《That Boy Hare [On Hiatus]》


 Chapter 1

    The winged beast that held him tightly in its clutches swerved to avoid the potential thieves. It let out a hissing sound and said in a deep, powerful voice, ¡°Away, you fiends. This is for my brood.¡±


    One of them cackled. ¡°Wife still got ya under her claws, huh? Mighty pecked, aren¡¯t ya, Brutus?¡±


    ¡®Brutus¡¯ growled deep in its throat; the hare could feel it against his back. He idly wondered where ¡®Brutus¡¯ was taking him until he saw a tall, thin thing in the distance.


    He wiggled in the claws of the beast, eager to get to a closer look.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Brutus murmured, clutching him tighter. ¡°I¡¯ve never met prey so eager for death before.¡±


    Death? What was that? He didn¡¯t know that word. Was that what the tall, thin thing was? If so, hewanted to see. So he nodded at the beast, showing his appreciation at his understanding.


    The other beasts kept picking at Brutus but the hare largely ignored them. The tall, thin thing called death was getting closer!


    He almost couldn¡¯t take it anymore when suddenly, the beast dropped him!


    Fortunately, he landed in something soft nestled in the branches of death. Looking around, he saw three things way bigger than him.


    He was small, even for a baby hare, so the things in the soft things in the branch of death towered over him. But he wasn¡¯t afraid. No, he was very curious about the tall things that huddled together in the soft thin in the branch of death.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Their feathers were different shades of greenish-blue, which intrigued the hare very much. They looked like smaller versions of the brute that landed in the upper branches of death.


    One opened its sharp, shiny thing and squawked very loudly. ''You food?''


    The hare winced at the noise before considering what the bird said. He squeaked back, ''No! What is food?''


    The things looked at each other, shuffled a bit, and then looked back at him. The middle one squawked this time: ''Dunno. Not you?''


    ''No.''


    ''Kay.''


    The one on the right finally opened its mouth: ''What name?''


    ''Name? What''s that?''


    The things looked at each other, shuffled a bit, and then looked back at him. The left one spoke again: ''What we call you.''


    ''Oh. Have no name.''


    ''Oh. Have status?''


    The hare questioned what that was, the things did their thing, and then answered.


    ''Status shows status. Think ''status'' and you will see.''


    The hare thought ''status'' and lo and behold, a status screen popped up in front of his face.


    <hr>


    Character Sheet


    Name:None | Race: Brown Hare (Leveret) | Sex: Male


    Evolution: 0% | Level: 1(0%)


    Class: None | Magic Affinity: None


    Species Traits: Adaptive, Agrarian, Rapid Breeders, Enhanced Memory


    Unique Trait: Communal


    Titles: None


    Attributes(0 AP)


    Strength: 1 | Constitution: 1


    Endurance: 2 | Dexterity: 2


    Intelligence: 3 | Wisdom: 3


    Perception: 4 | Luck: 4


    Health: 10/10 |HPRegen: 2/min


    Stamina: 10/10 |SpRegen: 2/min


    Mana: 30/30 | MPRegen: 3/min


    Proficiencies


    Skills: Hare Boxing (0%)


    Spells: Avoid Detection (0%)


    (0 PP) Perks: Enhanced Hearing I, Night Eyes I, Panoramic Vision I

 Chapter 2

    The hare recoiled. What was this? A status? It looked so cool!


    He looked back at the tall things and squeaked: ''Cool status!''


    The middle one nodded: ''Very. We all have status. What''s yours say?''


    The hare turned back to his status, thought for a minute, then squeaked: ''I don''t know!''


    The left one squawked: ''You can''t read?''


    ''No! What''s that?''


    Before the tall things could answer a large shadow passed overhead. The tall things started squawking loudly at the shadow, much to the hare''s dismay. Then he decided that shouting at the shadow seemed fun, so he joined in, too.


    ''Mom!'' they squawked.


    ''Mom!'' he squeaked.


    The shadow descended and became a slightly smaller brute than the first brute he''d seen. It wasn''t red like the first brute, but green, like the tall things. He liked the color of her feathers, which were darker than the tall things. He hopped closer to the brute and sniffed at the brute''s side. It smelled like the wind!This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    The brute squawked: ''Little hare, why aren''t you dead?'' Its squawk sounded different. Older, more pronounced. It sounded like the first brute''s squawk, but less...brutish. This one was more refined.


    The hare squeaked back. ''Dunno. What''s dead?''


    The refined brute cocked its head as it peered down at the hare: ''Do you truly not know, little hare?''


    The hare shook his head: ''Tell me, tell me!''


    It made a weird noise and turned its head to the tall things: ''Why didn''t you eat the hare?''


    The things looked at each other, shuffled a bit, and looked at the refined brute. The left one squawked: ''Not food.''


    ''Not food? The hare is not food for you?''


    They shook their heads in unison.


    The refined brute made the weird noise again and gently poked the hare. ''If not food, then what is he?''


    They thought for a moment before shrugging. ''Friend?''


    The hare squeaked his agreement. He didn''t know what a friend was, but it sounded cool! And he liked cool things!


    ''You want to befriend a falcon?'' the refined brute mused.


    The things nodded. The hare nodded. The refined brute shuffled her wings and sighed. ''This is what happens when I''m not around to supervise you...Fine. Don''t eat the hare.''


    The hare squeaked: ''Yay! We''re friends now!''


    The refined brute snorted and grabbed him in its claws. ''Come, little hare. A nest is no place for you.''


    They rose up into the air once again. The hare squealed with wonder. He loved flying! It was amazing! He wished he had wings like the first brute, the tall things, and the refined brute. All he had were these long ears. But...they kind of looked like wings.


    He spread them horizontally and let them flap about in the wind. Again, he squealed with delight. Flying! Finally flying!


    And then the refined brute dropped him.

 Chapter 3

    The hare was in pain. Pieces of him felt broken; they hurt to move, so he didn''t and lay still. But even when he was still, it hurt. He didn''t know what to do, so he kept still and tried not to make anything worse.


    And then he heard footsteps. He didn''t know what those footsteps meant, so he kept still and tried not to make anything worse.


    Oh, why, oh why did the refined brute have to drop him? He was having so much fun! The air was such a nice place to be! He''d spent his first moments in the sky, clutched tightly in the first brute''s claws. Flying felt amazing.


    But falling hurt. It hurt bad.


    The footsteps were coming closer until they finally stopped. Then he felt something poke his back, which made the pain even worse. He let out a cry, but that made the pain worse, too!


    Curse the poking! Curse the pain! Why did it have to hurt?Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    He heard a grunt, and then a deep, gravelly voice. ''So it''s not dead. Good. [Mend Bones.]''


    As soon as the voice had spoken, he felt better. So much better that he felt he could move again without feeling the accursed pain. But it was best to be cautious, so he gingerly twitched his back leg, the one that hurt the most. It was sore, but he could move.


    So he slowly rolled off his side and onto his stomach before pushing himself up. And then he saw the thing.


    It was black, a color he''d never seen before except for when he closed his eyes. He closed his eyes, trying to compare the color. But then he couldn''t see it anymore, so he opened them again. But then he couldn''t see what color his eyes made when they were closed, so he closed them again. But then-


    Whack!


    Something hard smacked the top of his head. He winced and hopped back two steps, cautiously eyeing the thing that had hit him. This one was brown and reminded him of the branches of death, except it was straighter, shorter, and attached to the black thing.


    The black thing grunted: ''Stop that blinking and follow me.''


    The hare tilted his head and squeaked: ''Follow? What''s that?''


    The black thing sighed and then grabbed the hare by the scruff of his neck. The hare cried out in protest, but the black thing ignored him, muttering something about babies and their low intelligence.

 Chapter 4

    After about 40 minutes of walking, the black thing approached a hole in the ground. The hare didn''t want to go underground. He wanted to stay up and see the sky!


    Just then, he heard screeching from up above. It was a brute! But this one was red and much bigger than the other brutes. He decided to call it big-brute. He wanted to get a better look, but the black thing started going faster towards the hole.


    He slapped the black things arm and cried: ''Let go! Want to see big-brute!''


    It let out a weird noise, similar to the one the refined brute made: ''Are you crazy! That thing''ll kill you!''


    ''Kill? What''s that?''


    ''It means dead! It''ll end your life!''


    The hare didn''t want his life to end. That sounded bad! He looked up again and saw the big-brute was getting closer and closer. The black thing couldn''t move fast enough while carrying him!


    So he slapped its arm hard, hard enough to make it let go. And then he started running. He had never run before, but something told him that going fast like this¨Da very fast version of hopping¨Dwas the best way to get away from the big-brute.


    The black thing hobbled after him, but the big-brute was gaining on it!


    ''Run, black thing! Run!''


    The hare almost passed the hole, but then the black thing reached him and tossed him down into dark blackness below. Then it dove in after him, just as the big-brute came to grab it!


    It screeched in anger and tried to grab at the black thing, but couldn''t reach it. Eventually, it gave up and flew away.


    The black thing paused just a few feet away from the entrance, waiting. After a minute or two, it turned and faced the hare. Grunting, it gently pushed him deeper into the burrow: ''C''mon, you. Don''t just sit there.''Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    The hare tried to twist out of its grip, but it was strong, stronger than him. So he reluctantly allowed himself to be carried further and further into the burrow.


    Then the black thing grunted again: ''[Light].''


    The burrowlitup, revealing a bed of furs, a short and stout thing, and a tall and thing thing. The tall and thin thing had many small things in it that were lined neatly on the rows of the tall and thin thing. The short and stout thing had one of the small things and a very small and thin thing on it, too.


    The black thing carried the hare over to the furs and plopped him. Then it squatted before him and grunted: ''Tell me, little hare, do you have a name?''


    ''No!''


    ''Huh...You need one. People know you''re important when you have a name.''


    The hare perked up at that. Being important sounded cool! He squeaked: ''I wanna name!''


    The black thing sat back and rubbed its chin. ''I don''t know what hares name their young, so I''ll give you a fox name. How about...Bo?''


    ''Bo?''


    ''Yup. You''re name''s Bo. Bo...Foxhare.''


    Ding!


    {Your Status has been updated.}


    {Due to being Named by an individual stronger than yourself, all stats have been increased by 5.}


    {Due to being Named by an individual of another species, you have gained the title ''Fox Kin''. +2 Luck, +2 Perception.}


    {Due to gaining the title ''Fox Kin'', you have gained the Fox Proficiencies [Pounce], [Tail Whip], and [Trickery]. You have gained Magic Affinity for Mental Magic.}


    <hr>


    Character Sheet


    Name: Bo Foxhare | Race: Brown Hare (Leveret) | Sex: Male


    Evolution: 0% | Level: 1(0%)


    Class: None | Magic Affinity: Mental


    Species Traits: Adaptive, Agrarian, Rapid Breeders, Enhanced Memory


    Unique Trait: Communal


    Titles: Fox Kin


    Attributes(0 AP)


    Strength: 6 | Constitution: 6


    Endurance: 7 | Dexterity: 7


    Intelligence: 8 | Wisdom: 8


    Perception: 11 | Luck: 11


    Health: 60/60 |HPRegen: 7/min


    Stamina: 60/60 |SpRegen: 7/min


    Mana: 80/80 | MPRegen: 8/min


    Proficiencies


    Skills: Hare Boxing (0%); Pounce (0%), Tail Whip (0%)


    Spells: Avoid Detection (0%)


    (0 PP) Perks: Enhanced Hearing I, Night Eyes I, Panoramic Vision I, Trickery I


    <hr>


    The hare smiled as he stared at the words on his Status. He still didn''t quite understand them but knew they were important. He knewhewas important. Because he had a name.


    Bo Foxhare.

 Chapter 5

    The black thing grunted as its eyes refocused on Bo. ''Guess naming you was a good idea.''


    The hare puffed out its chest and squeaked: ''I''m important now!''


    ''Yes, you are.'' The black thing reached out and gently scratched Bo behind his ear. It felt good. His foot started tapping faster against the furs the longer he was scratched.


    Unfortunately, the black thing soon pulled its hand away and cleared its throat. ''The name''s Michi and I''m a Greater Black Fox. Been around for ten or so years; I''m old, I know. When did you first Awaken, huh?''


    Bo thought for a minute, wondering how much time had passed. Then he shrugged: ''An hour?''


    He didn''t know what an hour was, but it sounded right, so he said it. Michi let out an approving grunt, so he''d said it right.


    ''You''re awfully small for a leveret, but you know how to speak. Babies start with zero and work their way up from there with each level up. I wonder why you''re different...''


    ''Cuz I''m important?''


    Michi chuckled. ''Maybe.''


    Bo got another ear scratch before Michi turned serious.


    ''Listen, Bo. The world is a dangerous place. You''re going to need to grow strong to survive out there. I won''t always be here to protect you, you understand?''


    Bo nodded. He understood. Without Michi''s help, he probably would''ve been killed by the big-brute!


    ''I don''t know much about Hare skills, but I know a lot about Foxes. I''ll teach you all that I can for as long as I can. But you have to promise to do your part, too.''Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ''Okay! What''s my part?''


    The fox smiled. ''Listen to what I teach ya.''


    <hr>


    The first thing Michi taught him was how to use magic.


    ''I''m not much of a physical fox, you see. I specialize in the arcane arts; healing, elemental, all kinds of stuff,'' Michi told him.


    Bo stopped nibbling at his stick and looked up at him. ''What''re the arcane arts?''


    ''It''s a sophisticated term for magic.''


    ''What''s sophisticated?''


    ''It means fancy.''


    ''What''s-''


    ''Moving on,'' Michi interrupted. ''Foxes are born with the magic affinity for Mental magic and since you became [Fox Kin], you have it too. We''re going to practice that but before we do, you need to learn how to summon your mana.''


    ''What''s mana?''


    ''It''s what powers your magic.''


    ''That sounds super cool!''


    Michi agreed. ''Now, to summon your mana, you need to get a feel for the magical energy inside of you. Try and-''


    ''Wow!'' Bo shouted. ''There''s some floating stuff in my stomach! It''s so cool! Is this mana, Michi? Is it? Is it?''


    The fox struggled to put away his shock and confusion to answer the ecstatic hare''s question. ''U-uh, yeah. Yes. What you''re seeing-feeling?-is mana.''


    ''That''s super cool!'' Bo squeaked. He pranced around the den, chanting just how cool he was for having mana.


    Michi sighed and grabbed the boy. Setting him down on the bed of furs, he scolded him: ''Stop playing around and focus.''


    ''Alriiiight,'' Bo conceded, prompting Michi to continue.


    ''Good. I want you to try and collect the mana into a ball inside of you. You''re going to create your mana core this way.''


    Bo closed his eyes and started to concentrate. Satisfied, Michi sat back and waited for him to finish.


    And waited.


    And waited.


    And waited.


    And-


    Snore.


    The leveret was asleep! With a frustrated snarl, Michi yanked the boy upward by his ear. Bo jerked awake and started to swat at the fox.


    ''Ow! Lemme go, lemme go!''


    Michi dropped him roughly and, with one more tug, scolded him again: ''Next time, don''t fall asleep when I''m teaching you!''


    Bo protested as he rubbed his sore ear between his tiny paws. ''Making the core made me tired! I wanna take a nap!''


    ''That''s no excuse,'' Michi chided, poking the hare in the chest. ''You wanna learn magic, right?''


    ''...Yeah.''


    ''So then pay attention!''


    ''Can we just take atinybreak?''


    ''No!''


    <hr>


    And so Bo learned how to draw upon his magic that day. Eventually, Michi cut the lesson short when he kept complaining about how tired he was. Unfortunately for Bo, that meant they had to doanotherkind of learning later...

 Chapter 6

    ''Bo, let me see your status.''


    ''Okay.''


    <hr>


    Character Sheet


    Name: Bo Foxhare | Race: Brown Hare (Leveret) | Sex: Male


    Evolution: 0% | Level: 1(0%)


    Class: None | Magic Affinity: Mental


    Species Traits: Adaptive, Agrarian, Rapid Breeders, Enhanced Memory


    Unique Trait: Communal


    Titles: Fox Kin


    Attributes(0 AP)


    Strength: 6 | Constitution: 6


    Endurance: 7 | Dexterity: 7


    Intelligence: 8 | Wisdom: 8


    Perception: 11 | Luck: 11


    Health: 60/60 |HPRegen: 7/min


    Stamina: 60/60 |SpRegen: 7/min


    Mana: 80/80 | MPRegen: 8/min


    Proficiencies


    Skills: Hare Boxing (0%); Pounce (0%), Tail Whip (0%), Math: Basic (5%), Language: Foxen (15%)


    Spells: Avoid Detection (0%), Mana Manipulation (4%)


    (0 PP) Perks: Enhanced Hearing I, Night Eyes I, Panoramic Vision I, Trickery I


    <hr>


    Bo had learned some things in the past few days: [Mana Manipulation], [Mental Magic: Projection], [Math: Basic], and [Language: Foxen]. He wanted to do the cool things Michi did with his Spells, but the fox said it would have to wait until he reached 5% Proficiency in [Mana Maniplation].Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Unfortunately, 5% was taking alongtime to reach. After days of no progress, Michi decided to give him a little break.


    ''Alright. That''s enough for today. I''ll let you go out now.''


    Bo''s ears shot up at the fox''s words. ''Really? You never let me do that anymore!''


    ''Yeah, yeah, I know. But I want you to start getting some Proficiency in your other skills.''


    Bo was eager to dart out of the burrow, but the fox stopped him. ''Bo, come back when you reach 1% Proficiency in your combat skills.''


    ''Okay!''


    ''Be careful!''


    ''Okay!''


    ''Don''t stray too far from the hole.''


    ''Okay!''


    Michi sighed and released him, letting Bo run out of the foxhole and into the wide, open world.


    <hr>


    Bo was caught in a fierce battle between a small swarm of Lion Bugs. They were the size of his paws and had a very painful bite. As they swarmed him, he could see little red strands of something handing off their bodies, mimicking the mane of the lions he''d seen in Michi''s books.


    These were certainly tough foes! He was using [Tail Whip] at maximum efficiency; he loved this skill the most because his normally short and stubby tail would shoot out and smack the bugs away from his body. Unfortunately, it only stunned them and caused little to no damage.


    He contemplated making a run for it back to the burrow, but what if Michi never let him come back out again? He couldn''t lose this privilege because of some dumb bugs!


    While he was in deep thought, one of the bugs took a chance and bit his shoulder. Oh, the agony! Bo snarled and used his super-long tail to smash the bug against his shoulder. It worked!


    {You have killed 1x Lion Bug. You have gained 1 EXP. 99% remaining until the next level up.}


    He let a few more bugs bite and smash them with [Tail Whip], but this method was hurting him more than helping. With each bite, his HP¨DMichi told him it was the stuff that kept him alive¨Ddecreased by 2. He only had 60 and there were dozens of bugs! He''d never make it!


