‘Climbing was annoying’ Damien decided. His new bone claws sparked against the stone as he tried to grip the wall. Part way up the wall was smoother. Likely where waves had crashed against and filing the cliff smooth. It was brighter too, the lighthouse structure with the strange glowing gem was getting more level with his position.

As he looked for another handhold something shot out of the rock and pierced through his shoulder. Whilst he would have cried in pain before he barely grunted now and immediately looked at what it was.

A blood red vine, barbs decorating its side, in the blue light it almost appeared purple and as he watched his blood that covered the vine was absorbed. Unable to grab onto it and pull it out of his shoulder he bit deeply, new fanged mouth sinking into the vampiric vegetation.

Damien tossed his head side to side and felt his serrated teeth saw through the tough vine, copper tasting fluid falling upon his tongue. After his teeth sawed through the vine, he pulled the rest out of his shoulder and ate ii. The barbs hurt after he yanked them out, tearing a larger bloody hole into his shoulder, but Damien didn’t care, joy of feasting and fighting ringing in his head.

The rest of the vine retreated into a crack of the rocky outcrop and try as he might Damien couldn’t find the rest. Slowly his mind recollected itself and he resumed climbing. As he glanced down he could see, the water gently lapping at the base of the cliff, water obscured by the dark waters.

The waterline was breached by a small eel creature that threw itself from the water, before it flew far a long tentacle wrapped around it a yanked it back down. Damien shuddered slightly and climbed faster.

Pulling himself over the top he breathed out a sigh of relief. Before immediately cursing. The top of the cliff was craggy with rocks and caves and the last ‘stone’ he had used to pull himself up was not a stone.

It was an egg.

The fluid coated his hand and smelt divine to his new senses; he scanned the clifftop whilst he ate the yolk. Strength started pumping through his tired form and a shriek echoed above him.

A shriek echoed above him.

Looking up he saw a gigantic bird diving towards him, talons stretched out and red eyes blazing with anger. He yelped slightly and ran for the cave he could see upon the cliff top, instincts screamed at him and he dived left as the bird’s talons dug great gouges in the ground where he had been a moment ago.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

He rolled back up and sprinted for tor the smallest and closest cave he could see, rolling twice more to avoid sword like talons. Each time he dodged the massive bird it shrieked its rage anew; the incredibly loud sound piercing threw his eardrums like an ice pick.

He reached the cave entrance as the feathered monstrosity gave up clawing with its talons and instead went for a full body dive at Damien, its sharp beak wide and eyes ablaze. Damien burst into the cave and kept running as the first few metres of hardened stone crumbled under the bird’s massive strength and momentum.

As the bird hit the cave the rock above it tumbled down, no longer supported by the cave walls, and pinned the bird down, still alive but unable to move. Damien stopped fleeing before he saw the rubble move and the bird’s beak shift in search of the former human and he left for the deeper parts of the cave.

Temporarily safe from the angry parent he looked around his new surroundings, whilst he would have been completely blind were, he human he could make out dark shapes in his surroundings. He could hear creatures’ small cries and the scamper of feet upon stone.

He was tense as he moved around, slightly twitching as he felt smaller creatures come closer. A small insect skittered across his foot, prompting a shiver and a kick. He moved further again into the cave until something latched onto his head from above. He felt claws gouging his new scaled skin around his head. He grabbed at the monster and pulled, the small creature was ripped from his head, opening massive gashes in his head as the small, furred creature came free.

He tried to slam the creature upon the floor, but the being latched on with small leathery wings, the bat like monster bit into Damien’s wrist and he brought up to his mouth to bite back. Blood drowned his mouth as he felt the body vibrate screaming. His sharp teeth sliced through the being’s flesh as he feasted on the flesh and blood.

He ate the monster alive, his jaw muscles and teeth the only part of him strong enough to do damage. It bled out quickly as Damien consumed it and once, he finished and the blood rage that overtook his mind receded, he fell against the cold stone floor.

His mind churned at the implications, monstrous or not, he had just eaten a living creature alive. He frowned, he had been slightly dismissive of the other disadvantages of his new race, presuming the Near Universal Hatred the only massive problem but the new instincts overwhelmed his human morals easily.

Leaving the moral implication for now he felt the gouges in his head. Pushing his finger in he felt the parting of flesh and muscle, the gouge had cut into the bone of his skull. He frowned again, a small bat like monster had nearly torn into his brain, despite his new form and tougher body he had nearly died three times within half a day.

It hit him then, that this was meant to be a dungeon that only people that survived the apocalypse was meant to complete. Whilst he had been human up there, he didn’t think even now he could defeat his ‘mortal enemy’ even now and he was currently in a den of beings far, far stronger.

“I have got to shape up.” He whispered to himself. “I tried to survive and now its failing. I left my humanity behind, maybe I should do so completely.” He stood up then, slightly woozy from blood loss and injuries, he steeled his expression and brought his hands up, moving back towards the entrance was where the bird lay trapped.

Time to fight.

Time to survive.