Chapter 2

My mind constantly betrayed me. I couldn't think clearly. What is this [System]? What's going on? What…

I snarled at another little would-be thief reaching for my food. It immediately quailed and fled. MINE. Somewhere else, I could hear the squeals and cries of struggle for the final bites of food, but they no longer mattered to me. With just a couple snaps of my jaws I tossed the rest of the remaining food down my throat. I was happily full, but by experience I knew that it wouldn't be too long before the hunger returned. I could sleep, but then I might miss a feeding. I'd seen it happen, that one was asleep when the food arrived, and though it had woken, it had been on the outskirts, only receiving the dregs from the rest. That wouldn't happen to me. I would feed and grow.

What had I been thinking about? I couldn't remember. But I did know that I needed to grow stronger. I'd been betrayed by a human. What was a human? I… couldn't remember. They were different from me… without scales? Yes. But I needed to kill Viilor. The traitor. The one who had called himself friend. I felt the snarls bubbling up and out of my throat. Traitor.

I sat on my haunches, and, in a moment of clarity, thought of the [System]. Had I had that before? No, I knew that. It mentioned magic. Had I been able to do magic before? I… thought so? Yes, I could do a… calling. Yes, I could, the words were… they were on the tip of my tongue… I shook my head. I couldn't quite remember them. If it couldn't help me grow, and if I couldn't remember it, it wasn't worth remembering.

Looking around, I could see the rest of the spawnlings around. They, or we, looked just like adult keelish, just smaller. Two legs with long, thick tails that didn't bend to the ground but instead stood straight back from our hips and hung above the ground. Two thin arms with four fingers, tipped with thick but pointy claws, and different from humans, standing hunched forward with our torsos leaning forward. Crusted on all of our faces were blood and viscera, from where we had snapped our long snouts into the meat and torn free whatever we could swallow, and filling those long snouts were a row of sharp teeth built for tearing flesh. Thinking of the flesh, I was hungry...

It had been four feedings since I'd hatched. The meals remained the same size, but I could tell that we hatchlings were growing. The food disappeared faster, the hole was becoming more cramped, the smell of our excrement was becoming more and more foul and overpowering. And, more importantly, I still hadn't had the opportunity to kill anything. The need to hunt, to kill, to grow, was becoming overpowering.

I'd settled back into a relaxed position, but slowly, my full belly began to exercise its hold over me. Against my will, I found myself resting against a nearby wall. I was… so tired… The oblivion of sleep overtook me.

…

My mind cleared, almost reverted back to what it had been. I felt like I was floating gently down a river with my eyes gently closed. At peace, somewhat. I felt more like myself. What had happened? I'd been shot by Viilor, and eaten by keelish. Now, I was one. Had that happened before, to other people?

[Will that be your question, little fang?]

What was that?

[I'll be so generous as to answer without it counting. I am an Administrator of the System. I, as well as others, work with the System users and provide guidance to help you poor users to try to reach your potential.] While I could see nothing, the vaguely female voice communicated a sarcastic little bow, somehow. [I will let you know that that was your last complimentary answer.]

There were at least a dozen questions I was dying to ask, but I did catch on to the Administrator's meaning. I can only ask one question.

[You catch on quicker than the last, little fang.] I could hear the smile in her voice.

After a moment's hesitation, I couldn't stop the burning, primary question in my mind. Why me? Why did this happen?

[Not a bad question, as far as ignorant first questions go, I suppose. I'm sure the answer won't be to your liking though… The Administrative Body came to the conclusion that, if you became a powerful or noteworthy System User, the results would be most interesting. There is somewhat more to it than that, but I can't tell another's secrets quite so easily.]

So… I'm interesting.

I can feel the unseen smile in return. [You're an interesting one indeed. It's been centuries since the last keelish System User. I hope you make it longer than the last.]

But what about me is so interesting? Why would I be singled out? I need more answers, and I need to find that traitor! Tell me!

[I'm afraid you've already asked your question little fang. Think about what you'd like to ask next time you get the chance! Now, don't enjoy your rest too much… though, it'll probably be the best you get for a while.]

My questions unanswered and my rage beginning to mount, the peaceful floating feeling faded to oblivion.

…

I woke, ravenous and hardly remembering what I'd just dreamed. Or experienced? The snarls of the rest of my brood pulled me from my contemplation. They were eating. WITHOUT ME.

Sprinting, I rushed to the entrance of our little den. There, I could see the rest of the spawnlings tearing into a hill of toothy bullfrogs, fat amphibians with mouths so full of fangs that they bristled out of their closed lips. AND THEY WERE MY FOOD.

I bulled over three of the smaller ones on the fringes and shoved my way deep into the mass of writhing bodies. Any that got in my way quickly gave way before my jaws and claws. Finally, I set to the frogs. The glorious scent of blood, the taste of flesh, the filling of my belly. It was glorious, and I set in with reckless abandon. However, with my tardiness, it was well before I was full that the mound of food began to dwindle and become empty. 

Desperate, I extended my neck as far as I could reach and went for the last substantial gobbet of meat… only for it to be wrenched from before my eyes. Furious, I turned to the thief and, ignoring a flashing [System] notification in the corner of my eye, rushed at it. 

Without conscious thought, I literally ripped into the spawnling. With a quick bite, I grabbed its shoulder and chomped down. Screaming, the thief whipped their head around and chomped at my head, the forgotten final chunk of meat flying from its mouth. Disregarding the clumsy bite as it slid off the back of my head, I gnashed my teeth and, with a crunching of bone, fully severed my prey's arm. Now, it cried more pitifully and snapped wardingly at me. I ducked the blow and with both of my arms pulled down hard on its singular remaining one. 

With a thud, the spawnling hit the ground, stunned. That was enough for me to grab its throat entirely in my mouth, and, my lust for vengeance soaring, I chomped down. I could taste the sweet lifeblood coating my tongue and throat as I bit down, again, harder. The little struggles of my prey died down, and, finally, it died.

I stopped myself as I bit into the warm carcass, beginning to feed. I'd… just killed another spawnling, and was about to eat it. Just because it took the last bite of something? Yes, and it had deserved it. The weak should bow to the strong, he was too weak… But…

My complicated feelings warring within me, I finally noted the [System] notifications that had been flashing since before I'd attacked this prey.

[Skill: Bloodlust has been activated.]

[Growth achieved. Status updated.]

[Evolutionary requirement for Young Keelish Bloodletter: Hunt and kill 10 creatures. Progress: 1/10]