As soon as I had gathered all the gear I had collected through the time I had been here, I took off through the trees, only pausing for a second to summon the wolves. Just in case.

The journey was quick and I quickly found the source of the sound of running water as I crossed through the last few trees, the sound of water now crashing against my surroundings as I passed through bright green trees and into a wonderful clearing. Inside that bright clearing was a cliff. It wasn't surprising that I hadn't seen it before, but what quickly got me excited was the gallons and gallons of water running off the cliff into a bright clear pool of water from a ledge that created a cascade of rainbows all through the waterfall.

It was absolutely picturesque. One of the most beautiful natural landscapes I had seen. It left me standing there by the edge of the trees in silence as I looked upon the site. Until Alpha nudged me forwards a bit and I remembered my thirst. I laughed in joy as I threw all my gear to the ground and walked quickly to the pool under the waterfall before jumping into the water with a splash.

The cold of the water was a shock to the system and I swam up a little bit to get to the surface quickly, but I didn't care. The freshness of the water was amazing and I spent the next half an hour at least washing myself off between gulps of the slightly cleaner water from the waterfall, that I didn't wash myself off with, until finally I lay back in the shallows, exhausted and just let myself relax for the first time in a long time. At least it felt like a long time.

Eventually though, I had to get up. If I was going to survive for long enough for people to find me, or for me to find people, then there were still lots of things to do. Like washing the bloody and dirty gear I had gotten. I sighed to myself before rolling to a sitting position and standing up to get my things cleaned in time for me to make supper and set up somewhere to sleep.

Before I did anything though, I looked into the sky. “Great…” I grumbled to myself as I looked up at the sky, recognizing that there were only a few hours before night fell from the slightly darkened color of the sky. Things went fast from there, no time was wasted as I washed and hung up the newly cleaned gear over an hour or two, then I proceeded to start a fire with help from Alpha’s flame to dry myself and my wet clothes that had been bothering me the entire time. “I am never going to wash myself off while wearing my clothes again…” I muttered tiredly “Now I have to wear damp clothes tonight.” I complained farther with a sigh.

I then put some meat on the makeshift spit that I had kept the pieces for, and I left it for a while to cook so I could see about a place to sleep. There weren't many options as far as I could see. Two different tangles of branches that looked like they might hold me, one about seven feet high and the other about a third of the height, and there was also a small almost cave-like space I had found behind the waterfall, with an opening just beside the waterfall so I wouldn't even need to get wet when I got in. It was a bit small but looked alright.

I debated with myself for quite a while on the issue, but eventually I decided on just sleeping in the trees, specifically the highest branch tangle, mostly because I felt that it would be somewhat safer above the ground then behind the small waterfall. Well, it was also somewhat because the area behind the waterfall was really cold and dark, but that doesn't matter very much. ‘The cave might be a good place to use as a smaller storage cave instead.’ I thought to myself as I walked back to the campfire.

The night came quickly and found me moving all my stuff into the dark cave, except for the wolf fur and my blanket for obvious reasons. “The night isnt as dark as usual…” I said ponderingly to myself as I paused and looked up into the night sky, shining with the bright points of light that were the many stars and the top of one of this planet's moons that was just visible above the trees.

‘It is rather calming to just look up at the sky like this’ I thought to myself, before walking over to the sleeping tree and climbing up it in the dark with my bundles of fur and my blanket securely on my back. I rolled out the pile of smooth furs and set them on the branches carefully before lying back and setting my blanket on top with heavy arms and eyes.

‘This world truly is beautiful.’ I thought, looking up at the bright alien sky once more before falling into a deep sleep for the night.

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The next morning I woke up slowly, feeling the warmness of sleep get slowly drifting away. I kept my eyes closed and pulled my blanket tighter around me with slight annoyance as my mind started waking up. After a few minutes I opened my eyes, only to blink as the sun blinded me a little before looking around me and taking in my surroundings carefully.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

I could see the blue sky through the huge gap in the canopy that was the pools clearing, the light of the sun just in the right position to glare right in my face. The sounds of the waterfall still running fast down into the pool was loud as ever. I was still where I went to sleep, so that's good.

I sighed as I sat up and looked down from my high position in the ring of trees to look out at the pool again and paused as I noticed that there was something new. An older looking deer was drinking from the pool, almost on the opposite side of the clearing to me.

