Adrenaline courses through me as I leap to my feet. Cold sweat drips from my brow as my heart threatens to leap out of my throat, pounding furiously against my ribs, trying desperately to escape the confines of its prison. Every fiber of my being screams at me to move, urging me to action, spurring me onwards into motion. The only thought in my mind is one simple phrase — run! Run and warn my people!

A voice calls out behind me, yelling, asking me where I’m going. It registers faintly within my panicked brain, but I pay no attention to it, rushing to the exit of the cavern instead. My mind races, thoughts swirling around in chaos as visions of destruction play across my imagination. I picture the village in flames, homes burned to cinders, bodies littering the ground as the fires consume everything in their path. Anxiety wells up within my chest, bubbling into panic as the horrifying images assault my psyche mercilessly, fueled by the relentless tide of fears conjured by my overactive brain.

I throw myself past the edge of the grotto and burst into the frigid light of morning, startling several birds resting atop branches nearby. Indignant squawking rings through the forest as startled birds take flight in a flurry of wings and feathers, their wings beating frantically against the air. Sunlight streams across the glade as bright rays dance amongst the canopy overhead, casting shadows upon the grass and undergrowth beneath my feet.

Whipping my head around, I try to discern the direction leading homeward, before remembering I have no idea where the hell I am, let alone know my way back! Screams of frustration echo throughout the forest as I curse myself for my foolishness. Stupid! So stupid! How can I save anybody like this?! What am I going to do!?

Without warning, a pair of hands clamps onto my shoulders and forcefully topples me to the ground. I yelp in pain, crashing onto my rear and wincing at the impact. Rubbing my bruised tailbone, I glare up at whoever decided it’s a great idea to tackle me like that, only to discover it’s none other than Lucienne hovering above me.

“Idiot! What are you shouting for? Do you want every predator around to hear you?” An angry whisper cuts through my tantrum, silencing me immediately.

Her words sting my pride, making me blush with shame as I realize how foolish my outburst was. It’s like I’ve forgotten basic survival skills and went feral on the spot. Some hunter I am. My entire life of training down the drain the moment I have to actually use what I learned in reality. And the worst part is... I do know better than that. Or at least, I used to. Gahhh! Stupid! I am just repeating all my mistakes from yesterday! Pull yourself together, Alice!

“Sorry, I... I panicked,” my cheeks heat up at the admission of my screw-up as I lower my eyes to avoid her scolding glare. “I’m not sure why, I... I just did.” My heart gradually slows down, easing the pounding in my chest. “I remembered... They are in danger and... I freaked out.”

“Who? What danger“

“Our... My village, my tribe. The cultists you saved me from yesterday. There were more, an entire army marching through the woods. I need to warn my tribe before...” I trail off, too afraid to even utter the possibilities of the fate awaiting my family and friends.

“Army? Wait, you saw an army heading towards your town yesterday? And you didn’t think to mention that little tidbit before?” Lucienne inquires, her tone incredulous, brows furrowed in puzzlement. “I don’t care what you said! I’m never listening to you again!” she scoffs and folds her arms across her chest before looking back down at me. “Sorry. Ignore that, please. I promise I didn’t mean you.”

And I almost managed to forget that she’s away with the fairies. Oh well, at least she means well. I mean, I hope so. Ugh, it doesn’t matter now. She’s the only ally I have, and I need her help, no matter how crazy she is.

“I had more pressing concerns at the time! Like staying alive,” I retort, giving her a flat stare. “Now, are you going to help me or not?”

She opens her mouth to respond, but shuts it with an audible click after seeming to reconsider whatever she was going to say. Her scarlet-red eyes bore into mine, piercing deep into my soul, causing me to shudder as shivers run down my spine. A long moment passes in silence as she ponders her decision carefully before releasing a deep sigh, her posture relaxing as she appears to relent.

“Not a good tone to ask someone for help in, now, is it? But yes, I will do my best to assist.” Luci stands up and offers me a hand, which I gladly accept, pulling me to my feet. “But we need to discuss a few things on our way there, okay? Now, lead the way.”

