Yes, I realise it's been ages since the last chapter, and I don't have an excuse, but I'm going to be much more punctual after this. I've also tried to make this less of a wall of text than the last two chapters, and I hope I succeeded at least partially. Know that I tried.

If you have any suggestions for improvements, I'm happy to know them. Positive reviews and constructive criticism always helps! As do threatening messages. Anything to make me upload faster. Without further ado . .

Chapter Three

". . . So we got back here as quickly as possible." Puck finished.

"We're certain we weren't followed, but if that creature finds us here then we have no chance," Kirett added. "There was nothing we could do to harm it and it knows. It took everyone, and we could well be next."

Puck could tell just how serious the situation was simply by looking at the expressions on the faces of the Emerack. As if all the casualties weren't enough, there was still an invincible predator out there somewhere, and it could well be after them next. A good few of the assembled pack had tears in their eyes; almost entire families had simply disappeared in the night to an uncertain and presumably painful demise.

A restless pack-mate spoke up. "And that's all you know?"

Puck nodded. "All I know," he confirmed.

"Which is amazing, because we managed to stretch it out for more than five minutes," Jacinth quipped from a little distance away.

Puck rolled his eyes. Jacinth always had a witty line for every sentence in Puck's repertoire. While she was generally logical and made decisions wisely, it was near impossible to have a long conversation with her. It wasn't that she was incredibly aggressive or unapproachable, but her words were always just so acidic.

But at that moment, no-one seemed to notice. The tension was too great for a little sarcastic comment to break. Almost everyone in the pack was present at the Unition except for mothers with children too young to attend, and doubtless they would find out what had been said sooner or later. In Emerack pack society, a Unition was not common; it was rare for there to be more than one in the span of a season, and even then there was a general notice of several days. Puck couldn't remember one being called so abruptly at any earlier time in his life. Of course, they had meetings in between, and a lot of them. But these were usually minor things, never really concerning any more than two or three Emerack. A Unition was when news was shared, plans were made or problems dealt with; in this case, all three.

However, this was not the true focus of the Unition. That would come later, after discussion ended.

The pack had gathered in the usual location: in the shadow of the massive Gorae tree at the very top of their nesting hill. This was a typical kind of location for an Emerack pack to live, as it was easily defensible and provided an uncommonly good view of the surrounding woods that covered the landscape like a great green wave. The burrows were dug into the soft soil at the hill's base, all entrances concealed with bracken and dirt. Each Emerack kept a small cache of food inside his or her burrow so as not to keep all the pack's resources in a single place. After a foraging expedition returned, the fruit and nuts gained would be quickly divided amongst themselves, with special reserves for mothers with eggs or new-borns. The tree's long overhanging branches at its zenith kept the worst of the sun or rain off the convening pack and partially obscured them from aerial predators. A small river a few hundred metres away into the woods provided easily-accessible water and a relaxing paddle for the tired. It was almost a perfect spot for them to be in.

Among the pack's adults, the roles of individuals mostly followed as runners, foragers or fighters. Of course, these terms were completely unofficial; no-one was ever referred to specifically as a fighter or a forager, but they would be known among the pack as those who were agile, had good eyes or simply had violent past experiences. Everyone knew each other's unofficial role, and while it didn't count for much, it made it easier to know who was best to give specific tasks to. The attack yesterday had taken a deadly toll on the foragers and the few fighters and runners who had been present. While they had no "Alpha" as such, the pack generally followed the directions of those who had proven to be the most logical or quick-thinking, or had simply made good decisions in the past.

Mallis had been a good leader. And his brother Cyfal. They would be sorely missed.

Puck, Jacinth and Kirett were all fast and agile enough to be counted as runners(although an instinct nagging at the back of their minds told them that their skill hadn't mattered for anything in the abduction), and three of the few left in the depleted pack of thirty-three. Of them, only twenty were fit to attend the Unition, showing just how strained the remaining adult Emerack were. Arone, Firtale, Yalo, Darrel and Seprai were the last remaining foragers, and were exchanging nervous glances. The fighters Mortai, Hanar, Gwoec, Donaas, Borun, Sephor and Carum were listening in silence. The other two runners, Taeri and Wirax, watched impassively and mostly kept to themselves. That left the three brothers Loran, Letham and Lae, who hadn't yet earned a reputation. Puck could tell by looking in their eyes that they were all terrified by the prospect of having to fight an unkillable monster.

Mortai broke the silence. "Then we obviously need to find somewhere less conspicuous to acquire our food from."

The pack sat in approving silence. Mortai had a talent with words that was rare in a young fighter like him.

