Chapter - 31

Biscuit danced a storm; the happy squeals didn't stop, but Jenny couldn't pay attention. In front of her, the new parchment, fancier and not crumbling, didn't have words. Instead, she looked at a portrait of her own image.

Portrait-Jenny wore a dress that hugged her figure. Crafted from a rich black fabric, which seemed to absorb light, the dress fell just above her knees in a perfect A-silhouette. A white, pristine apron wrapped around her waist. The crisp fabric had delicate laces along the hem. Portrait-Jenny's blonde hair cascaded in golden locks, pulled back from her face, and secured under a small, frilly white cap atop her head.

The sleeves of the dress were short and puffed, edged with white cuffs that matched the high, lace-trimmed collar encircling her neck. A small round metal disc hung from the collar; it had a strange inscription inside, blocky lines that didn't match any of the languages she knew. "PET" was inscribed on the disk. The woman in the image wore sheer white stockings that climbed to mid-thigh, and the footwear was a pair of polished black shoes with modest heels.

Portrait-Jenny had chains that tied her wrists and pulled her arms up and to the sides. She sat on the ground, face cast down.

Behind Portrait-Jenny sat another woman. White hair flowed like waterfall of moonlight down her shoulders, framing a face that was beautiful and otherworldly. The woman's eyes, glowing with predatory glean, were fixed intently on Portrait-Jenny, their color a profound, mesmerizing crimson. Horns grew from the woman's head, curving forward at the sides. It reminded Jenny of goat horns.

The red-eyed woman's attire was made of leather but far from conventional. It was black, polished to a high sheen, and fashioned into an ensemble that left nothing to the imagination. It hugged her body in a series of straps and bands, each piece accentuating the curves and contours of her body. Two bat-like wings grew from her back.

The woman had one arm wrapped around Portrait-Jenny from behind, resting possessively at the waist, the fingers splayed against the fabric of the dress. The other hand held a crystal goblet with blue liquid sloshing inside; the goblet was less than half full. The woman's tail, long and sinuous, wrapped around Portrait-Jenny's thigh. The woman leaned forward, her white hair mingling with Jenny's blonde locks. The half-smile on the woman's face was smug, self-satisfied, and revealed sharp teeth.

In front of the Duo, arranged neatly on the ground, were several stone tablets, each with different words, ones she could read but didn't know what they meant. Personal Info, Attributes, Abilities, and many others.

Biscuit still danced his happy dance.

"What the hell is this?" Jenny yelled, eyes still glued to the parchment. "Is this what you wanted me to see? Why? Who is this woman?"

Biscuit stopped his dancing and tittered.

Jenny glanced away from the image. The rabbit had tilted his head in question, nose twitching inquisitively.

"I don't understand. What does this mean? Why did you want me to see it?" Jenny asked.

Biscuit nuzzled her hand again, then tittered away. It was a long, complicated, and nonsensical string of sounds. This time, it didn't sound so creepy. It was even a bit cute now that she knew he was only trying to talk, but it didn't help.

With one hand scratching the base of Biscuit's ears, Jenny focused on the parchment again. The image was like looking at a reflection in the mirror. Not like Jenny's cheap one in her room, but those fancy ones owned by wealthy nobles. The clothing, from the horny lady and Portrait-Jenny, looked made from fabric she had never seen before. The thread on the dress was impossibly small, and she never even knew leather could be polished to that degree.

Jenny glanced at the tablet, focusing on the first one. It moved, coming to the front of the parchment, the text changing.

Personal info.

Name: Jennifer of Ravenshade.

Age: 7497 days.

Gender: Female.

Race: Human.

How did this thing know her name and age? Jenny brushed the tablet away, and it returned to its resting place. She glanced at the next.

Attributes.

Strength (STR): 12.

Constitution (CON): 14.

Size (SIZ): 11.

Dexterity (DEX): 14.

Intelligence (INT): 11.

Power (POW): 11(9)[Contract].

Charisma (CHA): 14.

Jenny had no idea what any of those meant. The words were known, but not what they meant in this context. She waved this one away, still feeling strange that the parchment responded to her movements. She focused on the next.

Abilities.

Trait: Magical Familiar.

Title: One of a kind.

This made so little sense. Jenny knew of title holders, they were often regarded as living legends. Was this the same thing? Did she have a title? Shouldn't she know what it was? She looked at the following tablets, eyes glossing over the massive amount of numbers and words that made no sense. Skills and Advanced skills seemed to map her whole life, listing things she knew and learned over the twenty years of her life.

Jenny stopped at the second-to-last tablet: it read Magic. She didn't notice her fingers trembling. She pointed at it, and the thing moved forward, displaying its content.

Magic.

Tradition: Sorcery [Contract].

Skill: Invocation.

Manipulation: Shaping.

And there it was. Jenny remembered the words: power, knowledge, and a chance to live. In the attribute tablet, she noticed the power linked to contract. Now, here is magic knowledge, also related to contract. She guessed the last part also happened; since she was alive, the dagger wound should have killed her. She glanced at the last tablet. It read spells but had no new info there. Jenny didn't know any spells, which was not a surprise.

"Stauus". Biscuit said.

Jenny glanced down at the rabbit. It made sense he also had something similar. What was he? Where had he come from?

"Shaaare." He said, and something else appeared by the parchment's side.

It was a sleek, blue-colored panel written in the language she knew, but the text was blocky. The image this time was Biscuit, sitting down and holding a crystal cup. Like hers, it was almost empty. At the bottom of the blue panel, the same words displayed on the tablets. She pointed at Personal info.

Personal info.

Name: Biscuit.

Age: 49 days.

Gender: Female.

Race: Mutant Dwarf Horned Rabbit.

Evolution tier: F.

Exp: 161/3000.

Biscuit was only 49 days old? Wait, female?

"Are you a girl?" Jenny asked, looking at her pet.