Chapter Text
The forest, usually a quiet place with the chirping of birds and the scampering squirrels hunting for nuts, the smell of dry patches of dirt and mud filling the early afternoon air, mixing in with pollen and woody smells. A peaceful place to spend time.
However, this time this tranquil atmosphere is interrupted by two bickering adventurers.
“So how’d you do that trick? With the woosh and whee and wham among the trees?”
Thalia inquires.
“That’s nyot a trick! That’s my catkin agility!” Nyra declares, with her tail flicking proudly.
“Yeah right.” Thalia rolled her eyes, her ears parting into a V shape.
“Do you nyot believe me?!” Nyra yelps in disbelief, her ears point back and tail flicks in agitation.
“Someone who says she’s so agile would be able to dodge a tree, just saying~” Thalia stuck out her tongue.
“I can still outfight you! Do nyot provoke me.” Nyra retaliates, scowling.
“I’ll just find another tree, try me! Also what’s up with that ‘nyo’ stuff? It’s kinda weird” Thalia shoots back.
Nyra’s eyes narrow into two narrow slits. “It’s a catkin thing! Don’t laugh at it!” She turns to Thalia with her index finger pointed at her “It’s like your big ears! And the weird fluff around your nyeck!”.
“That weird fluff is called a mane! At least my tail doesn’t get in the way!” Thalia thumps.
“Nyuh uh!” Nyra denies.
“Yuh uh!” Thalia responds in kind.
The bickering continues for so long they come to a vast clearing, a beautiful bright green field, littered with countless dots of yellow.
“AND my fur is all one color, unlike your fur being three colors!” Thalia yells “Oh and-” She looks into the field “Oh my celesthorn! Look at those dandelions!” She turns bright and runs into the field, leaving Nyra on a dusty dirt path.
“Dnyandelions? What’s special about those?” Nyra asks.
“My mom makes some amazing snacks and salads with them!” Thalia answers, collecting as many dandelions as she can carry.
“You eat flowers? Ew.” Nyra comments.
Thalia stuffs her mouth with a handful of dandelions she collected “At pheast I don’t rob peapuh!” She speaks with her mouth full of foliage.
“At least I don't speak with my mouth full!” Nyra yells out, causing the injury she sustained throb with pain. “Oww…” she rubs her injury
“Don’t touch that! You’ll make the bandages come undone. Come on let’s go” Thalia shoves the dandelions into her bag and leads the way.
The rest of the way is rather quiet, just the rustle of leaves and chirping of birds. The two slowly make way to the town of Goldengate
A busting metropolis filled with kin mingling around, some rich, others poor but most getting by just fine.
Of course, just as any city the size of Goldengate, it's also known for its criminal underbelly. Unsavory corners, dark alleys, under the table deals, black market, organized crime groups and much more. Everyone within the city is well informed about these dangers and parts of the city.
The two women arrive in front of the city’s entry. They’re dwarfed by the giant walls surrounding the city with guards patrolling atop the walls. There’s intricate patterns carved into the walls depicting the history of the city. From the humble beginning, to the grand expansion, to ruin, to the great fall and greater rise. One can learn the whole history of Goldengate by walking around the perimeter of the walls.
“When I was little I always expected a big golden gate to welcome you to the city” Thalia purses her lips in disappointment, her expression contorting in kind.
“Anyather reason to hate it…” Nyra’s tails flicks again with just as much agitation as before.
“Do you not like it? I used to come here with mom and dad every once in a while to sell produce. I like Goldengate.” Thalia’s ears upright and proud, her mane swaying gently in the wind.
“Yeah I bet you had it good.” Nyra hisses
“Good enough to not have to rob people.” Thalia shoots back with a judging look
Nyra pushes Thalia into the shoulder “Stop saying that! You don’t know me!” Nyra yells, with her tail and ears on full alert. “You don’t knyow what it’s like to be hungry! Or go to sleep on the cold streets! I fought ratkin for scraps!”
“And even if I did I wouldn’t try to steal from others!” Thalia thumps, her mane puffs up as if she was struck by lightning
“I’m sure you wouldn’t. Dummy!” Nyra runs off into the city
“Wait, what about your head injury?! Come back!” Thalia gives chase.
