by A. R. Crebs
They clinked their glasses together, each guzzling the liquid before setting the flutes down at a nearby table. Nodding, they both locked hands and took to dancing.
Orin and Elizabeth swayed to a few songs but mostly kept close to the food and wine. Orin had, as usual, his book of poetry which he read to the woman most the night. Elizabeth never once tore her eyes off the man. The poor girl didn’t stand a chance. She had already given herself completely to him. And with Orin’s constant exchange rate of girlfriends, Lita pitied the poor human. How long would she last before Orin got scared and ran away from her, too?
A shrill giggle alerted Lita to Quentin and his fiery red-headed wife. Valeria rarely left the estate without having her children or nieces and nephews at her side. Judging by her loud laughter and slight stumble, somebody else was doing the babysitting for the night. It warmed Lita’s heart. Valeria and Quentin deserved a night of fun. And tonight, they looked their happiest.
“What’s got you smiling so much?” Karter’s voice pulled Lita from her thoughts.
She deeply sighed, shrugging. “Just looking at the others. Everyone seems so happy.”
Karter looked out over the sea of bodies. There were hundreds on the dance floor and countless more lining the edges of the grand hall. It was extraordinary. Candlelight from the tables and those floating overhead cast the room in a dreamy light. Karter closed his eyes a moment, just to make sure he wasn’t asleep. When he opened them again to find Lita before him, his smile widened.
“It’s a magical night.” He interlaced his fingers with hers.
“There are many old lineages here tonight. It’s interesting to watch them interact with each other. Husbands and wives who had known each other hundreds of years. Those who have lost are finding love once again. Many have young children still.” Lita thoughtlessly mumbled.
Karter nodded.
“Gosh, can you imagine? There are many on this island my age who already have children! I can barely manage Petey,” she nervously laughed.
“Are you contemplating children?” Karter asked.
Lita gasped, shaking her head. “Heavens, no. I…was just thinking is all.”
A low rumble sounded in his chest. “You’d be cute as a mother.”
“Karter, please.”
“Just thinking aloud.”
He guided her through the crowd. As they danced, they spoke of many things—food, music, the extravagant gowns and suits within the room, past wars, and life goals. Periodically throughout the night, Karter would somehow fetch another glass of champagne for Lita. By the end, she was giggling and stumbling a bit with each twirl.
“Oh, Karter, I need to rest,” she mumbled.
“Of course.” He quickly guided her to her seat. He frowned as he watched her hold a hand to her head and take a deep breath. “I’m sorry, perhaps I overdid it. I shouldn’t have brought you that last glass…or three.”
“You’re quite alright. You know me well enough to keep ‘em coming.”
Karter took a chair beside hers. With a gesture, he sent a wave of light toward a plate of appetizers and pulled it to their table. Lita’s eyes lit up.
“I’m starving!” she exclaimed, shoving a cracker with a tomato mixture into her mouth. She hummed to herself as she ate. Karter eagerly joined in.
“I’ll never tire of these snacks,” he mumbled as he ate a cheese-filled breaded morsel.
They ate and spectated. I’Lanthe was all laughs as Dovian made grand gestures and crudely led her in circles throughout the crowd. He was never the best dancer, but he was at least having fun. His girlfriend must have coerced him into partaking in the Iven wine.
Just as Lita was about to catch her second wind, there was a loud crash that came from the kitchen hall. She and Karter both looked toward the doors as a series of shouts followed. One by one, the crowd eventually took notice to the commotion as well.
“What on earth?” Lita rose.
There was an all too familiar sound, that of a deep bellowing growl. Lita’s body turned to ice.
“No! No! It can’t be!” She gathered the sides of her dress and dashed toward the kitchen area. As she passed the dance floor, Dovian’s awareness fell onto her, and he followed.
“Lita!” he called out.
Lita chanted repeatedly. “No, no, no!”
The screaming and shouting commenced, followed by another deep guttural growl. Pots and pans scattered across the floor, dishes broke, howls erupted, and then there was a loud crunch. It sounded like a war zone.
