The First Step

     Rolling fields of green, plants and grasses swaying gently in the breeze, the herbaceous aroma of nature, all stretching nearly as far as the eye could see. That is what laid before Will and Charlotte as they embarked to fulfill their very first request. They had to succeed if they were to successfully register with the Hunter's Guild, and they were determined to do so. Curiosity and excitement filled the air like static electricity, propelling them forward as they took their first steps into the open fields. They were certainly nervous to an extent, but it simply had to be done.

     Although, Will could not help but think back to the conversation with the kind Guild Receptionist just a short while ago. He thought of how much simpler things would have been if Charlotte had simply kept her mouth shut and allowed the Receptionist to give them full credit for slaying the midnight wolf in the forest. They would have been registered as Hunters without issue, bringing them one step closer to their goal in record time. So, why did she have to complicate things? That line of thought irritated him. So much so that he grew distracted thinking of other recent instances in which Charlotte had taken charge over him, making him feel like a child. A soft growl escaped him as he stepped out into the field with Charlotte, causing her to look his way.

     “Did you say something?” she asked, a look of curiosity on her face.

     Will's eyes widened as he realized he had unintentionally let his irritation get the better of him. He sucked his teeth and walked past her, not bothering to look at her as he responded.

     “Nope. Nothing. Let's just get this done already and get the hell out of here.”

     Charlotte's eyes narrowed at his response, but she simply shrugged and followed him, choosing not to force the issue.

     “That Receptionist told us to look for white lephoria herbs. She described them as white pitcher-shaped flowers, and they supposedly emit a sweet fragrance. They seem to grow frequently in this area.”

     Will did not respond, simply continuing forward. The pair began to scour the open field in search of the herbs they required to fulfill their preliminary request. The grass and weeds were quite dense in the area, leaving them no choice but to get on their hands and knees to comb through it all by hand. In approximately half an hour, they managed to secure the first of the two bundles of herbs they needed. However, it soon became increasingly difficult to find more. They grew frustrated after another twenty minutes or so, having only gathered enough to make up half of their second bundle. Charlotte simply let out a deep sigh and shifted to a sitting position for a short break from her search. Will, however, groaned out loud as he yanked a clump of weeds from the dirt, tossing it aside.

     “Ugh,” he moaned. “This is stupid! There aren't any more herbs anywhere around here! How are we supposed to finish before sundown if there are no more herbs to find?!”

     Suddenly, as if on queue, Will heard a soft rustling off to his left side. His gaze snapped in the direction of the sound, his head nearly turning fast enough to give him whiplash. His eyes darted about before landing on something peculiar. A small creature in the foliage, peeking its head out as if curious about their presence. It appeared to be a rodent of some kind. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was a rabbit, one with a strange object protruding from its forehead. Will gasped as he connected the dots at last, catching the attention of Charlotte. It was not just any random object protruding from the creature's forehead, but a horn—a smooth, pointed horn with soft ridges almost resembling those of a screw.

     “There!” Will exclaimed in a hushed tone, restraining himself so as to avoid scaring the rabbit away. “That has to be it, right? It's got a big horn on its head! It looks like it’s eating one of the herbs we're after too.”

     Charlotte glanced in the direction Will was facing, looking around before finally spotting the creature herself. And, it was indeed chewing on what looked to be a white lephoria herb. She then met his gaze again with a nod to confirm his suspicions.

     “You're right,” she affirmed. “It looks like they're herbivores that feed on these herbs. We'll need to find six of them to get their pelts and horns. Maybe then, we can find more herbs in the forest.”

     “Might as well start now then,” he proposed, slowly stepping toward the rabbit while Charlotte looked on in disbelief. “Easy. Good horned rabbit. Stay right there, and…”

     With a grunt he dove for the horned rabbit, attempting to grab hold of it only to land on the ground face-first while the small creature bounded off into the forest. Will looked up from the ground, cursing his failure with a frustrated grumble as he picked himself up from the grass.

     “Damn it.” he complained. “Those things are too fast. How are we supposed to catch them?”

     There was silence for a moment, both of them briefly questioning how they could catch such small and elusive creatures. Even catching one would be a near impossible task if they did not come up with something. As they pondered for a few more seconds, the wind began to change direction, causing the smell of the white lephoria herbs the pair had already gathered to waft towards Charlotte. In the instant she smelled the sweet aroma, she arrived at the perfect method for capturing horned rabbits far more easily. She stood up and walked over to Will, placing a hand on his shoulder and offering him the one and a half bundles of herbs they had accumulated with the other. She spoke with conviction, a determined smile on her face.

