The thing looked like a dot that grew ever so slightly in the critter's vision as it flew towards it's head. It's instincts kicked in before it's brain could identify the object flying at it. And not too soon at that as the danger forced it to jump without a second thought, the incredibly sharp edge shaving off some hair from it's plump derrière as it passed under it.
It had met many beasts in it's time, some of which did have the ability to use some part of their body to launch projectiles like spikes or breaths of heat or poison, but none which could do so, so quickly. Usually there was always a wind up, the intake of breath, the snapping of cartilages, all signals of a potential ranged attack from it's victim. Those would always reach it's ears, allowing it to circumvent the danger before the danger even began.
This was the first time it hadn't been able to hear the attack coming before it was already in the air. It wasn't even given the moment to be bewildered before another one came flying at it. Without a moment to lose, it began to run madly towards the next hunting ground.
This one was persistent, but as long as a big enough contender came into play, the hunter should be easy pickings. But it first needed to increase the distance, and what better way was there than to give the hunter some competition.
Before long it had spotted one that might give the hunter it's match, a canine snout was jutting from within the sand. It took to the resting beast without a moment of thought and kicked the nose which irritated the thing into a stupor as it intended.
Only once it left it's sandy blanket did the beast's frame come into view. If seen from afar it would look like a dessert coyote, with it's bony and famished looking build. Hunched over and standing on it's two back legs, many would consider if it was a distant cousin to the more famous werewolves.
While it may seem haggard in appearance, it would be anyone's first and last mistake to underestimate it. It looked this way from choice of habit, not the inability to kill. In fact it was so good at the act that it's life would switch between periods of voracious appetite where it would consume all that crossed it's path up till the point of obesity, followed by periods of coma-like hibernation where it rested until burned through all it's stores.
This one had found itself woken up just before it completed it's cycle. It was now very clear of the two things it felt which was a sudden onslaught of unbearable hunger and the nagging irritation of being forcefully awoken from it's sleep which many would know as a very dangerous combination of the emotional spectrum known as 'hangry'.
And in it's sights was the rodent which inflicted this feeling upon it, being chased by another creature. At least the rude awakening was accompanied by a meal, it thought to itself as it began it's chase.
With a single leap, it's front claws were already within reach of the hunter's neck, with a nick of it's blade like nails the artery would of it's competition/bonus meal would be spurting blood like a geyser.
But as it's claws passed by it did not feel the tear of flesh. It's prey had ducked under at just the right moment, the sudden change in motion gave it the illusion that it was about to finish it's kill while the other hunter was in fact curled up right under it.
Before it could understand the intricacies of the technique, a leg shot upwards at a very unstable angle, and yet the force that connected with the side of it's chin was nothing to scoff at as it felt it's jaw almost shift from it's socket. If it hadn't dodged in the nick of time, there was no telling the kind of pain it would be feeling right now.
Only now did it realize that the other creature was somewhat it's match. But as a predator, it couldn't back down, especially not after it had been disturbed and it's territory intruded but two smaller beasts. In the wild, the illusion of weakness was much more dangerous than weakness itself, as strong as it was, if several beasts came one after another to challenge it for territory, it wouldn't have any peace until it was dead.
Worst still was the fact that after the creature sent that kick towards it's jaw, it sent it's next attack towards the escaping critter, it's spear gliding through the air in the next second. It was as if it's adversary was saying that it, with it's abilities were a mere annoyance to it's hunt for that much smaller creature.