“Wait, what? Hold on for just one minute! Stop!” My thoughts screech to a halt as her words sink in and realization sets in. “What... Who told you about that class?”
“I can’t tell you that right now,” the bunny girl shakes her head, refusing to reveal the source of her knowledge. “You will understand when the time comes. Just trust me on this!”
“But...”
“I really can’t! It’s a secret,” the stubborn furball insists, crossing her arms across her chest, glaring daggers at me for daring to question her judgment.
“No! What I mean is — I’m not a Red Queen!” An indignant cry escapes my mouth before I can stop it, echoing throughout the surrounding area. Birds fly from their roosts in fright and scamper away in a hurry, chirping angrily in protest at the sudden disturbance to their peace. Silence descends once again as all life retreats in fear, leaving only Lucienne and me standing amidst the lush vegetation facing each other.
“You don’t need to pretend, Alice, you can admit it. We are stuck together. There is no point hiding this from me.” The rabbit girl rolls her eyes in exasperation as if dealing with a petulant child throwing a tantrum.
“I’m really not!”
“Come on! I’ve seen you use flameweaving with my very own eyes! You won’t convince me you picked elementalist or something.”
“No, of course not. But I didn’t become the Red Queen...”
“Alice, don’t lie to me! You were forced into that class, weren’t you? Even if you can’t accept it now, it is still who you are!” A hint of panic creeps into her voice as she interrupts me mid-sentence. The agitated lapine grabs onto my hands with a fervor that borders on desperation, squeezing them tightly within her small palms. Within the depths of her scarlet pools, flickers of uncertainty flash by as her gaze meets mine, pleading with me to affirm her belief.
Once again, I am left wondering how she seems to know so much about me already. Details of my life that not even my parents are aware of, revealed casually, like common knowledge. Unnerving doesn’t even begin to describe it. Whatever her mysterious source of information is, it has far greater access to my life than should be possible. Or is fate truly real after all? Has my entire existence been pre-determined by some omniscient force? All my choices, decisions, and actions foretold in advance? Like a book that it now reads from and recites to that damned bunny girl.
If that is true, at least this time I have managed to subvert those plans somewhat, taking an unexpected detour from its script. Well... ‘Managed to’ may be too much, considering I had zero say in this, but you gotta take victories where you can.
With a shake of my head, I withdraw from her grasp and step backward, putting distance between us. “No. I mean, yes, that class was thrust onto me. But then it was blocked somehow? And I was forced into a different one... I don’t get it myself, okay?!”
“Blocked? How?! You’re joking, right?! Playing a prank on your new companion?!” Tears well up in her eyes as she advances towards me, reaching out a trembling hand, begging me to prove my claim wrong, to laugh and tease her for her reaction. “This is not funny, Alice, please! Tell me this is all a jest!”
I grasp her quivering fingers, trying to comfort her, ignoring the overwhelming urge to flee from her increasingly erratic behavior. The rabbit girl squeezes back weakly before collapsing onto her knees, tears streaming freely down her cheeks, marring her immaculate fur with streaks of moisture, dampening it with drops of sorrow. Like a dam bursting open, her pent-up emotions erupt out of her control, overflowing uncontrollably as she breaks down, crying hysterically in front of me.
Alarmed by the sudden change in attitude, I squat down beside her, wrapping my arms around the tiny figure and pulling her into a gentle hug. I don’t understand why is she reacting this strongly, why my revelation has shaken her so thoroughly. She’s almost taking the news about my class, worse than I did, which is saying something.
If only she could be more transparent with me! But no! Secrets for me and not for thee, huh?! Forced into this situation together, bound as one, unable to hide anything from each other... Yet, here she goes again, hiding valuable details and information from me for reasons known only to herself! Bullshit!
I should be angry at her for trying to manipulate me, and for dragging me into this mess that could very well end my life. For being yet another person in my life who seeks to dictate my destiny to me, deciding my future for me, telling me what to do.
But as she clings desperately to me, seeking solace and warmth in my embrace, seeking comfort and support from the sole anchor available to her in the maelstrom of emotions, I cannot find it in myself to do so. Haven’t I hurt her enough already? In my blind rage at the universe, the system, the divine beings, she was the unfortunate target of my fury.
