From sleeping while sheltered, your health has been fully restored From sleeping while sheltered, your stamina has been fully restored Satiety: 36%

"How did you sleep?"

I blinked. "Well enough. Good morning, Octavia. Did you watch me sleep all night?"

"It's late evening," she said. "And yes, I did watch you sleep most of the day."

"When do you sleep?" I asked. "I thought you were nocturnal, but it seems you're almost always staying up later than me, and waking up earlier than me."

"Hmm, I'm not really sure that I sleep in the same way you do," she said. "I rest throughout the day. If I have a few minutes free, I just sit still and rest. I'm not really focused on anything, so my mind is quiet. I can still respond to things, but I guess you could call that sleep."

"You don't ever close your eyes and let yourself doze off?"

"No eyelids," she said.

"Oh, right. But…you're just getting micro-naps throughout the day?"

"I guess you could call it that," she said. "But some 'naps' are longer than others. Sometimes I spend hours like that, especially when I really need rest."

"That sounds a lot like sleep to me."

"It is, but it isn't," she said. "I don't know how to describe it. I don't really dream. …do you dream?"

"I haven't really thought about it," I said. "But I guess not. I didn't really dream very often as a human — or, I guess to be more accurate, I didn't remember the dreams I had as a human. Supposedly everyone 'dreams' during the rapid-eye-movement part of sleep — the 'deep sleep' that hits throughout the night in cycles. But the way you describe it, it sounds like you're never been in deep sleep."

"Nope," she said. "It's handy. It means I'm always alert when I need to be."

"Wait," I said. "If you never have 'deep sleep,' then when do you recover your HP and SP?"

"I told you, I rest whenever I can."

"And your 'micro-naps' let you restore HP and SP? You're just gradually regenerating throughout the day whenever you have the opportunity?"

"Yes," she said.

"Oh," I said. "That's, well, something I didn't realize. I always just assumed you were like me."

"We are alike," she said. "Or at least, we're alike in the ways that matter most. But when it comes to things like sleep patterns, you probably have more in common with the hyenas than you do with me."

"That's interesting," I said. "I wonder if critters like the ants are like you: constantly taking 'power naps' throughout the day."

She paused, as if that remark had sent her deep into thought. She said, "Do you think that the ants are like that?"

"I was about to ask you that question," I said. "You don't have an answer?"

She shrugged. "I never really considered it before."

"Really?" I said. "Well…okay, then, consider it now. Do you think the ants have a sleep schedule like you do?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"I wanted your perspective," I said. "I don't have years of experience dealing with these sorts of ants. And I'm not an arthropod."

"Arthropod?"

"It seemed more polite than calling you a bug," I said. "And more scientifically accurate, because spiders aren't insects, and the term 'bug' actually specifically refers to…" I trailed off as her eyes seemed to glaze over. "…a specific kind of insect," I said, cutting my explanation short. "But if you want to use the word 'bug' more colloquially, I'm okay with that. Are you okay with the term bug? It's not offensive, is it?"

"It doesn't offend me," she said. "But now you have me questioning whether I should be finding it offensive."

"People sometimes try to dehumanize others by comparing them to bugs or vermin," I said. "I wasn't trying to dehumanize you."

"But I'm not human."

"Yeah." I chuckled. "We might need a better word. But you get what I mean, right? Some people use the word 'bug' pejoratively. I figure that's the usage that you might be more used to, so it might evoke unpleasant memories from a different context."

"That was a long time ago, though."

"Oh," I said. "I guess you're right. From my perspective, 'earth' is only a couple weeks in the past. But from your perspective, it's been…you said decades, right? How long ago was it?"

"Are you asking how old I am?" Her tone was light. "Don't you know it's rude to ask a lady how old she is?"

"I'm asking how experienced you are."

"It's been long enough that I've lost track of time," she said. "And that's not me being evasive. I genuinely can't give you a more exact answer."

