Chương 16: Scion of Chaos

Two days of home renovation had changed my cabin completely. That and Tala. At least I suspected it was Tala. Too many items had suspiciously been destroyed during the renovation for it to have been anything other than intentional. I also noticed that many of the items that smelled the most like Shelly had mysteriously had 'accidents.' As for the workers, they'd finally left. I wasn't sure whether to thank them for doing a great job or blame them for covering for Tala.

Either way, I now had a raccoon-accessible bathroom and magnetic cabinet latches. Among a host of other upgrades. They'd also moved the items I used the most to the bottom cabinets, while the items Shelly used would be up higher. Alder also added some other security enhancements, such as additional security cameras and trip alarms. Tala spent the morning telepathically critiquing the workmanship and complaining that they were invading her privacy. Still, something about her comments were off.

Although it might have been my imagination, I was starting to feel a flavor to her thoughts. For the life of me, I got the impression that she was very pleased with the workers. Pushing such thoughts aside, I enjoyed a peaceful breakfast of berries and fruits until I heard a car pull up. Through the window, I could see Shelly getting out of her beat-up Honda. Pierre climbed out of the passenger side. He was carrying what looked like...

"Is that a pet carrier?" I asked Tala. She hopped onto the table to get a better look. Her mental voice carried amusement mixed with indignation. Looks like the wolf thinks he's funny. The knock on the door came a few seconds later. I waddled over and opened it with my new accessible door handle. Another miracle of modern engineering.

"Ready for the big meeting?" Shelly asked. She was dressed up more than usual. She was wearing nice jeans and a sweater that actually matched. Also, her boots had been cleaned. Pierre stood behind her, grinning like he'd just pulled the prank of the century. In his hands was definitely a pet carrier. It was pink with little paw prints on it.

"What's with the cat taxi?" I asked, glaring unhappily at the offending eyesore.

"Thought you might need transportation," Pierre said. His voice was all innocence, but his eyes were laughing.

"You know, to keep you safe during the trip." Shelly elbowed him in the ribs.

"Pierre." Still, even I could tell that she was amused.

"What? It's practical," he said.

"There's even a blanket inside. If you get bored, you can look out the bubble window." I stared at the pink monstrosity.

"You want me to ride to a supernatural political gathering in a Hello Kitty carrier?" Even he has to know how incredibly stupid that would be, I thought. I think.

"It was on sale," Pierre said. I highly doubted that. In fact, he must have driven around to a lot of places. That or he had it sent as a rush shipment.

"And that's why you don't have a blessing yet," I muttered. Tala chittered with what sounded like laughter. At least someone's enjoying this, I thought. Shelly shot Pierre a look that completely failed to hide her amusement.

"I already told you we're not putting him in a pet carrier." Her words were the complete opposite from the look in her eyes, though.

"I could carry him," Pierre offered.

"But what if I trip? What if there's a sudden stop? Safety first."

"I'll carry him," Shelly said firmly. I was about to climb into her arms when Tala grabbed my tail and yanked. Hard. Ow! What the hell? I thought at her. Her mental voice was sharp with territorial authority. That's not happening, kit. I'm not letting you snuggle with the human while I get stuffed in the reject mobile.

"Uh," I said. I looked between Shelly's outstretched arms and Tala's bristled tail.

"Change of plans." You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Tala hopped directly into Shelly's arms. She settled herself like a furry queen claiming her throne. Her mental voice purred with satisfaction. Much better. Pierre can carry you. I groaned.

"Really?" You want to cause a scene before we even get to the meeting? she asked. Pick your battles, kit. Pierre looked confused.

"Did I miss something?"

"Tala's calling the shots," I said.

"Apparently you get to carry me."

"Seriously? You're letting your woman tell you what to do?"

"She's very territorial," Shelly explained while narrowing her eyes at Pierre's comment. Then she pointedly ignored Pierre and scratched behind Tala's ears. Tala leaned into it with smug satisfaction. Pierre set down the pet carrier and crouched next to me.

"Okay, how do we do this without me accidentally crushing you?"

"Carefully," I said. I climbed onto his outstretched palm.

