No Longer Alone
Saren Arterius, his breath slow and controlled, crouched low with his machete in his right hand and a knife in his left. Breathing deeply through his nose, the stench of his blood and sweat mixed together assailed his nose. The pain from the laceration across his side was subsiding but he wasn't out of the woods yet, so to speak. Dying from blood loss was the least of his worries.
A tiger stood in front of him, a growl on its lips. Usually, Saren wouldn't mess with such a deadly predator but sadly the feline was blocking the entrance to his cave. Although Saren had blocked the entrance, hoping the tiger would move along in search of easier prey, this tiger was set on hunting him. His only option was to face the beast head on , either scaring it or killing it. The latter seemed nearly impossible, but he had no choice.
Upon exiting his cave, armed to the teeth and assuming the worst, the tiger had pounced at him head on. Even with his incredible speed, Saren was still wounded in the side by a claw swipe that would've cut open his stomach. At this rate, the commotion caused by their battle might attract the attention something equally as deadly, a pack of wild dogs maybe. or a demon perhaps.This needed to be finished quickly.
The tiger roared this time, the sound causing all nearby birds to flee in fear. Saren stood his ground and roared back.
"RAAAAWWWRRRR!" he howled, assuming his battle stance. Saren assumed that the tiger would see this as a challenge, or at least , he hoped it would. It attacking first was the only chance at survival he would get.
The tiger took the bait and leaped forward, claws extended and intent on tearing the flesh from his bones. Saren charged forward as if to meet, but then sliding forward under the flying beast. He drove his two blades deep into its belly. Blood rained down upon him and Saren half expected the tiger to go limp in mid-air, impaled on his blades. Tis' not the case.
It kept flying forward, its insides cut to ribbons by the blades and its own momentum. It landed on its four legs but the wound finally took its toll . The mighty feline collapsed in a heap, blood pooling under it and soaking the ground crimson.
Saren, although thoroughly pleased that he had killed such a fine specimen, was also very disgusted. He was drenched from head to toe in blood. The new clean shirt that he had salvaged from a piece of flotsam was soaked as well. It would have to be soaked in fresh water. Hopefully the pelt was salvageable. It would make a warm blanket.
But upon inspecting the tiger carcass, he came to the conclusion that half of it was useless. The belly was ripped to shreds by his blades but the rest was intact. That plus he would have meat to prepare as well as tanning the hide. Or maybe he should bring it to the temple? And offering like this would win him a lot of favor.
After a moment of debate, the decision was made. The carcass would be an offering. But first, Saren must gather a little food before making the journey to the deep heart of the jungle.
Grabbing one leg, Saren began dragging it through the jungle. Although he left an obvious trail in the dirt, what mattered more was keeping his prize safe. But god, this tiger was heavy and a pain to drag. The jungle floor was littered with fallen logs, dense bushes, and unusual plants that would most likely take a bite out of the corpse if he didn't keep an eye out.
After thirty yards of dragging, and carrying it over fallen logs, he reached his destination. It just looked like a tangle of vines creeping up the rocky cliff. But in reality it was a movable stone slab covering the entrance to his cave. Sturdy enough that normal beast could move it but light enough even a human could slide it a few feet.
Dropping the carcass, Saren moved to one side of the slab and began pushing it with all his might. After a couple of seconds, the slab began moving slightly, inch by inch. Finally, after toiling for two minutes there was a gap large enough for him and the tiger. He ran back to retrieve the carcass, slipping inside and dragging the slab back into place. There was no sign that there was an entrance at all. The perfect hideout.
Saren was surrounded by darkness, unable to see even his own hands. There was no need to worry though. Soon enough, the lights would come back on. And he was right. The entire tunnel was soon illuminated by strange crystals embedded into the walls and ceiling that emit a special luminescence.
Strolling down the tunnel for a few minutes led to a massive cavern full of these crystals, sparkling from the darkest reaches of the cavern. Although massive stalagmites loomed overhead, large enough to crush him, Saren felt at peace here. Ever since his family had died, this cavern had been his sanctuary. It sheltered him from the terrors that roamed Eru'm, the island he lived on.
It was the perfect home for him. A light source that never went out provided by the crystals. A bed made of soft furs from the wild goats that roam the island, perfect for sleeping after a hard day. Stone shelves , carved out by Saren's hand, held all of his provisions , tools, and extra clothes. And in the center of the cavern was a cool, freshwater spring that he could bathe in. All in all, this place was better then any mansion in his opinion.
He dropped the tiger in a stone basin with a crack in the middle, perfect for allowing the blood to seep out of the body and not ruin the carcass. The bloody t-shirt was stripped off and dropped in a wooden bucket of fresh water. A waste but Saren really liked that shirt. It 's blue with a wave logo in the center of it.
Dipping one hand into another bucket, Saren began drinking large gulps of the water until it was empty. The forest humidity and heat is something not to be taken lightly.