32 Chapter 31

I watch him walk along the path, avoiding people yet keeping a close eye towards those around him, as if searching for something, or someone.

In this place, without means to watch from above, my biggest advantage is the fact that I do not need to see with my eyes to know where he is going, my usual clicking being unnecessary here as every person walking hit their feet on the floor and created the required sounds for me to 'see' him.

I only truly approach however when he goes to the side in the direction of one of those holes on the wall, and in the same way that the boy exchanged money for those bottles he hits the counter with his own pile of cash.

At this point I understand better, always have wondered how humans survived with such lifestyle and bodies, no trees around for them to eat from, hunting being the privilege of few; it is because of that.

Some hunted, some didn't, and because they could exchange that 'money' for the meat, which allows them to do other things instead of hunting, and so on and on.

A clever system as far as I can tell, but I'm far from comprehending everything.

Like the flying things that get out of the wall; or out of some device over the wall?; that with an annoying bzzz sound start shushing out and about, and when they pass overhead I can see, narrowing my eyes, some strange device right in the middle of the flying thing, right in the between the four propellers, something that moved in and out with an electronic sound, looking a loot like an eye.

Not one to ignore my instincts I hide myself in the shadows, watching as one of them flies away, passing over my direction.

I may be strong and fearless, but I'm not dumb, and as such even if I'm very curious about them I do not act recklessly, instead I watch for a while and decide to attract one of the creatures who strained from the horde out of the main street and into a place where I can hunt it and study it better and unnoticed.

And the opportunity soon presents itself when one of them stops once it sees me, confirming my suspicions of that being an eye, and as I look around and see no one I am sure that it is me they are searching for, and that man as well.

Is easy to ambush the flying creature, with its eye on its belly it could only look down, so a strike coming from above passes unnoticed until my talons rip the skin and cut the creature in pieces, and yet I'm left in shock at the lack of blood and meat, or rather, even more shocked at the things that gust out of the creature, sparks of light that burn like fire when I try to approach, some sort of oily smell and parts made of that strange material that they use a lot around this city, some sort of metal.

Turning it around and inspecting the creature until I'm satisfied I grow bored of it and throw it down, satisfied that my action has a great effect on my prey, who so eagerly walked into my trap.

A dirty smell hits my nose before I start moving closer so with a flash of red in my eyes I take in my prey's figure in more detail, raising an eyebrow when I see that his lower shaft is half raised against the cloth that covers his lower body.

Uhm… I see now, that 'whore' word, what the boy has been up to all night, the Red district, is all connected isn't it? Is something on the lines of 'money to copulate' thing, and even that seems to be negotiable around here, how odd yet fascinating…

But the idea that such small prey as thoughts of himself being able to have his way with me… somehow infuriated me, the audacity of it.

It is, after all, a little power play, and this small human thought himself to be the top on that.

I already am the type to play with its food a little, but this one makes me put more effort into it, especially when he keeps the brave face on and still dares to show audacity around, unaware of the danger he is in or too prideful to cave in to his instincts and run the hell out of here.

Not like that would have saved him… but I've always enjoyed a good chase.

He only starts showing signs of that when I start dashing around to provoke him, leaving my after image for him to see, a mere shadow of myself, and only when his hands start shaking and the light with it I decide to approach.

Like a cat over the railings I crouch down, unnoticeable, with only my long tail reaching out from above, I feel like I'm fishing at a pond, and lancing him out my tail slashes and hooks his neck, pulling him up and towards me.

Now is when the fun part begins, when I can still enjoy the fresh and warm meat while he still… Wait, is he dead? What the hell, I did hear a crack, but I did not intend to kill him so fast, freaking humans and their fragile bodies and little necks, I just pulled a little too fast and he is already dead? Bullshit.

Unsatisfied I snore out, wiggling his body around with my tail, but as the sensation passes I'm still left with the meal I wanted so in the end I climb back up and find a place around to enjoy it, trying to decide if I should be smart about this and make him last for a week or if I should just enjoy the seemly never-ending meals around me to the fullest and eat until I'm satisfied.

Choices choices… for now I just find a safe high up place to keep the body hidden, and satisfied with a tower not too far with a strange bell in the middle I put the remaining meat to the side, covering it up with some old rags that were laying around so the birds don't stick their beaks in other people's business.

With a little blood on my face and vest I end up ripping the upper part of the clothing apart, angry after trying to take it off and not managing to after a few tries, and cleaning my face with it I manage to get rid of most of the blood, however mixing the remaining of it with dirt and oil, and the lack of a shirt now and my even dirtier figure do not help out with my looks, but I could not care less.

Only then, past half of the night, is when I start heading back to my new base, walking around without a worry, and for a moment I wonder what might have happened with the boy; or rather, happening; but I brush the thought aside, is none of my business, and he might as well become my prey next, so no point in dwelling about such petty creatures, sacks of meat they are.

And yet the thoughts swirled around like a hurricane, and only stops when something else catches my attention.

When I reach my house and find out that something seems… off about it

And I soon learn why.