Master of Lust

"How much longer we talking?" Rick drawled, trailing behind Evelina in the forest.

"Just a bit more," Evelina replied.

"You mentioned that same thing an hour ago," Rick grumbled, for what felt like the hundredth time.

Currently, Rick and Evelina are en route to the cave she mentioned earlier. While the task might have seemed like searching for a needle in a haystack, they were fortunate that the girl possessed a map. Without squandering any more time on futile conversation, they briskly set off in search of the cave. Evelina assumed the lead, guiding them through the forest with a determined sense of direction.

But as they ventured deeper into the forest, Evelina was taken aback when a rabbit suddenly hopped into the scene, joining their party on the journey. The fluffy little critter bounded along beside Rick, its soft fur and twitching nose capturing Evelina\'s fascination. It was undoubtedly one of the cutest creatures she had ever laid eyes on.

Evelina couldn\'t help but be charmed by the fluffy creature\'s appearance. Her usually stoic demeanor softened as she wrestled with the urge to reach out and pet the adorable rabbit. Evelina wasn\'t one to readily display her emotions, but the rabbit had undeniably captivated her attention. Unable to suppress her curiosity, Evelina inquired, "Is this rabbit yours?"

"Why else would it be tagging along with us? Don\'t tell me you thought your beauty had it smitten," Rick teased Evelina.

However, Evelina chose to ignore Rick\'s jest and pressed further, "What\'s its name?" The rabbit\'s presence had briefly lifted her spirits after the traumatic encounter with the old man.

Rick chuckled, his tone casual. "Name? Oh, it doesn\'t have a name. I just call it \'Rabbit.\'"

Evelina arched an eyebrow, clearly expecting a more imaginative name for such an endearing creature. "Just \'Rabbit\'? That\'s rather plain, don\'t you think?" n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Rick, who had a knack for vagueness, replied with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Oh, I never really got around to giving her a proper name. She\'s just Rabbit. Or maybe Miss Fluffy, who knows?"

Rick shrugged, flashing a mischievous grin. "Well, it suits him. Besides, it\'s easy to remember."

Evelina couldn\'t help but crack a small, amused smile at Rick\'s nonchalant response. "Mr. Fluffy, huh? Well, he is quite fluffy," she conceded, her gaze momentarily softening as she admired the rabbit\'s charming appearance.

"What if it were black? Would you have named it \'Blacky\'?" Evelina inquired.

"Sure, why not?" Rick nodded. "You know what? That\'s actually pretty clever."

"Clever? That\'s racist," Evelina shook her head.

"What\'s racist about it?" Rick raised an eyebrow. "We use words like \'blackout\' and \'blacklist,\' so why not \'Blacky\'?"

"Actually, we don\'t really use those terms anymore. It\'s company policy to be more inclusive," Evelina responded matter-of-factly.

Rick grumbled, "Might as well outlaw the word \'black.\' Let\'s boycott the color black, censor the BBC."

"BBC?"

"Big Black Cock..." Rick replied with a cheeky grin, "I wouldn\'t mind if they shut the other one though."

"You truly have no filter, do you?" Evelina couldn\'t help but remark.

"You have no idea how astonished I am," Rick mumbled to himself.

As Rick and Evelina trudged through the forest, the white rabbit, turned out to be one funky and oddly resourceful buddy. This little furball bounced around like a foraging ninja, sniffing out herbs and plants like it had a degree in botany. Then, like it was telepathic or something, it\'d deliver those greens to Rick, as if it knew he was the chef in the woods.

Rick, on the other hand, would go all goo-goo over the rabbit, giving the little fluffball love taps, petting its velvety coat, and raving about its contributions. And the rabbit? It\'d show its appreciation by going bonkers, hopping and bopping like a raver at a woodland rave, absolutely stoked about Rick\'s kudos.

Rick would then dish out more guidance to the rabbit, chatting it up like they were having a casual chinwag. What made it even more bizarre was that, judging by the rabbit\'s actions, Evelina couldn\'t shake the feeling that it actually understood every word that came out of Rick\'s mouth.

Evelina observed this odd exchange with a mix of intrigue, finding it bizarre to witness a man and a rabbit having their own unique heart-to-heart. It was almost like the rabbit wasn\'t really a rabbit at all. [Flashback]

Just before departing from the chaotic scene where the old man now lay lifeless, Rick had carried out a thorough search of the old man. Despite the man\'s unsavory reputation, Rick was well aware that he possessed certain skills and, undoubtedly, a plethora of valuable connections. It was inconceivable that he wouldn\'t have some prized possessions.

Given the old coot\'s character, he\'d either have discreetly stashed his valuables somewhere known only to him, or he\'d keep them on his person at all times, not trusting anyone else with them.

