Amidst the cacophony of chittering mandibles and panicked squeaks, one rabbit stood out like a beacon. The crystal glow glinted off her silvery fur, its luminescence casting distorted shadows on the cave walls. Though silent throughout the ordeal, her eyes held a calculating glint, a stark contrast to the raw terror in the younger rabbits' gazes.
“[Rally]” boomed the voice of the RabbitGuard. Her gruff voice, usually a source of comfort, held a tremor this time. The command, imbued with a strange psychic thrum the younger rabbits had never experienced, jolted them from their panic. With renewed purpose, they formed a tight circle, their sharpened spears glinting with a cold, desperate light.
“Thanks! Brace for the attack!” The HuntMaster made a quick nod and took charge of her hunters.
A wave of monstrous spiders descended, a writhing sea of glistening carapaces. As predicted by the HuntMaster, they surged towards the rabbit formation. But instead of gnashing fury, their movements held a strange ritualistic grace. They lunged at the rabbits with reckless abandon, practically impaling themselves on the waiting spears. Clear, viscous ichor sprayed across the cave floor with each sickening crunch.
"Steady, young sprouts!" the HuntMaster roared, her voice edged with something more than tactical instruction. "Don’t let their attacks break your formation.”
X watched the monstrous tide from within the circle, a single, perfect tentacle furrowing in thought. Did the higher-level spiders hold back, waiting for something? His gaze darted to the mysterious pictures on the cave wall, it depicted something very similar – spiders emerging from the dark tunnels. A warning of sorts?
Suddenly, a glint of silver flashed amongst the rabbits. A razor-sharp silk thread, imbued with uncanny stickiness, sprouted from the dark tunnel and latched onto the hunter’s arm. A yelp of terror ripped from her throat, but before the monstrous pull could snatch her away, a blur of brown fur shot across the cavern floor. A young rabbit with a reputation for braveness but also recklessness, dove headfirst, slashing the silk with his Hunting Knife. The freed hunter tumbled back, her eyes wide with a terror that went beyond the immediate danger.
Meanwhile, a swarm of smaller spiders scurried across the cavern ceiling, spitting glistening white threads that arched towards the rabbits. But before any could bind a single hunter, a monstrous tentacle, black and slick with a viscous ooze, erupted from within the rabbit formation. It whipped through the air like a demented windmill, slicing through the spiderwebs before they could reach their targets. Frustrated shrieks echoed from the ceiling as one by one, the smaller spiders plummeted to the cavern floor, only to be swatted away by the relentless tentacle.
However, one particularly agile spider managed to dodge the flailing appendage. With a spidery thud, it landed smack dab in the centre of the rabbit circle. A collective gasp filled the air. But before the spider could attack, RabbitGuard was upon it. With a single, bone-crunching blow from her fortified paw, she reduced the insect to a pulpy mess.
The spider horde, despite their menacing appearance, seemed surprisingly fragile. Perhaps the weapons crafted by the RabbitCrafters were indeed exceptional. Or perhaps the young hunters were simply more skilled than they realised. Regardless, the tide was turning. A full third of the spider horde lay twitching on the cavern floor, and the chitters that echoed through the tunnels now held a distinct tone of retreat.
The rabbits, however, remained cautious. After a tense silence, a nervous cheer erupted from within their ranks. Relief and exhilaration filled the air as the young hunters congratulated one another. They had survived, and more importantly, they had leveled up. At level three, a momentous occasion, they would now unlock their first Class.
X watched the joyous celebration unfold, a faint smile playing on all of his mouths. But his many eyes held a flicker of disquiet. This victory felt…hollow. The spiders' retreat felt more like a strategic withdrawal. And the images on the cave walls, the ones depicting spiders, were rather suspicious. This cave held secrets…
The HuntMaster, her eyes lacking the zest of the giddiness the youngster had, turned to the writhing mass behind. Her voice rasped, "This wasn't a traditional hunt, X. But it achieved our immediate goals. I think…" she trailed off, turning her gaze back to the darkness within the tunnels.
Indeed, the young rabbits emerged from the battle hardened, their movements more akin to warriors than hunters. A quick scan of their glowing eyes confirmed this - Hunter and Warrior dominated their classes, with a sprinkling of Guards and even a single, solitary Tamer. It was an unusual mix.
