Day One  
Take a deep breath in. Take a step forward and feel the crunching of the leaves and dirt beneath me. Take careful aim with my bow, feel the force of the arrow as it leaves the bow. The arrow rockets with a quiet “thwang” from my bow before lodging itself in the deer’s chest. The Deer gives a groan of agony before it goes to run, but quickly falls onto its side, unmoving. I stride forward and examine the impact. A clean shot to the heart, piercing all the muscle and bone that would have protected it. My lips curl into a smirk as I sling the carcass over my shoulder and begin to stroll away back to the town. The village is quite small, just about two or three dozen buildings with people living in and around them. Life for me is great. They call me... The Hunter. I hunt for a living, and while there are other hunters out there, I’m the master of my craft. I can kill anything for the right price; deer, wolf, Drake, all on my list of successfully hunted. A deer to me is just another day. 
 When people see me, they tend to look the other way or avoid eye contact with me. Is it because of my dirty musky smell and look, the blood that drips from the corpse of the deer onto my body, or my crimson red skin, and the infernal horns that jut from my skull like some sort of twisted crown? Eh, I don’t care. It doesn’t matter what they think of me, so long as they’re willing to pay. I even ignore it when one of them spits in my direction. I retort, “You can go die too” 
 I gently kick down the Inn’s door. The cattle around here haven’t gotten a chance to really establish themselves yet, so old Mr. Edmiston is supplementing the beef steaks with deer steaks, and let me tell you, he makes a mean one. His gruff voice barks as I step in, “Do ye have to drip blood all over me new carpet!”  
 I smile and give a little shrug as he sighs, “C’mon lad, hurry it up! I asked fer brown and gray not red!” I pick up my pace and quickly take the deer to the back, setting it down on his butchering table. He takes a moment to examine the deer, lifting legs and checking the head and examining the arrow inside of it “Well lad, it’s a good kill over all. I’d say that’s a job well done.” He holds out a sack which jingles with that delicious sound of coins, “here y’are lad. Don’t go spendin it all in one place yah hear?”  
 I gently take the pouch, weighing it before checking inside to see about a dozen small golden coins “My pleasure Mr. Edmiston” I nod before I firmly shake his hand, (the one with LESS blood on it of course.) “Mind cooking me up something to eat? I’m famished after that hunt” I say as I examine his knives. He smacks my hand away before saying, “oh... I SUPPOSE I could get yeh somethin, if yer gonna be willin to cough up the coin fer it, of course.”  
 I roll my eyes before holding out a few of my older golden change. He takes it and looks it over for a moment before nodding “what can I getcha lad?”  
 I take a moment to consider my options before saying “Can I get something like REALLY filling please?” The Innkeeper nods “A deer steak and some baked potato’s comin right up fer yeh.” before he goes to wash off his hands.  
 I slink out of the back and plant myself in my chair. Well technically, it’s not MY chair, but I sit here every time and no one else wants Tiefling on their chair so it’s pretty much mine at this point. I lean back against the wall, pulling out two of my own hunting knives and sharpening them on my sharpening stone. I wait about half an hour before the brawny man slaps the plate down in front of me, the intoxicating scents of butters and seasonings wafting from the meal below me. I nod to him “Thank you, sir”  
 he chuckled “Oh lad I’m just doin me job. Now eat, go on you’ve earned it”  
 I quickly pick up my fork and knife and carefully cut my meal as I voraciously devoured it, making sure to savor every bite for just a few moments. It feels as though a little voice is telling me to eat it. But I’m still hungry. I sighed in irritation before standing up and walking out, sticking my knives back into my holsters. 
                                                                       Day Four 
Deep, ragged breathing. A mouse scurries past my feet, I quickly stomp on it in annoyance, panting like an exhausted ox who just pulled a great stone block. I shamble forward, trying to navigate the cruel forest with my disorientated senses. I feel the talons on my feet sink into the tree bark, and my claw hands peeling away at the tree’s shell as I climb up. My face has started to elongate into an almost beak like shape, and a few feathers now flutter on my arms. I see a light off in the distance. That’s what I was looking for! I think... yes! I leap forward, hitting the ground with a thump as I slither down closer to the ground, my tail thrashing in agitation as I crawl over to the town's walls. I gently sneak up the wall, making sure to not make a sound as I peak over the wall. It’s midday, and the town is busy as usual. There’s the inn, with that sign that says something I can’t read or remember. I gently crawl up the steps, down on all fours like a cautious cat before I look in the kitchen to see Mr. Edmiston busy at work cooking up something that smells delicious. I lick my lips as I feel a single line of drool slide down my maw and onto the ground. I crawl in and whisper, “Mr. Edminston?”  
