A/N:
Surai98- Why do I imagine the Ratel girl looks like a loli Uzaki Hitomi from Killing Bites?
Because you have good taste in anime, my dear reader. Or manga, either's fine. Point is, Hitomi actually inspired a lot of Uju's character, from her look to her personality. Backstory, not so much. Point is, loli Hitomi is the perfect thing to imagine while reading about Uju... except she's not wearing rags like Hitomi was in the story when we first saw her past.
Jaune was scarfing down the food, Argent following his example. Surprisingly enough, Verde was also eating like a wild beast. They then all swallowed at the same time, shivering in ecstasy.
"SO GOOD," all three went in perfect unison, and at such volumes, it shook the house.
Nimueh's eyebrow twitched. "There's no way my cooking is THAT good."
"IT WAS MADE BY MY HOT WIFE!"
"IT WAS MADE BY MY AWESOME MOM!"
"IT WAS MADE BY A COMPETENT WOMAN WHO KNOWS HOW TO COOK!"
"HEY," Blake went at Verde's part.
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW DELICIOUS THIS IS FOR ME," all three went before going back to feasting.
Nimueh just blushed brightly before sighing and taking a bite out of her own cooking. "Mm, not bad."
"A chef's biggest critic is always herself," Kali said. "It shows that you know you can get even better, and I'm proud of you for realizing that so soon." Nimueh went back to blushing, embarrassed by all the praise she was getting.
"And I have to admit, this is quite delicious," Ghira said as he ate some grilled fish. "It's almost as if the Arc Family was meant to be a part of Menagerian culture."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Ghira/dad," Jaune and Blake went in unison. The two then looked at each other. "And what's that supposed to mean? What do you mean what do I mean? Is Menagerie too good for me/you? Wha?! Is that what you think?! Stop that already! Alright, wise guy, how about you tell me why you're/I'm not good for Menagerie?!"
The five spectators clapped in amazement at how in sync the two were while arguing.
"Well how about I start," Blake went. "I don't think you're fit for Menagerie because you'd INCREASE THE POPULATION!"
"HAH?! THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN?!"
"I MEAN THE GUY WHO SLEPT WITH MY MARRIED MOTHER WOULD PROBABLY SLEEP WITH ANY BEAUTIFUL FAUNUS ON THIS ISLAND AND OVERPOPULATE IT!"
"IT WAS ONE TIME, XIAO LONG! AND YOUR DAD WAS A PART OF IT!"
"THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT BETTER!"
"HEARING IT OUT LOUD, I AGREE!"
"I BET YOU'D EVEN SLEEP WITH ILIA IF YOU HAD A CHANCE!"
"SHE'S A LESBIAN!"
"THAT DIDN'T STOP YOU WITH RUBY!"
"Oh, please! We all know Ilia would sleep with you in a heartbeat!"
Blake turned red in embarrassment, knowing Jaune was right. "W-Well, WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU'RE NOT MEANT FOR MENAGERIAN CULTURE?!" Jaune pushed the face of his watch, transforming back into his Grimm Form. Blake raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"
"Maybe you haven't noticed that I'm a bit of a freak?"
Blake groaned with a roll of her eyes. "Arc, let me remind you that the Faunus have been discriminated against for YEARS. Literally, no one on this island would discriminate against you for your looks."
"What about Corsac," Verde asked, making Blake jolt.
"Uh, well, he's in prison so it doesn't matter what he would-"
"Or Headmaster Louie?"
"Okay, he's a terrible example but he's-"
"Wouldn't Lady Sienna judge him if she was still alive, too?"
"Alright, kitten, I get it." Blake sighed. "Still, that's not a good enough excuse, hero."
"How about the fact I'm a so-called hero," Jaune asked with his arms crossed.
"Huh?"
"I'm known as the Strongest Man in the World as well as the World's Greatest Huntsman. I've got enemies all over the world. Plenty of them would gladly take all of Menagerie hostage. No way I could stay here and place that many innocent people in danger."
"I... don't have an argument against that."
Jaune chuckled. "Glad to see we could come to an understanding."
Blake sighed. "Sometimes... I really don't like you."
"Eh, I can live with that. Now, can we please sit down and go back to enjoying my wife's and your mom's cooking?"
"Sure. Why not," Blake said in a defeated tone before sitting down and taking a bite of fish. "Hm. Wow, that is good."
"Had to catch a lot of fish to make that dish," Nimueh went.
"You went fishing, mom?"
"Mhm. But it was terrible."
