Chapter 23 - 23
Chapter 23:
"You know this is a stupid idea right?"
"Shh." I say back to Lily, who only humfs on the side and sits on a branch, crossing her little arms and looking annoyed, but at least she keeps quiet so I can go back to my plan at hand.
That is... to hunt down a rabbit.
I was hearing it walk about, and even though my species used their eyesight to dive from the sky quicker than the prey could notice us to grab them out of the ground floor and finish them midair, I could let my age and small wings stop me from trying.
So I had to do it the old fashion way and sneak up on it, so as I crouch down and bend my back to make me as small as possible, I dig my growing claws on the ground, testing their new found sharpness, flexing my feline limbs, my round pupils searching for movement among the grass, and sharpening into a diamond shape to focus at a fluffy pair of wings that flustered against the grass.
I can feel my heart pounding, and I'm almost afraid that my prey will hear it too for how loud it is, but I keep my pace nimble and steady, approaching slowly, and stopping once I see the long ears pop up above the grass.
I'm not close enough but the ears do not recede, in fact they start moving all around, alert to danger, so I have to gamble and give the last few steps quickly and jump right after, in hopes of catching him unguarded.
Only that, as I barely take a grip at the furry back, the winged bunny squeaks and dashes forward, managing to break my loose grip from his back and opening its small wings the next second, flying away from my reach and alerting the others around, a cloud of fluffiness flying away from this clearing.
Well there goes my chance, but as hard as hunting already is it is even harder for me when everything around here has wings, even the snake from the other day!
"H-hahahaha!" I hear an increasing laugh sound behind me, which wounds my already sour mood even more, but I try to shake the feeling away, not that it does much for the frown on my face.
"T-this lady hasn't laugh this much i-in a long time hahaha!"
Well, glad that someone is having fun at least.
"You don't stand a chance like that you know?" Very inspiring thank you but I got this.
"No need to worry." I say, trying to be polite and not succumb to my aggravating feelings, but Lily did not care and acted out childishly, provoking me when she had the chance.
"Oh, this lady is not worried, just wished this lady had brought something to chew on while watching the show."
She can be a mouthful at times, but still she did not mean any harm... thought it is hard to see her as a kind helping fairy when her mocking laugh resonates so loud beside me.
And even I've my limits, so I end up saying:
"Laughing so hard, but are you able to do it?"
That puts a stop to her laughing.
"Questioning this lady's abilities again?" Her little face contorted into a frown, annoyed by my remarks once more, and once more proves me wrong by flapping her wings and shushing in the air quickly, her small figure hardly spotted against the bright blue sky, but as I wonder what the hell is she up to and how does she intend to hunt something bigger and heavier than her, I prove from my own venom when she actually... manages to catch one.
By using her wind magic.
She does not need to stealth around for her intentions were to have them flying up and away from their covers to begin with, and once in the air she traps one inside a bubble of air, making the poor bunny hit his face against an invisible barrier, sitting down and looking around in fear, his big black eyes staring as the bubble moves closer to us, little pink nose twisting around in fear.
She turns towards me once the bubble stops beside her, hand up, presenting her feat and looking back with a smug look on her face.
"What were you saying?"
"Oh great one please teach me your ways." She sneers at my condescending tone, but as I do not dismiss my words not joke around, her stares deeps and with a flicker of her hand the bubble dissipates, the caught by surprise rabbit wobbles his feet in the air before stretching his wings out and giving a solid flap that halts his descend.
"Ah!" For a second I thought she would give him to me, but I guess there was no reason for me to believe that in the first place, considering who we are talking about.
"Are you serious? What is the sudden change of tone?"
"Is just that I've only realized now how powerful and wonderful you are and cannot begin to say how much you have open my eyes and how sorry I'm from not believing you."
After all, beyond studying and hunting, the fastest way to learn still is to have someone explain it to me... and if she is that one, I'm ready to throw pride and shame away for a bit of knowledge to grow my strength quicker.
What is pride without real power backing it off but an empty attempt at arrogance?
I'm ready to throw that empty shell away for a slight chance of growing stronger so mother would be able to have it easy, for once.
Only that... Well, Lily is Lily.
"I see, so you finally see the true worth of this lady, took your time I would say... and not only that still tries to curl favor with this lady with honey words and sweet talk?"
Well...when you put it that way it sounds way worse than what I had in mind...
"Only that it does not sound sincere enough... how about meaning it? You can start by apologizing to this lady uhm...?"
...I'm starting to regret this and hate her more and more.
"..."
"..."
"Ok, this lady's mistake for thinking that way, let's go back to the other fairies, you may trying hunting once you can walk without stumbling kid." At that she turns around, intending to leave, so I panic and throw the words she wanted to hear:
"No, wait! I'm sorry, please teach me magic!"
She stops, making me think that I may have finally convinced her, but before I can rejoice for finally having someone teach me magic she smirks at me over her shoulder to simply say:
"This lady accepts your apology, but no."
At that she flies away once more, leaving my astounded self behind.
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