|Chapter 4| The Scroll of Dominion

A week at the Black Rabbit clan passed in the blink of an eye. Hadassah spent her days helping Neveah with her potions and studying what she could about humans and their innate abilities. Dream threading, the ability to wade through the mass of sleeping consciousness to find information you need, was quite tasking and often wasn't useful if you couldn't find the right dream.

With the millions of beasts in this world, the chances of finding something you wanted were quite low. She spent her nights listening out for her name or word of a human. As long as she did not hear it, she felt a bit more relaxed. With her new ears, no one would suspect she was human now.

Today, she was on foraging duty. Considering the herbs needed for potion-making ran out quite easily, she was given a basket strapped to her back and set off to the surrounding forest at the crack of dawn.

The large forest was already alive. She could see the fae in the corner of her eyes, but each time she looked, there was nothing there.

"Ugh, I hope I don't die out here," she muttered to herself, trying to ignore the eerie feeling that something was watching her. She really didn't enjoy the powerless feeling that came with the woods; she didn't have the same athletic ability as other beasts and she did not know how to tame beastmen so she was stuck struggling with plants big enough to swallow her whole and digest her in an hour.

Hadassah moved through the forest, her eyes scanning the ground and trees for the herbs Neveah had taught her to identify. She found some lavender sprigs and gently cut them, placing them in her basket. She continued deeper into the forest, her senses alert.

As she foraged, she stumbled upon a small clearing filled with wildflowers. She knelt down and began to gather some of the more useful ones, such as chamomile and yarrow. The vibrant colours and fragrant scents of the flowers made the task enjoyable until she heard the loud buzzing of dragonflies and she had to take cover intermediately.

After an hour or so, her basket was half-full, and she decided to venture further. She noticed a faint trail leading deeper into the woods and followed it. The trail grew narrower and more overgrown, but she pressed on, considering she had quite a few herbs she hadn't seen yet.

Eventually, she came across a large boulder, partially covered in moss.

'This boulder is shaped oddly.'

The boulder was shaped like a set of large stone doors. She took a closer look, pushing away the moss, revealing a faded root filled carving on the edges of the boulder. It was definitely artificial, it looked too heavy to push unless you had the strength of a boar. She examined it closely, running her fingers along its surface until she found a small crevice. With some effort, she managed to wedge her fingers into the crevice and push a stiff, round-feeling object. She waited for a while until the boulder rumbled before slowly tearing away from each other but only by a small margin. She peeked through the large slit and could only see pitch darkness.

'I'm not going in there, right?' She asked herself. But she couldn't help but think that if this was left over by humans, then there might be some more information for her. She took a deep breath, her heart racing with excitement at the thought of finally unlocking her powers. She squeezed through the opening and found herself in a large, dark tunnel, with only the sounds of dripping water to accompany her.

She followed the sound, her footsteps echoing softly off the stone walls. The tunnel eventually opened up into a vast ravine, she almost took the wrong step, falling into the darkness. She gasped, pushing her back against the stone wall as she took in the sight before her.

An abandoned castle stood at the edge of the ravine, its towers reaching high into the sky. Vines and moss covered its walls, and the place had an eerie, ancient beauty. Hadassah carefully made her way down a rocky path leading to the castle's entrance, her excitement growing with each step.

Inside, the castle was even more impressive. Dust motes floated in the air, illuminated by beams of sunlight streaming through broken windows. The furniture and rugs were decayed but still held a hint of their former grandeur. She wandered through the halls, admiring at the intricate carvings and faded murals that adorned the walls.

The human civilisation had been this impressive; she had to wonder how they fell in the span of a year. From the domineering species to near-extinction. She walked the empty halls, the odd sounds of bats and crawlers shaking her. She heard the faint sound of something crawling in the distance but brushed it off. It was an abandoned castle, and she expected to see more bugs than she was seeing right now.

In one room, she found a grand library filled with rows of ancient books. Many were too fragile to touch, but she carefully selected a few that seemed in better condition and placed them in her basket. As she explored further, she came across a hidden door behind a tapestry.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Hadassah pushed the door open and found a narrow staircase leading downward. She descended the steps, which creaked ominously under her weight. At the bottom, she discovered a hidden chamber filled with more relics and artefacts surrounding a large pool. Overgrown plants crawled along the walls and floor, their tendrils weaving through the cracks and crevices of the ancient stone. Sunlight streamed through a large hole in the roof, casting a golden glow over the chamber. The light illuminated a variety of artefacts, each meticulously propped up on ornate podiums that stood like silent sentinels amidst the encroaching greenery.

'What are all of these?' she asked herself, looking at the grand collection.

Her eyes were drawn to a podium with what looked like a wooden box. Opening it, she discovered a set of scrolls that were oddly well preserved. The scrolls were housed in intricately designed cylindrical containers, adorned with ornate carvings and symbols that glowed faintly in the dim light. The parchment inside was inscribed with detailed, flowing script and elaborate diagrams, still legible despite their age.

'Scroll of Dominion .. Queen...'

'This.. I can read this!'

The words were in her mother tongue, and though some words were missing and the name on the scroll was smudged, she was still quite happy. She excitedly took up the scrolls and put them away to take home.

She was already happy to have found this place. She hummed to herself before something else caught her eye. Leaning against the back wall, almost discarded, was a staff, beautifully crafted, made of a twisted wood-like material that seemed to shimmer with a life of its own. At its top, a delicate carving of intertwined figures held a glowing crystal orb, giving off a soft, pink light.

Hadassah carefully approached the staff, her curiosity piqued. She reached out and picked it up, feeling a strange warmth emanating from it. The craftsmanship was exquisite, and she could sense a faint, lingering power within the staff. It felt like a connection to a long-lost past, a link to the human civilisation that had once thrived here.

