《Beast-Men》


 1. Introducing the Beast-Men

    ¡°Evan, are we going back to the dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Rabbit.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to go.¡±


    Rabbit, who was led by handcuffs and chain, walked bipedal with only a loin cloth for his rabbit body behind Evan, the Doctor¡¯s servant. The two shuffled awkwardly through the inner courtyard of Castle Bestia. Their walk was awkward because occasionally the pace wasn¡¯t quick enough for Evan, so he would constantly need to wrench the chain to prod rabbit, who needed the encouragement on account of the anesthetics the doctor had given him.


    In order to get back to his cell, Rabbit still had to exit the keep where the doctor''s laboratory was, go past the barracks and armory to the west of the keep, stop for a drink at the well a little to the west of the barracks, and move through to the center of the courtyard where a hatch led to the home of the beastly prisoner.


    Rabbit trudged along while watching and longing to be part of the soldier¡¯s family. To Rabbit the soldiers had life the easiest. After watching for years Rabbit could see that the soldiers doubled as hunters when not keeping the security of the castle. The women were tailors and cooks, their children foragers, and the eldest blacksmiths and tanners. Somehow Rabbit knew that the soldiers and guards represented normalcy in Castle Bestia.


    ¡°Hurry up!¡± Evan cranked the chain which caused Rabbit to stumble forward.


    Rabbit mentally brooded over his treatment in Castle Bestia. He wished that he could get back at Evan and the Doctor, but knew that there was nothing he could do. Rabbit imagined himself free of his bonds. His previously imagined life as a furry human with long ears and powerful thighs who had a hovel of his own to live in flashed before his eyes, and then he recieved another crank of the chain from Evan. Rabbit lurched forward caught his balance again and sadly continued to follow Evan at a faster pace. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Once they reached the hatch to the beast-men¡¯s cell, Evan removed his key ring from his belt, twirled it around his finger a couple of times and started whistling a happy tune as he unlocked the hatch that led to an unlit staircase. He continued whistling and twirling the key ring until they reached the bottom of the steps into the dungeon where he used the keys to unlock a wooden door at the bottom of the steps.


    These cells were similar to that of a slave ship because each cell had a barred window over top of it to let light in.


    The jailer glanced up from his book and nodded quietly before setting the book down and getting up to lead Rabbit to his cell.


    This was when Rabbit was unhappiest, so he asked the jailer in his meekest voice, ¡°Are you sure I can¡¯t stay out here and play?¡±


    ¡°Doctor¡¯s orders, my friend,¡±


    Rabbit stood silently by the entrance to the cells. Under the effects of the anesthetics he still felt woozy. Finally the jailer took out a metal baton and struck Rabbit on his thigh. This gave Rabbit a jump and he silently limped towards his cell.


    Evan patted Rabbit on the right shoulder and turned to the jailer to say, ¡°Good work.¡±


    Rabbit continued knowingly into his cell and heard the creak and slam of the jailer closing the iron door just behind him.


    Evan swung his master key in ignorance as he strolled out of the dungeon.


    Rabbit slouched onto his straw bed, thought for a second about how much he hated this routine, and laid down to rest.


    It¡¯s funny how going to sleep when you¡¯re tired is the most comfortable thing in the world, and sad that this was the best part of Rabbit¡¯s day. He was still sedated and knew he only had a minute before he fell asleep in the frustrating castle, but nobody was left to bother him, the underground staleness was non-existent, and Doctor Worchester was as far away as possible from being able to torture Rabbit. Rabbit was so tired that he could close his eyes and forget it all, and that was all he needed to fall asleep.

 2. Introducing the Beast-Men

    ¡°You dare make me go to that lab of horrors?¡± That was Bear¡¯s deep threat to Evan.


    Rabbit was glad that he faced the wall of his cell; he continued to pretend to sleep while the rest of the scene played out because he had grown to hate the sight of his friend fighting against a man whom he stood no chance against.


    ¡°Get away from him, you monster!¡± In butted Wolf, with her notorious insults.


    ¡°Be quiet, both of you.¡± Evan¡¯s stern voice said, ¡°Do we really need to do this again?¡±


    ¡°I would never listen to the demands of a criminal.¡± Bear said.


    Evan sighed, clapped his hands twice in quick succession and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why you must struggle when you know it forces my hand.¡± The clanking of armored knights filing into the dungeon echoed through the cells, and Evan continued, ¡°You continuously treat Doctor Worchester like he¡¯s the enemy when he protects you from danger. The good doctor only pursues the triumph of all, yet you mock his wishes. One day I hope you will grow up and learn your place here.¡±


    The clattering entrance of the knights stopped abruptly soon after Evan¡¯s speech. Bear and Wolf started spewing objections and obscenities that rose so high in volume as to form a garble of angry commotion. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Fire,¡± Evan said.


    Bewp, bewp, bewp, bewp, bewp, AHHH! Blow-darts ripped through the air, the weapons a tactic that Evan loved to use against Bear and Wolf.


    Rabbit rolled around at the sound of Bear¡¯s full force roar. Rabbit had seen Bear¡¯s wild dance to avoid the darts before, a swirling motion of arms and torso, and the final moment when Bear stopped his flexed body to realize that darts made it through his defence. Bear slumped against the wall with a look of desperation and defeat on his face.


    Three darts jutted out of Bears chest and arms this time. The guards waited while the sedatives kicked in and Wolf gripped the bars of her cage with furry human knuckles and whimpered like a lost puppy.


    Wolf and Bear also had animal bodies that walked bipedal with only a loin cloth as clothing and that made them family to Rabbit, so seeing Bear slumping, defeated to the ground, and hearing the tortured whimpers of Wolf made Rabbit wish that everything could change, but his entire life had been like this, so he was beginning to lose hope.


    Soon after, the guards slid the gate open, picked up Bear, placed his arms over their shoulders, and carried him away. Evan followed behind in his black, servant suit, followed by the jingling of the key ring he carried on his hip, and a catchy tune he whistled.

 3. Introducing the Beast-Men

    The prison that Rabbit found himself trapped in had five cells along the southern wall, while the jailer¡¯s desk was on the northern wall. Each cell that was separated by a meter apart was twelve feet by fifteen feet and the bars went straight up to the ceiling as opposed to forming a cube. Near the bottom of the bars in the door to the cell, an opening was made for a bowl of food to come through every meal time. A bowl currently sat there with berries and lettuce in it, a favourite of Rabbit¡¯s, but Rabbit didn¡¯t really feel like eating it.


    Wolf¡¯s whimpers died down and an abrupt snoring started from the jailer.


    Rabbit then saw Stag squish his snout between the bars, which meant that he wanted to say something in confidence so Rabbit moved closer to hear what Stag had to say.


    Stag spoke in a snooty poetic voice, ¡°Rabbit, dear Rabbit, you¡¯ve yet to touch your food. We¡¯ve been worse for wear as Worchester becomes the harbinger of uncertainty. Leaving his lab is like losing one¡¯s mind I¡¯m afraid. Though we mustn¡¯t give up hope, you should eat.¡±


    Stag had become Rabbit¡¯s only confidant during the years of imprisonment, even though Rabbit used to hate Stag, and truly Rabbit still kind of disliked him. When Rabbit was little he would get together with Bear and Wolf and make fun of Stag and Horse for being the only quadrupedal of the beast-men¡ªand they didn¡¯t wear any clothes¡ªsuch an embarrassment. That initial revulsion pushed Stag and Horse closer as a couple, and they¡¯ve been nearly inseparable ever since, which is irritating when being their best friend because they will straight up leave you out of their conversations. Rabbit felt like the move to being Stag and Horse¡¯s best friend was necessary though, it beat hanging out with the brutes as he sometimes referred to Bear and Wolf.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Bear, Wolf and Rabbit used to be the playful bunch during exercise time. However, Bear and Wolf became aggressive towards Rabbit, who was clearly weaker than them, and would gang up on Rabbit until he was never ever the winner of anything, which was too real for playtime.


    Rabbit smiled, moved over to the food in front of the gate, and started picking at it.


    Stag clopped his back foot against the stone floor to get Rabbit¡¯s attention and said, ¡°Am I right, or am I not right?¡±


    Horse heard the clop of Stag¡¯s foot and clopped over to the edge of the cell herself, ¡°Exercise is soon, darling.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking to Rabbit at the moment, honey.¡± Stag answered Horse.


    ¡°Oh, okay then.¡± Horse trotted around her cell a little.


    Rabbit wasn¡¯t feeling like eating though. More food was heaped in front of Rabbit¡¯s human-rabbit face while he clicked his incisors together but eating seemed pointless. Rabbit felt like he really didn¡¯t need the energy anyway. More food, even his favourite food, was now a hassle to eat even when he was hungry.


    ¡°I¡¯m not really hungry.¡± Rabbit stared at the bowl in front of him.


    ¡°Ah, but Rabbit something will change soon, you must believe.¡±


    Rabbit started picking at his food. He didn¡¯t want to eat, but it wasn¡¯t worth Stag lecturing him so.

 4. The Examination

    Past the portcullis of the inner wall, a specially designed cloister acts as a playground for the Beast-Men which they get to exercise in at random intervals. The bipedal Beast-Men can climb up the columns of the garden, although Rabbit has some troubles, and the quadrupedal Beast-Men run around the outside of the columns. Fifteen armed knights patrol the perimeter with bows and sedative soaked arrows which they are told to use as a last resort.


    Something stops the exercise today, though. Each of the Beast-Men stop to watch the white tunic, cape and trousers of Doctor Worchester stroll into the middle of the cloister and stand with four finely dressed lords.


    ¡°Gather around my Beast-Men.¡±


    The Beast-Men slid over to Doctor Worchester and slumped in front of the man.


    ¡°Properly,¡± said Doctor Worchester, impatiently snapping his fingers.


    Reluctantly, the Beast-Men bowed. They weren¡¯t used to Doctor Worchester meeting them like this. In fact, the doctor rarely left his keep. His skin was ghost white from staying inside so long, and he wasn¡¯t even that old, he was likely in his late thirties. However, he always stood up straight with a strong figure and demanded attention.


    ¡°We have a showing with some of the lords who communicate directly with the king. I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t get to tell you earlier.¡± Worchester eyed each of the Beast-Men individually and continued, ¡°Follow me.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    In a brisk movement Worchester spun around and began striding towards the keep. As the Beast-Men moved the guards fell in behind and took position boxing the Beast-Men in while still marching. They moved straight through the courtyard and into the keep. Upon entering the main entrance there was a great hall, brilliantly lit, which the Beast-Men rarely ever got to see. The four brightly dressed lords walked alongside Worchester and the five together had positioned themselves near the base of the keep¡¯s full staircase.


