For a second, I thought I spotted two dots shimmer in the distance out of the corner of my eye. I paused with one foot raised as I stared at the spot. Eventually, I snorted and stomped my forepaw onto the ground. Nothing. I rolled my eyes and snorted; What a waste of time.

BOOM.

I turned my head away and moved to continue on my path, then once again hesitated as I heard a bush rustle unnaturally among the strong winds. I tended and attempted to locate the sound, but if the creature made any other movements, the sounds of the storm blanketed my surroundings with background sounds that muffled my sense of hearing.

Rumble rumble.

I autonomously reacted as I sensed a magical shape loomed over me but was unable to stop the long-bodied monster before it landed on my back. Thankfully, my armor held against the surprise attack, so my new assailant harmlessly collided with the magical barrier instead of my form.

I lunged at the weasel-like monster as it recoiled and hissed in pain. Though he tried to squirm, my paws pinned the beast to the ground. I grinned as the creature squealed. I then bit the monster and drained some of his magic. This time, I was careful not to drain too much of his energy.

This energy tasted somewhat fresher than the lizard's magic, and I forced myself to release my prey. As I stepped off the weasel, I finally looked at my prey while I flashed a smug grin to the weakened ambusher. He needs to remember my face and my power.

Lightning theatrically flashed through the trees above me, swiftly followed by a dramatic thunderous boom.

The monster trembled slightly in its soaking wet green fur with a brown underside. Strangely, instead of blood, static covered its body. Once it realized I released it, the monster glowered with tiny fangs and black eyes, then scampered back onto the worsening storm as it wracked the forest.

I grinned proudly and felt invincible.

Clap... clap... clap... 

I jumped slightly and turned to face the source of the strange sounds, only to spot a massive mouse-like creature in a red hat and cape that hid almost everything but her grey fur-covered ears and face. They stood on her hind limbs. "I must admit, that display was somewhat impressive, but you are a newbie. Biting to steal magic?" She laughed. "So uncouth."

"Like you could do better!" I challenged as I glared up at the monster in the tree. "I bet I can defeat you!"

Flash. BANG.

"I accept." She sharply whistled.

Rumble rumble rumble.

I jumped back as something moved in my peripheral vision, but I failed to dodge the metal rope as it magically wrapped around me in multiple directions and tightened. Thankfully, my armor held, but my limbs were still as close together as the magical barrier allowed. With a gentle tug on the chain, I fell onto my side.

"Hey!" I growled as several monsters stepped out of the darkness. "Unfair!" I squirm, but I am unable to free myself.

The oversized rodent grinned and threw back her cape as she grabbed colorful glass sphered from her red belt that stood out from the black clothes previously concealed beneath her cloak. "When you challenge the queen, you don't get fairness. Only weaklings care about unfair situations.."

This is not right. My deep knowledge knows this is not right. "We're monsters!" I bark, "We don't have friends or allies! Just Master!"

The mouse cackled as lightning flashed. "These are my minions, fool! They follow me so I don't drain their magic! I am Queen Daroa of Sector E! The strongest monster in this area!" She gleefully juggled a couple of paw-sized spheres in her hands. "And now you will see what happens when you cross me." She grinned, then flung a sphere of cyan fluid at my face.

BOOM.

The sphere shattered against my armor in a flurry of magical sparkles. I waited for something to happen to me, then blinked when nothing happened. Soooo... I guess I'm immune or something. I blinked, then looked up to the mouse monster. "Was that supposed to do something?"

"EEEEYYYYAAAA!" The mouse squealed and magically made a red potion appear in her hands, then launched both glass globes in her possession at my face. "HOW DARE YOU MOCK ME!"

I did not flinch as the spheres slammed into my armor and shattered with a twinkling sound without breaking through my armor. I heard a strange hissing sound and glanced at the nearest bit of chain in my limited line of sight.

Lightning illuminated the chain bubbled as the red liquid oozed over the metal links. The iron softened and melted away into multiple pieces. I grinned as I felt the chain around my wings and paws loosen.

Now is my chance. I gathered my magic, then erupted to my feet as I released the energy into the space around me.

BANG.

The surge exploded around me, and though it did not go very far, the blast blew the surrounding monsters off their feet, their bodies slightly dissolved into static. I shook off the chain draped over my wings, then grinned as I looked towards the self-proclaimed queen. Soon, I will be the king.

I paused as I realized how much magic the blast had raked out of me. I began to feel sick to my stomach; twinges of pain sparked through my limbs. I need to be more careful about using my magic.

A slightly hazy Daroa stood to her feet and glared at me as she dusted off her hat. "Neat trick," she growled and placed her wet brimmed hat back atop her hat. She briefly surveyed her scattered and weakened minions with a scowl spread across her fuzzy muzzle. "I will not lose my position to some greenhorn upstart! I trained too hard to get here to lose!"

She waved her paws, and the static from the weakened monsters around us flew towards her in a steady black stream. She absorbed the magic straight into her form instead of eating it. As the static mist entered her body, her body solidified back to its former state. "There," she ceased her siphoning when she appeared normal once again. "Now," she glared at me, "to deal with you."

