Oceous

01

Everything was dark–cold, and they were in a rush. She only saw shadows, heard quick footsteps, distinct whispers. From a distance, a whistle blew, arrows were shot. The little girl was scared. A man came to get her out of her room, he promised to take her some place safe. She wanted to speak but choked on her own words.

Another close shot, and she heard a cry.

'What's going on?' she asked the stranger.

'They're after you, sweet child.'

-

Night was approaching. She had to find a shelter before the sun set under the horizon–the little light it had to offer was her only chance of survival. Leaves crunched under her solid boots as she made way to the more crowded area, two birds dangling on the vines over her shoulder, and the trees welcomed her in their natural circle.

A few more minutes, the forest would be at its darkest, and they were enough to gather wood and set fire. It was a small effort, but large enough to radiate the threatening cold air away. Aries sat by the nearest tree to the warmth, watched the tips of the fire bite her dinner into pale brown shade. The sound calmed her, as if it promised her empty stomach a month's supply.

It wasn't always she saw deer running about the bushes, let alone birds flying near the tree branches. Sometimes, she would have to endure days without food before she found a victim. The world had changed since the last human war, and those who survived became animals themselves, fighting for livings in the worst possible ways until the population declined and they were left not more than only little of the endangered, and only few more counts on their preys.

The forest being her home, Aries was far up in the food chain–often she had to race the natural predators to survive. She was a part of these animals, and this was their way of life. There was nothing unusual about killing her brothers because like the rest of the world, she too was no more human. At least, it was a speculation she made from being the only one of her kind all her life.

She grabbed the cooled, hardened skin and tore it apart with her teeth, showing the softer, slightly undercooked flesh inside. Her action resembled that of a lion feasting on its prey, and with her dagger, she cut slits through the bird's abdomen following a lion's clawing.

With one free hand, she picked a weapon and threw it through the darkness in a swift movement, almost a reflex. Silence followed the glowing arrow's whoosh, and she stared at the nothingness for a while, the plump meat still in between her lips. She could have sworn she heard shuffling–she lived in the forest too long to have imagined approaching steps.

There was a quick exhale.

Aries saw a shadow, and the being fell from the dark. It was a figure, much like herself but taller, slenderer with hair as light as that emitted by her fire, only slightly darker than his fair complexion. He was gasping, legs folded away from his centre, hands clutching on the crescent on the ground. From his looks, she'd guessed he was a fighter like her–maybe weaker.

'What was that?' he shouted.

'An arrow,' Aries said carelessly, her accent muffled in the food inside her mouth.

'You could've killed me?'

'I wouldn't have cared if I did,' she said. He stared at her in disbelief, and gave a moment as she studied his shape. There was a part of her excited to have finally meet someone like her, but another cautious of his intention. A shade of red coloured his cheeks but before he could say a word, she continued: 'You'd do fine for breakfast.'

Awed, the man watched her bite into her second treat. She looked as if she hadn't eaten for ages, though she seemed to have been born only a year.

After a while of watching her eat, he stood up. 'I am Leo,' he said, unsure if introduction was even good an idea when she was planning on roasting him. The woman was sitting on her ankles, her legs spread enough to give her comfort.