The Believer

Chapter Seventeen: of Magic Rocks, Bunnies, and Happily Ever Afters

Wilky's eyes opened slowly.

She was lying in the damp grass, and for a moment, it was so calm and peaceful she didn't want to move.

Wilky sat up and looked around. Casey sat nearby, and sitting on his lap was a white rabbit, which was currently busy munching on a carrot.

"You're awake." he observed.

"I'm alive," Wilky corrected, quite astonished to be saying this.

The bunny made no comment.

"You are, indeed alive," Casey sighed. "Unfortunately. Guess I've got to put up with you for a little longer."

Wilky grinned, picking up her staff, which lay beside her, and climbing to her feet.

"Yep. You've got to put up with me."

"Fiddlesticks." Casey cursed jokingly.

"What... happened?"

Casey shrugged. "I was out cold. Thea could probably tell you though." he nodded towards the landscape ahead. Thea was sprinting straight towards Wilky, barreling into her and embracing her tightly. It was strange, this closeness with Thea, but not in a bad way.

"I was hoping you were alright. I mean, you were breathing. Casey said you'd just passed out from over exerting yourself, but I was... I was worried." she stood back, staring at the ground almost in embarrassment.

"Awh, it's okay!" Wilky smiled at Thea, whose lips curved into a hint of a smile in return. Wilky allowed herself to get lost in those golden pools for only a moment before she returned to the task at hand. "And Draegon..." Wilky glanced around, and caught sight of two stone statues a little ways away, one in the shape of a man, the other in the shape of a winged horse. "Oh. I guess... he'll stay like that, then?"

"His curse was well made. Too well, perhaps- it can't be undone, at least not by any ordinary magician." Casey reassured her, still petting the bunny.

"Where did the bunny come from?"

Casey looked down at the white bunny as if he hadn't noticed it until just now. A mischievous grin spread across his face.

"Oh, that's Helewis."

"Helewis is a bunny?"

Casey giggled. "Yep."

Wilky rolled her eyes and bent down to pet the bunny. Helewis the bunny ate his carrot calmly, but seemed to be glaring at her from the corner of his eye.

"How did he become a bunny?" she asked.

"Draegon," Casey explained. "He threw a curse at him, and I managed to change the curse, but it still turned him into an adorable wittle bunny wabbit." he hugged the bunny in his arms. The bunny looked rather annoyed. He finished his carrot and hopped down from Casey's lap, beginning to sniff around at the grass before deciding to nibble on some.

"You should really turn him back," Wilky said, watching the little white bunny with a smile on her face.

"Eh, I'm going to let this go on as long as possible, he's absolutely adorable when he's a bunny, and he's never annoying!"

Wilky laughed. "He's going to hate you once you turn him back."

"Maybe. Maybe not. Hey, I'm not the one who turned him into a bunny, okay? Don't blame me."

Wilky shook her head, still laughing. She reached over and stroked Helewis's fuzzy nose. He began to sniff her hand, turning away when it became clear she had no food to give him.