# Lost in Translation - Chapter 1: New Surroundings

Author: RoninAsturias
Tags: Character Development, Fantasy, Forest, Lagomorph, Male, No-Yiff, Plot Development, Series

#1 of Lost in Translation

Hello! This is my first real writing project, so things are kinda rough. I'm using this as an exercise in more long-form writing, and to making up the story as I go along instead of trying to plan everything out ahead of time. Please forgive any inconsistencies that inevitably pop up along the way! I will update when I can, one chapter at a time.
All posts of this story will be marked as at least adult for mild violence and for later violence and sexual themes. Tags are a new thing for me, so please suggest those you feel are appropriate.

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Gone was the familiarity of the dog park; its quiet, picturesque beauty evaporating into a haze of smoke.&nbsp; Blade by blade, the neatly-trimmed grass plucked itself from the earth, as if some outside force commanded them.&nbsp; Intermingling with the leaves of the hearty oaks and steadfast elms, a festival of new green danced carelessly in the air unaware of its inevitable demise.&nbsp; James could do nothing but gape silently at the horror around him, helpless to prevent the doom of even a single leaf.&nbsp; He could only watch as the earth around him shed its identity, a baptism of smoke and lights.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Oh god - the lights!

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In the confusion, he had hardly noticed the gathering beams, a blaze of brilliant colors amidst the swirling phosphenes and mist; his eyes were prisms projecting a dazzling light show he could not interpret.&nbsp; The world around him was ending and he did not know why - he could not!&nbsp; Surely, he must be dreaming!&nbsp; As he frantically tried to recall the symptoms of a stroke, James felt his entire existence pitch and roll with sudden exhaustion.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; _'So this is how it ends'_ he mouthed, unaware he made no sound.&nbsp; His private whirlwind of darkness hurled him along the unknown and unknowable; silent and absolute, he tumbled through a void that had no care to explain itself.&nbsp; Its only gift was the benison of slumber that shed his silent horror.

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~~~~~

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For what could have been minutes or weeks, James rested within the privacy of his thoughts.&nbsp; Certainly this wasn't death if he could still dream, still think.&nbsp; Through the turmoil of his mind, he recollected the day's events:&nbsp; His morning routine had been uneventful, outside of trimming a few stray hairs on his face; normally clean-shaven, he had taken to the notion that he might appear more his age if he left a layer black stubble.&nbsp; Then came breakfast, a short walk in the calm morning sunlight to a nearby café that had the best croissants; objectively, of course.&nbsp; He had no other obligations for this sleepy mid-morning, and intended to enjoy its rarity.&nbsp; The dog park wasn't far away, and a calm walk would help digest his breakfast.&nbsp; There weren't often many people walking through this early, but he still held hope he might at least observe some friendly wildlife.

Then there was darkness, a thick veil of confusion and blank space, and a...rabbit? _No, that can't be right.&nbsp; There aren't rabbits around here_.&nbsp; He felt a nudge from the abyss, as distinct as his own existence, but he could not fathom its origin.&nbsp; He was filled with the idea that he must try to wake himself, try to stay active; surely the hospital staff was keeping him alive.

And again, another jab; this time into his ribs.&nbsp; A white pain grew from his chest as the impact forced him to take a breath.&nbsp; The air was sweet; much cleaner than he had ever recalled.&nbsp; This wasn't a hospital or any place he had been before, so surely this must be a dream.&nbsp; He rolled over to his side and sighed despite himself, unwilling to meet the new day.

"Are you planning on laying there all day?&nbsp; We've much to accomplish." A thin, nasal voice pierced his thoughts, a measure of impatience hidden beneath the inquiry.&nbsp; Only after a brief moment did his eyes shoot open, the strange voice scattering his broken thoughts.&nbsp; The air was thick with the scent of new growth, of cherry blossoms and sweet greens and the promise of new life.&nbsp; Thick with oxygen and rich with life, James drew it into his lungs until he thought they would burst, the cleanliness bringing him a new vitality.&nbsp; As he began to wipe the tears and crust from his eyes, he became acutely aware of a large figure looming over him.&nbsp; A slight tilt of his head put him nose-to-nose with what appeared to be a giant rabbit. _'Nope, I'm still apparently dreaming.'_He muttered under his breath before beginning to lay down once again.