"What have you been doing all that time?"

"Surviving."

"That's not really an activity so much as describing what you haven't been doing. That's like saying, 'I've been not dying,' which doesn't say anything about how you spend your days."

"Are you sure about that?" she said, tapping the melon next to me. "For someone who requires food, death is the default. Surviving requires constant effort."

"Point taken," I said. "I don't see all the time that you spend maintaining your web traps, either. I guess I was more asking if you have any hobbies."

"Not really," she said. "I can always just sit still and do nothing."

"Like, the power-naps we just discussed?"

"Basically," she said.

"I'm not sure I could do the same," I said. "Maybe I'm just wired differently. I mean that both from a biological standpoint, and also in terms of my disposition. I always want to be on the road of self-improvement, maybe now more than ever."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Remember when I talked about my scales?" I said. "Yesterday was a perfect example of why I need to be stronger. That assassin bug nearly lived up to its name."

"Yes," she said quietly. "I'm sorry about that."

"I wasn't assigning blame to you for that! If anything, I was pointing out that I should start doing a better job of taking care of my own protection."

"Like that terrifying roar of yours?"

"That's a good tool to have in my toolbox," I said. "But mainly, I was thinking more about growing tougher scales. I need to become stronger. And to do that, I need to go back up to the surface."

"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" she said.

"Going to the surface seems preferable to heading back to the Shimmergrove," I said. "That place is full of things that want to kill me, and one of them nearly succeeded."

"And the surface is different…how? Because the way I remember it, the last time you went outside, you were nearly killed by hyenas."

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"Yes," I said. "I wouldn't have survived the hyenas without you. Although…I do wonder how the hyenas would react to my roar, now that I have the presence of mind to use it. And besides, the only reason I was forced into a confrontation with the hyenas was that I needed to enter the cave. If I encounter them elsewhere, I can just run away. The cave entrance is the only chokepoint where they can really ambush me, and if that happens, I have you for backup, if you're willing to provide it."

"I am," she said.

"Well then," I said, taking a step forward. "Shall we head up?"

She hesitated. "Alright."

"If you've got a good reason why I shouldn't go up, please don't feel hesitant about letting me know."

"No, it's fine," she said. "I tried thinking of a good reason not to, and I couldn't think of one. I'm just surprised that you're so eager to put yourself in harm's way. Are you fully recovered from yesterday?"

"Yup," I said. "I'm at a hundred percent. A good night's sleep is all I needed."

"That was fast."

"Seems like my passive healing is faster than yours, then," I said. "But the downside is, I can't exactly do it on demand. You can get a slow and steady drip of recovery throughout the day if circumstances permit, but I only get one big burst of energy at the start of every day. Or…I guess 'once a day' is more accurate, considering that it's now evening."

We made our way to the cave's upper tunnel, and Octavia walked with me to the exit.

"I'd appreciate it if there's not a gang of hyenas waiting for me when I get back," I said.

"Yes, I'll stay up here and keep a more vigilant eye on things while you're gone. I'd hate for you to get ambushed again."

"Thanks," I said. "Speaking of ambushes…being that you're an ambush predator, why not lay down some webs out here? You already have the tunnel entrance webbed up, so you could just extend it a few yards."

She considered the idea. "I suppose I could lay down a temporary web for you."

"Why only temporary? Why not just keep letting your reach extend outward, like you do with the tunnels?"

"My webs don't hold up so well outdoors," she said. "You never know when there's going to be a big windstorm. Those happen from time to time. And even a light breeze can be a problem. Even if the breeze doesn't tear through the web, breezes can carry sand, which gets stuck to the sticky parts, preventing the web from doing its job. Sand can be quite irritating."

"Yes, sand can be irritating in more ways than one," I said. "Alright. Do whatever you think is best."

"What are you going to do with your evening outside?"

