Srek. Srek.
The rustling chorus of shrubs stirred slowly beneath the tall, towering trees. From behind leaves damp with dew, a pair of eyes peered sharply. His fur was black, seeming to merge with the forest's dark shadows.
Silence. His breath held. His small body froze, blending into the hush of nature.
A few meters ahead, a giant lizard crawled, its back studded with growing crystals. Its tongue protruded long, lapping at the insects on the ground that served as its meal. It moved slowly, as if unaware that it had become the target of a newly born predator.
He narrowed his eyes in puzzlement. The longer he spent in that forest, the more he felt a genuine alienation from himself. As if he truly did not belong to that world.
What place is this, really? What kind of lizard bears sharp crystals upon its back?
His stomach growled, tearing him from his reverie and forcing him to act to satisfy his need in the present.
Enough. I just hope its meat is edible. I have nothing left.
He drew a deep breath. His eyes slitted with intent. All his senses sharpened drastically. He, who had never hunted, was forced by circumstance to hunt in order to survive the harsh wild.
One step without a sound.
His knees bent.
His tail lowered.
He leaped high.
Wusshh!
In an instant, his small body shot through the air. His claws aimed true, clamping on the lizard's head and nape. His small fangs sank without hesitation into the lizard's most vital spot, its neck.
The lizard writhed, its tail lashing wildly, but he held on. He bit deeper until fresh blue blood soaked his tongue.
Then, within seconds, the lizard ceased struggling. Its body went limp. Its last breath left in a heavy sigh.
He yanked his fangs out forcefully, tore the throat open, and swallowed without doubt. Panting, he struggled to steady his breath after the hunt.
Slurp.
His tongue licked the dripping blood at the corner of his mouth. Warm and metallic, it mingled with a swelling pride in his chest.
Is this the taste of victory? How sweet to eat the fruit of one's own labor.
He approached his prey. Having bitten it only once, something shot fast through the air and nearly struck him. Instinct told him to leap aside just in time.
His eyes bulged as he saw a rusted arrow lodged where he had just stood.
An arrow? A hunter?
Quickly he turned and bounded, melting into the forest's shadow. His steps moved fast over roots jutting from the earth. After he felt far enough, he glanced back.
Seems like I am safe.
He knew humans were the only beings clever enough to pose a real threat. Since ancient times they had feared wolves like him. Moreover, they tended to fight that fear with all their might.
It would not be pleasant to end up in human hands.
Still, he was unwilling to surrender his kill so easily. He returned, stepping slowly between the underbrush, doing his best to hide the trace of his presence.
His nose sniffed the air. The scent of blood drew nearer, though he should still be fairly distant from the lizard carcass he had left.
It seems someone dragged the corpse here. I must hide.
He slipped into the nearby shrubs. His breath slowed as he tried to erase the aura of his presence.
A strange laughter approached.
"Gyiiik! Giiih! Kyiiik!"
A band of green creatures emerged from behind a tree. Their bodies were small, with yellow teeth jutting from black mouths. Saliva dripped as they kept up their terrible, giggling laughter.
What disgusting creatures are those?
He froze for a moment. But when he saw the group behind them carrying the lizard he had just hunted, fury flared within him.
His legs folded again, ready to pounce forward. Yet he checked himself when he saw rusted weapons tucked at their waists and backs. More than a dozen of them, besides.
No. Not now. I would only find death.
He shook his head slightly, aware his body was too small and his strength nearly gone. Without another look, he turned and moved away from them, leaving the anger of seeing his prey stolen before his eyes.
Beyond the western horizon, the sun began to draw its blanket. Dark shadows lengthened across the ground, like long hands striving to seize whoever lay within reach.
He, the small wolf, wandered dazed over the black earth. His stomach jolted violently. His body trembled from hunger that had gnawed since morning.
Damn it.
A breeze brushed through, ruffling his dense black fur. He tilted his head. His nose expanded and contracted as it sniffed a foul scent carried on the wind. The pungent odor guided him to the source: a rat carcass.