    Bo would have to retreat. Smashing just one more bug, he turned and sprint-hopped back to the burrow. He reached it in about 5 minutes and was about to dive in when he heard a familiar buzzing sound.


    They had followed him!


    Bo thought about his options. He could either go in the burrow and get Michi or he could take them on himself. He didn''t think he''d win if he fought by himself, but what if Michi refused to let him back out because he was worried about Bo?


    He couldnotlet that happen.


    He needed a plan, but what? What could hurt these nigh-invincible cretins? The only offensive skills he had were [Hare Boxing], [Pounce] and Tail Whip] and none of them worked well enough against the swarm.


    His perk, [Trickery I], buzzed in the back of his mind. He focused on what it was trying to tell him.


    And then he had an idea.

 Chapter 7

    Lima Bean was a simple Leaper Mouse. She liked simple things, like eating lima beans, for which she was named after. She also liked watching other creatures of the plains go about their daily lives.


    What shedidn''tlike is when those creatures interruptedherdaily life, which involved lazing about in her tree and eating lima beans.


    So, imagine her annoyance when she hears the tell-tale buzzing of a Lion Bug swarm, chasing after a baby hare. What was worse, they were coming inherdirection and the hare was headedstraightfor her tree!


    She sighed and slapped her brothers awake so they could deal with the problem. Sprite and Sage were excellent at handling Lion Bugs. They were big for Leaper Mice and their powerful tails could send tremendous [Wind Gusts] that scattered the swarm and disbanding their attack in an instant.


    Her brothers ignored her attempts to alert them to the oncoming danger so it was up toherto deal with it. Unfortunately, she didn''t havea high proficiency in [Wind Gusts]. She hardly ever needed to use it because she hardly ventured away from the tree, except to go find more lima beans.


    She sighed again and prepared to attack until she noticed something...peculiar. The hare was darting this way and that and would pause each time he landed before moving on. The second time he landed, he would pause for a longer time and something would fly at the Lion Bugs, scattering the swarm just a tiny bit and killing a few of them.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Lima Bean squinted and then gasped. The hare was throwing rocks with its tail!


    It was a sound strategy, not something she''d think a baby hare was capable of coming up with. And besides, how was he able to use his super short tail to fling rocks like that? It was strange; Lima Bean lost herself trying to figure out the mysteries of the baby hare.


    And then he ran passed her tree. The swarm was almost upon her!


    She quickly spun around and slapped her thick, bushy tail not unlike a squirrel''s against the branch, sending a [Wind Gust] up into the swarm. It only managed to part them down the middle, enough to get them around the tree. Unfortunately, she caught the attention of a few angry Lion Bugs.


    Lima Beanjumpedwith one heavy slap of her tail, using a different skill this time: [Tail Leap]. It was a skill unique to Leaper Mice and allowed them to soar many miles into the air before landing softly on the ground.Thiswas a skill she took care to get to a high level; escape was one of her highest priorities, even before finding lima beans to snack on.


    She sailed about 20, nothirtyfeet into the air and plopped gently onto the ground. She was safe-


    Oof!


    The baby hare smacked into Lima Bean''s back just a second after she landed, sending them both sprawling. Lima Bean grunted: ''Watch it, hare!''


    He took a second to stare at her before his ears twitched ever so slightly and he was off again, racing like the wind. For a moment, Lima Bean was slightly agitated. Did that baby think he could outpace her? As if!


    (She, of course, forgot all about the Lion Bugs as she was outraged by the hare''s false challenge.)


    ''It''s on!'' she shouted, slapping her tail on the ground to send herflying.

 Chapter 8

    Michi looked up from his journal. With a glance at a magical thing called a ''clock'', he saw it was getting later and later in the day.


    Where was Bo?


    <hr>


    The hare saw the small thing that sorta kinda looked like a mouse but sorta kinda different fly past him. He was confused. How was she flying? She didn''t have wings! Unless...some animals don''t need wings to fly?


    He saw the sorta-kinda-not-mouse come down on the ground, look back at him, and provocatively shake her tail. He paused, wondering what she was trying to do, and then started running when a speedy lion bug got a lucky bite on his butt.


    The sorta-kinda-not-mouse cackled and slapped her very-big-tail to the ground, launching her into the air. Sothatwas how she flew! With her tail!


    Bo idly wondered ifhistail was able to do the same thing and he slapped it on the ground. Nothing happened. He thought hard as he ran after the sorta-kinda-not-mouse. How was she using her tail to fly?Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    What was it Michi always told him when he was trying to figure something out? Oh, yeah, ''Study it and eventually, you''ll get it. If not, something''ll hit you on the head andthenyou''ll get it.''


    The wisdom of the old fox was so profound!


    So he ran as fast as he could after the sorta-kinda-not-mouse, desperate to see the secret behind its tail-flying. He strained to see every single detail when it landed and then-


    Crash!


    He''d tripped over a rock andslammedhis head into the ground. Dazed, he sat up, wondering what just happened.


    And then it hit him.


    What if he tried jumping super high as he used [Tail Whip] to slap the ground as the sorta-kinda-mouse did? Shaking off his dizziness, he bounded off towards the sorta-kinda-not-mouse, who was still in the lead. He would find the secret to her tail-flying eventually!


    (He, too, had forgotten about the swarm of lion bugs.)


    <hr>


    Meanwhile, a big-brute was watching the whole affair from the sky, his eyes pinned on the little hare and the Lemur Mouse racing across the plains.


    Unknown to Bo, he was called a Lesser Griffon and he was on the verge of evolving to a Greater one. The wingless pests would be putting himjustover the amount needed to evolve.


    His name was Maggard and he was looking for a feast tonight.

 Chapter 9

    Slap-Jump!


    Not yet.


    Slap-Jump!


    Almost.


    Slap-Jump!


    Getting there...


    Slap-Jump-Fly!


    It worked! It worked! He flew...one foot into the air.


    {You have gained the skill ''Tail Leap''. At the cost of 2 MP, the user may jump into the air at an impressive height. Height increases with Proficiency, as does the cost.}


    Frustrated, he tried again, this time putting a bit moreoomphinto the jump. He got another inch into the air. Repeated use got him a tiny bit higher, but he was still nowhere near the height of the sorta-kinda-not-mouse.


    Still, he was happy with his progress. [Tail Leaping] after the sorta-kinda-not-mouse, he cried out: ''I''m flying!''This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    The sorta-kinda-not-mouse glanced back at him and stopped. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Bo grinned at its expression and bounded over to her.


    ''I found your secret!'' he exclaimed. ''I canflynow!''


    The sorta-kinda-not-mouse sputtered: ''I-I...How did you...Spell for Leaper Mice...What?''


    Leaper Mouse...sothat''swhat she''s called!


    Bo wiggled his tail at the Leaper Mouse: ''I figured it out!''


    She stared at him, mouth still agape. Then she took a deep breath and asked: ''How''d you do it?''


    ''I used [Tail Whip] when I jumped! It''s from being [Fox Kin], or so Michi told me.''


    ''Who...Afoxmade you theirkin? Foxeseathares!''


    Bo puffed out his chest defensively and glared at the Leaper Mouse. ''No, they don''t! Michi wouldnevereat me! He just teaches me boring stuff!''


    The mouse''s tail stilled as she thought that over and then she heard the screech. Both hare and Leaper Mouse looked up and saw the big-brute circling overhead.


    She nearly croaked right then and there at the sight while Bo wondered where he had seen the big-brute before. It looked like the one that had chased him and Michi into the burrow! And Michi had told him thatthey were extremely dangerous and were to be avoided at all costs!


    He knew he should leave and run as fast as possible back to the burrow, but the Leaper Mouse was still staring shock-still at the big-brute. So, with a split-second decision, he grabbed her by the back of her neck as Michi often did and ran back the way they came. Of course, it was more of a hobbling run because he had to drag the mouse.


    It was only after he started running that he realized he had no idea which way the burrow was.

 Chapter 10

    ''Michi.''


    ''Brutus.''


    ''What brings you here, old fox?''


    ''...I''m looking for Bo.''


    ''Bo?''


    The black fox scowled up at the Greater Falcon, who was perched lazily in his tree. ''The hare, Brutus. I know you did something.''


    ''I have not seen any hare since Aris...dropped him off.''


    Michi grunted: ''Truly?''


    The falcon nodded and went back to preening his feathers. Sighing, the aging fox turned to walk away until a shrill voice called: ''I know! I know! I know where the hare is!''


    Michi spun around as Brutus made a low growling sound, warning him not to come any closer. But he took a bold step forward and asked: ''Your chick?''


    Brutus eyed him cautiously before reaching up and shoving his head into the far above nest. A little chick with light green hopped onto his head and quickly slid down his back. Brutus hadn''t expected that and tried to catch her, but the chick was too quick and tumbled out of the tree and into Michi''s waiting hands.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    The Greater Falcon hissed at the Fox, but he only gently patted the chick''s wings. ''I caught her, you dimwitted fool. Be still.''


    Brutus stopped hissing but Michi noticed how he shuffled closer on his branch, tense.


    He looked down at the chick and saw it was a she. ''Tell me, girl, where did you see him?''


    ''He...went that way!'' She pointed to the right with her wing.


    ''No!'' A slightly less shrill voice yelled and another dark green head popped out of the nest. ''He went that way!'' The bird, this one was male, pointed to the right.


    ''Wrong!'' The third and final voice called and a bird with even darker green feathers appeared. ''He went that way!'' He pointed to a faraway place behind Michi.


    The fox sighed: ''I see...''


    The chick hopped around in his hands. ''He went to the right, right, right.''


    The second chick started hopping, too. ''He went to the left, left, left.''


    The third chick continued: ''He went behind, hind, hind.''


    Brutus growled: ''Enough. Give me back my daughter, Fox.''


    Michi was about to comply when he heard a familiar cry coming from the sky. ''Ah. It seems Aris has returned.''


    The Greater Falcon sighed: ''Wonderful.''


    ''Good Fox,'' the regal and refined voice of the female Greater Falcon came from above. She landed next to her mate with a graceful woosh and took a moment to check on her babies before bowing her head to Michi. ''What may I help you with?''


    ''I''m looking for the hare you dropped.''


    She cocked her head to the side: ''Oh, I saw it a ways away, near the Eastern Border of the Plains.''


    The boys up in the nest cackled and all three chicks started hopping erratically: ''He went to the right, right, right. We tricked the fox, fox, fox. Ha! He went to the right, right, right. We tricked the...''


    Michi ignored them and handed off the girl to her father. He picked up his staff and set off to the Eastern Border. He wasn''t going to let Bo out for a month after this.

 Chapter 11

    ''Agagaga! We''re gonnadie!''


    Bo ignored the mouse and ran harder; the presence of the big-brute was getting stronger by the second.


    ''Agagaga! This is theend! Ahhhhh!''


    ''Shutup!'' he snapped. Although, with the mouse in his mouth, it came out as: ''Thup uh!'' But he was sure the mouse got the message as she stopped shouting and instead resorted to a pitiful whimpering.


    Bo supposed he should be scared; the big-brute could kill him in an instant, he knew. But he had a mission. He justhadto get back to the burrow before Michi got suspicious and no pathetic Leaper Mouse or screeching big-brute was gonna stop him!


    He used [Tail Leap] to propel himself even further and landed roughly on the ground; the mouse didn''t fare much better. It yelped: ''Are youtryingto kill me? Oh, wait. It doesn''t matter. We''re gonna die anyway! Agagaga!''


    He once again ignored the mouse and used [Tail Leap], but made sure to lift his head when he landed so it didn''t slam into the dirt again. Unfortunately, the impact made him sink his short but growing incisors into the mouse''s body, which started to sag soon after.


    Terrified he had killed the mouse, he dropped her and gently pawed at her limp body. He heard a groan and then a whimper as the mouse turned her wide eyes to him.


    He wondered how he should go about carrying her when he heard awhoosh. Every fiber of his being knew that if he didn''tmove, he was going to die right then and there. In a flash, he yanked the mouse back up andleapedas far and as high as he could. He glanced behind him as he heard the outraged screech and then anotherwoosh. Another mightyleapacross the grass. This time, he didn''t look back andleapedonce again.


    He was covering a lot more ground this way but was burning through his Stamina and Mana twice as fast. He didn''t know how long he could keep this up but he knew he couldn''t stop. Couldn''t stop till he and the mouse were safe. His Proficiency reached 2% just as he ran out of juiceStolen novel; please report.


    His awkward landing knocked the mouse out of his mouth and sent searing pain up his shoulder. It was dislocated! He fell to his side and stayed there, too exhausted to try and move. The mouse ran over to him and gripped him with her tiny paws.


    ''Agagaga! It''s coming! It''scoming!''


    Glancing over at the speeding big-brute, he saw it was running at a furious pace towards them.


    Bo whimpered. He''d barely been alive for a week and now...now his time was coming. He never even got to say goodbye to Michi...


    ''Ow...ow...'' he moaned when the mouse accidentally jarred his injured shoulder. ''I don''t...want to die...''


    The mouse suddenly stopped shaking and looked down at him. The terror was still plainly written all over her face, but now there was something else. Determination.


    ''Hare,'' she said with a surprisingly calm voice, ''what''s your name?''


    ''B-bo.''


    She nodded. ''Mine''s Lima Bean. I''m the youngest daughter of eight and I''ve never been the most motivated to do anything but eat lima beans but...''


    Her grip on Bo tightened and she thrashed her tail against the ground, staring hard at the big-brute. ''That griffinisnotgonna kill us today. Not now and not ever. What do you say, Bo? You with me? You wanna take down a griffin?''


    He snuffled. ''O-okay.''


    ''Good. We''re gonna do this together, as a family.''


    {You have gained the title [Mouse Kin]! +6 Constitution, +3 Dexterity, +3 Perception, +2 Endurance, +2 Intelligence. You have gained the Mouse Proficiencies [Sensitive Whiskers], [Dexterous Legs], [Ultrasonic Communication], [Super Nose], and [Enhanced Cuteness]. You have gained the Magic Affinity for ''Earth''.}


    {For being named [Mouse Kin] by a Leaper Mouse, you have gained the Leaper Mouse base skills, [Tail Leap], [Wind Gust] and [Wind Chop]. You have gained the Magic Affinity for ''Air''.}


    {Because you have already gained [Tail Leap], it has evolved into [Tail Glide]. Mana costs doubled and the partial flight is gained when using this Spell. Due to recent exertion of the Spell, Stamina cost of 2 SP is added.}


    Lima Bean smiled up at him as he slowly got to his feet. With a slightly trembling, but excited chitter, she said: ''You ready?''


    When he nodded, she grabbed a very sharp rock and held it tightly. ''We''re gonna run at the griffin. You''re gonna distract it while I throw this rock at it.''


    Bo thought about that plan and then used [Trickery]. ''Why don''t we just lead it to the lion bugs?''


    Lima Bean was silent for a moment before she said: ''Good idea. I''ll throw this rock and then you run as fast as you can towards the swarm! And hurry!''


    Bo nodded and launched himself away from the griffin. The landing jarred his shoulder a bit, making him wince, but he kept running. Lima Bean kept leaping beside him, ever so often shooting a glance back at their pursuer.


    But he wasn''t worried. They were going tokillthis griffin.


    And Bo couldn''t wait.

 Chapter 12

    Lima Bean didn''t want to admit it, but she knew they were goners. There were no Lion Bug swarms around and the Griffin was getting closer and closer.


    She yelled at Bo, urging him faster but he was out of juice. He was huffing and puffing, though, trying his darndest best to run as hard as he could. And then she heard a very silent woosh and she was yanked out of the air.


    The griffin! He had caught up in an instant, without either of them noticing!


    She cried out and kicked at the Griffin but he only shook her roughly and grunted in annoyance. She saw the predatory gleam in his eyes as he bit down harder. She saw her health bar plummeting down and then-


    Bam!


    She went flying out of the beast''s mouth as something rammed into his head hard. The attack came from Bo!


    The Griffin snarled and turned to face the baby hare. Bo stood his ground although Lima Bean could see his body was trembling from exhaustion and fear.


    She didn''t know what level this Griffin was, but she could sense he was near Evolution. Beasts grew tremendously strong then. They would have to fight all-out but the chances for them winning were low.


    The Griffin pounced on Bo but he darted to the side. His tailshot out and slapped against the beast''s leg. It didn''t do much damage, but Lima Bean felt it would leave a bruise.


    Griffin and Hare went into a game of cat and mouse, with Bo slapping his tail against Griffin''s leg to slow him down. The game wouldn''t last long so Lima Bean decided to intervene. She turned, aimed her tail just as the beast was about to catch Bo, and used [Wind Chop]. Unlike [Wind Gust], where a foe would just be repelled, [Wind Chop] cut into their body, leaving a nasty gash and/or a broken bone if done just right.


    Lima Bean got both! Griffin howled in pain. Bo took that as an opportunity to sink his fangs into the beast''s leg. He howled even louder and batted him to the side but the cost came with a chunk of its leg disappearing into Bo''s mouth.


    The hare grinned savagely at the griffin and mockingly chewed at its leg meat. Lima Bean was just about to tell him to stop playing around when the griffin was on him, slashing at his little body in a flurry of claws and beak.


    Outraged, Lima Bean charged the griffin. With a mighty slap of her tail, she was on its back and biting ferociously at the thick skin that covered him.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The griffin hardly acknowledged her, still tearing at Bo. Desperately, she jumped on his head and took a mean swipe at his eye. Now he noticed her.


    He swiped up with one paw, scratching her face before she could dodge. Her eyes burned as blood dripped into them, blinding her. She tumbled off the griffin and was helpless as it pinned her down with one paw.


    With a sadistic grin on his eagle-like face, he tore one arm off her body and gobbled it up.


    The pain almost made her blackout but she couldn''t. If she fell unconscious now, she''d be dead. A part of her thought that she''d be dead either way, but she ignored it. Shewouldn''t die today.


    Not when there were so many lima beans to eat!


    The griffin had latched on to her ear this time, but Lima Bean drew in a great big breath and used [Torpedo], a Spell she had learned about a year or so ago when a meerkat had dared to steal her lima beans.


    It blew a chunk of the griffin''s head off and he reared back, taking her ear with it. Even more pain she had to fight against. Her health was dangerously low, barely an eighth of her full HP. Her stamina was quickly draining, too, as she forced herself up and away from the griffin. But she couldn''t stop, so she used [Torpedo] again. She got a sick satisfaction when she blew his arm off as he had done to her.


    A flash of movement caught her eyes and she saw blurry shape fly at the griffin. Was that...Bo? She couldn''t see him all that well. She couldn''t seeanything all that well because of what the griffin had done to her eyes, but she could tell that the shape was a very bloodied and bruised hare.


    He latched onto the griffin''s neck and bit down hard. The beast roared and tried to swipe at him, but Lima Bean stopped the blow with another [Torpedo] before using [Wind Chop] on his neck to give aid to the baby hare.


