Life of a Nonhuman

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Nasuki shook her head at his question.
"No no! N..not like a normal member at least... It's more like... They are there and we can't really get rid of them? The guild is really old and some people have died there and gotten stuck... Probably cause of all the building's enchantments giving them something to cling to... And since they're mostly helpful the leadership doesn't bother paying the enormous costs of an exorcism... Usually ghosts are bound to a place or object, or in some rare cases, people. so they can't really be adventurers or explore the world".
She explained, not wanting him to get the wrong idea.
"Of course... In most places ghosts are not liked,the mages of the guild just tend to be a lot more... Open minded".
Well that made sense, they were apparently willing the include nonhuman races in their ranks and keep ghosts around, perhaps magic just made you see past certain typical barriers like race?

Hasuki looked away as he mentioned dwarves, looking a little sad almost.
"Dwarves... Are pretty rare in this region... Between the Stone Plague and several wars they kinda just... Died out... I'm sure there are SOME left on the continent, and other continents still have them, but I've only met one dwarf in my life and he was a trader from far away".
She told him.
Well, that was not great news... And Hasuki didn't seem to like the idea of talking about that subject, same with the beast wars... Maybe the stone could tell him more when it next woke up and could feed him some info.
"Well, houses could probably be good for the Wabbits too... I mean, it's probably easier to keep a wooden above ground house warm, dry and clean than an underground ruin right?"
Hasuki asked.

She seemed genuinely happy at the praise she received, tail wagging and ears perked up, not to mention the clear smile on her face, he would get the feeling that she didn't often get praise for her ideas and actions.
"Okay! I'll send a letter to the guild later and hope they send a representative to look things over, give us an estimate of the value... Though... I'd like to keep a few here... Just in case we have a coin shortage or could make them work later".
Hasuki suggested, it certainly would be a boon, but it didn't seem she knew how to make golems work, and was really just hoping on a whim.
"Okay! The low elven village will take a while to get to, we should go pick up the cart unless we wanna spend over a week walking... I hope we have enough food for the journey..."
Hasuki walked off to find the horse and take stock of supplies and coin.

Though it took a minute to think it over, Boss actually nodded slowly.
"This place is safe... And wolves are well behaved... I will come with, and learn more about dumb predators, and protect Dumb Nibbit from danger".
She declared, blushing again, awww, she wanted to keep him safe! He WAS a member of the herd in her eyes so it made sense at least, though it also appeared she had an ulterior motive.
"Also... Can we search for other Wabbits?... Maybe bring them to here?"
She asked quietly.
Ahh, it seemed her desire for a large herd was still present, there was easily enough space and grass for many more Wabbits, of course finding more of the endangered race wouldn't be easy.

 

[ayylmao]

"Ah, so like actual ghosts then," Nibbit replied. "Yeah, ghosts going on adventures? That would be too odd even for a fantasy world…" he surrendered his wild idea immediately.

"I can't imagine being that person who got stuck with a ghost though," he continued. "Need to go to an exorcist ASAP, I imagine."

His fur couldn't help but stand up a little, as he imagined being stuck with a ghost 24/7, being haunted day and night by it.

"I'm glad to hear that the mages in your guild are like that though." Nibbit smiled. "We can certainly use less prejudiced humans around, especially since we're going to have a trade with them. I hope the Guild wouldn't mind if the money you get from selling those golems be used for a bunch of monsters."

"I see… that's unfortunate…" Wibbit replied to her statement about the dwarfs, his ears dropping down. "I guess we'll have to manage without them for now... "

He wondered what the Stone Plague was though. But it seemed Hasuki wasn't in the mood to talk about it more so he wouldn't press her for it.

"That's true," he replied to Hasuki's statement about the houses. "I'm just worried that the Wabbits wouldn't be used to sleeping in human dwellings like that." He gave his argument. "Then he would have wasted the houses… And I do wonder whether we should build one large house for all the Wabbits, or build each of them their own houses… The latter doesn't make sense for ordinary Wabbits, but if they gained human forms like I do, they would certainly want their privacy… What do you think, Boss?" He asked her. She was their leader after all.

"Yep!" Nibbit replied. "We can certainly store some of those golems for later. As for how to use them later, we probably would need a mage of some sort… an artificer who is an expert on magical devices. And that would certainly cost even more money…"

It would certainly be cool, to have their own golems guarding them. But they had to prioritize building their houses first.

"Yeah, I hope we do," Nibbit responded to Hasuki's concern. "I can just turn back into my Wabbit form and eat grass, but you certainly can't do the same. I think we probably should get some fruits from the trees around here, if you're fine with just eating them for your meals, that is," he suggested. "We can ask the wolves to hunt some rabbits or even a deer for us, but that would mean we can't depart right away."

Nibbit was glad that Boss decided to accept his offer. He noticed the blush that appeared on her face as she agreed however.

O-oh God she's a genuine tsundere, in the flesh!

A-a bunny girl tsundere!

His heart skipped a beat at the revelation. He averted his gaze, blushing as well.

C-cute! Too cute!

My heart can barely handle it!

Before he knew it, he already got one attractive bunny lady being all protective over him.

His old self would no doubt be madly jealous of his current state.

The three soon departed, going back to where they left the wagon first before leaving for real.

If only there's a road… but that means we'll have to cut down a lot of the trees…

Deforestation… I wonder if Boss would approve… He gave a glance towards her.

Thankfully, the wagon was still where they had left it, complete with the horse.

I wonder if the gem would affect the horse as well eventually, if we're together long enough… maybe making it able to talk first...

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

"Well... Mages aren't treated too nicely by most common folk... We're not actively discriminated against or anything, but being able to shoot lightning from our hands or knock down a house with a breath seems to make it hard for most people to trust or let down their guard around us, but being treated differently means most of us don't really care about race or class or nation, or even religion unless you're a Mundanite... Hard to get along with someone who thinks you're blasphemous against their god that doesn't even exist..."
Hasuki explained before nodding.
"Honestly we could use the coin to fund a war against the guild and they wouldn't care as long as we delivered what they want, umm... A lot of guild members aren't the most sensible..."
She admitted, a little embarrassed by her association with the eccentric group.
"If anything, they'll be glad that someone is making a possible future rest stop here, a lot of mages travel through these woods to get to other nations and it's pretty dangerous to just camp out in the open".

