Bonny, the Bunny: A lewd LitRPG, with a monster-girl harem.

“We have to go down there?” Bonny asked, still trying to catch her breath after the glimpse of the depths below her.

Brooke's musical laugh was full of high notes that lifted the soul. “Yes. That's where the shrine is located.”

Bonny ducked her head underwater. It took a minute for her heart to slow its pounding. The sudden fear of heights, of falling off the cliff despite the buoyancy of the water, was almost overwhelming.

The spring beneath them was visible despite the depth. The large rocky pit in the lake bed narrowed to an imperfect oval with the dark spring vent at one end and some sort of statue at the other. It was difficult to make out any other details at that distance, despite Bonny's improved physical control, which made her perception far greater than she had had on Earth.

Bonny pulled her head up. “That looks like a vagina.”

Brooke laughed again. “This one is often called the beaver shrine. The artifact you seek is held within.”

Bonny ducked her head under to look at it again, then pulled back up a moment later. “Because it looks like a vagina? Why not call it the pussy shrine?”

Brooke laugh softened into giggles as she shook her head. “No, because of the location. The shrine was established for the local beaver colony. The spring itself already existed. The entrance was shaped later, possibly as a joke. Are you ready?”

“Fuck yeah!” Bonny turned and grabbed Eloisss, who was treading water nearby, pulling her into a tight hug and intense kiss. When they broke apart, she added, “I love you, Elss, but I’m going to dive into that pussy.”

Eloisss giggled as well. “I love you too, Bonny. Be careful.”

“Don’t worry. Kanae will keep me safe.”

The fox turned mermaid was still underwater, swimming in laps around them. Her three fox tails looked strange wagging back and forth in the water, but didn’t seem to interfere with her swimming.

When Bonny turned back to Brooke, the mermaid held out the pearl necklace she had been wearing. “As much as I would like to share my breath with you, this is safer.” She glanced at Eloisss and quietly added, “especially for me.”

Bonny scanned the necklace. “[System Analysis!]”

Item: Necklace of Water Breathing
Description: Allows the user to draw air from water. Water affinity increases effectiveness.

She pulled it on and ducked underwater again. Eloisss and Brooke followed her down.

She didn’t feel any different and there was no bubble around her head. She couldn’t see or sense how it would work and trying to breathe in caused her anxiety to spike. She took a gulp of water and found that it felt light and thin, not really like water at all. When she swallowed, only a trickle of water ran down her throat.

She took a quick gulp and breathed it in before she could lose her nerve. The resulting air was heavy and wet. She exhaled in a cloud of small bubbles. A sense of relief flowed through her as she pulled in more water through her nose. It burned slightly, but not quite as bad as getting water in her nose, just annoying. The burning faded after a few more breaths.

“This is amazing. Thank you.” Bonny tried talking underwater. Her voice sounded muffled to her ears.

Brooke smiled, clearly understanding what Bonny had said. “I’m glad you like it. I acquired it last night. Please accept it as repayment for your assistance.” The mermaid’s voice was clear, as if spoken above water.

“Thank you. But you really don’t owe me anything.”

“I insist.” Brooke reached out to grab Bonny’s arm as she spoke. “Are you ready?”

Bonny nodded and waved at Eloisss, then dove down with Brooke, kicking hard, but futilely. Kanae joined a moment later and took hold of Bonny’s other arm, helping pull her deeper.

The water pressure grew quickly as they descended and Bonny's breaths came in short, harsh pants. A trickle of water condensed with each pant, forcing her to swallow almost continuously.

Brightly colored fish flitted around them, one rainbow school scattering as they passed through the center of it. Kanae jerked slightly, almost lured into the chase, before returning to Bonny's side.

Eloisss followed them down. Bonny knew the lamia could hold her breath for a long period of time, knew it intimately, but she also knew the lamia couldn’t hold it long enough to enter the shrine and stay for long. The lamia couldn’t quite keep up with the two mermaids and Bonny, so slowly fell behind.

