Valus

This land is beautiful. It is beautiful, and peaceful, and quiet. There is no one to bother me here. Birds perch themselves upon my shoulders. They seem so small in comparison. My footsteps fall heavily, and the earth cracks beneath my hooves. It can be so tiresome. Being so large and so slow. But I know that I am not the biggest. There are far bigger than me in this land.

The sun warms the fur and the stone alike. I heave a great sigh.

I take another step.

My grip upon my club tightens. I think I hear something.

There! There it is again!

A sharp whistle. It hurts my ears. It is too shrill.

I turn. I slowly look behind me.

I feel a prick in my shoulder. A small creature has pierced me with something very sharp! It looks no bigger than a splinter. But it is firmly embedded in my flesh. I must search hard. I see a small… being. I do not know what it is. I have never seen anything like it. It is small, but walks on two legs like me. It holds a… I am not sure what, in its hands.

It holds the contraption. It points it in my direction.

The first prick was not an accident.

It pricks my other shoulder this time.

It is not friendly.

I look to the second splinter. I look up again. The small creature has vanished. I search for it. A shooting pain in my leg alerts me to the creature's location. I drop down. My knee hits the earth with a rumble. A pinch. The creature is climbing through my fur.

I feel it on my back. I thrash. I must get it off.

It persists.

I thrash again.

It holds on tighter.

A terrible feeling blooms within my chest and squeezes.

The creature is on my head now.

No.

A blinding pain.

A wretched hissing.

Everything is darkening.

No.

No.

No.