I released a deep chuckle and grinned, "We both know you cannot defeat me. Your potions did not affect me. You are powerless against me!"

Daroa summoned another sphere into existence, this one filled with a thick green liquid. "Then try this for size!" She hurled the glass towards me, but I simply jumped backward.

The sphere shattered at my feet and the green liquid melted in the grass along with the rain. "You missed!" I mockingly laughed.

"Oh, I don't miss," she laughed and briefly studied the nails on one of her paws in the light from a flash from the sky as she grinned.

RUMBle rumble rumble.

I paused and looked down at the now-glowing grass, then blinked in shock as thorny vines burst from the wet grass. They slithered towards me, and I slashed at them with my claws, and even though I made progress against them, the twisting tangle of plants simply grew back faster than I could slice them down.

I growled and squirmed as the vines began to curl around me. They vines hissed as my armor partially dissolved them, but I failed to do enough damage fast enough to inhibit their growth. I have to use my magic. I grimaced at the thought and prepared another burst of magic.

Suddenly, a multitude of robotic monsters rained down from above the trees and fired their paralyzing beams on us. Thankfully, they also froze the vines before they wrapped around my body.

I dissolved my armor as the flying disk lifted me from the ground and away from the vines while the other robots grabbed Daroa and her weakened minions. "BZZZZZZZ STORM DAY IS OVER, BUZZZZZ. YOU WILL NOW BE RETURNED TO YOUR CAGES BZZZ BUZZZZZZZ AND DELIVERED A REWARD BASED ON YOUR PERFORMANCE BZZZZZZZZ."

I managed to grin at Daroa while she glared back at me just before the robots carried us away in separate directions. I did not break the grin until a few moments after the trees broke our lines of sight.

We stopped at the same metal door, or what I thought was the exact door. The tree-covered hillside seemed to be identical to the door the I.D.R.O. carried me through earlier. All the metal doors look the same, even the ones inside.

Lights from the robot's arm flashed at a receptor above the doorframe, and the metal slab that guarded the entrance slid open.

The robot carried me through the boring metal hallways and back to my cage. Once we arrived, it opened the cage with a second beam, dropped me onto the wood chip flooring, then removed my collar and slammed the door back in my face. He flashed a few lights at the roof of my cage, then swiftly left.

I stood and shook as much as the water and remaining mud from my fur. I blinked as I noticed several red stains, then huffed and began to lick my wounds, or at least the ones I could reach. Annoyingly, slivers of wood stuck to my wet and muddy fur and refused to fall off.

Clang.

I momentarily paused my attempts to clean my fur and looked up to the door as a dee carried a large bowl over his head. The round creature blinked, then slid the bowl into place near the door, then closed the swinging cage door.

Clang, the door relocked.

I approached the food while the dee stepped back, though I paid him no mind after I turned my attention to the food. My mouth watered as I noticed the contents of the bowl: a large steak atop a bed of rice and vegetables smothered with a black magic gravy. Without a thought, I autonomously buried my muzzle into the meal and greedily began to devour the meal. My food distracted me to the point I failed to notice the cage door once again open, but paused and looked up when I heard a strange squeak from the direction of the entrance to my enclosure.

Three dees jumped back with scared expressions on their mouthless faces as I looked at them as I chewed a mouthful of delicious magic-covered meat and rice. Two of the silent creatures rushed behind the third one, who held a wood block in one of its gloved hands.

The third dee resisted their forceful attempts to push him towards my cage. What are they doing? I snorted, swallowed the food in my mouth, then ignored the three silent beings as I refocused on my food. 

After a few moments, I felt something brush against my shoulder. I immediately looked towards the source of the sensation, then blinked as I noticed the third dee with the wooden block gently pressed against my side. There was a clean spot above where the bristled object had brushed my fur.

The mute dee shook slightly in fear, then lifted the handled block off of my fur. After a moment, the dee gently brushed the grime and wood chips off of me with the wood thing.

I paused as the dee brushed my fur. That, that feels nice. After a few moments, I turned back to my food and began to eat once again. It doesn't hurt, so why bother attacking it? I have food. I also remembered the advice to avoid scaring the dees. They are the ones who bring me my meals, and I want food.

Soon, I finished my meal. I burped a bit, then yawned. My full stomach made me sleepy, and the gentle brushing made me feel sleepier. I looked to the dee, who once again froze.

I sleepily blinked. Why did you stop? I was tired; words seemed hard. He already completed most of my body; why not finish? I looked to the trembling dee and paused, then lifted my wings and offered the muddy underside.

The round creature blinked, then held out a gloved paw towards my face. I blinked as the dee's gloved paw slowly got closer and closer to my face. Eventually, the mitten-like hand touched my forehead and gently stroke my head.

That also feels so nice. A deep rumble instinctively roared from my throat as I laid down under the dee's gentle touch. Soon, I was asleep.

Author Notes!

I think the dees are so cute, and they are great juxtaposition to the monsters around them. They are inspired by the Waddle Dees of the Kirby franchise, especially their role as servants in the Kirby anime.

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