Seth and the Prometheus Guild

Hunger

His arm pulsed in hot flashes, slowly forcing Seth to wake up. The light filtering through the leaves pierced his eyes, and he clutched his throbbing head. It took a while for his muddled mind to sort out his memories, but the pain at his temples didn't lessen one bit.

At least he now knew something for certain. Since his first talk with the Director he had wondered if trying to survive on his own in the wilderness wouldn't have been the more pleasant choice. Now he realized: It would have been his death. This body wasn't fit to survive without human care.

This paper-thin skin alone ... It was constantly itching and sprinkled with countless red patches. The mystery to their origin was solved as soon as he noticed the countless bugs and ants crawling across him. The slight tickling sensation made his scalp tingle. Quickly he started brushing them off, not caring that they bit him more ferociously now.

But the skin with no protective qualities whatsoever wasn't even the worst of it. This human body seemed ill, shivers slowly wrecked him but he couldn't really decide if he was hot or cold. Dried blood didn't only decorate his arm but also the cut up soles of his feet, which couldn't withstand his rapid flight through the forest.

The most pain though, was still caused by his ripped up arm. Fluids were oozing from the open flesh and insects were attracted by the smell. Seth scoffed in derision.

In his original form, Seth never had to deal with a severe injury. His scales had protected him well, and on top of that, he could count on his quick regeneration.

Dealing with the wound the only way he knew how, he started to clean it with quick licks. In between he spit the copper taste out of his mouth before continuing. At least his saliva still had some of its original functions: helping his blood clot and the skin mend.

His short human neck started smarting the longer he was occupied but finally he could no longer taste any impurities. As soon as his wound was taken care of he already felt better, the shivers had subsided and his headache wasn't as severe. It allowed him to focus on other things. Cracking his head from side to side he took stock of his current situation. He had managed quite a climb in his half-conscious state, sitting high up in a tree with sturdy branches and a thick canopy which hid him from sight. The intensity of the sunlight made him guess that it was early morning. He must have been unconscious for at least a night.

His gaze lingered on his torn flesh. Climbing down, returning to school and letting the local Whitecloak tend to him was one option. The humans would then take care of human business - kidnapping and murder or whatever - and he could continue to spend his days leisurely.

But it seemed he still owed Benson. It wasn't in his nature to let a challenge go unanswered. Last time, Benson wanted to catch him, so this time, Seth ... would start hunting him instead.

~~~

The clearing was bustling with humans. Some of them were accompanied by those bothersome dogs, so Seth made sure to stay downwind and at a safe distance.

He thought he might find a ready-made meal in Costa's remains - or at least the dog's - but both had disappeared. Some yellow flags were thrust into the ground, marking the space where the smell of Costa's blood emitted, but nothing else remained. The humans were crawling all over the scene, strangely reminding Seth of the ants he had flicked off his skin not too long ago.

The main reason why he wanted to check the clearing was indeed the possibility of easy food. He wasn't in the best condition to hunt and if he wanted to take on Benson, he needed some meat to strengthen himself. But it wasn't the only reason: Benson had sprinkled that pepper all over but it also stuck to him. Seth simply had to find the one trace that moved away from the clearing and follow it to find him.