“Damn it. Where is she? She shouldn’t have been able to get this far…” Michael muttered to himself as he quickly ran through the forest.
He wasn’t sprinting; that wouldn’t be wise, especially as his nose caught the whiff of a putrid odor. Unlike their sibling species, nacht bunnies are omnivores. They have no issues with banding together to hunt their predators when the situation called for it; it’s why they were generally avoided. Mating season turned their more aggressive behaviors up to their maximum. Whereas hunting is normally only done by necessity, during this time, it becomes the first option for all that enter their respective territories.
One bunny wasn’t a threat. Fifty was different, plain and simple. Nacht bunnies were like seasoned mercenaries; they excelled in teamwork and communication. Even if hunters survived, coming out unscathed was unlikely. This rang true even for hunters who’ve graduated from the aether class, those who’ve learned to harness and use aether effectively in combat.
It’s one of the reasons he’d kept quiet while Hector was belittling her. Even though he knew he should’ve spoken up to keep the peace… even though he felt uncomfortable letting it go on… on a certain level, he too agreed with the sentiments.
Tula had always been smug about her ignorance, especially over the last couple of years. She didn’t care about the class contents and openly flaunted how much of a waste of time it was for her. Life-saving lessons were ignored daily and they were suffering for it. It didn’t help that many of her smug comments were paired with demeaning jabs at his mom… when she was out of audible range of course.
He liked to believe himself above playing the petty back and forth, of retaliating against someone who didn’t deserve it. Seeing everything play out here though… maybe he wasn’t as ‘above it’ as he thought himself to be. Maybe he merely put off the issue.
He just didn’t expect her to run off like that though, not in the woods of all places. Despite her ignorance of survival, he knew damn well that Tula wasn’t stupid; she had some basic common sense. She’d been against this mission because she knew how out of her depth she was here. Yet she ran off anyways.
Was her ego tested so strongly that she’d lost her will to live? Was she suicidal? Surely, there wasn’t any other reason she would run off alone in a place she knew she wasn’t prepared for.
Distracted, he didn’t notice the rapidly approaching figure closing in from the side.
“Urgh” a force slammed against his side, knocking him off his feet and violently breaking him out of his thoughts.
He tumbled to the side and quickly regained his footing, snapping his attention to the rapidly approaching creature. It sailed in the air toward him, horn aimed to run him through. Seeing this, he let it approach, gathering a bit of aether in his fingers in the process. Narrowly sidestepping, he ran his fingers past its sailing body, rupturing it from the inside out. It didn’t take much; it was small and didn’t have a strong aether coat protecting it, allowing his spell to work unimpeded with very little expenditure.
He didn’t have time to marvel at his work as multiple similarly sized shadows bounced from the bushes, looking to avenge their fellow bunny. His expression sank, glum at his predicament. He hadn’t learned how to use aether to fight beyond what he’d just done and even that’s something he’d refined recently. Despite its potency though, it wasn’t meant for smaller targets, that’s a big reason he’d sought to avoid these territories; none in their group were truly prepared for it.
Ten bunnies made their presence known. Their fur was ash brown with piercing white eyes that shined like the moon. They had long, sharp horns he couldn’t see clearly. Despite being in the center of their heads, their horn naturally created a weak illusion that made it hard to focus on. Alone, it was weaker, but when they moved in a pack, the illusions mutually strengthened one another, bolstering the effect. The mechanics eluded him, but the effect was obvious enough.
The two vanguards went down like the first one that’d hit him. Seeing this, the others surrounded him, trying to attack from different sides. He picked a bunny and bolted forward, not wanting to let himself be encircled. Provoked, the bunny charged at him, but he’d already anticipated it, opening his palm as if to catch the approaching horn.
It grazed him with a half-inch deep laceration into his right palm, but the contact let him rupture it in exchange. A hiss escaped from his clenched teeth, though it didn’t disturb his focus. That said, the moment of pain distracted him from noticing the odd cries one of the bunnies made.
