A Beast Among Mages

Predator vs Prey

- Tiikeri -

   The scenic woods rushed past me as I ran. My breathing was steady, heart racing. I was almost there, almost home, and that's when my face hit the dirt. As I turned to look at the tiger who pounced on me, I spat mud out of my mouth and growled. "Not cool Lyr, you couldn't just let me make it for once?" The tigress c****d her head at me before patting my head with her paw. Lyr was a young tigress, and I grew up with her. Her mother, Ryth, adopted me when I was small despite not being a tiger myself. I had a gift, she claimed, being able to understand her. She said that most humans could not communicate with Tigers and that it would be a waste if I didn't survive, so she took me in and raised me as her own. She was very straightforward about my being adopted since it was very obvious, but despite it all, I never once thought of myself as anything but her son. It was a painful day when Ryth passed away, how could it not be when I lost the only mother I had known for 16 years.

   Though Lyr was there for me when it mattered, I remember when she was born. I was only 12 years old, and although I had seen Ryth have cubs multiple times over the years, it was the first time Ryth had let me be near her to help keep her calm. I was told later on that it was a particularly difficult labour and that my presence was the sole reason Ryth persevered through it. She has some older brothers and sisters, but she was the only one to find territory near Ryth's, thus making her the only one of Ryth's cubs that I interacted with over the years. She's still very cub-like despite currently being a 6-year-old tigress. I think the only mature thing she has ever done was take me in after Ryth was gone and protected me from larger male tigers who weren't too keen on talking things out when I accidentally entered their territories.

   "Tsk tsk Tiikeri, what kind of younger sister would I be if I did that?" Lyr snickered. "Now come on. Get back up on those two scrawny things you call legs and let's have a race! I think I can make it to the den and back before you can even make it halfway there." I stared blankly at my so-called sister, waiting for the realization that I would never be able to outrun her. Sadly the realization never came, so I had to point it out.

   "Lyr. Human," I gestured to myself and then to her as I stood, "tiger. I physically can not beat you in a race, even if I tried. Nor in a fight. Remember?" I swear sometimes this tigress is one of the dumbest despite likely being the best fighter amongst all the other tigers of Algar forest. She never really let herself think things through before Ryth died, but afterward, I feel like she stopped thinking altogether. I guess that just happened to be her way of dealing with the loss.

   Lyr looked to be thinking for a moment before making an awkward shrugging motion and loping off towards the den. She knew better than to believe that I actually considered myself a human. Eighteen years of this life, and I had still yet to meet another one. It consistently makes me wonder if I even have the right to call myself a human? I feel more like a monster, despite my appearance. Living with the soul and brain of a tiger trapped inside an almost furless, two-legged body. Clenching my fists, I kicked at the ground. Every year, nearly dying during the cold winters due to my body not being built to survive outdoors, I had to ask myself; why am I still here? Especially when I know that I shouldn't be. How I am staying alive is clearly abnormal and unreasonable. Lost in my own swirl of depressive thoughts, I almost missed the sound of a twig snapping behind me. Keywords being 'almost missed it.' Turning my head to look around, my gaze met a pair of eyes that reminded me of a sunrise.

   I froze. "Who...?" The voice rang in my ears, delicate and light. Without looking away, I retreated slowly. When the other being didn't approach, I turned and ran. My mind racing faster than my body would allow me to move. Was that another human? They seemed similar to me, but also very different. Two-legged, though the fur on its head was short. I swear it had bunny ears too, but I've never seen a bunny that looked so similar to me before. It was strange and otherworldly. The being's eyes were light and full of curiosity, they seemed to stare right through me. Once I was sure I had gotten far enough away, I stopped to catch my breath. I wasn't sure how long I had been running for, but my lungs felt like they were on fire. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest so hard that it hurt. Glancing over my shoulder, I was unsure if I wanted to run back to get another look or head home to Lyr. Judging by the fact that the ache beneath my ribs got stronger as I looked back the way I came, I thought long and hard about what just happened before making a decision. 

   "Just one more look wouldn't hurt, right?" Lyr would likely come looking for me, but if that was another human, then I couldn't afford to run away. My curiosity got the better of me, forcing my choice to be made. I needed to know what I saw. If I did see another human, maybe they could help me learn more about humans and more about myself. As I made my way back to the place I had heard the mysterious voice, I felt a sudden pain in the back of my head.

