At the crack of dawn no one but the sleepless barkeep was awake. After a night of partying, all that was left was for everything to be cleaned, the passed out drunkards to be thrown out and the empty barrels to be burnt in the back. Luckily, Ralf didn’t need any sleep, otherwise his bar wouldn’t have survived on his efforts alone. Without the need for food either, his expenses were so low that he could afford to run a rowdy bar at night, alongside a cozy inn for those who found themselves lost in the city. The bunny girl from last night was one of those people.

The Lapin were a race that hasn’t found its way into the Northern reaches of the continent for a long time. An isolationist, yet tribal people, they were taught to never wander far away from their vast fields in the South, which made it all the more surprising for her to be seen here. Luckily for her, the barkeep himself wasn’t any more normal. He handed her a breakfast she didn’t even order, and smiled warmly as she dug in with little to no care in the world.

“So...what brings you around here...ummm?”Ralf asked, clumsily trying to find her name. Hearing that, the girl immediately recoiled and yelped, as she stopped chewing her salad.

“I-I…” she stuttered, unable to answer a question she deemed too intrusive.

“Oh, my-my apologies! Let’s start easier. What’s your name?”

“A-A-Ari,” the girl whimpered as she tucked her head deeper into her hood. The barkeep gave her a bit of time to finish her meal and calm down a bit. He cleaned his jugs, as he thought that perhaps the best way to get some information out of the girl was to ask her easy, yes or no questions.

“Did you come here because you were scared?”

“Ummm…”

“A nod or shake will do,” Ralf candidly smiled at her, as his four arms polished the counter. To that the girl nodded. Perhaps she realised that his questions weren’t asked with ill-intent, but just a native curiosity, however she wasn’t ready to open up.

“I see...Are you afraid of the dark?”

Shake.

“Are you afraid of the city at night?”

Nod.

“That’s understandable. There are quite a lot of oddballs roaming the streets at night. You just came here because you saw it lit up and rowdy and thought it’d be a safe place, correct?”

The girl nodded, but her eyes that once looked at the kegs in front of her now fell to the floor.

“I guess you didn’t expect it to be like that…” Ralf chuckled bitterly as he leaned towards the girl. “Between you and me, it’s a lot calmer without his highness around. He just came in the other day, so I had to do it, you know? I hope he didn’t put you off too much…” The girl shook her head shyly, but the barkeep could tell she wasn’t entirely honest.

“Did you expect it to be something else?”

A dejected nod.

“Ah, I can only imagine what tales you’ve been told about us humans...You’re not known for your openness towards others, you know? Did the prince scare you?”

A vigorous, terrified nod.

“Don’t worry too much about him. He’s just a...bad apple.”

As the two were talking, the minstrel’s steps could be heard coming down the stairs. In the quiet of the morning, the old wood creaked loudly, signaling that their conversation had to come to an end. Dressed exactly as he was yesterday, he appeared from behind the bar and walked silently towards the other end of the counter.

“Two eggs, please. Hardboiled. And a glass of water, if you don’t mind.”

Ralf immediately obliged as his four-armed self disappeared behind the kitchen door. Apart from a brief clanking of pots, the two stood in complete silence. Ari’s eyes unconsciously drifted towards the minstrel as his gaze fell aimlessly on the nails in the planks in front of him.

She lowered her hood a little, so that he wouldn’t take note of her staring, as she took in his features. He was fair-skinned, although not sickly or pale, his cheeks ever so slightly flushed in pink, contrasting with his glacial eyes. His hands were dainty, yet rough, probably from years of playing the lute, but he kept them awfully steady for a musician who ought to be brimming with passion. More than anything, he seemed permanently lost in thought, as his unkempt, yet cut hair swayed in the morning breeze.

“There you go...ummm…” Ralf returned and repeated the charade he attempted with Ari.

“If you want to know my name, just ask,” the minstrel calmly replied, slowly averting his gaze towards the barkeep.

“Well, then...what is your name, traveler?”

“Lux.”

“Ah, what a peculiar name...Never have I heard a name as unique as yours. Then, Lux, what brings you here to our rusty town?”

“The wind.”

“So you’re a wandering minstrel then?”

“Indeed.”

Much to the barkeep’s dismay, his second guest wasn’t as forthcoming or honest as his first. Lux spoke in a monotonous voice, his inflexions leaving nothing to the imagination. He wasn’t the person to quickly accept pleasantries.

