Nature. Full of mystery and beauty. Plants and wildlife of all different natures and walks of life somehow cohesively living together in stable environment. A mystery that only the Creator could understand. But the most beautiful of things in nature and society are often the most dangerous. A vibrant flower in the wild forests of the world could be so poisonous that even touching it could fell an elephant. Beauty is often a tool of plants and certain animals for hunting and mating. While some use vibrant colours in self defence like peacocks. A peaceful lake could be full of vicious aquatic predators waiting for something to be foolish enough to touch their waters. Everything that enters nature must follow nature’s most basic rule: The Law of the Jungle. The strong eat the weak.
Many predators abandon their young in order to let them grow strong and wise to the ways of the jungle. But most importantly it is to allow an Apex to be born. An Apex, a being at the zenith of the natural world. The strongest, fastest, most adept hunter of the Beast Kingdom. Only a handful of beings truly ever make it to the peak, most end up dead becoming the stepping stones for others on their way to the peak. But those who reach it are gods among their peers and all know it.
At this time; deep in the tall trees and gnarled woods of the Beast Kingdom’s forests, a shadow was moving. Not just moving but tracking, hunting, becoming an Apex. This contender for the local Apex crown was a humanoid with sand coloured skin, a powerful lean and wiry physique suited for quick and fast movement. The being stood still finally allowing one to catch it’s features in perfect detail as it stood as still as the trees around it. A decent height of about 5 feet tall and weight seemingly around 110 lbs. The creature had small inch long nails that were sharpened into claws of savage utility. An immature face barely settling into its own features showed off this creature's surprising youthfulness. Mesmerizing topaz and garnet coloured eyes with vertical reptilian pupils made the creature seem even more primal than it's seemingly human like appearance. Incredibly bizarre: heterochromatic eyes, a childishly handsome face by human standards, long flowing luscious raven coloured hair crowned the being’s head gave it the aura of an natural born king.
Gripping a rusted metal spear with a sturdy wooden shaft, the child wore no clothes but had a large sharpened fang tied to its waist. Multiple scars adorned his body and without clothing the scars stood out as a testament of the brutal life and struggles he had survived through. Slowly lowering his body the being crouched into the tall grass, bring the spear parallel to the ground. Ever so slowly and gently he began to stalk through the grass and shadows of the forest’s boughs. Disappearing from sight as quickly as he had appeared.
In a clearing not too far away from the odd child's last position, a massive beast grazed on a mana rich plant. The beast had the body of an elk yet it was multiplied several fold from its counterpart. Bulging muscles that could be seen by the naked eye, antlers two feet in length and tipped in a sharp metallic like coating, were only the most visibly abnormal traits of this behemoth of an elk. This ‘elk’ was in fact a Steelgore Elk that stood at an impressive 6 feet tall not counting its massive deadly antlers. A beast of the Low Order and 2nd Rank. Known for being a herd type of Beast, this single Steelgore idly grazed on the delicious mana fruit it had found. A Steelgore was generally a common animal, yet avoided figure in the forest by even Mid Order beasts of similar rank. Because of their highly tight-knit herd, once one Steelgore sounded the alarm all would rush without heed of danger in response. Charging at full speed with its steel tipped antlers and packing its massive frame behind it, a charging Steelgore was a very fearful existence. Even more so of a herd of twenty or more of the brutes.
Entering the outer fringes of the clearing the Steelgore grazed in, the spear wielding child appeared from the shadows. Slowly and calmly reversing its grip on the spear, the child poised like an experienced hunter. With it’s spear aimed at the unknowing Steelgore; the would be hunter tightly grasped the large dagger-like fang in the opposite hand, balancing it’s body from the length and weight of it’s spear. Breathing visibly slowed the child patiently waited for the ‘golden moment’ to strike. The absolute best moment to pounce on his oblivious prey. The very moment when any being finishes eating a meal, when they feel satisfied and content. And as the Steelgore ate the last bit of the mana fruit, the waiting hunter let loose a powerful spear throw accompanied by a fierce roar to claim and demonstrate his intent and victory as a predator. The rusted old spear whistled through the air slightly arching but flying nonetheless directly into the wide-eyed Steelgore’s open neck.
With an utterly terrifying force, the spear’s momentum carried the massive elk to the ground with a satisfying thud. If one looked closely they would be able to see the extreme accuracy and precision used in the throw. The spear had hit three major arteries that joined up in the Steelgore’s throat. Matching the unnatural precision of the throw the child instantly launched after his weapon and pounced on the still stunned Steelgore. Jamming the long sharpened fang straight under the Steelgore’s mandible bone and into the brain of the still shocked and bewildered beast, the child swiftly brought the creature's life to a deadly close.
