“That was certainly fun while it lasted, huh?”
With a quiet chuckle, I calmed my mind and gave one final shot towards the retreating banes. The splitting headache was still there, though the thought that all my dirt was exhausted for once had certainly provided me with some much needed comfort.
Far far away, seekers that laid in ambush since the very start were now closing in, cutting off any hope the retreating tide might have. Leaning over the battlement, I decided to kick back and enjoy the beautiful view. The screams of beasts as they found themselves trampled beneath the hooves of taʊrs were simply music to my ears~
“Isa… What… Who was that!?”
Without needing any further elaboration, I could already tell what was running through my ward’s mind. His slack-jawed expression also teased another chuckle out of me, since it was the very face I made after seeing such a sight, so many years ago…
“That, my young fledgling-” I paused, pointing my paw upward for added effect. “-would be Bun`Thornbee, champion of Growling Trunk. She who possesses a wyld sting and an even wylder attitude!”
“Bun`Thornbee… I see, so that’s the power of a champion…” The mystified look on Hiro’s face did not last long before he snapped himself out of his daze. “Wait a minute… I thought all bὕnnies have names that start with “I”? Did her parents decide to get super creative or something?”
“Oh yes~ Some frisky wylders certainly thought that it would be such a great idea~ telling the entire world that their offspring would be a pain in the ass~ and that she was a stray to her own kins~” I said, trying my best to hold back a belly laugh. “No, Hiro. “Thornbee” is the title that she had earned as a seeker. Her birth name, if I remember correctly, uhm… It should be Bun`Ienup.”
“Huh…”
Our chatter went on a little longer, until the noise of stomping and chomping began to die down in the distance. Stretching both arms, I motioned for Hiro to join my trek down the wall.
“Come along, my fledgling. Plenty more to do, and a lot more for you to learn.”
•ㅅ•
The sun passed lazily above our head, shining glittering rays upon the peeking precious scattered across the field. As wanderers took their vigil, fetchers and fledglings were quick at work, harvesting the spoils of war.
With a satisfying swipe, I cut open the beast’s belly and collected the crystallized darkness within. The blight had long been banished, leaving behind only crimson blood inside its corpse. Yet, menace and madness could still be felt, made all the worse by the lingering smell of rot and regret that permeated throughout the land.
Not all wanderers had made it. Too little will to live or too little remains, some had received the wyld’s mercy and returned to the circle of life, passing their will on to friends and families alike. Their name would live on, in memories or recollections, until fated to fade away like any ember of the past…
Shaking myself out of the gloomy thought, a sense of recognition washed over me as I threw the melting corpse to the eager arms of my ward. Hiro’s training at the smokehouses had certainly paid off, given how the young fledgling could now carry out his job without letting any foul smell deter his will. Already, I could feel a smile tugging at the corner of my lips as my heart swelled with pride.
*Growl*
… Of course, the moment just had to be ruined thanks to my rumbling stomach. Quiet down, you! Many a feast fitted for heroes later!
GROWL
Wait a minute.
GROWL!!!
Oh no…
“Huh, what’s wrong Isa? Why are you-”
Scooping Hiro up for a piggyback, I immediately bolted my way towards the gate. The faint sound of broken crystals echoed inside my ears, just like the blood-curdling cries of those with a good hearing. Yet, I paid them no heed. Ensuring the safety of my ward, of my fledgling, was now my only concern.
Fiery flame from the passing pyres could do nothing to stop the chill running down my back, though at this point, I could no longer tell if it was from me or from my shivering passenger. The sight of frothing fledglings with rolled-back eyes certainly didn’t help, made all the worse as the primal presence continued to suffocate us with its weight.
.̵͎̦̬̣͙̤̓͑̆̈́͆ ̸̧͕̀̈́͠Ǧ̶̙̾̔R̵̛̪̮̪̒Ó̶̟͍͎̍̆͘W̴̟̅̓̀̍̌̐L̸̛̖̝̫̍͛̀.̵͎̦̬̣͙̤̓͑̆̈́͆
“Dra-... Dra-...”
Seekers seeked for an opening while runners returned whoever they could to safety. Wanderers and fetchers, those that hadn’t collapsed, were forced to flee, to warn watchers and the champion of this threat. Across the field, screams of despair wrestled with barks of orders. The scene was no longer purely organized chaos, but simply, pure chaos.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
.̵͎̦̬̣͙̤̓͑̆̈́͆ ̸̧͕̀̈́͠Ǧ̶̙̾̔R̵̛̪̮̪̒Ó̶̟͍͎̍̆͘W̴̟̅̓̀̍̌̐L̸̛̖̝̫̍͛̀.̵͎̦̬̣͙̤̓͑̆̈́͆
“DRAGON!!!”
With those words, my consciousness gave out as DEATH ITSELF CAME DOWN TO GREET US!!! FLIGHT OR FIGHT WAS THE ONLY OPTION LEFT!!! IT TOOK EVERYTHING I HAD NOT TO DROP THE SACK ON MY BACK AND JOIN IN THE INEVITABLE SLAUGHTER!!!
THE SCREAMING AND SHOUTING AND KILLING AND BURNING BEGAN AND YET MY FEET ONLY KNEW TO RUN!!! I HATED THIS YET IT WAS DUTY NOT COWARDICE!!!
GATE IN SIGHT!!! SACK SAFE!!! DEEP BREATH!!! Deep… Breath…
The sight of black and white fighting against fierce crimson was everything I could make out before my head hit the ground…
- - -
…
…
…
Pain
Blood
Darkness
…
Loneliness
Sadness
Fear
…
…
…
How long have I been sleeping?
