where: Busthind Mountain
when: Early evening
Dusk had finally come and the temperature outside was cooling rapidly. Maneki, asleep and curled in a ball stirred. This cave was like the one he had been born in, and after a few days, it felt natural to live here with Byakko. Still, he had yet to fully adjust to Troll's sleep schedules. In the darkness of the brooding caverns one slept and move at leisure. Now there was a schedule to be kept and Maneki found it hard to keep himself asleep during the scorching hot days that warmed the Hive's rocky walls. Now, at the break of night, the little one was awakening and thinking. Maneki looked at his palm, where the cut he had received escaping the trials was mostly healed.
Byakko said that.. Their blood was dangerous to them. They were different than others. That was why he was here, right? Byakko was his lusus now. That was the troll who would care for him. His pumpbiscuit sped at the very thought of having a lusus. According to Byakko this was a rare thing, only she had a troll Lusi. So... This was weird right? Manek felt the urge, no, the need to get up then. Byakko, his mermy, deserved some fresh small squeakbeasts for respite-break. He wanted to show her just how much he cared. Sitting up, he carefully reached around his neck and took off the bell collar. That he set carefully into the bed, wincing at the soft jingling. He froze and waited for the heavy steps of his lusus, but... Sweet silence. Sighing silently, he carefully crawled away from the bed and stood on the other side.
Carefully the small mutant picked his steps and walked with agonizing slowness. The rocks were not forgiving when it came to loud noises, and if anything odd fell it would echo across the cave. Maneki worried his lower lip and moved like a thief, barely breathing as he attempted to get out of the hive. Byakko had made him swear he wouldn't go anywhere alone except if they were in the PI headquarters... But... This was SORT of like the headquartes, right? A tiny, mischevious grin lit in his eyes. Yes! Definitely.
Morally relieved and now, as he slipped out the door of the Hive, physically relieved, Maneki could begin to hunt. Hunting was something that the troll lived for, craved practically. With narrowed eyes he took to zipping away from his home. The feeling of the hot alternian soil just now cooling, the wind whistling around his ears, and the busthind grass scratching at his legs was intoxicating. Maneki didn't know what Byakko meant about being in danger or poor. Right now, he felt like he was on top of the world.
----
The knoll where he hunted was a mix of the grass and large bleached trees lacking leaves. It was a little ways from the hive, but he had kept a good mental map of how to return home. It wasn't like Maneki could hunk that close. All the noises of chasing vermin and the triumphant whoops and hollers of victory would definitely wake up Byakko. He had to make sure this gift was a total surprise.
"Five... Five should be good." Maneki muttered as he observed the handful of bodies in his hands. There were only four. So one more and he could return to the hive. Tying the squeakbeasts' tails together, he shoved them into his pocket and kept moving. Some of the trees had what looked like scratches or gnaw marks at the base. This was relatively new.... Hmm. Sitting back on his haunches, Maneki gently stroked the marks. Maybe there was some more nea --
There! To the right. A scurrying sound. Snapping his head in that direction, Maneki grinned toothily and surged across the grass. See, being observant really paid off when you knew what to look ---
In an instant the joy in his eyes fell and morphed to horror. That had not been a scurrying sound. That was a digging sound. Maneki attempted to back peddle by throwing his body weight against the momentum of the dash. It was too little and too late. His body crashed into the white form of the howlbeast that was snout deep in a sightless-beast hole. Both parties cried in surprise and horror. As soon as the collision was over, Maneki was rolling over, twisting his body in an odd shape to get away from the creature and gain leverage on the ground. The howlbeast, recovered from the shock, turned and growled deeply. It lunged forward to snap at the child's legs with sharp glistening fangs. Pushing off on the ground with one foot and the lunging muzzle of the howlbeast, Maneki propelled himself away.
There was no way he could outrun a howlbeast. Panic shook Maneki to his core. He didn't really have a weapon, other than the makeshift knife he had used to kill the squeakbeasts. He was, in effect, defenseless and terrified. The howlbeast roared, and its howl echoed wildly around the knoll. Why would it - Oh. There were more. There were more!? Maneki gasped out a sob of a cry and kept moving. Was he going to die?!
"Bya - AHH!" TREE. Gog a Tree. A wonderful, amazing, super terrific Tree. Maneki flung himself bodily at the wood and dug in his fingers, dragging himself up as fast as he could. Something snapped at his leg, scaring him badly. Frantically the troll kicked at the wolf, nailing its muzzle repeatedly until it released his leg. Wrenching himself higher, Maneki kept climbing until he was at the highest branch, curled tightly against the trunk. Many emotions flooded across him. Pain. Panic. Anger. Shame.
Sobbing weakly, the child looked at his leg. Just a scratch. It would heal soon enough, but to be sure he took off his top and lashed it around the scratches. Byakko had told him it was dangerrous outside and that his blood was bad oh... oh this was horrible. Hot tears washed his face as he worked. What was going to happen? He was stuck and the wolves were circling the tree, growling and snapping. "Byakko!!! Byyyyyyaaaakkkoooo!!! MERMMMY!" Maneki called brokenly, his voice tapered with tears. Oh no. Where was he? This wasn't... He didn't know now. The careful path he had left was gone from memory, replaced with howlbeast pelts and sickeningly bright orange blood.
Katanari
Jeesh I am so sorry for the length x_x;;
EDIT; Hey! Sent a skype to let you knooow about this, but incase it did not come through - I changed the ending so he is not bleeding. He has been scratched and his shirt is off and still round his leg, but there should be no visible blood or even blood seeping into the shirt. Just light wounds he is hiding. Sorry if this messes up a post you had started :C
EDIT; Hey! Sent a skype to let you knooow about this, but incase it did not come through - I changed the ending so he is not bleeding. He has been scratched and his shirt is off and still round his leg, but there should be no visible blood or even blood seeping into the shirt. Just light wounds he is hiding. Sorry if this messes up a post you had started :C