“Then, may I ask...why did you take the offer to sing here last night? Was it just because of the free meal and lodging?”

“Not entirely. I enjoy bars. I haven’t played in one in a long time,” Lux replied with only the smallest hint of nostalgia. To this new tone, Ari’s ears perked up under her hood, as she eyed the minstrel with growing interest.

“Yes, yes, they are great! The crowd’s raucous laughter, the clinking of pints and the cheers that fade into the night, they truly make for an astounding atmosphere, right?” Ralf asked rhetorically, looking at the Lapin girl. To that, she nodded in excitement.

“Ah! Seems like that’s the true reason why you wanted to come into my bar! Rest assured if you come again tonight, the happiness will be ten, no, twenty times noisier, haha!”

Ari’s eyes glistened, as she listened to the invigorated barkeep’s advertisement. No one could blame her, Ralf’s excitement was nothing if not contagious. However, Lux wasn’t buying into any of it, as he remained calm as ever, slowly chewing away his second egg.

“Say, barkeep, do people here know your deal?”

“Beg your pardon?”

“You must know what I mean. Do they know what you are, or do they just think you’re a four-armed freak?”

“Eh...M-my, sir, you...you’ve been through quite a lot of lands, haven’t you?” Ralf suddenly deflated, as he fearfully glanced at the minstrel.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone your secret. Last thing the ignorant people of the ‘City of Peace’ would need is to find out the creatures that lurk in the shadows,” Lux muttered with a sardonic smile on his lips. To his retort, both Ari and Ralf couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy.

“T-thank you...Anyhow, will you be staying long here? If you wish so, we could work out an arrangement…”

“No, that was my first and last night here, but thanks for the hospitality. And the meal.”

The minstrel pushed his plate away and slowly got out of his seat, as if he was careful to let his food settle. With a nod, he turned around and spotted the broken remains of his lute, set on the corner table he sat at the other night. He picked it up and jokingly strummed the strings, only to chuckle resignedly at the pathetic noise they made.

“T-t-thank you,” Ari’s voice suddenly interjected, as the broken lute reminded her of last night’s events.

“No worries,” Lux replied without even turning back. His steps gradually became fainter as he made for the door, until they eventually got lost on the paved road outside the bar. Ari had hoped that her heartfelt thanks would warrant more of a response, but she was left disappointed. Dejected, she sulked as she finished her salad and pushed the plate away, as she stared silently at the ground. Ralf took note of that and decided to cheerfully resume their earlier conversation, but this time with a new approach.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Say...you are quite curious, aren’t you?”

Nod.

“Wonderful, we’re birds of a feather! Then, if we’re so alike...do you like humans?”

Ari’s face lit up as she nodded with more energy this time.

“Well, you see, I’m not exactly a human, but I also like them...They’re so unique, each and every one of them and they’re all so sensitive. And they all have so many faces...They’re just like the trees! As they grow older they add a new ring to their trunk, a new layer to explore. And just like the trees, the layers speak about their origin. Every emotion, every reaction, every tic and quirk, it all says so much with so little. That’s what separates humans from the rest of us!”

Ari’s entire face lit up in amazement as she got up with the first smile Ralf saw on her face. She slowly turned to leave, the concept of paying for your meal and room being probably unknown to her, however Ralf didn’t mind that at all. For him, the only payment was her smile. As she neared the exit, she turned around to the barkeep and shyly mumbled under her breath:

“Humans are...interesting.”

If it weren’t for the quiet of the morning hours, her statement would’ve been left unheard. However, those were the words that echoed throughout the bar as the bunny girl stepped onto the streets of the city.

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The city bells rang noon every single day, and that very ringing echoed through Ari’s ears as her leather boots tapped the uneven stone of the main road. In her exploring of the unknown she was drawn towards the city centre, particularly the market. Ari’s fascination naturally drew her towards the busiest place around, as she looked around with a look of childish awe drawn on her face.

She wasn’t used to seeing monoliths of rocks neatly stacked together to form livable buildings, where strange, cloth-like garbs hung around and fluttered in the wind. Even the very ground she walked on, the one that reminded her so dearly of the mountains she trekked through was decorated with a mosaic pattern that her mind couldn’t help but enjoy. She gasped astounded at the height of the clock that towered above everything else, and couldn’t help but wonder what magic was it that made those branches move.