- - -
“Chin up, young ones! Your bravery is what allowed the Horde to triumph over this bloody day!-”
The words of much needed encouragement finally managed to snap me out of my half-dazed state. A quick glance revealed that, indeed, the dream of me waking up to find the battle already over, before making my way towards the hunting ground for the usual ritual was very, very real…
“Hold your head high, heed our heartbeat. Can you feel it? The Wyld is here, carrying both death and life on its back-”
It had been quite a while since Elder Ruink had to deliver such a lengthy speech. Then again, based on the gloomy look of the surroundings, this might be warranted. It also said something when no one bothered to reprimand whoever was still making quiet sounds of twirling crystals.
And who can blame such an act, after seeing that lost look…
“Today, we prevailed over darkness and despair. Tomorrow, we will cry at the lost memories. But here, here and now, let us celebrate our survival-”
Survival
The word tasted quite bitter inside my mouth. It reminded me of everything that I had ever accomplished, after setting foot inside this city.
Just surviving…
I could feel my mind drifting off even as the druids began the sacred ritual. As warm, bright light blessed the land, menace and madness were cleansed from the crystallized darkness. In its wake, only the shine of pure mana remained, swirling within its crystalline form.
The ritual continued once the song of life and death began, humming its tune across the glade. A familiar sense of suffocation soon bore down upon us as the willful jaws of the Wyld made itself known, hungry for sacrifices.
And sacrifices it received.
Oaken staffs were quick to point towards the recently gathered mound of mana, resulting in a sickening crunch as countless crystals shattered, their color drained. The Wyld was pleased, no doubts, for it quickly bent the cycle to allow the return of old game. As scattered contents from various bags of bones vied for vigor, fetchers and runners prepared to reap the bountiful harvest, their slings and spears at the ready.
Meanwhile, I was busy collecting the dull, drained rocks on the ground.
Ignoring the baffled look of others, I continued to finish the unwanted work. Up and down, in not out. My paws went through the usual motions, even long after the harvest began. Soon, several full bags were thrown towards the nearest fetchers as I took my leave.
Let others have their glory.
I just wanted my rest.
•ㅅ•
“Bloody meow…”
That night, sleep did not come easy. Whenever I closed my eyes, thoughts of burning walls and scorched earth always came to mind. Worse still, there was no erasing the image of a bὕnny, who stood at the middle of it all.
A weak bὕnny.
An useless bὕnny.
A bὕnny, shivering in fear…
What was I thinking?
Sweats continued to flow freely, even as the annoying blanket was kicked away.
Proud of being a runner? Proud of making it this far?
The growl came out, even when my head was already buried into the pillow.
What is the point? If the best I could do-
Feathers flew across the room, yet my teeth still couldn't stop tearing the damn thing to shreds.
-is just, this.
•ㅅ•
Fortunately, morning eventually came, bringing along hopes of a happy new day.
Which was rather unfortunate, since I now looked nothing short of a mess.
Making my way towards the sink, I couldn’t help but wince at the wyldkin reflected upon the mirror. Splashing the thing away, I quickly grabbed a towel and dried myself.
Enough gloomy thoughts! Today is a new day, a new beginning!
The clean and wild reflection soon came to greet me. Yet, instead of two big paws, slender hands were now holding the towel. A few steps back revealed that, indeed, big feet had also turned into small ones, with toes looking even smaller.
Be afraid, world…
Finally, I looked up, to see what lied above all.
Lo and behold.
Dark, black hair.
Not pure white snow…
The image of a champion, the symbol of something I could never achieve, was looking down at me.
“Must feel good, having divine blood run so thickly through your veins…”
With another splash, I left the lair, not forgetting to slam the door on my way out.
This bὕnny will be coming for you all…
•ㅅ•
“Morning.”
“Isa! Good morning!”
The sight of the familiar guest house calmed my nerves, even as I had to fight down the irritation upon looking at my ward.
Pure, black hair.
Special since birth.
How lucky…
“Soon, it will become ours, just be patient.”
Shaking the useless thoughts away, I forced myself to focus on the rapid words that were being fired out. Yet, no matter how hard I tried, the fact that Hiro, my fledgling, could shake off the primal fear and wake up even before I did…
Sigh.
What was I even doing?
I shouldn’t compare myself to others like this, especially when each of us all had our own role to play in the circle of life.
Thornbee was a champion, true, yet the weight she must carry was something those like me would hardly hope to put upon ourselves.
Hiro was a noble scion, there was no doubt, yet the responsibility he must hold was also his own shackle.
And here I was, complaining about my lack of “uniqueness”, alongside the freedom that it had granted me…
Heh.
Chuckling lightly, my mind turned clear while I tried my best to not burst out in laughter.
I really was just being a dumb bὕnny, wasn’t I?
“Hey, hey! It’s not funny! I am serious about this!”
Wiping the tears away, I pretended that I was indeed listening to whatever excitement my ward had regaled me with.
“Sorry, sorry. It’s just that… Could you repeat what you just said? Somehow, it just found its way towards my funny bone.”
Hiro looked at me suspiciously, though his face quickly lost its scowl once I hid my own behind two long ears, feigning fear all the way.
After a small round of chuckles, warmth and mirth slowly returned to the room. With a beaming smile, my ward continued his tale of much importance.
“Like I said… You may not understand what this means, but I found it, Isa! I really did!”
Nodding at the admittedly notunderstanble words, I waited for him to finish his thought. It did not take long, as Hiro soon pointed his hand upward in an exaggerated manner.
“There was truly no need for me to wander off, for I have already managed to find the main quest!”
That day, I was once again reminded that, indeed, humans could be very, very weird.