I free my hand from the confines of the gauntlet, releasing the armor’s grip around my wrist, and let it dive into the ocean of white fur, burying itself within. Ahh, it’s so fluffy! My fingers sink deep into the cloudy softness of the downy coat, feeling the silky smoothness beneath them. Like touching the heaven itself! Pure bliss! By the Hunt! It’s incredible! Divine! This... This... THIS IS SO FLUFFY!!
Ah! I was supposed to comfort my poor traumatized friend here, not get distracted by her body’s plush exterior. It takes all of my willpower to suppress the impulse to nuzzle my cheek against it and lose myself forever in ecstasy, enjoying the wondrous sensation to the fullest. But alas, it shall wait! Hopefully, there will be plenty of opportunities later to indulge myself in its amazingness! Yes, totally not creepy. Definitely not.
“... but you promised...” a whispered sob breaks my internal monologue and draws my attention back to reality, reminding me of the present situation. The lapine girl mumbles incomprehensibly to herself as she continues to weep her heart out, ignoring the fact that we are sitting in the middle of a dangerous wilderness with beasts and monsters lurking nearby.
“It’s okay, it’s fine. We will figure it out. We will get to the bottom of this together, okay?” I rub her back reassuringly, doing my best to soothe her frazzled nerves, offering soothing words of encouragement. “Everything will work out in the end. I may not have become the Red Queen, but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world. The class I have gotten is also... umm... interesting?”
Well, that’s not a total lie at least! But I should probably refrain from telling her the full truth just yet. Explaining the extent of the absurdity that unique class brings with it could push my companion over the edge into a full-blown psychotic break. And frankly, I’m not ready to deal with that scenario. Maybe once I have dealt with my own that I keep forcibly suppressed. Yeah, that sounds like a brilliant plan. One crisis at a time!
“Luci, please, I don’t understand why it means this much to you, but we can work this out! Somehow... We just need to get out of here and think about it somewhere safer. None of this will matter if we are mauled to death by a cobalt howler or something worse stalking these woods.” Do I feel like an absolute hypocrite right now for preaching to her about risk assessment and not panicking? Absolutely! Does it make my words any less true? Absolutely not!
“Okay,” she sniffles quietly, nodding against my chest. “Just... give me a moment, please. Sorry for causing trouble...”
“Don’t be! You are not the only one freaking out today, after all?”
With a loud sniffle, she sits up and wipes at her eyes, cleaning up her soaked fur before flashing a weak smile. “Sorry for the waterworks. Thank you, Alice. You are right. We need to focus on getting out of here first.”
She certainly doesn’t seem alright to me, but who am I to judge? At least she has calmed down, for now, returning to some semblance of normalcy, even if it is just a facade. Perhaps letting her focus on practical problems might help keep her mind off things, providing a distraction from whatever emotional trauma my words triggered.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
I release her from my hold, giving her some space, and once the bunny girl collects herself enough to continue traveling, we resume our search for hunting trails to guide us toward my hometown. The silence stretches between us for a while as neither of us feels comfortable starting a conversation. Like an invisible barrier that prevents either from addressing the elephant in the room.
Arghhhh! I can’t stand it anymore! It’s driving me mad! What can I do? Say something? But what? Talk about the weather? Hard pass, that is about the most boring topic possible. I want to learn more about her, but I’m afraid of sending her into another fit with something seemingly innocuous like earlier. Did she mention anything I could use to keep the subject casual enough? Hmm, my class, our quest, my level, my... That’s it!
“Hey Luci, have you heard of dreamspinning?”
She cocks her head sideways, shooting me a puzzled look, “I guess? What about it?”
“Well, you asked me earlier if I have reached level one at least, remember?” A nod from the rabbit girl confirms she does indeed recall our previous exchange. “That is the one skill that is blocking me at the moment. Flameweaving was pretty obvious — just focus and make fire. But I have no idea whatsoever about making illusions and stuff.”
