Animal Kingdom Come (Chapter 3)

by

Shadow Bunny Dragon

"Are all humans as big as you were?" Eliana asked, the little brown mouse was sitting next to Elliott on a bench-like seat of the elevator platform. It was currently lowering, now its passengers being Elliott, Melody, Julius, the aforementioned little princess, and her bodyguard, Sasha. Said bodyguard was sitting across from the boy right next to Melody and Julius, who were engaged in a lively discussion. He felt a little unnerved by the female brown mouse's paw still rested on the hilt of her sword as she constantly stared at him.

"Uhm, w-well, the kids m-my age can be... but most adults are usually much bigger," Elliott explained to the young girl.

"Woooah!" Eliana's eyes grew wider and seemed to sparkle in the sunlight. "How much bigger?" The little mouse started to bounce in her seat.

The boy-turned-mouse groaned inwardly at his luck. Not only did they run into the actual king of this crazy animal kingdom and his even crazier daughter, and her decidedly scary bodyguard; but being so excited to finally get to meet, or rather interrogate, Eliana had then begged her father to let her please go with him and Melody on their errand-run. Finding the whole situation amusing, Julius, despite a brief objection from the sword-wielding mouse woman, elected to simply have the three of them tag along, after asking Melody and Elliott if that would be okay.

Melody seemed happy for their company and easily fell into a seemingly regular friendly chatter. And there was no way that Elliott was going to do anything to anger the king... so he agreed as well.

"Uh... w-well, I g-guess about twice as big as I was... before I was transformed."

Eliana seemed to freeze mid-bounce, her paws clapped to her cheeks, a look of revelation on her face.

"Humans are giants," she said in wonder. King Julius and Melody both chuckled at that.

"Yes... their size makes them very formidable," Sasha said absentmindedly, finally looking away.

Feeling uncomfortable, Elliott looked out as their platform descended and grew closer to the paved ground. He could see that the streets seemed to be made from some kind of tiny bricks set into the ground. With the platform setting down gingerly, he could look around before the gate swung open. Elliott saw a mixed group of rodents waiting to board the platform whilst he and the others departed. He could also see that they were heading in the direction he had seen the creek. Stepping lightly on the red brick road, Elliott felt like he was in a dream. He ducked as a gigantic monarch butterfly fluttered down low. It took the mouse boy a heartbeat to remember that the butterfly wasn't a giant, he was just tiny now.

"Oh! That clock tower over there is called Owen's Timepiece! And that's a statue of my uncle Barney, who helped build the wall! And that over there is one of the community gardens!" Eliana didn't so much as stop to catch her breath while she rapidly pointed out and listed every monument, piece of architecture, or really anything she thought was interesting; that they passed by, with Julius adding in tidbits of information here and there.

"Owen's Timepiece is actually named after Owen Stryker, a squirrel who loves anything and everything clockwork," Julius said in a quiet voice, whilst Eliana was pointing out her favorite bench. Elliott stared at the lone tower that stood in the dead center of a park. The clock face looked like it had been removed from a wrist watch, but the open sides of the tower showcased the complex gears and other moving parts as it made a ticking noise.

"And Barney Oreson actually founded the engineering guild, which was right around when he started work on the north side of the wall."

"When was the wall built?" Elliott was amazed as he walked by a flower, the petals the size of a manhole cover to him now.

"Twenty years ago was when it was finished. All in all, it took about five years to build it, what with us having to stop and redraw the city limits due to the influx of new citizens."

Elliott was curious about that piece of history, but decided to refrain from asking any further questions as they neared more animals all going about their daily lives. They were already getting odd looks and greetings due to Julius being the king. Elliott didn't feel comfortable with anyone wondering who the mouse asking what were probably basic questions taught in school, was. Especially if news of his transformation had spread. Recalling the newspaper picture from earlier and Sasha's reaction to him, it was safe to assume that humans were not necessarily well-liked by the general populace. Speaking of the bodyguard, Elliott looked back to see Sasha and Melody having a civil, if not terse, and quiet, conversation. His ears drooping, he had a feeling it was about him.

"And here's Mrs. Treacle's clinic!" Eliana proudly exclaimed, holding her arms out wide while she stood in front of a gray brick cube of a building. It was larger than most other structures nearby, mainly by a human foot-length in measurement. The front door had a carving of a caudecus painted gold on the front, and some stained glass windows, all depicting white birds. Suddenly, the big door was thrown open, and out stepped a badger who quickly stepped in their direction.

