The creature, and I wasn't sure what else to call it, rushed at Devon. Its form nearly blurred, its slick brown fur and greying leathery skin matching the forest floor. It leaped, launching itself like a bullet at the stoic hunter.

Except, Devon moved just as fast, if not faster.

His arm shot out and grabbed the thing by its throat before slamming it into the ground, where he put his boot squarely on its neck. The creature struggled, hissing like a feral beast. Devon pressed harder till it choked, the hissing caught in its throat, creating a muffled hum.

"Cease," Devon commanded.

It did not listen.

In one swift motion, he grabbed his spear and spun it around til the iron spearhead pressed against its neck.

The creature stopped moving.

With its limbs frozen midair and its body no longer squirming, I finally got a proper look at the creature. It had a body resembling a mountain lion, yet blended with some sort of lizard. A large patch of fur covered its back, transitioning to wrinkled, leathery skin. Instead of a cat's tail, it had a furry lizard tail, as thick as my arm, ending in a fluffy bob. Its four limbs were short, ending in paws rather than lizard feet. The creature's face resembled a furless cat's head with grey eyes that had slit pupils.

I don't know what this thing is. Maybe it's native to this world?

I stood awkwardly nearby, observing the silent exchange between the hunter and his prey. He kept his spear pushed into its neck, the sharpened iron offering a swift death if the creature sought to escape.

Devon eased up on the pressure by slightly raising his boot, allowing the creature to suck in a deep breath. "Speak now. Tell me your name."

When it didn't answer immediately, he turned his wrist holding the spear, causing the creature to hiss.

"I have no name. No more," it replied with a strangled growl as Devon stepped harder.

"What did you do to the hunters? Why did you attack the villagers after?"

Pure rage overtook the creature's eyes. Its tail thumped, and it strained its neck upwards in a snarl despite the tip of Devon's spear drawing a line of burgundy-colored blood.

"TRESPASSERS! EVIL! MURDERERS! MURDER!"

Devon frowned and looked to me. "Most creatures born with mana or from a Lore Strain start as less than intelligent. Most can speak or talk, but it's harder to break from the chains of their lore. The Reds start as a little girl who loves to rhyme. If they mature, they learn to push past those chains and can speak sentences normally." He motioned with his chin down to the creature snarling at him. "Not foolproof, but a good indicator that the creature is new, not an aged or ancient beast."

"Get out! No more! Leave! Murderers!"

The creature continued its rant as it struggled, ignoring the spear pushing into its skin. Devon stomped hard, causing the air to leave its lungs. After being allowed to suck in a deep breath, it stopped moving and watched Devon coldly.

"What did you do to the hunters from before? And what did you do to the villagers?" Devon asked, his voice cold.

"Mu-murder them. Revenge. Remove trespassers. Remove. Murderers."

"What did they do?"

It thumped its tail but remained silent.

"Are the humans dead?"

Another thump. "Yes!"

Devon sighed. "We are hunters, we are mercenaries, guardians. But we do not owe allegiance to people. If a village invades the home of an ancient one, we only intervene if unjust killings have been made." He leaned down and met the creature's eyes. "These are not your woods. You cannot claim revenge on the villagers."

"Murderers! All murderers! They kill, they invade!"

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That's a new word. If the villagers weren't trespassers, what did they invade?

"Will you leave these woods? Swear to a pact?"

What is he doing?

I glared at Devon. The creature confessed to killing all the villagers. To let it go seemed foolish. What prevented a monster from continuing to be a monster?

"Never! Won't! CANT LEAVE. HIM!" the creature roared. The screech mixed with the voice of the little girl becoming inhuman.

"If you don't, we'll find you. You'll die."

"WON'T LEAVE!"

Devon stood up straight. His eyes gave nothing away, and he kept his expression blank. Whether he was sad or angry about the reply, I couldn't tell.

"Cain. Prepare yourself."

My eyes widened. "What? Why?"

He ignored me, continuing to stare at the thrashing monster. Its tail thumped the ground, knocking into Devon's legs, yet he showed no reaction. Claws scratched at his boot and pants, but again, he didn't react

He raised his hand. "Reka."

The creature screamed, and its grey eyes glowed with an intense light. As it twitched and spasmed, its two eyes served as flashlights burning brighter with every second.

"Nooough! Nrghouooo!"

