It was almost daybreak when we discovered the first signs of civilized life, namely endless fields of wheat and corn. From there finding the town was basically child’s play, not that I had much contribution to any of that.
Embarrassing or not, sleep claimed me not even halfway through the night and Dad had to carry his little princess for hours. When I woke up I was quite surprised nothing bothered us the entire way and I could just sleep for hours, except that wasn’t really the case. As it turned out Mom simply turned anything that came remotely close into pincushions and I was so exhausted that not even their dying shrieks managed to wake me. The sleep deprivation was nowhere near as bad as my situation when I stumbled into Val but the circumstances were quite different and this time I wasn’t fighting for survival.
Still not nice.
And so we spent almost half a day lazing around like we were on vacation and mostly sleeping right after arriving and getting us a room in some random, raggedy-ass-looking tavern. The beds were passable, just like the food, clearly leagues above sleeping out under the open sky. Despite all of us feeling rested and ready for murder the decision fell on staying until the next morning.
Why not leave right away?
Because we don’t plan on ending up in the same situation in case the search and culling drags out. We only have so much daylight and half of it is already gone. So the adults came up with an afternoon activity I’ve been avoiding like a plague ever since my ninth birthday. Traditional thinking says it’s pretty much mandatory but enough yapping and tantrums and of course being locked up in Fort Karon kept me as far away from any churches as possible.
But I’m no coward and some stupid voice from four years ago can’t keep me away from… I don’t actually want anything from the Gods.
Maybe that’s why my few quick prayers always go unanswered… or draw the opposite effect.
“Who are you gonna pray to?” I ask Val as we trail after the adults.
“Hmmm, Alethea maybe, for justice to my tribesmen. Or Krieg to give me strength so I can bring justice myself.” She replies with the same flame in her eyes I envy so much. “You?”
“No clue…” I shrug. “I heard Laplace can be dangerous, he or she or they… whatever, they can easily scam the poor soul of all their ideas instead of properly answering their prayers. Other than that I can’t think of anything I could, with honesty, pray for. Maybe a bit more beauty from Callista?”
The topic of praying and Gods doesn’t last long between the two of us. Relying on our own work and what we can achieve is what we believe in and that’s exactly the next topic on our agenda.
Last night’s incident, how well our new ideas worked, and what else to try. Valka’s performance was outstanding, hitting harder than ever and wasting less mana by focusing on avoiding hits. Me on the other hand…
I still fight like a mage Mage, focusing on bigger instead of better. That beam of fire… yeah I shouldn’t do that. Took too long to prepare and ate through almost a third of my mana in the few seconds I had it running. Less is sometimes more. Or is it more is not always more? More is sometimes yes? Eh, fuck this…
Arriving at the church Mom and Dad handed over some money, which I doubt the Gods really need, before stepping into the presence of the statues. The usual nine major Gods are present as always, as are a few other significant ones the locals deemed necessary when building the church. Just like the town itself, this place of worship is nothing grand yet even so the greatest the people around here could afford.
Only the best for those in the highest seats.
I see some people get to their knees, begging with their hands clasped together and whispering prayers. Others, like my parents, just close their eyes and bow their heads slightly, showing just enough courtesy without that certain hint of desperation.
Me… I just stand there, still clueless about who to address and what to say. So I just say what comes to mind.
Hey there, any divine being who even gives a rat’s ass about what we murmur down here!
I’m not here to ask for anything, or begging for my problems to be solved. I’ll do those myself. I do want Mom and Dad to worry less about me and for Val to find peace and happiness but I guess they pray harder for those themselves.
All I have to say, to whoever made these Blessings to be an eternal curse… Fuck you! I’m not sure my life would’ve been easier or happier without it but it was not any of your decision to make! Have fun from up there…
This turned into more of a rant than prayer, even so, it felt good. Refreshing like a gulp of cold water in the summer heat. I know some of my misfortunes were entirely self-inflicted but it always feels so satisfying to blame someone, even if just temporarily.
“The pursuit for knowledge continues, insolent child.” A voice even I hadn’t heard in years and even I myself started to doubt the existence of whispers in my ears. Although this whispering feels like having my skin peeled off, slowly and meticulously. “Now bestowed with the spark of creati-”
“Nope!” I whisper and dance back where I came from. “No creepy voices today. Gods don’t respond to mortals, especially nonbelievers like me. I’m not dealing with you, bye.”