They run through the crowd, pushing pigkin, snakekin, deerkin , wolfkin and many other kin during the wild chase. Thalia’s powerful legs indiscriminately make way for her, while trying to keep up with Nyra’s unnatural dexterity.
However, Nyra proves to be far too fast even for Thalia and she loses Nyra’s trail.
Thalia, breathing heavy and gasping for air, has to stop and take a break. I forgot just how fast she is… I have to find her, she can’t run around with a hole in her head! She straightens, takes a deep breath and her lungs protest in a violent coughing fit. Okay, after I catch my breath.
Thalia goes around asking various vendors selling baked goods on the street, to antique shops to even fortune tellers. Thalia doesn’t like fortune tellers, as she found out today. She tried asking passerbys, sheepkin give the same answer, horsekin offer to help find Nyra, pigkin don’t even entertain listening to her. She would have more luck asking a snakekin what to do about an aching tooth.
The town is scary, big and loud. Thalia doesn’t like towns as she found out today. She spends what feels like half the day running around the town and asking various people if they saw a strange rude catkin with a foul attitude. It's almost as if she vanished into thin air and dispersed into the atmosphere.
UGH! Why do I even bother?! She was nothing but trouble anyway! hmpf! She puffs her chest and mane, her chin raised slightly and arms crossed. I am leaving! I don’t care! She deserves what coming to h- Thalia’s attention is caught by a stranger
“Hey! You!” The figure whisper yells to Thalia from an alleyway. “I heard you’re looking for a catkin called Nyra? I found her!” The voice explains.
Thalia’s ears perk up at full attention. “Really? Finally I was looking all over for that dumb cat!” She runs after the voice into the alleyway, the straps of her bag in her hands. The alleyway is narrow and has strange puddles of liquid that definitely aren’t water with forgotten trash stewing in them.
“So where is she? I have to take her to a doctor!” Thalia calls out into the empty alleyway with no one present as if she imagined the voice calling to her. “Ugh, of course. I’m going crazy.” She turns to leave into the main street again.
“So, little missy what’s your connection to the razor eye? Why look for that demon all over Goldengate” Multiple ratkin and blocking the exit from the alleyway. One in the centre, second one is taller and the third on the side standing shorter than both of them. “Yeah! you heard him! Hand it ovah!” the smallest one demands.
“Razor eye? W-what are you talking about? Who are you?” Thalia’s ears droop to her shoulders, clutching onto her bag as if it's a safety raft.
“She owes us!” The smallest one speaks. “That damned catkin keepsa takin’ ovah our terri’ory!” he continues. “Almost took one of my eyes!” The ratkin opens one eye wider to show which one.
“I-I don’t know where she is! I just want to help her with the head injury I gave her!” Thalia answers as honestly as she can, her voice shaking with each syllable.
The one in the middle steps forward, into a puddle of an unknown liquid with a smile. “So she’s injured you say…” He rubs his chin turning towards his friends. “Ya ‘ear that boys? The razor ‘eye is easy takings.” He turns back to Thalia “Speakin’ of easy takings.” He steps closer to Thalia “Hand over yer bag or we’ll take it by force.”
“You will not take my things!” Thalia thumps with all the strength she can muster in her leg, her ears mane puffs out and ears on full alert. “And! You will not hurt Nyra when she’s weakened! Especially not because of me!” Thalia’s face hardens.
The three ratkin laugh at Thalia’s display of aggression, how could they be afraid of a bunny. “Ey boys? You hear that? She thinks she can take us!” The middle one laughs, the two other goons follow in laughter. “Grab ‘er!”
Two of the ratkin lunge at Thalia, grabbing her by the arms and restraining her movement. “Hey! Let go-!” She forces out, kicking and struggling. Despite her best efforts Thalia can’t overpower the two ratkin who hold onto her arms like two vices.
“Ey, boss! She has a necklace! I betcha that’ll fetch a few good asteries!” The short one notices. “Take it off er!” He yells out before the tall one silently reaches for the necklace to rip it off.
