Ideas and Rejects

Prey

A/N: This was just a little idea I had bounced in my brain when I'd remember the days of my mama cats bringing home live prey for their kittens. Some got the concept of "this is food" and others didn't. Thought it might make an intense yet fluffy G/T short.

Warning though...gets a bit bloody if you're squeamish reading it.

Vivi was different. Overall, she was your typical young woman with pretty blonde hair and a slim figure. But her skin was...wrong. No one of her time period knew she had vitiligo. Her skin was blotchy like a painted pony, cream splotched with tan. A very prominent white spot covered her left cheek and went over her eyes so even the most modest of clothes could not hide her coloring. Most people in her town gave her a wide berth, believing it was a blight or contagious ailment like leprosy. Of course, it wasn't, but that didn't stop the fearful, judgmental looks they cast her way. Her parents had loved her anyway, thankfully, but they would be lying if they said their daughter's condition was easy to live with, for they too were ostracized for birthing such a child.

Vivi's family were ranchers tending a modest herd of cattle and as such they devoted most of their lives to their herd, feeding, taking them to water, and protecting them from predators and thieves. And Vivi partook in the care of the herd just as much as anyone.

One day whilst Vivi and two of their hired hands were out guarding the herd, the cattle began acting fidgety. It wasn't until they heard a low whirring thrum in the air that they realized why.

"Drakaar! Drakaar!" the hired hand bellowed, urging his horse forward to flank the cattle and drive them to safety.

Vivi had heard dread stories of the Drakaar but she had never seen one. (No one saw a Drakaar and lived) They were a gigantic race of beings that were part dragon or demon depending on which lore you heard. Some believed they were demons that escaped Hell to prey upon all of mankind. Others believed they came to be when an ancient dragon captured a goddess and raped her, producing the Drakaar race. Either way they were a creature no one wished to cross.

Before the cattle could flee a powerful hurricane gust of wind and a black shadow from the sky engulfed the area. It was all Vivi and the two men could do not to be unseated from their horses. Their eyes widened in horror as a giant humanoid being with immense red wings bigger than ship sails landed in the field with a mighty impact. Vivi gasped noting the Drakaar did indeed look like a giant man meshed with features of a dragon or demon. Not only did he have wings but his back was spiked and two twisted black horns grew from its temples forming a sinister crest. Black scales the size of river stones covered his shoulders, forearms, legs, and parts of his head and face. The face looked like a man's but with bright toxic green eyes that flashed with predatory intent as it bared its razor-sharp teeth. His hands, though humanoid, were clawed with huge talons. He dropped down like a big cat on all fours, pounced forward, and snatched up several cows.

Vivi almost forgot where she was and how to breathe as she gazed upon the dreaded creature that was beginning to snap up the stray cattle like a dog killing rats. Each cow disappeared in two bites for the behemoth. Blood and viscera poured down its chin as it ate. Suddenly, Vivi's horse reared with a panicked squeal and bolted. Despite her years of horse riding the animal's jerk was too powerful and Vivi was sent into the grassy ground. Wind left her lungs painfully. She could barely move. Yet she could still hear the horrible bawls of dying cattle, the snapping of bones, and the gory slap of blood and organs hitting the ground as the huge Drakaar fed.

As Vivi tried to get up she could see the two hired hands riding away to save themselves. The Drakaar noticed and with a might pump of his wings he sent a gust so powerful that the horses stumbled, rolled, and lost their riders. Despite its size, the dragon-like being was as fast as a striking snake. It leaped the length of the field, seized both horses and their riders in its taloned hands, and stood up.