Chapter 20: Impulse over Intelligence, Death

Impulse over Intelligence

Blood trickled out of the bear’s maw as she removed herself of the grey wolf’s throat. The pack kept their distance as dread crept in underneath their furs. The mother wolf and the grey wolf were dead. Their bodies lay bloodied on the floor.

IT panted heavily, since the grey wolf took charge. IT had no choice but to follow through. But now he was dead and the frenzied pack had lost their fervour and had fallen back. It was back to the encirclement again.

The ragged bear sat at the mouth of the wolf den, she wheezingly puffed, catching her breath, giving IT time to think and observe his next course of action. The bear had a mangled appearance, most of her body had more exposed flesh and muscled than fur.  Flesh was cut open and bones on the bear’s arms spine, legs and joints were visible. She was nearing death but the burning fury kept her strong and ready for more. IT saw it in her eyes, the hatred and the need for blood. IT looked away.

IT observed the rest of his remaining pack members. They looked worse for wear, lacerations from the bear's paw bled profusely from all of them, some were shallow some were deep. The siblings took the brunt of it, some of their fur and skin were torn off.

IT observed his own wounds, they were cuts, gashes and lacerations were healing already. The cuts healed, the gashes slowly faded, the lacerations closed up. IT was soon ready for another round. His abnormal recovery, learned from his new sense of control, his previous altercation with the bear and getting torn apart, being well fed partly helped.

IT after healing up, returned his attention towards the bear it was still puffing, it’s back was behind the wolf den. The pups squeaked and squealed inside, still responding to the noise from the fight. From the current standing, no matter what the bear will not stop until her last breath, and she still had a lot to spare, even with the mangled appearance.  IT had decided.

IT bent his hind legs and sat down. A way to say that IT had decided to not fight and wait it out. The pack members barked and growled in protest especially. They thought that IT would retake the lead and fight on to keep the pups from getting killed, but IT gave no response to change his stance. Although his instinct as a wolf raged at him to continue the fight and protect the newborn, protect his pack, his family, his reason suppressed it. It was the most logical choice, his decision had the higher chance of keeping the pack alive. Besides, the mother wolf was dead and the pups are still too young to be fed with other sources besides milk, even if they were able to save the pups, their life would be taken by hunger.

As IT waited, he thought, something inside him stirred, guilt slowly rose up. He thought about the source of the guilt and it told him that the reason why they were in this mess was because of him. Had he not gotten greedy and attacked the bear’s brood, this would not have happened. The bear stood up.

The bear have caught her breath and have started to move again. She turned around to face the den. A gut wrenching pull told IT to attack now, but he suppressed himself, the pack members responded to the bears movement with alertness, they gazed their heads towards IT waiting for his move.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Since the entrance to the den was too small, the bear pound her paw at the den’s entrance, the pups inside squeaked louder in response. She hit the entrance again and a portion of the entrance came loose.

It was becoming hard to just sit still and watch as the bear dug ever so close to the pups, his instincts, impulse and emotion flared for him to stand up, he barely suppressed himself. Finally the a large portion of soil came loose and the bear was able to take a step inside.

Flashes of dead mice convulsed inside of IT’s mind as his small logic and reason caved in and gave way to the strange impulse. Like an animal, IT charged and his pack members followed suit.

-----------

Death

IT gazed sullenly at the fallen corpse of the bear. The bear really did fought to the last breath. She almost wiped out the pack. IT and his wounds have already healed, his missing limbs and deep wounds have made themselves scarce, but IT felt tired and weak. IT had become thin again.

IT turned his ragged head to one of the only survivor of his pack. The small white female wolf, she whined in sorrow and pain, she was the least wounded out of all of them. The only reason why she survived in the first place was because the bear took more priority over the stronger pack members.

Squeaking noises, IT went towards the source of the noise. The pups were unharmed. Noisy but unharmed. The bear did not even reach them. There were six of them squirming on the ground, squealing to their hearts content. A number equal to the deaths of the pack traded for their safety. Still, It wasn’t worth it, they were doomed. With no mother left to feed them they will slowly starve and die.

IT wondered what to do with them. Should he try to at least feed them? They did not posses teeth yet so it was impossible. Should he chew it then and spit it at them? No, It was not in their nature to eat It. Why not just end it all and just kill them to save them of their sufferings when starvation came? The pangs of hunger urged it to a decision. IT leaned close and opened his mouth. What a waste, It wasn’t worth it. If only the mother wolf had survived…

A faint glimmer lit in IT’s mind..  Slowly IT turned back, back towards the corpses of bear’s and dead packmates. IT made a quick glance towards his last living pack member before continuing to his destination. The white young wolf was still lamenting over the death of the pack. Her ears drooped, and she was making broken whining sound.

IT gazed down the mother wolf’s corpse. It was a bloody sight, all the blood came out from her neck, it stained her fur and pooled on the ground surrounding her body. IT went to work. He opened his mouth and bit the same part  where the bear had inflicted the fatal blow. She was already cold. The white she-wolf whined louder. IT ignored her and chewed. She went closer but IT roared at her to stay away. She did, with strange fear within her eyes. IT returned his attention back to the corpse and licked his bloody jagged teeth with his serpentine tongue.

Info Section

{This is still the first draft, Only a few more chapters until the end.}