“This is your room, Sam!”

Sam glanced down at the small, smiling reptilian, who was holding his hand, before raising his head to look at the stone wall in front of him. It was solid, and according to Ellie, his room was behind it. “Sundak,” he said and gestured at the wall, “how do I…?”

“Oh, like this!” Ellie placed her hand on the wall and closed her eyes. A second later, a section of the wall slid downwards, creating a gap for Sam to step through. It was dark behind the gap, making it almost impossible to make out the room’s contents. Ellie opened her eyes and looked up at Sam. “Do you understand?”

Sam scratched his head. What was there to understand? The reptilian touched the wall, and magically, it turned into a door and opened. There weren’t any buttons, and it didn’t seem like a specific stone piece activated the mechanism. “No,” Sam said. “I don’t understand.”

Ellie blinked before shrugging. “Well, that’s okay,” she said. “I’ll help you open doors until you can do it yourself!” She gestured for Sam to go inside the room. “Do you like it?”

How was he supposed to know if he liked it if he couldn’t even see inside? Sam hesitated before quickly walking over the threshold in case the door suddenly shut while he was passing through. When he entered, an orange stone embedded in the ceiling lit up, illuminating the room. It was large, much larger than he had expected. The reptilians must’ve had a method to manipulate space because the interior spaces of buildings never seemed to match their exterior appearance. Given that graylings could manipulate time and space, and reptilians could control graylings, Sam felt like he was onto something.

“There’s a bathroom over there,” Ellie said, having followed Sam into the room. She pointed at a corner where there was a stone stall with an object that looked much like a toilet. It was as if it had been carved from the same stone as the ground. The small reptilian pointed to the side. “There’s your sleeping area.”

Sam turned his head and raised an eyebrow. There was an enormous bed, one much bigger than the one Wendy had purchased for him. Thinking back on it now, he wasn’t expecting to even get his own room since Wendy had bought a cage for him. Although things hadn’t gone according to plan, at least he was in more luxurious location than he would’ve been if they had. Not only did he have a beyond king-sized bed—the largest bed size he knew the name of—there was also a stone wardrobe filled to the brim with different outfits. A large mirror allowed him to see his whole body, and a small nook emitting cold air had different cans of soda stacked inside of it.

“Water and food are over there,” Ellie said, pointing at another corner.

Sam’s eyes bulged as he followed the reptilian’s finger, his gaze landing on shelves upon shelves of brand-name food items as if he were in a grocery store. There was a stove and table nearby, everything needed to cook available to him. His eyes turned towards the last corner of the room as Ellie pointed at it.

“That’s where you train,” Ellie said.

Sam nodded. In the training corner, there were all kinds of machines meant for building the human body, some Sam recognized and some he didn’t. He had a question though. “Sundak,” he said and scratched his head. “What exactly am I training for?”

“Fighting!” Ellie said, clenching her hand into a fist and punching it forward. A breeze formed from the motion, brushing past Sam’s leg. “You’re going to compete against other pets.”

Sam furrowed his brow. Fighting? He was a talentless, and his life was far removed from fighting. When faced with a confrontation, running and hiding were the best options. Also, hadn’t Ellie’s mother said their previous pet passed away? “Out of curiosity, sundak,” Sam said. “Did your previous pet’s death have anything to do with these competitions?”

“No,” Ellie said and shook her head. “He was old, so he passed away.”

Sam took in a deep breath and exhaled. At least these fights weren’t fatal.”

Ellie nodded. “According to Mommy, he was twenty-eight years old.”

Sam froze. “Twenty-eight isn’t old,” he said after swallowing. “Are you sure that’s what your Mommy said, sundak?”

“Don’t doubt me,” Ellie said and crossed her arms over her chest. She glared up at Sam, her green pupils widening. “Mommy said humans age twenty-times faster than us, so when they’re twenty-eight, they’re over five hundred in reptilian years.”

“Okay, you’re right, sundak,” Sam said, breaking eye contact. The reptilian might’ve been small and half his size, but her eyes were still damn scary. But still, dying of old age at twenty-eight years old? If Sam was understanding the situation correctly, the poor man’s body must’ve gone through constant abuse to break down by that age. Maybe Ellie’s previous pet was punched in the head several times, or he suffered from other injuries causing him to die a premature death.

Ellie nodded at Sam. Then, she pointed at the ground. “Sam, wait.”

Sam blinked as Ellie turned around and exited the room. She pressed on the wall, and the door closed, sealing Sam inside. He wasn’t sure if there was proper ventilation or not, but considering the previous occupant had died early…. Sam shook his head. The man died of old age according to Ellie, not a lack of oxygen.

Raindu popped out of Sam’s shirt collar and took a look around. It climbed onto Sam’s shoulder and leapt off, landing on the bed with a thump. The ferret bit the blanket and rolled, bundling itself up into a miniature blanket burrito before dragging itself, blanket included, onto the pillow. Raindu let out a sound akin to a chirp, letting Sam know it was claiming this spot as its personal sleeping space.

