Citizen 364 Saverra

It was time.

Saverra heard of the Coming of Age Ceremony, and how important it was for every rexal to participate. It meant proving themselves to be a capable adult, and he wanted to pick the best route to prove it.

Naturally, one stuck out to him the most- an Offering to the Ancients. He would have to hunt an adult animal on his own.

A part of him felt nervous, but he powered through it.

The forest the rexal found himself in was teeming with life. Perched on the branches of large trees were birds, chirping soft tunes to one another. They were at peace. He drew his attention away from them, his paws shifting on the vibrant grass below.

He was lucky. His scales were a beautiful emerald, swathed with a dark forest green on his back and a brighter, yellowish-green on his limbs. His throat armor broke the green hues of his coat with a sark white, trailing all the way down to his belly. His tail was a neutral black, the tip of his tail ending with the same color as his limbs and white patterns over the spikes on his tail.

Overall, his stunning green scales were perfect for hiding himself in the dense foliage as he searched for his prey. A boar or a stag, one of those would be worth offering to the ancients. It was just a matter of which he would find first during his little exploration.

Most of what he discovered thus far were smaller prey items. Nothing that he needed to find for this ceremony.

Saverra huffed through his nostrils as he scanned the ground for footprints. Most of them were old, all far too small to be considered worth his attention.

Then, he spotted something.

Within one of the puddles and leading out to it, he noticed a trail dug in the earth. Hooves. They didn't look to be in the shape of a boar's- it must've been a stag. Perfect.

With a sway of his tail, the rexal began to push forward, following after it. He was careful in his movements, brushing against the thick bushes quietly lest he alert the more skittish animals of the wilds to his location. It wouldn't do him any good if the deer decided to run off before he could even see it, after all.

The hoof prints became clearer as the green rexal continued to follow them. It led him past a couple of bushes, of which he used to hide behind. Carefully peering his head through, he found the culprit- the very prey animal he'd been tracking.

A stag with brilliant antlers stood in a clearing of the forest. It's head was dipped down, one of its fuzzy earls twitching as it munched on some grass. It was oblivious to his presence, its hooves shifting as it moved to different grass patches to satisfy its stomach.

The stag was perfect. It seemed old, a few scars littered across its flank from previous predators or harsh fights with other stags, Saverra wasn't sure. He just knew he needed to take it out now, then drag it all the way back to the city and drop it off at one of the elders. How long has it been since he's searched for this stag, anyways? He couldn't recall- it felt like hours, his limbs weary from the constant travel through the forest searching for his prey. At least it was worth it- more than worth it, really, given the size of the deer and its impressive antlers.

Keeping low to the ground, he watched the deer, his haunches tense and body on edge. If the stag noticed him, it would be too fast to catch up to. Saverra had to subdue it now, before it got the chance to run.

With a low rumble reverberating in his throat, the rexal took off, bursting through the bushes.

The stag looked up in alarm, its ears perked forwards as it noticed the oncoming rexal.

Rising on its back hooves, it attempted to turn and run, but Saverra wouldn't let it. His teeth clamped down on its ankle just before the buck could run, his clawed hand also grabbing onto the leg he bit into.

It thrashed in response, until his bulky tail slammed into its side, throwing the stag to the ground. Saverra maneuvered until he could clamp his teeth around its neck and squeeze.

It took time, but eventually, the thrashing and bleats of the stag dulled into gasping breaths, until stillness.

He'd done it. Now, all he had to do was figure out a way to get this buck out of the forest...

Author: DartingDragon-ARPG