The room smelled of butter and jasmine. A strange combination for most but quite common in the crisp clean lines of Sol’s kitchen, or more aptly labeled, her laboratory. The room was well lit with the glow of electric lights that were placed in recessed niches all around the room. Soft cream colored glass filtered the harsh tones of the Asuran created bulbs, causing the room to feel cozy and warm.
This was in stark contrast to the stainless steel counters and perfectly aligned rows of jars and canisters that lined most of the room. The cooking area crackled with a purple fire and pots bubbled away on the stove. In the center of the room was a polished wooden butchers block with a series of knives hanging along its perimeter from neat metal hooks. Each utensil was surgically sharp, you could see it just by looking at them as they reflected swirled swatches of light against their shiny silver surfaces.
A soft pattering of tiny feet moved across the soft stone of the floor. A small rabbit, pure white with blood red eyes, quickly made its way to the pair of bare feet that belonged to Luna Sol, a strong human necromancer who obviously preferred to work without footwear. She leaned down, scooping up the creature and placing it on top of the steel countertop. It hopped to a small box lined with velvet cloth and settled inside.
“Is this the new recipe?” The little creature said a few minutes later, breaking the silence of the room. Sol smiled, showing off her sharp teeth that met together in an angular and altogether horrifying visage.
“Ahhh, I can’t wait to try it Master Luna!” the rabbit chirped, it’s small mouth moving in an unnatural way to form the words. “What’s that? You need honeysuckle? I can get that! Basket please!”
Sol smiled again, pulling a small basket the size of a toy out of a drawer in front of her. The rabbit gingerly pulled it from Sols long slim fingers and then hopped into her waiting arms. As soon as the creature was on the floor it jetted towards the door outside, stepping onto a small pressure plate that opened a little hatch at the bottom just the right size for a small furry body to wriggle through.
The sun was high, beating a merciless wave of heat down on the small modest house located in the thick of the jungle in the Steamspur mountains. Sol preferred the solitude, choosing to be in control of all social interactions and not forced into doing anything they didn’t already want to do. Due to the availability of teleportation magic, she could easily get to where she needed to go within a moments notice.
Not only that, the environment was perfect for the small creature Luna Sol called her familiar. The rabbit enjoyed the run, sprinting through the tall green foliage, enjoying the swish of the leaves along the fur of her back and through her long silky fur. Her destination wasn’t far, about fifteen minutes by way of a thin worn path (just the right size for a rabbit) that led to another house tucked into the trees, hidden from view from those who didn’t know of it’s existence. It was home to a sweet old man who kept an extensive array of gardens, especially prolific with rare plants and vegetables of high value in the Tyria. Sol had chosen her homes location well.
“Well well, if it isn’t Hasenpfeffer!” The old man said as the rabbit hopped up to him. The name, referring to a delectable rabbit stew, was usually shortened to Hasen. The bunny loved hearing the full word and quickened her pace. She saw him up ahead seated in a large wooden rocking chair on his porch, an organic looking platform overgrown with vines and twisted with blossoming flowers in shades of pink and yellow and adorned with the fluttering wings of butterflies and fat furry bees the size of small cats.
“Hello Marshall, how are you today?” Hasen greeted, hopping up onto the porch and over to his outstretched hands. “Master Luna needs honeysuckle and I can smell you have some in the east garden. May I?”
The old man laughed, stroking the back of the sweet animal with his weather worn hands. His eyes crinkled at the edges and he set the rabbit down.
“Get on with ya, I’m enjoying the scenery,” Marshall joked, settling back into his chair. Hasen looked back and winked her eye before sprinting towards a cluster of plants that, sure enough. included honeysuckle. The long red tubular flowers burst with sweet smelling clusters in abundance. She set down her small basket and looked up at the plant.
Hasen stood up on her hind legs, reaching forward with her angular paws and gently pulling a cluster of the plant from its stalk. She placed them in the basket and reached up for a second, her whiskers twitching as pollen swirled around her head. Satisfied with her haul, Hasen picked up the basket and made the quick trip back home, her bushy little cotton tail wiggling with delight. Fetching flowers and herbs was one of the few times she could be free. She loved her master and would do anything for her, but sometimes Master Luna was just scary to be around.
