There was a decided chill to the air on this particular morning. It'd been enough to rouse him from dreamless slumber, the gentle breeze dragging its frozen fingers down his glittering hide. He could not appreciate the cold, nor the way it gleefully leeched his strength and made his blood feel cold and sluggish as it tried to lurch through his veins. Days like these frayed his already short temper, made him reluctant to move even when hunger rumbled deep in his belly. A resounding slap suddenly rebounded off the trees, and he was left with little more than a stinging flank, spaded tail twitching as though with pleasure at having performed its task. The pain only roused his irritation, but it was enough to slowly get him moving. Heavy hooves ominously carried him through the scarce little patch of forest that he'd claimed to be his in an attempt to get some warmth circulating through his body, and a jet of steamy air issued from flaring nostrils.
His thought process was a simple, loosely primitive one as he stalked through the scraggly, sickly trees, unconsciously leading himself back to the site of a former kill. It'd been a healthy buck in his prime, his half-eaten corpse having gone long cold, the innards that still remained near-frozen within their slick cage of exposed ribs. Scavengers had attended to the body while the stallion had slept, but wisely had vanished back into the underbrush at the sound of his menacing strides. Few would trifle with the Kalona--those who did became little more than another mouthful of sweet, hot meat.
There was little shame in his actions as he arched his neck downward, a savage bite causing the entire body of the buck to tremble. Relentless as always, the male began to devour as much as he could without overeating. This was just a quick boost in energy; he much preferred something fresh to sate his voracious appetite on. Besides, he could afford to be picky and do just as he pleased. Having submerged himself in solitude, he needed no one, save for the occasional encounter with his family. Even that was more for their benefit than his own, but Nemesis knew where his loyalties lay. And right now, they practically all were devoted to satisfying his stomach.
