A hushed breath steamed out through the dense growth of the forest, condensing on the nearest broad leaf. Tiny droplets of rain drizzled down from the tree-top canopy hundreds of feet above, the liquid dripping down from the dense foliage, landing with a plop on the lowly plants beneath.
San wrinkled his nose as one of the drops landed on his snout. He didn’t move any more than that, for his eyes were trained on his prey. His claws tightened around his spear, the course wood cutting into his palm.
The creature in question, a small rodent with fur the color of the deep night, ears large and turned to the world around, dug its snout into the thick forest ground, rooting around for its next meal.
Around the two silent duelists, the entire environment stirred with life. Birds chirped noisily above, calling their protests to the clouds that hung so low, blocking their vision of the warm, life giving sun. Mammals swung through the trees, their muscular bodies propelling them from tree trunk to tree trunk. Watching closely were the snakes of the forest, their bodies coiled around the branches that they called home, their thick bodies eager for the delicate flesh of the living. Bugs hummed about, trying to avoid the slow, steady, pitter patter of rain as they attempted to find their own sustenance.
For a moment San’s gaze was diverted from his prey, settling instead on a large horsefly as it hovered past. The insect’s wings beat fiercely, lifting its fat, bloated body into the air. Its eyes, made of thousands of tiny facets, moved lazily about as it drifted forward. It soon landed on a flower the color of the setting sun, its thick, disgusting feet struggling to find a steady hold. Within moments it fell, the flower closing around its body. In this world, anything could make a meal out of you. San was dismally reminded of this as he watched the large shadow of the fly struggle within its prison, pushing against its cell, fighting to escape the slow death that awaited it.
San gulped, concentrating on his breathing. Now was not the time to lose control. His deep green eyes refocused on the rodent before him. The lizard boy’s body tensed as he prepared himself for the leap, his well-trained muscles clearly visible.
An eerie silence seemed to envelope the small creature as his mind narrowed to only the mouse. He could kill it, and would kill it, but the fear still remained. The beings fluffy body was larger than he was, its muscles more powerful. Its teeth could chew through his bones, its thick muscles could tear him limb from limb. The slightest miscalculation and he would be left on the ground, dead.
He leapt from the bush, shoving aside the leaves heavy with dew, his trusted, sharpened spear raised over his head. The mouse turned at the last second, putting it in perfect position for San’s attack. The young lizard boy’s spear planted itself into the rodent’s eye, burying itself to the point where the stone tip could no long be seen. It gave a sharp, painful cry as San started twisting, blood spurting out in tiny geysers mixed with the quickly collapsing eye fluids. San did not let up as the beast struggled. His toned muscles pushed forward, driving the spear deeper into the mouse’s head. He felt the bone break, and when the spear started pushing forward with limited difficulty, he knew he had reached the brain. The creature stopped screaming.
San’s claws greedily dug into the deceased mouse’s innards, his hands scooping out fistfuls of guts at a time. Like thick, blue ropes they flopped onto the dirty ground. Like snakes they wiggled, almost as if they still had life in them. Soon the small puddles on the ground were stained red from the blood as it poured from the creatures open wounds. San didn’t care about the brutal sight however. His main focus was on the delicious meat inside.
He could barely recollect the last time he had a meal like this. Two, perhaps three weeks? Up until now he had managed to keep himself alive by foraging for roots and berries, but vegetation can only do so much for a creature’s biology. Especially one built for hunting.
Hurriedly he dug into the mouse, his face alight with a grin of pure satisfaction. He would actually eat tonight. He just needed to clean this creature quickly, and then move it from the path of any other predators.
His arms were amerced in the mouse’s belly, about up to his elbows, when he felt the first impact. Immediately he snapped to attention, his eyes darting about the jungle in search of any movement. His ears only picked up the constant sound of rain drops plopping from far overhead. His stomach sank. Where were the other animals?
For a moment he looked down at his kill. He needed to move, but the idea of leaving something so beautiful behind, leaving it to be devoured by some bigger animal, was just disgusting. He couldn’t go another three weeks without proper food. He needed this. Hastily he dug back in, tearing the entrails from the carcass with disregard, almost frantic as he cleaned the beast.
He retreated for a moment, pulling out another coil of organs and tossing them carelessly to the side, listening as they hit the moist ground with a thud, blood spraying from them. San was about to dive back inside when he felt something smash against his back.
His small body was sent flying over the mouse’s, tumbling through the air and eventually down into the mud. Frantically he tried to push himself up and to flee, but for a moment he was caught by surprise. He felt a massive weight land on his chest, pinning him back to the mud.
“Well,” a low voice growled from above. “What have I found today?”
When San opened his eyes, his heart fell. Lying across his chest was a single massive, horrifying foot. Three toes extended from the center of it, each one ending in an elongated claw, the tips of which looked like knives ready to plunge into his thin skin. The leathery skin was grey, the scales which covered the top a black as deep as the fear that now ate at him. The sole was light in color, save for the spots dirtied by the creature’s long trek through the muddy forest.