    ¡°Line up.¡± Worchester demanded.


    The Beast-Men formed a line and the lords immediately started observing them closer. The lords got up close and poked and prodded the Beast-Men. They moved the Beast-Men around telling them to do move here and there. Finally, they pushed the Beast-Men. They barely budged of course, so the lords got angry.


    ¡°Move you stupid beasts.¡± One yelled.


    ¡°What a worthless bunch of rabble.¡± The other cursed.


    ¡°We are more than stupid beasts.¡± Bear snarled.


    Rabbit, Horse, and Stag looked around nervously, while Wolf seemed to smile and step closer to Bear. Those two didn¡¯t even consider who these men were, that could force the man they¡¯ve always been enslaved to, to make a special exemption from his work and step outside, although it was very possible Bear would talk to Worchester like that as well.


    ¡°Oh really,¡± The lord said, placing his hand on his pommel.


    Bear widened his stance and stretched out his arms to show his overwhelming size.


    ¡°You are nothing but an artless brute.¡± The lord drew his sword and held it at the ready.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Another lord said, ¡°We have everything we need here. We will speak to Doctor Worchester alone.¡±


    The Beast-Men remained with the guards as the lords ascended the great staircase with Doctor Worchester, talking discreetly.

 5. The Examination

    The great hall¡¯s ceiling was so high up that Rabbit figured he''d need three armories stacked on top of each other to reach the chandelier at the top. The crystal chandelier, in pristine condition, shined in the hall¡¯s stain glass window light, so that the chandelier nearly looked like a rainbow. Rabbit loved the thought of the rainbow; he had seen rainbows when going out for exercise after a rainstorm. Rabbit often imagined that the rainbow, which appeared magically through the window in the top of the dungeon after it rained, could perhaps be an escape route. He would dream of the rainbow appearing right where he needed it, in the center of the cloister, and with speed and agility, he and the other beast-men would be able to run up and escape over the rainbow.


    ffp,¡°Hahaha,¡± Bear and Wolf were roughing around again.


    It was strange to Rabbit, that Bear and Wolf could have such different personalities than him. As he sat and contemplated freedom, they pushed each other and told jokes. Rabbit could see how his personality had changed over the years, from being playful and childish to the more serious person he was now. However, he sometimes wished that he was more physically focused and lively like Bear and Wolf, or even more sophisticated like Stag and Horse.


    Stag and Horse had grown into verbally focused adults. When Stag and Horse finished running around during exercise time, they would often stand and talk for hours about nothing really. Rabbit had tried to listen into their conversations before, but it was really all gobbledygook. How could Stag and Horse get together and complain about every single guard they met or saw? Why would they talk about their past memories when they could live those moments in their head? Rabbit glanced over at them now. They were shaking their heads in Bear and Wolf¡¯s general direction. Rabbit could picture Stag and Horse whispering in their cells about the stubborn roughhousing when the room wasn¡¯t so tense.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Rabbit started to forgo those thoughts and moved onto what the lords were doing, pushing the beast-men around like that. In fact, he wondered if they had studied them during exercise as well. It would be easy for the lords to spy from around the crenels of the inner wall. Of course, they were probably just seeing the beast-men for personal reasons. Rabbit had come to think of the bodies of the beast-men as oddities based on how Doctor Worchester treated them.


    Evan climbed down the staircase, solemnly walking near the right railing. When he reached the bottom he said, ¡°I¡¯ll be taking you down to the dungeon again.¡±


    The beast-men lined up.


    ¡°Not you Rabbit.¡± Evan said.


    ¡°Why not?¡± Rabbit asked this question and the other beast-men glared at him.


    ¡°Doctor Worchester will be briefing you himself.¡± Evan said, and nodded to the rest of the guards who they formed a box around the remaining beast-men.


    Bear struggled outside of the box of guards and pushed his monstrous bear-face and two arms around so he could talk to Rabbit, ¡°Rabbit, don¡¯t trust those men! You can¡¯t trust any of those men. We¡¯ll figure this out without them, Rabbit.¡±


    The guards managed to push Bear back into the box, likely jabbing him with a poisoned dagger to make it easier on their life. Rabbit stood dumbfounded and watched the guards re-grip order.

 6. The Examination

    Doctor Worchester paced back and forth a few feet away from Rabbit who eyed the doctor suspiciously. Finally, the doctor stopped his pacing and faced Rabbit.


    ¡°Follow me to my office.¡± Worchester commanded.


    Rabbit nodded, although the gesture went unnoticed by Doctor Worchester, but the gesture of inviting Rabbit to the doctor¡¯s personal office didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Rabbit. Rabbit was completely unaware of what was going to happen next, but he thought that perhaps the lords wanted to eat him.


    As they moved along towards the left side of the staircase, they reached a step down to a landing with a door around the next corner. Through that door was a stone stairwell with torches on the walls to light the way. Worchester walked with his white hands clasped underneath his robe so Rabbit couldn¡¯t see them.


    On the way down Worchester stopped suddenly and knocked on the wall. A latch released and Worchester was able to push the stone revealing a secret door that led to his laboratory. The laboratory consisted of two tables with straps, one for Rabbit, Bear, and Wolf, and another for Stag and Horse. The only other objects in the lab were the torches on the wall, and a cabinet covered with a dust cover.


    Rabbit hated the sight of the laboratory. The surgical tables were so off-putting that Rabbit began feeling dizzy looking at them.


    ¡°Drug testing,¡±


    Rabbit, surprised to hear Doctor Worchester speak, shifted his attention to the man.


    ¡°That¡¯s what we do down here, drug testing and embryo testing to create beastly soldiers.¡± Worchester knocked on another secret door which revealed a storage room of rows upon rows of shelving units with labeled jars. Then he continued, ¡°I¡¯ve created many drugs throughout my life, all thanks to you beast-men. These drugs have made me a very rich man. However, I¡¯m less than proud of the side effects. You see, a drop of your blood affects the genetic make-up of a man, turning them into were-soldiers; in your case the result would be a were-rabbit, good for scouting and small skirmishes. The side effect of drinking a were-rabbit vial is that these soldiers will eventually lose their sanity and become unable to return to society. There are raving bands of were-beasts scattered throughout the continent.¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Worchester glazed his hand over the label on one of the jars, ¡°The experiments could have probably gone on for your entire life, but the king has made some enemies, and those enemies have created their own drugs. You¡¯ll hear about them soon enough, I¡¯m sure. This way,¡±


    Worchester led Rabbit out of the storage room and laboratory and they went further down the stairs. So much was running through Rabbit¡¯s head that he considered every question he had and his thoughts became so cluttered that he couldn¡¯t speak. Worchester seemed to be answering everything anyway. When they got to the stairs leading further down Worchester said,


    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry for everything, Rabbit. I suppose that you were handed to me as subjects for experimentation, and even though I saw that you were changing, I never changed the way I treated you. I spent years trying to keep you happy and in the dark about how much you¡¯re truly worth to me.¡±


    Rabbit¡¯s heart sunk for a moment. His hind legs seemed to be moving on their own, for he wanted nothing more than to stop, yet his legs carried him and yearned to follow Worchester.


    ¡°You will go with the lords.¡± Worchester said, ¡°You will not say goodbye to your brethren. The lords wish to make a captain out of you. Fame and fortune is likely within your grasp.¡±


    Leave, Rabbit thought.


    They reached the bottom of the stairs and Worchester turned towards Rabbit and smiled, ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± he said, leaning his hand against his office door and revealing a room with a filing cabinet, a desk, a lamp, and, behind that, Evan stood holding a brown tunic and breeches to replace Rabbit¡¯s loincloth.


    Evan stepped towards Rabbit and said, ¡°You¡¯re going to need to look more human now.¡±

 7. Journey to Fieldon

    Rabbit and Evan waited outside of the gatehouse for the lords who were currently overseeing the supplies for the journey which was pretty awkward and gave Rabbit some time to think.


    Rabbit began to wonder what the other beast-men would think of his disappearance. Part of him didn¡¯t want to leave without saying goodbye, but Rabbit decided to leave because they could look after themselves, and if what Worchester said was true then they weren¡¯t in any real danger because they made Worchester money.


    As his conscience was cleared Rabbit sniffed the air with his button nose and felt the wind rustling his new tunic which hung from his shoulders.


    However, he kicked up dust with his long feet the next moment, for he had not asked Doctor Worchester some of the questions he needed the answers to like, where exactly did the beast-men come from? Why not let the beast-men live in the keep with luxury and experimentation? And how did Worchester get a hold of the beast-men in the first place? Perhaps Worchester would have answered those questions at all, but Rabbit still would have loved to have tried.


    Evan refused to speak to Rabbit during and after the time the assistant was helping Rabbit with his human clothes, and Worchester wasn¡¯t making another appearance to give out information, so the only option left was to silently enjoy the fresh air while the lords got their carriage packed.


    The sound of rolling wheels echoed from inside the castle and Rabbit¡¯s head shot up in anticipation.


    A buggy style carriage, drawn by four horses, came to stop inches away from Rabbit¡¯s feet. As Rabbit stepped aboard Evan gave Rabbit one final pat on the shoulder which caused Rabbit to scowl. Once Rabbit saw the helpful expression of the lords he couldn¡¯t help but forget everything behind him.


    All four lords rearranged themselves and let Rabbit through so Rabbit could have a window seat.


    When Rabbit sat, he sank into the white seat cushion and rested his back against the back which was also cushioned. The carriage had black curtains which were tied so that they bunched up and allowed the passengers to view the scenery outside.


    After a bit of riding the lords began talking of the land, ¡°That doctor sure owns his fair share of land, and most of these parts go un-hunted. By word, we could have a great hunting expedition on these lands.¡±


    ¡°Ah, but they¡¯re off bounds, you know how great a secret the beast-drug is, and how much land we¡¯ve come into lately. I think it was right for the king to call these woods as his own personal hunting ground, for there needs to be a forest where no man but the king may hunt.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Indeed, and perhaps we can become part of his hunting party now that we know of this land¡¯s secrets.¡±


    ¡°With all the land we¡¯ve conquered these past three years, there are many exotic places to hunt. We hardly need the king¡¯s land.¡±


    ¡°I went down to Crenborough last month to hunt. It was absolutely crawling with an animal the locals called zebra, a mystic animal with¡­¡±


    Rabbit waited four hours for this conversation of hunting to end, all the while pretending to look out the window to see the nature. The truth was that he didn¡¯t care much for either nature or hunting. He slowly grew bored of the path and its passing trees which at first sight were so breathtaking, for they soon became repetitive. Rabbit felt the same way of the talk of hunting that the lords each partook in, location, animals, and score of their bucks, repeat.


