Rot || ONC2024

──●Two●──

    As we headed into our encampment, we were immediately approached by the Commander.

    "Reminder to drop that scrumptious looking thing at the kitchen! Don't want to be responsible for the hunger of your fellow creatures of the night!"

   "Yes, Al, I know."

   "Good!" Alastor harshly slammed his hand into my back before leaving, causing me to jolt foreward.

   "Holy shit, that was one helluva back pat," I muttered.

   Yarrow chuckled. "What, that hurt?"

   "No! Just startled me, that's all!"

   "Yeah yeah, sure."

   I huffed as I strode into the cluttered room of the kitchen. I dumped the body into the designated table, which was already overflowing with the corpses of middle aged men. Probably farmers tending to their stock late at night.

   "Looks like you snatched the best catch of tonight, Mara," Yarrow mentioned as he began to inspect the bodies. "Not a single wrinkle to her name, while these fellas are full of 'em!"

   "She looks a little more, ehm, grotesque."

   While all the others were mainly gashed in the neck, some even missing their head all together, this one had her spine jutting out of her neck, a gaping hole in her chest, as well as a thigh that was more bone than flesh.

   "The chefs will know how to prepare it, it's another feat to have one of the bloodiest kills!"

   I smiled proudly at Yarrow's words. "Yeah, that's true."

   "Now that that's that, I'm heading to sleep. Catch you in the morning Mara."

   "Sleep well Yarrow."

    As Yarrow's shuffled steps became quieter and quieter, I became the only member in the kitchen.

    "Well." I walked out and looked into the big 4 pane window that sat just by the front door. The moon will still bright, the night still fairly young. It wouldn't hurt to do a solo hunt, would it?

    Slowly opening the wooden door so it wouldn't creak, I sprinted out into the forest. Indeed, a solo hunt wouldn't hurt. Maybe, just maybe, I'd be able to give Yarrow the snack he craved. A tender, delicious baby.

    The air whipped through my hair and leaves crunched underfoot. The trees passed by in a blink, the shadows watching as I raced past. A new wind was flushed into me, and I picked up the pace as the village came into view.

    Once the tree line neared, I slowed to a light jog. Hiding behind an oak, I peered my head out in search of my next meal. 

    "No one in sight," I muttered, releasing an agitated sigh. Then again, humans were always sparse at this time of night. They were like us in a way, we hid from the day while they hid from the night.

    I shook my head. How could I think like that? Humans were the evil we needed to cleanse from the world, the waste that needed to be taken out. They were nothing more than greedy, violent bastards. They needed to be eradicated. The Earth needed to be saved from these beasts. They weren't like us at all, not one bit.

   Defeated, I let out an agitated breath before heading back. There was too much light, those humans obviously researched our kind. Multiple candles and street lamps sat illuminated at every house, turning the village into a ball of light. As much as I loved Yarrow, I was not about to burn myself to get him a damn snack.

    "Hopefully no one noticed," I said to no one in particular. "Al gets crazy when this shit happens, goes on all his Council bullshit. It's exhausting, it's not my fault I like my private time away from the group.

    I shoved my hands into the pockets of my trousers. "I don't understand why we need a council anyways, to be truthful. Probably just so he can get us to do his dirty work, wouldn't want to get his claws dirty. I guess it's alright, it's going towards a good cause." I huffed, "Just wish they'd give us better shit to eat. One day Yarrow and I will have to sneak away and hunt for our own food, just hopefully the scouts don't catch us."

    I chuckled. "Who am I kidding, I don't think they'd give a shit. They're just as hungry as the rest of us."

    As the first rays of sun started to spread on the Earth below, I pulled down my t-shirt sleeves and quickened my pace. I was not about to get a sunburn. Plus, it was getting late. As much as I forced my body to stay awake, it protested. I couldn't help the yawn that managed to escape.

    Once the stone walls of the manor came into view, I breathed a sigh of relief. Today, I'd sleep good. Hopefully tonight, we'd be able to snag a baby.