Trees loomed over Balthazar as he pushed his way through the thick undergrowth, the gnarly bushes scratching against his arms. Balthazar tried his best to keep quiet, only breathing when he was sure nothing was around him.
The silence was unnerving to Balthazar, who was used to the constant hum of the city. He didn't hate it, he found himself actually enjoying the silence, what he hated was when a loud sound interrupted the quiet. It put him on edge, urging him to find shelter before the sun finished setting.
Pushing his way through another cluster of tangled branches he was surprised to find the area suddenly open up. The dense undergrowth that had been scratching at him was gone, giving way to a more open stretch of forest. The ground was covered in a thick layer of fallen leaves and patches of exposed dirt, the trees spaced further apart, their branches reaching up high rather than spreading out low.
Balthazar had mixed feelings, for one he wouldn't have to worry about every scratch on his body attracting predators, but he would have to worry about finding more predators. After all, a more open area meant he was more visible, an easy target for any creatures who didn't need to hide.
He scanned the area around him, his sharp eyes looking for either predators or safe areas to hide. Once he had confirmed that the area was clear he leaped to the base of a tree, before repeating the process again. He felt kinda stupid jumping from tree to tree, but he would rather be safe than in the stomach of a creature.
After a few more jumps, his eyes caught a glimpse of a darker crevice hidden under a particularly large tree. A large smile spread on his face as he approached the tree, tightening his grip on rock in his hand. As he approached his hopes were confirmed, it was a cave almost completely hidden by the surrounding roots and fallen leaves.
He crouched down, peering into the opening. Its opening was narrow, a sure sign that nothing was living inside of the cave. Without waiting a moment Balthazar crawled through the small opening, glancing behind him just to make sure he wasn't being followed. Once he was certain he was alone, he grabbed some fallen branches and leaves, arranging them over the crevice to conceal it further.
Settling into the shadows, Balthazar took a deep breath, finally allowing himself a moment to relax. As he pushed further into the cave, he was surprised to discover that the narrow entrance opened up into a much larger space. The initial small tunnel gave way to a spacious chamber, with high ceilings and enough room to move around comfortably.
What surprised him more was his ability to see the entirety of the cave in perfect detail. Despite no light coming through the small crevice, he could make out every feature of the cave’s interior as if it were bathed in daylight. The rough stone walls, the small patches of moss clinging to the damp surfaces, even the jagged stalactites hanging from the ceiling were all clearly visible.
Balthazar had no exact answer for how he was able to see so well in the dark. Perhaps imps were nocturnal creatures, adapted to thrive in low-light environments? But if that were true, then why did every instinct in his body scream at the thought of moving through the forest at night? The contradiction puzzled him.
Dropping the idea from his mind, instead he began to scan the cave, mentally mapping out how he could use it. The walls were rough and solid, good for mounting hooks onto the wall to hold any weapons he would make. The ceiling was high enough that he could jump without hitting his head. The floor, while somewhat uneven, was still smooth enough that he could easily make a workstation for any tasks he would do.
He could even envision another imp fitting in here comfortably. Not that he was actively seeking allies, but if the opportunity arose to make use of another's skills or strength, he wouldn't turn it down. The cave was big enough that they could each do their own thing without getting in each other's way.
Balthazar tossed the rock he had been carrying onto the floor and took a moment to lay on the cool stone floor. His eye remained glued to the cave opening, watching the few remaining rays of light slowly fade away, thrusting the cave into darkness.
Though it didn't affect him, as he could still perfectly see the opening of the cave. If he was playing a survival game this would be the best start outside of being nowhere near a water source, but that was a problem for a different day, if he even needed water.
Tomorrow, he will begin to use this space to his advantage. He would craft weapons, explore the area around the tree, and figure out what creatures roamed around outside the tree. He closed his eyes, letting the silence of the cave envelop him. His body felt tense, still on edge from the day's events, but exhaustion finally took over, pulling him into a deep, dreamless sleep.
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When Balthazar awoke, he felt... different. He blinked a few times, shaking the sleep out of his eyes. He hadn’t expected to sleep so soundly given his circumstances, but now that he was awake, something felt off. It wasn't the
cave opening, it was still covered by the branches he had used. Instead, as he shifted to stand, he found that he was larger than he was yesterday.