“Huh.” I said, taking in the sight with mild surprise, “This is the first time I have seen any other animals besides the wolves.” I muttered. It was a good sight, it meant that there were still some animals in this weird forest, maybe they are just scarce? I haven't seen any insects either, so something is going on. I wish I knew what though…

I looked at the peaceful sight of the deer drinking by the pool for a few seconds, until I frowned with a realization. ‘I probably should kill it.’ I thought with regret, ‘I am going to run out of wolf meat at some point, in fact it should go bad really soon…’ It was sad, but that was life for now. Kill and eat. No other reliable source of food, I wasn't going to test plants to see if they are edible. Especially in a place where magic is apparently real. Who knows what the plants would do to me if I ate them?

But regardless, I couldn't just run over and kill it. My spear was with my other supplies. “Well, that was kind of stupid.” I said in embarrassment. “I must have been more tired than I thought, to put my only weapon in the cave behind the waterfall. I should have slept with it. I was almost killed twice, and it's not even been a full week yet.” I reprimanded myself, then I started climbing down the tree, trying to be slow and as soundless as possible. I wouldn't want to scare off my meal.

It was actually relatively easy going, it wasn't hard to get down from the tree without attracting the attention of the deer and it didn't even notice once I started walking quickly to the waterfall where I kept my makeshift bone tipped spear. I walked around the stone edge of the cliff once I had reached it and then when I had reached the area behind the waterfall I turned so my back was to the waterfall and I peered through the darkness of the cave and I reached out to where I could see the bone tipped spear and grabbed hold of the handle.

It was time to hunt.

I walked quickly and deftly out of the little cave until I was away from the stone wall and I looked out over the pool and I saw the deer, still drinking. I started walking, slowly creeping around to the edge of the trees where I stayed and started walking around the edge of the clearing in the shadows of the forest. The deer was totally unaware of everything that was happening, that I was slowly approaching it from the darkness of the forest behind it.

After a few careful minutes, I was behind its left side. Just a dozen feet to where it was still idly drinking by the pool. Totally unprepared. I started forwards, making no attempt to be stealthy now as I rushed it, feeling the adrenaline and the power of the pack howling in my soul. My face split open in a savage grin as I rushed my prey.

At the second before I was about to stab it in the neck, it heard me and spun on the spot so quickly that I nearly stumbled in shock, but it was too late. My spear was less than a foot away from the beast when it turned and hit my spear with its huge antlers, knocking my stab and me to the right from its hit.

In the split second before I would have my face planted, I caught myself on my spear and got to my feet quickly, but not quick enough to see a change happen in the deer that had already occurred by the time my head had turned to face it. Its antlers were covered in a layer of green energy.

“OF COURSE ITS A FUCKING MAGIC DEER!” I shouted in outrage as the deer started to charge at me, intent to either stomp me with its hooves or spear me with its weird magic antlers that were suddenly looking much more dangerous.

I threw myself with my spear clutched to my chest to the side with no time to spare as it thundered past me like a car, just missing my leg just barely. I wasn't in the clear though as I crawled to my feet just in time to see the deer spin around once more showing off its incredible supernatural speed and it started to… growl at me. ‘Deer can growl. That's new.’ I thought to myself, panic rising in my chest only to be held back by my pack who was still egging me on from my soul space, howling for the kill.

I grinned as the rage of the wolves overcame me and I held my spear as my muscles tightened harder than ever before.

“THIS IS MINE NOW!” I yelled out at the beast in rage, “MY HOME! MY POND! THIS IS MY HAVEN IN THIS DAMNED WORLD AND YOU WILL DIE!” I shouted once more, all fear gone as I looked at the prey in front of me. So what if it has magic glowing horns? It is in my world now, and it will die like any other beast.

I charged forwards with a speed I have only felt before in the fight with the pack, bolting to my target like a missile. The deer stumbled back, apparently not ready for my speedy atack, and it was its last mistake as I stabbed at its neck, piercing through and coming out the back of its neck covered in the deer's blood.

I heaved and tugged my now bloody spear out of the monster's neck while the deer’s magic flickered and died at the same time as its body collapsed to the ground. Dead. Soon after, a ball of light floated up from its corpse and joined the pack.