Strips Of Black With Smears Of Red

Kione keeps the tiger’s attention on himself and the air is filled with happy laughter from Strix and mocking, chirpy barks from the painted dog. The pup bites and tears at the back legs of the doomed tiger, crimson blood splashing out to coat the boy’s face and chest. Eyes keep darting to make sure the wild dog is still okay before he lunges in to put a new hole in the feline. The coppery taste of blood fills his mouth and the metallic scent feels his nostrils and, in the very back of his mind, the pup feels something stir. But he has no time to pay attention to it as Strix is more focused on wanting to hurt this tiger for trespassing; and the two Fenmyre’s are making it pay in flesh. A huge paw suddenly obscures his vision and sends the clouded gray and black pup tumbling head over heels until he comes to a stop on his back a few feet away.

For a moment, he looks up at the sky with dazed confusion, wondering what happened, before his mind starts to piece together what happened. The tiger, getting desperate had batted the painful pup away before attempting to make a break for it. Slowly, he rolls over onto his stomach before pushing up to stand and then Strix searches for the object of his wrath. Luckily, the tiger didn’t make it far, its blood sprays out into the sand from multiple wounds to the tiger’s face and neck while the painted dog has the cat’s muzzle in his mouth. The feline’s strength is flagging as blood continues to leak from various wounds but it isn’t dead… yet. Time to remedy that situation.

The angry pup launches forward, agile paws pulling him up to where the two predators are locked in a deadly battle. Silently, death arrives on swift paws as Strix suddenly appears and leaps up to latch his stronger jaws around the tiger’s throat. With a loud growl, the pup thrashes his head until the feline’s throat leaves its body. Hot body sprays the pup and dog, each beat of the tiger’s heart forcing the life-giving blood out of the gaping wound. The creature gurgles as its eyes glaze, death slowly settling in its body. With a mighty thud the predator is felled and Strix spits the dead cat’s throat to the side in contempt. Turning to Kione, he offers him a huge smile that, while painted in red, makes the pup look mad. Still his voice is cool and calm as he says, “That was awesome Kione! We should do this more often!” A dark glint rests in the corner of his mismatched eyes.


"Strix Klien"