Veridis Quo

Interlude 5

"Farewell... for now."

With the final words said, the drawn-out call was ended. The phone was then placed onto the surface so the screen was hidden, the owner of said device shouldered by the cityscape

Being at one of the higher floors of the government-owned building, any onlookers were provided a spectacular view of about half the bustling metropolis on land, the horizoned sea on the polar opposite. The view in the night was even more breathtaking, though the lightshow drowned the magical night skies.

The owner of the office preferred the land anyway; it was familiar and predictable.

Resting both hands on the desk, the tall figure leaned over, head hung as many thoughts ran through the experienced mind. Satisfactory results of the apprentice. A numb meeting with the idiotic officials in three hours. And...

Ever since she became aware of him, met him, felt him, life had become that more burdened. Before she initiated the one-sided apprenticeship, her work had long become routine. To someone of her caliber, hot action was as dull as the tip of a human.

It was her favorite part, so losing it to time wasn't an viable option.

Luckily, he fixed that.

Another groan. She managed to ignore the first one, but after her conversation was concluded, that was half of what she focused on.

How annoying, she thought.

Throughout her muddy chat with the young specimen in Cherryton, she was forced to endure the suppressed agony of the moron lying on the floor some meters from her pristinely crafted table, the crisp wood refined to a chocolate char.

It was worth it, though. To persevere for her own sake, and eventually, his.

Clenching a fist tight, she straightened her back, the lighting shadowing her eyes, though there wasn't much to see with a blindfold. A louder, fearful moan escaped the bound male, his pathetic writhing reminding her of a worm on the curb after the last rains.

Shriveling, thrashing, twisting in vain to live another minute.

Disgusting.

Utterly repulsive.

She pitied the floor, to touch such a dirty individual...

Approaching the restrained carnivore, each step louder and proportionally menacing, the deserving victim struggled harder. It was a futile endeavor; the rope around his hands and ankles was real, very real, and none of that xiaoxing factory shit from overseas.

The best, only... for the best.

Once she loomed over him, her shadow stretched to twice her height due to the setting sun, at an odd angle. She held her hands behind her back, a mockery to his precarious situation.

She gave him a minute to gather his bearings but it didn't seem he was willing.

"If I remove the gag, will you behave?"

Expectantly, he nodded his head in desperation, anything to have the rotten meat out of his ugly maw. She could've just duct-taped him shut, but why not add a little spice? Carnivores loved meat, so really, she was doing him a favor.

Ungrateful little pests.

Unlike... him.

A warm spark jump-started her heart.

Rolling her concealed eyes, she knelt and tore off the tape wrapped around his snout, patches of fur consequently missing from the muzzle.

Immediately, he spat the chunk of meat, retching like the diseased mutt he was.