"Oh, don't be mad because I caught the bigger fish," Kali giggled.
"And that is exactly WHY it was terrible."
Jaune chuckled. "If there's one thing Nimueh hates, it's to lose."
"I believe that," Kali responded, making everyone laugh.
Ghira sighed as he picked up his tea, staring at his steaming drink. "This is nice. Family being together like this."
Blake's ears dropped down. "Sorry, dad. We haven't visited that much."
"Indeed," he chuckled. "When Verde was just a child, you and your wife used to visit us every summer. But as soon as she turned ten, my granddaughter stopped visiting. Next thing I knew, I got visits from my grandson."
Jaune choked on his rice, punching his chest to help him swallow.
"Jaune, what is he talking about," Blake asked as she looked at him incredulously.
Jaune made his throat flexible by giving himself Taijitu biology, swallowing his rice, and panting. "I have no idea. Wait, when you said family being together, were you including us?"
"Of course," Ghira laughed, Kali giggling next to him. "You're practically family."
"I AM?!"
"Absolutely. After all," Kali began.
"Whoa," Argent went after Kali picked him up and hugged him, rubbing her cheek against his. "You gave me this adorable little cub."
"I'm not adorable," Argent muttered in embarrassment, blushing.
"You know I'm not married to him/her, right," Jaune and Blake said in unison before looking at each other. "You seemed way too ready to say that. Of course, I was. You and I barely spoke to each other. We were more like friends of friends. Oh, don't you start that again! STOP THAT!"
Everyone laughed at them, though Nimueh's was more forced.
"You're like a comedy couple," Verde laughed out, Nimueh immediately stopping her laugh.
"DON'T CALL US A COUPLE," the two yelled in unison.
"Okay, who wants dessert," Nimueh asked as she shot up.
"What's for dessert," Jaune, Argent, and Verde asked in unison.
"Kali and I made a coconut cake, banana cream pie, and pineapple ice cream," Nimueh said as she began to walk away.
She was surprised when Jaune appeared before her and grabbed her hand, looking into her eyes lovingly. "I love you. Marry me."
Nimueh blushed before she sighed. "Jaune, we're ALREADY married."
"Ah. Right."
Nimueh sighed. "I married an idiot."
That got another laugh from the "family".
Somehow, without any of the adults noticing, Verde and Argent snuggled up to each other, Argent using Verde's long, fluffy hair as a pillow while the lioness snuggled Argent like he was a teddy bear or her own cub. The two looked just like siblings.
Seeing no reason to separate his grand-cubs, Ghira just shrugged and placed them in Verde's room, smiling at the sleeping children as he closed their door.
When he entered the sitting room, he saw that Jaune, Nimueh, Kali, and Blake were already sitting around, talking about their day. He did have work to do, but he decided it could wait. He then took a seat next to his wife, ready to listen.
"Alright, Ghira. Start talking," Jaune went.
"Hm? I'm sorry," he went. The other three looked at Jaune in confusion.
Jaune pointed at his watch. "King of the Grimm, remember? There's not much you can hide from me."
Ghira sighed. "How inconvenient."
"Ghira, what is he talking about," Kali asked.
Ghira looked around before sighing again. "The Devil Dragon infestation is getting worse as the days go by. Some fear that they may even break through the mountains."
"What," Jaune went, trying to keep his voice down to not wake the kids.
"Dad, this is major. You should have said something sooner."
"It wasn't this much of a problem. At first, it was even less than when we called for outside help."
"When I came?"
"Exactly. But it seems like they appeared overnight. Their numbers are concerning."
"Well... Nim and I can take care of it."
"No. You came here to train. Menagerian matters should be handled by Menagerians. We can't rely on you for every little problem."
"Who says you're relying on me? Ilia told me that city hall posted some missions involving the Devil Dragons. If you pay me to handle it, it wouldn't feel like relying on me, right? It'd feel like a Huntsman doing his job."
Ghira stared at Jaune before sighing. "I would much rather you continue your training. You might be doing more to help Menagerie by learning the Beast God Styles."
"Yeah. I guess the World's Greatest Huntsman learning Faunus Martial Arts is great publicity. Hm? Martial Arts?"
"Something wrong," Nimueh asked.
Jaune stood up and turned around. He then took a deep breath, relaxing. Everyone noticed how his arms seemed to just drop, looking lifeless, swinging at the tiniest of breezes coming through the window.
Then, Jaune swung his arm at whip speeds, even making a cracking sound that reminded Blake of Ilia's sword.
