15. Blancob

Blancob was massive. Colossal. From her game experience in Adventurous Online Waldina already knew Blancob would be huge. Yet meeting Blancob like this, face to face, having those red eyes stare her down, invoked a new kind of fear in her. Just the long ears of Blancob were longer than Waldina herself. The ‘bunny’s’ teeth, shown slightly under its lips, were frightening. Waldina lost all enjoyment of her salad - though it didn’t seem like she’d even have a choice in finishing it. After all, it seemed terribly like she’d soon be the food.

Waldina hurriedly stored her salad bowl in her inventory and signed Kiandra to give hers to her as well. At the same time Blancob climbed the slope with small yet sure steps closing the remaining distance between them. The purple haired ninja made sure to keep her eyes locked on the approaching enemy.

Without taking her eyes off of Blancob, she grabbed both her short sword and her longer, regular sword, which she hadn’t really used up until now, and prepared for combat.

Vermell had been enormous. Scary and dangerous. But Vermell had been that way in the game as well. What made Blancob so scary was the difference compared to the game experience. The bunny was many times larger and intimidating and nothing could’ve prepared Waldina for this. The ninja couldn’t help but gulp as her fingertips trembled ever so slightly.

The gigantic bunny was now standing right in front of Waldina and Kiandra. It raised its paw up in the air and stomped it onto the ground with such power that the whole ground shook. Due to the impact Waldina flew up into the air and backwards. Swiftly she reached for Kiandra and grabbed her tightly. She pressed her hand tightly around Kiandra’s small body. Thanks to that Kiandra didn’t end up flying all the way to who knows where, but instead stayed close to Waldina.

“Climb onto my hair and grab it tightly,” Waldina suggested after they dropped back on to the ground. Kiandra nodded and did just that. After reaching Waldina’s ponytail she grabbed on to those purple hairs tightly, hoping she wouldn’t drop nor be in the way.

This time Blancob raised its other paw and Waldina promptly lunged herself at the branch of a nearby tree. She made great use of her natural agility as a ninja and kept jumping from branch to branch until she reached the half-way of an old pine-tree, just in time.

The shock wave caused by Blancob was stronger sideways compared to heightwise and didn’t reach Waldina. The tree she was standing on however shook strongly and forced her to really focus on her balance so as to not drop down onto the ground.

After the shockwave Waldina landed sharply on Blancob’s back and slashed the back of its neck with all her power. Her longer sword reached deep under Blancob’s thick coat, short sword not so much. Waldina had thought about calmly conversing with Blancob, but she wasn’t exactly fluent in the language of bunnies. Yet she was really beginning to understand the language of blades.

Blancob trembled from the pain the sword piercing its skin caused. It tried to reach Waldina with its front paws. Waldina evaded swiftly, leaping towards the closest tree and one of its branches. She launched herself on top of the branch to stop and observe Blancob’s movements.

The gigantic bunny was again trying to reach the back of its neck, with great dissatisfaction. It observed its surroundings with those huge red eyes. Waldina couldn’t really get a read on the bunny nor its intentions. She stayed on her toes, carefully, for that reason only. Blancob didn’t emanate bloodlust, but it wasn’t actually friendly either. At that moment Waldina came to the conclusion that enemies filled with bloodlust were easier to get a read on: their intentions and future actions were easily determined. But these semi-friendly types were more difficult to understand.

Blancob stomped its paw yet again and charged towards the tree which Waldina currently was at. Blancob began stomping its paws in turns as fast as it possibly could. So not that fast, as it was rather difficult to move fast with that gigantic body. Still, it grinned challengingly at Waldina.

“Tsk,” Waldina clicked her tongue and flung herself down from the violently shaking tree. Blancob observed her movements closely and slowly turned around to face her again. It raised its paw yet again but before it hit the ground Waldina threw a couple of daggers at its sole. As the paw made contact with the ground the daggers dug deeper into its paw causing Blancob to let out a piercing scream. Waldina smiled grimly and grabbed her sword stronger.

