I look at the big, shiny, black haired bunny. It's back is towards us, and he seems to be eating. Whenever he moves his body the sparkles around him move in a wave, as if they're like a cloth that someone shakes. I've never seen a bunny before, but it has big hind legs and long ears, but it's slimmer than what Goba described during the lessons.
It's a lanky rabbit Hehe.
"So, what do you want to do?"
Goba whispers in my ear, he taught me a few things about how to handle monsters. Most monsters understand the language taught by the book, the language given by the Great Creator. But not all monsters can speak it. Another important thing is that when you aren't planning to eat it, or it's a possible threat to your life, you cannot attack it without giving a heads up. Monsters might be put as savage and murderous, but from monster to minster they are pretty honourable. The 'possible threat to your life' rule might get a bit stretched out sometimes though. And some monsters just don't care, the savage name they got didn't just come from one or two rot apples in the lot.
Cause it doesn't look good to eat, and it's just minding its own business, I can't just attack it. So I step into the clearing, making my presence known. I even step into a few dry leaves so I'm sure he heard me.
"Hello there, I wonder if you'd like to spar? I've been practicing for some time now, and I'd love to know where I stand. Also, that you are the first monster I found in this forest makes me feel like there's fate between us.
So what do you say rabbit? Do you accept my challenge!?"
I was getting more excited at the end, but as I started my last question I see a dangerous glint go through its eyes. Goba has that same glint whenever I get a hit in and taunt him to try harder, I've tried that twice, regretted it for longer than how long taunting Goba gave me pleasure.
But it still nods back, confirming the duel. At that moment Goba comes from the forest and stands between the rabbit and I, he stretches his arm and now his hand blocks my field of view of the rabbits face.
"When I lower my hand the match will start!"
I ready my stance at Goba's decoration, my body lowered, the blade of my side horizontally in front of me, the staff on my right side in my right hand between my arm and my body, and my left hand with a palm forward lose in the air. After getting beaten up by Goba so many times this is what I came to, this is the best that I can do right now.
The bunny hops from left to right a few times, probably to loosen his muscles a bit. He'll probably headbutt me, or scratch me with his nails?
The hand drops!
The bunny charges at me, or more past my left. So I dodge to the right while I move my blade to my left and down, blocking it's way towards me. But he just runs past, and while I barely moves two steps, the bunny already moved the six meters between us, it's fast.
After he moved past and I turn around to face him again I notice something on my blade and the staff that's close to it, tiny cut marks, like tens of super sharp knifes just brushed past the surface. How did he do that? How would my skin hold up against something like that?
At least the bunny is nice to wait for me as I'm watching the cut marks, he waits with glee and mockery in his eyes. Little prick, I'll teach him. His attacks are fast but predictable, so I'm not too worried that I'll lose.
My focus is back at the rabbit, now it jumpes left and right again. Maybe it's trying to confuse me so I don't know where it'll go. And then he shoots of to my left. But before I can even move he disappears right before my eyes!
I still move my blade to where he would have gone, but it doesn't help. Just before it hit me I see some sparkles going over my blade and then it hurts. My leg feels like an innumerable amount of sharp knifes brush past my skin, only cutting in slightly, just enough to bleed quite a lot. After screaming out because of the pain I turn around quickly, seeing the stupid bunny sitting there with his smug look on his face.
Even though I hate him for it, I still think the move he made was awesome, how does he even disappear from my sight while I'm looking at him? I want to know how to do that too! Now I really want to tame him and let him teach me, he's going to be my first companion.
"Let's go again!"
He looks impressed that I still want to go, he probably thought that the pain would be enough to make me run away. But I'm only even more excited!
This time I run at him, now the initiative is mine! As I'm running towards the bunny my body bends so far forward that I'd fall over if I did the same while standing still. When I'm close enough I move my scythe, the blade cuts an arc from behind me towards the bunny only a little in front of me, as it's making this arc the staff slides in my hand so I'm holding it farther back, this increases my reach and the speed of the blade. The best way to avoid this strike is to move towards me, but moving towards a strike goes against your instincts, so he might not do it. But it is what I'm counting on, cause I really want to punch this fucker in his face for some payback.
And behold, I'm right, he dashes towards me. I twist the scythe slightly so that it'll move towards the ground, in that way it won't pull me out of balance when it goes on without hitting its target. And with my left hand I throw a palm just before the bunny would hit me, I can see the surprise in his face before that same face crashes into my hand. My hand moves slightly back to catch the force and I push back with all the force he came in with. He flies back several meters just missing the sharp edge of the blade that's behind him, I've grown stronger in this few days, it also helps that the bunny isn't that heavy.
"Hey, I could've thrown you into the blade and hurt you really bad, let's call it a tie today. I've learned a lot fighting with you, thanks!"
Goba taught me to be polite, being polite doesn't cost anything but it'll make anyone like you better. But he also taught me that being polite to those who don't deserve it shows weakness, then it shouldn't be done.
The bunny stands up slightly dizzy after being thrown and rolling around on the floor, its fur shiny and the sparkles are gone. He shakes his body as if he's wet, dust falls of and the sparkles return. Now he looks at me and nods, agreeing with the tie. Goba comes and stand next to me and whispers in my ear.
"It was angry at the beginning because you called it a bunny while it is a hare, you could've seen this through his skinny body, stronger hind legs and longer ears. Don't ask him to follow you yet, ask him to spar again tomorrow."
I nod at Goba, the last part is what I was planning already. And I really didn't know it was a hare, Goba's drawings in the dirt of what he talks about aren't that detailed!
"Hare, I'm sorry if I offended you by calling you a bunny, I'm only just learning so I just didn't know! But what do you think about sparring again tomorrow, same place same time?"
He tilts his head at me, looking at me as if I'm just a dumb person and I couldn't help being one either. That look works on my nerves, if he agrees I'll punch him in the face again tomorrow just for that look! But he nods at me, hehe stupid bunny, I'll get you for that look!
And so we return to the shed, I start meditating, thinking about the fight and what I can do to make my chances of winning better, and once I can win every time I'll take him with me, my first monster, the sparkly bunny.