"Hey, uhm why are you smiling at me like that. Did I say something to your liking?" she asks me with a baffled look.
"Well, I-I just smiled because you cute simply put it...Besides, why would I frown near you for no reason?" it seems odd for someone to be asked why they smiled. Sometimes kindness and reciprocating a smile are just what everyone needs.
I see both Mr. and Mrs. Uchida sitting inside the carriage with it closed waiting. I hope they are not leaving us both.
"H-hey! Don't leave us too!" as I yell that my chest hurt a bit. Maybe raising my voice or using my body is a good idea since my injuries. Hopefully, they heal in like 3 days. Sooner I hope.
They respond to me with eyes wider open and wave us in as I hear the door unlock. I guess they just wanted to be safe and locked it shut.
Lara and I both started walking 4 feet forward with some random pedestrians looking at us with smiles a bit. That nice. But then I started hearing yelling and talking not that far. Sounds concerning.
"Did you hear about that animal running through the streets? Heard it attacked 4 people already. No one got severely hurt but if children get attacked it will be horrible!" a man raising his voice.
"Yeah, this will hopefully be dealt with by the guards soon." another one says in response.
Damn, guess there is a wild animal nearby or somewhere in the city. Gotta keep that away from me and Lara.
We both get on the carriage and Mr. Uchida locks the door behind us and closes it.
"Awesome, never been in a carriage before!" I say with excitement behind it.
"Well likely you wouldn't since you are less than 3 years old"
"Yeah I-wait what!?" I turn my head from the window towards Mrs. Uchida.
"What do you mean I am 5 years old? Hahaha."
"Oh please I don't know who told you that, but everyone should know that Beastmen physically age sooner by about 3 to 5 years in the first 2 years of their life. As to why I don't remember. But yeah you are about 2 years younger than Lara but look about the same age."
"Wow, never knew that. I just woke up one day and was from a baby in a dresser to suddenly a bigger but still small child."
"Well you are 3 years old from my predictions so let's go with that now okay hun? Also even if you are 3 years old, you are very smart for one of your age."
I look out the window thinking about how this aging thing works. In a way, I hope to live out this life without my body jumping physically age very fast.
"Anyways relax. We shall be arriving home in about 10 minutes. So please. Sit next to Lara. You are her companion after all."
Oh yeah, I was being called a companion a few times inside the room when I woke up. I wonder what it means. She kept directing toward me and Lara so it must mean more than what I thought.
"What's a companion? You called me that a few times or referred me to that with Lara a bit."
"OH well, a companion is simply put it a person or even an animal who stays with them through events or follows them. Or spends a lot of time together as closest of friends."
Seems like a very basic idea of companionship between two people.
"Well, I mean more specifically. It sounded more I don't know...important."
She looks at me then out the window and smiles. She seems to know what I mean by my question.
"Hehehe" Mrs. Uchida seems to be amused by something.
"Eh?" I tilt my head in curiosity and turn over to Mr. Uchida.
He seems to not be caring and looking out the other window on his side. I can tell he has a smirk.
"Hey Lara do you kno-" I stop noticing her behavior
She is blushing. She is looking down at her lap with her hands there as well. She seems to be very anxious. It looks like she is trying not to smile and cry at the same time. What does this companion thing mean!
Mrs. Uchida finally turns over to me still laughing at us both. She better has an explanation for me. If she doesn't I....Well can't do anything really but I will be blindless confused!
-Lara POV-
Oh my god, mom please don't say it!
-Coda POV-
Is it something like marriage or best friends for life? This has to be some kind of over-the-top thing for this kind of reaction from all 3 members of this family.
"Well, I guess it basically means that the companion is where someone becomes there protector, friend, ally, as well as even there-" she gets interrupted by Lara.
"MOM WE ARE HOME!" she stands up before the carriage even stops.
"Oh of course, we must get you set up if you are going to live with us!" Mrs. Uchida stands up and unlocks the door.
"Wait! What about this companion stuff!?" I try to reach out but fall on the floor of the carriage.
"Ow..."
"OH Cody, let me help you up! Lara says to me.
"No no, I am fine I just misstepped where I was going to go."
"Oh, okay" she smiles and lets me get up on my own.
I get myself up and proceed off the cart. Just as Lara gets off she takes a larger leap off the carriage bumping me forward a bit. I stumble a bit but catch myself.
For a moment aI catch my breath due to my stomach hurting again. But stop when lookup seeing the tavern.
I look at the size and it doesn't feel as impressive. Especially since I am short for now so it not looking big means something. I look over to my right and see a sign that says "Luna Tavern"
Hmm. Luna means moon or something like that. I am betting the business is well, busiest at night. I wonder if I will be working here. I walk forward towards the door while Lara speaks to the carriage rider for a moment. I will wait for her.
As I think about this I hear yelling, and a small crowd with nets and rope. They seem angry! Did I do something? Wait no they are chasing something. But what?
As I look more intently and closer with my eyes I can see what they are looking at. It's some kind of rodent. A big rat with two front sharp teeth. Black fur and skin tail like most rats would.
As it is running the men start yelling something at me.
"Get the kids out of the way this thing is savage!"
"Get the kids out of this things reach!"
As I think about what they said I am running inside the tavern and closing it. But before I could I turned around seeing Lara just looking at the crowd. Did she not hear them!?
"Lara get inside they are chasing a huge rat!"
As Lara looks at me with surprise she turns back and the rat is closer than ever. She tries to make a run for it toward the tavern door where I am but the rat gained speed for some reason. It sees Lara as an easy innocent pray!
"Lara look out!" I cry out with all my might but to no avail, the rat is too close. Shit!
Am I about to literally throw myself into a giant rat the size of a kid in order! Yes I am because why would I let her get hurt. I survived a beating against 3 men I will survive this I bet.
I jump backward turning towards Lara and grab her trying to shield her. The rat was defiantly too fast. I was right to jump out in front of her and shield her from the rat. The rat seems to still however want either me or Lara and the crowd is still a while back by many feet away.
It lunges at me but I catch it by the throat with both hands but the weight causes me to drop on my back! The rodent tries to bite into my neck but my forearms catch its bite.
It knows into me but I start punching it. A bit of my blood as well as its blood from the nose of the rat starts mixing. I continue punching it and the grip on my forearm starts to loosen.
"Hey get the rat off the kid!" one of the men running with the crowd announces at the rider but he is afraid to. The rider however does after a few seconds and struggles to pull off the rat from me but it eventually does.
"Agh this thing is disgusting!" the rider drops the rat and it proceeds to run off. With the crowd still pursuing it as well.
"Agh!" my arm hurts as well as the rest of my body. Is this going to be the norm where I get hurt being an idiot? Yes likely yes...
"Oh my god! S-someone help him!" one of the bystanders yells.
The parents finally run out very late to the situation and gasp. I hope they are not one of those neglectful parents of their kids.