The Hunter's Song

2: White Rabbit (Eh'kt)

It didn't belong.

This was a newly confirmed proving ground. First access being my prize for winning the Grand Nexus' annual melee, but the native inhabitants had been thoroughly vetted. Migrated humans were registered as the apex of this planet.

But this pale one was an anomaly. I scanned all spectrums and compared the creature's anatomy multiple times against the others in the town. Not a mutation. It was an entirely different species.

The unknown being was tall and slender with pure white opaque skin, not translucent pink like an albino. Its eyes were milky white without pupils and it had long iridescent hair draped down its back, swaying like a mass of prismatic spider silk.

However, its ears were the most striking.

The long flat extremities jutted out, flicking and flapping about by a narrow flexible cartilage spine running along the top. Each appendage could move independently with a full range of expressive gestures, and despite being significantly more nimble, their overall shape resembled the ears of a hairless white rabbit.

The organism oozed finesse. From its taut hairless skin to its sleek form-fitted black and white speckled sealskin jacket, trousers, and matching boots.

It took every ounce of my discipline not to attack it on sight. The law demanded that I make my kill honorably. I suspected it to be female, and it had yet to reveal a weapon.

Suddenly, a dark rumble charged in from the east. It was an enraged brown bear three times the size of the tall hairless rabbit. Then, before I had time to blink, the brown beast was dead. I had to replay the recording caught by my helm at half speed to decipher exactly what had happened.

A small scythe, slightly hooked, dropped from beneath the rabbit's black and white spotted seal skin jacket, then unhinged and clamped around the animal's neck. In a single graceful motion, the tall rabbit sidestepped, dodged, and spun its wicked weapon up and around, decapitating the animal with negligible effort.

"Greetings," the hairless white rabbit turned and stared directly at me. "My name is Mourning Crow. Traveling bard and Slayer of Graven. I hope you're enjoying the show."

I double-checked the light sensor built into my armor. My body was fully concealed within the shadows.

The being looked me in the eye and made a deep formal bow as it spoke flawlessly in the Zhaguai tongue. It even applied the unique dialect clicks of someone native to my homeworld of Sahei.

How the hell?! Screw it... Stealth is only permitted for reconnaissance and circumventing noncombatants.

I crawled out from the branches with a snarl. Once seen by our intended adversary, we couldn't hide until the kill was consummated.

"There's more to come, but beware," it conversed with me as though I were friendly. "Should you choose to join the fray, my prey is highly contagious. Even the smallest drop of its blood inside you will break everything that you are and steal all that you love."

I threw my head back and let the lanky, self-proclaimed slayer see and hear me roar.

Love. I fear nothing and possess no such weakness. How can something be stolen if it never existed?

"If you say so," Mourning Crow picked up the bear's severed head with a chuckle and began peeling off the skin and flesh.

Does it collect souvenirs like we do?

"You're welcome to any of this," Mourning Crow waved its hand over the dead bear's carcass. "But I call dibs on the skull and the long bones."

The being carved out the femurs and slid them free, then licked off and spat out all the leftover flesh.