Dovian pulled Lita away just as the doors and the surrounding wall burst outward. Petey barreled into the grand hall. One Sorcēarian clung to his tail, screaming all sorts of Legacy curse words. Ropes of energy tethered to the unruly beast as a few others dashed from the kitchen.
“Petey! No!” Lita shrieked.
Petey kept running, crashing into one of the supporting pillars of the room. He stumbled to the side, sniffing hungrily, his golden eyes catching sight of the banquet table. Giving a low grunt, he slammed into the food, snorting up as much as possible. One Scarlet warrior, in his battle armor, sent a fiery wave of energy against Petey’s side. The lizard howled, turning and tossing the Sorcēarian who had hold of his tail. The man cried out, his body crashing into a group of bystanders.
“Petey!” Lita rushed toward her frightened pet. “Please, stop! Stop, Petey!”
Her voice became lost among all the screams. The attendants scattered. Quick, sudden movements and loud noises always threw Petey into a state of disorientation. He moved from side to side, his talons clicking on the marble as he tried to find a way to escape. Powerful waves of energy burst one after another into him, only feeding his frenzied state.
“Stop! You’re hurting him!” Lita ran after her pet, her hands in the air. “Petey! Petey! Calm down!”
“Get out of the way!” One man shouted, aiming his large spear in the direction of the terrified monster.
Lita rushed between Petey and the man. Petey bucked and kicked, his tail thumping into Lita. She spiraled through the air and slid across the dance floor, watching in horror as Petey turned and ran into another pillar. He zigzagged, frantically panting and snorting as the angry men slowly cornered him, each one exchanging powerful blows to incapacitate the beast. More tethers locked around Petey. A few Sorcēarians in masquerade garb cast protective barriers around the beams to keep the building from caving in. Petey’s terror intensified as he forcefully fell to the ground, secured by electrical rope. He squawked, scrambling against the restraints. Lita sat on the floor, sobbing.
Petey recognized his owner, noticing her tears. Wildly howling, the lizard’s golden eyes narrowed. With one rough movement, the giant reptile burst from the tethers and lunged forward. The room burst into chaos—the dancers backing away, those trying to trap Petey circled him. The noise of the room was nearly ear-piercing.
“QUIET!” Sir Gaius’ voice boomed over everything else. “EVERYONE HOLD!”
The room instantly quieted to a few hushed whispers as all bodies paused. The manic creature huffed and puffed loudly within the room. Petey searched in a jagged way, waiting for the next person to make a sudden movement. Lita stood, her hands motioning outward to soothe the creature. However, Petey howled and kicked up, nearly knocking the young woman over once again. Dovian darted between Lita and the beast, his palm pressing against Petey’s snout.
“Enough!” he shouted.
Petey barely had any time to react before his eyes turned milky-white. It was a gamble, but it had worked in the past. There was something about Dovian’s touch that allowed him to control the lizard’s mind.
“Relax,” he gently whispered.
Petey groaned, sinking to the floor. Dovian held the animal still for a while and then gestured to the others to lower their weapons. Once all was calm, he released his hand but kept his palm close to Petey’s face. Lita sniffled, trying to hold back her tears. The ball was ruined all because of her pet. She had never be
en so embarrassed in her entire life.
Dovian snarled, glaring at the beast. “Look what you did!”
Petey’s eyes darted from side to side.
“You hurt Lita!” Dovian pointed at the woman.
Petey’s eyes shifted to look at Lita, and he stilled. All remained silent as Lita slowly walked toward the lizard.
“Why?” she cried. “Why can’t you be good?! I’ve given you everything!”
Petey downcast his golden gaze and noticed a puddle of pink punch beside him. Reaching with his long tongue, he slurped up the mess. Giving a frustrated growl, Lita suddenly smacked the creature on the nose. Petey wailed, motioning backward. Lita merely slapped him on the snout once again.
“Bad! Petey!” she shouted between her cries. “You stupid, stupid thing!”
“Lita,” Dovian steadied her.
Lita covered her face, crying.
“Damn it all to hell, Lita! How many times have I told you that monster was a menace?” her father snarled as he stomped through the crowd. “He nearly destroyed the building!” He eyed the soldiers. “Get him out of here. We’ll find a way to put him down quickly and painlessly.”
