Looking down at the little thingie that had hit my side, I nudge it's head with my foot. Upon pressing down just a little though, it's skull caves in and the uppermost portion of it's noggin is turned into a rather lumpy liquid. Looking at the ickiness now glued to my toes, I sigh and return to my running stance.

I don't feel bad about the...death. I mean, our entire nest is made from dead things. It's just...there's something strange in me. Some...craving. I don't know what it is though, so I'll just have to ignore it and focus on the task at hand.

Digging my thick, stumpy nails into the rock of the tunnel, I use all of my strength to rush towards Mountain!

The big lug, big baby that he is, had started crying and spinning as fast as he could in an attempt to get the big kitty off of him. Kitty? Whatever.

Unfortunately for lil' bro, his spinning wasn't very fast at all and the feline just lazily swayed in it's spot. After I had gotten about halfway to him....he falls over. His eyes have this kind of swirly thingies in them, and I can see this little glowey thingie just above his head.

Strange...

I can't really focus on that for to long though, as one of the cats jumps directly in my path. It hisses as me, even claws at the air a few times as I continue to approach. After I get about three metres from the cat, it lunges straight towards my face and a mouth full of pointy white teeth says hello.

Well, not really of course.

Anyway, I try and think of a way to not get eaten here. Since opening my eyes, this has been the fourth time I've seen combat. That being said, this is the only time I've been a part of the actual fighting. A few of the cool things my mother can do while attacking comes to mind, but I really don't know if I can pull it off.

Then in a flash of light blue light, I see an image of myself spinning, almost like I had just done to get ready to run. Instinctually, my body starts to move on it's own not a moment later. As the world whirls around me, I just shut my eyes and hope for the best. Then just as my swing was reaching it's apex, I felt another thump right on the back of my shell.

Hearing a strange crunch, I turn and look at the felled assailent. The dark purple feline was simply lying there twitching and shivering, it's tongue lolled from it's mouth and scraping the ground. It's eyes though...it's eyes were still moving. Nearly silent whimpers managed to escape the thing's throat, but I could somehow tell it would likely never move again.

Slowly, I lift up my foot, and bring it smashing down with all the force I could muster. That...was suffering. At times, when a monster had attacked the nest, or we managed to pass by a dying beast in the tunnels, the screams and wails thier pain elicited from them was deafening. I...I can't do that to other things myself...

Congratulations! You have gained the title Merciful! In life, many people and creatures aim to cause pain and torment among their peers. You, however, wish only to be a gentle breeze among a land of burning infernos. At times, an adversary wishes for nothing more than death. When this happens, you will begiven a prompt to painlessly end their life. No blades, no spells, naught but the sweet release of life from their physical shells.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Hello again Squiglies, thank you...really. For once, I actually understand you completely.

Pulling in a breath, I once more begin my charge towards Mountain. In just a moment or two, Stoney is beside me, his squinty eyes and rough demeanor seeming to fit more with a bad taste than a fight.

Releasing a war cry, or maybe just a high squeek, we barrel through the enemy. Any of the cat thingies that attempt to jump at me are swatted aside by my shell. It slows us down just a bit, but I don't really have much of another option.

Looking over for a second, I see Stoney catch one of them in mid air and bite down. Despite the sickening crunch that sounded from the poor things neck, it was an extremely effective way of killing. I try is out myself, but I just don't have the sharp edge of a beak to really get the penetrating power needed. I could suffocate them, as it was impossible for the one I had caught to budge my mouth even the slightest bit.

Unfortunately, we just didn't have that kind of time. Oh...he's up again. Wait! Don't keep running!

Honestly, we would have probably already been to Mountain's side if he would stop moving. We've gone at least fifteen metres since the fight started, and he was standing less than two away from me at the start. We're gonna all need better nerves in the future if we don't want to get eaten.

Pushing those thoughts aside, I glare at the cat still sitting on his snout/forehead and jump just before I smash into my brother.

It was a pathetic attempt, comical even. Anyone or anything could tell you that it would be impossible to hit the kitty with that horrendous jump. However, just as I was about to crash into Mountin's lower jaw, he dropped like...well, a giant tortoise made of rock.

<*( Hello everyone! Akylas here! Look, I don't mind Orchid's inability to not know what she's dealing with, but in the language of Stone Golems the words 'cat,kitty,feline' each have like seven different versions of the words. With that being said, as the Minstrel of the Council, I'll be adding in the basic information about the monsters that she will deal with. I'm sure Zen won't mind me altering the memory feed just a bit for convenience.)*>

As the Rulka finally looks up from his paw, he is met with the image of the back of my thoat closing around his head. He,and let me say that by the angle I am coming from I definetely know it's a he, is a bit larger than most of the others, but nonetheless my curved beak digs into his neck just as my body crashes into his own.

The Rulka's body begins tumbling backwards, but the weight of my own quickly sends us skittering across the stone floor. I was upside-down again, but that seem sto have worked in my favor as I spin and the Rulka's sturdy body is being covered in small scrapes.

As we crash into a stalagmite, the stoney structure falls on the two of us. I don't really take any damage, as I probably weigh at least half as much as what is falling on us, but the hostage in my mouth stopped moving pretty quickly after the second rock had dented in it's chest.

It's around then that I hear a light roar, Mother. It was not meant to intimidate, as one of those would likely bust my ears as she knows, but it nonetheless announced her presence. I heard more than saw the rest of this cat 'pack' scurry off, but everal shadows rushed past the light in the small cracks I could see through the rocks atop of me.

I try and call out to her, but unfortunately the big cat is still firmly stuffed in my jaws. It's really good that I don't actually need to breathe....