    The beast was teetering from side to side; he wouldn''t be able to hold out much longer. Lima Bean was running out of mana, but she reckoned she had enough for one more burst of [Torpedo]. Before she could use it, the griffin used its stump of an arm to smack Bo up and into the sky.


    He landed with a sickening crunch and didn''t get up again.


    The griffin made a pleased sound before keeling over onto its side. Disgusted and infuriated, Lima Bean used her last [Torpedo] on it, severing its head.


    {You have killed one Level 49, Lesser Griffin. You have gained 536 EXP. You have gained 46% Evolution progress! Evolution can commence!}


    {You have leveled up 23x! Health, Stamina, and Mana fully restored! You have gained 46 attribute points and 23 skill points! All stats increased by 23!}


    {You have gained the title [Griffin Slayer] for killing a Lesser Griffin. +5 to all Stats, +6 to Luck.}


    {You have gained the title [Small but Mighty] for fighting an enemy 3x your level and winning. The skills [Determination] and [Battle Strength] have been granted.}


    {You have gained the perk [Pain Resistance].}


    The plan had failed, Bo was near death, and Lima Bean was missing an arm, part of her ear, and both eyes were partially blind. But the Griffin was dead. They had won.


    She opened her inventory, pulled out some healing paste she''d stolen from her brothers a few weeks ago, slathered it on Bo, and kissed him goodnight.


    Then she settled against his leg and slept.

 Chapter 13

    ''He''s too weak, Michi. You''re coddling him too much.''


    ''He''s barely two weeks old.''


    ''Yes, and most baby hares either die or reach level 1 by his age.''


    ''He''s level15.''


    ''Because he accidentally ran into a Griffin. And he would''ve died if it wasn''t for that Leaper Mouse.''


    Michi sighed. Aris was right. If he didn''t let the kid out to have some experience, he''d be dead when the Time came.


    ''So what do you suggest I do?''


    ''Put him somewhere else. He needs to grow on his own.''


    ''He''s here for areason, Aris. The experiment can''t go on if he''sdead.''


    ''You can always find anewspirit.''


    Michi waved his cane: ''It takes too much mana; I''m limited enough as it is.''


    ''Oh? Is the Time coming already?''If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The fox bared his teeth. ''I''ve got about two months at best.''


    ''Hmm. Others will invade then.''


    ''Hares needeight monthsto grow into adults.''


    ''A pity.''


    ''Can you take him?''


    ''No. Those three are enough as they are and I fear to leave him with Brutus. And besides, he does not have wings. That in and of itself is...less than spectacular. Can''t you go find a kestrel and give him wings?''


    ''Perhaps...''


    As the two discussed their options, a little mouse was peeking out of a nearby hole in the ground, listening to their every word. She didn''t understand much, but she knew they were up to something sneaky. Whyelsewould a fox and a falcon keep a hare around?


    Nothing made sense, but she was going to try her darned best to figure it out. Her whiskers twitched as she send a light movement coming from her left. She could see a blurry figure hopping closer.


    It was one of the baby chicks.


    ''M-miss Mouse?''


    Lima Bean looked over at the chicks. Squinting, she couldjustabout make outs grey, blurry face. It was the smallest of the three, the female. ''Whaddya want? Can''t you see I''m trying to spy?''


    ''O-on M-momma and the F-fox?''


    Her voice was too loud! The mouse shushed her and pulled her into the hole. She silenced the chick''s protest with a paw to the beak. ''Quiet! They might hear us!''


    ''O-oh. Are t-they talking a-about B-bo?''


    ''Yeah.''


    ''O-oh. Is h-he going t-to be a-alright?''


    ''Maybe.''


    ''O-oh. You d-don''t know?''


    ''The fox did some magic on him. He''ll be alright.''


    ''O-oh. Can I-I go s-see him?''


    Lime Bean shrugged. ''Knock yourself out. But don''t bother him; the fox says he needs plenty of rest.''


    ''O-oh. O-okay!''


    She hopped away, down into the burrow below. Lima Bean went back to listening on the suspicious predators'' conversation, only to realize they were right in front of her, staring down.


    ''Mouse,'' the fox said, ''we need to talk.''

 Chapter 14

    [Edited as of 10/29/2019]


    ''Uh...um...okay?''


    The fox grunted and pulled her easily out of the hole. ''Do you have a Name?''


    ''Um...Lima Bean?''


    ''You sound uncertain,'' the falcon mused. ''Is it not a true Name?''


    ''I-it''s something my family used to call me...''


    The fox grunted again: ''Lima Bean isn''t a proper Name. Hmm...How about...Dory?''


    Lima Bean felt his power roll over her and she shuddered. It tried to work on her, but she resisted.No, she thought.My name isLima Bean! Not Dory! Lima Bean! Lima Bean! Lima Bean! Lima Bean! Lima Bean! Lima Bean! Lima Bean!


    She chanted her name over and over again, pushing back the fox''s magic.Lima Bean! Lima Bean! Lima Bean!The fox frowned and pressed her harder, trying to force his will onto her.


    She squeezed her eyes shut and chanted louder.LIMA BEAN! LIMA BEAN! LIMA BEAN!LIMA BEAN!


    {Congratulations! You have rejected the will of a being 256,476 levels higher than you! +500 to Intelligence, +450 to Wisdom, +100 to Luck! Skill [Mental Resistance] learned! Unique Trait [Unwavering Will] granted!}The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    {Congratulations! You are the first Leaper Mouse to name yourself! The name ''Lima Bean'' has been granted to the [Adolescant] Leaper Mouse! +5 to all Stats! Title [Pathmaker] granted!}


    {Congratulations! For being exposed to an abundant load of mana, you gained the skill [Mana Sense]! +2 to Intelligence, +3 to Wisdom!}


    She already felt the effects of her Stat boost rushing over her. Her mind felt clearer, her muscles stronger, her body denser. She felt a bit bigger, too. Everything feltbetter. Unfortunately, nothing managed to fix her blurred, colorless sight.


    The fox dropped her and said with a snarl: ''How does a level 30 Leaper Mouse rejectmywill?''


    The falcon cackled: ''The Great Fox was rejected! Ahahaha! By a littlemouse! Ahahaha! Wonderful!Wonderful!''


    ''If she''s not going to listen to me, it''d be too much of a danger to keep her around...''


    Hearing that, Lima Bean slowly backed up towards the hole. She sensed the fox getting ready to pounce and shebolteddown the hole and into the burrow. The fox followed mere inches behind her tail.


    When she reached the burrow, she ran over to Bo''s sleeping body and jumped over his body. Although she was bigger than him, she could still use him as a proper shield against the raging fox.


    ''Why you little-''


    ''Ugh...my head hurts...''


    Both the Fox and the Leaper Mouse stopped at the voice of the young hare. Lima Bean slowly peeked out from behind him to see him pressing his paws against his long, long ears.


    Then he opened his eyes and yelped. ''Woah! Cool! I leveled up a bunch!'' He looked at Lima Bean who was still staring at him curiously. ''Hi, Lima Bean! I leveled up a bunch!''


    ''...''


    He pulled away from here and jumped at the fox, who caught him with slowed reflexes. ''Hi, Michi! I leveled up a bunch!''


    ''O-okay, Bo. Just...settle down and tell me what you got.''


    Bo grinned and said: ''I got alot!''

 Chapter 15

    Character Sheet


    Name: Bo Foxhare | Race: Brown Hare (Leveret) | Sex: Male


    Evolution: 34% | Level: 16(67%)


    Class: None | Magic Affinity: Mental, Earth, Air


    Species Traits: Adaptive, Agrarian, Rapid Breeders, Enhanced Memory


    Unique Trait: Communal, Determination, Loyal


    Title: Fox Kin, Mouse Kin (+6 Constitution, +3 Dexterity, +3 Perception, +2 Endurance, +2 Intelligence), Griffin Slayer (+5 to all Stats; +6 to Luck), Survivor (+5 to all Stats, gain skill Survivor''s Instincts)


    Attributes(15 AP)


    Strength: 7¡ú33 (+26 ) | Constitution: 6¡ú38 (+32)


    Endurance: 8¡ú35 (+27) | Dexterity: 10¡ú39 (+29)


    Intelligence: 6¡ú33 (+27) | Wisdom: 6¡ú32 (+26)


    Perception: 11¡ú39 (+28) | Luck: 12¡ú39 (+27)


    Health: 380/380 | HP Regen: 35/min


    Stamina: 330/330 | Sp Regen: 35/min


    Mana: 330/330 | MP Regen: 32/min


    Proficiencies


    Skills: Hare Boxing (0%), Pounce (4%), Tail Whip (2%), Math: Basic (5%), Language: Foxen (14%),Ultrasonic Communication (0%)


    Spells: Avoid Detection (0%), Mana Manipulation (4%) Wind Gust (0%), Wind Chop (0%), Tail Leap¡úTail Glide (0%)


    (15 PP) Perks: Enhanced Hearing I, Night Eyes I, Panoramic Vision I, Trickery I, Sensitive Whiskers I, Super Nose I, Enhanced Cuteness I, Dexterous Legs I, Survivor''s Instincts I


    <hr>


    ''That is a lot, Bo,'' Michi grunted, looking over his Status. ''We''ll have to spend your points later.''Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ''Cool, right? It''s cool?''


    ''...Yes.''


    Bo leaped out of his arms and onto the furs, next to the Leaper Mouse. ''Lima Bean! Do you think my Status is cool?''


    ''Um-Gah!''


    The baby hare had projected his Status into her mind without warning, making her recoil in shock. ''Bo! Don''tdothat!''


    He flattened his ears against his hand and frowned. ''Sorry...''


    Lima Bean saw his downcast expression and sighed. Limping over to him (walking on three legs is hard), she patted his cute little nose and told him: ''I think your Status is super cool, Bo.''


    He immediately brightened at her praise and gave her a friendly head bump. But she was caught off guard again and sent tumbling down onto the bed of furs. Groaning, she slowly picked herself up and muttered: ''I forgot how lively babies are...How does he pack all that energy in such a small body?''


    Bo didn''t hear her complaints so he waltzed around the burrow, singing about howsuper coolLima Bean thought his status was. Suddenly, he spotted a familiar bird hiding up on Michi''s desk.


    ''Hey! You''re a falcon!'' he shouted, leaping up onto the desk chair. The chick flinched before slowly hopping towards the baby hare. ''H-hi,'' it chirped.


    ''Hi! My name''s Bo! What''s yours?''


    ''I d-don''t have one...''


    ''What? You don''t have a name? That''s soweird. Michi gave memyname. It''s Bo.''


    ''I-I know. You t-told me...''


    ''I did? Oh, yeah. Why don''t you have a name?''


    The bird shrugged. ''Michi hasn''t g-gotten around t-to it yet...''


    ''Really?''


    Unprovoked, Bo shoved his face into the birds, his wide eyes staring deeply into her beady ones. ''Your eyes are brown! My eyes are brown, too! At least, that''s what Michi told me. Hey, your eyes look like twigs! Have you ever seen a twig before?''


    The bird hesitated before nodding and hopping back a bit. ''Y-yeah.''


    ''Really? Twigs are so cool! Michi said his staff is made out of twigs...or something. I don''t remember. Or, wait, Idoremember! It''s made out of tree bark! A really special tree bark! Anyway, why don''t I call you Twigs? Since your eyes are like twigs.''


    ''H-huh? Y-you''re gonna name me?''


    ''Uh, sure? Twigs sounds cool! Cuz your eyes are like twigs. Now that I think about it,myeyes are like twigs...But I can''t call myself Twigs cuz my name''s already Bo. Anyway, you''reTwigsnow.''


    The bird shuddered and a notification popped up in front of Bo''s face.


    {You have successfully named a Lesser Falcon (Chick)! She is now called ''Twigs''! Your relationship status with Twigs has moved up from Strangers to Acquaintances.}


    Bo stared at the screen with a gaping maw and eyes as round as saucers. ''Wow! We''reacquaintancesnow!''


    Twigs gave him a shy smile. ''Y-yeah.''


    Suddenly, there was a screech.''Michi! Why did that hare just name my daughter without my permission!?''


    Michi spun around, the top of his staff blazing with light. ''Bo!''


    The baby hare gave him a toothy grin before darting up and out of the burrow, laughing his head off.

 Chapter 16

    ''Apologize.''


    ''I''m sorry Mrs. Aris.''


    ''For?''


    ''For naming Twigs without your permission.''


    ''Good.''


    Michi let Bo hop onto the ground and lick his wounds-minor burns from his Spell [Spark]-and turned to Aris. The Greater Falcon still looked furious as she checked over her daughter, who was whining about how unfair she was being.


    ''I''m sorry, Aris. I''ll try and keep him from naming the boys, too.''


    The falcon harrumphed. ''It wouldn''t havehappenedif you''dgotten aroundto doing yourjobalready!''


    ''I was busy!''


    ''You were-Brutus! Don''t let the boys fall!''


    The male Greater Falcon was entertaining himself by watching his mate chew out the Fox. At her cry, his head snapped up to see the boys tumbling out of the tree. He lunged off of his branch and snapped his claws down at them. He missed by a hair and the boys wentdown.


    Luckily, there happened to be something small and soft waiting to catch them. Bo.


    ''Wow!'' the little hare called. ''You, um,GreenieandChase! That was so cool!''


    ''MICHI!!!!!!''


    <hr>


    ''You have three lima beans. I have ten. How much more do I have?''


    ''...Two.''


    ''No. Try again.''


    ''...Three.''


    ''No. Try again.''Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ''...Four.''


    ''Bo, comeon. This isyourpunishment for naming the boys!''


    ''It wasn''tmyfault! I don''twannado this!''


    ''Stop acting like a child!'' Lima Bean snapped. Then she considered and said: ''Stop whining.''


    ''No! I don''twannado the math! I don''twannado the math! I don''twannado the math-''


    ''If you stop, I''ll convince the fox to let you have averyshort break.''


    Bo eyed the tiny mouse. ''How short?''


    ''Five minutes.''


    ''I don''t-''


    ''Fine!Tenminutes!''


    Bo shut up and looked at her expectantly. Lima Bean gulped. ''I-I''m not gonna do itnow. We still have to do this problem-''


    ''Yousaid that ifIstoppedyouwould convinceMichito givemeaten. Minute. Break.''


    Lima Bean sighed. She''d been living with the fox and Bo for a week now and Michi had given her the task of teaching Bo math, which he hated even more than reading. As she said before, this was the punishment he got for giving the boy chicks Names. Aris had wanted to thrash him, but Michi assured her that this was the better punishment.


    And it was. Bo would ratherdiethan raise his [Math: Basic] proficiency.


    He was smart for a baby hare, especially because he''s a little over three weeks old. But he didn''t want to use his smarts forlearning. He wanted to go out and havefun. Especially because Greenie, Chase, and Twig often snuck down and told him what was happening out in therealworld.


    Chase, the oldest of the three, assured the hare he wasn''t missing anything special, but Greenie¨Dthe middle chick¨Doften overplayed the stuff they did outside. He claimed they sawhugemonsters and speedy little things that kinda looked like Michi, but were red and orange. Twig just said she wanted to play with him, but the burrow was too claustrophobic.


    Naturally, Bo wasextremelyupset he couldn''t play with his new acquaintances, but Michi refused to relieve him of his sentence, no matter how much begging and kowtowing the baby hare did.


    ''I''ll do it,'' Lima Bean sighed, ''afteryou finish the problem.''


    Bo closed his eyes, thinking, before saying: ''Seven!''


    ''Good. I''ll...go talk to the fox.''


    Bo grinned at her and despite how utterlyadorablehe looked, it didn''t cheer her up in the slightest. No matter how long she stayed in the burrow or how much she taught Bo, the fox despised her ever since she had rejected his Name.


    She didn''t care. Why would a Leaper Mouse have such a stupid name likeDory?


    But now, she had toconvincethe fox todosomething. It was going to be tough, but she had the trait [Determination]. She could do this.


    Steeling herself, she had Bo lead her to the entrance of the foxhole and walked out.

 Chapter 17

    Michi glared down at ''Lima Bean''. The mouse had thenerveto come up to him and ask him something. After she had rejected the gift of being Named byhim, the Great Fox of the Falcon Plains? Was she crazy?


    He snapped at her: ''Why aren''t you with Bo?''


    The Leaper Mouse shifted, not quite willing to look him in the eyes. ''He wants a break.''


    Michi snorted. ''So?''


    ''...Socan you let him, I dunno, run around for ten minutes?''


    He leaned forward and gave her a threatening look. Gripping his staff, he hit it roughly on the ground with each word: ''He''s on punishment,mouse.''


    Her shoulders tensed under his piercing gaze but she raised her head and met his eyes. ''He''s ababy, fox. He needs to-to let out all that energy. You can''t keep him cooped up in the burrow!''


    ''I have, I can, and I will.''


    ''But-''


    ''He''ll be fine. Just go back and continue teaching him. By the time his punishment is over, I want his [Math: Basic] proficiency to be at least 15%.Otherwise,his sentence might be...extended.''Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    The fox watched her grimace and a slow, satisfied smirk spread over his face. He didn''t like her; the only reason she was here was that she was good at keeping Bo calmandtook the burden of teaching the baby hare math. That last part was forced but she did a pretty good job anyway.


    So Michi waved a dismissive hand in her direction and went back to working on his skill book.


    To his annoyance, the mouse refused to give up and scuttled up dangerously close to him.


    With an intense frown, she said: ''Look, I get that you don''t think it''s a big deal, butyouaren''t the one stuck in the burrow with him every day! He complains constantly about not being let out and-''


    ''Not my problem, mouse.''


    ''Itisyour problem! You took him in for whatever reason so you should take responsibility for him!''


    Michi growled down at the mouse, his eyes flashing. ''Who areyouto tell me what I should and shouldn''t do? Do you think killing a Lesser Griffin makes you tough? You''re nothing but a level 30 Leaper Mouse. I''ve been guarding these plains for a century and a half! What''ve you done, huh?''


    Lima Bean stayed quiet, but she wrapping her tail tightly against her leg to refrain from snapping out against the fox. Why did her elders always think levels mattered for every little thing? Just because she wasn''t overly strong didn''t mean her opinion was worthless!


    ''Get back in the burrow and resume teaching Bo.''


    Without another word, she slowly stood up and stalked back to the hole. She feigned the act of being defeated, but in her mind, a plan was already forming in her head.

 Chapter 18

    [Digging]. It was a simple skill to learn. Most mammals who lived in burrows knew the skill. And while Lima Bean wasn''t sure hares lived in burrows, she was sure Bo could learn the skill.


    Hares had the trait [Adaptive] after all.


    The plan was for Bo to dig a tunnel on the other side of the burrow, preferably far enough away from the fox so he wouldn''t notice. There, he could escape and have some fun.


