When I was young, I was often sick. Freely playing under the rain and sunshine was my greatest wish. However, now all I want is rest.

Life in the wild is always eventful. If you choose to sit around and let your guard down: you’ll never know how you die. The consequence for stupidity and ignorance is death.

The law of the jungle is straightforward. Almost drive me mad.

You won’t even have the luxury to feel scared, let alone seek for someone’s comfort when everything around is nothing but dangerous beasts.

Pushing my unease to the back of my head, I peered into a crescent silver hanging in the sky.

My tingling nails made me snap back to reality. I carefully nudge the metal door with my snout. Minimizing the noise as little as possible.

Stepping on the familiar ground, my tense muscles slightly relax. However, I couldn’t help but look back at the bowl given by the man as I hesitated.

Fighting fiercely with my inner self, my gaze turned sharp.

‘Aye!’

Putting strength onto my limbs, I sprinted forward, taking a resolute step as I moved away from the cage.

As if having a mind on its own, my legs suddenly dug into the ground turning my heel back.

After hesitating for a second I quickly bit the meat before dashing right into the fog. My heart feels light, fluttering against the cold night.

‘Forget it. Meat is meat. We shouldn’t refuse food.’

I sprinted into the forest, regardless of my slightly numb legs; I didn’t stop, enjoying the wind rustling my fur.

I took a deep drag of air to fill my lungs. Looking for a particular aroma of a herb to cure the snake’s venom still lingering in my blood.
‘I smell it here. It should be just around this area.’

My eyes narrowed at a cabin not far away from me. It was dark with the lights off. I took a step closer as the herb’s smell grew stronger.

The scent led me into a dark backyard.

“... Hush little darling, do not be scared…”

A sweet cooing came from a window, a few feet away made me stop for a moment. My ears perked up for any suspicious movements as I started to carefully search for the herb.

Although there are many plants that can be used as snake anti-venom, there is only one plant that I trust the most. The reason is simple, it was the only anti-venom I remember and it is readily available.

I remember trying every grass I see when I don’t know their properties and having diarrhea, stomach pain, foaming in the mouth, etc.

Good times.

After 20 minutes of searching, I found a small plant resembling a pigweed. It is a plant that saves me more than once. Its leaves, root, seed and the whole plant can be used as medicine.

‘Found you!’

It is an erect, bushy plant, approximately 2 feet tall, with a reddish stem smooth and cylindrical. Its alternate leaves below have sparse hairs on its veins.

‘Five leaves should be enough.’

I directly bit five leaves from the stem and ingested it whilst sitting on the ground. I waited for a minute or so until the herb started to take effect.

‘I feel sleepy.’

The familiar burning sensation on my body and the lulling drowsiness started to set in.

‘I need to find a safe place to sleep.’

“Ah!”

A soft cry entered my ears. My sight snaps back onto the window as the sounds of crickets once again reign over the darkness.

My curiosity was piqued. It was in the dead of the night. What else could people be doing at this hour?

And the voice sounds tender. A shiver ran down my spine.

“It hurts!”

My body moved before I could decide. I leaped high, landing on the window. The window was made of wood. It was quite old and full of holes.

I tried peeking using the tiny holes but all I see is darkness.

Just as I am sneakily trying to get a sight of what was happening inside, there was a muffled groan and then there was once again silence.

I became impatient. I looked for dense holes then destroyed it, the wood collapsed revealing the view inside.

A silhouette of a child was half-lying on the ground. The air was tinged with the scent of a familiar rusty smell.

I was startled when the child’s golden eyes bumped with mine. At first I thought I was over thinking, but a flash of silver came to my periphery.

“You pesky blood sucking bitch. I told you to hush!”

The voice came from a man who’s holding a knife while rushing onto the child. His staggering figure looks menacing.

The child backed away almost plastering herself into the wall while clutching her bloody neck. My eyes widen in shock.

She’s backing away but not asking for help. I was perplexed but the situation did not give me the leisure to think more as everything turns for the worst.

Having made up my mind, I once again leaped high and sliced the suspicious and aggressive man’s wrist enough to draw a lot of blood.

“Damn that hurts!”

Landing on the floor, I did not stop and rushed at the bewildered man and cut through the muscle at the back of his heels.

The man collapsed directly on the ground. Looking at him wailing in pain made me sigh in relief whilst stopping my slightly trembling legs.

‘What’s this?’

The sight made me dizzy. My heart is beating wildly. My throat and stomach feels uncomfortable.

I took a step towards him but realized that my body is not cooperating with my mind. My eyelids feel heavy as my eyes shut abruptly.

For a moment, my body feels weightless as if someone lifted me up and then my lungs burned for air.

I gasped. My lungs are desperate for a taste of fresh air. What is going on? Confusion clouded my mind before it was blurred from the lack of oxygen.

‘Air... I can't breathe…’

The pressure around my neck tightened further making me doubt if my neck was about to be snapped.

"Answer me. Who are you?"

I instinctively answer, despite feeling weak as my body appears to be devoid of strength.

‘Alleria. My name is Alleria.’

I lifted my heavy eye lids and was met with a vague silhouette. My  confusion deepened as I felt my heart thudding strongly against my chest.

A thunderous roar echoed from the sky making me lift my head up as pouring water hit my face.

It’s raining? My eyes hurt because rain water hit my eyes without delay.

“Talk! Goddamn it!”

My eyes snap back into the man. A flash of lightning illuminated his face. His eyes blaze with anger.

Mustering all my strength I raised my limb and scratched his arm. His grip around my neck loosened.

I slumped on the muddy ground, immediately catching my breath with bouts of coughs from my clogged sore throat.

To my luck, the man suddenly turned his back while muttering curses under his breath.

‘Ha!’

Without a second thought, I lunged at his unprotected throat, aiming to catch him off guard. I grinned, biting his neck as hard as I could, but all I could taste was rain and not the anticipated taste of blood.

‘Ha?’

“Too slow.”

My momentum faltered. A strong force yanked me back into the mud as a low threatening growl came from him.

I instinctively rolled away but he was persistent.

“Who are you? Answer me when I’m still asking nicely. One more funny stunt and I’ll kill you.”

His hand easily caught my neck, slamming my back into a tree. The bark stinging my skin making me wonder almost forgetting to fiercely struggle.

The rain keeps pouring on both of us. Lightning and thunder continue raging from the sky wildly.

A strong gust of wind made me shiver. Swallowing the lump on my throat, I raised my limbs: bare five fingers.

The fur covered paws were gone and were replaced with bare skin and five long fingers. I raised my trembling hands and gripped his arms.

“...I-I’ll kill you.” I repeated his words in difficulty and yet his face seems to darken even more but I could not care less.

Although, my voice sounded gruff even to my own ears but I reeled in disbelief.

I grinned and then laughed out loud looking at him in pure untainted joy. Looking at him fondly.

My eyes once again blurred but I didn’t dare to close my eyes. It feels sore as tears well up around the corner of my eyes, and then salty water poured down my cheeks.

...
Found a mistake?

Alleria as a pup: