Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Dare to Dream
Chapter 6
We'll Learn as We Go
The low, distant beckoning of righteous lightning striking the earth reverberated in the sea-salt scented air, contesting with the looming rumble of raging rapids a fair distance ahead. What had been an insignificant drizzle when they first entered the area, soon transformed into a persistent rain as both Felix and Star trekked further alongside a beach whose sand was as black as scorched ash. Towering waves crashed into the dark shoreline, having been stirred into accretion by the insistence of stern winds. The midday sun had been cloaked by the overcast looming above, showering the landscape below in its chill rain.
Felix clambered up a small ledge, feeling the soaked earth on his arms and legs as he did so. The grass had become spotty, only appearing in patches of itself as the two progressed further inland once they noticed the roar of the rapids in the distance. Looking behind to the ground they had traveled, Felix saw how the shoreline had grown distant, as well as lower than them as they ascended up muddy slope after muddy slope. Much of the runoff of the rain could be seen funneling down well-eroded nooks and paths in the surface of the land, all channeling towards the raging ocean below and behind them.
Turning to his side, Felix spoke to Star as they climbed. "So, putting some thought to it, Petal said to head inland when we saw a thunderstorm, right?"
"That's what you told me. Why?" she responded as leapt over a small ledge, Felix climbing up after her. "Something wrong?"
"No… I mean yes," Felix replied as he stared at the dark storm above. A wicked crack of lightning whipped through the sky, the afterimage of the bolt lingering in his eyes as the sound of thunder boomed. "Usually, with directions anyway, you would use landmarks or such to plot a course or to navigate. But, 'head inland when you see a big 'ol angry thunderstorm?' Don't tell me that this storm has been here for ages." The terrain ahead began to flatten out. Numerous puddles, wide and filled with icy water, blotted the muddy and disheveled land ahead. The roar of the rapids grew closer.
"I'm afraid so. It's been storming over here for ages- long before I came here, anyway. And what a curse it is. I'm not sure about you, but I for one can't wait to be rid of this place."
The pair navigated around the cold puddles along strips of soaked land that were slightly elevated above the pools of cool water, taking cautious and measured steps towards the roar of the rapids that now engulfed the air around them. Traversing past thinly trees whose branches flexed with the stern wind, an expanse of the mire opened before them; sparse patches of grass and slick mud dominated the landscape ahead. Leaping from a shallow incline to his side, Star shot him a pensive glance.
"Hey, Felix? Something's been biting me."
"What?"
"How did you come to arrive here, anyway?"
Felix looked away from her and faced towards the great mire ahead of them. "Walked here. You should know that, you came here with me," he said dismissively.
"You know that's not what I meant," Star continued. "You say that you're from a place called 'Marea,' correct? I've never heard of a place named that, nor has Didja."
"Yeah, what of it? I don't expect you or the bird to know every single place, and you shouldn't, either."
Star circled to the front of him and stopped, forcing him to halt as well in the cold rain. "That's true, but also beside the point I'm getting at. I found you passed out on a road here in New Galar, and yet you claim you have come from a place overseas- very recently too, from the sound of it." She leaned in closer to him, peering into his narrowed eyes. "Felix, how did you end up here from Marea?" Felix glared at Star with a mix of contemplation and irritation. "You're hiding something… aren't you?"
Sliding his gaze away, he released a small sigh. "That's not something you need to know." He stomped around her, continuing onwards as Star looked to his back in disappointment.
"Still don't trust me, then?" she asked as she caught up behind him in the marsh. Felix remained silent. "Well, just so we're clear," Star said as she came to his side, "I trust you. One day soon, I hope you can trust me."
"You shouldn't trust a stranger you just met a few days ago so quickly, you know," he sternly replied.
Star looked up to him with her ears pulled back against the rain. "You're right. Perhaps I am a fool to trust too quickly." She smiled. "But I do. Most people are good at heart. You, among them."