The purple haired ninja leaped from the ground and headed towards Blancob, still shaken from the pain her earlier hit had caused it. Waldina shielded herself with her short sword from Blancob’s front paw attacks whilst pointing her longer sword deep into its coat until it made contact with skin. Kiandra trapped Blancob onto a water cage, surrounding its whole body with suffocating water.

As the blade reached further into Blancob Waldina suddenly heard a voice in her head:

“You’re strong.”

The words got her to glance around cautiously. She didn’t sense anyone else close by besides herself, Kiandra and Blancob. Other than the small rodents of course. Kiandra wouldn’t use telepathy, at least not so suddenly without any prior discussion. So it had to be either Blancob or one of the small rodents. She turned back to look at tired looking Blancob, who now had a small smile on its face. Seeing it she stopped the movement of her blade.

“Are you with the other people residing in my forest?” the voice continued calmly flowing into her mind.

“No, I’m here alone,” Waldina voiced out, though she wasn’t sure whether Blancob understood her words.

“Alone?” Kiandra questioned as she slid away from her hiding place at Waldina’s hair. She flew in front of Waldina with great annoyance showing on her face.

“Fine. With this little fairy partner,” Waldina corrected and gave an apologetic smile at Kiandra. That calmed the fairy down and she dropped the issue.

“Hihiii,” Kiandra chuckled, “who are you talking with by the way?”

Waldina didn’t respond, just tilted her head slightly towards Blancob. Kiandra was surprised, yet stayed quiet.

“Good. I’m sorry, I’ve only met evil humans as of lately and I couldn’t take the risk in trusting you,” Blancob continued without really caring for the duo’s conversation.

“And why did you decide just now we’re trustworthy?” Waldina’s voice leaked suspicion and doubt.

“You may call it survival instinct or whatever you wish. I can’t win against you nor your fairy,” Blancob nodded smiling discouraged. Waldina signed Kiandra to lessen her hold of the water cage and give the gigantic bunny a chance to breath.

“I need your help. There are strong, dangerous people on my territory. They are a threat to my children. I need help getting rid of them,” Blancob continued this time seeming more begging than before. It pointed around and a couple of rodents came closer, looking at Blancob with worry in their eyes.

“And why would we help you after you attacked us?” Waldina snorted, though she had to keep herself from looking at Blancob’s eyes. She wasn’t without any empathy; looking at the miserable being would simply break her resolve. She wanted to be firm, and not give in too easily.

“I’ll of course reward you graciously,” Blancob seemed more panicky now. Waldina looked over at Kiandra, yet she was looking at her with even more uncertainty than before. No wonder, as the fairy could only hear half of the conversation.

“And whatever may this reward be?” Waldina asked after a long pause, breaking the uncomfortable silence. Blancob was filled with hope. Though that hope crumbled fast into desperation as it went through all the possibilities in its mind. What could a ninja and a fairy want?

“I can grant you my protection,” the words flowed out of its mouth like in an accident. Waldina didn’t need to say anything as Blancob could clearly read her thoughts: And what do I do with that.

“It would ensure small rodents like bunnies, squirrels and hamsters would be kind towards you,” Blancob trembled ever so slightly, and this didn’t go unnoticed from Waldina.

“And you could understand their language. And they’d understand you. You could converse with them,” Blancob tried still, though it was already about to give up. It really didn’t have much to offer. It was indeed a leader for all the small rodents, but that was all.

“Hmm. Where are these thieves camping?” Waldina inquired, slightly more curious now.

“Over there, at the edge of my territory,” Blancob pointed with its paw to somewhere behind them. It seemed vaguely similar to the location of Waldina’s next stage-exam. For a moment she thought perhaps it was the same group, but she kept those thoughts to herself. Blancob didn’t need to know that much.

Waldina withdrew her sword from Blancob and encouraged it to raise its paw so that she could take out her daggers. One by one she removed them and placed them back on her thigh belt. Kiandra cleaned Blancob’s wounds with her water magic and Waldina nodded contently.

“Now, if you’re able to move, show us the way,” she stated and Blancob smiled with gratitude.