Norbert gasped for air as the tiger beside him finally stilled. The head leaning up next to the base of a tree, its tongue poking out, still licking its lips. Turning away from the tiger, a groan of pain went up Norbert’s body and looking down at it, not believing what the tiger, in its moment of panic, did to him.
Coughing up blood on the floor, Norbert sent the energy around his body to his wounds, fixing up his guts that were trying to fall free onto the earth and pushing them in; Norbert felt the skin mend itself together. His shirt and coat at the front were in tatters once more, and he was not even thinking of replacing them, sure that they would just get damaged immediately.
The fight is over, and the forest starts to stir once more. Looking around, seeing red dots all around, circling this grove. Feeling his body confirm that he no longer had any cuts, the skin still pink from healing, standing up, groaning with effort, Norbert used his sword as a staff as he hobbled away. Norbert stood up to his full height at the edge of the grove, feeling his body stretch from the discomfort.
Hearing the scurrying and claws digging into the earth, Norbert turned around, seeing a fight for the carcass had started. Some only try to get a nibble's worth from the tiger, and other creatures lay their stake on as much as possible. Staring around the trees, knowing the chaos he had caused would bring even more white creatures to this area. Not wanting to face any while still healing, head reeling from how much damage he received, Norbert stepped into the forest, hobbling around.
Hundreds of meters away, Norbert sheathed his sword, unable to hear the sounds of fighting around him. Believing to have gone deeper into the cave, his sense of direction was lost by now, unable to see either wall with the trees blocking his way. The trees became more prominent and thicker the longer he walked, taking on the look of the giants on the plateau, with green lines instead of the purple common to them.
Tracing the lines of the wood, their growth going up the trunk as Norbert stepped around the tree, their numbers now dwindling, but the increase in size and thickness meant they were still blocking Norbert from seeing anything from less than several meters away.
Their ears were growing tired from the constant sound of rustling; once, boredom crept on him when he was on edge in this forest. Looking up at the tree and canopy above, he thought, “Wonder how close the canopy is to the ceiling." "dismissing it with a wave, Norbert walked away, sheathing the sword as he jogged around, dodging this way and that through the trees.
The rustling changed in magnitude, rising and falling. Looking around, Norbert couldn't find anything there. A bush rustling on the side, Norbert leapt for it, dagger sent flying as another appeared in his hand. A cry of pain and a splatter of blood came out of the bushes as the dagger he threw impacted the creature.
Diving into the bush arms out, he grabbed onto something squishy. Closing his grip with all his strength, Norbert rolled out of the bush, landing on his feet as he looked at what remained in his hand. Seeing the head of a squirrel, its round head and large eyes looking back at him. Staring at the corpse, unable to tell if it had a bushy tail that all squirrels had or if only the head shape were the same.
Turning the white head in his hand, Norbert opened the mouth, surprised at the teeth inside. All of them are serrated, going to an edge rather than the hard stumps. Peeling the lip back with his pinkie, Norbert sees several teeth going back and letting go of the lip; Norbert stares into its eyes for a moment before dropping it on the ground.
Stepping forward, Norbert heard rustling behind him, seeing three squirrels jump into the bush, a mouse moving towards the head, looking at Norbert, and wondering if he would move. Norbert stayed still as he watched the mouse eat the rat's head, only leaving the bones, running off with a mouthful of eyes before the others could get it. Staring at the head, Norbert saw it looked stripped clean, only the skull and teeth remaining. The jaw broke away, watching as the three squirrels jumped out of the bush. Once slightly more significant than the others, it headed toward the mouse. On its way, he was pushing down on the skull, shattering it to pieces with its leg. Its bushy tail swatting the pieces away, Norbert watched as the shards flew behind it at the other squirrels, forced to slow down to avoid the worst of it.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Walking away, hearing the two squirrels fighting against each other in a scramble, their wounds causing the frenzy as Norbert looked up at the tree, remembering the bird that took a piece from before, wondering what it was like up there. Walking towards the closest tree, Norbert could not even wrap his arms around a quarter of it.
Taking a throwing dagger out, Norbert dug it into the tree, the blade firmly sticking out of the tree, splinters on the side of the blade where it was forced in. Norbert gave a tug as he hung from the blade, confirming it was step enough to hold his weight.
Taking a second one out, Norbert pulled the dagger out, the blade seemingly sliding out of the tree like it was never meant to be there. Norbert watched as he saw the tree wood encroaching on the wound he had made. Captivate Norbert stared at it as it slowly came together. With a green bit of pus coming out as it finished healing, Norbert watched as it hardened and started glowing under his sight.
Brushing it off, it trickled to the floor, getting lost in the dirt. Looking up at the tree, Norbert leapt into the air, smashing his dagger into the tree. His hand jarred as the blade came into the tree, halting his progress upwards. Feet dangling in the air, Norbert looked at the ground below, several meters in the air, his head spinning from the distance as he looked up, his chin banging into the bark.
His fingers slipping for a second from surprise, Norbert gripped the dagger again as his head calmed down. Reaching up, Norbert planted the next dagger in. Removing the lower one, Norbert started the slow and careful climb. He did not want to lose any of the throwing daggers he had in his possession.
Climbing up the tree, Norbert made it halfway up before something interrupted him. A white cat scurried up, following after him. Norbert looked down at it. Its sleek, lithe white body reminded him of a cheetah. Norbert looked down at it as it came up, looking at the other trees, gauging that he was about three-quarters up the tree.
Continuing upwards, Norbert dismissed the cat chasing after him, saying that he would deal with it when they met up, or he made it to the canopy above,
He was pulling himself up by the branch just as the cat approached him, trying to swipe at his foot as he raised it above. Norbert is sitting on the branch, feet dangling down as he sheathed both daggers, not wanting to lose them to the creature.
He leaned backwards against the tree as best he could with his backpack on again, whistling aloud as he looked down at the cat, still struggling.
The cat swiped at his foot again; Norbert slid off the branch, grabbing it as he kicked at the cat's head. Surprised by Norbert's sudden movement, the cat let go. Norbert pulled himself up.
THUNK
Looking down, Norbert saw the cat sprayed out, a pool of blood around it, colouring its white fur. Pulling himself up, Norbert watched the forest around the crash site as he crawled. The bushes were going still, the forest finally at peace.
Watching, confirming that nothing had happened, after several moments of peace, Norbert stood up, stretching his legs and flexing his hands in the gloves as he looked up, making a path in the tree.
Something tickled at him; Norbert looked down to the ground, seeing only the bloody mess, the fallen cat no longer there. In its place was a print, the size of Norbert's chest stamped in. Norbert could easily see the four claws digging into the earth, the pads of its feet entrenched within.
Scanning the forest around, not seeing a single disturbance in the bushes or trees, Norbert looked for the other footprint but could not; no others were leading to or from the bloody footprint. Shivering at the thought, his hands shaking as he adjusted his mask, shaking his hands on the side as he quickly scurried up the tree, leaving the creature that made its presence known down there. Hoping it wouldn't follow him up to the canopy.