“Don’t touch that-!” Thalia's struggle becomes more ferocious trying to shake them off. “Stop.!” She uses the two ratkin as leverage to try and kick the two attackers holding onto her.
“Boss, hold her down I can’t grab a hold of the thing” The tall ratkin finally spoke, barely holding Thalia in one place.
“You better get it if I get kicked by a rabbit” The boss demands.
Just as he’s about to grab Thalia’s feet. She kicks him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. The kick being powerful enough to push him back. “Why you-” The boss coughs out in a pained voice.
“Just let me go-! You will regret this-!” Thalia’s strength is faltering, even the years of working on a farm could never prepare her for something like this. She feels the behind of her eyes welling up with tears. No, please I don’t want to be robbed on the first day! I won’t cry I have to do something I won’t!-
The ratkin boss grabs her above her knees. Thalia is completely disarmed. “Now missy, that kick made things a lotta worse for you.” The ratkin threatens.
No, no no no please! Just, come on Thalia you can do better! Thalia struggles with every last bit of strength she can muster. “Help!! Help me someone please!!” Thalia screams out as her last resort.
The smallest ratkin laughs in response “There won’t be anyone helpin’ ya! You shoulda given us the goods when ya could! Now boss will make an example outta ya! Just wait till he-” He stops talking before he can finish. He froze mid sentence motionless, his grip on Thalia’s arm loosening. “I-.. B-boss, I can feel em. Her eyes-”
“What? Ain’t she injured??” The boss turns around to check before feeling the same familiar sensation. “The razor eye…” He mutters.
“What now boss?!” The little one asks in panic.
“We have to get away, no way we’re winning” The boss lets go off Thalia’s legs to run. Only to be stopped in his tracks by a familiar figure. “Shit.”
“Still luring people to alleyways to rob them? Nyow that’s sad” A familiar voice resounds throughout the alleyway, a confident voice as if it was always meant to be present.
“Nyra!! is that you?!” Thalia yells out happily. “I knew you wouldn’t just leave!” .
The figure cringed at her name being yelled out loud, that confirms Thalia’s suspicions. It is Nyra.
“Boss, didn’t the rabbit say that razor eye is injured? We’re three against one injured girl.” The tallest one reminded his boss.
“T-that’s right!” The boss regains his composure, suddenly full of confidence. “Ey! Razor ‘eye! You ain’t defeatin’ us like that.” The boss commands his goons to come to him with a hand gesture. “We’re ending ya here. Get ‘er!” He points towards the figure.
The two goons rush forward to catch their enemy like they did with Thalia, a restrained target is a lot easier to deal with. With the taller one rushing forward with longer strides than his short associate.
Nyra launches into air with surprising grace and height, landing directly onto the tall goon’s shoulders to use him as a launch pad. She then launches with an equally strong kick off of his shoulders.
The tall ratkin falls face first into the ground, Nyra sent him crashing into a puddle of mystery liquid.
Using the momentum of her launch. Nyra dives legs first into small goon’s chest, using him as a pad to soften the dive fall, her weight pressing all at once into his chest. “Gghaaaahh-!” he let out a painful breathless scream.
“How’s she doing that with a headwound?! What trickery is this?!” The boss yells out in frustration, clenching his teeth hard enough to hurt.
“There’s no trickery!” Thalia says smugly. “That’s just her catkin agility!” She continues, her chest puffed out.
Nyra rushes towards the boss, her eyes razor sharp and focused. “D-don’t get any closer!” The boss grabs onto Thalia. “I-I have a hostage stop right there!” Holding Thalia under the neck.
Much to the boss’ surprise. Nyra stops dead in her tracks. “S-see! I have your friend! You wouldn’t want her to die right?! One more step and I’ll snap her neck like a twig!” The boss threatens with a shaky voice.
Behind Nyra, a tall figure gets up from the ground and begins to walk towards Nyra. “Grab the razor eye, we’re takin’ her with us. Once we have her we’ll let this rabbit go. Don’t do anything stupid and she lives.” The boss’ voice gets more confident, thinking he won the exchange by using Thalia’s life as leverage.