“I got it Master!” the rabbit chirped in it’s high pitched tone, skittering forward to be lifted up to the countertop once more.
Sol plucked the blossoms from the tiny woven baskets and dropped into the stone mortar and pestle where she had been crushing some other ingredients.
It’s perfect my precious one.
The thought filled Hasen’s head, the voice of her master having no voice at all, simply using the mind of her familiar as her voice. It was true, Luna Sol never spoke. Not because she had nothing to say, but because she was forbidden. Her familiar, however, could hear everything Master Luna wished to express as if she was thinking it on her own.
“Thank you, Master Luna, is there anything else you wish of me?”
Hasten peered up at her masters face waiting for an answer. Despite her striking and otherworldly appearance, Hasen found her master to be the most beautiful human ever created. Sol’s skin was luminescent, so pale and sickly that you could see the veins running under her skin. The blood pumped almost visibly as her heart pushed her life force through her body. All of her limbs were long; fingers, arms, legs, feet, leaving her with an almost alien like appearance. She was also tall for her kind, with wiry muscles and a slim frame. She wore mainly loose fitting robes and tunics making her shape that of an unidentifiable silhouette, just as she wanted.
Her hair was a shimmering silver, glistening with streaks of gold and icy tones, like a prism that had lost its colors. It was shaved on the left side, revealing an intricate pattern of symbols, ancient and mysterious, tattooed directly on the skin of her skull. The rest of it hung long, cascading over the left side of her face and down her back and shoulder, straight and thick.
When she moved, her hair slipped away from the left of her face, revealing her Oracle Eye. This eye was different from the deep plum tone of her left iris. This eye looked like it had been injured and replaced with a swirling mist where the iris and pupil would be, silver like the shade of her hair and disconcerting to look at for very long. This eye was part of who she was, a strange mutation she was born with that allowed her to see the world with a different filter, one that revealed hidden items, microscopic substances and other strange things like fingerprints and heat signatures.
This gift made Sol a valued commodity, and she was often sought out by various dignitaries and military officials. This alone made Sol eager to live in a place where she could not be found and she would only come when summoned by one person, a wondering thief named David. The same thief that sat waiting in her sitting room for the last four hours.
Attend to our guest, bring him this.
Sols words flowed into the rabbits mind as she picked up a steaming mug from the side of the cooking stove. It was a sweet orange smelling tea of sorts with dusting of small white flower petals along the surface. She placed the cup down on a small miniature sized cart with a little leather lead attached to the front. Hasen grabbed it and began to pull it across the room, slowly moving so as not to spill any of the refreshment she was meant to serve.
The sitting room was nearby, a small space with two hand carved chairs, a table, and a small fireplace providing the only light in the room. The windows were sealed tight with dark curtains and the front door was made of a shiny metal material which sealed shut making it almost airtight against the outside world.
“I have some tea for you Sir David,” The rabbit said as it let the lead drop from its mouth with the cart stopped in front of him. The human moved his boot, worn yet cared for, out of the way as he reached down for the drink.
“Is it safe little rabbit?” David asked smelling it and looking inside of the mug with suspicion on his face.
“Yes, this is a simple citrus blend with hibiscus, even I would drink this one!” If rabbits could smile, this one surely would. It was often she had to recount exactly what ingredients were contained in Sol’s offerings. Her master had a streak for the bizarre and disgusting and liked to share her creations with everyone, even if they had no idea what they were in for.
David shrugged and took a sip, his thick eyebrows raised and settled.
“Pretty good… now how much longer. I’ve been here all morning and Sol needs to take this message so I can go. There’s a party in Tarir and I have some goods to deliver there… and some more drinks to consume.”
“I’ll go check, please be comfortable,” The rabbit stalled, pulling the cart back into the kitchen, hoping Sol had finished what she was working on. “He’s getting anxious Master, he says there is a message!”
Sol sighed, rolling her eyes back into her head and letting air escape her throat almost violently. She hated being interrupted only slightly less than she liked being rushed.
“I understand master. I shall take the message for you.”
Hasen exited the room quickly. The last thing she wanted was to stay there and continue to incite the wrath of her master. She had done it before and the thought of the searing pain through her body as she was held by her ears over the fire was more than enough for her to take her leave.
