Shou didn't know when he fell asleep. Or maybe he fainted from exhaustion, or from shock.
Was it all a nightmare? He looked around himself, he was still underground, protected by the earth. He dug upward, in a matter of a minute, he reached above ground.
His surroundings was that of a forest, filled with tall trees, various shrubs and grasses.
He looked around, and saw the mountainous range far from there. He kept staring at where his home originally was.
…
I really… lost my home…
He felt defeated. His heart grieving. He munched on the shrubs nearby to fill his stomach. It tasted dull…
Losing his home, Shou wandered aimlessly. His senses allowed him to avoid predators and yet, he couldn't find rest. Days and nights passed, his heart never felt any lighter.
His memories recall that day, when all was lost. He couldn't do anything… A part of him refused to recall the horror of that day.
As he was mindlessly hopping through the forest, his mind still in the past, he suddenly heard a roar of a giant beast.
His ears stood, picking up the sound. His eyes contracted, seeing the trees and plants parted as a giant black tiger rushed to his direction. Their eyes met at that second.
AH…?! Shou froze in shock, too afraid, and a part of him wondered if this was the end.
But the black tiger just roared, and without warning, he collapsed right in front of Shou with a thud.
Huh…?
Shou's fear receded seeing the tiger stopped moving. It roared slowly. His nose picked up the scent of blood, then noticed the tiger's hind leg bleeding profusely. A steel arrow pierced through it.
Before Shou could make any decision to flee, fast steps arrived, the leaves rustled, then a tall man in leather revealed himself with an annoyed look.
His stature was tall, his chest broad. His spiky black hair glistened with some sweat. His grey irises looked towards the collapsed beast.
"Stupid beast." He cursed for having to chase it.
Just then his eyes noticed something eye-catching, pure white amidst the greens around them.
"What a big rabbit!" The man's eyes flashed with excitement.
N-no…!
Shou turned around quickly, wanting to run. But a wheezing sound quickly arrived. Shou quickly stepped aside and rolled almost instinctively, avoiding a steel arrow by an inch. The arrow stood embedded into a tree, piercing directly through it, almost killing him.
Shou felt his entire body frozen again in fear. It was as if death grazed him just a moment ago.
Before he could move his body again, a hand already grabbed him by the ears.
"What a fat lad…" The man muttered, observing the rabbit in his arms in wonder.
L-let me go…!
Shou tried to kick him. But his feet were too far from reaching.
The man only snorted a laugh, amused at the feet trying to kick him but not quite reaching.
"You will be my dinner."
Shou's heart stopped. He couldn't understand the word, but by heart it felt like he knew what it meant. He would become dinner.
His resistance almost dropped. Tears shedding from his eyes as reality hit him. He was carried away by the man, giving up to his fate. He just hoped it wouldn't be painful…
…
"Lord Kael… you shouldn't have run off…" One of the guards finally catched his breath seeing the young Lord save and sound.
"Hm. It was nothing." He didn't even look, not caring about his guard's unnecessary concern.
"Where's the tiger…?" The guard looked behind Kael, not seeing it. "It escaped?"
"Those taste unpleasant. I would rather eat this." Kael nonchalantly shook the rabbit he held by the ears like a sack of bag to show it quickly.
"Understand, my Lord…" The guard's eyes lingered on the rabbit for a second, commenting how pretty the fur was.
The sun fell in a matter of minutes, Kael handed the rabbit to Mary, his personal maid he brought along to cook it.
Mary Annette, the brunette with short curly hair, looked at the rabbit with her green eyes. She felt bad for it. Look at how cute it was. But still, she had to carry out her order.
Mary walked to a secluded corner and was just about to take her knife before moon light barely escaped the clouds, and just then, the fur reflected them, almost like he was glowing in the same gentle light.
"Huh…?" Mary rubbed her eyes. So weird? After seconds of observation, the faint glow like fur was still there. Considering it, Mary turned back to his master.
"Young master, this rabbit is unusual…" She said humbly, while showing the rabbit again.
Kael raised his eyebrow, turning his eyes away from the lewd magazine in his hand. He was stunned. In his eyes, the rabbit seemed like it was glowing faintly.
"Interesting… Is it a magic beast? Never seen one like this…" Kael immediately took an interest and observed it again.
