-White Bunny POV-
Just a little while longer, the bunny thought, watching the wolf from where she was wrapped up in a white towel. The wolf slept with his legs curled up, hugging his pillow close to his chest. His expression was peaceful while he was asleep, absent of the wariness that had built up over the last days.
The moon shone through the window, casting a soft glow over his messy black hair. His chest rose in slow, even rhythms. It was a peaceful scene, one she was reluctant to leave behind. But Ant was waiting outside, so the bunny rose from her place by the window, slipping out of the inn.
"You're late," Ant told her, tossing the smaller knife in the dirt in front of her. The other knife was already wrapped in his fingers. She would've stolen it back, but Ant's older friend- the one who killed a noble in the back of an alley, the one who was ready to tear the world apart if the child was hurt- wasn't worth upsetting over a knife.
Ant's eyes looked more sunken than usual, although the hard line of his jaw warned her that he wouldn't appreciate the concern. Ant weaved through the alleys, flying past obstacles like they didn't exist at all. He jumped over a gate, and then he looked at her challengingly. The bunny stared back at him, and with one paw, she pushed the gate open.
Ant's expression darkened. He moved faster than before, seeming to take it as a personal challenge to prove himself. The two of them came across a huge stack of crates, and Ant sprinted right at them, pushing himself off the wall and throwing himself over the tallest crate. He landed neatly on his feet, straightening up.
"That's with zero added points in speed," Ant said, a hint of pride slipping into his voice. The bunny eyed him, and then she summoned a few windows, methodically making her way past the crates. She hovered in the air above him, and he rolled his eyes.
"Cheater," Ant muttered, dusting off his clothes. Still, he continued like that, leading her on the most convoluted path out of the village. There was no one they were running from, no tail they needed to lose. It was just a game, and as the two of them skidded to a stop at the edge of the village, she found that she had rather liked it.
Winning, of course. There was no way she'd let a human child beat her.
"C- come on," Ant rasped, breathing hard. He stood upright, legs shaky as he made his way towards the cart. The bunny fell into a steady routine beside him. She'd kill a cow, and then Ant would roll the corpses into the cart, relying on gravity to move the weight he couldn't.
The white bunny kept [Sixth Sense] active, scanning the darkness for any sign of movement. Ant smiled after he had gotten the third cow onto the cart, and the bunny went for a fourth kill, then a fifth.
It was a mistake to let herself be lulled into complacency. One brand marked all the cows, and a predator with that kind of ambition wouldn't just not notice when something encroached on their territory. When she saw the blurry shadows at the edge of her awareness, the two of them were far from the village, the houses almost out of sight. The faint silhouettes drew closer, the wind carrying their scents.
There were six humans in total, moving slowly as they scoured their surroundings. Ant might not be the fastest in terms of pure speed, but he was quick. Slipping past the humans would be easy for him, but the hunting dogs which had already picked up their scent- she could slip away in the sky, but there were no alleys for Ant to escape to.
"Your footprints just changed. We're about to go different directions," Ant said, frowning. She hadn't even reached the decision to leave him- not consciously, at least- but it seemed that his skill had already seen the conclusion.
Ant sounded confused, not afraid. His skill was limited, then- to active targets, to range, or some combination of the two. Ant turned his head to the right, eyes tracking invisible figures in the distance. Fear flickered across his face, and the effect of his skill wore off, his eyes returning to normal again.
"My footprints disappear," he said. His eyes were wide, now, almost pleading. "Stay? Just- just until-"
His voice broke off. The bunny hesitated. Her eyes flickered back to the silhouettes, still far in the distance. If she dropped the knife, no one would suspect her of murder. Still, it would be safer to leave Ant and-
"Thank you," Ant rushed out, grabbing her and pulling her to his chest. The child smeared blood across her white fur, and resignation settled upon her. She supposed that her decision had already been made.
Stolen novel; please report.
Ant ran back to the village. He bounded across the fields like he was just a child playing in the field, only there was a desperation to the way his feet crashed across the grass, trampling the flowers in his path. Ant slipped past the men, just like she had known he would, but-
"I don't make it," Ant whispered, steps slowing to a walk. He wiped away the tears before they could fall, clutching her close to his chest. He let out a shaky laugh. "Better than dying in the alley, right? At least Leon will kill them for me."
Ant set her down on the grass. The shouts grew louder behind them. The men had just discovered the cart, and the dogs were on their heels. Ant flipped his knife over in his hand, and he smiled weakly.
