Waking to the cries of the annoying things again. Not the best way to wake, but it usually means easy food. They only eat from the big danger tree, so anything that falls is left to rot. Easy pickings.

  Rising to all fours, muscles tense, a few pops along the spine. A deep stretch. Then forward—toward the tree, toward the food.

  Stay unseen. Always. Even though the annoying things don’t eat what falls, they guard it anyway—clinging, protecting, shrieking. No matter. They are small. Weak. But they are many.

  Approaching the danger tree, movements slow. Feel the land. Light steps. Listen. Quiet is the key to every hunt. Move wrong—too fast, too loud? Ruins the attack.

  Pressing through the brush, eyes lock onto something new. Several small ones, thin and restless. Not much meat. Not worth it. But the tall ones—those could be a good meal.

  One of the small ones moves. Throws something. A seed. A pain seed.

  It falls short. Not a threat.

  The tall, skinny one—different. It uses parts of an annoying thing to throw another pain seed. Faster. Closer.

  Wait. No movement. No sound. Patience. It must be sure.

  The seed flies past. An explosion. But no reaction. They still don’t see.

  The big one hands the small one something. The seed again. This time, the throw is farther—but not as far as the big one's.

  Deep in the shadows, it waits.

  The prey does not see. Does not hear.

  Soon.

  Cromus eyed Loose Tooth, then the sky.

  The sun was already past it’s highest point, his thoughts were interrupted by a loud guttural growl. looking back to the group he could see it was Jagz, his stomach letting him know he was hungry. which gave Cromus a great idea.

  “Alright, I agree with Jagz lets see about getting some food, and we can cook something as well as reflect on the day. How does that sound?” Cromus asked.

  “Works for me, there isn’t much else here and I’d feel bad if we kept attacking whats left of Thornspitters.” Sais replied.

  The rest of the group confirmed they were good with the idea. “Alright, if it's cool with all of you, Ill take Loose tooth and Athas, look for something to hunt, and yall can group up however you want.”

  Loose Tooth looked up at Cromus but didn’t argue. Athas happily appeared next to Cromus bumping into his leg causing him to to look down and smile before back up making eye contact with Sais, it lasted for a second, and Loose Tooth caught the glimpse.

  “Ok the rest of you can come with me we will head back towards camp maybe hunt something ourselves, but if anything we will set things up to make it easier for the food.” Sais said.

  As the rest left Cromus turned to Loose Tooth and Athas. “Alright lets find some food, and get Loose some practice with his new weapon.”

  Loose tooth smile was genuine “YEAH!” his excitement carrying over to Athas who spun in a circle smiling as always.

  Smiling down at the two of them Cromus, remember several images of characters and their pets or beast partners, he couldn’t help himself. He bent down holding out an arm to him. “Come here Athas up on my shoulders.”

  Athas eagerly climbed up Cromus’s arm—but it was clumsy, his claws scraping for balance. He settled awkwardly between the hilt of Raging Boar and Cromus’s neck, his tail wrapping tightly around Cromus’s arm for support. The weight didn’t bother Cromus, but the awkward shifting did.

  Cromus stood and started walking around, every step causing Athas’s claws to try and find a better hold. “Yep. Nope, not going to work. Sorry Athas.” he knelt down to let the little guy off his shoulders.

  Sadly Athas climbed down but there was a since of relief having his feet firmly on the ground again.

  “What was that biggin.” Loose tooth asked.

  Cromus shrugged as he stood up. “I just remembered seeing others do something similar with creatures they befriended, and I never got to try it. thought I would, but sadly it is not met to be it seems. I don’t understand how characters I read about made it work seamlessly, that’s not right I know how it worked. Cause the writers wanted it to work. It looks nice and kinda cool but its just awkward in practice.”

  “Naw Athas just fat.” Loose tooth said getting a growl from Athas, causing his smile to become sheepish.

  Cromus laughed a bit. “Well I am glad you are showing signs of your old self Loose, feeling bad about yourself does not suit you. Confidence is a much better look.”

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Loose tooth paused looking at Cromus’s smiling face, giving him a smile back.

  “Ok how about we start looking for lunch?” Cromus asked as Loose gave him a node they started further into the trees.