I’m not ready to owe up to my words. Who could’ve guessed something would answer?
Unsurprisingly I am the first to finish my business here. There was little message or heart to convey and even less zest to hear a good earful. Or a curse in the worst case.
In just minutes the other three become content with their onesided communion with carved stone and we leave the house of Gods.
“What did you pray for?” Mom asks me in particular.
No one in our family is overly religious, and my parents rarely visit the church more than twice a week with me breaking records at twice every thirteen years. This occasion should’ve been something special, maybe the start of a new, normal habit… but I can’t see that happening. I don’t want to make a fool of myself again, even if I’m right.
“Just the usual, happiness and health.” I lie through my teeth instead of basically admitting to blasphemy.
“Great, I prayed to become filthy rich.” Mom knows no shame.
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“But we are.” I point out. “The bag we brought back-”
“Is yours.” Dad interrupts. “Our pride as parents won't allow us to take our child’s hard work, even if you basically stole it, and spend even a copper as our own. Gifts or a dinner is the end of what we’re willing to accept and nothing will change that.” One of the rare instances where Dad’s personality proves is race. “So, who’s hungry?”
A dumb question.
***
Rested, satisfied, and itching for action we departed the next day at the crack of dawn. The forenoon allocated to finding the revolting rabbits turned out to be a gross overestimate as retracing our tracks revealed more than enough to begin our hunt.
A horse torn to shreds, three carriages smashed beyond repair, and goods spilled and left behind. None of those screams horror rabbits, but last night’s experience and an educated guess are enough of a basis.
“We’ll let you girls take the lead.” Mom stops us just before entering deeper into the forest. “We’ll be around but, that does not mean you can act rashly. Getting you a few quick levels before enrolling into the Academy wasn’t the only goal of this trip, you need to learn how to respect and survive the wilds.”
“I think we did a solid job back when it was just the two of us.” I point out because I doubt there’s much to learn.
“She’s right, except for a few extra dangerous beasts we met little opposition. I think we’re ready.” Valka seconds my opinion.
“Hm, maybe.” Dad flashes a cold smile. “But I’ll be the judge of that. And don’t even think we’ll let you laze around for the upcoming months even if there’s nothing more to learn.”
Learn, huh? Considering I spent my first nine years sheltered like a newborn chick, then the next three as a voluntary prisoner, and lost another half to living as an escapee, jungle girl, thug, thief, and many other things… Yeah, maybe it’s time to do something normal. Maybe actually earn some money the conventional way and… I don’t know, normal stuff.
“Is the goal still the same?” Valka’s voice breaks my inner monologue. “Search and destroy?”
“Mostly.” Dad nods. “As it is common when taking job posted by merchants the information was lacking..” Mom’s indignant cough interrupts him for a second, a masked I was right. “Those rabbits are irregular and way too numerous, and I have a terrible idea of what we might be dealing with. At this point, it’s about a little more than the gig. Nothing heroic, just something I’m concerned about. Remember, safety is a higher priority than success. You cannot enjoy glory or wealth in the Realm of Malor.”
No money is worth dying for. Got it.
The adults step back and Valka takes the lead. They don’t just disappear like Martha did whenever we went to have fun in the forest, just keep a comfortable distance. This is when we face our first minor obstacle. Neither of us are actually adept at finding things. I
After some aimless wandering through the woods, we just end up lucky if I had to guess, stumbling into the remnants of our campfire from last night. No bodies though, only the bones and dried blood on the ground.
“So these pests are cannibalistic.” Mom comments kicking the clutter of bones. “That answers what they kill and eat to be past the first hundreds as mere rabbits.”
Bleh. I was also surprised any rabbits outside the Elder Forest or any other special place could be that strong. Not so simple rabbits… They’re like humans when it comes to war, bar eating each other. Infighting and stuff.
From that point on the tracks were plain to see. Dried blood, scattered bones, and the disturbed flora… Even the nine-year-old me would have no problem now.
“Should we make some noise?” I present my newest idea. “That way they come to us and save us some time.”
“Don’t you dare!” “Never!” Both my parents answer right away.
“If you can avoid getting swarmed then don't push your luck! Again, your life is worth more than a few hours of tedious search.” Dad spews his unrequested wisdom.
Man, I know numbers suck. Believe me, I’m a professional.
“They’re weak though.” I point out. “And even if we were to get overwhelmed by numbers you two could just wipe them out.”
