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It's not dwelt upon in detail and it's not a focus of the story, but it is there.))\n\nThe first thing Iris noticed was the smell of the fire. It was upwind from her, so the scent reached her from quite a distance away. As she got closer, she soon could hear the crackling logs and the occasional voice, as well as a simple melody being plucked on strings. They were rabbits, from the smell of it.\n\nIris considered her options. It was unlikely that rabbits would welcome someone like her into their midst, and Iris was used to being alone. But on the other paw, all four of her feet were aching, and it was already getting dark. The chill of night was starting to set in. She needed to find a place to rest her head, and these woods had a foreboding feel to them. She didn't want to stop here alone if she could help it.\n\nShe decided that the direct approach would be best, so she just marched straight into their campsite, stepping through the underbrush and out into the open.\n\nAll conversation immediately ceased. The music stopped as the rabbit playing it dropped his mandolin.\n\nThere were four of them, three females and one male, all sitting on logs around a large campfire. They had set some kind of kettle over the fire, the contents of which bubbled and churned; some kind of soup. Two tents were set up a short distance away, hung over ropes that had been lashed between the trees.\n\nAll four rabbits stared at her in shock.\n\nIris couldn't blame them. The largest of the rabbits would barely have reached the bottom of her upper torso if they were standing up straight. And of course there was the fact that, as a wolf, Iris was a natural predator to these rabbits -- certain instincts were hard to ignore.\n\nIris lifted both hands in the universal sign of surrender. \"I'm not here to pick a fight,\" Iris said, keeping her voice measured and calm. \"I'm just a fellow traveler hoping to share your campfire.\"\n\nA moment of silence followed, and Iris was afraid that the rabbits were going to run, and if they did, she wasn't sure she could stop herself from giving chase. They were already acting [i]far[/i] too much like prey for her comfort.\n\nBut thankfully, one of the females -- a tall, lithe thing, with red around the tips of her ears, as though she had dipped them in paint -- stood up. \"Of course,\" she said. Though the other rabbits looked distinctly uncomfortable, she continued, \"It would be our pleasure to share our campfire with another weary traveler. [i]It would be inhospitable to do otherwise.[/i]\" Her tone indicated that the last sentence was directed at her companions.\n\n\"Er, yes,\" the male said, picking his instrument back up. \"Of course she's right. You're welcome to weather the night with us, Miss Wolf, though I'm fairly certain you won't fit in our tents.\"\n\nThat brought out a chuckle from the others, and just like that, the tension was broken. Iris let out a breath that she hadn't realized she was holding. \"Thank you, neighbors,\" she said. She lowered her upper body so she could slide off her bags -- which hung over her sides like saddlebags, though of course she wore no saddle -- and set her staff down next to them. Then she approached the fire, finding a spot where she wouldn't be too close to any of the rabbits, and lay down on the leaf-strewn forest floor, her upper body still upright.\n\nThe male began playing his music again, and the female with the red-tipped ears tossed another log onto the fire before turning her attention to Iris. \"So, traveler, what brings you out this far into the wilds?\"\n\nIris smiled. \"I'm traveling south to the City of Velvet. I wish to visit the library there.\"\n\nOne of the other rabbits piped up. \"So you're a mage, then?\" She asked, eyeing Iris' staff.\n\n\"That's right.\"\n\n\"Could you show us some magic?\"\n\n\"Poppy, that's rude!\" The red-eared rabbit said.