Leo was busy gurgling the highest concentration alcohol the tavern had, and Felix was laughing himself silly even after being given a bright red handprint, courtesy of the wife of the man that he had just been making out with. Thomas was standing silently by himself, with a similar handprint after they heard him laughing himself when he went to get the alcohol. Once Leo was done, he spit out the window, and closed it to continue business.
"Let's start talking, shall we?" Felix was still giggling, but knew that if he didn't cooperate they might actually kill him, so he sobered up quickly. Leo took another look at Felix, he had the usual cocky good looking boy attitude, when he wasn't making a fool of others. Felix looked at Leo in return, and said,
"I would love to talk to you, but I'm kinda uncomfortable with this seating. Mind if we remove the ropes?" Felix asked politely. Leo just straight stared at him and replied,
"You and I both know you don't need our help getting out of those ropes." Felix shrugged, and the ropes just fell right through him before he threw them away.
"If I used my blessings to get out of those ropes, then how did you know I wouldn't use it to run away?" He asked curiously. Leo suddenly grinned evilly, and replied,
"Because, we're talking politely right now, if you ran then I'd track you down and kill you just like that. Don't doubt me on that, thanks to your stunt I know your scent perfectly now, you can't hide even by changing form." Felix's smile fell, and he started sweating again. He never thought that these people would have better senses than a beast man. He still wasn't sure what they even were, he never heard of humans having beast man senses. Even half breeds had some physical traces of their beast origins.
"What are you?" He asked in wonder. Leo looked thoughtful for a second, then replied,
"Get me to trust you, and I'll tell you. Let's start with all of your blessings, shall we?" Felix decided that he wouldn't lose much by telling them his third blessing anyways, and said,
"Well, you know about the shapeshifting, and the walking through walls, and I can also tell when someone's lying. So I'll know if you're being truthful or not." This was why he didn't doubt their threats to kill him, he knew he was telling the truth when he said it.
"What a coincidence, I can use my senses to tell if you're being truthful or not as well. This should go a lot better than I thought. Next question, what are you doing here in the human cities?" Felix pondered how to answer the question without giving away secrets that weren't his, and answered,
"I'm here to gather intelligence before the purge." He left it only at that, since he didn't say for who specifically, and didn't say what intelligence he was after. Plus since they just wanted to talk, then he might be able to gain some allies for the coming battles. He then decide to ask his questions.
"Now you, what are you and where does your loyalties lie?" Leo pondered the question, before answering.
"I'm a werewolf, and my loyalties lay towards those I care about, who like my beautiful wife will be victims of the purge." At Leo's words Iris dropped her hood for the first time and showed Felix her eyes. Felix went wide eyed at the hopeful allies he found. If they were against the humans like him then he might come out ahead, but there was something bothering him.
"What is a werewolf? Is it some kind of wolf beast man?" Felix had never heard about these beast men, so he thought it was some kind of new hybrid or something. Leo only smiled and started stripping.
"HEY, I know some things were kinda weird before, but i don't actually swing that way!" Felix cried out, but before he managed to close his eyes, Leo finished stripping and suddenly started getting bigger. Felix watched in fascination and horror, as Leo grew to seven feet tall, barely being able to keep from hitting the ceiling. He grew fur all over his body that matched his hair, and sharp claws pointed out from each finger and toe. Felix felt really grateful that they managed to come to an understanding.
When Leo changed back, Felix got on his knees and pressed his forehead into the floor. He had only heard of transforming beast men being champions of the ancestor beast gods, Apis, Babi, and Bast to name only a few. All other beast men were completely unable to change, Felix was one such beast man due to the fact that the god he served was Loki, who wasn't one of the ancestor gods. What he saw before him though, was not one of the ancestor gods doing, it was something different, more powerful, and deserved being worshipped.
"Please forgive this ones errors! I was not aware of the greatness I was in the presence of! Please, lend your support to the beast men in upcoming purge!" Felix wasn't stupid. Leo never mentioned that he would help them, only that he wasn't with the humans. So he decided that he needed to get Leo's help on his side no matter what. Leo got dressed again, and was watching Felix's sudden change in attitude.
