Chapter 6: Some Ancient Call

Felix regarded Edward from across the campfire. They had foregone sleeping in the Emporium's inn, in favor of roughing it outside the portal.

"What does your cat form look like?" Felix asked, looking intently at Edward. He wanted, very much so, to see Edward in that form. Sure, he knew that Edward was a cat shifter, but somehow, that didn't register to him — yet.

"Fluffy, I have stripes," Edward told him, looking up from his book. Felix bit his bottom lip and decided to give first, before receiving something in return. He shifted in his bunny form and made a couple of uncertain hops towards Edward.

"You are lovely, Felix," Edward said, opening his arms wide, and Felix began to jump with more gusto. He loved it when people praised his bunny form.

Most people did not because they saw him as a livestock shifter, which he didn't want to think too much about.

Back home, he had been just another white bunny among twenty others. His parents didn't indulge him in bunny form, and he so rarely had the chance to play in that form.

He wanted to play with something that won't eat him, but Edward should fit the bill.

As Felix entered Edward's arms, he nuzzled his nose into the cat shifter's chest. Felix felt the hands on his fur, noting that the fingers were long and elegant. A bard's fingers. They weaved in and out of his pelt, and he luxuriated in their being so gentle with him.

"I bet you want me to turn into a cat now," Felix heard Edward murmur. These words were so fondly spoken that Felix wondered how he deserved to be treated like something precious, like something unique. “And do you know what? I will indulge you."

Felix felt the shift in mana, and then a stripped golden-orange cat was before him. Even in this form, there was a silent dignity to Edward. Felix headbutted the cat before him and hopped away. When Edward didn't make to follow, he hopped back to him and began to circle him.

The cat whipped up a paw and placed it on Felix's forehead, right between his ears. Felix paused in his running and then felt like the soft paw began to pet him.

Something in Felix began to sing at that. He moved closer and then sat by the cat. Rubbing his head shamelessly against the paw on his forehead. He wanted this to continue until the rest of his days. He had been petted many times, but this time, he felt the tenderness from the person who petted him.

Something he had felt only from his family. That thought sobered Felix. He had left them, and so far, didn't have much money to send back to them.

Yet, what choice did he have? He couldn't just leave the people of the Emporium hanging. They needed a healer, and he was the best one they could convince to heal them for free.

Not that some of them hadn't paid, but those were few and far between. The bunny bowed his head, and Edward turned back into a human. He picked up Felix and rested him against his chest.

"What now, you silly fluffball?" The words were said in a teasing manner. Felix didn't understand what right Edward had to call him a fluffball when he was pretty fluffy himself? "What got you down?"

Felix didn't want to say because he felt Edward would do his best to help him. Felix didn't like that. He wanted Edward to keep his money for himself and for him to take Felix on more adventures.

Felix didn't kid himself. If Edward hadn't come to take him away, he would probably be dead by now. There were wild animals in the forest who would have done the light work of Felix.

He couldn't fight. He was such a burden.

"If you turn into a human, I will do something you'd like," Edward murmured, and Felix's ears perked up, despite his head being bowed. "Or would you rather if I told you a story? I am a good storyteller, you know?"

Felix made himself comfortable in Edward's grip and let out a soft yawn. He could fall asleep in Edward's hands and be safe knowing that the cat shifter would keep him warm.

"Right, it all began on a farm. My parents were cat shifters, and they had fifty children, plus me," Edward said, and Felix twitched his ears. He couldn't imagine what it would feel like for somebody to try to feed fifty children. "There is something that you don’t know about cat shifters. The mother cat shifter has instincts much like those of a cat. A cat would chase off her kittens when they grow old enough to fend for themselves. My mother is much the same."

Felix gave the hand gently holding him a little lick. Letting Edward know that he wasn't alone. Not tonight, at any rate.

"Right, I know it sucks. But that is not the point. My father, on the other hand, is a mage. He taught each of his children some basic stuff and told us to make our mark on the world. He loved Mom more than us and never argued when she asked him to take the older ones into the forest. She did love us when we were defenseless. But…"

Edward's mother sounded like a heartless witch to Felix, and he gave out a small roar. Or as close as, seeing as he was just a bunny. He pawed at Edward's chest, and then moved around, until his fluffy butt was facing the cat shifter's face.

"Yeah, we all wanted her to eat shit," Edward said with a chuckle. "But that is not the important thing. I got kicked out of the house when I was ten. That was when I found my first Emporium. So, this is my life story. I hope you tell me yours, one day."

Felix tried to shift into a human, but his mana got disrupted at the last moment. He nuzzled the hands that were holding him and gave them another lick.

"I wanted to tell you because I like you, Felix. You have a good heart. But I don't want you to console me, not now. So, keep being a bunny for the night, and I will forever protect you." Felix wanted to ask so many questions, but the even breathing of the man who held him stopped him.

Why was Edward so attached to him? What had he been doing in the middle of the forest that night when they first met? Why did he take Felix off the road and bring him into his life? Knowing full well that Felix would be pants at fighting, and would probably not be able to pull weight?

Yet, Felix kept his questions for the morning. He wanted to sleep with the feel of the lovely minty puffs that Edward let out from his mouth on his face.

No matter how tight things were at home, they always had carrots and mint for dessert. Felix would find some wild mint and harvest it. Then he would give some to Edward, and they would enjoy the treat together, like the friends Felix wanted them to be.

But for now, the bunny had sleep on his mind.