“Absolutely not,” Sam said as he walked over to the corner with the bed and wardrobe. “You’re not getting a whole mattress to yourself, not a twin-sized, queen-sized, or whatever size this one is.”

Raindu stuck its tongue out at Sam and slapped its paw against the pillow, daring him to do something about it. A sigh escaped from Sam’s mouth as he shook his head and observed himself in the mirror. His clothes were filthy after he was jiggled, and he still had no clue about the identity of the expelled contents. Either way, he knew he stank, and that needed to change. He rummaged through the wardrobe and raised an eyebrow; the previous pet human must’ve had a similar frame because most of the available clothes were in his size.

Sam switched his clothes, leaving the dirty Monarch outfit on the floor. When he was done, he went over to the training corner, inspecting the various machines. He wasn’t in the mood to exercise, so he went over to the bathroom section. A nozzle sticking out of the ceiling caught his attention, and judging by the nozzle’s positioning, it must’ve been a shower. It was a shame he didn’t know which button to press on the rock wall to activate it. He wasn’t even sure if reptilians used buttons to make their magical stones move.

A sliding sound caught Sam’s attention, and he turned his head to the side. The door had opened once more, and Ellie walked into the room, her eyes on the same level as Sam’s. She was standing on a pair of stilts with human boots on the bottom, and she was holding two sticks with boxing gloves attached to their ends. “Alright, Sam!” Ellie said. “Good job waiting!” She reached into the bag on her waist and took out a piece of popcorn chicken before pressing her stone bracelet, creating a clicking sound. The small reptilian lobbed the treat towards Sam. “It’s time to start your training now.”

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Sam blinked as he caught the popcorn chicken and stuffed it into his mouth. It was small, allowing him to chew while speaking. “Training … how?” he asked. Then, he swallowed and added, “Sundak.”

“Sam, follow me,” Ellie said and turned around while walking away. The reptilian’s action reminded Sam of Wendy’s behavior, and he let out a sigh as he followed the small reptilian; despite her stilts, she moved at a faster pace than Sam, and he had to increase his pace to keep up.

Sam’s new home was rather spacious, much more so than the house he had squatted in back in the city. Perhaps it was because reptilians were larger than humans; the ceilings, doorframes, and furniture had to be higher and larger. The walls were decorated with carvings that looked like script, but if they were words, he couldn’t understand them. After walking for a bit, Ellie placed her hand on the wall, a portion where there weren’t any engravings, and the stone slid downwards, revealing another room.

Ellie glanced at Sam before entering, and once he stepped over the threshold, he heard a familiar clicking sound. Ellie held out a piece of popcorn chicken for Sam to take. Although he was a bit offended by Ellie thinking he was simple enough to be trained by small scraps of food, he let it slide because the popcorn chicken was delicious. Also, he was a bit intimidated by Ellie after seeing her face to face thanks to the stilts. Sam took a look around the room as he chewed: the floor was cushioned, the walls were cushioned, and the ceiling was cushioned as well. At least, they looked cushioned, but Sam was pretty sure the cushions were made of intricately carved stone.

“Okay, Sam,” Ellie said and manipulated her held sticks such that the boxing gloves punched one another with a loud thump. “Are you ready?”

Ready? He hadn’t even been told what they were doing yet. “Sundak,” Sam said. “What exactly are we doing?”

“Training!” Ellie bounced up and down, manipulating her stilts as if they were a natural part of her body. “Sam, dodge!”

Sam’s eyes widened as Ellie dashed towards him. A red object expanded rapidly in his vision, and he screamed while closing his eyes and raising his arms, his torso leaning back. Stars filled Sam’s vision as an explosion went off in his mind, clearing out his miscellaneous thoughts. Sam staggered backwards, but his legs couldn’t catch up, and he fell onto his back. Surprisingly, the impact with the ground didn’t hurt; it may have been due to the adrenaline, or the stone cushions were really effective.

“Sam,” Ellie said, staring down at her fallen pet. “I said dodge, not block, silly.”

Sam sat up and wrinkled his nose. It felt congested. “I wasn’t—”

“Sam, dodge!” Ellie lashed out with her leg, kicking the booted stilt towards Sam’s face.

Sam threw himself to the side, the steel-toed boot grazing his ear, sending a burning pain down the left side of his head.

“Good job!” Ellie said, pressing on her bracelet to create an audible click. She reached into her bag and dropped a piece of popcorn chicken by Sam’s face. “Go on,” she said upon seeing Sam’s lack of reaction. “Take it!”

Sam grabbed the piece of popcorn chicken and placed it into his pocket. After almost getting his skull kicked in, he wasn’t really in the mood for a snack. He climbed to his feet and backed away, distancing himself from the small reptilian with a bright smile on its face. Sam furrowed his brow; he wasn’t one for violence, and he certainly didn’t want to hit a child, even if the child was a reptilian. It’d be like kicking a puppy or kitten, a monstrous action.

Ellie hopped up and down, and Sam’s body tensed. “Sam, dodge!” Ellie said.

The small reptilian lunged forward, pushing the stick with the boxing glove on the end towards Sam’s face. This time, he was prepared for it, and he ran to the side.