    ''Huh? You want me to...not listen to Michi?''


    ''You want that break right?''


    ''Yeah but...Michi always said if I didn''t listen, bad stuff would happen!''


    ''You can''t always listen to Michi...Sometimes, he isn''t always right.''


    ''But-''


    ''And besides, he hasn''t even taught you anything interesting yet! Have you learned any tricks from your status from him?''


    ''Uh...no.''


    ''Well, I know a bunch of tricks! For instance, you can make your status shorter.''


    The leveret looked indignant at her words. He thought that having a long status was cool. ''Why would I wanna do that?''


    Fortunately, Lima Bean knew how Bo thought about his status. It was important to get him on her side for this rebellion could work. She clicked her tongue and bumped him on the nose. ''Silly hare! Don''t you know that the less cluttered your status looks, the cooler you are?''This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    His eyes lit up at that. ''Really?''


    Lima Bean chuckled to herself. Babies are so easy. Reminds me of Brownie a little bit. A pang went through her chest when she thought about her little cousin. She hadn''t seen her family in a long time, but she feared that if she left the burrow, the fox might come after her. She didn''t want to lead him to an even larger feast. If by ''sacrificing'' her freedom she kept her family safe, she''d do it a thousand times more.


    She pushed those gruesome thoughts away and refocused on the task at hand. ''Yup! You just need to open your status and think of condensing your Character Sheet, Stats, and Abilities so only the captions show.''


    Bo nodded and started to concentrate. Seeing the way his face scrunched up in thought, anyone would have thought he looked adorable. Lima Bean did, too, but she kinda thought he looked constipated. She glanced at his rear end, idly wondering if something would come out. Fortunately, nothing did.


    And then Bo shuddered and his ears shot straight up. ''Wow! It worked! Lima Bean, this is so cool!


    ''So, did you do what I told you?''


    ''Uh...no.'' His ears flattened against his head in embarrassment. ''I got distracted when I saw my points and so I started to use them...''


    She rolled her eyes. He was so easily distracted she wondered how Michi got anything done before she came here. But then she thought back to the fox''s and the falcon''s conversation...


    ''Hey, Bo?''


    ''Yeah?''


    ''Do you remember your mom?''


    Silence.


    Lima Bean turned to find him staring at the ground, an odd expression on his face. ''You''ve never met her before? Where were you when you Awakened?''


    ''...I was flying.''


    ''Flying? How?''


    He perked up at her question, thrilled to be away from that topic. ''Yeah! I woke up and then the brute-no, Brutus was carrying me in the sky! It felt like I was flying!''


    ''Huh...okay. Weird. Anyway, you wanna dig that tunnel now?''


    ''Michi might be upset...''


    ''I''ll take you to see some super cool bugs.''


    He grinned. ''Okay!''


    Once again, Lima Bean thought to herself, Babies are so easy.

 Chapter 19

    Bo used the skill [Crouch] as he eyed the Dry Toad. It was a bit smaller than Lima Bean and was covered in oddly shaped brown spots. He remembered from his lessons that the Dry Toad was a type of amphibian that thrived in dry environments, hence its name.


    This was the third time Bo had used the secret tunnel to sneak out of the burrow and the second time he had seen a Dry Toad. He had thought about hunting it the first time he''d seen it, but he was curious about the thing when he saw it fearlessly take on a hoard of Lion Bugs, its tongue shooting out and catching 4 to 5 bugs each time.


    It was cool! He wanted whatever skill that was!


    So he''d taken to following whatever Dry Toad he stumbled across. Along the way, he''d gained proficiencies in [Sneak], [Crouch], and [Observation].


    The first two skills were self-explanatory, but the third was special. When he used it, whatever he was [Observing] would give him extra information and increase his understanding of it. He tried using it when the toad used his tongue skill, but it hadn''t worked. Luckily, Bo wasn''t one to give up so easily, so he constantly used the skill, hoping to raise its proficiency enough so it would work on the toad.


    He didn''t have much time before he had to run back to the burrow, but he would squeeze every bit of time he could watching the toad. If he could learn how to take out those fiendish bugs, he''d be invincible!


    Currently, the toad was engaged with a very large horde; there was an upwards of maybe 150 or so bugs attacking it. But like the first time Bo had watched the toad, it didn''t seem bothered by the outrageous numbers.


    Bo was just about to use [Observation] on the toad''s skill when something light landed on his back. ''Hi, B-bo!''


    He recognized the familiar stuttering, immediately associating it with Twig, who''d been upgraded from Acquaintance to Friend.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ''Oh! Hi, Twig!''


    ''W-what are y-you doing?''


    ''Watching a toad fight some Lion Bugs.''


    ''Wow! T-that''s a b-big swarm!''


    ''Yeah! But the toad is taking it on like its nothing! You see the skill it''s using?''


    ''I-I t-think it''s c-called [Tongue Stretch].''


    ''Really?''


    ''Yeah. M-my dad s-said only Toads o-or Frogs have it.''


    ''Aww, man! I want that skill!''


    ''Y-you''d have to b-become [Toad Kin], then.'' He heard Twig make a disgusted sound. ''Do you wanna be kin with a Toad?''


    ''Yeah! I''d get the skill! Plus, they can hop super far!''


    ''H-hares don''t h-hop, Bo. T-they leap and l-leaping is better t-than hopping.''


    ''Still,'' Bo insisted, ''Toads are cool. And besides, when you''re practicing flying, don''t those bugs get annoying?''


    ''W-well...''


    ''If you had [Tongue Stretch], you could easily catch the bugs flying into you!''


    ''I-it''s m-more like I f-fall into them...But a-anyway, Mom says I-I''ll be able to f-fly in no time, s-so it w-won''t be a p-problem anymore!''


    ''Sure.''


    He shifted so he could look at Twig. It hurt his neck so he politely asked her to get off. She hopped off and faced him. ''Have you made any progress?''


    ''N-no...M-mom says my wing j-just need to g-get a bit bigger.''


    Bo studied her, observing her deformed left wing. Of course, neither of them knew the word ''deformed'' so they naturally assumed it was just growing slower than the right-wing.


    At least, that was the hope.


    The baby hare gave the chick a friendly nudge. ''It''ll happen in no time!''


    Twig smiled at him. ''Thanks!''


    ''So, when that Toad finishes its business, you wanna become [Toad Kin] with me?''


    ''I dunno...I-it might h-hostile. Remember w-what Lima B-bean said? N-not all animals will b-be f-friendly.''


    ''Yeah, but if we''re nice to him, he should be nice to us, right?''


    ''Um...I think so.''


    ''Alright! Let''s do it!''


    ''But...d-don''t you h-have to g-get back to the b-burrow?''


    ''Aww, man! Is it time already?''


    ''You really s-should get the c-clock system L-Lima B-bean told u-us about.''


    ''I know, I know...Guess we''ll have to do it tomorrow...You wanna race back to the burrow?''


    ''N-no w-way! You''re t-too fast!''


    Bo gave her a cheeky grin before running off. He was about 6 yards away when he heard Twig scream. He spun around to see a Coyote attacking her!


    With an enraged battle cry, he charged the beast. He''d help to kill a Lesser Griffin. A Coyote was nothing!


    To battle! he thought, his eyes blazing with anger.

 Chapter 20

    The coyote saw the baby hare charging toward him and smiled. Gil had found and eaten many hares. They had posed little threat to him and were easy to finish off, even if they gave quite the chase.


    And now one was running right toward him?


    Easy pickings, he thought, batting away the squawking falcon chick. Chicks were good but their feathers were a nuisance. He''d save it for later once he was done with the hare.


    He sat back on his haunches, ready to pounce on the hare once it got close. This thing is stupid...And why is it screaming like that? Ugh. Whatever. Let''s shut it up-huh?!


    Gil was just about to snag the hare in his paws when it jerked mid-run. He caught nothing! And then the hare had the nerve to stand and slam one paw into his face.


    Growling, Gil swiped at it but the hare just dodged again, running to his blind spot before punching him again. No matter where Gil turned, the hare was always behind him, punching and dodging with ease.


    When had a hare ever fought back like this? And why was it not running?


    Gil didn''t understand and he didn''t particularly care. All he knew was that once this gosh-darned leveret was tired, he would end it for toying with him.


    An idea hit him when the hare darted behind him once again. If he could just kick it...Gotcha!


    His back paw crashed into the hare''s stomach, flinging it backward. With a predatory grin, Gil ran over to it. The hare was wheezing and clutching its stomach. The kick must''ve done some serious damage.


    I should kick more often, Gil mused as pressed his paw against the baby hare. He noted that it was smaller than usual, a little more than three-fourths the size of a regular-sized leveret. It didn''t matter to him; he''d eat and be on his way.


    He leaned down to seize its neck in his mouth when he heard a shrill battle-cry and then: ''Get away from him!''


    Peck! Peck! Peck! Peck! Peck! Peck! Peck!


    ''Gah!'' Gil cried out, using his tail to smack away whatever was pecking at him. There was an ''oof'' and then a thump. He turned to see the chick slowly righting itself before facing him with an intense glare.


    ''Y-you won''t h-hurt m-my friend!'' it cried. She cried, Gil corrected himself. It wouldn''t do well to misgender a fellow animal, even if they were prey. With that in mind, he glanced back at the hare. Ah. It''s male.


    He watched in vague amusement as the hare struggled to his feet, standing on his hind legs before falling back to his hind legs. Panting, he called out: ''Twig! You''ve gotta run!''


    ''I c-can help! I''ve g-got a-a strong p-peck!''


    ''Yeah, but Michi will be mad at me if something happens to you?''If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Gil paused. Did the hare just say Michi? As in, the Great Fox of the Falcon Plains? The One who Names? The Guardian? The Devastating Black Tide? The sly fox who''s been around his Ma''s den way too many times for them to be considered ''just friends''? That Michi?


    Gil shook himself out of his thoughts. The babies were still bickering about whether or not the chick called ''Twig'' should stay or not.


    ''Children'', he said in the most regal voice he could pull off. ''You know Michi?''


    The hare''s ears twitched as he looked at Gil. ''You know Michi?''


    ''Why of course I do!'' Gil gushed. ''He''s my Ma''s-er, well, I probably shouldn''t say this in front of children...Ahem, I''ve known him ever since I was a child. He Named me himself!''


    Shuffling his feet, the hare glanced at Twig, who glanced at him. After a second, they both nodded before the hare spoke up again. ''Okay. We believe you.''


    Gil blinked. Just like that? He wasn''t lying but...they just accepted his story without a second thought? Interesting, he thought. They''ve already forgotten about the fight...Well, since they''re Michi''s, I won''t hurt them any further.


    ''Might I ask what such younglings are doing out and about in the Falcon Plains? It''s quite dangerous.''


    The hare puffed out his chest. ''I''m strong! I helped Lima Bean kill a griffin?''


    ''Did you now...'' He had an inkling about who this ''Lima Bean'' was, but he doubted the Leaper Mouse had killed a griffin. All she ever cared about was eating lima beans. It was an unhealthy obsession, but the few times he''d mentioned it, he got a [Wind Gust] to the face.


    ''So, again, what are you doing out here? Far away from Michi''s foxhole...''


    ''Oh! I''m gonna try to become Toad kin!''


    Twig groaned. ''B-but toads a-are disgusting!''


    The hare ignored her. ''I was gonna befriend that toad over there and see if he would grant me the title, but then you came along and-''


    ''What toad?'' Gil hurriedly interrupted.


    ''What do you mean-Oh, no! The toad''s gone! Aw, man! I''ll never get that tongue skill!''


    ''It d-doesn''t matter,'' Twig chided. ''W-we''ve got t-to go back n-now, Bo. It''s a-almost time!'' She started hop-running in the direction Gil remembered Michi''s foxhole was in.


    Bo grumbled as he ran after her. ''See you later, Mr. Coyote.''


    ''Hmm...Bye.''


    Gil watched them go, the abnormally small hare and the disabled falcon. Interesting duo. Well, I should go find something to eat since I just lost my meal...Ooh, some lima beans! I''ll make a note to give some to that insufferable mouse the next time I see her...


    <hr>


    Sydney opened her eyes to find herself in...a dungeon cell?


    Musty air, manacles on my wrists, low lightning, cell bars...yup. A dungeon.


    She sighed. She couldn''t even die in peace? I guess truck-kun''s magic was too strong...Oh? I hear something...


    Turning her head, she saw a familiar form stirring next to her. "Marco?"


    The boy''s eyes popped open. "Oh, hey, Syd. You''ve been out for a while."


    "When''d you get here?"


    "Little over an hour."


    "Me?"


    "''Bout thirty minutes."


    "Cool."


    "Yeah. Oh, and there''s a girl over there. Don''t know her name, though."


    Sydney looked over and saw the girl he was talking about. She noticed that the girl also had manacles on her feet and chains pressing against her stomach.


    "She doesn''t look familiar to me either. Hey, shouldn''t we be freaking out or something?"


    "Oh, I did already. Just give your brain time to adjust."


    Sydney was confused for a moment before the gravity of their situation really hit her: she had died, been reincarnated, and was now locked up in a dungeon for no apparent reason. She had died. And she was only 17! This-this was an outrage! She was too young to die! She couldn''t be-


    "Alright, I think that''s enough now. Don''t want the guards coming back because you started hyperventilating or something. They''re jerks. Plus, I saw one of them eyeing you in a pretty disgusting way."


    Sydney took a deep breath of the dry air. "We''re dead."


    "Yup. Or, well, we were dead."


    "Okay. I think...I''m gonna go back to sleep now..."


    "You do that, Syd."


    Without another word, Sydney Greenburg passed out.

 Chapter 21

    Bo trembled underneath the rage-filled gaze of Lima Bean. He loved and respected the older girl for all that she had done for him, but fear was also a part of that relationship.


    It wasn''t new; Bo had made Lima Bean plenty angry in the days after she started living in the burrow. But this kind of anger? No, this was not something he had seen before.


    ''What did I tell you, Bo?"


    ''T-to be b-back in ten minutes...''


    ''And why did you take thirteen minutes to get back?''


    ''...I got distracted.''


    ''Doing what?''


    ''...''


    ''Answer me, Bo Foxhare!''


    He flinched. No one ever used his full name-not even Michi!


    ''Twigs and I-''


    ''What? Twigs was there?''


    ''Um...no?''


    The bonfire that was Lima Bean''s eyes grew even hotter and Bo felt like he was being cooked alive under her piercing glare. ''I-I mean yes! She was there! A-and we fought a coyote-''Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ''You what?''


    Bo whimpered in fear. He had never seen Lima Bean like this. Normally, when he made her mad, she''d have him do math problems without rest for thirty minutes. Would she make him go an hour this time? Two? Maybe...she''d even make him read a fox romance story he''d seen Michi tuck away in the bookcase?


    Fortunately for him, Lima Bean did none of that. She flopped down on their shared furs and sighed. ''That''s way too dangerous, Bo. You shouldn''t have done that.''


    ''We fought the griffin, though!''


    ''Yeah, we did, and we just barely survived. We probably would''ve died if Michi hadn''t found us.''


    ''But-''


    ''No buts, Bo,'' she interrupted. Then she sighed again. ''You''re always getting yourself in trouble...I thought letting you take those breaks would help you but...''


    Bo shot up when heard that. He stared suspiciously at Lima Bean and said: ''But what?''


    ''But...I think you''re not going to have any more breaks for a while.''


    ''What? But you said-''


    ''I know what I said, Bo, but it''s too dangerous for you out there. You even brought Twigs into your messes and she can''t even fly-''


    She cut herself off but it was too late. He''d already heard the words come out.


    ''What do you mean Twigs can''t fly? Her wing just hasn''t had enough time to grow! That''s what Aunt Aris said anyway.''


    ''Um...nothing. Nevermind. I don''t know anything about birds anyway.''


    She looked away guiltily. ''But I''m not changing my mind about the breaks. You can''t be trusted to keep yourself safe-''


    ''But Lima Bean!''


    ''No!''


    ''But I am safe! And Twigs was alright, too! And-''


    She slammed her fist into the furs, scaring the baby hare.


    ''Enough, Bo! I said no more!''


    Tears in his eyes, he ran out of the burrow through his secret entrance.


    ''Bo!'' Lima Bean tried to run after him, but a mouse was no match for the little hare. His legs were built for speed.


    And so he ran...and ran and ran until he could run no longer.

 Chapter 22

    Bo came back, of course. He''d stayed away for about a day before he couldn''t stand the loneliness any longer and wandered back home.


    Michi grunted when he saw the baby hare. ''Figured you come back soon.''


    Bo just shrugged, making Michi frown. ''What''s got your fur up in a knot, huh?''


    ''...Lima Bean yelled at me.''


    Another grunt. ''Ever since you disappeared she''s been all over herself, crying about how she never meant to take it so far and how she was never suited for this kind of role and she was acting like a...bad word because of a lima bean deficiency and a whole bunch of other nonsense. Kid''s barely a year and she''s already having a midlife crisis. It''s why I don''t like dealing with mice. They''re so dramatic.''


    ''Oh...''Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ''Anyway, you''d better go down and see her. She''s been outta her mind lately with worry.''


    Normally, Bo wouldn''t have passed up the chance to go see Lima Bean, but he hesitated now. A lima bean deficiency sounded bad. What if she went into another episode and yelled at him again? Bo began shaking just thinking about it.


    Michi frowned again and pulled the baby hare closer. ''Look, Bo, she''s just a bit...stressed. She didn''t mean to be so scary. Just go see her, alright?''


    With a little nudging and a delightful scratch behind the ears, Michi finally convinced him to go down in the hole. The old fox smiled and watched him go before he was suddenly taken by a harsh coughing fit. Looking down at his fist, he saw splatters of blood covering his fur. Grimacing, he wiped his fist in the dirt and went to go find his special medicine.


    <hr>


    ''So...you forgive me?''


    Bo nodded, then remembered Lima Bean couldn''t see well and said: ''Yeah!''


    She sighed and gave him a weary smile. ''I''m glad. I got scared when you ran off like that...I didn''t know if you''d come back...''


    Bo puffed out his chest. ''I''ll always come back! I''m practically invincible!'' His superhero charade came to an end when his belly rumbled loudly.


    Lima Bean giggled. ''We should get you some food, huh?''''


    He smiled. ''Yeah.''

 Chapter 23

    Lima Bean was rudely pulled from her sleep by a large hand yanking her away from Bo. She complained about losing her soft and small pillow until she realized it was the fox. Then she complained harder.


    ''Shut it, mouse,'' the fox snapped. ''We''re going to be busy today.''


    She curiously stared up at him. The fox never used her for anything besides teaching Bo, who was currently asleep. In one terrifying moment, she feared he might force her to create lesson plans. Not that she knew what they were, but they sounded terrible.


    ''I''m gonna start teaching you magic,'' he said, climbing up the entrance to the surface.