The rain intensified its relentless descent from the storm above as they continued their march. Trails of water drained from puddles off a steep drop-off ahead. Peering over the sudden drop, Felix observed how far a fall the face had produced- easily between a story or two, and right into the maw of a rapid whose torrent of water crashed and writhed against battered walls of sediment, unyielding in its deafening advance towards the west. It was obvious that the ledge he stood on was once fuller, but had crumbled and eroded over time, succumbing to the forever rain. Brilliant red Magikarps were seen fighting against the current, jumping from the water only to crash back into the frenzied surface as they struggled against the ripping river that splintered into more channels downstream.
"Wow," Felix said in awe, "pretty sure water doesn't get more mean than that, right?" he stated as he looked back towards Star.
Her expression was far less impressed as she joined his side. Her eyes were narrowed, her ears pulled back, and her lips were strained as they pulled into a bleak, straight line across her face. "Just wonderful, then let's hope its mood improves later. Or do you think it'll be gleeful in an instant, should we fall in?" she crabbedly replied. Her many tails and the bob on her head sagged from the weight of the water that had drenched them.
Felix gave an addled look at her. "Something the matter?" he asked.
A small puff of thin, black smoke weakly left Star's mouth as she sighed. "Sorry, that slipped out. This rain is getting to be a bit much, personally. Please, let's just find this schmuck and get out of this horrid weather."
Felix's own fur clung to him like wet clothes from the rain, cold and stiff to move with his body. Uncomfortable, but not too bothersome. Glancing back to the steep drop-off, a small cluster of unassuming plants caught his eye: deathly-pale green stems had risen from the ledge, all carrying with them on their tops a single broad leaf that sagged with the rain. Going back to the ledge, he took a hold of one of the stems, and dug his other hand into the earth beneath it, then pulling it up. A plump, dingy, tuber of the plant was unearthed, spilling residual specks of dirt off its side like ash as he held it in front of him. A pleased smile grew on his face. "Say what you will about this place," Felix excitedly said, "but I think the trip's already been made worth it!"
Stowing away the root inside the satchel tied to his side, Felix then hastily dug up the other tuber and secured it in the satchel. "What've you there? Some roots?" Star asked as she peered by his side. "I know we're pressed for coin, but surely we don't need to forage bitter roots while we're on the job? Couldn't we just pay for some goods from the fields back in Fango? And can't we hurry along, already? I can feel my fire starting to weaken."
Felix peered back over the ledge, into the raging river. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that. But you're just going to have to grin and bear it. The ground around here is slick, and that current is looking mean. I'm not going to slip and fall in there from rushing into this place, just because you're a little wet," he said as he waved dismissively at Star, to her annoyance. "We shouldn't be rash here. Let's keep our guard up, and find this-" As Felix surveyed the rapids, a jet of water surged forth from the water's furious surface, landing a direct hit on his unguarded face. He was launched away from the ledge with a yelp, sliding a short distance across the mud caked ground towards Star.
"Geez! Felix, are you alright?! What was that?" exclaimed Star as she rushed to him, prodding at his side with her snout to coax him off the ground as he recoiled from the attack.
Felix groaned, covering his face with both his hands as he sat up off the ground. The pain was sharp, and cold. "I'd like to know for myself what that was!" he shouted through his palms, letting the words out in a muffle. Putting his arm over Star's back, he hoisted himself off the ground. Finishing rubbing his cheek, he slowly peered back over the ledge. Within the currents of the river, small silvery figures could be seen lurking near the turbulent water's surface: Remoraid. One of the members of the school of fish noticed the small exposure of his head from behind the ledge's surface, and fired another precise jet of water towards him, sailing over the ledge and into air as he quickly ducked.
"I take it we're going to steer clear of the ledges?" Star sarcastically asked.
"I take it I'm going to throw you in myself, soon enough."
