Tooth and Claw

Children. So many resource-draining, writhing worms were feeding off his domain- it was only right that they attend the hunt, to learn the risks involved in hunting down prey. Only, this orchestrated trophy hunt wasn’t meant to be a learning opportunity- Azoula firmly set the expectations of the hunt, encouraging the weaker-willed to abandon the pursuit. But none of them did.

The adult males, nor the children, were swayed by her warning. And the pups, regardless of their inexperience, decided to take this opportunity to learn. Even if it could kill them. The thought of their decimated little bodies scattered across the clearing, having been gouged by the buck's massive antlers, almost made him smile. Oh, the ways they could die on this day, the strain they could lift on his pack if they vanished from existence!

But only time would tell if Sephiran would experience such perverse joy today. Glancing between the faces of the group, the Sultan’s eyes flicker with unpredictable intensity- darting erratically between the males and the children, wondering if they would fail to meet his expectations. If they would die. As they moved to follow Azoula, he would vanish back into the shadows of the pines, traveling up to a vantage point where he could watch the hunt unfold.

"Sephiran Saxe"