"Oh! That's a good point... They do seem comfortable with the current situation, and there's no sense wasting materials and coin on something that won't get used..."
Hasuki agreed as Boss thought over her answer.
"Wabbits don't like being lonely... We like sleeping together, I say make one big house, make more later if some want them".
She suggested, the comment about more Wabbit gaining human forms made her ears twitch but she didn't say anything and it was impossible to tell what she thought of that possibility, or if she even knew what to think, the sudden evolution of your species was a hard thing to grasp.
"I'll gather up some fruit, I think I have some bread and cheese left... Though I don't know where my jerky went..."
Her ears drooped a little, though Nibbit HAD seen her eating something vaguely jerky like, Hasuki seemed to enjoy chewing the tough meat, perhaps a canine instinct from her bestial nature?

Fortunately the boss couldn't read his mind, or even understand what a tsundere was, or she might literally kick his ass, much more frightening for someone her size than a slightly larger than average Wabbit.
The Wagon was still where they left it and the horse was happy to be hitched up and pulling it again, doing what it had been bred for!
The trip was going to no doubt be a long one, with a Boss who had been convinced to put her shoes back on laying in the back of the Cart, and Hasuki at the front driving the reins, if he wanted to start a conversation with one or both of them, now would certainly be the time.

 

[ayylmao]

"I see…" Nibbit replied. "Makes sense… People always tend to fear those that have power, especially if that power is unknown and alien to them…"

Especially in a medieval fantasy world like this, he added in his mind, where danger and death should be far more common to the average folk.

Can't help but wonder now… what's the average life expectancy of this world?

Also, a Mundanite? If I hear her right, that must be some kind of religion?

And she said their god doesn't really exist with such conviction? Don't tell me that she's actually some kind of a zealot from an opposing religion?

Before he could ask what the Mundanites were however, the topic of conversation already shifted to the guild.

"That's really convenient to us then!" he replied with a grin. "No questions asked, just give us the coins with no strings attached!"

He couldn't help but wonder though, has such a lackadaisical attitude of who they were conducting their business with ever backfired on them?

"Ah, a rest stop, that's a good idea, Hasuki!" He once again praised her. "That's one way we can get a consistent income to develop our base even further! I mean, Wabbits certainly wouldn't be capable of farming or chopping down trees for wood. Not that I would want them to. They live such carefree lives I would feel bad if I have to bother them with the usual hard stuff humans have to do with surprise," he explained his reasoning. "We can just make a small inn for travelers. Though for it to work, we need easy access to both in and out the forest, so we do have to build the roads after all. And that would be the most expensive part."

And who would want to build roads out in the middle of a forest? You need like a king to strong arm the citizens to do the job. Will need a lot of people. And don't forget the logistics as well!

Aaah, this is getting more and more complicated the more I think about it!

Nibbit held his head in frustration, messing up his hair in the process. His ears drooped down once again.

The Boss then suggested that they take his first option; to build one large house for all the Wabbits to stay in.

"Alright, we can do that!" Nibbit replied. "That's probably the very first project we should tackle, to be honest."

For now, he decided to put the far-fetched plan of turning their base into a traveler resting place in the back of his mind.

-----

Once on the carriage, Hasuki once again took the reins, with Boss and Nibbit sitting on the back, with the latter two somewhat facing each other.

As there were still a lot of hours ahead of them before they reached their destination, days even, naturally, they would have conversations with each other.

Not much however, as Boss was naturally a somewhat aloof character, while Nibbit had always been an introvert even in his previous life.

W-well this is awkward... Nibbit thought to himself, just a mere 10 minutes after they departed. I'm sitting across a pretty girl like this yet I can't bring myself to say anything… My heart beating up certainly didn't help matters either…

And to think I have to endure this for several days? O-oh no!

It would be easier if we two stay on our Wabbit forms…

In the end, he decided on an easy question, just to break the ice.

"H-hey Boss…" He spoke. "What are you planning to do with the other Wabbits?" He asked her. "It certainly would be nice if we can all live together under one safe roof, but after that?"

He asked because he too was unsure on what to do from here. After the Wabbits all lived safely, would that be the end of it? As a person from another world, he certainly would love to have modern conveniences in his home back. But even things like having running water is far from the norm in a fantasy world like this, let alone in a dwelling of a bunch of Wabbits.

Should he chase after strength? He knew the gem could still grant more power to him, and the other Wabbits. But it wasn't like they were going off to fight the Demon Lord like in those typical fantasy stories he liked to read.

He then remembered his aspiration that he had almost forgotten. He wanted to travel this world and saw all that it had to offer.

But now that he was practically second-in-command to the Wabbits like this, he couldn't just… leave them after they were all safe and sound... could he?

He couldn't imagine how Boss would react to that. Hasuki might be willing to go with him, but Boss would no doubt have to stay as the Wabbits' leader.

These questions ended up haunting him, until they arrived at their destination, the elven village.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Hasuki's tail was wagging up a storm at the continued praise, her ideas had never really interested any of her colleagues, after all they all tended to know about the things she was telling Nibbit, and why would they bother with ways to make money when they could just go clear some land or something for farms by waving their hands and earn the wages of an entire team working over weeks or months, and she just couldn't come up with a magical theory or new spell that impressed her guild mates, even her compressed lightning only got minor interest.
But here she felt important and smart! Just another reason to hang around here as long as the Wabbits would have her (She of course still thought Nibbit was just a particularly smart Wabbit).
"Hmm... Well if we get those golems working they could probably clear land just by walking right?... So we use them to at least make some paths and that will cut down on the expenses".
Hasuki suggested, she had come from a small merchant family before showing her magical ability and being scooped up by a guild tester, so she had a good mind for this kind of thing, and was happy to be able to use it!

The Boss had been thinking about how to start a conversation, while she was used to being on guard and not talking much to the herd, but she had always been lonely, especially so now that her mind had expanded and for the first time ever she was away from the herd without needing to worry about them, plus... She really liked being close to and talking to Nibbit, even if she struggled to come up with topics she thought he might like.
So when Nibbit talked to her she was visibly surprised, a slight blush returning to her pale cheeks.
"Ehh... I want to bring all Wabbits together... For safety and warmth... Like Humans do".
She told him, basically she wanted to make a nation of Wabbits without knowing the words for it.
"If we build buildings and things... Then Humans maybe stop hunting us?"
She seemed sad, and almost desperate, the Boss knew her species had been pushed to the brink, and it seemed she was genuinely scared of what could happen if they didn't band together.
Of course, just because they built homes didn't mean anyone would see Wabbits as a race worth respecting, they needed allies and strength to even have a chance.

