Adius desperately wanted to change the subject, “So, I suppose now would be the best time for us to move some more?”

  “Sure.” Justin also wanted to stretch his legs, “Where do you recommend?”

  “I was thinking the library. It’s near my room in case you need anything, and it’s another spot to relax.” He subtly used a looser definition of relax, given what had happened. “I know you wanted to learn about things, right?”

  “Alright, yeah, sounds fine to me.”

  Leading Justin back towards Adius’ quarters, they came upon the library, a relatively small room filled from floor to ceiling with bookshelves. More clusters of tables and benches were scattered around the room, with rustic-looking chandeliers lighting the space with a warm glow, that did indeed feel rather comfortable as Adius had said. Justin could see all of this, and he hadn’t even stepped inside yet.

  “I’ll leave you to pick out some books. If you need anything, I’ll head back to my room. You remember the path, turn right, second door on the left...”

  “Go straight to the corner, on the left. Yeah, I know, thanks.”

  Justin watched as Adius disappeared, then looked back through the open entrance to the cozy space. With a few paces, he was in, and immediately he noticed a front desk to his right, with a black rabbit attending it. The area where the rabbit’s whiskers were was greyed, and the whiskers themselves drooped more than one in their prime. Above their nose sat a thin frame of glasses, small and gold, and their ears were pitched like tents, bent at their midsections. He was looking intently at his desk, staring down papers, squinting, then he muttered to himself, “No, no, no,” before picking up a quill to his right and striking something out with purpose, “It’s late. I don’t care what he thinks. Rules are rules...” Justin heard his intent-filled and grainy voice once again.

  “Excuse me?”

  The rabbit looked up, a small frown on his face, yet he quickly lightened up, “Ah, hello! You must be the new one...” He closed his notebook, setting it aside, and he exhumed interest “What can I do for you?”

  “Yeah, um... I was looking for books about this... Empathy thing you guys have? I’d like to learn about it?”

  “See that bookshelf to the left where you came in?” They pointed, “That’s the educational section. It’ll have what you’re looking for.”

  Saying thanks, Justin scowered the shelf, looking past many subjects. Anatomy books, military books, culinary tutorials, all thickly-bound heavy works of pages. From sporting books to gardening, there was a lot of information that Justin wasn’t interested in, though he was still curious. Pulling out a few miscellaneous books while searching, he noticed that most of the authors were female.

  Desperate, he turned to the bottom row of the shelf, where many thinner, frankly depressing looking books sat. Finally, he found one: “Emotions And Empathy: What We Know” by Fuedeus F. Jack. It was an old book with outdated information, it seemed to Justin. Skimming through pages and skipping through paragraphs, it was a published paper, stating more about the basics of psychology than this supposed sixth sense that these bucks possessed. A few minutes of reading a whole lot about nothing gave Justin an idea. He needed to get his hands on that book Adius was reading. It was thicker and looked like it had useful information in it, right? Heading back to the room, however, Adius was gone, but his book still sat on the table.

  Adius roamed the halls, letting Justin explore for himself. He had changed his mind. He decided maybe it would be best if he wasn’t cooped in his room waiting for Justin to return, in favor of actually doing things. I don’t need to babysit him, he thought, He’s an adult. He can handle himself, surely. The halls were unusually quiet today, but he did hear something nonetheless, Oden. From around a turn, Oden was speaking with someone; Adius stood still, listening.

  “What do you care about them being here, anyway?” It was Vale by the sound of it. Adius considered them an acquaintance, but Oden spoke with them much more often.

  “We don’t need to take any risks! Do you want more people killed?”

  “That was years ago, Oden. It should be fine now...” Another rabbit spoke, a doe, Jaklyn. She had a distinct voice, but again, Adius barely knew her. She and Vale lived on the opposite side of the castle grounds.

  “Do you two not care about our safety? I haven’t stayed in the brigade for all these years to kill, alright?” Oden’s voice rose up.

  “And you won’t.” Vale continued, “I think you’re getting too worked up about this. Don’t worry about it.”

  “Oh, I’m worried alright! Worried no one’ll believe me when that thing ends up doing something to us! They’re a menace!”

  “Oden, you’re paranoid... Look, honestly... I think this is a new low for you. They’ve done nothing wrong. They’ve only been here for, what, a day?” Vale said, his voice subdued at first, then becoming suspicious.

