Edward sighed. “Try feeding or petting him. Comrades usually like things like that. Even if you don’t have his respect yet, he might like you enough to stay with you.”
Colin shook his head. “So I need to get him to like me, then I need to get to know what he respects, and then I have to earn his respect so that he’ll listen to what I say.”
“In short… yes.” Edward agreed.
“Is it always this hard?” Colin complained.
“That depends on your starter Comrade.” Edward said. “Those who took mice or easier rabbits never have this sort of problem. It’s those who try Redbits or Purplebits or Flying Squirrels that face this kind of trouble. Or those like you.”
“Like me?” Colin blinked.
“Yes. The kind who want to start off with something stronger than a yellow-tag.”
Colin realized it then. Shiro wasn’t a yellow-tag. He wasn’t supposed to be something a beginner started with.
Why didn’t Nami warn me about this?!
Oh wait…
She did.
Phase 03: Shiro’s Reason
When Jonah, Alicia and Larry dropped by Farmer Edward’s Farm later, they found Colin weeding a garden with a spade.
“What are you doing?” Alicia asked, totally confused.
“I’m earning money.” Colin grunted. “To buy food.”
“Us too, but we use our Comrades to do the work!” Larry said. “That’s what they’re for.”
“My case is a bit different.” Colin said. “I need to feed my Comrade to get it to like me and stay with me instead of running off.”
“It ran off…?!” Jonah burst out laughing. Alicia too.
“Is that possible?” Larry asked.
Farmer Edward showed up just then. “It is. Especially if it’s hungry. You three are here to work, right?”
“Right.” Larry answered.
“Come. Let’s get started.” Farmer Edward said, and brought them to another garden.
Colin took a break to watch them work. He soon discovered what Larry meant by using their Comrades to do the work.
Larry had five Colorbits, two pink, two yellow, and one green. Farmer Edward gave him the same job as Colin’s – weeding.
But where Colin weeded one garden, Larry had a whole field to weed; and Larry didn’t use a spade. He just sent his Colorbits to eat the weeds up and dig out the roots.
Alicia was given a job to pick fruits. Her Flying Squirrel did that easily, jumping all over the branches of first one tree, then the next. She had a Greenbit too, and it stayed below, catching the fruits that her Squirrel tossed at it.
Jonah used his Arachnid to set up protective webbing over rows upon rows of plants. The beetle just sat there like a rock.
Colin shook his head. Weeding this garden would go much, much faster if Shiro was around to dig as well.
What happened? Colin kept asking himself that question over and over again. Why did Shiro leave me?
Farmer Edward said that Shiro didn’t like or respect him enough. That Colin had to feed the wolfcat and pet him and earn his respect.
Maybe he was right. He was an experienced man, after all. He should know.
But Colin remembered when he first met Shiro. He remembered how Shiro felt.
Shiro had been afraid too. He didn’t seem to dislike Colin… or disrespect him. Shiro had been…
Nervous.
Yes. Shiro had been nervous.
Colin frowned, thinking back on what happened when Shiro was almost squashed by that Mandras. The white wolfcat had scrambled up to his shoulder…
He hadn’t been nervous any more. Excited, yes. Playful, yes… but not nervous.
He didn’t dislike Colin.
Why did he run away? Why did he chase Katrin’s kitten?
“Colin.” Farmer Edward came up to him. “That’s enough. You’ve earned your pay.”
Colin stopped and wiped sweat from his forehead. “How much does fish or meat cost?”
“Four to five Clira for fresh fish. Eight to ten for good meat.” Edward told him. “Look, Colin, are you sure you want to go through with this?”
“What do you mean?” Colin asked.
“This wolfcat of yours…” Edward paused. “It’s not going to be easy to get him to follow you. It could take all night, maybe even tomorrow night as well.”
“I know.” Colin sighed. “Just earning money is taking me a long time.”
“You can try something else, you know.” Edward said. “Try a different Comrade. Go back to the Home and ask for a yellow-tag Starter Comrade because your wolfcat has run away.”
“What?!” Colin stared. “I can’t do that!”
