Hyenas
The moment it began, echoes of metal clinking and wood cracking, smashing bits of chips around, chased away most of the animals in the area.
Deep in the privacy of the thick emerald forest, lost in their intensive chain whip training, the inseparable three, neglect the beauty of the fading light blue sky, giving way to shades of pink and fiery red. Growling stomachs attest to be the only influence strong enough to interrupt their concentrated focus. The break brought with it new attention to the cool night wind, a disappointing and abrupt end to the productive day.
Shai peeled off his filthy shirt and wiped the sweat from his brow with it, then rubbed at the ache in his belly, “Must almost be dinner time, I’m starving!” as soon he mentioned it, the wind swirled and he caught whiff of something extra tasty. “I think I hear a dinner bell” and he shot off after it.
Dae caught the smell just before it was carried away, “A boar, big and angry.”
Thia shook her head while rolling her eyes, “Why does it always have to be the angry ones?” she complained gathering the equipment Shai abandoned.
Dae picks up the soiled shirt Shai dropped, “He says the nastier they are the gamier they taste. I better go check on him. You know how he likes a challenge and never fails to find one.”
Filling the oversize black canvas duffle bag, Thia shouted back as he was leaving, “I’ll finish packing up our stuff and come find you guys.”
Thia scans the area, “I think that’s all of it.” She thought out loud. Then threw the heavy bag over her shoulder and set off at a jog in their general direction. The wind at her back felt good at first, cooling down from their workout. She took her time enjoying it until she came upon Shai’s shirt and Dae’s torn clothes lying on the ground.
Thia instantly became nervous, He changed without removing his clothes first? Something’s wrong.
She dropped the bag and picked up pace. When she found them, the situation was not going as well as she’d expected. It turns out a wild pack of Hyenas were after the same prey. Normally it wouldn’t be an issue considering the massive difference in size, however this was a large and especially viscous pack, full of sharp teeth and foaming slobber.
She spotted Dae and Shai bloodied and beaten, outnumbered by six each. Thia couldn’t think. Scared, she stood frozen unable to quickly come up with a way to help. The dogs were only a third of their size but the pack was strangely numerous, gutsy and very hungry.
A fury of jaws snapping, growling and panting filled the air as the pack anxiously paced, waiting for anyone to make a move. Finally patience spent, one then right after the rest, jump at Dae and Shai taking them down, jagged teeth sinking into fur and flesh.
Out of time to think, much less undress, Thia transformed, bursting through her own clothing and let out a fierce roar hoping to startle her bothers attackers, or at the very least get their attention. It worked all too well as every toothy jowl, boxed head rose and turned to face to her. Then one of the larger in the pack let out an ear piercing sound, similar to a laugh but horrid as the legendary screech of a harpy.
Crap, now what?
Considering they too could likely smell fear, she knew she had to hold it together yet somehow lure them away. So she purposefully leapt to the top of the hill across from them and whipped her tail as if she were annoyed by their presents. She gave them a side glance and then pulled her ears back and down and growled with a low powerful rumble. They took the bait, all too easy, so she backed down the other side of the hill watching them stalk forward. She continued slowly until she could only see the top of the hill and waited. The head of one, two then three appeared. More washed over the hill top.
She started to panic until the wind blew the scent of her brother’s wounds to her igniting a rush of adrenalin. She crouched down and dug her thick claws deep into the ground and with her massive paw she smashed the closest one to the ground with a crunch of bones. The rest jumped at her and she continued to swing at them, up on her hind legs at times, one-by-one hurling them into trees and sending them broken and skidding across the ground. She caught a few of the more persistent ones by the neck with her mouth and jerked until they snapped. One was able to get a bite in, but Thia caught him by the leg pulling him under then rolled over him smashing him beneath her enormous size and weight.
Back in Thia’s kitchen Shai recalls the moments after that, as Thia’s mom dresses their remaining gashes, “It was amazing! Dae and I were still trying to get a few off of us when suddenly those mangy things were yelping and flying all over the place! After a couple came rolling down the hill towards us, the last few gave up on us to join the fight and never came back. By the time Dae and I reached the top of the hill, most had already run off or were still whimpering on the ground all around Thia.“
He turned to Thia handing Dae some ice wrapped in a washcloth, “I’ve never seen your white fur look pink before. It’s a good color on you.”
Thia gave him a dirty look and simply replied, “Hey…shut up. I certainly hope your pig was worth it.”
Shai grinned and ripped off a perfectly seasoned and golden roasted leg from the pan, “It is now!”