His limbs were longer, more muscular, and his hands seemed to be more human, the claws at the edge of his fingers shorter but stronger. It wasn’t evolution as far as he could tell, it was more like he had just grown. ‘Imps seem to grow fast,’ Balthazar thought to himself as he began to stretch. The cave felt smaller than it did yesterday, but he was still able to jump without hitting his head. He wanted to take a few moments to explore his new body, but his rumbling stomach reminded him of more pressing concerns.
He couldn't stay in the cave for much longer, he needed to leave if he wanted to avoid starving. He walked over to the cave opening, slowly moving the branches just enough to peer outside of the cave. The forest was quiet, but the sight before Balthazar told of a different story.
Scattered across the ground were bodies, lots of them. Balthazar wanted to smack himself for sleeping when such a massacre happened just steps outside of the cave, one wrong step from any of the creatures and his cave would have been discovered. Some of the corpses were imps like him, their small forms lifeless and broken, but the other corpses were more monstrous.
A few looked like twisted breeds of dogs, except their maws were gigantic gaping masses of teeth and muscle. Even more unnerving was that they lacked eyes, their faces covered in fur but featureless above the snout. It was as if something had torn the eyes from their skulls, leaving them to hunt by some other sense entirely. These eyeless dogs had deep, ragged gashes across their bodies, and some of their limbs were twisted at odd angles, clearly having been broken in the fight.
Balthazar’s eyes moved from the dogs to another creature lying on its side near the edge of the clearing. It resembled an ant, but was far larger and more menacing. Its exoskeleton was metallic, shining dually against the soft red light streaming through the treetops. The creature's legs had been pulled off of its body, its exoskeleton punctured in multiple places as if something had driven through its armor.
Amongst the bodies on the ground, he noticed movement coming from one of the corpses as a small creature pulled flesh from its body. It was rat-like, but with an elongated neck, and clawed hands that cut flesh from the eyeless dog's body. Its eyes were wide as it scavenged, occasionally glancing around as if it expected something to jump out at it.
Balthazar’s initial shock at the bodies gave way to a cold calculation. Whatever had caused this destruction was either gone or watching from the shadows, but as he watched the rat eat his worries disappeared. This was an opportunity to get resources without worrying about being attacked.
Crouching low he quietly pushed the branches off to the side, before moving out of the caves with slow and deliberate movements. The small scavenger seemed to be too preoccupied with its meal to notice him. With a swift motion, Balthazar launched himself at the creature, grabbing its head before it could even react.
The creature let out a startled squeal, its body writhing in his grasp. Balthazar tightened his grip, squeezing the creature's skull as tight as he could. It squirmed and clawed at his arm with its sharp little claws, but he held it firmly, his eyes focused on looking around the forest.
With a swift, brutal motion, he twisted its neck, feeling its body go limp in his hands. Balthazar didn’t waste any time, immediately tearing into it quickly, his sharp teeth making short work of its flesh. It was stringy and tough, but it filled the gnawing emptiness in his stomach.
Once his stomach was satisfied he scanned the area one last time, his eyes lingering on the twisted forms of the creatures. The eyeless dogs lay motionless, their fur matted and stained with blood, but he lacked the knowledge and tools to properly skin them. He couldn’t afford to waste time fumbling with the bodies when he didn’t even know how to make use of them effectively.
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Turning his attention back to the ants, he sighed. The metallic creatures had potential; their carapaces were strong, and their mandibles looked like they could have been fashioned into formidable weapons. But the damage was too extensive. The exoskeletons were cracked and punctured in too many places, and the mandibles were shattered or too worn down to be of any use.
Balthazar clenched his jaw, deciding to leave the bodies where he found them. If he couldn't find any good bodies here, he would just have to find some better bodies. Hopefully he could also find more of the scavenger rats, while one had satiated his hunger, he would need more if he wanted to make it through the day.
Steeling himself, Balthazar chose to explore left of the tree, marking his path with small x marks on the ground using a stick. The last thing he needed was to get lost and have to find a new hideout. As he moved away from the carnage, he kept his eyes peeled for any signs of movement.
Then in the distance, he heard a faint noise that almost sounded like labored breathing. It was different from the usual growls and screeches that had become the typical sounds he had become used to hearing. With his curiosity peaked, he crouched low and crept slowly towards the sound.
