Fearsome Critters excerpt

As they progressed through the dense orchard, Daniel went through his mental checklist to be sure they were prepared for the fight. Sword? Of course, Daniel thought. Boot knives? Check. Bovit milk? Yes sir. Little buddy to watch my back? He looked down at Fats who was keeping his eyes peeled for signs of the cat. Wouldn’t leave home without him.

Suddenly, Fats squeaked and pointed off to the west. Daniel followed his finger to a fallen tree a few yards away. It was shattered in the center; splinters gathered around the trunk in an irregular fashion. This was the first sign of an active Splintercat.

“Yeah. I see it, pal,” Daniel said. “Definitely from a Splintercat. We haven’t faced one of these in a while, so I want to brush up a bit before we go diving in headlong.”

Daniel took off his rucksack and rummaged around looking for his field guide. He pulled out a roughed up, leather-bound notebook that he never went anywhere without. This book was his Critterlog; a carefully detailed account of his experience with every Fearsome Critter he’d found. Everytime he faced a new Critter (or even went up against one he’d already encountered), Daniel made sure to write down any new information he discovered. He flipped through the pages as they continued walking, searching for the section on Splintercats.

“Oh! Found it. Let’s see what I’ve got on these tabbies," he said, laughing to himself. He read the entry aloud to Fats, so they could both be prepared.

“‘Splintercats are large felines, similar to the tiger in presence & strength, but with more lean muscles and higher agility. They have one long cuspid tooth in the center of their jaw, and sharp claws on each paw. Commonly, the forehead is scarred and scabbed due to the Splintercat’s habit of headbutting trees in search of food.’” Daniel laughed at this. “What dummies, huh? ‘These Critters are extremely territorial and will lash out against anything they considers an intruder.'”

This part of the entry was inked over a previous recording. The original entry, now scratched out, read: ‘Only aggressive when provoked.’

Daniel continued reading, “‘Its underbelly is significantly weaker, as it is made of thinner skin, and not protected by the thick coat of quilled fur that surrounds the rest of it.’”

Daniel pondered on this description for a moment as they continued hunting, trying to formulate a plan. As they wandered through the apple orchard, Fats occasionally picked the delicious red fruits from their homes in the branches to snack on. Watching Fats scurry up trees for the apples, an idea began to form in Daniel’s brain.

“That could work,” he mumbled.

Fats, dangling from the branches, looked down at Daniel with confusion. He managed a “hmm” sound, and tilted his head to the side, questioning Daniel’s outburst.

“I know you love those apples, Fats, but would you be willing to sacrifice a few for the greater good?” Daniel asked with a wink. “I have a plan, but I’ll need you to provide a distraction. Think you can handle it?”

Fats shook his head up and down, and bit into another apple. The sound of splitting wood grew louder with each step.

They were given a reprieve from the tightly packed forest when they came upon a clearing that was anything but natural. Fallen trees littered the ground, and splinters could be seen haphazardly sticking out of the dirt and the neighboring trees. Daniel held up a hand to Fats as soon as he spotted the Splintercat. It was prowling around some of the trees that still stood, sniffing for potential meals hiding behind the rough bark. All of the apples along the ground remained untouched. Guess they don’t like apples, Daniel thought. Better put that little tidbit in the log.

The Critter hadn’t noticed them yet, so Daniel instructed Fats to get into position for the first phase of his plan. Fats slunk back into the trees before climbing up a large trunk and swinging around the perimeter of the clearing to get a better perspective. Daniel backtracked to the treeline and set down his rucksack and bindle cloth next to a tree, then stepped out onto the battlefield, holding his walking stick in his right hand.

“Here, kitty, kitty!” Daniel called, getting the attention of the Splintercat by taunting it. He started making kissy noises to draw it in. “Come to papa!”

The cat, halting its search for food within the trees, whipped around to face Daniel directly. It was a bit larger than the last Splintercat that they had faced, and its fur was a matted, periwinkle coat, striped by a darker, cobalt blue pattern along the width of the body. Its one saber-tooth hung from its mouth like a crescent moon as it snarled at Daniel. The cat took a step toward him as he unsheathed his sword and took a riposting stance.