"Will you- watch? I just- don't want to be alone," Ant asked. She licked his hand in a silent yes, and Ant ruffled her fur. His fingers lingered for a moment, then he clenched them into a fist, turning away. The white bunny darted off into the sky, watching from above as the men converged upon Ant, dogs barking in the face of the boy.
"It's just a kid," one of the men grumbled, disappointed. He raised an eyebrow at Ant. "Well? You clearly didn't do this alone. Tell me where the rest of them are hiding, and I'll send you off cleanly."
"They- they went that way," Ant choked out, taking a step back. He played the part of the frightened child, pointing in the opposite direction she had run. The man smiled, missing the cold look in Ant's eyes, the knife hidden behind Ant's back.
"Thank you," the man said. He advanced towards Ant, sword held lazily in front of him- and Ant lunged, knife shooting forward in a flash of movement. He stabbed the knife into man's stomach. The man let out a choked cry of pain. Ant didn't wait for anyone else to react, ripping the knife out and plunging it back in, piercing through the man's eye.
"The revolution will not be stopped!" Ant shouted, raising the bloodied knife to the sky. There was a beat of silence, then-
"Oh, who gives a fuck," one of the other men said. "The kid's crazy enough to piss the Baron off. Let's just bring him back. My wife'll kill me if I'm not in bed when she wakes up tomorrow morning."
There were a few scattered laughs at that. The men- guards, the bunny realized, recognizing two of their scents- closed in around Ant, moving in practiced formation. None of them were in uniform, but it was clear that these weren't just any random people on the street. Ant lunged forward, trying the same attack again- only for one of them to catch his wrist, knocking him out with a blow to the head.
"Revolution, my ass." One of the men slung Ant's limp body over their shoulder. Blood trickled down Ant's face, his eyes dull and unconscious. "What nonsense has that bastard been selling the kids? Getting them killed on stupid fantasies."
The bunny remembered the wanted posters, freshly painted with red ink, a stark contrast to the posters pasted to the walls on the abandoned side of the village, faded in their promise of change. At least Leon will kill them for me, Ant had said, and- well, Ant's friend had seemed to genuinely care for the boy, but she had to agree with the guards. This revolution Ant always rambled about- stealing the cows, supplying the meat to the poor- was just a fantasy, one that was going to get him killed.
To some degree, this was her fault. The bunny pushed the thought away, following Ant through the air. None of the guards noticed her, too busy grumbling to look up at the sky. Ant wouldn't know if she left him, but- he had asked, and she owed him this much.
The guards dragged Ant into one of the slaughterhouses. Animal carcasses hung from racks, stripped of their skin. The guards tied Ant to a post with a thick length of rope. The air was damp, and it smelled of blood. There were a few live cows gathered for slaughter. Their bodies were matted with blood and urine, eyes glazed from all the time they had spent locked up.
All but one of the guards went back outside. The remaining man knelt down to Ant's side, gently shaking him awake. Ant woke slowly, eyes cracking open.
"Hey, kid. You doing all right?" The guard asked, sitting down across from Ant. Ant stared dully at the guard, still out of it. The blood running from Ant's nose had dried, forming a crust over his upper lip.
"I got a kid, too, you know. About your age." The guard smiled slightly, shaking his head. "She'd never forgive me for killing one of her friends, so- just tell me where Leon is, okay?"
Ant's expression hardened. He glared at the guard, and the man sighed.
"Leon can handle himself. He's strong, isn't he? Invincible," the guard said. His voice was soft, soothing- the kind of voice that lulled you off to sleep, only you'd never wake up again in the morning.
"You don't need to protect him, kid. Let the adults sort this out amongst themselves. Let me protect you," the guard said. He reached across, wiping the blood from Ant's face, and Ant's expression flickered. Ant strained against his bonds, lips moving weakly. His eyes turned pleading, as if trying to tell the man something. The guard leaned towards Ant, and-
Ant spat in his face, more blood than saliva.
"The revolution will not be stopped," Ant hissed, eyes flashing with hate. With that kind of expression, the bunny was surprised Ant hadn't tried to bite the guard's fingers off.
The guard slowly raised his fingers to his cheek, wiping away the glob sliding down his face. Then he struck Ant square in the face, slamming Ant's head back into the pillar. Ant laughed, wild and crazed. Blood spilled from his broken lip, staining his teeth crimson.
"I can see the paths. I can see it now. Leon is coming for you, and he's going to be the one walking away."