"There you lot are!" She said in a bright feminine voice. Her eyes locking on Elliott, she practically scampered right towards the suddenly terrified mouse boy. Elliott stumbled back, eyes wide, his breathing rapid, as the large badger bore down on him. Its black claws glinted in the sunlight, white razor-sharp teeth visible as it opened its maw. Scrabbling back, Elliott let out a whimper as he was far too slow... and found himself scooped up and being cradled by the badger.

"Easy now, darling," Treacle cooed, rocking her arms a little. "You mustn't overexert yourself even when you're on the mend." Her voice was a little deeper than Melody's, giving the hint that she was a little older. The sensation of being held and rocked like this brought up some faint memories from when he was little. Memories marred by the smell of disinfectant and the sound of a heart monitor beeping. Memories he had long since buried.

Letting out a sniff and hastily swiping at his totally dry eyes, Elliott wriggled out of her grasp and landed on his feet, scurrying over to not at all hide a little behind Melody. He could feel the insides of his drooping ears burning red with embarrassment as both the badger and Melody chuckled, the latter of which reached back to ruffle his headfur, much to his further annoyance. Taking a second to actually look the larger mammal over, he saw that she was wearing a bright white short-sleeved dress with a red cross stitched over chest and on the shoulders, and a white apron donned as well. She had a black and white stripe fur pattern running up her muzzle and over her bright yellow eyes.

"Hello, Treacle," Melody said, reaching and gently pushing Elliott back out in front of her, keeping her paws on his shoulders. "Since your patient was feeling much better, I felt a little visit to you to check on his progress was in order. Provided you're not too busy."

"I'm never too busy to help someone in need!" The badger placed her clawed paws on her hips and smiled.

"Y-you're th-the h-healer, T-Treacle?" He shivered where he stood, having at some point grabbed his tail like a security blanket.

"That's right, darling!" Treacle cooed down to him, causing yet another blush. "Now right this way so we can check on how well your injury has healed!"

Elliott turned to look at Melody, his ears drooping again. "D-do I have to?"

Melody smiled and nodded. "It really is best to let Treacle have a look and make sure that it's healing correctly."

Elliott frowned at that and started to shuffle through the door that Treacle was happily holding open and gesturing for him to enter.

"I promise to be gentle, sweetheart." Elliott just grumbled at that.

"Wow! Humans pout just like Sasha does whenever Mathilde has to go outside the walls to explore!" Eliana's voice was filled with elation.

"I DON'T POUT!" Elliott and Sasha shouted simultaneously, both blushing, much to everyone's enjoyment. Still grumbling under his breath, Elliott entered the clinic, expecting to see a tank full of leeches and a fire with red hot pokers to be used to cauterize wounds with, all with a dirt floor and a cobwebs near the roof... and was surprised to see a crisp, white, sterile interior.

The floor was tiled, and spotless, matching the ceiling above. There were bright lights shining from rose-shaped sconces along the walls. He was led through a waiting room with leather-looking couches, three of them. One was mouse-sized, one was definitely a size appropriate for a badger, and one for apparently larger species. That one was next to a much larger door. On some short tables near them were some newspapers and magazines. Hanging in the window sills were box-shaped planters filled with bright and colorful flowers.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"You guys have your own magazines?" Elliott picked one up, a hand... or paw-drawn picture of a dock with barges and what looked to be otters unloading crates and barrels was on the cover. At the top of the picture were the words Paragon Topographic.

"Yup! My niece, Juniper, is one of the journalists working for that particular publication!" Treacle beamed as she set a gentle paw on Elliott's back, guiding him away from the waiting room, magazine still in his paws. "She actually mentioned wanting to give you an interview when you are feeling better."

"Wait... is there electricity in those lights?!" Elliott asked, pointing to the sconces. Treacle chuckled and waved a dismissive paw.

"Oh, no, dear. Gimme a sec!" The badger rounded the corner and quickly returned, carrying a wooden step stool. Setting it down beneath a sconce, she stood on top of the little ladder and reached right in, pulling out a bright shining white oval. The sconce quickly dimmed as she held it out in her bare paws for Elliott to take. After a few seconds of staring at it in trepidation, he did so. He expected it to at least be really warm, but instead it felt rather cool to the touch. Squinting his eyes and looking closely at it, he started to notice a light brown striped pattern.

"Is this some kind of a rock?"

"Yup! A river rock at that!" Treacle plucked it out of his paws, gently setting the shining rock right back in the center of the sconce, which shone out a slightly brighter light once more. "Smooth or polished rocks are the best used for enchanting, in this case the enchantment is a simple Radiance charm. It shines brighter than any regular candle or torch flame, and they only need to be 'recharged' every couple of weeks. Actually, the more they are magically charged, the longer the enchantments tend to last."

"And this place is so... clean..." Elliott managed to mumble out, earning him a pat on his head.

