CHPT 17: Protect

Running....jumping...ducking under low hanging branches. Claude and the wolves had been in pursuit of the giant buck for miles, with him somehow keeping up. His lungs felt infinite, with every inhale of fresh Forest night air it filled him entirely, energizing his muscles and mind to continue giving chase.

The buck had begun to slow down after a few miles and the wolves were now nipping at its heels. The buck let out a loud snort and spun around after one of the wolves got a good bite on its hind leg, all the wolves dodged the swing of the bucks great antlers but Claude was caught by surprise and got hit.

FUUGH!

He was sent skidding and rolling through the rough grassy forest floor. "I'm really getting tired of horned animals." He thought to himself as he rolled over onto his hands and knees to cough up blood. While he was coughing he noticed something odd about his hands.

"The hell?" He said as he brought his hand up from the dark forest ground to face the light of the moon. Claude looked at his hands in shock noticing he no longer had normal fingernails. He now had incredibly sharp claws that were around 3in long.

ARRP!

Claude was startled out of his daze when he heard one of the wolves Yelp in pain. The pained noise struck a nerve in him that had him on his feet and running towards the buck.

As he got closer to the buck his fingers started to ache and his gums started to itch.

"RRAHHH!" Claude jumped on the bucks back with a loud roar, the buck started jumping and wiggling trying to shake him off but Claude had his claws fastened deep into the bucks sides. "You like to use these a lot don't you?" Claude said as he grabbed a antler and proceeded to brutally hammer fist it until it snapped off.

SNAP!

The buck continued to swing and move wildly. Claude— now seated on its back almost the way you would on a horse, grabbed the bucks remaining antler and pulled it down towards his midsection so the bucks neck was perfectly exposed.

He felt an incredible urge to bite into the bucks neck and let its blood flow until his entire world was crimson.

He eyed the beasts thick and muscular neck as time slowed, he felt like he could almost hear its blood pulsing, he felt like he knew exactly where to bite..as if he'd been hunting like this his entire life.

The buck shook its head and its antler that was by Claudes stomach cut him. The cut knocked him out of his trance and reminded him of the furious anger he felt towards the buck for hurting the wolf.

Claude used his free hand and reached around to the front of the buck and ripped its throat out effortlessly with a meaty ripping sound.

SHHRRIP!

Claude hopped off the buck and landed in the cool grass softly with an antler in his left hand and the remains of the bucks dripping throat in his right .

DING!

[Quest Complete! You led your pack on a successful hunt.]