The Elven village was larger than the stone's impression of it, maybe by as much as a third, and there were plenty of elves! Probably at least a hundred in that village, they seemed a little shorter and thinner than humans on average, with a slight androgyny to them, the newcomers got some looks, mostly neutral though there were a few of slight hostility.
"Well, we're here... Don't wander off, Low Elves are nice and friendly but they can be suspicious of outsiders".
Hasuki warned as they climbed off the cart.
Boss was seemingly stunned into silence as she looked over the town... Was she... Shaking?

 

[ayylmao]

Nibbit noticed Hasuki's tail wagging furiously behind her, making him smirk. Well, someone's certainly really happy from the praises I've been giving her.

And it did not take long until he gave her another.

"That's brilliant, Hasuki!" Nibbit took her hands and grabbed them with his. "Of course we could just use the golems to clear out the trees! Maybe even level the soil as well to make a smoother road!"

For now, a simple dirt road should suffice.

-----

"You mean, you want to make a country for Wabbits?" Nibbit asked back to the bunny girl. "That's amazing, Boss!" He replied with shining eyes, his ears twitching in excitement. "I'm totally behind you all the way! A country for all Wabbits! That sounds like fun indeed!" He giggled.

On her idea of making houses so that the humans won't attack them however, his ears drooped a little.

He simply could not share her naive optimism. And she had to break it to her right then and there.

"Boss, I'm afraid it wouldn't be that easy," he answered her with a forlorn look. "I agree that making a proper village like the humans' own dwellings could make them look more favorably to us, but I wouldn't say that it's a guarantee."

"The humans… they fought with each other, you know. Over food, territory, and other human things. Even if we try to mimic them, we don't have a guarantee that one day, they wouldn't just decide to wipe us all out."

"In fact," he continued. "If we started making a village, a proper humanlike village with walls and all that, they could see us as an actual threat. Monsters who could organize enough to do such a thing could probably also organize an army to attack them. That could become their line of thinking."

He sighed. "I don't know. I certainly would love making a proper village out of our new home. But we certainly would need to prepare for such events in the future. And the Wabbits… they aren't exactly cut out for that kind of stuff, are they?" he asked rhetorically, as he already perfectly knew the answer.

"I suppose the wolves, if we can get more of them, could act as our soldiers. But that would…"

He paused. He was about to go on about social classes and the like, but he was pretty sure he would only confuse Boss by doing so.

He sighed again. As much as Boss and Hasuki helped him with their knowledge, there was still much of his own knowledge that he could not explain to them with ease.

It made him feel... lonely.

-----

"Woow, so this is the elven village!"

It didn't take long after they climbed off their carriage for Nibbit to start ogling their new surroundings.

The village itself didn't seem to be that much different than the human village he had visited a while back, but it was certainly larger, and all he could see around him was elves! Elves and more elves! At least a hundred of them!

He could tell they were elves, just by their clean, more beautiful and androgynous look. That, and the sharp ears they had.

He could feel their gazes at him however, so he whispered to the group, "I think we should just go straight to their village elder. Clear up the purpose of our visit here, before they get even more suspicious."

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Boss seemed saddened by his logic but didn't argue, she had seen how humans could act, felt her own new instincts on how to act and gain power over others, all she could do was try and cling to the bright optimism of Wabbits, which had admittedly been rather tarnished before she even gained her new form, but even so! They had a home, and she wouldn't give up on saving her species! Especially now that she was so much stronger and even had Nibbit to help her! Her thought on Nibbit... Were confusing, the attraction was obvious enough, he was some sort of Dire Wabbit or something and she was unmated, but that wasn't the problem here, the problem was that SHE was the leader, the boss of the herd... But He seemed so much better at it... She would lose a fight he won in a single kick... Or panic and become mindless when he would have a plan... She had to wonder if he was maybe the better leader... She couldn't accept it though, from birth she was raised to be a leader and protector! What else could she do?...

In the town the similarities to human villages were profound but at the same time there was notable differences, the architecture was more detailed, and seemed to use less material to achieve the same result, and there were many carvings on beams of wood, all in all the artistry of the elves was present everywhere he looked, and even what looked like a child was carving intricate patterns into a house while a taller elf looked on with pride, if he wanted carpenters, this was definitely the place to look! There was even a blacksmith! Working in the open on new hoes.
No one bothered them as they walked, until one person flanked by several others came to meet them, while the other elves had almost no signs of age, this woman has clear wrinkles and grey hair, she looked like a woman in her 50s, but of course was likely far, far older than that, of course that probably wasn't even that old to an elf.
"Ahh... Visitors, it is so rare this time of year, you don't appear to be merchants, but yet I feel you bring business here all the same... Please, come into my home, I had my assistants prepare food when the scouts spotted you coming here".
Well, she seemed nice, and didn't feel the need to reveal that they had apparently been watching them at last for part of their journey.

Her house was only slightly larger than the others, the extra space being taken up by a large dining style room, that already had four cups of steaming tea set on it, as well as a small platter of bread and salad, with just a little meat on Hasuki's plate.
The elder didn't speak again until they were sat.
"I hope this is to your liking, it has been long since we last had Beast folk of your kind as guests... Now, let's not delay any further, as I am sure you have things you need to do, so I will ask now, what is your business in our humble village? And what do you have to do with the changes in the forest?"
She seemed suddenly more serious, the woman could practically feel the mana radiating off of Nibbit and of course knew that the balance had shifted in the woods.

 

[ayylmao]

Wow, this place looks the same as the human village on the surface, but now that I look at it closer, it certainly looks very different! The architecture is far more detailed and so many carvings on the wood itself!

Yep, I think this place can certainly give us the carpenters that we need!

Nibbit confidently looked around, even waving to some of the elves that were staring at them, giving the brightest smile he could muster. At times like these, he was thankful that he was reincarnated as a Wabbit, as its natural cheerfulness could overcome his own natural shyness and introversion. His old self would feel awfully awkward doing this kind of stuff, and his smile would no doubt look creepy and awkward instead of the adorableness it should've been.

They didn't have to go far to meet the village elder however, as it seemed she had decided to take the initiative, coming to meet them in the middle of the village.

Thankfully for them, she had decided to receive them with open arms. Nibbit doubted they would obtain the same treatment if they had gone to the human village instead.

Once they arrived at her house, Nibbit didn't hesitate to take his seat, taking a cup of the tea afterwards.

"First of all, thank you for the hospitality, Mrs. Village Elder!" He replied to her cheerfully. He thought it wouldn't be fitting for a Wabbit to be all grim and formal.

