But the creature stopped for a few moments, sniffing the air as if it could sense an aura of danger surrounding that young human.
It looked at him for a few moments and noticed his companion at his side — and her scent emanated danger and death, awakening its survival instincts which made it step back without saying anything, only with a small growl that froze the boy completely.
Then Ji Ao followed the girl into the forest, with cautious steps and a frightened look, glancing in every direction. That place... was not just a forest.
It was a living city.
Creatures of all shapes and sizes walked among the trees, wearing simple clothes but with the posture of those who knew exactly where they were and where they were going.
A bipedal boar carried a basket of fruits. A humanoid pig, with trembling ears scaring away some insect, read a parchment leaning against a thick root.
Fox-children, with their big fluffy tails, played hide-and-seek among the bushes. Ji Ao felt as if he were inside a strange dream — or perhaps, an enchanting nightmare.
He walked clumsily, tripping on roots and his own feet as he followed the masked girl along hidden trails of that living forest.
Her mask was now different, showing uncovered details of her face and a lighter, happier expression, but it was impossible to know if that was truly her feeling or if the place made her that way. Still, her renewed beauty did not hide the rustic way she treated him.
His eyes were wide open, almost hypnotized by every detail: the spiral tree trunks, the leaves that changed color according to the light, and the creatures... oh, the creatures!
A few fox-girls, noticeably older than those with orange fur he had seen before, danced among the branches, their long fluffy tails swaying to the rhythm of a music only they seemed to hear.
A group of deer-maidens, with large shy eyes, hid behind the trees whenever Ji Ao looked in their direction.
But his gaze was always drawn back to the rabbit-girls — there were many, of all sizes, colors, and features. Except for one: completely white.
That one, unlike the others, kept her distance and watched him in silence.
Ji Ao sighed, enchanted.
"This is... this is paradise?" he murmured.
"It's the beginning of your end if you keep that foolish enchanted face," said the girl beside him, without even looking at him. Her voice was loaded with boredom and arrogance.
"Ah... sorry," he stammered. "It's just that... those rabbit-girls... they're so cute."
She stopped in the middle of the path.
"Are you a complete idiot?" she asked coldly.
Ji Ao widened his eyes.
"I... what?"
"You got lost in the first pair of fluffy ears you saw. Look, boy, here you're just another bag of fragile, useless bones. And if you keep acting like that, they'll rip your head off like a ripe fruit."
He swallowed hard.
Meanwhile, around them, some creatures stopped to observe. A group of humanoid pigs — or Porkius — grunted, mocking quietly.
Then a huge werewolf, coming from the right with heavy steps, long claws, and fur even darker than the previous one, approached.
Ji Ao didn't see it. He was still enchanted by a two-tailed fox-girl.
Without warning, "humanoid wolf resembling a man" — or Lobhuma (humanized wolf) — much bigger than Ji Ao, intentionally bumped into him, making him fall sitting on the ground.
Yellow eyes glowed, and the fur bristled instantly.
"Hey!" growled the Lobhuma, bending forward.
"What is a human cub doing here? Sniffing our females?"
Everyone around stopped. Silence fell like a blade.
Other creatures turned. Pig-men, rabbit-girls, an old Java-man with a cane — all looked at Ji Ao as if he were a rat in the middle of the harvest.
The girl stood between them in the blink of an eye. Her hair moved and her eyes narrowed like blades.
She stood before Ji Ao and faced the Lobhuma with lethal coldness.
"That's none of your business," she said, cold as stone.
The Lobhuma smiled, showing his teeth, raising his claw.
"Then I'll take care of the carrion you brought."
Ji Ao tried to stand, but the wolf's paw struck his stomach, throwing him against a bush.
He screamed, coughing, but didn't seem seriously hurt — just humiliated.
"Enough!" said the girl.
But the Lobhuma stepped closer, more threatening. She then took a step forward, tilting her head slightly. Her voice was soft but sharp as a blade.
