pg.2

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As I lay, facing upward to the sky, my breath comes out ragged and my mind becomes an empty blank slate.

Grey clouds fill the heavens obscuring the stars and moon behind them.

The normally sapphire blue sky is tinted a bright lavender color.

A beautiful sight.......

Slowly my head drifts to the side as I silently bleed onto the ground, there is a wound somewhere deep enough that its impeding efficient mucous production. My body is desperately trying to plug the torrent but the other parts are freely bleeding in neglect, making for all around unsuccessful scenario.

Strength has promptly left the vicinity- cruelly evading me.

The tingle of open wounds makes my body shudder in pain.

Muscles contract in an attempt to keep my body warm, the life blood that kept me at the optimal heat range for metabolic processes must be seeping faster than I thought.

Naturally a bright cream figure attracts my eyes and I focus ever so slightly, willing to be Distracted.

The ursus rests slumped over on the ground unmoving some feet away.

The darkness is blacker and the cream color brighter in contrast with each other in the still background, the light concentrated- reflecting out from the pale fur.

The wind jostles the leaves below. The crinkling becoming a song as it pushes through the layers of fallen foliage.

It does not stir. It is does not even breathe.

Tiny scratching sounds faintly echo inside my pack.

The two healing drones must be frantic, aware of the battle ending.

They must know I am mortally wounded.(@minipurse)

They will have to burst out of the holding pouch on their own.

I can not help them or myself.

Buzzing erupts loudly and the pack shakes violently. The smell of burnt hide perforates the wind wafting past me.

I see no more...Darkness lays thickly over my eyes.

A blurry blue light hazily comes closer becoming brighter.

"Processing new executive functions"

"Administering Emergency First aid"

Hot searing pain pricked seemingly everywhere.

" Aaaaruuughhh" I scream out thrashing violently, arching my back.

" Hold still. Debridement of foreign matter.......
Liquid stem cell suturing...
Closing Hemorrhaging wound...... Incompetent mucous barrier...
Cauterizing........
Bio identical mucous bandage..."

One of them pierces directly into my neck.

" Blocking pain receptors.....
Manufacturing Artificial blood serum..
Misting Topical Bacteriophage solution....... "

The high pitch chattering of the drones becomes softer.

The world tilts and swirls around me.

A sensation of floating grabs a hold.

Time feels like its flying away..... Arbitrary to my existence.

There is nothing, just a void.

******************

The spinning has long since stopped and homeostasis has been restored, my mucous barrier normal once again.

Slowly I get up gently shaking off the two drones. Both fly off my body scurrying into the newly opened hole in the sack, I had flung it off onto the side when I came to.

One turns to me its glowing six eyes slowing blinking before following the other inside unsure for a moment.

The singular critical damage incurred could have killed me from the scan the drones showed me to evaluate, indeed it was fatal.

The creature slashed an important artery on my body before I gave the final death blow.

The rest of my wounds are insignificant in comparison and frankly superficial. It will be best if I attempt to flee from now on since luck may not be with me next time. It may be seen as pure cowardice but I will live on to see another day.....especially to behold the future with my beloved.

Clearly my body needs more time for a more adequate recovery..

Gingerly, I look over to my dead foe.

Releasing myself from its corpse was laborious, it did not let go so easily even in death.

My claws had thrust themselves underneath its ribs piercing upwards into its heart, killing instantly. Although it did not miss to depart without that one final deadly gift.

Dry leaves crackle loudly underfoot as I hobble over to were it laid, sniffing and walking all the way around the carcass evaluating the condition.

Only this deliberation is high on my mind of priorities. The opportunity has presented itself and nothing should be left to waste after so much effort.

In order for it to consumed for mother and brood it should not be diseased, otherwise it will be left behind to rot for the scavengers to feast upon.

An eye dangles from its orbital socket. The nerve exposed and the blood dark with oxidation.

