We have all made vows and promises to others that have gone many, many years forgotten until such a time where the conditions of such a vow or promise has been fulfilled. This very story tells of such a vow, made by none other than Thaldorn himself, almost forty years after he'd initially spoken the words.

 

...in truth, it was more of a threat than an actual vow. You see, when Thaldorn and I first met, he was in fact even more ornery and… much more difficult to reason with. He also once took great offense when people (myself especially) would ask him to do something.

 

"Do I look like an errand boy to you?!" he'd growl just before completely ignoring the request given and doing whatever he damned well felt like doing. The vow he'd made stemmed from an actual argument we'd gotten into concerning his stance on rabbits and hares.

 

"A hare is NOT a rabbit, Thaldorn!" I remember almost shouting at him as we loitered at the Pool of Stars in New Celest. Although I'd been living in the Glomdoring Commune at the time this occurred, I was frequently found somewhere in the City of Light if I were not out hunting.

 

"Is too!" Thaldorn countered. He then held up a hand and began ticking off a checklist with his large fingers. "Does a hare have long floppy ears? Aye. Ergo… rabbit!"

 

I could do naught but stare at him in exasperation.

 

"...I hope Nolan hears you say that one day and kicks you with both feet, just so I can laugh at you," I scoffed at him.

 

Now, what happened next, Thaldorn to this day thinks I am somehow responsible for. I assure you, I have absolutely NO means of doing this to anyone or Thaldorn would have had this done to him every time he annoyed me.

 

So… every other month. Anywho…

 

I remember my look of annoyance being replaced by one of utter shock as a pair of long, floppy ears began to materialise atop his head, coloured the same bright pink as his wife Lanivara's hair. I held a paw to my mouth in an attempt to stifle my laughter, but not before a snort managed to escape, halting Thaldorn in mid-rant.

 

Narrowing his eyes at me, he growled, "What's so bloody funny, panda?!"

 

Instead of answering him, I returned the question with, "So, according to your philosophy, any being who has long and floppy ears is in fact a rabbit. Do I understand that right?"

 

"Aye, exactly!" Thaldorn nodded, looking rather pleased with himself that he had finally convinced me to see it his way.

 

If he only knew!!

 

" Well then, according to your own philosophy, you yourself now can be identified as a rabbit," I wheezed, my urge to laugh uproariously barely restrained. Thaldorn peered at me, confused.

 

"What are you talking about, panda?! I don't have long, floppy ears--" Thaldorn began, then froze in mid-sentence as the hand he was using to feel the top of his own head came into contact with the pair of rabbit ears now growing out of it. Seeing the look of absolute horror on his face, I could contain it no longer.

 

I fell to the ground, laughing hysterically while pointing at Thaldorn who was now trying to pull the ears off of his head, only to realise that the ears were now a PART of his head.

 

"WHAT IS THIS BLOODY SHITE?!?" Thaldorn roared in disbelief, both glaring in my direction and tugging at the ears still.

 

"Nice ears, Thaldorn!" a passerby snickered as they hurried off.

 

"Go hug a Demon Lord, you git!" Thaldorn snarled after them before whipping his head around to continue giving me a death glare. "Keep laughing, panda. One of these bloody days, I'm going to listen to everyone BUT you!"

 

"...you don't even listen to me now!" I pointed out, still laughing.

 

"Right, but I don't listen to anyone else either!" he retorted. 

 

I had to admit, he had me there.

 

This vow largely went forgotten, especially by me. He still hadn't beaten anyone up or attempted to stuff anyone down one of the trash chutes in the Waste Facility, so he was still listening to me where it mattered.

 

Having been forced into a slumber that lasted nearly a decade, long after Thaldorn made that promise, I indeed had forgotten his words. Thaldorn also apparently knew I'd forgotten.

 

"It's about time you woke your bloody arse up, panda!" Thaldorn yelled at me upon my return to the First World. I simply rolled my eyes at him.

 

"Well, hello to you too," I shot back. Thaldorn waved a giant hand dismissively.

 

"Never mind the pleasantries… I learned a new trick from the Gods!" Thaldorn stated proudly. I peered at him, immediately suspicious.

