Luci stands in the dim glow of dawn, glaring at me with her arms crossed over her chest, tapping her foot impatiently upon the stone floor. Her lips press together firmly in anger as her crimson pupils lock onto mine, burning like twin bonfires. Blood trickles down from a wound in her left ear, leaving a thin red trail running along its length, staining the otherwise pristine white fur crimson.
“I save you from certain death! I help you recover from wounds inflicted by some freaky cultists!” The bunny girl cries out, pointing an accusing finger at me, “I even found us shelter and took care of you after you fell asleep in the soaked-through clothes!“ She stomps furiously, emphasizing every word. “And what do I get in return? A thank you? Maybe at least a pat on the back?” A growl builds up inside her throat, vibrating deep within her chest as she continues berating me. “No! What I got is being woken up by some madwoman chewing on my ear, trying to take a bite out of it!”
Her words cut through the haze clouding my mind, clearing my thoughts and helping me understand the situation better. Crap, I did that, didn’t I? That explains the taste of iron lingering in my mouth at least. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to...” I start to say, only to be interrupted by her harsh laugh.
“Not trying to what, Alice? Eat me alive? Is that really true? Because the fact that I’m bleeding and you are still salivating suggests otherwise,” she hisses through clenched teeth. Her body trembles as rage overwhelms her tiny form, threatening to explode any minute now. I open my mouth to defend myself, but nothing comes out.
Tears form in her scarlet eyes and roll down her cheeks as her anger shifts into sorrow. She slumps to the ground and covers her face with both hands, weeping without restraint. “It wasn’t supposed to be like that! It’s wrong, all wrong! Why can’t things just work out once in a while?“ Her voice breaks at the end, turning into a whimper. “We were supposed to go on adventures together, explore places nobody visited in millennia, save people from terrible fates, fight monsters, and make new friends.“ She pauses for a moment as another sob wracks through her frame before continuing in a choked whisper, “Instead, I am forced to go on an impossible quest with a murderous psychopathic cannibal.”
“I’m so...” I start yet another apology, but my thought process finally catches up to me. Am I really sorry? For biting her ear? Yes, of course I am. I never wanted to hurt her and I honestly regret doing it. But for the rest of the stuff? The insane mission I forced us both into?
No. Honestly, not really. I was a wreck of an elf yesterday — hunger gnawing away at my guts, causing them to twist and cramp painfully, accompanied by the horrible feeling of nausea caused by lack of nutrients. Fear, adrenaline, terror, despair, loss, and helplessness, all mixed up within my heart, robbing me of coherent thoughts and driving my body to do things beyond my control. Drained to the point of deliriousness, barely able to keep my eyes open or walk in a straight line. A combination of starvation, stress, exhaustion, and extreme emotions, putting my mental faculties through the shredder.
And she didn’t hesitate to take advantage of that, pouncing on the opportunity to push me into something I probably wouldn’t have agreed to otherwise, a surefire way of dragging me into her game, tying us together. Spouting all that nonsense about letting me control my fate and destiny when she only wanted to be the one holding the strings. At least now, neither of us is in control. Yeah, no idea how that is supposed to make me feel better.
What was I thinking?! Okay, I clearly wasn’t, but still! What madness possessed me to force something like this on both of us?! I’ve thrown my future, and perhaps life, away, on a stupid spur-of-a-moment decision! And for what? Just so I could spite someone? Sure, it was pretty funny to mess with her after that stunt, but what now? What was my plan?! Was there one to begin with? I... I don’t know anymore. It’s all going so fast! Nothing makes any sense anymore! Argghh!
Stop! Stop freaking out! Pull yourself together, Alice! This problem isn’t going anywhere. Think about something else before you spiral out of control! Deep breaths... In. Out. In. Out. What else is there to think about? Maybe I could consider why am I still sitting butt-naked on the icy cold cave floor?!
Heat rushes to my cheeks as I realize just how exposed I am, embarrassment flooding through my body. Luci must have stripped me out of my wet clothing last night after I drifted off to dreamland. A pang of guilt pierces through my gut at that realization, making me uncomfortable. I have to admit, I would have likely died in my sleep if not for her taking care of me, cleaning and dressing my wounds, and warming my shivering, shaking form with her fur. I should apologize after all and thank her for her kindness, instead of being an ungrateful ass about it. There will be plenty of time for the latter in the years we will be forced to spend together. ARGHHHH! Stop spiraling and focus! On something else! Anything!
I spot my clothes on the opposite side of the fireplace, laid out to dry over some stones nearby. With a grunt of effort, I climb to my feet and hobble over to grab the pieces of leather armor and throw them on. As far as I can tell, they still haven’t finished drying entirely. But it will have to do. I can already feel all the abrasions I’m gonna get from wearing them damp. It’s a miracle I’m not a walking open wound, with the amount of scratching this outfit has already done. Probably another thing to thank the bunny girl for.
