Roses and Knives

Chapter 26: Someone Like You

(I couldn't come up with a better title for this chapter. I probably could've saved this title for a more sentimental chapter but whatever.)

At Dante's home Kaitto was watching his shows or at least trying to if not for Fluff flying around extremely worried.

Kaitto: "Would you calm down? I can't watch my shows when you're like this."

Fluff: "How can I calm down? Dante has been in that room for over three hours without telling us anything. Maybe we should check on him."

Kaitto: "You know full well we aren't allowed in that room. We'll be punished if we do and I already learned from my last screw up."

Fluff: "Why can't we go in there?"

Kaitto: "That room contains every magical item Dante has collected over the past few years since he left Greece. Before you ask, yes that includes all the Miraculouses he has other than ours. He doesn't want anyone other than him to ever enter it."

Fluff: "So we just wait?"

Kaitto: "That's right. Sit with me while we wait."

Fluff flew over to Kaitto still with worry but feeling a bit better. After a little while Dante came out to the living room a little tired having accomplished what he had set out to do.

Dante: "Finally done"

His two kwamis flew over to him curious to his statement.

Kaitto: "That took you so long. What were you even doing?"

Dante: "Remember the pelt of the nemean lion I got?" (Both kwamis nod) "It wasn't easy but I was able to form it into a metal ring. Don't ask how."

Fluff: "What's the ring for?"

Dante: "It's for Marinette. This way she will be protected even when I'm not by her."

Kaitto: "How is a ring supposed to protect her?"

Dante: "The pelt it was made from was able to protect its wearer from any harm, magical or otherwise. The only condition was that the item had to be imprinted on the wearer which was activated by the blood of the one who had slain the nemean lion. This of course was Heracles."

Kaitto: "How does that info help? You're not Heracles."

Dante: "True, but I remember something my father told me many years ago. He said that although just barely he is still technically a blood descendant of Leonidas."

Kaitto: "Seriously? That could change things then."

Fluff: "I'm still confused. Could you tell me more?"

Dante: "You see Fluff before the three magic domes came to be and before we united under one monarch. Greece was essentially just a bunch of city states that fought each other for power and resources. Sparta in particular had two kings whose bloodlines were descendent from Heracles' two sons. And since Leonidas was a Spartan King means that he is a blood descendant of Heracles."

Fluff: "So if what your father said was true then that means it would react to your blood too."

Dante: "Exactly."

Kaitto: "That's a big if though. If he lied then this will be a complete waste of effort."

Dante: "That's true so let's find out."

Dante cut the tip of his index finger with the mythril dagger he took from his uncle. A single drop of his blood landed on the ring making it shine bright and emit a sound exactly like a lion roar before seemingly going dormant.