The creature growled louder. Raised the claw, opened its jaws wide, ready to give another scare — or perhaps more than that. Ji Ao widened his eyes, his body frozen.
But then Ruby murmured, without changing her tone,
"How about you feel... the scent... before anything else?"
The Lobhuma stopped. His muzzle twitched. He sniffed the air... and stopped breathing for a second.
The atmosphere changed.
Everyone nearby — even the rabbit-girls — went silent. The Lobhuma widened his eyes, took two steps back. His fur bristled, and he lowered his claws.
Silence fell. The Lobhuma froze completely. He sniffed the air slowly. Again. And once more. His expression changed.
He didn't know exactly who she was — or what — but he recognized it.
The smell of something even hunters didn't dare follow.
A smell of contained blood. Of venom kept hidden.
Backing away, he almost stammered,
"You..." he murmured, tail between his legs. "You got involved with the Rift Trackers... And... and you're still alive..."
"More than you'd like, isn't it?" she answered, slightly lifting her chin.
Without another word to her, the Lobhuma turned.
"There's nothing for me here."
And disappeared quickly among the white trees of the forest.
The girl turned to Ji Ao, who was still on the ground, trying to understand what had just happened.
"Get up already," she said, impatient. "You have no pride, no shame, do you? If it were up to me, I'd have let them tear you apart."
Ji Ao stood up, rubbing his ribs.
"Hey... I didn't ask to be saved, okay?"
"Great. Then next time I'll let you play piñata with the beasts."
He opened his mouth to reply but stopped. She was serious. The kind of serious that made the world seem darker.
The girl grabbed Ji Ao's hand firmly, pulling him before the crowd could resume their whispers.
"Move. There's no time to explain."
Ji Ao followed, tripping over roots, his heart pounding.
"What was that?!" he asked, breathless. "Why did he back off? Who... who are you really?"
She rolled her eyes, annoyed by the question. Answered with an impatient sigh,
"You ask too many questions."
"But these creatures... who are they? What's the code here?"
She stopped. Looked at him sideways.
"You want to survive? Then remember this:
First, don't mess with another's female.
Second, never touch someone who isn't of your species.
Third, if you see a white bunny girl... change your path."
"White bunny girl?" he repeated, frowning. "And who protects these...?"
She stopped walking. Slowly turned and faced Ji Ao up close, her eyes threatening fury.
"Every white bunny girl in this forest is under my protection."
Ji Ao felt a knot in his throat. Tried to reply, but only coughed, choked in surprise. She walked on as if nothing had happened, and he followed in silence.
Ji Ao understood. She wasn't just a guide. She was someone dangerous, respected.
And in that world where hopping rabbits and killer wolves lived in constant tension...
...she was the one keeping his head attached to his neck.
Around them, the scenery changed slightly. Trees with suspended roots, vine walkways, holes in the ground with carved-out houses.
There were no winged creatures, nor large predators like elephants, rhinos, or buffaloes — at least not nearby.
The only wolves passing now were smaller, walking in pairs, watching with alert eyes.
"What is this place...?" murmured Ji Ao, trying to keep up with her fast pace.
"This would be the outer part of the city of Nivalem — the former City of Fortune, which after a power struggle against several kingdoms was destroyed, and all that remained was the village of Tavarin."
"But exactly here, what is this area called?"
Almost out of patience, she said,
"Everything here is part of the White Forest... The forest itself lends its name to our world, which is called the World of the White Forest."
"That sounds kind of ridiculous..."
He said it without realizing Ruby was seconds away from losing her patience.
"At least there are names for tribes or something like that... don't they exist here?"
"Tribes are what we have most in this forest. The first is Chankao'Laen, one of the nine tribes located around, within the limits of the White Forest," she replied reluctantly.
"There really are that many tribes? Tell me, please."
He insisted, giving the impression of a child about to hear the names of his future toys...