They stayed out of the column of water coming from the vent below. The force wasn’t visible unless something got caught in the stream, then it shot upward. The crevice walls around them slowly closed in as they descended, forcing them closer and closer to the jet. Bonny felt the upward pressure increasing, making it even more difficult to swim down.

They stopped near the statue when they reached the bottom and Bonny stared up at the rippling, bright blue light filtering through the water above them. The weight pressed against them, not quite crushing, and Bonny guessed they were at least a hundred feet down, about the height of a ten story building.

Her eyes followed the bubbles on each of her exhales, the air only traveling a few feet upward before dissipating. She wondered briefly how the magic worked. Did it just separate water molecules to give her oxygen or also take into account nitrogen? When she breathed out, did it reform into water? If so, where did the carbon go?

She would probably never get an answer to those questions, since molecular theory was far beyond the apparent knowledge base of the world, not that she understood it either, at least not beyond basic science classes. She had declined to take organic chemistry, since it wasn't required for her degree, but now wondered if it would have helped her understanding of the body and how magic worked with it.

She sighed in a cloud of bubbles as she turned to view the statue. It was made of a translucent crystal and carved into a representation of three figures: a mermaid, a beaver kin, and a bipedal lizard like figure with a pointed jaw and protruding teeth. She guessed it was something kin to an alligator or crocodile, but wasn’t quite sure how to tell the difference. Nothing illicit was depicted, but the placement of the statue in the lake bed oval made it suspect.

Eloisss made it down after another minute. The four of them admired the statue together and looked around at the rocky ground. The sand was covered in shell fragments that glittered as sunbeams rippled through the water. Eloisss gave Bonny another kiss and waved goodbye before drifting over near the spring vent and letting the jet of water carry her back up.

Brooke pulled Bonny and Kanae over to the vent. It was dark inside, but as they drew near, Bonny found handholds carved into the sides.

“You should be able to climb down. Go head first and be careful.” Brooke instructed.

Bonny went first, the only one unable to maintain the depth without holding onto something. The first few rungs were difficult, forcing her to pull herself against the jet of water, but after a dozen hand and foot holds, the pressure started to lessen. Another few and it grew remarkably easy. Bonny considered letting go and trying to swim the rest of the way, but decided not to take the chance.

Kanae followed and Brooke came last. The two mermaids using the handholds for stability, but otherwise swimming down against the current.

It was difficult to see forward in the darkness, but when Bonny glanced back, she could make out Kanae silhouetted against the blue light filtering in from below them. At least, it seemed to be below them. The buoyancy and torrent of water pulling against her combined to reverse the feel of gravity. Fortunately, her pearl necklace stayed in place, unaffected by either gravity or the spring.

Bonny could feel both Kanae and Brooke behind her through her aura, each with a different flavor of desire. Kanae was obviously watching Bonny’s ass and getting excited as they climbed into the crevice. She wasn't sure how easily the faux mermaid could see, but her growing desire indicated the fox could see into the darkness better than she could. Bonny considered pulling the makeshift silk bikini bottoms aside or pulling it tight into her ass and folds, to give the fox mermaid a show, but either action would require her to stop climbing and let go of the rung.

A few moments later, light blossomed around them and Bonny could see again. She glanced down, to see the glimmer of sunlight far below and realized she had lost her sense of direction. The bubbles generated when breathing out quickly cascaded down, tickling her fur slightly, then dissipating after a few seconds. She concentrated on them, but continued climbing up, or down, or forward.

Another few handholds and she emerged into a small room. It was about as wide as a bedroom and twice as long, with the entrance near one end. She climbed out and stood on the rocky ground, or ceiling, since her bubbles continued to flow toward her feet. Small magical lights lined the walls, none were bright enough to illuminate anything useful by themselves, but together they lit up the room in a warm yellow glow. Painted scenes of the ocean, beavers, mermaids, and other aquatic creatures lined the walls.