  “You’re not concerned one bit are you? You’re with me for a reason! We’re supposed to keep ourselves out of danger! Stop it before it happens!”

  “Alright, well, we appreciate the commitment,” Vale dismissed, “But I think it’s time Lyn and I got to our activities we had planned for the day, isn’t that right?”

  “Yes...” Her voice was also quiet now, almost sensual.

  “Does no one take their job seriously around here?”

  “Oh, we do... Just not as serious as you, Oden.” Vale chuckled.

  Now I really need to make sure Justin doesn’t cross paths with him. Adius thought about the possibility of Justin being hurt with how emphatic Oden was behaving. Usually, Oden was collected, but this new thorn in his side was the one that hurt the most, and he made it apparent. Adius agreed with the two of them, that this was abnormal for Oden, and it sounded as though he wanted Justin to be made an example of.

  Bringing things up to Her Grace would most likely be ignored. She was notoriously difficult to ask about trivial things like mere paranoia and suspicion instead of factual matters, and when it was important to her, she went in with full force, neutralizing the problem. Of course, on that day 20 years ago, the method was the same, and has only gotten more strict since. Many bucks bent the rules every day, and it was a bad habit, even for Adius. Can I blame myself? He thought. While it was true nothing significant has happened in all of that time, ever since they were driven away, to Oden, it was like waiting for an inevitable volcano to erupt, as if it were past due.

  “Hello again.” Adius smirked, now staring at Justin as he walked through the door. Justin was laying on the bed with his eyes closed, and he instantly heaved himself up after hearing their voice.

  “I was just resting my eyes.” Justin lyingly admitted.

  “Did you find anything in the library?”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “Nothing that I was really looking for, no... but I did look through your book if you don’t mind.” He pointed to it, sitting on the side table.

  “That old thing? It’s fine.” Adius picked up the book, the pages flopping about inside of the hard end covers, “It needs to be rebound soon, anyway.” The tan rabbit took a glace at Justin, “May as well use it up until then.”

  “Oh, I just skimmed through it. It’s interesting, I just couldn’t focus much on it with it being a text book.”

  Adius gave a quick chuckle, “Then clearly it wasn’t interesting, was it?” Adius stepped from the side table and chair over to the bed, and sat on the edge beside Justin, “You know, I have an idea. In a few days, we’re having our bi-annual Orycto fair. Do you want to come? There’s sports, games, food, it’s fun! You came at a good time.”

  Justin hesitated for a moment, not sure whether to go to such a foreign event he knew nothing about. He made up his mind quickly, fuck it, “Sure!”

  “Great! I just don’t want you to be cooped in this room. That’s not a good way to spend your time here.” Adius got up and pulled the curtains to the windows closed.

  “Yeah... Yeah I agree. I’m... kind of more of an outdoor person.” Justin looked at a small decorative wooden clock perched on top of the dresser, “It’s about noon. Should we get lunch?”

  “Oh, uh... yes, but...” Adius stammered. He hoped Oden would be in the second dining hall, in the west wing of the castle, and he thought of leaving Justin in the room, “Never mind,” He said quickly, “I’ll come down with you.”

  Taking the same path as they had before, Justin still tried to memorize the pattern. They diverged, however, at the second staircase, turning left instead of right, which led way to a broader corridor with more of the same murals depicting playing kids and young adults. Other rabbits walked with or against them, with those coming back holding small bits of food in their hands. Surprisingly to Justin, not one batted an eye at him, and he felt this could be the best place he could have resided as a stranger in a strange land. Turning right at the end of the corridor, a larger room presented itself, not too dissimilar from the lounging room, but it was much more packed. Long tables stretched from one end to the other. On the left wall was a great lit fireplace, and the right was barricaded by a single sill, draped in white cloths, with the kitchen further behind it taking up another third of the room. Platters of food sat, with bucks and does alike forming in front of them, all equally boistering away.

  Perfect, thank you! Adius had just scanned the room looking for Oden, but he was nowhere to be found. The two continued, making their way around the parameter and into the line that was formed.

  “It’s a buffet?”

  “Well, we don’t put all of our food in the middle of a table and eat like savages.” Adius joked, “We have order. It’s not so easy to feed everyone here. Besides, all of the food is freshly made.” Adius looked out into the room and casually waved to someone he knew, before the rabbit started towards him.

