"W... What's happening!?" Claw's legs shook, barely holding him upright as his eyes locked on Wooly's severed head.
He spun around , the tribe was frozen in horror, some collapsing into the dust.
Suddenly, a flash struck his memory.
"The small human!!" A chill ran through his spine. For a moment, even sound seemed to vanish.
He dashed toward the huts, pausing only long enough to cast one last frown at Wooly's fallen body.
"Sorry, little goat," Claw whispered inwardly.
"This is all my fault."
His chest tightened. The image of the small human's frightened eyes burned in his mind, urging him forward.
He could almost hear her trembling voice , the way she called his name. Each step he took felt heavier than the last.
The smoke curled around The old man as he stared at the lifeless elders , his chest rising, then stilling.
"So... it wasn't destined," he murmured before collapsing.
The crackle of fire swallowed his final breath. Ash drifted through the air, settling gently over the still bodies.
On the other side, Claw moved from hut to hut, his breath growing short.Then, a voice came from behind:
"They thought fire could stop us," a rough voice sneered. "We're the fangs themselves."
"Exactly," a second, gravel-deep voice growled.
Claw froze. The air behind him felt alive , heavy with the scent of blood and smoke. Slowly, he turned toward the voices.
Vein and Gash glared at him, shadows pooling in their eyes.
"B... because of you! I haven't eaten for days!!" Gash shouted with his usual trembling voice. His skinny body seemed fuller now, swollen with something foul.
"That goat tasted too bad, so I spat it out!!"
"You couldn't even handle a simple mission." Vein stepped closer, his tone low and venomous.
Claw's stomach twisted when he heard it.Simple mission? ... The realization of being exposed made him breathe heavily.
His claws dug slightly into the dirt. He could feel their eyes burning into him, stripping away the disguise he'd hidden behind.
"FOOD! FOOD!" Gash rushed forward, humming and singing amid the chaos of fallen bodies.
Vein's smirk widened into something sharp.
"Nice to meet you again... fake leopard."
Claw's breath hitched. The word sliced deeper than any claw could.He scanned the survivors, desperate for Leila's face, then turned back to Vein.
"W... where is the human?!" Claw shouted. His expression hardened, yet his voice still trembled.
"Heh... you not only faked being Claw but lost your mind too, huh?"
Vein stepped aside, just enough to reveal the carnage with a cruel grin.
"What do you see before you? Aren't those humans, you fool?!"
Claw's heart sank. The shapes before him twisted in the firelight ... faces he could no longer recognize, bodies blurred by ash and blood.
A man lay on the ground, a cracked bowl slipping from his hands, two small children huddled beside him.In the corner, a woman knelt, her sobs lost beneath the crackle of fire.
Claw bowed his head, crushed beneath the weight of death and regret.Vein turned back, a cruel smirk tugging at his lips.
"Now excuse me , my meal awaits."
"Where is the human?" Claw whispered.
"What?" Vein turned, a sneer flickering in his eyes.
Claw lifted his head, his gaze sharpening.
"I'm saying , where's the small human?!" Claw's voice cracked as he shouted, raw with fear and anger. Even Gash froze mid-step, his grin fading.
The fire hissed softly, as if holding its breath for what came next.
"A small human... a small human, hmm..." Vein tapped his chin, pretending to think.
"Oh... you meant that little squirrel?" he said, his voice carrying a mocking laugh.
Claw's eyes went wide , Leila. She was the only one he could mean.
"Sorry, I mistook it for a human. It was clinging desperately to you."
"But how wonderful! It was clinging to you like it thought you could save it."
"If you'd seen that human's stare!" Vein's laugh slithered through the smoke before he turned his back.
"Now, excuse me."
But suddenly, Claw's paw crashed down between Vein's shoulders.
"Tell me where the human is," Claw said, his tone cold and final.
Vein's laugh broke into a rasp. He touched the scar at his neck and met Claw's eyes with a strained grin.
"Are you blind, Claw? Take a good look at your fur," Vein said. His voice lost its mockery, turning low and cold.
Claw frowned, his gaze dropping instinctively to his own body. A faint shimmer danced along his fur, catching the light of the flames.
"W... are you joking with me or what?" Claw bared his fangs, his whole body trembling.
"As your leader... tell me where the human is!" His voice broke between fury and despair.
"Leader, huh..." Vein's voice dropped to a whisper.
"Aaah, so stubborn, aren't you?" Vein placed a finger on his mouth."If you won't believe me... I'll show you."
Claw's gaze never left Vein's, even though what he was doing was strange.
Suddenly, something wet and pale slipped from his throat.Claw's body froze for the first time , he felt real fear.
An eye rolled to a stop between them, staring blankly up at the firelight.
"VEIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"