   "Tiikeri! Tiikeri wake up!" Jolting upright, I took in my surroundings. It was barely dark out, the moon just slightly above the horizon. Disoriented and confused, I couldn't figure out where I was or what was I doing. As I turned to look around more, I came face to face with a tigress staring at me intently. "Are you ok? You were tossing and turning in your sleep. Another bad dream?"

   "Sleep?" I could barely believe it. All of that was a dream? "It felt real, Lyr, genuinely lifelike. It wasn't exactly a bad dream, but something I've never seen before was there. I could feel its eyes on me." I shivered involuntarily as cold air blew through the dusk air. "Have you ever seen a creature that was sorta like me but has bunny ears?"

   "Oh, you're such a cub," she shook her head. "Things like that don't exist, and you know it. Come on, mother raised you to be tougher than this. Plus, now you have me watching your back. What sort of stupid creature do you think will try anything when you got this sort of back up? No need to worry, especially over something that was only a dream. Now come on, the moon's up, so it's time to hunt." She flashed her teeth at me before loping out of the den.

   Maybe I am just being paranoid, but something was different about that dream. Shaking off my insecurities, I picked myself up off the ground. As I left the den, I closed my eyes to let the sounds of the woods encompass me. My senses were on high alert with every breath I took. I could barely hear the noises of potential prey over the growling sounds of hunger reverberating from myself, but I needed to focus. If I couldn't, then I may not get to eat tonight unless Lyr decides she feels like sharing. I walked silently through the woods, keeping my ears open for any rustles in the trees and bushes. Unlike Lyr, I couldn't stalk my prey because there was no way for me to catch it. So instead, I had to use a different method to get by. I had to let my prey stalk me.

   Finding a clearing, I sat down near the edge of the treeline. If anything is going to stalk me, it will need the forest to hide while approaching me. The sudden flock of birds fleeing in the distance above the treetops inform me that a predator is nearby. It could be Lyr, or it could be something else. Steadying my breathing and focusing on the sounds around me, I wait patiently. I picked a quiet clearing with few noise-making insects, to make sure I would be able to hear anything falling for my trap. Sure enough, as I waited, it wasn't long before there was the sound of footsteps approaching. 

   Glancing over my shoulder, I caught a glimpse of a tail flicking behind the bushes. Just my luck. Rather than a wild boar stumbling upon me like usual, tonight I piqued the interest of a leopard. Guess it's going to be one of those nights. Making an effort to stand up, I decided to give the leopard a chance to find other prey elsewhere. Turning to face the feline stalking me, I sighed before making direct eye contact. "You know, you'd have better luck finding prey elsewhere."

   The leopard appeared startled but only proceeded to step out from its hiding place. "Better luck? How much better than finding a defenseless human right here?" Stretching my neck, I braced myself for the inevitable pounce. 

   I was always underestimated, which generally worked in my favour. Letting the leopard take me down, I maneuvered myself away from the barred jaws. My back crashed against the muddy field, and I used the mud to my advantage to slide slightly further under the leopard than it likely expected. It was for moments like this that Ryth suggested I use a sharp piece of bone to hold my hair up, and I'm glad I listened to her. Pulling the bone from my hair, I proceeded to counterattack. Dark red blood poured from the leopard's neck as I stabbed and sliced through the thick skin. It wasn't easy to avoid being mangled by large claws and a roaring jaw, but I somehow managed to prevent myself from sustaining life-threatening injuries. The fight wasn't over yet, though the leopard moved out of my reach and began to circle. Holding my weapon tightly in my fist, the leopard snarled at me. Narrowing my eyes, I acknowledged that it was my turn to be the aggressor. I had one shot, that was it. Diving forward, I took my chances. The leopard lunged towards me at the same time. Bringing the bone in front of my face, I grabbed it with both hands. Unable to dodge out of the way, I slammed the weapon between the leopard's open jaws with the full force of my body. It was just long enough to pierce the skull. As the predator met its end, my body coated with its blood, I fell to the ground. It didn't matter how many times I hunted, I loathed having to kill to survive. 

   Wiping the blood off the piece of bone, I placed it back in my hair. I would make sure to honour the life I took tonight by making use of everything the leopard had to give. The bones would be sharpened into more weapons, Ryth once said humans wore things through their ears. That could be a viable option to carry more weapons after all. Additionally, the fur would be added to the pile we kept to help me survive through the cold winters. As I finally caught my breath, I lifted the dead carcass onto my shoulders in preparation for the long trek back to the den. With a final look at the leopard's lifeless face that hung near mine, I started to walk.

   "I'm sorry..."