\n\nIris shook her head. \"No, it's fine! I would be more than happy to give you a demonstration, except... I'm all out, at the moment,\" she admitted.\n\n\"All out of magic?\"\n\n\"Yes. I have a... very particular method of doing magic, and let's just say my stores are a bit depleted at the moment. I'd prefer to save what I have left in case I truly need it.\"\n\nThe red-eared rabbit nodded. \"I don't know anything about magic, but that seems reasonable enough. [i]Don't push the issue, Poppy,[/i]\" she added, in a tone that implied that Poppy was known for pushing similar issues.\n\nPoppy's ears drooped a bit, but she nodded.\n\nIris laughed. She liked these rabbits. Maybe she would ask tomorrow if they happened to be traveling the same direction as her.\n\n--------\n\nIris awoke early the next morning to a cry of distress.\n\nShe had decided not to set up her own tent, and had instead slept under the stars, curled up next to her bags. The chill of night still hung in the air, though the morning sun had begun to peek over the mountains.\n\nIris opened her eyes.\n\nAcross the clearing from her, one of the rabbits was sitting on her bottom on the ground, her upper body propped up by her arms, a bucket of water spilled next to her. And looming over her was a truly massive beast.\n\nIris didn't recognize the species. It was big, bigger even than her, with a hulking frame somewhat reminiscent of a bull's. Rather than hooves, though, it had paws, with long, curved claws. Its lips were pulled back from its snout, revealing a set of long fangs.\n\nIris' body immediately went from \"half-asleep\" mode to \"there's a large monster threatening my companions\" mode. Her muscles tense, Iris slowly lifted herself from the ground, picking up her staff as she did so, though she left her bags. She began walking around the fire pit, placing one paw at a time. She spoke, keeping her voice quiet.\n\n\"Don't. Move.\"\n\nThe rabbit on the ground -- it was the other female who's name she didn't know, not Poppy or the red-eared one -- shivered in place.\n\nThe other rabbits had noticed something amiss and started to come out of their tents. Poppy gasped as she saw the beast towering over her friend. But it was the male who shouted the fateful word.\n\n\"Just stay right where you are,\" Iris had started to say. \"Whatever you do, don't try to...\"\n\n\"[b]RUN!![/b]\" The male rabbit shouted.\n\nIris' heart sank as the female scrambled to her feet, trying to run towards the rest of the group. She didn't make it more than three steps.\n\nThe beast lunged forward, its massive jaws bearing down on the tiny rabbit's torso. There was a sickening crunch, followed by a bloodcurdling scream.\n\nIris covered the rest of the distance to the stunned rabbits in a single bound, landing in a slide that lowered her body close to the ground. \"On my back! Now!\"\n\n\"But...\"\n\nIt was Poppy who had protested. Iris didn't argue: instead, she grabbed the rabbit by the arm and yanked her forward, sliding her free arm beneath the rabbit's arms to heft her into the air. The male and the red-eared female were already climbing onto Iris' back. As soon as they felt secure, she turned and bounded into the woods, running at full sprint.\n\nThe screams continued behind them for several seconds before they were suddenly cut off.\n\nIris had hoped that that would be the end of it, that the beast would be happy with its prey and let them go. But no, after a moment, she clearly heard the sound of it crashing through the woods. It was giving chase.\n\nShe just had to outrun it long enough for it to get tired. It probably wasn't built for a long chase, so if she could just keep far enough away from it until--\n\nIris' eyes went wide, and she turned to one side, sliding to a stop just before running straight into a sheer rock wall.\n\nShe cursed. She had been so concerned with escape, she hadn't paid attention to where she was going. Now she was cornered. She turned again, raising her staff.