For the time being, Eika, V, and L had decided there was nothing to be done about Luna's apparent condition. Eika was a little sad, but she resolved to continue teaching Luna, and also discourage her use of her future telling ability. After they finished discussing Luna, L briefed V about what she had learned in regards to the people they freed from the slavers. Finishing her report, she then went to check on the women they had rescued. Other than the rabbitkin, they had remained in the tents resting. V quickly found something to eat in his item storage, dried meat. His eyes lingered a moment on the vase that had been setting in his storage, it was still a mystery. Just one more thing on the list of unknowns. He watched as Eika spoke with Luna for a few more minutes before returning to speak with the rabbitkin woman. V wondered if Eika would want to leave with her. Although Eika was helpful, especially now that they were crossing the wilds, V wondered if he could keep her with them. Obviously, he had physical ability to, her slave collar made sure of that. However, he was unsure if he could deal with a consistently depressed Eika.
"Set down girl and I will tell you of the great lies of the church. I assume you have been told the story by the other races by this point? It is one of their favorite tales after all." Eika nodded "Yes, actually quite recently..." Spindle-leaf nodded, "Then I can spare myself of going over the generic details. The demons, their powers, things of that nature." Eika nodded as she listened, her eyes locked onto the woman in a strangely, for Eika, rapt attention. "First, the church says the boy was the survivor of a village destroyed by the demons. This is untrue. No one knows where the boy came from. This is important, as the church claims he was "tainted" by the demons that destroyed his village, and left there on purpose for some sinister reason. In-fact, as far as the rabbitkin know, the boy was simply introduced to the world by the church one day. He was powerful certainly, but his power took time to grow and mature. He confided in his rabbitkin companion that he was unsure where he had come from. He had muddled and strange memories of a life not his own, but no memories of a village or parents. He also never was able to find the remains of the village he came from. Of course, that was hand waived away by the church as demonic power wiping the remains of the village clean. He never spoke to anyone else of this, fearing that they would believe he was tainted or corrupted in some way. Even early on in his life, the boy was keenly aware that the hopes of the world now lay on his shoulders, he feared betraying that hope in any manner. Secondly, they downplayed his popularity. After his first victory, the world saw their hopes realized. A real chance was given to them.
Over the next few years, the world slowly went from following the church, to following the boy. A distinction the church would rather hide, speaking of the church and boy as the same entity in his early life. The church's jealousy over this only grew with time. They had held sway over the kings and rulers of the world. Their influence was all that had helped hold the demons at bay, they were the most important people and organization this world knew. However, as the boy grew in both stature and popularity, the church could no longer tolerate him. He was not the puppet figure that they had hoped, but instead a usurper to their well laid plans. He often spoke to his rabbitkin companion of his detest of the churches hold over the people, and the laws they enforced. He-" The rabbitkin stopped for a moment and looked over. V had walked up to them. "Would you mind letting me listen in? I heard a little bit of your story from over there, but this world's history, especially regarding the demons and the events surrounding them are of interest to me." Spindle-leaf hesitated for a few moments as Eika furiously nodded her head at her. Relenting, she sighed "Fine, but you will have to get the girl to tell you what I have already said. I am not repeating it." V nodded gestured for her to continue.
"Anyway, he had mostly rid the world of demons by his twentieth birthday. Returning to the capitol of the war effort, the fortress city, he had planned to celebrate both his birthday, as well as what was seen at the time, the triumph over the demon race." The rabbitkin paused a moment, a dark look overcame her. "Little did anyone know; the demons had simply been playing with the world. They could have crushed it at any time. I’m sure you know this part of the story, the sacking of the capitol, the capture and abandonment of the hero by the world he had saved. How our people sacrificed everything to save him. The heartbreak he endured upon seeing the broken body of his companion used as a perverse trophy. However, the church claims that afterward, he approached the leaders of the world as some sort of half crazed monster. This is where the church's betrayal began, during the time in which the hero was captured by the demons, they had regained their status as the ones leading the world as it suffered in fear and darkness. They had no intention of giving it up a second time. The hero returned to find that the church had attempted to poison the minds of the people against him. Claiming he was the one who allowed the demons to infiltrate the city, that the reason he was able to fight the demons fearsome power was because he wielded that same power." Spindle-leaf clenched her fist in anger, although her voice remained even.
