Crucifiction

As evening transitioned into night, Sephiran found himself lingering within the shadows of the towering redwoods. He was following a dimly lit path that led to the heart of the territory, guided by the soft illumination of the summertime crescent moon. An interaction with his toy was what usually drew him this far north, but tonight, he was hot on the trail of another enticing specimen. He had found it down on the outskirts of the forest, limping and yowling in protest, trying to find refuge from other predators. A wounded bobcat. Whatever had gotten to it first, had severed a back paw at the hock, causing it to limp and leave behind a trail of both arterial and venous blood… which Sephiran greedily lapped up from the earth, as he followed it through the forest. Normally, Sepiran would have been taken over by his bloodlust, and have killed the bobcat the moment he found it. But tonight, he had a thirst for a different kind of entertainment.

He wanted to experiment with it.

How long would it take for it to die from blood loss? What was its anatomy like? Did it have similar reproductive organs as himself? What about its claws?

He was itching to know.

After a while, he followed the bobcat to the heart of the territory, where it finally collapsed from exhaustion. Soft, anguished yowls followed each breath as it lay in a growing puddle of blood, and for a moment Sephiran stood and watched from the shadows. Licking at his lips, his pelt started to bristle at the thought of delivering the final blow. At the thought of warm, metallic blood squirting onto his face from the penetration of arteries. He suddenly strode forward, to loom over the lump of fur that was still emitting quiet cries. It sounded sorrowful, afraid even. For it did not know what would be waiting for it, once it closed its eyes for good.

"Speech"