—-
Sludging through the lengths of thick mud while avoiding the icy pools of water that speckled the cold terrain, the duo had searched the area around them for some time as they scoured the broken land for their query. The bitter rain had not ceased its relentless advance from the storm clouds for a second, and the mire around them soon became fractured: what was one rapid at the beginning of the locale, had twisted and broken off into many. Around them, torrents of water sheared off much of the land below, creating hazards as the precarious ledges with large gashes overhung the inlets, threatening to collapse into the maniacal water at any moment; its roar beckoning for relief into a delta.
Having passed by Felix as he collected two other roots on the path, Star came to a sudden stop at a modest opening ahead, turning around and waiting for him as he caught up.
"I see him," she said, "our target is just ahead, beside those rocks." Crouching beside her, Felix cupped his palms around his eyes to shield against the rain and surveyed the stone outcrops ahead. Like she had said, he saw a thin, colorful figure resting against the natural shelter, snoozing away while surrounded by his discardings of husks and cores of various fruits. The sight of which was surrounded by sheer drops; a miniature risen peninsula was functionally where he resided.
"Good eye," he said. "So, what's the plan? Want me to sneak over there and give him a good hit on the back of the head?"
"No," Star replied, "so far all he's committed are petty acts of theft. I'm eager to wallop him too, don't get that mistaken, but we can't initiate a fight. We'll have to go over there and see if he'll come quietly. If he refuses, then we can give him what-for." Felix gave a short huff at Star's explanation, standing back up.
"So you all have rules too, then?" he asked.
"I mean… yes. We have standards to uphold, principles to guide us. Why? Were you expecting differently?"
Walking to the outcrops, Felix motioned for Star to follow. "Come on, then. Let's go wake up our friend."
Advancing towards the Morgrem, the sounds of his obnoxious snoring could scarcely be heard over the thunderous roll of the torrents that surrounded them. He had been slouching against the stone outcrops, using the height of the stone to rest as it protected him from the rain. Taking a moment to briefly search around the vicinity of the Morgrem for the tools, Felix couldn't find any sign of them, only spotting the cores of various fruits. It had been a while since Felix had done something like this, so after taking a deep breath, he nudged the Morgrem's foot several times with his own. The Morgrem's mouth trembled, a yawn escaping his mouth as he stretched his limbs straightly before returning to a relaxed state. Felix gave another stern, forceful nudge to the Morgrem. "Nap time's over, bud."
The Morgrem's eyes shot open in a panic, wildly looking around before resting on Felix and Star. Raising his arms, the Morgrem gave a small wave and a nervous chuckle. "Hey there, friends? Friends, right?" the Morgrem asked as he cautiously stood off the ground. Felix caught a quick glance of a small pouch right where the Morgrem had been sitting, before the Morgrem quickly snatched it.
"I'm not too sure if you and me are there yet, bud," Felix responded. "We were told of a person like your character might be here," he pointed to the Morgrem, "responsible for the theft of some food goods," he said as he motioned his hand over the discarded cores, "and that you have some human tools," he finished as he pointed at the pouch with awkward protrusions on its surface that the Morgrem held.
"So what's it going to be?" Star asked the Morgrem, "will you come with us quietly, or will we have to bring you back forcefully?" Her glare was fully focused on the Morgrem, her ears pulled back, and her posture had slunken.
"Well, funny thing about that…" the Morgrem stammered out. Felix and Star eyed the Morgrem as he fidgeted with his hands, his head frantically scanning the area around him. The Morgrem found himself caught between the two on one side, and disheartening drops into the winding torrent on all three other sides, thanks to the jut of the small, narrow cape. "You see…" The Morgrem began pacing back away from them slowly, towards a ledge that lay opposite of Felix and Star. The two creeped towards the Morgrem as he walked back. "It's a misunderstanding! I'm no thief! I'm just a humble traveling salesman!"
"Oh, is that right?" Felix asked dryly. "What you selling, then?"
