Daily Short: Kyo 17

ACT  963161069-33889.19.31

“Drink?” Kyo said, holding out the pink potion to Talos. The older male catkin gave her a flat stare and a negative headshake. Kyo switched her target to Mr. Clay, but the brick had mysteriously vanished from her shoulder and appeared on Talos’s. She slanted her eyes and glanced at Nota with a hopeful look, but the sizeable floating book popped away with a rush of displaced teleportation air.

Kyo looked at the surrounding vines in the lab. Her eyes dimmed as every vine suddenly decided to be busy doing vine stuff. It was clear no one wanted to try the suspicious pink potion that was now dimly glowing with radiance.

Before she could muster the courage to take the potion herself, Kyo saw one of the vines pointing at a wall. Moving down her stepping stool, she shuffled to the wall, staring blankly at it. The vine tapped the wall at specific points, revealing a small corridor. Entering inside, Kyo found glass enclosures that were lined with a variety of creatures. Tiny vines handled disposing of waste, feeding, and watering. Her eyes twitched as she saw cute little white-furred four legs.

A gentle tap from the vine that had led her here broke her dreams of fried white four-leg. After using Plant Manipulation IV, she understood that all these animals were available for testing. They had been purchased by the Lion, Robert, so she had test subjects to work with.

Brilliant! Kyo thought as her eyes narrowed at the thought of Talos, Mr. Clay, and Nota’s refusal to test her safe potion. Here are victims, no, loyal test subjects!

With a request, the vines moved a small four-leg from the white furry group back into the lab. She placed the little creature into a glass containment box that had a narrow aperture. She stepped up the stool and used Plant Manipulation IV to ask for help. A few seconds later, a wooden box with a syringe inside arrived from another vine. After a brief demonstration by the vines, Kyo understood what to do. The needle was filled and then injected into the mouse without delay. The pink liquid made the veins glow brightly under the four-leg’s furry skin.

Kyo’s eyes sparkled with green glints as she watched the tiny creature. Almost thirty heartbeats later and the white fur turned a bright pink color. Then the beast inside the glass box fell over and started twitching. A frown marred Kyo’s face. She didn’t want to fall over and twitch unless she was stuffed with delicious food!

A minute later, the critter sprang up as if resurrected from the dead and ran in circles within the box. Kyo’s frown deepened. How unreliable was this Spirit Walker potion to revive the dead!

More tests are needed. I can’t have an unreliable potion in play! Kyo thought with annoyance. She stoppered the pink potion and had the vines clear the table up. The glass box was removed and placed in a medium size metal cage. The vines assured her they would keep watch. Nodding at them, Kyo let the vines undress her lab gear leaving only the white shirt, before they stored everything away, including the potion. Testing could continue later. It was time for one of the important meals of the day, lunch!

Talos carried Kyo into the kitchen so she didn’t have to use green teleportation. While teleporting was faster, she didn’t want to feel nauseous right before eating. That would result in precious food being lost to the evil white porcelain gods. Nota had provided her information, so it was trustworthy.

Once the cook began operation, Kyo swayed from side to side in delight. Meat, meat, meat!

Kyo peeked over the counter at the sizzling skillet grilling new white meat. Talos gave her a gimlet eye but kept cooking. As he looked away, a vine stealthily crept over from the side. Without even pausing in his motions of food preparation, a whirling cleaver was thrown out with shadowy speed. Kyo’s ears deflated from their perky triangles as the first attempt to sample the new meat failed.

“What type of meat is that?” Kyo asked after several subsequent attempts failed in various ways.

“It’s from a flightless bird,” Talos said, not looking up from spicing the meat.

Flightless bird? Kyo thought with question marks on her head.

Chicken. Kudzu replied through her connection to her Patron.

Delicious? Kyo asked.

Exquisite. It is such excellent prey. A bird that cannot fly is stupid and has a five-vine rating of taste. Kudzu replied with enthusiasm.

“Chicken! Chicken! Chicken!” Kyo chanted, dancing around.

“I won’t serve a dancing kitten who hasn’t washed her hands,” Talos said without mercy.

Kyo’s ears drooped, and she immediately shuffled off to wash, muttering chicken under her breath rebelliously.

Even as she moved, a strange series of letters and numbers appeared in her upper right view. She wondered what it was, but the reply came without prompting.

Do not be alarmed. It is a connection between the past and present to all those the Silver Empress, Eve Smith, acknowledges. Kudzu informed her with pride. The numbers denote a specific value of time linked to the Anomaly. Do not be concerned with it for now.

Kyo nodded. The chicken was far more important, as Kudzu understood!