27 Hasenwald, The Bunny Wildren City

The one-armed Armatus and two puny bots tore through the dense forest, their thrusters flickering between red and blue jets. Hovering just above the treeline, roughly twelve metres from the ground, their propulsion sent branches swaying.

Withered leaves scattered into the air like drifting embers as the dark, eerie forest stretched endlessly beneath them. In their peripheral vision, hazy branches morphed into unsettling, humanoid figures.

The comm light pinged green. Lupus's video feed appeared on Jack's HUD screen.

"Jackie! I think I just saw wood phantoms!" Lupus exclaimed, her voice laced with terror. She was inside one of the puny bots with Frain.

The lioness Wildren, however, remained unfazed by the ominous forest. She sat beside Lupus in a makeshift passenger seat, a silent, steady presence.

"A what?" Jack asked, squinting as if that would sharpen his hearing.

"Wood phantoms!" Lupus shouted, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Hm?" Jack tilted his head, unconvinced. He wasn't particularly superstitious. Magic was one thing, but phantoms felt like a stretch.

Frain grinned mischievously and crept up beside Lupus. Suddenly, she poked her in the side.

"Ah!?" The rabbit yelped, hopping up only to land right back in her seat with a thump. There wasn't enough space in the cockpit for a proper jump.

Jack and Frain burst into laughter, their amusement filling the comms. The tide had turned; the teasing bunny girl was now the one being teased. Lupus's ears drooped, her cheeks puffing into a cute pout as she let out a groan of discontent.

After fifteen minutes, the dark forest thinned. The treeline separating it from the small town became more defined, and streetlamps glowed in the distance.

The sun edged closer to the horizon, painting the sky in mesmerising shades of orange and purple.

Jack's gaze lingered on the large river to his left. Its pristine surface reflected the evening sky in a mesmerising dance of colours. Tracing his eyes upstream, he spotted an industrialised city and a massive concrete structure shimmering in the distance — a colossal dam flanked by two mountain ridges.

"Lupy, on your left. What's that town over there?" Jack asked.

Lupus instinctively turned her head, momentarily forgetting she was in a cockpit, and was met by Frain's chest.

"Ah, my bad," she muttered sheepishly before navigating the camera with her glove controller. "Oh! That's another town, an industrial estate. We call it 'The Eastern Dam' because, well, that concrete thingy is a dam."

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"Figured as much," Jack nodded.

"It also provides my hometown with electricity, among other things," Lupus added, perking up. She exchanged a knowing smile with Frain.

To their right, an ancient defence tower loomed beside the mountain ridge, its dark stone walls appearing abandoned, with no visible arcane barrier to protect it.

Following Lupus's instructions, Jack led the bots along the river. Eventually, they reached its end, where the water shifted from horizontal to vertical, cascading down in an endless stream nearly a hundred metres wide. This was the first impression of Hasenwald — a scenic wonder, just as Willhelm Mae Arden had described.

"That's the Grand Riverfall!" Lupus exclaimed excitedly.

Frain scrambled to the viewport to catch a glimpse, her purple eyes widening in awe.

A wave of relief washed over Jack. Not because of the breathtaking view, but because this town had been untouched by war. Thank the gods and goddesses... Thank goodness, he silently prayed.

Nestled below the riverfall was a charming town. White houses and fences lined the cliffside in a zigzag pattern, their architecture carved directly into the white stone in a burrowed style. At the foot of the waterfall, a port housed various boats, rocking gently on the waves created by the cascade.

Droplets filled the air, catching the sunlight and creating a surreal, magical atmosphere. The whole town of Hasenwald felt like something out of a dream, unlike anything Jack had ever seen before.

"Umm… Where should we land?" Jack asked bluntly.

"Over there, maybe!" Lupus directed him toward a clearing just outside the town.

Once they disembarked, they followed a white concrete road into the city. The town was quiet, with only the occasional rabbit Wildren loitering about.

They are all Wildren, specifically the bunny ones. He analysed with wide eyes.

As they passed under a white arch adorned with towering statues, Jack took in the figures. One depicted the river god Achelous, the other his raging bull, both crafted from white marble.

Their intricate, surreal design hinted at arcane involvement.

Everything was in various shades of white.

Walking ahead of Jack and Frain, Lupus's silver hair fluttered in the wind, its strands slithering like liquid silver in the last rays of sunlight, gleaming with an ethereal glow.

In Jack's mind, she might very well have been a goddess reincarnated.

She spun abruptly, hands folding behind her. "So, what do you think of my hometown?" she asked with the sweetest smile.

"It is the most beautiful place I've ever been." Jack nodded, eying Frain for support. She nodded vigorously.

A question loomed in his mind. Why hadn't I visited this place if it was just close by to Steinburg? That's awfully odd.

Lupus's chuckle disrupted his train of thought as she pulled him and Frain by the arms. "Come quick! I'd like you two to meet my big family! The twins will definitely love you!"

"Wait!" He couldn't resist her strength.

Their lighthearted giggles echoed against the crashing noise of the fall.

The crisp, moist air filled their lungs, cool and refreshing. Serene and tranquil, Hasenwald was a haven untouched by war.

Jack found himself dreaming, just for a moment, of making this place his home.

A long-overdue retirement plan began to form in his mind.

No war to worry about. Just a man, living a modest life.

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