Chapter 2- Sabo

Koala hurried through the rain and mud trying to ignore the feeling of the cold moisture seeping through her clothes and shoes. She just could not be late! The mistress would not be kind if she was late, today of all days!

She rushed through the slave's entrance to the kitchens with only a moment to spare and took a moment to breathe a sigh of relief, before quietly making her way into the room. Hurried movement could be heard loudly throughout the lower floors, with constant hustle and bustle as cooks, maids, and slaves were preparing food, carrying dishware, and carrying on all other kinds of kitchen duties with fervor. She tried to appear as inconspicuous as possible, but even among the hurried bustle, the head housekeeper seemed to find her.

"You! Girl! You're late again!" the snarling woman yelled at her above all the hubbub.

Koala quickly pasted a wide grin on her face and bowed low, "I'm sorry, ma'am! It won't happen again, ma'am! I was up late with the—"

"Shut up! Do I look like I have time to hear your excuses, you stupid waste of space?"

The grin on her face never left, even as the woman moved over to her and grabbed her arm harshly, yanking her over to one of the storerooms. It wasn't the first time she had been chewed out for being late and it would be far from the last. It was her fault after all. If she wasn't so stupid, she would be able to get everything done like she was supposed to. Stupid, stupid! Why couldn't she do anything right?

The cook tossed her into the storeroom where three other of her fellow kitchen slave girls were already hard at work peeling what seemed to be a massive mountain of potatoes. "Get to work! The mistress will not be pleased if a single hair is out of place for the banquet tonight. And I for one will not be the one to face her wrath. All of these potatoes better be cleaned and peeled by the time I come back here, or it's your hide!"

The stern woman looked up and glanced angrily at the other girls, who shuddered under her gaze. They too carried smiles as wide and as fake as Koala's. "And that goes for the rest of you as well!"

A unified "yes, ma'am" answered back.

She pointed at Koala sharply, "And because you were late, you once again are on Menagerie duty after you finish up here."

With that, she slammed the door closed, already moving on to her next victim.

Koala breathed a sigh and sat upright on the floor before picking up a potato and a dull paring knife and getting to work.

A comfortable silence only filled with the scratch of peelings being scrapped off, came about the dim pantry. However, it wasn't long before one of the other girls ventured to speak.

"Menagerie duty again, Koala? Aren't you frightened? How can you even stand to be in the same room as those wild beasts?"

Koala looked up at the other slave who she remembered was named Sonia. She shrugged and spoke quietly, "It's not so bad. Most of them are dead or sick anyway. They're not even wild beasts, not really."

The other girls quickly glanced around to make sure no one had overheard. Koala joined them hesitantly, she was careful with her words and had lowered her voice appropriately. But one could never be sure when the walls had ears.

One girl, Rosa, whispered conspiratorially. "Be careful Koala, talk like that can get you in big trouble. I for one feel a little sorry for the poor creatures. How many have died so far?"

Koala became sullen as she thought of the poor beings that she encountered in the Menagerie. A horrid name really, considering every "animal" kept there was quite sentient. However, the World Authority had declared 5 years ago that all non-humans were to be considered lower creatures, practically animals. And so the buying, selling, and hunting of them had been deemed completely legal. Non-humans weren't allowed to roam free in human cities and harboring one illegally would be considered a heavy crime. The official idea behind it was that humans were superior as the direct guidance of the Celestials favored them above all other beings.

However, the real reason most guessed was that the Authority wanted to harness the power of non-human species like the fae, elves, giants, weirs, and the most elusive of all, the Pteran, for themselves. Sending their armies to conquer them one after the other until only a few stubborn remnants remained.

Even just half a year ago, after strong resistance, the strongest of the Ptera clans, the infamous D clan, had been wiped out.

Many of the non-humans had been enslaved, and many of the Celestials, and the nobles who wanted to emulate them like her own masters, kept their own "zoos" filled with them.

In the Menagerie under the manor, there had been a few weir, a couple of fae and elves, and even a giant. However, it didn't take long for many of them to die in their cages from neglect, starvation, and overall despair. Many had resisted and had been punished and killed, while those who submitted had been subjected to horrible living conditions and care. Koala had seen much in her short life, but even she couldn't help but shudder from the dull, empty, hollow looks of the poor wretched souls she had seen down there. Even while her own living place was basically a cage, she at least had the company of the other female slaves.