The Morgrem whipped out of the pouch to the front of him, and loosened the string around it, beginning to dig inside for its contents. "I've got some foods!" he said as he pulled out a pear. Felix and Star continued their advance towards him.
"Anything else in there?" Felix asked.
The Morgrem dropped the fruit and broke into a sudden sprint towards a ledge opposite of the pair. "Hey, stop!" called out Felix as he and Star chased after him. Sliding to a halt, teetering on the ledge's edge, the Morgrem came to a halt. Slowing down, Felix began slowly creeping towards the Morgrem. "Nowhere to run, huh? Why don't you just come over here?"
"I suggest you listen to him," Star added while beside him, "we'd hate to have to push you over the edge." Felix shot Star a perturbed glance, then quickly refocusing on the Morgrem.
Squinting over the ledge, the Morgrem gawked in sheer awe at the ferocity of the rapids beneath him. Then a smirk wormed its way onto his face. "Really, then?" he said as he held out of the pouch of items in front of him. Drawn to the bag, Felix took a step forward with his arm outstretched.
"Give it, and come with us quietly," he ordered.
The Morgrem face transformed in an instant, from anxious to intense. He swung his arm around and held the bag over the currents, stopping Felix in place. "Not a step closer, you wastes of breath. Back off." Felix took several steps away. Star remained firmly planted in place.
"And what's your plan, then?" Star asked. She began creeping forward towards the Morgrem, who leaned out further threateningly with the bag in response. "Are we to assume you think we'll let you go? For a bag of trinkets you hold as hostage? Either we're taking you in, or we're taking you down."
The Morgrem scowled at Star, who returned the mien. "Last chance, Vulpix," he said, "get in line with your friend there, and I won't have to show what's inside you."
Star remained stationary. The fur along her back stood on end, thin wisps of smoke escaped the pulled corners of her mouth which bore fangs, and a small haze of steam rose from her against the rain. "I am not moving."
Felix stood frozen in place. The Morgrem remained still as he sized the two up, arm still dangling the goods over the chasm. Each drop of the rain served to remind Felix of the passage of time as they all stood in anticipation. The Morgrem's hair flexed, shaping itself to a point like that of a spear.
The Morgrem then retracted his arm, tying the bag to his waist with a string from the pouch. "You know," the Morgrem said with a small smirk, "a part of me was hoping you'd say that."
The Morgrem lunged towards them, its gangly arms outstretched at Star- the nearest target. Star shot a small ember that fizzled in the rain at the Morgrem, landing a glancing blow on his side as he grunted at the small sear.
Lashing out at Star, the Morgrem swiped at her with his misshapen hands, swinging wildly as his arms glowed in a dark energy. Ducking down, Star narrowly dodged the first attack, but could not avoid the second follow-up assurance, which had been angled down to catch her dodge. Harshly struck on the side of her head, Star was sent spinning back, wincing in pain.
Before the Morgrem could continue his assault as he pursued Star, Felix sprinted across the muddy ground to the felon and threw a low punch into his abdomen. The Morgrem belched out in pain as the air in his lungs suddenly jumped into his throat, hunching over from the attack only to invite another blow to his pointed face as Felix launched a quick melee from his opposite elbow into the thief's nose, sending him stumbling back.
Having Recovered from the earlier blow, Star rushed the Morgrem in a quick attack, thrusting her head into the Morgrem's gut, knocking him to the ground in a splash of dirty water.
"H-Hey! Enough! I yield!" shouted the Morgrem. "Please! No more!" Pleading on all fours, the Morgrem threw his head forward to the ground, bowing in capitulation to Star.
"Wait, really?" Felix asked skeptically. "Just like that?"
Breathing heavily, Star composed herself. "So you surrender, then?" she asked as she approached.
"Yes! Please…" the Morgrem continued to plead as his head hung to the ground.