Shou raised his eyes, looking at the person that caught him. He had resigned his life with ropes tied to his feet and paws preventing his escape.
"Hm… Nevermind. I will keep it. Wash it thoroughly and put some perfume on it. Prepare the boar meat they caught instead."
He dismissed Mary just as quickly before returning his focus to the magazine.
"Ah? Understood, young master."
Mary looked down on the rabbit after bringing it to a more private corner. "Consider yourself lucky… just hold on…" She muttered as she poured a bucket of water and rubbed the rabbit with a bar soap.
Ah… are they cleaning me before eating me? Shou felt death was near and resigned himself to this humiliating cleaning.
But to his surprise, the person in front of her waved her hand, greyish light appeared from her palm, windy breeze conjured out drying him in a matter of seconds.
Magic… so they are real…
The memories of that day felt blurry at times. The horror made him question his memories seeing the men there use forces akin to magic. So they were, in fact, real…
To Shou's surprise, he was sprayed with a substance that smelled like flowers and citrus. And then the ropes were all untied. But then, he was stuffed into a cage before he could struggle.
Mary brought the rabbit to show it to her master.
"Young Master, here."
"Hm. Place it here." He pointed at an empty spot in his luxurious tent. Mary nodded and put it there before leaving just as quickly.
Shou sighed, asking God or whoever why he's going through all this…
Kael put his magazine down, his eyebrows raised. Did he just imagine it or this rabbit sighed… like a human did?
"Hey, you." He called out. To Kael's other surprise, the rabbit actually turned its head to look at him.
"Look…" Kael showed the magazine to the rabbit's face, as if trying to test its intelligence. To his surprise, the rabbit seemed to gasp with his little mouth, and then closed its eyes with his ears and turned its entire body away after seeing it.
???
He looked at the magazine page, filled with girls in lingeries and sexy clothes.
It's not even female rabbits… why are you acting so…
He felt baffled. This rabbit was weirder than he anticipated.
"Hey you, can you understand me?" He asked, his grey eyes carefully observing. The rabbit just stood there in the corner, not responding.
Kael shook his head. What was he thinking? No way a rabbit can understand him.
"Mary!" He called out a little louder.
"Yes, young master." Mary's voice responded outside the tent.
"Bring more fruits."
"Yes, young master." Mary returned in a short while and handed a platter of cut fruits. Kael picked a piece and placed it through the gap of the cage.
"Eat." His word was more like an order.
Shou turned his head, smelling something good. He looked at the man warily. Considering his circumstances, either he wanted to fatten him up and save him to eat for later or he wanted to keep him as a pet.
Either way… he couldn't escape this cage, for now.
There might be a chance to escape later…
He sighed again, before moving to take a bite.
"Hm. You did it again…" Kael muttered lowly in his deep voice. He squinted his eyes, clearly noticing the rabbit 'sigh' again. He felt it's so familiar, like his own maid that had never complained but those sighs were obvious.
Carefully he opened the cage, and stretched his hand to stroke the fur.
The rabbit tensed, frozen in place and moved away quickly. But he had nowhere to go in the tiny cage and had to endure the strokes.
Shou closed his eyes, his body shaking warily feeling the big hand stroking his fur.
It felt warm, and nice, but also scary. His mind went blank, unable to process what's going on.
After seconds, Kael lifted his hand.
"Hm…" As if thinking something, he placed all the fruits into the cage and continued to read his magazine.
Shou let out another sigh of relief seeing the man no longer pay attention to him. He quietly ate the fruits and contemplated life while at it.
I will escape… one day…
Shou said in his heart. His mind recalled the magic the maid used. Maybe, if he could use such power, he would have the ability to escape…
The night passed without anything worth of note. Shou look outside, or in the direction of the moon. He longed to be free, to feel the air and light he used to.
Seeing the man was asleep, he grunted as he tried to use 'magic'. Instead he felt his body glow by itself, his fur glistened in soft radiance.
!@#$
Shou cursed in rabbit language. That was it? My magic was to be a lightbulb?
Shou tried to imagine it more vividly, wielding fire or wind with his paws while channeling the mysterious current inside his body. With so much trial, he felt it but other than glowing or pulsing in different directions of his fur he couldn't do anything else.
Ah… is this my fate…
His ears plopped down in disappointment. It was too cruel, all of this…
With a heavy heart, he closed his eyes to catch on to sleep.
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