Chapter 2: Bunny Chin Up!

"So, where are you headed?" Edward asked him as they were getting ready to head out. That question took Felix out of the loop. He didn't know where he was headed, mostly because he didn't know where he'd be welcomed.

"I don't know. Do you know a place needing a healer, who doesn't have a license, but would have gotten in just about any program?" Felix asked, not expecting much of a response.

"So, a hedge healer, huh? I know just the place where you can play your trade, but you won't be paid much," Edward stashed the now clean pot in his bottomless bag and looked at Felix's bulging bag. "Do you know your herbs?"

"I do. I can do alchemy and rune crafting, but I don't have a license. It is just that… my family is too poor, and I had to hide." Felix didn't want to admit his faults, but what else could he do?

Lie to Edward, who had shared the lovely meal with him last night, and had even made sure that Felix had a bedroll to himself? No, Felix believed in thanking the people who helped him. Edward didn't deserve lies.

"How much do you know about the Black Emporiums?" Edward asked him, and Felix took a step back.

"I don't want to get mixed in with them. They are a den of thieves," Felix had heard more than one horror story about these places. Their locations changed daily, and only those who worked for them could lead you to one. "Are you in with one of them?"

"Would you suddenly write me off as a scoundrel?" There was no venom in Edward's words. Instead, his voice took on a teasing lilt, which Felix found suited the cat shifter quite well.

"I am grateful to you, but I am not convinced that the Emporiums are the way to go." Felix was ready to move from farm to farm and work for his food.

But he didn't want to get involved with the dirty underbelly of the world.

"You are an outlaw if you practice healing without a license. Most people in the Emporium need medical attention and are willing to pay. What was your plan? Going door to door? You would have been found out sooner, rather than later. Do you know the sentence for practicing professions without a license?"

Oh, Felix knew. He knew all too well. How he wished he could forget. It would certainly take a load off his shoulders. He bowed his head and looked at his feet.

"Edward, are you a criminal?" Felix needed to hear him say that he was not. Instead, he got a chuckle.

"I am an adventurer without a guild. So yes, bunny, I am. Problem?" Felix shook his head, but didn't look up. He saw feet joining his, and then a finger lifted his chin.

Felix could now see Edward's eyes better in the bright morning light. They were like the stormy sea, with light green undertones to the blue. Felix felt he had never seen such kind eyes on a stranger before.

His mother, Ophelia, had always told him that you can tell a lot by looking at somebody in the eyes. His father, Ragnar, had always asked him never to follow people who did not look him in the eyes.

He had been raised knowing that a look could make or break trust. And something in him wanted to trust in Edward.

"You won't be at any risk," Edward told him, keeping his finger under Felix's chin. "I will protect you. I may not look it, but I am a master mage. Now, can you heal with mana?"

"I can," Felix had never been this close to anybody. Their breaths were mingling, and he felt goosebumps all over his body. What was he feeling now, and was there any way back from this?

"Then, follow me," Edward finally moved away, and Felix immediately missed his closeness. The cat shifter swung his bag over his shoulder and began walking without looking back. Felix, for lack of any other alternative, followed behind him.

"I will be taking a quest while you heal people at the Emporium," Edward informed him, without looking back. "Can you quick heal?"

Felix blinked at the question.

"I can, but why do you ask? A quick heal is just a band-aid," Felix told him, feeling like there was more to the question, but unable to put his finger on it.

"Good, because I need a healer. You can patch me during and after the quests, and I will give you 50% of the pay. I won't take any of the money you make just healing people. You should have enough for a license soon," these words were too good to be true for Felix. Yet, he dared to hope that things would be fine and that he would be a well-respected healer in a clinic soon.

They kept on walking, filling the time with small talk. Edward, just like Felix, was from a large family. When Felix asked him why he left, Edward smirked at him.

"I imagine that you left for the same reason. Not enough money, too many mouths to feed. Did I hit the nail on the head?" Edward asked his companion, who nodded.

"My parents love me, but they are struggling. I want to help them, but can't do that from home," Felix said, bowing his head.

"Stop that," Edward told him, stopping in his tracks. "Stop bowing your head. Don't be ashamed of where you are coming from. The people inside the Emporium will be able to smell the self-doubt on you and won't let you heal them."

"They can?" Felix tilted his head to the side, which Edward thought was too adorable. He licked his lips and watched as the bunny shifter blushed.

"They can," and so could Edward, but he had chosen to ignore it. The delicate bunny was a treat to the eyes, and Edward planned to feast on him in more ways than one. But he did want him as his pocket healer as well. After all, if he was not all talk, then he could prove helpful.

When they saw a portal, Edward turned towards Felix and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Remember, chin up! If you want to get clients, you must exude confidence. You passed your exams. The money is the only problem, right?"

"Yes, Edward. It is," Felix answered, straightening up. That didn't pass unnoticed by Edward, who nodded with approval.

"Then, act like it," Edward told him, pushing him through the portal. When Felix passed on the other side, he was bombarded with color.

All around him were bright stalls and stands, a beehive of activity. People were hawking their wares, and there was barely any space to pass on the roads. He turned his head this way and that, trying to take it all in.

"Welcome to Outlaw Heaven, or, as you might know it: The Black Emporium."

Edward took Felix's hand in his and began to lead him away from the stalls, to where he knew the sick people were allowed to camp.

Now, more than ever, Edward wanted to put his bunny to the test.