POV: Pochi
My favourite things are master and meat!
“Oh my? Pochi hates me, huh?”
I don’t--I like Arisa too.
“Pochi hates Tama?”
“Is that so, I’m below meat, huh?”
Tama and Liza too? Please, wait.
“I see, Pochi likes meat more than everyone one, huh. It’s unfortunate, even though I’ve grilled a delicious steak.”
“I express regret.”
“Heartless.”
Au, Lulu too, it’s not like that--Nana and Mia too, please wait.
But, meat is delicious. So delicious it makes me happy.
“Then, Pochi doesn’t need us, right? Goodbye Pochi.”
It’s not like that. Wait!
***
“Please don’t go!”
“Wah, I’m surprised, what’s wrong, Pochi? Did you have a nightmare?”
When I look around restlessly, Tama is sleeping on top of Master’s lap.
Is this the camping ground?
I went to sleep when I was on night guard duty.
“Everyone was bullying me.”
“That was just a dream--everybody loves Pochi, so it’s alright, okay.” Master speaks in a kind tone and gently hugs me, patting my head and back. It feels good! I almost sleep because it feels too good!
I’m a disgrace of a slave if I leave the night watch to Master alone--I can see that Tama is sleeping on Master’s lap, but Tama is surely only pretending to be asleep. She surely is.
“I won’t feel sleepy with this.”
“It’s fine to sleep if your sleepy, you know?” Master said with his kind smile.
“I’m alright.”
However, the dinner we’ve eaten just now is too delicious, it’s no good. Happiness with a full stomach--
Ha?!
Critically dangerous.
I almost dozed off involuntarily.
For a time like this, it’s reading time.
“Master, I’d like you to read the picture book please.”
“Nn? The picture book that Arisa bought from the store, huh? Haven’t you become able to read now?”
This and that are different matter--it’s essential for Master to read it for me.
“Then, let’s read it together.”
“Yes!”
Master opened the book, “A loong, long time ago. The seven gods came here using the World Trees, from the wold of gods. The gods planted the World Trees in the ground, and used them as gathering places for the people--teaching them knowledge and words. And they, everyone lived together in happiness, happily ever after.”
“Not that, the story is not like that.”
Master isn’t serious, I should protest firmly.
Even though I gently play bite his shoulder, and gently hit my hands on his, strong, chest, Master only laughs with love and strokes my ears--Mmm, it feels good when Master plays with my ears.
“Alright, alright, I’ll read it properly.”
I open my eyes at Master’s words and look back at the book.
Master starts reading again, “The people lived peacefully and prospered greatly at the feet of the eight World Trees. However, there are actually nine gods in this world.
The eighth god is the God of Dragons--this god had been in the world before the other seven arrived with the World Trees. However, the God of Dragons was lazy, sleeping even when the world was changing around it--it was very surprised when it finally woke up, but it didn’t fuss over ‘small’ things, and it approved of the seven gods and got along with them.
However--the ninth god was different.”
Master pauses for effect.
I tap on the book--master should continue.
He laughs at my lack of patience.
When I see Master’s smile, I feel happy!
Master continues, “The ninth god was a Demon God who had traveled here from another world. It was really spoiled and couldn’t stand not being the best--it always tried to pick a fight with the other gods. It couldn’t be helped that the Demon God became envious when it saw the other gods were surrounded by various people and mythical beasts.
The Demon God created the Demons, to have them revere it. The Demons and their creator, the Demon God, bullied the other races.
The troubled gods protested, telling the Demons and Demon God not to act violently--but they were completely ignored.
Too bad, so sad. And then--the world was destroyed.”
“Jeez, Master is a bully. Not reading the picture book properly--is bad.”
Even though I’m complaining to Master, he’s giggling.
“I’ll read it properly this time.”
“You have to, absolutely. Let’s do a pinky promise?”
We link our little fingers, making a pinky promise.
Master’s finger is slender and beautiful--and strong--like the rest of Master.
Master started reading again, “One day, a tragedy occurred. The Demons that had gone wild, laid their hands on the Dragons, and the sleeping Dragon God. The Dragons who had their sleep disturbed began to violently rage, every Demon was burned by the Dragon’s breath.
Unfortunately, at the same time, the other Races were also burned.
The Demon God was also chased by the Dragon God--but the Demon God, who was quick at running away, continued to elude the Dragon God for 100 years. Finally, the Dragon God got tired, and went back to Dragon Valley.
The seven gods told the Dragon God that it was too excessive, but the Dragon God, who was half-asleep, swung its tail once--and blew away the gods beyond the mountains.
Ever since that time, the Demons never approached the Dragons, and are more stealthy with their bullying of weaker ones. The weakest and most bullied race, Humanity, asked the young goddess for the power to fight against the Demons.
The young goddess was very troubled.
Which is because the young goddess didn’t have the power to fight--she was troubled and consulted with the other gods, but all they did was nod along without trying to do anything.
So, the young goddess went to consult the strongest god, the Dragon God. Of course, she couldn’t borrow the power of the Dragons. If she did that, the damage would be greater than letting the Demons going wild--at first the Dragon God was unwilling to help, but since it liked the Human toys and liquor that the young goddess had brought along as gifts. The Dragon God taught her a single Magic--the Magic to summon a Hero--the Magic of hope.”
“Pochi also wants to be summoned! And then I’ll become a hero!”
“That’s right, if it’s Pochi--she will someday become a Hero.”
Pochi knows.
Oh, Lulu woke up--it’s soon breakfast!
Meat!