"And if you make any cracks about pocket pets, I'm biting you."

"Noted," Pierre said, although I could tell he was still trying to come up with something funny to say. Thankfully, he failed to come up with anything witty. I could see the disappointment in his eyes and almost felt sorry for him. Almost. Pierre sighed and lifted me up to shoulder level. It was weird being this high up without climbing something first. His shoulder was broader than Shelly's. More stable. But it felt less... comfortable.

"Everyone ready?" Shelly asked. We trooped out to her Honda. Pierre opened the passenger door and slid in. I settled between them on the seat. Shelly got in the driver's side with Tala still nestled in her arms. Tala immediately leaped onto me. She landed squarely on my stomach and knocked the wind out of me.

"Sorry about that," she said. We both knew she wasn't sorry. That had obviously been on purpose. Yep, wait until later, I thought. Someone's going to get their tail shaved soon. What did I even do to deserve that? Maybe I should call PETA or ASPCA and let them know about this domestic violence.

"Seat belts," Shelly said, clearly trying not to laugh.

"How exactly am I supposed to buckle a raccoon?" Pierre asked.

"Wing it," Shelly said. Pierre awkwardly pulled the seat belt across while I caught my breath. Tala settled into my lap like she belonged there, completely unaware of my glare. Actually, she wasn't so much in my lap. Rather, she was sitting on top of me since she was bigger than I was. I knew enough to shut up and not say anything though. Shelly started the car and pulled out of the driveway.

"You know," I said, "a month ago my biggest worry was whether my solar panel would make it through winter."

"And now?" Shelly asked. She didn't sound like she really cared. Probably distracted and thinking about what is about to happen, I thought. Not taking any offense, I said, "Now I'm riding to a supernatural political summit with a territorial Norse squirrel and a werewolf who thinks I belong in a pet carrier."

"Could be worse," Pierre said.

"How?" Shelly asked. She actually seemed to be getting into the conversation now.

"The carrier could have been purple," Pierre said solemnly. I looked at him.

"That's your idea of worse?"

"I hate purple," he added.

"You're an idiot," Shelly laughed, clearly amused. I repressed the desire to dig my claws into Pierre's leg. Shelly hadn't cared that much when I started the conversation, but as soon as Pierre steps in, she pays attention. I mentally muttered, Freaking six-foot-tall hunks with abs of steel. Focus, kit, Tala's mental voice cut through the banter. We're about to meet beings who've been around longer than your entire species. Try not to embarrass yourself. The road started winding upward into the hills.

More cars joined the procession. I saw license plates from other states. Pennsylvania. Ohio. Even one from Montana. Then I saw the deer. She was lying on the side of the road. At first, I thought she was dead. Then I noticed the faint twitch of her chest.

"Stop the car," I said. I didn't know why I felt compelled to, but I couldn't resist. Shelly swerved slightly, surprised by my outburst. Then she pulled over without asking why. For a moment, I felt a surge of affection for her. It felt amazing that she did what I asked without asking for a reason.

"Why are we stopping?" Pierre asked.

"It's too late, we should keep…" I stared at him. So did Shelly. Her expression went cold.

"Get out," she said quietly. Pierre realized he'd screwed up.

"I didn't mean…"

"Out. Now," Tala said. Her cold tone made a shiver go down my spine. Perhaps realizing the thin ice he was standing on, Pierre opened the door. However, I was already scrambling over him before he could climb out. By the time I reached the deer, I could see that it was too late. The twitch I'd seen had been her last struggle. I waddled over to her still-warm body. She was beautiful. Without thinking, I placed my paw on her chest. I just wanted to... I don't know.

Maybe say sorry or at least acknowledge she'd existed. Then the system flared in my mind. CHILD OF CHAOS ACTIVATED. Nature's Blessing Granted. Resurrecting Odocoileus Virginianus Scion of Chaos Created MESSAGE FROM GAIA. Three's Company Golden light poured out of me like water from a broken dam. It flooded into the deer. Her chest heaved. Her eyes snapped open, wild and confused. My subconscious was screaming at me in Steve Urkel's voice, 'Did I do that?'