"Well thank you!" She turned to look at Melody. "He is such a sweet boy!" Elliott blushed and rubbed his arm absentmindedly. "Anyways, anyplace where medical arts are practiced needs to be thoroughly cleaned, to help prevent infections. Also, I can be a bit of a neat freak, as it is called."

"B-but... the kingdom looks medieval-ish," Elliott said, a little bewildered. He flinched a little when he heard a deep voice clear their throat. Looking to his immediate right, he saw that Julius was grinning and looking rather pleased with himself.

"That would be because of my push towards modernizing Paragon." Julius smiled as he looked up at the sconces. "We can't exactly keep living in the dark ages, so to speak, especially not if we want to keep staying hidden. So, starting with essential services, like medical clinics and public schools, we're slowly transitioning the kingdom in a more technologically progressive direction. We're even setting up a city-wide trolley transit system!"

"But, then, why were you living... uh... more..."

"Primitively?" Julius asked. Marcus stammered and started to backtrack, stopping when he saw the mischievous twinkle in Julius' eyes. "It's a fair question, and part of the answer of which involves how Paragon itself came to be. However, that is a rather long tale, and one best told when someone isn't about to get their much-needed checkup."

"Oh, come on!" Elliott groaned, Treacle using a paw to guide him out of the waiting room and down a hall into another room. This one had a long flat stone table, with some kind of padded cushion covering it, and a sheet of paper draped over it all. Elliott quickly spotted a set of stairs leading up to it, which he took, his nervousness returning. Looking around, he saw jars of powders and liquids. There was a table nearby with a mortar and pestle, a jar of glowing blue crystals sitting next to the primitive tools.

Now this looks more like what I thought I was gunna see, Elliott thought. After Melody joined him on the examination table, he was instructed to remove his shirt. Doing so revealed his bandages and caused his nose to wrinkle again at the scent coming from them.

"Oh yeah, that poultice has become quite pungent!" Treacle chuckled, gently undoing the bandages. Elliott let out an involuntary hiss as the mass under the bandages on his chest were moved, but overall the pain was a dull throb. Getting in close and using a magnifying glass to examine the area, Treacle smiled. She then held up a single claw and whispered some kind of word that Elliott didn't understand. Her voice let out a soft echo when she did so, and Elliott felt a tingling sensation rush across his whole body, starting at the tips of his ears and ending at the tip of his tail.

"How's it looking, Treacle?" Eliana asked, sitting on an unamused Sasha's shoulders.

"Our little trooper here is healing up wonderfully!" Treacle beamed and gently patted Elliott on his head once more. "That potentially fatal wound is now just a case of some bruised ribs. I'll make you up a tincture to take for the pain, and get you a cold compress for the sore spot."

"O-okay... uhm... th-thanks, Treacle." Elliott looked down at his feet, unsure of what he should do at that moment.

"It was my pleasure, cutie-pie!" Treacle took a seat at the table with the mortar and pestle. She popped open the jar of glowing crystals, and used a pair of tongs to take three out and deposit them into the bowl. Sealing the jar back up, she hummed as she began to grind them up into a fine, shimmering, powder. She then grabbed a nearby phial and tipped the powder into it. Treacle snatched up a clear liquid in a jar and gave it a good shake. She measured out a capful using the jar's lid, and poured it into the phial, swirling the contents around until the blue powder mixed with the liquid. She then grabbed a jar with red granules, like salt, in it. Treacle used an even smaller set of tongs to reach into it and pull out a single sliver, which she then dropped into the blue glowing concoction. She quickly shoved the rubber stopper into the opening and gave it just a little shake. There was a sudden flash of bright purple light that quickly faded, leaving behind a bright lavender liquid in the phial.

"There we go!" Treacle smiled and whispered another strange word, one that echoed in the room. "Solasium." There was a bright gold light that came from the phial that settled back down to its regular violet. The badger then grabbed a small cup, one that Elliott could hold in just one paw, and he could see that it was a carved piece of tiny ceramic. She then carefully filled it up with the liquid.

"What is this?" Elliott asked, carefully giving the concoction a sniff. It smelled faintly of raspberries.

"That will help dull the pain some, and help your body keep from contracting any infections. You can have one now, and another cupful before bed. From then on, you can have it three times a day until it's gone, and then you can come back and let me give you one last checkup to make sure you're doing even better! I'll have a raven send it up to Melody and Argus' apartment."

Elliott found that to be a good idea, as the vial was almost as big as Melody. Frowning, he quickly gulped it all down in one go, figuring that if they wanted to poison him, that they'd had plenty of ample opportunity to do so already. His mouth was filled with the sweet and tart flavor of strawberries, along with a more earthy tang rolling across his tongue. Elliott handed back the cup and received a headfur ruffling from Melody.