“By the authority vested in me by the Spumoni family, I hereby evict your feral ass from this orchard and declare this whole farm to be forbidden ground to all Splintercats,” Daniel spoke with authority. “Please voice all complaints or objections to the end of my sword.”

Hearing the challenging tone in Daniel’s voice, the Splintercat hissed ferociously before lunging at him. The cat cleared the distance between them in a single bound and struck out with its sabre-tooth. Holding the sword in front of him, Daniel clashed his steel against the Critter’s lashing fang to defend himself. Quickly, while the two were locked in menacing glares and tangled weapons, Daniel balled his left hand into a fist and cocked it back. As he delivered the punch into the Splintercat’s stomach, his hand flickered with a soft white and grey light. The force of Daniel’s blow sent the Splintercat flying across the clearing, but not before it could sink a claw or two into him, leaving a sizable gash along his forearm.

Daniel cried out in pain, looking down at the wound. It wasn’t fatal at the moment, but the blood loss was going to be the real problem.

The cat let out a similarly pained roar and stumbled on its four legs before steadying itself again. It narrowed its eyes at Daniel and prepared for another assault when a wet thud, emanating from a short distance away, distracted the Splintercat’s addled gaze to the trees. A second thud sounded off from even closer this time. Liquid sprayed the cat’s legs and feet, surprising it even further. The third sound was less of a thud and more of a “wump,” as an apple struck the Splintercat in the head. It looked up with fury and apple juice in its eyes to see an Agropelter with a red bandana and harem pants raining harvested fruit onto it from the trees above.

Fats continued his onslaught of apples until the Splintercat diverted its attention from Daniel to him. The cat began advancing slowly towards the tree that Fats hung from until, finally getting close enough, it charged headfirst and shattered the trunk. Shaking from the impact, the tree groaned and began to collapse. Fats struggled to swing through the branches fast enough to reach another safe place, but the previous handiwork of the Splintercat had thinned the area of possible escape routes. Fats scrambled to find a way off the falling tree, only to tangle his foot in a snaggle of branches. As the tree hit the ground and broke apart, Fats was caught in the detritus.

Laying among the ruined apple tree, beside the bruised remains of the fruit that once hung in it, Fats shook himself free of encroaching unconsciousness. His leg was hurt pretty badly and among the settling dust, the Splintercat stalked closer to its prey. As it approached Fats among the wreckage, the cat boasted its confidence; each sauntering step held the weight of imminent doom. Seeing the cat’s shadow tower over him, Fats closed his eyes and braced for the end. Lost in the darkness of his eyelids, a yowling cut through the sound of his heartbeat in his ears. He opened his eyes to see the Splintercat floating in the air above him, clawing, biting, and floundering about.

“Whoo! Close one,” Daniel sighed in relief. He stood with his legs spread apart and both arms out in front of him. The deep scratches on his left arm had stopped bleeding and were now covered in a semi-viscous, blue liquid. His hands were glowing vividly; a wild, pearly flame danced through his fingers and followed the contours of his hand.

Daniel effortlessly manipulated the Roi, an ancient force that flowed through all life. The Roi gifted Daniel many advantages and enhanced abilities, always manifesting as a pearlescent, heatless flame. He was not the only Roin, but there weren’t many; fewer still who were as capable with it as he was.

“Fats! You okay, buddy? Give me an ‘Affirmative Alpha’ sign if you can keep fighting," Daniel called to the pile of fallen wood. He concentrated his gaze and saw a small hand rising out of the pile in a fist, with the thumb sticking straight up.

“Alright, now can you see my sword in the ground up there?” Daniel asked. “I planted it before you came crashing down.”

With exceptional effort, Fats loosened his leg and freed it from the tangle of branches, then pulled himself onto the pile of rubble. He looked out into the clearing between himself and Daniel and caught the glare shining off the long, thin blade as it protruded from the dirt. He barked back towards Daniel, flashing another ‘Affirmative Alpha’ signal.

“Okay, good, now remem--” Daniel started, but his words were suddenly stifled as he let out a sharp exhale of pain. The Splintercat thrashed more than ever in the air, suspended by intangible force. Daniel grunted, bearing the weight.