Now out of the encirclement, he turned around, scanning the bunnies bolting around for signs of the leader. He needed to find it so he could break their teamwork, but he couldn’t; they all looked the same.
Suddenly, rabbits burst out of the forest in greater numbers. 5, 10, 20, 40; they just kept increasing.
*Caw!!* The resonant cry of eagles echoed in the clearing, though only he was surprised. Looking up, to his horror, he saw 3 bunnies with elongated horns flying on eagle-back, all approaching in a tight formation. Unlike the others, these didn’t have an illusory effect. In contrast, they were almost triple the length and were shaped like thin, sharp drills.
His first instinct was to look for an escape. He could fight a few, but this was getting ridiculous. That said, he didn’t panic. He may not be capable of handling these packs, but he’d escaped them a couple times before. The eagle riders were annoying, but they wouldn’t chase him too far outside of their territory; their steeds were too precious to risk frivolously, even in mating season.
But, before he could act, a familiar piercing scream sounded from further in. It was a wail laced with shock and horror.
And there it was again, Tula’s ignorance forcing him to act against rational thought. The wails continued, adding a new component to it, pain, before being abruptly silenced. He couldn’t even consider his next course of action before he was already dashing toward the source, ignoring the nacht bunnies surrounding him. Whatever plan, caution, or even awareness he’d been working with all flew out the window.
He dodged a bunny lunging at him from the front and adjacent diagonal sides and jumped over a charging trio with a burst of strength. They’d anticipated that though. As he hung midair during his brief jump, a particularly opportunistic bunny caught hold of his leg, biting deeply into his pants fabric with the force of a vice. By the sharp pain of serrated gnawing teeth, it’d surely pierced his thigh.
His landing wasn’t graceful, forcing him into a tumble that took him moments to recover from. Fortunately, it also dislodged the bunny. Yet, that wasted moment was all the army needed.
He was kicked from behind, throwing him forward as two others flanked from the sides. The bunny who’d taken a bite was already coming back for more with a particularly greedy look in its beady eyes.
This was their modus operandi, an unrelenting team attack with an unnerving amount of quiet coordination. Nacht bunnies had impeccable teamwork and their ability to coordinate staggered and simultaneously timed attacks was well above even some mercenary teams.
Heart beating in his ears, he came to a worrying realization. If he wanted to make it to Tula, he needed to defeat these things first. They wouldn’t let him go anywhere. Their coordination was too tight to properly escape, and he didn’t have the means to hold them long enough to create the needed distance.
But that begot the true question - how could he route these things fast enough to be able to save Tula? They were annoying enough to deal with normally, but with their aggressive behavior, bolstered by their incredible numbers that were doubtlessly growing by the minute, he couldn’t see a way forward.
He gritted his teeth, cursing his decision to go without a weapon. If he’d been a bit more rational, he could’ve created a makeshift sword on his way here… before he got into nacht bunny territory. He could use its reach right about now; its swing would make taking them out much easier. A shield would give him some cover too. Maybe he’d been a bit arrogant choosing this unarmed style purely for its uniqueness, a decision made without believing he’d ever be in a situation like this.
As those thoughts raced through his mind though, a new, foreign feeling crept into his psyche, self-doubt.
‘Am I really so different from Tula…?’ he thought. Sure, he’d doubted himself before, but he’d never have believed himself comparable to the candy-haired menace in any way.
Then, by virtue of the good fortune of his still-racing thoughts, his despair was interrupted by a memory flashing through his mind. He wasn’t as unarmed as he’d initially believed.
Flashback - [“But… it disappeared. I thought it was just a weird dream.” He rebutted disbelievingly.
[“Nope. It’s still there. It just decided it wanted to get to know you better is all. It’s right…” Ellua casually pointed at his chest. “…here.”
[“Weapons can do that?”
[“Djinn weapons can!” She happily replied.] – Flashback end.
