Hunting Season
Chapter 1
CRACK
“They’re starting to get way too close.” thought Zittie as the last arrow shattered against the tree ahead of her, showering her fur in wood chips and splinters. “I need to lose them at the river if I want to make it back before night.”
Zittie knew Kat and Archie were on her tail, but it at least meant she knew where they were. Unfortunately, she hadn’t spotted Zelera yet, meaning there was probably an ambush waiting for her somewhere. If no one saw her jump in, she could swim the river up to Lake Misserin and sneak the two miles back to the lodge. Either way, she had to break away from Kat and Archie first.
CRACK
Another arrow struck a tree, snapping Zittie back to the fact that she’s still being chased; planning can wait. Strangely, every missed shot comforted Zittie. Archie was a hell of a shot and could hit a horsefly from 30 ft; meaning he was probably shooting from over 50 ft back. If she moved into denser woods, he would lose his advantage and Zittie could easily outpace him. Kat, on the other hand, was a different beast entirely.
As soon as she started to hear those heavy footsteps, Zittie knew she had to switch up her strategy. Kat was faster than her and an excellent tracker. Even if Zittie tried to hide, she knew that Kat would find her trail and catch her eventually. While trying to figure out how to lose them, the answer hit her nose with the force of a great club; a boar. Thinking quickly, Zittie shoved a fistful of rocks in her pocket before scaling up a nearby tree. Once she made her way up, she focused on the creature’s scent. When Kat got closer, Zittie pulled out the rocks she had gathered. She closed her eyes as she palmed them; feeling each rock and picturing them in her mind.
“Which way did she go?” shouted Kat towards Archie, his response too distant to make out.
“I think we shoul-” before Kat could finish, Zittie launched the rocks through the foliage; pushing against them with the force of her thoughts.
A deep growl emanated past the underbrush as the wild boar trampled through behind it. The creature’s steps thundered as it hit the earth, mimicking the power of an approaching storm. Even with her immense height, the beast’s body still came up to Kat’s hip; its tusks primed to strike an artery if she wasn’t careful. Zittie knew Kat wouldn’t want to kill the animal if she didn’t have to, preferring to just lead it away from her and Archie. The plan worked as she heard their steps slowly dissipate. Zittie waited in the tree for a few more minutes, making sure she was in the clear, for now.
Wait, not yet.
That voice. Like a whisper in the back of Zittie’s mind. It wasn’t hers, but it was always there; ringing in her ear when it had nothing else to say. Most days she could filter out the noise, but it always came in waves. Today was a tropical storm in Zittie’s head, but it was always worse just after it spoke. Suddenly the ringing became all she could hear, all she could focus on. Still sitting in the tree, Zittie felt herself getting light-headed and losing balance. She laid down along the branch she sat on, wrapping her tail around it and hoping she didn’t go unconscious, falling out of the tree. Her tail wouldn’t be enough to hold her up if she fell, but it at least helped her stay balanced. As her senses started returning to her, Zittie started hearing the crunching of leaves approaching. Sitting herself back up, she scanned the forest floor. Were Kat and Archie already back or was it another animal? No, it was Zelena.
The fact that she walked so calmly made Zittie concerned, as if she was taking a casual stroll on a warm sunny day. Zittie held her breath in fear, knowing Zelena’s hearing was just as good as her nose. Once she felt safe, Zittie lowered herself down from the tree and tried to orient herself again, regaining her bearings and continuing towards the river.
After an hour of travel, Zittie made it to the edge of the treeline approaching the river. A long open clearing of 40 ft. bordered the river on each side. The chances of being spotted as she made the sprint were slim, but if seen her plan would fall apart. Thinking of the long swim, Zittie’s stomach growled like a cornered wolf. She pulled half a loaf of old, stale bread from her bag, rummaging through the rest to see what else would be ruined as she swam. Not wanting to waterlog her journal, she buried it under the tree she sat under, leaving nothing but a clear crystal prism, her wolf bone dagger, and small clay figurine in her bag. The bread itself was so stiff she split it against a rock before eating it, using her sharp incisors to gnaw at it and break it down further. She carved a mark into the tree in hopes of coming back to retrieve the book later. Once finished, Zittie steeled herself and gave a quick prayer to Enthos for protection. She was never a particularly strong swimmer, but luckily the current was on her side. Coming out of the foliage, she ran the short gap to the water’s edge and dove in.
Splash
The water was far colder than Zittie expected, quickly soaking through her fur and chilling her bones. At first, she struggled to surface as the river’s current tossed her about. Regaining her bearings, she floated on her back, letting the current carry her downstream. With her pack on her stomach, she closed her eyes and focused on staying warm. She had done this before, but it was never easy.
Mind over matter, Z.
You are stronger than you know.
Take back control.
This time, the voice was more assuring. It let her focus her thoughts on the task at hand, staying warm. Suddenly, Zittie’s fur grew longer and fuller. The new fur creating a dry pocket closer to her body, dense enough to keep the water out and slowly raise her body temperature. She opened her eyes again to face the sun above her. Night was quickly approaching and the transformation was severely taxing on her body. Zittie knew she wouldn’t be able to make it back to the lodge that night and would have to camp once she reached the lake.
Breathe. Now. Hold it.
Zittie didn’t understand. The message was both firm and urgent, as if scorning her for having not already done it. Confused, she listened, trusting its warning. While she never understood the nature of that voice in her head, it seemed to know more than her; protecting her from unseen dangers. As she held the breath, Zittie felt herself getting light headed. Her fur slowly returned to its natural length, eyes closed and focused on staying conscious.
Heavy footsteps were heard approaching quickly. Zittie opened her eyes to see Zelena running quickly towards the river bank. She instinctively dove, but the water was clear enough to still be seen. Zelena dived straight in, landing right above Zittie. Grabbing her leg, she pulled Zittie towards her and a grapple ensued between the two. As Zittie tried pushing Zelena off of her, they crashed down onto the stones of the river bed. After a few weightless punches, Zittie realized she would run out of breath before Zelena. With few options and time working against her, Zittie bit down on Zelena’s shoulder; her sharp incisors easily piercing through cloth and skin. Zittie saw the bubbles escaping as Zelena tried to scream, giving her a chance to break away. Unfortunately for Zittie, Zelena pulled out one of her daggers after surfacing again for air. Panic filled Zittie as she knew she wasn’t a strong enough swimmer to get away. Zelena closed the distance between them even faster than Zittie expected, grabbing the strap of her bag and pulling her in. With a quick slash of her dagger, she cut the strap of Zittie’s bag and dug into her arm. The pain caused Zittie to scream out the last of her breath.
Unleash.
The ringing pounded against the inside of her head; stronger than she ever felt. As Zelena pulled the dagger out of her arm, there was very little blood. Instead the wound secreted a black and silver substance that quickly filled the water, obscuring all visibility around them. The pain of the wound was dwarfed by the pain in her mind. No matter how hard she tried to focus, she was consumed by the pain, as if her mind itself contained a wildfire within it. She lost consciousness as the darkness filled everything around her.