Yes!" Nibbit decided he should be the one to answer. "You are right, Mrs. Village Elder! We come here on an important business!"

"We want your village to supply us with carpenters! So that we can get our new village in the forest up and running!"

He told her the truth right away. There was no need to hide anything, as he wasn't talking to a human.

"You see… after the original grazing plains us Wabbits used to live in got destroyed by a Hellhound, we decided to move deeper into the forest, and use the ruins there as our new home!" He explained further. "And since it was such a good place to live in, we decided that we wanted to gather the other Wabbit herds as well to live with us! Like one big family! That way, we can better defend ourselves from those awful human poachers, which we were just attacked by before the Hellhound came!"

And then, he moved on directly to his demands.

"We want to start by building one large house, where we can house all of the Wabbits together. Then, three small ones, for me, Boss, and Hasuki." He pointed at his companions. "Also, a fence surrounding the village would be good as well, just to discourage and slow down any wild beasts that might decide to pay us a visit."

"Now, you might ask, 'Why would Wabbits need a house'? Well, for starters, it's more comfortable that way! We can shield ourselves from the elements better and we're also safer against wild beasts in nighttime!"

"And then, in case of more Wabbits evolving to having human forms like me and Boss here, we can use said home as temporary housing until we can build more houses!"

He didn't say how they could turn human like that, implying that the whole thing was some freak coincidence that just happened without anyone knowing why.

"After that, we would also like to build an inn of sorts. For travelers, so that our village could have some income! It's still quite far away though, as we need to prepare the roads first… that would take a while, even with the golems we had…"

"A-ah, speaking of the golems, we're selling some of them away, so don't worry! We'll make sure to pay you all well enough!" He quickly added.

There! He made his pitch! Now, to see her reaction.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

The elder looked them over for a few minutes when Nibbit finished speaking, before taking a long sip of her tea, she seemed to be considering something, but was taking her time to say what it was, Hasuki was a little on edge and Boss... Was calmly eating a salad leaf.
Finally she spoke.
"I am truly happy that you chose to be honest with me, when the village hunters and gatherers first noticed the changes in the forest, we feared it might be a sign of corruption, whether from a human project or a Gate... When we looked closer and discovered you, we were still not sure whether to welcome you with open arms or cold steel, but after hearing your words I sense no evil within you, and your offer seems as if it can only bring prosperity to my people, not only the work, but the increased trade that would come with the woods being easier to travel would no doubt be a boon".
She stated calmly, taking another sip of her cooling tea.

"Your evolution intrigues me, but the change in magical energy within the ruins at least gives me an inkling of how you achieved it, if so I welcome you to continue, more nonhumans able to stand on the level of humanity are always welcome, especially those born of a species as peaceful as Wabbit Kind, certainly better than humans or that guild getting their hands on such an item, I merely hope that you have kept it somewhere safe and away from prying eyes and grasping hands".
She warned, apparently not knowing he had eaten it, her wisdom not giving her that kind of strange insight.
"Ahh yes, my grandmother told me stories of when those golems were commonplace in this place, it warms my heart that such a force for good is being used once again, even if just for funds to fuel a developing nation".
The elder seemed nostalgic for a moment, a genuine smile gracing her lips.

"I am willing to allow carpenters to work on your new home, however, they will require pay, and it is up to you to earn their trust... I know of a way you may do that, but of course, it is dangerous, and I would never ask a guest to solve our problems... But if they were a shared problem then I wouldn't need to would I?"
She asked, a twinkle in her eye.
Assuming Nibbit would want to know of this shared interest she finished her tea and continued on.
"There are a group of human... Colonists... They have created a massive lumber operation, already thousands of trees have fallen to them, even as they dam rivers and their hunters pick the forests clean, they have even clashed with our hunters before... But what's more, there are rumors of a breeding program for an endangered species to sell to the highest bidder, I can not be certain, but one of the scouts was certain he saw Wabbit Fur cloaks among the colonists... Unfortunately we ourselves are unable to act, we have a treaty with their homeland, that binds us even as they break their own obligations".

 

[ayylmao]

Nibbit waited with bated breath for the chief's answer, almost as tense as Hasuki was.

He immediately smiled the moment he realized the chief's response was a positive one.

"T-thank you very much!" He said to her. He was relieved that she immediately recognized their innocence. I mean, how could anyone think of us cute Wabbits as anything sinister?

What's a Gate though? And I'm not sure if I understand what she meant by corruption either…

He was even more relieved when she welcomed their evolution. She knew about the gem! Though she didn't seem to know about me swallowing it though… which, now I'm not sure if I'm supposed to use it that way…

Just what is that thing anyways?

Nibbit also had a feeling that the elder knew the history of the ruins, judging by her comment on the golems. It certainly makes sense… being an old elf like her, she must have lived for hundreds of years! I can certainly use some history lessons from her!

She then pretty much told him that to obtain their co-operation, he had to do something for them first.

And here we go. The bargaining process.

As he feared, she asked for quite the heavy task of him.

"W-wait, so you want us to put an end on their operations?" he replied in disbelief. "W-we're just a bunch of Wabbits, you know! I-I'm not sure if we can handle such a thing!"

And you're just using us to do your dirty work! You'll certainly deny any involvement with us if we fail!

But then, the elder continued, telling him how they might have captive Wabbits with them.

Nibbit quickly gave a glance towards Boss. No doubt she would react to such a revelation.

T-this is it… this is what I feared would happen…

Our first real conflict with the humans… not just a group of poachers…

S-should we just… retreat, and forget about all this talk of developing our Wabbit village and saving all the other Wabbits?

He gave another look towards Boss.

...No, no we cannot. Boss would never forgive me if I do.

...And I too don't want to spend the rest of my life cowering over the other races. I want us to be able to stand proud as our own people, as equals to any of our neighbours, whether it be beasts, monsters, other nonhumans, and even the humans themselves!

...I can remember it… my old self… he used to be afraid all the time… afraid of taking risks… afraid of taking chances…

...I'm done being him. I'm done being such a person!

And then, he took a long, deep breath.

His panicked, sweaty face from before disappeared.

Now, he had the face of a firm and confident leader.

At that moment, both Hasuki and Boss would see how the normally cute and boyish-looking Nibbit turned all cool and handsome all of a sudden.

"Elder." He commanded. "Give us all the intel you got on those human colonists."

To his relief, she already had everything he needed. Their numbers, their locations, and how many of them were actually trained fighters.

There was no need for him to send out scouts beforehand.

20 of them. With only five being actual fighters.

Yeah, we can take on them ourselves. No need to involve the Wabbits.