As she walked past many faces, some smiling, others saddened by their worldly concerns, her keen senses took in the various aromas of fruits and vegetables strewn across the stalls. Sweet and savory, she couldn’t help but relish the beautiful scents of things she didn’t even know existed. Hairy apples? Her smile was unbridled as she got to feel a peach for the first time. Although the merchant glared at her for touching and not buying, she couldn’t care less. The human world was filled with so many wonderful things

“Hey, lady, lady!” a squeaky child’s voice called out. Ari turned on her heels to face the small squirt that reached only a little past her hips. She wore a very raggedy dress, sprinkled with patches and holes and her bare feet were filthy and bruised.

“Y-yes?”

“Can you spare some change?” the small girl pleaded pathetically. To that, Ari furrowed her brow. The concept of money was a little foreign to her, but she was willing to help nonetheless. Rummaging through her cloak, she pulled out a small sack that sounded full with rocks. Loosening its ties, she let a tiny, crimson gem fall in her palm which she then gently placed in the girl’s hands.

“Woah! So pretty!” she exclaimed joyfully, as she turned the small jewel on all its sides. The commotion didn’t go unnoticed however, as many pairs of eyes turned towards Ari and the small street rat. “Thank you!” she shouted as she ran past the growing crowd.

A small circle of people started closing in on her, with cursory whispers to accompany them. “Who’s she?”, “She doesn’t seem to be from round here...” and the like were mumbled all around, as the bunny girl started feeling a little uneasy. Since no good deed goes unpunished, a couple more uninhibited children rushed the girl.

“Lady, lady! Can you give me a cute stone too?!”

“Me too, me too!”

“Can I have a green one?”

As the mob of infants started grabbing her by the cloak and pulling willfully on it, Ari’s anxiousness only grew. Too many eyes on her, too many uncomfortable whispers picked up by her sensitive ears and too many hands on her made her shyness skyrocket. She was lost, scared. The sun started burning her under her cloak, and the crowd felt suffocating. She had to get out.

Closing her eyes, Ari leapt high up in the air and landed atop a nearby stall. Her hood came off, but she didn’t care. Without even looking where she was running, she jumped down on the ground, then continued hopping over the mobs of people. She didn’t care where she was going, as long as there weren’t any more people around her. As she settled to running around with her white hair and ears flopping about, she spotted a small opening between the rocks.

Instinctively she dashed down the dark alleyway, entering the cooling shade of the buildings. She stopped shortly after, unable to continue running anymore, as she leaned onto a small stone bannister. Breathing heavily, she let herself slide down to a sit, relishing the cool floor. To her, a dimly-lit, sheltered place was a hiding spot, a temporary sanctuary, but that wasn’t the case in the city. The alley had a dead-end not five metres behind her, and there was quite a bit of space between her and the actual safety of the main road. Plus, an exhausted, frail-looking girl who just earlier involuntarily flaunted her riches, was an easy target for anyone.

“Heya there, missy, are you okay?”

“Yeah, you ran out of there so fast, you even dropped this,” one of the three thugs that entered the alleyway showed the girl a small, cheap-looking pendant. Ari frowned in confusion. After all, she wasn’t the type to wear jewelry.

“T-thank y-you.”

“Now, now, how about you give us a little reward?”

“Yeah, we kind of had to follow you through all that crowd. You’re quite fast, you know?”

“How about a couple of those gems you got there?”

The three thugs took their turns building the fake story, as they slowly stalked towards the bunny girl. Her expression turned from puzzled to scared again, as she slowly backed away from them, but it didn’t help that they swiftly cornered her, as she found herself with her back against the wall.

As they pressured her, Ari felt her fear reach another breaking point, but this time she didn’t have the stamina to break into a mad dash again. All she could do was whimper, as her voice stuck in her throat. Any other person would just scream for help, maybe someone would come, but not her, that concept was entirely alien.

She felt one of the thief’s unwelcome hands starting to creep up on her. First a gentle caress of her face that caused a cold sweat to erupt all over her body, as her hands trembled. She wanted to defend herself, but she was frozen, terrified. As he moved down, Ari could only close her eyes and hope for the best. The thug slowly moved over her breast, taking his egregiously long time, then past her waist, where he lingered ever more.

Finally, he reached her waist where a cursory, overtly thorough patting revealed the location of her gem sack. The thug threw it to one of his companions, as his hand migrated upwards once again, this time settling onto her hair. From there, he ran it through her white locks, until he spotted her soft, lopped ears. With a sense of childlike, yet perverted satisfaction and ignoring the disgruntled mumbles of his companions and slowly worked his way down through the soft fur. Ari couldn’t help but yelp at the cacophony of sensations invading her senses, all doubled by her terror.