“Flameweaving and dreamspinning? Where did you pull that out from? I haven’t heard of a class that combines those two.” She seems genuinely intrigued by my peculiar set of abilities, her ears perking up a little. “I haven’t heard of one that mixes dreamspinning with anything else at all, to be honest.”
“Really? I said it was an interesting one, didn’t I?” A light chuckle escapes my lips as I try to add levity to the tension-filled atmosphere, hoping to lift my companion’s spirit with it. “So, any advice? Because I got nothing.”
“No, sorry, I haven’t got a clue either. You would have to...” She pauses suddenly, stopping dead in her tracks, tilting her head to the side as if listening for something, and stares into the distance. After several moments of intense scrutiny, she snaps back to reality, meeting my worried gaze. “Okay, I think I know how you could practice it for now.”
What? Really? Just like that? She looks for a moment into the distance and my problem is solved? How? What was she listening to or watching for that gave her the answer so easily? Was it her skill? That fatescribing ability of hers? My mind whirls with questions but, unfortunately, my bunny companion has no intention of elaborating on her methods.
“Bad news out of the way first — you aren’t gonna find that skill helpful for fighting or killing any of the things roaming around outside in a timely fashion.“ She says in a serious tone, cutting me off when I open my mouth to retort. “Save your breath. Let me explain. Unlike flameweaving or other elemental skills, which are great for direct combat; dreamspinning requires more training and experience to use effectively in actual battles. You can just focus and throw a fire bolt or bunch of icicles at the enemy. Not much will happen if they get hit with a ball of creepy fog, though.“
Damn, that’s... disappointing. So like the rest of my class pretty much, huh? Sigh. “Anything at least a bit more positive?”
“Oh, don’t worry. A lot! Dreamspinning is incredibly powerful, extremely versatile, and has tons of utility! You will love it when you level up enough. Its biggest issue is the lack of direct offensive power, but you got that part solved with your other affinity. We will make a great mage out of you yet!” the bunny girl exclaims with a wide grin as she slaps my back in approval.
A wave of discomfort washes over me in response to the last statement. I don’t want to, but I really have to correct that assumption. “Ahem. About that, um... I’m not a mage.”
“Not a mage? Are you sure? Sorry, you know better than me,” she mutters, raising a brow at me. “But with two magical affinities, don’t tell me you are a priest?”
“Nope. Not that either.”
The lapine shoots me a surprised look before shaking her head, sighing, and continuing in a more resigned tone, “Okay, I will bite. What are you?”
“Guardian.”
“Excuse me?”
“Guar-di-an!”
“I know the word! But... you’re serious? You have to be pulling my leg...” she mutters as she covers her face with both palms, muffling her voice into an indecipherable mess of groans and curses. Eventually, she lowers her hands and faces me with an incredulous expression. “It’s okay. I’m okay. I will not freak out again. It’s not the end of the world.”
Luci closes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths to compose herself before turning back towards me. “You know, maybe it’s not as bad as it looks. Not ideal, but we can work with this. At least it’s a combat class.” She seems to struggle to put up a brave front despite clearly being conflicted about the situation. It all goes to hell when she notices my awkward smile and flustered demeanor as I look off to the side, awkwardly pretending to focus on a nearby bush. “You’re kidding, right? Don’t tell me there is more to it.“
“Ehehe~, there is more.“
“Alice!!” the lapine girl shouts at me in frustration as she buries her face into her palms again, taking deep breaths to calm down and regain her composure. Once she’s more or less settled, she gestures for me to continue.
“It’s also unique.”
“Well, fluff me sideways. Of course, it’s gotta be unique!“ A groan escapes the bunny’s mouth as she drags her paws across her face. “Can’t have a single useful person in a party of two, now, can we? Just two special gals on an equally special quest!”
“Wait, you mean...?”
An angry nod confirms my suspicion. Screwed! We are so screwed!
“Anyway! Enough with that! Let’s get back to the task at hand, shall we?” Lucienne exclaims impatiently, clearly having enough of my bad news for now and eager to shift gears away from them.
She’s right! Deep breaths. Everything will work out in the end. Ignore the anxiety and terror currently rampaging through your body, demanding attention and causing your stomach to twist into knots and your palms to sweat profusely! Panic and despair will accomplish nothing! Be the huntress! Focus on finding the way back home!