    Contrarily, Rabbit thought to himself that he had missed finding information from Worchester, and now that he was stuck in the carriage with the lords, he couldn¡¯t let any more information slip by him. Even still, with all his motivation to speak up, he found it difficult to break into the conversation. Rabbit grew more and more frustrated until he was about to interrupt the conversation no matter what the lords were talking about but he was flung against the wall of the carriage as the driver swerved, lifted the horses reins and yelled, ¡°Were-beasts!¡±


    The lords jumped into action, reaching under the seat and behind seats to retrieve four rectangular cases. They opened the cases and revealed battle bows strung and ready for battle with full quivers beside them.


    ¡°Should we do this while we ride?¡± One of the Lords asked.


    ¡°It is good practice.¡± The other replied.


    The tailboard flipped down and one of the lords climbed up to the top of the carriage while the second set up aiming out of the tailboard. The third set himself on the front seat with the driver and the fourth pushed Rabbit back so he could see out both windows. They each had arrows drawn.


    ¡°Six!¡±


    Rabbit heard the scream from above and he looked behind him to see an arrow flow directly out the back and hit a charging stag in the shoulder. The Stag tripped and fell.


    Rabbit felt bad for the stag which reminded him so much of his friend still locked up back in Bestia.


    ¡°Three!¡±


    Rabbit looked to his left and saw a charging stag take an arrow to the forehead. After seeing this Rabbit closed his eyes shut with all his strength.


    Nothing could stop more numbers being called out from above and twangs from bowstrings being released, but when Rabbit heard, ¡°Five!¡± there was urgency in the call.


    He opened his eyes to see a feral horse jump at the rear of the carriage, open his monstrous mouth and chomp down on the tailboard lord¡¯s arm, dragging him out with a jerk of the horse¡¯s neck. Three more were-stags and one more were-horses gathered around the screaming lord and ate.


    Rabbit began to feel queasy as the other three lords settled back in and solemnly packed their bows. This was a silence that Rabbit didn¡¯t feel comfortable breaking, and the rest of the ride was quiet.

 8. Journey to Fieldon

    If the previous fortnight spent staring out of the window while the four lords grieved was an awkward trip, then reaching the corn fields, surrounding village and city walls under the rising sun was an extraordinary end and the trip was worthwhile.


    ¡°What is the name of this city?¡± Rabbit couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°This is the capital of the west, Fieldon.¡±


    Riding the carriage along with the other travellers who were entering Fieldon that morning morning, Rabbit watched as The Great Drawbridge lowered for the first time that day, revealing a marketplace packed with people. These people traded with merchants who had their wares set in front of large three story buildings.


    Rabbit noted that most of the commoners looked either muddy or covered in dust, likely from a hard day¡¯s work. These people are living in normalcy, neither rich nor poor, neither scientist nor experiment. The commoners represented the lives of the guards to Rabbit. The guards lived in the barracks back home, ate by the fire with their families, and had been able to search out a trade in their life. As the carriage strolled through the marketplace, Rabbit wondered if he could ever join the ranks of the middle class.


    Eventually, Rabbit noticed that they moved away from the crowd and towards an extravagant mansion with a fenced off yard. The lords began to lively up themselves in the thriving city.


    ¡°Ah, we have to give this poor soul to General Marker.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll soon know what it means to live with a woman who always hits her mark.¡± A chuckle rose throughout the carriage.


    They rode up the driveway of the mansion, past the green grass and decorative trees, and stopped at the entrance porch where guards were posted along the left and right hand sides of the steps. A woman in a general¡¯s uniform covered in emblems and badges and with a sword at her side waited front and center of the double doors.


    One of the lords got out of the carriage and marched up to meet the general while the other lords directed Rabbit out of the carriage and towards woman at the top of the steps.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    The lord bowed down below the great breasts hidden within the general¡¯s grey uniform and while still bowed said, ¡°General Mark, we¡¯ve brought the new recruit as directed.¡± The lord directed his hand towards Rabbit and continued, ¡°He stands there, the were-rabbit who retained his sanity.¡±


    ¡°Dismissed,¡± General Marker said clearly and sternly.


    ¡°Of course, General,¡± The lord rushed down the steps and into the carriage that immediately departed and, following, General Marker stepped down the steps.


    When Marker reached the place where Rabbit stood she stared Rabbit in the eye. Rabbit nervously glanced away, catching now the beautiful scent of flowers arranged in the garden below the mansion¡¯s windows.


    The general smirked and prodded Rabbit¡¯s arms and legs with her index finger. ¡°It seems like you¡¯ll need some strength training.¡± She said, ¡°Follow me and we¡¯ll see what else needs to be added to your program.¡±


    Mark led Rabbit up the stairs and into the mansion. The first room looked like a throne room, a large rectangular room with white circles painted on the floor and armor and weapon racks near the walls and two guards posted at the doorway on the opposite side. Marker and Rabbit walked past the throne at the far end of the room and through a secret door, they entered a room identical to the first, and past that room was a third room identical to the first. Past the third room they entered the outside garden.


    High walls made sure nobody could see in or out, wooden dummies lined the back porch, and tiles of perfectly carved stones constituted the ground for the garden. Finally, Rabbit realized that these were training grounds. The entire bottom half of the mansion was space for fighting. Rabbit had gotten himself into a warzone, though he wondered if all guards were trained here and almost felt better.


    Marker unsheathed a training sword from the wall and tossed it just in front of Rabbit¡¯s feet, ¡°You will pick up the sword and attack me.¡± She said.


    Rabbit studied her tall stature, her confidence, and her short manly hair. This request would surely result in physical pain.


    ¡°Now! or I¡¯ll attack while you¡¯re unarmed.¡± Marker withdrew another training sword from the wall and held it at the ready.


    With a nod, Rabbit bent down and picked up the sword, standing in a low stance. Rabbit had never held a sword before and simply did what felt right.


    Marker approached Rabbit steadily with her weapon held low, by her hip. Once she was close enough she struck, slamming her training sword into the left abdomen of Rabbit with an impact that made an audible wham.


    Rabbit coughed and heeled over onto the ground. He had never been hit so hard before.

 9. Living in Fieldon

    After a full afternoon of training¡ªalthough it seemed more like a beating¡ªRabbit had been taken back to a room by a man in a blue suit with silver trimming. When he craned his neck up at the sound of his door opening and closing he saw the same blue suit standing before him.


    ¡°Guh,¡± Rabbit whimpered. He had been trained so bad by the terrible General Marker that pain ached through his body like his muscles had been pulverised a little. Rabbit rolled back over in his bed, but an orderly voice caught his attention.


    ¡°Master Rabbit,¡±


    It was weird to be called master. Perhaps the young boy was confused about the situation.


    ¡°I am to be your wake-up call. We have much to do this morning.¡±


    Rabbit huffed and swung his feet out of bed, a task that redoubled his muscle pain, but once he was up he was able to look around the room which was a serious improvement from the dungeon. To start the bed was woven of a wonderful material, a night stand and mirror was placed beside his bed, a dresser which the boy was currently opening sat on the other side of the room, and a window just above his bed had a view of the wall around the building, but if you looked close enough you could see tops of city buildings as well.


    ¡°It¡¯s such a shame that you only have the one tunic.¡± The boy said thoughtfully pulling the tunic from its hanger. ¡°Well let¡¯s get you dressed anyway. General Marker has demanded your presence at breakfast today and I¡¯m sure it will be better to do so with all haste.¡±


    Rabbit studied the dirty blonde hair and plump body type of the boy who currently wrestled to get the tunic fitting nicely on Rabbit while he sat.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Rabbit said, pushing himself out of bed.


    ¡°Yes. May I help you walk, sir?¡±


    ¡°Uh, sure,¡±


    The boy lifted Rabbit¡¯s arm and placed it over of his shoulder. The assistant smiled inwardly as they opened the bedroom door and began walking through the corridor with Rabbit.


    ¡°I am to be your assistant for life. My name is Aaron. I do hope we can get along, sir.¡±


    Rabbit limped along with his assistant as support. Once again he thought of Worchester¡¯s final words to him. Fame and fortune are within your grasp.


    Though the beatings from Mark made Rabbit feel weak, there had been another gift waiting around the corner. This assistant for life who would help Rabbit along in this urban medieval city, made Rabbit feel like he was on par with Doctor Worchester, who had an assistant in Evan that would obey and help with whatever Worchester wanted. Though he was still unsure about the details, Rabbit was sure this was the beginning of what he wanted.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    As they walked Rabbit begin to smell the mixture of poached eggs and cooked vegetables. With a wrinkle of his Rabbit nose, Rabbit could lead the way without Aaron¡¯s guidance, and in fact, his step quickened until they reached the double doors where the smell was strongest.


    Aaron pushed upon the left hand door and the two walked into a dining hall meant to serve a couple hundred people. Three large tables were set vertically in front of the door, and one table was set horizontally at the end of those tables. At the horizontal table General Marker sat beside a man with white and gold robes, a walking stick, and a tall hat that matched his robes.


    While Rabbit and Aaron moved through the vertical tables, the white and gold man stood and moved around the horizontal table where he waited and stood expectantly for the two to arrive. The moment that Rabbit was within hand shaking reach the man held out his hand and greeted Rabbit like a good acquaintance.


    ¡°Great to meet you, Rabbit, yes.¡± The man had Rabbit¡¯s hand clasped in his and he bent down to kiss the furry fingers. ¡°I have a request of you.¡±


    A request, most people simply told Rabbit they wanted something from him. To have this fellow ask Rabbit a request that he could potentially refuse was odd, so Rabbit asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°My name is Archbishop Caines. I¡¯d like you to make an appearance outside of the church today, so we can show the people of Fieldon a sane were-beast.¡±


    During the entire trip Rabbit had wondered why they needed him now of all times, and asked, ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering about that. Why exactly do we need to show the people a sane were-beast?¡±


    Caines sighed and said, ¡°Honestly, there has been a war going on. The West has been slowly gaining territory in large thanks to the use of were-beasts. These indomitable warriors¡¯ ferocity becomes unstoppable in the face of an enemy army. The were-beasts continue fighting with wounds deep enough to kill four men. They willingly take the charge in the army, they scale walls to defeat archers, and they ruthlessly pillage. However, if the were-beast doesn¡¯t have a strong cause, he is likely to run away and live his own life. The true believers in this country have been used in gaining this much territory, and the East has many people fighting against us for love of their government. We need to raise morale.¡±


    Rabbit was still sore from the beating yesterday and didn¡¯t care enough about this land to give up his day to try to raise morale, but still he said, so he asked, ¡°What if I refuse?¡±


    General Marker¡¯s stern voice interrupted, ¡°Then it¡¯s more training today.¡±


    ¡°Now, now, general, you should go easy on the lad.¡± The archbishop said, ¡°Have a seat and eat with us, Rabbit.¡±


    The archbishop walked around to his side of the table, sat down and ate. Rabbit knew that he didn¡¯t want to go back to training, but what if he liked training? Then the archbishop wouldn¡¯t have what he wanted for the day. Archbishop Caines must have seriously meant to have given him freedom of choice in the matter.