Currently, only three still lived. One of them was an elf male that was slowly wasting away. The other was the giant male, and the last was one of a pair of rare Ptera that had been brought in last year.

Secretly, she liked to have Menagerie duty when she could so that she could at least do something for the poor creatures. They were supposed to be pets to the young master, and he was supposed to take care of them. However, the master was haphazard and many of the servants were afraid of the half-crazed creatures.

And so, one by one…

"Too many" She responded back to Rosa quietly.

Sonia, curious, asked, "I've heard that there are some really creepy creatures down there. Is there really a real live Pteran down there?"

She nodded, "There were two, but one arrived injured and died a few weeks after he arrived."

The other girls looked back at her with big wide eyes. Rosa asked in a hushed whisper, "What's it like? I've heard they're bloodthirsty monsters that bring disaster in their wake!"

"Oh please, Rosa. Everyone knows they're mutant warlocks that all share the same mind." another girl, Crissa said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "They're called 'Terrors' for a reason."

As the other girls argued back and forth about the many rumors going on about the different real and unreal qualities of non-humans, Koala continued to silently peel. Her thoughts went to the silent blond boy chained up in a lonely cage a few floors below the main house. His blue eyes were not yet quite as vacant as his other fellow captives. Even she could not deny it, and he piqued her curiosity.

He looked like an average young boy to her eyes, one about her age, and yet…there was definitely something other there…

The gaze of those cool blue eyes when they met hers for the first time. It was the look of something wild and dangerous…

An emerging apex predator…

A few hours later, Koala was struggling to descend the stone stairs to the lower dungeon area where the cages were kept. The large bucket of clear broth sloshed dangerously as she kept her balance on the steps.

As she approached the heavy door, the guard stepped back and unlocked it. "Be quick about it, girlie. Master Sneelan wants to be able to show them off tonight."

Meaning her job had doubled in that she would have to not only feed them, but also clean up cages so that they were presentable for the master and his guests.

Mentally sighing, outwardly she kept a bright smile on her face. "Yes, sir."

She entered the dim room and was quickly hit with the scent of decay, defecation, and death. Koala sighed once again, it was going to be a long day…

The sound of the rattle of the door opening is what woke Sabo up. However, the scent of the individual that entered was a familiar one, so he didn't move from his place in the corner of his cage. His stomach clenched up with pain but he ignored it.

Instead, he tried to get back to sleep and avoid the entire cacophony of aches and fatigue that was raging over his entire body. He was listless and in constant agony, barely able to move. He knew his body was slowly shutting down. Had been for a while. Perhaps if he—

"Hey, Sabo? Sabo? Are you awake?"

Well, there goes that idea.

He opened up his eyes to a slit and looked over at the human girl who was knocking quietly against the bars of his cage. Koala was the girl's name if memory served him right.

He thought to ignore her, but he knew from past experience that she would just keep at it in some inane attempt to stave off the uncomfortable silence.

And besides, she wasn't that bad of a person…for a human anyway. He felt a mild connection to the human slaves who were trapped in their circumstances as much as he was.

So with a sigh, he struggled to turn slightly to the side and looked over at her with tired eyes. "What do you want?"

She smiled quickly, though he could tell it was rather flustered and her eyes were still looking down at the stones. At least it was better than those wide fake smiles he often saw her use with her masters. "I was ordered down here again, and so…well…I-I thought, well, we could talk w-while I did my chores?"

"And why...should I talk to you, little human?" He drew out in a bored tone.

Disconcerted, Koala looked at her hands. She looked over at the only two other occupants of the room. The elf was basically comatose. Everyone knew that the further you kept an elf away from the natural environment of the forest, sea, and air, the less he would thrive. Adding a few dead trees would do nothing, elves don't do well inside stone walls. And so this one had fallen into a coma a few days ago. He would probably be dead within the week.

The giant had fallen into a despondent silence and would not respond to anything she tried. He never moved from his spot in the corner, never ate or drank, and everyone was too afraid to try and force anything. He simply stared blankly, unseeing at the walls, as if waiting patiently for death to claim him.