"Unbelievable!" the fictional figure exclaimed in exasperation.&nbsp; A sudden burst of fire and lightning rang through James' crown, a jolt of pain that cleared the remaining cobwebs and alerted his senses to his surroundings.&nbsp; "Come, guardian!&nbsp; There's much to do.&nbsp; I didn't summon you here for an afternoon nap!"&nbsp; The figure paced around him as he rubbed at his head, furiously trying to scrub any sensation other than pain into his skull.&nbsp; One at a time, his eyes opened to the bright afternoon sun and took in the unfamiliar surroundings.&nbsp; He was laying on a granite slab in the middle of a dense copse, the mix of maple, oak and ash trees towering over thickets of juniper and other unidentifiable berry bushes.&nbsp; The sun was high but gentle, a silent promise of spring life and the coming summer warmth.&nbsp; As his vision adjusted, he focused on his assailant as it paced dutifully in front of him, obviously impatient with the current situation.

"Y-you're...a giant rabbit?" he stammered, trying to make sense of this wild dream.&nbsp; Or at least, he thought it was a dream.&nbsp; Surely, rabbits couldn't talk - or walk around on their hind legs, for that matter.&nbsp; It towered over him, a cow-spotted lop, it's brown and white patterning contrasting gently against its royal blue, cracked-velvet vest and linen trousers; if it was 5 feet tall, surely its ears made up three of them.&nbsp; Upon accusation, it paused its pacing briefly to contemplate the query before hopping up to lean into James' face.

"What, you've never seen a Lapin before?&nbsp; I knew the gods didn't pay much attention to us, but to be so unknowledgeable!&nbsp; I'm beginning to wonder if they forbid your summoning to prevent your folly, not your wrath."&nbsp; It stood practically on top of him, paws on its hips, tapping its enormous, padded foot on the hard stone impatiently.&nbsp; The small, knurled staff in its right paw still gleamed gently with some arcane theurgy he could not hope identify.

"No, of course I haven't ever seen a giant, talking rabbit with a magic stick before!&nbsp; And what do you mean 'gods'?&nbsp; I'm no god, I'm just a human...arguing with bunny in a ridiculous dream!&nbsp; Hell, I must have really hit my head..." he retorted as he tenderly stroked the forming lump atop his head, presumably where the lop had struck him.&nbsp; "I don't know what's going on here, but I'm not about to go dancing off into the woods with a bunch of bunnies."

As if by proclamation, James felt a tightness around his entire body squeeze and lift him into the air.&nbsp; The large rabbit approached him, the ire in its ocean-blue eyes plain as the afternoon sky.&nbsp; The emerald gem wrapped in the end of his staff glowed brightly, secured to the wood as if carefully planted during its growth to become a part of the very wood surrounding it.&nbsp; "I am Harman, your summoner.&nbsp; Our need is great, and you are bound to ME!&nbsp; You WILL help us, Yoomen; god of creation!"

Unable to move anything but his smart mouth, James retorted, "My name is James, you crazy bucktoothed rat!&nbsp; Put me down before I make you into a stew!"&nbsp; As if by direct command, the pressure around him disappeared, leaving nothing but 6 feet of air between him and the granite slab with which he was about to become intimate.&nbsp; He groaned in pain as he hit the hard rock, groping the ground as if to catch the breath so violently torn from his lungs.&nbsp; "Fine!" he sputtered through shallow wheezing, "I'll go with you!&nbsp; Apparently I have nothing better to do."

The lop grinned and nodded in smug satisfaction to his victory.&nbsp;&nbsp; "Come then, James Yoomen.&nbsp; We have much to discuss and little time, lest you be as lost from purpose as you are wit.&nbsp; No doubt the covert is aware of my actions now, but the cataclysm must be prevented at all cost.&nbsp; I have yet served my purpose, as have you.&nbsp; We must have haste!"

As James stood on his own, he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.&nbsp; "It's HU-MAN, not...you know what, nevermind.&nbsp; Let's just get on with this," he swirled a finger in the air to indicate his present surroundings, "this, whatever this is."&nbsp; The rabbit nodded sharply and beckoned him towards an opening in the clearing, a foot-worn path into the dense woods.&nbsp; James had no idea where he had ended up, only that he dreaded it keenly.

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Source: https://sofurry.com/s/beb3R2Em
Part of the series Lost in Translation
Next: https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1226287-lost-in-translation-chapter-2-what-must-come.md