"It went well. Beyond expectations, even," the monstrous tentackle of X gesture, his multiple mouths splitting wide in a grotesque grin. "But one question remains. Will the spiders return? And How soon?"
The HuntMaster twitched her whiskers in thought. "There's a short window of respite," she finally responded. "Just enough time to process the fallen. The crafters have requested the sternum plates from the larger spiders. Unusually hard, those plates. Perfect for shields, they say."
"Excellent. You tend to that," X twirled, his multiple appendages churning as he wriggled closer to the cave walls. His eldritch form moved with an unsettling grace, but also… Urgency.
There, etched onto the ancient stone, lay a forgotten story. Stick figures danced across the surface, their simple forms depicting a sequence of events. Cracks and chips marred the scene, but a rough narrative remained. A time of war… violence… a sacrifice… and a final panel, badly eroded with only a single, chilling figure remaining.
The crystal light cast dancing shadows across the ancient etchings on the cave wall. X traced the weathered lines, a chill crawling up his multiple tendrils despite the stifling heat of the cavern. The story began with a brutal war. Pointed-eared stick figures writhed in agony, their slender forms no match for the monstrous spiders that swarmed them. Despair hung heavy in the air, a tangible presence even in these petrified images.
Then, a flicker of hope. A new stick figure emerged, etched larger and more imposing than the rest. Lines of power radiated from their form, a hero imbued with an otherworldly aura. Strangely, they had a horn right on their forehead. Perhaps it was a horned helmet, or maybe the horn sprouted from the figure’s skull – the details were worn and ambiguous. But one thing was clear - this was the stick people saviour.
The next panel focused on a magnificent weapon – a mace of power, pulsating with an ethereal energy. In the hero's grasp, it became a whirlwind of destruction, driving back the spider tide. Victory after glorious victory followed. Caves and tunnels were reclaimed, the tide of the war turning with each heroic strike.
X reached the story's middle, a stark contrast to the carnage that came before. Here, the stick people thrived. The tunnels they'd wrested from the spiders became their mines, their vaults overflowing with glistening jewels and precious metals. Expansion continued, a network of tunnels snaking deeper into the Underdark. But prosperity brought a shift – opulent art adorned the walls, bustling markets pulsed with trade, and joyous dances spilled out from brightly painted chambers.
A final, majestic image dominated the centre of the carving. An exquisite temple, the pinnacle of their civilisation, nestled within a crevice, bathed in the ethereal glow of cascading waterfalls. Priests, their ears unusaly long and pointy, gathered in its hallowed halls. Their purpose was clear from the depictions etched beside them – sacrifices. And the offerings? Grotesque spider forms, their eight legs splayed in a macabre offering.
But the story wasn't over. The final set panels, though started, remained unfinished. Greed, it seemed, was a persistent foe. The stick figures, their ambitions ever growing, pushed deeper into the Underdark, seeking more wealth and, more disturbingly, more sacrifices.
A chilling figure emerged next, a monstrous fusion of spider and stick person, a villain born from the depths. The tide turned once more, the spiders regaining their dominance. The hero, etched in the heat of battle, faced this monstrosity. But the outcome was etched in jagged lines – defeat. The hero’s lifeless form lay entombed within the temple walls, a stark reminder of their vulnerability. More battles followed, each depicting a desperate struggle, a losing fight against the resurgent darkness.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
Then, abruptly, the story ended. The final panel, forever unfinished, hung like a heavy question mark. X did not need words to understand the weight of this unfinished tale. A cautionary legend etched in stone, a chilling reminder of the past and a potential harbinger of the future.
X's guttural voice echoed through the cavern, "A typical TaLe of RISE and FALL, indeed." But his multiple eyes didn't linger on the final, unfinished panel. Instead, they darted around the room, taking in details the rabbits seemed oblivious to.
Dust-coated remnants of stone furniture, once grand and finely crafted, spoke of a bygone era. Scattered throughout the cavern walls, glowing crystals cast an ethereal light, the largest one positioned like a watchful eye in the cavern's heart.
His gaze then settled on the rabbits. A few veteran hunters, led by the stoic HuntMaster, stood guard at the tunnel entrances. The younger rabbits, however, were engrossed in a gruesome task – butchering the fallen spiders. Only the RabbitGuard, ever vigilant, remained by his side. Her gaze, focused on the inky depths of the tunnels, held no curiosity for the ancient story etched in stone.
