There it perched in the high treetop, it's snout raised in the air. The creature breathes in, taking in the musky smells of the rain-soaked woods. The droplets poured down, blocking any sort of scent trails it seemed. But there... Just there he sensed it. The beast inhales, finding the odor again, focussing on it. Blood... Freshly spilled blood. Just as he expected. He knew that the villagers would offer him something up on nights like these. They always would. He unwraps his long feathered tail from the trunk of the massive tree. He then leans back on his haunches before leaping forward with great force. He leaps from tree to tree, his great talons scraping the bark away from their trunks. It would be dangerous to fly under a lightning riddled storm. But even so... He would find his prey.
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Ferrin's tired eyes scanned over the surrounding trees. His eyelids drooped, heavy and sleepy. He could feel himself gradually losing consciousness. The boy still bled. At this point, he realized if the beast didn't come for him he would still die. No doubt he would bleed out before morning's light. He listens carefully to his dismal surroundings, simply hoping it all to be over soon. But nothing could be heard but the falling rain in the canopy and the occasional roll of thunder. It was almost peaceful. Erie in its darkness. But peaceful. Ferrin could do nothing but anticipate what was to come. He wondered if he had no more tears to cry. And it was no use to try and scream again. He felt his head grow heavy, his limbs laying lip within the mud.
He looks to his lap. A flash of lightning allowed him to see the red stain of his blood gather at his thighs. The white cotton chemise was his only coverage... But that too was ruined. Once the lighting had flashed away, again the boy was left in almost pitch darkness. Suddenly, however, a loud screech ripped through the air. Ferrin jerks, lifting his head as he looks straight ahead. Again... The sound was there again. Louder now. It seemed to be all around him. No direction of its voice was apparent. Though Ferrin had just thought himself dry from tears, he again felt his eyes start to water. Then came the sound of crashing branches. Was it in the trees? It was too dark to tell... Ferrin began to pant, his heart beating rapidly in fear. Just ahead of him was the sound of something large landing onto the muddy ground.
The boy looks straight ahead. But he could see nothing. But there... With another clap of thunder, lightning streaked across the cloudy sky. In a flash of white, Ferrin saw it. The inky creature, black as the surrounding shadows. It stood on its four legs, peeking out into the clearing. It was almost as big as a house. And yet the beast was slim and sleek. It's feathered feet brandished massive talons, one of which would be large enough to rip a man in half no doubt. It stood in a position to pounce, almost like a cat. It's long tail swished about, the end feathers fanned out. The creature stared directly at him, bearing its razor-sharp teeth. Ferrin gazed into the beast's deep amethyst colored eyes. They were large. Despite the teeth, claws, and massive wings, the beast's eyes were what drew Ferrin's attention most.
He whimpers as the light diminishes, again leaving him in the dark. He starts to pull at his wrists stubbornly. The metal of the shackles dig into his flesh. A warm liquid started to seep down the palm of his hands... More blood. The boy cries softly, livid as he hears the creature stalk around him. Something brushed against his right cheek. Ferrin flinches, attempting to pull away from it. The tip of a broad feather, no doubt that of the end of its tail. He turns his head away, shutting his eyes tight. He could hear it behind him now, coming closer and closer. The beast approaches him. It breathes in his scent before then nudging his shackled hands with its snout. Ferrin cries out, trying to pull them away. He could feel it's hot breath against them as it sniffed. Ferrin bites his lip, trembling in fear. The creature then began to run its tongue against his palms and between his fingers. The boy whimpers, feeling a warm liquid accumulate beneath him. He had wet himself, helpless to it in his terror.
The beast pulls away, instead peeking out from behind the totem and sniffing Ferrin's face. He tries to tear away, holding his breath as it nudges his forehead with its nose. It chirps at him almost as it gently nips at his rain-soaked hair. Its breath was rancid... The smell of death. Ferrin sobs, unable to move away from the thing. The creature then lowers itself to his belly. It breathes in the scent of his blood before clamping its teeth onto the fabric, pulling at it. The boy quivers as the cotton was ripped away from his body. The thing shredded away a chunk of the chemise, only further exposing Ferrin to the harsh wind and rain. It then began to run its sandpaper-like tongue against the wound, licking away the blood. The boy sobs, looking to the sky as another flash of lightning illuminates the clearing.
