38 Monster - Part 2

Throughout the night, the monster stared at the door. Like a statue or more accurately like a dog waiting for its owner. The monster watched the door start to open and the shock on its owner's face. It didn't react like a dog, just stood there.

"Seriously! Have you been standing there the whole night?"

The monster nodded to its master. It stayed because it cannot do what ever it wants. I must be told what to do. If it gets punished, then it gets what it deserves. Though maybe it considered Paroppe its owner because of how it took charge over the other two. Though the monster didn't think about it.

"Why are you here?"

"You're my master."

"Master? What are you talking about?"

The monster didn't answer, because it didn't understand. She was its master and that was a fact.

"I can't deal with this right now. I need to get ready."

The monster followed its master. Its master turned around hearing the monster's footsteps.

"Are you following me? No way. Stay there."

The monster listened to the command and didn't move. It waited outside the bathroom for its master. I wanted to be close to its master. A while later, from behind, the monster heard noises from the other two.

"You're still here? Waiting for my sister to get out?"

The monster didn't acknowledge the words from behind.

"Are you feeling better today?" No answer from the monster. "Ayanni? This place, what is it?"

"Keep it down. I want to sleep some more."

In a softer voice, Jev continued the conversation. "I just want to make sure no one will walk in. Wait, does your family even own this place?"

"Of course we do. It was supposed to be my graduation present. I wanted to live on my own terms, so I don't use this place. It just has the bare necessities."

"We have been paying to stay at inns and sometimes going to our parents while you had a place all to yourself? We are staying here from now on."

"Fine, just be quiet then."

A moment later, Paroppe walks out of the bathroom.

"Seriously? Still standing there?"

The monster nodded.

"Fine. If you need to use the bathroom go ahead." She looks past the monster at her brother. "Can you wake Ayanni up and ask him what this place is?"

"Already did. He said that this was his graduation present, but refused to live here because he wanted to be on his own."

"We spent our money at inns. We barely had enough and he had a place all to himself?"

"I said the same thing."

"I'm going to kill him." She started yelling. "Ayanni get up now or I'm going to kill you."

"Fine fine…"

She walked past the monster. A few seconds past when Jev tapped her shoulder.

"You going in?"

The monster didn't move. Staying in the same spot as it was told.

"Paroppe what is going on with her?"

"I don't know."

Speaking up from the living room, Ayanni spoke.

"She's still here?" The siblings answer him at the same time. Affirming his question. He poked his head in the hallway. "Why isn't she moving?"

"I don't know? Paroppe?"

"Seriously?! I think she is standing there because I told her to. Is that why you're standing there?"

The monster nods.

"Why?"

Jev asks the monster. Of course he isn't its master so it doesn't answer.

"I think she said I'm its master…" Paroppe mumbles to herself, but it is loud enough for everyone to hear. "The reason you didn't answer Jev is because he isn't your master?"

Again the monster nods. Everyone has a different reaction. Paroppe is not enthusiastic. Unlike her brother who starts laughing as he hears the curses from his sister. Ayanni on the other hand speaks up.

"She could be a spy. We need to get rid of her."

"Hey calm down. I don't like the idea of being her master, but I'm not killing her."

Jev poked the monster's shoulder. It wasn't solid like a statue and the monster did move slightly forward.

"That's cool."

"Don't do that Jev. She's a person. Don't treat her like an object."

"Sure…"

"You guys get ready and when you're done, meet me in the kitchen. Since I'm your master, follow me. I have questions."

The monster turned around abruptly to follow its master.

---

"…It sounds like she will do whatever I tell her. Even if it means harming herself."

Paroppe pointed to the small cut on the monster's finger. It stopped bleeding, but was still there.

"What specializations does she have? Wait first what is her name? It's getting weird without one."

"I asked her yesterday if you remember and she said she didn't have one." She turns towards the monster. "Right you don't have one?"

The monster just shakes its head.

"Do we name her then?"

"I will name her. I'm not having my brother come up with some stupid name." Paroppe turns towards the monster while rubbing her eyebrow. "Lera. Her name is Lera."

"It's a good name Paroppe, but what is she to us? I don't want to walk around town and have people think she is some slave. I think it's a cool idea having someone call my sister master, but it's weird you know?"

"What are you going to do with her? I don't want her near me."

"I don't know… For now we'll see how it goes."

---

The group of three, followed by the monster Lera, then walked down the street. They were in the middle of the southern and center of Suul. The town was buzzing with activity as they walked.

"Don't you guys think it's weird that she only eats when told?"

"You're her master. Probably how she grew up. Though what I don't understand is why you are her master. Say she worked for Ziv's parents and sent him home. Why doesn't she go back there to her 'other masters'?"

"Makes sense… Lera where is your home?"

"Everywhere."

"So homeless…? Jev what do you think?"

"I guess I just want to see how this goes. However I don't think she is a threat like someone else?"

"I'm just saying that she is dangerous. Not many people can teleport great distances or without line of sight. All that we found out was that she mentioned Rhalmunden as the place she and Ziv came from. Though that could have been a lie."

"I guess. How about we test her out? I know we…"

The heard a thud and turned around to see Lera face down on the ground. Lera quickly stood up and then stopped. Of course they didn't understand why Lera wasn't moving anymore.