The wolves however can be there for backup.

"Alright," he said after he received all the information. "You guys just wait for the good news. It'll be a week, at the very most." He smiled at them, bidding them goodbyes. "Elder, I certainly would love to speak more with you in the future!" He waved his hand towards her. Once again, he was back in his "cute Wabbit" mode.

It's true! There is still much I need to learn about this world after all!

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

The gem seemed to have woken at some point and answered his question about gates with images of odd, tall black arches that just didn't seem quite right, it was hard to tell why but they looked like they didn't belong there, of course it didn't seem like he was going to get any other information out of the gem, which was apparently being picky about how it used it's energy.
It certainly didn't answer his questions about what it was, it was apparently secretive, assuming it even knew what it was to begin with, still that was fine as long as it kept helping him right? Not like it could possibly be concerning to have an unknown, possibly sentient artifact inside him that could apparently magically alter minds and bodies at will.

The elder poured another cup of tea and took a sip before answering, she really did seem to like that, perhaps using it as a way to consider an answer or put her guests on edge this was an important negotiation after all so she would of course use any tactic she could.
"Oh, I feel you would manage just fine, you are stronger than you appear to most".
The elder declared, seemingly talking to Nibbit mostly, but also glancing towards Boss, which surprised the Wabbit girl who had been eating and not paying much attention, she was almost shaking, likely out of anger at her incarcerated kin, Nibbit would likely lose her loyalty forever if he refused to help, Hasuki was keeping her face neutral, she had no say in what he chose to do, and knew it, so stayed quiet, despite her tail whipping against the chair as she tried to stop herself from crying out that they should do it.

The old elven woman simply smiled at his outburst, and motioned to her assistant who brought over maps that she marked with the locations of the camp while going over their numbers, they were a small group, apparently part of the 'first wave' if left too long they would likely establish a foothold and allow hordes of monster hating colonists to conquer the forests, this was bigger than just some small annoyance or even saving the captured Wabbits.
"I look forwards to your next visit, consider my door always open to you Brave Wabbit".
She declared as he left.
Shortly after leaving the Elder's village Boss surprised Nibbit with a sudden eskimo kiss, clearly happy at his decision.
"Nibbit! You made a good choice... The best choice! You're really smart! And brave!"
She praised him, wow, he had never seen her this happy about something, the fear of the fight completely overwhelmed by her excitement to find more Wabbits and rescue them.

 

[ayylmao]

"I see…" Nibbit replied to the elder's warning. "That's certainly a valid concern. If we don't act now, then the problem would only get worse in the long run."

It's just delaying the inevitable, I feel. They would surely come back even after we defeated them, and in bigger numbers too.

At the very least we could delay them, as we prepare for their future assault.

Before they left, he made sure that they purchased enough food and water for the trip home.

Or, he would, if the other elves hadn't just decided to give the supplies for free. It seemed they were all happy that he had decided to take their elder's offer.

Speaking of the elder, he was glad that she would be willing for further discussions with him in the future. Well, we're probably going to meet more often in the future, as we coordinate the works of the carpenters she would be lending to the village.

When Boss suddenly decided to press her nose to him, it was thankfully after they had left the village, or else he would have to bear extra embarrassment, on top of the one he was already having right now.

"B-Boss!" Nibbit said as his face reddened as he struggled to break free from her embrace. It was a cute scene, almost as if Boss was his mother and he was a child that thought he was too cool to receive kisses from his mother.

"R-really, it was nothing!" He quickly replied to her praise. "I-I just think it's the best choice to take in the situation! Like the elder said, if we just left them be, they would eventually grow to become a bigger threat! And we certainly don't want that, do we?"

Even though he was being humble, a smile appeared on his face as his tail wagged excitedly behind him. He couldn't hide his joy on being praised after all.

...Yeah, she really would never forgive me if I had refused.

-----

Finally, we're home.

Argh, riding on a carriage for days on end; not exactly the most comfortable thing.

Sure would be nice if I can get a Zoom spell like in Dragon Quest. Is that even a thing in this world?

If not, someone should totally invent it.

Once back at the ruins, he immediately gathered the other wabbits and the wolves in the large clearing, with the help of Hasuki and Boss. Thankfully, the wolves weren't out hunting so he could make the announcement straight away.

He had a thought of just letting Boss do it, but seeing as he was the one to accept the mission, and he was the one with the plan as well, after thinking about it hard and long in their trip back, he had to be the one to do it.

Even though he had barely any public speaking skills. He would always get nervous in front of other people, and he certainly didn't feel that he could be a respected and well-followed leader.

He actually had dodged any leadership position back at his old life as an office worker. Both out of fear and not wanting to have the extra responsibilities attached to it.

I-I don't need the extra money after all… I'm fine just being like this…

But now, now that he was in this position, he had to step up.

Because there was no one else that could replace him. And because everyone there was depending on him.

He took a deep breath before starting his speech.

"Alright everyone, we just got back from the elven village, and we have good news and bad news."

"The good news, they're willing to lend us their carpenters. The bad news, we have to do a little favor for them in exchange."

He took another sigh.

"We have to drive out a small group of humans that had made their encampment inside the forest."

He waited for their reaction, wanting to see if any of them would protest.

None. Alright, he would continue on.

"They're mainly doing logging operations, falling down one tree after another. And the elves did not like that, so they asked for our help."

"Also, they might hold a herd of Wabbits in captive, so that they could skin their fur to be sold back home. Just like the poachers that attacked us a while back."

He waited once again. Would they still disagree? Or would they be fired up instead, after hearing that their fellow Wabbits were in distress?

"So, before I speak about my plan to rescue them and drive the humans back, anyone disagrees with the attack itself? Then please, speak up. We're going to provoke the humans by doing this, and that could lead to future retaliations from them. So please, think about it carefully." He spoke with a concerned look.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

The elves practically heaped supplies on the three of them, while they could be cold and stony to strangers, it seemed these elves had warmed up immediately after he agreed to help them, likely having been listening in with their no doubt superior elven hearing while he talked with the elder, at least that would explain why they all knew he had agreed to do as requested and drive off the the colonists, it certainly seemed like word had spread fast.
Though she herself was blushing a cute red color, Boss seemed miffed at his response to her affection, pouting as she crossed her arms and looked away from him.
"Just let me... It's normal for Wabbits to do this... So don't act all weird about affection... Dummy..."
Boss declared, already taking back her compliment about his intelligence, but not about his bravery at least, he'd probably have to physically run away from her to earn that insult!
Her own tail was matching his though, she was clearly still very happy with him despite her words.
Meanwhile Hasuki was watching the Wabbits with a blush, barely containing a squee at how adorable she found the two, seriously they both looked like a couple of tsun bunny people to her... Actually, Nibbit was possibly cuter than Boss... She needed to get him into something more flattering than the cheap clothes they found in that one human town.
His question about the Zoom spell got him no answer from the stone, if it existed the stone didn't know about it, it also seemed almost... Curious, about what a Dragon Quest was.