\n\nThe jewel embedded in the end started to glow, as did the spiraling markings covering her fur. Iris felt the energy flow through her, then out of her, until it formed a shell around them, a shimmering dome of purple energy.\n\nThe beast burst out of the trees, leaping towards them with claws and fangs unsheathed. It slammed straight into the magic shield, before crumpling to the ground.\n\n\"Amazing!\" The male rabbit said.\n\n\"Not [i]that[/i] amazing,\" Iris responded, lowering the rabbit in her arm to the ground. She felt the other two slide off her back. \"Now we're trapped.\"\n\nIndeed, once the beast recovered its senses, it tested the shield with its claws, then began pacing back and forth, staring at them.\n\n\"How long will this last?\" The red-eared rabbit asked.\n\n\"Not long. I told you, I didn't have much magic left to begin with.\"\n\nIris looked at her companions. The red-eared rabbit and the male looked understandably worried. The other female was shaking, her eyes wide, still in shock.\n\n\"Look,\" Iris said. \"We don't have much time, so I will speak plain. My magic could get us out of this, but it would require one of you.\"\n\nThe male rabbit tilted his head to one side. \"One of us? What do you mean?\"\n\n\"The kind of magic I do is extremely powerful,\" Iris explained. \"But all energy has to come from somewhere. It needs... fuel.\"\n\n\"Fuel?\" The red-eared rabbit asked. \"What kind of...? Oh. [i]Oh.[/i]\" Her eyes widened with understanding. \"[i]Us.[/i] We're the fuel.\"\n\n\"What!?\" The male rabbit sounded aghast.\n\n\"Not all of you,\" Iris said. \"One would be enough.\"\n\nThe male rabbit stared at her in disbelief. \"Are you seriously asking one of us to...?\"\n\n\"It's either that, or we [i]all[/i] die,\" Iris said. \"I know it's not the nicest decision, but it's one we need to make quickly.\"\n\nThe two rabbits looked at each other. Would either be willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good?\n\nOf course, if they didn't decide in the next few seconds, Iris would choose for them. She had no intention of dying today.\n\n\"I'll do it.\"\n\nIris jumped. In the heat of the moment, she had almost forgotten that the other rabbit was there.\n\nPoppy was standing up straight, the expression of shock gone. \"I'll do it. Use me as fuel.\"\n\n\"Poppy!\" The male said. \"You don't know what you're saying!\"\n\n\"Yes I do! We're all going to die otherwise, right? So use me!\"\n\nIris grabbed Poppy by both arms, just beneath the shoulders, lifting her into the air.\n\n\"Thank you for your sacrifice,\" Iris said. Then she opened her mouth wide.\n\nPoppy's ears drooped, her resolve suddenly melting away as she stared into Iris' open maw. \"W-wait! I'm not so sure...\"\n\nIris didn't have time to wait while Poppy second-guessed her decision. The shield was going to break any second. Iris shoved the small rabbit into her mouth.\n\nThe remaining two rabbits watched as Iris swallowed their traveling companion whole. Poppy kicked and squirmed, but Iris forced her down, pushing her slender body into her gullet. With loud [i]slurps[/i] and [i]gulps[/i], the rabbit vanished, her kicking legs disappearing behind Iris' teeth. A large bulge traveled down her upper body until it settled in her lower gut, hanging beneath her.\n\nIris let out a sigh as she felt her belly fill. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.\n\nThe markings on her body began to glow, starting with the spirals over the bulge in her belly, then moving out to the markings on her tail, upper torso, and arm. The bulge in her belly began squirming with extra fervor, muffled screams penetrating the layers of fur and flesh. Iris opened her eyes, and they were glowing as well.\n\nIris heart was pounding in her chest. She never felt more powerful than right after she ate. Her magic consumed life, and now she had all that she needed. She no longer needed to hold back.