lled different

e moment he steppe

he way he expected. It was thick with the smell of wet leaves, d

from somewh

buzzed ne

apped

p mo

oice came

wered h

lling a m

e making

a mosq

st, everythi

lled hi

in

ooked ba

unny when a boar hears

ecame

ntinued

ressed into t

un

un

ded louder than

rounded by concrete and traffic. He had

rest fe

even when the

crawled beneat

e distance, som

sto

was

dn't stop

ir

ed nothing

as a

t ki

u don't wa

tared

't make me

el s

oo

ed deeper in

ur, Daniel sudden

sto

id we

inted at

looke

, he saw

noticed

impressions

al t

oa

el n

re

cro

the edge of

was st

an you

at the

exami

d hasn'

act

ved forwa

fol

seemed qu

qu

for another

smelled

kled hi

is t

l sto

lo

swall

s faint but

all

a

follo

bushes, they found the

had been

ed around

vered h

ing kil

el n

ha

n't k

ed beside

him examine

oa

shook h

cle

ol

N

ched one o

became

la

ked at t

ong marks across

tain

el s

ay

ticed s

nie

other

ha

oo

toward the tr

ratches ran

lmost as ta

s face

e lea

ow

ow

ore than ten steps

snapped b

l f

ly reached

branch

os

art began

ear his ow

l whi

't m

ooked

th

y t

mething

a

e burst fro

eleased

wa

uck the creat

roa

loud that Kael fe

ure emerg

blood r

like a mou

was e

eached almost t

, with black stripes r

s were

as sticking fro

lled anot

un

idn't

spr

pped against

slipped

the creature

AS

branc

H

round

ran f

ungs

t like they

nie

runn

st roar

nced beh

mis

t caugh

f

through

A

tur

s already charg

d, Kael cou

w its

te

ey

stepped be

rrow at point

uck the beast

crea

grabb

t u

himself on

y r

until they reache

Kael behind

were breath

slowly be

ands wer

it g

l lis

hink

d at his i

running do

re

ouched be

're

noth

m his shirt and wrapped

lmost

ooked

saved

l shr

e my b

hit Kael harder

fe, he had lo

er who had just risk

looke

ank

el s

thank m

hy

ted across

lowed hi

imal was drinkin

abb

l whi

hat we're

red at t

ad just survived, Danie

ot to be

him a small

r tu

ked at t

t the

ly unaware that its life w

k a slow

ed what Dan

hing m

wi

le

foot

brea

ered h

st

ano

it's ear

sto

went back t

ved a

ow

ie

mmered again

sed th

h

pped benea

bbit b

w the spe

d by sev

sappeared int

le

stared

stare

el starte

d this w

said it w

a rabbit sta

mo

stepped o

sig

in

ded him an

ga

ked at t

thes we

knee

ds were

he s

ga

pair of pale eyes watching

had seen near the vil

t watchi

watchin

lm, the strange mountain-shaped m