The inconsequential truth (manxman)

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Chapter TWO

When I opened my eyes, I was alone in my cabin, having waited about an hour pretending to be asleep while the master waited in the chair by the bed.

Sitting up slowly, I sighed, hating myself more anything else in the world, shuddering at the all too vivid memories as I get off the bed.

My ass hurt where the shock dart had been deeply embedded when I fell on my back, and my eyes were heavy. But those factors were the least of my problems at that moment. If animal control came, or the law got involved, my master would go to jail . The man who had taken me in when I had absolutely lost everything, the man who personally saw to creating my childhood, to raising me as if I were his own, to hiring private tutors just for me. And look what I had to go and do to that very man.

It wasn't supposed to have happened that way, I had always been able to control my forms, or rather, had never turned into anything other than just a plain old, though often pronounced "far more exquisite then average", golden leopard. I often exercised a few different figures, the lion being the most recent and exciting.

There had been a jaguar once, but that wasn't to be repeated according to Master. It had happened in Vegas on a US tour, I'd accidentally turned into a black panther (otherwise known as a Jaguar), exciting the crowd beyond compare and effectively terrifying myself and the master. But that was it so far as surprises went.

Never had I turned into another decidedly endangered species before. Was it because of the weather? After-all, the snow outside was coming down by the bucket load. Had this new animal been dragged forth by the weather it was most privy to? If so, why had it never before shown itself when I was performing in the exact same conditions and had only become the average leopard?

It was startling to think that at times, I had such little control over something evidently so dangerous. Or that was what Master was so worried about.

Not me. I liked it.

It was the best feeling. But it shouldn't be, it was bad that I felt that way.

I was shocked from these thoughts when I heard the door creak open, and the sound of heavy feet thumping against the stairs leading to the cabin. Deciding against attempting to pretend to be asleep again, I sat up further, turning my head towards the door in expectation. First a brown boot protruded from the steel door frame, then came a knee dressed in brown thatched pants and then the rest of his body before the full figure of the man was hovering awkwardly just inside the door. He stared at me and I looked back for all of three seconds before chickening out and looking down at the sheets. This obvious submission seemed to be enough of an invitation into the room, as he then stepped forth into the heated insides of the train's second carriage. Shedding his top-coat and green skivvy, master; or less commonly though still accurately known as Roald, clambered inside and took a seat back in the big chair facing me directly, his eyes not wavering from my face once.

"I apologise for attacking you" He grumbled reverently in his deep, gruff voice, as he reached forward and took my chin in his fingers, turning my face up to look at him directly.

"Yea, me too... Sorry ." I mumble, trying to look away as thoughts of what he might do, or what might happen if things turned out bad, clattered around inside my head.

"Look at me, Kai." My eyes inched upward underneath my too-long bangs and I eyed him with remorse. "It's not your fault, I know you're having trouble controlling it these days an..."

"He's not an 'it'" I murmured, interrupting him. As much as I despised sounding like a spoiled brat, I none-the-less felt the need to stand up for him, he was my everything after all. His annoyance t my remark, however, was palpable. The look he gave me... Terrifying.