"Then get up, and come with us," Star ordered. The Morgrem remained still, continuing to bow his head on all fours. "Didn't you hear me?" she asked as she came in front of the felon.
"Wait, Star," Felix instructed. She didn't respond to his order.
He then saw the spear-like hair that was draped along the Morgrem's back twitch.
"Wait, Star!" Felix exclaimed as he ran to them.
The Morgrem dropped his upper-body to the ground in an instant and flung the point of his hair into Star's shoulder, deeply embedding the barb inside her as she screamed. Dropping the false surrender, the Morgrem withdrew the stained spike from Star, dropping her to the ground as he stood up to meet Felix as he ran to them.
Throwing a sloppy punch in his haste, the Morgrem easily sidestepped Felix's attack and caught his arm, grabbing him and throwing Felix towards one of the ledges. Sliding across the slick mud and off the side as he clawed at the muddy ground in a panic, Felix found a slight hold on a root near the surface of the muck that he dangled from. Looking down, Felix found himself suspended above the rolling torrents beneath him, which threatened to swallow him whole if he dropped from the overhang. Scrambling anyway he could, he began trying to hoist himself back over the ledge, his feet digging into the sprawling dirt wall as he moved.
A flash of a cold, wet jolt at his back caused him to lose his grip, dropping him towards the destructive water.
Catching the tip of the exposed gangly root, he looked back and below himself; Remoraids poked their heads out of the water, watching him intently with apathetic eyes as they swam against the current.
Just over the roar of the raging waters, he heard a sly laugh approach him.
"Aww, would you look at that? Found yourself hanging around, have you?" the Morgrem snidely taunted as he leered over Felix. The hair on the Morgrem flicked off drops of blood down onto Felix's damp face as he helplessly hung. "I'll be quick about it, don't worry. Can't speak for the rapids, though- you'll have to find that out for yourself." At his own words, the Morgrem's hair reshaped itself into a blade, and hung itself threateningly over the base of the root Felix clasped at. "Goodbye!"
The blade of hair sprang fiercely at Felix- then veered haphazardly, missing the root and nearly scalping Felix. The Morgrem hollered out, spinning around and glaring down to his legs as he began wildly punching down.
Taking the fortunate opportunity to clamber up from the ledge, Felix pulled himself back onto soggy, muddy ground and was surprised by what he saw: Star biting down viscously into the Morgrem's leg, the haze of steam and the stench of burning hair rising from the leg Star clamped to, as the rims of her mouth glowed hot with fire. Her shoulder was stained with a spreading red blotch.
The Morgrem continuously beat down on Star's head with glowing black fists as she clasped her eyes shut. Readying his hair behind him into a point, the Morgrem was poised to land a decisive blow- until his upper body was seized. He stumbled forward from the sudden weight wrestling itself onto him, followed by a wad of mud being slapped down into his eyes, making him shout.
Wrapping his muddy arms around the Morgrem's torso, Felix pinned the Morgrem's limbs in place as Star dug her fangs deeper into the assailant's leg, making him wail in pain. The formed tip of the hair lashed about, flailing in a small radius beneath Felix as it remained largely pinned between the Riolu and the Morgrem.
Until it dropped its spear-like form, and wound itself around Felix's ankle.
A sudden, forceful jerk tore away Felix's grip on the Morgrem. He was wrenched off by his ankle and swung powerfully across the ground, right into Star's side with his own. Star was launched off the Morgrem, she and Felix crying out from the intense impact, both sliding to a stop a small distance away from another ledge.
Felix felt the frigid water of a puddle embrace him as he stared up into the gray, showering sky; the water felt blissfully numb to his body as adrenaline flooded his body, working to subdue all sensations he could feel. The roar of the rapids sounded so close, as did the sound of wet footsteps rushing to him across splotches of mud that splattered with each impact of driving feet. Quickly looking down from the sky, Felix saw the Morgrem charging him, his hair once again shapened to a point and aimed to his chest. The Morgrem thrusted the make-shift lance right into Felix as he raised his arms defensively in front of him and shut his eyes instantly, the hair embedding itself into him immediately after.
