I looked too, and the rest followed. Fee was just a speck from here, barely visible against the fading horizon. But I could still see her—tying something to an arrow.
Kevin squinted. "What's she doing?"
"Whatever it is," I muttered, "she's probably going to get herself killed."
A heavy hand landed on my head, ruffling my fur. Hogan.
I bristled, baring my teeth, already preparing to bite—
"Come on," he said, tone light, but with something almost pleading beneath it. "We're a team, yeah? We root for each other."
"No."
He ruffled harder.
"Right?" he repeated, voice firm, trying to get me to agree.
I bit him.
Hogan yelped, clutching his hand. I ignored him and turned back to the valley.
Fee raised her bow. Shot.
The arrow arced across the canyon, rope trailing behind it. It struck a massive stone column—just as she jumped.
The group gasped.
Only Lance and I stayed quiet. We were starting to get it.
Fee plummeted. Then, suddenly—the rope went taut.
She swung, fast and reckless, cutting through the air at a deadly angle.
She landed, feet barely steady, and took off running. Jump. Shoot. Run. The spiders saw her. They poured after her. But she barely slowed, twisting between rocks, vaulting across ledges.
A green spider leaped at her. She spun mid-air, shot it down, and kept moving. I narrowed my eyes. Maybe she wasn't as much of an idiot as I thought.
"Incredible," Lance muttered beside me.
I didn't completely disagree.
Fee didn't stop. She reached a ledge, breathing hard, trapped between the swarming spiders below and the impossible height above.
She only had one arrow left. Slowly, she wound an absurd amount of vine around the shaft.
She aimed at the highest arch. A suicide shot. Then, before I could think how idiotic this was, she jumped.
The arrow whistled through the air. Gravity dragged her down. The ground rushed up. Spiders clawed at her from every side.
And then—
She shot the ground. Everything snapped into motion.
Just when it looked like the spiders would tear into her, Fee pulled out a small knife and cut through them mid-fall. The sheer force of her descent sent them tumbling off the rocks, their bodies crumpling into the abyss below.
Not a single bite landed. Not a scratch.
She swung up, gaining speed, the rope pulling her toward us dangerously fast.
Her foot just missed the ledge, and she smashed face-first into the rock.
Fee would've fallen to her death if Lance hadn't grabbed her arm mid-air and hauled her up one-handed.
She gasped, coughing dust. Lance exhaled through his nose. "I hope your next 'plan' won't involve nearly getting yourself killed."
Even though I couldn't see his face, I could hear the smirk and genuine concern in his voice.
Fee wiped the dirt from her cheek, flashing a reckless grin. "Oh, you better get used to it. That's how all my plans play out."
Kevin let out a laugh of disbelief. "That was insane."
"Agreed." Hogan clapped her on the back.
I scoffed. "You could've died. Which, honestly, wouldn't have been the worst outcome."
Fee propped herself up on her elbows, still grinning. "Aw, bunny, I didn't know you cared."
"I don't."
"Ha."
The tension finally lifted. Even Meili, quiet and exhausted, managed a small smile.
But then Lance's tone turned sharp again. "We're not done. Ivory is still poisoned. We need to move—now."
The reality hit hard. Fee's grin faded slightly as she glanced toward Ivory. The wolf's breathing was still ragged, slow.
"Right," Fee muttered, brushing off her pants. "Job's not over yet."
"We're heading to Orion," Lance said, already adjusting his shield. "No more delays."
I tensed. "Orion? Where's that, and why would I want to go there?"
Lance sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose through his helmet, somehow. "Hogan, next time you recruit strangers, maybe figure out if they actually share our priorities."
"What?" Hogan shrugged. "She helped, didn't she? And we're all going to PrideFall eventually. What's a little detour?"
"Well, I don't have time for detours," I snapped. I turned on my heel and stomped off.
"Where are you going?" Lance asked.
"To the kingdom, obviously."
Kevin snorted. "Then why are you walking in the opposite direction?"
I froze. I wanted to kill him.
"Wait." Kevin took a slow step forward. "…You don't actually know where PrideFall is, do you?"
I gritted my teeth.
He squatted to my level, mocking. "You've never been to PrideFall, have you, little bunny?"
I was going to break his kneecaps.
"Look," Fee stretched her arms behind her head. "You don't know where PrideFall is. We do. That means your only option is to follow us and do everything we say."
I hated that she had a point.
It wasn't something I wanted to agree with, but I genuinely had no other choice.
I hesitated, fingers brushing against the sigil tucked inside my cloak. It was the only thing I had when I woke up months ago, alive but empty. No memories. No past. Just a name—maybe. And this insignia, worn and weathered, but undeniably from PrideFall.
Who was I? What am I? And why can't I remember?
"…Fine." I finally muttered.
The sun was a blood-red smear against the darkening sky. We needed rest. Hogan and the others were bruised and battered, and some of my rabbits had been injured. They weren't slowing me down, but still, I knew I'd pushed them hard today.
Lance gestured forward. "We should rest at the village crossroads. It's close."
So we walked. The village crossroads split in three directions, like veins through the land.
To the right—Orion. Our path forward. But a dense thicket blocked the way, curling and gnarled like something was hiding inside.
Something felt off.
The scent of the trees was wrong. Too strong.
I didn't like it. But it was a problem for tomorrow.
Kevin let out a sigh, stretching. "Well, this is as good a place as any."
Fee set up a fire in the center, and the small flames crackled in the quiet night.
Lance handed Hogan a half-eaten spider leg. "Want some?"
Hogan grinned and chomped into an apple instead. "Nah, It's okay.."
Lance blinked. "Huh." I wasn't sure what surprised him more—Hogan's refusal or the fact that his pacifism extended to his diet.
Ivory lay in front of the fire, barely opening her eyes. Her breathing was slow, but steady. Stable—for now.
My rabbits nibbled on the grass and scattered food scraps, their small bodies shifting in the firelight. The wind sighed through the trees, the air cool and calm. The flames burned lower, embers lifting into the sky.
Everyone was dozing off.
Except Meili.
She sat curled up, staring at the dying fire, the dark circles under her eyes even deeper.
I huffed. "You know people go crazy if they don't sleep, right? You already hallucinated slime this morning."
She didn't answer right away. She just turned to me, and gave a small, tired smile.
It didn't reach her eyes.
"I'll try."
She shifted, pushing some bags aside to lie down. Her foot bumped against one as it got close to the dying ashes. And then—
A red flash swallowed the world.