Following Vim ever deeper into the dark cave, I felt strangely anxious as even my eyes began to grow useless.

I could just barely make Vim out in front of me. I felt like I could see the walls of rocks beside us, but at the same time wouldn't be surprised if I stepped a few feet either direction and found only openness and not rocky points.

My ears kept turning every which way, since I could hear dripping water and the howl of distant wind, but somehow every time I tried to focus on the sounds… they faded away. As if they hadn't been there in the first place. The only sounds that were strong, steady, and seemingly real, were our footsteps… and my breathing.

"It's… kind of like the forest. The dark one, near Lilly's home. Even that mine near Lellip's home had more noise," I said softly, since I didn't like the way my voice echoed down here.

"Very astute," Vim said.

Hm… Wait…

"Wait, Vim…" I reached out a little, to grab at Vim's sleeve. He slowed upon my grab, and turned to look at me. "Are you saying that bear is a monarch?" I asked. I had thought he had once said it wasn't.

Vim glanced at me, at least I think he did, and I heard him chuckle ever so slightly. "No. It's a child of one, but not one itself. It's just… a special kind of existence. Kind of like those creatures in Lumen, or Bray's children," Vim explained.

"I see…"

"Tor is near. You'll start seeing mist and water soon," Vim said as he continued walking, and I decided to keep hold of his sleeve. I now doubted my eyes, because I could have sworn he was still looking at me, yet when he had spoken his voice told me he was now facing away from me.

"Hm…" I stayed behind him a little, since I wasn't sure if walking beside him would get me hurt or not. I couldn't see the nearby rocks well enough to gauge how much distance and clearance I had to walk… so…

Then I heard a splash. A loud one, that echoed, and didn't fade instantly from existence.

Glancing down, I frowned at the puddle I was now walking in. One about an inch deep, and…

Yes. That was some kind of weird haze floating above it. It swirled when my legs ran through it, like smoke more than mist. It reminded me of the thick fog that sometimes rolled in on marshlands or far north upon the inlets sometimes.

Looking up, I blinked and found Vim rather visible. Clearly so. As if we now had a light source.

Quickly glancing around, I hesitated a moment as I found us standing in a giant puddle. One that seemed to go on endlessly. The mist, the stuff rolling on top of the water slowly, was what seemed to give the area its light. It was almost as if the mist was reflecting a bright moon, but there was no moon to be shining.

"Vim…?" I whispered in shock. Where were we? I could see for quite some distance around us, thanks to the bright mist and water, and I didn't see any hint or sign of the cavern system Vim and I had just been walking through.

Even behind us, where we'd just come from, was only endless misty water. No signs of the tunnel like cave we had just come from and been in moments ago.

"Normally I need to walk for some time before you show up. Your preference for women is showing," Vim said as we both came to a stop.

A deep, hefty sounding, chuckle filled the world as more and more mist rolled in from the distance. As if coming down a mountainside the stuff flowed down towards us, and was honestly a little chilly. The voice was heavy. And big. It was clearly not a human voice at all, nor a non-human one. It was the voice of a creature far bigger than I or Vim.

"Tor…?" I asked, looking around for the source of the loud laughter.

"It is I. I'm pleased to meet you, Rennalee. The little I've heard of you has been pleasing to hear," Tor greeted me, and I frowned as I tried to find the source of his voice.

A part of me wanted to focus overhead, since it almost sounded like he was talking down to us from above… but my eyes kept wandering to the distant horizon of mist and water instead. As if he was actually far away, and not nearby at all.

"I uh… I'm pleased to meet you to…? Though I don't see you," I said.

"Hm… how interesting. Vim, did you know she no longer has a scent…? Yet I'm sure I had smelled her upon you on your last visit. She had smelled of the great northern forests, where the trees grow slower than the moss," Tor said.

Shifting a little, I glanced at Vim and found his typical stoic self. He didn't seem bothered or interested at all.

"She has indeed lost her scent. If you find it, please let us know," Vim said.

"You smelled me? On Vim?" I asked, glancing at Vim again and his odd statement. Was he trying to make light of the moment or something?

"I had," Tor said.

"So… does that mean you can smell Vim?" I asked.

For a small moment there was silence, and then Vim broke it with a small chuckle. Tor then joined him, his far deeper chuckle drowning out Vim's instantly.