“The hammer… I can call the hammer…” He muttered to himself, focusing his thoughts on his hand, clenching it as if gripping air.
That was his answer, one that he desperately needed right now.
Staring at the rabbit pack rapidly closing in on him with those murderous beady eyes, Michael felt his world twist and shatter. The landscape surrounding him faded to black and in its place, he found himself in a pitch-black domain. Thick golden clouds floated amongst the darkness, providing a modicum of light within the abyss.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
There were no words spoken, no sign from the heavens… nothing. He was alone here, seemingly isolated from the outside world. That said, he was not confused. All knew how to appeal to the djinn and while he didn’t know if it would work, traditions had to be born somewhere… right? He didn’t know how effective it’d be, but Tula needed saving. His mistake needed correcting before it became a permanent pall on Artemia’s history. He did not want to be the one explaining their daughter’s tragedy to her parents.
“Lord Bekmah!” he shouted, letting it echo throughout the abyss. “I come begging you for a boon! I seek use of your weapon. I don’t know what purpose you have for me… why you’ve bestowed such treasure on a humble nobody like myself, nor do I object to it. I just ask that you grant me its use. I’ve made a terrible mistake. I must save her from these beasts!”
His voice echoed in the expanse. Silence met him.
He’d always considered himself a patient boy. He wasn’t normally one to become anxious when waiting, but it was different here. He found himself tapping his foot impatiently, hoping desperately for a positive answer. He felt the seconds pass by tick by tick. Logically, he understood that time probably wasn’t ticking one for one; he’d probably be dead otherwise. Still, he needed to get back to save Tula as soon as possible.
Why was it taking so long!?
After what felt like an eternity in stasis, his prayers were answered. A deep voice boomed throughout the abyss, repeating the phrase he’d heard in the forest on that fateful night, “May the meek of will beware… for whosoever bears Bekmah’s Wrath, if he deems them fit, shall don the mantle of the Earthshaker.”
The ‘ground’ trembled beneath him. It wasn’t violent by any means. His balance didn’t break, nor did anything around appear to seriously change. A fissure opened in the expanse before him, bearing a golden apple from within its bowels.
He was confused. He wanted a hammer, not an apple. Yet, it seized his attention with such power that it almost erased the task from his mind. The apple’s allure dominated his focus with its splendor. At its approach, a myriad of sensations assaulted him with all manner of temptations. A siren’s song tickled his ear with promises of bountiful beauties. A sweet, flowery aroma caressed his nose with mouthwatering promises. Everything about the fruit was appealing.
Before its radiance could captivate him too much though, the booming voice returned, “Presented before thee is Bekmah’s fruit of destruction. It is Bekmah’s judgement incarnate. Examine thyself carefully… for if you should eat it unworthily, you shall be guilty of defiling the sovereignty of the Lord Bekmah. The unworthy takes into himself damnation, consigning his eternity to oblivion. Yet, only through it may the worthy don the mantle of the Earthshaker. Bekmah’s Wrath.”
The smart thing to do would’ve been to hesitate, to ponder on the implications of the being’s words. The fruit was giving off a myriad of ‘don’t eat me’ vibes, but… he was in a bit of a hurry and didn’t pay too much attention. Before even the first sentence was finished, he’d already taken the first bite. By the time the warning was enunciated, he’d already finished the apple.
Was it rash… maybe. Was it necessary… arguable. Did he regret his decision… never.
Then, a different voice appeared, this one was deep, yet less booming than the one he’d been hearing, “Ahh~ not a second of hesitation. I don’t know whether to call you incredibly brave or unrepentantly stupid.”
He couldn’t respond though. He’d fallen to his knees, convulsing as pain ripped through his body like roiling waves. His head pounded as a growing pressure assaulted his skull from all sides. His heart was like a furnace, pumping molten blood through his veins. He didn’t know where to direct his ‘attention’. It all hurt, and he didn’t even know whether to be concerned.
‘Did I fail?’ he thought through the roiling agony he was enduring.
