When Lyrica returned with a stone cup filled with water, Jyriah smiled with relief and drank the contents quickly. He took in deep breaths after he finished the entire thing without taking a breath.
"Thank - you," he said with sincerity. He was truly grateful she had brought him water.
"Yeah, yeah..." she replied forlornly.
"What happened out there? You look sad..." Jyriah pointed out and frowned at her sad face.
"....This green-eyed meanie called me a brat, and then asked what I was. How do you not know what I am?" Lyrica asked with a pout.
"I'm sorry, not many of us are allowed that kind of history. I bet Metas would know, though. If you want to feel like you don't have to explain yourself, you can talk to the big black wolf that hangs around with my sister all the time, the spotted one" Jyriah offered. He sort of meant it, too - but - really he just wanted someone to know he was okay, so that Myranda could breathe a little bit.
"Am I a brat?" she questioned with big, mis-matched eyes that were the opposite of one another.
"Well, it's not very nice to trap others against their will, buuut - no. You're not a brat. I think you just need someone to care about you. Where is your mom or dad?" he couldn't help but ask.
"Oh... they got in trouble for making me...I don't know what happened to them. They didn't have permission from some lady. I don't know who - it's just what the others say. I sometimes live with a lot of others like me. They're mean, though. I like being here with you instead, Mr. Pawsie. Plus, you're warm. I don't get to be warm a lot...."
If she was manipulating him, then he was falling hook, line, and sinker for it. His pity meter rose, and soon he had replaced most of his anger with some empathy instead.
"That's...that's not okay..." he said sadly.
"It's okay now that I have you~" the little one trilled.
"Wait a second... didn't you say your mom told you that you couldn't have one of us as a pet?" Jyriah asked as his blinders came off a little.
"Oh, that was before she got taken away.... At first I was excited. I could do whatever I wanted all the time. Then some bats came to try to take me away, but I hid from the really good. They tore our castle apart looking for me, and stole a lot of mom's stuff..." Lyrica said with a wobbly frown. "I waited for them, but they never came home..."
"Anyway... I'm what is called an abomination. My mom and dad made me out of spare parts from other dead stuff. The others who were created without permission don't look like me at all. They all look...normal..." Lyrica sighed out sadly and her eyes started to water, which leaked bright blue tears.
"Just because you don't look like everyone else, doesn't mean you're any different than they are. It's hard to know that when you're a kid. How long have you been without your parents?" Jyriah was interested in this little kid now. His heartstrings had been pulled, and his big-brother instincts kicked in.
"I think a year or something? I don't know. I wasn't allowed to go to school so my mom and dad taught me at home. I miss them - I didn't realize how much they loved me," she sniffled and went to rub her eyes with the back of her long-sleeves which were saturated in a beautiful topaz blue (presumably from her tears).
"Maybe Metas can help you with that? He's a King. I'm sure he could at least be on the level to ask the Vampire Queen," Jyriah replied with a smile.
"Oh no-" Lyrica gasped as she noticed the sun starting to rise. "I have to go - I'm part Gorgon. If the light hits me, I can turn to stone. You be good Mister Pawsie. I'll be back tomorrow night," she promised and began to leave before Jyriah could argue or request food.
"Wait wait wait---ahg.. I'm going to die in here..." he whimpered and curled into his knees with the agony of hunger pangs striking his stomach over and over again.
It was so difficult to sleep with the golden light burning into his eyes - but he was so tired, and all he wanted was to escape his grim reality for a little bit. Was this what those humans did to his ancestors? Jyriah had read in history books that part of the reason they detested humans so much was that they would keep his kind as pets.
The history books had really disturbing pictures of how they would chain them up, and treat them as though they were regular domesticated earth-dogs.
He had always wanted to meet one of those. Would they be able to talk? Could they communicate with each other since they were both canines? Well, part canine...
Were they as loyal to humans as they said they were? Who would put up with such intolerable actions? With their track record, humans were happy to take command over everything and anything - so why would dogs, or cats - or any of those they 'tamed' put up with their ownership?
All of these thoughts helped him drift off as he imagined himself popping a few guys right in the face if they dared to touch him, and freeing all sorts of animals who had been held captive.
Once his mind started to think of him as some sort of vigilante of justice for past pets, it was easier for him to shut the light out and finally fall asleep.