Black bear screaming

Some wolves may have accepted the way that the world was as the new normal, but not Kali. She refused to believe that it wouldn’t end at some point, that the fog wouldn’t lift and that the crystals that grew from her body into sharp points wouldn’t disappear as if they had never been there. There had to be more to life than the suffering they were enduring that seemed to be taking wolves down left and right. It wasn’t just Habari, she knew, that was infected with the strange plague that seemed to have 3 different variations. Every pack they were allied with was also down for the count, and she supposed they could only hope those they weren’t on such friendly terms with were even more worse for the wear.

Still, she wouldn’t let it get her down. She was the future leader of their pack, the one rightful ruler, and if she started to falter, surely others would falter even more. So, she made her rounds as normal, despite the creaking of her joints and the sharp pains that radiated along her shoulder and hips when the movement of her walking jostled the crystals growing there. Even though the same crystals grew from her left eye, blinding it quite painfully, she kept going. The Klein girl was never one to give up, and she certainly wouldn’t start that day. Her rounds took her along the edges of the Nook, skirting the skeletal redbud trees as the thick fog rolled across their roots. She had to tread carefully to make sure she didn’t trip over something, seeing as she could barely make out her own dainty paws beneath the dense stuff.

At first, it had only been in the Soulless Forest, something to be expected there, but now it was everywhere. Even when she went out of the territory and further south, it clung to the ground like a heavy blanket that sent chills up and down her spine. It reflected like a dull sea off of the massive moon above that seemed to have grown far too large to remain floating in the sky. Sometimes, she found herself wondering if it would come crashing down to earth. Wouldn’t that be a way to go, she’d think bitterly to herself. But, it seemed to stay where it was, never waxing and never waning like it had before, forever transfixed in place with its ethereal glow.

The girl had almost reached the eastern border when she paused, nose twitching as she scent the air. Her brows turned inward in confusion, her tail going still at her hocks. What was a Black Bear doing awake at this time of year, and more importantly...why was it inside their borders? The girl hesitated for a moment, unsure as to whether or not she should check it out alone, but black bears were, unfortunately, a common nuisance for them. They lived near several caves due to being at the base of the volcano, and the trees also meant prime climbing grounds for the bears to scamper up. It wouldn’t have been the first time she’d had to chase one out, but with the current environment..no, she wouldn’t be afraid. She gave herself a stern shake, reminding herself of who she was, before heading in the direction of the scent. But, she couldn’t have prepared herself for what she’d see.

The black bear was in a clearing, crunching filling the air as it crushed bone and flesh beneath its large teeth. It held a small form in its paws as it tore into it, ripping through sinew with ease. This wasn’t necessarily disturbing, but that fact that it seemed to be the bear’s own cub was. Her bi-colored gaze trailed down to another form at its feet and she nearly blanched. It was another cub, coated in mushrooms and just as dead as its siblings. She wanted to convince herself that they had died of natural causes, but the glowing blood that pooled beneath its body told her clearly otherwise. She could just make out crystals growing from the cub currently being eaten, and though nothing grew from the cannibalistic mother, Kali could tell she was just as, or even more infected, than her spawn.

Great globs of glowing saliva trailed down the black bear’s mouth and chest, dribbling from its ears and eyes, the ladder of which seemed to be coated with a filmy haze. It swayed from side to side in its seated position as it tore indiscriminately into the poor cub, the last leg finding its way into her jaws, crunching, before being swallowed. Kali gulped and began to slowly back away from the horror, but beneath the fog her hind foot accidentally snapped a branch. For a moment, it didn’t seem like the former mother bear had heard her mistake, its gaze still distant and hazy, but, slowly, it turned to look at her. A gurgling sound filled the space between them before a sputtering roar boomed from the crazed bear’s mouth. She could have sworn she’d peed herself.

With a speed uncharacteristic of its seemingly drowsy state, the bear was upon her, claws swiping at her face. She ducked, heart hammering in her chest as the large mitt grazed the tops of her ears. The Cherubim skittered away, keeping her body facing her foe which turned toward her once more. She didn’t even get the chance to howl for backup before it was charging at her again without strategy or skill. It seemed to be just trying to run her down, but while that might have worked with her cubs, it wouldn’t work with her. She ducked out of the way again, lunging to sink her teeth into the black bear’s hind leg. She felt a crunch, breaking the ankle, but the bear made no sound to show its undeniable pain. It hobbled around, the ankle and foot now hanging useless and limp, before swatting at her. This time, the claws connected with her rump, eliciting a pained yelp from her. Blood bubbled out of her wound and trickled down her leg and she knew there would be more crystals there by morning. Great, just what she needed.

She wanted to end things quickly, if at all possible, which meant she needed to be risky. The girl bolted forward, throwing herself into the back of her foe and sinking her teeth into the back of its neck. It thrashed around, succeeding in throwing her off and she landed with a thud on the ground, the wind briefly knocked from her lungs. She staggered to her paws, eyeing the black bear warily as her chest heaved, before going at it once more. This time, her bite was snugg. She held on steadfast, even though it felt like her teeth would be ripped from her head, and bit down with all of her strength. The thrashing of her enemy helped and, after a moment, she felt the spine snap. The bear stumbled, its legs spasming as the receptors tried to fire out to its limbs, but when they gained no traction and the responses stopped all together, the bear fell to the ground with a thud. With it down, she sank her teeth into its throat, ripping and tearing until she felt satisfied before stumbling back into a seated position. Her chest labored as she fought to catch her breath, a glowing substance dripping from her peripheral and, when she looked down then touched her maw, she realized her mouth and chest were coated in the glowing blood of the predator. She watched it gasp and sputtering, a sickening death wheeze echoing from its compromised airway, but as she looked into its eyes, they seemed clearer than they had before. And...they almost seemed...thankful? It wasn’t long before the bear took its last breath, eyes going hazy for the last time before going unseeing, its spirit slipping off to wherever bear spirits went. She got to her paws unceremoniously and turned toward the direction she knew the healer’s den to be. Maybe if she tended to her wounds quickly enough, she could avoid growing new crystals. Probably not.