Damn. All my muscles are stiff as hell! They protest with each movement, sending sharp stabbing pains throughout my limbs. And the bruise covering my abdomen doesn’t help at all, throbbing with every breath. Even the simplest of tasks become near impossible, requiring superhuman effort to complete. Getting dressed shouldn’t take a quarter of an hour, yet that’s exactly how long it takes for me to clothe myself, including the boots, gauntlets, and shoulder plates.
I look over to the lapine girl, finding her huddled up in a corner, curled into a fetal position, whimpering quietly to herself, paying no attention whatsoever to my current struggles. Something inside me twists at that sight, making me want to comfort her. But could I even offer her anything besides empty words right now? My brain is all sorts of scrambled and messed up from last night; my ability to form coherent thoughts currently in short supply. I don’t know what to do!
System, distract me! Show me skill notifications from yesterday. I must have leveled something up in that mad dash, right?! Right?! PLEASE!
<< Processing query... Complete! >>
<< Congratulations! You have reached Perception: Level 1 >>
<< Congratulations! You have reached Coordination: Level 2 >>
Thank the Hunt! There is something, but all of that running and only two levels of coordination? Come on! I should progress that at a double rate! Did I just overestimate my abilities? But definitely not by that much — even if not level 5, my coordination should be at least level 4 to begin with!
Okay, it was only a single night; they say, to give it up to a week. Calm down, calm down, it will get there.
<< Congratulations! You have reached Regeneration: Level 1 >>
<< Congratulations! You have reached Vitality: Level 3 >>
Oh, that is just rubbing salt in my wounds! I didn’t move enough to reach level three of coordination, even with bonus gains, but apparently, I suffered enough for that. With a fifty percent penalty! Thanks, system, that’s just grand. Really appreciate the motivation and support coming from you!
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Am I bitter? No, absolutely not. It’s fine! Everything is FINE!
<< Congratulations! You have reached... >>
<< Congratulations! You have reached... >>
A flood of system messages explodes in front of my eyes, assaulting me with an overwhelming number of text boxes that pop into existence without pause or mercy as the system feels the need to inform me about every skill under the sun that reached level one. Maybe I’m not being fair. I asked for it after all. But still! At this rate, my head will explode from overstimulation!
<< Congratulations! You have reached Dodge: Level 1 >>
Over! It’s over! Finally! That’s the last one! About time. Seriously, it was getting annoying, but at the very least, some useful ones made an appearance here and there. It’s not a complete waste of time.
As the windows fade one by one, a new one suddenly materializes. Before my eyes, a familiar crimson-red font appears, its letters writhing and squirming on the transparent surface. The smell of blood assaults my nostrils, permeating my every breath, and filling my lungs with its metallic scent. A chill runs down my spine, raising goosebumps on my arms as cold sweat beads upon my skin. My stomach lurches violently, forcing bile into my mouth as my insides convulse with disgust and fear at what the message conveys.
<< Congratulations! You partook of your companion, drank their sweet blood, and savored their delectable, succulent flesh. Conditions met to unlock the Path of the Cannibal >>
NO!
<< Embarking upon this path will lead you down the road of madness! Proceed with caution, for once you take your first step, you may not be able to stop! >>
My eyes dart wildly across the screen, searching desperately for any option, any way, to reject it, to turn it down and deny this hideous fate! My heart pounds against my rib cage in terror, its frantic beat ringing in my ears, drowning out all other sounds and sensations with its furious tempo.
No! I don’t accept it! You can’t force me down this path, never! I refuse to be some crazed beast driven by urges I cannot control; to become a monster! I am a hunter, not a savage animal!
The screen doesn’t react in any way to my fervent refusals and denials, remaining unchanged in appearance. It hangs in the air unmoving, completely unperturbed by my growing hysteria as it continues to display the same dreadful message before my eyes.
Is that it for me? A one-way ticket to insanity? A countdown to madness? But why? I’ve only nibbled on her ear while asleep. That wasn’t a conscious choice. That’s not enough to make me a cannibal, is it? The world would be filled with them if everyone who bites their enemy were to become one. Am I overreacting?
Reading the message once again, I realize it doesn’t outright call me a cannibal, but just tells me it’s a path that is now available to me. Still gross, but at least I haven’t completely crossed the threshold yet. However, even just knowing it is an option... My stomach churns dangerously at the very thought of consuming... eating... Of killing my friends and loved ones to appease my hunger.
A sudden burst of golden light pierces the interface screen, splitting it apart in a shower of sparks. I blink rapidly to clear the spots dancing in front of my eyes as I reel backward in surprise. The afterimage lingers briefly, before disappearing entirely, replaced by a more mundane, usual system window.
<< Outside Interference Removed >>
Umm... Okay... What does that even mean? I assume it has something to do with the other message and that’s why it showed up like this but... Yeah, I’ll have no luck figuring it out right now. My head is hurting something fierce from all this mental exercise already. Let’s think about that later. Much, much, MUCH, later. Calm down, calm down, Alice. Deep breaths. In. And out.