"That was the Sidewinder," Ghira said in surprise.
Jaune held up his hand. "It made a whip crack. Peela said that the weakest form of the Sidewinder is the crack of a whip. She was absolutely holding back when she slapped me across the face with it."
"She did what," Nimueh went.
"Hey, we were training." Jaune then thought of the other technique she used on him. The strongest in all of Serpent God.
Jaune then took the stance, curled his arm, and took a deep breath. He then performed Titanoboa, making a boom as his arm shot out. Jaune groaned a bit as his arm snapped back in place. "She used THAT on me? It hurt just copying it."
Blake shot up, eyes wide. "T-That was Titanoboa."
"You can already use Serpent Style's strongest technique," Kali asked, eyes wide.
"Not exactly. Felt like my muscles were about to tear out of my arm. Hurt like hell."
"Not surprising. Titanoboa is Serpent God's most powerful technique. It takes years to properly utilize it. An amateur's arm would have been ripped clean off," Ghira said. "It may be because you're already physically powerful or because of that body of yours, but anyone else would have needed a new arm from New Mantle."
Jaune stared at his arm. "Not many can even USE this move. The flexibility needed to even attempt it. You'd either have to be a Snake Faunus or have an Elasticity Semblance."
"Or be the Grimm King and give yourself the flexibility of a Taijitu," Blake said.
"Exactly. Still, these techniques are amazing. It's like Peela gave me a whip and a sniper rifle. And with Constrictor, she gave me a new way to immobilize target needed alive."
"Did she also teach you Viper and Rattle," Kali asked.
"Viper and Rattle?"
"Serpent God only has five techniques," Blake explained. "Constrictor, Sidewinder, Viper, Rattler, and Titanoboa. People have called the Viper technique the Assassin's Bite."
"It's that fatal?"
Blake shrugged. "Don't ask me. I don't use Serpent God Style. I just hear rumors. There's an old folktale about an actual Viper Faunus being a master assassin, using only the Viper as a weapon. He took out countless targets with just his fingers, and no one was able to find a cure to save the victims. According to the stories, he would aim for the liver, the stomach, kidneys, and the neck."
"Vital organs. And the strike to the neck. . . He broke it, didn't he?"
"And pierced the windpipe, making the victim both braindead and choking. It was almost impossible to find the wound and without your brain working properly, how could you tell your saviors you couldn't breathe?"
"Viper sounds like the ultimate assassin tool. But what about Rattler?"
"That one is just sadistic," Kali said. "It's more of a stealth technique but can also be used as a grappler move. Most Serpentine Faunus have claws as sharp as snake fangs, which makes Rattler so dangerous. You plunge your claws into your victim's head, which more often than not pierces through the skull. Then, you juggle the head between your hands, the claws digging into the victim's head with each pass. The faster you go, the more of a rattling sound you hear as your claws pierce bone until... well-"
"It pierces the brain. That does sound brutal. Sadistic, just like you said," Jaune said as he held up his hand. "I kinda want to learn it."
Nimueh sighed. "You would."
"But I don't think Rattler would be useful on something the size of a Devil Dragon. Sidewinder and Titanoboa, no problem, but the other three? Save those for humans."
Ghira blinked at Jaune. "You're planning on training using the Devil Dragons," he realized.
Jaune shrugged. "No better way to train than through use, right?"
"Jaune, that's a crazy idea," Blake went.
"Hey, I'd have Nimueh with me to save my ass. Besides, poison doesn't work on Grimm. I think I can get bitten by a Devil Dragon just fine."
"You think," the four went.
Jaune shrugged. "Mhm."
The next morning, after a breakfast of fried eggs on toast with mango yogurt (made by Nimueh, making Jaune and Argent hug her, embarrassing the beauty), everyone prepared to leave.
"Jaune," Ghira called. "I'd still prefer if you continued training. We're not that far from Mahina's hut."
"The Wolf God of Menagerie. Damn, that's tempting. The Wolf God style saved me in the War for New Mantle. . . It's too bad your emotions are telling me that the Devil Dragon situation is getting just a tad bit out of hand."
Ghira sighed. "Those powers are quite inconvenient."
"For some," Jaune chuckled.
Blake pulled Jaune's ear. "Like the people trying to keep you safe."
"Ow, ow, ow. I don't need to be kept safe, Blake. Seriously, what are you, my wife?"
Blake turned red with embarrassment as she released Jaune's ear, the man rubbing it. "N-NEVER call me that again!"
"Only if you don't tug at my ear anymore," Jaune said as he rubbed his ear.