“Don’t run!” Ellie said, standing in place as she watched Sam back away to a corner of the room. The reptilian walked directly towards Sam, cutting off his paths of escape. “Retreating too much is bad. Move less when you dodge.”

Sam gulped. Was Raindu not going to protect him? His nose wasn’t broken or bleeding, but it still hurt! He glanced down at his clothes, but the ferret that should’ve been there wasn’t.

“Sam, don’t look away during a fight!”

Sam raised his head, and a boxing glove greeted his face. Pain flooded his nose and eyes as he fell over backwards, his head bumping against the stone-cushioned wall on the way down. His ears rang, and his vision was filled with white.

“Roll and get up, Sam!”

Sam didn’t question the words and did as they said. He rolled to the side, landing heavily onto his back. He scrambled to his feet while gasping for breath, and he wiped the tears from his eyes to clear his vision. Ellie grinned at him and clicked her bracelet before tossing Sam a piece of popcorn chicken.

“Good job, Sam!” Ellie said. She grinned. “Don’t you love following orders?”

“That’s enough,” a voice said, coming from every face of the cubic room, the vibrations causing Sam’s head to ring.

Ellie blinked and raised her head. A sigh escaped from the reptilian’s lips as she said, “Okay.” She dropped her sticks and took off her stilts—the process similar to removing sandals—before leaning everything against the wall. With a hop in her step, she arrived in front of Sam. “That’s all the training we’re doing for today.”

Sam swallowed and nodded his head as he clutched his nose. This time, it was bleeding.

“Are you okay, Sam?” Ellie asked, placing her hand on knee. “I didn’t hit you too hard, did I?”

Being hit at all was being hit too hard, but what if Ellie and her mother abandoned him if he was too much of a wimp? “I’m okay, sundak,” Sam said, his voice nasally.

“Good.” Ellie nodded her head. “Let’s go get you healed up.”

“Yes, sundak,” Sam said and followed after Ellie as the small reptilian turned around and skipped out of the room. After walking along the engraved hall for a bit, they arrived at a blank section which opened up with a touch. Ellie pointed at a familiar, coffin-like object in the center of the room. Sam frowned. “is that a jiggler, sundak?”

“Yes.” Ellie nodded. “Get in the jiggler, Sam.” She held a piece of popcorn chicken with her right hand, her finger hovering over her bracelet to click it.

Perhaps the jiggler had healing properties? When he went inside of it at the vet’s place, filth had been expelled from his body. Sam climbed inside the jiggler and was given a piece of popcorn chicken for cooperating. He wasn’t sure what Ellie would do to him if he didn’t cooperate, but considering she had no qualms about kicking his head with a steel-toed boot, he didn’t want to find out. Ellie lifted the jiggler’s lid and covered Sam, cutting off his vision. A second later, Sam vibrated as his body was jiggled from side to side. The motions from the stone machine, if it could even be called that, was calming, and the congestion in his nose faded. His headache cleared up, and his stinging eyes stopped feeling so puffy.

Sam exhaled out a long breath and relaxed, enjoying the vibrations bouncing through his body. He lost track of time, but eventually, the lid was removed, and he was greeted by Ellie’s smiling face. “All better?” the small reptilian asked. “Let’s go play some games!”

“Don’t you have work to do?” Ellie’s mother’s voice asked from the walls, ceiling, and floor.

Ellie pouted. “Never mind, Sam,” she said and heaved a sigh. “Mommy says no fun allowed.” She held out her hand towards Sam. “I’ll bring you back to your room, okay? You have to stay there until I finish my homework.”

Sam wasn’t as disappointed by the news as Ellie was. For all he knew, reptilian games involved terrorizing humans because Ellie sure did seem to be having fun when she was beating the crap out of him. “Okay, sundak,” Sam said as he took the reptilian’s hand and climbed out of the jiggler.

“Good human!” Ellie said and clicked her bracelet before offering Sam a piece of popcorn chicken.

Sam wasn’t sure if he had to thank Ellie. Being treated like a pet was already degrading, but if he expressed gratitude to her too, he felt like he’d turn into a brownnoser and lose an important part of himself. Dignity! That was the word. He didn’t have much when he lived as a talentless, but he still had his pride. Of course, there was nothing shameful about accepting popcorn chicken from Ellie. He took the treat and popped it into his mouth before following Ellie back to his room where he found Raindu asleep in the center of the massive bed. No wonder why the ferret wasn’t around to defend him during the so-called training session.

A bitter expression appeared on Sam’s face, but afterwards, he shook his head. Hadn’t he made up his mind to not hide behind a little ferret? His eyes roamed around the room, and his gaze landed on the training equipment in the corner. There was everything he needed to train any part of his body; it’d be a waste not to take advantage of it considering there wasn’t much else he could do. His stomach gurgled. Well…. His gaze traveled to the other corner where all kinds of foods beckoned and waved at him to eat them. Training couldn’t be done on an empty stomach, right? If he wanted to reduce the impact of Ellie’s blows, obviously, he needed some more meat to cushion his organs; eating was training too.