“It’s okay.” Edward said. “I know it sounds embarrassing, but for a beginner, they’ll understand. Everyone makes mistakes at first.”
“That’s not it.” Colin protested. “Farmer Edward, the whole reason I’m working here, the whole reason I’m here at all, is to find my Comrade. I know you mean well, but Shiro’s my Comrade. I’m not going to abandon him just to make things easier.”
“He abandoned you.” Edward pointed out.
“We don’t know that for sure.” Colin shook his head. “He might have his reasons.”
Edward laughed. “Colin, he’s a wolfcat! An animal that’s half wolf and half cat! And he’s a Comrade who’s run away from you. What else would you call that but abandonment? Colin, he left you!”
“Maybe.” Colin didn’t think so. “But I haven’t left him.”
“Colin, you don’t understand. Comrades are around to serve you, and to do what you want them to. If your Comrade doesn’t want to be around, and doesn’t want to do what you ask, then what’s it for?” Edward demanded.
Colin paused and thought about that.
He looked at Jonah, Alicia and Larry, using their Comrades to perform farm work. He looked at Farmer Edward and his many Comrades who were doing things around the farm.
“Maybe.” Colin said slowly. “But maybe it’s different.”
“What do you mean by ‘different’?” Edward questioned.
“Well…” Colin thought about it some more. “For you, they’re… your job. I mean… you’re a farmer. You use them to do work and to get stuff to sell. But…”
“But…?” Edward waited.
“I’m not a farmer.” Colin said, trying to figure it out himself. “I’m not the same as you. I’m a Traveler, and I’m supposed to travel with my Comrade. He’s not my servant. He’s my friend.”
“A friend who leaves you behind to chase kittens.” Edward shook his head. “Some friend that is.”
“Maybe he has his reasons.” Colin shifted uncomfortably.
“Maybe he just doesn’t like you.” Edward said again.
Colin thought back, remembered the way Shiro looked… the way Shiro felt.
“That’s not it.” Colin said, suddenly feeling certain.
“And how do you know?” Edward asked.
“I felt it.” Colin answered.
“You… felt it?” Farmer Edward went off into full blown laughter. “You felt it?!”
“Yes.” Colin said simply. “I felt it.”
Or rather, he didn’t feel it. Shiro had been nervous, excited and playful, but he had not disliked Colin.
“You really are an idiot.” Edward concluded. “It’s going to be your own fault that you’ll be having such a hard time. Here: your pay for weeding the garden.”
He handed Colin five coins. Each had ‘10cr’ stamped on it.
“Fifty Clira.” Farmer Edward explained. “Bring those to the market on the east side of Sunshine Town and buy fish or meat or something.”
Colin nodded his thanks, and left the farm.
***
He was halfway back to Town when Katrin called him.
“Colin!” her voice was low and she spoke in a whisper. “Get over here! You’re not going to believe this.”
“What?” Colin blinked.
“I found
them. Your Comrade and mine. Come quick!”
“Where?” Colin had to ask.
“I’ll send you a Nav Point.”
“A what…?”
A red triangle suddenly appeared on his watch. Colin twisted his arm towards himself to inspect it and it spun so that it kept pointing the same way.
“A Navigation point. Just follow the red arrow.” Katrin said.
“Okay!” Colin said, and started running.
***
Farmer Edward was surprised when he saw Colin running back the way you came. “Forgot something?”
“Katrin called. She found my wolfcat.” Colin explained, slowing down a little.
“This ought to be good.” Edward grunted, shaking his head. “They must be a long way away by now. Why don’t I give you a lift?”
“Really?” Colin stared.
“Yeah. Just let me get the truck.”
Farmer Edward’s truck was a big blue vehicle that smelled of vegetables.
“Sorry for all the trouble.” Colin sat next to Farmer Edward.
“It’s okay.” Edward said, putting on the seat belt. “I’m curious to know what happened too.”
It took them ten minutes before the red arrow started to change direction and they had to go off the road to follow it. After another two minutes of driving through open fields, they came up against more and more trees and they had to get out of the truck to follow the Nav Point.
“Stay close.” Farmer Edward warned Colin. “Graybark! Guard!”