    They ate in silence while Rabbit continued to think. He didn¡¯t want to be an inspiration to the people of Fieldon, especially since he would have to lie to them. He thought back to his friends at Castle Bestia with grief.


    As Rabbit thought of his friends Caines said, ¡°We can also promise the release of your fellow beast-men once we win the war.¡±


    Rabbit paused.


    ¡°Once we have control over the world there will be no need to keep the beast-men captive. You¡¯ll be free.¡±


    When they finished their meal, the archbishop wiped his hands on a napkin and asked Rabbit, ¡°Will you meet with the people or not?¡±


    "I will."

 10. Living in Fieldon

    Rabbit and Aaron rode together in Archbishop Caines¡¯ carriage which was twice as luxurious as the one the lords rode. The archbishop¡¯s carriage was beautifully carved with gold trimming and led by white horses. While inside the ivory cushions and ebony wood created a rich atmosphere.


    As they rode along Main Street and saw the empty market place Rabbit asked, ¡°Where is everyone today?¡±


    ¡°Today is the Day of the Gods.¡± Caines replied.


    ¡°The Gods, which Gods?¡±


    ¡°It is told that the spirits of the galaxy dragged whatever they could carry from their individual home-stars and created a place for all to live, thus the Eath was created it was meant to be a sort of gathering place for the spirits, but the spirits were so enamoured with their new gathering place that they soon took residence there, and each helped to created a family of their own to co-mingle on one planet called Eath.


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± Kind of pointless information, Rabbit thought as he began to wonder why people would care about the beginning of Earth for it was the present of Earth that truly mystified him.


    Then Rabbit saw the crowd which was the entire city had gathered from the market place to this street in a murmuring cacophony. Through the mass of people Rabbit saw a grey cathedral with pointed towers. The mass made space for the golden embossed carriage to make its way through the crowd while many people reached for a touch of the archbishop who was now deep in prayer. Soon the carriage reached the front cathedral and Caines motioned Rabbit to follow him up the steps where a podium had been set. Rabbit and Caines stood at the podium while Rabbit felt amazed. Rabbit looked back at the clear sky above the cathedral¡¯s top towers. Caines broke his trance as he spoke though, completely silencing the crowd.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Rabbit didn¡¯t expect such a booming voice from Caines, but perhaps the fact that the crowd muted when he spoke made his voice seem louder than it was.


    ¡°We have received an answer to our prayers! For nine years you have prayed that this monstrous war give back its casualties so cruelly lost to the form of the were-beasts. Today, I have brought you the were-beast who is more man than beast. This is the future of the were-beast. He is the new beast-man, the one who will ensure our success in this war, the chosen one.¡±


    Murmurs circulated through the crowd, audible whispers, ¡°the chosen one.¡± This was high praise from the people of Fieldon and soon they started kneeling and praying to Rabbit who stood behind Caines and angrily pulled on his sleeve, for a bit of private confidence.


    Caines leaned his head in to hear what Rabbit had to say.


    ¡°You lied to these people.¡±


    ¡°No, Rabbit. I truly do think that you will find the solution to this war.¡±


    Caines turned back to the people, ¡°You may meet with the chosen one on this Day of the Gods.¡± And then he stepped aside.


    The rush of people talking to Rabbit and Archbishop Caines was nearly too much to bear for Rabbit, although Caines seemed to be waving people off just fine. Rabbit¡¯s attention was grabbed by so many people that he couldn¡¯t make a single reply.


    Mostly people asked questions Rabbit didn¡¯t know how to answer to as well, ¡°I¡¯m so grateful you made it through.¡± Or, ¡°Bless you child.¡± Or, ¡°Please help find my son.¡±

 11. Living in Fieldon

    Rabbit remained silent when the archbishop¡¯s carriage carried them away from the Grey Cathedral.


    ¡°Could you please drop us off at Tailor Roland¡¯s?¡± Aaron asked, ¡°I made arrangements while you were speaking to the people of Fieldon.¡±


    ¡°He agreed to meet you on the Day of the Gods?¡±


    ¡°Just for measurements, Archbishop,¡±


    Rabbit was barely paying attention as his mind was wandering onto other thoughts, thoughts that he couldn¡¯t quite understand with both Caines and Aaron in the cab with him.


    The sun was past noon when Rabbit and Aaron said goodbye to the archbishop. Then they turned towards the tailor¡¯s warehouse which was a three story building on Market Street with a sign out front saying, Tailor Roland takes the measurements of the king.


    A bell chimed as Rabbit and Aaron walked into the front door. Shelves of cloth lined the walls and in the middle of the floor was a table to cut and measure out fabric length. The store was empty and quiet for a moment.


    ¡°Hello, good sir,¡± a High English aristocratic voice announced with the opening of a door. The man dressed in fine green fabric walked with a cane that thudded every time he took a step forward, although, by the way he walked, he looked like he didn¡¯t really need the cane.


    Rabbit awkwardly glared at the tailor who inspected Rabbit as he walked forward and Rabbit offered his own awkward, ¡°Hey.¡±


    There was a silence for a little while and finally the tailor turned to Aaron and spoke again, ¡°Hello, good sir,¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    Aaron instantly obliged the tailor with a bow and said, ¡°Thank you for meeting us on such short notice master tailor. My name is Aaron You-Dale, son of Arthur You-Dale, the house of servants.¡±


    ¡°Very good, and what type of cloth would you like.¡±


    ¡°We need¡­¡±


    Here Rabbit lost interest in the conversation. It seemed as if the tailor and Aaron could speak without him and get by just fine. All this was okay by Rabbit who didn¡¯t really have any interest in clothes anyway. Rabbit was usually warm enough with just his fur.


    This moment of disregarding the conversation gave Rabbit a chance to think of other things anyway. He wasn¡¯t really sure if he was okay with lying to all those people. The people seemed to believe the archbishop in the matter of a were-cure being possible. Rabbit reflected upon those hopeful faces. Then he considered what he¡¯d have to do as a captain in an army. He¡¯d have to lead the fight, see death scattered across a battlefield. The reward of saving his family in Castle Bestia wasn¡¯t truly such a great reward when he thought of his hardships, nor was being a hero to these people he had just met. Rabbit sighed and frustrated looked for the exit of the room until he was aware that somebody was paying attention to him.


    ¡°I will return with the cloth requested, Master Rabbit.¡± The tailor gave Rabbit a bow and walked off out of the room, clicking shut the door behind him.


    Silence encapsulated the room, awkward silence. Aaron stood politely and Rabbit shuffled about, looking at the raised platform where he would stand to be measured. Rabbit felt the need to talk to somebody.


    ¡°What¡¯s this platform for?¡± Rabbit asked.


    ¡°The tailor uses it so he can get your measurements without bending down too far.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Rabbit thought that Aaron knew quite a lot, so Rabbit asked, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m right for the war.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯ve been holding up very well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. It¡¯s just the fighting and the killing that I¡¯m worried about.


    ¡°What could you worry about?¡±


    It was odd that Aaron didn¡¯t understand what Rabbit was talking about; he didn¡¯t want to kill anybody. They stared at each other for a moment to try to figure out what to say and as they stared the door creaked open and the tailor tapped back in with a servant carrying a basket full of supplies.


    ¡°Shall we get started Rabbit, I¡¯ll have you stand over here.¡±


    Rabbit got his measurements. Standing and stretching out his arms and legs for the tailor.

 12. Living in Fieldon

    After getting back from the tailor General Mark told Rabbit to wait in the war room. Rabbit found himself hunched over with his hands on the War Table and staring at the large map, the geography of the land going completely over his head. Mark told Rabbit that he would have to memorize strategies and key locations but staring at the map only caused a headache for Rabbit, who grabbed at his ears and slumped against the wall since there were no chairs in the war room.


    The door cracked open and banged against the wall on the opposite side of the hinges. General Mark stood and glared at Rabbit sitting on the floor and stomped forward with an angry look on her face. Rabbit was confused and went to stand up but he was stopped. A cruel fist struck Rabbits cheek.


    ¡°I will raise a fearless captain.¡± Marker¡¯s balled fist connected with Rabbit¡¯s opposite cheek. ¡°I will mold the army that wins this war.¡± A steel boot kicked Rabbit in the ribs. ¡°If you can¡¯t kill then you¡¯ll be killed, and I won¡¯t have that.¡± Mark laid one more fist into the cheek of Rabbit who crumbled to the floor.


    The only way that Marker could have found out about Rabbit¡¯s resistance to being captain of the army and killing soldiers was if Aaron told her.


    Marker paced in front of Rabbit and ran a hand through her short black hair, ¡°In one month you will lead a garrison of troops up over the northern mountain pass and face off against the enemy, you will take no prisoners and continue down that path plundering every village you come across until you reach the capital of Mintz, where you will begin a siege of the city.¡± She quickly formulated a new plan once she finished communicating the current one, ¡°If, however, you¡¯re unable to even fight against the enemy, perhaps it¡¯s a bad idea to send you.¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    Quickly, Rabbit thought of being sent back to Castle Bestia, ¡°I haven¡¯t ever fought in a war, is all.¡± Rabbit shyly looked away, hoping he maintained some sort of recognition with General Marker, at least enough to be kept in Fieldon.


    ¡°You¡¯ll enter the gladiatorial contest at the Colosseum at the end of the week. That should prepare you for war.¡± Marker turned and began walking away, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Rabbit struggled off the floor, still aching, and limped after Marker with a hand on his stomach. They walked out into the stone hallways and Rabbit noticed that they were headed in the direction of the outside training field.


    During the walk Rabbit felt incredibly angry with Aaron for telling Marker about his disinterest in fighting. He¡¯d probably never talk to Aaron again. Everyone in the city was absolutely terrible and Rabbit had nobody to trust. Something very slight in him told him it was still better than Bestia though.


