The next day, and only the gods know how, Betty managed to fashion a saddle that fit Billy.

Marlin was getting riding instructions.

Billy the goat, had a saddle on his back, that only passed his sniffing inspection by a hair.

and now the little bastard was trodding more gallant then a pure blood unicorn. And with all the smugness and arrogance to boot. Shooeing critters to “make way for the new lord in town”.

how could he not? The inferior unicorn species only had 1 horn he had 2, Billy informed his lord Marlin, who had been tied down to the saddle, by his mother.

“she has the bondage skill set, she must have”, Marlin murmured brooding darkly , these knots were too expertly woven to convince him otherwise.

Marlin didn’t have animal speak, why he had understood Billy at all still confused him, He didn’t need animal speak to see every god damn farm animal snicker.

Bradford had to flee, Marlin’s face of fury and Betty wilful oblivious behavior was too much, Marlin could still hear the man’s roaring laughter, at least the bastard had the decency not to do it to his first born’s face.

“FUCK YOU i don’t need animal handling”! He yelled in baby speak to his stat screen. He could swear he saw the letters make fun of him.

He calmed down a bit as he looked at his mother. She was happy but a fragile flower that dares to bloom in the rays of sun after a cold and ruthless winter, type of happy.

Her happiness was fragile. She was putting on a front and he couldn’t bear to see her get hurt because he had turned into an acid person in his old life.

“Billy”.

“yes my lord”.

“we have trotted enough! How can you call yourself a steed if … one does not gallop”!?

“Say no more my lord”! He rose with his front hooves into the air and Marlin raised his stick sword into the air and they charged the hay.

”Stupid empathy”, he couldn’t bear to see that same look on her face, that look he had when those stupid little shits of his looked at him with such painful indifference.

And he had to admit Billy could definitely gallop. They had fallen into the hay and couldn’t get back up.

“Stop squirming Steed! allow the lady of the house to assist you with dignity”!

“….. yes my lord”.

after a while of excruciating fun, my mother Betty had to get back to tending her gardens and me and Billy were released from our duty of entertainment.

“Are you all entertained”!? Marlin yelled at the animals and gave em a bow. “Il be here tomorrow and the day after tomorrow so stay tuned”!

“Aww yu aww enderdwaiined”? “I wwwiw bwee heej dumoowwow”. Huh it almost made sense.

Betty giggled at Marlin’s antics and picked him up and hugged him.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Thank you”, she said quietly for only Marlin to hear, “i know none of this is normal.. i .. i”, she began to tremble.

Marlin hugged her back, “idds owk mom. I jknow…” he sighed, tension seeped out of him. As embarrassed as he was, the toxic bile from his past was slowly and steadily diffused by her ever so slightly, it was more than just getting over your past. She did more for him than any councilor had done for him with months of therapy and it had barely been a week.

“wad yu aw doinw fow me, awws a mowder i cawnd expwuain”, shush you, she interrupted, “just say you love your mommy”. “I love you mommy”. The first time his sentence came out perfectly clear

His head was steaming red. holy fucking hell he had never been more embarrassed, shame and guilt that he wanted this, the only saving grace was that she was a couple of years older than him.

“I love you too Marlin”, she squeezed him back and put him down, “you better take care of your steed he seems jealous”, she grinned. She turned around and got back to work.

Mark sighed he didn’t know what these two parents of his had gone through, he had no frame of reference or context what it meant that he was who he was. He could tell though that below all the fluffy love, that was Betty. There was a deep pain and challenges that she had faced, how deep it went he didn’t know.

He recognized someone who got betrayed by people they loved. He knew it wasn’t Bradford, that man didn’t have it in him to hurt others. Most certainly not his wife who turned a rather powerful man into puppy.

No other family members most likely, who had condemned her for keeping him.

He sighed again “Alright Noble steed it is time for your very first inspection”.

”aaaatentionnn!!!”

Bily shot up straight, looks like the drill sergeant routine will work, Marlin muttered.

Name Billy HP 26 stamina 320 Role Superior Minion Class Knightly Steed Strength 12 Dexterity 12 Constitution 16 Intelligence 6 Wisdom 6 Charisma 6

looking at

Beast of Burden

those with this perk can carry the world on their shoulders, they have endless vigor and love to sweat. doubles your stamina and the amount you can carry

“Hmm you have good stats, you will most certainly need your lord to make the decisions but you pas the inspection, well done … My knightly Steed”.

Billy bristled at that, “I must say my lord i do like the sound of that better then noble steed. With your permission my lord i will inform my mother of this news”.

“Permission granted”.

Billy trodded off telling each critter of his newly minted title.

Marlin sighed, He had figured out that he could innately speak telepathically of all things, with Billy, apparently there was an entire undercurrent of eddies at work between him and Billy and according to Bradford when Billy “boobed” Marlin’s stomach with his audacious charge, his eddies must have mixed with that of Billy, registering Billy unofficially as a Minion.

it was a theory, Bradford had not been there to witness and Betty had zero talent for magic shenanigans.

it was weird, his 3 Disciplines from his warrior side came as natural as breathing,

but he was going to need quite a bit of time to get used to and master his overlord discipline.

He felt something, but what he felt most definitely wasn’t all there was to the discipline. Especially considering what Bradford described, looking at that part of Marlin’s soul.

it was strange how it absolutely didn’t bother marlin that he didn’t feel his privacy invaded.

How could he? when all Bradford did was gush at how utterly breathtaking Betty’s soul looked. “That guy is so hopelessly in love its worse than those sappy 90 movies”, Marlin Murmured.

He grabbed, his makeshift axe and shield.

”ready”? Bradford’s voice rumbled. Mark turned around facing Bradford equipped with the fell Broomstick.

”Winally”.Mark muttered and he got into his stance.