Ruler Of Iron And Flesh

Inian and Burt decided to head back to Preah, and while walking in the streets, Burt said, "Inian, what I think you need is a break! You need to get out of your head a bit and just have some fun for today."

"I can't Burt, Janae is struggling under the hands of one of those descendants. Even more powerful ones than the one we just killed. We can't stop for a moment."

Burt shook held up a hand to stop Inian, "it won't help her at all if you are going to go crazy as you did back there. If you go crazy after you rescue her, then you are just going to kill her instead."

Inian sighed, "alright, what do you want to do right now?"

Burt winked, "I have the perfect idea for you!"

He led Inian into a small shop in one of the large districts of the city. Inian could smell animals and monsters as soon as he walked inside.

"Really, Burt? You brought me to a pet store?"

Burt laughed, "well, you are the monster king! Makes sense for you to have a monster that can go anywhere with ya. A companion! I would recommend..."

Burt was trailing off, naming different kinds of animals and monsters when Inian set his eyes on a specific beast. It was a black wolf, and it was sleeping until Inian walked up closer to it. Its eyes were bright blue, and its yawn was quiet and adorable.

Inian cut Burt off, "this is the animal I want."

Burt looked at the wolf, "don't you want something a little easier to take care of? Or an animal that can stay around you easier?"

Inian smiled, "no, this little guy is who'd I like."

He looked into the monster's eyes, "I think I'm going to call you Dakota."

Dakota yipped and wagged its tail, then Burt looked at the clock. "Oh dang it! I'm sorry Inian, I forgot that I was supposed to report to the Queen. I only have a few minutes left! I've gotta run!"

He burst out the shop door, rushing to the Queen's mechanical castle.

Inian shrugged and went around to buy food and a leash. He paid the shop owner for Dakota and left the store.

"Where do you want to go, boy?"

Dakota yipped and began running around Inian's legs, wrapping the leash around him.

"no, don't do that!"

He was trying to untangle himself when he heard gunshots coming down an alley. Dakota went quiet and stuck his tail in between his legs.

Inian quietly moved towards the sound but tied Dakota up against a pole so he wouldn't give him away.

He peeked around the corner of the alley and saw a cloaked man running away with a pistol in his hand. A body was lying on the ground, and blood seeped around it.

Inian ran towards the body, "Hey, are you okay?!" It was a woman with several gunshot wounds. He began to use his power to heal her, but it didn't work.

'She's already dead,' He thought.

"Don't move!"

Inian looked behind him to see a couple of guards that were aiming pistols at him.

"Hey look, I'm not the one that killed her. It was another person wearing a cloak around them; I didn't see their face."

The guards moved closer, "yeah right, as if we believe you!"

Inian sighed, "you guys can figure it out later then."

He moved so fast that the guards didn't have a chance to blink. In an instant, he was behind them and administered only a small shock to their bodies to paralyze them.

They spastically dropped to the ground.

"Sorry guys, but I've been captured a few times before, and I'm afraid I don't like the feeling."

He walked back to get Dakota and walked back to Burt's home.

Inian played with Dakota for a while, teaching him out to sit or stay by his side without a leash. Dakota learned incredibly fast.

'To think, the shop owner said he was only a month old too.'

Suddenly, Burt stepped through the door, groaning.

"What is it, Burt?"

"That report was a nightmare. They all had a hard time believing me when I said that we slew one of the descendants at the Titan level. That's all not including the fact that the Queen was incredibly furious that I was a few minutes late."

Burt went and got a heavy alcoholic drink, then took a large swig, "now, she has another mission for me, and you. But only if you're willing. Your sovereignty prevents her from being able actually to command you to do something."

He took another swig, "apparently, since the fall of the Empire, crime in the Ranid Kingdom has come to an all-time high. The drug production there is even beginning to affect Irigia. That is highly strange, because I've lived here all my life, and I've never known Irigia to have a drug problem."

Inian thought back to the time where he and Janae went there to escape the Empire, only to end up prisoners in one of the Lord's arenas.

"She wants us to go to the Ranid Kingdom and discover who is selling these mass amounts of drugs. Then eliminate them, of course."

Inian's thoughts swam, "wait, what if the one selling the drugs is a high enough ranking official that they declare war on Irigia?"

Burt shrugged, "the Queen is almost hoping for that. The military in Irigia is stronger than ever after the fight with the Empire. She wants to put an end to the drugs and criminals coming into her country. No matter the cost."

Inian nodded, "well, maybe fighting some people will give me an idea for how to fight the remaining descendants, so, I'm in."

Burt smiled, "that's what I'm talking about! You would be perfect because we will need to go undercover some. That would make me really nervous without any weapons, but YOU are a living weapon! They will never see it coming."

He looked at the time again, "we'll get started in the morning. For now rest. Then, we've got some heads to bash."