The Pteran in the cage beside her had been the only one to interact with her, and his presence made her burdens just a little bit lighter, every time she had to come to this dismal place.

Her hands timidly grabbed at the edge of her dress while she continued to look down at her feet, "Well…I mean…who else are you going to t-talk to?"

Sabo glanced over to her through the bars for a moment before turning on his back and looking up at the top of his cage. "Point taken."

She smiled happily before grabbing her pail and pulling it closer. She poured a bit of broth into a bowl that was on the floor of his cage, maneuvering the ladle through the bars. Sabo had followed her movements hungrily, and yet at the same time, his stomach roiled at the thought. He needed food, and he probably would eventually drag himself over to try and eat. But his kind needed more than food to thrive, and that imbalance was killing him as much as—probably even more so—than the starvation.

Stupid pheromones…

To try and put his mind off the whole thing, Sabo looked instead to Koala. "So what did you want to talk about?"

Koala looked at the boy and wondered why he looked so listless. After the other Pteran had died, Sabo had begun to lose more and more energy. She knew he ate what little was given to him. And yet, he still seemed to wither away.

She was concerned, but she didn't know how exactly to ask him what was wrong. Was he like the elf who needed more than simple food to live, but some sort of connection to the outside world? She had heard Ptera were connected to the elements. Was that it?

She knew if she just asked outright he would give her some snarky remark about how this is what would happen to any sane person who was left chained up in a dark cage all day. And Koala, in the very hidden depths of her heart, could empathize with his plight.

But sharing that wouldn't help either of them and so she instead tried to change her questioning tactics today. Ptera were renowned for their furtive nature. But she still wanted very much to help him, and perhaps also satisfy her own curiosity. "Tell me more about your people, Sabo."

He looked back up at the ceiling, "And why would you want to know that?"

Koala went over and began to feed the other captives. She knew they probably wouldn't eat, but she wanted to at least try.

"Well, I've never met a Pteran before and your people are so secretive. And I was just a little curious."

Sabo smirked, "What? Didn't you hear? 'Ptera are bloodthirsty vicious monsters who make off with little children in the middle of the night'."

He looked over at her as if in all seriousness, "Were you looking for ways of protecting yourself Ms. Koala?"

Thinking of the words of Rosa and the other slave girls, her face flushed a bit in embarrassment.

After an agonizingly long couple of seconds, she heard his quiet laughter and she realized he was just teasing.

Sabo moved his hands behind his head and watched the girl march off to get the broom, a flair of annoyance in her step. Hmm, so there is a bit of a flame of defiance left in her. I wonder what it would be like if it was tended to, rather than smothered all the time?

"Fine, ask your questions. It's not like I have anything better to do."

Koala began to sweep as she thought of what new questions she wanted to ask. "Do Ptera live in hives as they say?"

"Yes, we live in hives. But not like the ones you're thinking of. People think of us like we're bees or hornets or something. But that's just the nearest animal equivalent that has similar qualities to our own. If anything, our hives are more like ant colonies. Like an underground city, though there are some above-ground sections and the like."

She looked over in confusion, "You live underground? Isn't it dark and scary? I'd be afraid of it all caving in on me."

"Well, you can hide a lot underground, and keep it very well protected. Also, our constructors know what they're doing, the place isn't just made of dirt you know. Stone, wood, metal, everything, goes into building it. And of course, we have light down there, we use both fire and special crystals that simulate daylight, as well as air ventilated from the outside."

Koala didn't look too convinced.

Sabo shrugged, "You'd have to really see it to understand. I guess if you can think of a city, but instead of everything being outside on top of the ground, everything in a hive is within the ground. Instead of roads, there are tunnels, and instead of buildings, there are chambers. It's always warm in the winter and cool in the summer, the constructors and homesteaders maintain the temperature year-round."

He smiled sadly as he thought back to his home and the good times he had growing up. "I loved sitting by the fire in one of the libraries under a pile of throws and blankets while listening to the snow swirl and howl against the earth right above my head. I mean, we still had buildings above ground too, but much of a hive is hidden from view and is under the ground. We can go outside whenever too. The parts of the hive that are outside are just like a normal village."

