The War Against Aberon (Rough Draft #1)

Chapter Eight

    Zaffre once more awoke to the blaring of the sun. This time, however, there was a crushing weight on her chest. When she glanced down she found out what that weight was. The Pumeon looked peaceful as it slept. Its fur-covered ears twitched randomly as if in a dream. The feline's breaths were deep and even as it lay curled up around her. She wasn't sure if it was because the beast was sleeping or that it licked her face sometime before, but Zaffre wasn't scared. In fact, she felt quite serene watching this mystical creature in its slumber.

    While the heavy head of the Pumeon was crushing her a tad, Zaffre found it not to be that bad now. It could be far worse, she could be getting crushed as its claws dug into her flesh and its teeth waited to rip her open. She shuddered at the thought and the movement caused the sleeping Big Cat to wake. The Pumeon lifted one lid and peered at Zaffre with groggy purple eyes. The slit pupil within the eye was quite dilated as it stared at her. "Hey, I thought your eyes were all white?"

    The Pumeon simply looked at her for another moment before chuffing lightly as if to say she was an idiot.

    "Don't be like that, hardly anyone knows a thing about you! And you're the one using my chest as a pillow," she spoke accusingly. The decided brat of a creature didn't seem to appreciate Zaffre's tone as it huffed, lifted its head, and turned its back on her. Zaffre was about to say something snarky when it struck her what she was doing. She was talking to a Pumeon as if it were nothing. Just laying in the grass in the middle of the Laverna forests having a one-sided conversation with a beast who tried to kill her just hours prior.

    She must've been insane.

    While muttering about her loss of sanity, Zaffre rose to her feet then went to stand next to the annoyed behemoth, a foot of space between them. Even in the state of the annoyance of the Big Cat she didn't feel scared. There was definitely something wrong with her she decided. Seeing as there wasn't much to do about it, however, Zaffre simply stood in silence beside the Pumeon, glancing at it as it did the same to her. Somehow she realized they were slowly getting used to each other. She didn't know how she knew, but it was as if they were each familiarizing the other with themselves. Like they were trying to understand the other.

    Zaffre sucked in a breath then moved a step closer. When there wasn't a protest from the Pumeon she took another one. Now right beside the beast, she finally released the breath then raised a hand. The purple-eyed feline looked up at her cautiously. Keeping herself as still as possible Zaffre brought her hand down to the lion head of the Pumeon. Even as it lie down with its head on its paws the ears on the cat rose just past her waist level, the top of its head around hip height. Zaffre's fingertip finally brushed the fur on the Pumeon's temple. Again, no protest pushed Zaffre further and she began to gently stroke the furred top on the Big Cat.

    The big beast began to purr at the touch and closed its eyes against the petting. A strange feeling arose in Zaffre. Starting at the top of her head, the sensation similar to the tingle from before passed down her body and when it reached her toes it took her breath away. It was like a flood. A flood of information, a flood of emotions. Suddenly, Zaffre knew that the Pumeon she was petting was named Freya. That her age was similar to her own, just in Pumeon years, that she was feeling quite nice with the petting from Zaffre.

    She gasped at it all as she stared wide-eyed at the creature, at Freya. Freya stared back with a much more calm attitude and simply allowed for the shock of everything to flow through Zaffre before she lifted her big head and bumped it against Zaffre's hand. She wanted more pets. In Zaffre's almost frozen state, she continued her stroking of the midnight fur on the now content cat. When everything finally settled within Zaffre she finally calmed some and continued her staring at that feline beside her, this time with amazement.

    "We're bonded aren't we?"

    Zaffre received a happy thumping tail as a response.

    She began to laugh at it all, she was bonded to a Pumeon. The notion was so absurd, but she knew it to be true. There was no other way to describe what was happening. Zaffre received a flood of warm emotion from the super predator whom she gave pats as if she were a house cat. The sight must've been very strange to any outside viewers if there were anyone. A Felipara with a Pumeon as they acted like long-time friends. If only her mother could see her now! Zaffre's eyes went panicked.

    "Shoot my mother! The farm! Freya, we have to go!" Zaffre was ready to dash off. There was no time to contemplate how the name of her Pumeon felt foreign on her tongue, or how she didn't know the way back, she had to get back to save her mother from the sure worry she was feeling. Zaffre has been gone practically all night and until mid-day the next day! Gods, how could she have been so stupid?

     Freya, who decided she was the more mature one in the relationship, gave a huff. She brought herself to her feet, and then pushed Zaffre onto her butt so she'd stop her yapping. The Felipara sat stunned for a moment then glared at her bond with all the ferocity she could manage. Freya sat on her haunches unconcerned.

     "I need to get back home before my mother has a heart attack. So, if you could stop being a brat, that would be appreciated," Zaffre pointed a finger at the Pumeon.

    With a growl that clearly spoke of Freya's unbelieving of Zaffre's words, she stepped closer. Then, as confusion entered her bond's eyes, she slipped out her indigo tongue and licked the offending finger pointed at her. The surprise could not fully disclose exactly the look on Zaffre's face. It caused Freya to roll onto her back and give her version of a belly laugh.

    "Don't laugh at me!"

    Freya did not stop laughing. 

Word Count-1098