"First order of business is to get myself a meal," I said. "After that, I'll do whatever I can to level up. I might go after the ants again, since that worked well enough last time, though I'm not sure how many times I can hit the same ant colony and still get results."

"Well, whatever happens, I trust that my webs below can handle it."

"I suppose I'll have to trust in your webs as well. See you later!"

As I stepped out into the crisp night air, I felt oddly at home, like a burden I didn't realize I had been carrying was lifted. I didn't find Octavia's lair particularly uncomfortable, but after spending so much time so deep underground, and having visited the depths of the Shimmergrove, stepping outside felt like a small relief. Even at night, the illumination provided by the moonlight was brighter than most of Octavia's tunnels, and more importantly, it felt right in all the ways that the illumination of the Shimmergrove felt wrong.

I marched off in search of the stomping grounds that the rabbits called home. It took me a few minutes to find a spot near some vegetation that provided a comfortable spot to wait for an ambush opportunity.

As I waited, I felt a sense of comfort. This was where I was supposed to be: a predator, poised for the hunt. A dragon should be a feared hunter that prey fled from, not something to be the target of pursuit by giant centipedes and assassin bugs. Minutes passed, and I let out a yawn. How long had it been since I'd felt comfortable enough to yawn? Too long.

I waited for any sign of the rabbits, and the minutes drew longer. As I waited, my feeling of comfort was replaced by a growing sense of unease. There should have been at least one rabbit spotting by now — even if the rabbits weren't always quick to stumble into harm's way, they were always at least visible. Their light-colored fur should have caught the moonlight well enough for me to see rabbits from dozens of feet away. Had I simply come to the wrong spot?

I waited several more minutes, counting seconds until I reached two hundred, which seemed like enough time to give up on this spot. I wandered around in the same stomping ground, this time finding a place where the vegetation clumps were fewer, but the few bits of brush that did exist were bigger. Once again, I settled in, waiting for my opportunity to strike.

No opportunity came. Minutes passed. This time, I waited longer — what must have been at least ten minutes — and I didn't see a single rabbit, despite keeping a vigilant watch. Was there something keeping the rabbits at bay? Something that had scared them away? What was different now than the last time I'd hunted rabbits?

My thoughts went back to my previous journey to the surface. The hyenas had started developing new abilities. Octavia had remarked that hyena variants appeared during times when food was scarce. Did bigger — or stealthier — hyenas require more food? Had they over-hunted the rabbits?

I stood up and started walking. If rabbits were no longer available as a food source, I had another option: the last time I'd attacked the fire ant nest, dozens of them had fled and become ensnared in Octavia's webs down below. The ants weren't as tasty as rabbit meat, but they'd at least serve to sate my hunger.

As I traipsed back through the stomping ground, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye, and I froze. I cautiously pivoted toward the source of the movement, and under the illumination of the moonlight, I saw a creature too large to be a rabbit sniffing at the ground.

A hyena.

Keeping my movement slow and gradual, I lowered myself to the ground until I was prone, hoping to reduce my profile and avoid notice. No sooner had I settled myself when a small wind kicked up, sending bits of dust into my eyes, and I squinted, blinking the dust away and trying to get a better look at the hyena. Hyenas, of course, hunted in packs, and I kept one eye on the hyena while scanning the area around it, looking for the others. However, try as I might, no other hyenas revealed themselves. Shadowstalkers, perhaps? But this particular hyena didn't seem to be making any effort to be stealthy: it was sniffing around, as if it was looking for something without particularly caring who saw it, trying to catch the scent of something. Why would one hyena blatantly reveal itself while the others remained invisible or camouflaged? Some kind of trick?

Then, another thought occurred to me. Hyenas usually hunted in packs, but the only creatures I'd seen in this stomping ground had been rabbits — the kind of small creatures that didn't require a group effort to hunt. In fact, if anything, a group presence when hunting rabbits could be counter-productive. The hyena continued its hunt, and the longer I watched it, the more convinced I became it was alone. I remained motionless as I watched it sniffing around. Could it smell me? Would 'dragon' be a scent it recognized?

The wind picked up again, and I shut my eyes and felt the dust in my face. As the wind died down, I realized what it meant. I'm downwind of the hyena. Even if it could detect the scent of a dragon, my scent probably wouldn't carry toward it. And, apparently oblivious to my presence, it started to get closer and closer.

I felt a growing sense of anticipation, the same mix of tension and eagerness that I felt every time I hunted rabbits. I'm the hunter. And another thought. Hyena meat would be real nice right about now.

I waited, hoping that the hyena would get close enough to pounce, but it stopped several yards away from me. It sniffed at the ground, then looked up and saw me. In the moment that we locked eyes, I lunged forward — it took two steps for me to reach it, but I had the advantage of surprise. I leapt, striking its side with my foreclaw and digging into its hide, which gave me the grip I needed to bite down on the back of its neck.

As I bit down, I heard the hyena yelp, and I exhaled [paralyzing breath], not loosening my grip. The form of the hyena under me flickered, briefly changing color, and for a moment my jaw nearly dropped in surprise, but my teeth kept a firm grip on its neck, and the hyena flickered back to the same familiar color. Camouflage isn't much use after you've already been caught. The hyena's struggle slowed under the influence of my paralyzing breath until it was entirely motionless. Surprisingly, the savage bite I'd made on the back of its neck wasn't enough to kill it, so I flipped its stiff and motionless body over, exposing the underside of its neck, taking a bite directed straight at the jugular. Blood gushed from the wound and my tongue eagerly lapped it up.

Shadowstalker Hyena defeated! 20% exp toward next level

I quickly scanned the area around me, looking for any hyenas who might be looking to avenge the death of their dead comrade, but the stomping ground remained just as motionless as it had been before the hyena had shown up. I took huge bites of the hyena's flesh, swallowing them without bothering to chew. My teeth were made for ripping and tearing, not masticating.

As I ate, I periodically scanned the stomping ground, looking for any sign of movement, but none came, and I continued devouring as much of the hyena as I could. When I had pounced on it, I hadn't considered just how massive it was compared to the rabbits I had hunted earlier. Its flesh was tougher and leaner, which made it harder to bite through, and the hyena's skeleton accounted for a larger portion of its overall size — square-cube law in action; larger creatures needed proportionally larger skeletons to support their own weight. When I got to the bone, I bit down on its femur until I heard a satisfyingly sickening crunch, then went to work with my tongue, lapped at the marrow that leaked out. I proceeded to do the same with several of its other large bones.

Eating the hyena took surprisingly long — I'd spent what must have been at least ten minutes by the time I'd eaten over two thirds of it.

I continued devouring the hyena as quickly as I could until I saw movement at the edge of the stomping ground, and noticed the familiar silhouettes: hyenas were scavengers, and evidently, they had caught the scent of blood. I could beat a hyena one-on-one, but I wasn't about to test my odds against a group. I glanced down at what remained of the bloody hyena's carcass: having already reached [satiety: 93%], this hunk of meat had already served its purpose. I turned to make my exit. Fortunately, the direction that the hyenas approached me from was opposite from the way home, so I wouldn't have to fight my way out.

As I headed back toward the cave, I glanced over my shoulder to observe the hyenas, which didn't seem to be following me with any sense of haste. They approached me until arriving at the spot where the shadowstalker hyena's carcass sat splayed open. Three hyenas immediately lost interest in me and began devouring the corpse, while a fourth hyena — a large one like the ironhide I'd encountered before — watched me. For a moment, I thought it was about to follow me. It growled, then joined the smaller hyenas in feasting on the fresh corpse of their fallen comrade.

I shook my head as I walked away. Frickin' cannibals.

—

HP: 29/29 SP: 14/16 Progress toward next level: 92% Satiety: 93%