It spasmed again, and then the glow stopped. The light faded from its eyes, leaving behind a dark grey iris with bloodshot veins spiderwebbing across the sclera. It stopped moving when a lone bird released a loud caw.

"Don't try to copy what I just did. The backlash would melt your brain," Devon said as he removed his foot from atop the creature.

It twitched, flailing about. Hisses came from its throat, void of the haunting echo of the child's voice. Devon thrust his spear into its neck, halting once the blade penetrated about three inches deep. The creature's spasms ceased. He withdrew his spear, deftly flicking the weapon to shed the deep burgundy blood from the metal.

"What did you just do? Is the creature dead?" I asked.

"No," he replied. He pointed deeper into the woods. "It's still alive. I merely expelled its control over the beast. What we're hunting used it as a host. Judging from the fact it can control multiple beasts, it uses one creature as the central conduit of its powers."

"So it's still alive… and that thing was a puppet? What about the wolf?"

"A thrall, but not a host. Let's go. It'll reestablish a new host soon. Be prepared to fend off more beasts."

What kind of beginner quest is this?

I didn't voice my thoughts; I simply played the good little apprentice and followed behind him. He could take the brunt of the danger if he wanted to drag me into the evil woods with mind-controlling monsters.

"More wolves?"

"Maybe. You remember the wounds on the corpse. Birds, wolves, hoofed beasts. Watch the branches for anything small."

I nodded and kept my axe ready. I felt my summon hiding in my shadow, waiting to be released.

You're protected. You're not alone.

I killed a wolf. What's one more?

My words must have tempted fate because no sooner did I think those words did something small and black came rushing out of the trees. It came at an angle, crossing through a large thicket of branches.

I reflexively swung my axe, and it dodged out of the way, but I managed to clip its wing. Before I could react, my summon raised its head and snapped its jaws around the bird's body. The bird disappeared in a wet crunch. I stopped to stare at my shadow, but Devon tapped my leg with the end of his spear.

"Keep moving."

We continued our trek through the trees. More beasts called from beyond sight, but none attacked. Deeper we went, and the moonlight became more spotty as the canopies grew denser. Devon held out his arm when we came across a thin brook cutting across the ground.

"Follow this to its source. Stay alive, and I'll come find you."

"Why are we splitting up?"

He ignored me and twirled his spear. "If it shows up in its real form, do not hesitate. It will kill you if you do."

"I-"

Devon raised his head to the sky and howled. My heart thumped, and my eyes widened. The sound continued like a shockwave that pushed back fallen leaves, creating a draft that brushed my skin. A new sensation flooded my veins. It wasn't the cold of his mana nor the heat of my own. Instead, I felt my pulse quicken, and something called to me from deep inside myself.

I looked to the sky and joined his howl with one of my own. It felt good. I felt hot. I released another howl and bared my teeth.

I licked my canines as I raised my axe.

Hunt! Seek the prey!

The words came unbidden, painting themselves in my mind in blood-splattered letters. I tried to think of other thoughts but felt energy in my limbs.

Move! The Hunt begins!

Devon looked at me with red eyes, a face set in a chilling smile. When he spoke, his words carried across the air as if he stood next to my ears to whisper into them. "Survive, pup."

I couldn't hold back the energy any longer and began running to the right, chasing the stream. I heard a deep growl behind me and snapping branches, but I couldn't look.

My heart pounded against my ribcage, each thump a new pulse that propelled me forward. A fiery-hot drive surged within, demanding to burn.

Something piqued my senses, drawing me in. A musky scent reminiscent of wet fur wafted through, but another aroma lingered beneath, feeling out of place.

There!

To my right, something burst from the nearest bush. It reached around my stomach. Without knowing what it was, I swung my axe and tumbled forward, but I kept moving. The creature crashed to the ground as two objects hit the floor.

Before I could think, I raised my wrist, now coated in blood, and ran it across my tongue.

Corrupted prey. Cull the herd.

It tasted like blood but so much more. It was salty and coppery, yet it carried hints of gaminess and the tang of berries. And then it soured, ruined at the height of savouring the taste.

I spat the blood out and kept running. The foreign thoughts were correct. The blood was corrupt.

I veered to the right, following the stream and skipping over a fallen log. The air buffeted my face, filling my nose with the scent of the forest. My thoughts narrowed in on one goal.

Get to the end of the stream.