  It wasn’t too long before Cromus noticed hoofed tracks, “here we go, could be promising and doesn’t seem too old. Maybe two or three of them?”

  Loose Tooth taking a look, agreed.

  Following the trail for another ten minutes Cromus slowed, noticing the tracks were freshers, but also something uneasy, he paused looking around slowly scanning for anything around the trees, or in the bushes.

  His eyes locked onto small movement from the bushes up ahead, he lowered his body, Loose tooth following his lead, Athas's camo kicking in practically vanishing from sight, if Cromus didn’t know he was there, he wouldn’t be able to make out his outline which brought a smile to his face.

  Cromus inched himself closer to the bushes, pulling them back he could see three small looking deer grazing on the grass just up ahead in the clearing. Motioning for Loose tooth to come up to him.

  As Loose tooth was close enough “What is it Cromus?” taking his more serious tone, dropping his nickname for Cromus. Before his eyes caught what he was looking at.

  “You think you can take one down with your new weapon or maybe wound one enough so we can get close?” Cromus asked.

  “I can try.” Loose tooth said, stepping back a bit, loading one of his seeds into the sling he started spinning it, using Cromus cleared spot of the bushes to take aim.

  Two of the deer raised their heads ceasing their chewing, the third didn’t raise its head till the others reacted. Loose tooth loosed his attack. The first two dashed, but the third was too slow, the seed slammed center mass causing it to explode barring several thorns in it side, and to cry out.

  Cromus urged Loose tooth not to hesitate, which he fumbled a bit loading the next seed, giving the deer a bit of a moment to start moving, he was headed for the bushes the other two ran, the sling was already spinning, and with a breath Loose released. The seed flew over the deer's head, but unfortunately for it there was a tree just on the other side, it crashed exploding, thorns flying, several catching the deer's face, and even taking out an eye. causing it to stumble, it struggled but its fate was sealed.

  Not wanting it to suffer any more, Cromus moved in, finishing the deer. “Good job Loose, those seeds are a bit cruel against things that are too weak to fight back but strong enough to take multiple hits.” cleaning this thing would be a pain with all the thorns in it. “But luckily for you Loose I got another trick.”

  Loose Tooth “Trick?” he asked.

  “Just watch.” As Cromus touched the corpse, dissolving into the air, Loose Tooth’s jaw dropped—but before he could speak, the forest went silent. No birds. No wind. Just the faint rustle of leaves.

  Cromus’s smile faded before he could register what he had received from looting the deer he was slapped with, goop. no rope? no it was sticky, his arms were held down to his side. Looking down, his torso was covered in webs. His eyes caught something dropping from the treetops not at him but Loose Tooth.

  The forest exploded into movement. A sharp THWIP—Cromus staggered back, arms pinned to his sides. The webs were thick, sticky, clinging tight.

  Loose Tooth turned—just in time to see the shadows above shift. A blur of fur, a flicker of extra eyes, a glint of fangs—The Slynx dropped from the treetops, straight for him.

  The group is splitting up, the tall skinny one is taking most of the little ones. The bigger one is taking one and the lizard. The bigger one struggled to carry the lizard. Maybe just built big but not strong.

  They turned going the opposite direction of the bigger group, smaller group better choice. once they were far enough, changed position, being low is too easy to spot. climb, higher, better.

  With easy strides it climbed into the tree tops, silently, easily, walking on limbs of the trees, not a leaf moved more than necessary, practiced movements, used over and over.

  It watched as the big one kept stopping to check tracks it hunting, but little did it know it was the prey. The smell of fresh marks. boar, no, deer. easier food, but not worth in xp, no stay on big target and little one. they give food and rewards.

  It paused, not wanting to move. The big one is looking around trying to see, it knows something is watching it. but it doesn’t check in the trees, it not smart prey, better then most, but still dumb.

  It spoke to the small one, pointing to the deer, the little one started its attack, sloppy. the older deers reacted, but surprised it still hit, Pain seeds, horrible weapons.

  Watching the crude attack, sloppy, slow, longer than needed. but success, hmmmmm after they go down and obtain experience, eat deer after. watching the big one touched the deer did something, it started to vanish. NO! STOP!

  Shooting it’s web sticking true, then jumped at the small one.