Page 28 of Sohut's Protection

He should have known something was wrong with this one when he’d seen the state of the tree it lived in.

The entire tree had been covered in excrement, as if the bird had been there for a long, long time.

As soon as he’d ventured close enough, the thing had attacked.

It had been vicious, enraged, but only because it was in pain.

He’d realized shortly after wrestling it to the ground that there was a sharp object stuck in one of its wings.

That’s why it had dwelled so long in one spot. It couldn’t fly away.

It’d been injured.

And its attitude was because it was in pain.

He’d had to wrestle the object out even as the stupid animal clawed at him, almost pulling his face off, and it had been enough to distract him.

That was, until the alien creature’s scent wafted into his nose.

The creature he’d been tracking had ventured close.

Close enough that when he’d turned, he was sure he’d looked straight at the spot in which it hid.

And something had struck him immobile.

Something that caused him not to chase after the thing.

He heard the bushes rustle in the creature’s wake as it ran away. Still, he didn’t move.

Blinking, he stared at the spot in which he was sure the creature had been. Several unnerving thoughts blossomed in his head.

The creature had been watching him…scoping him out.

The only reason for an animal to do something like that was if it didn’t want to make its presence

known.

Only something that harbored some intelligence would do such a thing.

Phek.

This wasn’t like the usual hunt.

This animal was different, able to override its base instincts to flee, hide, or attack. It could think…and possibly scheme.

He’d never hunted a creature that watched him like that before without trying to attack, and for that reason, he was hesitant. His usual hunting instinct was giving way to curiosity.

It was a timid creature. He could tell.

Otherwise, it would have attacked him already to stake its claim over its territory.

An elusive, long-legged, pale, hairy-headed creature with a flat face…

It would be a pleasure to finally capture it.

Walking slowly through the undergrowth, Sohut stepped over twisting vines, shrubs, and small fallen trees that blocked his path.

His movements were automatic.

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