“WHAT?!” Lita wailed. “You, you can’t! You can’t do that to him! It’s my fault! I should’ve reinforced his cage! I’ll do that as soon as I get home!”
“No! No more, Lita! What’s it going to take to make you realize he’s a danger to society? He’s too large to live among us! He’s far too undisciplined! Out of control!” Gaius II argued. “You’ve let him run free far too much. He’s spoiled and stupid. There’s no saving that creature!”
“You can’t do this!” Lita screamed as the men surrounding Petey tethered him once again. Dovian timidly held his hand against Petey’s head. “Daddy!”
The Elder Gaius stepped forward, motioning for everyone to calm down.
“Was anyone hurt?” the Elder questioned.
One man spoke up. “No, sir. Just a little banged up, but nothing serious. Can’t say the same about the kitchen, though. Blasted beast ate all the food, drank the Iven wine, and tried to eat the tables.”
Iven wine was no good for frilled-monitors. Petey was going to feel terrible later.
“Please, Grandpa, don’t let them kill Petey. He’s just confused and scared.” Lita ran to Sir Gaius, her fingers pulling at his coat sleeve.
Sir Gaius grabbed her hands. “Lita, by all rights, this monstrosity shouldn’t have been allowed to live at all. You went against genetic code to create him, that alone was rights to have him destroyed. I trusted your instinct and allowed you to care for him, but he has not stopped growing. True, he’s slowing down, but he’s a liability now. Many could have been injured or worse today. All because he was hungry. He may not have meant to cause harm, but he did.”
Lita squeaked, tears streaming down her pink cheeks. She then looked to Gaius III who joined their sides. “Bro-brother?”
“I’m sorry, Lita,” he said in nearly a whisper. “He is too much.”
Seeing Lita cry was painful to Gaius III. Though she was his half-sister, they weren’t very close, but he had helped raise her, and there were times she reminded him of his late wife. He gave a shuddering sigh.
“Isn’t sentencing the creature to death a bit harsh?” Gaius III looked to the Elder.
Lita’s father disagreed. “Would you be saying that if the building had been torn down around us?”
“My son nearly tore down the church walls all those years ago, did we threaten to put him down?” Gaius III protested.
The Elder held up his hand. “We will discuss this later, without an audience. For now, bring Petey out back. Azera….”
The called upon man rushed to Gaius’ side. “Sir?” He bowed.
“Fortify a cage of gold to contain the beast. We will decide what to do with him later.”
Azera nodded and spun, his cape flowing behind him, and he marched through the destroyed kitchen area to follow through with his orders.
Gaius held a hand to Fardon. “Please announce the dismissal of tonight’s events. We will reschedule at a later date.”
Fardon nodded and immediately begun speaking to the public, striding to the front of the room where the orchestra had earlier been playing.
“All of you, follow me.” Sir Gaius moved toward the kitchen area.
The soldiers followed, pulling Petey with them. Dovian calmed the lizard so that he’d obey. Lita trudged solemnly behind. A hand landed on her arm, and she jerked.
“Lita, I’m sorry,” Karter whispered.
She instinctively wanted to yell but knew that Karter didn’t deserve her wrath. I’Lanthe stood beside him, her expression sorrowful. Orin watched Petey with his swirling eyes. Elizabeth, her dress covered in dust and pieces of cracked plaster, looked horrified as she switched gazes between Lita and Petey. Surely after this, the human would never want to be near another lizard again.
“I’ll…meet you guys later,” Lita dismally stated before she continued moving forward, leaving her friends behind.
Outside, Petey paced behind a cage of golden light. He howled, scratching at the gate. Upon touch, Petey was struck by the powers holding him. With each impact on either side of him, an electrical crackle and spray of golden sparks erupted.
“Petey!” Lita palmed her face as she watched her poor lizard struggle within his confines.
Dovian held up his hand, and Petey halted.
“Shall we do it here or somewhere else?” Azera asked.
Sir Gaius lifted his chin. “Perhaps,” he eyed their surroundings, “we should transport him to another location. A place where other’s eyes and ears are not near.”
“What method shall we dispose of him?” One of the warriors asked.
