More Than Human

Chapter 61: Precious

Soap woke up very comfy and warm. He planned on just leaving his eyes closed to continue his cozy nap, but he felt something batting gently at his face and mohawk so he opened his eyes. He was met with a face full of cat beast.

"I see you've met Precious."

Soap grunted and sat up straight. He found Price crouched by Gaz. He was tying little sheets of paper with writing and symbols on them to his branches with twine. The cat, apparently Precious, left him alone and pranced over to Price and rubbed against his legs, wings gently fluttering.

"Precious?" Soap murmured, rubbing sleep from his eyes. The captain nodded and the cat let out a let squeak of affirmation. "What is Precious exactly?"

Price sat back, finishing tying the last piece of paper off. He smiled and scooped Precious up, flipping her over like a baby and rubbing her soft belly, "She's a very scary dragon. Aren't you, Precious? Daddy's little princess."

Soap blinked at the happy purring creature in Price's arms. Confused both by the way his captain was speaking to her, and also what he had called her.

"That's a dragon?" A voice spoke from the little bridge.

Soap turned to find Ghost, leaning against one of the bridge posts in the shade. Soap could see his equally confused eyes at the sight of Price.

"She sure is!" Price confirmed, holding her out in front of him under her front legs. He wiggled her back and forth, her back legs and lizard tail dangling and flopping around loosely. Her tongue flicked out at Ghost.

Ghost's eyes slid off Precious and back up to Price, "Dragons aren't real, Captain."

Price furrowed his brow and pulled Precious back to his chest, "You're so right, Simon. In other news I think we should get you a psych eval, claiming to be a vampire is concerning considering they don't exist."

Simon fidgeted around for a bit, not being able to come up with a comeback he relented, "Touché, Captain."

"I didnae know dragons were so... so... catlike." Soap commented.

"Well, not all of them are. It's sort of... personal." Price explained, allowing the cat to settle on his shoulders, resting its front paws and head on his hat.

"What's that mean?" Ghost asked, stepping across the way to settle on one of the cushions in the shade of a large rose bush.

Price sighed and started fiddling with some bottles and vials on his belt. "S'pose I should explain all of... this," He gestured all around them, "to you lads."

He dipped his finger into one of the vials and started to mark each of the papers hanging off of Gaz's branches, "My family has been in this business for a long time."

"What business is that exactly, sir?" Soap asked.

"Guardianship." Price told him, "Of endangered species that is. And, well, that includes monsters like you lot. This estate has been in my family for generations. It got a little lonely when my uncle died, as I'm sure you can imagine."

"Aye. I cannae imagine livin' in this big house all on your lonesome." Soap agreed.

Price nodded before continuing, "I wasn't super interested in the family business at the time. I was, however, interested in all the magic my ancestors used to perform. But it was a bit of a lost art. I taught myself how to read the old words and tongues. Sort of dedicated myself to it."

He let a few drops of purple liquid drip into Gaz's soil, "Then I met Kate. She convinced me to combine some of my magical knowledge with my military prowess. I still wasn't interested in the monster half of things until I found Kyle that day. I made a commitment to help him so I brought him home with me. And the morning after I made that vow, I woke up with Precious sleeping on my chest."