest in making sure you're cared for. Perhaps this is a sign is beginning to trust you.
When you have eaten your fill, Lady ever so gently takes the rabbit from your hands, and swallows it whole. You find it amazing how such a powerful, and feared creature could be so gentle with someone like you. She must like you at least a little bit to be so gentle with you.
"Thanks." You smile.
"You're welcome, human." Lady returns the warm smile.
One night, it is particularly cold that night. You try to sleep in your corner, but the cold just chills you to the bone. You shiver, and hold your knees to your chest to try to conserve body heat. You longingly look at Lady, who is sound asleep. She is probably much warmer thanks to the fire burning deep within her. You can only imagine how warm she would be, but you are afraid to approach her. Who knows how she will react, but you are freezing. You must find warmth. You reluctantly stand up, and silently approach her.
You freeze dead in your tracks when Lady cracks her eye open, and growls softly at you as a warning to stay back. You step back a little, holding your arms, and shivering. That is when she realizes your situation, and allows you to approach her. You reluctantly sit on her footplate, and nestle against her smoke box. She is much warmer than you imagined. She's warm as fresh laundry right from the dryer. The cold vanishes as if it were nothing more than a bad dream. You sigh, and relax, soaking up her immense warmth.
You jump in surprise a little as you hear Lady let out a low rumble. It doesn't sound like a growl, and you can feel it in your chest it's so deep. You realize she is purring, like a giant cat. You smile faintly as Lady purrs away. You snuggle into her immense warmth, and slowly fall asleep to the soothing sound of Lady's purring.
A/N: So it seems Lady is starting to like the reader, and is starting to show her soft side a little. The reader has no idea as to how lucky they are to be able to snuggle up with Lady. Usually, Burnett, Patch, and Lily are the only ones that are able to do this. The next chapter is already in the works, and as always, until next time, see ya later!