“Were any of them above level 144?” Mom asks to which we only shake our heads. “So you got lucky. Again, you’re assuming that nothing stronger lurks around here, a dumb idea. Besides, we’re not here to earn petty money but to help you learn and grow, you’re on your own.”
A little wiser and all the more grumpy I follow Valka deeper into the grasp of danger. Her nose and our eyes combined make sure we’re not thrown off track by any random lead. Although dad has to intervene once when we lose track around a small pond.
Not a minute later Valka signals for us to stop and I hear rustling a little to our right. Dad smirks, likely aware of the creature’s presence way before us.
Val sniffs the air and nods. It’s a rabbit “The wind favors us, quiet takedown.” She whispers, having taken my parents’ advice to heart.
I hate the quiet approach. Boulders crushing bones is loud, explosions are loud, wind howling as it races through the air is loud, and let's not even mention lightning. The best of my tools when killing is the task.
Actually… weird my reluctance to hurt people didn’t spread to beasts whatsoever. All my reservations and fears are just as valid for those with a species slot except… maybe death is more natural out here. Or is it simply my view that is skewed?
We decided to act fast so as not to let the creature release one of those nasty shrieks and alert the others. Valka circles around on the treetops to get a jump on the beast while try drawing it in while looking acting like easy prey.
Yes, me the Mage, acting as the bait once again.
Strangling the damn abomination is the quietest way to earn the message of triumph from the Guide. I decide on water as my weapon and draw all I can grasp from the ground and plants in our surroundings.
Despite my catlike stealthiness, careful with my steps, and even breathing, the rustling of the underbrush becomes irregular while drawing ever closer. I duck behind a tree and hope that Val gets a jump on the rabbit before things escalate. Not because I lack confidence in trashing the creature but because of the scolding I’ll get from Mom if we mess this up. It’s a lot more nerve-wracking than a true life-or-death fight.
My stealthy approach pays off as the rabbit and I get a glimpse of each other about the same time. The only difference is I’m aware I’ve been spotted and judging by how it’s trying to circle around me…
But I allow it.
When the thing lowers its guard Val will have the perfect opportunity to-
Then the sound of a quick tussle and the muted crack of a bunch of branches breaking, which I guess are bones, thwarts my plans. Sadly the rabbit sitting in a bush to my right is still very much alive and fully aware of the same things I heard. Because of course, Valka had to jump in and kill things.
Since now my hunter is distracted I make my move, without actually making any sudden moves. The water at my command crawls through the grass in seconds and springs up just as the rabbits notice it approaching, grabbing it by the head and slamming the dog-sized creature against a tree. There it simply freezes and presents me with a soft underbelly.
“That was easy.” I mutter because it really was a little too easy.
The beast keeps thrashing but I’ve learned from our previous encounter, about their resilience, and meticulously push an earthen spike up its stomach, through its chest, and all the way through until the notification arrives.
I’m not taking any chances this time.
That said, I’m not alone this time and my partner might not be of the same mind. Relying on Rythmic Strides to allow me to soundlessly jump between trees I chase after Val and in seconds find exactly what I expected.
Two rabbits, one with its head torn off and the other looking kind of flattened. Considering the damage she was somewhat stealthy, except this wasn’t the plan.
“Why didn’t you wait for me?” I hiss, poking her in the chest.
“Because they found me.” Her face seems troubled as she replies. “I barely made any noise but once I got close enough-”
A vicious howl echoes over the trees. Once much deeper than that of the rabbits and frightening enough to remind me of my solo days after leaving the Sanctuary.
“Well, that plan just went out the window.” I mutter, not all too concerned but still worried enough. “But what did we miss?”
“It’s simple.” Dad’s voice comes from behind, maybe trying to imitate Martha by popping up out of nowhere. A stupid idea when we’re a little on the edge. “Rabbits might have long ears but it’s not their hearing keeping them alive in the wilds. They have a really, and I mean really good sense of smell.”
That cute wiggly nose of theirs? But then what’s the role of those long ears?
“Is it still just the two of us?” I ask because that howl wasn’t too encouraging.
“Indeed. I'll know way ahead of you if something too powerful approaches anyway.” Dad nods, and jumps back up into the trees, disappearing in seconds.
He’ll probably have his bow trained on anything that might threaten us but I can’t rule out the possibility that he’ll only act when our lives are truly in danger. He knows we can handle a few injuries.
“Same approach?” I raise an eyebrow at Val. Maybe this time it’ll work.
Or not.