Slowly San’s eyes drifted up from the massive appendage that lay across his chest. First to the massive leg that it was attached to, the muscles thick and powerful. Water dripped off of its scales, reflecting the lights above. The leg soon merged with the monster’s body, which would have looked no different if it had been cared of stone. Its abs were clearly defined, even with its dark complexion. Its black, slick skin was stretched taught across its bulging chest. Its shoulders were covered, once again, in the midnight scales as they bulged in well-defined spheres. These connected to the creatures powerful arm muscles, each the size of San’s entire being, each with the power to tear him into pieces. His hands were huge, large enough to rap around the tiny lizard boy’s head, with room to spare. His claws, sharp and deadly.
San could barely find the strength to even gaze upon such a powerful creatures face. Its thick, strong neck connected to a chiseled chin, the tendons clearly visible, even at San’s odd angle. Tiny, nasty spikes then started, crisscrossing the behemoth’s features, each looking like tiny razors. They were nothing compared to its bright, dagger like fangs, glistening with the monster’s drool. Its eyes were the most impressive though. Tiny emeralds that cut through the haze of the forest, piercing the tiny lizard’s very being.
It was at this moment that San realized how horrible his mistake had been. He was nothing compared to the creature that now had him pinned. He’d be lucky to consider himself fit to be a meal for such a specimen on perfection.
The lizard winced as the beast leaned slightly more onto his frame, his ribs already threatening to explode from the sheer pressure being applied. His claws dug into the mud around him. “A lizard?” the beast growled down menacingly. “What’s your name, boy?”
“S… San,” the tiny thing replied through a whisper, his lunges unable to expand. The giant above him momentarily increased the pressure, pushing the tiny lizard’s fragile body deeper into the muck below. A small squeak escaped his collapsing lunges.
“I can’t here you down there,” the giant said, its voice low and deadly. Slowly it released some of the pressure, allowing the small animal a breath.
“San,” he said again, this time louder. If it wasn’t for the foot placed on his chest, he would have been panting. His heart was beating furiously as he starred up at the humongous figure, its body glistening with water droplets.
“San,” the monster repeated, turning towards the trees overhead, and the dark sky above even them. “Unimpressive.” It returned its menacing gaze to its prey. When its mouth opened again, San starred in awe of the massive amount of razor sharp teeth ready to tear his flesh from his bone. “What are you doing out here?”
“Please,” the tiny reptile managed to squeak. “I was only trying to find food.” The rain continued to fall upon his prone form.
“Food?” The giant looked down, only now noticing the dead mouse lying not too far from his captive. “You mean that mouse?” San nodded his head, his lounges refusing to take in any air. A low chuckle reverberated from the deep cavity within the giant’s chest. “Pathetic,” it said as it went to move.
Instantly the pressure multiplied as the beast dropped to one knee, pressing more on its toes, its claws digging into San’s thin skin. He could already see tiny rivers of blood flowing from the newly formed wounds.
The giant reached down, grabbing the carcass in one massive hand, lifting it up to view. A large portion of the being’s organs sloshed out, dropping onto the wet mud, blood splattering on the ground.
It sniffed the mouse once, looking at it with displeasure. “I never thought something such as yourself would try to hunt my territory.” San watched in horror as the gargantuan mouth opened, the skin around its jaw stretching even tighter than normal. Its teeth, dripping with drool, reflected the light from above as they moved towards the dead animal.
It then started pushing the body into its mouth. First the head disappeared into the beast’s maw, then the shoulders, then most of the rodent’s upper body. San could only stare in horror as the giant’s powerful tongue flicked out, pressing against the underside of its food, finding the deep gash and penetrating into it. The thick muscle pulled in even more of the mouse, its powerful fist helping to squish the back end deeper inside.
With a single bight, the giant ground it food into slurry. Bone’s snapped to pieces as its powerful jaws came down. Muscle tore from bone, sinews broke apart. Organs popped from their housing, limbs came loose. But most of all, blood poured out.
San, pinned beneath the unholy sight, cringed as the first wave of blood, bones, and body parts showered down onto his exposed form. He saw a paw tumble from the beast’s mouth above, falling onto his chest. He could only stare at the blood soaked mass, bone sticking out from the pierced skin, veins handing limply from the flesh like tiny red and blue threads.
The beast opened its mouth, the skin stretching again. This time San had time to brace himself before the massive force came down, compacting the bloody mess, sending slops raining down again.
Three more powerful bights and the ground was tainted red. San could no longer see, his vision blinded by the entrails that had fallen over his eyes and face. He could only hear the slurping sound as the giant pushed the carcass down its throat.
He squirmed at the sounds of the body slipping down into the massive creature’s body, and at the sounds of pure pleasure coming from its mouth. “Delicious,” the creature said as it looked down at the lizard. It brought one strong hand to San’s face, brushing away the bulk of the blood and guts.
Its grin was one of the most terrifying things San had ever witnessed. Bloody, its gums stained a dark red, its teeth coated in organs, bones sticking out from the small gaps between. Thick blobs of gore mixed with drool dripped down from its muzzle, threatening to fall onto the tiny lizard below. “Sorry,” it said, its grin spreading wider. “I’m a messy eater.”