In the moonlit night, Taiga, the giant cave lioness, prowled through the dense underbrush of the knoll. Her keen, raspberry colored eyes scanned the surroundings, searching for any sign of prey. On the wind the giantess scented ungulates. Antelope, specifically. The feline moved quietly, each step achingly slow, until she had the herd in her sights. The antelope grazed nearby, utilizing the unnatural shine of the moon, and seemed oblivious to the danger lurking in the shadows.

As Taiga moved closer, the moon's brilliance illuminated the landscape, casting long shadows and making it much easier for the black and white feline to blend in with her surroundings. The only thing making her stand out was the sheer size of a cave lioness. The antelope, though nervous, relied on its acute senses to detect any hint of danger. Its ears twitched at the slightest rustle, its nostrils flared to catch the scent of predators.

Hunting at night posed numerous challenges for Taiga. The lack of light made it harder to judge distances accurately. Shadows played tricks on her perception, making it challenging to anticipate the movements of her prey. Despite her exceptional night vision, Taiga had to rely on her other senses—sound, smell, and instinct—to compensate for the lack of daylight.

Silently, Taiga crept closer to the unsuspecting antelope, her powerful muscles coiled and ready to strike. But the rolling hills were alive with activity, the night filled with the sounds of rustling grass and distant calls of both nocturnal and diurnal creatures. Any sudden movement could alert the antelope and send it bolting away to safety.

Moreover, the moon's brightness made it easier for the antelope to spot potential threats. Its eyes scanned the surroundings with remarkable clarity, making it more challenging for Taiga to approach undetected. Every step had to be calculated, every movement precise, to avoid triggering the antelope's flight response.

Despite the obstacles, Taiga remained determined. With patience and perseverance, she closed the gap between herself and her prey, eyes of claret fixed on the chosen antelope with unwavering focus. She waited for the perfect moment to strike, biding her time as the tension in the air grew thicker with anticipation.

Suddenly, a night bird called out, the sound echoing through the stillness of the night. The antelope's head snapped up, its eyes widening in alarm as it sensed the imminent danger. With a startled snort, it bolted away, its hooves pounding against the grassy floor as it vanished into the darkness with the rest of its herd.

Taiga let out a frustrated growl, her chance at a meal slipping away. She watched the retreating form of the antelope with a mixture of disappointment and resignation. Despite her best efforts, the night had proven to be a formidable adversary, testing her skills and patience at every turn.

With a heavy sigh, Taiga turned and disappeared into the shadows, her hunger still gnawing at her belly. But as the moon continued to cast its silver glow upon the land, she knew that another opportunity would soon present itself. The night was young.

Rolling shoulders covered in dark rosettes, the big cat stalked along the edge of the hills, sticking to the shadows. She stopped at a little stream to wet her parched tongue, then began prowling the knoll for more prey. Perhaps she would find something bigger and less quick to flee. With her size, it wouldn't be as much of an issue as it would for a smaller cat or a wolf.

Ruby eyes caught sight of a large rack of antlers and, as the lioness drew closer, she noted the head of a lone deer lifting and lowering as it fed at the sweet grasses. The bright moonlight was a prime opportunity for the herbivores of the land to squeeze in extra grazing time. The buck was a little too far out and there wasn't enough cover for Taiga to realistically make a kill, so the feline hunkered down on her belly and watched her intended prey through a break in the long grass. She was patient. A beast her size had to be. The failed attempt at the antelope was unfortunate, but she had a good feeling about this buck.

"Taiga"

WC-707/1500

It's verbatim and it's shakin'

R̶ E̶ D̶ R̶ U̶ M̶

From the cover of the tall grass, Redrum watched with wide, golden eyes as Taiga prowled through the moonlit knoll. His heart raced in his chest as he witnessed her silent movements, her giant yet lithe body blending seamlessly with the shadows and moonlight. She was a predator unlike any he had ever encountered, her presence commanding both fear and awe. She was too big, too nightmarish. But the season was also weird. For all his nighttime hunts, there had never been a moon so… bright? It was odd. Even the prey animals seemed to notice the difference, their ability to see at night increasing as well – making for a lot more targets as well as more eyes to spot the predators that tried to hunt them in the night. It was as though the moon itself was taking sides, choosing to help the herbivores.

As Taiga closed in on her prey, Redrum couldn't help but feel a shiver of fear run down his spine. Fear for the antelope in spite of his rationality telling him prey was prey, fear that he would have to watch the ambush itself unfold… The sheer size and power of the lioness was intimidating, and he knew that crossing paths with her could spell doom for any creature unlucky enough to be caught in her sights. Yet, as he observed her with cautious interest, he began to notice something unexpected. She was having difficulty, due to her size, and the added obstacle of the increased activity from her quarry was also to blame.

Despite her obvious ferocity and strength, there was an odd grace to Taiga's movements, a… patience and precision that spoke of years of honing her hunting skills. She moved with purpose, her actions calculated and deliberate. Why? Couldn’t she just run out and catch something as easy as pie? He would soon come to understand. As Taiga positioned herself to make her move on the unsuspecting antelope, Redrum's instincts urged him to flee, to retreat to the safety of the dense underbrush. But as he watched the failed hunting attempt unfold before his eyes, a seed of doubt began to take root in his mind. Perhaps Taiga was not the fearsome beast he had imagined her to be. Nor was she some all-powerful monster. It was like watching himself back when he was learning how to hunt during the day, with his foolishly red coat.

With each passing moment, Redrum's fear began to ebb away, replaced by a newfound curiosity and intrigue for the cave lioness. She was a hunter, like him. She failed hunts, like him. As he watched her determination falter in the face of defeat, he knew what he wanted to do. If the prey animals were going to help each other out in the moonlit night, so would the predators. Summoning his courage, Redrum emerged from the safety of the shadows, his eyes fixed on Taiga with a mixture of trepidation and determination. He didn’t wait for her to notice him, instead the boy followed her line of sight, using his senses to lock onto her next target. Without hesitation, he dashed towards the lone buck, his agile form darting through the grassy landscape with a grace that showed his youth. He could do this. He could help her. She.. she wasn't so scary.

As he closed in on the buck, Redrum could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins, his senses heightened to a razor-sharp edge. The moonlight was much brighter outside of the cover of the tall grasses, and the shadows tried to play tricks on his eyes… but his ears, those giant things caught the sound of hooves passing through the knolls. He paused, skirting around the buck, his smaller frame hidden among the tall grass – until he was in the right spot. With a flick of his tail, he lunged into action, snapping at the buck in an attempt to guide it towards Taiga, his heart pounding in his chest as he watched the scene unfold before him.

Taiga's eyes widened in surprise as the antelope buck bounded towards her, the scent of fresh prey filling the air. Without missing a beat, she sprang into action, her powerful muscles propelling her towards the oncoming buck with unmatched speed and agility. She took it down in a flash, her claws gripping into its flesh, fangs reaching and clasping around its neck with practiced ease. The moon cast its silvery glow upon the land, and with the buck felled Redrum approached the lioness with a hesitant search for approval. He wasn’t quite ready to get any closer, and was satisfied enough that he had driven the buck towards her. Maybe it was an apology of sorts for all his accusatory fear towards her… but… He didn’t speak, instead opting to turn tail and run off before she could speak a word.


WC total; 1522

murder

Code by TR