“Now, grab the razor eye and restrain ‘er, no running away now.” The boss commands the tall figure. “I’ll take Milo with me later, he seems to be out cold.” he observes. “The razor- no, Nyra did a number on him” The boss says smugly, feeling confident enough to finally call the person who terrorized him for so long by her real name.
Come on Thalia! Do something you can’t just let her captured because of me! Think think! Thalia panics in her own mind, coming up with ideas. Ugh I wasn’t made for this! I’m just a farm girl, I’m not a fighter or a mountain climber. What am I meant to do here?! Thalia’s expression hardens
The boss tightens his grip in response to Thalia. “Now missy, don’t try anything funny otherwise things will get ugly.” he threatens.
Thalia struggles for air, the boss is holding her too tight for her to slip out and run to let Nyra take care of the two remaining ratkin.
I’m just a farm girl, I should go back home to my farm…
At that moment, something in Thalia’s mind clicked. Wait, I’m a farm girl! I don’t need anything fancy. I was born to plow and use my strength so I will!
Thalia snaps her head back, bashing the ratkin boss into his chin with as much force as she can manage. The boss, now reeling backwards in pain, is being bent backwards even further by Thalia.
After being bent back enough, Thalia whips her entire body forwards, heaving the ratkin boss over herself, sending him crashing into the dirty ground.
“EUG- GHKA-!” The boss’s lungs squeeze all air out of his lungs as he hits the ground with a thud and a sloshing sound.
“Never-” Thalia takes a breath and swallows, leaning onto her knees for support. “- Underestimate a rabbit…” She breathlessly finishes her sentence.
“Well that complicates things…” The tallest ratkin sighs. “I’ll let you go if you let me take them to our hide out.” Knowing he can’t win a physical exchange, he tries negotiation.
Nyra silently walks towards him, making the ratkin sweat. Staring him down the entire with her razor sharp gaze.
The ratkin gulps. Expecting the worst. Only for Nyra to wordlessly walk past him. “Thalia, come we’re going” Nyra commands.
“Coming!” Thalia runs towards Thalia and past the tall ratkin. “Bleeh!” Thalia flashes her tongue at him.
Nyra leads Thalia out of the alleyway, through the busy streets of Goldengate. Thalia can’t help but be a little offended that everyone is going about their day as if she wasn’t almost robbed by a gang of thugs.
Today, Thalia learned that city life can be hard. not only hard but dangerous. Not even a day out of her burrow and she was almost robbed and maybe even killed.
The two women manage to tear themselves from the crowd. “Okay, I think it's far enyaough.” Nyra sighs in relief. “I think we lost them”.
“We were being followed?” Thalia asks her ears twitching curiously.
“Yeah, the ratkin nyever let anyathing go” Nyra explains with her tail becoming more relaxed. “Nyow. What the hell were you doing?!” Nyra’s tail snaps back straight.
“What was I doing?!” Thalia’s ears straighten in response. “I was looking all over Goldengate for you!” She points at Nyra.
“Why?! We dnyon’t even knyow each other!” Nyra points right back .
“Because I hurt you and I felt bad! Where were you even hiding?!” Thalia’s mane puffs out”.
“I was taking a nyap somewhere on a roof top!” Nyra’s eyes narrow down to slits.
“On a roof top?! We were going to a hospital to get your head injury sorted!” Thalia thumps, severely annoyed.
“Do you even have enyaugh asteries?!” Nyra’s tail flicks aggressively.
“I don’t know! I was going to ask someone there to count my asteries for me and if I have enough!” Thalia thumps again.
“what?!” Nyra’s face contorts in disbelief.
“I don’t know how to count! I never went to school! Do you have a better idea?!” Thalia’s whiskers stand on full alert.
“I- I don’t know how to count either…” Nyra admits, her tail drooping.
Thalia sighs, her ears drooping as well. “Well we can find a place to sleep and we can take care of your head wound there…”
“Can you even pay for two?” Nyra’s expression turning annoyed.
“We can see that when we-” Thalia is interrupted. “Heya, I couldn’t help but overhear your bickering over asteries and head injuries and I couldn’t resist wanting to help you.” A calm unfamiliar voice cuts through their bickering.