“I’ve had enough of this,” David snarled at the familiar. “Your master needs to report to Queen Jenna as soon as possible for the birthday celebration. They need her for security. The celebration is this evening, please don’t be late.”
He threw a sealed envelope down on the small table next to his chair and pulled his cloak from the hook on the wall. His outfit, all dark stained leather, was adorned with several clasps and golden buttons, clearly expensive and tailored. His cloak twirled around his body before he clasped it as his throat and turned back with a flourish, looking towards the rabbit who was sitting patiently in the center of the room.
“And tell her that I won’t be coming back if she gets into trouble. I can’t save her if she won’t help herself.”
With that he was gone as if he was never there, the door hung open, moving slightly in the breeze.
“Thanks for nothing,” The rabbit huffed, heading towards the door and stepping on another pressure plate that pulled it closed and sealed it. The room was darkened once again, the fire too low to provide much more light.
“Master! You startled me!” Hasen shrieked almost comically as she turned around to see Sol standing and holding the envelope in her hands.
What more do these people want of me. I will never finish this tonic if I have to keep rushing to their side and helping them because they are so incompetent!
Sol flinched as the words raged in her mind. Confusion set in, she felt the anger and the frustration as if it was her home. She was linked with Sol in ways that couldn’t be explained but she was most uncomfortable when Sol was angry. With a twitch of her whiskers, long and silver like her masters hair, she moved and settled her body against Sols’ legs, rubbing her fur along her ankle and hoping it would start to calm her down.
“The celebration is only two days. We can return here at night and keep working on it, things will be fine.”
Sol nodded, her body relaxed and she scooped up Hasen delicately. It would seem they were going to Divinity’s Reach. Out of all the human cities, this one seemed to suite Sol the best. She could disappear in a crowd, shrouded from their glances by her hooded robe or she could draw one to her by removing her hood and allowing her eyes to enthrall and strike fear. Her thin lips curled into a smile at the thought of the children grabbing their teddy bears and pulling towards their parents. It gave her a little thrill even as she longed to pull a candy from her pocket and share with the sweet innocents.
Sol packed quickly, hoping to get a chance to visit the carnival and watch peoples faces and reactions to what they considered freaks. She was fascinated by how they feared and loved things like two headed men and fungus flowered mutant sylvari… and how they feared and loathed her the moment she let them see her true form and looked right into their souls.
“Are you going to dress up for the party?” Hasen asked as Sol pulled a beautiful long dress from her closet. It was black, of course, sporting an intricately embroidered bodice and flowing skirt made of gauzy layers that rippled like water when they moved.
“Oh… you just want to be ready, that makes sense. You’d look so beautiful. Oh… Oh! I can gather it, they’ll be delighted I think! Those too? Sure, sure,” Hasen moved to follow the instructions that came from the strange one sided conversation and went into the kitchen.
Once there she began an intricate dance with a series of hidden pressure plates and levers, loading baskets up with pastries and treats and others with containers full of a slimy looking substance that was a sickly green in color. Sol always took this concoction she liked to call her Secret Sauce to every outing. Nobody ever wanted to try it, but she always offered. She claimed it would rejuvenate the weak and heal wounds as well as give energy and strength. Since it was never consumed, none of these benefits could be confirmed. All that could be said is that it smelled vile, like the inside of a trash chute, and it moved in a way that made it seem like it was alive.
Once they were both packed, they whisked away via an easy teleportation spell directly into the palace, landing in Sols private quarters. She didn’t like to announce her presence until absolutely necessary and the queen was no exception to this method. Once there she took her time to unpack, her faithful companion doing what a rabbit could, which was basically follow and listen, as Sol liked to talk the most when she was summoned and it was Hasen’s job to keep her calm.
“The Queen will be waiting for you, are you ready?” Hasen asked, standing by the door ready to move. She had been adorned with a small golden harness and long jewel encrusted leash. There were rules in the palace and one was that all animals had to be restrained. As if a rabbit could do much damage, but one could never tell, especially with familiars connected with Luna Sol.
Before they could leave there was a quick knock at the door. Sol furrowed her brow before picking up her friend and opening it. Before her stood a Norn, taller than her by at least one foot and topped with a bun of hair that was an amazing shade of pink. Sol was immediately softened, admiring the bold statement.