"If I may," Arone ventured timidly, "I believe we would be much more liable to survive if we put more distance between us and the monster. If we travelled early in this Spring, we could easily find new nesting grounds and food supplies. There really isn't much need to -"

"We'll be just as dead if it kills us a hundred miles from here," Jacinth interjected. "It just came appeared from the sky and annihilated us. It was abnormal. Godlike," she said. "If it wants to find us, it will find us."

Arone didn't seem convinced. "You all said it made a noise before it appeared," he said. "If that's so, then we'll know when it's coming. If we just keep our heads down and keep moving, we'll survive, just like you did."

"But how do you know we'll be able to find a nesting ground?" Jacinth countered. "We're coveting all the food we have already. If we do migrate, and we don't find food, we will starve. It's better to stay here, where we can at least prepare for the monster."

"Or," Kirett suggested, "those who want to leave can leave, while the rest of us stay here."

"No." Puck had been staring into space for a while, and had suddenly straightened up. "The monster killed almost half of the entire pack. If more of us leave now, we're all doomed. We won't stand a chance if we're split again."

A murmur ran around the circle. The choices they were forced to make could ensure life or death for them all.

"I think that's best." All eyes turned to Mortai again. "We can't take the chance of migration just yet. If all that's been said is true, then the monster will still find us if we try and leave. We can only do our best to lick our wounds and keep alive on what food we can find. Objections?" he asked, turning his gaze across the assembly.

No-one spoke up.

"Then it's decided. If there's nothing else to discuss, we will begin the Unition now."

It was time. As one, the circle contracted and tightened, becoming a silent ring of bodies in the shadow of the tree. Staring ahead of himself, with Kirett on his right side and Jacinth on his left, Puck raised his arms to his sides. In perfect unison, everyone else did the same. They reached out with their arms and interlocked fingers with the others standing close by. As they closed their eyes, time slowed to a crawl, and all noise vanished from the world. The only sense left inside Puck was the constant rhythmic pulse of his heartbeat. For precisely ten seconds he did not move an inch. Then the pack opened their mouths and spoke:

While there is a dawn we will wake,

While there is a day we will fight,

While there is a night we will run,

And our eyes will not lose their sight.

When our bodies may be spent,

When all the light seems gone,

When the dawn fades to black,

While there is a life we will still venture on,

Dancing in the gaze of the stars.

The mantra of the Emerack had been spoken. One by one, the pack-mates began to break off from each other. Light and sound gradually began to filter into their minds, until normality was restored.

Still unwilling to speak, each Emerack turned away and parted the Gorae tree's branches. A new day had dawned, and the pack had much to prepare for.

. . .

It's eyes were filled with curiosity.

It was gazing thoughtfully around the clearing It had woken up in. It had felt quite bemused at first, contemplating every centimetre of It's body for a long while. It had been most surprised and entertained by It's tail, and the way how, if mastered, It could twist it this way and that with just the right kind of muscle flex.

It was also fascinated by the glowing crimson light embedded in Its right hand.

But now that It was acquainted with Itself, another pressing matter was quickly presented, through the medium of a growling stomach.

It frowned. It felt empty, somehow. Something had to be found to be consumed by It.

Searching along the ground, It found several abandoned yellow objects in the grass. Picking one up gingerly, It noticed it was discarded some time ago; one side was dirty, and a lone fly buzzed around it half-heartedly. Nonetheless, It gave it a chew.

The taste was so sour, so disgustingly sickly, that It tried hard not to retch. The fruit filled Its stomach, but not enough. The fruit all around could satisfy It if they were all eaten one after the other.

But It was not satisfied. That would take too long, and would be horrible. There had to be something more convenient to satisfy Its hunger.

It saw something out of the corner of Its eye. A patch of long grass had moved, and not in the breeze. Creeping forwards, It began to hear crackling and chewing sounds just out of sight, hidden from view. Suddenly darting forwards, It reached into the grass and grabbed something. The thing was a small furry creature, evidently a rodent. The creature's eyes were small and darting, and its tail long and hairless. What perplexed It greatly was how unafraid the catch seemed to be. Although the rodent was wriggling, it made no attempt to scratch or bite. It decided to change that.

Reaching forward with Its left hand, It snapped the rodent's neck with one twist.

As the catch stopped struggling, It felt a sense of satisfaction. Not from the food gained, which was pitiful, but from the ability to kill with a gesture. The rodent's life was ended so that It's could continue.

Sniffing the lifeless body, It realised almost immediately that the meat would not be pleasing to the stomach. It would undoubtedly feel ill, but at least the meat would fill a hole.

Meat was most likely an acquired taste.

. . .

Eyes: Peculiar results. Specimen #1's behaviour is rather different than expected.

Ears: Please continue.

Eyes: The Specimen has become rather picky about the food he eats. Produce of the Freyola tree does not appear to please him much.

Ears: Acquire visual samples of Specimen #1 as he becomes reacquainted with his life. It will be most interesting to observe.