The place where Arun woke up this time was noticeably different from the one he had landed in when he made the [Pet Pact] with Astera.
He was in a small room lit by a bad neon light. A mirror covered a whole wall of the room, and a wardrobe occupied the other corner. Costumes and various makeup tools were spread on a small table that stood in the little place that remained.
It was a kind of lodge ? Indeed, it was very different from the mystical temple in which he had spoken with the raptor a few hours before.
"Wow, what's this place ?" The little voice of the meerkat reached the veterinarian's ears as he turned in his direction. A boy of about fifteen was standing in front of him. Actually, it was the manifestation of the mammalian spirit in the world of pets.
Like Astera, even though Shuu's figure was human, a few elements on his body reminded him that he was an animal in the first place. Thus his arms, torso, and legs were covered with a light brown fur, and a long tail lay on the ground behind him. His nose was also different from that of a human, and looked much more like a meerkat's snout.
Shuu seemed surprised by the changes in his body.
"What's this mess ? I'm a human now ? what's going on ?" The boy looked up to notice that the vet was also with him. He approached Arun and grabbed him with his clawed hands, which was another difference.
"Hey, explain me !" He asked, showing little patience. The vet was a little surprised too. Had Shuu never entered the world of pets ? Yet Astera seemed to know everything about it... Was it because Shuu was not a pet, but a wild animal ?
"Well... you see, we're in the world of pets. It's a parallel world in which pet spirits can enter." Arun explained trying to look less lost than the meerkat.
"What's this concept ?"
So he did not even know what a pet was ? After reflection, it was quite normal for an animal like the meerkat that lived in a savanna colony... But would the [Pet Pact] have any effect on a wild animal ? The vet did not think about that before taking Shuu into this world.
"They are animals that share their life with a human. It's far from rare, from where I come from." Arun spoke more calmly, trying to think about what he could do in this situation. Really, the surprises were chained and he had the impression to be hurt each time.
The door of the box opened abruptly, and a young woman looked at the two intruders with suspicion for a few seconds. She had the same physical attributes as Shuu, and must surely be a meerkat too.
"Get ready to go on stage. The Meerkat Show starts in five minutes !" At once she made her announcement, she disappeared again by closing the door behind her.
"The Meerkat Show ?" Repeated Shuu, a little incredulous. He put his questioning eyes on the vet who made him understand that he did not know what it was.
Arun decided to take advantage of the five minutes they were given to search the box a little in the hope of finding information, or simply a hint that could help them before the countdown was over. Returning the papers and the various tools lying on the table in disorder, he came across a pamphlet on which was roughly marked the name of the event.
'Meerkat Show !
Come and see the biggest sports competition between meerkats ! Strength, agility, courage, meerkats from all walks of life come to test themselves, and above all, prove that they are the best !
Will you be up to the challenges of the Meerkat Show? '
"So what is it ?" Shuu asked impatiently, looking more excited than scared. He was standing next to Arun looking at the paper, but the vet remembered he surely could not read. He was still an animal, as smart as he was.
"It's a competition between meerkats... to confront their strength, their agility, and their courage. I don't know what they win, that said... It may not be worth it to participate." Answered Arun with a sigh. Wasn't the [Pet Pact] supposed to be a tool that allowed him to increase his [Affinity Level] with some recalcitrant animals ? Why did he find himself participating in a sports competition between meerkats ?
"How's that, it's not worth it to participate? It looks great !" The boy, whose eyes were already glittering, imagined the hardships he would have to go through."What's your name ? It would be more practical to call each other."
"Arun."
"All right, Arun, you'll see. We're going to compete in this competition, and we're going to win it. After all, I'm young and in full possession of my physical abilities." The boy boasted, who really did not seem to be afraid to confront his peers.
However, he stopped at once and looked up at the vet, as if he had just realized something.
"By the way, you're a human, no ? How are you going to participate if you're not a meerkat ?" Shuu asked curiously. The girl from earlier had not noticed, but no doubt he was going to be caught a little later.
The boy turned around and began to search the costumes in the open wardrobe. Quickly, he found what looked like a meerkat tail, and a face mask that looked like a snout.
"It should do it like that... Don't move !" Shuu put the mask on Arun's face and walked behind him before hesitating a little.
"No homo, huh, I don't touch your buttocks, it's just to tie that up." The boy tied the fake tail to Arun's pants before moving away quickly. He did not want his new human friend to think wrong things about him.
The door opened suddenly again. Fortunately, Shuu had moved away quickly, otherwise he would have been in a more than embarrassing situation. The same meerkat that five minutes earlier stared at them both before speaking.
"Let's go, the Meerkat Show will start, so please follow me."
Arun and Shuu left the lodge and followed the girl without being asked. The closer they got to the stage, the louder the noise of the crowd was heard. Was there really so many people ? Arun who thought that the world of pets was simply a place of recollection of temples and other places of prayer was gradually becoming aware of his misjudgment.
A loud voice was heard over the noise of the crowd, and they entered the public at the same time as the announcement.
"And here is the twelfth and last team of this tournament, Shuu and Arun !" A man in a suit stood in the middle of the stage and invited the two competitors to join him. The girl who had guided them so far also pushed them to urge them on.
The audience applauded their entrance, and when they reached the presenter, they had to salute the crowd by bowing a little.
"Now that all of our candidates are together, the Meerkat Show will start !" Shuu and Arun left the scene after this brief introduction and went backstage where a much less festive atmosphere prevailed.
Many men and women were already there. Their rivals. And all took the competition very seriously, considering the expressions on their faces. Shuu understood at that moment that winning the victory might be a little harder than he thought.
"For the first event, we are going back to a great classic of the Meerkat Show, which will test the speed and agility of our athletes." The presenter's voice was still heard from behind the scenes.
"Here is the Meerkat Race."