  “Hey, Adius, haven’t talked in a while!” Their coat was a dirty grey with white patches; their ears stuck up like antennae. He gestured to Justin, “This the new guy?” Word had obviously spread around rapidly, and to Justin everyone called him ‘the new guy.’

  “Yes! This is Justin.”

  Justin gave a quick wave and an awkward smile, “Hi.”

  “You’re going to like it here. Don’t let anyone intimidate you. We don’t bite.” The grey buck said.

  “I’m sorry, your name is?”

  “Wyver! Nice to meet you.” He thoroughly took Justin’s hand and shook it with a tight grip.

  “Heh... Same...”

  “Hey, you don’t mind if I call you ‘Tin’ do you?”

  Justin hesitated, “...No?”

  “Great, oh, Adius, you competing in archery this year?”

  “Eh, I don’t think so,” Adius ruffled the back of his head, “I haven’t been practicing as much as I should have for it.”

  “Aw, that’s a shame. Well, I won’t bother you two more. I already ate; I was about to head back upstairs. Hope to talk to you again, Tin! You seem cool!” Wyver turned around and bounded, before spinning back towards Adius, “Hey! Look for me out on the field!”

  “Oh, I will!” Adius gave another quick wave.

  “Who was that?”

  “Oh, just... one of my old friends. I’ve known him since I was around five.”

  “Wow.”

  “Yeah, I know a lot of people around here.” Adius remarked. “Hey look, we’re almost to the food.”

  Indeed, they were. Justin’s eyes locked onto the upcoming plates and trays of food, and he was more amazed than before! Juicy sirloin steak, sliced sunfish, meatballs and gravy, he could have sworn these rabbits were carnivores! The meats however paled in comparison to the excess of vegetables to go along with them. Dishes of salads and dressings, tossed squash, carrots, and zucchini, three giant pots of stews—these people knew how to eat! Justin grabbed everything he could want, filling his plate to the point of no space left. Adius was somewhat wide-eyed. The two had set at a table, and when Justin was finished, he went back for seconds.

  “You must have been hungry!” Adius teased.

  “I was, actually. I didn’t want to bother you about it.”

  “What? You wouldn’t bother me! I have nothing else to do but to look after you! Just let me know!” Adius finished his first helping.

  “So, you’re sure you can’t get your job back?” Justin thought of being “looked after,” and how juvenile it sounded.

  “Grace’s orders...”

  “Wait, so how much power does she have, anyway?”

  “Uh, she inherited it from her father, King Jesper, His Grace, and her bloodline has been under control for...” Adius thought for a moment, “Around 500 years.”

  “Oh, wow.” Justin wasn’t sure if he should be excited about the abrupt history lesson. “So, what’s it been like under her rule compared to the king?”

  Adius’ face scrunched, “It’s... alright... She can be difficult to work with, to be quite honest.” He admitted.

  “And the king was never like that?”

  “I was only 3 years old when Her Grace came into power.”

  Justin gave an acknowledging nod. Finishing his second plate, Justin and Adius were back in their room. Adius gave Justin his general daily routine. After lunch, he usually found himself studying, whether through a book or through physical exercise. Outside, on the south side of the castle, there was a community pond to swim in, an archery practice field, handball, a sport that sounded similar to badminton, and...

  “Pole vaulting?”

  “That’s right.” Adius said confidently, “I’m not much of a fan of it, though, myself.”

  “Man, you guys must be well built if pole vaulting is a casual sport.”

  Adius laughed, “You could say that,” He gave a large grin, “I would argue my legs aren’t very muscular, not compared to others who have a knack for it.” Justin unintentionally took a split second glance at Adius’ biceps loosely outlined in his dress shirt. He hadn’t noticed them before. “Well... it’s up to you what you’d want to do for the afternoon, evening.” They continued.

  “Um, I think I’ll just... continue reading.” Justin picked up “THE SIGHTS, SOUNDS, AND SENSES OF SENSING” book again, its weight making Justin’s knuckles turn white from holding it with one hand.

  “Suit yourself. Speaking of archery, I may go outside and practice some. I don’t want to disappoint Wyver if he asks me for some competition!” Adius left the room, leaving Justin to his own devices.