Once again, I put my eyes to the task of scanning the environment, sweeping from one side to the next, searching for any clue that could lead us towards my tribe. Tracks, signs of passage, anything will do. The repetitive motion helps to center me, grounding me in reality as my mind calms and clears, focusing on the job at hand.
I don’t think about the insurmountable task ahead of us, about how utterly screwed we are, or the countless ways our failure will inevitably result in disaster. And I definitely don’t spend all my free mental capacity pondering what might be Lucienne‘s unique class, numerous possibilities popping up inside my head, each more ludicrous and unheard-of than the last.
So it is fitting that I completely miss the first hints of movement behind a fallen tree trunk some dozen steps to my left, just a hint of a shadow and a barely audible rustle of the branches and leaves. Only Lucienne’s paw grabbing my elbow and tugging sharply forward jerks me out of my contemplative haze and saves me from the wrath of nature that bursts out of its hiding place.
Like a storm of fur and claws, the beast launches towards me, its long fangs aiming straight at my throat. Instinct kicks in instantly as my legs hurl me backward without hesitation, the razor-sharp teeth missing me by a hair’s breadth. Before my attacker can recover, a small glass vial flies through the air, shattering against its maw and showering its face with liquid. A brief hiss followed by a cloud of mist fills the air between us and the beast backs off, visibly disturbed and disoriented.
“RUN!” the rabbit girl screams in my ear, grabbing my arm and dragging me towards the trees at a dead sprint.
I do not need further urging to comply. Adrenaline rushes through my veins as my body propels forward, carrying me swiftly through the forest, crashing through undergrowth and vaulting over branches despite all my muscles protesting vehemently against the strain. The sounds of pursuit grow closer with every heartbeat, the monster hot on our tail.
“Lucienne, it’s gaining on us!” I yell to my companion, terrified by the rapid approach of the monstrosity chasing after us, its long strides effortlessly closing the gap despite our best efforts.
“I’m out of mixtures! Keep running and pray it loses interest soon!” comes the frantic reply from the bunny girl ahead of me as she maintains the blistering pace through the forest. “Or find a way to shake it off!”
With every step, the creature grows nearer, its breath hot against my neck, ready to tear its sharp fangs into my flesh and end me in an instant. The smell of rotten meat invades my nostrils, filling my mouth with a foul taste and causing my stomach to lurch in disgust. Like the odor of death itself permeating my existence, covering me in filth and decay, assaulting me from all sides relentlessly.
My mind races as I scramble for ideas, desperately seeking a way out of this predicament. Think, Alice, THINK! Come up with something! ANYTHING!
“Duck!”
A barrage of ice spikes sails through the air, barely missing my scalp as I throw myself to the ground, landing hard on the rough forest soil. The projectiles whistle past my head before hitting their target square on, striking the beast with full force as it pounces toward us. Shards of ice rip into it, drawing blood and causing it to stagger momentarily in pain as it registers the surprise attack.
One roll and jump later, I’m next to Lucienne again, close enough to reach for her arm and help her up. She struggles to stand up, panting heavily as she leans on my shoulder for support. The effects of mana depletion are taking their toll on her body, draining her of the energy to keep up at such a frenzied pace.
A quick look at the creature reveals a disturbing sight. Despite being hit by at least ten shards of ice, none of them appear to have pierced past its thick hide, merely leaving shallow lacerations upon impact, dripping a small amount of blood down its maw. Worse yet, the wounds have already begun to close, sealing shut at a visible rate while the creature circles us, salivating with anticipation for its next meal.
A whistle pierces the air, slicing through the silence, cutting the tension surrounding us like a blade. Melody travels upon its wake, floating lazily over the sea of greenery, reverberating through the trees, dancing upon the winds, beckoning forth, promising help. My legs give out beneath me as the sound registers in my mind, dropping me onto the soft soil beneath. Tears flow freely from my eyes as a tidal wave of emotion hits me all at once, overwhelming my senses and drowning out any thoughts remaining in my head. Only pure joy and relief remain in their wake.
They have sent a search party!