 

"...all right, who do I need to go rescue from a trash chute…?" I demanded. Thaldorn snorted at me, offended.

 

"Har har, panda. Here, gimme one of your shovels!"

 

"...why? I'm not about to have to go dig someone out of a hole because you 'accidentally' buried them!" I hissed back. Thaldorn thrusts a hand towards his forehead and hits it with a resounding *smack*!

 

"Funny. Just give me the bloody shovel!" my gorilla companion demanded. O reluctantly handed over my shovel, which I used to dig up sands on the Isle of Light when assisting novices.

 

"Now pick someone you'd like me to deliver this to," Thaldorn instructed.

 

"...what…?!" I demanded. 

 

"Just do it!"

 

"Fine… go deliver that to Aeral," I ordered. Thaldorn of course stayed put. However, even he now looked as confused as I felt. "That's a neat trick, mimicking the statue of the Lady Creatrix like that," I quipped, referring to the monument in Her likeness that can be viewed when entering the Divine Havens as a demi-divine being.

 

Thaldorn looked as if he wanted to smack me.

 

"Try that again," Thaldorn grunted, completely ignoring my jab at him.

 

For the next half a day, I attempted to convince Thaldorn to deliver that shovel to damn near anyone who was awake. This bloody gorilla stayed put, swearing that he was not in fact ignoring my orders… some unseen force was preventing him from carrying out my wishes.

 

I of course didn't believe him.

 

"You're doing this on purpose," I snapped at him, seeing that I'd been ordering him to deliver a shovel to Aeral for the last half day, orders that went unheeded.

 

I will admit that I was now tempted to punt Thaldorn in Aeral's general direction and have him deliver the item THAT way. Something told me that wouldn't work either.

 

I was about to try it anyway.

 

"Greetings, cousin," I heard Esei whisper as they entered the Haven't with Dusan close behind them. Thaldorn and I saluted respectfully.

 

"Hello, cousin Esei!" I responded, my voice a bit more cheerful than I currently felt.

 

"All well?"

 

"Not… exactly. Thaldorn here tells me he was taught how to deliver items by the Divine, yet has not moved from this spot, no matter how much I yell at him.

I think he's ignoring me on purpose," I answered, glaring in suspicion at my gorilla companion.

 

"Am not!" Thaldorn insisted, though his facial expression was a bit too smug to be believable. Beside me, Esei seemed to be quietly pondering Thaldorn as they looked him up and down. They handed Dusan one of their culinary creations, their eyes still studying the silverback.

 

"Deliver to Aurik."

 

I watched in shocked disbelief as both Thaldorn AND Dusan suddenly bolt from the room at Esei's command. As both returned, I eyed Thaldorn, now more tempted than ever to punt him clear across the First World.

 

"It worked that time!" Thaldorn announced proudly.

 

Drily, I shot back with, "You don't say!"

 

"Not my fault! When Esei ordered something to be delivered, I was able to move!"

 

I blinked in shock as I watched someone else appear with us in the Havens and order their own companion to deliver a trinket to a friend of theirs. Once again, Thaldorn takes off stomping out of the room.

 

I was getting mad now.

 

"DELIVER THAT TO AERAL, DAMN YOU!" I roared at him, now thoroughly incensed. Instead of listening to me, Thaldorn suddenly grinned at me, mischief written all over his face.

 

"Before I do panda, do you remember the bunny ears?" he asked. I shot him a look of annoyance mixed with confusion.

 

"The bunny ears-- what does that have to do with you delivering that blasted shovel?!" I demanded. Thaldorn's grin grew wider.

 

"We're even," he said simply before stomping out of the room.

 

It was then that I remembered his words: One of these days, I'm going to listen to everyone BUT you!

 

I was already on the floor, tears streaming down my face as I roared with laughter by the time Thaldorn returned. Thaldorn looked down at me worriedly.

 

"...he's finally flipped, hasn't he?" Thaldorn asked Esei as I continued laughing.

 

And that, friends, is how Thaldorn managed to get his revenge for the bunny ears, even if I had nothing to do with them.

 

Thaldorn, of course, still thinks otherwise.