““Help? Who are you?”” Thalia and Nyra both get into defensive stances.
“Woah, calm down. I want to help, you sound like you had a bad day and thought a bit of kindness would help.” The man continues, a slightly chubby man with a backpack slung lazily over his shoulder.”
“How can we trust you?” Thalia remains on high guard.
“I know a hotel nearby and I have enough asteries to pay for all three of us. I’m Basil a capybarakin, I would like to catch your names as well” He extends his hand calmly.
“I’m Thalia a rabbit kin, please don’t make me regret trusting you” Thalia shakes Basil’s hand, her ears in a V shape.
“Nyra, I’m Nyra” She crosses her arms, refusing the elaborate further, her tail curling into a swirl.
“Nice to meet you. Now, about that hotel, it's just right up ahead. I know a bit about medicine too so I can look at your head wound Nyra.” Basil offers helpfully
“Hpmf.” Nyra puffs.
“Ignore her, she’s like this. If you just do it she’ll let you” Thalia explains with a sigh.
Shortly after that, the now trio walks to the hotel to check in. Three thousand asteries per person to share a room. The hotel itself is simple, if anything its a normal home turned into a hotel.
“So, why’d you come to Goldengate?” Basil sits behind Nyra, tending to her head wound with whatever supplies he has in his backpack.
“Nyaaaa….” Nyra sits hunched over, incredibly annoyed she’s treated like a child.
“Oh, me?” Thalia’s ears perk up. “I needed a quick pit stop here before continuing onto Celestethorn.” She admits while chewing her hay she has in her backpack.
“Celesthorn? Are you one of the people who believes in the wishing star thing?” Basil inquires further.
“Mhm-” Thalia answers with a mouthful of hay. “I wanna bring one home, not like the sky is gonna miss it right? There’s so many up there! And I need it more than the sky, it’s for mom and dad” she explains further.
Basil, without as much as raising an eyebrow says “Ah, alright, can I tag along? Sounds like a fun adventure”. Basil finishes bandaging Nyra’s head. “That’ll be five thousand asteries” he jokes.
Nyra jumps away and hisses, her tail on full alert, looking more akin to a duster than a tail.
“Calm down I’m joking, don’t move that much, it'll start bleeding again and then we really will have to go to the hospital.” Basil stretches.
“More company never killed anyone, it would get lonely on the road with only this rude cat as company”. Thalia purses her lips “Is that a lot of asteries?” Thalia asks, her ears twitching curiously. “Also can you count mine?” She reaches into her bag to find her life savings.
“Five thousand? It is a lot but somewhat affordable, but that’s just living in the city.” He explains while counting the asterie coins. “And that’s twenty five silver coins, two thousand and five hundred asteries in total. That’s not a lot”.
“Is that enough to pay for this room?” Thalia asks.Nyra settles into her bed in a comfortable ball to sleep, completely unbothered by the current conversation.
“You’re five hundred asteries short. If you had a bit more you could pay for yourself” Basil yawns. “Don’t worry about it, you’ll repay me some day.” He stops for a moment. “Actually if you could share a bit of your hay it would be great, I didn’t eat much today, only managed to eat a kilo of hay and I’m still rather hungry”.
“Oh yeah sure, help yourself” Thalia hands her bag to Basil. “Actually let me get my journal, I’ll write in it before bed” She leans to reach into her bag.
“A journal? Keeping track of your adventure, eh? That’s a good habit. I won’t bother you anymore and eat in the other room. Goodnight” Basil takes a bit of hay before leaving to eat elsewhere.
“Goodnight” Thalia yawns.
Dear journal
today I got to goldn golden gte gate with my frend nyra. i lern learned that life can be scry scary sme sometimes. tank thank you for evrything mom and dad. no one hre here is as friendly as you back home. I don’t like fortune tellers. i aso also had to fight ratkin! it was really scry but my friend nyra helped me and were safe now. we even met a nce nice capybarakin basil he pad paid for our stay at a hotel, i shared some of my hay too! he wants to travel with me to celesthorn. Life is a scary place huh… Goodnight mom and dad