Chapter One

  I callapsed to my knees, the sun burning down my back as I panted from exhaustion. The bare expanse of desert a daunting challenge for my weary body. I had walked for two days straight, yet there was no time to rest. My water was desperately low and the skinners were getting closer.

The savage beasts with brutally sharp claws picked up on my scent a couple miles outside the old city and had been following me ever since. They weren't especially large, but they were smart, and always roamed in packs. They would wait, and oh how patiently they waited, for me to let my guard down. I couldn't sleep, not with them circling me. I would never wake again if I did.

I glanced behind me in desperation, willing the creatures to be gone, to have finally given up on me. There was no such luck. They were still there, even with my blurry eyes I could tell, sleep deprivation and my goggles doing little to hide their forms upon the dune a couple miles behind me.

They were watching me. Just standing out in the open, not even bothering to dart around behind another dune as they could tell it wouldn't be long before I callapsed. I gave a dry laugh as I saw the other forms darting around behind the dunes at my sides. Two more packs of skinners had joined.

Gritting my teeth I forced my lithe and malnurished body to stand. I wouldn't die, not like this. I wasn't going to be eaten by these near hairless beasts, not until I knew if what I was looking for was real or not. I squeezed the compass hanging around my neck with fierce determination. It had strange markings carved into its sides, and had been passed down my family for generations. It was also my only hope of finding the place my mother spoke of so dearly.

Those skinners could just go fuck themselves. I wasn't giving up on life yet.

I crossed many more miles before stopping again. The heat was just to much. I needed a drink before I passed out and died from dehydration. Pulling out my waterskin I drank deeply, relishing the feeling of water cascading down my throat. But that was a mistake. I realized it too late as I heard the screech and felt something knock into my side, sending me to the ground with a thud as my water skin flew into the nearby dune, dumping my remaining water to sizzle on the ground. My leather pack was sent flying off my shoulder as well from the shear force of the impact.

Now on top of me the skinner lunged, panicking I barely turned and put my arm up in time to catch his throat as his jaws snapped shut mere inches from my face. Wrapping my fingers in his thin fur I struggled to keep his repeatedly snapping jaws at bay as more screeching started to get closer. I could tell they were excited. Eager to eat the first real meal they've had in days. Eager to finish me off.

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Fury spread in my chest, making me scream in frustration. This wasn't fair, it wasn't right. I had to be meant for something better, not supper for some ugly assed creatures. I had to be. Tears came to my eyes at that last thought. Tears of sadness, anger, and outright hatred towards the unfairness of this world. I had to live, which meant removing anything that got in my way. Burning with this new found strength I wrapped my other hand around the top of his throat, digging my fingers into his fur as I gave a violent twist.

A loud crack echoed around me as his neck snapped, sending his lifeless body to the ground beside me from the sudden motion. Taking the oportunity I jumped up. Pulling the small dagger strapped to my back in the process as I quickly turned to check my surroundings.

There were skinners everywhere. in the short amount of time it took me to snap the other ones neck the rest had closed in, circling around me as they watched me with weary eyes. The loud crack and sudden stillness of their fallen comrade making them hesitate.

A part of me sighed in relief that they hadn't decided to jump on me as I was getting up, the other just resigned itself for the knowing battle to come and watched them warely, waiting to see who would attack first.

Skinners only roamed in packs of four, just enough to take down their food without feeding any extra mouths. But if a hunt lasted as long as it did with me though, there were bound to be a few extra packs join in. Oh, they would all work together to kill me at first, but then they would fight and kill each other to claim my tender remains.

With that kind of mentality, I suspected there wasn't many of them left anymore.

Tsk. It was just my luck, running into a small group of surviving skinners during an already perilous journey. This trip wasn't shaping up to be a very good investment on my part.

A quick scan gave me a head count of eleven, making me dread the tough fight that lay ahead. A few of them stood still with their four legs tensed, observing me with an eary quiet about them, the rest circled restlessly, jumping in a few feet to bite at the air before leaping back in an almost playful manner. The crazed eyes and frothing mouths telling me it was anything but.

Closing my eyes, I steaded my resolve. Playtime was over. Having fought with their kind before I knew what to do, even if I hated doing it.

Gripping my knife more tightly I spun and ran for the one on my right. Yelping at my sudden advance it jumped backwards as the one now behind me growled and leapt for my exposed backside. Predicting its advance I quickly spun to my right again, lodging my knife in the side of his throat as I shifted out of his way slightly and continued to spin, its own momentum carrying it forward, causing my knife to easily slice the side of its throat completely open before dislodging. It fell to the ground with a gurgled whine before going deathly still at the others feet.

There was a tense silience as they looked at their second fallen comrade in what I could only describe as shock. One of them began to growl low in its throat as the others screeched, there was no way I could run now. Twisting all the way around, I aimed my knife towards the growling ones face as they all lunged. As my knife met its eye and blood sprayed my face I couldn't help but think I could've avoided this. If only I hadn't let my guard down, then I wouldn't have had to risk my life on such a meaningless act of selfish fury.