Graybark, Edward’s wolfcat, had come with them on the back of the truck. Now he followed them with a sharp eye and a sharp nose out for any Wilds that may cause trouble.
But there weren’t any Wilds in sight. There had been a few earlier, which they passed by, but right here, there didn’t seem to be any wild animals at all.
Then what was this… uneasiness?
There was a feeling of tension in the air that Colin didn’t like. As if something bad was happening nearby.
And then, a sound broke the uneasy silence.
Shiro was howling.
***
“Shiro!” Colin dashed ahead with Edward behind him and Graybark at their backs. “Shiro!”
“Colin!” Katrin called from in front and to the left. Shiro was howling directly ahead of them.
Colin, Edward and Graybark burst out of the thick trees and found themselves in a clearing.
On their left, Katrin was getting up from behind a big rock. On their right, a big white lioness was snarling, trapped under a fallen tree.
In front of them was a fight.
On one side was Shiro, Katrin’s kitten, a black creature that looked like a mix between eagle and lion, a big green cat, a smaller red cat, a tall skinny cat with six legs, and a pink lion-face creature with a mane as large as its whole body.
On the other was what appeared to be an army of giant ants… and more and more ants were arriving even as Colin watched.
“Graybark! Attack the ants! Sonic Howl!” Farmer Edward ordered. Then, he tapped his watch. “Webby! Come to me! Firebull! Give her a ride!”
“Who are you talking to?” Colin asked, as Graybark dashed forward to join the fight.
“My Comrades! I’m calling them to come here!” Edward said. “The ants are trying to eat the white lioness. The others are protecting it, but there are too many ants!”
“What do we do?” Katrin asked.
“I’m calling my Arachnid over. She’ll spin a web around to stop the ants.” Edward paused and turned to Colin. “That white lioness over there… friend of theirs?”
“What?!” Colin and Katrin both jumped.
“Look at the Comrades and Wilds protecting her. They’re all cat-types.” Edward said. “I think they’re friends.”
“Then that means…” Katrin paused. “His wolfcat wasn’t chasing my kitten. They were both rushing here to save her.”
“I think so.” Edward agreed. “Come on! Your Comrades will fight to the death to defend their friend. If you want to save them from the ants, you’re going to have to save the lioness first. We’ll have to free her from under the tree.”
“How?” Colin asked.
“I have some rope in my truck.” Edward said. “We’ll tie it to the fallen tree and loop it over that branch…” he pointed. “Then, we’ll need Graybark and the bigger cats here to help us pull.”
Graybark was howling now, but his Howl seemed different from Shiro’s. When he Howled, the air rippled, and when it hit the ants, they seemed to be hurt. A few of them turned towards him and started attacking him.
“Graybark! Sonic Storm!” Edward called.
Graybark leapt back, aimed his muzzle to the sky and howled again.
But this Howl was different. The sonic ripples went up first, then came raining down on every nearby Ant. The nearest ants to Graybark were hit so heavily, they fell to the ground and slowed down in their crawl towards Graybark.
“Attack the nearest Ant! Piercing Fang!” Edward ordered.
Graybark lunged forward, and when he opened his mouth, his longest two teeth glowed bright. He bit the nearest Ant and his teeth hit hard.
The Ant collapsed. It fell down and didn’t move any more.
“Behind you! Tail Slash!” Edward shouted.
Graybark spun, and when he spun, his longer tail lashed the face of the Ant that tried to attack him from behind.
“Shock Bite!” Edward called, and Graybark lunged forward to bite the Ant he’d just hit with his tail.
That Ant collapsed and stopped moving also.
“Watch out!” Katrin ran forward.
Colin watched in amazement as she picked up a loose branch and whacked an Ant on the head just as it was about to bite at her kitten. Her little blue kitten snarled and clawed the Ant back, even as the Ant tried pushing at Katrin.
“Are you crazy?!” Edward yelled at her.
Colin looked around and found a rock small enough to throw. He took aim and threw it at the Ant pushing at Katrin.
He hit the Ant directly on one of the feelers.
“Ouch.” Farmer Edward winced. “That’s his most sensitive spot…”
He was right. Now the Ant was looking at Colin.