Sir Gaius looked to the other Gaius men. Neither spoke, but there seemed to be a general understanding between them all. The Elder raised his hand, pointing his palm toward Petey.
“I will dispose of him. I can end it quickly and painlessly.”
Lita whimpered, fighting back her tears. Her chest heaved behind panicked breaths.
Sir Gaius then looked to the warriors. “You are no longer needed here. Please attend to the ball and make sure all are well. Secure the building. We will clean up in the morning.”
The warriors pounded their fists against their chest and bowed before reentering the building. Gaius nodded to Azera. Motioning his hands in a wide circle, Azera cast a ball of light around he and Petey. They disappeared. Sir Gaius did the same, bringing the others with him. They reappeared outside the Gaius home near the Elder’s private quarters. Petey was traumatized, giving short snorts as his glowing eyes shifted between the Sorcēarians. Sir Gaius stepped forward, sliding his hand between the bars of the golden cage. Petey tried to back away, but his backend was shocked, causing him to jump.
“Look right here,” the Elder spoke, pointing at his own eyes.
Petey’s breaths quickened, but his attention fell on the Elder’s face.
“NO!” Lita wailed, tugging on Sir Gaius’ arm.
“Lita!” her father yelled, pulling her back. “Damn it, child! It has to be done.”
Lita sniffled and bawled. She hastily slapped her father’s hands, forcing him to release her.
“He’s my baby!” she squawked.
The Elder clasped his hands behind his back. “Please, excuse us.”
Gaius II frowned. “But, father.”
The Elder shook his head. “I would like to speak with Lita in private.”
The two other Gaius men lowered their heads in understanding. Gaius III was without issue in the matter. He’d rather not watch regardless. Gaius II, however, gave a disapproving glare at the Elder, his mouth twisting into a crooked frown. He eyed Lita and sighed. Wasting no more time, the two men twisted their dials. Dovian quickly reached for his, but the Elder stopped him.
“Ah, Dovian. Not you. Stay.”
Dovian lowered his hand and stood at attention.
“Please, Gr
andpa, don’t hurt Petey. He’s just a dummy. He’s got anxiety problems, and I’ve been working really hard with him. I promise it won’t happen again!” Lita pleaded.
“Lita, he’s had many chances. Tonight, he could’ve killed someone. We cannot risk the well-being of our race on a pet lizard. It would be one thing if he had originally been made according to code, but he wasn’t. There’s no telling how big he will get.” Sir Gaius explained.
“Then…then let me do it!” Lita shouted, moving between him and the cage.
“Lita…you cannot do this. If you try, it will only hurt him,” he tried to reason with the girl.
“But…” she whimpered, holding her clenched hands against her chest.
“Lita, you can’t,” Dovian finally chimed in.
She shook her head. “It’s not right! It’s not right! I know he made a mistake, but to kill him?!”
Sir Gaius didn’t like the idea any better than she did. In fact, he often snuck snacks to Petey throughout the day. In a way, he enabled the creature’s gluttonous cravings.
“Sir, is there no other solution?” Dovian asked.
“He cannot stay here,” Sir Gaius sternly stated.
Lita watched the men with hope. “Can’t stay? Then…he doesn’t need to die?”
Sir Gaius, in thought, looked to the East. “There is a place, one that is secluded. It may not seem ideal to you, but I can assure you, he will be safe. Others do not travel there often.”
“Where?! I’ll take him! Anywhere!” Lita exclaimed.
“Dovian, take Lita and Petey to the desert caves.”
“Desert?!” Lita shrieked.
Gaius quickly hushed her. “That is the only place, child. I will not have him running around in the mountains, forests, or lakes. There are far too many travelers and vacation homes on this island. However, no one lives in the desert. Petey shall be safe there and far enough away where he will no longer be a menace.”
Her eyes welled with tears once again. “That sounds terrible! He’ll be lonely!”
“Lita, there are many other lizards in the desert. They love the heat and warm sand. Despite what many think, our deserts are occupied by many creatures. Petey will not be entirely alone. He will have food. Heaven forbid he lose any weight.” Gaius gave the lizard a pitiful stare. “Dovian, will you make sure this task is completed safely?”