The wolves had done their job well, there were no missing Wabbits, and even appeared to be a new very small one! Which the apparent parent (it was hard to tell if it was a mother or father) informed him was named Nibbit, which of course led to the discovery that several Wabbits had given themselves names! This was not normal in the slightest as far as Nibbit's knowledge of Wabbits could tell, Wabbits usually knew themselves by scent and other markers only apparent to them, but somehow they had decided on names, even if many of them were simple things, describing a characteristic or two, and there were no last names yet.
Still, this seemed to make Boss go quiet, as if thinking about something.

The wolves hadn't taken on names yet, but admitted that they were considering it, having found the whole thing rather interesting but wanting to choose proper names once the time came.
They had been busy too, having downed two deer looking creatures and dragged them to the section of the ruins they chose as their den, as well as at some point pushing much of the rubble into a different area.
They herd gathered around slowly to listen to Nibbit speak.
They cheered when he announced that the elves would help them, and went quiet for a short while as he continued, before finally speaking up.
"If cut down all trees... No more fruit!"
One declared.
Another spoke up more aggressively.
"Dumb Humans! This not their home! Make them leave!"
By now the Other wabbits were shouting similar things, had Wabbits ever been this driven?
"How we help?!"
One even asked.

 

[ayylmao]

To his surprise, when they arrived, the number of Wabbits had increased.

One of them had given birth in their absence!

The excited Wabbits didn't wait to come to him and push him to where the Wabbit baby was.

O-oh God, it's so cute! A normal Wabbit is already really cute but this is even more so!

He couldn't help but grin like an idiot as he lifted the baby gently, as if it was his own.

Wow, since when there's a pregnant Wabbit amongst us? I never noticed!

Wait, what if there are even more pregnant Wabbits around here?

He put the Wabbit baby down gently and then asked the Wabbit crowd, "Anybody else is pregnant? Anyone?"

"We decide to name baby Wabbit Nibbit!" The parent said with a cheerful bounce. Even Nibbit couldn't tell right away whether they were the father or the mother.

"Smart Nibbit save us! Bring us to new home! Want baby Wabbit to be as smart!" They praised him further.

"E-ehehehehehe, t-thanks," Nibbit gave a nervous laugh, scratching his chin with his index finger To be honest, he wasn't exactly comfortable having another Nibbit around. What if they were in the same room and only one of them got a call? That would be awkward.

"We name ourselves too!" Another Wabbit spoke. "I'm Mibbit!"

"And I'm Ebbit!"

"While I'm Mobbit!"

W-what the… they're all going to have names now?

A-and the names… they're all just like mine! Terribly, awfully uncreative!

I-I'm never good with names! Even back at my old life, it's hard for me to remember the names of my co-workers!

And with these kinds of names, and how they all looked similar, h-how could I remember?

The next group to come to him to report was the wolves.

"As you wished, we didn't harm any of the Wabbits. We have hunted for deers instead, and currently, we have two of them placed inside the ruins," one of them said as he bowed his head in front of him.

"We also have pushed some of the rubbles away," a female one added, her bowing in front of him as well.

"Good job, you all!" Nibbit patted their head with a smile as he crouched down. "Now, gather everyone. We have a meeting to do."

-----

The Wabbits' reaction to his announcement surprised him. Instead of cowering in fear, they were all angry at the humans instead. One of them even asked him right away if there's anything he could do to help!

He had expected this from the wolves, sure, but not for the Wabbits!

He couldn't help but feel a surge of pride in his heart.

"Alright then, everyone! So here's the plan!" He switched to his cool mode once again. "First, we'll try diplomacy first. Even though there's only a small chance that they would listen to us, we still have to try anyway. That's my policy." He declared confidently.

"Hasuki. Can you prepare a letter to them?" He turned to ask her. "Tell them, The Great Nibbit, Guardian of The Nameless Forest, demands for them to cease any logging activities, to release any captured animals and monsters, and to leave the forest forever, never to return. Or else they would feel his wrath. Then, I'll ask a bird to deliver it straight on top of their heads."

"And you wolves, all of you would patrol near their site. I want you to spook them as much as possible. Howl loudly all throughout the night. Give them glimpses of your presence, but never actually attack them. Make them nervous. Make them paranoid."

"If they don't do as we say after three days, then we attack."

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Though the baby was still blind and deaf, but seemed to react to Nibbit's presence with some slight movements, it appeared the the parent Wabbits didn't mind Nibbit handling their child in the slightest, their eyes were full of trust and admiration as they crowded around, he was a hero in their eyes, a multiple times savior and also the first of their kind to move to equal status with humans! Well, sort of, he looked sorta like a human and was strong at least, they didn't entirely grasp the concept of humanity, society and status just yet, having really only figured out things like names and buildings.

When he put the baby down and asked if any others were pregnant, three Wabbits first enveloped the baby in a warm, fluffy hug, and then four different, proud looking Wabbits bounced forwards, it was hard to tell through the thick fur and generally round, chubby bodies, but there were notable bulges in their stomachs, similar to when they had over eaten, just with some slightly different positioning, sex was still impossible to tell with his human senses, with Wabbits sizes varying massively among both sexes, though he would probably be able to tell in an instant in his Wabbit form, it seemed a humanoid body came at the cost of some of his instincts and senses, though his sense of smell and hearing were still vastly superior to what he had in his human body.

Though they tried their best to hide it and stay serious, the wolves tails were wagging and there was some panting as they were patted, unable to truly hide their instincts, it seemed they were on the younger side, likely having been pups raised by the Hell Hound, or maybe just the ones strong enough to keep up with it's likely demonic pace, and while they didn't have as much of a case of hero worship going on as all the Wabbits seemed to have, they clearly still respected him greatly as the 'pack leader'.
Once Nibbit had left them Hasuki could be seen cautiously chatting with them, who knew about what.