Blake growled. "I hope one of the Devil Dragons bites you on the ass," she hissed before turning and walking towards the kids. "Come on, you two. We're going to school."
"Please don't take your anger out on me by calling me all day," Verde said with a depressed aura around her.
"Alright, I get it. I won't call you in class anymore. And Argent, you'd better be on your best behavior."
"Sure. Though, I can't promise the same with my classmates," he muttered in the last part.
"I heard that."
Jaune watched them leave before turning to Nimueh. "Ready?"
"Of course."
"Aw, you're not spending the day with me," Kali asked with cute kitten eyes.
"And let my husband walk into danger without his competent wife to save his ass when he inevitably gets in trouble," Nimueh asked as she pointed a thumb at Jaune.
"Oi."
"Oh, good point. You're such a good wife, Nimueh," Kali said as she clapped her hands together. "Be sure to come back before dinner. A friend of mine told me the fishermen found a lobster grove in the ocean. I'm going into the market to see if I can get some."
"Ooh," Jaune and Nimueh went.
"Can we expect you to join us, Ghira," Jaune asked.
"Of course. It's my house, after all," he chuckled. He then got serious. "But be careful, Jaune. The reports I've been getting about the infestation are troubling, to say the least. Worst yet is the sightings of Sand Daimonos."
"They've been spotted? I thought they were incredibly rare. Maybe I should try to catch one."
"I would greatly appreciate that," Kali said. "Daimonos are an absolute delicacy and are incredibly valuable due to how rare they are. Their skin alone could make you very wealthy on the island."
"Thanks for the info, Kali, but I think I'm wealthy enough. I just want that Daimono Dinner," Jaune chuckled.
"Glutton," Nimueh teased, Jaune merely shrugging before leaving with a wave, the couple waving back.
On their way to the hall, Jaune was stopped quite a few times to help citizens since he was still wearing the Menagerie Gaurd uniform. He mostly did small things like getting a child's ball from a roof or helping an old shop keep carry their wares into the store. He also helped vendors carry fruit or knock some out of the trees and even bought some emergency rations from them for his mission.
Took the hero about half an hour to finally reach the city hall.
"Finally," Jaune went.
"You might be a bit too kind, hero," Nimueh said.
"Says the woman who helped a crying child find his mom."
"T-That's the common thing to do," she yelled with a blush as the two entered the hall.
As soon as they did, some of the Gaurd looked at them.
"You're late!"
Jaune jumped. "I-Ilia?!"
The Chameleon Faunus stomped up to him and pointed her finger in his face. "We've been waiting for you for almost twenty full minutes! Ghira said you'd be here about half an hour ago! What took you so long?!"
"Uh, I kinda got caught by a lot of civilians. Carrying boxes of merchandise, knocking down fruit, getting balls off of roofs, stuff like that?" Jaune gave a nervous smile.
Ilia glared at him for a bit before sighing. "In short, you've been doing the Gaurd proud. I can't get angry at that," she groaned. Jaune let out a relieved sigh. "Alright, let's meet the rest of the team."
"Team?"
"Hm? You didn't know? The Devil Dragon Investigation is a four-minimum requirement mission. That's why Ghira called us."
"NAH!?"
"And no, just because you're an Internation 1st Class doesn't mean you can bend the rules to make it only for you and Nimueh to go. Remember, the highest-ranked individual is always a council member or chieftain unless certain conditions are met. You still have to follow Chieftain Ghira's rules, hero."
Jaune's eyebrow twitched. "You're enjoying this, aren't you, Ilia?"
She smiled before sticking her tongue out at Jaune teasingly. "You might be my friend, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy messing with you, hero."
Jaune sighed. "I still rank higher than you."
"Urk."
Jaune chuckled before following the petite woman. "So, who's going with the three of us?"
"Ah, so you already guess I'm part of your team."
"Why else would you be here?"
"True." Ilia then opened the door. "These two will be joining us, making it a five-man team."
"Well, well. So instead of trying to assassinate me, you're working with me, Yuma?"
"Wipe that grin off your face, hero," Yuma said with arms crossed and a smile on his face.
"Trifa, if you do anything to my husband on this mission," Nimueh warned.
"Don't worry, Nim! This is a mission. We have to take this stuff seriously," Trifa said as she waved her hands defensively.
Jaune rubbed Nimueh's head, one of the few ways to calm the beauty down. She looked at him in embarrassment before turning away with a pout and crossed arms.
"So, Yuma, what are we looking at," Jaune asked.