Shifting a little, I frowned as the laughed at me for a few moments… until they stopped. "No. I cannot smell Vim. But occasionally I can smell scents that linger upon him, or the items he carries. For instance right now I smell a faint herb smell. Maybe some kind of medicine? I assume it was used on your cheek," Tor wondered.

I see… So he smelled things that Vim's strange ability to eliminate hadn't gotten to yet. He had put new ointment on my cheek a few hours before we had entered this cave.

Interesting.

"How have you been Tor? Have you heard the news, of the vote and whatnot?" Vim then asked, changing topics swiftly as he usually did.

"I have. A folly that it is, but it is to be expected of lesser creatures. It is of no consequence of my canyon or me. I expect you to uphold our agreement, no matter the state of the Society," Tor said.

Fascinated, I looked around again for any hint of the monarch. He sounded so close, thanks to how deep and loud his voice was, but at the same time distant… Was that him maybe? I squinted at something in the distance, but eventually noticed it was just a large clump of mist. It shifted and rolled downward, closer to the ground, and I had to begin my search anew.

"And your canyon…? I'll have to admit we did not pass through the village to get here. I've snuck Renn in, since I fear Silkie and the rests attitudes toward her presence," Vim said.

"Hm… that will not be a concern. I've already long ordered her to be allowed entry, Vim. Plus, Silkie passed away during childbirth earlier this year. Her eldest daughter is now my priestess, a young one with spunk. Her name is Frerit," Tor said.

A little stunned at the news, I glanced over at Vim so quickly that I made a mistake.

Flinching, I turned a little to look at my tail, and scowled at the water dripping from it. I had accidentally lowered it enough for most of the tip to get drenched.

"I see. I remember Frerit. I'll go say hello and introduce Renn to the village afterward, then," Vim said gently as he glanced at me as I squeezed some of the water off my tail.

I gave him a shy smile as I finished and brushed my now wet hands on my shirt. "Did the child survive?" I asked Tor, since Vim hadn't.

"Yes. I'd not allow such wanton death here."

A tad stunned again, I glanced at Vim who nodded. "Tor does more than parlor tricks," he said.

"Parlor…?" I asked.

"He's making fun of me. But it's fine. I like my tricks," Tor said.

"Wanton?" I asked again.

For a small moment no one spoke, and then Tor chuckled. "I see. I meant I do not allow senseless death. Not here in my own backyard. And parlor is the term for a small area inside an abode. Typically a place to gather in small numbers, thus the phrase. Parlor tricks are what you display to a small crowd, to entertain them or distract them. Usually it's derogatory, but I've always been a fan of the sleight of hand," Tor explained kindly.

"So Vim was just being his typical rude self, I get it," I said knowingly.

Tor chuckled again, and as he did I noticed some more mist flow in… and…

Glancing down, I verified that the water had indeed grown deeper. What had been an inch or so in depth was now two, maybe three. Which was likely why I had mistakenly got my tail wet. I had misjudged its height.

Would it keep rising…? I really didn't want to get soaked, since although inside here was relatively warm I knew the outside wasn't. It was snowing like mad outside.

Especially if I wasn't going to be allowed to linger in the village. I didn't know yet how I'd be received, so it was better to not assume I'll get a chance to warm myself by a fireplace or with a bath and bed.

"Very interesting indeed. You have met several of my kind, haven't you Renn?" Tor then asked.

Oh? "A few, yes."

"Hm… it is not often anymore I get to meet someone so well cultured. We have become so few, thanks to your husband. I believe it has me feeling sentimental," Tor said with an odd tone.

Glancing at Vim, I tried to tell by his expression if Tor was being serious or playful. Vim's expression didn't reveal the answer as Tor sighed, and in doing so a gust flew in from all around us.

I looked around, in awe, as mist flowed towards us from everywhere. It rolled along the top of the water, billowing wildly towards us. When the mist had reached us though, it had slowed down and dissipated a little. Making me feel almost as if the far distant mist I saw was far farther away than first assumed.

Though interesting… I kind of wanted to see something else.

Where was he? Would he show himself?

Vim had said he was a tiny rodent. Yet he sounded as big as a mountain… Plus it was as if his very breath affected the mist around us. Like that gust earlier when he sighed.

"Have you had any visitors lately, Tor?" Vim then asked.

"Hm…? Not really. A few members visited the canyon, Crane and Oplar and such, but none deemed me important enough to spend time upon. I feel neglected, Vim," Tor said.

He had to be teasing, surely. He sounded amused more than not.

