I was young when we were brought to our new home a quiet place near the ocean we could hear the crashing ocean waves in the distance, the chirping of the birds in the forest and the splashing of the animals at the waterhole.

The ground was sticky were we were and had an unusual smell almost that of blood but much sweeter, there was also skins of fur littered around that of wild animals, they covered some patches of the sticky ground perhaps left by a battle between predators, The elders took it to the middle of a small group of trees where they began fiddling with it to make parts for tools.

We went for a trek through the woods to see if we could find food, the waterhole was alive with all manors of fauna.

There were large fluffy beasts with horns as sharp as rock, small long eared mammals with soft silky fur and all manner of croaking, screeching and chirping creatures.

At night the animal’s shadows looked as if they could be one of us, the moon projecting them onto our homes making it look like they were dancing the sparkles of their eyes giving a sign of intelligence.

After a few days we had set up a small dwelling we set up some logs and stringed them up with some animal skin they were covered in branches of the nearby trees to shelter us from the elements.

The insides of our homes were layered with a mixture of the sticky ground and some other unknown substance by the elders, the branches bound together and creating a strong casing this was some kind of magic only the elders really knew how to do but we often got to play with leftovers of the magical mixture, I took a ball of it and shaped it into one of the woodland animals, the small creature with a round head and a long tail.

It was a few months after setting up our new home when we heard them…

The creatures we were constantly trying to avoid.

They seemed to follow us like a plague although we could never get a clear view of the creatures, they seemed to hide in the sunlight during the day blinding us when we would look at them, they always seemed to be a long distance away but they knew we were here we could hear them setting traps trying to lure us toward them, they were trying to clear us all out again.

It was dark nearing daybreak and we could hear one of them coming close to our home the elders hid, throwing rocks at specific times to give the impression we were somewhere else but it was no use, it knew where we were and called its horrifying sounds to alert the others they’d found us again.

In a manor of minutes our home was overrun by the ravenous beings, they drew their blades and began their spree of death.

One by one we fell.

One by one women and children ran from the blades that came slashing down tearing them limb from limb.

The elders tried to protect us with all their might, using the elements to our advantage smashing them with the bones of the animals and throwing the magical mixture to their eyes, but it was no use it only seemed to delay the inevitable.

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They would stop at nothing to kill us all.

I saw my replica of the forest creature thrown by one of the creatures and despite being made from the sticky ground I swear I heard the sound of the animal screaming.

I knew there wasn’t long left tears were running down my face these creatures had taken everything from me, I wasn’t going to die with out a fight.

I ran towards one of them and bit their throat, tearing and clawing at them with all my might.

At first they struggled but as soon as my teeth sank deep into his flesh he let out a sickening screech before falling back and going limp.

The creatures stopped for a second, almost showing emotions of sadness to the one I slayed, but that sadness quickly turned to anger, they all faced me.

I stepped back before turning around and running to the waterhole, I knew they were all following and could hear them slashing at anything which got in their way.

The screams of my people were deafening, the screams of the animals were even worse.

As I neared the waterhole one of the creatures slashed at me its blade piercing deep into my skin, I fell, still crawling towards the water the sticky mud covering my skin, I could feel myself dying.

As I neared death I saw something shining at the foot of the waterhole, the sun piercing behind it, blinding me but drawing me closer, It was my model but something was different about it, it seemed to be emitting a strange red glow I could feel it calling for me.

I could feel it offering my people a gift.

A gift at the cost of my peoples “Essance” was the term I heard in my head.

A gift I was willing to pay.

I reached to the model and with my dying breath accepted its bargain I could feel my soul being dragged away but something else filling the hole left behind, something powerful.

Then all was dark, I could feel something happening to my head as if the pupils were being torn out of my eyes, my body began to burn, I could hear my bones creak and my fingernails grow.

The skin on my face began to tear and I began to smile, I couldn’t help myself, I could hear the monsters that had once terrorised my people cower at my sight.

They turned to run but it was to late my people would have their revenge.

The elders were the first to rise, the transformation seemed to affect them the most they stood tall much taller than they were before, their spines crackling as they stood up, their finger nails torn from there places leaving long sharp bones protruding from where they once were.

As soon as they came to they all began to smile.

Where once we were the hunted, we became the hunter.

Where once we hid during the night, we were now the rulers of darkness.

Where our pupils where once full of fear, they were now glassy reflecting the evil back into the souls of our enemies.

Where once we were but a helpless group of outcasts, we are now the moon-eyed people.