 He looks up with a, “hmm?” before letting out a “WAHH!” of shock as he jumps back in surprise. "Lad?! Wot in the name of all things good and holy happened?! Yer covered in dirt and grime and look like ye haven’t slept in a year!!” 
 I hiss “I know I know I don’t know what happened! But I’m just... like this!” 
 He paused, “Lad, we have to get ye to a healer-” 
 I snarl and cut him off, “I don’t need any of those Charlatans hocus pocus bullshit.” 
 The Inn keeper took a step forward, “Lad please, it’s fer your own good! Yer obviously infected by somethin and we need to get ye taken care of.” 
 I growl and take a step back as he slowly steps forward again. 
 “I don’t need them! I can fight it on my own!” 
 The Inn keeper suddenly launchs himself at me, trying to grab me. I leap away from him, causing him to crash into his own pots and pans. I quickly crawl out the window as he shouts, “LAD! YE BETTER COME BACK RIGHT NOW!! LLAAADDDDD!!!” 
 I skitter to the top of the Inn; people are looking now. They see me. I growl as I turn and jump away, trying my best to with-hold the tears in my eyes. 
 
                                                                          Day Nine 
My long, thin talons expertly puncture the tree. The forest is dark and quiet, I’ve killed all the animals. I see things in a red haze... I think I do... it’s hard to remember now. I feel the dry blood caking my mouth as I slowly slither along the bottom of the tree branch to be perched over the boar. I crane my neck in a way some might see as unnatural as I snap my long, tooth-filled beak. My tail had burst open to reveal a second mouth on the end, which snapped at anything that was meaty and tasty. The feathers on my arm were much more prominent, and nearly made a full wing on my arm. My claws clanked against each other as I readied my pounce. The boar snuffled before I leaped down, shrieking as I opened my arms. My feathers caught air and let me almost glide to the back of the boar. It squeals and begins to shake itself as my talons sink into it. Immediately I feel the warm blood spill out of the opened wound and I a ravenous. I need to feed myself, feed the hunger. I lean down and sink my serrated teeth into the boar. Yesss I can taste the meaty taste. I rip out that chunk of meat even as the boar continues making loud irritating squeals of agony. I quickly dig my two clawed hands into its throat, before pulling on all the veins and bones and muscles inside. One sickening crack later and the boar falls over, unmoving. I quickly licked my lips and bring my mouth down to the bleeding opening. I grab a chunk of meat and stuff it into my mouth, messily swallowing with only a few chews. The meat is good. I feel my tail slide over to the head and begin to feed me, good tail good tail. I ravenously feed until I finally get to the best part, the organs. I taste the sweet black blood of the pig’s liver, I taste the thick blood squirting heart, and the moist bloody meat of the pump slides down my throat even easier than the rest of it. I tear out both its kidney’s and throw them aside, they are the one part I won’t eat. Finally, the meat stripped from the bones, I grab a rock and begin to shatter each calcium hardened support. I stick my long, thin tongue into each one of the bones and suck the nutritious, delicious marrow out of them. Finally, I let out a satisfied slurk as I run my tongue around my face to clean up the blood. But it is not enough, I need more. I need to have more right now right now right now RIGHT NOW!!! 
 
                                                                            Day Thirteen 
I scrape at the dirt, throwing aside large swaths of soil. I can smell it smell it mmmm it’s right here I know it is. The long feathers that have now completed the wings on my arms help get more dirt out faster, my toothed beak snaps irritably, my bulky upper torso helps my arms shovel faster and harder. Two stumps have appeared on my shoulders, and flail about uselessly. My legs have become thin and bird like, but with a coat of black fur and still with a front facing knee. My entire body is covered with a layer of black pelt, concealing my skin from all. My four eyes stare out hungrily, each one a pool of purple as they glance about for passersby. My tail thrashes a moment and suddenly grabbed a scampering rat, giving it a few crunches before quickly swallowing, growling a moment afterward. Finally, I feel the talons on my hands strike something, and savagely I grab it and rip the coffin from the earth. Yes, in here, here is my next meal. I sink my claws into the roof of the coffin and rend the top from it. There it is. The body of a young woman, a ring on her finger. Her body is covered with maggots and worms, writhing about the rotten flesh. They’ve already taken about half of her face and a chunk of her left leg. 