He frowned.
The rat's body had blackened, its mouth half open. A corpse unfit for eating.
Disgusting. But I have no choice.
Despite his weary gaze, he still devoured the rat. Bitterness crawled to the base of his throat. Yet he did not stop and pushed the carcass until it was truly inside him.
He looked up, his golden irises fixed on a sky that had lost its color. Dark clouds hid stars and moon as if the world refused to behold his face.
Enough… I am tired of all this.
His eyes closed. He let the night breeze pierce him.
When he felt on the verge of surrender, the dark clouds parted, allowing moonlight to strike his face.
His eyes opened.
It was not the moon or a star. The first thing he saw was an illusion of a woman. Her face blurred, like the mist that veils his memories of the past life. Yet he knew clearly who she was.
A faint smile spread across his muzzle.
You are right. It is not yet time to give up. I must keep fighting at least until I meet you.
While gazing at the sky, his ears twitched, catching the rustle of shrubs behind him. His eyes narrowed as his nose sniffed the air.
This scent...
With steps slow and almost fused to the night, he turned and slipped into the bushes. His golden eyes narrowed sharply as he spotted a small green-skinned creature through the thorny leaves where he had hidden.
That creature... the ones who stole my prey.
A low growl rumbled from his mouth. His claws scraped the earth. He glanced around; for a moment there was no sign of the creature's companions. The creature was alone.
Time for revenge. I will make you my dinner.
He moved slowly and cautiously, circling to its rear, preparing to strike from its blind spot.
The green creature had not noticed him yet. It strolled, scratching the back of its bald head.
From the bushes, his legs bent, his gaze fixed forward, thirst for blood filling his eyes. Then, with a powerful push, he propelled himself onto the creature's back.
Brak.
"Grrrr!"
He toppled the green creature by using his body's weight. His claws sank into its back, hooking in deep while pinning it down, leaving no chance to rise.
His fangs aimed for the creature's nape, clamping so tight the creature writhed beneath his feet.
"Gyiiik!"
Then, together with a bone-cracking sound that pierced the air, the green creature drew its last breath.
Once again an indescribable satisfaction filled him. This time not only the joy of the hunt, but revenge upon those who had stolen his toil.
But then his ears moved slowly, footsteps approaching toward him.
Are its companions coming?
His desire to rend the other green creatures was strong, yet he chose not to risk it. His body remained weak from hunger and exhaustion.
He lifted his head and found a cave not far from where he was.
That place... my instinct says it is safe.
He bit the neck of his prey, then dragged it. Staggering, he made his way toward the cave he had glimpsed.
The cave was damp and dark. Slightly musty with the smell of bat droppings everywhere. Yet for some reason there was no sign of other life in that cave, as if it had never been occupied.
At first he felt a little puzzled, but he did not care. His gaze was fixed on the fresh meat he had just killed.
A sharp grin curved across his lips before he used his fangs and claws to tear the fresh meat into smaller pieces easy to swallow.
Crunch. Crunch.
The sound of bones snapping echoed in the stuffy caverns, bursting the ears of anyone who might hear. But to him it was the pleasure of filling his belly with satisfying fresh meat.
Hm? Again?
Only a few bites in, something warm spread softly through his veins. So gentle and natural he almost could not notice it.
This... a little like when I ate that centipede.
His eyes closed. For a moment he felt something fill his body. All his strength seemed restored at once. He no longer felt hunger. His breath became light.
When he opened his eyes, he looked around and the world seemed to slow. All his senses sharpened. His smell and hearing honed to catch almost everything deep within the forest.
Looking down, his eyes widened at claws that had grown sharper and gleaming. His fur had grown longer and thicker too.
What truly happens to me each time I eat the meat of my hunt?
The power flowing through him felt gentle and natural, like morning dew dripping from leaves. But what if he could gather those droplets until they formed a vast lake?
A long, sharp curve stretched from corner to corner of his lips, revealing rows of teeth that shone like blades.
I will survive and I will meet her.