As he approached, the noise grew clearer. It was definitely heavy breathing, accompanied by grunting. Turning to look around the tree he discovered the source of the panting.
Lying against a tree was an imp, but unlike Balthazar it hadn’t had its growspert yet. Its small body was bruised and battered with cuts all across its body. What caught Balthazar’s eyes immediately was its missing arm, which looked to be torn away from his shoulder, leaving a jagged, bloody stump. It was struggling to sit up, using its remaining arm to keep itself upright.
Balthazar watched on in silence, making sure that it's injury wasn't just an act. Balthazar was ready to turn away and leave it to its fate, but something else caught his eye, a metallic ant, like the ones he had seen near his cave.
But this one was different. It lay lifeless on the ground, a little bit smaller than the one in front of his cave, but its body was still in good condition. Its exoskeleton was mostly intact, and its mandibles were unbroken and sharp. With a little pep in his step, Balthazar walked over to the body of the ant, ignoring the whimpering from the imp.
Grabbing one of its legs, Balthazar gave it a quick pull, testing to see if the leg would be pulled off, but the leg held firm. With a satisfied grunt, Balthazar began to pull the ant in the direction of his cave, ignoring the whimpering of the small imp. It was heavy, but not unmanageable, and the rough ground made it easier to slide the carcass along.
Balthazar had no intention of wasting supplies on nursing the imp back to health, he barely had enough supplies for himself. He moved forward quickly, his eyes scanning the area around him before dragging the ant to the next area. The forest, like always, remained eerily quiet.
After a few steps, he paused, glancing back toward the imp. It was still lying there, its eyes following him with a mixture of fear and desperation. Balthazar tried to ignore its face, but after a long staring match, he let go of the ant, and growled in anger. The logical choice was to leave the injured imp where it lay. It was injured, weak, and a liability. But something about the way it looked at Balthazar tugged at a part of him that he wanted to ignore.
Balthazar grumbled, slowly marching over to the imp, its eyes widening clearly not knowing whether to expect death or help. Once Balthazar stood in front of the imp he held a hand out, his expression stern and impatient. The imp stared at him, uncertainty written all over its bruised face. Balthazar tapped his foot against the ground, making it clear that he didn't have all day to wait. "Come on," he grunted, indicating that it should take his hand.
Finally, the imp reached out with its remaining arm, trembling as it put its hand into Balthazar’s. Balthazar gripped onto it firmly, but not harshly, and pulled the imp to its feet- or tried to. The second the imps feet hit the ground it let out a cry of pain, its legs shaking as it tried to stabilize itself. Balthazar could see that the imp wasn't gonna be able to walk by itself.
“Hang on.” Balthazar muttered, picking the imp up with one arm. It was light, feeling more like a bundle of bones than a living creature. With the imp secured in its arm, Balthazar turned back to the ant. He was unwilling to give up on bringing it back to his cave; he had walked for far too long to return with nothing.
Walking over to the ant, Balthazar placed the imp on the thorax of the ant, making sure that he wasn't going to fall off before walking back to the front of the ant. With a steady grip, he began to drag it back to his cave, giving up on looking out for any creatures. The imp clung weakly to the ant’s body, its eyes barely open as it fought to stay conscious. Balthazar glanced back at the imp periodically, to make sure he was still on and alive, before turning back to the task at hand.
The journey back was slow and grueling, the weight of both the imp and the ant almost being at the limit of what he could drag. Balthazar spent the entire walk home thinking about what he could use the ant for. The was already going to use the mandibles as swords and the Exoskeleton could be used as some rudimentary armor or tools. The imp… well that was still an unknown factor. As soon as they got back, he would have to find some way to fix its arm, feed it, and then teach it some survival skills.
After what felt like an entirety of dragging the carcass through the forest, the entrance to his cave came into view. As soon as he reached the entrance, Balthazar slumped against the tree taking a few deep breaths. Looking around the clearing, he was happy to find that the forest was just as quiet as ever. Slowly standing up, he looked down at the cave entrance, realizing that he hadn’t covered the entrance before leaving. It was a foolish mistake, but the area seemed untouched, which was all that he cared about.