    ¡°You¡¯re schedule will include riding, fencing, mapping, and shooting. These activities will take up your day for the next month.¡±


    Rabbit had trouble saddling a horse and felt uncomfortable riding as his weird feet needed new stirrups for sure.


    The fencing was Rabbit¡¯s favourite though, and he felt like he was getting better with every swing.


    Sitting in the war room for long periods of time and memorizing the map gave Rabbit a headache.


    Though Rabbit was getting better at shooting with a long bow he could never hit a consistent bull¡¯s eye which upset him.


    The days flew past with work and on the following week General Marker woke Rabbit up and said, ¡°You¡¯ll be entering the colosseum today.¡±

 13. The Colosseum

    Sunlight shining through the portcullis led the way, for everything else was dark. The footsteps of Rabbit echoed through the tunnel, sounding quite ominous. Rabbit peered through the metal grating to see blood soaked sand and a body being dragged away by a Fieldon soldier. Once the body was fully dragged away Rabbits gate was opened.


    Rabbit stood, newly armored, in full view of the crowd. Specially crafted greaves of metal and sabatons of leather formed around his Rabbit feet and calves. His chest plate was also of leather, but with small metal spike patches erupting from his shoulders. On top of Rabbits head he wore a Viking style helmet with holes for his ears to peek through and a metal bar covering his nose. At Rabbit¡¯s right hand side, he held a dagger.


    The crowd in the colosseum stood and cheered as Rabbit turned, looking at them, until the opposite gate opened and everyone turned to look.


    A giant human, wearing roman gladiator armor stepped out into the sun. He carried a spiked round shield. As his gate closed behind him the crowd started a light applause.


    The gladiator approached in battle stance and Rabbit¡¯s nerves started acting up. Rabbit had only ever sparred with General Marker who had commended Rabbit on his speed in battle. ¡°Use those legs,¡± she said. Marker thought that Rabbit would do best in the world of archery, but as you weren¡¯t allowed to bring a bow into the colosseum, she settled with a dagger saying, ¡°You have trouble with even a short sword, perhaps upper body strength isn¡¯t your strong suit.¡± Even still, Rabbit got pretty good with the dagger, and could defend Marker¡¯s onslaught for two and a half minutes. This gladiator sizing up Rabbit, however, reminded Rabbit more of Bear than Marker. Rabbit decided to fight as if he was fighting Bear.


    Dropping the short sword, Rabbit kicked off to the right, moving faster than any human could run. Rabbit circled the gladiator who hid behind his shield, hopping around as fast as he could to show his strength. What really stood out to Rabbit as he did his rounds was the fact that the gladiator wore no leg protection. Rabbit made a b-line for the gladiator who aimed his spiked shield at Rabbit.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Rabbit tackled low and hard into the gladiator¡¯s legs with spiked shoulder plates. The snap was audible, but at the same time the gladiator had aimed his shield down at Rabbits back and punctured with the spiked shield. Rabbit rolled off and hissed. The gladiator keeled over and screamed because his right leg bent backwards at the knee.


    Rabbit walked back to his gate and stripped off his chest plate. Drops of blood rolled down his back onto the sand. Rabbit sat in front of his gate and reached back to touch the wound. Oddly enough, he could already feel the wound regenerating. Rabbit had an open wound like that before, although he had taken quite the beating.


    Rabbit became aware of the crowd chanting, ¡°DEATH, DEATH, DEATH,¡± but he ignored them. When his gate opened a Fieldon soldier ran out with a spear. Rabbit cringed while the soldier ran over to the downed gladiator and forced the spear down through the body with an audible shuk. Rabbit got up and walked through the tunnel.


    Rabbit wandered back to the waiting room for the fighters and found that the fighters had all left the wooden room. Rabbit took off his helmet and set it on a bench, and then sat himself down. As Rabbit sat and took off his sabatons and greaves he thought to himself. I could have died out there. Probably nobody in this town would have cared, whereas Bear, Wolf, Stag and Horse would have cared. Perhaps they would have even done something to stop the fight. Rabbit took off his chest plate and stared at it. The sun reflected off the chest plate and Rabbit turned around and looked up. An open window shone ten feet above Rabbit.


    As soon as he thought this could be an escape he jumped up and grabbed the ledge, big smile on his face. Then, while Rabbit¡¯s body was half-way out the window, Aaron walked in his head and Rabbit''s head turned abruptly around at the sound. Aaron, who was standing in the doorway with his servant¡¯s attire and short brown hair and he said, ¡°If you truly want to leave then I won¡¯t stop you.¡± Aaron took a breath, ¡°Guards are posted all around here, no matter what you¡¯ll have to outrun guards, but the main gates are open right now, and if you¡¯re quick enough you can escape.¡±


    Rabbit was confused but said, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you have against war, but good luck.¡±


    Rabbit almost didn¡¯t want to leave, Aaron was being so nice, but he did just wish him farewell, so Rabbit scrambled up the window and out into the city.

 14. The Colosseum

    Rabbit¡¯s body fell out from the window of the colosseum and landed three stories down with a kth. Rabbit reached his arm over to massage the part of his body that he landed on, and after a moment he decided to look around.


    These cheap houses had begun to sink into the ground and tilted to the point where they looked like they might fall. In between the houses were small alleys and guards had been posted to look after three alleyways. The guards probably wanted to be inside watching the fights because as a loud cheer went on they would struggle to see anything they could through the nearest window, and they likely saw nothing. However, one of the guards had left his post completely to talk to the guard six alleys over, so this was the path that Rabbit would choose.


    Rabbit streaked forward on all fours and ran as fast as he could towards the thin alley. The alley had disgusting mud and smelled rotten like food and rat, but Rabbit pushed on because he heard the guard behind him yell, ¡°Alarm, the were-beast escapes!¡± and many other guards took up the call as well and started repeating the call, ¡°Alarm, the were-beast escapes!¡± and the marching echoed throughout the city which caused Rabbit¡¯s heart to race.


    There was a great amount of guards at every turn. At every block more and more guards showed up to chase Rabbit.


    Rabbit closed in on Main Street but as he burst out into the open street he found that guards already massed in the area and blocked off his escape out of the city. Rabbit swerved desperately in any direction he could that didn¡¯t have guards, so he ran in an unknown direction down a street, knowing he couldn¡¯t give up.


    Rabbit picked the right direction to run, for he noticed that these streets currently looked abandoned. Rabbit skidded to a halt, kicking up some dust and swiveled his head frantically thinking of where to go next, when all of a sudden he was startled by somebody talking to him.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Hey!¡± A woman¡¯s voice called, ¡°Get in.¡±


    Rabbit saw this beautiful girl with her hand pressing the handle of the door against the hinges so that the door opened all the way. She was blonde with her hair tied up, wearing a dress and had this mole underneath her nose on the left side. Rabbit scurried in beside her to the far end of the carriage where she tossed a blanket over his body and smoothed it out.


    Moments later Rabbit heard the thumping greaves of the guards approach the carriage and say, ¡°Has a Rabbit were-beast been around here lately?¡±


    Her soft voice sounded slightly annoyed, ¡°No, I haven¡¯t seen a Rabbit were-beast.¡±


    The soldier promptly answered, ¡°I¡¯m sorry my lady. Thank you for your time.¡±


    The conversation ended and moments later the door to the carriage shut and the wheels started creaking along.


    After she pulled the blanket off Rabbit¡¯s head, Rabbit thought holy moly she¡¯s beautiful. Rabbit stared into blue eyes and felt like the best thing in the wold just happened to him. Rabbit¡¯s ears flopped slowly down along with his head and he said, ¡°I have no idea where I belong in this world.¡±


    ¡°Neither do I, and I¡¯m the first daughter of King Tanning.¡±


    Rabbit perked up and said, ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes! And Queen Alice is my mother. I¡¯m named after her, you know.¡±


    ¡°No, haha, I mean the thing about you not knowing where you belong in this world.¡±


    ¡°Well, the princess of the kingdom has dreadfully little to do.¡±


    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s the problem?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, I¡¯m not sure.¡± There was a quizzical look on her face, ¡°Hey are you the were-beast that can keep his mind?¡±


    ¡°I prefer beast-man.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Rabbit the beast-man, I hear you won the match at the colosseum.¡±


    ¡°You heard about me from all the way out here?¡±


    ¡°You have no idea how important the colosseum is to the people of Fieldon.¡±


    ¡°I can imagine.¡± Rabbit remembered the cheering crowd who seemed to have chants memorized for specific moments in the colosseum¡¯s combat. ¡°What do you find important.¡±


    ¡°I find the kingship important.¡± The princess said after considering the question.


    Rabbit was about to ask another question when the driver poked his head in and said, ¡°We¡¯re here, Princess Alice.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± Princess Alice said and turned towards Rabbit, ¡°Would you like to see where I live?¡±

 15. The Castle

    One loud cheer from the colosseum in the distance couldn¡¯t ruin the graceful quiescence of the castle. The summer clouds above accentuated the four-story high, five block long building. Rabbit tip-toed forward and grabbed the gate simply to look in at the servants tending the garden and mulling about.


    ¡°It must have been amazing to grow up here.¡± Rabbit said and eagerly looked back at Alice, ears wobbling.


    ¡°You could see inside if you like.¡± Alice rubbed her chin, ¡°although Father will be back after the gladiatorial contests.¡±


    ¡°Your father, the king¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s not likely to bother us, though. Yes, I¡¯m sure it will be fine.¡± Alice smiled and spoke to the gateman, ¡°Let us in, Harold.¡±


    Harold cautiously glanced at Rabbit but followed orders and hauled the gate open.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Rabbit asked.


    Alice grinned at Rabbit and led the way into the castle yard. Rabbit really had no choice but to follow or go home. Home wasn''t really an option so the two walked all the way around building, taking a cobblestone path which looped around shrubbery and smelt of expensive flowers.


    ¡°You know I won¡¯t be able to choose my own husband.¡±


    Taken aback, Rabbit asked, ¡°Why would you tell me this?


    ¡°You said, ¡°It must have been amazing to have grown up here¡± I suppose I don¡¯t have a lot of difficulties in my life but things certainly aren¡¯t perfect.¡±


    The two continued their stroll to a white gazebo in the middle of the castle backyard and slipped onto the bench together.


