Motor Monitor [Hunting Prompt]

Things felt jumbled. Lia was missing—he hadn’t seen her since they’d chatted in the Basin. Had it just been that, he thought he might have been able to push through with his usual cheerful front. But there was something wrong at home, too. He hadn’t smelled Nolan lately, and he’d spotted Baine looking utterly gutted, but had needed to go on patrol, and hadn’t had a chance to talk with her or Aurielle about his concerns.

He’d ventured just north of the territories, padding through the red rocks, heat radiating off the stone. It was a hot day, and he wandered without aim, just walking and trying to place what was causing the world to go sideways. He was alert to his surroundings – after all, he and Domari had fought two lions here, and who knew if there were more – and it also wouldn’t do for him to stumble upon a basking rattler.

He stopped suddenly, though, when he spotted a long shape on one of the rocks ahead. He squinted, ears falling back as he began to slink forward. It proved to be a large monitor lizard, soaking up the sun and currently oblivious to the wolf that had spotted it.

Cairo moved stealthily, placing each paw lightly and ensuring his footing was solid with each step before he moved forward. He stilled as the narrow head suddenly lifted, tongue flickering out and tasting the air. It gazed lazily about, then spotted, or maybe smelled him.

The lizard gave a low hiss, and Cairo flashed his teeth at it. It was a large one, though not an animal he couldn’t handle, certainly. And, soon enough, the monitor decided the same, and bolted.

Cairo bounded after it, foregoing stealth now that the lizard was on the run, and speed was of importance. The monitor whipped around a curved path and Cai blazed with a spray of dust and stone, tongue lolling. It was a rush he needed, and his tail wagged briefly in relief.

Maybe it was the wind, but his eyes were watering, cheeks damp.

The lizard must have glanced back because it jolted forward as he was closing in, a hiss of alarm escaping it as its claws scratched and scrabbled, legs pumping, tail whipping as it pushed itself harder.

Cairo held back, chasing it more as a game now than a serious hunt. He knew the area, and it was unlikely the lizard would escape unless it scaled the wall. Which it did.

Cairo puffed and surged after it, challenging himself as he scaled the rock after it, claws scraping and catching on the ridges after the lizard. Luckily, the animal had choses an easy slope, it was still a challenge for a wolf, but he had practice on these rocks.

The lizard crested the rocks and darted ahead as Cairo hoisted himself up and over the edge and blasted after it, lengthening his strides, trying to catch up with the monitor as it streaked over the red, hot stone. The sun blazed overhead, and Cairo’s tongue dripped as it flapped out the side of his mouth. Deep sapphire eyes were honed in on the lizard, catching it as it scrambled over the edge of a rock, scraping down with clinging claws as it slid to the ground below.

Cairo skidded to a stop and looked for a way down, taking a narrow sheep trail down with care and dropping his nose to where he’d last seen the monitor, which had wasted no time in fleeing.

He circled until he caught the trace and trotted forward, tail flagged and wagging slowly weaving through the narrow pathway the lizard had dropped into. He broke into a lope, certain of the trail until he spotted the end of the lizard’s tail whipping out of sight around the next bend. He surged forward and zipped around after it, sending the lizard into a fresh fright.

The monitor led him on a fresh blast through the bends and turns, stones clattering off the walls and the sounds echoed. He was closing in, and the lizard knew it. It was getting desperate, and saw salvation at last, zipping suddenly into a crack just large enough to squeeze through.

Cai slid to a stop and lowered into a bow, peering into the crack after the monitor, then looking up to study the rock wall. Too steep to climb, too high to take it at a run to sprint up to the top. The chase was over, and no lizard to bring home at the end, but he didn’t mind. His heart was thrumming in his chest, and for now, he felt he could go home and be able to focus on his duties.

Aside from that, Justice had pups he was itching to meet. With a huff, he turned and trotted back toward home.

-Wordcount: 812 words-

Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Hear" ---- Think