The brunette girl finished sweeping the space and then moved to a nearby pump to gather water. She still didn't think living underground would be all that comfortable, but then again, Sabo made it sound so cozy and inviting. She wondered what it would be like to live in a place without a draft. One that was warm and surrounded by family…

As she began to mop the floor, she thought of her next question which was closer to the topic she really wanted to approach. "Sooo…what do Ptera eat?"

Sabo glanced over her in confusion, "What do you mean 'what do we eat'? We don't drink blood, I was only kidding about that."

"Oh, I didn't mean–!"

"We eat the same things you do. Maybe prepared in different ways, but yeah."

Koala rang out her mop before moving closer and whispering conspiratorially yet not without concern, "Then why do you still look like you're starving? I know the broth isn't much, but I can try sneaking in a potato or two—"

Sabo was alarmed, but also charmed that she had noticed and for what she was willing to do and risk for him. "That's okay little human, don't trouble yourself. Sadly what you offer will do nothing more than prolong the inevitable. What I need, you don't have. And before you ask, no one here does…"

He didn't know how to explain to her that it was a smell, a chemical that his body craved, and with no other Ptera near him, he was not able to satisfy it.

Before he could come up with a way to explain, a pungent odor hit his nose at the same time he could hear more footsteps from beyond his cell.

Koala was about to question the Pteran boy further when she noticed a complete change in his demeanor. He went quiet, his eyes alert and his hackles on alert. He seemed to push himself and struggle to rise and at least lean against the walls of his cell.

The sounds of conversation and footsteps reached her ears and in alarm, she realized the reason for Sabo's change in behavior. The master was coming!

Quickly mopping up the extra water on the floor, Koala moved her bucket to the side in the corner. She began to work silently in that section. Her mask-like smile came back to her face and she moved diligently, hoping to be ignored. The door burst open and two men, one old, and the other younger, both looking utterly pompous and disgustingly gaudy came into the room. Their valets came with them of course. Behind them two guards walked, one held a spear at his side, a whip and sword at his waist. The other had the same except instead of a spear he carried a large crate. They were arguing back and forth, some nonsense about the banquet they were going to hold that evening.

Koala didn't dare look at them and instead kept her eyes on the ground and on her work. Yet she couldn't help to overhear them talking about how the younger son had meant to have "the promised product" ready by tonight and yet had completely forgotten about the whole thing and now he was going to be a laughing stock.

"But Daddy! I told them I'd have it ready for tonight! And stupid Maynard forgot to remind me!"

The trembling valet who had only just heard the subject brought up that day, bowed low and sniveled out an automatic apology before accepting the kick the boy angrily aimed at him.

Lord Sneelan didn't even bat an eye and instead continued to look at some delicacies that his own valet held up for him to examine with a monocled eye. "Suffice it to say, Wimplton, it was your responsibility to clean up this mess. The only reason I'm even helping to bail you out is that you decided to put our family name into the whole affair."

The boy molded his face to the most sincere fake-contrite look he could muster. "I'm awfully sorry, Daddy. I will never do it again."

No one in the room was fooled, but Sneelan simply sniffed and waved away the offense with a "See that you don't."

After choosing a rich-looking grey hors d'oeuvre from the tray, Sneelan went over to the cage where Sabo was chained up. Koala looked over at the caged blond out of the corner of her eye. She was surprised to see the absence of his usual look of apathy when in the presence of the masters. Instead, Sabo seemed to be staring in intense concentration at the guard who was carrying the crate. His brow was furled and his lip was upturned to the point of being an almost snarl.

Curious.

Sabo never seemed to react that way to any of the guards or members of the household. He was mostly just passively defiant to stubbornly resistant, shooting icy silent glares whenever the young master tried to make him do something or to get him to behave.

It was rare to see him fiercely angry.

She glanced back at the guard who had yet to notice. What was it about this one that had gotten his hackles up?

He didn't seem to care about the other guard at all, his eyes were directly in line with….

Wait…perhaps it wasn't the guard, but what the guard was carrying?

Indeed, she noticed in surprise that his eyes weren't on the guard, but on the crate that he held.

Was there something inside that his more advanced senses had picked up on?

