Moyu's wings flapped as he landed on the ground, placing me down before marching toward Baron.
I watched him complain to Baron about something, waving his hands in the air, gesturing to me. Baron also shook his head and then they both looked my way.
They continued to argue, and I turned away to go pick up the rope. I should continue training while they were busy.
I tied the rope around a nearby tree and pulled it, trying to imitate Moyu's posture. My feet dug into the ground, the rope straining against the tree trunk.
"Ugh," I groaned, using all my strength to pull, the bark crumbling under my feet, the rope burning my hands.
The rope suddenly snapped and I fell on my back, the rope was about to hit my face, but someone caught it.
Madam stood there, the rope in her hand, her eyes on Moyu and Baron.
They both quieted down and watched her as she tied the rope around her palm, tugging it to check the tension. It snapped under her pull.
Baron and Moyu paused, then turned to Madam. Saw me on the ground, and the rope in Madam's hand. They probably misunderstood what happened and rushed to my side.
"What did Dearest do?" Baron picked me up and checked me for any injuries. My hands were red from the rope, and my backside was wet and dirty, but I was fine.
"Saved me...from a rope...to the face," I said, pointing at the rope in Madam's hand, clearing up their misunderstanding.
They relaxed, then sighed in relief. Moyu looked back at Madam, who already had her back turned to us.
"I told you to make her get used to your beast auras. What the hell was that?" she scolded them, then lifted her wrist to her lips, speaking to her black bracelet, which all owners wore, "I thought your brains finally stopped rotting from the disuse, but it seems you are back to being idiots."
Madam's aura felt so thick, I thought my skin would rip under the pressure. It was amazing how she could control it so precisely, using it to get her point across without hurting me.
I didn't know who she was talking to, but she seemed mad, "I don't care what I said. Use your brain, and if you can't, then use your dick, at least she can die in pleasure, rather than from a brain-dead decision."
The bracelet talked back, "Don't use that tone with me, Precious. I will do things my way, and you can suck it up, or come here and do it yourself."
Vick's voice. It was Vick.
Did Madam lock him up inside her bracelet? I thought it was just a pretty decoration, but it turned out to be a prison.
"Why does she even have to go through strength training? Are you dumb?" Madam retorted, "She is a sheep, even if she becomes the strongest sheep, she will still be a sheep. Why not make her do something useful instead? Like making poisons, and learn to use them?"
"Stop ruining our fun," Vick's laughter came from the bracelet, "We are having a good time playing with Little Miss. Don't be a buzzkill. Go save females that truly need your help or something."
Vick continued, "You are so obsessed with the weak and helpless that you see it everywhere, even in our home. Little Miss is safe with us, and that's all you need to know. End of the discussion."
Madam's back straightened, her head turning in the direction of the forest, and she walked away, her aura going with her.
She looked so lonely when she walked away, her head high, her shoulders squared like she was carrying the entire world on them. And nobody could help her carry it.
Baron and Moyu sighed, still feeling the aftereffects of Madam's anger.
"Let me talk to Little Miss," I jumped when I heard Vick's voice come from Baron's bracelet. "Is she listening?"
Baron handed me his bracelet, and I held it up to my face. It was all smooth and shiny, like a black crystal. I couldn't see Vick inside it, but his voice was coming from it.
"Little Miss," he called for me, and I blinked at the bracelet, "Are you there?"
"I'm...here," I replied.
"Good, now listen carefully," Vick said, "Precious has a thing for the weak and helpless. She can't resist the urge to save them, even if it's detrimental to her and her health. I don't know where she got it from, but I'm going to blame her childhood. She had it rough, you know."
I listened to him, feeling my chest tighten.
"Anyway, we can't let her think of you as weak. I know it's hard, especially for you, but try to act tough, okay? The stronger you look, the less she will try to rescue you by doing what she thinks is best for you. Understand?"
"What...is best for me?" I asked, not knowing if he could see me or not. I was not strong to go against Madam like the owners and tried to explain why, "I think Madam knows...best. I trust her... with my life."
"..." Vick was quiet for a moment, and I could hear the sound of ice cubes being moved in a glass, "..." he took a sip of whatever he was drinking, "Yeah...when you say it like that, she does know best, huh?" he mumbled to himself. "Alright, then don't listen to me. Pretend you didn't hear my words."
I blinked, confused. I didn't want to think, I just wanted to follow their instructions and now he told me to disregard them.
"I think you are frying her little head with your mind games," Baron said, and I looked up at him.
He was looming over me, looking at the bracelet, and I was about to hand it back to him when Vick spoke again.
"Little Miss," he said, and I put it back to my ear, "Thank you. For taking care of my family, and putting up with their shit."
"I'm the one...being taken care of," I corrected another misunderstanding, my fingers fidgeting with the bracelet, "They do everything...they work, and I just...eat, and sleep."
"Is that so?" Vick was a really good conversationalist. He made people talk so easily. "They must love you so much to spoil you like this. I'm a bit jealous. I want to be spoiled too."
"Take my place, please," I offered, "I don't want to...take all the attention. You deserve...more. I can be on my own... so you can...rest, and play."
Vick laughed, his voice deep and pleasant to listen to, "It's an interesting proposition, but I'm not sure I can live up to your cuteness. It's a hard job to be cute and adorable all the time. I don't think I can do it. You have a talent for it, so keep doing what you are doing, and make sure to be extra cute when I return, alright?"
My tail wagged on its own, making me sway from side to side, "I will twirl...extra hard."
"What?"
"We will tell you more about it later," Baron interrupted our conversation and took his bracelet back, putting it on his wrist, "I'm not sure if she understands what cute means. I think she confuses everything with being entertaining."
"Oh...right. Little Miss, ignore my words, don't take them too seriously. I'm half-drunk," Vick excused himself, "I'll talk to you later."
"O-okay." I nodded, and then the bracelet became quiet, the conversation over.
I wondered what it looked like inside, and how he was able to be inside it. Did he have to shrink himself?