Terra Natus

Prologue

He'd never before seen such a pathetic creature.

Filthy.

Mud, grime, and branches were everywhere, even in the scrapes and gashes across her skin; visible chunks of it in her dark thick hair.

Clothing, what was left anyways, was barely clinging on. One of the reasons he was so sure it was a 'she' standing before him. Though, something told him he would have noticed those kinds of curves no matter what she'd been wearing.

Barefoot.

Underfed.

Beyond looks though, 'pathetic' was in her whole demeanor. Standing there shaking, eyes down, awaiting whatever he chose to inflict. Like a helpless, starved, half-dead animal. Though honestly, he hadn't even come across an animal in such a poor state, not since the woods had been healthy for so long now.

He'd had no idea humans were really this wretched. His people spoke of them as being so, still, it was a little surprising when seen in such detail. Admittedly, he'd never been closer to one than the distance he could shoot, and even then, it'd been a long, long time.

He'd had his great bow drawn and aimed at her before she'd even managed to fully emerge from the trees into the clearing, where he'd been paused for a warm meal over a shallow fire.

She'd hesitated a moment when he'd moved, but then continued until she was completely exposed.

Why?

And how had she even gotten here, so deep into the forest?

The trees had been telling him, whispering from afar, 'Something's wrong, something's here.' since the day before, which is why he'd come to this area in the first place. But he'd thought they'd been speaking of the beast that he'd found earlier this morning, the one that he'd run off. He'd been so consumed with tracking it since, that it hadn't even occurred to him to look for another source of trouble.

Yet here she was.

She moved, and he pulled his string back tighter, causing her to stop. Still, he didn't shoot.

Why?

After a moment, when the arrow still didn't come, she moved again, slowly. With only a slight tremor, she raised her arms above her head, bringing them together there until the wrists pressed tightly to one another. Yet, she kept the hands away from each other, palms open towards the sky, fingers curled in. Then, staying in this position, she began to approach him with careful, measured steps, one foot being placed directly in front of the other.

His arrow followed her progress, but still all he did was watch. He was bewildered, nothing like this had ever happened before. Was that why he stood without acting?

Was it that killing such a pathetic creature with such a large arrow was like chopping off a mouse's head with an axe? It just didn't feel right?

When she was near him, but not close enough to make him feel suspicious, she stopped. As careful in her movements as before, she knelt down then folded forward, all the way until her forehead was on the ground; her hands resting now on the back of her head, they and the wrists in the same position as before.

Then nothing.

Time passed, the wind blew, and he stood watching her, his arrow pointed directly at the back of her head. At this range it'd go completely through her skull and come out the other side, probably far enough to stick her to the ground as well.

What?

What was he supposed to do with this?

Then suddenly he heard it, though only in time to look up and see it break through the trees.

The beast.