Its mouth is wide open, exposing the tongue and hard upper palate. The flesh there a greyer paler color than when it was alive, displaying long teeth yellowed with use.

Its fur is matted in the front with dried crusted streaks of blood.

But I see no defect or obvious outwardly signs of disease in the alien animal.

Grabbing the hind leg, I unceremoniously struggle to drag it to the nearest tree next to my sack, my strength more than halved. The body rolled in particularly languid fashion, unencumbered by the haste of its new owner.

The healing pod glints dully from the hole burnt on the side of the pack as I crouch down, inspecting the opening carefully. The blemish seems noncritical to the functionality of the overall integrity of the material so it is deemed tolerable for the moment.

Pushing the healing pod to the side, the supplies are heaped together haphazardly. I rifle through pulling out a very long coiled leather that is corded.

Perfect.

The leather is promptly looped around the legs several times and double tied. Hopefully it will hold the weight and the stress it will endure for the next couple of hours.

More of the leather is draped over the highest branches. After testing for tree branch strength I straighten the leather with some tension, wrapping it loosely around the tree trunk.

Carefully the neck of the Ursus is cut around its entire circumference. More of the maroon colored blood flows out from the arteries forming a small puddle underneath its head.

With all my strength I pull the hanging leather, letting my weight help the ascent. Little by little the body moves more and more up the trunk.

I do not stop until it is suspended high above me.

Blood continued to rain down in a small trickle around the trunk, splattering me randomly.

Tired as one can mortally be, I secure the rope and glance about, looking for an adequate place to nest in.

The carcass will, most surely, attract a large variety of unwanted visitors looking for an easy meal and I do so need to rest. This will be the best that my ability can muster so it must do.

*********************

Beep.....Click.....beeep.....

Confused by the sounds I slowly open one eye then another. Two small shapes dart over my body in the darkness, tapping over my cocoon as if testing it. Blue light, coming from them, lightly scan over different areas.

The drones must have given themselves premission to roam about.

"Update drone crebra"

" Commander is in stable condition.......
Blood levels: normal...
Infection probability: low..."

" Stop report" having heard enough to comfortably assess my wellbeing.

The cocoon fell away as I forcefully crouched upward. The black dirt striped with the roots of the forest above lined the den and the tunnel as I leave, ready to move on.

Stepping outside from the temporary shelter the lavender sky is once again obscured with soft grey clouds without any end in sight.

In the tree close by a large shadow still hangs ominously, swaying in the breeze. (@minipurse)

The rope is swiftly untethered and the dead weight drops with a crisp thud over the forest floor scattering a plume of leaves. My figure moves diligently around the beast, flaying the hide from the body with practiced precision and quartering the limbs as I go.

The carcass is broken down to its most essential components and the belly opened letting the organs spill out.

The intestines are promptly discarded and the rest of the precious organs are each inspected, returned back into the abdominal cavity for safe keeping.

Lastly the hide is firmly wrapped around the loosen limbs with the leather cord but hunger pangs slow my resolve.

With much guilt I quickly open and close the hide tearing a chunk of the meat from a thick thigh without much preference.

The flesh does not last for more than a few planetary minutes, my mouth devouring the morsel with fanaticism.

Leading out of the forest I resume the trek with sacks on my back much heavier than before. The meat having to wait further preserving processes of curing and smoking until I reach the estuary hunting grounds.

Bare branches creak back and forth as more wind intensified in the stratosphere and the smell of rain in the air threatening to spill forth. My feet crash onto brittle leaves, steadily picking up velocity.

The cold weather has slowed the rate of decay only marginally.

Further more I must expedite any other obstacles.

If I do not.... the meat will become unfit to consume and hunting will become more time consuming. Inversely If fate smiles upon me my hunt will be shortened, allowing me to return sooner with a cache of ample food for the brood.

Thus the present condition has deviated into two fold consequences where speed and time is of the essence.

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