The Demon King And The Hero (Part One)

Chapter Eighteen: The Demon King's Perception

Chapter Eighteen: The Demon King's Perception

They all stood there contemplating what they'd been told. Nemis trying to remember what Eema looked like, Shion thinking about what other information Felli was privy to, and Gaitis thinking about the Demon King and what his life must be like.

None of them heard when the cat spoke.

"These are the people you saw?" It asked in a smooth voice. "The hero, the swordsman, and the man like you?"

Felli nodded.

"Wait, you saw us coming?" The Hero asked.

Again, Felli nodded.

"That cat just spoke, didn't it." She added, flabbergasted. Gaitis gulped. Nemis went pale.

"I have a name, Miss Hero." The cat purred, obviously displeased. "And I am not a cat." To Nemis' sheer amazement, the cat stood up on its hind legs and bowed.

"May I present to you, Ikaris De Aferuir, lord mage trapped in a cat's body." Felli said in a theatrical and booming tone. "He violated the rules." She added after the cat was back on all fours.

"Oh, go ahead and tell them every sordid detail." The cat said sarcastically. "My past aside, I am Felli's guardian for the time being. She told me to anticipate your arrival, but I was not aware that you were female, Hero. I assumed Felli was waiting for a man. I must tell you that I am quite relieved you are not. I do not need a moonstruck child following a man that was surely using her." The cat sighed and peered at the two men of the group, him and Gaitis. "Felli is my charge. I've been watching her and protecting her, so do not think about touching a hair on her head. For if you do, you will have the wrath of a very magical cat upon you." He gave an extra fierce look in Gaitis' direction for good measure.

" I am appalled that you think so little of me, Master Ikaris." Nemis answered. He would never think of such a tiny halfling as anything but that. " I am a man with honor..." He looked to Gaitis. "I cannot vouch for him, but nonetheless, I promise nothing will happen to her."

If she's an Enthidia she is one of my people. I'll watch over her as I would her family. His silent answer that was only for him was tinted with pleasure.

This seemed to suffice for the mage-cat and he nodded. Suddenly, with a twitch of his tail, the cat began to walk off.

"Then, I must bid you farewell..."

The four of them watched it silently.

Finally, when he was gone from sight Felli spoke. "He told me from the beginning that when I met up with you that he would leave me. He promised me that he would make sure I was safe while I traveled, that from home to here, that would be it. " Felli laughed sadly. "Ah, I already miss him, he told the most hilarious jokes...But he promised if I ever needed him, he'd come."

"What do you mean?" asked the Hero. "Oh god, this is giving me a headache."

Felli looked faintly amused. "Like I said, he was a mage that violated the rules. As punishment he was turned into a cat and forced to wander around until he did a hundred good deeds. I was number ninety eight. Guess he was itching to find the next one, he misses being a man." Felli grabbed a strand of her hair and began to play with it. "If you know what I mean..."

"All that aside, what's the difference between a mage and a witch?" asked Gaitis in a weak voice. "That's what you are, right, a witch?"

"You're pretty astute for being an idiot, scarred man." Felli said in a voice that was pleased. "I am. And there is a big difference. Witches can only be people who have demon blood in them. They, we, practice dark Magick. Mages are humans and they are limited in the Magick they can use, which is light. There are far and few in-between that can use both that are not of demon descent like Shion or are of demon blood like me, we can use fireball but can also heal." Felli looked at the Hero with a big grin.