"Already know I'm the scout, eh?" Jaune pointed at his own back, Yuma knowing full well Jaune was referencing his wings. "Fair enough," he said as he took out a map.
The team then gathered around it. "The Devil Dragons were spotted at certain areas of the mountain range, namely here, here, and here."
"That's pretty far from any water source," Jaune observed.
"We noticed that," Trifa said. "Devil Dragons tend to gather near sources of water, like an oasis, lakes, or the beach. These areas are too far from the beach. Some of the Gaurd are optimistically hoping it means the Dragons sound a spring."
"And you're hoping if there is one, Menagerie might finally be able to expand after all these years," Nimueh deduced.
"Exactly. This expedition is incredibly important, not just for the safety of Menagerie, but hopefully for its expansion after years of being herded into a tiny area of a small island. Everyone ready," Ilia asked.
"Of course," the other four answered.
Meanwhile.
In Menagerie's prison, a Guard carried a tray of food. He placed it on the floor in front of a cell. "Meal time," the Guard said as he slid the tray inside.
Within the dark shadow, a Faunus was sitting on the floor, ignoring the tray.
"Hey, you'd better eat, Corsac."
The disgraced White Fang Faunus opened his eyes, staring at the food.
Corsac looked at the food, which was just rice and pineapple with a measly chunk of meat on top. Corsac didn't have an appetite, but he did want something.
"Brother."
"Don't call me that," the Guard went. "The White Fang you were a part of is long gone. Plus, you betrayed the Faunus when you tried to kill the Belladonnas. Besides, your brother is dead, remember?"
"Please, I just wish to know."
"Know what?"
"Even within the walls of this prison, one can hear the words of the outside world. Is it true that a HUMAN walks on our island?"
The Guard scoffed. "Yeah. It's true. The Hero of Remnant, Jaune Arc himself."
"Hero," Corsac scoffed. "He is only a 'hero' to humans."
"Wrong. The Faunus see him as a hero as well. After all, unlike the White Fang of your time, he PROTECTED Menagerie. He stopped the first Devil Dragon Infestation practically on his own, preventing Lady Kali's death in the process. That man has done more for Faunus kind than the Taurus White Fang ever did."
"And is the Faunus more revered because of him? Are we seen as equals in the eyes of humanity because of him?"
The Guard was quiet for a bit. "Maybe not yet... but possibly soon." Corsac turned towards the Guard. "He's here to train in Faunus Martial Arts. He's going to learn the Beast God Styles."
Corsac sat up. "The Beast God Styles? Our sacred combat arts?!"
"Mhm. If I wasn't a prison guard, I would be honored to personally teach him the Tiger God style, but God Byakko is far more qualified than I."
Corsac weakly stood up. "How could you condone such blasphemy? Mere human learning our sacred martial arts. How could you even be foolish enough to allow such a thing? Human physiology makes it impossible to learn any of the martial arts. Without so much as claws, they couldn't even perform the First Wolf God Fang."
"He can. After all, he's the King of the Grimm."
"What?"
"That man can make himself like us. In many ways, he is a Faunus now. How do you like that: Remnant's Greatest Hero is now a Faunus who will wield our martial arts like a grand blade. The Faunus will be revered because of that man."
Corsac grabbed the bars. "He will be our downfall! He isn't a Faunus! He is human! All humans do is bring us death and destruction! He'll be our end!"
"Oh, please. Chieftain Ghira likes him. Remember, the High Leader of the White Fang," the Guard went with a raised eyebrow. "He even sees Arc's son as his grandchild. The Arcs are practically members of the Belladonna Family."
"Then Ghira is even more foolish than I thought. He'll bring about the end of Menagerie. His foolishness will kill us all!"
The Guard punched Corsac in the face, the Fox Faunus stumbling back. He felt blood trickling down his face, the man being far too weak to activate his Aura after years of being imprisoned. "Bite your tongue, traitor. Jaune Arc and Ghira Belladonna will do more for Menagerie and Faunus kind than you and your terrorist cell could ever do." The Guard then walked away to perform his other duties.
Corsac growled, his tail puffing up, before grabbing the bars. "HE'LL BE OUR END! A HUMAN WITH THAT MUCH POWER WILL BE THE DEATH OF US! HE'LL BRING ABOUT MENAGERIE'S DESTRUCTION! YOU'LL SEE! YOU'LL ALL SEE!" Corsac was now panting, exhausted from yelling.
YOU ARE CORRECT
Corsac's eyes widened before he turned around to see even blacker darkness in his lightless cell. "W-What?"