    Alice broke the silence again, ¡°I suppose I also tell you this because you¡¯re an important member of society. You¡¯re the only were-beast who can keep his sanity after drinking the elixir after all, so I am interested in you."The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    The wind slightly rustled Rabbit¡¯s ears, ¡°Actually I never drank an elixer. I was always like this, for as long as I can remember. Hm, I have always been in Castle Bestia, but I have a few dreamlike memories that I feel will also stay with me forever.¡±


    Sasha thought for a moment, she had perked up upon hearing that Rabbit was always a were-beast who lived in a faraway castle, but she asked, ¡°What were these dreams?¡±


    A smile crossed Rabbit¡¯s face as he thought back to the dreams. He had only really thought of those youthful Bestia dreams in secret as he lay caged.


    Down on the floorboards the shadow of the sun touching the roof of the gazebo barely covered Rabbit¡¯s feet.


    Rabbit began, ¡°Oddly enough I had a family when I was in these dreams, although I know that I had never met them. My family and I would go exploring the world, my favourite place being a land of red sand and a golden snake that left a golden trail.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like the deserts of Africa and the cobra.¡±


    Rabbit stared at Alice for a moment with a quivering lip. He had always imagined those places to be creations of his imagination. Rabbit¡¯s small mouth opened to speak when he was interrupted by an angry voice.


    ¡°Alice!¡± An elderly voice screamed.


    The two people on the gazebo whipped their heads around as they knew they were in trouble and saw the king, in white general¡¯s gear and encrusted crown, storming towards the gazebo followed by a group of guards.


    ¡°What is that traitorous beast-man doing here?¡± And then the king spoke directly to Rabbit, ¡°How dare you run away during such a joyous occasion.¡±


    Rabbit began to stutter an answer.


    The king shook his head, clearly disappointed, ¡°We¡¯re just going to have to send you back to Bestia and get another beast-man. Hmm, I¡¯ve heard good things about Stag; perhaps he will fight for freedom.¡±


    ¡°My king,¡± Rabbit stepped out of the gazebo and knelt before the great golden crown, ¡°It would be an honour to fight for you, I love this country.¡±


    ¡°Why would you say something like that?¡±


    Rabbit stole a look back at Alice who was clutching her chest with tears in her eye, ¡°I say it for Princess Alice, my king. I can¡¯t live if I can¡¯t see her again.¡±


    A brief smirk appeared over the king¡¯s face, ¡°Then you shall see her after your first successful mission.¡± The king patted Rabbit on the shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t let us down, beast-man.¡±


    Rabbit bowed his head and said, ¡°Thank you, my king.¡±


    The guards from behind the king surged forward and seized Rabbit by the arm to escort him back to General Marker¡¯s Training Hall. As Rabbit was led out he watched the king console Alice when he got a glimpse back.

 16. Beast-Men The Mission

    General Marker hadn¡¯t been as mad as Rabbit thought she would be. Her face remained as stern as the day he met her and Rabbit wondered if the General ever let emotion into hard demeanor. She immediately started advising Rabbit on combat.


    ¡°Why did you decide to tackle your opponent?¡±


    ¡°He reminded me of Bear, and Bear would always rush his opponents like that.¡± Rabbit had a shy look about him.


    ¡°That tactic may work well against a human opponent, but against a were-beast you will find they are much more difficult to keep down. I noticed you suffered a wound in the ring. How is that healing up?¡±


    Rabbit reached to his back where the wound had been and felt around, ¡°It¡¯s completely gone. It healed almost instantaneously after I left the ring.¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°I was wondering what would happen with your wounds. When a person drinks the were-beast vial his muscles grow at a reckless rate. This effect also moves over to the skin of the individual and he will momentarily gain super rejuvenation due to the skin and muscles morphing so quickly to become the were-beast. Of course, after the transformation is complete and around the time the were-beast loses his sanity then the effects of super rejuvenation wear off, so it¡¯s odd that you can heal like you took the vial moments ago.¡±


    Rabbit just looked at his hands, not knowing what to say.


    ¡°Alright, so it¡¯s down to training. You have one month before your mission and you need to learn to deal fatal wounds if you want to succeed. The easiest place to aim is the neck, but you could also remove the heart. Follow me.¡±


    The two then entered the large samurai style training room and Rabbit began his training.

 17. The Journey

    A month and a half later Rabbit journeyed across the outer farmlands of Fieldon towards the northern mountainous area. The plan was for Rabbit to be the sole champion who rode over the horizon and joined the fight last minute with his trusty servant. However, Rabbit¡¯s trusty Servant was no longer Aaron. Instead a red armoured and caped guard on a pure-breed black horse who wore a vial of were-beast blood around his neck rode by Rabbit¡¯s side. This depressed Rabbit because Aaron¡¯s formalness was exchanged for the guard¡¯s grimness. The guard hadn¡¯t even told Rabbit his name, and they had been riding together for two weeks.


    Even though nobody told Rabbit directly why the switch happened, Rabbit felt like it was his fault that Aaron was replaced. The worst part is that Rabbit now knew that Aaron was a good guy with only the best intentions in mind. Of course Rabbit still supported his idea to run from the loneliness he felt at the colosseum because he was able to meet Alice, whom he loved, but now that he had seen Aaron in a different light Rabbit almost wished that he hadn¡¯t run away and instead been Aaron¡¯s friend.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    As Rabbit thought the mountain pass came into view with each of its peaks emanating a circular grey hue. Rabbit followed a thin dirt road until the road became a stomped snow road, and he saw the armies facing each other while the sun shone orange through the clouds to the west. Likely, the battle hadn¡¯t even started yet, but a howl riled up the zest of the Fieldon army.


    The growl echoed, reverberated by the walls and was followed by another and another, each from the top of the mountain. Many soldiers began drinking their were-beast vial, but the ones that really caught Rabbit¡¯s attention were the enemy troops hanging around the crevices in the middle of the mountain. These men tore at their clothing and armor while standing at the edge of their crevices, revealing their white spotted fur that began to grow out of their madly twitching bodies. Each growled again and again into the pass until the growls endlessly echoed into each other.


    For some reason, Rabbit knew exactly who he was facing, Snow Leopard.

 18. Mountain Pass Battle

    Were-snow leopards leapt down onto the Fieldon army, spilling red blood onto their nascent white fur. The opposition now held the frontlines of the narrow pass while causing heavy casualties in the backlines. The snow leopards cut through armor and bone with their rapidly developing strength.


    However, as members of the Fieldon army endured non-fatal wounds, more and more of the Fieldon troops began taking their were-beast vials and mutated and cracked into were-bears. These were-bears fiercely grabbed shields and swords and chunks of armor that burst off their body during the mutation and formed a collected heap of armored and roused beasts. These were-bears charged the frontlines of the opposition.


    The were-snow leopards in the center of the Fieldon army caught sight of the plan. The were-bears were the first to charge but as they ran up the narrow pass the snow leopards bolted behind and tackled the bears, grabbing feet and ankles and toppling and slowing the bears. Thus, the bears didn¡¯t even reach the opposition.


    Many Fieldon troops took up the charge from the rear anyway, meeting the opposition with a clash as loud as clans screaming. Many of Fieldon¡¯s troops took heavy damage from the initial charge alone; although, as long as a soldier was able to stay alive long enough to take his were-beast vial, he was able to regenerate and fight. Of course, this tactic worked for both sides.


    Rabbit wanted the army to fall back. The screams of pain grated against his ears and he wished that nobody had to fight. As he winced, he noticed the eagerness of the Fieldon army. Even though they were bloodied they continued to push forward and fight, some would even take their were-beast vial and push forward of their own will. Rabbit wondered if this eagerness to take the vial was because the troops thought there would be a cure eventually.


    Rabbit had no intention of charging like the army and looked to his red-caped guard to see if watching the fight was okay. The guard remained stoic, if anything he watched with too much indifference. Rabbit now decided that the helm which the guard wore inspired fear. It was a full-faced helm with teeth that drooped down to the neck and many small holes to see through. Rabbit immediately brought his attention back to the battle of the mountain pass.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    A small victory on Fieldon¡¯s side too place. As the next wave of were-bears, with their shields raised, charged into the opposition the soldiers holding the frontlines fell back a step under the great weight of the were-bears.


    We can do this, Rabbit thought, but then Rabbit got incredibly disappointed. The entire journey he had dreamt of being the hero and fighting swiftly alongside an army soldiers who had his back. Now he sat back and watched, smelling the blood of soldiers in the air instead. I¡¯m unneeded, Rabbit thought, I¡¯m not the champion of the war, nor will I be the general or the grand strategist, nor am I any help at all.


    The sun was beginning to set and Rabbit had to take a few steps forward as he risked falling too far behind in the combat. The fighting never stopped. When night took over the were-bears would have the strength to continue fighting like they had a boosted sense of wakefulness. Oddly, Rabbit hadn¡¯t thought that the people of Fieldon were this violent. The people he had met at the church didn¡¯t seem to want to fight wars. Rabbit inched closer to the combat to hear the battle cries of the armies. Neither of the armies spoke in the dialect that Rabbit knew.


    Rabbit flung his head around at the sound of another troop charging from the rear, reinforcements for the Fieldon army. A quizzical look passed from Rabbit to the red-guard. Rabbit realized that these were the reinforcements meant to win the battle.


    The troop rushed by screaming their battle cry, a word which Rabbit didn¡¯t understand, ¡°Zugzwang!¡± The word shouted by a thousand voices pierced the sky and the charging troop reinforced the Fieldon army under a full moon.


    This push was enough to allow the Fieldon through the mountain pass. The exhausted opposition couldn¡¯t stand to the weight of the were-bears that continued to surge.


    Rabbit watched the slaughter of an army that day. He stepped over bodies and hacked off limbs to reach the opposite side of the pass where many more were chased down and killed in the open bedrock area. Rabbit took one last look back.


    On the top of the mountain a snow-leopard stood, staring down directly at Rabbit and his steady moving companion who didn¡¯t look back. That snow-leopard snuck ducked back into the mountain peak before anyone else could see him.

 19. Pillaging

    In the afternoon it began to rain. Rabbit and his horse trotted alongside the Red Guard who still refused to say a single word while the Fieldon army led in the distance. Rabbit had eaten all of his food that he had brought as provisions in the morning after the battle and now his stomach ached with every step the horse took.


    Rabbit didn¡¯t want to ask the Fieldon army for food because they were brutes. After chasing down any remaining opponents they could find, the army slept right in the middle of the bloody territory they had just captured. Rabbit had to ride four acres away just to get away from the smell of it.


