74 Phase 63: False Steps

Satrox went deep into the Dark Forest while Colin roamed the outer edges, picking fights with a few Bristle Boars. Letting Shiro, Sonia and Raiki rest, he put Foxie and Ardent on Kirin and let Eclipse lead Glide. With the two birds doing hit-and-run attacks and the new fox and cougar shooting from Kirin's back, they simply kept flying around the boars and pounding them into the dust.

Eclipse came in for a landing and a break shortly after, leaving the command of the others to Foxie. Colin wondered if it was wise, but Foxie seemed content to let things go on as they were.

{I've got FIVE command-types.} Colin thought. {Isn't that a bit… well… unhealthy?}

So far, it hadn't been a problem. The only ones getting hurt from it were the Wilds they fought against. But Colin felt worried, leaving a mischievous, deceptive fox in command of those three Comrades.

But all the others were tired out and left her to it. {Maybe leaving them to train overday isn't such a good idea after all. I can't do a thing with everyone like this.}

Kirin came in for a rest next, and with her, the three fresh Comrades. Colin shook his head. "Shiro, next time, you might want to stop the training and get more rest."

"Auu…" Shiro sounded like Sonia again.

"Let's take a break." Colin suggested, sitting down with them.

While he sat there thinking about what to do about Katrin, Foxie started barking as if to herself. At first, nobody really paid attention, but then Ardent started mewing.

Then Glide chirped. The pair of them were giving Foxie their full attention, and seemed to be enjoying it. Even Raiki and Kirin perked up while Foxie barked.

Foxie went on barking, now looking at her audience playfully. She stood straight up and barked as if in a low voice, then suddenly let out a series of particularly loud barks.

Raiki and Ardent mewed with laughter. Kirin and Glide chirped. Now even Eclipse and Sonia were getting interested.

Shiro shook his head and lay there, quite still. {Goodness, he must be really exhausted. What in the world is Foxie doing?}

The audience of Colin's Comrades burst out into barks, chirps and mews again, and suddenly Colin realized what was going on. {I don't believe it! Foxie is telling them jokes!}

Ten minutes later, Sonia was pawing the ground with mirth. Ardent was kicking the air. Raiki was holding her sides, and Kirin was rolling around on the ground. Glide was pounding her beak into the tree. Eclipse had her head lifted to the sky, chirping merrily. Even Shiro looked to be in a better mood, barking a short, tired laugh every so often.

"What am I going to do with Foxie…?" Colin let out a rueful chuckle of his own. {And what am I going to do with Katrin…?}

Satrox emerged from the Dark Forest then, and he had three more big birds with him. "Crested Falcons." He showed them off with a grin. "I wish we had time to go further in, but they'll have to do for now. Well, Colin? Are you ready to try out the Green Badge Tournaments?"

"Green…?" Colin blinked, then realized what Satrox meant.

When he bonded those three new Comrades, he had reached the 7 Comrades/100 levels requirement for Green Badge Ranking. He had gone up a rank.

{In other words, I'm no longer one of the strongest Yellows. }

{I'm one of the weakest Greens.}

***

"Oh, scrap." Colin pounded his head against the bark of the tree they were resting under. "What a mistake!"

"I thought it was all part of your plan." Satrox mused.

"I need to have less than seven, right? So I need to give someone at least two Comrades." Colin muttered. "Katrin! I'll give them to Katrin…"

"Just like all your other Comrades that you gave away, eh?" Satrox mentioned. "And this time you even borrowed money to buy them."

"Scrap." Colin groaned. "I have to pay back with interest too. But I can't compete in Green Badge ranking! I'll get hammered!"

"Hammered and nailed." Satrox agreed. "So… you're going to have to go back to Crabby Island, won't you?"

Colin held his head with a groan. "What a mistake! I should have just waited for you… or slept at my normal time."

He turned to Satrox. "Can't you take them?"

Satrox paused. "Colin… my theme is Feathered Flight… and my Comrades are all class 8 or higher."

"But you've got Wraith, and he's a Lynxmouse! Foxie is class 8 too, and Glide has Feathered Flight."

"Didn't you plan to give them to Katrin?" Satrox pointed out. "Or do you only give her those you want to get rid of?"