She quickly ran over and authored a letter for him when asked, and the wolves seemed eager to stalk this new 'prey' they had never stalked humans before! Though the Hell Hound had certainly been trying to teach them to, possibly the only thing it did that benefited them intentionally.
It was difficult to get a bird's attention, and Nibbit's head kind of hurt trying to understand their speech, there was practically a burning in his stomach as the stone worked to translated the unfamiliar language, but finally one seemed to decide he was interesting.
"Weird!"
Was it's first word that he could understand.
"Humans Don't talk Bird! Wabbits don't talk bird! You Human Wabbit Talk Bird? Weird!"
It informed him, flying around his head hyper-actively.
Finally though it accepted the letter.
"This make humans leave? I do it! You give me food later!"
It demanded before flying off.
The little bird was quick and driven, reaching the camp very quickly, but as it flew over, one of the men standing around on guard duty knocked an arrow in his bow, fired... And missed, though in the act of dodging the arrow the bird left itself open to the next arrow from a different guard, dropping to the ground with a slight crack.
The colonists laughed as they approached, taking the letter and laughing some more before throwing it in a camp fire.

 

[ayylmao]

Nibbit watched as the bird flew towards the colonists.

He was now near their encampment, after a couple of hours riding on top of the wolves. It was already nighttime when they arrived.

He was glad that the wolves didn't seem to mind that a human-Wabbit hybrid was riding on top of them. Well, one of the wolves, at the very least, though they all seemed eager to be the one carrying him when he asked. He was originally going to ride in his Wabbit form, fearing that his human weight would be too much on them. Apparently not.

"You are very light." One of them said to him.

Boss and Hasuki came along as well, just in case if things went awry. They too rode on the wolves.

He decided that he wanted to see for himself how they would react to his warning. Would they heed it immediately? Highly unlikely. Became cautious of a possible assault? The most likely outcome. Simply laughed it off like it was nothing? Well, they couldn't be that arrogant, could they?

And yet, that was exactly what they did. They laughed after reading it, before throwing it to their bonfire like it was just a common trash. He could see all of it happening safely from a distance, thanks to his Wabbit eyes that could see further and clearer in the dark than normal human eyes.

And they had to kill that poor bird as well, just for the heck of it.

Nibbit couldn't help but feel anger rising from his stomach.

"We'll wait until night." He told the wolves. "Then we can begin our operation. For now, scout the surrounding area."

The encampment was in the middle of a valley of some sort, allowing many vantage points that they could use to attack by surprise.

They were careless enough to not construct any watchtowers on the cliffs nearby. They most likely thought that the common animals would never be able to do a coordinated assault that would truly threaten them.

Well, I just have to put the fear of the forest into them then.

-----


The wolves soon returned once nighttime came. They told him that there were a really good vantage point near their bonfire. They would be able to see them from above, but not vice versa.

Bingo.

"Boss, Hasuki," he said to the two with a somewhat scary smile. "Let's make those humans quake in their boots, shall we?"

The wolves led them to the vantage point, before they made themselves scarce. They would encircle the encampment, bombarding the humans with continuous and endless howling.

Said vantage points were basically rocky cliffs, overlooking down straight to the middle of the camp where the bonfire was.

"Find the biggest boulder you can find around here." He told them, still with that scary smile.

As they searched around, he decided that he should have some fun first.

He started by simply throwing a pebble at one of the humans. Once again, thanks to his Wabbit sight, he could aim much more accurately than normal.

It hit the back of his head, making him groan with pain.

Naturally, he immediately looked behind him to see who was the culprit.

When that happened however, Nibbit was already back at a prone position. He couldn't see him in the slightest.

Here, the consecutive howling began. It immediately startled the humans, as from the number of howling, they could tell that it wasn't just one or two wolves.

Nibbit threw another pebble, this time a bigger one. It hit a bald man this time around.

He hid again. They still had no idea where the pebble came from.

The boulder then arrived, pushed by Boss with ease thanks to her Wabbit strength.

The cliff was perfectly situated that they could just kick it down and it would roll straight to the middle of their group.

Which was exactly what he did.

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Normally the wolves might struggle just a little with Nibbit, even as light as he admittedly was, but once he had started seeing them as allies the stone had gone to work, strengthening their mind and bodies beyond that of a normal wolf, not quite to the level of a dire wolf though, there just wasn't enough power left, he needed to find some source of magical energy in the future, since the stone was clearly struggling to function off of his own innate magical energy, maybe he could ask Hasuki for help when this colonist stuff was all dealt with.
The bird getting killed seemed to anger Boss, it had agreed to help them and been killed for it, normally she didn't care about birds, they were usually annoying though she sometimes liked their singing... But that one was a friend.
The wolves were still calm, well mostly, there was a bit of excitement present among them too, at finally being able to hunt some challenging prey without worrying about being burned from behind if they took a few seconds too long.
When ordered to the wolves almost seemed to vanish into the vegetation, no human would even know they were being stalked by something, though Nibbit could just barely tell where they were.

The howling got their human on guard, the five guards, two with bows three with swords, began patrolling the perimeter, torches in hand as they tried to scare off what they thought were just some random hungry beasts.
The noncombatants were near the bonfire, four had axes with them, they could possibly be a threat, though they didn't seem to have any training or armor, just muscle, in total 19 people were present within view.
The stone throwing put people more on edge, and a few shouted at each other to knock it off.
Then the boulder hit.

It came crashing down right into the bonfire, sending fire and debris everywhere in the camp and igniting several of the structures they had put up, it also scattered most of the workers and a few were injured, people began to panic in the darkness, running around wildly and trying to light torches as the guards tried to restore order.
It seemed like perfect chaos until suddenly light filled the area as an older looking man emerged from one of the buildings, carrying an ornate stave and draped in delicate robes, there was no doubt, he was a mage, and for a moment he seemed to look right at where Nibbit was hiding... And sent a ball of lightning towards him! Somehow the man could sense him!

 

[ayylmao]

!!!

Nibbit's Wabbit instinct immediately went into overdrive. He dodged the spell by a hair's breath, by immediately crouching down to the ground.

W-what was that? A lightning magic?

He quickly looked back down and saw the wizard, looking straight at where he was!

A-a mage! Damn, we gotta take him out!

"Boss, Hasuki, there's a magic user down there!" He notified them. "I'm going to take him out! You two can distract the others!"

Without hesitation, or even waiting for their answer, he ran and jumped straight off the cliff. Like a rabbit, he jumped swiftly and far, going over a bunch of humans that could only look at him with awe from below.

And then, he landed, straight in front of the wizard.

Two of the axe-wielders that were nearby immediately charged towards him. However, Nibbit was ready. He did a 360 degree leg sweep with both of his legs, knocking the two men of their feet in one fell sweep.

