I thought the tinge of pain in the goat’s bleating was due to the strong impact against the ground, but I was wrong. The deer's shield was not solid enough and the beast managed to inflict an almost fatal blow, the blood of its victim was dripping from its claws and I could even see some pieces of flesh that were attached to its claws.

Alerted by their companion's cries, the other goats reacted quickly and immediately resumed the siege, but it was too late.

With the way clear, the T-rex left the scene, blending into the darkness of the night. He couldn't disappear completely, but the darkness of the surroundings was enough to escape his executioners. Meanwhile, the goats quickly reorganized and were once again in a defensive stance, scanning their surroundings for another enemy and although I wanted to know if the goat that received the attack survived, I was more curious about what the rat would do after its failed hunt.

Will it die?

Does he have magic to heal himself or will he flee to wherever his territory is to heal his wounds?

It's a new species, an animal that is totally unknown to me. Also, I think I can find out tomorrow during the day whether the goat survived, but if I lose sight of the rat, I might miss a unique opportunity. I mean, I don't know how common it is for rats to fail their hunt and end up in that state. Fortunately, despite the darkness this time it wasn't difficult to locate it.

The poor beast was staggering around in the dark, It's evident that it's tired and severely wounded. Hiding or running far away is quite difficult for it, and honestly, I'm surprised the goats decided not to chase him. Considering his current state a couple more blows and they could kill him, but it makes sense they didn't, considering that there could be more rats lurking in the dark, it would not be a good idea to leave the flock unprotected.

I must admit that goats are more rational than me, I probably would have acted impulsively in the heat of the moment, which makes me wonder why, when I first left the city and was attacked by the pony that Danamus later devoured, on that occasion they did seem to want to take revenge, but now they don't. Maybe I'm attributing more intelligence to them than they actually have, but still, I wonder.

Was it just out of curiosity or was the young pony the leader's son?

Did they make their decision considering the pros and cons?

In any case, these are questions that for now will have to remain unanswered. My mind was fully occupied in capturing the movements of the dying rat who was struggling to escape the field. Even though the darkness limits my range of vision, I am sure he is heading towards the forest.

Although I don't admire its beauty, but its strong will is something to highlight, maybe I should reconsider things, because if the entire species is like this rat, then they are spectacular animals despite their curious appearance. Unfortunately its body was not in as good shape as its will. Despite the terrible wounds, it managed to run quite far away from the goats before falling exhausted on the grass.

The poor animal looked worse and worse, but it was clear that he was not willing to give up, that he still did not want to die.

While he was on the ground, with his claws he dug out pieces of earth that he then placed on his wounds. A rather archaic and unhygienic but effective way to stop the bleeding. Maybe it was just his instinct, but this action surprised me enormously.

In one way or another, it seems that I still haven't fully accepted the idea that the animals in this place are more intelligent than I thought. From the beginning, the beings that inhabit this place have shown themselves capable of having very complex thoughts, but still my mind cataloged them as isolated cases or simply the instinct of animals whose behavior I do not know.

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From the behavior that the rats and goats have shown tonight, it's clear that the one with narrow mind in this place is me.

On the other hand, I am surprised by the fact that when the T-rex was fighting against the goats, its eyes were devoid of any trace of rationality. It was as if the sole purpose of its existence was to chew the flesh of its enemies. But now, on the other hand, denotes a desire to live and a determination not to give up, very different from what it showed just a few seconds ago.

Maybe he has something like a Berserker mode that forces him to fight recklessly?

I find the sudden change of attitude very extreme. If given the choice between living or dying, I think almost everyone would choose life, which is precisely the desire that I can discern from his attitude, but it's strange that having such a will to live, he acted so recklessly. Though again, I'm just jumping to meaningless conclusions and surely there are ulterior motives, which is just what I'm trying to discover.

After covering his wounds with earth, he continued his staggering march, determined to leave the place. There was something about his movements that bothered me; he seemed to be in a hurry. I mean, obviously he was in a hurry because he's dying, but it was as if he was trying to escape from something, which doesn't make sense because the goats aren't chasing him.

If I'm honest, I hope he survives and manages to reach his destination. I'm following him, so that could give me some important information, though I also feel a bit of sympathy for him. Before, he looked like a ruthless beast, but now he looks like a helpless animal desperately clinging to whatever possibility that will allow him to live.

“GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR”

The animal took only a few steps before stopping and its attitude once again underwent a drastic change; its eyes, which previously held the desire to live, had now completely lost their hope. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think I even saw tears, though I'm not really sure because before I managed to look in detail, it let out a loud roar to the sky that shook the night. It was very sudden, so it caught me by surprise.

Maybe the animal felt that its condition was so serious that it was no longer worth trying?

But it's pretty weird, I mean, just a few seconds ago he did everything possible to get up from the ground and even covered his wounds, which allowed his steps to gain some stability. I'm not a vet, but from what I can see, I think he could still hold on a bit longer, so to me, the sudden change in mood didn't make sense.

But fortunately for me, that doubt was quickly cleared up. Although, of course, it wasn't fortunate for the rat who was the victim.

In the midst of darkness, out of nowhere, as if they had always been there or as if they were ghosts, four rats appeared around the wounded; cannibalism, I didn't need them to make a move to know what was about to happen. The newcomers looked at the dying T-rex in the same way he had previously looked at the goats, which makes me think that his earlier roar was a complaint, a protest, a last desperate lament from someone who already knew his fate.

The beasts made their move, the dying tried to make a last effort to defend himself, but it was four against one; besides, he was already on the verge of death, so he couldn't even repel one of the claws and was brutally destroyed by the rats. It was a barbaric image out of a gore movie, the animals were feasting on the victim's limbs while he was still alive.

Curiously, he did not make any sound of pain despite the fact that his own kind were eating it alive.

Watching them eat reminded me of myself when I woke up hungry, they were insatiable, not even a minute passed and the beasts vanished into the darkness. Apparently they only gathered for the feast, since they dispersed in different directions and behind, where the body of the one who was once their companion was, they only left green blood stains that were confused with the grass, the animals devoured even the bones.

Maybe if I still thought of them as mere animals, it wouldn't be such a shocking scene. I mean, in nature, cannibalism isn't uncommon; the weak devour the strong, it's part of the chain. But the feeling is somewhat contradictory, because until a moment ago, due to the behavior of one individual, I was thinking of them as rational beings.

But it's clear that they were hasty conclusions; after all, I don't know the behavior of rats as a whole. Or well, in general, I don't know how this world works. So to draw conclusions based on my morality or what species capable of reasoning are supposed to do is stupid. Just as each country has its own rules, I must assume that this world also has its own rules.

The problem is that I don't know what they are, so it's inevitable that my mind tries to make sense of what my eyes see, using the information it already has.

In any case, although the cannibalism was somewhat disturbing, what stuck most in my mind was the brutality with which they did it and the fact that for a moment, I saw my own face in the victim's face and understood the message my mind was trying to convey: that's my future. If I don't prepare myself, if I am not able to defend myself, that is the destiny awaiting me if I set foot outside this ruined city.