A mermaid waited, oriented the same direction that Bonny had emerged. She smiled, waved, and introduced herself. “Hi, you must be Bonny. I'm Lake, Brooke’s older sister. Please step this way to allow her room to follow.”

Bonny did as asked, kicking off the floor (ceiling) and floating a few feet away from the exit. “Yes, I am. Uhm, did you say sister? Brooke hasn't mentioned you.” Her voice still seemed muffled and she spoke slowly and carefully to make sure she was understood.

Kanae exited next, then Brooke emerged, which caused Lake to take a double-take. Kanae’s tails were hidden behind her as she swam out of the crevice, so must have appeared at Brooke at first.

“This is Kanae, one of my companions.” Bonny giggled at Lake's shocked expression.

The three mermaids were almost identical, with bluish features, scales, and hair. Kanae was obvious due to her fox tails, color of bikini top, and the desire that thrummed through Bonny’s aura. Lake was topless and not quite as busty as Brooke.

The two mermaids hugged briefly. Obviously close, but something about their interaction made Bonny wonder how often they saw each other.

“So, why are you here, Brooke’s sister?” Bonny asked, glancing between the two. “And why hasn't she mentioned you?”

“I am the shrine maiden. Well, not a maiden exactly." She smiled shyly at Bonny. "I take care of the shrine and help visitors as needed.”

“I, uh, well, I’m not a maiden either. If that’s an offer, I promised one of my companions that I wouldn’t, uh, sleep with Brooke.”

Lake glanced at Brooke, then at Kanae.

“Not her. She probably wouldn’t tell, but I don’t want to cheat. I'm sorry.”

“I don’t get many visitors. Especially attractive ones. When Brooke said she was going to bring a girl down to see me. Well," Lake sighed. "I’m sorry for assuming.”

“It’s fine. A dryad told me I had to protect an artifact here, but now I’m wondering if it would be safer just staying here. I can’t imagine Matt, or anyone else, swimming down through that spring.”

Bonny looked around as she talked. An altar stood near the far end near some shelving cut into the walls. Several smaller vents broke through the walls and ceiling (floor), above the four of them. She assumed water entered through them, but couldn’t feel any of the pressure that caused the torrent of water outside.

The cave walls and floor (ceiling) were relatively smooth and was very clean, with no dirt or algae growth. She could also see a small opening to another room sat near the altar at the other end of the cave.

“We do have an artifact and we are well protected. Don't worry. I'll let you use it.” Lake motioned for Bonny to follow and swam to the altar.

The altar was about waist high and fastened to the floor. Bonny resolved to stop correcting up and down and accept the room as it appeared.

Shelves were carved into the walls behind the altar, one with several bowls in various sizes, each made of the same translucent crystal as the statue. The bowls rested against the top of the shelf instead of the bottom, appearing to float.

Lake picked up the middle sized bowl and handed it to Bonny.

It was covered in tiny runes, forming two intersecting spirals. Oddly enough, it was half filled with air, the bottom half, since Bonny was holding it upside down in relation to gravity. She tried not to think about her resolve to accept the flipped room failing already.

She tilted the bowl slightly, watching the air and water shift within. When the air reached the lip, it flattened along the open mouth, but didn’t escape.

Bonny looked up to see the two sisters watching her with amusement.

“How? Why?”

“It’s an artifact. Created by Aqua, our Goddess.”

“Your goddess?”

Of course there were elemental gods. Grandma Oak had mentioned elemental spirits and Bonny knew the dryad herself was a greater nature spirit. If the spirits related to humanity’s ideals had become gods, then why wouldn’t elemental spirits do the same. They hadn’t been part of the divine war and hadn’t been mentioned by any of her own spiritual contacts, but now that she thought about it, their existence made perfect sense.

Bonny's face must have shown something of her thoughts, because Lake started laughing. “Why else would we have a shrine? Would you like to meet her?”

“Uh, one moment." Bonny held up a finger, then called out. "Courage? Recovery? A little help, please.”

Only silence answered.