Trust Noone | Tales of the Domain

Chapter 1

The doors to the main ballroom are huge to me. To Dari they are not. At least she can reach the door handle without jumping. I don't really feel like attending big gatherings where there are humans, this one even more as they require me to be on a leash the entire time. There are many other people in attendance who look at me with a bitter stare or a frown of disgust. I really wish they didn't see me as a weak pet with no independence.

Dari looks down at me with a small smile. "I know," she whispers at the red carpeted floor. Dari always knows what I'm feeling.

Her brown hair is tied back in a tight ponytail. It's all shiny and covered in hairspray, I could never do that to my golden fur. We are wearing matching outfits for this event, Dari has her favorite dark red, shin-length dress and I have a clip-on shirt collar with a bow tie of the same color as my best friend's dress. My leash is black but no matter the color, it is still uncomfortable, even after all of Dari's hard work at adjusting it to fit better.

Our guide is one of the main hostesses for the event, her name plate says 'Mrs. Vitten'. I think she acts like a rabbit; thinking that makes me hope that there is a buffet ahead. Mrs. Vitten starts to talk about 'the hard work and foundational support you have all given in support of the Domain project and its continued stability'. I've chosen to ignore her. I know mostly everything about the creation of the Ten Domains and I've taught much of what I've learned to Myly, the two year old Labrador pup who Dari and I took in last year. She sheds too much.

Eventually Mrs. Vitten stops her rambling and opens the doors to the ballroom; I stick close to Dari as we walk in. The gilded ceiling is way too tall and the navy blue drapes that hang from it round out the room well. There are many large tables spread around the room, each covered with a thick white tablecloth and decorated with vases of metal flowers. There is a balcony inset in the far wall where a microphone stand is set up. By the left side of the room is what I so dearly wished for, a buffet. I tug lightly on the hem of Dari's dress with a well manicured paw and nod my nose in the direction of the delicious smelling table. She gets my meaning and nods back, that means she will be loading up a meat plate for me in a minute.

We chose a table to sit at and settled down. I would love to lie down and relax on this chair but being at a 'civilized' gathering means I must sit like a proper creature, perched upon my hind legs with a straight back and my head up. A couple sits down across from us and a third person sits down one seat away from me. The last person to sit down was a woman in her late twenties with dirty blonde hair and a light gray layered dress. She gives off a bad vibe but I seem to be the only one at the table who thinks so.

The couple across the table seem friendly, introducing themselves to Dari as Rue and Hiro Moor, representatives from the Moor Foundation, who have supported the Domain Project since its completion. They seem nice because they actually look at me with kind and admiring eyes. The lights from the large chandelier dim as the two hostesses step out onto the balcony above the ballroom. They stand side by side and Mrs. Vitten taps the mic with her finger, creating a soft thud that bounces out of the speakers hidden around the room.

"Hello, everyone! Welcome to the hundredth anniversary of the Domain Project. My name is Diana Vitten, and I am proud to be hosting tonight's event." Mrs. Vitten says loudly with a smile that had to be faked.

"I'm Glory Haiuna. Thank you all for coming." The next woman says. Her dress is a gorgeous yellow which reminds me of the curry chicken Dari makes for me. I wonder when these speeches will end. Ms. Haiuna continues with a strong powerful voice. "This is such an amazing milestone, one hundred years of global cooperation and planetary regrowth. I would like to introduce our first speaker of the night, Professor Sam Corinthian, current head of the Domain Security Project, founder of the Domain Transport System, and the President of the Ten Domains. Welcome."