Master Sneelan interrupted her thoughts, talking with his mouth full. "Are you sure this one will perform for you? He seems to be rather on the scrawny side."

His son came to his side and snarled while looking at Sabo in the cage. "It had better, considering what we paid for it. You hear that, insect!"

The boy hit a button on a remote at his belt and electric sparks could be seen coursing through the chains and collar that fettered the Pteran boy. Sabo grunted at the pain and weakly fell to the side, only supported by the cage wall. He bit his tongue causing blood to flow from the corner of his mouth as he fought back the urge to scream.

And yet, all that time, his eyes still never left sight of the crate.

Feeling satisfied at the sight of his prize pet in pain, Wimplton stopped before frowning again. "Then again, we'd need a female to make it believable. And of course, one that would be able to breed prized stock in the long run."

His father sniffed unconcernedly before devouring another delectable from the tray. "You will be the one to pioneer this, my boy. We're not trying to make thoroughbreds here. No one, not even the highest of the upper echelons of our noble aristocratic society has been able to get the bloody things to breed successfully. Any mere girl will do if you can prove it. You just need for it to look the part for tonight."

His son nodded vigorously, "Of course, father! You think of everything!" He swung around and shouted at his valet. "Maynard! Bring me a girl!"

The man kowtowed low, "W-Which girl, sir?"

"Any girl! Just make sure that she—" As he was about to launch into his demands to his browbeaten butler, his eyes fell on her.

Koala forced her eyes to the ground and her mop, praying that no one had noticed her eavesdropping and that they continued to ignore her.

Unfortunately, it was too late and the young master pointed at her, "She'll do! Bring her here!"

Koala froze and felt a cold chill come down her back. She began to tremble as the guard came over to get her. Putting one foot in front of the other, she kept her pleasant face tightly in line as he pulled her over willingly and she kneeled at the young master's feet.

Interestingly, she could feel rather than see Sabo's eyes finally leave the crate for a moment to look over at her.

Lord Sneelan looked over at her with disinterest, "Are you sure about that one? She looks to barely be old enough to have had her courses, and not nearly strong enough to be able to bear the creature's natural violent tendencies."

Wimplton waved away the issue with unconcern, "As you say, it doesn't really matter. We can always get another one if this one fails."

His father looked back down at her, "True, still it has to be believable or you know how Charlos or Maryandia will spread rumors."

"Ugh! You are so right, father! Those two are always trying to find some way to make me look bad! Always thinking they're so much better just because their menagerie is bigger. I can't stand them!" The younger noble whined.

He then looked back down at Koala viciously, "You! Girl!"

Koala trembled at his yelling but responded quickly, "Yes, Master."

"How old are you, slave?"

"T-twelve years old, master."

"Hmm, barely a woman then…you have had your courses, yes?"

Koala felt chilling fear rising up in the pit of her stomach at the implications of such a question being asked, but forced herself to answer. "Y-yes, Master."

The boy looked at his father with a smirk, "See there, father. It won't be a problem. We'll just say she's a little on the small side."

Sneelan looked over her again before shrugging in disinterest again, "As long as she knows how to take care of children then, I guess it should be fine."

His son snorted in response at the absurd thought, "It's a girl, father. It's what they do. It comes natural to them."

He then snapped his fingers at the guard holding the crate before ordering Koala to stand. She did as she was told though she kept her eyes on the ground and a smile on her face.

At this point, she didn't understand what was going on, but she was hoping against hope that she could get through it. She had to admit, she was a bit curious as to what was in the box that had grabbed Sabo's attention so.

The guard opened up the box offering up the contents for the young master's perusal. Seemingly delighted with what he saw, he reached in and pulled out, to Koala's surprise—a baby?!

Well more of a toddler than an infant, but still!

The child looked to be a boy maybe 1 or 2 years of age, with a large shock of black hair covering his head. The babe was limp, his eyes droopy and he didn't really make a sound. He was also very pale, almost sickly looking, though Koala noticed some strange markings that could be seen on the baby's skin. The clothes the child was wearing were basically rags, and while it wasn't much better than her own nearly threadbare garments, Koala wished she could find the child something warmer. The young master was also holding the child by the back of its shirt like it was a sack of rice, and she couldn't help but feel a teeny-tiny spark of anger and outrage at the sight.

