Later, north of wolf-kin territory...
I glance down at Zara, currently hugged against me as I fly us through the air. Her gaze is fixed on the horizon in silence, as though she's lost in thought. I smile lightly at the sight.
"So, exactly how far north am I supposed to take us before we get there?" (Mizuki)
Zara tears her gaze from the horizon to look at me. She purses her lips thoughtfully.
"Hmm...based on how fast we covered ground last time I flew with you, I'd guess less than an hour? Most of the rabbit-kin live in one large settlement, so in another half hour or so, just take us to the largest collection of people within an hour of our location." (Zara)
I nod.
"Can do." (Mizuki)
We fall into a pleasant silence for several more minutes, then Zara glances at me suddenly. There's a rare, curious look on her face.
"I almost forgot to ask again. Did you take a liking to any of the young wolf-kin you met earlier? Any that you'd consider taking to mentor?" (Zara)
My lips twist into a small smirk. Zara may have forgotten to follow up on that comment of hers, but I didn't forget that she made it. Honestly, I'm not sure I want to take another wolf-kin teenager under my wing anytime soon, but that said...
I glance at Zara.
"One of them did catch my attention, I suppose..." (Mizuki)
A small smile forms on Zara's lips.
"I thought she might..." (Zara)
I blink, then I give Zara a skeptical look.
"I'm not talking about Lyla, actually. Don't get me wrong, she was adorable, and I can tell that she's going to grow into an impressive person, but...that's it. I can tell that she's absolutely obsessed with strength, and she's one of the most stubborn people I've seen. Plus, what is she, like thirteen? Even if she was your age, she's not exactly the personality type that I take a personal interest in." (Mizuki)
Surprise flickers across Zara's face, followed by confusion.
"Who then?" (Zara)
I smirk, shaking my head at the memory.
"That doofus who thought you were only a good Elder because of me. I think you called him Orin." (Mizuki)
A rare amount of incredulity leaks into her voice.
"Him!? But...why? Because he was the oldest?" (Zara)
I shake my head.
"No, but him being almost eighteen helps. It was the way he interacted with me and the others. It was brief, but I can tell...he's reasonable and open-minded, and he's deliberate with his words. He was respectful to Lyla, and considerate of what everyone wanted, but not unnecessarily deferential. And despite standing his ground about his opinion against Lyla, the minute I gave him a good reason to, he reconsidered his position. It didn't fully change his mind, but he became genuinely invested in what my alternative explanation was. I like people like that." (Mizuki)
Zara's confusion deepens.
"So, you like him because he's smart? Like Alto?" (Zara)
I can't help but chuckle.
"Fufufufu...no, not even close. He's not dumb, but Alto would run circles around him. Plus, he didn't seem driven by some deep interest in learning or anything. But, I think the way you think and observe the world around you is at least as important as how smart you are. If you're going to mentor someone productively, the former is far more important than the latter." (Mizuki)
Her brow furrows.
"I...see..." (Zara)
The edge of my mouth curls upwards.
I sincerely doubt she 'sees'...she clearly doesn't share my opinion on Orin, but that's okay with me. I'm just saying that Orin would make a better mentee for me than any of the other wolf-kin I met. I'm not so conceited as to think that's some objective measure of his value as a person.
Deciding this conversation has run it's course for now, I glance at the still thoughtful Zara.
"So, what can you tell me about the bunny people?" (Mizuki)
Zara returns her attention to me.
"Well, for one, you should never call them that. They're skittish enough, and that will just erase any chance of them interacting with you. They prefer being called rabbit-kin." (Zara)
I raise my eyebrows. Glad I dodged that bullet, then.
"Duly noted. Anything else?" (Mizuki)
Zara purses her lips, seemingly scraping through her own memory.
"Much like the wolf-kin, they're basically all alteration class mages. But unlike us, their affinity is for healing, not physical enhancement. Other than that, all I know is that they like agriculture and prefer living in the plains regions. Oh, and they are overly democratic." (Zara)
I glance around us, noting that we have, in fact, left the forest biome behind some time ago. Around us in almost every direction are massive, rolling plains, and far ahead I can see the outline of some large mountains. Also, while them all being healers is interesting, it's the last comment that catches my attention.
Overly democratic.
Most Americans would find that term funny, and I can't help but raise my eyebrows as well.
"Democratic as in they make decisions as a group? Like, by voting? What's wrong with that?" (Mizuki)
Zara gives me a pained expression.
"I don't think you understand, Mizuki..." (Zara)
Well, no...I don't. That's kind of why I asked...
"They vote on everything. Ev-er-ry-thing. If we tried to buy a bag of carrots from one of them, they might call a vote for it." (Zara)
I blink.
"Ah..." (Mizuki)
That sounds...tedious.
Zara sighs.
