Kitty Had Claws

Things were...strange, to say the least. Though they seemed to be slowly getting better. The sun had returned to them, and with it, what he assumed to be the cure for whatever the fuck had been going on. He was patrolling the territory just on the edge of the lake, the moon hanging low and heavy in the sky like it had been doing night after night over the last season and a half. Everything was quiet. The other members of Aerie were likely out patrolling the other territory or sleeping. Two of their members had recently had pups, though his cousin had had a particularly hard birth from what he'd heard. He had no children of his own, obviously, and he didn't quite have the empathy to really be sympathetic to the situation. He'd lost his mother, yes. His brother had left the pack, though the only one whose loss he felt was that of his mother. Since her death, he hadn't cared about much else. and that included building a relationship with Iroh. But that was probably because he had spent a significant amount of time taking care of her when she got ill...

The memories had started to flash in his mind, but before he could really focus on those memories, he heard a low, guttural growl somewhere in the darkness. The male paused, ears perking as his blue gaze swept the darkness. He didn't see anything at first, but he found nothing. Quieting his steps, he continued his patrol and got no more than a few yards before he heard it again. Not only that, but the strong scent of a cougar had crossed his path, and his hackles rose in instinct. A cougar had slipped past the border, heading straight to the heart of the territory no doubt. Lips peeled back in a snarl as he hurriedly followed the trail, wanting to try and find it before the feline found the pups. While he wasn't the most sympathetic nor empathetic guy, he was loyal to his blood and he would do everything in his power to protect the children of Aerie.

He picked up the pace as the scent trail grew stronger, and just as he suspected, the cougar was heading towards the center of the territory where he knew Proserpina's den was. As he drew closer, he spotted it. It bled with the ooze that many had been infected with, and he was surprised that this creature was still sick with the ailment. As far as he knew, the sickness had died away when the sun had returned, but perhaps this big cat had been hiding away in the darkness of a den or something. "Hey! You're in the wrong territory!" He shouted, a snarl ripping from his maw as he rushed the big cat.

The cougar whirled around, and he noticed its eyes were crystallized. It wasn't all there, but it was just enough to react as soon as he shoulder slammed the beast, sending it rolling to the ground. The cougar snarled, unceremoniously getting back to its feet, head moving back and forth as if trying to figure out what had hit him. After a few seconds, it seemed to figure it out and it zeroed in on him. The cougar grew stiff as a board, nothing but a guttural ground hissing past its lips. The way the creature acted confused the wolf for a moment, but before he knew it, the cougar charged him and its claws swiped out at his face. It slapped him on the side of the head, sending him sideways from surprise and impact. It launched itself at him before he could recover, but he managed to back peddle just in the nick of time.

The cougar landed just feet in front of him, and Zagan didn't waste any chances. He launched himself this time, shoulder slamming into the Cougar's ribs, teeth reaching for the nape of its neck where he gripped it and shook as violently as he could. The cougar struggled to reach him, claws aiming to swipe at his body, though Zagan did his best to keep himself out of the way as he used his weight to drag the cougar to the ground. Claws struck his side, tearing away fur and nicking his flesh. He could feel the warmth of blood seep into his fur, but it was nothing he couldn't handle.

As the cougar sought to twist onto its back in an effort to get a better grip on him, Zagan used his weight and the sick predator's movements against it. He applied more deadly pressure in his bite. He could feel the cougar's neck resisting all the pressure of his bite, but ultimately, once the cougar began to give up the fight, he bit down harder until the bones in its neck snapped between his teeth. The sick creature released one, final breath and it fell limp. Letting go of his prey, Zagan stepped back and licked his lips free of the cougar's blood. Adrenaline kept him from feeling his wounds, but he was sure he had some damage on him after that scuffle.

He sat back, looking at the now-dead cougar as he tried to figure out if there was a use for it. Ooze poured from the wounds on its neck, its mouth, its now lifeless eyes...the crystals that were growing from its eyes began to crumble, likely unable to be sustained now that their host was dead. It was a shame to let this thing go to waste...he figured he might as well go ahead and skin the thing, use its pelt to warm his den and its teeth and claws as a necklace or some such. Those would certainly stand out better than the black eagle feathers he wore...thoughtful now, he stood up, wincing as he started to feel the sting of his wounds. Ah well...at least they were minor. He picked up the cougar by the neck and started dragging it back towards his den where he could properly work on it.

WC: 1,016