The flesh started to fly off my fingers and my bones started to break but I did not care, I just kept punching out with my now only arm until my hand was unrecognizable. I know it was not getting anything done only hurting me, but the pain kept dulled the hunger and freezing sensation consuming me. By the time I stopped the tree was noticeably worse for wear and my hand was a mangled mess. This wasn’t helping me, so I turned and looked up to the sky and as I was looking at the moon a thought struck me. I had previously forgotten due to the traumatic events, but I can use the Hunter’s constellation to find my way back.

I snapped my head around looking desperately until I found it, the seven points needed, and by following the top one I could tell that I needed to go left. I was filled with joy and took off, but I was suddenly flung back by a massive force that sent me flying through the tree I was previously punching. I landed with a thud but for some reason, probably due to the adrenalin, it didn’t even hurt half as bad as it should of. I jumped up to face my attacker and found the horrid beast standing over me, it was more twisted than ever and looked very pissed off.

I tried to grab my dagger, but my broken fingers couldn’t get a hold of the hilt. I slowly backed away in fear and tried to put some trees in between us, and as soon as there was a buffer I turned and ran. Thankfully it didn’t give chase, but I was still disheartened, it was blocking me from returning. Soon I slowed down and started to limp my legs were killing me, I leaned up against the tree and began inspecting the damage.

My skin had become a ghastly pale and my bones were jutting out noticeably under my skin, it looked like I had lost almost fifty pounds. My hand was in tatters and my knee was still shattered, I don’t know how I was able to walk or run but hopefully, it was a miracle instead of whatever curse was put on me. That wasn’t the final extent of my injuries though, I still had a missing arm, five gaping holes on the right side of my chest, and four massive slash marks cutting through diagonally from hip to shoulder. After a second of delirious rest, I heard a scurrying coming from nearby causing my body to leap up once again and give chase.

I was running faster than I ever thought I could and soon came across the frantically flying source, a snow-white bunny. I pounced to shred, and my hand struck true sending the bunny tumbling and confused. I lunged forward mouth first and sunk my teeth into the poor creature causing it to release a squeal of pain, but I no longer cared and just dug in as fast as I could. Soon the rabbit was reduced to nothing but a few hairs and I was left to sit and think about what I had done.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

I reached up to wipe my lips to get rid of the fur and blood that was surely there only to find my lips… gone. To my horror, I realized that in my ravenous hunger I had eaten my lips while consuming the prey. What am I becoming, what have I done to deserve this torture? I looked around for an answer only to find the horrid beast in the distance snickering as it watched my descent into a monster. I was enraged, how dare it do this to me, how dare it mock me, I sprinted so fast that I cleared the distance in mere seconds and soon I was face to face with the beast. Using the momentum of my charge I wound my hand back and released a punch with all my force behind it. My mangled hand flew through the air and as it was about to connect the beast’s torso oddly slide to the side as if it had no bones at all.

My fist missed spectacularly, and it had so much force behind it I was sent flying off balance and slammed into a tree causing it to creek and splinter. I was enraged that I couldn’t even hit the creature and ignored the damage I just caused to the tree and turned to face the twisted creature. It stood there snickering mockingly which only caused me more rage, I charged forth and this time I aimed to use my teeth but when I made contact my teeth caved inward and I felt my jaw crack, I fell backward in pain and looked up in shock only to realize that... I just tried to bite a tree.

Was I going mad, is this all a fever dream brought on by bad bread? I shook my head and found most of my teeth gone, scattered below the tree. I curled up into a ball and cried, what is happening, why is this happening? I laid there like that for what felt like hours until the ravenous feeling within me took control and I started running around and desperately looking for food. I was sprinting around like a madman until I suddenly smelled something that I felt like I haven’t smelled in years, smoke.

I change directions and desperately ran towards the source, I ran through limbs and bumped into trees, but I didn’t stop. Soon I could see a column of smoke rising above the trees. Finally, I could get some help, hopefully, this is a curse that can be dispelled in its early stages. I thanked the gods that we hired Sahona, I didn’t like the woman, true, but I am sure as hell glad Deadlaf hired her. I was so close now that I can see the fire now but before I could get any closer, I was brought down to the ground. I looked around in confusion and found the source, a twisted mangled hand covered in ink-black fur and devilish claws had a death grip on my ankle.