"Can you blame them? You threaten to eat them half the time and even when you don't you trap them in your tricks for days," Vim said.

Tor chuckled, and I inched ever so closer to Vim. Just in case.

Tricks? For days? How did that work…? Was it like getting stuck in here?

Did that mean if I tried to run, in any direction, I'd not be able to escape…? Was this weird world of mist and water really as endless as it appeared?

"To be honest I've been hoping one of the indignant fools to come and try and claim my rights not my own. But alas," Tor said with a mighty sigh.

Glancing at Vim, he noticed and smiled at me. "He is a part of the Society, but in reality he doesn't care to be. He often wishes someone, like how Celine once tried, to come and command him. To demand he do something he didn't wish to. So he can eat them, or do whatever it is he does to those he considers enemies," Vim explained.

"I wouldn't eat them… I'd just… make them wish I did, is all," Tor said.

Great. Something told me he wasn't playing around.

Vim crossed his arms, his coat splashing a little in the water as he did. "That being said, do you have any requests for me Tor?" Vim asked his usual question.

"Hm…" Tor rumbled a little, and off in the distance I saw a ripple roll across the endless water's surface. I tried to follow the ripple, hoping to see the source, but it seemed impossible to do so. The mist hid too much past a certain point.

"If not we'll be leaving… unless of course someone in the village has something to ask of us," Vim added.

Did Vim not like Tor? He seemed to be playing along to a point, making jokes and smiling, but it seemed as if he was trying to end the conversation as quickly as possible.

I wonder why…? Did he not trust Tor? Or was he worried I'd ask something I shouldn't? He hadn't told me not to say or do anything before coming here, other than not letting Tor know about the heart I carried.

"I have a request of you, heart of hearts."

Perking up a little, I glanced around again for him. "Um… yes?" I asked.

Me?

And… Heart of hearts? Celine had called me that too. In her letters to me.

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"Beneath the capital. Underneath the castle where the Society was birthed is the carcass of my ancestor," Tor then said.

Vim shifted next to me, strongly enough to make large ripples in the water at our feet. "Careful Tor."

"Now, now, Vim. Don't interrupt. It's not comely to be jealous," Tor said with a tone that told me he was being playful.

"I'd agree with you Tor… but I've learned to trust Vim's warnings. Are you asking me to do something bad?" I asked.

Tor was quiet for a moment, long enough to make me wonder if I had insulted him somehow, but then he hummed with his deep voice. As he did the mist all around us shifted a little and began to flow again, as if there was suddenly a wind to be carried on. I felt no such wind, however.

"No. I don't think I am," Tor began saying, with a more softer voice than usual. "But you can deny my request if you like. I will not be offended… rather; I just know that Vim would say no, so a part of me had hoped you would do otherwise."

Rolling my shoulder a little, I tried to keep my tail from getting wet again in the water as it curled and swayed a little violently. "Can you… not ask someone else other than Vim? Do you not have a whole village who would do stuff for you if you not asked?" I asked. From what I had understood Tor basically ruled this village. And those here served him. He had just called Silkie's daughter, Frerit, his priestess. Wasn't that one of those nun things that served their gods?

Did he think he was their god? Or did he make them treat him as such…?

Tor chuckled. "You ask that before hearing what the request is?" he asked back.

"Well…" I frowned and wondered how to explain that the meaning of the request to me was more important than the request itself.

"I want the heart of my grandfather. As to eat it."

Oh.

Glancing carefully to my left, at Vim, I found him staring out at the distance with his typical calm expression.

Right. He had recognized Tor's request instantly. So he wasn't surprised.

"You don't want to give it to him…?" I asked softly as Vim finally looked at me.

"He fears I am not capable. That eating my grandfather's heart, the heart of a First One, will be the end of me. Or at least, my mind and soul. I… would like to believe myself better than that. It has been many years since my last heart, and I believe I am ready now. Plus, I would like to think I have the right to choose which and what I am to eat, at least, if anything," Tor said gently.

"Wait… are you saying that monarchs have to eat hearts?" I asked, decoding his words.

"A condition of joining the Society is we protect a location, or at least allow a location to be formed around us. And yes, another is to devour and absorb hearts, when capable and safely assessed to do so. Other than that we're pretty much free to do as we please, but as I'm sure you know Vim is a stickler for rules," Tor said.

Oh… I had not ever thought to ask Vim what kind of conditions monarchs had to be a part of the Society.