    ''Magic? But...why?''


    ''Why? So you won''t be a drain on resources!''


    ''I-I teach Bo!''


    The fox snorted. ''Are you protesting using magic? The greatest tool in the universe?''


    ''Well, no...But there used to be a mouse mage when I was a pup and he was a bit...odd.''


    ''Aye. We mages are a bit odd; it comes with learning the arcane arts. It, uh, warps our minds a little, you could say.''


    Lima Bean twisted in his firm grace, a horrified expression on her face. ''Then why would I become one?''


    ''Like I told you: to stop being a drain on resources. You don''t think I couldn''t teach Bo myself?''


    ''Then why don''t you?''


    ''I''m lazy,'' he admitted. ''Training that darned leveret is draining what little energy my old body has left! He needs something better...So I chose you. And since you''re already halfway there, I might as well teach you some things that you can pass on to Bo.''If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Then his voice turned low and gravelly as he stared up at the sky. ''Besides, he''s gonna need some extra protection when the Time comes...''


    ''Eh? Just how old are you, fox?''


    He gave her a rough shake, returning to his old self. ''Old enough to not be given any lip from rowdy youngsters. Now, I''m going to talk and you''re gonna listen, do you understand ?''


    ''Yes, sir,'' Lima Bean grumbled.


    ''Show me your stats, mouse.''


    Lima Bean complied:


    <hr>


    Character Sheet


    Stats


    Strength: 41 | Constitution: 47


    Endurance: 46 | Dexterity: 53


    Intelligence: 867 | Wisdom: 814


    Perception: 54 | Luck: 463


    Health: 470/470 | HP Regen: 46/min


    Stamina: 410/410 | SP Regen: 46/Min


    Mana: 8,670/8760 | MP Regen: 8,140


    Abilities


    <hr>


    The fox recoiled. ''How come a level 30 Leaper Mouse has such high Intelligence and Wisdom?''


    ''I got the stat boosts from when you tried to force your will on me.'' Lima Bean was passed that point now, but a tinge of bitterness leaked out into her voice.


    The fox was unperturbed, however, and just nodded her head. ''It''s good. Real good. However, your Perception needs to be higher. It''ll help you sense mana better. But we''ll get to that later. For now, look inside yourself and try to feel your mana.''


    Nodding, the young mouse closed her eyes and concentrated. After five minutes of absolutely nothing, she sighed loudly. ''Nothing''s happening. Why can''t I just use my [Mana Sense] spell? Wouldn''t it work just like my other spells?''


    The fox rapped his staff against her forehead. ''Fool! Those spells are instinctual! How do you think you could use such spells at a young age? Real magic must come from practice!''


    Lima Bean huffed: ''What about [Torpedo]?''


    ''What is that? I''ve never heard of such a spell.''


    Smugly, Lima Bean faced a small rock she could see in what remained of her vision. She focused the spell into the most impressive display she could and the rock shattered.


    ''Hmm. It seems to be a wind version of [Mana Bolt]. Interesting...well, it seems you at least have some amount of competence. Now, let''s start with sensing your mana gain...''

 Chapter 24

    Bo scoured the area around the foxhole until he found a familiar figure hopping around a familiar tree. Tree, he thought. He chided himself for thinking that it was called death. His younger self was such an idiot. I''m smarter now, of course, he thought smugly before promptly tripping over his own feet.


    With an unperturbed sense of joy, he bounded over to his best friend.


    He called out to her: ''Twig!''


    Slightly startled, the falcon chick took a moment to collect herself before addressing her constantly hyper-active friend. ''H-hi, Bo.''


    ''You wanna go on an adventure?''


    ''W-wasn''t Lima B-bean super m-mad the l-last t-time we did?''


    ''It''s different this time! I asked and she said yes!''


    ''B-but wasn''t s-she r-really tired from practicing w-with Michi?''


    ''That''s the whole point! If she''s tired, she can''t point out the dangers of going on an adventure!''


    ''B-but-''


    ''Hey, defect,'' a voice called from above.


    Bo looked up to see a group of six birds slightly bigger than Chase fly haphazardly down the ground. They had light blue feathers instead of green, which Bo found cool. He hadn''t seen many falcons with colors other than green and those he had were warded off by Brutus, who always seemed to be in the area.


    He noticed that Twig hunched over in the presence of these blue-feathered falcons. Was she scared of them? It made sense. Twig was scared of a lot of things.


    Except when it came to throwing herself off her nest tree; she did that fearlessly in her desperate efforts to fly.


    He was about to ask who these new chicks were when the lead one spoke: ''So you''re hanging out with mammals now, defect?''


    Twig lowered her head in shame. ''N-no. We''re j-just-''


    ''Oh, please,'' another interjected. This one was rather...plump. ''My ma says that since you can''t fly, you''re entertaining land beasts now!''


    Indignantly, Bo snarled at the plump chick. ''Hey! Twig can fly!''


    Another chick spoke; this one was especially thin and was rather tall: ''Oh, yeah? Twig, fly right now!''


    Bo turned to his best friend. ''That''s right, Twig! Show ''em!''


    She cringed and shuffled backward. ''B-bo, I can''t-''


    ''See!'' the first chick said. ''She''s a defect! What kinda bird can''t fly?''Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    A spark of information hit Bo''s brain and he muttered, "Penguins, ostriches, kiwis, emus, cassowaries, rheas, tinamous, and more."


    Every chick looked at him in confusion. Plump asked: ''What?''


    Bo blinked at him and said: ''What?''


    Shaking his head, Leader turned back to Twig. ''You can''t fly!''


    ''Yes, she can!'' Bo protested.


    ''B-bo,'' Twig said nervously, worried he was riling up the boys'' feathers.


    Tall/Thin sneered. ''You see her wing? Only defects have wings that can''t carry them in flight! That''s what my Pa said!''


    Bo shook his head. ''It just hasn''t had enough time to grow yet!''


    ''Idiot!'' Plump shouted. ''Bird wings don''t grow like that! Don''t you see how small and crooked it is? That''s not normal!''


    ''But-''


    ''Yeah,'' Leader grinned maliciously. ''And defects only sour the falcon name! They shouldn''t have wings at all!''


    Twig''s eyes widened in fear and she took another hop. ''N-no. You c-can''t!''


    Leader shrieked: ''Get ''er, boys!''


    The small army of chicks rushed the stunned Bo and the terrified Twig. By the time Bo realized what was happening, all six of the chicks had surrounded Twig.


    Two held her down by her wings while the rest pecked fiercely at her wings. She cried out in pain, struggling to free herself; her efforts landed her nowhere.


    ''Stop it!'' Bo tried to charge the army, but a bulky chick stepped away from the pecking party and stopped him. No matter what Bo tried, the bulky chick blocked his path.


    Bo hadn''t wanted to hurt the chick, but Twig''s cries were getting louder, which made him desperate. A poorly-aimed [Tail Whip] knocked the bulky chick to the side, giving Bo enough time to try and rescue his best friend. ''Leave her alone!''


    He started [Tail Whipping] the chicks, not bothering with harmless blows. By the time he freed Twigs, her wings were nearly in tatters. Her helpless sight spurred him into a rage.


    He let out a familiar battle cry, which rang out across the Falcon Plains. It was so loud, it was heard by a certain Human trio, locked away in a dungeon...


    <hr>


    Sydney looked up when she heard the roar. Looking over at Marco, she asked, "What was that?"


    "How am I supposed to know?" he said dryly. "I''m locked up in here with you, aren''t I?"


    She grunted in reply when a small movement caught her eye. Sighing, she looked over at the girl who was still feigning sleep.


    "Hey," she called. "Can you stop acting now? We can''t do anything; we''re tied up, too."


    "Chained," Marco corrected.


    "Chained," she agreed.


    Much to her chagrin, the girl remained still. Rolling his eyes, Marco looked at Sydney. "So...got any ideas on how we should escape?"


    "I dunno...I mean, in all the reincarnation stories I''ve read, the MCs have never been imprisoned..."


    "Bah! We can''t rely on stories! This is real life!"


    "Yeah, but at least some part of them are true. Like, when we say ''Status'' a status screen appears."


    Marco frowned. "Fine. I''ll concede on that part. It''s still upsetting I didn''t end up as some cute, little elf girl in a castle or something!"


    "Pervert," the mysterious girl mumbled before stiffening and clamping her mouth shut.


    "Ha!" Marco exclaimed. "Gotcha!"


    "You are still a pervert, Marco," Sydney told him.


    "I will, again, concede to that point. Anyway, girl, you wanna tell us your name?"


    She finally opened her eyes; they were large, round, and hazel green. If her face wasn''t so gaunt and dirty, she might''ve been pretty. Sydney herself only counted her appearance being slightly above average with an athletic build, plain brown eyes, and even plainer brown hair. Of course, she spruced up her look by shaving one side of her head, letting one grow long so it covered her left eye, and dying it all green. She thought it complimented the nerd, sorta-kinda-emo look she was going for.


    "Megyn."


    "Megan?" Sydney asked.


    "No, Megyn."


    Marco leaned forward. "Meghan?"


    Her eyes flashed. "It''s Megyn, you-"


    Marching footsteps interrupted their conversation. A pair of guards stopped in front of their cell with a tall, hooded figure. They opened the cell, threw them in, and walked off without another word.


    The figure stirred and, somehow, easily slid the hood off, revealing an...elf?


    Light blonde hair, handsome features, and pointed ears.


    The three humans stared at their new cellmate who gave them a shy smile and said, "Um, hi. The name''s Lofflaren."

 Chapter 25

    Vultures. They''re vile creatures; they signal death, carnage, and, worst of all, gossip. Three such ingrates were discussing the recent fight between Bo and the chicks.


    ''Six against one? And the leveret beat them all?''


    ''Yes. I heard he was being experimented on by the Great Fox.''


    ''I see...His Time must be arriving soon.''


    ''Oho! He''s pushed it back nearly a century. What''s changed?''


    ''The Experiment, of course. I heard it nearly drained him!''


    ''Perhaps...''


    The three cackled and flew off to tell their wretched brethren what they discovered. The Great Fox''s Time was coming. And with it came the Change.


    <hr>


    Blood. The sickly sweet smell, the irony taste, the warm, sticky feeling.


    Bo wasn''t a stranger to blood. He''d fought many things during his adventures; the beasts brought the fight to him and he never turned down experience.


    But never before had he seen so much...blood.


    The bullies were gone; he''d beaten them black and blue. Now he sat with Lima Bean, watching Michi slowly, very slowly heal Twig. It didn''t look good.


    Eventually, he let Lima Bean guide him back to the burrow where she tried to distract him with little sparks of mana. But his mind stayed on Twig''s battered body.


    ''Lima Bean,'' he said quietly, ''do you think she''s gonna get better?''Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    She paused, looked at him sadly, and then shrugged helplessly. ''I don''t know, Bo.''


    ''Michi''s super good at healing, though, right? So won''t he be able to fix Twig?''


    ''Well...he couldn''t fix my eyes...''


    ''But that''s because the griffin did something super bad to them, right?''


    She shrugged again. ''Maybe.''


    ''But-''


    ''I don''t know, Bo, any better than you do. Let''s just...wait and see, alright?''


    Bo didn''t want to wait. He wanted results now. He wanted to help! But if Michi couldn''t do anything...what could he accomplish? He was a bad best friend. He''d let those chicks hurt Twig while he just stood there. He should''ve protected her better. He should''ve done something before they got to her.


    Defeated and depressed, he hid beneath the furs in shame.


    <hr>


    Lima Bean couldn''t get Bo to come out no matter how much coaxing she did, so she gave up and went back up to the surface.


    She squinted hard at the surrounding area and saw a small shape being flanked by similarly small shapes up in the falcon clan''s nest tree. A black blob was resting beneath its branches.


    ''Fox?'' she called.


    ''Oh. It''s you. Can you tell Bo that Twig''s fine now? She won''t be able to play for a little while longer, but he can still see her.''


    ''But...her wounds...''


    The old fox laughed. ''Those pesky things? Sure, it took a bit of time, but they were nothing at all compared to my [Mend: Wounds] level! Not even your eyes could withstand it!''


    Lima Bean frowned. ''So then why couldn''t you heal them?''


    ''Er...well, you see, griffins have curses on their talons. [Mend: Wounds] can''t fix that. So, you know, you''re gonna be stuck like that for a while...''


    ''...You''re lying, aren''t you?''


    The fox jumped up. ''What? Griffin curses are powerful, mouse! You would know nothing of the sort!''


    ''Oh? Aren''t you supposed to be level 256,476?''


    ''Quiet, mouse! Even I have limits! If you''re here to argue, scat!''


    ''Fine. I''ll just go and find some lima beans-''


    ''Actually,'' the fox interjected, snatching her up by the tail with surprising speed. ''We have more training to do.''


    ''What? But we just trained like...an hour ago!''


    ''Not good enough! We have to get you ready!''


    Lima Bean squirmed in his iron tight grasp. ''Just give me thirty minutes!''


    ''No!''


    ''B-but I need my beans!''


    ''You''ve done just fine without them!''


    ''I''ll do better if I have them in my system! Fox, you can''t do this to me! This-this is cruel and unusual punishment!''


    ''Hush up and start focusing on sensing mana again...''


    Groaning, Lima Bean did as she was told.

 Chapter 26

    About three months ago, Lima Bean had stumbled upon a gold mine. A field littered with different crops including her favorite food: lima beans.


    She was just about to begin to gorge herself when another contender showed up looking to steal her prize: a meerkat. He stared at her tauntingly, flicking his wrists and making threatening noises. As if she would be scared off by a meer meerkat.


    The audacity of that beast!


    She had ignored it and went about collecting lima beans; she would save some for later when she was in safer territories as her search would often lead her to human lands.


    Unfortunately, the meerkat would not be denied his chance at infuriating her. He snapped at her tail and shoved her this way and that. She was getting annoyed as he would easily dodge her [Wind Gusts] and [Wind Chops].


    Intent on getting rid of him, she searched for something in her that would carry out enough force to blow the pesky beast away. She had found her mana pool. She hadn''t known what it was at the time, but it looked somewhat powerful, so she gathered up nearly all of it and blew at the meerkat.


    That was the day [Torpedo] was born and she''d feasted upon thousands of lima beans (about 50 or so).


    Now, as Lima Bean sat in her usual place underneath the falcon''s nest tree, she searched for that energy again. The minutes went by and still, her search resulted in nothing. But she refused to give up; if she could just find some sign of it, she would be free to look for all the lima beans she wanted. She would eat until her heart''s content.


    And then she saw a little tendril of...something gently nudging at her mind. It wanted her to follow, so she did. She traveled for what seemed like ages until she found it¨Dthe mana pool.


    During her battle with the meerkat, it wasn''t worth more than a puddle. Now, it looked like an ocean. Waves upon waves of mana threw itself on her core. Eager, she grasped as much as she could and tugged. And as she watched her mana come to her, she felt something break and then¨DIf you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Pain. All she felt was a deep, burning pain as the mana slammed against the fragile barrier of her core. She felt the cracks spread and then-and then...


    <hr>


    When Lima Bean woke up again, she was curled up in the furs, something small and soft pressed against her side with another something gently tapping her head. She groggily reached up and tugged at Bo''s ear, her signal for him to get off.


    He refused and proceeded to bury his head even deeper into her stomach. She sighed and cuddled him a bit longer. Babies were so needy.


    But she would allow it for him. She felt a tinge of guilt because of her recklessness but waved it away. She was fine and Bo was just being a big baby...An even bigger baby than he already was.


    She patted his head and said: ''Alright, alright. That''s enough, get off.''


    Reluctantly, the leveret untangled himself from her and sat up. His eyes were red and puffy as he stared down at her, and he had little hiccups. ''Michi said you hurt yourself super badly.''


    ''I''m fine, Bo. Stop worrying.''


    He wrinkled his nose and his expression tugged at her heartstrings. He was so adorable. ''But...he said it was because of your mana.''


    ''Well...yeah. But I told you, I''m fine. My mana settled in my core right now.''


    Bo looked alarmed at this. ''It''s still inside you?''


    ''Bo, mana''s inside all of us.''


    ''Yeah, but...Mine''s never hurt me!''


    She shrugged and waddled over to the entrance. ''I got a little careless...Anyway, I''m going back to train with Michi.''


    ''What?''


    Bo leaped from the furs and landed right in front of her. ''You can''t go back! It hurt you!''


    ''Bo-''


    He interrupted her, looking into her eyes: ''You have to promise me you won''t use mana again!''


    Lima Bean shifted uncomfortably. She didn''t want to lie to Bo but she also didn''t want to make a promise that could potentially ruin her future. If she could somehow make her [Torperdoes] even more deadly when she learned better control...


    Sighing, she looked at Bo and said with the most convincing smile she could muster: ''I promise I won''t use my mana...that recklessly again.''


    He smiled and stepped out of the way. Guiltily, she walked up to the surface. Technically, she hadn''t been lying. She didn''t plan on using her mana that dangerously again. She would train diligently and be the best mage she could be. It was for Bo; she had to do this.


    But why did it feel so wrong?

 Chapter 27

    Bo had decided. If he was going to protect his friends and family, he needed to be better at fighting.


    At first, he approached Michi, but the fox was busy. He tried asking Brutus for help, too, but the falcon shooed him away before he could get his question out. That only left one other option:


    Mr. Coyote.


    The only problem was Bo had no idea where he was. Wandering around was a no-go because he was guaranteed to get lost. Should he just shout out his name? But Mr. Coyote probably wasn''t his actual name and besides, he''d draw unnecessary attention to himself.


    Sighing, Bo did the only thing that worked when he couldn''t think of anything to do: hitting his head on a rock. Unfortunately, this foolproof plan brought nothing but pain, which only worsened when he did it again and again and again-


    ''Why are you hitting your head on a rock?''


    Bo looked up and then promptly fell. Hitting yourself multiple times in the head was good for getting dizzy, not for looking like the brilliant gentle-hare that he was.


    When the stars finally stopped spinning around his head, Bo sat up and looked at his questioner. It was a squirrel. Bo knew what a squirrel looked like because of the pictures in Michi''s books. They had thick tails like Lima Bean but when he''d asked her about it, she got mad and wouldn''t talk to him for a while. Maybe Mice didn''t like being compared to Squirrels?


    ''I''m trying to get an idea,'' he said.


    The Squirrel tilted her head. ''And banging your head on a rock is gonna help you?''You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Bo shrugged. ''It did before.''


    ''Silly hare. Hitting your head on things makes you dumber. You don''t want to be dumb, do you?''


    Bo shook his head vigorously. He had so much Intelligence! No way could he lose that! It was his one ace in the hole!


    The Squirrel clicked her claws against the ground. ''That''s right, you don''t. What''s your name?''


    ''Bo.''


    ''Bo...Nice name. So, tell me, silly hare, what you need an idea for.''


