Micky left the crowd of fans. There were some cheers and some jeers but most of the crowd seemed to be very blase about the whole thing. Apparently the two light gladiators on the wings joining the fight was considered ‘cheating’. But by monster standards this was both a good and a bad thing. They like seeing torture and torment, cat and mouse, but they also like seeing and being in a good fight. This was why many of the spectators were actually participants. They were waiting for their turn in the arenas and have paid for a certain combatant to be brought in, they are facing a duel, or a challenge.

While the fight was interesting, Micky was more interested in other things. For example gaining some supplies, and a horse or mount that was not planning a revolt. In fact, he may want either another mount altogether or a larger variation that could allow for mags to be mounted up as well. She has been keeping up with the mounts fine so far with her monstrous physique but that was all. Even this last time she had been barely keeping up with a half [Dead] horse who was run to exhaustion.

Micky found the stable master easy enough. They also had ‘subordinates’ for sale as well, however, they would not help Micky change his profession unless he tamed them himself. So these were useless for Micky. In fact, they were even looked down upon by other monsters, at least those who bought them. It was actually rather simple, these particular ‘lesser’ monsters had heard about a thing called ‘pets’ and they want. So they have dolled themselves up like expecting potential wives at a harvest festival, which for monsters like them means staring at every passer by with their best puppy dog impression… All so that they can attract a potential ‘master’ to take care of their needs.

Let Micky tell you there was plenty enough there to fill Micky’s nightmares ten times over and then some. For example, there was this one toad with pupils that swapped vertically to horizontally in a hypnotic fashion… must by hypnotic toad… *Shivers* yeah, luckily the stable master knew about this trick since she used it all the time. So Micky was not forced into purchasing, and then serving, a toad for the rest of his life.

There were others of course, even a young land dragon. It would eventually become a real dragon!... In one to five thousand years… Yeah, it was obvious that all of these monsters were a scam. However, that didn’t mean they weren’t powerful. There was a thousand evil eyed shadow frog that had curse, confusion, mild hypnotism, shadow clone, and shadow manipulation, and other powers that Micky was tempted to purchase. However, Micky was here for a mount, and while he had a wealth of lives at the moment, he was not sure how far they would go. For example, the land dragon while fitting all of his needs, was also 100 red tokens… paid to the land dragon itself after the stable masters fees. Did Micky mention that the land dragon was just a child and only 2-3 feet long? Micky feels Micky should have mentioned that…

Moving on to the mounts Micky felt both underwhelmed and more satisfied with the price to purchase ratio. While most were basic mounts like horses or ostrich, there were some of the more exotic… basic mounts like camel or land lizard. Apparently they did have some of the entertaining mounts like wyvern or thunder bird in on occasion but they had the annoying habit of becoming enlightened and transforming into humans after a few years. Micky figured he would have a look around. Preferably he wanted to have two quality mounts or one large higher quality mounts. What Micky did not want was a mount that would end up redundant with mags own physique. Buying a mount for her would be pointless if she was faster, stronger, and with better stamina.

Micky was tempted to just purchase the land lizard when he came upon the last mount in the stables. She was alone in an almost regal splendor as she lay on a royal red satin tarp. Covered from head to toe in scale, the front half was covered in scale plates, while the back half was covered in scale so fine as to be almost invisible and could be rubbed off with ones fingers. This did not mean that the rear was a weakness, quite the opposite, it was just as protected as the for plates, possibly more as projectiles like javelins and arrows would glide off the sacrificial scales. The fore legs of the beauty were those of an ostrich while the rear legs were those of a horse. Her head was almost draconic with long blunt and spiky antlers that held more blunt shoots that also jutted out towards the heaves, like they had blunted themselves trying to pierce the sky itself. She held a main of black and green pheonix feathers running down her spine that became her tail. Lastly her rear hooves were the split hooves of a dear and not the solid hoof of a horse. Yes, she was a thing of monstress beauty… Mags didn’t like her, not one bit.

“Ahh, that one. Little right princess there that is.” Said the stable master taking the time to huck a loogy in between. “One O’ those fancy lords brought er’ in after he wrecked er’ parents for sport. Whole heard gone fer entertainment. Wish I were there, must have been glorious. Anywho, she won’t settle fer nobody no how, something about you gots to have a nobility about you, er’ somethin’. You want that one you gots to gets her yourself.” The stable master said, making sure to stay far away from where she was mounted. The quilin looked at the stable master like she was insulted to be in his presence and the stable master made a rude gesture right back with his hands… Then continued making gestures and doing things with his hands just to show them off apparently. The quilin looked exasperated like this was a common game for the stable master.

Micky hesitated but took a step into the enclosure. Couldn’t hurt anything to try, or it could but the stable master would be obligated to bale him out if it did. Marginal safety concerns aside he strode in like a noble observing a small begotten stretch of his domain.

The quilin perked up at this without moving from her perch. She had now long forgotten that whatshisname that she was blatantly putting out of her memory. This should be entertainment for at least until the next idiot tries to come out to entice her. Not like she was planning on letting any of those idiots succeed. She had set those requirements simply so that she wouldn’t have to deal with anyone besides those she could stomp with her own hooves.

Micky continued to slowly pace toward the quilin until he was a comfortable distance away from her. He knew he was well within her range now, but she was just barely in his, or at least closing distance had he been a warrior and not… whatever type of combatant he was.

The quilin flared her nostrils in surprise. She sniffed the air to see what trick this new fop had planned. It would not be the first time, little bit of [Charm] powder here, a mild sedative on the wind, anything to dull her mind and bring a sense of calm and confidence. It wouldn’t work… so why wasn’t she sensing it.

She stood up, it was the first time in a long time that she had stood. She preferred to mope about her predicament. She may still be a lesser monster from a lesser species but she was still of the prowd quilin line and would not settle for less!

Then Micky made a courtly bow, like one would to a dance partner at a spring social. Surprise colored the quilin’s face and she found herself returning the bow. A slow clap brought the two out of their moment. “Well, guess that means yous going tah except each others then. I’ll go gets the paperwork.” Stated the stable master. The quilin looked like she was going to object. After all it was but a moment, true that had been the first time anyone had even remotely seemed decent to her in all the time she had been here but that still didn’t mean that she had allowed this pleb to lead her into glorious battle… and he was already gone, damn it!