Choose Themselves (Songs of War Fanfiction)

Chapter Nine Rushed Farewell

"Elraien?" a concerned voice trespassed the blur of unconsciousness.

Elraien turned to a more relaxing position, hoping the voice would stop.

"Elraien? Elraien?" except the voice did not, and even more, someone begin shaking him.

"W-what?" Elraien asked, and opened his eyes with a stretch.

"Elraien!" a flash of pale blue gray lunged at him.

"Porlethel?" Elraien instinctively caught the person in mid air, but paused before he harmed it. "Hey, stop-"

The young Felina barreled Elraien into a bear hug.

"Stop!" Elraien felt uncomfortable, why did this boy pounce onto him when he woke up? And Elraien pulled Porlethel off. "What makes you this excited?"

"I thought you died!" Porlethel yelled in Elraien's face. "Your pulse stopped when I woke up! I thought..."

Elraien could see the mixture of overwhelming joy and the lingering horror in the blue eyes of Porlethel. He remembered what happened, and gave Porlethel a apologetic chuckle. "There's something I hadn't explain to you," Elraien said. "Is that Jaggathans can only live for ten years unless they reaped enough lives."

Porlethel shivered. "Does that mean... You are going to-"

"No, I passed through the first class, or level, as you may more easily understand. There are four classes, and now in class two, I have another twenty years before I move to class three," Elraien explained. "When my pulse stopped, that is probably when I changed from class one to two. It was not a big deal, since, you know, the mob hunting."

Porlethel's expression changed as if a banner in a storm. He was at first numb, and nodded. Moments later, he shook out of the numbness and realized something, Elraien was safe, his life was not at threat. This brought him relief. But then, Porlethel realized another detail. Elraien had kept this from him, and it made him worry. This brought anger. Porlethel sprang up, his claws out, and rained Elraien with slashes. As he did, his voice did not remain silent.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? Do you have any idea how worried I was? Why do you risk your life at the spiders' fangs? Don't you know that you may be very weak at that point and need rest? You can't say you will turn into a fat man in one bite!" Porlethel snarled, the feline fangs in his mouth gleaming. "Why are you so reckless?!"

Elraien shoved Porlethel aside, not intending to hurt him, yet the boy fell backwards onto his bottom and growled. His anger refused to subdued, but he sprang at Elraien once more. Elraien was speechless, and grabbed both Porlethel's hands. Despite Porlethel struggling, he easily held on. Then, with Porlethel clutched under one arm as if he was a large bundle, Elraien opened the four chests, finding eight rotten flesh, ten bones, five gold ingots, nine iron ingots, a "Cat" music disc, a "Otherside" music disc, one enchanted book, seven scoops of gunpowder, twelve scoops of redstone dust, some melon seeds, a saddle, and six pieces of coal. After that, Elraien retrieved his blade and headed outside. The sunlight blinded Elraien temporarily, but he was glad to be able to see the sky again.

"Let go..." Porlethel pleaded.

"Are you back to your senses?" asked Elraien, still clutching Porlethel like a stack of haybale while walking toward the Felina village.

"Just drop me... Please?" Porlethel asked, going limp.

Elraien set Porlethel down, expecting the Felina to lunge at him once more. Porlethel attempted to, but removed that thought when he saw the totally speechless face Elraien pulled onto. Without looking at him, Elraien headed toward the village.