Chapter 42: Morning

“ ... Is this supposed to be some sort of trick?” questioned Anton as he cocked an eyebrow “Or a joke of some kind? Because I...”

Anton stopped short as he looked up at the suddenly miserable looking dark elves and found them both huddled together with their ears laid back submissively.

“ ... Wait? What’s going on?” he asked as he unfolded one of his arms and indicated Mica “What is she talking about?”

“I’m talking about you! You ass! And how you said you were going to sell this elf to my Dad!” seethed Mica as she pointed back at Fiona “You even said you would make him a good deal! You sick fuck! But I won’t let you do it! You come anywhere near her and I’ll kill you!”

Staring down at the brazen little kiochi who was apparently ready to fight for her, Fiona’s eyes went wide as a grateful tightness began to form in her chest.

“ ... Okay, this is definitely some kind of trick.” mumbled Anton as he turned to the dark elves “Girls, I don’t know what Mica has told you, but I have never even once spoken to her Father about selling either one of you. This is just complete nonsense.”

“ ... What? But, yes you did!” started Kianna as her voice began to crack “You did, when you were talking to Leopold last night!”

“You said you were working with dark elves.” whimpered Fiona as light tears began to form in her eyes “And you said that one was coming along great, and that one wasn’t ... And then you started talking about me. About how I was young and, inexperienced. And then you told Leopold that a dark elf would be expensive. But that you would make him a good deal...”

Going still for a moment, realization slowly formed on Anton’s face as he looked from one dark elf to the other.

“Oh!” he said as he slowly began to nod his head “That’s what your all talking about! No, no no no! This has been a complete misunderstanding! That’s not what we were talking about at all! That had nothing to do with selling you, Fiona!”

“ ... What do you mean?” asked both of the dark elves in unison as they looked at each other in confusion.

“What were you talking about then!?” demanded Mica “Because that sure as Hell sounded like you were talking about selling her!”

“Your parents.” said Anton as he indicated Mica “Have a client that is married to a nekomata, or a werecat of some kind. And this cat is apparently being quite the tom lately. So Leopold wanted to know if he could rent or hire my dark elf on this clients behalf, and have her step in and scare this cat straight via some “behavior-modification” training. That’s what we were talking about. We never even once discussed him actually buying Fiona. Not that I would ever sell a homicidal brat like Fiona to him anyways. I could never do something like that to a friend after all.”

The dark elves and shinoccubus remained completely still and silent for several moments as they all stared at Anton.

“Oh, thank the Gods!” exclaimed Fiona as she hunched in on herself.

“I knew it!” cried Kianna as she clutched her relieved looking sister around the shoulders “I knew it! I knew you would never sell her! I knew it! I knew it!”

“Hold on. Is this why you’ve been acting so weird lately?” asked Anton as he pointed at Fiona “You really thought I was going to sell you?”

“Yes!” cried Fiona “And oh Gods! I almost puked so many times! ‘Oh look at me! I’m little miss happy, happy slave girl! Master! Master! Right away, Master!’ Bah! Argh! My stomach was turning the whole fucking time! And I could barely even stand myself!”

“It was so creepy and gross!” declared Kianna as she nuzzled their cheeks together “And it’ll be so good to have you back to normal!”

“ ... Agreed. That was actually very unsettling.” nodded Anton “This is still unfortunate though. Considering at this point, I doubt things are going to work out for you, Fiona...”

“Wha? What do you mean?” questioned Fiona as her ears pointed themselves straight upwards in nervousness “What’s not gonna work out for me!?”

“This opportunity.” said Anton “I know how important it is to you that you become better at being a dark elf. And this would have been a good chance for you to get some real world experience in. Unfortunately, like I said, it’s just not going to work out. And I am really sorry about that.”

“Oh. Right. No, that’s okay...” said Fiona as she shook her head “Don’t worry about it. I mean, it sucks. But it’s whatever. I’m not upset about it.”

“Hm. Well I appreciate the good attitude.” nodded Anton “And I promise, we will find you more opportunities like this one. We’ll just have to keep our eyes open for them.”

“ ... Right. Okay!” grinned Fiona as she joyfully pressed her shoulder into the hold her sister still had on her “Yeah! That sounds good!”

“You’re still a heartless bastard!” declared Mica as she kept her knife pointed at Anton’s face “And I’m still not letting you anywhere near these elves!”