Sabo seemed to have way more than a spark as what could only be classified as an inhuman snarl came from his cage. Koala didn't risk looking over at him, but from the way everyone jumped back, she guessed that he was looking a lot more pissed and showing a lot more teeth than she had ever seen him before.

"Wimplton! Keep that beast of yours under control!"

The guard who had been next to her lowered his spear, jabbing it threateningly through the bars.

The younger noble got over his initial fear before sniffing in annoyance and barking out, "Silence, dog! I see you still haven't learned your manners! Mind your place, insect!"

He unceremoniously threw the limp toddler at her, and Koala jumped to hurry and catch the child. The young master then took up his remote again, but this time cranking up the intensity of the current.

Risking a glance over now that everyone was distracted, she was shocked to see Sabo was pulling hard on his chains, at the very limit of their give. He already had gashes in his skin from the guard's spear, His fingernails had extended to long claws, and his lips were fully pulled back to reveal a full set of gleaming, snarling teeth, complete with a set of animalistic fangs.

The look in his eyes was wild, his blue eyes like chips of ice with more emotion than she had ever seen from him.

And those eyes were looking right at her!

No….

She looked down at the child who was laying in her arms.

No, he was looking at the baby.

The electricity was cranked up to maximum and it seemed that whatever well of energy Sabo had drawn from for this one outburst was quickly drying up. His body twitched as he struggled against the agony on the ground before eventually, he stopped moving, passing out from the torture.

"Enough of this!" Lord Sneelan shouted at his guards, finally fed up and impatient. "Put the girl in the cage and let's be done with it. We still have much to do before the guests arrive."

Wait, what?!

Alarm ran through Koala as the guard approached her and grabbed her arm before dragging her over to Sabo's cell. Her body automatically resisted at the thought of being put in the cage. Why were they locking her up too? What had she done to earn this punishment?!

Panic overriding her common sense, she struggled against the guard's hold trying to escape, to ask for mercy. "Master! Please! Let me go! I have done nothing. Nothing!"

Her cries fell on deaf ears, neither father nor son even glancing in her direction. Instead, they turned towards the first guard. "Make sure to keep an eye on the insect, don't let him kill the girl. It would be rather inconvenient to have to go and replace her at the eleventh hour and all that."

She was thrown into the cage and had to try to angle her body to not crush the child in her arms. This led to her bones cracking painfully against the stone floor.

The prison door slammed behind her, and she had barely scrambled up before seeing the entire party leave, already further discussing plans for the evening without a backward glance. The main door closed with a bang and suddenly all was silent once again.

Everything returned to how it had been.

And yet, everything was different.

Collapsing to the floor, Koala felt tears well up in her eyes and stream down her face. What was she going to do? Why was this happening?

She had been thrown in here like trash, but for what purpose? What did they expect of her? Why was this happening to her? She was just trying to get by and keep her head down and now—

A slight movement against her chest reminded her that she hadn't been thrown into this situation alone.

Sitting up, she sat on the floor wiping furiously at the tears in her eyes, before looking down to study the small child that had been given to her. The boy was light in her arms and yet still didn't seem to wake up from his lackadaisical state. He seemed to barely be conscious and looked thin and sick.

She rocked the babe a bit, holding him closer to her, "Hey, little one." She greeted him. She wished he would make a sound, whimper, cry, something. He shouldn't be so silent.

The toddler moved a bit in response to her cuddling and came a bit closer to the warmth of her body.

It was an improvement she guessed. Maybe he was hungry?

She looked over at the broth that she had poured out for Sabo, what felt like so long ago now. She sighed. It was unlikely that they would remember to increase the food rations now that there were three people in this cage. She also didn't know how long it would be until someone else would take over her duties to feed them all.

How did she go from kitchen slave to part of the Menagerie? A tired sigh came out as she felt herself just give up trying to make sense of it. As of this point, did it really matter all that much? She was stuck in here until the masters decided to let her out. If ever…

Continuing to hold the barely cognizant child, Koala finally decided to go and check on the other occupant of the cell.

