A Feral Tale

A Feral Tale Ch.9

Guess who won for getting a SOUL-bond with Amy first~?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

   Amy's POV


   I woke up the next morning, curled up in Comic's arms with Chirrup pressed against my back, nuzzling against me. Giggling a bit, I stretched out in Comic's arms, turning over and petting Chirrup along his skull, making him lean into my touch. After a few seconds, he opened his eyesockets- how they did things like closing their eyesockets and breathing I still couldn't figure out, and by now I was just attributing it to magic.

   "Hey, Chirrup. Thanks for letting me sleep with you and Comic last night after the nightmare. I-I didn't want to be with Snarl or Yip, I don't really know if I can trust them yet." I said. Chirrup let out a small chirp as he sat up, pulling me gently from Comic's arms and into his own lap. His clawed digits gently combed through my hair. I was a bit stiff, but upon him letting out a warbling purr, I quickly relaxed.

   "What is it about you guys and licking me and stuff? It's strange, is it like social grooming or something?" I said with a smile. Chirrup nodded, carefully working out a knot in my hair. We sat in silence for a while until he's combed through all my hair, leaving it feeling soft and fluffy.

   "Hey, Chirrup? Can...we go outside and play?" I asked, turning my head and looking up at him pleadingly. He let out a concerned sound, glancing over at Comic. "We won't go far from the cave, I promise. And my leg is fine, no bone was broken when I got the injury, just the skin broken. I can still walk I just have to take it easy." I said.

   "Besides. With you there to keep me safe, I know I'm in good hands. I trust you, Chirrup." I added, smiling. That seemed to convince him, and he set me down in the nest before walking over to his chest along the wall, coming back with a red scarf similar to the tattered one he wore. He put it around my neck, adjusting it briefly before nodding his approval. I carefully got up on my feet, a bit wobbly but standing.

   "We ready now?" I said, heading for the door to the cave. Chirrup chirped from behind me as he followed. I pushed open the door, the dim light outside making the snow sparkle. It always seemed so dark down here, but whatever light managed to hit the snow always gave just enough to see by.

   I ran out into a nearby snowbank, jumping into it with a squeal of joy. I popped my head out as Chirrup looked at me, head tilted. I made a snowball and threw it at him.

   "Come on, Chirrup, it's not gonna hurt you to play a bit!" I called to him. He smiled at my words and made a snowball of his own, throwing it at me. I dodged it, throwing another one at him.

   We went back and forth throwing snowballs for a while, before I got an idea. I ran over to a nearby tree and started climbing it.

   "Hey, Chirrup! Bet I can get to the top of this tree!" I called down to him. He stood below me on the ground, watching me closely. I could tell he was worried, But I'd been climbing trees since I was little, I knew I'd be alright-

   SNAP

   I heard the branch break before it registered in my mind that I was falling. I let out a scream as I fell, only to be caught by Chirrup before I hit the ground. I curled in his arms, panting from the shock.

   'Human, you must be more careful! You could have been hurt!' a voice suddenly said. I looked around.

   "Chirrup, did you hear someone just now?" I asked, still trying to spot the mystery voice from my spot in his arms.

   'Human, can you hear me?' the voice said. It sounded close to me...

   As close to me as Chirrup is- wait. I looked Chirrup right in his eyesockets.

   "Did you just talk....?"


   Chirrup's POV


   I woke the next morning to the Human rubbing my skull. It was definitely a pleasant way to wake up, and I would not mind if she decided to do it more often. I listened to her thanking me for letting her sleep with me and Comic, loving how my name sounded coming from her.

   The one who named me. We owe her our identities, she gave them to us, allowed us to be different from each other...such a clever Human, I wonder if she has a name?

   I pulled her into my lap and gently worked the tangles from the fur- no, hair Comic had told me it was hair on the top of her head. I gently worked the knots from her hair, and when I was done she seemed to appreciate it a lot. I wanted to give her some breakfast, figuring she must be hungry, but she seemed so eager to go outside and play. After showing me her leg was not as badly injured as we'd believed it to be, and that she could walk on it fine, I went and got her one of my spare scarves to keep her warmer outside.

   Once she had the scarf on, I followed her outside, only to get a snowball to the skull seconds after she jumped into a snowbank! She taunted me playfully, saying it wouldn't hurt me to play a bit.

   'You asked for this, Human! I shall win this war of snowballs!' I declared as I started throwing snowballs back at her. We continued this for a while until we were both tired, calling it a draw. Unfortunately, the Human wasn't as tired out as I was, where did she get all this energy?! She ran to a nearby tree and started climbing it, leaving me to pace around the base of it nervously as I watched her. I heard the branch snap, and was under her in an instant, catching her in my arms.

   'Human, you must be more careful! You could have been hurt!' I scolded her, despite knowing she wouldn't understand my words. However, she seemed to hear something as she turned her head, looking around.

   "Chirrup, did you hear someone just now...?" she asked. I froze. Had she understood me just now? But Comic had told me it was impossible for Humans to have SOUL-bonds like us, they had no trust! I decided I had to be sure.

   'Human, can you hear me?' I asked slowly. Her gaze turned to me after a moment and I saw it in her eyes.

   She understood me. ME. I'm the first of us to form a SOUL-bond with her, and she's able to do it in return!

   "Did you just talk....?" she asked. I nodded eagerly, bringing her up to my skull and nuzzling her. She yelped, but it was quickly followed by a giggle so I knew she was alright.

'Human, you can understand me! You've made a SOUL-bond with me!' I said excitedly.

   "A SOUL-bond? What's that?" she asked.

   'It is an after-effect of the Barrier going up and trapping us down here. Only Monsters who trust each other can form SOUL-bonds, but we thought it was impossible for Humans to do so! Well, obviously it is not so since you are talking with me right now!' I said.

   "Wait, I can understand you guys now. Or, at least you?" she asked. I nodded. "I've...kinda been wondering. Do you guys have names? I mean, I've been calling you guys by names I gave you, but if you already had names I don't want to make you use what I'm calling you-" I cut off her rambling by gently placing a finger on her mouth. She blushed.

   She is quite cute when she blushes!

   'We did not have names, we simply called each other Brother or twin. YOU gave us our names, our identities. Thank you, Human.' I said sincerely. 'Oh! That reminds me, do YOU have a name, Human?' She smiled warmly at me, nodding.

   "My name's Amy."