 I don’t care I leap down and sink my teeth in. Mmmmmm that smooth sweet flesh of humans is so much tastier than the furs of the animals. I snarl as I chew down on the piece, feeling the squishing maggots and worms popping between my serrated teeth and adding their own flavor to it. It’s Deliccciioousssssss. I tear one of her arms from her body and begin to strip it of the meat it had left. She's been dead long enough that her stomach acid melted through her stomach and turned her other organs to goo. How unfortunate. Her bones were still edible, and the rest of her body was mostly one piece. Corpses are so good, the little bugs that skitter about inside of them make them delectably tangy. But not even that’s enough. I want something more... something FRESH.  
 
                                                                   Day Seventeen. 
Yessssss I see my prey now... the creature walks down the path of the pathetic little houses... he will make a... fine meal. I pant violently as I hang from the tree, moonlight reflecting on my black scruffy body. Spotting my next target. The second pair of arms that have sprouted from my shoulders grip the tree tightly, while my original set tip tappity against the tree bark in anticipation. I slowly climb further up the tree, rending bark from the tree as I crawl up the ancient plant. Once I reach toward the top, I glance back. My four eyes all narrowing on the person, allowing me to pierce the veil of shadows and darkness as the feathers on both of my arms stretch out to full length and I begin to beat my arms. Slowly, I feel myself lift off the tree before I angle myself forward, letting myself cut through the air like a knife. He has no idea what’s coming as I reach my legs forward. I slam into him, nearly two feet taller than the man. He shouts and screams, words emerge from his mouth. Something about his family. It doesn’t matter, I quickly slam my foot down on his head, and with a sickening crunch the pink sludge comes splattering out of him. I start with that, that’s one of the best parts, after all. I see lights turn on, before people look out at me. They stare with bewilderment and shock. I hiss at them and beat my wings, showing off my size and strength to them. 
 One of them shouts “Is that Hunter?!”  
Before I bark back, my voice deeper and with a reptilian growl “No More hunter!!! Only hunt!!” 
 He backs away as I stretch my long neck out at him threateningly. 
 A women shouts “E’s gone totally mad! He murdered Old Henry!!” she points in horror before everyone gasps as I shred one of his arms in a matter of seconds like a corn on the cob. 
 A strange figure comes forward. He seems familiar... I don’t know why... “Lad! Lad I know yer in Thar!” he shouts. His voice... I know him... do I? Maybe I knew him in a past life... have I hunted his blood before? 
 “Listen. We can sort this out. Just, set the body down. Walk with me. We’ll get yeh to the healers, and then ye’ll get taken care of.” 
 Something about his words makes me angry. Not the way he said them but the nonsense he spouted. I shriek and swing my arm, letting loose a barrage of feathers which strike him in the chest. He gasps before he falls onto his back. 
 Everyone suddenly bellows “The beast attacked Mr. Edminston!!”  before another one picked up an ax and screamed “Get the beast get the Beast!!” The mob all yelled in agitated agreement and I hissed before turning, my tail growling before I took off down the street on all fours, my shoulder arms grabbing barrels and boxes and knocking them over or throwing them at people. I scamper up a building to get away, but I feel something sharp impact the back of my leg. I shriek as I feel something tug. I turn around to see a spear attached to a rope. They’re pulling me down. I claw at the building as they drag me down, I can hear the angry blabber and feel the heat of torches. 
 I shout at the top of my lungs “No!! Hunter cannot die!! Hunt is eternal!! Even if die the hunt will continue without me!! This is not last night! REVENGE. WILL. BE. HAADDDDD.” I shriek the last part as they finally loosen me from the building, dragging me to the center of the group, pitch forks raised and torches ready. 
 I lash out, I strike with claws and talons and my tail and beak. I fight and fight and fight until finally the rage wears off. Bodies lay scattered about, pitchforks and weapons lodged inside of me. But I have survived. I see several of them rushing for the edge of the town. I slowly slink toward the closest body as I dig my teeth in and begin to feed. I roar out into the night once I finish, letting everyone nearby know this is MY hunting ground. I feel the Hunger’s Curse inside of me. I am the hunter, and the Hunt. Never. Ends.