Landseer was the female snow leopard Melisandre's kingdom. Landseer had its own stone castle and marketplace, but also a large moat that protected the castle from enemies that came its way. It was a fortified structure, keeping Melisandre and her snow leopard husband Davin safe.
As soon as the portal opened in the marketplace, Melisandre knew something was up. She just didn't expect the cream-colored Oriental Cat Jine, the Queen Mother of the Land of Talking Animals, to come out into the marketplace to see what was going on. This was the last thing Melisandre wanted. She knew how much Jine wanted to repay her debt to Parker Dooley and would do anything to make sure she got it!
Melisandre hoped Jine's meeting with the light red dragonoid did not end in violence. Not in her kingdom.
Out from the portal, and before an assembly of people, creatures, and animals, was the light red dragonoid Parker Dooley. Beside him was Alindor, who was surprised when his mother Jine hugged him. They were joined by a silver-streaked, brown pawed Oriental Cat, who Parker didn't recognize.
"Mother!" Alindor said, moving away from Jine to introduce the silver-streaked, brown pawed Oriental Cat to Parker. "Parker Dooley, meet my wife Ulmayá."
"It's a pleasure to meet you." Ulmayá said, kindly. She nodded to the light red dragonoid, surprised to see he was behaving kindly to her. "I never thought I would meet dragons. Dragonoids. Whatever."
"It's all right. Dragons and dragonoids are allies in my land, which I'm sure has changed a lot since my time there." Parker changed the subject a bit. "It's nice to meet you." He nodded, smiling at her. "Alindor's told me a lot about you."
"Well, I'm sure it was pleasant," Ulmaya said, giggling.
"Oh, believe me, it was." Alindor shrugged. "Don't worry, it wasn't too bad. I told him how kind you are and how we've raised four beautiful kittens together. My son is now the King of the Land of Talking Animals." He said, looking up at Parker. "He holds the title now, not me. Our family's back to normal."
"Well, not everyone," Jine said, smiling at Parker. "Hello Parker. It's been too long."
Parker stared at her, as if she came out of one of his dreams. His expression turned sour at the memory of being scratched and beaten up by Jine resurfaced. He couldn't stop thinking about the memories, so much so that he growled aggressively, pouncing on Jine and pinning her against a wall. He seemed to do that a lot with people, creatures, and animals. Must have been his signature move.
"Why did you come back? Huh? I thought you were dead!" Parker snarled, his yellow cat-like eyes fiery in angst and aggression.
"Please don't hurt me!" Jine whimpered, not enjoying being pinned to a wall. She screamed, wanting to be free. "What did I do wrong?"
"You'll pay for your crimes," Parker growled, his cat-like eyes nearly turning blood red with rage. "You'll pay for what you did to me. Remember the scars you gave me?" He growled louder, his cat scratch scars revealed on his arms, his legs, his neck, and his face. It made Jine wince. She didn't know what Parker had been through. How much torture had this light red dragonoid seen?
"Parker, set her down! She won't hurt you!" Melisandre called, walking up to Parker from behind.
Parker huffed and puffed. He looked at Jine, seeing the terrified expression on her face. No, no! The pain and memories were flooding back. He acted like a coward before Jine when she beat him up. Now, he was seeing himself in Jine's terrified expression. He set Jine down, his eye color changing back to their friendly shade of yellow.
"I'm sorry," Parker said, softly. He breathed, intense anger in his eyes. "I'm not like you, Jine. I don't scratch someone out of anger, like you did to me." His scars faded on his body and his head, allowing Jine to see the light red dragonoid as he was now: scratch-less. He added, "When I was angry, I was evil. I was Maranguan and Maranguan is someone you don't want to know. He came as a result of all the pain and suffering I had been through." He exhaled. "He's in me. If he gets out, which I fear could happen very soon, at any time, then everyone would know it. They would see the monster I had become and will be again. He created the Shadow Empire and now it's me who sees it fall." He fell silent, leaving the conversation hanging.
"Well done, Parker Dooley. You know how to torture someone well," Melisandre said, getting Parker's attention. "I am Melisandre, the High Queen of the Land of Talking Animals. I trust Aslan sent you here."
"You're responsible for the Shadow Empire's downfall?" Parker approached her, determined. "Thanks to me, it will fall."
"I cursed your empire!" Melisandre said, annoyed. "Did you really think a villain's empire would last as long as mine? Where were you when the First Age started? Where were you when Jine and Tracker lost their kingdom to the snow leopards?" She shook her head. "You weren't around when Creadon fell. Oh, don't worry, the Land of Talking Animals will thrive. It will no longer be nomadic." She nodded, facing her citizens. "Already, the Land of Talking Animals is coming out of its nomadic ways, but there are some who would still choose that life. And so, that's where I leave them. They can come back anytime now."
She looked at Parker, telling him, "But you knew this? Aslan sent you here for information or did you come out of your own volition?" She smirked. "You did? It wasn't Aslan's doing!"
"You have an odd way of showing support for Aslan. Why did he let you rule this kingdom?" Parker asked, suspicious.
"Well, Aslan needed an alternative ruler and so he chose me," Melisandre said. She added, "I rule because it's what Aslan wants. Yes, the Big Cats are splitting up and choosing their own kingdoms. That's fine. After all, didn't a lion help you become whole again?" She said, "Don't assume all Big Cats are bad. You may regret it."
Parker sighed. He was about to be defeated by another ruler and he knew it! He nodded, defeated. "When will the Shadow Empire fall?"
"Why sound defeated?" Melisandre asked, curtly. "Wasn't it your idea to come here? I'm still going to rule for the next ten years, before the kingship will be passed onto someone else." She added, calming down, "Another cat or another animal will rule in my stead." She said, "The Shadow Empire will fall. It was bound to happen, but you don't know the reason why. Like Jine, your reign ended the moment Qua'ra took the crown and became Empress of the Shadow Empire. It was doomed to fall. The Shadow Empire won't rise again. But then, who knows? Maybe a new empire will take its place."
She shrugged, letting the silence fall between them. She looked at Parker, telling him, "You're welcome to stay here for as long as you wish. But know that when you leave, you won't be back in the Land of Talking Animals for many years." She replied, before Parker could protest, "That isn't my call. It's Aslan's. I trust him with my life. And so should you." She added, "You'll return to the Land of Talking Animals, but the Seven Realms will change once again."
Parker didn't know what else to say. Melisandre had a wicked streak, but she knew the meaning of the word hospitality. It was just another battle he couldn't win. Would there ever be another battle where he would win?
"I'll take it," Parker said, calmly. He didn't know what else to do. He wanted to look up information, find out what Melisandre did to the Land of Talking Animals and to his friends. But now that changed. Still, he had a thought. "I'd like to explore your study, see what I can look up."
"I hope it isn't about me," Melisandre said, serious.
"No." Parker smirked. "No, but I am curious about the history of the Land of Talking Animals. You must have an extensive history of the realm." If he had to look up something, that was it! If only to get caught up to speed.
"Come with me." Melisandre said, leading Parker inside the castle. "There's a few books that might take your interest. Although, some books lead you to other places. Just let me know when you'll come back. Then, you can be reunited with Aslan with my pardon and my thanks." She smiled. "You're always welcome to stay in the Land of Talking Animals, you know."
"Thank you, my queen," Parker said, following the snow leopard into the library, where the light red dragonoid hadn't a clue what he would find there.