A few moments later, Silva came back carrying a startled animal keeper as if she were a baby and set her down in front of the group, but by then it was too late. Poor Nick was in tears with his hands held to his mouth. "Please get my little baby out of that cage, I have seen something that can never be unseen," said Nick with a teary voice. He pulled a hanky out of his pocket and started dabbing his eyes. "I should have had her fixed, but I wanted her to enjoy motherhood and have at least one litter of her puppies. Was it so wrong of me to want to hold her babies? Is the universe punishing me now?" he said while blowing his nose. "My sweet Muffin's first time is with a furless green monster who has a lizard tongue!"
"Oh my! Allow me to rescue her from that situation for you!" Said the young woman, petite and graceful, with a warm brown complexion, cascading long pink hair, and large, deep pink eyes framed by lush pink lashes. Her heart-shaped lips matched her vibrant features, creating an extraordinary beauty that was hard to ignore. With her curvy figure and a voice that chimed like delicate bells, she was truly captivating in her own unique way.
"I'm so sorry that this distressing thing happened to you, I'm Cherry, if there's anything else you need while you're here, please feel free to let me know," she said while opening up the bottom cage and taking Muffin out and handing her to Nick.
Muffin let out an irritated growl and tried to wiggle out of Nick's hands to get back into the cage.
"Muffin! What's gotten into you?" Nick said while holding onto her.
Cherry made sure the cage was locked up tight and stood back up. "Vlivians are known to let off pheromones during certain times of the year that unmated compatible species find extremely enticing. He's not supposed to release his for another month, I do apologize, he must have sensed your pet from a distance."
"They're compatible? How could they be compatible? Does that mean she's going to have puppies? Or lizards, or whatever she's going to have?!"
"I'm sorry, it's almost certain," said Cherry.
"Does that mean I should buy this green thing for my baby Muffin? I don't want to deprive her babies of their father," said Nick.
"I wouldn't, purebred Vlivian males are known to sometimes kill their offspring," said Cherry.
"Alright then, we'll just have to do without him," said Nick with relief apparent in his voice.
Then before anyone registered what was happening a gray elf male came forward and viciously slapped Cherry across the face knocking the back of her head into the cage and she fell on the ground where he started roughly kicking her with his thick boots in the ribs.
"This is the last time you'll ruin a sale for me, useless slave!"
"I'm sorry! I won't do it again, I just didn't want the Vlivian to kill the puppies!"
"It's not your business what happens after the sale! Your job is to take care of the beasts and plants, you don't even belong out here! But this won't happen again, I'll kill you and replace you with a slave who knows how to take orders!"
"Please no! Mercy! I'll do better, I swear I will!" She curled in on herself and coughed blood and whimpered.
"That's enough!" yelled Amy while getting in between the male and Cherry.
"What's it to you what I do with my slave? I'm going to kill her today!"
"I'll buy her! Surely you'd prefer to sell her than kill her," said Amy.
"You want a useless thing like her? I have better merchandise, almost anything is better than her," he said.
"Nonetheless, I'll buy her. How much do you want for her?"
"You can take her off my hands for just one rainbow crystal. I'll just find another fool to tend to the beasts and the plants; that's all she's really worth. But heed my warning—she's got a mind of her own, a little slave with too many thoughts rattling around. I haven't quite managed to beat those out of her yet."
"Make sure you get the slave contract from him and he signs it releasing her from him," said Inga.
The man looked at Inga and a big grin appeared and his eyes glittered with greed, "Are you selling the Felis? I'd pay twenty rainbow crystals for her, I have a few buyers lined up who'd be happy to purchase her from me."
"I'm not for sale," said Inga.
"I don't converse with merchandise."
Amy handed the rainbow crystal to him. "She isn't a slave," said Amy.
"That so?" he said while looking her up and down, trying to gauge what she looked like under her robe.
"Give us the slave contract and we'll be on our way," said Amy.
"Very well, follow me," he said, guiding them to his office he pushed some of his mana into the slave contract and a symbol showed up on the slave contract releasing her.
"How did he do that?" said Amy.
"He purchased a signature spell marking, I purchased you all signature spell scrolls when we were shopping," Inga said while pulling out a scroll. "I just didn't expect you to have to use one so quickly." Inga unrolled it and held it to the desk. "just push your mana into the scroll and you'll receive instructions on what to do next," said Inga.
Amy placed her hand on the scroll and then some glowing blue words appeared on the scroll. draw with your finger the symbol you want to appear as your mana signature.
"That's all I have to do?"
"That's all," said Inga.
"Alright," she said and drew her name in cursive with the tail of the y wrapping around to encircle the name Amy.
"Now all you have to do is think signature or symbol and your mark will appear on the document when you add your mana," said Inga.
Amy placed her hand on the slave contract under the owner and added her mana, and then her signature appeared.
"There, it's done. You're now the proud owner of a useless Kurozome. If you don't have any more business, I'm closing the shop, I need to purchase another assistant. Don't forget to take her tree with you."
"Her tree?"
"Yeah, she's a Kurozone, a cherry tree spirit. Whoever has possession of her tree controls her," he said.
He pointed to the little cherry tree in a little brown pot and cute little pink blossoms then he walked off to make sure everything was locked up. He started lowering the walls around the canopies. "Can you carry your own tree?" Asked Amy.
"I wouldn't dare!"
"Why not?"
"If she has possession of her tree, she would be able to run away. She thinks that you're testing her," said Inga.
"I'm not, I have no interest in owning a slave. We do need someone who knows how to take care of animals and plants to join our group. Do you know what this is?" Amy said while pulling a gray-blue egg out of her hoodie pocket.
"Oh yes I do! It's an air elemental fairy, a Sylph."
"Do you know its characteristics and how to hatch it?"
"Yes."
"Then you're perfect for the job, I'll pay you and..." Amy said.
"Pay me? Slaves don't receive payment."
"Well, you won't be a slave. Can we alter the contract to list me as her protector instead of her owner, so that others can't take her as a slave?" said Amy.
"We can," said Inga with a proud smile.
"Good, that's settled, go ahead and carry your tree if you want, and let's get out of here. If you don't want to stay with us, you're also free to leave," said Amy.
After a brief pause, Cherry glanced at Amy and then at Inga, who nodded at her with a reassuring smile. With trembling hands, she reached for her little tree, feeling relief wash over her as her fingers brushed against its bark. She pressed a gentle kiss to the side of the tree and carefully lifted the small pot, cradling it against her chest, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. Cherry spoke softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I haven't been able to touch my tree for so long." She murmured, her voice still quiet, "I want to come with you; please show me the way."
Coming Next time: Arrest and Surprise
What did you do this time?!