Emris

A sat quietly as Edgar explained how the stories I knew were given to me by the magic that transformed us, which was also why I awoke in a cellar stiff and sore. I had been lying in that cellar for about three years while the infant version of my true self bonded to this older version of a human.

"I watched over you the best I could." He explained. "Yet, the magic had chosen to make me a rabbit, and rabbit makes a good meal for the humans that surrounded our area. So, when I could watch over you no more, I used what little magic I could muster in this small form and locked the cellar from the inside, so that only you could open it, and quickly ran with a dog or two chasing behind me. I have never felt so unwelcome!" He twitched his nose and crossed his arms. "It took people a while to take notice of me, since our species is usually unseen by human eyes. It took time for the humans to make me out. Although, i'm quite sure my making a top coat out of someone's curtains might have been a little rude of myself and brought attention, but I was not going to go around naked, that's just senseless."

"But you're not wearing any pants." I pointed out.

"Oh, I would not dare steal all of the woman's curtains! A coat is fashionable enough."

"Edgar..." I began cautiously.

"Yes? I know this is a lot to take in, and I maybe should not be ranting about myself... I do apologize. What is it, my child?" He uncrossed his arms and laid them in his lap, giving me his full attention.

"You mentioned a prince... I have a brother?"

Edgar hopped down from his chair once again. "Oh, yes!" He handed me the bracelet he had been holding and then went over to a small bookshelf and pulled down a leather-bound book. Hopping back into his chair, he gently turned the pages of the book, which looked greatly worn. "You found me around Camelot because I had found this." He turned the book back to me which had a picture of a young man, hair dark like a raven and eyes the same color as an emerald. "His name is Emris, he lives in Camelot as a young sorcerer with great wisdom. I knew the moment I came across this photo that it had to be him. While our people look much different from humans, this boy does resemble him so."

"What did our people look like, Edgar?"

"Yes, I was afraid you would ask that, it's a rather complicated concept to convey. You see, humans are made of that pink fleshy stuff, and we were not. Our shapes are very similar, but our skin was more like what earth thinks of as sunlight, yet tangible. Also, unlike the sun, we were not blinding, it was more like our outside was the reflection of our souls; each one of us made from our own soul's aura. We had nothing to hide, which eventually led to the exploitation of our powers, which led Nequior to us. Are you understanding any of this?" His fuzzy eyebrows knitted together with concern. "I'm trying my best, but there is just so much to our people... and to you."

I put a hand to my head. Everything was beginning to make sense, yet I wanted none of it. I did not want to be some kind of story from space that rings of sadness and an odd bunny-rabbit, but here I am. Edgar seems like a nice person, and maybe it's the fact that he's a rabbit, but I began to feel more alone than ever.

After a lot of thought I said to Edgar, "I want to find my brother."

He smiled. "I was hoping you would say that, I can't because i'll be eaten, but a young girl such as yourself should have no problem going into Camelot. The only problem is Emris may not be so easy to get to... He may live... in a castle... and he may be better known as Merlin to these people."