Sang obviously did not trust Dante in the slightest, and it was apparent in the way he held him, like a sack of dirt under his armpits. Dante wanted to bite him, but he feared what this world would do to an unhinged fakemon. They might throw him in a virtual world prison cage for all eternity. Dante was not that self-destructive to be put to that type of isolation yet. They were currently walking a wilderness trail to civilization. The path was narrow, flanked by towering trees whose leaves formed a dense canopy overhead. The air was filled with the sounds of rustling leaves and distant animal calls. Sang obviously wanted Dante to be looked at and identified by a zoologist, and they could find them in a populated area, most likely.

All around them as they traveled were an assortment of creatures Dante had never seen. Weird four-winged birds flitted between the trees, their feathers shimmering in the dappled sunlight. Spider-like monkeys with multiple eyes and long, spindly legs scurried along the branches, their movements both terrifying and mesmerizing. The trip took up to a couple of hours of walking, but they finally reached what looked like the beginning of a country farm. Rows of organized plants stretched out before them, clearly man-made and meticulously maintained. It seemed this zoologist might live on a farm instead of a town. Dante didn’t know if this was good or bad for him until they met.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

The trip was very uneventful for Dante, as the only thing he saw was automatic machines handling the crops. Sang was silent the entire trip towards what looked to be a barn house. It was two stories with a massive fence surrounding it. Sang just walked up to the door and rang the bell. It wasn’t long until a very filled-out and tan lady answered the door. Her first reaction was to size Sang up, then she said, “Aren’t ya too young to be a tamer, kid? From the look of you, I’d say rich boy from Perish Town. How would a kid like you make it all the way here in little ol’ Dust Creek?” The moment her eyes met Dante’s, her entire demeanor changed. In an instant, he found himself in her arms being examined. Her touch was surprisingly gentle, yet firm, as she turned him this way and that, her eyes scanning every inch of him.

“You can call me Dr. Twice. I’ve cataloged thousands of Inunu, but this is my first time seeing anything like this one. Where did you find him, boy, and why wasn’t he in your altering?” Sang looked extremely aggravated at that moment before he said, “My name is Sang Royo, and my mother gifted him to me as an egg before she left again on another one of her infamous expeditions. I came to you to get Morning here identified, but it looks like I was mistaken. Could you at least tell me his DNA typing?” Dr. Twice had a shocked expression on her face before asking, “You Bianca’s son? And sure, let’s take him to my lab to run some tests. I’m curious to find out what we have on our hands.”