The Empire, vast and glorious, opened its borders to the ‘other’ peoples. Namely dwarfs, elves, beastkin and many other. The real reason why a predominantly human empire would do so was a mystery, but the emperor’s edict was absolute. And thus hordes of ‘other’, people sold by tales of splendor and plenty flooded into the cities.

…

Grey came from a distant corner of the continent, a place so far away that not even humans had explored it yet. However, it wasn't so far removed not to catch up on the tales of human cities and the prosperity of the empire. So did too Grey join in the great migration.

Only that he was a hundred or so years late; the word of mouth was slow to travel.

He found himself in one of the harbor cities. His head spun and all of his four eyes struggled to believe at the sight of so many people living together. In his travels, he had passed many hamlets and towns, but none of them was this big. And overcrowded.

He welcomed the sight with a broad toothy smile. The sight of his open muzzle, full of dagger-sharp teeth, scared a passing girl. She yelped and ran away. The other nearby people now were giving him a wide berth, looking at him with suspicion.

He hadn't even done anything, not yet anyway, but it was understandable. He knew all too well how others perceived him: tall, brutish, intimidating - he was all of those and more.

The display of weakness roused his instincts and his stomach rumbled in hunger. Grey patted a small pouch attached to his belt. It was light and the coins were few.

Grey continued walking down the street. He wasn't just strolling casually, he was looking, observing, watching and eying each and every person he passed by. He was on the hunt for food.

And finally, there it was… Perhaps.

She looked right, she smelled right, but she was in the wrong situation at the worst of times. So bingo! This was the mark. This was his dinner.

The rule was you don’t talk with food before eating them but Grey loved to break that rule.

There he stood towering above the seated woman. She was a beastkin, sheep person to be precise. She looked the part with her white mane and two black horns protruding from her head. She was a snack and she smelled like one.

A hand stretched out towards him.

“Spare a coin, kind sir?” ­She spoke sweetly.

Of course, she was yet another beggar. A strap of cloth hid her eyes. She either was a real deal or a very good actor. Grey sniffed the air but couldn’t pick up the usual notes people emitted once graced by his towering self. No fear, no alarm and no reprehension. The woman was calm.

“I can do a fortune telling! Yes?” She pointed at her blindfold.

Human folk had this belief that blind people could see into the future. Of course, this was all bollocks. Grey had it seen a few times. Often the fortunes were so vague and nebulous that it was impossible to disprove them.

Grey smiled expectantly in a vicious grin. “Go at it then.” He tossed a shiny copper into her hand.

“When was the last time you had your fortune read?” She asked sounding all professional.

“This is my first time.” Grey lied.

“First time ever? How wonderful! Sir, give me your left hand I will read your palm.”

The best part was coming. He pushed his clawed hand right into her palm. Or, well, tried too. It was so much bigger.

The sheep woman yelped in alarm. All the notes Grey loved had finally filled the air. The smell of prey; that fragrance was exquisite.

She shifted uncomfortably a few times but despite her discomfort she ran her fingers through his palm properly. Or at least tried to; her fingers were trembling.

“Is there a problem? A bad fortune?!” He gasped in mock distress.

“No, no sir… It’s just that I am surprised by your hands.”

Of course, she was. The hand she held was a clawed hand of a killer. That, and this hand wasn’t the human hand she had expected. After all, regular beastkin didn't fall for such stupid superstition such as hand reading; they had their bone dice, duh.

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“So what does it tell?”

Grey was curious about the lie she would come up with.

The woman continued to trace her fingers over the creases in his palm. Pretending to be professional. Grey could smell the cold sweat staining her fur, hear the rapid heartbeat and feel each breath she took. She probably didn't know but her hair were standing on their ends making her look kinda cute and puffy.

“It tells that you have lived a long life. A life of strife and hardship. It says that you are a traveler who has seen so much. I see both wisdom and strength, the two constantly at odds with each other. ”

Wasn’t she supposed to tell him about his future? She was doing it differently from the others he had met. And again, she was kinda vague, but not wrong.

There was a pause. Her fingers didn't stop trembling. The woman continued to hold his palm with one hand and read with the other, but she didn’t speak. There was this suspense in the air. She was good!

“And?” ­­Grey asked impatiently.

“And everything is about to change. Soon your life will take a turn. You are a traveler no more.” She paused again. “ Sir… your future is very hard to read. But… There is something I can see for certain. You will meet a woman. A special woman. While this can turn into a blessing, also it can go the other way too. Be careful how will you proceed. That’s all I got at the moment.”