“Uhoh.” Colin said.
The Ant charged right for him, pushing Katrin out of the way, ignoring her kitten’s clawing. Shiro dashed forward and whacked it with his tail, but it ignored Shiro as well.
“Colin! Run!” Farmer Edward shouted.
“Run where?!” Colin asked.
“Just run!”
Colin glanced at the nearby trees. Maybe if he climbed one…
“Colin!” Katrin shouted, and Colin turned in time to see that Ant spitting something at him.
He jumped out of the way, but the Ant went on spitting. Whatever it was, Colin reasoned, it couldn’t be good. Poison, maybe, or acid.
“Take cover!” Edward said. Colin dodged behind a tree and let the Ant spit into the tree instead of him. “Stay right there! Graybark…”
But there was no need. From above, that black eagle/lion creature crashed down onto the Ant attacking Colin and struck with beak and claws. The Ant fell in a matter of moments.
“Whew.” Colin said.
“Are you all right?” Katrin asked, looking at him worriedly.
“I’m fine.” Colin answered.
“Watch out!” Edward shouted.
Katrin took one look and dashed forward, taking cover behind the same tree as Ant-spit flew past.
“Both of you, just… stay there!” Edward called. “It’s dangerous out here!”
“Okay…” Colin managed as more Ant-spit flew around.
He found Katrin looking at him worriedly.
“We’ll be fine.” He told her.
“It’s…” Katrin shook her head. “Sorry.”
“Huh?” Colin blinked. “For what?”
“For blaming you… when your wolfcat and Raiki ran off…”
“Oh. That
.” Colin shook his head. “I thought the same thing too. It’s okay.”
And then a big spider popped its head out at them.
Katrin let out a yell and grabbed onto Colin so hard, he couldn’t breathe. “Kat…rin…”
“Webby!” Edward was suddenly there. “You’re here!”
Webby, Colin figured, meant that BIG Arachnid in front of his face. It was, he realized, sitting on top of a bull that had fire over its hooves.
“Firebull, Trample through the Ants!” Edward ordered. “Webby! Web Barrier!”
Colin looked at Katrin, staring at the big spider openly while still squeezing Colin hard. “Kat… I can’t… breathe…”
Katrin blinked, then suddenly realized what she was doing and jumped back, her face red. “Sorry…”
They watched Farmer Edward as he got to work, quickly tying that rope around the fallen tree. “Graybark, all you big cats… we need your help to pull this off the white lioness.”
They seemed to understand. All of them bit into the rope and started pulling.
“Colin! Katrin! Help pull!” Edward called. “Firebull! Get back here!”
They pulled. They dug their feet into the ground, held on tight to the rope, and pulled as hard as they possibly could.
Slowly, the tree lifted. Slowly, the white lioness clawed her way out from under it.
“Keep pulling!” Farmer Edward called.
Colin was pulling too hard to answer.
Firebull grabbed the rope in his teeth and helped them pull. Graybark was straining so hard, his fur stood up on end. Even Webby was pulling the rope.
“Almost there!” Edward shouted.
Shiro was straining, and Raiki (Katrin’s kitten) had her back arched tightly. The black eagle/lion was tugging with its eyes closed.
“Almost!” Edward grunted. “And… there!”
With a sudden pop, the white lioness pulled her way free from under the trunk. Everyone dropped the rope all at once, and the log crashed onto the floor loudly.
“Whew.” Colin panted.
“Yip.” Shiro agreed, wheezing.
Katrin turned to Raiki. “Are you all right?”
“Mew.” Raiki answered.
“Good work, you guys.” Edward told his three Comrades.
They didn’t say anything.
The white lioness limped over to them. Her back left leg was injured, but she looked at them with proud eyes. “Raar.”
“You’re welcome.” Colin told her in polite reply.
She gave him a nod, and limped away into the forest. The smaller red cat followed her.
The other cat-type Comrades and Wilds scattered, going away in different directions. The Ants too, turned back.
“Well.” Farmer Edward looked at the fallen Ants left behind and thought for a bit. “Well, well, well.”