    Then again Rabbit also knew that he was accepted in the army for the reinforcements charged right past him and into combat. Rabbit wasn¡¯t expecting food, but he was hoping the company would repress his hunger, but the army was not disciplined so Rabbit didn''t get to close for fear he might get hurt.


    The soldiers shouted and drank in a savage fashion while sloshing through mud. Rabbit found a comfort in watching these antics as they gave him something to think about, but soon the solemnness of watching the army became worry, for he saw the village where the troop was heading. A small village with huts and smokestacks venting smoke were probably the homes of families preparing dinner. Rabbit remembered the women and children who did not harm or interact much with the beast-men. Their gentle laughter was enough to brighten Rabbits day in the cells, and the quiet on their face when they watched the beast-men pass was a quiet sadness.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Why do they have to be so violent?¡± Rabbit asked aloud, and the Red Guard turned his head but said nothing in return.


    Then they started rushing forward, burning and yelling.


    Rabbit simply rode away in disgust at the merciless pillaging. He rode far enough away that he could not hear or see anything.


    The rain was light when Rabbit found a tree big enough for cover and far enough away from the village. He was hungry enough to eat the crab apples on the tree which did him good. The Red Guard got off his horse and sat under the tree, eating a piece of jerky which he had the knowledge to have saved. Rabbit glared at the Red Guard, but ended up sitting opposite of him and eating crab apples until he fell asleep.

 20. The Village

    Something dripped on Rabbit¡¯s face, or at least he thought it dripped. Rabbit wiped mud off his face and glanced up at a figure outlined in the night rain. The figure sat in the rain with his back towards Rabbit and then the figure turned around, revealing Snow Leopard¡¯s agile body with his finger against his pursed snout in a shush signal. Snow Leopard then pointed to a red-sealed envelope in front of Rabbit¡¯s feet and when Rabbit picked up the letter, Snow Leopard fox-walked towards Rabbit and sat down silently.


    Snow Leopard peeped around the corner to check if the Red Guard still slept, and again he stared directly at Rabbit and made a shush signal. Snow Leopard pointed to the envelope and Rabbit picked it up, noticing that a perfect cut had been made at the left side.


    Rabbit dumped the letter out, and sheepishly looked up, whispering, ¡°I can¡¯t read.¡±


    Snow Leopard took the letter and envelope from Rabbit¡¯s hands and folded the letter away. As Snow Leopard placed the letter safely in Rabbit¡¯s tunic, underneath the chest plate, he pointed in the direction of the village the army passed through and mimed reading. Before Snow Leopard left he pointed the Red Guard and shook his head.


    Snow Leopard then disappeared into the night like a ninja. Rabbit stayed awake and wondering for another couple of minutes before falling asleep.


    Upon waking up, Rabbit and the Red Guard jumped on their horses and headed towards the village. After the rain of last night, the sky cleared and the sun shone. There was, however, a huge pillar of smoke coming from the direction of the village. This pillar erupted into the sky endlessly, furling and curling in a tower of dark smoke.


    The villagers were all in a mob of about twenty people outside of the burning village and the sobs and cries of women and children could be heard as Rabbit and the Red Guard clopped forward on their horses.  Rabbit¡¯s hands directed the horse¡¯s reins off the road and to the left where the horse shimmied and swayed when it stopped beside the poor villagers. The Red Guard crossed his arms.


    Rabbit dismounted and said, ¡°Do you need any help?¡±


    A fear grew in the villager¡¯s eyes. They backed away like Rabbit was another brutish soldier who would beat their already bruised bodies.


    Rabbit reached out his hand, in a gentle manner and stuttered, ¡°N¡­ No,¡±


    One old man with a straw hat on his head used his cane as support as he stepped forward. He had a shaky voice and was clearly the eldest in the group, ¡°How long until you completely lose your mind, young one?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. I¡¯m, uh, cured.¡± Rabbit awkwardly smiled, but the villagers weren¡¯t used to his real smile so they all assumed it was a genuine smile.


    ¡°They sure are making fast progress these days. Well I suppose I should tell you our situation before telling you what we need.¡± The old man walked closer to Rabbit and stared in his eyes as he told his story, ¡°I started this village on my own, so everyone here is my family. After a raid last night, we are out of supplies and because our houses and carts were burnt down we have no way to fully prepare for the winter. We plan on moving around the country and begging for a place to stay before we begin work again in the spring. We have already sent our only available knight to bring horses and supplies back for us so that we can leave, but we need an herb for our bandaged knights that will ease their pain.¡± The old man pointed to a group of wounded knights, stripped of their armor, whom the mob had been crying around.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°I can help bring the herb. What does it look like?¡±


    ¡°Unless you know the lay of the land, I¡¯m afraid it will be a difficult herb to find. I was afraid to send young Diasha because of all the fighting that¡¯s going on, but perhaps you could take her.¡±


    A young girl of around ten years had the old man¡¯s tunic in her white knuckled fist. She had light hair and wore a satchel around her tunic belt. She also avoided Rabbit¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Do you think she wants to go with me?¡±


    ¡°Of course she does. You¡¯ll have to take off that incredible armor of yours though.


    Rabbit smiled for real as he removed his helm and chest plate and said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave this here with you as a sign of good faith.¡±


    ¡°And let me talk to Diasha and her mother.¡±


    As Rabbit removed his chest plate he felt a steel grip on the top of his skull, between his ears, which was the Red Guards hand, and the Red Guard stared coldly at him through his wicked, silver helm. The Red Guard pointed off in the direction of the Fieldon army with a lingering finger.


    Rabbit looked back towards the villagers and saw the eldest knelt down talking to Diasha and her mother. Diasha was nodding bravely, and the eldest had a hand on the mother¡¯s shoulder in a reassuring manner.


    Finally, Rabbit turned back to the Red Guard and said, ¡°No, the Fieldon army doesn¡¯t need me around for its pillaging anyway.


    The Red Guard shook his head led his horse towards the distant bush.


    Rabbit moved towards the eldest villager and confirmed, ¡°I can look after her while she finds the herbs.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir knight.¡± The eldest villager had his hand on Diasha¡¯s back and said, ¡°Mount up and please be back by nightfall.¡±


    Rabbit smiled and mounted the horse, and Diasha was placed behind him on the saddle.


    ¡°You¡¯ll want to go south first.¡± The eldest said, ¡°Diasha will point you the rest of the way.¡±


    With a smile and a nod, Rabbit said, ¡°Be back soon¡± and took off down the southern road.


    Aside from the mountains to the west, the ground was green and flat with large patches of woodland areas. It was nice riding with Diasha. Rabbit felt like he was protecting her. When Rabbit tried to speak to her, however, she could only respond in a foreign language, and now they couldn¡¯t really communicate at all. Instead, Rabbit planned on being as gentlemanly as possible in order to win the young girl¡¯s trust. The two made great time and eventually came to a stream which passed through a forest where Diasha demanded Rabbit stop by repeating a strange word, thon.


    Diasha struggled to be let down. Rabbit called ¡°whoa¡± to the horse and as soon as it stopped Diasha jumped down and ran along the stream, prodding and sifting through the bushes.


    Rabbit bent down beside her and asked, ¡°What are you looking for?¡± The girl didn¡¯t respond and was searching intently for the herb. Rabbit then decided to look for any herb that could possibly do the trick. Rabbit found some strange plants, but mostly they were leafy green things and actual flowers, he picked some of each just in case.


    While searching through the forest, the sun shone through the leaves and left small patches of sunshine which felt warm all over Rabbit¡¯s body. Rabbit closed his eyes for a time and then he heard the girl bounding up to him. She had this yellow flower in her hand with a white stem and she was waving it around, and on her waist, Rabbit noticed the large satchel overflowing with the flowers.


    Rabbit smiled and when the girl pretended to take a bite of the flower and pretended to doze off in the grass, Rabbit though, something that makes you doze-off. Could this have been the same substance Doctor Worchester used to make Rabbit feel sleepy when he was still in Castle Bestia?


    The girl woke up suddenly and dashed about laughing and waving the flower she which she pretended to eat, and then Rabbit noticed an odd sound. This sound was a thumping, but frequent thumping like a tapping, but loud tapping like a stampeding. Rabbit grabbed little Diasha close to him and looked to the stream where the stampeding sound was coming from.


    The horse spooked and ran away before Rabbit could even think of catching it.


    A huge formation of were-bears appeared out of the forest from across the stream, and they were charging, each one on all fours sprinting madly.


    Rabbit blinked for a second thinking, ¡°I found the survivors from the mountain pass battle.¡±

 21. Chased through the Woods by Bears

    Four or five were-bears splashed through the stream ahead of the rest of the stampede, but all of their grizzly faces had contorted into a feral rage with gnashing teeth.


    Rabbit whipped up Diasha in his arms and hoisted her up and over onto his back. Rabbit got ready to run and as soon as he felt like Diasha had a firm grip on his fur, he bolted, streaking around trees like a blur. In his adrenaline, Rabbit couldn¡¯t be caught, but he consistently made turns and didn¡¯t want to leave the forest. He could still hear the thumping of were-bears behind him, and he was hoping to gain enough of a lead over the bears so he could leave the forest while he wasn¡¯t being followed and the bears wouldn''t find the village.


    In the trees, Rabbit saw the familiar white-spotted beast-man, Snow Leopard, perched on strong willow branch and Rabbit hop-ran in that direction as fast as he could until he zipped under the very tree Snow Leopard was perched upon.


    The were-bears ran in a pack through the forest, which made it easy for Snow Leopard to pounce on them as they ran under his branch. A sudden din of fighting, growling and hissing occurred, but Rabbit continued hop-running without looking back.


    During the journey back, Rabbit thought of Snow Leopard. The beast-man seemed to know something that Rabbit didn''t know, and he had a sort of interest in Rabbit''s activites that surpassed friendship. All this thining made the run for Rabbit easier and he didn¡¯t slow down on the way to the village, making it back as evening struck.


    <hr>


    Rabbit was heaving as he came up upon the villagers and he collapsed.


    Diasha still had tears in her eyes and had apparently been crying into the nape of Rabbit''s neck, but as she reached the village she released his fur, dismounted, and ran to her mother .


    ¡°Thank you for returning Diasha to us.¡± The shaky old voice of the eldest villager said, ¡°Is there anything we can do for you in return?¡±


    Rabbit was still catching his heavy breath as he said, ¡°Has the Red Guard returned?¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him since this morning.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you can read this letter for me.¡±


    Rabbit reached under his breaches and revealed the letter which was folded away in a coin purse. Wrinkled hands grabbed the letter from furry hands, and studied the envelope before examining its contents.


