"It'll all be over soon." Azari replied.

"Let it happen." he told her.

"Less of a chance you'll die that way." he added with a dark chuckle.

However, nearby, another individual had overheard all that. It was Chris.

And his hand clenched into a fist, his teeth gritting slightly.

'Damn it.' he thought.

'Damn it all.' he cursed internally.

Meanwhile, Azari just shook his head.

"Ah, the darkness is lightening slightly." he commented.

"Seems this IS a success."

"Feel free to test." Azari replied.

He then paused for a moment.

"Well... don't break her." he then said.

"After all, you JUST acquired her form." he reasoned.

"But... indeed, feel free to test the limits." he continued.

"I will tell Madam that this was successful." he told them further.

"How ARE you feeling in that form?" he asked.

"Hmmmm..." he mumbled.

"Yes." he then said.

"Yes, I do." he told them.

Chris heard this, and immediately knew what was coming. He quickly and quietly put some distance bewteen him and the room, though, so nobody would know he had overheard that.

However, where he was supposed to be, wasn't very far away. So he heard it when Azari bellowed his name out.

He sighed, and quickly made his way into the room.

"Y-yes?" he asked.

"There you go." Azari said to them.

"Test your skills on the little grub there." he finished, gesturing to Chris.

Azari merely cleared his throat, and was gone from the room as quickly as he legs took him, which was about 2 seconds.

"...." Chris was silent, before just collapsing to his ass.

"So this is what I am." he muttered.

"Great." he said.

This was even more torture from him than Azari probably would have suspected, but he wasn't about to let the Woof Elf know.

Instead, he closed his eyes and awaited whatever was coming.

Meanwhile, Azari hurried down the corridor for a bit, before slowing down as he approached a slightly ajar door to one of the offices. He approached it and knocked lightly on it.

"Madam?" he called in.

"I've come with a report on their... 'housing agreement'..." he said further, knowing she would know what he meant, and would be VERY interested in hearing what he had to report.

Azari did just that.

He stepped inside, closed the door, and sighed, making his way over and sitting down.

"Ayla is the host." he said.

"As you predicted, she appears to be suitable." he continued.

"They have expressed that they feel limited, and asked for a guinea pig to test their skills on." he went on.

"So I brought in the grub." he informed her.

"They're doing their thing to him as we speak." he then said.

"But initial responses? Positive."

Azari's confidence and cockiness immediately melted away.

And he was filled with a sense of terror, fear, and belittlement.

"Y-y-y-y-y-yes Madam." he said.

"Right away!" he told her.

He then hastily got up and bolted from the room.

He knew she meant NOW.

And the sooner he left to do it, the better.

"Hold it!" he exclaimed.

"Wait, please!" he said.

"That one isn't suitable for testing!" he continued.

"I'll find you another one!" he went on.

"I'll find you more than one! How many do you want?" he asked further.

He was finding himself panicking just slightly.

This needed to end before things got REALLY bad here... which would mean things would get worse for HIM.

Azari was about to protest, but stopped.

He now had a choice...

Suffer Vanessa's wrath... or take whatever it was that this thing would dish out.

So he sighed, swallowed heavily, and took a step forward.

"Very well." he said.

"Leave... leave the grub alone. And... use me." he told her.

Between this thing and Vanessa... he'd take his chances with this thing.

"Have at me." he told what was using his sister.

"Just... stop testing on the grub."

Azari was silent, before quickly grabbing Chris and leaving the room. He rushed him to another room and set him down.

"Damn it." he cursed.

"Come on, stupid grub." he said.

"Pull through this or Madam'll kill me." he mumbled.

He did NOT want to face her wrath. At ALL.

He might have been considered a favourite here... but he was not safe from her.

"...son of a..." he growled, as he then took him to their medical wing and approached one of the female staff.

"You!" he addressed her.

"Make sure this one survives!" he commanded.

"Just do it." Azari responded, before stepping out of the area and into a nearby corridor.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit." he repeated.

"That was stupid of me." he muttered.

"I REALLY hope that worm makes it through this." he went on.

"I've already fallen from her grace... I don't need to fall into a damn grave." he said further.

"....." he was then silent, before sinking down to his ass.

"Shit." was all he could say.