"Good job!" She praised him, making him blush again and start playing with his tail. saying a quiet thanks under his breath. The cold compress was next, this one being made up of some fresh bandages, with silvery glowing runes drawn on parts of them. The runes, when they first made contact with his furry abdomen, caused Elliott to shiver a little, being so chilly. He noticed that the sore spot already didn't feel as bad as it did, even when the bandages were pulled a little tighter and tied securely around him. Elliott took a minute to get used to the cold, of which it was explained, briefly, thanks to the ice runes; and was allowed to put his shirt back on. With that, they left the clinic, bidding Treacle farewell.

"Now that wasn't so scary, was it?" Melody asked while Eliana zipped around them, gawking at everything and everyone.

"N-no... and I'm not a little kid!" Elliott said in an insistent voice.

"I didn't say you were," Melody assured, smiling affectionately. "But something tells me that you are in some dire need for some TLC now and again."

"Huh?"

"Oh look, we're almost at Annie's shop! Now we can get you some better fitting clothes!"

They began to head towards some more buildings, the sound of lapping water growing louder. They came to a bridge that crossed what had to be the tiniest creek ever, which fed into a much larger one a little bit a ways away.

"This is called the Lover's Bridge! Uncle Argy says that this is where dumb teenagers go to practice getting up to something! But he never says what." Eliana scampered up to the railing and leaned up against it while Julius and Melody chuckled.

"That sounds like my Argy. Conveniently forgetting the mischief he and I would get into when we were younger... and even still get up to now and again," Melody said with laughter in her voice. Elliott rolled his eyes and made a disgusted face, stepping onto the red planks of wood as the princess strained against the rails, which suddenly let out a creak.

"Princess, come away from that rail, it doesn't sound too sturdy!" Sasha said, causing Eliana to pout.

"But I wanted to see the barge and the otters! Kelsey said she'd teach me how to swim!"

"Yes, well, be that as it may, you can see them up close and in person away from those rails--" the bodyguard was cut off as there was another creak, and Elliott, watching things move in slow-motion yet again, saw a surprised Eliana and the broken section of railing fall into the water. As he saw her immediately start to flail about, something registered in his mind.

She can't swim...

Without thinking, and before Sasha or Julius or Melody could react, Elliott ran to where the princess fell from, and jumped into the water. It was much deeper and colder than what he was expecting, but Elliott began to swim towards the smaller, now panicking, mouse.

"I got you, Eli," Elliott said, not enough breath to finish her name. Wrapping his left arms around her and hugging Elina close, he started to kick and use his right arm to bring them back to the bridge, having to fight a surprisingly strong current. He was beginning to tire when Julius dove in after them. He proved to be a much more powerful swimmer, and grabbed Elliott much like how Elliott had grabbed Eliana.

"Hold on tight, kids!" The king then began to kick and one-arm stroke, with much more power and practically hurled the two into Melody and Sasha's arms, quickly climbing out of the water.

"Princess, are you okay?!" Sasha asked, starting to look the soaking wet and shivering little mouse girl over. "Did it try to bite you or something?"

"No... he saved my life!" Eliana smiled and hopped out of Sasha's arms to slam into Elliott's side, hugging him tight.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"

Melody chuckled, pulling Elliott into a hug with her as well.

"You were very brave to rescue the princess like that. Even if you did almost give me a heart attack just diving in." Elliott winced, somehow predicting that he had just netted himself a bit of a lecture later on. A heavy paw came to rest on his shoulder, and the mouse boy looked up to see a smiling Julius looking down at him.

"It was more than brave, it was downright heroic!" Julius belted out a bellowing laughter, before taking on a more serious countenance. "But that railing was clearly a danger to everyone. That is not something that should ever have happened." Elliott began to wonder if the kingdom had an instituted death penalty, and, if so, whether or not endangering the life of the princess would be enough to garner it.

"Now, now," Melody said, poking Julius in the side to get his attention. "No more gloomy talk. You and these two need to dry off, lest any of you wish to deal with pneumonia. Luckily, Annie should have plenty of fresh towels for us to dry off with."

Leading the way, Melody started to head towards a building with a red tiled rooftop and large display windows with miniature mannequins inside, advertising different outfits. Elliott was a little lost in thought, when he felt a paw take one of his in their own. Looking down, he saw Eliana looking up at him with bright, glimmering eyes.

"Thank you for saving me!"

"U-uh... n-no problem?" Elliott wasn't quite sure just what to say, feeling a bit awkward as he felt multiple sets of eyes on him, wondering if things could get any more awkward.

"I have decided! From henceforth, Elliott is now my adopted big brother!" Eliana proudly proclaimed.