“This hold is hard to keep up, so I need you to listen closely. Remember all the times I’ve told you not to touch my sword because it’s dangerous, but then you did it anyway because you’re a bad listener?” Daniel shouted at Fats from across the clearing, struggling to maintain his composure as he kept the Splintercat subdued. “Well, don’t touch my sword!”

Fats sprung over the fallen trees as nimbly as his injured leg would allow, then broke outcomp into a half-sprint. He used his long arms to knuckle-drag himself across the ground, taking care not to place pressure on his leg. The cat yowled in the air and tried to swipe at Fats as he passed it, but Daniel’s Roi kept it from reaching the Agropelter. As Fats zeroed in on the sword, he grabbed the grip of the hilt and pulled it out of the ground. It was almost as tall as he was.

“Good work, buddy!” Daniel praised. “Now get over there and let’s finish this damn thing.”

Daniel began moving his hands in a circular motion, turning the cat so it was upright in mid-air, with its stomach facing the ground. Then, he created a distance between his hands by keeping one close to his chest and extending the other out in front of him, stretching the cat out to widen the vulnerable area of its underbelly. As Daniel positioned the Splintercat, Fats hobbled over, wincing against the pain from his leg. Holding the sword straight up, Fats locked his arms and ran the length of the Splintercat from underneath it with as much force as his small frame could muster, limping on every other step. The sword sliced the cat open, and blood cascaded down from the cut. The cat squirmed and howled as its lifeforce drained out of the bottom of it. After a few moments, it ceased movement. Daniel lowered it to the ground as Fats cheered, sheathing Daniel’s blade in the dirt and collapsing onto the bloody ground.

“Yes! That was perfect,” Daniel said, complimenting his companion. He ran over and slid to his knees so that he was next to Fats on the ground. “You totally nailed him, Fats. Great work! High five?”

Seated together in the stained red dust, panting in tandem, Fats weakly lifted a hand for the high five. Daniel slapped his partner’s hand lightly before falling back to lay down. Silent except for their labored breathing mixing with the rustling of the leaves overhead, the two remained there for a few more minutes. The Splintercat’s body laid off to the side; a testament to their skill and teamwork. An apple fell nearby and rolled close to Fats, who reached over to seize it before taking a loud, satisfying bite. Daniel began to laugh, softly at first, but then soon erupted into an uncontrollable fit of giggling. Fats was unable to contain himself, for Daniel’s laughter had always been contagious. The two buddies laid on the ground in the clearing of the Spumoni orchard next to the vanquished Critter, laughing like young boys who just pulled the ultimate prank.

When they finally settled down, Fats leaned over and pointed at Daniel’s arm. He made a few noises that conveyed his curiosity at its blue hue.

“Oh, yeah. Bovit milk. Clots blood when applied cutaneously. Not exactly a permanent fix, but hey, it does the job. Like I told Rocco: one for coffee, one for recreational purposes. What did you think I was using it for?” Daniel said, winking at Fats. “Anyway, job’s not done yet, Fats. You good to go?”

Fats sighed, and rose to stand. Daniel groaned, and stalled pushing himself off of the ground. It was getting harder to go big like that anymore.

They were dirty, sweaty, and a bit bloody, but still had work to do. They set to work harvesting the useful components of the Splintercat. The quilled coat was too hazardous to try and salvage, but the meat was perfect for preserving and cooking when they were short on provisions. They also made sure to collect the most important part of the Splintercats’ anatomy: the tooth. The tooth would not only serve as a trophy to prove they had completed the job, but it was also a very valuable commodity, at least in the Northern Mass.

After they had taken what they needed from the Splintercat, they did what they always do after defeating a Fearsome Critter: they buried it. Ever since he met Fats, Daniel had always been very adamant about burying the Critters he slew. He had been travelling with Fats for many years now and he respected him as a companion, not just a Critter. He found it only right to treat the other Critters with the kind of respect he’d want Fats, or even himself, to receive. That included last rites. They were hunters, not monsters.

Taking one of his boot knives, Daniel carved the date into a chunk of bark from a fallen tree and placed it at the head of the makeshift grave. Making eye contact with Fats and holding his stare for a moment, they both nodded, turned around, and solemnly walked back to the farm to collect their reward.