My Overpowered Bunny Girls

The trip to the Vine Council’s territory took three days.

Unlike the Iron Court, which lived on bare stone rocks on the outer edge of the World, the Vine Council lived on floating islands covered in thick, old forests. Vines hung from every branch. The air smelled strongly of wet dirt and fresh leaves. It reminded Nathan of the Verdant Depths, but calm. This wasn’t a mutated jungle trying to eat them. This was a world in perfect balance.

Captain Aldric looked nervous as she led them down a narrow dirt path. "The Vine Council doesn’t trust outsiders," she warned. "They think the Shepherd’s rot came from the outside. They’ll probably see you as a threat."

"We’ll just have to change their minds," Nathan said.

The party walked out into a large clearing. The Vine Council’s main city was built right into a single, massive tree. Its thick branches stretched all the way across several floating islands, and its huge roots vanished into the grey, empty sky below. Small wooden houses rested safely in the branches. People moved easily through the leaves. They had green tattoos on their skin and watched the party closely from above.

A group met them at the bottom of the tree. The leader was a woman with silver-green hair and bright green eyes. She wore clothes woven from tough leaves and held a twisted wooden staff.

"Climbers," she said. Her voice was quiet but clear. "I am Elder Sylvara. I speak for the Vine Council. We know why you are here."

Nathan gave a small bow. "Then you know we want peace."

Sylvara didn’t smile. "We heard what General Kael is saying. He is talking about an alliance. About unity. That doesn’t sound like him at all." She stopped and looked Nathan up and down. "You must have done something crazy to impress him."

"We had a duel," Nathan said simply. "And he surrendered."

The group of elders whispered to each other. Sylvara’s eyes went wide. "You beat General Kael? In a one-on-one fight?"

"I did."

Sylvara stayed quiet for a long time. Then, a thin smile appeared on her face. "Maybe the old ways really are changing. Come inside. We have a lot to talk about."

The main hall was carved right out of the giant tree trunk. The wooden walls glowed softly with green moss. A group of elders sat in a circle while Nathan explained his plan. He talked about bringing everyone together instead of fighting. They listened without saying a word, their faces hard to read.

When he finished, Sylvara spoke up. "That sounds nice, Climber. But the Vine Council is tired of broken promises. The Iron Court takes land. The Deep Fleet steals. The Crownless just break things. Why should we believe this time is any different?"

"You don’t have to trust them," Nathan said. "Trust us. We don’t live here. We don’t have any grudges, and we don’t want the Throne. We can just be the middleman."

"And what makes you think that will work?" an older man snapped. "Because you beat Kael? Being strong doesn’t make you a good peacemaker."

Nathan thought for a second. "No, but the truth does. The Shattered Throne is dying. The Shepherd broke this place, and now the pieces are falling apart. This war is just speeding it up. If you guys don’t team up, there won’t be a Throne to fight over. There won’t be anything left."

The room went dead silent. The elders looked at each other. Sylvara looked worried.

"Our seers have been saying the same thing for years," she admitted quietly. "The empty sky is getting bigger. The islands are crumbling. We thought it was just the natural decay of a broken world. But if the Shepherd is still feeding on it..." She sighed. "You might be right, Climber. But getting the Iron Court, the Deep Fleet, and the Crownless to agree? That has never happened."

"Then let us help you make it happen," Nathan said.

Sylvara looked at him for a long time. Finally, she nodded. "We will think about what you said. Come back tomorrow, and we will give you our answer."

The Vine Council gave the party rooms inside the giant tree. The small wooden walls were warm and quiet. Nathan sat by a window, looking out at the empty grey sky. The floating islands glowed faintly in the dark.

Elise walked in and sat down right next to him. Her shoulder bumped gently against his. "You did great in there," she said softly. "You gave them hope."

"Hope is fragile," Nathan said. "It breaks easily."

"Then we’ll just have to help them hold onto it." She paused, looking at him. "You’ve changed since we first met. You aren’t just a fighter anymore. You’re a leader. You bring people together."

Nathan looked back at her. "Is that a good thing?"

She smiled. "It’s exactly what we need."

They sat together in the quiet room. Nathan felt a warm closeness between them. It had been building for a long time. He opened his mouth to say something, but a voice cut directly into his mind.

’Master,’ Kuro warned, her mental voice sharp and tense. ’Something is wrong. I can feel it.’

Nathan sat up straight. "What is it?"

’The World is shifting. I cannot explain it well. But the vines, the trees... they are angry. Something is upsetting them.’

Nathan stood up and grabbed Moonlight. "Wake the others. We need to go check on Sylvara."

Elise nodded and ran down the hall. Nathan stepped out of his room and turned on [Hunter’s Insight]. The magic inside the giant tree was a total mess. It was swirling wildly, like a trapped storm pushing against the bark.

He ran into the main hall. Sylvara was standing right in the middle of the room. Her staff was shaking in her hands. Thick green vines had grown up from the floor, wrapping tightly around her arms and legs.

"Sylvara?" Nathan called out, pulling an arrow back on his string.

She slowly turned her head to look at him. Her eyes were completely different. They were pitch black, just like the empty sky outside. When she opened her mouth to speak, it sounded like three different voices talking at the exact same time.

"The Shepherd’s seed is still growing, Climber. It is not done with this World."

Nathan aimed Moonlight right at her chest. "What are you?"

The thing controlling Sylvara gave a terrible, wide smile. "I am the voice of the broken throne. And I have been waiting for someone exactly like you."

The vines squeezed her tighter. The giant tree let out a loud, painful groan. And right beneath Nathan’s boots, the wooden floor began to crack and fall away.