HE WILL BRING ABOUT THIS ISLAND'S DESTRUCTION. ALL THAT POWER. ALL THAT STRENGTH. WITHOUT AN EQUAL TO CHALLENGE HIM OR STAND AGAINST HIM. HE IS MERELY HUMAN. YOU KNOW HOW EASILY HUMANS ARE TO CORRUPT, DO YOU NOT?
Corsac stared at the shadows. "Y-Yes," he said as he began to subconsciously kneel.
AH, YOU SEE MUCH. YOU KNOW TO BOW BEFORE A GREATER BEING, ALREADY MAKING YOU SUPERIOR TO HE WHO HAS BETRAYED ME.
"B-Betrayed you?"
ARC. THE POWER HE WIELDS. THE STRENGTH HE NOW HAS. IT ALL COMES FROM ME.
As soon as Corsac heard that, he bowed, groveling before the shadows, even placing his forehead on the floor. "My lord."
YOUR FAITH PLEASES ME. YOU HAVE ALREADY SHOWN YOURSELF WORTHY OF REWARD. DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?
Corsac looked up. "To appear before me, a Faunus, you must be the true God of Animals. He who created the Faunus."
NO, MY CHILD. THE GOD OF ANIMALS IS FAR BELOW ME.
Corsac's eyes widened.
I AM THE GOD OF DARKNESS, FATHER TO THE GRIMM.
Corsac's jaw dropped. "One of the two Brothers. You created Remnant itself."
INDEED. TIME AND TIME AGAIN, HUMANITY HAS DISRESPECTED ME. SHUNNED ME. FEARED AND REJECTED ME. DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR, MY CHILD?
"Oh, truly, you are the TRUE God of the Faunus, sire."
MANY TIMES HAVE YOU PLEASED ME IN THIS MOMENT ALONE. YOU ARE TO BE REWARDED FOR YOUR FAITH IN ME. HOWEVER, YOU ARE FAR TOO WEAK.
"Lord?"
LOOK UPON YOURSELF, CHILD.
Corsac looked. For the first time, he realized how malnourished he was. His previous muscle tone was gone. He was so thin that his flesh pressed upon his bones. He even felt his face, feeling his hollowed face as his finger traced down his very skull. He then felt his tail, his once soft fur now dry and coarse.
I CAN NOT GRANT YOU THE POWER YOU DESERVE WHILE YOU ARE IN SUCH A STATE. YOU MUST LIVE IN ORDER TO TRULY APPRECIATE MY GIFT TO YOU, CHILD.
"Lord, please, tell me what I must do to earn your blessed gift."
EAT.
"Eh?"
GATHER YOUR STRENGTH. YOU MUST EAT.
Corsac looked at the prison food.
THIS FOOD IS UNWORTHY OF YOU. THAT IS TRUE. BUT SOON, YOU WILL FEAST AS A KING. REMNANT WILL BOW BEFORE YOU, JUST AS YOU BOW BEFORE ME. PARTAKE IN THE FOOD OF YOUR ENEMIES SO THAT YOU MAY FEAST UPON THE FAT OF THE WORLD, AND GIVE YOUR TORMENTORS THE SCRAPS FROM YOUR PLATE.
"Yes, sire," Corsac said as he basically crawled over to the plate. He then took a bite of the food.
His eyes widened. He hadn't realized that he had been starving himself for years, only surviving off of water and bread while ignoring the rest of the food. After just biting the rice, he ravenously tore into the rest of the meal, eating it all in mere moments, panting in satisfaction.
YOUR OBEDIENCE IS PLEASING, MY CHILD. AS SUCH, WHEN YOU ARE READY, I SHALL GRANT YOU A SECOND REWARD.
"A second reward, my lord?"
INDEED.
A flash appeared. What appeared before Corsac made his eyes widen, tears flowing down his cheeks. "Brother."
YOU WILL NEED ASSISTANCE IN THE TASK AHEAD OF YOU. ONLY ONE IS WORTHY TO FIGHT BY YOUR SIDE. WHEN YOU ARE STRONG ENOUGH TO RECEIVE MY GIFT, YOUR BROTHER WILL BE RETURNED TO YOU SO HE MAY FIGHT BY YOUR SIDE.
Corsac stared at Fennec, his little brother floating, seemingly asleep. It took all of his willpower to stop himself from screaming when Fennec vanished. Instead, Corsac bowed once more before Darkness. "I will... forever be loyal to you... my lord. . . No. My God."