“I see. I am very curious about this woman would you be able to tell me more?” He feigned interest. “Of course, I will reward you appropriately.”

The bait was on, now he just needed to get her someplace quieter.

“Sir, that’s all I can divine for now. If I pushed it, it may come false.”

Grey was surprised for a moment, but only a second. Of course, she was too scared and likely disliked his presence. Even the dumbest prey sensed then their life was in danger.

“Here, have another coin. I will come and see you again.”

The woman bowed in thanks and he stepped away from her. That didn't mean that he left her alone, Grey observed her from a distance. Not just her but the people who came to see her too. She seemed to be quite popular with both men and women. That meant a good number of coins. What did she spend all that money on?

Grey pondered this and that until the day turned to evening and the street thinned of people. The fortune teller stood up and began walking confidentially to her destination. She had her guiding stick but she barely used it, the route ingrained into her memory.

He stalked her from a distance. It was unlikely he will get her today, but the hunter had to be patient. He needed to observe his prey and learn her routine and habits, and only then he could strike. This was the way to go.

If only he wasn’t so hungry. If only he had more money.

She spoke that he was wise and he was strong. All lies of the scam artist. He knew he was nothing but. Grey didn't have the wisdom to follow the hunter's way nor the strength to fight his carnal desires.

The street was leading to the temple, likely the destination she was heading to. Grey didn’t wait for her to complete her journey. He sprinted right towards her closing the distance in seconds. Then he grabbed her from behind making sure to gag her mouth with his palm.

Even if few, there were people around so this was reckless. But Grey was quick, leaving no time for others to even react properly. In a dash, he was running into the narrow alley. Away from the main street and away from the sight. The alley continued branching here and there. Aside from the main streets, the city was like a maze.

If there were pursuers they wouldn't be able to catch up. And yes, Grey was completely lost, but that didn't matter. He walked calmly looking for the right spot. Obviously, his prey tried to shout, to break away, but she was so weak in his iron grasp that he barely felt feeble attempts.

And there it was, a cluttered dead end in between buildings. Just enough clutter and rotting junk not to be seen. Not the ideal spot for late dinner but beggars can’t be choosers.

“If you scream I will slug you harder than you think it is possible.”

He moved away his hand from her face. She didn't scream leaving Grey somewhat disappointed. Then he ripped off her drab clothes in one quick motion. The coins she had gathered were scattered on the floor.

The woman yelped in alarm once and found her voice “I remember you… Why… Why are you doing this.” she spoke in between the quest sobs.

“Hmm. Why do you think?”

“They paid you to punish me, didn't they? Do what you must and let me go.”

She was naked and reduced to tears, but despite all that, she did her best to remain as composed as she could. She definitely was calmer than Grey had expected.

“Wrong. Think some more.” He taunted her tightening his grasp on her throat. Tight but not too tight so she could still speak.

But she didn’t. She had even stopped crying. Did she even know what was about to happen?

She didn't beg nor cursed him, there was nothing. Nothing but her resolve in not giving in. This was her way of telling him that she was strong.

“I think you misunderstood.” He whispered into her ear.

Yes, she was naked, yes she was between his legs.

“I will not let you live.”

She twitched, but only once. Then her whole body relaxed. She was limp like a cloth doll.

This wasn’t fun, but not all meals needed to be so. Grey plunged his teeth into her neck and then ripped a large chunk out. Into his mouth and into the belly. He smacked his lips. Yummy, nice! The flesh was warm and tender. This sheep was a succulent meal, the best he had in months. Or maybe he was just that hungry.

This wasn’t a beastkin engaging in a forbidden practice. This was a real monster devouring the flesh of the sapient. He was crawling on all fours just over his prey. The four yellow eyes locked firmly on the food. Sharp teeth ripped the flesh and stained his armoured face plate in crimson. The hands with sharp-clawed fingers still grasped tightly; even then the prey was no longer twitching. Grey's tail was raised high proudly to announce his victory. He was the predator and she was the prey. He was the strong one, and not her!

And soon out of a petite beastkin only the horns and bones remained. That and a puddle of blood. He wiped his face and hands clean using her tattered clothes; at least as clean as he could.

The scattered coins were still there. Some tainted some not. There were many, they would make his coin pouch heavy. The coins spoke and begged to be picked up. But Grey didn't. This wasn’t the money he had earned. He was many things, but not a thief. Or so he liked to think, at least.