Maybe this was why Miss Beak had refused all that time to join. For either this reason of eating hearts, or the requirement to protect a location for other members…?

Though… what of that little one in Telmik…? Or was that monarch too weak for such a rule set? Or was there more to it than that?

"The heart of a First Born is not like that of others, Tor. The divinity that they are connected to, the sources, are like an ocean compared to a tiny puddle of which the hearts you've devoured before are. Their mere existence and presence bends reality around them, let alone when they're eaten and absorbed," Vim said.

I stayed quiet, waiting to hear Tor's response.

"I've no doubt of their greatness, Vim. I had only met my grandfather once, and only from a distance, and even from hiding I saw what you speak of. I warp reality today, and it takes nearly all my focus, and he had warped it like this in his slumber with ease," Tor said, speaking a little reverently… as if speaking of his god.

Maybe he was, to him. He sounded like he was in awe of whatever he had seen his grandfather do.

Though…

"Warp reality…?" I asked as I looked around.

"Is it not beautiful? Sometimes I can even conjure a beautiful moon, though I fear doing it now in front of Vim. He does not like it when I play god too strongly," Tor said, with a strangely prideful tone.

I nodded slowly and gulped. I see. So this was all… fake? Or maybe not fake, but… a result of his power. His abilities. His divinity.

Amazing.

"Is the water real?" I asked as I stared down at it. It was wet; I knew that, since I could still feel the slight coldness from dampness on the tip of my tail which had gotten dipped in it. It surely felt real, at least.

"It is, for long as we are within it," Vim said.

Oh…? I glanced at Vim as some of the mist started to rise up again, as if we no longer had any wind. "That is so. You could lie within it, getting soaked, but would be dry upon leaving my influence," Tor said.

"Fascinating," I whispered, since I wasn't really sure what else to say about it.

"Not really. True power, such as what my grandfather, or the gods, had been capable of much more. If it had been their water and not mine, you would have remained wet upon leaving," Tor said.

I didn't like the idea of that.

"Why then do you wish to devour that heart, Tor? If you're already capable of this, why would you risk it?" I asked.

After my question came and went, and a good patch of mist passed by without a word, I began to feel uncomfortable. I glanced at Vim, who was smilingly gently at me but likewise silent.

Had I said something wrong?

"To be honest, Rennalee, it is pure hubris," Tor then answered.

"Hubris?" I asked.

"Excessive pride. Over-exaggerated self confidence. He's saying he knows it's just his pride being woefully out place," Vim told me.

Nodding slowly, I remembered the few times Vim had used the word before. He had said them a long time ago, back before he and I had been close. Before I had asked such questions. "You just want more power then?" I asked.

"No. Rather, I do not want to share it. I wish to have it for myself, before another claims it before me," Tor said.

Huh… "That is a form of pride, I suppose," I agreed.

"It is the purest form of it," Tor said.

I wouldn't go that far, but I didn't voice my disagreement as I glanced around again.

Why'd it feel like there were now shadows in the distance? The world looked flat as could be, for as far as I could see, yet… it was almost as if I could see shadows dancing among the mist out of the corner of my eyes.

Maybe it was his powers doing their thing. He had basically said this place, this mist and water, were not real… illusions, basically.

Was it a similar type of ability to what Bray had? Vim and I when visiting her last time had changed locations oddly, like this. Going from a dense forest to an open field of flowers and grass. I wonder why they did this. Was it really just the fact they enjoyed doing it, or did it have another reason or purpose?

"What would happen… if you ate the heart, and were not able to absorb it?" I asked as I studied a far off cluster of mist. They were clumping together in the distance, as if trying to form shapes.

"Well… the end result would be that I would die," Tor said simply.

"Die…?"

Vim nodded next to me. "He'd lose himself. To the heart. He would then become a monarch without reason or thought, and become a danger to the world around him," Vim explained in more detail.

"Thus you would come and destroy him. Ending his life," I said, understanding Tor's original meaning.

"Exactly," Tor said.

Shifting a little, I ignored the fact that the water was now reaching the top of my boots. It'd not be long if it kept rising for it to reach my ankles.

"How would one tell if you're capable of doing it or not? Would you know if you held the heart in your hand? Before trying?" I asked, giving myself a possible out to this request.

"No. Not really. I'll not even know if I was capable until the deed was done, in fact. I could eat it, take years absorbing it, and at the very end… when I think all is well, I could then suddenly succumb anyway without warning."

