Chapter 4

  With a grunt i felt paws fling me onto my side. A hanging tongue graced my vision as i growled bunching my hind legs I launched my competitor away from me. I stood in front of a motley collection of my siblings, all smaller than me, but their instinctual cunning and group methods had been driving me into a corner lately. The largest among them, a female, the one who was just standing up from being kicked was the dangerous one.

   I hadn’t gotten any of them on my side, as I had been selfishly taking whatever i could for myself. She, on the other hand had rallied my brothers and sisters against me for the scraps brought back by our pack. I could not stand for this any longer, my pride would not allow it. Thinking such i began by launching myself forward towards her and the 3 who followed her.

   As i closed in, I sunk all my weight onto my forelegs, pivoting quickly before tackling to the side sending the smallest tumbling away. Using the inherent grace of wolf kind, though with a rather inelegant ass maneuver, I kicked back with my legs nicking another smallfry. I had thought myself clever, until my sister and other sibling took my legs out from under me. The ones i had send flying earlier joined in and their combined weight had me pinned down.

   Without true violence i could not win against such numbers. Shaking off my siblings and growling in frustration to their laughter I left. In my frustrations I did not return to the den, but i would slake my anger on prey. It had been long enough sitting and playing, I was almost the size of a adult wolf, though young as i was. We hadn’t even been allowed to join the hunt as of yet, and eating scraps of others kills was driving me crazy.

   I kept my ears alert, my eyes scanning and my nose was searching for scents. These things came to me naturally, through my new births instincts I was guided in how to use my tools.Now you might be thinking, would not a white wolf not fit in a green luscious forest? Right and wrong. I don’t blend in well, but most animals use smell and hearing over using sight, as its an omni direction sensory tool. Smell your prey, stay down wind, and don’t step on any dry twigs and they’ll never know you’re there.

   Now, knowing this, i stayed low, no need to advertise my own beautiful coat for the world to see. My nose twitched. There was something near. Turning my head to catch a sound i searched, until i heard a soft thump, followed by another, in a rhythmic pattern. My prey was small, to few steps for a squirrel, to quiet to be near my size. I inched towards the sound creeping up, trying to find it with my eyes.

   I caught movement of a small rabbit feasting on the grass nearby. It stopped and its ears flicked around and i held my breath worried it may of heard me approach. But hearing nothing it went back to eating and i inched closer, getting within 10 yards… 6 yards and it snapped up again searching for me. Knowing this would be my only chance i gathered power into all of my legs, preparing to rocket forward. Then I noticed something rather unusual about this rabbit i had not payed mind to while creeping towards it.

   It had a horn. Not even a jackalope horn i had seen mounted as jokes, but a deadly spear. I definitely did not want that inside of my body, ripping and shredding my rather precious and vital organs. My survival Was dependant on being able to get this monster from behind, and ending it within a single blow. Gathering my breath slowly, and building my courage to face such a foe, i locked my gaze onto the rabbit.

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  I launched myself like a bullet out of a barrel at my prey. My jaws ached to bring their full force down and my fangs cried for the blood of this creature. I wanted to conquer this beast and use it as a stepping stone to larger prey. It noticed my approach and it turned to face me, angling its death giving spear at my heart. But i expected any creature with a weapon to use it, it had only fallen prey to my trap. I had made sure that by getting close enough that it couldn’t run, and knowing it’s only chance at survival would be impaling me it would turn.

   I came straight at this life ending horn, only to shift my weight to the right, allowing my beautiful fur to be grazed behind my eye. In rage i grabbed this lowly animal by the neck as i passed. With my full force i slammed my jaws together, only to find that i couldn’t even penetrate its skin! How weak must i be to lose in a contest of strength against a rabbit! It struggled in my jaws unable to escape, yet i couldn’t end its life either.

   With it struggling in my teeth I pondered this problem. Well if I couldn’t peirce its hide, I’d just follow in the example given to me by medieval knights I figured. So I raised my head and slammed the rabbit against a nearby tree. Examining my work the rabbit was still alive, so I beat it a few more times against the trunk. This was more tiring than it was worth, it was still alive, if I had to put it in game terms, i’d maybe shaved off half its life.

   That gave me an idea. Using game logic, I’d just do something every character from a game does to kill. I trapped the rabbit under my paw and adjusted my grip with my fangs off its neck onto its head. Sending a prayer to this rabbits wife and kids I sharply twisted my head snapping its neck. Even if it survived it could no longer run. Inspecting the now backwards facing rabbit i decided It wouldn't be shared.

   Clawing and biting at one spot repeatedly its hide was finally opened and i continued to tear it open from this weak point and devour its meat.

[Trial Of The Horned Rabbit] [PASSED]

  What was that? I paused in my meal at seeing these letters appear in my vision. Wait, was this just as that bastard said? A game for the higher powers? So they are even going to use game logic in what I do here? More to the point they decided a rabbit was a trial, the same thing that decides a person's fate, are they fucking serious.

  Shaking my head i went back to my feast. Devouring my own prey was immensely more satisfying, hell, i even felt stronger eating something i had killed myself! Soon i had the carcass pieces i didn’t want splayed out over the forest floor, and all that was left was the heart. I’d read that ancient warriors would eat the heart of their enemy to gain its strength, and for now this was my great battle. So I decided i would follow that example. Getting up from where i had been eating the marrow of its bones I tore the heart out of the rabbits corpse. Tearing into it was delicious. Then i felt a tooth slam into something hard and I yelped in shock.

   It slipped down my throat from my quick movements and made me cough. I may of just eaten a rock. But why was there a rock in a rabbit's heart, i was dreadfully confused. Well, either way, it’s not like I can do much about it now, and t’ll come out one way or another. Finding a shallow pool of water I cleaned the blood off my jowls and rinsed my rather impressive battle scar from my fearsome opponent. Today was a day to remember, and a day i had proved my worth. At least to myself. Thinking such things i meandered my way back to the den, sure the pack was still out hunting, so I was safe from being punished by Father. Such innocent thoughts, how I still had them after all this time I’ll never know.