The Pteran boy was moaning and was beginning to come to, by the time she crawled over to his side. She was hesitant to get too close to him, recalling how vicious he had just been moments before. Sure he might look safe enough, but if anything, the experience made it rather obvious that this wasn't a human being she was dealing with here.

She reached out carefully and tapped his shoulder, careful of his burn wounds. "Hey, are you okay?"

As she got closer, she noticed the nose of the boy in her arms began to twitch, and she heard the slightest sound of sniffing. His small eyes opened sluggishly, revealing dim chocolate-brown eyes that peered up at her, barely seeing. He looked at her for a few moments before closing his eyelids once again.

Sabo slowly sat up, moving gingerly as his wounds and his body's condition began to catch up with him. He tried to shake his head to clear it, only to aggravate the situation.

Koala, seeing him struggle, came closer to see if she could help, "Sabo?"

However, the moment she approached him, his blue eyes snapped open and his head jerked toward her. The look in his eyes was wild and frantic, a dangerous glint flashing within them. And while she had never been scared of him nor thought he'd hurt her before, at this very moment, she no longer felt so sure…

Without even being aware of her movements, she slowly began to back away from him to the other side of the cage. As she got further away, in her arms the child began to fidget and let out a slight cry of discomfort.

The Pteran male's eyes zeroed in once again on the infant and his body tensed like a coiled snake. He didn't charge at her as he had with the guard, but Koala wasn't sure if that was because he was too injured, or because he was holding himself back. Whatever it was, she sure didn't want to find out!

Backing up to the edge of the cage, she knew she was putting herself in a corner, but there was nowhere else to go! She tried to reason with him, holding a hand out to ward him off like one would a wild beast. "Sabo! Sabo, it's me! I won't hurt you, I promise!"

The blond's fangs and claws were out, but he didn't bare them at her, nor did he move an inch. After a moment of glaring at her intensely, he finally spoke for the first time, his voice a rough whisper.

"Give me the child, Koala."

She blinked at the words before looking down at the little one in her arms. He was fidgeting even more now and agitatedly crying as he moved within her grasp. He was distressed for some reason.

She knew whatever was going on with Sabo had to do with this kid, and she also knew that if she didn't do as he asked, it might end up going very badly for her.

She should just hand the kid over and be done with it. But a small part of her couldn't just obey without reassurance.

Well, what the heck, it wasn't like her life was all that important.

She steeled her spine and looked over at the Pteran boy with as much bravado as she could muster. "Y-You won't hurt him, will you?"

Sabo looked up at her with a bit of surprise, but his gaze showed approval of her question. He shook his head, "No, I give you my word."

Koala then looked back to the squirming infant and breathed out a small sigh before slowly coming forward. Sabo didn't move from his position, but his body still trembled with that coiled energy, and his eyes followed her every movement.

Eventually, she came barely within arm's reach of him and with still a bit of hesitation, held out the little one to him.

His movements were nearly too fast for her to even track.

One moment the toddler was in her hands, the next he was gone and Sabo was sitting far from her, in the opposite corner of the cage, the infant secure in his hold. His eyes never left Koala as he settled into the corner, a low warning rumble emanating from his throat letting her know to give them their space.

Holding the baby hatchling close, Sabo cradled the small body protectively. The little one immediately quieted in his arms, snuggling into his chest, his tiny primary claws latching onto his clothing. A small yawn emerged from the toddler before smiling lethargically.

Koala stayed where she was, watching the two cautiously but curiously, keeping away to allow the babe and Sabo to become more comfortable. Interestingly, the Pteran's entire demeanor began to change now that he had the child. His wings curved around the little one like a great azure shield, and the tension in his muscles had eased. She noticed his claws slowly retracting and his fangs disappearing behind his lips again. His frame relaxed as he tended to the little one, checking him over for injuries with gentle hands.

Seeing that the child was unharmed, Sabo lifted his gaze back to Koala. "Thank you," he said softly. His voice held no malice, only gratitude.

Koala nodded, relief flooding through her. She had been right to trust him after all. It seemed more like an internal impulse to protect, a territorial nature perhaps? Familial, perhaps even parental? Were the Ptera able to have children at such a young age? Or was Sabo not really as young as he appeared to be?

"Is he...yours?" Koala asked tentatively.