Narrowing his eyes, Anton was quiet for a moment as he seemed to be assessing the shinoccubus.

“Right ... So where is this really coming from, Mica?” he asked as he began to thoughtfully rub his chin “Because you can’t actually expect me to believe you’re truly trying to protect the dark elves without some other motive being at play here...”

“I don’t give a crap what you believe!” snapped Mica “I already told you that!”

“ ... Mm hm. So, you’re saying that when you attacked me just now, you weren’t out for revenge with that? You only did that to protect the dark elves?” asked Anton as he folded his arms back over his chest “The very same dark elves that have been torturing you, and openly threatening your life ... You gave up on a chance to escape, and you stayed to protect them. With no ulterior motives whatsoever. You realize how difficult that is to believe, right?”

“Motherfucker!” growled Mica “Yes! That’s what happened! I stayed because I knew you’d be pissed at them if I was gone!”

“ ... I see ... Well isn’t that interesting.” mumbled Anton as he cocked in eyebrow in obvious disbelief “You knew I was going to punish them, so you stayed to try and protect them. That’s very nice of you.”

“Fuck you!” snapped Mica through her clenched jaw.

Fiona had become stoic as she stared down at Mica. After a few moments of watching her argue, she smirked at the frustrated kiochi before closing her eyes, sighing through her nose and turning to face Anton.

“Master!” she called as she looked him in the eyes “You know how to fight, right?”

Taken aback, Anton blinked as he, Mica and Kianna all turned to her unison.

“Excuse me?” said Anton as his face scrunched up in surprise “I, why? What do you mean by that?”

“I mean, that you know how to fight! Like when you fought with Mica last night.” said Fiona as she looked back down at the kiochi “You knew what you were doing. And you knew, that she didn’t know what she was doing ... Right?”

“Well, yes, you’re right ... I wouldn’t necessarily call myself overly skilled at most forms of combat. But yes, I can technically fight. And fairly well.” stated Anton “Why exactly are you asking though?”

Fiona hesitated and began to chew on her lower lip as she stared at Mica. Unnerved by the sudden attention, the kiochi grimaced in unease as she leaned away from her.

“ ... Do you think? That you could, maybe like, teach Mica how to fight?” asked Fiona as she looked back up at Anton “Like train her? Or something?”

“ ... What!?” exclaimed both Anton and Mica in unison.

They immediately mimicked one another again by glancing at each other and then turning back to face Fiona.

“Now why in the world would I ever do that!?” questioned Anton.

“Why would I ever listen to a damn thing this guy says!” declared Mica as she pointed her knife back at Anton.

“Because! ... I don’t know!” cried Fiona as she looked from Anton to Mica and back “Because! Because she needs it! Because she’s stupid! And she’s gonna get herself killed! She needs help! Bad! She’s all alone in this! And nobody else is going to help her! Because nobody else even cares!”

Mica went silent as she stared dumbfounded at the dark elf.

“ ... And why do you care all of a sudden?” asked Anton in a calm tone as he tilted his head “Seriously? Where did this come from?”

“It, it came from her! When she! When we! ... I don’t know!” cried Fiona as her voice began to crack “ ... Why do you care so much!?”

“Um, well. I wouldn’t exactly say that I do!” chuckled Anton.

“Yes you do! You care a lot! You care about us!” exclaimed Fiona as she turned to a startled Kianna and began to blink at her as light tears took shape in her eyes “You tell us about what we are! And you’re teaching us how to be better at what we are! You want to make us better at what we are! ... And, I don’t know why!? ... I know you say it’s because it’s entertaining to you. Like you’re just bored, or something ... But I don’t know about that ... I think, maybe you just really care! ... And I think, that maybe you want us to be better, because you really care? ... But I, don’t? ... I don’t know?”

Anton remained silent and still as he watched the now sobbing dark elf struggle with her confession.

“It’s like with this thing, that just happened. I thought you were getting rid of me! ... But you weren’t. You were gonna help me get better. And you even said that you’re sorry cause it didn’t work out ... You promise other ones will though. And, I believe you! Because, I know you want me to be better. And I know you can help me be better. I know you can help us be better!” continued Fiona as she pressed her shoulder against her sister’s as she grinned at her “And even though I do hate you! ... I still know that you’ll help me ... And, I just think, that maybe, maybe you could help make her better too? ... Please?”

