Today’s hunt is going to be successful. I had no doubt in my mind about this. My small family of three, my mother, sister, and myself, absolutely needed more food. This year’s grain harvest for my village had been decimated by a flock of hungry nightwings, very small, very fast black birds that move in groups of hundreds or even more.

No matter how difficult it was, I was determined to bring home some fresh game today. As I slipped on my dark green hunting tunic, I thought of what I could catch. “Perhaps I could find a candletail’s den.” I said to myself. Candletails wouldn’t be hard to find, with their large, rodent-like bodies and whip-thin tails twice their body length that lit up when they were frightened.

“They would be easy to spot,” chimed in my mother, who handed me my soft, dull-brown leather boots. “If you scare them just enough to get them to light up.”

“That is true,” I responded, thankfully nodding and strapping on the boots. “but if I did that, they’d probably run off, and I’m not quick enough to get off a good shot when they’re in full sprint.”

“Good point.” conceded my mother.

After I finished getting all of my gear in order, which included a small leather satchel and my trusty dagger, I slung my handmade quiver of arrows across my back and said a quick prayer to whoever might be listening for a bountiful hunt as I strung my bow. When all was said and done, I stepped out of the rough-hewn wooden door to my home and began walking down the old dirt path that led out of the back of my village into dense forest. Just before I stepped out, I heard someone from behind me call out, “Be careful, there are rumors of night-stalkers being out now!”

For a moment, I paused, and shuddered at the thought that there might just be something that terrifying lurking out there. However, I pressed on, the thought of a full stomach far outweighing the risk of any sort of vile beast.

I sat halfway up a tall, sturdy tree that looked out into a quiet clearing that led to a briskly flowing stream and decided to wait there and see what might make its way over here. After waiting roughly two hours with no luck, I finally spotted what I had been looking for; a light silver-grey speedhoof meandered into the clearing. I hardly dared to breathe as I saw him line up for the perfect shot by stopping to take a drink, lowering his head so that the great antlers adorning it made gentle ripples in the water. Silently, I sighted my bow, pulling back on the string as far as it would allow me, and breathed out slowly, sending the nocked arrow sailing through the air, finding its mark deep in the right shoulder of the magnificent creature.

With a bleat of surprise, the animal lived up to its name and bolted off, moving faster than a sprinting human despite its injured shoulder. I knew from the many times I had done this, that my shot would bring it down eventually, so all I had to do was follow the trail of broken branches and trampled undergrowth, slightly stained a rich purple from the blood of the wounded animal. I slid down from my perch, lightly landing on my feet and went off to where I had last seen it break through the trees. A quick scan of the ground revealed hoof-prints embedded deeply in the soft earth, and I moved swiftly in pursuit of what would feed my family for weeks to come.

Within minutes, I had successfully found the body of the once-great creature. I dropped to my knees next to it and removed the arrow, thanking the someone actually did hear my prayer. “Hmm,” I murmured to myself, “I don’t think I’ll be able to drag you all the way back home, so looks like some lucky predator will be eating well tonight!” I gently unsheathed my dagger from its holster on my side and began to methodically skin and clean the once-beautiful creature I had felled.

Right as I had filled my pack with enough fresh meat to feed my family comfortably for at least a week, I felt a dark chill go down my spine. I heard the low growl of the creature that had haunted my nightmares and I knew that it had been a mistake to go out today. Slowly, I turned around to see it slinking out from behind the cover of the undergrowth. I stood petrified at the great best before me, its feline form five feet in length and easily three feet in height, its fur matted and darker than the deepest shadows. I saw its blood-red tongue flicker eagerly over its dark snout while its six-foot-long tail flicked back and forth in anticipation. As I stared, I watched the end of its tail, an evolutionary trait that made it harder than stone and more sharp than a knife, move in a mesmerizing pattern.

With a silence it was feared for, it leapt the eight foot distance between us, landing with all of its weight squarely on my chest. As I went flying, the breath knocked out of me, I knew it was all over. I hit the ground and before I could even cry out, it was on me, that devilish blade held at my throat. My last thought before I sank into oblivion, was that today’s hunt was successful, just not for me.