I could smell them as soon as they stepped into my territory. Their outer flesh was badly weather worn, but beneath the surface I felt their thick blood pumping incessantly around their bodies. I felt my chest start to open. I continued to crouch down in my patch of grass, my bare feet poised on their points. They were young and as I'd learned recently, younger flesh tended to be much tenderer.
"Are you sure it's safe to come out here? There have been a lot of disappearances lately. There are rumours that a monster from the outer areas has moved here. I think we should be more careful."
The voice was light; it was obvious that the girl speaking wasn't very old, maybe sixteen at maximum.
"Trust me; we're going to be fine. If a monster from the outer areas had actually moved here the kingdom would have taken action to kill it, they wouldn't allow something to cross the border without hunting it down. Besides, I've fought against the beasts from the outer section. I'm confident I can handle one of them. All you'll have to do is run. I won't let any harm come to you."
This voice was much deeper, it was apparent that this was a young man, maybe twenty or so. The amount of blood flowing through him indicated that he had quite a bit of muscle mass. There were a few patches of scar tissue on his arms and his chest, telling me that he was a seasoned fighter. Something inside me wanted to burst out into a cackle. I managed to suppress it to a smirk. Oh, how wonderful! The girl would be tastier, but that man would provide me with sustenance. I was beginning to worry, lately my food had been getting worse in quality, but a meal like him would last me another week! I wouldn't have to cross over to the outer zone to feed just yet.
"Look! There are tracks here!" The man pointed them out to the girl. "Can you tell me what they belong to?" The eagerness in his voice was easily conveyed to the girl.
"Of course, brother. These marks belong to a jumir!"
"Excellent! For your luck to be this high, I might bring you along on more hunts." He smiled at her.
"Don't be silly, you know I still need a lot more training."
"But it will be soon, I'll take you out to the outer area. You'll be able to learn much more from being out there."
The girl just hit him lightly on the shoulder before dropping into a stealthier stance. She started following the markings over to the grasses where I was waiting. I lowered onto all fours. I was fully salivating now. The young man followed behind her.
I could now see them clearly . The man had sandy blond hair, bleached out by the sun, whilst the girl's long chestnut hair shone. The man was tall, his arms and legs thick with muscle. In contrast, the girl was petite with much thinner limbs. I was annoyed. There wasn't much meat on her after all. They each held spears and wore a hide shirt and combat trousers, much like I used to. My retractable clawed nails dug into the soil, my bloodshot eyes focused completely on the man ahead of me. The closer he got the more I knew about him. Sensing his blood flow told me which muscles would tense, allowing me to predict his movements. Even with my eyes closed I could understand what he was likely to do. They went silent as they started their hunt. Ha ha ha!
"Did you hear that, sister?" The man asked. He was now on edge. Idiot! I nearly ruined my own plan. "Be careful," he told her as he moved further forward, completely blocking my path to her. That's it, just a bit closer... Now!
I rushed out at them, fangs bared in a snarl, nails extended, grabbing at the man's throat. His jugular pulsed rapidly. No! I pulled myself back, pulling my own legs out from underneath me. I tumbled into the dust at their feet, rolling onto my stomach.
"Leave! Quickly! I can't control myself! It will kill you too!"
The siblings had stepped back, greatly alarmed at my charge. Once I was on the ground, however the brother regained his composure.
"Are you alright? What happened to you? We have medical equipment, we can help!"
"No, you idiot! Just run, I don't know when it will attack again!"
"Did you see his chest, brother? It looks like he's been disembowelled!"
I was covered in blood from my previous hunts, giving the impression that I was seriously injured.
"Where's this beast? I usually hunt in the outer zones so I can fight it off! Remi, see to his wounds, I'll guard you!" He stepped forwards to protect us from the grass patch.
I tried to speak again, but the saliva filling my mouth prevented me. I was starting to lose control of my limbs. My hand unclenched. Remi came over and tried to roll me onto my back.
"Just leave! I can't hold it back much longer! I'll kill you both!"
This left the pair shocked, Remi retreated to her brother.
"I think he's delirious. He must have lost too much blood. I don't know if we can save him."
Remi's brother showed his experience in the situation. The calm in his voice spoke volumes about his encounters.
"The best we can do for him now is to end it quickly." He raised his spear and stepped towards me. I froze. Being in mortal danger had ignited my instinct to survive, removing my last shackles and giving me over to the monster. I rolled over.
The man's face blanched at the sight of my abdomen. Evidently, he'd never seen anything like it in all his life. A giant mouth split my torso apart, from just below my neck to the top of my pelvis. It was vertical and filled with sharp teeth. There was no throat. Beyond the teeth was an endless darkness. Just looking would make you feel dizzy. My hand grabbed out and held his ankle. The sharpened nails pierced his Achilles tendon, rendering escape impossible. My next thrust saw my fingers dig into his stomach. Having crippled him I moved onto his sister. It was over all too soon.