    ''I need to find a coyote who can teach me how to be a good fighter but I don''t know where he is.''


    She clacked her claws on the ground once more. ''I see. Why do you want to be a good fighter?''


    ''So I can protect my friends. Duh.''


    ''You''re only a leveret. What could you possibly do to protect them?''


    Bo puffed out his chest as he glared at the Squirrel. ''I''m plenty strong! I''m already level 15!''


    The Squirrel arched an eyebrow and strode closer to him. ''Level 15, you say?'' She walked around him in circles, studying his small physique. ''You don''t look like much.''


    He deflated somewhat as scratched at his head. ''Well...I had some help getting there...''


    ''Hmph. No wonder you need someone to train you.''


    Bo wholeheartedly agreed with her. Ever since Lima Bean had started spending more time with Michi, the old fox just told him to chase his tail and stop bothering him. Sure, chasing his tail was fun, but he wanted to fight! And he just knew Michi could teach him. It seemed like all the beasts in the area knew how to fight but him.


    Wait a minute...


    ''Squirrel, do you think you could teach me how to fight?''


    ''Hmm? Where would you get such a ridiculous idea?''


    ''Well, you''re an adult and all adults know how to do stuff. Michi said so!''


    The Squirrel''s eye twitched and she poked him roughly. ''Michi? You mean that cu-er, that coward is keeping you?''


    ''Hey! Michi''s not a coward! He''s super brave!''


    She snorted. ''Of course, you would think that. You spend every waking moment with him. He probably never lets you out of his sight.''


    ''Not really. He lets me go out all the time. Aunt Aris told him that getting experience was the best way for me to grow.''


    ''So what you''re saying is...the fox is nowhere around here?''


    Bo nodded.


    With a grin, the Squirrel stuck out a paw. ''The name''s Branut Cashew. How''d you like to become Squirrel Kin?''

 Chapter 28

    {Branut Cashew has deemed you [Squirrel Kin]. You have gained [Acquaintance Relationship Status] with this beast.}


    {You have gained the title [Squirrel Kin]! +6 Dexterity, +6 Perception, +3 Endurance, +3 Intelligence, +2 Strength. You have gained the Squirrel base skills [Darkvision], [Hunter: Climb], [Language: Squirrel], [Vigilance], [Hunter: Scavenge] and [Bite]. You have gained the Magic Affinity for ''Earth''.}


    {Because you have gained two affinities for ''Earth'', you have gained the skill [Mana Manipulation: Earth].}


    {For being named [Kin] by three different species and having the [Adaptive] trait, you will hereby from now on gain the bodily characteristics from each species that call you [Kin].}


    Bo tensed as a surge of power flowed through his body. His muscles grew a bit tighter, his legs were a bit more graceful, his senses a bit better, and his mind a bit sharper.


    Smiling, he looked up at Branut. ''I feel so cool now!''


    ''That''s nice,'' she murmured, flicking her bushy tail. ''Since you''re living with Michi and his falcons, I''m assuming you''ve become their [Kin]?''


    ''I haven''t become [Falcon Kin], just Fox, Mouse, and Squirrel.''


    ''Excellent. From what I know of the [Adaptive] trait, you should be able to gain characteristics from each of them, correct? Go ahead and do that now. Then we''ll begin your training.''


    ''Awesome! But, um...how do I do that?''


    Branut put her hand to her chin and stared into space. After a long, arduous wait of exactly three seconds, she snapped out of her trance and clicked her claws. ''Try your Status. Maybe there''s something there.''This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Nodding, Bo summoned his new and improved Status. He had finally gotten around to doing what Lima Bean had told him to do and made his Status easier to read.


    <hr>


    Character Sheet


    Stats


    Abilities


    Features (New)


    <hr>


    ''There''s something new!'' he told Branut, showing her his Status proudly.


    She nodded and told him to check it out.


    <hr>


    Features


    Fox Options: Longer Tail (Temporary Addition), Canines, Red Fur, Triangular Ears, Big Paws


    Lemur Mouse Options: More Sensitive Whiskers (Taken), Padded Feet, Round Ears, Small Body


    Ground Squirrel: Sharper Teeth (Taken), Bushy Tail, Black Eyes, Sharp Claws, Cheek Pouch


    <hr>


    ''Interesting,'' Branut mused. She turned and started walking. ''Come to my lair and I''ll help you choose which Characteristics to take.''


    ''Okay!''


    She paused for a split second and glanced at him with a surprised expression. ''What?''


    Bo paused, too. ''Didn''t you say you wanted me to come with you?''


    ''You know, I could be tricking you,'' she said darkly.


    ''But why would you do that? You''re a nice Squirrel!''


    She rolled her eyes and said: ''Not all Squirrels are as nice as me, Bo. You will learn this in time. Come.''


    Bo was confused. Did she want him to go with her or not? What was she talking about not-nice Squirrels? What did any of this mean? Adults are so weird, he thought. I hope I''m not like that when I grow up.


    He shuddered at the thought before he realized Branut was getting pretty far. After a brief hesitation, he decided to follow her. He didn''t have much to lose, anyway. She was gonna train him to be a super awesome fighter!


    <hr>


    Branut''s lair wasn''t nearly as nice as the foxhole. She didn''t even have any furs! Just some leaves and grass in a pile. He guessed that not everyone could be as fancy as Michi. No other beast had his cool staff.


    As Bo sniffed around the lair, he caught the scent of something sweet. He followed the scent to a clump of dirt in the corner. Before he could start digging, Branut pulled him away.


    ''That''s my stash!'' she snapped. ''Keep away from any clumps you see in here, alright? It''s hard enough keeping it safe from thieving idiots up on the surface. I don''t need you causing me any more trouble either!''


    Bo cringed and muttered: ''Sorry.''


    She grunted. ''It''s fine. Now, I want you to choose the permanent version of Longer Tail, Canines, Padded Feet, Big Paws, Sharp Claws, and Cheek Pouch. Once you do, we''ll begin.''


    Nodding, Bo selected the four choices. Before he could tell Branut that he''d done it and been a good little hare, he passed out.

 Chapter 29

    When Bo woke up again, he was Changed. He had gained the Features of his [Kin] and now he was even better!


    He stood up and stretched before testing out his new body. Walking on the coarse dirt felt easier with his padded feet which were huge now. And his tail! It wouldn''t shoot out when he used [Tail Whip] anymore, but it was still cool!


    Now he might actually have a chance at catching it this time...


    <hr>


    Branut found the hare lying on the floor of her den, panting. He had his extended tail clutched in his paws and was grinning like a maniac. She sighed and clapped her paws.


    ''Come on. It''s time for your training to start. Come here.''


    He eagerly rolled over onto his stomach, pushed himself up, and ran over to her. She feared he might start pawing at her legs like a dog in his excitement but he stood stock still a few inches away, waiting patiently.


    He''s more obedient than I''d thought he''d be, she mused. That fox is good for something.


    Thinking of Michi put a sour taste in her mouth but she pushed her bitterness away and frowned down at Bo. ''What are you doing? Stand up!''


    She saw him hesitate before he rose on his hind legs. He''s so small; he barely came up to her stomach! He wobbled a bit before his tail stabilized him.


    ''Good. Come, let''s go to the surface and-no, walk on your hind legs, not on all four!''


    Bo''s ears twitched in agitation and he frowned. ''I like walking on all fours!''


    ''Come now, Bo,'' she chided. ''You''re what, three, no four weeks old? You should be walking properly by now.''


    ''But-''


    ''Only the worst fighters walk on all fours.''


    He groaned before standing upright again and taking a small step forward. He immediately toppled over. Branut sighed. Had he really not learned to walk? She knew it was a Human thing to do, but spend enough time around Michi and it''s bound to become a habit...This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Walking was a requirement to evolve into Squirrelfolk, anyway.


    Bo struggled for a few more minutes before Branut was fed up and just carried him up to the surface and dropped him on the ground. Giving him a pointed look, she said: ''How can I expect to train you into a perfect warrior if you can''t walk?''


    ''I''ll get it right!'' he insisted. ''Just let me practice!''


    ''I''m not sure...''


    ''Please?''


    ''Fine. You''ve got a day to come back to me, walking upright. If you fail...''


    Bo stood up as straight as he could, even making his ears stand straight, and gave her a salute. ''I won''t let you down, captain!''


    ''Good. And make sure not to tell anyone we met, alright?''


    He gave another salute before turning around and starting off. Branut watched him stumble-walk his way back home. He was so young and small. But already. Michi had him in his influence. Perhaps she should make him stay before it was too late...


    Before she could make up her mind, Bo had disappeared. Sighing, she went back into her den. Some nuts should take the stress away...


    <hr>


    ''Bo, what are you doing?''


    ''Shush, Lima Bean! I have to concentrate!''


    Bo took one tentative step, careful to make sure he stayed balanced before he took another. Lima Bean was watching him while lazing about on a large rock she had dragged over.


    Watching his walking performance was equal parts sad and hilarious. On one hand, he was trying his best to get it right. On the other hand, him wiping out was the funniest thing she''s seen in a while.


    After another minute or two of her trying to cover up her giggles¨Da hare''s ears weren''t to be denied and he kept glaring at her before promptly falling over¨Dshe gave him a suggestion: ''Why don''t you use your tail to help you balance, like when you run?''


    ''I tried that,'' he whined, flopping onto the ground. ''But nothing works!''


    ''Why do you wanna walk on two legs anyway? You love going on all fours.''


    He mumbled his answer as he picked at the dirt. Frowning, she blew the weakest [Wind Gust] she could muster at him. ''What? Look at me and speak up!''


    ''I...I just want to,'' he said, not quite looking her in the eye.


    Suspicious. Very suspicious. She pulled herself off of her rock and limped over to him. ''Bo,'' she said quietly, ''why do you wanna walk upright?''


    His nose twitched in irritation but he still wouldn''t look her. ''I just told you!''


    ''Hmm...'' Her eyes drifted over to his tail which was nervously flicking back and forth. It hadn''t always been that long, had it? Glancing down, she saw Bo fidgeting with his paws...which were somehow bigger than usual.


    Suspicious. Extremely suspicious.


    If Bo wouldn''t give her answers, she''d have to go find someone who could. Unfortunately, Michi was out, so she had no reasonable way to search for information.


    But there was Aris...


    ''Alright, Bo, I''ll leave you to it,'' she said, rubbing his furry head. His right leg started tapping fiercely on the ground the longer she pet him and he whined when she pulled away.


    ''Don''t you have some walking to get to?'' she teased.


    His cheeks turned pink and he squeaked a quiet ''Oh.''


    With that, she left to go find Momma Falcon.

 Chapter 30

    Aris was worried. Twigs had refused to eat more than a worm again; she was getting incredibly thin as the days went on. No matter what Aris tried to do, she couldn''t coax her daughter out of her protective ball for more than a few minutes before she''d curl back up and go back to ignoring the world.


    Her brothers hadn''t been much of a help as they constantly pestered their mother about flight lessons, ignoring the way Twigs would tense up at the mere mention of flight.


    Aris sighed. She almost wished that hare would come around and rouse her daughter up to go on some adventure, even though she was sure he had gotten her in this mess.


    But a tiny shard of guilt forced her way into her heart and with it came doubts.


    I shouldn''t have let her out of the nest to go play. I should''ve told her earlier about her wings. I should''ve kept her closer, more secure. I should''ve-


    Uneven footsteps brought her out of her stupor and she looked out over the nest to see Lima Beans. She didn''t mind the Leaper Mouse coming around as much as she did the hare; at least the mouse had some respect.


    ''Mouse,'' she greeted warmly, letting one wing hang out of the nest while one was protectively curled around Twigs.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ''Aris,'' Lima Bean responded. ''I, um, wanted to talk to you about something.''


    ''Hmm?''


    ''...It''s about Bo.''


    The mention of the hare made Twigs stir slightly, which didn''t help Aris''s mood. Gnashing her beak, Aris snapped down at the mouse: ''What about him?''


    To her credit, Lima Bean didn''t flinch, but she did take a small step backward. ''I was just...worried he might be getting into something he shouldn''t be.''


    ''How so?''


    When Lima Bean explained the situation, Aris couldn''t help but smile. So the hare was doing something in secret? Oh, she couldn''t wait to tell Michi-


    ''H-he''s trying t-to w-walk?'' a small voice asked.


    Twigs head pushed out from under her mother''s wing and she looked out from over the edge of the nest, down at Lima Bean. ''B-bo''s t-trying to walk?''


    ''Um...yeah.''


    ''B-but he h-hates w-walking.''


    Lima Bean shrugged. ''He''s...trying something different, I guess.''


    ''S-something...d-different...'' Twig muttered. She started to retreat in her ball, but Aris pulled her back up and insisted she eats something.


    Once she was occupied, Aris shot Lima Bean a glare and said: ''Make sure she keeps away from him, mouse. I don''t want her mixed up in any more of his shenanigans.''


    ''I got it, I got it...But do you have any idea of what''s happening?''


    ''It''s simple. Beasts with the [Adaptive] trait gain Features when they become [Kin] with three or more other beasts. He must''ve gained a third title.''


    Lima Bean''s eyes widened. ''Did he-''


    ''He didn''t gain the [Falcon Kin] title,'' Aris interrupted. ''My boys have been out all day.''


    ''Oh...oh, no...''


    The mouse started mumbling to herself so Aris turned her attention to her daughter...


    ...Only to find her gone, worms and all.

 Chapter 31

    Bo paused in his attempt at walking when his ears picked up a familiar sound: Twigs hopping toward him.


    He spun around grinning when he saw his best friend rapidly run-hopping toward him. ''Twigs!'' he cried out, abandoning his training to hug her.


    ''H-hi, Bo,'' she said quietly. She patted him on the back gently before stepping back. ''W-what a-are you d-doing?''


    ''I''m walking! Or, well, trying to walk...''


    ''How c-come?''


    ''Um...'' Bo looked down. Should he tell her? Branut said he shouldn''t spill...But surely Twigs would keep his secret, right? It would be fine. But just in case...


    He took a glance around but so no one watching them. But he knew from experience that just because his eyes couldn''t pick up anything, it didn''t mean that no one was around. He strained his ears but could hear nothing in particular. His whiskers picked up no subtle vibrations creeping toward him.


    Satisfied, he leaned in closer to Twigs and whispered: ''I met a Squirrel and she said she would teach me how to fight if I learned how to walk.''


    Her eyes widened and she whispered back: ''R-really? D-do you t-think she would t-teach m-me, too?''


    Bo frowned. ''Why would you wanna fight?''


    ''...I-I don''t w-wanna b-be helpless a-anymore, Bo. I-I wanna d-do something.''


    ''Well...I guess I could ask her. But I have to learn how to walk first. She might not teach you if you can''t walk, though.''


    ''I-I hop!''


    ''Yeah, but that''s not walking.''


    ''B-but...h-how do I walk?''


    ''Uh...with your legs?''


    They both stared at Twigs'' legs. They were thick and puffy while her talons were long and arched. They were suited for gripping things, not walking. How would she walk?If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ''Well...maybe you could copy me?''


    ''H-huh?''


    ''Well, I have to put one leg in front of the other so maybe you should try that?''


    Twigs nodded and proceeded to spend the next five minutes trying to move her legs in the way Bo told her. Nothing worked. Frustrated, she threw up her wings and hopped onto the nearby rock to go sulk.


    ''Oh, come on, Twigs! I know it''s hard but it''s not gonna happen instantaneously.''


    Twigs looked at him. ''H-huh?''


    He puffed out his chest and raised his ears high before bragging: ''Michi taught me that word. He said it means something happens super fast.''


    ''Oh...B-but I spent f-five minutes d-doing i-it! That''s n-not i-instan...i-instantan-That''s n-not s-super f-fast!''


    Bo shrugged. ''I don''t know what to do...Maybe if we knew an ostrich...''


    ''W-what''s an o-ostrich?''


    ''Um...I think it''s a bird.''


    ''W-why would w-we need o-one.''


    ''Because...'' Bo thought hard. Why would they need an ostrich? And how did he know what one was? They weren''t in any of Michi''s books...Maybe he met an ostrich one time and forgot? But he didn''t think he''d forget an ostrich...He just needed to think super-duper-extra hard and-


    {You have received a Memory. Processing...processing...knowledge of the species ''Ostrich'' has been updated!}


    ''They can walk!'' he cried.


    Twigs hopped up, just as excited as he was. ''S-so if w-we f-find an o-ostrich, I-I can l-learn how t-to walk?''


    Bo nodded fiercely.


    ''B-but where w-would we f-find one?''


    ''Well...they live in Australia.''


    ''Where''s t-that?''


    ''Uh...in Australia?''


    ''H-huh?''


    ''I don''t know...My brain hurts. Let''s just go ask Michi.''


    ''M-Michi isn''t h-here, though.''


    ''Um...maybe Lima Bean?''


    ''She''s t-talking w-with M-Momma.''


    Bo sighed. All of the adults he knew were all busy. Why couldn''t there be one around just to answer his questions? Life was so frustrating!


    ''S-so if w-we don''t k-know where A-Australia is, w-we can''t g-get to i-it...Then w-we can''t f-find an o-ostrich a-and I c-can''t walk!'' Twigs was working herself into a frenzy but Bo managed to calm her down.


    ''What if we just used magic?''


    She glared at him. ''H-how w-would magic m-make me w-walk?''


    ''Um...'' Bo thought hard again. There had to be some way magic could be used here. Michi said magic could do anything! His [Trickery] perk was buzzing in the back of his head and the barest dregs of an idea were forming. But he didn''t have it just yet!


    He pulled up his Status and dumped the rest of his unspent AP (he had 14 left after originally spending one when Lima Bean told him to fix his Status) into his Intelligence stat. He would have to be smarter! Feeling like he was on to something, he refocused on his perk, trying to understand what it was telling him.


    I have to upgrade the perk to tier II! he decided. To tier up, [Trickery] needed five Perk Points. Bo purchased the second tier and then boom. He knew what to do!


    Grinning at Twigs, he told her his Super-Duper-Extra Awesome Plan.

 Chapter 32

    ''S-so because I h-have a-an Affinity f-for Air M-Mana, I''ll b-be able t-to use it?''


    ''Um, I think so. When I got two affinities for Earth Magic, I got the skill [Mana Manipulation: Earth]. So you just need two Air affinities!''


    ''I-I already h-have o-one...''


    ''You do? Well, that makes things easier. Now, how to get a second one...''


    ''I-I could m-make you [Falcon Kin] a-and then y-you could m-make m-me [Hare Kin] and i-it should g-give me the A-Air Affinity, r-right?''


    ''Maybe. Let''s do it!''