"I already planned to ally myself with the beast men, just not at the moment. I'll need their help to face Arthur later-" Leo suddenly stopped talking, from the moment he mentioned Arthur, an intense killing intent radiated from Felix.
"You want to fight Arthur? I want in." Felix said with determination set in his eyes. Leo could tell that there was some really bad blood there, and he asked Felix,
"What happened between you and Arthur?" Leo knew that the non humans in general hated him, but Felix was definitely different in his hatred. It was personal. Felix looked as if he fought with something internally, but started telling his story.
"I grew up in a village away from the main territory of the fox clan ruled by Inari. She would choose a champion that would rule over the fox clans, and through them directly guide us. The champion was always a young maiden, Inari would activate the nine tails trait in her next chosen champion and the second tail would grow by their eleventh birthday. Every year after they would grow another tail, until the ninth one grew on their eighteenth birthday. The girl would always have to maintain her purity, or be abandoned by both Inari and the people.
"Once the ninth tail grew, they would go to the main territory and train to become the next champion of Inari, and head priestess. I have a cousin, named Felicia, she was like an older sister to me. She was supposed to be the next champion. She was seven years older, so when I was ten she was seventeen, about to turn eighteen and travel to start her training. Due to how close we were, I got special permission to go with her and train to be her guardian. But, just a few days before we left, HE came, Arthur.
"It was the afternoon, and I heard people screaming. When I ran to the town center I was grabbed by some woman, one of his wives, and dragged to the middle of the center with everyone else. He walked slowly around us, and demanded the next nine tails. When one of his wives grabbed her, I tried to stop them. She was dragged out in front of us, and I yelled out, 'leave my sister alone you bastard!'. One of the wives stepped forward, and was about to hit me, but he stopped her.
"'What's your name?' He asked me. Before I could say anything Felicia cried out, 'Felix! Get back!'. He looked between us, and said to the one holding me, 'bring him forward'. I was placed in front of my sister, and he told to me, 'Felix, this is how this is going to go, I'm going to rape your sister in front of every person here. You will get the best seat in the house! If you don't like it, then come and get me when you get older.' And that's exactly what he did. I was forced to watch as my sister was stripped, and had her purity stolen from her in front of the entire village.
"The worst part of it was, at first she cried and tried to fight him. Later however, she started to make noises of pleasure, and not long after she was begging for more. She went from a pure girl who would never make those kinds of sounds, to a bitch in heat because of him. After he thoroughly broke her, he placed a collar on her and left with his new toy. He didn't have any of us killed. That was probably the most humiliating part of it, he came, and took what he wanted and didn't even try to act like we were a threat to him doing so.
"It was only a few hours later when the main forces from the clans arrived with the current champion. While Inari possessed her, she got down on her hands and knees and begged for our forgiveness. A goddess begged for us to forgive how she couldn't help my sister. It was then that I decided, I will do very thing in my power to bring that prick to justice. If I can't kill him, then I'll just try to cut off the prick's prick and shove it down his throat, then he could never do to anyone else what he did to my sister."
When Felix finished his story, Leo felt rage deep in his body. He didn't doubt any of what Felix said, he couldn't fake all of that rage, and he didn't show any signs of lying. He heard about Arthur's tyranny, but never from a direct sufferer. To elder grandma he was a conquerer, not a villain. Felix looked Leo in the eye, and said,
"If you promise to kill that prick someday, my life is yours from this day forward. Swear to your God, and I'll do the same." Felix's words surprised Leo, swearing to his goddess was an ultimate oath. If he ever failed then it was her duty to ensure he was punished for it, in this life or the next. Elder grandma could be considered an example of it, even though hers was a different situation. Leo returned Felix's gaze, and rolled up his sleeve before pressing his fingers against his brand,
"I swear, that I will kill Arthur one day, no matter how long it takes." Felix nodded, and placed his fingers on his own brand,
"I swear, that as long as I live, my blade and my life belong to Leo. I will be his shadow, and eliminate his enemies so long as I live." Felix felt the pressure meaning the oath was complete, and he looked at his new master. When he thought about it, he realized that Inari was probably going to be pissed.