    ¡°This is written in Fieldish.I spent my time in my youth as one of the only merchants who traded between Mouki and Fieldon so I know the language well."


    ¡°What does it say?¡±


    ¡°Abort mission. The rest of the beast-men have escaped. Have Rabbit returned to Fieldon at once.¡±


    A thin smile appeared on Rabbit¡¯s upper lip, ¡°Ah, it¡¯s so good to hear from my friends at last.¡±


    The eldest villager¡¯s hand now rested on Rabbit¡¯s shoulder and he looked into the large, brown irises of Rabbit¡¯s eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t know how you came across this letter, but you should think now of whether you¡¯d like to return with the Red Guard or not.¡±


    Rabbit did give it some thought, and what he really wanted to do was to see Bear, Wolf, Horse, and Stag again. Soon after Rabbit had come to the decision to simply try and find his recently freed friends.


    The Red Guard was returning from the East on his horse. There is no telling what the Red Guard would do to the villagers if Rabbit simply ran, for he had this air of anger about him; even something as simple as riding on his horse was malevolent and glowed red.


    Rabbit put on the armor that made him feel like a fighter to be feared, and he strode forward to meet the Red Guard. Near the end of the villager¡¯s cornfields they met.


    The packing stopped and a crowd gathered at the fence of the village. The wind blew, which slightly ruffled the trees and grass, and that was the only sound to be heard until the chainsaw voice of the Red Guard revved up and said.


    ¡°I knew you had things hidden from me. Tell me what was written on that letter.¡±


    Rabbit only stood still.


    ¡°Hah!¡± The Red Guard charged on his horse and withdrew his sword which he now held in a bowed arm over his head.


    Rabbit got into a battle stance, which was lower to the ground and prepared to jump away. Instead, however, the Red Guard charged right past Rabbit towards the villagers who were now scrambling to get away. Rabbit hopped to catch up to the Red Guard, but with the acceleration the horse had, before even a few leaps, the Red Guard was already in the midst of the villagers and reaching down to attack from on top of his horse. When the Red Guard sat upright on his horse again, his steel gauntlet held Diasha, by the throat.


    Rabbit stopped instantly, he stood just about at the fence, feet away from the menace with the death grip on the child.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Rabbit had a solemn voice.


    After getting comfortable in his position of power, the Red Guard flashed a telescopic lens from his pack and said, ¡°You will return to Fieldon with me or I will crush this girl¡¯s throat.¡±

 22. Saving the Girl

    Diasha grabbed at the iron gauntlet around her throat, her little fingers clawing at the sinister knuckle, and by her facial expression, Rabbit could tell she was being seriously strangled. Rabbit stepped forward to help and then froze because of the Red Guard who sat on his throne of a horse.


    ¡°Stop,¡± Rabbit said, ¡°I¡¯ll return to Fieldon with you.¡±


    With his free hand, the Red Guard removed a set of manacles from his pack and he said, ¡°Then have one of the villagers chain you to my horse.¡±


    Diasha¡¯s mother who had gathered with some villagers behind the garden fence of one of the cottages poked her head out. Rabbit motioned for her to come closer and once she curtly arrived Rabbit said, ¡°Chain me to the horse of the Red Guard.¡±


    Diasha¡¯s mother had a tear in her eye and was clearly frightened, but even still she nodded, retrieved the manacles from the Red Guard, and attached them to Rabbit¡¯s furry wrists. Once this was done, the Red Guard dumped Diasha to the ground and got a grip on the end of the chain and his reins, and without another word, he kicked his horse to start walking towards the mountains.


    Rabbit was sad, and started walking, now a prisoner. Diasha pushed herself up and rushed to throw a hug around Rabbit¡¯s legs as tight as she could. Rabbit bent down to return the hug to the girl who was only three-and-a-half feet tall, and a smile crept on his face as he held her.


    The smile was dusted, however, as a heavy jerk pulled Rabbit¡¯s hind legs forward. The black horse had been kicked into a momentary gallop which sent Rabbit tumbling. Rabbit had to twist his body sideways mid-air so that he wouldn¡¯t squish Diasha as he fell. The horse returned to normal speed and Rabbit imagined a smile on the Red Guard¡¯s face as he pushed himself out of the dirt and continued to trudge behind the Red Guard. Diasha moved to hug Rabbit again, but her mother put a restrictive hand on her shoulder. Still Rabbit turned around and gave Diasha a brave smile before they completely parted ways.


    <ul>


    <li>Part Two</li>


    </ul>


    Rabbit and the Red Guard moved north-west, towards the mountain pass which separated the countries. They passed the same pastures along the same road and reached the same blood bath which they had left behind. Rabbit didn¡¯t have to get too near the mountain, for he could smell the blood from the moment he saw the pass.


    Up until now Rabbit had been a model prisoner. Perhaps this was because of his years of abuse in Castle Bestia where he had learned to become docile. A fear washed over Rabbit as he closed in on the battlefield which wasn''t present during the rest of the journey. He no longer wanted to be prisoner to the Red Guard. All of a sudden, Rabbit began to grind his wrists against the metal.


    The Red Guard turned his masked helm back to see what the problem was. Rabbit had begun collecting the slack of the chain to see how much leeway he could gain. The Red Guard saw this and dismounted. As he walked towards Rabbit, who was still messing with the chain, the Red Guard unsheathed his sword.


    This made Rabbit glance up and worry. Every menacing step the Red Guard took, he grew bigger. Rabbit stopped fidgeting and shrunk back.


    A white-dotted streak flashed in the mountains. It had to be Snow Leopard, although Rabbit wasn¡¯t sure if it was beast-man or were-beast.


    All over his body, Rabbit felt a surge which straightened his fur. The Red Guard stood over Rabbit and raised the handle of his sword like he was going to slap Rabbit with the hilt.


    Rabbit ducked under and ran towards the mountain. When he reached the length of the chain, Rabbit made an attempt to knock the Red Guard off balance. By using all his weight and jumping and pulling with his arms, Rabbit heaved on the chain, but the Red Guard was already braced for impact and won the battle of weight.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Rabbit flipped over and landed on his back, which caused him to miss a beat of breath. Rabbit lay with his head facing the sky, waiting.


    The Red Guard approached, slowly, enjoying himself. When the Red Guard was close enough, Rabbit jumped up and ran again, but this time only to the maximum length of the chain, and then he stopped and stared back at the Red Guard. The Red Guard took a grip of the chain and began to play a sort of tug-of-war, which pulled Rabbit in closer to him. Rabbit struggled, but was clearly overpowered and constantly lost ground.


    Then Rabbit noticed a more desperate pulling of the chain, and he looked around to see what could be causing this. Snow Leopard had made a b-line towards the two struggling near the base of the mountain.


    Rabbit continued to hold his ground, and was actually holding with his hind Rabbit legs.


    As the two fought for tug-of-war superiority the Red Guard abruptly released his grip. The Red Guard flipped off his helmet and revealed a baby white face, but in his hand was a were-beast vial. Smiling, the Red Guard drank the vial.


    The Red Guard laughed and spoke as he his muscles twitched, ¡°We don¡¯t even need you anymore. We have all the blood we need!¡± At this the breathing of the Red Guard became dragging hauls, sending spasms throughout his body. He keeled over on all fours and fur erupted from his once perfect painted red armor and he screamed, ¡°Ahhhh!¡±


    As soon as the armor had popped off a hulking Red Bear remained, and it didn¡¯t take long for that bear to start barreling towards Rabbit at full speed with all his mass.


    Rabbit took a few steps backward before twisting around as fast as he could, and as he was ninety degrees turned to the left, Snow Leopard raced past him on all fours. Rabbit stared for a moment at the lean and muscular form of Snow Leopard, and briefly wondered if Snow Leopard truly did want to help him. Rabbit¡¯s gaze followed Snow Leopard until the white and black beast-man leaped for the Red Bears legs.


    The Red Bear snapped his jaw downwards but caught only air, so Snow Leopard clamped his teeth around the monstrous thigh of the bear and hooked his feet around the bear¡¯s back so that he was safe against the bear¡¯s great paws.


    Flinging and whipping his body like a raging bull still didn¡¯t cause Snow Leopard to let go. Blood was streaking down Snow Leopard¡¯s jaw.


    However, when the Bear started rolling around. He was able to twist his neck to grab a hold of Snow Leopard¡¯s torso, and with this was able to rip the maw and a bit of his own skin away from his thigh and slam Snow Leopard to the ground.


    Rabbit heard the audible oof as Snow Leopard hit the ground and stepped forward to help him. Rabbit watched the bear¡¯s paw raised, ready to bat the life out of Snow Leopard and Rabbit started running forward. Rabbit jammed his manacles into the Red Bear¡¯s mouth. Rabbit felt Snow Leopard slip out from under him. Rabbit struggled with the manacles and the teeth of the Red Bear. The Red Bear wrapped a claw around Rabbit¡¯s neck, and seconds later, that claw went limp. There had been a squishy sound and Rabbit looked down to see what happened.


    Snow Leopard had driven the discarded sword of the Red Guard into the Red Bear¡¯s heart with both hands on the hilt.


    After seeing this, Rabbit fell backwards and sat down while Snow Leopard dealt with the Red Bear''s body. Here he silently sat through nightfall and into morning.


    In the glow of the rising sun shining towards the mountain pass, Snow Leopard shuffled and sat beside Rabbit and then he said, ¡°Are you doing okay?¡±


    Rabbit sat silent for a moment, simply staring at the sunrise and then he said, ¡°I don¡¯t know where to go next.¡±


    Snow Leopard nodded, ¡°Perhaps you should find your fellow beast-men in that letter. I¡¯m sure they miss you more than you know.¡±


    Rabbit shifted his legs out in front of him and turned to Snow Leopard, ¡°Why did you help me so much these past couple of days?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not really sure of it all myself, but I do know that I¡¯ve never met any other like you in all my years.¡±


    ¡°How old are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen three generation come and go.¡±


    Rabbit shifted again only this time to face Snow Leopard with his legs crossed, ¡°You haven''t aged?¡±


    Snow Leopard stood up and helped Rabbit up with an extended hand, ¡°I still don''t know everything either.¡± Their hands let go, ¡°Will you find your family and return to me?¡±


    Rabbit smiled and nodded, ¡°Yes, I will return.¡±


    Snow Leopard bowed, ¡°Thank you,¡± he turned and started walking away and looked back to say one last thing, ¡°but don¡¯t forget to have fun out there.¡±


    Rabbit whispered as Snow Leopard turned and left, ¡°What do you mean, have fun?¡±