"Yeah..." (Zara)
¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬
Half an hour later, Zara and I are closing in on a relatively large cluster of magic signatures I detected. Out in the distance, I can see evidence of the rolling hills of golden-green grass giving way to a rich, brown color. I raise my eyebrows.
Farmland, maybe? Zara did say they love agriculture, and that area seems to line up with where all the magic signatures are.
As we arrive in the air above what turns out to be farmland, still invisible, I give the area a thorough sweep. Though the tilled land seems to stretch far beyond my eyesight in some directions, in others I can see that a simple wooden fence separates it from the rest of the plains.
Scattered across this area of the farmland, I can see probably one or two hundred rabbit-kin milling about in plain, dirt-covered clothes, carrying standard farm tools as they tend to the land. Their big, white, furry ears stick out like a sore thumb amidst their otherwise human features. I also spot a few wooden sheds spaced across the visible farmland, but there are no other structures in sight.
I narrow my eyes at the confusing sight. Seeing my expression, Zara raises her eyebrows curiously.
"What?" (Zara)
I purse my lips.
"It's weird. There are no housing structures within sight, yet I'm certain there was a massive cluster of magic signatures around here. Actually, that's the other strange part. I see maybe a couple hundred people farming, and my magic sense confirms that now, but earlier it felt like there were at least twenty times that many people. It doesn't make any sense." (Mizuki)
Zara looks mildly surprised for a moment, but then she shrugs.
"Their settlement is probably nearby...we can just ask them." (Zara)
I sigh, nodding reluctantly.
I float us down next to one of the rabbit-kin below. After we land, I don't hesitate to drop my invisibility and silencing spells. Immediately, the late 20s-looking rabbit-kin man's eyes go wide as saucers. I give him my most charming smile and wave.
"Hi there! We're wond-" (Mizuki)
I barely get to speak before the man throws his head back, and an ear-piercing, guttural sound rips from his throat.
"PREDATORS! {in Rabbit-tongue}"
The sharp sound makes me wince, while the rabbit-kin throws the hoe in his hand at me and bolts in the opposite direction. Dirt kicks up from his feet as he launches away at what has to be a solid 50 kph, and my pupils constrict at the sight.
I thought they couldn't use physical enhancement!?
At the same time, the hoe bounces harmlessly off me, and I hear Zara's pained cry next to me.
"Agh!" (Zara)
I whip my head to the side in time to see her fall to her knees, clutching her ears in pain. I drop to a knee beside her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders. A hint of panic infiltrates my voice.
"Zara!? What's wrong!?" (Mizuki)
She leans against me, her voice strained.
"That sound...my ears...ringing." (Zara)
Realization dawns on my face.
Of course...wolf-kin have drastically heightened senses, especially their hearing and sense of smell. On top of that, her base-level body is far less durable than mine, and the eardrums are still a physical organ.
Without wasting another second, I cast a healing spell, and Zara's cries slowly lessen. Soon, she seems to regain her bearings, and she gives me a bewildered look.
"Thanks...I can hear fine now. What was that sound? I've been told that rabbit-kin are skittish, but..." (Zara)
I purse my lips.
"I think it was some kind of warning to the other rabbit-kin in their natural language. He called us 'predators'." (Mizuki)
Zara's eyes widen in surprise.
"I didn't know you spoke their language. So, what now?" (Zara)
Now that I can think clearly about more than Zara being hurt, I realize that I'm quite irritated. All I was trying to do was be nice, and Zara ended up writhing in pain and nearly deafened for the trouble. The more I think about it, I realize I'm not just irritated, I've already lost patience with the rabbit-kin.
My expression darkens.
Maybe if I was in a better mood, I'd stop and consider this a little bit more. Maybe I'd remember that I could teleport to Elmesia and hunt around for that bunny girl receptionist – get her to vouch for us, and coax the rabbit-kin into a conversation. However, I'm in a decidedly not good mood after that encounter.
And if this particular species of rabbit didn't appreciate the carrot...
I glance at the expectant looking Zara.
"Now...I go politely strangle an explanation out of that asshole bunny." (Mizuki)
Zara's eyes widen, but I'm already scouring the area around us, searching the horizon in the direction the rabbit-kin man took off. Sadly, there's nobody in sight, which causes me to raise my eyebrows.
Well...I guess he was crazy fast.
I spread my magic sense out, probing the few kilometers around us for magic signatures in the right power range. After a few seconds, I feel my heart skip a beat. Not only can I not find the man I'm looking for, but there isn't a single person in the surrounding few kilometers. Even knowing how fast they are, it's still been less than a minute since the man screamed and bolted – there's no way they could have run that far. Yet, despite that fact, not a single of those almost two hundred rabbit-kin I saw before is being detected by my magic sense.
It's like they just...disappeared.