I waited till the last light went out in town before entering the forest. I exchange my armor for normal clothing and pulled along a small goat to use at the bait. I left my sword at home and only brought the largest yet hide-able knife which is tucked away inside my boot. I only wanted to catch this beast not kill it. The trees made it difficult to see where I was going; their branches reach out to cover the night sky. Only a few specks of moonlight had breached the thick leaves of the trees to reach the ground. I listen carefully for any abnormal sounds as I walk down the dark path; The goat's bell was the only thing making a sound. I waited till I got deeper in the forest and the path had become no more before tying the goat to a tree.
I rubbed a sleeping elixir into its fur earlier allowing it to soak it all up. Anyone or anything that consumes this will fall into a deep sleep and won't wake up till the following day. I waited for what feels like forever till I heard the leaves in the trees shaking. The wind is nonexistent tonight so this was something else. I kept my ears alert as I scanned the area. The goat started to pace as it began to make more of a ruckus. I heard something land on the tree next to me followed by a low growl. I look up to see a large shadowy figure staring, not at the goat but me instead.
"Oh, crap," I whisper to myself. I slowly started to back up trying hard not to startle it. Without warning, the creature lunged out of the tree with a heavy roar. Its teeth bare as the moonlight shine upon them. I jumped out of the way as it collided with the ground. I backed up next to the goat as it was recovering. The glowing eyes of the beast stared back at me from the darkness. A feeling I once felt when I was younger had started to come back: a prey being stalked by a predator. I can feel my instincts taking over as the creature began to come forward into the light. Its form was that of a mountain lion but bigger on the end of its tail was that of a furball. It swishes the ball around as if it were getting ready to strike, its head held low as it began to circle the goat and me. With speed like lightning, it pounces, grabbing the goat in a blink of an eye, I waited as the ringing sound of the bell became almost fading. I activated my speed kicking off my shoes as I broke into a sprint as the forest around me started to blur. My form changing to fit my speed. My ears and feet growing longer with each step I took and patches of white fur growing all over my body along with my face as my nose became more sensible to smells around me. I felt my speed growing as the sound of the bell sounded closer. I stayed back a few feet so that I can find out where it lives, following it to an ancient tree with a small cave entrance hidden by its roots. I watched it entering the cave as my curiosity as to why it risks taking a goat that was tied up and not attacking me grew and grew. Inching closer to the cave, I began to smell something familiar. Something I haven't smelled since I was a kid. Something I smell from mothers with their young: Fresh Milk. I can hear the weak sounds of it's, no, her young as I got closer. The mother stays by the entrance, her back facing me, as her young chowed down on the goat.
"That's why she attacking the villagers. She was protecting her young."
The lioness took notice of my presence as she made a low growl, I kept my distance while trying to be as less threatening as possible as I sat down at the entrance.
"It's ok, I'm a friend." I softly called out. Her ears perked up but stayed in a defensive stance.
"I know you can understand me since beast-men like me are the only ones who can understand mutes like you" I watch as she inches closer. Twitching my ears, I watched as her kits began to yawn and fall into a deep sleep. Worried, the mother nudged the closes cub with her tail.
"It's okay," I assure her, " I dosed the goat fur with a sleeping potion." Her ears went flat against her head as she bared her teeth. "That was before I knew about your litter. Rest assured they will be fine by morning." I struggle to say.
The mother, now calm, came over and rest her head on my lap. All this running around must've made her exhausted. But I can't stay here, I am on a deadline after all. What am I going to say? I racked my brain on what I was going to do till I felt a sandpaper texture go up against my elbow. I looked down to see the mother licking my elbow as if to comfort me. I softly patted her soft head which was followed by a very loud purr.
"I'll stay for a couple of days to check up on you and to make sure no one bothers you and your family." I flash a smile. She nodded and started picking up her children. I raced back through the dense forest almost dreading the meet-up with the mayor. I shifted back to human as I exited the forest only to be greeted by an anxious mayor.
"That was quite fast, were you able to find it." He kept fidgeting as he talks as his eyes wander behind me as if he were expecting someone.
"Yes, I found them." I corrected him. His eyes widened with fear.
"There are more of them." He began to sweat.
"A mother and her cubs, that would also explain why she attacked your people. She believed they were there to harm her children."
"I see." The mayor began to fidget even more.
"If you don't mind me asking, you seem distracted. Has something happen?" I question him.
"It's my son, he just heard that his best friend passed away due to his injuries."
"From the beast?"