"After our people sacrificed everything, after the hero had endured impossible suffering at the hands of the demons, the world hesitated to support him. Torn between the church and their hero, the world was paralyzed. However, the hero denounced the church, finally directly speaking out against the offensive and oppressive practices of the churches. At first, no one would support him." Spindle-leaf touched the place one of her ears used to be before she continued. "The remnants of the rabbitkin race stood by him, but it was not enough to stem the tide of demons. The hero cried out to the gods for aid. He thought that even if the church was corrupt, the Gods themselves surely would aid him. He had devoted his life to destroying their enemies, the demons. All but four of the Gods turned away from his cry, complicit in their church's jealousy. The four who took pity on him rewarded the loyalty of the rabbitkin, and the sacrifices they made to aid their ally and friend. They changed our race, no longer prey animals. They changed us into predators, power enough to fight alongside of our hero and companion. Where once we could only hide and strike from the bushes, we now fought with the strength of ten dwarves, the grace of ten catkin, the power of ten elves, the speed of... well... ten rabbitkin." For the first time since starting the story, Spindle-leaf’s voice sounded different. A voice full with both pride, and loss.
"Even so, the demons vastly outnumbered the remnants of the rabbkitkin. The hero redoubled his efforts to garner support amongst the people. It is not exactly clear if he inspired the leaders of the world, or they simply enjoyed the idea of not paying the church's tithes and being free of their influence, but many of the world’s leaders eventually rallied to the hero's side as he continued to speak out against the church. The church for their part, could do nothing but quietly watch their influence erode. Eventually, with the rabbitkin at his side and the world at his back, the hero drove the demons back to their own realm. However, the world would never truly be safe until they were eradicated. He swore that he would see every demon dead before he found rest. And so, he found a way into their realm. The leaders of the world hesitated to commit their forces to such an endeavor however. Ravaged with cowardice and drunk on victory, they pulled their support, refusing to aid the hero. They spoke of their great victories, and how the demons would think twice before invading their world again. The rabbitkin, as always, stood at the hero's side however and followed him into the demon's realm." She stopped for a moment and took a few deep breaths.
"Inside of the demon realm, their fight was even more difficult. We are not entirely sure what transpired in that realm, the rabbitkin who survived said they made an oath to never speak of that place and what the hero witnessed there. However, the battle was long and hard. During the hero's absence, the church would not stand idle. Preying on the world's fear and cowardice they infected the minds of the kings and rulers. Whispering that since the hero's return from the fortress city, the rabbitkin had been fighting like demons. That the hero had been infected by demonic taint, and in turn infected us. They claimed his desire to find the demon realm was to rule it, not destroy it. As the days drew on, the churches words resonated more and more with the people of the world. The church claimed there would be only one moment to rid their world of the threat of the hero. The moment he stepped from the portal and returned to our world. Return he did, every demon within the realm was slain by his and our hands. He quickly returned to his world, only to find himself betrayed. They say that as he was struck down by countless mortal foes, as well as the Gods themselves, he wore no expression of surprise, only disappointment. As he lay dying, those rabbitkin closest to him heard his last whispers. As they held his broken body, he promised them he would make the church, and the God's themselves pay for this. That he would, someday, finish his task. As he died, the rabbitkin cried out for the God's that had helped them, the four deities who blessed them. Instead of salvation however, all they saw was their four patrons cast down by the other Gods. The power given to our race was denounced as a demonic taint, we were denounced as a cursed race, and the Gods sealed our "tainted power."" She stopped, anger filling her eyes. "You know the rest. Enslaved, scattered, hated, abused. For an uncountable number of years. Even now, some of the free clans hope that one day the hero will return to us."
