In Misery and Relief

[Opal]

There were two Desmonds in MM's top thirty (or top twenty-four, technically), but thankfully only one got in. That might've been a bit awkward otherwise. :P

[Opal]

Posted on behalf of the author:

Name: Weylan Thomas
Species: Stoat
Gender: Male


Wild cheering erupted from the crowd of vermin spectators as two slaves, a mouse and a squirrel, were dragged into the fight pit.  The two creatures writhed against their bonds and fought against their captors, but they were too weak and starved to do anything effective against them.  As the vermin restraining them made it into the small crater, they cut the slaves free of their bonds and pushed them roughly into the dusty ring.  The slaves weakly made themselves stand up, their legs shaking with anxiety.  As they stood, the cheering died.

?Hello there.?

The two slaves stared blankly at the source of the voice; a stoat garbed in an expensive crimson coat.

He leaned over the pit?s railing and grinned at them slyly. ?My name is Weylan Thomas and I am one of your master?s associates.  Do you know the reason why you are
here??

The mouse slave shook his head. ?N-n-no sir, w-we don?t.?

?Then let me answer that question for you.  You are here because your masters think that you are the most incompetent and weakest of their slaves.  But instead of killing you, they have given you a second chance.?  Weylan smiled as the two slaves? eyes dilated with a sense of hope. ?But?? the stoat added, ?only one of you will get that chance.  The pit that you?re standing in is known as the ?blood hole.?  It?s a simple mechanism that I came up with in which I place two beasts inside and make them fight.  You slaves will fight each other to the death for our enjoyment.  Whichever one of you survives the battle will be freed from your master and from slavery altogether.?

The two creatures stood stock-still, unsure about what to do until finally the squirrel slave spoke. ?And what happens if we don?t fight??

Weylan made a quick motion with his paw.  Immediately a group of archers surrounded the Blood Hole with their arrows trained on the two creatures in the pit.  ?Then you?ll both die.  Kill or be killed, it?s that simple.?

Both slaves turned and stared at each other for a single heartbeat.  Then all hell broke loose as they charged at one another.  Immediately the spectators cheered.

The mustelid chuckled as the two rolled on the floor, locked in combat.

Weylan kept watching the carnage below, smiling every time one of the beasts would score a scratch or bite on the other.  Slaves would do anything for freedom, even if it meant killing their own kind.  In truth, they were just as much of vermin as he was.  And that was why he smiled.

A shrill scream exploded from the pit as the mouse sank his teeth into the squirrel?s neck.  The slave tried to shake him off, but the rodent wouldn?t let go.  The squirrel gave one last gasp before he collapsed to the ground in a dead heap.  The winner backed away, shocked at what he had done.

?So how does it feel?? The rodent instantly turned his head and looked at Weylan.  The stoat?s smile had turned into a serious frown. ?How does it feel to know that you ended somebeast?s life?  And how will you live with yourself, knowing that you?re just like me; that you?re just like a vermin??

?I?m nothing like you!? The mouse yelled.

?Are you sure?  Do you know why you killed him?  It was because of your selfish desire to be free!? A wildcat handed Weylan a bow and arrow, ?And now you?ll get your wish.?

?W-what is this?? The slave stuttered.

Weylan grinned again and pulled the bowstring back. ?Freedom.?

[Opal]

Again, posted on behalf of the author.

Name: Barnes Whittleflit
Species: Bat
Gender: Male


The pleasant warmth of the evening sun shining through leaves of the oak trees did little to revive Barnes? bleary eyes. He exhaled an exasperated sigh, removing his rather large half-moon spectacles, with just a bit of difficulty manipulating them in his wings. He then began to polish them with his right thumb, which admittedly wasn?t very effective cleaning. After a few wasted moments, he returned them to his snout to find the little mouse he had been waiting on for the past eight hours scurrying toward him.

?Well, you?re not the most punctual little creature, are you, Fredrick?? The mouse looked at the bat with a confused look for a moment, and then just grinned.

?Sorry Mr. Barnes, Sah! Me mum had me doin? chores all day. I barely escaped!? Then seriousness crept into his face as he asked ?Oh yeah, Sah, did you get any sleep today??

Barnes breathed in heavily again, shaking his head. ?I?m afraid I didn?t yet again, little Fredrick. My eyes will just not stay shut. It?s beginning to run me ragged.?

Confusion found itself in the young mouse?s expression again. ?Erm, who?s Fredrick??

Barnes chuckled. ?Why, that?s just hysterical! You, not knowing the name your own Mum gave you!?

The little mouse continued to look baffled. ?But Sah, my name?s Whiffle. You know that.?

Barnes stared blankly at the young mouse. ?Hm, that?s quite a pity. I can?t imagine you growing up with a name like that. Besides, Fredrick sounds much more sophisticated.?

The tiny mouse looked upset for just a second, but then a spark of realization struck his features. ?But wait, your name isn?t really Barnes. Isn?t it?Wittle-Flick or somethin??  That doesn?t sound very ?sophisticated?.?

Barnes? amber eyes went dark for a moment, and then he looked as intimidating as he could to the young beast. ?Actually it?s Whittle-flit, and I would appreciate it if you didn?t mention it again, mention it again.?

Whiffle giggled. ?You?re doin? it again.?

Barnes stared at the mouse with a puzzled expression, when realization suddenly hit the bat, and he smacked his forehead with a great leathery wing. ?Cripes, I did, didn?t I? And here I am, thinking I had solved that irritating impediment!?

With a huff, he removed his glasses yet again, vigorously rubbing his black-rimmed eyes with a look of immense frustration on his face. After a few minutes of fiddling with his spectacles and smoothing out the creases in his black cloak, he replaced the pair of eyeglasses back onto the bridge of his nose. ?Fine, ?Whiffle?, just go and fetch me that beetle for examination.?

Whiffle grinned. ?Sure thing, Mr. Barnes!? The mouse began to scamper off, but then stopped and wheeled around to face the bat. ?Wait, are you gonna eat this one like the last time??

The bat gave the mouse a sly little smile. ?But of course! One must have a meal every once in a while, correct? I admit it is a little barbaric to eat an insect, but we have to do what we can.? Whiffle flashed another childish grin, and then skipped off into the underbrush, making such a ruckus it would be a miracle if he could even catch a cold.

Barnes inhaled deeply, and released yet another sigh. That specimen had better be worth all this trouble that kit is giving me. The bat lifted his head to squint his sleepy eyes towards the glowing sun. Oh, if only you were a tad bit dimmer so that I might have a better chance of finally catching a few desperately needed winks, desperately needed winks. The bat blinked. ?Gates, I did it again!

They'd also like me to point out that Gran Goretail was not a vermin granny, but a depressed, drunken male rat. :P

[Jarrtail]

Weird... :-\