“Um, hi, I’m Arey, I was sent here to take the food you brought. They said you always bring food?” Arey tried to keep from staring at the human before her, but she had never seen anyone like her.
“The box over there,” The rabbit chimed. Arey gasped and jumped back. “Don’t be alarmed. You must not have heard of Master Luna before.”
Arey gulped. The other staff had said she needed to be ready, but she had no idea that a rabbit would be talking to her!
“Is this some sort of trick? Or magic?”
Hasen laughed, a strange birdlike whistle that clipped from her small little mouth. Her long front teeth exposed made the laughter a bit more sinister than jovial.
“I am Sol’s voice.”
“But why…” Arey couldn’t help but ask. She looked at the woman in front of her. She looked very different but it wasn’t apparent why she wouldn’t be able to speak.
“Because her voice is the abyss. One whisper and a portal opens… and it is not something you want to happen.”
“A portal? What do you mean?” Arey stepped back, her hands reaching for the dagger she kept in her apron. She wasn’t sure why, but the air suddenly felt ominous as if it could just open up and swallow her whole.
“It’s not important, just don’t be alarmed. I can communicate for Master Luna and there’s no reason to be afraid. Please, take a spice bun, Sol brought them for the celebration.”
Sol gestured as the rabbit talked, showing the box with the golden brown pastries piled inside. Arey moved in, giving Sol a wide girth and then picking it up.
“Before you go, would you like to try something new?” Hasen said with an amused lilt to her voice.
Arey paused before setting the box full of bread back down. The air had lightened and the fear was gone. Odd, but she didn’t think much of the change.
“What is it? I love new foods!” Arey enthused. If this strange woman could cook, maybe they’d have more in common than she thought.
“Please, go to the other crate, you’ll see it inside!” Hasen exclaimed with even more glee.
Arey picked up one of the jars and turned it in her hands. The liquid moved inside and seemed to dance for her as she stared intently at the green creation.
“But… what is it? Is it a drink?” Arey was captivated. She actually seemed interested in trying the very thing that usually scared people away instantly.
“It’s called Special sauce. Just try a little. If you like it you can keep that one!”
Hasen and Sol leaned forward eagerly as Arey unscrewed the lid and lifted it. She sniffed then a comical expression crossed her face.
“Is that… pickles and… saffron?” She asked, sniffing again. “And I smell kale and cinnamon, lemon and is that ashwood and soot?”
Arey pulled back and looked at the liquid again.
“You have a good nose Miss Arey!” Hasen said independent of Sol. “Please taste it! You won’t regret it! Everyone else says it just stinks!”
“Well you never know unless you give it a taste!” Arey dipped her finger in, the concoction stuck to her skin in a thick dollop. She didn’t hesitate, simply sticking her finger in her mouth. She paused, her eyes closing as she rolled it around her tongue.
“And…???” Hasend said craning her rabbit neck as far as it could reach. Sol too was excited, bouncing back onto her heels waiting for the verdict.
“Wow… this… this is…” Arey swallowed and her eyebrows creased as it slid down her throat. “THIS IS AMAZING!!!”
Sol and Hasen both jumped a little and the wheeze of the rabbits laugh filled the room.
“I am so happy, please, take as much as you’d like!”
Arey grinned.
“It’s so perfect. Sweet and sour and spicy and savory. I don’t know what you did, but I could put this on sandwiches and in sauces and on toast and in drinks… this is just… so good!”
Arey happily grabbed a second jar before hefting up the box of bread once more.
“I’m so glad you like it. I can see you have the tastes of a true food lover!”
“Thank you for sharing with me! I’ll see you at the banquet!” Arey stepped out of the room and shut the door.
Sol set Hasen down on the bed and did a strange little dance around the room. Her face was bright, more excitement than she normally revealed.
Get me all the information you can on this Arey, I want to know everything! Go now!
Hasen leapt from the bed to follow orders. She’d go visit a few contacts and gather the intelligence while Sol prepared for her meeting with the security for the upcoming party. She looked back at her master and smiled inside. This Arey was sure to be a good addition to Master Luna’s life, she just knew it.