“Yes!” cried Kianna as she looked up at him and frantically nodded in agreement “Please! She really does need help! Your help! Please! You have to help her! ... Please!?”

Anton stood completely still for several long moments before he slowly turned to the kiochi.

“ ... How did you do this?” he asked softly as he shook his head in disbelief “How did you manage to get these two on your side like this?”

“I didn’t do anything...” mumbled Mica as she scowled and looked away from him “They just started untying me ... But this is why I stayed. Because they helped me, and I wanted to help them ... So now you know why ... Okay!? Do you get that now!?”

Anton stared at her for another long moment before slowly looking back up at the dark elves.

“Well, then ... This is just, out of nowhere ... And I’m really sorry girls, I don’t know how to say this, but...” he mumbled as he cradled his chin in his hand and went quiet for another long moment.

The dark elves couldn’t help but to grow anxious as they watched Anton’s expression slowly become thoughtful.

“ ... But, then again ... I did kind of like the way that looked.” mused Anton as his eyes shifted back to the shinoccubus “When she was protecting you.”

The dark elves eyes widened to their fullest as Mica’s head snapped back up to attention.

“ ... Enslaved dark elves are going to be a spectacle. And in the right place, you two could easily draw the wrong attention.” continued Anton as he looked from the kiochi back to the dark elves “It might not be a bad idea, to have a bodyguard around...”

Mica’s face immediately scrunched back up into a scowl as she pointed her knife back up at Anton.

“Fuck you! I wanna kill you! Like I’d ever be your bodyguard!” she exclaimed “I’d never do that for somebody like you!”

“Hm, well, technically, you already are doing it for me, Mica.” chuckled Anton as a small grin formed on his face “After all. You’ve been protecting my dark elves this entire time, haven’t you?”

“From you!” declared Mica “Not for you!”

“Mm, true. But that’s just a minor detail.” said Anton with a shrug “You’re already willing to protect them though. So that wouldn’t be something that I’ll have to train into you myself.”

Blinking, Mica took a step back as her confidence seemed to suddenly falter.

“Hey! Don’t talk about me like that!” she exclaimed as she took another step away from him “You can’t just train something into me! I’m not some kind of ... dog!”

“Right, you’re right. You’re not a dog ... You’re a young, clanless, homeless shinoccubus with no formal training and who is completely unwanted by her family...” mused Anton as he took a step forward and let his grin grow into a thin smile “You are, in all actuality, quite interesting...”

“I’m, h-hey! No I’m not!” cried Mica as her voice became laced with an undercurrent of panic “Don’t say crap like that! And stop looking at me like that!”

“Well, well, well ... This suddenly became interesting ... This suddenly became very interesting ... This is actually a very unique opportunity!” continued Anton as he took another step forward “You’re a completely clean slate, Mica. You have no exposure to clan doctrines. You have no bad habits from former trainers. You’re able bodied, eager to learn and have plenty of motivation ... It really would be a shame to just let someone else ruin all of your potential. Especially considering that as you are, you could be molded so very easily.”

“What!? No I can’t!” exclaimed Mica as she looked from him to the dark elves and back “Seriously! Stop saying crap like that!”

“ ... This is such a wonderfully entertaining idea! Why didn’t I think of this earlier!?” smiled Anton as he turned back to the dark elves “Good thinking, Fiona! I’m going to have so much fun with this!”

“Uh, yeah. No problem!” exclaimed Fiona as she smiled and tried to ignore the kiochi who was now hatefully glaring at her “Anytime!”

“No! You’re not!” declared Mica as she shifted her glare back to Anton “I’m not listening to you, or working for you, or anything for you! Ever!”

“Why not? What better option do you even have?” asked Anton as he continued to grin at the angry little kiochi “Do you really think you can defend yourself on your own? Because it’s not as though the world outside this house has suddenly gotten any safer for you.”

Her face twisting in rage, Mica went to speak but was stopped short as Kianna interrupted her.

“Mica!” shouted the dark elf as she pointed her ears straight upwards “Stop that! Right now!”

“ ... Wha, what!?” questioned the startled kiochi.

“What are you doing!? You have someone who is finally willing to help you and you’re going to act like this!?” exclaimed Kianna as she stepped forward and took a stand in front of the wide eyed kiochi “This is exactly what you wanted! You don’t have to be alone anymore! Our Master is going to help you. So why are you fighting with him!? What do you think you’re even doing!?”