Colin stared. "What are you saying? I picked those Comrades out myself! I chose them from a whole crowd of options! You can't honestly believe I just want to get rid of them! And giving them to Katrin isn't throwing them away! I want to give her everything I can."

There was a stunned silence.

{Goodness… did I really just SAY that?!} Colin covered his mouth, eyes wide.

Satrox burst out laughing.

***

It took some time before Satrox could breathe normally again. Colin explained once he felt sure Satrox wouldn't laugh any more. "I wanted to give Foxie to Katrin so that she could cheer all the others up. Did you see the way she got all my other Comrades laughing?"

"What if Foxie herself was too upset to do that?" Satrox asked.

"Well… it's a risk. But what if she can?" Colin asked.

"That's a lot of 'what if', Colin. Transfer causes Comrades to be very upset." Satrox reminded him.

"That didn't happen to your Comrades." Colin pointed out. "They were fresh and sharp from day one!"

"My case is different." Satrox said. "It's a benefit of having reached a certain rank in the past."

"Then, if I transfer to you, she'll be fine, right?"

"Of course." Satrox nodded. "But that won't help Katrin."

"It would help me stay at Yellow, and help you climb to Purple." Colin pointed out.

Satrox paused. "That's true…"

"And they won't even be upset." Colin added.

"Even so…" Satrox frowned. "I don't like this. Transferring Comrades around like they were items or something. I don't like it at all."

Colin paused. "That's true. I don't like it either."

Satrox got up and turned around.

"Where are you going?" Colin asked.

"I'm going in a little deeper, see if I can find another good Wild to Tame. If I find one strong enough, I'll solve my own problem of reaching Purple. It will be tricky, with so many new Comrades so soon, but I'll deal with it on my own. That way, you won't have to worry about my problems.

"Do what's best for yourself."

***

Colin sat surrounded by his Comrades, and thought. {'What's best for myself'? What IS best for myself?}

He thought on that for quite some time. {What's best is that I get all the power I can, as fast as I can, and become strong enough to deal with the Green Men if they ever come after me again.}

{And they WILL come after me again. I know that for certain. They would destroy whole towns just trying to capture me and Katrin. They almost got us, before.}

{Is staying at Yellow Badge really so important?}

Colin thought about that.

{Foxie… chose me.} He turned to her. She was looking at him seriously. Very seriously.

{Ardent is already apathetic. He's so hurt, he doesn't care any more.} Colin glanced at the third of his new Comrades. {Glide is still reserved. She's holding back on everything. She doesn't dare to commit.}

{I just bonded them. Is it right to Transfer them for no other reason than to have better chances at winning a Tournament? Is it right to give away Comrades for the sake of competitions?}

Giving most of his Comrades to Katrin the first time had hurt. It still hurt, until now. He missed seeing them, remembering again and again how they first met, feeling the pain of saying 'goodbye'.

Giving Junrei to her had been a matter of commitment. It was a sacrifice demanded by Lynn, a price to pay for being a part of the Forest of Legends. Junrei had been bought with money, bonded for no other reason than for quick power.

Just like these three. Colin had thought he needed power, fast, and bonded them all.

He hadn't, not really. He had been caught up in Satrox's need, not his own. His needs had been to stay at Yellow.

But having done that… having been caught up and made his mistakes… would giving them away correct the mistake?

Or was it making an even bigger mistake?

{There is no actual need to give them away. No actual need to stay at Yellow. All I need is to win the Tournaments… and I don't even have a time limit! I can try again and again and again until I win… at any ranking.}

Colin looked up at the spot where Satrox vanished back into the Dark Forest.

"Thanks, Satrox." Colin said slowly. "I nearly made a really big mistake."

Foxie was still looking at him seriously.

"Don't worry." He told her. "I won't give you away."

Foxie came forward then, and put her paw on Colin's hand gravely. She gave him a slow nod in thanks.

Colin thought, she might be deceptive, and mischievous, but something tells me that this time, she's serious.

"Thanks, Foxie." He said, covering her paw with his other hand. "I'm sorry I doubted you."

"Arf." Foxie said, without any anger in her voice.

"Yip." Shiro gave Colin a firm nod.