I stayed on that tree for hours, paralyzed by the horror that had just happed twenty meters below. All my smart plans forgotten, I couldn't deal with what had happened down there. Its not like I had an easy life before coming here. With a drunk for a father I was no stranger to violence either.

And yet, this had been different. Pure senseless brutality, seemingly without reason. The two victims hadn't done anything to deserve this level of aggression. Not even close.

Below me the not-bears were oblivious to my plight, and had set up camp.

My eyes strained to make sense of their figures. They were undoubtedly humanoid, but something was off about them. Their long, lean limbs seemed to stretch weirdly, and their bodies were covered in a thick layer of hair that prickled and bristled with their every movement. The hair was so dense that it obscured most of their defining features, except for their faces, which were hairless and starkly human. As I looked at them, I couldn't help but feel a shiver run down my spine. Their faces were unnervingly familiar, and yet so strange at the same time. I couldn't pinpoint it. Maybe it was the shape of their eyes, or the way their lips curled, showing pointy teeth. Whatever it was, it made them feel alien.

In my mind I called them werebears. Felt like a fitting name.

Another had joined their group, not long after the fight. Likely the guy with the bow, who'd started the assault. He or rather it, was much more alien looking than even the werebears. It was small, with striking yellow eyes. They were slit and almost reptiloid in nature. Bare skin, of the same tone stretched across its boney form, taunt across its joints but strangely loose at the hips. Also, in contrast to the bears, it was completely hairless.

Ordinarily I'd be more disgusted than afraid, but I'd seen the power behind its earlier shot. Frankly, it was the most threatening to me by far right now. The wearbears, big and bulky as they were, would have a very difficult time getting to me high up in the tree. That wasn't true for the yellow gollum thing. If it realized I was up there, it could probably just shoot me down.

They were also talking. I couldn't make out any words but they clearly had a way of understanding each other. Which I felt was strange considering they obviously weren't part of the same species.

Although I couldn't understand them, I was still able to glean some meaning from their actions. For example, they'd dumped what was left of the bodies into some nearby bushes. That, and the way they hadn't extinguished the fire and fed it instead, made one possibility increasingly more likely. They wanted to stay for the night.

Which meant I was in trouble. Sure, I could just try to wait them out. Eventually they would have to move on, even if it was just to more find food and water. Unfortunately the same was true for me. After exiting the white hell, I had already been in dire need of food and drink. The longer I waited, the worse it would become and the weaker I would become. Even my nearest confirmed source of water was a couple hours of gruelling march through the underbush away.

If I wanted to move sooner I had another option. Somehow I would need to climb down and sneak past them, no further than five meters from their camp. Which felt damn risky. Those down there were predators. Alien predators no less, with who knows what strange types of senses. I felt my chances of sneaking by them undetected were low. At least if I did it during daytime.

But at night

No way they leave the fire on during nighttime. That would be way to visible, even through the dense forest. Perhaps I could...

Right this moment, the smell of something akin to barbecue shook me from my thoughts.

I pressed myself against the thick branch of the tree, careful not to make even the slightest sound as I peered through the thick leaves. My heartbeat rose slightly as I watched the group below me. In the center of the clearing, the three killers had finished their clean up, and now a merry campfire burned brightly, casting flickering shadows across the forest floor. The aliens sat on rough logs arranged in a semi-circle around the flames, their faces illuminated by the warm glow of the fire.

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To either side of the fire, they had fashioned simple forked branches, which they had then anchored firmly into the loose earth. On each of these, they had laid a longer, thicker stick, upon which they had impaled some sort of dead critter.

The aroma of roasting meat wafted up towards me, filling my nostrils with the smell of fatty meat. The creature on the spit looked like some kind of big rat, its plump body slowly rotating as it cooked over the open flame. The killers huddled together, watching the meat as it cooked, occasionally prodding it with a stick to ensure that it was cooking evenly.

The smell was mouthwatering.

A glimmer of hope flickered to life in my mind. Maybe there was a third option. If I could steal some of their supplies, I could buy myself some time to make it to the safety of the lake. The thought of quenching my thirst and satisfying my hunger made my stomach growl with anticipation.

I scanned the area around the campfire, looking over the fire to their supplies. My eyes roved over some of the gear and equipment scattered haphazardly around the clearing, searching for an easy target.

There.

Some kind of linen backpack, I'd seen the reptile-alien get a water flask from earlier.

But I had to wait. I would need the cover of darkness to make my move. I tried to get comfortable, but the tree bark was hard and not great to lay on. No matter.

The minutes stretched into hours as I lay there, hidden in the tree, waiting for the perfect moment to make my escape. The sun slowly sank below the horizon, casting long shadows across the forest floor. I watched as the werebears slowly settled down for the night, their movements becoming more sluggish as they drifted off to sleep.

The sun had almost completely moved behind the horizon as suddenly, I felt a strange power flowing into me. I could literally feel my strenght returning. A blue window appread in my vision.

Note: As part night elf, your stats will all be increased by 5 during night time.

I suppressed a chuckle. Just in time for that. Bloody good idea to chose night elf.

But no time for that now.

I willed away the window, and continued observing the aliens down below. As I had suspected, they extinguished their fire as darkness crept in. The reptilian alien remained alert, its unblinking eyes scanning the surrounding trees. I could sense its gaze sweeping over my hiding spot, and I shivered, feeling exposed and vulnerable.

Time crawled by, each moment feeling like an eternity as I waited for the right opportunity to make my move. My muscles ached from the tension, and my stomach growled with hunger. But I dared not move, afraid that even the slightest sound or movement would give me away. One thing noticed was that the despite how dark it got, my vision was still clear. I chalked it up as another benefit of my race. I held back a grin.

Finally, I saw an opening. The reptile alien was still awake, but its attention had begun to wander. Its eyelids drooped, and its body sagged against the tree trunk. It was still awake, but far from alert.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what was to come. With careful, measured movements, I climbed down from my hiding spot, my eyes seeing perfectly in the pitch-black darkness that surrounded me. The canopy above me was so thick that not even the stars could penetrate it. Old me would have stood no chance.

I crept forward, my movements slow and deliberate as I made my way towards the camp. I could hear the sound of their breathing, low and steady, and the soft crackle of the dying embers of their fire. I stole a quick glance around me, scanning the surrounding area for any signs of danger.

My heart pounding in my chest, I reached out and snatched up the bag of supplies, my fingers closing around the rough fabric. Adrenaline surged through my veins as I turned and carefully reatreated. Behind me, loud snoring could be heard. They hadn't noticed a thing.

Now, with the bag clutched tightly in my hand, I felt a high like never before. My heart was still pounding in my chest, and I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins. I knew that I had to put as much distance between myself and the camp as possible.

As soon as I felt that I was far enough away, I started to run. My feet pounded against the ground, and I could feel the undergrowth brushing against my skin. I moved with a grace that I had never felt before. It was as if I had been born to run through these woods, dodging branches and leaping over fallen logs with ease.

But even as I marveled at my newfound agility, my heart still raced with the excitement and fear of what I had just done. I had stolen supplies from a group of dangerous aliens. Fucking hell.

I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and satisfaction.