And he felt nothing.
He had felt his arms recoil back and shake as they struggled with another force. Peeling his eyes partially open, Felix peeked past squinted eyelids: the spike had indeed found itself into his arm- right into a metallic oval that his arms both wielded.
The Morgrem flexed his hair forward, driving the spike deeper into rounded metal as Felix pushed back. Against the overwhelming force, Felix began slowly sliding across the slick ground, being pushed towards the maw of the raging torrent. An evil grin spread across the Morgrem's face with each step he took forward, driving Felix closer to the ledge.
Fear grew across Felix's face as he grimaced. Digging a free hand into the ground behind him to slow the push, clumps of wet mud accumulated on his hand as they progressed closer to the drop. An idea flashed in his head.
Retracting his hand from behind him and pulling the arm with the hair impaled in it towards him, Felix lurched his back to the ground and heaved the Morgrem towards him. The Morgrem lurched forward, eyes widened in surprise as Felix caught the Morgrem's falling upper-body with his foot and launched the Morgrem over and behind him towards the currents as he rolled on his back. The Morgrem's hair was dislodged from Felix's metallic knob as he flew forward, nearly sliding off the ledge as he scrambled back onto his feet alongside Felix.
"Just die!" shouted the Morgrem as he rushed forward towards Felix. His hair was shaped into a keen blade, and his arms glowed a pitch-black hue. The Morgrem swung a high fist aimed at Felix's head as he ducked, then a low blow towards Felix's legs as he made a short hop over the attack, then finishing with a sharp rotation of his body, swinging his bladed hair laterally at Felix's chest. Raising his arm, Felix blocked the blade with his silver stub, scattering sparks into the air as the edge raced across its surface.
Felix crashed into the Morgrem with the brief opening he was presented with, driving a fist into the Morgrem's chest with all the muscle he could throw behind it. The Morgrem cried out and stumbled back, teetering on the ledge's cusp with one foot as he wildly flailed his arms forward to retain balance.
A sharp shot of water then sprouted from behind the ledge, striking the back of the Morgrem's exposed head.
Sent stumbling towards Felix in a daze, Felix crouched down and tensed his legs. Jumping up, he twisted around in the air and delivered a devastating kick to the Morgrem's jaw, digging his heel deep into the Morgrem's jawbone. The Morgrem's head recoiled back behind his body, and he toppled over to the ground.
Motionless.
The cold rain pelted Felix as he stood there on the muck, panting heavily. Catching his breath, he didn't take his eyes off the Morgrem that laid unconscious in front of him as he cautiously inched his way forward. With a small tap from his foot, he nudged the Morgrem's leg that now shown impressions of fangs and black scorch marks on its surface.
Then another nudge.
The Morgrem laid there as still as the trees around them, only his hair animated to movement as it weakly swayed along the ground with the biting wind.
Standing over the knocked-out criminal, Felix carefully untied and grabbed the misshapen pouch that had been knotted to the Morgrem's waist, and stashed the stolen goods away in his own satchel.
Backing away, satisfied with his work done, Felix froze at a sudden realization.
Star.
Frantically swiveling his head, scanning the area around him, Felix found Star lying motionless near a puddle a short distance away. Hurrying to her side, Felix let out a strangled breath of relief to find her breathing, even if her breath was slight.
The hairdo on her head was all disheveled from the beating it received, and her shoulder was seen still trickling out some blood.
He went quickly to work, thinking back to his time as a human and recalling some training he received in treating wounds in the field.
