a boost over heaven's gates

Taking any opportunity to venture out and see what was out there, the youngster was ranging ever further from the whelping den. Pallid form caught the gentle glow of the thick fog and the dancing lights all around them, casting faint shadows across his form with each movement. Head and tail high, there was very little to fear for the youngster as far as he was concerned. Moving with slow, measured strides, he swung each paw carefully to ensure he didn't trip over the long black talons that protruded from each delicate toe. Viscera stopped frequently to look at anything that caught his attention, which was often one of the glowing crystals or mushrooms that his mama had warned the children not to get close to. However, the boy itched to investigate them in earnest. To get up close and personal, maybe throw them around a little. However, for now he wasn't eager to incur mama's ire. With the thick fog that blanketed the ground, and his diminutive stature, all he saw were the things that cropped up as he passed. The rocky, uneven terrain around the base of the volcano was coal dark and difficult to navigate with so little experience.

A small shower of pebbles clattering down the slope caught his ear, and immediately the child was off like a shot. What had made that sound? Those sharp talons were perfect for gripping the larger rocks as he scrambled over them, until he was closing in on a strange, glowing creature. Mama had warned him about the animals too, but the rat was fleeing and it was beyond his ability to have that kind of self control. Yipping with delight, he ran down the agile rodent after a decidedly long pursuit. Cornered against a sheer boulder, it couldn't turn to flee around the stone in time, and he was upon it. Long claws sinking deep into bioluminescent flesh kept the oversized rat from escaping. The poor, exhausted animal cried out shrilly and thrashed about. It teeth caught the tender, virgin flesh of his right forelimb and broke the skin easily. He couldn't stop the gasp that was torn from him, or the tears that welled up in his eyes. With a pitchy snarl of outrage, he latched onto the vulnerable back of the rat and bit down as hard as he could. Blood welled hot and coppery on his tongue, and the struggling began to peter out. He released the rat's back, and then flexed his toes to dig those long talons in deeper, pulling it closer to his body.

This time he sunk his needle-sharp teeth into the upper back, just above the shoulders, and the rat fell limp. The screeching ceased, and the silence that stretched on afterward felt horribly empty. His ears were ringing lightly, but even that began to give way to the subtle ambiance of volcanic vents releasing steam, rocks settling after the struggle, the distant sounds of nearby wolves going about their usual lives. He pulled his claws from the cooling carcass, and found himself covered in the glowing violet fluids of his messy kill. Obsidian and ruby gems turned furtively to the surrounding landscape, hoping against all hope that his mama wasn't nearby to catch him breaking the rules as soon as she let him out of her sight.

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