Great. "So no way to test it," I said.

"Obviously," Vim said.

Right… if there had been he likely would have done so for me already. With the hearts I've held.

"I've come to respect Vim's rules and his perspective of free-will. If he would go so far as to deny you, denying your own will, I believe it is for very good reason. Why should I ignore that? Especially since it might make him angry at me too, or risk my own self… since I have no idea where your grandfather's heart is," I asked.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Vim's smirk as Tor hummed deeply. Ripples ran all along the water, all around us, in such numbers and so scattered it was as if it was suddenly raining heavy droplets. "Interesting. I had been told you flagrantly go against Vim when you can, as if it was your form of displaying your affection. Have I been lied to?" Tor asked.

I frowned at that. "Who the…" I was about to ask who was asking that, but Vim laughed, interrupting me.

"I can see how people think so. And in some things she does, and will. But she's too smart for her own good, as you see," Vim said, with an oddly happy tone.

A little happy to see, and hear, him smile and say such a thing, I smiled at him… only to feel my tail touch the water again.

Shifting a little, I glared at my tail hovering in the air between me and Vim. It was now even more soaked. And the water level hadn't even risen too much! I was just getting distracted.

Choosing to wrap the end of my tail around Vim's thigh, I sighed and looked back out at the misty horizon.

"Do you really not think him capable, Vim?" I asked.

"I couldn't know, Renn. Tor is actually rather mighty; he has been for some time. But I cannot stress the jump in danger from a normal heart to one of a First Born. Though… I'll admit if anyone could do it, he would be the one. Being as strong as he is, and the fact he is a direct descendant as well," Vim admitted as he reached up to scratch at his chin.

"I'd be willing to wait to absorb it until Vim is ready. To do it only when he is nearby, so he can deal with me if I become an issue," Tor suggested.

A little surprised to hear so, I nodded. "That's… wait," I hesitated, and shook my head. "What of those who live here, Tor?" I asked.

Tor was silent for a moment, then I heard him huff. As if he had just nodded, I watched a bunch of mist roll towards us from a strong gust. "Yes. If I fail, this canyon will end up unprotected. There is no denying that fact. But it is no more risk than any other time I devour a heart. Plus, as Vim and I have already long agreed, this is not a permanent agreement. Eventually, no matter what happens, I will one day no longer protect this canyon or those within it. So although a loss, to me it is not one great enough to justify rescinding my request," Tor said.

"You speak very well, Tor," I noted.

Vim chuckled as Tor went silent. Then he seemed to clear his throat. "Thank you," Tor then said.

I nodded as I glanced at Vim's thigh, to make sure my tail was still there. It was.

"If he is willing to wait a few years until I can stick around as he absorbs it… until he finishes doing so, then I am willing to entertain the idea," Vim then said.

"Really?" Tor spoke up before I could, and sounded just as surprised as I would have.

Vim nodded. "Yes. There is a very good chance I'll soon be… not what I am anymore, anyway. So I'll have the time, for once," Vim said.

Wanting to groan and complain, I glared at the distant mist. I was now upset with Tor, even though I had been amused this whole time.

"If that is so I am more than willing to wait. Years. Decades. It matters not. As long as it can, and will, happen," Tor said, sounding rather happy as he did.

I nodded slowly. "Then I'll make sure the next time we're in Telmik, Vim grabs your grandfather's heart, Tor. We plan to head there after here, and a few other stops, so it won't be long," I said.

"Thank you, Rennalee," Tor said.

I smiled a little sheepishly at him. "I didn't agree, Tor. Vim did," I said.

"Ah. But I am no fool. You may have not agreed until he gave permission, but I know Vim better than that. If you had not been here he would have simply scoffed and glared at me, threatening me to try to take the heart if I wished to risk his wrath. Then he'd have left, unbothered and uncaringly, like his typical self. Your presence made the difference, so I thank you. I am in your debt," Tor said, speaking with his odd words and tone as he's been doing.

Shifting a little, I tried to not smile too broadly. So he too knew Vim well enough to know that my presence made him… different. Or at least, act differently. Though in odd, and little ways.

Others noticed far more often than I did. Since to me Vim was normal, having only recently become a little more open with me… but his personality was the same that I knew this whole time, since meeting him.

It was interesting to hear so many thought, and saw, Vim as acting differently thanks to me. Even if it wasn't true, it made me happy.

"So… can I ask for a favor in return?" I asked, taking the opportunity to do so.