"Yes, he went with my son to hunt down this monstrous beast." Anger began to fill his voice.
"This "monstrous beast" as you call it is actually called a Ball-Tail cougar. They are uncommon in several parts of the country including here since they reside up north. Their main diet consists of mostly cows and other creatures it's sized but never human so any deaths you blame it for was merely accidental due to either infections or severe blood loss." I felt cold as I said that and thought it best to change the topic.
"How is your son may I ask?" The mayor stops fidgeting. He looked at me with the eyes of a worried father.
"Th-that's the problem. After he heard about his friend, he...."
"He what??"
"He grabbed his sword and ran into the forest right after you entered." He blurted out. Tears ran down his face. "Please find my boy, I'll double the award. Just please find my boy!" He grabbed hold of my shirt. At this point, I didn't care about the money rather I'm concerned about the Ball-tails more than ever.
"Ok mister mayor, I go look for him." I calmly answered. More tears came gushing out as he grabbed my hands and placed them on his forehead.
"May the heavens bless you child for you have a heart of gold."
I race back towards the forest, shifting into my beast form once again as I entered. As soon as I got close to the lair, the sickening smell of death filled my nose. I felt my heart drop as I got closer. I had arrived at a massacre. Blood was everywhere, all over the ground, all over the entrance to the hidden cave, and all over the boy who just sat there. Back into my human form, I walked out into the clearing. The dead body of the lioness reached me first. The mayor's son lifted his head to see me. His face was just blank as if what he had done hadn't sunk in yet but the moment we locked eyes, tears started gushing out.
"Oh god, what have I'd done." He whispered to himself. I knelt next to this once mighty cat to close her eyes till her eyes jerked in my direction. Her chest slowly going up and down.
"You're ok!" I happily shouted.
"I followed you back...I didn't even notice the human." The lion gasped for air. I look up to the grief-stricken boy half expecting him to look shocked but I remember that humans can't understand Mutes like we beast-men do.
"I came back...and found my children...dead." Grief filled her voice as she looks towards the cave.
"Please save your strength." I urge her.
"Not all of them..." she started.
"What?"
"One more left...I'll entrust her to your care from one beast to another." She gave me a small grin.
"No I can't, please save your strength. I can help you so please don't give up!" I begged.
"It's too late for me.....my wounds are too deep and I lost too much blood." Her eyes began to slowly shut as her breathing slowed. I can hear her heartbeat slowing down. I felt the burning sensation of tears beginning to form as the mother's breathing came to a halt. I sat there for what felt like hours, holding back my tears as I watch the boy cry very much as his father did before. I then look at the cave, remembering what the lion had said.
I entered the cave, releasing my bunny ears as I entered. Lifeless bodies of the cubs laid at my feet. I should feel grateful since they had just entered a spell-induced sleep. That would mean they had died in their sleep. It was my fault that this happened. As I stood there, I heard a soft rustle from the very back of the cave. I inched forward, carefully stepping over the bodies. I reached the back only to have my heart skip a beat. Just hidden in a pile of bones was a little black ball tail swinging back and forth. I carefully pushed the bones aside to reveal a black Ball-tailed cougar cub that was about the size of a small house cat. I scooped it up in my arms as I realized something. I looked at its brother and sisters to see that they all have the same fur color while this little fella was the only one with black fur. There's a name for this but I can't exactly remember it. I exited the cave to see the boy still sobbing. He slouches over with his hands over his stomach which was wrapped in bandages and blood had seeped through. He must've reopened his wounds during his rampage.
"I killed them. I killed them all. I didn't mean to." He mumbled through his tears. I looked at him, not with disgust or rage, but with pity. Humans are so easily run by their emotions; it's a wonder how they beat us during the Great War.
"What have I done. I killed all of them." He repeated.
"Not all of them." I knelt beside him to show the sleeping cub. More tears ran down his tear streak face as he laid his eyes upon it.
The trip took longer than before since now I had to carry a sleeping cub and a recovering boy who is actually taller than me. We were greeted by an overjoyed mayor and a concerned doctor. I stayed two more days in that small town to help heal the mayor's son. The townspeople, along with the mayor, were sadden by the death of the innocent cougar family. They provided fresh meat for the little cub as soon as she woke up as well as cow milk for her. I was given my doubled bounty upon the agreement that I was to bring the mayors son, Timmothy, with me as to apologize for the "incident". So now I have two new companions to accompany me in my travels of course though only one of them doesn't know my secret, at least I hope he doesn't.