"Oh, Goddess... Just kill me now!" He rasped out. The beast raised it's great feathered head as it hears him, staring directly at him. It was inches from his face... Ferrin could see nothing but the shimmer in its eyes now. He whimpered softly, unable to look away. All he could do was hold his breath, not wanting to take in its horrid scent.
The creature's tail wrapped around the stake in the ground, lifting it from the mud. Ferrin feelt the chains loosen a bit as the beast tossed it aside. The creature pulled away, again making it's way behind him. It chomped down onto the end of the chains, yanking them. Ferrin winced, the thing was only pulling him tighter against the wood. His wrists ached as the shackles burrowed further at his flesh. The boy cried out, yelping in pain. The beast began to shake it's head, thrashing the chains about. Yet still, they did not loosen. He was pulling from the wrong side. Ferrin coughed. They pressed tightly against his chest, knocking the wind out of him. The creature dropped the chains as it realized that its method wasn't working. It then leapt towards the back of the totem. It nudged the boy's hands again. The beast then bit down on the chain links that attached to the cuffs that firmly held the Ferrin in place. The two of such were tangled together, twisted into a sort of braid. He bit down harder, beginning to bend the metal with his teeth. The sound of was dreadful, and yet the beast didn't seem to mind.
Finally, the creature pulled it's great head, snapping the two chains apartband breaking their links. The binding dropped onto Ferrin's lap. He gasped in surprise from the heavy weight that suddenly slammed down on his thighs. He glanced back towards the creature, pulling his arms to his sides. His shoulders ached and popped in adjustment from the sudden change in movement. Though the boy was now free, he felt extremely weak. Everything hurt. His arms were numb from the loss of circulation. But still... He had to try. Ferrin weakly pushed the chains, leaning forward.
He soon freed himself, attempting to crawl away from the totem. He was on all fours, pulling himself forward. He grasped onto the mud in desperation as he attempted to crawl. However, in a short time, his knees collapsed beneath him. Each movement seemed to burn, and his body was failing him. The boy panted heavily in fear. The pain from the change in movement shot through his entire body. He shimmied away, clinging on to his will to live.
The feathered beast sat, simply watching as he saw the boy's pathetic attempt to escape. He then slowly, and calmly followed after, only taking a few paces to catch up. A curious glow was certainly in it's behavior. It tilted it's head down at the wriggling and crying boy, bowing down and nudging his shoulder with the end of it's nose. Ferrin only tried harder now to make an escape. It chirped softly, again lifting it's head. The beast raised it's paw over the boys slender figure. And then with another roll of thunder it dropped its massive talons on each side of Ferrin's waist. It pushed down its paw into the mud, trapping him. Ferrin gaspes, trembling as the creature ceased his movements. It then closed it's claws, grasping onto the boy's waist and scooping him up. The beast turned the boy to face him, pushing him against his feathered breast, holding him close. Ferrin sobbed, as he was lifted away from the mud, reaching out to grasp something, anything that may save him. He then kicks his legs which dangled beneath him. He struggled to break free, trying to wriggle himself away. But it was no use. He shut his eyes as he was shoved against the feathered creature. What was it doing? Why was it doing this? Ferrin could barely even comprehend. He simply felt weak, exhausted, and light-headed. It had all been too much. His heart was pounding. He could barely catch his breath.
There was nothing he could do. He was utterly helpless. Ferrin couldn't fight anymore... All he could do was hope. His head felt heavy as his vision began to fade. He knew what it meant... The boy often fainted. But of all times, now he was losing consciousness. He could no longer breathe. It was too much for his weakened body. He panted, grasping onto the soft feathers at the creature's chest. Soon enough the boy loses consciousness, simply laying limp in the beasts grasp. The creature realized this quickly. It raised it's head in the air and shrieked out again in its victory. It then adjusted, leaning back again on it's back haunches before running off and disappearing back into the trees. It jumped up, grasping the first trunk, and then the next, excited with his new gift. It would return back to it's lair, starting away towards Ferrin's uncertainty.