“You wish to save her that badly?” it asked, not that he could answer. “Very well, witness the power you will inherit. Learn from my example as I rewrite her destiny.”
And just like that, the world returned. He was back in the forest, beset by a squad of angry bunnies lunging at him with the intent to maim. It was strange though; he was in his body, but he couldn’t move it. He felt everything but had no control.
[“Watch and learn for you have inherited Bekmah’s Wrath. I will show you what you must aspire to, and even this is but the starting line.”] the unknown voice commanded through his mind.
Michael’s body stretched out its hands and, with a thought, repelled all approaching bunnies with casual ease. Those riding eagles were ripped off, while the birds themselves tumbled on their wings.
[“Gravity is a djinn’s plaything. Repulsion and attraction are easy first steps.”]
It stomped its foot, quaking the earth nearby and causing rubble to rise into a thin rock cloud around him. With a gesture, the rocks became bullets pelting mercilessly at them, ripping into the army with ease. Bunnies weren’t that durable after all.
[“Bekmah is the Great Djinn of the Land. Its bounty is at your beck and call.”]
Two approached from behind. Michael didn’t know how, he wasn’t seeing them, but their approaching silhouettes lit up in the back of his mind. Looking further, the crumpled bodies of the newly slain were faintly visible too.
[“Bekmah lives within the earth, yet his vision extends eternally throughout its domain. ‘Seeing’ through the land’s vibrations is not an easy skill to master. Yet, it is paramount to becoming a fully realized Apostle of Bekmah.”]
They lunged, trying to run him through… only to miss and be popped like balloons as a long-handled war hammer broke them in one swing. There was no loss of momentum, no resistance, only death; they bunnies didn’t stand a chance. When the mess cleared, all that remained was a long black hammer.
[“The earthshaker’s hammer embodies destruction. The ties that bind creation crumble at its touch. It is wasted on these vermin. Yet, practicing against them is paramount to learning to deftly swing it.”]
Michael looked in awe as his body performed feats he’d never even dreamed of. Sure, he knew aether could do many cool things, but this was on a different level. Funnily enough, he’d wanted the hammer, but it ended up being the least exciting part. Sure, it was cool, but it was still just a hammer. Seismic sense, earth control, and gravity control though… he didn’t expect those. Granted… nacht bunnies were small and relatively fragile; something called the ‘hammer of destruction’ probably wasn’t meant for them.
Then he felt it, the powerful tug of aether. He’d been distracted by the spectacle before, but it became clear to him now – his aether was practically pouring into the hammer like a broken pipe. It was a steady process, passively draining him of at least 1% of his aether by the second and the thing hadn’t even been used to do anything special. It’d just been used as a normal hammer.
[“The hammer is beyond the current you. You may call it forth but be prudent in doing so. Otherwise, you will find yourself helpless before certain death.”]
He felt a change. From the ground below, he felt a stream of aether pour into him. It started as a trickle, but steadily grew just enough to match the hammer’s consumption. Past the stream of aether, he felt the world’s bounty. Its aether was endless, inexhaustible. His mind raced through the possibilities. To not run out of aether… to be capable of casting spells infinitely. The possibilities raced through his mind. This was the being’s answer, how he was supposed to use the ha- It was here he felt it.
Sharp pain violently interrupted his thoughts. His aether pathways throbbed painfully as if jagged spines were being dragged through them. It wasn’t just there either. His muscles throbbed as the foreign aether was fed into them and quickly, it spread everywhere throughout his body.
[“Beware of your surroundings. As the Earthshaker, as long as you’re connected to it, the land’s bountiful aether will always be available for your use, but… as you’re feeling now, it is not so simple. Your body is still mortal and cannot sustain the continuous use of foreign aether beyond a certain point; its qualities are also a factor. The life living on the land affects its aether and that aether affects you. The more incompatible the surrounding aether you absorb, the less you can handle. Opening yourself up to the land’s bounty will not always be viable or wise.