Sensing his stare, the RabbitGuard tilted her head, her voice a low whisper. "Something troubles you, Master?" A hint of concern flickered in her eyes. "Fear not, I will protect you."
X emitted a guttural hum, a sound that could be interpreted as amusement or confusion. "Hmm… perhaps the oddity lies not with the rabbits, but with me." He gestured, thinking ‘out loud’. Was he the only one truly interested in the past etched onto these walls?
"Regardless," he twirled, his body writhing as his tentacles propelled him closer to the ceiling. "While this opportunity presents itself…" A triumphant eldritch squeak escaped X as one of his tentacles snagged a small, luminous crystal. "MoonStone," he identified, his voice laced with a strange reverence. "A fitting name indeed. Its pale glow mirrors the moon itself."
The RabbitGuard's head tilted once more, her cotton tail twitching excitedly. "Do you like these, Master? Should I gather more for you?"
X's multiple eyes gleamed with an unsettling interest. "By all means, my little Guard," he undulated. "Gather them all."
As X and the RabbitGuard plundered the cave's MoonStones, a tiny shadow hopped towards them. A sprout of a rabbit, her fur the colour of a dandelion puff, held out a trembling hand. In her palm, a spindly CaveSpiderling, barely bigger than a BloodApple, shivered helplessly.
A pang of sorrow flickered in the rabbit’s tear-filled eyes. "Master," she croaked, her voice tight with grief, "I found it hiding in a corner. With my Mr. Acorn…" Her voice cracked, and a sob escaped her cottony lips. Mr. Acorn, her loyal knight, had perished in the battle.
X scanned the spiderling with his eldritch eyes. No hostile tags glowed around it. "It doesn't seem aggressive," he rumbled, a hint of amusement softening his stern tendrill. "And congratulations, young one, on becoming a full-fledged Tamer." He gestured slowly with a tendril, letting the rabbit understand. "Go on, Tame it!" A smile flashed across X's grotesque visage.
Her face broke into a radiant smile. "Thank you, Master!" she chirped, her voice filled with renewed joy. She gently cradled the spiderling, who, in a surprising display of mimicry, waved its tiny legs in a gesture that vaguely resembled X's tendril movement.
"Aww! Mr. Thread, you are so cute!" she cooed, nuzzling the spiderling with her nose.
The HuntMaster's voice cut through the heartwarming scene. "Master, we're finished collecting the SpiderPlates."
X turned his gaze towards the dark tunnel entrance, a flicker of frustration battling with a newfound caution. The story etched in stone echoed in his mind. He yearned to delve deeper into the secrets the tunnels held and to explore the ruins below. But the tale of the stick people served as a harsh reminder.
"Greed is a poor companion," he tentacled to himself, the words tasting bitter on his multiple tendrils. He suppressed the urge to lash out in frustration. "We will return, but with proper preparation." The stones glinted in his grasp, a meager consolation prize.
As they scurried back towards the surface, a stray tentacle brushed against the wall. X cast a longing glance at the darkness below. Ruins to explore, secrets to unearth… perhaps some grave robing too. Soon, all will be his. Soon…
…
The RabbitMaid gazed up towards the starry sky. The multitude of specks, dotted within the endless darkness, reminded her of his many eyes – multicoloured jewels filled with affection. The crescent moon curved like a speaking tendril, and if translated from Tentacle, the simple shape would say ‘hello’ in her mind. Despite the beautiful wonders of the night, a deep sigh escaped her lips, and her rabbit ears drooped ever so slightly.
"Everywhere I look…" her gaze wandered, "It whispers of him," she spoke with longing.
She plopped on the ground. Her fingers, no longer yearning for the touch of another rabbit, ran through a bundle of crimson grass stalks. Crimson was her favourite colour, and the course sensation of the stalks was familiar. However, It was only a poor imitation of the vibrant shade of his flesh and the tendrils that she longed to feel brush against her fur.
Then, her hand plucked a stem of a nearby wildflower. This kind of flowers used to have five petals, always a predictable five, but now it bloomed with a chaotic charm. The number of petals always differed, an echo of his unpredictable nature. They were malformed and papery, yet they faintly glowed in the darkness, a soft, otherworldly light.
"So captivating," she whispered, her voice filled with awe. "The glow is similar to the way his eyes pierce the dark."