\n\nShe aimed her staff at the beast. She felt the energy flow through her body, through the staff, through her shield.\n\nThey probably heard the explosion all the way in the Velvet City.\n\nWhen the dust settled, the beast was gone -- as were a number of trees and a large part of the cliff face, except of course for the area that had been covered by the shield.\n\nIris was panting as she felt the tingle of energy leave her fingers, her eyes and markings returning to normal. She turned to look at the two rabbits.\n\nThey were both staring at the destruction around them with wide eyes. The male spoke first. \"That... I wasn't expecting that.\"\n\n\"It was the first thing I thought of,\" Iris said. \"Probably overkill, but I'd rather do too much than too little.\"\n\nShe felt her belly twitch, and the male rabbit jumped. \"Is... is she still alive in there?\"\n\nIris grimaced. \"Technically, yes.\"\n\n\"Could... could you let her out?\"\n\n\"I... 'used up' about half of her with that one spell. You probably don't want her back at this point. She wouldn't last too long on the outside.\"\n\nIris watched as the look of comprehension spread across the rabbit's face, his ears drooping. \"O-oh.\"\n\nIris sighed. \"I'm sorry about your friends,\" she said.\n\nAnd she meant it.\n\nShe didn't even bother to ask them what they were going to do next. She just turned and began to walk away, the loose gravel of the destroyed area shifting beneath her paws.\n\nShe wasn't expecting to hear the red-eared female's voice calling out to her. \"Wait!\"\n\nIris turned her upper body to look back at the rabbits.\n\n\"Where are you going?\" The rabbit asked.\n\nIris was... confused, to say the least.\n\n\"I'm... I'm leaving,\" Iris said. \"Didn't you see what I just did? I killed your friend.\"\n\nThe red-eared female shook her head. \"Yes... you did. But if you had really wanted to, you could have eaten all of us last night. You didn't do anything until you were literally backed into a corner.\"\n\nIris hesitated. \"You... you're not afraid of me?\"\n\nThe rabbit thought about that for a moment. \"Maybe a little. But you [i]saved[/i] me.\" She looked down and shuffled one foot on the ground. \"You said you're heading south, right? Maybe... maybe we could travel together?\"\n\nIris looked at the male rabbit, raising an eyebrow. He nodded in agreement.\n\nA long silence. Iris heart continued to pound in her chest, but it was no longer because of the rush of energy.\n\nShe finally spoke. \"I... I would like that.\"\n\nThe red-eared rabbit grinned. \"Great! Always safer to travel with company. We don't know if there were more of those things around.\" Then her expression fell a bit. \"Though, before we go... I would like to return to our camp. I want to perform a burial for my friend.\"\n\nIris nodded, thinking about the rabbit that the beast had killed, or more accurately, what was left of her. Burying a friend in that kind of condition wouldn't be an easy thing to do. \"I'll help,\" Iris offered.\n\n\"I... I'd appreciate that,\" the rabbit responded.\n\nIris kept her expression suitably somber, but as she followed the rabbits back to the camp, she couldn't help but feel a small twinge in her chest. Actual traveling companions! Ones who knew what she was and still wanted to be with her!\n\nMaybe she didn't have to get so used to being alone, after all.\n\n\n-----\n\nThe finished version of that \"prey's health bar becomes pred's mana bar\" picture. I ended up writing a story for it, too! Go fig.\n\n\n-----\n\n[url=https://curiouscat.me/rabbitinafoxden]Ask me questions on my Curious Cat![/url] Feel free to ask questions to either me or one of my characters.\nIf you're so inclined, I'd much appreciate it if you'd [url=https://ko-fi.com/rabbitinafoxden]buy me a coffee![/url]", "description_bbcode_parsed": "((WARNING: this story has a little bit of hard vore/gore in it. It's not dwelt upon in detail and it's not a focus of the story, but it is there.))