“Umm, about that,” my cheeks flush red again as embarrassment washes over me, “I sort of... don’t know where to go,” the last part of the sentence comes out barely louder than a whisper, but judging by her expression, she heard it clearly. “Everything looked the same during my mad dash here, and I wasn’t exactly paying attention to landmarks along the way, especially while running for my life. I’m afraid I lost track of directions at some point.“

Lucienne’s exasperated sigh fills the air as she rubs her forehead and mutters something unintelligible under her breath, sounding distinctly annoyed. “You mentioned something like that yesterday, I guess. Can you find your way back or are we just going in circles randomly, hoping to stumble upon it?”

“I can’t see any landmark that could serve as a reference from here,” the trees in this part of the forest are too tall and dense for me to get a proper bearing, blocking most of my view in every direction, “but I couldn’t have gotten too far in half a day, even if I was running most of the time.” My legs ache at the mere memory of my frantic dash yesterday. It’s gonna be a long trek home.

Come on, Alice! They taught you what to do in case you ever get lost! You’re a huntress, for the Hunt‘s sake! Start acting like one!

“We need to just pick a direction and go. If we don’t find our hunting trails for some time, we pick a perpendicular one. We will be en route to my village before noon, for sure.” With a confident stride, I turn my back to the sun and start moving west, feeling the warmth of its rays on my shoulders.

Lucienne hums thoughtfully for a moment before following me without comment, matching my pace with ease, her short legs no hindrance to keeping up with me. She must have some levels up on me in coordination, based on her graceful movements. Not that it’s surprising, given that it’s only been a day since I’ve awakened, but it reminds me of how little I actually know about my new companion.

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Her name and that we are bound together until we kill a god. That’s pretty much it. Oh yeah, also that she’s also a “Lapine”, although I still believe that’s just something she made up to not be called a bunny. Or is there really a monsterfolk species like that? Even if there is, she’s definitely the only one around here, as I have never even heard of them. And why does she bear such a striking resemblance to that accursed rabbit?! If I ever catch the little furry bastard...

“Alice!” a hand reaches out to grab my shoulder and stops me in my tracks, spinning me around to face her, snapping me out of the daydream of vengeance. “Please, don’t space out on me here. You need to look for the tracks and footprints, not stomp ahead blindly!”

Crap, she’s right. You are the hunter here, Alice! Act like one! Pay attention! Focus!

With an effort, I force the memories of the rabbit aside, turning my gaze downward onto the foliage carpeting the forest floor, searching for any sign of footsteps. Nothing stands out amongst the scattered leaves and twigs covering the ground, as expected. Would be too lucky for us to get immediate results, huh? Nothing we can do then besides keep going and hope to encounter clues along the way.

The wind howls mournfully through the trees around us as gusts whip past our bodies, sweeping fallen leaves high into the air, scattering them everywhere, making my job even harder than it needs to be. We walk in silence, picking our way through bushes and brambles while keeping alert for any beast or monster prowling around, hiding in wait to ambush unsuspecting prey. The last thing I need right now is a repeat of yesterday‘s disasters, thank you very much!

We proceed in this fashion for some time, stepping slowly and carefully, taking pains to be stealthy and minimize noise output as much as possible, ducking into the bushes at any suspicious sound or movement. Every step forward seems like an eternity, dragging on endlessly, my heart filled with worry and apprehension for what awaits me back home, plaguing me with dark imaginings. Will there even be a village left to return to? Or am I marching toward nothing more than ashes and dust?

Lucienne stays close to me the whole time, keeping a watchful eye on everything happening around us, making me grateful for the company and reassurance she provides. Her presence is the only thing grounding me in reality, preventing me from slipping into my headspace entirely, lost in thoughts and worries. At times, she tugs lightly at my arm and points at some object lying on the forest floor, silently motioning for my attention to check if it’s a sign of habitation or just trash.

Frustration wells up inside me, threatening to spill forth as a torrential flood, as the sun rises higher and higher into the sky, casting its golden light upon the landscape below. Without fail, every single hint we’ve found proved useless — a snapped branch here, a broken flower stem there... no footprint or evidence anyone had traveled through recently at all.

“Can’t you just stare into space and find a way, like you did with the cave yesterday?” I ask eventually, breaking the tense silence between us, my voice harsher than intended because of my increasing irritation.

Luci glances over at me with narrowed eyes and frowns, but responds regardless, “Maybe if I had twenty more levels. With my current ability, we would be halfway into the village before I felt it.”