Copyright © 2012 by Shelia Weiss
Deep in the privacy of the thick emerald forest, lost in their intensive chain whip training, the inseparable three, neglect the beauty of the fading light blue sky, giving way to shades of pink and fiery red. Growling stomachs attest to be the only influence strong enough to interrupt their concentrated focus. The break brought with it new attention to the cool night wind, a disappointing and abrupt end to the productive day.
Shai peeled off his filthy shirt and wiped the sweat from his brow with it, then rubbed at the ache in his belly, “Must almost be dinner time, I’m starving!” as soon he mentioned it, the wind swirled and he caught whiff of something extra tasty. “I think I hear a dinner bell” and he shot off after it.
Dae caught the smell just before it was carried away, “A boar, big and angry.”
Thia shook her head while rolling her eyes, “Why does it always have to be the angry ones?” she complained gathering the equipment Shai abandoned.
Dae picks up the soiled shirt Shai dropped, “He says the nastier they are the gamier they taste. I better go check on him. You know how he likes a challenge and never fails to find one.”
Filling the oversize black canvas duffle bag, Thia shouted back as he was leaving, “I’ll finish packing up our stuff and come find you guys.”
Thia scans the area, “I think that’s all of it.” She thought out loud. Then threw the heavy bag over her shoulder and set off at a jog in their general direction. The wind at her back felt good at first, cooling down from their workout. She took her time enjoying it until she came upon Shai’s shirt and Dae’s torn clothes lying on the ground.
Thia instantly became nervous, He changed without removing his clothes first? Something’s wrong.
She dropped the bag and picked up pace. When she found them, the situation was not going as well as she’d expected. It turns out a wild pack of Hyenas were after the same prey. Normally it wouldn’t be an issue considering the massive difference in size, however this was a large and especially viscous pack, full of sharp teeth and foaming slobber.
She spotted Dae and Shai bloodied and beaten, outnumbered by six each. Thia couldn’t think. Scared, she stood frozen unable to quickly come up with a way to help. The dogs were only a third of their size but the pack was strangely numerous, gutsy and very hungry.
A fury of jaws snapping, growling and panting filled the air as the pack anxiously paced, waiting for anyone to make a move. Finally patience spent, one then right after the rest, jump at Dae and Shai taking them down, jagged teeth sinking into fur and flesh.
Out of time to think, much less undress, Thia transformed, bursting through her own clothing and let out a fierce roar hoping to startle her bothers attackers, or at the very least get their attention. It worked all too well as every toothy jowl, boxed head rose and turned to face to her. Then one of the larger in the pack let out an ear piercing sound, similar to a laugh but horrid as the legendary screech of a harpy.
Crap, now what?
Considering they too could likely smell fear, she knew she had to hold it together yet somehow lure them away. So she purposefully leapt to the top of the hill across from them and whipped her tail as if she were annoyed by their presents. She gave them a side glance and then pulled her ears back and down and growled with a low powerful rumble. They took the bait, all too easy, so she backed down the other side of the hill watching them stalk forward. She continued slowly until she could only see the top of the hill and waited. The head of one, two then three appeared. More washed over the hill top.
She started to panic until the wind blew the scent of her brother’s wounds to her igniting a rush of adrenalin. She crouched down and dug her thick claws deep into the ground and with her massive paw she smashed the closest one to the ground with a crunch of bones. The rest jumped at her and she continued to swing at them, up on her hind legs at times, one-by-one hurling them into trees and sending them broken and skidding across the ground. She caught a few of the more persistent ones by the neck with her mouth and jerked until they snapped. One was able to get a bite in, but Thia caught him by the leg pulling him under then rolled over him smashing him beneath her enormous size and weight.
Back in Thia’s kitchen Shai recalls the moments after that, as Thia’s mom dresses their remaining gashes, “It was amazing! Dae and I were still trying to get a few off of us when suddenly those mangy things were yelping and flying all over the place! After a couple came rolling down the hill towards us, the last few gave up on us to join the fight and never came back. By the time Dae and I reached the top of the hill, most had already run off or were still whimpering on the ground all around Thia.“
He turned to Thia handing Dae some ice wrapped in a washcloth, “I’ve never seen your white fur look pink before. It’s a good color on you.”
Thia gave him a dirty look and simply replied, “Hey…shut up. I certainly hope your pig was worth it.”
Shai grinned and ripped off a perfectly seasoned and golden roasted leg from the pan, “It is now!”
Copyright © 2012 by Shelia Weiss