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"Welcome to Burgstein National Museum, the biggest exhibit of historical and rare artifacts, artworks and items in the nation!" the museum guide, an 11 feet tall male giraffe, wearing his workplace uniform; greeted the university class with a welcoming smile. Sasuga was among the students that was attending this class, which had an assignment this morning to visit Burgstein National Museum for artistic and educational studies. Sasuga was in a perky mood. The female kirin happened to enjoy visiting museums, so this little assignment felt more like a fun field trip than a tedious chore.

"Now, if you all follow me this way," the long-necked guide led the group as he walked them around the museum's attractions. The place was brimming with many historical and ancient items from multiple past eras, like holy artifacts, warfare weaponry, skeletons and figures of giant beasts that were believed to be instinct and different kinds of paintings and portraits from centuries ago. "Now we enter the Asadian era, an age of sword and sorcery, royalties and knights, Victorian structures, and..." the museum's guide lectured on as he led the group to one of the museum's main attractions; the display of the 16th century's Asadia age. "The Asadians, ruled by the magnificent Lowefang royal family, were established in 1617 A.D. and prospered for many decades thereafter. However, the flourishing kingdom met its tragic end in 1696, at the hands of a savage foreign army, when..." the guide carried on his historical babbling, while Kyle was hardly able to keep his eyes open from the dullness of it.

"Man... " Kyle yawned lazily, rubbing an sleepy eye. "How boring..."

"What's wrong, Kyle? Didn't get enough sleep?" Sasuga asked her feline classmate, who was standing right next to her right the back end of the school group.

Kyle shook his head, "It's not that. This tour is boring me outta my skull. I hate these kind of assignments. I don't see why we should have them, it doesn't do us any good." He complained. "Why can't we go to a real art museum? Like... a comic book convention!"

Sasuga rolled her eyes at the cat's ridiculous suggestion, but that was to be expected. He was still just a kid. "A comic con isn't a museum, silly. And I actually like museums. I find them to be very fascinating!" Sasuga amiably exclaimed.

"Oh..." Kyle muttered, pulling on a whisker of his absentmindedly. He didn't have a good come back to what she said, so he kept quite and tried to look interested to what else the museum guide had in store for the class.

"And here we have an ancient painting of one the kings of the Asadia era- the last one to be exact. His name was Seif bin Kraws Lowefang, the 15th heir to the throne under a long line of lion kings," the guide explained as he showed the class group a grand water-paint portrait of what seemed to be a male lion in Victorian-style royalty armor, showing him from the chest up as he stared straight. The painting appeared fairly authentic, the colors seemingly washed out and ragged as a test of time, surviving over three centuries. It was clear and clean enough to make out the king's details and expression, which was full of pride and valor, the handsomely tamed blonde mane crowning his head and his gleaming blue eyes were the most striking features, anyone can easily identify him as a true king. Sasuga in particular was in awe of the lion's portrait, gazing at it so intently, especially at those sea-blue eyes of his. "Unfortunately for King Seif, his reign didn't last for too long. Just after a couple of years of being crowned as a King of Asadia, his kingdom was attacked and perished by the hands of an unknown force. Details are still unclear of whom or what they were. Some say they were attacked by demons, creatures from another world, but that's obviously nothing more than ditzy fairly tales! Anyway, moving on..." the long-necked giraffe finished telling the painting's story and pressed on to show off other parts of the museum to the group.

Kyle was about to the follow him, but then noticed that Sasuga was left behind. He looked back and saw her standing in front of that king's portrait, still staring at it with utmost admiration. The kirin was completely captivated by the painting, or more precisely, by the one in it. The brushed painted lion almost appeared like he was staring back at her by how intently she was focused on him; her cheeks started giving a greenish blush.

"Hey, Sas!" Kyle shouted to her and snapped her back from that artistic enchantment she was in, her body shook a little in a start, as she turned to her side and found the her feline classmate standing next to her. "What happened to you? You were in some kind of a trance or something. If we don't hurry up, we're gonna be left behind!"

Sasuga's blush grew. "Oh, I-I'm sorry. This painting just... captured me. Isn't it beautiful?" she wistfully said, looking back at the painting, as Kyle did the same, nonchalantly crossing his arms behind his head.

"Well, yeah, I guess so."

"It has a really sad story, too. I wonder what really happened. Wouldn't it be great if people like him still existed? At this time and age? I'm sure he'd have an amazing story to tell!" Sasuga excitedly exclaimed, smiling at Kyle, who smiled back and wished if he can share her excitement, but the whole issue didn't interest him at all.

"Yeah, I guess so. We really should get going, they're getting farther." Kyle reminded her and brought her back reality. Sasuga nodded and they both picked up their pace to catch up to their group, when they were greeted by an unwanted face.

"Well, look who the nerdy cat brought back?" Katherine, the snotty she-collie, sneered. "What's wrong, scale-face? Your antenna got screwy and you couldn't find you way back?" the female dog mocked the kirin like she always liked to do, making fun of Sasuga's unihorn.

"Hah! Good one, Kathy!" one of Katherine's accomplices, the white-furred mouse one, snickered.

Sasuga kept silent and didn't reply, doing her best to ignore Katherine's insensitive banter. Kyle, on the other hand, was seething in anger. "Leave her alone, Katherine!" Kyle hissed.

"Shut up, whiskers! I wasn't talking to you." Katherine glared back at the cat with threatening eyes. "Why do you hang around with her all the time, anyway? Do you like her or something? Oh, please! She's old enough to be your mother! Or maybe that's why you like her. She does have a face only a son would love," the collie continued to ridicule Sasuga, with a bunch of her females buddies exploding into a mockery laughter.

That pissed off Kyle to no end and was ready to give the pips squad a piece of his mind, when Sasuga stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder and shaking her head to him, "That's enough, Kyle."

"But...!" Kyle tried to protest, but one look at Sasuga's resolved eyes convinced to lay down. Katherine simply snorted at them and turned away with her troupe, Kyle merely cursing them behind his grinded teeth. "Mindless bitches."

To be contiued...