    {Twigs has deemed you [Falcon Kin].}


    {You have gained the title [Falcon Kin]! +12 Dexterity, +12 Perception, +2 Endurance, +2 Strength. You have gained the Falcon proficiencies [Keen Eyes], [Dive], [Falcon Taunt], [Screech], [Language: Falconese] and [Talon Slash]. You have gained the Magic Affinity for ''Air''.}


    {Falcon Features have been added to your Features list.}


    Wow! Bo thought. I could finally get wings with this! It''s so cool! I''ll be able to fly super high and like Aunt Aris and...oh. Twig can''t fly with me...


    He chided himself for thinking of only himself before granting Twigs the [Hare Kin] title.


    ''W-wow! B-bo, i-it gave m-me a trait! I-I got [Adaptive]!''Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ''Huh?''


    ''W-well, m-my Unique trait is [Assimulation] a-and it s-says that w-when I b-become [Kin] w-with another s-species, I-I can g-get t-their traits!''


    ''Twigs, that''s super-duper awesome! Guess what?''


    ''W-what?''


    ''When I became [Kin] with three species, it gave me the ability to gain their Features! It''s why I have big paws like Michi!''


    ''R-really?'' She beamed up at him before her face darkened. ''S-so since y-you became [Falcon Kin], y-you could g-get w-wings...''


    An uncomfortable silence passed between the two. Bo didn''t know what to say, which was odd because he was always talking. But...he didn''t want to say something stupid and make Twigs mad at him. She already wouldn''t talk to him for a few days after the Incident. Should he tell a joke to lighten the mood? He didn''t know any jokes though...Maybe that one about a Leaper Mouse crossing the gopher mines?


    Before he could say something, Twigs cleared her throat and announced: ''I-it''s o-okay, Bo. I-I know h-how m-much you w-want to fly. D-don''t g-give up j-just b-because of m-me.''


    ''Yeah, but what''s the point of flying if my best friend can''t join me?''


    She blushed. ''I-I''m t-telling you, B-Bo, it''s fine...''


    Bo slapped his tail on the ground and set his face straight, glaring at Twigs with determination burning in his eyes. ''No way! Unless you find a way to fly, too, I won''t get wings! I swear it!''


    Twigs eyes widened. ''B-Bo! D-don''t s-say things l-like that! Y-you know w-what M-Michi said!''


    ''O-oh, yeah...''


    They fearfully looked around, wondering if anyone had heard his declaration. Luckily, nothing supernatural happened and Bo didn''t get a notification turning his oath into reality.


    With a sigh of relief, Bo turned to Twigs and said: ''I think it''s time for a change of plans.''


    ''H-huh?''


    ''Instead of using air magic to walk, you can just get paws!''


    ''Um...''


    ''It''s a great idea! It won''t take long for me to learn how to walk, and you''re way smarter than me, so you should learn even faster!''


    ''D-do you th-think so?''


    ''I know so!''


    As a lovely smile spread on her face, Twigs exclaimed: ''Alright! Let''s go find more species to be [Kin] with! Maybe we can find Australia, too, and see some ostriches!''


    ''Yeah!''


    With that, the two best friends were off, in search of more beasts and maybe, just maybe, an ostrich.

 Chapter 33

    Grog was an adult Dry Toad. He was known for his ability to combat Lion Bugs without losing a single health point. He was the very Dry Toad Bo had been admiring before his fight with Gil the Coyote.


    He wasn''t one to wonder, so he wasn''t up to date with the news spreading in the Falcon Plains about a certain leveret and his wild adventures. So imagine his surprise when he poked his head out of his burrow and saw a tiny hare running about with a falcon chick in tow.


    ''None o'' ma bus''ness,'' he grumbled, pulling himself out of his hole.


    He was content to just ignore the duo and head to the last known site of a particularly vicious swarm of Lion Bugs. After walking for some time, he heard...giggling.


    Glancing back, he saw the falcon chick was beside herself as she watched the hare mimicking his walk while occasionally shooting out his tongue. Sighing, he continued on his way. Babies and all, they didn''t know any better.


    Then he heard: ''B-Bo! I-it''s n-not g-gonna work like th-that!''


    ''Tha''s how da tow id it!''


    ''Y-you l-look weird!''


    Grog paused when he saw the hare trying to stretch his tongue as far out as he could. His frown deepened. Was he trying to copy a toad skill? That''s impossible! His tongue wasn''t nearly enough long for it.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ''Kid,'' he croaked, ''whaddya think yer doin'', huh?''


    Both hare and chick paused and stared at him. After an uncomfortably long time, Grog decided to just turn around and go hind the Lion Bug swarm. And then the hare shouted: ''Wait! Mr. Toad!''


    Grog looked back to see the hare leaping over him and landing face-first in the dirt. Dumbfounded, he looked at the chick and asked: ''Tha''s a Leaper Mouse skill! How''d he do it?''


    The chick shrugged.


    ''Is...he gonna be alright?''


    The chick glanced at the hare before nodding. ''Yup! B-bo hits h-his head a-all the t-time!''


    ''Wonder why he''s not dead yet,'' Grog muttered.


    ''H-huh?''


    ''Nuthin''. What''re you two doin'' ''round these parts, anyway?''


    ''O-oh. W-we''re l-looking for beasts t-to b-become [Kin] with!''


    ''That safe?''


    ''I-I think s-so.''


    Grog grunted.


    The chick scratched her heard with her wing. ''Um...w-would you w-wanna become [Kin] with us?''


    ''Ah, sure. Why not?''


    ''Yay!'' She hopped over to the hare and started poking him. ''B-bo! W-wake up! M-Mr. Toad''s g-gonna b-become kin with u-us!''


    The hare snored on. The chick turned and gave Grog an apologetic look. Grog grunted again before gesturing back toward his burrow.


    ''Y''all can go on an'' wait for me there, alright?''


    ''O-okay!''


    With that, she started dragging the hare toward where he had pointed. When he hardly moved, she paused, circled him for a second before pushing his body. Again, the hare barely shifted.


    She huffed and spread her wings wide; snapping them down with a whoosh did nothing. She scowled and kicked with all her might. The hare went flying!


    She crowed in delight before hopping after him excitedly. Grog chuckled before moving on his way.

 Thanksgiving Special

    Today was Thanksgiving and Bo was super-de-duper excited! This was funny because just a minute ago, he had no idea what that holiday was. And then he saw a super cool bird called a Fire Turkey ad then that weird voice told him he got a memory again¡­


    And that¡¯s how he learned of Thanksgiving!


    He rushed home to tell Michi about it and the old fox sat back in his chair, thought for a minute, and then said: ¡®Huh. It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve last celebrated¡­¡¯


    Bo hopped onto the old fox¡¯s lap and put his paws on his chest. ¡®You¡¯ve celebrated Thanksgiving?¡¯


    Michi nodded and smiled sadly. ¡®Yes. A long time ago, I did.¡¯


    ¡®Wow...That¡¯s so cool! Can we do it? Pretty please with a cherry on top?¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯re learning new phrases every day,¡¯ the fox muttered under his breath, which of course Bo heard because he had super hearing. Every hare did. It was a wonder why adults muttered then since he could hear them even when they tried to be quiet.


    Anyway, he was getting off-topic.


    ¡®Please, can we celebrate Thanksgiving? I¡¯ll be super-duper good until then!¡¯


    Michi squinted at him. ¡®Until Thanksgiving?¡¯


    ¡®Um...and after, too?¡¯


    ¡®Alright, alright, fine.¡¯


    ¡®Yay!¡¯


    Bo was about to leap off of Michi¡¯s lap and run to tell everybody, but the old fox caught him. ¡®Say, Bo,¡¯ Michi said, ¡®how¡¯d you learn about Thanksgiving?¡¯


    ¡®Well¡­¡¯ Bo went into great lengths to describe what had happened, first describing the turkey in amazing detail:


    ¡®I saw this weird, fat bird that looked kinda orange but kinda brown, too. I don¡¯t know what that color¡¯s called. That¡¯s a color, right? Kinda orange and kinda brown? I think it is. I bet it has a super cool name!¡¯


    ¡®Bo¡­¡¯


    ¡®Oh, right. Where was I? Anyway, the weird, fat bird was walking around really weird-like and it had this weird wiggly thing under its beak¨Dhey, why don¡¯t Twigs and the other falcons have that thing? It looks really cool, even if it is weird. It¡¯d be so funny to see Twigs walking around with a weird, wiggly thing on her beak¨D¡¯


    ¡®Bo.¡¯


    ¡®Sorry, sorry! Um, the weird, fat bird was walking weird and everything and then this coyote came out of nowhere and tried to attack it¨Dhey, Michi, did I tell you about this one time that Twigs and I fought this coyote? We didn¡¯t end up winning, but we didn¡¯t lose, either! Isn¡¯t that called a draw? I remember Uncle Brutus saying something like that one day when Greenie and Chase were play fighting¨D¡¯


    ¡®Continue the story, Bo!¡¯


    ¡®Okay! The coyote tried to bite the weird, fat bird, but then it breathed fire! Can you believe that, Michi? A bird breathing fire? It was so cool! The fire was kinda orange but also kinda red¨Dis that another color? Probably. I bet it has a super cool name, too! Anyway, the fire wasn¡¯t that cool because the coyote got burned and had to run away. After I watched the fight, I was like, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that weird, fat bird called?¡± And then this voice spoke in my head and was all like ¡°You have received a memory. Processing...memory [Birds: Turkey] added to memory file!] It was really weird. Hey, did I tell you that wasn¡¯t the only time I heard the voice? I heard it before when I was talking to Twigs about ostriches¨Dhey, did you know that ostriches live in Australia? I have no idea where that is, though. Do you know, Michi? Can you tell me? I so wanna take Twigs to Australia so she can learn to walk better. She¡¯d be so happy then! And then we¡¯d be super best friends! That¡¯s right, right, Michi? She¡¯d be happy, right?¡¯


    Michi sighed and said: ¡®Yes, Bo, I¡¯m sure she¡¯d be ecstatic.¡¯


    ¡®Woah...That¡¯s good, right? What¡¯s ecstatic mean?¡¯


    ¡®It means very, very happy.¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s awesome! So I just have to find Australia to make Twigs ecstatic! Can I go find it, Michi? Can I? Can I?¡¯


    ¡®Now hold on just a minute,¡¯ Michi said, pressing his palm against Bo¡¯s back to calm him down. ¡®We¡¯re going to celebrate Thanksgiving, remember?¡¯


    ¡®Oh, yeah¡­Michi, can I go tell Lima Bean? I bet she¡¯d be ecstatic. Lima Bean would be ecstatic, right? She¡¯d totally be ecstatic. Right, Michi?¡¯


    The old fox sighed heavily before rubbing Bo¡¯s ears affectionately. This was new! And it felt suuuuper good, too. He should get Michi to rub his ears more often.


    ¡®I¡¯m going to go find the Fire Turkey you were talking about,¡¯ Michi said. ¡®You can go tell everybody about the party. Tell them to come in in an hour.¡¯


    ¡®A party? Really? That¡¯s super cool! I¡¯m gonna go tell everybody!¡¯


    Michi gave him a tired smile as he ran off. He¡¯s a handful, Michi thought. But he¡¯s got a good heart...Sigh. I wish I could see it last¡­


    ******


    Lima Bean was sunbathing on her rock, dreaming about lima beans. She couldn¡¯t go five minutes without thinking about them. She could see a hazy cloud of lima beans just...drifting slowly out of reach. Her paws could almost touch it, but not quite. Almost...almost¡­


    ¡®Lima Bean!¡¯


    Groaning, she turned her head to see Bo running at full speed towards her. With a sigh, she realized he meant to jump onto her stomach. Now came the question of whether she would let him do so or dodge out of the way and have him bonk his head on her rock.


    But she knew how much he valued his ¡®Intelligence¡¯, so she tensed her stomach muscles and prepared for impact.


    WHUMP!


    Bo wasn¡¯t getting any bigger as time went on for reasons Lima Bean was not privy to, but somehow, every time he landed on her, the pain felt just a little bit worse.


    ¡®Bo,¡¯ she grunted, ¡®please get off of my stomach.¡¯


    ¡®I can¡¯t, Lima Bean! I¡¯m too excited!¡¯ he said, grinning down at her. His larger-than-normal paws were shaking with anticipation.


    She frowned. Nothing good ever happened when Bo got excited. And to see that he was this excited made her feel...terrified. Grabbing him with her paws, she pushed him onto her legs as she sat up and stared at him hard.


    ¡®What did you do?¡¯ she asked, squeezing ever so softly.


    He squirmed, whining: ¡®Nothing!¡¯


    ¡®Oh, really?¡¯


    ¡®Lima Bean! I didn¡¯t do anything! I promise!¡¯


    She gave him a fierce shake¨Dnot too fierce, but enough to scare him a bit¨Dand said, ¡®Are you lying to me, Bo Foxhare?¡¯


    ¡®No!¡¯


    ¡®You sure?¡¯


    ¡®Yes!¡¯


    She let him go and he quickly hopped off of her lap and onto the ground, staring at her warily. She smirked back at him, causing him to shudder.


    If I¡¯d known keeping him in line was this easy, she thought, I¡¯d have tried this a while ago!


    She leaned back and faced the sun before asking: ¡®Alright, then, what is it?¡¯


    He immediately shoved his nose into her face, much to her chagrin. ¡®Michi said we could celebrate Thanksgiving!¡¯


    She tried to push him back, but he just wiggled around and kept his nose pressed against her cheek. He¡¯s like a dog, she thought bitterly. So needy for love and affection...It¡¯s not like I¡¯m not gonna give it to him, though.


    Lima Bean found herself absentmindedly rubbing his head, right behind his ears, just the way he liked it. We spoil him too much. Babies are too gosh darn cute!


    ¡®Well,¡¯ she said, ¡®what¡¯s Thanksgiving?¡¯


    His nose quivered with excitement. ¡®It¡¯s a holiday where you spend time with all the people you love and eat a bunch of food and you say what you¡¯re thankful for!¡¯ Then he slowly pulled away from her and flattened his ears against his head. ¡®Do you, um, wanna come?¡¯The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡®Will there be lima beans?¡¯ she asked immediately.


    ¡®Um¡­maybe?¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t know, Bo,¡¯ she mused. ¡®If there are no lima beans¡­¡¯


    ¡®But Lima Bean! You¡¯re one of the people I love! You have to be there! Please?!¡¯


    Lima Bean sighed. She could always bring lima beans to the table to spruce things up a bit since everything else was bound to be bland and disgusting. ¡®Chill your paws, Bo. I¡¯ll come.¡¯


    ¡®Yay!¡¯ He wrapped his arms around her as far as little arms could go and squeezed as hard as he could¨Dwhich wasn¡¯t very hard since he had, like, 30 Strength.


    ¡®The party¡¯s in an hour! I¡¯m gonna go tell Aunt Aris and Uncle Brutus now!¡¯


    ¡®You go do that,¡¯ she replied. An hour should give me plenty of time to find some lima beans.


    *****


    Bo stood at the base of the nest tree, put his paws up against the bark, and yelled as loud as he could: ¡®Aunt Ariiiiiiis! Uncle Bruuuuuutus! Where aaaaaare you?¡¯


    He waited a second before Aris popped her out of the nest and glared down at him. ¡®What are you doing here, hare?¡¯


    ¡®Do you wanna celebrate Thanksgiving with us?¡¯


    ¡®Why would we do such a thing?¡¯


    ¡®Because Thanksgiving is about spending time with the people you love!¡¯


    ¡®We¡¯re busy.¡¯


    ¡®But-¡¯


    ¡®Falcons are very busy beasts, hare, especially ones with chicks. We¡¯ve got to hunt, help them fly, all sorts of things. We won¡¯t have time to...celebrate anything.¡¯


    Bo couldn¡¯t fault that logic; Aunt Aris was really busy taking care of Twigs and her brothers. But she couldn¡¯t spare a little time to celebrate?


    Before he could ask, Uncle Brutus sat up in the nest and started talking. ¡®Dear, I think doing this would be a wonderful idea.¡¯


    ¡®Brutus-¡¯


    ¡®Think about it, love. I¡¯m sure Michi would have some meal prepared for us; we could afford to skip a day of hunting!¡¯


    ¡®The kids-¡¯


    ¡®Can play with Bo! The boys are doing well with their flight lessons and Twigs...could use a break from being grounded.¡¯


    ¡®We are trying to limit their exposure with him!¡¯


    ¡®Relax. They¡¯re only children; what harm could playing with a friend do?¡¯


    Aris sighed. ¡®Fine...We¡¯ll come.¡¯


    ¡®Yay! The party¡¯s in an hour!¡¯


    Bo was about to run back to Michi until he realized he knew way more adults who would probably love coming to celebrate!


    *****


    ¡®Hi, Mr. Grog!¡¯ Bo yelled, shoving his head into the toad¡¯s underground house.


    Grog looked up, saw the beaming leveret, and frowned. ¡®What¡¯re you doin¡¯ here, kid?¡¯


    ¡®I came to ask if you wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving with us!¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t know nothin¡¯ ¡®bout this Thanksgiving you been talkin¡¯ ¡®bout, kid.¡¯


    ¡®Well, it¡¯s a holiday that people celebrate with the people they love and they eat lots of food and they say things they¡¯re thankful for...So you wanna come?¡¯


    ¡®Kid, uh, you, uh, hardly know anythin¡¯ ¡®bout me and I know darn well nothin¡¯ bout you, yunno? Not too sure your folks would be plenty welcome to me comin¡¯ up and bein¡¯ there¡­¡¯


    ¡®Sure they will! Michi¡¯s super nice to strangers! He even let Lima Bean live with us! Although, I¡¯m not really sure she¡¯s ¡®living¡¯ because I¡¯m pretty sure I heard Lima Bean say she¡¯s being held hostage sometimes...I don¡¯t know what hostage means, but I think it means something ad. But Michi would never do anything bad to Lima Bean, even if they don¡¯t seem to like each other a lot. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing, though. Anyway, you wanna come?¡¯


    Grog blinked. He didn¡¯t know where the kid got the air to fuel his word torrents; he had some mighty fine lungs.


    ¡®W-well, I guess I could swing by for a lil¡¯ while. Should I, uh, bring anything?¡¯


    ¡®Uh...maybe. Michi¡¯s gonna bring a fire turkey¡­¡¯


    ¡®Huh? Can hares...eat meat?¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t know. Michi never gives me any. I wanna try some, though¡­¡¯


    ¡®Guess I could bring some bug stew¡­¡¯


    ¡®OK! I gotta go find some other people. Be there in an hour!¡¯


    Before Grog could ask where he was supposed to go in an hour, a thought came to mind. Did he, uh, say Michi? As in...Guardian of the Falcon Plains Michi? Boy, what have I gotten mahself into...Too late now. I should go find some beetles.


    ******


    Unfortunately, Bo couldn¡¯t find Mr. Coyote. And he and Branut weren¡¯t on speaking terms, so he couldn¡¯t invite her either.