The first thing Iris noticed was the smell of the fire. It was upwind from her, so the scent reached her from quite a distance away. As she got closer, she soon could hear the crackling logs and the occasional voice, as well as a simple melody being plucked on strings. They were rabbits, from the smell of it.

Iris considered her options. It was unlikely that rabbits would welcome someone like her into their midst, and Iris was used to being alone. But on the other paw, all four of her feet were aching, and it was already getting dark. The chill of night was starting to set in. She needed to find a place to rest her head, and these woods had a foreboding feel to them. She didn't want to stop here alone if she could help it.

She decided that the direct approach would be best, so she just marched straight into their campsite, stepping through the underbrush and out into the open.

All conversation immediately ceased. The music stopped as the rabbit playing it dropped his mandolin.

There were four of them, three females and one male, all sitting on logs around a large campfire. They had set some kind of kettle over the fire, the contents of which bubbled and churned; some kind of soup. Two tents were set up a short distance away, hung over ropes that had been lashed between the trees.

All four rabbits stared at her in shock.

Iris couldn't blame them. The largest of the rabbits would barely have reached the bottom of her upper torso if they were standing up straight. And of course there was the fact that, as a wolf, Iris was a natural predator to these rabbits -- certain instincts were hard to ignore.

Iris lifted both hands in the universal sign of surrender. "I'm not here to pick a fight," Iris said, keeping her voice measured and calm. "I'm just a fellow traveler hoping to share your campfire."

A moment of silence followed, and Iris was afraid that the rabbits were going to run, and if they did, she wasn't sure she could stop herself from giving chase. They were already acting far too much like prey for her comfort.

But thankfully, one of the females -- a tall, lithe thing, with red around the tips of her ears, as though she had dipped them in paint -- stood up. "Of course," she said. Though the other rabbits looked distinctly uncomfortable, she continued, "It would be our pleasure to share our campfire with another weary traveler. It would be inhospitable to do otherwise." Her tone indicated that the last sentence was directed at her companions.

"Er, yes," the male said, picking his instrument back up. "Of course she's right. You're welcome to weather the night with us, Miss Wolf, though I'm fairly certain you won't fit in our tents."

That brought out a chuckle from the others, and just like that, the tension was broken. Iris let out a breath that she hadn't realized she was holding. "Thank you, neighbors," she said. She lowered her upper body so she could slide off her bags -- which hung over her sides like saddlebags, though of course she wore no saddle -- and set her staff down next to them. Then she approached the fire, finding a spot where she wouldn't be too close to any of the rabbits, and lay down on the leaf-strewn forest floor, her upper body still upright.

The male began playing his music again, and the female with the red-tipped ears tossed another log onto the fire before turning her attention to Iris. "So, traveler, what brings you out this far into the wilds?"

Iris smiled. "I'm traveling south to the City of Velvet. I wish to visit the library there."

One of the other rabbits piped up. "So you're a mage, then?" She asked, eyeing Iris' staff.

"That's right."

"Could you show us some magic?"

"Poppy, that's rude!" The red-eared rabbit said.

Iris shook her head. "No, it's fine! I would be more than happy to give you a demonstration, except... I'm all out, at the moment," she admitted.

"All out of magic?"

"Yes. I have a... very particular method of doing magic, and let's just say my stores are a bit depleted at the moment. I'd prefer to save what I have left in case I truly need it."

The red-eared rabbit nodded. "I don't know anything about magic, but that seems reasonable enough. Don't push the issue, Poppy," she added, in a tone that implied that Poppy was known for pushing similar issues.

Poppy's ears drooped a bit, but she nodded.

Iris laughed. She liked these rabbits. Maybe she would ask tomorrow if they happened to be traveling the same direction as her.

--------

Iris awoke early the next morning to a cry of distress.

She had decided not to set up her own tent, and had instead slept under the stars, curled up next to her bags. The chill of night still hung in the air, though the morning sun had begun to peek over the mountains.

Iris opened her eyes.

Across the clearing from her, one of the rabbits was sitting on her bottom on the ground, her upper body propped up by her arms, a bucket of water spilled next to her. And looming over her was a truly massive beast.

Iris didn't recognize the species. It was big, bigger even than her, with a hulking frame somewhat reminiscent of a bull's. Rather than hooves, though, it had paws, with long, curved claws. Its lips were pulled back from its snout, revealing a set of long fangs.

Iris' body immediately went from "half-asleep" mode to "there's a large monster threatening my companions" mode. Her muscles tense, Iris slowly lifted herself from the ground, picking up her staff as she did so, though she left her bags. She began walking around the fire pit, placing one paw at a time. She spoke, keeping her voice quiet.

"Don't. Move."

The rabbit on the ground -- it was the other female who's name she didn't know, not Poppy or the red-eared one -- shivered in place.

The other rabbits had noticed something amiss and started to come out of their tents. Poppy gasped as she saw the beast towering over her friend. But it was the male who shouted the fateful word.

"Just stay right where you are," Iris had started to say. "Whatever you do, don't try to..."

"RUN!!" The male rabbit shouted.

Iris' heart sank as the female scrambled to her feet, trying to run towards the rest of the group. She didn't make it more than three steps.

The beast lunged forward, its massive jaws bearing down on the tiny rabbit's torso. There was a sickening crunch, followed by a bloodcurdling scream.