Sabo didn't answer right away, glancing her warily as she tried to lean forward to see better. She made sure not to get too close. She kept a respectful distance, not wanting to crowd Sabo while he was protective of the toddler.

He shook his head. "Don't be absurd. Of course not, I can't have children. I'm a nymph, not an adult."

She wasn't quite sure what a "nymph" was, but it did reassure her a little.

Sabo looked down at the drowsy child, a fierce fondness in his eyes. "I wonder what your name is, little one…"

Koala's eyes widened in surprise, "You don't even know who he is? But you were so protective of him!"

His expression shifted into a frown as he raised his gaze to meet hers. "Naturally. I couldn't do anything else. It doesn't matter who he is or which hive he belongs to; all Ptera have an innate duty to care for and protect all hatchlings. It's our responsibility to ensure the survival of the next generation."

Humans didn't seem to understand that all children are precious. He could no more allow this little one to be harmed, than he could chop off his own wing. While Ptera could fight amongst each other and be very territorial, even fighting and conquering other hives. Hatchlings were never harmed.

Even if one hive took over another, the hatchlings would simply be adopted and merged into a new cohesive society. His own Da, even though he had been utterly disappointed in him, would have never laid a hand on him. At least not until he had become a nymph. The sight of the human treating the poor thing with such disregard ignited a primal instinct within him, causing him to act wildly without thinking.

The boy wasn't of his hive, the Hive of O. As a hatchling, he didn't have his distinctive markings yet to tell which one. The scent was off. And yet, for some reason it also smelled familiar…

Where had he smelled this scent before?

Every time the kid's pheromone touched his nose, it tried to awaken a memory in him. However, it was too elusive and he eventually had to just let it go.

Taking care of a hatchling was instinctual for any Pteran. He might not be as good as an actual hive caretaker, but he could make it work. He ran his wingtips soothingly over the child's skin, allowing his pheromones to be absorbed by the touch-starved tot, the child's scent marker was doing the same for him simply at contact.

He sighed as it began to assuage the pain within him. It was the first true relief that he'd had since he'd been in this place.

He was worried though, the hatchling looked lethargic and malnourished. It was obvious that the humans had no idea how to care for him. Looking over him, his clothing was Pteran traditional garb for a babe, but it had been turned completely into rags.

The child needed a bath, a change (of both linens and clothing), fresh food and water. So many things that he sadly, wasn't currently capable of providing. At least not while stuck here like an animal in a cage.

He called over to the human girl. "Can you pass me that broth?"

Koala looked up at him, startled. But she did as he asked, if a bit reluctantly.

As she passed the bowl of broth over to Sabo, her movements were slow and careful. He took it and was careful not to spook her. He'd probably gone overboard with the protectiveness, but he couldn't really deny his nature.

She watched as he carefully lifted the child into his lap, dipping his fingers into the warm liquid and bringing them to the child's mouth.

He latched on eagerly, suckling at Sabo's fingers as he fed him the broth drop by drop. Koala was struck by how gentle and patient Sabo was, how his entire focus remained on the weak and hungry babe in his arms. His wings curled protectively around them both, providing warmth and comfort.

She shifted with uncertainty, questions burning in her mind but unsure if she should voice them. It was strange seeing someone be so caring to another. Everyone spoke about how vicious and barbaric the "Terrors" were, and yet Sabo didn't even know who the child was, and still he protected him with fierce abandon. She didn't understand it.

As a slave, she had learned not to grow attached to others. Caring only led to pain when they were taken away or punished. It was better to keep to yourself and follow orders. Don't ask questions. Don't feel anything. Just survive.

It had been a long time since she had seen such care and devotion between two people before. The humans that held them captive showed nothing but cruelty to everyone, outsiders and their own kind alike. And yet, this boy who wasn't even the same species as her, was kinder than any of them.

In a way, it made her want more than just survival. He rekindled a tiny flame of hope inside her. Maybe…just maybe the world wasn't completely dark and hopeless after all.

A/N: So we now have Sabo and Luffy meeting! And Koala's there too! Poor Koala, she's having such a hard time, and a feral Sabo was definitely not helping!

Any questions and comments are welcome! See you next time!😘