Applying pressure to the wound, Felix stanched the flow of blood as he dug into his satchel, retrieving the sitrus berry Willow had given him. Taking a large bite out of the berry and swallowing, Felix could feel his own stamina and strength flood back to him from the smooth-tasting fruit, then holding the berry in front of Star's mouth. "Star," he said, "you still with me?" As Star laid on the ground, Felix could see her weakly nodding her head. "Come on, eat this. It's a sitrus berry. Don't worry, you're going to be okay," he reassured her. Star began nibbling at the berry held in front of her, then transitioning to moderate bites, chewing her way around the core as Felix rotated the fruit. Finally opening her eyes, Star achingly got off the ground, staggering to her feet. "Are you good to walk?" he asked.
"Yes, I think so," Star shakingly replied. Taking a step forward, that statement held true until Star took another step with the leg that had the shoulder injury, where she suddenly shrieked and fell to her side again when she placed her weight on the limb. "No I'm not! No I'm not!" she cried out. Felix quickly came to her side again. "I'm not good to walk."
Felix stood back and swung his head around, spying the area around him for some miraculous solution to this problem, finding none. Taking in a deep breath and crossing his arms behind his head, he relented, releasing an accepting groan. He tossed the spent sitrus core off the side of the close ledge into the rushing waters below. Kneeling down to Star's side, he offered out his hand. "Come on then," he said, "I'll carry you back."
Star's head perked up. "Really?"
"Yes, really, now climb on before I put any more thought into it."
Taking the hint, Star rolled onto her feet, careful not to apply weight to her shoulder. Circling behind Felix, she crawled onto his back and into position, anchoring herself to him. "So tell me," she said, "did we get him?"
"Yeah. There," Felix replied while pointing a finger to the Morgrem that lay in the mud. "Not too sure how we're supposed to bring him back, even if you could walk on your own. I ain't carrying him. Don't need him to decide to wake up and stab me in the back. But don't worry," he said as he patted his satchel with his free hand, "I got back the goods. We'll return them to the client tomorrow. First, we need to get you fixed up by Pechi, then we'll turn in for the night and rest. We earned it."
Star poked her wet head over Felix's shoulder, loose strands of messy, soaked, red hair strung in front of her eyes. "We should turn the items in immediately… but today has been eventful enough already," she said with a small, self-content nod. "Very well, we can do it tomorrow."
Turning his back to the monster, Felix started his way off the narrow peninsula and towards the village. Passing shrubs and puddles, he made sure to avoid the many ledges around by staying center along the muck paths, lest he tempted more shots towards him and Star as he progressed. The sound of turbulent water began to fade with the growing distance.
Patches of golden tallgrass soon became small fields that waned with the wind, as did the trees and their sprawling limbs around them. The rain that poured from the volumes of the expansive gray above had softened as he traveled further, transitioning into a gentle trickle near the outskirts. He felt the weight of the water that had been absorbed into his short-fur: cold and heavy it resided on him, as well on Star, he felt. The wet tassels on the side of his head reluctantly swung as he walked, as if they were bags of sand. Chilled wind that shuffled red and yellow leaves into a fervent dance throughout the crisp, autumn air, did not help to fight this freezing feeling.
But a small source of comfort he found, came from the warmth that embraced his back.
As Star's damp head rested on his shoulder, Felix heard a soft, subdued giggle from her, easily noticeable at such proximity.
"What?" he asked.
"That's twice now, you know," she said with a blithe air.
"Twice what?"
"That time with those endearing Hoothoots, back in the dungeon, and today, with you and that lovely ledge and friendly Morgrem."
Felix's eyes narrowed as he puzzled over what she meant, focusing on a wet stone in front of him as he cautiously stepped over it. After a brief thought, he relaxed his gaze as he realized what she had meant. He chuckled quietly, tossing up his shoulders slightly to readjust Star into a more comfortable position.
"Yeah," he answered. "That would make it twice now."
.
.
.
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Author's Note:
Due to the release of Scarlet and Violet within a couple days of this posting, the fic will likely be put on hiatus as I and I assume many of you, play the new games. There are no plans to abandon the fic.