Rodent Rescue (Patreon)

It had taken Chai less then half a day to find where the missing Minstrel had vanished to, and in hindsight it all made sense. The fancy rodents dumbo ears, while not as large as a rabbits, were certainly able to pick up the curious sounds floating around. Clearly a Fennec Wolf, and clearly one that had a strange sort of musical air to it. No surprises where the music maker had gone.

Chai never really asked how these situations happens, once upon a time she might have but privacy amongst her clients was something to be respected. Especially when something as silly as letting a Fennec wolf eat you due to it's musical sounds is what got you in the end. Still, a job is a job, and the mouse was determined to do a good days work.

She located the Fennec easily enough, in some hollow of trees at the edge of the woodland. A Plains Fennec Wolf resting next to trees was unexpected, but Chai was always cautious in checking before exposing herself to danger. After all, it wouldn't do good for the rescuer to need rescuing.

The creature seemed calm enough, resting and presumably sleeping off it's meal for the next day or two. It's size did mean Chai was unable to work out just how far along things had gone inside just by looking at the creatures belly, though she hoped she wasn't too late.

Taking the time to stretch her muscles, the rodent made sure to limber up before she went to make a move with the rescue. One could never truly know how such a creature would act around a second, smaller person. Often the results are predictable enough, but sometimes a little bit of dodging and ducking was required.

Making her way around the treeline, Chai took her time to walk nice and slowly. Offering no threatening movements, she relied on her small size and non aggressive posture to keep the Fennec Wolf calm. It watched her approached without making much of a move itself, though as she reached within pouncing distance the creature did lumber up to a sitting posture.

Technique was crucial to Chai's rescues. Gauging each creature she encountered that had eaten a client of hers, she had to learn it on the fly, understand it, and try to work which the creature for the desired effect. Anything else would result in a client being lost, and possibly her own trip to the Restoration Shrine.

Stopping before the sitting beast, the mouse looked up at it, keeping a pleasant, somewhat submissive expression on her face. In turn, the Fennec wolf made another one of the strange, almost haunting noises. At the distance Chai could feel as well as hear the oddly musical noise, it's vibrations flowing through her body, working on her very core despite how the notes seemed almost quiet. Clearly this creature likes it's victims calm, and relaxed.

Despite herself, she could feel her muscles relaxing. The effect wasn't as strong as she knew Fennec Wolves can do, it was almost as if this one was teasing it, offering it to her. If anything this beast seemed to be inviting her. So, in return, Chai let her guard down, and let herself relax.

Getting to it's paws fully, the canine seemed to be satisfied with that, and took a single paw pace forward, moving it's snout, almost as big as Chai herself, towards the fancy mouse. It didn't strike or touch her, instead it kept it's snout at a short distance, as if to gauge what Chai would do in return. 

There was no fear in the predators eyes, no hesitation. This creature knew exactly what it was doing, it was testing the rodent, understanding her as she was understanding it. This creature, Chai realised, was a bit like her, from the other side of the predator-prey divide. Perhaps it was not even interested in a meal, but instead a friend?

So Chai played along, let herself accept the invitation and reached up with her paws to the Fennec Wolfs head, to place her paws on the bridge of it's nose. Her arms did not quite reach the top of the snout, and so the Fennec Wolf moved it's head closer, allowing Chai to touch it, the two reaching out to bone with each other as the soft rumbles from the canine flowed through Chai, relaxing her mind and body.

As the two creatures met eye to eye, there was a softness, a tenderness to each others gaze. An understanding between them forming.

Then the Fennec Wolf softly slipped its jaws around the sleep mouse and gently swallowed down Chai Patch alive.