I wake up in the middle of the night, feeling predictably groggy. At first, I’m not sure what woke me up, but then I hear a piercing scream that stabs through the quiet of the night like a dagger through my chest. Eyes wide and horrified, I leap to my feet and crawl out of the squirrel’s hole.

There, down in the clearing stands the fox. I feel how the tension drains out of my chest. Sure, of course. There’s my answer.

I remember reading somewhere that foxes could scream a startlingly human howl, so I guess that must’ve been it. It had to have been, I can’t imagine it being anyone else.

Except for that no such comment ever described the scream as being that of a child.

For a few minutes, I can’t bring myself to go to sleep. Instead, I sit watching the fox, waiting for it to scream. It doesn’t. It just stands there, seemingly unsure of itself. After some time, its tail retreats between its legs and it speeds over to its hole. I strain my eyes, trying to figure out what it saw.

There, from between the trees, a child appears. She looks to be maybe five or six years old, wearing a dirty but still white shroud. She seems to be mumbling something but I can’t really tell.

I strain my ears but I can’t hear anybody else coming. Somebody just left her out here all alone.

I make to descend the tree but hesitate. Thoughts are swirling in my head. What if the fox attacks me? What if she kills me? I’m barely the size of a cat. The definition of E-rank includes that even a child could kill me. But I can’t just let her wander around out here in the middle of the night, crying and lost. I may not be able to bring her anywhere safe, but I should at least be able to defend her somewhat.

As stupid as it is, I can admit that I’ve got a soft spot for kids. Unlike most adults I have to endure daily, they’re actually innocent. They just don’t understand anything.

Cursing my feeble heart, I descend the tree. If I approach her slowly, she might not react too harshly.

But just as I come close enough to tell that she has three buttons on her dress, she spins around and runs back into the woods.

I stand there in the middle of the clearing, watching her back fade into the distance. Should I follow her? I’m just a little troll - I doubt I could run fast enough to catch up with her now. But she’s only a child and I’m… I have the heart of an adult! If I set my mind to it, I should be able to follow her. I have to. If she gots lost and gets attacked by a deer or a lyktgubbe, then…

Unless she isn’t human at all? The lyktgubbe also seemed like a human. His goal was to make me follow him. Could this be the same?

I pause in my step, unsure whether to pursue or retreat up the tree. All I know is that if I let a child die because of my paranoia then I will never forgive myself.

But right as I prepare myself for the stamina-draining marathon to follow, I feel something stopping me. A crawling, burning sensation on my back. I begin to tremble.

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Instinctually, I curl myself into a ball and initiate hamnskifte.

I stare straight ahead, hoping it’s nothing but my imagination. The soft step of paws reaches my ears and I watch in frozen terror as the fox steps above me. Its head swings back and forth, ears perked. Hoping to subdue my trembling breathing, I clasp my hands over my mouth. It sniffs the air above me.

Then, as I sit hunched between its legs, it raises its head and releases a piercing wail so alike that of a woman screaming that I feel the adrenaline coursing anew within me. I don’t move. Sweat drips down my back.

It sniffs the air, taking deep breaths.

Its head lurches to face me. Our eyes meet.

That must be it. Hamnskifte only hides my form. Not my smell.

A paw crashes into my side, sending me flying again. As a mossling I didn’t feel much pain at all, but now I feel very clearly how two of my ribs break. I think my ulna broke but I can’t be sure.

Lilltroll(E) Lv.4/30 Stage: Juvenile Health: 22/25

State: Pained

I groan to myself and attempt to get to my feet. A pair of jaws grip around my waist and hoist me into the air. My belly is pierced in two places. With the jerk of its head, I’m tossed into the air. For a few seconds I float in the air, watching the moon stare down at me from above. Then I fall to the ground and a massive paw settles on my back, its claws pressing dents into my skin.

The fox bites into the tip of my tail and I desperately begin to thrash it in the hopes that it might release it. Instead, it only chews down harder, severing the tip with a crack. My flesh feels so cold.

The fox chews loudly on my tail. Like I’m some damn chew-toy. Like it just wants me as a living snack.

I grit my teeth. Yeah, alright, you want to play? I’ll play with you.

I arch my back and try to grab a hold of the paw on my back, but all I’m able to do is futilly scratch at it. Surprised, the fox releases its hold on me and takes a few steps back, still chewing my tail. This would be the best opportunity to run.

-But I want my fucking tail!

I lunge at it and watch carefully as its paw reaches out in an attempt to bat me away. I let it hit me, but instead of flying away, I attach myself to the paw with both arms and legs and my tail. The fox, confused, lifts its paw into the air and attempts to shake me off. But I won’t let it. In revenge-fueled passion I begin to bite into the paw, chewing away at the tough skin and tasteless hair.

The fox yelps again and tries to remove me with its other paw but I simply bite harder, eventually chewing through the skin and into the bony flesh beneath.

Normal Skill Sharp Teeth has Reached Lv.5

Giving a pained cry, the fox must have realized that I’m out for blood as it begins slamming its paw into the ground over and over again. My left arm is broken but I’m able to remain attached only by my teeth.

With a final tear, I open up a large blood vessel and cripple the paw by slitting through the nerves. A final bite crushes two of its bones.

Its jaws tear into my back and drags me off of it, even though it allows me to tear out a large mass of flesh and nerves. It throws me a few paces off and I stagger to my feet. Since my arms are much longer than my legs I have no choice but to stand on all fours, although I have to avoid using my broken left arm. I stare hatefully at the fox.

It grows at me, a sound I wasn’t aware foxes could make. It seems it, too, has agreed that playtime is over.

If I ran right now, I could probably climb up the tree and just wait out its death. A wound like that is sure to get infected. Crippled in one paw, it doesn’t have much time left.

...But I need to kill it myself. What would I do if someone else stole my prey? I’ve already gotten this far.

A grin settles on my face. Yeah. I just need to kill him.

Lilltroll(E) Lv.4/30 Stage: Juvenile Health: 19/25

State: Pained

It approaches slowly.

Red Fox(E+)

Stage: Juvenile Health: 34/50

State: Bleeding(Minor)