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Screams of terror filled her ears as a sweet melody.

The comforting warmth of blood dripping down her face.

The metallic taste of it hit the back of her throat. Sweet, tangy, and oh-so addicting.

The satisfying crunch of bone underneath hoof.

The moment she could watch the very life force of her victim drain from their eyes. Leaving only a broken husk of a body contorted in pain and fear.

She loved every single moment of the hunt, of maiming and murdering in cold blood.

The fiery rage that had been suppressed within her for so long was finally being unchained. Ready to unleash onto the world and cause it as much pain as she had been forced to endure in the past.

In her previous life before she had been cursed, she was but one of many. A solider that had been deliberately bred out of the best breeding stock her herd had to offer. Ever since crawling out of her basket, she had been raised under the iron hoof of the ever-going war machine to mold her into the pure weapon she was born to be. She wasn’t a person, she wasn’t to have aspirations, love, friends, or even expectations of a long life. She was a meat shield, just another cog in the machine to keep it functioning amongst the conflict that had spanned generations.

She vowed that she would make them pay; she would make them all pay. Every stallion, mare, and foal deserved to die under her paws. There were no innocents in life or war is what she had been taught since childhood. Just watching them live their happy lives, blissfully ignorant and living in endless comforts that she hadn’t even known existed filled her with a rage that she could not quell.

It was not that she would want to quell it—perhaps once she wanted to. Hosuku could briefly remember a time in her previous life after she had arrived in Kawani, when she absconded from violence, taking a vow of pacifism. Her stupid self wanted to make a change. She wanted to practice self-improvement and work towards leaving the world a happier and healthier place than before—no longer a weapon of war but a warrior of peace.

Pah, what a fool she was! If she were to be a weapon of war, then she would drown the entire world in blood.

Covered in blood, ironically, was just what she was at this exact moment. Her form was still shifted in her bear-shark form sprawled out over the flat mesa of a tidepool boulder. The foaming sea waves crashing against the rock and over her body washed away bit-by-bit the evidence of her victory, staining the nearby area in a pool of blood and bits of flesh. Teeth crunched on the foot of the pink and purple spotted hoof from her latest victim that half-hanged from her mouth. Her eyes lay closed, a look of pure contentment washing over her face. If one was brave enough to look close they could even dare to say a hint of a smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

Her contentment evidently was not destined to last long this day.

Hosuko’s nose wiggled as a new scent filled her nostrils. Her ears swiveled from their relaxed position to full attention as her eyes slowly cracked open.

Another shifter. They were musky smelling which indicated somewhere not from here, perhaps from the forests? Large confident footsteps that paid no heed in trying to be silent. Good, they weren’t actively stalking her. Whether that be from them not approaching as a threat or from them still not being aware of her presence remained to be seen.

“I claim this kill, and this terrority. I suggest that you turn around and go back to wherever you have come from, stranger.” She growled out, her voice low and rumbled almost like rocks in a tin can. It was a testament to just how long it had been since she had properly used her voice.

Ideally, she wouldn’t have to lift herself from her perch. At this moment, she was quite content with the idea of lazing the rest of the day in the sun eating her prize; however, if this unknown entity wanted a fight…

Well, she always had a round two ready to go within her.

(WC 721)

Hosuko’s eyes narrowed as she carefully observed the male bear shifter’s form from the shadow of the treeline. He was in his prime; that much was clear. Muscled and quite large, even for a normal stallion. She would be able to outmaneuver him with speed if she were able to return to the water, but on land, he had the advantage with his sheer size and strength behind him.

Although she didn’t take too kindly to her territory being insulted, for now, she would grin and bear his insolent attitude. “A traveler hunting for his own meal means less prey for myself. A traveler seeing the value and abundance of this particular piece of land means competition.”

With an exasperated sigh, Hosuko rose from her spot. Lazing about apparently was not in the cards for the rest of the afternoon. Bending down onto her forelegs, she stretched forward, her body straining as it primed itself out of its relaxed state, with her long tail swishing ideally behind her. She looked like something akin to an annoyed cat who had just been disturbed from their nap rather than a fierce bear!

“I am not opposed to someone hunting for someone hunting for a single meal, but I’d rather not have to engage in another terf war.” She explained curtly in a bored monotone. Talking was not something she did regularly anymore, and small talk was not something she was particularly skilled at, even before her curse.

Her tail flicked forward to showcase itself off in a small display of bravado. “Yes, it is. I was always an aquatic creature, but now I have more speed and strength to utilize in the water and land,” With a cheeky, toothy half-grin, she continued, “The best of both worlds.”

Her eyes rose to scan his form, lingering just a tad longer on his large and imposing set of antlers on her head. “How peculiar.” She replied, a twinge of interest in her voice. “I have never seen a Shifter like you as well.”

“I have had this territory for a while,” She started to explain as her eyes trailed down to the rest of his body, still regarding him with intrigue. “A small fishing herd lived on these lands before I arrived and took over.” She left the silent warning on the table. She had crushed an entire herd under her paws and enjoyed painting the rocky shore with their blood. Suko would have no qualms about defending her prized home if it came to it. “On land, no. But many who belong to the sea have tried to steal this spot from me. The waters are rich with fatty game, and with this outcove it protects against too harsh of storms.”

Hosuko wasn’t quite sure why she was explaining the benefits of her land to him. But a subconscious part of her animalistic instincts was sizing him up as a strong contender for breeding stock, and she had a desire to prove that she could provide not only for herself but also for any others she deemed welcome on her land.

Or...ones she bore herself.

(WC: 522)