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No flashy magic. No earth-shaking battle. No suspense and tension at all. This was a true hunt. A part of nature. A dance of life and death where only one partner knows what is happening, while the other is helplessly dragged along. And after dragging along an unsuspecting partner, the other must always take the trophy of victory. The sentient races called this act skinning but in the Beast Kingdom it was simply, eating. Eating every succulent part of your prey that was the right one had as hunter and victor. But this hunter did not do this. He began to work the long fang like a saw directly at the shoulder of the dead Steelgore’s hind leg. After a few short breaths of time the child quickly severed the large meaty leg. Then as quickly as he came he left carrying off leg almost as big as himself along with his weapons back into the depths of the forest.
Leaving prey behind was seen as a most disgraceful thing to the Beast Kingdom. Especially this deep in the Beast Kingdom's lands, there was no beast that would do this. So why did this strangely human looking child do so? The answer would shock you. This 5 foot tall child was actually the 6 year old Lucifer, that had been thrown into the desolate lands of the Beast Kingdom to accept his paternal inheritance.
An inheritance to prove his worth and right to the legacy of his father's lineage. Almost all races completed one in order to become part of its own familia or as a right of passage. Some races and species even make their children fight till only one survives, thus ensuring the strongest live on. Others nurture their young in caring environments and teach them how to hunt and survive. An inheritance is usually related to the first case. A savage and brutal way of forcing cubs and babes into becoming true predators, worthy of their name and honour.
The inheritance that young Lucifer was completing was his father’s ancient lineage inheritance. The inheritance of a nephilim. Warriors of legend, Nephilim are said to be the children of god's and man’s most supreme warriors. Born of divinity and man’s natural adaptability, nephilims were born killers. Warrior and divine blood flowed through their veins, demigods. With a god’s natural indifferent savagery and a champion’s battle sense and instincts, the nephilim were born warriors that made even the divine cower. They were so amazing at slaughtering their foes, that Heaven eventually threw them into the Eternal War between the angels and demons. However that soon became backfired. The nephilim grew too strong to control, and Heaven did something very cruel. They threw newborn nephilims into the Eternal War’s battlefield in hopes to Cull their numbers from the root. This eventually became every nephilim’s trial. Learning to survive on nothing but themselves while surrounded by foes trying to kill them since the day they were born.
So young Lucifer grew up in the forests of the Beast Kingdom without any protection from his family in the savage lands of the Beast Kingdom. He fought, he scavenged, he hid, he did everything possible to survive without the instruction of anyone. Instincts and natural inborn talent carried him from infancy to now despite the inconceivable likelihood of it happen.
Now while Lucifer ran from his kill with only a rusted spear, dagger-like fang and Steelgore hind leg a stealthy figure appeared at the carcass of the still warm Steelgore. The figure was 6’5” and cloaked but a large 7 foot naginata was strapped to it’s back and human body gave away its identity. Gazing at the disappearing figure of Lucifer the figure chuckled slightly. Slowly walking after him the cloaked figured seemed to fade into the forest as if it was always a part of it.
After running for a few minutes Lucifer suddenly banked right as the ground; he would have stepped on had he continued going forward, exploded. Rolling and trying to steady his footing Lucifer gazed at the dust cloud caused by the explosion. While bits of dirt rained the near area, Lucifer’s experienced instincts told him he was being hunted. Every hair on his body stood up. His body crouching lower, his left arm discarding his oversized leg and opting for his dagger. Right arm bringing his spear closer to his body, and tilted downward he tensed. Waiting for whatever was after him to come out and reveal itself. Topaz and garnet eyes darting all over for the slightest of movements, ears listening to every sound being made, nose smelling for whatever scents he could track. Then suddenly swiping his dagger in front of his body and twisting his body while jumping back, Lucifer moved. He was dagger slashed apart a fist sized stone that came flying at him, and his body twisting into a acrobatic corkscrew flip. Narrowly avoiding a large poled blade from smashing on top of him. Landing the flip, Lucifer’s eyes narrowed at the weapon that almost killed him. It was a long weapon, much like his spear but this one had a curved single edged blade head to it. It was a naginata. Wielding this polearm was a cloaked figure that seemed strangely familiar to Lucifer, it's scent held flavours that were strangely familiar to him.
The figure laughed at Lucifer’s bewildered expression, and suddenly launched a series of violent stabs and slashes all aimed at his limbs. Without time to react Lucifer was quickly and very pathetically disarmed. Then immobilized by the shallow cuts directly to his tendons and joints. Collapsing to the ground a roar of unwillingness escaped Lucifer’s throat. This was the first time any animal had mocked and humiliated him in the six years he survived in this forest, he was after all a strong contender for this area’s Apex crown. All that replied to his madness was the butt of the naginata smashing into his temple, rendering him unconscious.