    But he didn¡¯t want to go back just yet and be bored. Maybe he could find something for the party? He did see a berry bush on his way to Mr. Grog¡¯s house¡­


    Retracing his steps, he found the berry bush. It was ripe for the taking, with big, juicy green berries just waiting to be eaten!


    But wait.


    He should taste one to see if they were worthy of being taken. He sniffed a berry; oh, that was such a nice smell...Lima Bean always said that things that smelled good would tase good. Grinning, he stuck his tongue out and gently brushed it against the berry.


    A burst of flavor exploded against his tongue in that instant. The berry was the embodiment of sweetness. The smoothness of the berry called out to be caressed by his tongue; the round shape cradled just perfectly in his mouth; the sweet juice that leaked out into his mouth when he bit down was just heavenly. It was so good; what else could compare? He¡¯d never had anything so sweet before¨D


    [You have received a memory. Processing...memory [Food: Pie] has been added to memory file!]


    Pie...Oh, yes, pie. He could recall the crunchy crust, the warm, gooey insides of whatever fruit or vegetable was used to make it. He really, really wanted some pie now.


    But it was torture; he could remember recipes of different pie flavors: blueberry, strawberry, apple, blackberry, sweet potato, pumpkin. And yet...he had no tools to make them!


    So he could only pine in agony at the memory of such sweet, delectable goodness¡­


    Bo sighed; the berries would have to do.


    ******


    One hour later, everything was ready. A steaming turkey (only slightly charred due to fire magic), a pile of assorted fruits and vegetables (lima beans and the sweet berries included), as well as multiple bowls of bug stew laid out before the beasts.


    Bo couldn¡¯t wait to dig in, but before that, he and the others would have to say what they were thankful for. Michi went first.


    ¡®Well, I¡¯m thankful for being able to celebrate this evening together with you all,¡¯ the old fox stated, smiling kindly around at everyone. ¡®I¡¯m...very happy that I was reminded of this holiday.¡¯


    Brutus cleared his throat. ¡®I am quite thankful for the brief respite I was able to receive today. I was greatly appreciated.¡¯


    Aris sighed. ¡®I¡¯m thankful my children have managed to survive to join us, despite some...wild encounters that would¡¯ve said otherwise.¡¯ She stared pointedly at Bo, who was, as always, oblivious to every spiteful thing she said.


    Grog spoke up: ¡®I¡¯m, uh, very, um, thankful I met Bo and Twigs that day, else I wouldn¡¯t be here. Some mighty fine kids you folks are raisin¡¯, yunno?¡¯


    ¡®I try,¡¯ Aris smiled.


    ¡®A lack of parental supervision, a few warnings every now and then, and providing food and shelter does them just fine,¡¯ Michi agreed.


    ¡®I¡¯m just surprised Bo¡¯s not dead yet because of you,¡¯ Lima Bean muttered.


    Michi¡¯s head whipped around and he glared at her. ¡®What was that mouse?¡¯


    ¡®Nothing, nothing. Anyway, I¡¯m thankful that I can finally have my lima beans again...And, um, that you¡¯re, uh, all here with me to, uh, celebrate...Lima beans are all mine, though.¡¯


    Greenie and Chase went, and then Twigs said she was thankful she knew how to walk properly. Finally, Bo, the youngest, got a chance.


    Lima Bean eyed him cautiously. ¡®Keep it short, alright, Bo?¡¯


    He nodded. ¡®Well, I¡¯m thankful for that voice who told me what turkeys were because without it, we wouldn¡¯t be here! I¡¯m also thankful for that plant that sprouted those berries, because they¡¯re really good, even though it made the voice tell me about pies and I can¡¯t make them...Also, I¡¯m thankful for Michi because he¡¯s a good grandpa fox and he¡¯s teaching me magic. Plus, Lima Bean, because she¡¯s a cool big sister. And Uncle Brutus and Aunt Aris for making Twigs, because she¡¯s my best friend. And I¡¯m thankful for Twigs because she¡¯s fun to play with and she¡¯s my best friend. And finally¡­I¡¯m thankful for whoever made flying possible because one day, I¡¯m gonna fly all over the place!¡¯


    They were all silent, just in case Bo had more to say. Ut when he kept quiet, Michi clapped his paws. ¡®Time to eat!¡¯


    Chaos ensued shortly after with every beast rushing to take a piece of food. Lima Bean, of course, stole every bean for which she was named. Grog snuck a few bowls of his stew. Brutus, Aris, the boys, and Michi attacked the turkey.


    That only left Bo and Twigs, staring slightly horrified at the display.


    Pushing down his fear, Bo grabbed his berries, a potato, and a relatively large piece of turkey for him and Twigs to share. He carried his prize a little ways away from the pandemonium with Twig in tow.


    ¡®Uh, B-Bo? A-are you s-sure y-you can eat m-meat?¡¯


    ¡®Maybe,¡¯ he muttered, tearing off a small piece. ¡®I¡¯ve never tried it before.¡¯


    ¡®W-what if y-you get sick?¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ll be fine, Twigs. I¡¯m a big boy!¡¯ Bo bragged.


    Twigs didn¡¯t look very convinced, but she was also curious to see what would happen. As Bo brought the piece of meat to her mouth, she leaned closer, wanting to see everything.


    Bo put it in, chewed, and swallowed. Then they waited.


    After several seconds of nothing happening, both sighed. Bo, in relief of not spontaneously combusting and Twigs, saddened that she hadn¡¯t gotten to see Bo spontaneously combust.


    Then they furiously dug in.


    ******


    Bo was lying with Twigs on his bed furs in Michi¡¯s burrow. They were both thoroughly exhausted from running around and eating until their heart¡¯s content.


    ¡®H-hey, Bo?¡¯ Twigs said, turning to look up at him.


    ¡®Yeah, Twigs?¡¯


    ¡®I-I had a l-lot of fun t-today¡­¡¯


    ¡®Yeah, me, too. We should celebrate Thanksgiving more often.¡¯


    ¡®D-do you th-think we could d-do it tomorrow?¡¯


    ¡®Well, technically, a holiday is a one-day thing...But I¡¯m sure we could convince Michi to get another turkey for us!¡¯


    ¡®I-I¡¯d l-like that...And B-Bo?¡¯


    ¡®Yeah?¡¯


    ¡®I-I¡¯m thankful th-that your m-my best friend, t-too.¡¯


    ¡®Aw, shucks, Twigs¡­¡¯


    ¡®I-I hope w-we c-can be b-best friends f-forever!¡¯


    ¡®Me, too!¡¯


    They talked a little while longer before falling asleep in each other¡¯s arms.

 Chapter 34

    Twigs was excited. She gained a new skill called [Wind Kick]! Although she had other wind-related skills, she felt the proudest of this one. Not only could she kick her brothers out of the nest when they annoyed her, but she had also grabbed this one with her ingenuity!


    Being smart really was an advantage! Eager to bask in her glory, she pulled up her Status.


    <hr>


    Character Sheet


    Name: Twigs | Race: Green Falcon (Chick) | Sex: Female


    Evolution: 0% | Level: 1(0%)


    Class: None | Magic Affinity: Air


    Species Traits: Adaptive, Carnivore, Egalitarian


    Unique Trait: Assimilator, Adaptive


    Titles: Hare Kin (+5 Endurance, Dexterity, Perception, +3 Strength, Hare Proficiencies [Boxing], [Avoid Detection], [Enhanced Hearing I], [Night Eyes I], [Panoramic Vision I])


    Attributes (0 AP)


    Strength: 1 -> 4 | Constitution: 1


    Endurance: 1 -> 6 | Dexterity: 1 -> 6


    Intelligence: 3 | Wisdom: 2


    Perception: 1 -> 6 | Luck: 0


    Health: 10/10 | HP Regen: 6/min


    Stamina: 40/40 | Sp Regen: 6/min


    Mana: 30/30 | MP Regen: 2/min


    Proficiencies


    Skills: Falcon Punch (0%), Hare Boxing (0%)


    Spells: Screech (0%), Avoid Detection (0%), Wind Kick (0%)


    (0 PP) Perks: Keen Eyes I, Beak Tooth I, Enhanced Hearing I, Night Eyes I, Panoramic Vision I


    <hr>


    Twigs was accomplishing great things now. And who knows, with her Trait [Assimilator], she may one day surpass Bo...She glanced at his unconscious body and down at his legs.


    No, she thought. I can''t beat him if I can''t even move my legs right...I got somewhere with [Wind Kick], but it''s not enough. She glared down at her legs. If you guys don''t work right, I''m not letting you out for a week!


    ******


    Grog returned to his burrow with his belly full and his body tired. He would take a well-deserved nap and-


    ''O-one, t-two, th-three, step, one, t-two, th-three, s-step-N-no! Stay i-in line, B-Bo!''


    ''Sorry!''


    ''One, t-two, th-three, step-Bo!''


    ''Okay, okay! I think I got it...One more time?''


    Grog was dumbfounded. The leveret and the chick were out of the burrow and were arm in arm, practicing walking upright. Since when did babies learn to walk on two feet? Since when did any beast learn to walk on two feet? He watched them, half-amused and half-horrified and then the chick cried out:


    ''I-I got a-a P-Perk! [Walking I]!''


    The hare pulled his arms away and started clapping while thumping his tail on the ground¨Dwas his tail always that long?


    ''I must be outta mah gosh darned mind,'' he muttered.


    Grog saw the hare''s ears twitch in his direction and he turned to face him. The leveret''s eyes lit up and he yelled: ''Mr. Toad! Can we become [Toad Kin] now?''


    <hr>


    When Lofflaren introduced himself, Sydney immediately pounced.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    "You''re an elf? How tall are you? Can you do magic? Are there more of your kind? Are you endangered? Are you hated by the other races? What-"


    "Hey!" Megyn snapped. "Why don''t you shut up and let him actually answer?"


    Sydney blushed. She hadn''t meant to get so worked up. It was just...ever since she had watched the Lord of the Rings, she had been obsessed with Legolas, who was by far the best character. She would just die if she ever got to meet the actor who played him.


    Sighing, she locked away the fangirl part of her deep into her chest and focused. Now was not the time to remember a ''childhood'' crush.


    Lofflaren offered me an awkward smile. "I''m, um, 6''7. I can do magic; I''m a healer and I can do a bit of mind magic. Elves are pretty much everywhere. Um, I think we get along fine with the others¨Dthat...that is, the other races, I mean. We''re fine. I think."


    Marco cleared his throat. "So why are you here? And don''t tell me you''re another prisoner; you''d be chained up like we are."


    "Uh, right," Lofflaren scratched the back of his head. "I''m here for a, um, rescue mission, sort of."


    "Rescue?" Megyn scoffed. "What can a healer do?"


    He flushed and started mumbling, "W-well, I-I can...you know...awaken..."


    "Awaken what?" Megyn snapped.


    Sydney sighed. They weren''t going to get anyway with his awkwardness and her berating him with every word she said. She''s such a tsundere, she thought then shuddered at the thought of Megyn dating Lofflaren. But it happened all the time in anime, so who knows. It could work in a story about a baby hare going on adventures...


    <div>


    Spoiler<input class="spoilerButton" type="button" value="Show">


    It won''t.


    "Megyn," she said calmly, "please allow Lofflaren to explain himself."


    She started to say something, but decided against it and just sat there, glaring. Sydney nodded at Lofflaren for him to continue.


    "Um, thanks," he said shyly. Was he...blushing? Was it one of those stories where the guy is so shy the girl has to take charge of the relationship?


    <div>


    Spoiler<input class="spoilerButton" type="button" value="Show">


    It''s not.


    "A-anyway, healers can Awaken Otherworlders'' ability. It''s a part of what makes us so special. Um, I''m supposed to Awaken you and get you out of here."


    "Sure," Marco said. Lofflaren moved towards him, but then Megyn cut in.


    "Hold on!" she yelled. "How can we trust you, huh? Who are you working for?"


    Marco frowned and said, "Freedom first, answers later. Duh. We don''t have time to talk. That''s how they get caught when someone''s trying to rescue you because there''s always going to be someone dumb enough to demand answers when it''s not the right time."


    "You little-"


    "Lofflaren," Sydney interrupted, "hurry it up."


    "What? Oh, yeah, sorry..." He pressed his hand against Marco''s chest and closed his eyes. After a second, his hand started glowing. After the glow got to an uncomfortable brightness, Marco gasped.


    "I''m meant to be a Ranger!"


    Megyn and Sydney looked at him and asked, "What?"


    "Uh...later. Lofflaren, do Sydney next."


    Lofflaren shuffled over and reached out to touch Sydney before hesitating. He glanced down at her chest and then looked away, coughing. "Can I, um-"


    "Let''s just get it over with," she muttered.


    {Congratulations! You have been Awakened! Your Otherworlder ability is Spatial Manipulation. This ability comes with four spells you can pick as well as one automatic perk [Absolute Storage I]. You have gained the [Affinity] for Space Magic.}


    That''s weird. Why doesn''t it come with skills? Are there no proficiencies that don''t cost mana?


    The system told them that the difference between spells and skills was the cost: spells=mana while skills=stamina.


    Mentally, she asked, ''System, what proficiencies can I choose?''


    <hr>


    Spatial Manipulation Proficiencies


    Spells:


    Amalgamation</a>


    Pocket Dimension Creation</a>


    Spatial Aura</a>


    Spatial Crush</a>


    Spatial Distortion</a>


    Spatial Empowerment</a>


    Spatial Mimicry</a>


    Spatial Perception</a>


    Spatial Rift</a>


    Spatial Slicing</a>


    Spatial Tuning</a>


    Spatiokinetic Combat</a>


    Warp Bubble</a>


    <hr>


    That''s a lot...

 Chapter 35

    Bo felt like a new hare. He had another [Kin] title under his belt, which made him even more cooler.


    The title [Toad Kin] had given him +3 Dexterity, Perception, and Constitution, another [Affinity] for Earth Mana, as well as the Proficiencies [Strong Legs I], [Amphibious I], [Tongue Shot], [Super Jump], and [Loud Croak]. He took one [Feature] from the toad and that was the long tongue.


    He loved it! As he and Twigs walked back to the burrow, he kept flicking his elongated tongue at her, messing with her walking practice. Eventually, she got fed up and started hitting him with her beak, rewarding her with a skill [Peck].


    ''Why didn''t you have the skill already?'' Bo questioned, rubbing a sore spot on his side where Twigs had been particularly vicious.


    She shrugged and said: ''I-I g-guess it''s n-not a Falcon b-base p-proficiency.''


    ''But don''t all birds peck things?''


    ''I-I don''t know. W-why d-don''t you f-find others a-and a-ask t-them?''


    Bo frowned at her. ''Where would I find other birds, though? There are only falcons and-''


    He cut himself off when he heard something. Twigs stopped, too and opened her beak to ask something, but stopped when Bo stood up on his hind legs, ears twitching.


    There was that sound again. That familiar woosh. Fear crept into his heart as he remembered the last time he''d heard it. He ended up gravely injured and Lima Bean lost an arm and most of her sight.


    He dropped onto his stomach to hide in the tall grass and cast his first-ever spell, one he''d never thought to use before; [Avoid Danger]. It masked his presence from any entity with a Perception lower than 10. That number would go up with higher proficiency, but Bo had never shied away from a fight, so he''d never had to use it.


    Now, though, he wanted to avoid any contact with a griffin. The last fight had been brutal and he''d just barely won, even with Lima Bean helping him. He only had Twigs with him and she was only level One. She couldn''t do much. With that in my mind, he grabbed her wing and pulled her close, masking her with his spell as well.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ''B-Bo?'' she chirped fearfully.


    ''Shh!''


    His ears strained to hear the tell-tale sign of a griffin sneaking up on them. Nothing. But he wasn''t stupid enough to believe it was gone, so he stayed still and waited. After what felt like an eternity, he was forced to release the spell when his mana got low. He released Twigs and stood up, still wary.


    Twigs looked at him carefully while preening the wing he grabbed: ''W-what was i-it?''


    ''A griffin,'' he said.


    Her eyes widened and her beak dropped. He could see her tremble ever so slightly so he reached out with a comforting paw and said: ''Don''t worry; I''ll protect you. I won''t let anything hurt us, okay?''


    She took a deep breath and then nodded. ''W-we sh-should g-get home n-now.''


    Bo rubbed his chin and contemplated like he''d seen Michi do sometimes. Going home would be the safest option but...he was restless. That feeling of weakness that came to him when he heard the griffin didn''t feel right. He was strong! He should be able to fight! That was the cool thing to do!


    But...he had to protect Twigs. Fighting would put her in danger and he couldn''t let that happened. So he decided; he would take Twigs home and then look for Branut to begin his training. He could walk pretty well, now; she would accept him.


    He would become a real fighter.


    ******


    Branut had a plan.


    She''d had one ever since she''d been a babe. Becoming a Squirrelkin was her dream ever since she''d learned of them. She''d be more than just a beast, more than just some animal struggling to survive in the Falcon Plains. She would leave this place, go find civilization. Get stronger.


    And then she''d be one step closer to overthrowing Michi and his tyrannical ways.


    She''d figured out most of the requirements, which included learning how to walk, write, and gaining an uncanny level of paranoia. Now, all that was left was to eat the Metanut; the consumer would go through a metamorphosis into their respective beast folk.


    Unfortunately for her, the only known Metanut in the Falcon Plains was in Michi''s possession. This was the only reason she agreed to train the leveret, who was also under that dreadful kitsune''s thumb. She would free him, eventually. No one deserved to be under that flea-bitten dojin.


    ''Braaaanuuuut! I''m heeeeere! I walked the whole way, too!''


    She frowned and walked over to the entrance to her burrow. There stood the leveret. Bo, she remembered.


    He was standing on his hind legs, looking proud of himself. Good, she thought. He''s already moving forward in my plans without even knowing it.


    ''Come, then, little hare,'' she purred. ''It''s time to begin your training.''

 /|\

    Mmm.


    I''ve grown popular over the last month or so, haven''t I? I''ve advertised this story everywhere; telling my family members, friends, people on the discord all about this story...


    Kinda makes me sad that I don''t want to write it anymore.


    It was fun, at first, writing about a ''baby hare going on adventures'', but I started feeling pressure to write something more than that. I can never have something simple. I''ve considered doing a rewrite, but even doing the magic system has given me a slight mental breakdown trying to figure it out.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    I don''t like doing this. I don''t like ending something I put so much time and effort into. But I can''t keep putting time and effort into something I have to force myself to do.


    Writing is my passion. I love it. I like writing about things. I like people liking what I write, too. And that''s why I''m happy you all stuck through this mess.


    But passion fades like it''s done so many times before. I would say being a novelist isn''t in my future, but it hurts to think that, so I won''t.


    Maybe I''ll write about Bo and the gang sometime in the future when I''ve got more experience but for now...now, I can''t bring myself to do it.


    See you on the next adventure.