It takes a moment for me to digest what she just said before recognition dawns on me. I should have guessed it was some kind of skill, shouldn’t I? Doesn’t sound like tracking or pathfinding, and I never heard of one that allows one to sense the way to their destination. “What kind of skill is that exactly? And can I gain it somehow? Even if I have to grind it, sounds like it would be useful at a higher level.”

“Sorry, but I will have to disappoint you again. Fatescribing requires an affinity, just like any other magic type.” The bunny girl explains with a sympathetic smile on her face as she pats my shoulder. “You should focus on your key skills before even considering grinding others. Did you reach at least the first level?”

“Um, no, not yet. But I’ve only awakened yesterday. I will catch up in no time.” If I make it past this week, that is, which, judging by recent events, seems unlikely. No! Stop that! Happy thoughts! You will make it!

“I hope so,” Luci grins at me, flashing her pearly white teeth in an infectious smile, “otherwise, I’ll be left alone with this insane quest! Can’t have you flake out on me now, can I?“

“Do you have any idea how we could even attempt to defeat a deity? Any clue at all?” A heavy weight settles in my stomach at the prospect of challenging a being able to crush us with a thought.

“Nope! You forced us into that, you figure it out!”

“But you were the one who suggested it!”

“Yeah, well, I was desperate to keep you onboard. Besides, you weren’t supposed to accept it!”

“Okay, stop! Why did you want to recruit me in the first place? You don’t know me at all, yet you saved me and even concocted that ridiculous plan of yours to get me to join you.” The question that has been bugging me since we woke up pops out of my mouth before I even register it.

“Umm... It wasn’t exactly my choice. And that’s a bit of a long story, really. All I can say now is that it has to do with your class.“ My fluffy partner answers vaguely with a shrug. “Look, there are some things I’m not allowed to talk about right now. That’s not important at the moment, though. What matters is finding your village, then you can make sure everyone is safe before we can worry about other things.”

My class? What does she mean by that? I only received it yesterday, and she must have been on a journey for much longer than that. So, how could she possibly know about it beforehand? And why exactly was she forbidden to talk about it? Questions pile up inside my head as each new one spawns, my brain whirring frantically in an effort to assemble answers from bits and pieces of information, but nothing solid emerges from my musings.

“Hold on,” Lucienne raises a finger, signaling me to pause, cutting off my train of thought, “we might have a way to finish this quest after all! Your class! It’s the solution!”

“What? What are you talking about?” I inquire, baffled by her sudden outburst. Is there some special ability I possess that can help us? Nothing rings a bell.

“We just need to get you powerful enough. That won’t be easy, but there are people who achieved terrifyingly high levels. Then we just need to start a massive war and transform the momentum of the battlefield into destructive power that will allow you to strike down the divine!“ She declares in excitement, eyes sparkling brightly as she gazes at me, awaiting my response.

Wait, what?! Who? What people?! Start a war?! Nothing she just said makes any sense! How would I achieve that? Why would I do that? And why do I keep forgetting she is insane?!

“Lucienne, please explain what the heck you are on about! Which people? Why war? And how am I supposed to obtain this insane level of strength?!”

Her eyes resemble two glittering rubies, glowing brilliantly with an inner radiance as she stares straight into mine, sending chills down my spine. Her lips curve upwards into an unsettling maniacal grin showing too many teeth, making her look completely deranged. With a soft gust of wind, her snow-white fur comes alive, as if each strand has a life of its own, swirling and twisting in an intricate dance.

It feels as if something unseen has shifted, like a veil has lifted, revealing something hidden underneath. It’s unnerving to witness such a drastic transformation of her demeanor in an instant. Her previously cute and innocent appearance now exudes an aura of danger and threat, promising violence and carnage, an unquenchable thirst for bloodshed. She gives me the impression that she could snap at any second, transforming into a creature of slaughter without warning, striking down all those in her path without hesitation.

“Come on, Alice! Didn’t you even read the description of your class?” She teases me in a mocking tone, still wearing that menacing smile on her face, sending goosebumps along my arms and neck. “You’re supposed to rule over the battlefield! Direct its flow, use it to strengthen yourself, rise above everyone else, feed on the carnage, and become unstoppable! The embodiment of war itself! The Red Queen!"