'Ah! I need to finish collecting the herbs!' She realised the time and quickly dropped the large staff back, as she was about to rush out she reconsidered taking the scrolls and decided to just come back later to read them. As she rushed out, she failed to notice the faint ripping of the pool, as a head emerged slowly from the water and looked at the girl running away.

By the time she got back to the tribe, it was high noon and everyone was out and about again. She rushed to the Life Tree, hoping Neveah wouldn't be mad that she was so late. Running up the stairs as best she could with the weight of the basket on her back, she panted as she pushed open the wooden doors into the foyer, nearly falling over with the momentum she had gathered.

Her stumble was caught by Zarek, who was passing by with a stack of papers. Seeing her struggle to balance with the large basket, he couldn't help but laugh at her predicament. "Humans are this bad at balancing? I wonder if you are useful for anything at all," he said with a scoff before walking away.

Hadassah finally caught her balance and did not even have the energy to pay him any mind. To her, he was a sulking brat, mad that his master had decided to take her on despite her not being a Kesmes. She caught her breath and took off the basket from her back before climbing the stairs to Neveah's green room. Every step felt heavier with the load, and she was beginning to wonder if she was truly this weak.

When she finally reached Neveah's green room, she opened the door quietly. As she walked towards the centre, she overheard Neveah's conversation with an unknown person. Peering around a corner, she saw it was the black-haired hunter-rabbit beast man, Ash.

"We can't just leave them alone, Neveah," Ash insisted, his voice tinged with frustration. "They pose a threat to our tribe. We need to take action."

Neveah shook her head, her expression firm. "We don't have to provoke them, Ash. Confrontation will only lead to more bloodshed. We should try to understand why they're here. Gone are the days where the Black Wind tribe has been considered a threat to beast men!"

Ash grabbed her arm, pulling her closer as their argument intensified. "You're too soft, Neveah. Sometimes you have to fight to protect what's important."

"And you, are a brute!" Neveah said with gritted teeth, looking up into his dark, intense eyes.

'This is really not the right time.' She did not want to get caught in a quarrel like this, she decided to go back out and come back after Ash had left. However, as she shifted her position, the large basket brushed against the plants, rustling the leaves and giving her presence away.

Neveah and Ash turned towards the sound, their expressions shifting from surprise to mild annoyance. "Hadassah, you're back," Neveah said, her tone neutral as she gently pulled her arm away from Ash's grip. "Did you find what we needed?"

Hadassah nodded, stepping forward with the basket, it was too late to leave now. "Yes, I found several herbs and even some rare plants. I'm sorry I'm late."

Neveah's expression softened slightly as she walked over to inspect the contents of the basket. "It's alright. You did well. Thank you."

Ash, on the other hand, seemed less impressed. "You should be more careful. Sneaking around like that can get you into trouble."

Hadassah met his gaze, determined not to be intimidated. "I wasn't sneaking. I just didn't want to interrupt."

Neveah gave Ash a pointed look. "There was nothing to interrupt, Ash was just leaving."

Ash sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Fine. But we need to keep an eye on the ferals. I still think we're underestimating the danger."

Neveah nodded, acknowledging his concern. "I understand. We'll discuss it further later." Her words were final, and though Ash's face was unsightly, he walked away without another word. Neveah paid him no heed and smiled at Hadassah. "Let's sort these out and hang them to dry."

And so her afternoon was spent helping Neveah create new potions.

"I hope we finish our quota by next week," Neveah said as she mixed the concoction in her large cauldron. "Because of the Ferals, it's been a bit hard to forage at night these days. I am a bit worried."

Hadassah listened intently. "What's happening next week?"

"Well, the Great Kesmes is going on another journey. He normally takes my potions to sell at the beast cities; they are auctioned off."

The word 'beast city' brought back many negative memories for Hadassah. Beast cities were a collective term given to cities where multiple tribes had gathered, usually run by an elected chief. Most beast cities were under the Sky Deities' jurisdiction. The selling and buying of humans or minor beastmen, as well as the auctioning off of women and special items, often occurred in large beast cities. Anyone with money could live comfortably in beast cities unless you were human. Due to being large cities, the number of bounty hunters was not small. She was constantly chased all the way to this place. It was unpleasant, truly.

Her expression must have betrayed her thoughts, as Neveah looked at her with concern. "Hadassah, are you alright? You seem troubled."

Hadassah forced a smile, trying to shake off the memories. "I'm fine. Just... thinking about the beast cities. They're not exactly safe for someone like me."

Neveah's face softened with understanding. It was against the law to harm a Kesmes of any tribe without reason, so as long as one held their identity, they would be treated with great respect by all tribes since they are very much money-making factories.

They continued their work in silence for a while, the rhythmic motions of mixing and preparing potions soothing Hadassah's nerves. The scents of the various herbs and ingredients filled the room, creating a calming atmosphere.

As the sun began to set, Neveah finally spoke again. "There, that's the last of it. We've done well today."

Hadassah smiled, thanking her. "Thank you for today; I will see you tomorrow, elder sister!"

Neveah smiled back. "You're a quick learner, Hadassah. I'll get these potions stored away. Go enjoy your evening."

Hadassah left the green room, making her way back to her quarters. She already knew the first thing she was going to do tonight. She changed out of her fine robes and into her simple cotton top and skirt. She took a leather bag, strapping it to her back tightly, and prepared herself to go back to the ravine she had found earlier. This time she took some fire sticks and a flask of oil with her. She was determined to spend the night reading those scrolls.

With a final glance around her room, Hadassah slipped out into the evening shadows, her heart pounding with anticipation. The Scroll of Dominion awaited, and she was ready to uncover its secrets.

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