Darkness.
His eyes remained closed as if unwilling to open. He felt as though he was somewhere he did not belong. Until at last the smell of wet earth mixed with a sharp metallic tang filled his nostrils.
The full moon, rising high, struck his eyes and forced them open. The first thing he saw was not a glimmer of warmth as he remembered. It was the tall, menacing shadows of trees that surrounded him.
What place is this? At least that was what he wanted to say. Sadly, his voice was strangled. From his throat came only a small, hoarse, indistinct howl. What is this?... what has happened to me?
Agony crept across his wounded body. His fur was soaked with blood and mud. He could not recall what had happened. Worse, he might not even know who he was.
Pain...
The creature tried to rise on all four legs. There was a strange sensation as he staggered toward a nearby pool of water. His sharp golden eyes stared intently at his reflection through the murky surface.
A small black-furred wolf with keen golden eyes looked back at him. Sharp teeth not yet fully grown and pointed ears standing erect. His body was gaunt as if he had not eaten for days.
This... me? he thought, tilting his head.
His gaze was vacant, he did not understand what had happened. His memories were so faint. Yet for some reason his chest felt empty, something missing within him.
The woman... where was she? He turned his head, searching for the vague presence of the woman who had suddenly appeared in his memory. But he found nothing in the cold, damp woods.
Realizing he had found nothing, he sat back down. Silent and wordless.
Was that just... a dream? But it had felt real. Who was that woman, really?
He lowered his head and stared at the wet ground beneath his feet. Then something gnawed from within him. Not the voice of the heart, but the real sound of his belly growling.
Tch. I do not even know who I am, yet I know I must survive.
His thoughts were consumed by the hunger gnawing at his gut. He looked into the distance, his nose flaring as if sniffing something far away.
I hope I find something to fill my stomach.
He then limped across the muddy woodland floor, searching for anything that might fill him. He let his wild instincts guide him to food that could still the emptiness within.
Sret. Sret.
Along the way he kept dragging his stiff, weary legs. His ears felt unbearably sharp, as if he could hear everything around him. So too his nose, able to scent everything that lay within it.
After some time he finally reached the carcass of a giant bird, already beginning to rot.
Though disgusted, hunger forced him to accept the carcass. He approached slowly, then began to tear the soft flesh with his not-yet-perfect fangs.
The first bite was bitter and acrid, but he forced the meat into his mouth. There was no time to be choosy in a moment like this.
Sret. Sret.
After two or three bites he began to grow accustomed to the taste. Not so bad. At least I can gain some energy from this.
Once his stomach was somewhat filled, his mind grew clearer. He circled and glanced at the giant bird with curiosity.
What sort of creature am I eating? I am not sure I have ever seen a bird this large before.
His pointed ears lifted high, something faint stirring as it approached. His fur rose, as if warning of a danger drawing near. His eyes scanned the surroundings before he ran, leaving the place as fast as he could.
He ran with all his might, avoiding every root that jutted from the ground. He passed every obstacle with his small, not fully developed legs. At times his claws slipped on slick branches.
His ears no longer heard the rustling that had alerted him behind. He slowed and grinned in triumph.
It seems safe now, he thought, glancing back.
He exhaled. But only a moment later, his instincts sensed something wrong. Even as he tried to sharpen his five senses, he detected nothing nearby. Yet the uneasy feeling would not leave him.
"Grrrr." He growled softly as a warning while walking with cautious steps.
When he happened to look down at the pool of water in front of him, his eyes widened.
Ssssshhhah!
A giant horned serpent suddenly lunged from a tall tree. Its mouth gaped wide, displaying the sharp fangs that would seize the prey before it.
Fortunately he leapt backward in time so the snake struck only empty ground beneath him.
Without thinking, he put all his speed into his small legs to flee the attacking serpent. I cannot look back. I just have to run!
But the serpent did not relent, rising and pursuing him, slithering fast beneath the shadow of the trees that concealed the undergrowth.
Unfortunately, nature seemed not to favor him. The wet ground he stood upon was too slick for his small feet to gain purchase. By contrast it advantaged the serpent, allowing it to glide swiftly.
Before long the distance between them had shrunk considerably. One handbreadth more and his small body would become the serpent's meal.
His heart pounded, his breath heavy, his mind racing for an escape from this dire situation. His eyes scoured the woods, searching for anything that might give him a chance to survive.
Damn! I will die if this continues!
Sruuut!
A spray of green fluid suddenly fell right in front of him. He sensed danger and stopped just in time. Sure enough, the grass before him melted where the fluid struck. Hot steam rose into the air.
His eyes widened in disbelief. Snake venom?
Though he paused only for a few seconds, the serpent was already ready to strike him from behind.
Damn! There will not be time!
Then a giant centipede suddenly came and lunged at the serpent's neck, tearing it in two. Blood spurted from the severed throat.
His eyes widened at the gruesome sight before him. But he snapped back to awareness when he felt the centipede's sharp gaze upon him. The centipede's eyes had reddened, as if the serpent it had bitten was not enough to sate its thirst for blood.
As he tried to flee, the centipede managed to slash his hind leg with its shining pointed fang, sending him crashing back to the ground.
The centipede drew its face near, baring a razor smile. The monster delighted in the torment it inflicted on its small prey. Its coiling body wrapped tight around him, its many legs scraping his fine fur.
"Awooo..." He howled for help, but no one answered.
His howl was like a pitiful cry that only increased the centipede's appetite for torturing its helpless victim. His body was lacerated by the centipede's pointed fangs.
Just as he was about to give up, a woman's face suddenly appeared in his memory. Her features were vague, but somehow she rekindled his will to survive.
That face... it hurts. But... I cannot give up.
At the moment the centipede was about to bite his head, he opened his jaws as wide as he could, then leapt and bit back into the left side of its neck with all his strength.
"Grrr!"
"Sssssrrrk!"
The centipede screamed in pain. The creature shook its head violently, trying to free the fang embedded in its neck. But in vain, for his bite on the centipede's neck was fierce and unyielding.
After that he tore at its neck without mercy. Blood gushed forth, weakening the centipede until it collapsed to the ground. Before long, the centipede drew its final heavy breath.
I... survived?
He looked up and stared at the crescent moon floating above him. His chest ached from an emptiness that would not fade.
Who is that woman, truly? Why can I not stop thinking of her?
The woman's figure returned to his memory again. Someone who gave him the will to live. A figure that somehow brought both warmth and pain to his chest.
Unaware, his howl echoed and broke the silence of the night. A mournful symphony that shook him with longing full of questions.
"Awooooo."
Even if I am a monster... I will survive. At least... until I can meet her.