Rick conducted an incredibly thorough search, leaving no hair unturned in his quest to uncover any valuable items. He didn\'t hold back, going so far as to almost strip the old man bare. He even contemplated asking Evelina to check for any concealed items under his underwear, although he was willing to accept defeat if it came to that, not keen on venturing into that territory himself.

Amid the miscellaneous items, the old man\'s belongings did yield a few peculiar findings. Rick came across a handful of yellowed pages adorned with unsettling red paint drawings, a charred black doll, a stash of marbles, and a couple of other odds and ends. Though none of these trinkets truly piqued his interest.

However, nestled among these curiosities, there was one item that seized Rick\'s attention—a ring. Without a moment\'s hesitation, he decided to claim it as part of his spoils.

The ring was a work of art, a stunning masterpiece adorned with intricate engravings that took one\'s breath away. Its band gleamed with the lustrous beauty of silver or the ethereal radiance of jade, showcasing the skilled craftsmanship that had birthed it. Sinuous dragons, exquisitely detailed, wound their way around the surface, adding an aura of mystique to the ring. As Rick slid it onto his finger, he couldn\'t help but feel a curious coolness, as if the ring held a secret of its own.

Though uncertain of its significance, Rick couldn\'t bring himself to part with it. There was something about this ring that made him believe it could prove invaluable down the road. Sometimes, it\'s the little things that end up being more than just accessories.

The notion of swiping the old man\'s stuff didn\'t ruffle Rick\'s feathers much. After all, it was that creepy old guy\'s antics that had jump-started the wild ruckus in the woods. Rick reckoned he could make way better use of the old dude\'s gear than the dearly departed pervert ever did. When things go haywire, you gotta grab the chances that come your way, right? It\'s all about survival of the slickest.

[Flashback End]

Evelina couldn\'t resist voicing her disapproval of Rick\'s actions concerning the old man. She needled him, "You\'re just a run-of-the-mill thief, aren\'t you? Pilfering that guy\'s stuff like that. But seriously, why did you draw the line at his underwear?"

Rick, unfazed, let out a laugh and retorted, "Hey, he did try to off us, remember? So I\'d say I\'ve earned it. And as for the underwear, well, if I ever need a whiff, I\'ll just ask someone a bit more attractive, you know?"

"In the grand scheme of things, the old man\'s not in a position to complain, right? I reckoned I might as well help myself," Rick added, a devilish glimmer in his eye, "Besides, I doubt he\'ll be needing all those scrolls and trinkets wherever he\'s headed."

Evelina, on the other hand, remained unimpressed, her standards clearly not met by Rick\'s actions. She continued to regard him with a disapproving look.

"Don\'t give me that look. The guy was scheming who knows what against you, and he reaped what he sowed. Think of it as a farewell present from yours truly," Rick defended himself before shooting Evelina a squint-eyed glance, "But seriously, why are you taking that old geezer\'s side? Something seems off." However, Evelina merely huffed and turned her face away.

Rick, unfazed by her disapproval, opted to shift the conversation. He probed, "Alright, what\'s the scoop with this cave? Why are you so gung-ho about reaching it?"

Evelina hesitated, her demeanor guarded. She didn\'t appear eager to spill the beans to Rick, a relative stranger in her life. Yet Rick was persistent.

Wearing a wily grin, Rick playfully warned, "You know, if you don\'t spill the beans, I might have to give your middle-aged beau back there a little surprise visit."

Rick had made the decision not to tote the injured middle-aged man along with them. Instead, he had ensconced the man within the safety of his shield and tucked him away behind some foliage, a distance from the site of their one-sided showdown. Rick\'s intent was for the man to stay alive until their return, assuming he didn\'t succumb to the gunshot wound. Rick didn\'t have the medical skills to tend to the injury, but it hadn\'t appeared to be life-threatening.

In a teasing tone, Rick quipped, "I\'ve got a hunch he\'ll make it, as long as he doesn\'t leak out too much blood."

Evelina, succumbing to the relentless pressure of Rick\'s interrogation and the threat of exposing her middle-aged companion, finally divulged her secret.

"I am looking for a specific plant," Evelina told Rick, "I paid out a small fortune to obtain information about it. This plant happens to grow in that cave"

"And to get to that cave, the old man and those men were escorting me," Evelina continued.

"As for everything that\'s happened since then," she concluded, "Well, you\'re well-acquainted with the tale," the story had taken an unfortunate turn, as Rick knew all too well.

Rick\'s curiosity, however, was far from satiated. He pressed on, asking, "And who\'s this herb for? What\'s so important that you had to rope all those dudes into this chaos?"

But before Evelina could respond, she suddenly noticed their surroundings and interjected, announcing.

"We\'ve arrived." * * * * *