The entrance to the cave was narrow, and Balthazar had to maneuver carefully to get the ant's carcass and the imp inside without causing a jam. The ant’s exoskeleton scraped against the rocky sides of the cave mouth, but it managed to fit through with only minimal resistance. Balthazar exhaled in relief when he finally got both inside.
Once they were in Balthazar pulled the imp off of the ant and laid it against the wall, its body slumping weakly against the stones. It let out a small, pitiful whimper, eyes fluttering open briefly before closing again. It was exhausted, teetering on the edge of unconsciousness, but at least it was still breathing. Balthazar had little skill in meditation, but he was confident that he could at least do something.
He moved to the entrance, peering cautiously out at the surrounding forest. If he could find something with antiseptic properties, even if just sap or moss, it might help stave off infection. With no time to waste, he ventured out into the clearing, his eyes scanning the underbrush for anything he could use. His gaze settled on a patch of moss growing at the base of a tree. It wasn’t much, but it was known to have some antibacterial properties, or so he heard. In all reality he was just grasping at straws.
Grabbing a rock off the ground, Balthazar struck a few different trees in an attempt to see if any would produce sap. After a few strikes, he found one that began to ooze a sticky, amber-colored substance. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do. He quickly scraped the sap into a makeshift leaf cup he had fashioned, trying to gather as much as he could. The imp needed something to seal the wound, to keep it from getting worse.
With the moss and sap in hand, Balthazar climbed back into his cave making sure he covered the entrance before making his way to the imp. Kneeling beside the imp, he examined the wound more closely. It was bad, worse than he had initially thought. The jagged stump where its arm had been torn away was still bleeding sluggishly, and the flesh around it was red and swollen.
If Balthazar wasn't trying to save its life, he would instead study just how long it would take for the imp to bleed out, after all the walk home took at least 20 minutes. The imp must have been either incredibly lucky, strong, or both to survive this long.
Tossing the moss into his mouth, he began to chew, trying to extract its juices. It was bitter and earthy, but it was necessary if he wanted to use it as a cleaning agent. Once he was certain that it was ready, Balthazar spat it into his hand, grimacing at the taste that lingering in his mouth.
Leaning over to its wound, he began to clean the wound as best he could, ignoring the imps' weak attempts of resistance. The moss acted like a sponge, absorbing some of the blood and dirt while releasing its juices into the wound, hopefully helping in its healing.
"Stay still," he muttered, reaching over to grab the sap off of the leaf. Balthazar could only expect the feeling of sap against its wound would burn, but it was the best opinion he had in the long run. He dipped his fingers into the sap, before smearing over the exposed flesh.
The moment the sap touched the raw skin, the imp let out a shark cry before Balthazar shoved his hand into its mouth, glancing nervously at the cave's entrance. “Shut your Fucking mouth!” Balthazar warned, making sure that the words registered to the imp before continuing. The sap formed a glossy, amber layer over the wound, sealing it and creating a barrier that would hopefully protect against further contamination.
Once he was happy with the results, he grabbed the leaves he had gathered earlier and began to tear them into strips. Using the strips of leaves, he fashioned a makeshift bandage around the stump, wrapping it securely to hold the sap in place. The imp winced and trembled under his hands, but it didn't make any further attempts to resist. It seemed to have resigned itself to whatever fate Balthazar had in store for it.
“There, that should hold for now,” Balthazar nodded, walking over to the ant. Carefully, Balthazar pulled off some of the ant's exoskeleton, trying to keep as much of the metallic substance In a single piece as he could. As soon as it came off, he grabbed a handful of ants' interior flesh, tearing it away from the exoskeleton. The meat was dense and had a strange metallic scent, not exactly appetizing, but it was something. Balthazar knew he needed to give the imp something to eat if it was going to regain any strength.
“Eat this before you pass out,” Balthazar commanded, placing the flesh into its hands. The imp blinked slowly, its eyes moving to the offering in Balthazar’s hand. It seemed to take a moment to process what was happening, its gaze flicking from the meat to Balthazar’s face and back again. Then, he snatched it out of his hands, shoving it haphazardly into its mouth, barely even swallowing the handful before falling unconscious.
With the imp taken care of for the moment, Balthazar turned back to the ant's carcass. He had given the imp what it needed to survive for now, and the rest was up to it. If it could pull through, then maybe he could start teaching it some survival skills. For now, he had to focus on preparing himself.