The little jet-black scorpion wandered in the untouched Forest of Ulnar, his stomach was hungrily wailing for food, he was actively searching for a prey. So hungry and tired that with every step his consciousness was fading away. He had not eaten anything for the past few weeks. If he doesn't get anything today, he might not get to witness the tomorrow to continue the search, cruelly dying and left at the mercy of the red-ants.
These forests are brutal. This single fact was, by birth, itched in all living beings who dwelled in it. Nature may look sweet from far but is a nightmare, surely a nightmare to those who witnessed it.
While he continued his travel from the silent streams to the giant bushes, he still couldn't get the reward of his hard work. His morale and energy were completely destroyed till he sensed something, better described as an oasis for a thirsty traveler in a desert, or as a crate full of coins for a pirate, or in his case- a prey.
Outside the bushes, beside the tree, an insect was at leisure. Although it was a small insect, he was not going to let it go away since the starving had no choice in their food.
Garnering all his energy, he prepared himself to attack.
On the other hand, the little insect was still unaware of his predator's intentions.
The scorpion then launched his immense waves of attacks with his venomous pincer, containing enough poison to easily kill a dozen of humans. But the insect somehow dodged his attacks, and tried to run away from him.
That's when his pincer pierced its thin skin, instantly stopping it at its place. Its little limbs were trembling in pain and it lived only for a few more seconds until it died.
The insect's corpse was now lying in front of him. He got the fruit of his hard work. Now what was left was to consume his hunt and get the taste of it.
But then, out of nowhere, he felt extreme loads over his body constantly pressing him to the ground. The force became unbearable for him until all his limbs started to pop off his body, all of his body-fluids were slowly being consumed by the soil, and he died there instantly, in pain.
The giant carriage was furiously making its way deep into the forest, mercilessly crushing any insect or animal that came in its path. The chauffeur stroked the horses and quickly increased their speed on those unpolished roads.
In this forest where even a bird's chirp echoes in almost the entirety of the forest, the loud tremors and noises from the carriage trembled the forest as if some kind of monster was coming to wipe them out. All insects, birds and animals ran as far as they could, trying to save their life.
But the carriage never slowed a bit, continuously moving along the treacherous path until the chauffeur saw some sun rays falling on the ground, and then stroked the horse, stopping in an open area in the center of the forest.
The chauffeur looked around, at the trees around him, carefully observed the thick bushes and then at the orangish clouds in the sky. Then he silently tapped the wooden door and announced, "My lord, we have reached there."
A loud sound brought an eerie silence to the forest. Birds flew across the skies, the insects burrowed themselves in the ground. The lord had opened the door with a tight and sharp kick, then threw out a sack containing something very heavy and- something quite living.
It was moving, struggling in its confines, nervous and scared. But it made no sound as if it had no voice.
Then the lord jumped off the carriage, looked at the living being within the sack with utter disgust, gathering his immense hatred until he started to kick it.
His attacks brought a great pain to the being, with every kick filled with more hatred than the last one, the sack soon got some spots of red dyed by the ink of those demons of abyss.
The being within the sack soon stopped protecting itself and passed out.
Soon after, the lord too got tired from all the beatings and huffed due to lack of air to his lungs.
Particularly, he still wasn't still content with his torture. He wanted more. More pain, more terror and more suffering to the being as it was clearly visible over his face. As soon as he got his breath, he again started his brutal attacks but this time the being did not move, neither did it try to protect itself, just laid on the ground unmoving.
But it didn't matter whatsoever to the lord– just that was his hate toward it.
On the other hand, the chauffeur was constantly looking at the melting sun and as the darkness was enclosing the forest little by little, he was actively trembling.
He finally convinced himself to open his mouth when he realized that his life is more valuable than getting thrashed or losing his job.
"M.. my- My lord!" he said.
The lord instantly turned his head toward him, his face looking like a hornless demon, pumped up red in anger.
"I.. I f-firmly apologize for my interruption. But the sun is setting down. We must hurry up, my lord, or we might never be able to leave."
The lord too understood the seriousness of the situation. He quickly accessed the sky and ordered the chauffeur to turn the carriage. And while his servant was carrying out the task, the lord planned to finish the work he came for- to remove all traces of that being.
He took his golden sword out and thrusted it into the sack.
The being within it was uncontrollably withering like a snake, curling left right and center in pain but that made no effect on him and he just twisted it again and again bathing his blade with its blood.
When the being stopped moving, it brought peace to him. He then took out his blood-soaked blade, put it in his place, and entered his carriage.
The chauffeur stroked the horse and they soon vanished from the forest.
And then the sun sat and darkness curtailed the forest.
A few moments later, in the shadowy depths of the night, a knight emerged from the dense bushes, clad in black armor reflecting the moonlight, its chest-plate and blade fully drenched in fresh blood.
And he stood here, his dead eyes prying at the lifeless sack.
"Nature is a nightmare but humans.. even nature and the angels of god are scared of."- Lysander Leo Forbes