With a reverence bordering on obsession, she pinched a petal. It crumbled within her fingers, a delicate offering to the night sky. A small murmur escaped the RabbitMaid's mouth, not one of dismay, but of wishful thinking. She crumbled another petal, and another, murmuring words of affection with each pinch. The destruction of the flower, once a symbol of beauty, didn't horrify her. It was a transformation, a shedding of the mundane to embrace the magnificence of her Master.
She was left with a dark and prickly stem, a thorny thing within her fingers. But far from repulsion, a wide smile stretched across her face. "Just like I thought... He does!"
Feeling a warmth bloom in her chest, she stood up from her spot. Her eyes, filled with something disturbing, wandered towards the nearby treeline. It was different from what she remembered, the changes were slight but undeniable. The trees grew more crooked, their bark a shade darker, mirroring the lines etched onto his grotesque body. The vines, they coiled around the trunks in an unnatural pattern, swirling around the tree trunk as if trying to choke it.
"They're strong," she breathed while pulling, her voice filled with a strange sense of… something. "A tight and loving embrace, just like the way his tendrils hold me safe."
Envy flickered in her eyes as she pulled at the vine, a false mimicry of his tentacles. The vine ripped off the bark with a wet sickening sound, leaving a stringy web of dark ichor. But the RabbitMaid didn't flinch. She tilted her head, curious, a peculiarity she hadn't seen before. An adventurous finger reached for the ichor, the substance brought to her nose. She wiggled her whiskers, her pupils contracting, not in disgust, but in a strange thrill.
"The inhor, it smells just like him." A shiver ran down her back, not one of revulsion, but of a twisted desire. Happy with the discovery, she soaked a cloth with it. Then, her face plunged into the cloth, and a deep breath followed right after. "Such a… comforting and intoxicating scent." Inhaled deeply, the RabbitMaid closed her eyes, her entire body trembling with a bizarre pleasure. The corruption of the forest, a consequence that would horrify others, was for her, a love song sung in his name.
Feeling even better, she looked towards the palisade and the obelisk looming behind its walls. A strange hum, barely a tremor in the air, beckoned her back inside. "That low and barely audible rumble..." she murmured, her voice thick with adoration. "It feels like his voice, a call for his devoted Maid." Her ears twitched and turned, focusing intensely on the sound. "Master, do you want me to come back?" she whispered to the void. The silence was deafening, but that didn't deter her. With a bow, deep and practised like a thousand others before it, she spoke to the empty air, "I knew you'd miss me."
With newfound urgency, she hopped back towards her carrot basket. Her break was over, and the rabbit children awaited their rare treat. Upon reaching the basket, her eyes widened in fury. "You!" she shrieked, pointing a cottony finger at a small, ordinary rabbit who was merrily munching on a carrot. "Why are you eating MY carrots?!"
The rabbit, startled, froze mid-chew. "These are meant for the children as rare treats!" the RabbitMaid continued, her voice trembling with righteous anger. "Do you even know the value of a carrot in RabbitVillage?!" She lunged forward, her gentle nature replaced by a terrifying intensity as she grabbed the rabbit by the scruff of its neck.
The rabbit, surprisingly, didn't whimper or plead. Instead, it glared back at her with its three eyes, nestled under a single horn – a chilling mutation. There was no trace of the usual rabbit fear in its gaze; this was no ordinary rabbit. To make matters worse, it spat out some rabbit profanities right at her face.
The RabbitMaid blinked, the anger momentarily draining from her face. "Wait? Three? A horn?" she stammered, confused. Before she could question the creature further, a tendril of darkness lashed from within the rabbit, striking at her paws and setting the rabbit free.
Fury momentarily replaced her confusion. "You!" she screamed, pointing at the fleeing horned rabbit, the remnants of darkness clinging to the air. She would have chased after the creature, but it vanished into the shadows beneath the twisted branches of a mutated tree with alarming speed.
“Ouch,” she crashed at the itchy scratch the tendril had left. “[Care],” the scratch closed and she regained 1 HP she had lost. A rather petty and insignificant wound.
Then, that ever-present hum resonated again, stronger and more insistent this time. "Eek! Yes, I'm coming!" she squeaked, forgetting the strange rabbit and the unsettling encounter. With a nervous glance back at the crooked tree, she hopped back towards the village, her devotion to her Master pushing all other thoughts from her mind.