Iris covered the rest of the distance to the stunned rabbits in a single bound, landing in a slide that lowered her body close to the ground. "On my back! Now!"

"But..."

It was Poppy who had protested. Iris didn't argue: instead, she grabbed the rabbit by the arm and yanked her forward, sliding her free arm beneath the rabbit's arms to heft her into the air. The male and the red-eared female were already climbing onto Iris' back. As soon as they felt secure, she turned and bounded into the woods, running at full sprint.

The screams continued behind them for several seconds before they were suddenly cut off.

Iris had hoped that that would be the end of it, that the beast would be happy with its prey and let them go. But no, after a moment, she clearly heard the sound of it crashing through the woods. It was giving chase.

She just had to outrun it long enough for it to get tired. It probably wasn't built for a long chase, so if she could just keep far enough away from it until--

Iris' eyes went wide, and she turned to one side, sliding to a stop just before running straight into a sheer rock wall.

She cursed. She had been so concerned with escape, she hadn't paid attention to where she was going. Now she was cornered. She turned again, raising her staff.

The jewel embedded in the end started to glow, as did the spiraling markings covering her fur. Iris felt the energy flow through her, then out of her, until it formed a shell around them, a shimmering dome of purple energy.

The beast burst out of the trees, leaping towards them with claws and fangs unsheathed. It slammed straight into the magic shield, before crumpling to the ground.

"Amazing!" The male rabbit said.

"Not that amazing," Iris responded, lowering the rabbit in her arm to the ground. She felt the other two slide off her back. "Now we're trapped."

Indeed, once the beast recovered its senses, it tested the shield with its claws, then began pacing back and forth, staring at them.

"How long will this last?" The red-eared rabbit asked.

"Not long. I told you, I didn't have much magic left to begin with."

Iris looked at her companions. The red-eared rabbit and the male looked understandably worried. The other female was shaking, her eyes wide, still in shock.

"Look," Iris said. "We don't have much time, so I will speak plain. My magic could get us out of this, but it would require one of you."

The male rabbit tilted his head to one side. "One of us? What do you mean?"

"The kind of magic I do is extremely powerful," Iris explained. "But all energy has to come from somewhere. It needs... fuel."

"Fuel?" The red-eared rabbit asked. "What kind of...? Oh. Oh." Her eyes widened with understanding. "Us. We're the fuel."

"What!?" The male rabbit sounded aghast.

"Not all of you," Iris said. "One would be enough."

The male rabbit stared at her in disbelief. "Are you seriously asking one of us to...?"

"It's either that, or we all die," Iris said. "I know it's not the nicest decision, but it's one we need to make quickly."

The two rabbits looked at each other. Would either be willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good?

Of course, if they didn't decide in the next few seconds, Iris would choose for them. She had no intention of dying today.

"I'll do it."

Iris jumped. In the heat of the moment, she had almost forgotten that the other rabbit was there.

Poppy was standing up straight, the expression of shock gone. "I'll do it. Use me as fuel."

"Poppy!" The male said. "You don't know what you're saying!"

"Yes I do! We're all going to die otherwise, right? So use me!"

Iris grabbed Poppy by both arms, just beneath the shoulders, lifting her into the air.

"Thank you for your sacrifice," Iris said. Then she opened her mouth wide.

Poppy's ears drooped, her resolve suddenly melting away as she stared into Iris' open maw. "W-wait! I'm not so sure..."

Iris didn't have time to wait while Poppy second-guessed her decision. The shield was going to break any second. Iris shoved the small rabbit into her mouth.

The remaining two rabbits watched as Iris swallowed their traveling companion whole. Poppy kicked and squirmed, but Iris forced her down, pushing her slender body into her gullet. With loud slurps and gulps, the rabbit vanished, her kicking legs disappearing behind Iris' teeth. A large bulge traveled down her upper body until it settled in her lower gut, hanging beneath her.