“Yo, boss, what the hell’s wrong with this thing, I can’t open it!”

“What? Just cut it open!”

“I can’t, it’s like my knife’s made of butter!”

“Oho, I see how it is,” the thug restraining Ari suddenly voiced, a malevolent smirk drawn on his lips. “You’ve enchanted your little sack there...Why don’t you just go ahead and open it for us, or else…” his words trailed off as he pulled out a sharp, twisted dagger from behind him. Ari gulped as the glint of metal terrified her. She’s seen what humans use them for, and more than that, she saw what was left behind.

Trembling like a leaf in the wind, she extended her shaky hand. The thieves gave her the small sachet back, as she painstakingly brought her other hand over to untie the small string keeping it shut. Her small fingers, albeit dextrous, couldn’t work the knot fast enough for the bandit’s satisfaction.

“Come on, hurry up! Stop wasting time!” their leader vociferated as he backed away from her. His dagger was now explicitly pointed at her waist; a short stab would lead in her stomach being punctured. With the stress having already hit its fear-fueled peak, Ari couldn’t do it any faster. Eventually, she finally managed to open the sack, but her trembling made it topple over and fall to the ground as she meant to return it.

“Oh, now you’ve done it!” the thug growled as he slapped her. The force of the impact wasn’t great, but her frail stature shook to its core. She was thrown on the ground, shivering. Her vision grew cobwebs, as she could barely distinguish the three people in front of her. They remained as four shadows, eclipsed by the light of the main street behind them. Ari meant to get up, but her strength long left her. Exhausted, drained and dizzy, she just lay on the ground, motionless.

“Good haul, boss, these are all pure.”

“These are gonna make us a pretty buck. Hey, look there, some of them got under that bag, go take them.”

“Sure thin- Wait, who the hell are you?”

Just as those words left his mouth, a punch entered, as the thief found himself face to face with the minstrel. His body flew back into the wall, then fell to the ground, where it froze in a pose not too different from the drunkards that passed out at the tavern. Seeing that, the other two immediately got to their feet, weapons drawn and menacing.

“No heroes allowed, bastard!” the leader yelled as he charged with his dagger at Lux. Without flinching, the minstrel sidestepped easily. Driven by his momentum, the thief couldn’t stop or react in time to the unforgiving elbow that took the air out of his lungs. He collapsed to the ground, wheezing in pain, as his limbs refused to move. Lux bent down and grabbed his dagger.

The remaining bandit was left with an impossible choice. Stand and attempt to fight the strange vigilante that knocked out his two comrades with one blow, or run for his life. As the minstrel approached him, his legs wanted to just flee, but they were frozen in place. He couldn’t move. Not when he saw his opponent approaching him, weapon in hand and a severe, atavic disinterest for him. Little did he know that the minstrel was looking through him, more than anything.

The bandit’s relief was unfathomable as Lux passed him without even giving him a second thought. His relief, however, was immediately corrupted by the sight of an unguarded flank and an inattentive opponent. His base instinct took hold of him again as he smirked and took note of everything once again. His knife’s clear path to his side, the enemy’s dagger in his far hand, and his disconnected gaze fixating the fallen girl. Relishing the opportunity, he struck.

Not little was his pain when he found his hand thrown up, with his weapon flying high in the air. Before he could realise what happened, he saw the minstrel’s heavy fist descending upon him from the heavens. The last thing he could do was close his eyes as he took the blow and subsequently collapsed.

With the three thugs dealt with, Lux slowly approached the nearly-passed out bunny girl and sat down next to her. Her ears twitched as her consciousness stopped drifting away. She looked up to see the blank expression of the minstrel looking lost at the wall in front of him. Further up the alley, her assailants have been knocked out.

“You’ve got a knack for getting yourself into trouble. That’s twice,” Lux mumbled with a tired smile.

Having said that, he slowly got up and threw the dagger at his owner’s hand, having it land exactly at his fingertips. Without so much as a goodbye, he slowly stepped up the alley, leaving the girl to get up by herself. Seeing that her saviour was once again disappearing into the crowd, she gathered her powers and shakily got up to her feet. Putting her hood back up, she carefully hopped over the three groaning bodies and giddily ran after the mysterious minstrel.