The monster just waited for its master to move.

"Lera are you ok?"

Paroppe walked over towards Lera looking for injuries. She didn't find any other than dust and dirt covering her.

"Sis, she can't walk around like that."

"Can you clean yourself off?"

Paroppe asked that more as a question rather than a command. In the next instant she blinked all she was clean.

"Interesting. Not water or air magic."

Ayanni chimed in what he thought about it. Though after that they quickly turned and moved towards the testing grounds at the southern edge of the city. The three talked about miscellaneous things while the Lera followed.

The monster knew its name was Lera and it knew it was nothing more than a monster. It would react to the name of when it was called, but couldn't even think of itself as a person. Just something that was only destroyed.

---

"Lera do you have money?"

The monster shook her head. It didn't have money on itself.

"Seriously! We have to pay for her?"

"We… sis don't you mean you? You're her master after all."

"Don't look at me like that. I still think we should get rid of her."

"Fine!"

They paid to enter the training grounds and found a nice area away from everyone else. It was a wide open dust field, clear line of sight to everyone else, but at this distance unless they shouted no one would hear them.

"What can you do Lera?"

"Nothing."

"That might be too big of a question from your master. Try asking something less vague, Paroppe."

Paroppe glared at Ayanni, but turned back towards Lera.

"What are your specializations?"

The monster shook its head. It wasn't who it used to be. It was a monster wearing nothing more than a disguise. The disguise had water and healing magic, but the monster didn't.

"None? Really? That's a lie. Some space specialization for sure. She teleported in there and teleported Ziv out at the same time. If he lived far away then a distance like that, without a specialization, is just impossible."

"Ayanni, just stay quiet for now. Why don't you two start dueling while I find out more about Lera."

"Fine, but be careful."

"I don't think Lera will be a problem Ayanni. Take care of Paroppe, Lera."

Ayanni had a shield and mace that he had carried with him on his back and hip. Jev didn't carry a weapon with him, but those two found a dueling area. Jev rushed Ayanni with his fists while Ayanni brushed his attacks off with his shield. Taking the time to counterattack, Ayanni swung his mace with his left hand at Jev. Though Jev had better agility, he backed off quicker than the mace. As Jev made his way back and landed hits on the shield, Ayanni's feet dug further in the ground. The immense pressure from Jev's fists pushed him back, until Ayanni hit him off.

---

While their fight went on. Paroppe asked the monster what it could do.

"So you can use every magic and with high expertise. Probably why you are… you. How about a sword can you use that?"

The monster nodded. Once it was tested however, Paroppe noticed how terrible the techniques were.

"Magic user. It's not all bad at least." Paroppe turns her head to look at the boys off to the side. "Lera, have you gone on excursions outside the city?"

The monster nodded.

"I guess if you came from Rhalmunden that would be true. Have you gone on adventure before?"

A simple nod from the monster.

"That was probably the same thing… hmmm… Have you ever fought someone before, like to the death?"

The monster had died before, so it nodded.

"Oh right. Have you killed someone before?"

The monster had a big reaction to that. Its' eyes went wide and dropped to the ground. It tried to grasp at the air around it, but none came. It hurt to think about it and the monster shook its head to get the images out.

Paroppe wasn't expecting a reaction like that. The moment she saw Lera's eyes, she knew it was a mistake. She went over to comfort Lera. To her it was weird as Lera looked older than her and yet she was the one comforting her.

"I'm sorry Lera."

"I'm a monster. I'm a monster…"

The monster repeated that mantra over and over again.

"Lera don't say that."

That was a command that it didn't hear. No it heard it, but it didn't want to listen. Maybe if it said it more it would be punished for all the horrible things it did. The monster's blank stare filled with tears as it had collapsed in its' master's arms.

"I'm sorry Lera."

Paroppe noticed that Lera didn't listen when she had asked her to stop. It meant that there was a problem with Lera. She might not be of any help, but she won't let her stay on the streets.

Once her brother noticed what was going on he came over with Ayanni. They helped Lera up and noticed that she resumed her blank stare. She followed them as they went to grab some lunch.

"What happened?"

"Was that concern Ayanni?"

"I'm just worried that she might try to kill us in sleep."

"I mentioned… I'll tell you when she can't hear us."

"Fine."

"Everything is fine though?" Jev interjected. "I don't want to seem like a horrible person, but she's like a pet." Paroppe glared at him. "I'm serious though. Do you think you can take care of her?"

"Let's just get some lunch first."

Paroppe wasn't ready to decide. She found the prospect alluring that someone had magic, but it didn't seem limiting at all. Lera didn't get tired after using a lot. Having someone like that didn't sound all that bad.

However, Lera herself was a problem. She only does what she tells her. Nothing proactive or for herself. It would be troublesome to watch over someone like that. Like Jev had mentioned earlier, she does come off as some slave or pet. Master? She had never been called that and really didn't like it.

"Lera, don't call me master. Call me by my name. Paroppe."

"Paroppe."

After that mistake she had made, talking about killing someone, Paroppe noticed that the commands she said for Lera were a little more relaxed. Like the start of her thinking for herself. Or something like that. She hoped anyways.