As disturbing as that was, it doesn’t reach even the top five of things that I need to worry about right now. And that fact is another worrisome thought entirely. When did my life become such a mess? Oh yes, since that dumb, psycho furball walked into my life, that’s when. Damn rabbit!
And speaking of bunnies ─ let’s try to forget about the weird shit that just happened, pretend it was a figment of my imagination, and figure out what to say to the distraught lapine next to me. She has stopped crying, now lying silent, curled up with her face pressed against her knees. I wonder what she is thinking right now. Are her thoughts racing like mine, replaying events of yesterday and regretting the decisions she made? Is she panicking about our situation?
I walk over to sit down next to my new companion. A fresh wave of guilt rolls through my body at the sight of dried tear stains lining her furry cheeks. I swallow and force the lump forming in my throat back down before addressing her hesitantly, “Lucienne?”
Luci flinches at the sound of my voice before giving me a wary glance. She regards me skeptically through her bloodshot, puffy, ruby-colored eyes, assessing whether she wants to engage with me right now. After a moment of consideration, she responds with a quiet whisper, “Yes?”
“I... I’m sorry I bit your ear. I never intended to hurt you and I won’t ever do that again, okay?” My apology sounds so inadequate, it makes me cringe.
The rabbit girl raises her head slightly, giving me a long appraising look before sighing deeply. “I know you did not do it in a malicious or intentional manner. I realized that much after I calmed down enough to think about it. Sorry, Alice, I might have overreacted a little,” she casts her gaze downwards once more as shame paints itself across her features. “We were both on edge, dealing with a lot of negative emotions, and I might have been pushing your buttons a little too much myself.”
“You pushed my buttons, I pushed yours and as a result, we are now stuck together until either death do us apart, or we find a way to strike down the divine. How about a truce before we both say more things that will come to bite us in the ass in the future?” A small smile spreads across my face as I reply.
Lucienne hesitates, seemingly mulling it over in her head before nodding. “Fine,” she agrees in a soft voice. “You are surprisingly calm about this,” she adds with mild curiosity.
“My mind has so much to process after yesterday, that it seems to have short-circuited,” I let out a weak chuckle, “I’m sure it will catch up to me soon and when that happens, I’ll probably be screaming in terror or cursing up a storm. For now, though, I will gladly bask in this numbing apathy while it lasts.”
With a wry grin forming on her lips, she shakes her head lightly. “Yeah, I suppose I understand the sentiment quite well right now.” Her gaze becomes unfocused and distant as her thoughts wander somewhere else for a second.
A silence stretches between us as neither of us knows how to break the ice. My eyes sweep around the chamber as I search for anything else we can talk about and find nothing. I don’t remember being this bad at talking to others. I swear it was never this hard to come up with a conversation starter. Wait, am I forgetting something important again? I get the feeling that something significant has slipped my mind.
The rumbling noise of my stomach interrupts my thoughts, bringing my attention to my hunger that has begun gnawing at me once more. Luci notices it too, looking up at me with concern written clearly upon her features.
“I’m not gonna eat you!” I cry out, waving my hands in a panic, trying to convey my sincerity, “I can control myself! It was an accident, I promise! I don’t intend to repeat that mistake!”
Laughter fills the cavern, bouncing off the stone walls in a joyful symphony. Lucienne clutches her sides, nearly falling over, as she snickers uncontrollably, gasping for breath in between giggles.
“Oh gods, I needed that, thank you,” she wheezes between chuckles as tears gather in the corners of her eyes.
“I, ummm, you are welcome?” I answer, my voice wavering as I try to comprehend the reason behind her laughter. Is this some kind of cultural thing I am unaware of?
The rabbit girl composes herself and wipes the moisture off her lashes, a warm smile now spreading across her lips. “Shall we have breakfast then?” she extends a kind offer. “I don’t have much, just some dried fruit and jerky, but it’s something at least,” she says while reaching for her pack, “or you know. My second ear is still there and looking pretty tasty. A nice juicy lapine snack.“ Another round of giggling follows the silly joke.
I roll my eyes at the remark. “Something tells me I will never hear the end of this.“
“Nope!”
Once she stops snickering, Luci pulls out her provisions, handing me a handful of dried plums and a piece of beef jerky. My mouth waters at the sight of food, my stomach growling loudly in anticipation. I barely manage to chew properly before swallowing down the treats, unable to contain myself anymore. The tough, chewy, flavorless meat feels like the finest cuisine on my tongue.
I might not be full after gulping it all down, but at least my belly doesn’t scream bloody murder anymore. That’s one thing off the list! What else is left to do? Have a mental breakdown? Pretty sure I’m already in the middle of that. Fight to the death with a deity? Maybe not today. Return home with my tail between my legs, begging for forgiveness? Something about that doesn’t feel right. Am I forgetting something here? Something about that doesn’t feel right. Am I forgetting something here? Damn it! My brain refuses to cooperate, ever since that cultist has...
The realization strikes me like a hammer blow to the chest, making me gasp in horror. The invaders! I need to warn my tribe!