     “This is how we catch them,” she explained. “These herbs right here are just what we need.”

     “What are you talking about?” he asked, but a look of realization came over his features in the next moment. “Oh! Those things eat these herbs! We can use them as bait!”

     They were both glad to have come up with a solution to their problem, but Will was still somewhat uncertain, his smile faltering as he spoke again with a sigh.

     “But… they're just too quick. Even if we lure them in with the herbs, how are we supposed to catch them?”

     Charlotte's smile fell as she acknowledged his point. They were indeed quite fast. Fast enough to make her doubt whether they could truly capture them safely under normal circumstances, even with the herbs as bait. They were back to square one, and Will clicked his tongue in irritation before lifting his left arm. He clenched his fist, aiming it at the trunk of the tree beside him. The frustration he felt in that moment was palpable, the feeling welling up within him as his fist clenched tighter.

     “Ugh!” he groaned, his eyes shut tight as if avoiding the sight of their current situation. “Why couldn't I just be faster?!”

     The moment the words left his mouth, he extended his arm outward and struck the tree beside him with all his strength. A loud crack could be heard when his fist met the tree's bark, and Will reeled in pain. Clutching his aching hand, he gritted his teeth and groaned regretfully, nearly falling to his knees as his hand throbbed. Charlotte, on the other hand, looked on in shock. She took a slow step toward the tree Will had struck while he continued to regret his decision. Somehow… Will had managed to crack its bark, causing small sections to fall off and even denting the wood underneath somewhat.

     “Will…” Charlotte whispered, her volume immediately increasing as she grew more excited. “Look at this! The tree! You… you did some real damage to it!”

     Will turned his attention away from his terribly aching hand for a moment to look back at the tree, his expression shifting to one of awe as he realized the truth of her words. Charlotte began to wonder how such a thing could be possible, remaining in deep thought for a moment until she recalled some of the things Lahstus had told them. She recalled what he had said about aurum. The power within their souls they would need to learn to call upon, thus unlocking abilities specific to them. Will must have somehow called upon that power in his frustration. If he could figure out how to use it on command, perhaps they could fulfill their request after all.

     “Will,” Charlotte called softly, grabbing his attention with a hand on his back. “this must be the power Lahstus was telling us about. He said we'd have to… ‘look inside ourselves’ to use it… Try closing your eyes. Maybe if you focus that power into your legs, you can move fast enough to catch those rabbits!’

     The look of awe on his face faded as he considered her proposal with a nod. His brow furrowed, and he took a deep breath while closing his eyes. He quickly shook his head to rid himself of any tension he had been carrying and did his best to focus. He imagined a light within his body and attempted to push it downward to his legs. At the same time, he settled into a squatting position and prepared to jump, his lower body beginning to grow warm. Charlotte stood back to ensure her safety as she watched him prepare to make his attempt. Seconds passed, and once he had clearly imagined the light within him gathering in his legs, his eyes snapped open. There was an unmistakable tingling sensation in his legs, and he took that as his queue to go for it. He suddenly jumped with all the strength he could muster, soaring nearly ten feet upward. It was explosive, the strength of his legs launching him up like a rocket, but the height he'd gotten was short-lived. He quickly fell back to the ground, landing on his feet and feeling the shock vibrate through his lower body. With that, he fell back on his rear, panting softly from exertion. It was not pretty by any means, but he had done it.

     “You did it!” Charlotte exclaimed as she ran over to him. “That's how we catch those horned rabbits!”

     Will chuckled lightly as he panted, feeling more motivated than ever despite his bout of tiredness. He glanced sideways at Charlotte before replying.

     “Heh… Let's get ‘em.”

     The next half hour went by in a flash, with Will using his newfound ability to rush down each of the six horned rabbits required to fulfill the request, the white lephoria herbs serving as bait. It was certainly not perfect, as his control over his ability was non-existent at worst and inconsistent at best, but soon enough—certainly much sooner than anticipated—the job was done. With the six horned rabbits in their possession, the pair gathered the rest of the herbs they needed in the outskirts of the forest before returning to town just before sunset.

     The kind Receptionist at the Hunter's Guild patiently awaited the return of Will and Charlotte, busying herself with paperwork and other visitors in the meantime. As evening approached and she had a moment to herself, a thought crossed her mind.

     “They'll probably return soon. Most new Hunters return empty-handed on their first try. At least their money for the midnight wolf materials is already prepared.”

     Suddenly, the front doors flew open, and in walked Will and Charlotte with the required herbs and horned rabbits in hand. They were triumphant. Will moved with a practiced swagger, and with a proud smirk, he announced,

     “Quest complete!”