And then, he ran towards the mage and kicked him straight on his stomach, sending him flying to the wooden wall behind him.

Nibbit then stood in front of him, with an angry, almost murderous look on his face. His red eyes certainly didn't help matters.

"P-please, d-don't, I-I'm just…"

He grabbed him in the beard, pulling him upwards. And then, he flung him back outside, making him roll down on the dirt as the other humans watched in horror.

Just in time for Boss and Hasuki to make their entrance.

Seeing their mage down, attacked by this, this rabbit demihuman with red eyes, was enough to scare the rest of the humans.

"Aaarghhh, t-there are other demihumans here as well!" One of them screamed before Boss landed her foot on his face.

"R-run! Run for your lives!"

Oh no, I'm not done with you guys yet!

Nibbit howled, mimicking the sound the wolves made.

It was his order. To attack the fleeing humans. And to not let any of them escape.

The already panicking humans did not see the wolves in the slightest. Anyone who was still brave enough to swing their weapons around would find that the wolves were more than a match for them, thanks to Nibbit's little power boost.

They soon found themselves surrounded. When Nibbit came to them, recognizing him as the leader, they immediately prostrated in front of him.

"P-please, s-spare us!" One of the more muscled men said, all teary-eyed.

"Y-you're Nibbit, a-aren't you? The one who sent the letter?" Another one spoke up. This one Nibbit remembered. He was the one who laughed at his letter.

"I'm s-so sorry!" He immediately apologized, grinding his forehead right up to the dirt. "I-I just thought that… that it's just a joke… a-a prank of some sort! A-and your name is Nibbit as well!"

...Goddamnit, why did I name myself that? Nibbit suddenly felt a strong urge to hit himself in the head.

"P-please forgive us, M-Master Nibbit!" The wizard from before spoke. "W-we were just doing orders! We didn't mean to trespass or insult your authority!"

Nibbit didn't answer them right away. Instead, he sent a look towards Boss and said, "Boss, what do you think we should do to them?"

 

[Mahou-Shoujo]

Even as he dodged the crackling energy caused his fur and hair to stand on end, as well as igniting several leaves and bushes around him, that was one hell of a spell! Probably would have fried his Wabbit ass if it hit.
The wizard seemed shocked that his attack had been dodged, a normal human would have had no chance against something like that! And he had already began casting his second spell, while Nibbit could likely dodge it, if the man threw too many more spells then the forest might catch fire, which was certainly counterproductive to saving this chunk of forest from the colonists.

"Be careful! He's a lightning specialist! If you get too close dodging won't be possible!"
Hasuki warned as Nibbit rushed the mage, she may be practically useless with her own staff being broken by the wolves, but she could at least share information with Nibbit!
Of course she wasn't totally useless... With Nibbit's rush having given their position away, several men charged them, and Hasuki revealed her one attack, a temporary wand made of a particularly smooth stick and some crystals she found.
"Lesser Laser!"
Hasuki shouted, the words seeming distorted and strange... And a beam of crackling energy flew from her wand, striking a man with a sword and sending him flying a good couple meters, of course her wand shattered afterwards... And she was saved seconds later from an attack by Boss landing a brutal kick on a man's back, clearly she didn't care about stupid things like attacking from behind not being 'honorable'.

The mage managed to fire a second spell, another ball that grazed Nibbit's side as he closed, but within the next few seconds the man was disabled, he was as squishy as wizards in games it seemed, and for all his age didn't seem anymore talented than Hasuki.
The rest of the men quickly fell into line, with their guards and mage down, there was no way they could fight against such monsters, and honestly, the camp was such a mess that they didn't have anything TO fight for, even if they won by some miracle they didn't have the equipment they brought now and would have to leave.

Boss seemed surprised to be asked, but took a moment to think about it.
"If we let them go... They tell others that we are scary? So no more dumb two legged predators come here".
She declared, it... Didn't really work that way but getting a fearsome reputation could be good, though there was also the chance no one would believe the colonists when they came back telling the tale of a terrifying unstoppable... Wabbit man.
"Let them leave, they don't belong".

 

[ayylmao]

"Well, would you look at that?" Nibbit gave another scary smile towards the humans. "Mercy. You guys sure are lucky. I certainly wouldn't mind playing with you humans more."

"P-please! W-we have wives a-and kids back home!" One of them spoke up.

"Oh? And so does us Wabbits. Yet you guys don't seem to care," he replied, now putting his right foot on top of the prostrating man's head.

"W-we promise we would never hunt your kind ever again!" He squealed.

Satisfied by his answer, he lifted his foot.

"You may go now." He said to them, still with that threatening smile. "But make sure to tell the others back home the same thing I've told you here today. Or else we might just pay a little visit to your place. And when that happens, well..." He paused for dramatic effect. "My wolves are always hungry."

"Oh, and believe me, we have a lot more where that came from. This whole forest, they obey me as their ruler."

It was a lie of course, but it was a lie worth telling.

Afterwards, the men immediately scrambled away, running comically towards the nearest edge of the forest. Nibbit swore some of them actually wet their pants in the process, which made it even more hilarious to watch.

"And that's that." He grinned at Hasuki, Boss, and then the wolves. "You guys did excellent job back there! They're not returning anytime soon, I expect."

"Now, let's go free the Wabbits, shall we?"

-----

The Wabbits were kept in a tall pen; tall enough that they couldn't just jump over it. Once they were there, Nibbit didn't even bother to go look for a key. He just kicked the pen door wide open with his strength.

"Hello, everyone!" He announced to them with a bright smile. "I'm Nibbit! And I'm a Wabbit, just like you! We're here to rescue you all!"

They at first remained suspicious, as Nibbit looked like a human after all. However, after he allowed them to jump all over him, even to nibble at his ears, which quickly made him laugh as they were really sensitive, they confirmed that he was indeed a Wabbit, just from the scent on his ears and tails.

"You Wabbit!"

"Wabbit savior!"

"All hail Nibbit!"

"All hail Nibbit!"

He was swarmed by them once again, with them even taking turns to lick and snuggle his face.

"S-stop guys, s-stop! I-I can't… I-can't breathe!" He protested as he laughed. Poor Nibbit was terribly ticklish! If the humans had tickled him instead, they might actually have stood a better chance!

Once they were done, Nibbit could finally stand up and address them properly once more.

"We have made a new home for us Wabbits! And other animals and monsters that are willing to come as well, like the wolves there!" He pointed at them. "And we would love for you guys to join!"