Iris let out a sigh as she felt her belly fill. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

The markings on her body began to glow, starting with the spirals over the bulge in her belly, then moving out to the markings on her tail, upper torso, and arm. The bulge in her belly began squirming with extra fervor, muffled screams penetrating the layers of fur and flesh. Iris opened her eyes, and they were glowing as well.

Iris heart was pounding in her chest. She never felt more powerful than right after she ate. Her magic consumed life, and now she had all that she needed. She no longer needed to hold back.

She aimed her staff at the beast. She felt the energy flow through her body, through the staff, through her shield.

They probably heard the explosion all the way in the Velvet City.

When the dust settled, the beast was gone -- as were a number of trees and a large part of the cliff face, except of course for the area that had been covered by the shield.

Iris was panting as she felt the tingle of energy leave her fingers, her eyes and markings returning to normal. She turned to look at the two rabbits.

They were both staring at the destruction around them with wide eyes. The male spoke first. "That... I wasn't expecting that."

"It was the first thing I thought of," Iris said. "Probably overkill, but I'd rather do too much than too little."

She felt her belly twitch, and the male rabbit jumped. "Is... is she still alive in there?"

Iris grimaced. "Technically, yes."

"Could... could you let her out?"

"I... 'used up' about half of her with that one spell. You probably don't want her back at this point. She wouldn't last too long on the outside."

Iris watched as the look of comprehension spread across the rabbit's face, his ears drooping. "O-oh."

Iris sighed. "I'm sorry about your friends," she said.

And she meant it.

She didn't even bother to ask them what they were going to do next. She just turned and began to walk away, the loose gravel of the destroyed area shifting beneath her paws.

She wasn't expecting to hear the red-eared female's voice calling out to her. "Wait!"

Iris turned her upper body to look back at the rabbits.

"Where are you going?" The rabbit asked.

Iris was... confused, to say the least.

"I'm... I'm leaving," Iris said. "Didn't you see what I just did? I killed your friend."

The red-eared female shook her head. "Yes... you did. But if you had really wanted to, you could have eaten all of us last night. You didn't do anything until you were literally backed into a corner."

Iris hesitated. "You... you're not afraid of me?"

The rabbit thought about that for a moment. "Maybe a little. But you saved me." She looked down and shuffled one foot on the ground. "You said you're heading south, right? Maybe... maybe we could travel together?"

Iris looked at the male rabbit, raising an eyebrow. He nodded in agreement.

A long silence. Iris heart continued to pound in her chest, but it was no longer because of the rush of energy.

She finally spoke. "I... I would like that."

The red-eared rabbit grinned. "Great! Always safer to travel with company. We don't know if there were more of those things around." Then her expression fell a bit. "Though, before we go... I would like to return to our camp. I want to perform a burial for my friend."

Iris nodded, thinking about the rabbit that the beast had killed, or more accurately, what was left of her. Burying a friend in that kind of condition wouldn't be an easy thing to do. "I'll help," Iris offered.

"I... I'd appreciate that," the rabbit responded.

Iris kept her expression suitably somber, but as she followed the rabbits back to the camp, she couldn't help but feel a small twinge in her chest. Actual traveling companions! Ones who knew what she was and still wanted to be with her!

Maybe she didn't have to get so used to being alone, after all.


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The finished version of that "prey's health bar becomes pred's mana bar" picture. I ended up writing a story for it, too! Go fig.


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Ask me questions on my Curious Cat! Feel free to ask questions to either me or one of my characters.
If you're so inclined, I'd much appreciate it if you'd buy me a coffee!", "writing": "", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "", "pools_count": 0, "title": "A Useful Fate", "deleted": "f", "public": "t", "mimetype": "image/png", "pagecount": "1", "rating_id": "1", "rating_name": "Mature", "ratings": [ { "content_tag_id": "2", "name": "Nudity", "description": "Nonsexual nudity exposing breasts or genitals (must not show arousal)", "rating_id": "1" } ], "submission_type_id": "1", "type_name": "Picture/Pinup", "guest_block": "f", "friends_only": "f", "comments_count": "0", "views": "210" }