[“Despite the challenges presented, this is perhaps the most essential skill to master as it is the gateway to every other skill you’ve witnessed today. Leviek’s apostle’s battle with that imposter shows the importance of sustainability. Notice how their weapons, despite their heavy consumption, were used throughout that long confrontation. That is something you must be capable of.
[“Now… let me finish this demonstration by saving the lost child.”]
His body took off, ignoring any remnant bunnies, and rushing at his top speed in Tula’s direction. Idly, he noticed his body wasn’t moving any faster than it had before he’d eaten the apple. It still had the boost he’d gained from getting the hammer, but it wasn’t much beyond that. It was clear that he hadn’t gotten any immediate fitness from the experience.
It was an excruciating journey. The sharp pain he felt from the foreign aether increased in intensity over time. It was like liquid fire had replaced his blood, burning its way throughout his body. He heard his heart pounding relentlessly in his ears, drowning out his gasps for air as his body struggled to get enough oxygen. Compounded with his head feeling like it was coming out of his skull and he wasn’t having a good trip. He was thankful that he was only a passenger; he couldn’t have continued otherwise.
He didn’t know why the being kept the hammer summoned if it cost so damned much. Couldn’t it have dropped it. It’s not like it was useful right now. Yet, he received no answer.
When he finally caught up to Tula, Michael’s heart sank. A bunny diligently covered her mouth, stifling her sobbing screams as the rest finished nibbling off her arm. She was littered with bruises, welts, and contusions. The arm they were nibbling looked like it had fractured with the bone poking out of her skin; that’s likely why they started with it.
Nacht bunnies preferred eating their prey alive, so they’d learned to keep them living as long as possible. They only ate their meat from living flesh, requiring them to become proficient in keeping ‘prisoners’. Muffling her screams kept prey from calling for help or alerting competition to the opportunity. In addition, their saliva had healing properties and could even crudely seal wounds. This behavior was probably the only reason Tula was alive right now.
The deep voice returned, [“This will end your first lesson. As Bekmah’s Wrath, you will forever be limited to the direction laid before you. However, in this narrow slice, your potential is limitless.”]
A complex sigil appeared on the back of his hand; it depicted a gold horned, four-eyed beast. Aether gathered in it, causing it to emit a soft golden glow. From his passenger position, he felt familiar schematics pass through his pain-addled mind as his hand slammed against the floor. A golden carpet of light expanded out from his hand in a cone, covering the clearing. With a flash of light, the forest’s floor flashed, turning completely into a thin sheet of iron. The grass that’d previously been soft and hospitable to the bunnies became blades that tore into their plushy feet.
In his ‘passenger seat’, Michael practically frothed at that skill, ‘I can do that!? Since when!? Does dad know about it!? It would’ve been nice to know!?’ He frantically thought.
Without pause, his hand reached out and clenched, creating iron spikes that deftly speared all bunnies on or around Tula and forming a protective shield. With Tula secured, he jumped into the air, raised the hammer, and brought it down right next to Tula’s shielded position.
BOOOM!!!
The clearing exploded as everything outside a small circle around him blasted outward. The iron terrain, the dirt beneath - everything shattered and blasted outward. The iron blades (grass) became arrows that ruthlessly tore through the disoriented nest of bunnies, slaughtering them without resistance.
It was over. While there were a few survivors, the lucky few closest to the clearing’s edge that’d escaped bolted away as fast as they could, creating cute cries of alarm as they went. He didn’t know how he understood them, he couldn’t before, but he vaguely interpreted them to be cries of retreat. They’d recognized him as a threat too dangerous to confront and were warning all packmates of the ‘great evil’.
[“My aid is finished. I will leave you with this lesson – diligence is a prerequisite to reaching the heights you seek. As it was my choice to call upon the land’s aether here, I will help you recover. Going forward, all consequences are yours to bear. Good luck scion of Azeem.”]
Finally, they were safe.