Vim glanced at me, and out of the corner of my eye I noticed his look. He was shocked I'd ask something like this.

But I didn't hesitate, as Tor hummed at me. "What would you ask of me…?" he asked, his voice sounding amused.

"Can I see you? Or um… is it not possible?" I asked as I glanced around.

Tor and Vim were both quiet for a moment, until Vim sighed at me.

"Why would she ask this of all things, Vim?" Tor asked. He sounded perplexed.

"Only thing I can think of is that I've told her you are a small rodent. She might just want to see you because she likes small animals, or because she now doubts me and wants to see if I was lying or not," Vim said.

"If not it's okay… I understand," I said quickly. Maybe he didn't like showing himself? Or there was a reason for it?

Tor chuckled, and as he did I heard something huge move in the distance.

A massive splash came from in front of us, and I stood up straighter as I felt the ground shake. A huge ripple, nearly a wave unto itself, flowed wildly towards us… so strongly that it even caused the mist lulling above it to scatter and flow everywhere. Even upward.

A little excited as another loud splash, then another, echoed throughout the area… I awaited the monarch. I scanned the horizon, from where the splashing and noise seemed to be coming from… and grew ever more confused as the noises grew closer and louder.

I still couldn't see him. Even though it almost sounded, and seemed, as if he was just right in front of us… and…

"Renn," Vim whispered gently next to me, elbowing me lightly to get my attention.

I frowned at him, but didn't look at him. I stayed focused ahead, trying to strain my eyes and ears for any sign of the monarch who was causing such a ruckus. The waves flowing past me, from his mighty steps, were splashing me up to my waist! He had to be huge, to cause such commotion and…!

Then I saw it. Movement.

But not where I had expected it.

Slowly looking down… I felt my stiff shoulders slump as I watched a tiny white creature hop more than walk up towards me. It looked as if it was making tiny little leaps over the few remaining ripples in the water, then once it got closer it increased its pace and only walked… making tiny itty-bitty splashes with its little feet as it hurried our way.

Stunned at the tiny thing, which had to be no bigger than my foot, I leaned back a little and glanced around… Suddenly I was on guard, and expecting a shock. Was this maybe one of Tor's little parlor tricks?

The thing had little white spikes all over it, and although very tiny it looked as if it was walking on the surface of the water, or the water in front of me had all been pushed away by Tor's mighty footsteps and only a tiny layer was now left. It sounded, and looked, as if it was walking through a tiny puddle. The mist around it was thin, barely visible anymore at all, and the creature looked like its tiny little paws had the tiniest little claws and nails on it that could exist.

"Behold," the tiny creature squeaked as it stopped a few feet from us, and stood up on its back legs to look upward. As it did I realized the thing only had spikes on its back, and its belly was soft with a small layer of fur.

As out of place as it was, the thing was utterly adorable. Like some kind of spiky haired mole. It had a longer nose than one would expect, and it had a bunch of wry little whiskers that were dancing wildly as it stared up at me.

"Tor…?" I asked, not willing to believe it.

"Tis' I," he answered… though not with that mighty booming voice of greatness, and instead one that was high-pitched and squeaky.

Yet the voice was unmistakable. Although the complete opposite in volume and power… the tone behind it was the same.

"Is… this one of your tricks?" I asked, not willing or able to believe it. It had to have been! He had sounded so huge, and as he approached just now he had shook the very ground! He had splashed all the water and mist away, form his mere footsteps…! So…!

The tiny creature, Tor supposedly, didn't say anything and instead made its tiny little snout of a mouth tremble wildly. It made tiny little sniffs and sounds as if it was about to cry. His tiny little arms and claws clenched and shook, as if suddenly angry and with great emotion.

"It is you…" I whispered, realizing those tiny sniffles and sounds were far too real to be some trick or ploy.

Vim snickered, but I ignored him as I gulped and felt horrible.

"You said you found tiny creatures cute!" Tor said angrily.

"I do! You are cute!" I said quickly, nodding seriously.

"Then compliment me already!" Tor shouted with its tiny wheezy voice, making me want to laugh. I didn't though, even though it sounded far too adorable to be scary… even though something told me he hadn't said that as a joke at all, and was likely very upset.

Unlike me though Vim didn't seem to care.

He began to laugh aloud, like crazy, uncaring that every moment he did so I had to try harder and harder to convince the great and mighty monarch that he was not just adorable, but very proud and elegant looking.

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