"Morpho... what is all of this???" Mango asked with confusion as he looked around the room. "The cave wasn't very comfortable," Morpho said, a warming grin spreading across xir snout. "I was planning on bringing you here anyways!" Mango glanced at the soft cushions, then back to the magical grid of orbs. "Oh... this is very nice and all, but-" "MORPHO," Veneen interrupted, his loud voice booming through the chamber. "I SAID COME HERE." Morpho’s grin immediately turned into a frown. Without another word, xey turned on xir heel and left the room, following the black dragon out of the room. Mango watched xey go. He was completely trapped, deeply confused, and left wondering why Morpho had really brought him here in the first place. Mango was desperately tempted to escape this place, even though Veneen had strictly told him not to. More than anything, though, Mango just wanted to see Morpho again. He crept over to a large stained-glass window and peered out. They were way too high up to climb down. While he was a bat, his wing was still badly injured, making flight completely impossible. So, Mango waited. And waited. Hours passed, and he was beginning to feel like they had forgotten about him. Shortly after, Veneen finally came back into the room. "Follow me, Mango," the black dragon commanded. Mango obeyed, keeping his distance as he followed Veneen down a long corridor. The dragon led him into a massive, grand dining space. The sight of the huge table made Mango's stomach twist with anxiety. He stopped dead in his tracks, feeling completely uncomfortable. "You're not gonna... eat me, are you?" Mango squeaked. Veneen paused for a moment, slowly turning his head to look down at the tiny bat. "If I was gonna eat you, you would have already been eaten," Veneen said coldly, without a single stutter in his voice. "I guess that's a fair point..." Mango mumbled. They continued across the grand dining space, eventually sitting down at the table. The moment they settled in, Veneen fixed his gaze on Mango. Mango tried to break the eye contact, shifting uncomfortably under the dragon's attention. (Mango hates attention) "So, uhm, are we just gonna sit here, or-" "Morpho is hunting," Veneen cut him off. "Xey will be back shortly." "Oh, I don't eat meat-" Mango started to explain, but Veneen cut him off again. "Morpho knows that." "Oh-" "Just be quiet," Veneen snapped, interrupting him yet again. Mango shut his mouth, begining to feel a but of annoyance. He hated being cut off. Veneen simply continued to stare at him like a hawk watching a mouse, making the tension in the room almost unbearable. Morpho finally returned about six minutes later, carrying a fresh catch of wild game and a bundle of assorted fruits. "You are slower than molasses," Veneen grumbled, narrowing his eyes. Morpho completely ignored the comment. Xey tossed the game over to Veneen, then walked right past the black dragon to stand next to Mango. "How did he treat you?" Morpho asked softly. "Fine," Mango muttered, throwing a quick glance at Veneen, who was already tearing into his meal. Morpho glanced at the Veneen too, then gently set a pile of fresh food down in front of the bat. "Here's some fruit... I wasn't sure which one you liked most, so I figured these figs would be okay." "Oh, thanks!" Mango said, giving a warm smile to Morpho. "Are you gonna eat anything?" "No, I'm fine! I ate on the way, hehe..." Morpho replied, xir black-forked tongue slipping out to wipe a bit of stray blood from xir snout. Mango felt a flash of disgust at the messy sight, but he tried not to care too much. He looked down and focused on eating his figs instead. As soon as Veneen finished tearing into his wild game, he pushed his empty plate aside and leaned forward. "So... Mango." Mango swallowed . "Yes? What is it?" "Do you know why you are here?" Veneen asked, his gravelly voice dropping low. "I'm here because Morpho wanted me here...?" Mango guessed. Veneen laughed. "Yes, but do you know why xey brought you here?" Mango thought for a little bit, his mind racing. He had absolutely no idea what a creature like Veneen could possibly want from a tiny bat like him. "No... No, I don't know why xey brought me here..." "Xey brought you here to make a deal with us," Veneen revealed smoothly. "I have nothing to lose..." Mango stammered, "What could you possibly want from me?.." "You see... lately, our species has been decreasing due to starvation," Veneen said. He slowly stood up, as he walked around toward the tiny bat. He leaned down close, an odd smile stretching across his face. "We want your colony, Mango~" Collab with
