“You’re bringing him to the pit…Already?! JB you are crazy.” The man said as he stared at the caged male, attacking at the thick leather gloves that held the side of it.

“Crazy, me? Nah. KNOCK IT OFF ALREADY.” He bellowed, glaring at the large mokai. “He’s been cleared from quarantine, and after that little debacle at home, it’s time to start training him to be the great champion he can be!” The man could already see the dollar signs in his head. “Besides, he has so much excess energy, that needs to go.”

“Yeah yeah, so why don’t you get your other fighter to train with him. Or buy a cull just for this. Why me?” The man asked, still eyeing the once feral mokai.

“Because you are being paid handsomely for this. And besides, I can’t use Ai. She already took a beating from him the night we captured him. I don’t want her to get beat anymore before her next fight.” JB said matter-of-factly, dropping the cage in the pit just near the walls.

“You know the drill. I actually don’t know how he will react, so, just be prepared to run as fast as you can. I’ll keep the lead attached to him, just in case.” JB smirked. “Here, you might need these too.” He tossed his friend the leather gloves he had been wearing.

“Hah.Hah.Hah.” the man rolled his eyes, but put on the thick leather gloves, nonetheless. “What did you name him anyways. I see the little ‘I’ on his tag.”

“His nam is Inali….Ready?” He didn’t wait for an answer. From behind the cage, JB unlatched the lock, pushing open the door as he quickly ran backwards, not wanting the mokai to turn on him.

But Inali didn’t do much. He walked out of the cage, his icey blue eyes staring around. And, what would you stupid humans like me to do…? he said out loud, rolling his eyes. He watched as the man wearing the large rawhide glove ran away, almost screeching as he did so. The one who had put the blasted collar on his neck not too long ago, also was running away.

Heh. You have it wrong if you think I am going to chase you. When you start calling me by my real name is when I /might/ start listening to you. Inali gave a yawn, stretching before sitting right in the ring, not moving.

“Hey…uh…JB? He’s not doing anything?”

“Really? I couldn’t tell. Get going Inali!” JB yelled, waving his hands frantically, trying to get the male riled up.

The black and white mokai turned his head boredly at the crazy human behind him. Nope. He moved from his sit, to a lying position, rolling in the soft dirt of the compound. He kicked up some of the ground, creating a little dust ball around him. He had been washed the day he was brought into the compound. Usually his fur was covered in dirt, mud and muck. He hated this feeling of being clean.

“Carlson, do something or else you won’t be getting paid for this.” JB crossed his arms, just watching his new mokai roll around.

“Why me? Why don’t you get off your fat a** and do it.” Carlson muttered, strolling up to the lazy mokai. “What do you suggest I do? Pet him?” Carlson sounded thrilled about the idea. “Just go get your mokai. It’s not gonna help to have him chase after me, when you need him to chase after the mokai’s in the compound…right?” Carlson asked.

“Fine.” JB knew Carlson was right. What was the point of the mokai going after humans when he needed them to go after the opponent mokai. “Watch him.”

Inali’s blue gaze stared at Carlson lazily as JB walked off. I assume he is always like that?

Returning a few minutes later with his striped mokai, JB picked her up from the ground. “Now, don’t make him go too hard on you Ai. I don’t want you injured for the next week.” Her master said sternly. Even though Ai was sure exactly what he said, her tail wagged a bit as she was placed into the training pit. “Go get him Ai. Make him earn his keep.”

Ai trotted over to Inali, who had turned around to stare at her. “Not doing your job, huh?”

“What’s it too yah?” Inali snapped, rising to his feet. He sure did tower over the little mokai.

Ai shrugged. “Apparently it’s my job today. Just get over the fact, you have been caught. You could at least get your frustration out and go after one of them.” She offered, trying to coax him to do something.

“Last time I did that, I got a strap placed over my muzzle. I am not too keen on doing that again so soon.”

“Ah, you see that is your problem. Here in this pit, and the one inside the big building” she nodded over to the compound. “is where you let everything out. You told me the other day you would escape, but just think, here is where you can train to do so. Build up the muscle and the speed to make it past me.” She smirked. “How do you think I cornered you at the gate that night.”

“Stupid pet tricks?”

“Nope. I train hard to be who I am.”

“Let me get this straight. You fight to get stronger, and you stay in here and not escape. You’re crazier than I thought.”

Ai shrugged again. “Maybe but I enjoy my life. Maybe one day you will enjoy it here too. But, can’t do that unless you make him,” Ai nodded to JB, happy. “So why don’t you just go after the moron with the glove. Give it a few tugs, and then stroll back to your cage like a good boy.”

“Hey JB, I think this mokai is a dud.” Carlson stated, walking past Ai and Inali, to chat with his friend.

‘Inali’ had other plans though. Taking Ai’s advice for the first time, he growled at the man walking past, causing him to freeze.

“…Good boy?”

JB watched as the scene unfurled. Ai hadn’t been in the ring for more than three minutes, and already Inali appeared to be protecting her. Maybe that was it. Maybe the once feral needed something to protect, and Ai would be just it! Not bothering to call Ai to come back, JB’s dark eyes watched as Inali had stalked up to Carlson (who had backed up with each approaching step), and lunged, grabbing a hold of the large glove. It had been used previously in one of Ai’s training session, but had been mending from the tear she had put in it. There was no doubt that Inali would likely to the same, maybe not today, but one day. This mokai, he could sense him being strong, but he just needed to be polished up.

“Argh! Get off! JB CALL HIM BACK ALREADY!”

“Not just yet Carl. You’re doing fine. He hasn’t broken skin or anything, so just calm down.”

Though, Inali didn’t feel like continuing, he dropped his grip on the arm, turning back to Ai with a frown. “Good enough?” His tongue grazed past his teeth, getting the nasty taste of leather from his mouth.

“It’ll do. I bet if you be cooperative and go into the cage willingly, JB might even give you something good to eat tonight too.”

“Hah, I don’t give up that easily.” Inali called out, watching Carlson grumble as he walked off. As soon as the gate to the pit was opened, Inali bolted. He forgot that the leash was attached to the blasted collar, so by the time he had made it past the gate, he felt himself being jerked back.

“Oh no you don’t! Come on, let’s get you back in the cage.” JB stated, dragging Inali back to the crate. “Better be careful next time Carlson, or else you will be the one to catch him next time.” Pushing the mokai in the cage, he locked the door, grabbing the discarded leather gloves.

“Why do you get to not be put in this blasted crate?” Inali asked Ai, who had walked over to him.

“He trusts me. Gain his trust, and you too will get more freedoms. Fight the mokai he puts you against, train when he tells you too, and then one day you won’t have to put up with the bars surrounding you.

With the exchanging of cash from JB’s hands to Carlson’s, the man whistled for Ai, placing the leather gloves back on as he reached down to pick up the carrier. It left Inali with the mind of what he needed to do. Apparently he had not been giving the humans much credit, as well as the pet mokai some kept around. He would have to rethink everything, so one day he could be roaming free under the starlit sky.

[End - 1501 words]