I enjoyed myself as I ripped through the soft mushy flesh of the Aptomoth. Probably a little too much I do admit. It was just so tasty. The meat that is. I enjoyed the feel of the warm blood rushing into my mouth and over my body and the delightful sound as the razor-sharp talon ripped through the meat.
My older brothers and older sisters soon joined in. Their yips of happiness only added to my vigor. You see today was my first hunt. I wasn't allowed out before now due to my young age and according to my brothers there is a monster that lurks around here. He isn't big they say. He had this huge right hand that swings though. The right hand despite its size is very sharp and it is extremely heavy. Other times they said they could spit explosive berries! I think they are just trying to scare me.
This monster is so terrifying even when a pack of five of us go out to take it down only one or two of them came back. Then they said they couldn't even take it down. I think the other three just died due to a couple of Giggi's or maybe even a Ludroth and the other ones simply said that to cover up their shame that their brethren died.
Crap! I stopped and though about the silly monster and now look at what happened the freakin' Aptomoth died! I quickly grab a chunk of meat and slide it down my throat. I then rip a bone out of the dead creature and carry it around parading with 'my' kill. My brother soon starts talking about carrying the kill back. The rest of my family agrees.
My sisters and a couple brothers run off. They are going to get help. Its going to be easier to drag the carcass with more then a claw-full of us. Me and the rest of my brothers stay back to protect the carcass. Its hard to know when some Ludroths or another pack will come up and try to steal your kill. Or who knows maybe the monster will come up and try to take your kill…I was giddy with the thought.
I started to pace. It was boring doing nothing here. My sisters haven't returned yet. They probably got lost. I yipped at my fellow brothers. They agreed. Time to drag the carcass back. We each found a firm place and started to pull. We weren't going to get very far, but with any hope another one of our scouting parties would find us and help. It would take us to nearly dark. I was moping. I was hoping that my first time out I would be able to drag the carcass home and go out for a second round. Now it appears I'd be lucky if I could get home!
A few brothers jogged on ahead to check the surroundings. That was when my life flashed before my eyes. Something exploded right in front of me killing off my brothers in a brilliant flash of red light. Their teeth flying all over and lodging them in rocks. Their beautiful pink and blue necks being smashed against the rocks. Their legs still running as if they didn't know they had been blown off at the thigh.
I swallowed my disgust. Then the creator of the explosion came into full view. He was skinny and he stood on two legs. His skin was thick and tough. It looked like a Kelbi if you killed it and left it in the sun too longer. Then his right hand was awkward. It appeared to be a long pole that at the very end maybe a foot or two it blossomed out into two shorter poles going in opposite directions. He then did something I thought would've been impossible. He stuck a berry into his arm! Just crazy. Something below his elbow twitched. Something shot out of his arm. It exploded when it hit the ground another explosion of brilliant flames fanned out. I was stunned. It was the monster.
"Hold him off!" shouted my brother. "Call for help! Hold him off! Protect our kill!" He charged at him. His teeth flashed as he bit down trying to grab a hold of the monster's strange arm. Another brother of mine charged forth making another desperate grab for the same arm. The monster maneuvered out of the way avoiding the impending blows. He struck his arm out again and fired another bullet. Another explosion. This time it engulfed my brothers and sent them flying, but they were still capable of fighting and they charged back at the monster.
I was calling for help. Dancing in a frantic mixture of both panic and excitement. I was eager to get the rest of family here. We could bring down this monster who hunts both our elders and kids alike. We will finally be rid of this monster! I was yapping and yipping my heart out. Maybe the leader will come! Then we would definitely win! The leader's jaws would crush this monster in two.
The monster saw me. This time he put three berries into his arm. He spat them out almost instantaneously. The berries were unlike the ones before where they exploded into flames. This time they exploded into several smaller berries. They got lodged into me, I fell down, but I wasn't done yet. I got back up and continued my yipping. "The monster! The monster! Come help us brothers!" I shouted, "Together we will free ourselves from this monster!"
The monster was starting to look frantic, or so I thought. It jammed another three berries into his arm. He spat them out with a similar result as last time. Smaller fragments of it lodged itself into my side, but I was still full of fresh meaty energy from the Aptomoth I wasn't going to go down!
Another shot. More fragmentation filled the sky. He missed me though. With all of the bullets flying through the air all of them surrounded me. I was becoming even more pumped. I yelled louder. My brothers weren't so lucky several of them started to fall down in pain. I kept my cries for help up. Then it happened my leader came.
He was like a dream with the power of a nightmare. He charged into the midst of the battle and lurched at the monster. His massive jaws tore the monster's skin wide open. Underneath it was another layer of skin slightly lighter. That monster was terrifying! Two layers of skin! An arm that spits exploding berries! What's next? Will it fly?
He spat another blast of berries at the leader. I charged the monster. I felt my entire weight shift as I threw myself on top of him knocking the monster to the ground. I yipped and jumped around parading next to the leader. Maybe he saw me! Maybe I'd be the next leader! This only sped up my dancing made it more frantic.
The leader must not have noticed my courageous deed as the only thing he did was bellow for more of us. A few more of my brothers and sisters rushed towards the scene. Their yips of encouragement driving my leader to launch another impressive show of force. He spun around whipping his impressively sized tail into the monster slamming him to the ground. He spun around again to right himself. He glared at the monster with fierce enthusiasm and hunger. By some stroke of luck the monster stood up his body unwavering even with the powerful blows to his body. But he must be reaching his breaking point, no monster can kill the leader!
The monster took his arm off! The arm of the monster, the one that spits, came off and rested peacefully on his back. He reached into his pocket and pulled out some green liquid. It was a puzzle to me, but I knew that if that monster had it, it wasn't good for us. He guzzled it down. He then brought his arms over his head and flexed them! Was he mocking us? The strange creature's mannerism can only be interrupted as that! He was mocking us! The bastard! This only made my brothers throw themselves at him with increased vigor. Imagine a monster like this! One that is brave enough to mock us!
The leader called out for us. He unlike us, seemed to know something else was up. He started to limp away. The early blasts! The ones that hit him must've damaged him! I yipped crazily to alert my brothers. They eagerly followed me after the leader and into a hole. The monster ran in a different direction. Boy, he sure ran funny.
We came upon a clearing, not our home, just a clearing. Groups of Kelbi ran around in circles and started to flee at the mere sight of us. The leader looked around, he sure was exhausted. He had given up the fight. He knew that the monster was planning to kill us and he couldn't allow his family to be killed. Then the monster reappeared. He was already putting berries into his arm.
The leader yelled, "Sons and daughters! Brothers and sisters! I can no longer protect you! Flee!" He charged at the monster his teeth flashing wildly. He was driven to near insanity. His drool hanging loosely from his chin. His frill that indicated and radiated his strength and supremacy was ripped in numerous places.
The heartless monster, the one that insisted on following us even after my leader limped away in pain, the one that attacked us for no good reason, spat another berry out. It exploded again on impact. The leader fell. His leg twitched. My brothers and I ran with tears in our eyes. My first fight resulted in my first kill and my first loss of a leader.
Later that day, we returned. My entire pack, no small matter. We approached the area where the monster had killed the leader. We were disgusted at the sight. The leader was still there. The monster didn't kill the leader for food! Most of his body still laid there! Rotting!
His frill was cut off resulting in a shame that should never befall someone. He had lost skin in several places, it appeared to be ripped off. His many mighty talons were gone with blood oozing from their sockets! His liver was ripped from his body and no doubt decorating that monster's cave as we speak! I was truly mortified at the sight.