The days in the woods always start the same. First there would be the birds chirping, only one at first, shyly calling, until others would join in their morning conversation as the bright blinding light emerges from the horizon, so strong that it casts a semi-circle at the entrance of the cave.
I yawn, my jaw clicking and clacking as I exhale deeply from my nostrils, making the dust on the floor part out of my way as my senses start to dull from the morning sun.
Most of my kind, at this point, would retreat deeply into hiding, safe in the shadows and away from the blinding sun, but I had always been some kind of oddity and liked to hunt in the day too.
One would be surprised by how many unprepared prey I have caught by hunting in the day, so use as they were with the safety of the light.
I have a good feeling that today's hunt will be worth the trouble too...
I had been tracking some deer for a couple of days, and I knew by experience that they would pass by here at this time of the year, searching for warmer places down south and still green grasslands were the snow never touched.
And yet… they were not the main dish I was looking for, only small snacks.
Because the main dish was usually close by, following the herd, hunting them down for themselves.
Ahh… the mere thought of having one of them, the juicy meat, the crunchy bones… Any would do…
Humans and ghouls alike.
They had quite a similar taste after all, though the first was juicier than the last, probably for the lack of meat from the ghouls and the need to hunt they had, making them more muscle driven than fat driven.
More… crunchy.
No worries, both would satisfy my tastes, the only downside is that to maximize my food options, however, is the need to hunt at night as well as in broad daylight.
I almost drool at the mere thought, passing one of my arms over my mouth. As I take a good sniff of what the wind was bringing to my nostrils, eyes closed because of the sun coming from the entrance, I start to click my flexible jaws together, making a clacking sound that makes me able to locate things close by; nothing if compared to my night vision, but still better than being totally blind.
Even better was using both at the same time in small close-in space like this.
I start walking out of the cave, shaking the sleep away and noisily clacking my scales together, passing over the very uneven interiors of the cave, the walls, floor and ceiling full of pointy rocks, crooked pillars and round stones put together on top of each other.
The only smoothen place around were the places I used to pace about, made from my walking around all the time while dragging my long tail behind me.
This placed seemed to have had people before, or at least it was used by them, the remaining of railings and long-dead lights laying around, as well as some carved stairs on the stone at the entrance, most of the cave remaining untouched, probably for sightseeing.
At the right from the place I was walking at there is a cold underwater river that poked a little bit of water out, forming a small lagoon and a few rivers moving along the stone visible to the eye.
As I pass by my image is reflected over its murky dark waters, a huge burly creature with its whole body filled with scales that looked more like stones attacked to my tick carapace skin, strong big out-turned hind legs holding all that weight upwards, as well as four long big arms with five fingers each and strong black claws.
I exhale again, snorting, and my nostrils fire up. The back of my head and back was full of small horns and stick hair poking out until the tip of my tail, while my strong jaws were flexible as the mouth of a snake, holding two fangs poking out from the lower jaw, being the ones used to make clacking sounds when needed by hitting at each other.
And yet what, above all else, what is more eye-catching is the pair of red ablaze eyes, the pupil forked like a reptile and shrinking when excited; the bigger difference, however, from our reptile companions, or any animal for what matter, is that there were a total of 3 pupils in each eye, one at the center and two smaller ones at the side, looking into opposing directions and giving me a very wide camp of view.
I hit the floor with my big long tail, a deadly smirk full of sharp teeth appearing on my face at the sight of me lethal self.
It is time to hunt.
As I walk outside and into the light there is a kind of protection on my face that closes two big scales over my eyes, protection completely from the light as well as any damage, but leaving only my other senses to guide me.
Able to crunch trees with my bare hands I was not afraid of predators… But I wouldn't deny that the lack of sight is quite troublesome for some quick-paced prey.
But to a chase like this… is was far than enough.
I prepare myself to receive the herd, and as the tigers I do not chase them down nor try to sneak with my huge body, but instead I already knew where they were going to pass by perceiving where they came from, taking distance from the herd and arriving at the passage in between first to cut them off.
At that I climb a strong tree, something simple to do when you have four arms and a long tail to keep the balance and help your body up, and lowering my scales, by a trick of the light, my once silver body turns darker, blending with the leaves shadows, making so that even my massive body would be hard to find, especially since most creatures did not look up while walking about.
The rest is no mystery, having to patiently wait for the prey to come and step in my ambush, something I had done so many times before, which always ended with some sort of meal for me to later munch on, if not human or ghouls, then at least deer meat…
But my instincts were right and, after a day of waiting for the herd, a different scent hits my nose and it is far greater than any pitiful deer may smell as.
That makes a small purr grow deep in my throat.