---Roy---
He never knew what hit him.
One minute Roy was wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his arm, and the next he was flat on his back staring up at the sky.
For a split second, it seemed as the whole forest went silent. Blood poured from his forehead, staining the forest floor in a deep maroon colour.
Roy was speechless. How could he, Claw Kingdom's only 5-Star Feline beast, be knocked off his feet.
He laid there for a while, gazing up at the clear blue skies and admiring the beautiful weather.
His brain had lost all previous thought. It had been a while since he had felt such peace.
Taking deep breaths, he took in the sounds of the forest. As he slowly moved to get up, he suddenly felt like the tribe shaman had lit his head on fire.
---Eris---
She had knocked him off his feet.
Literally.
She'd waited till he bent down to pick herbs, then swung the narrow strip of leather. Circling it high above her head, with a small chestnut nestled in the center of her make shift sling, she had thought the plan would be fool proof.
Little did she know, she was going to be the fool instead. The sling had gathered enough speed until it was barely visible to the untrained eye. The sound of the leather sliced through the air like a disgruntled beast, a half-snarl and half-whistle.
Her prey had been too far away. Her aim, too accurate. She had only meant to startle him. To stun him at most.
Yet, for that very reason, she now bore the guilt of having killed a male. Before she could calm her flustered heart, she made a split second decision to turn back towards the safety of her tribe and made a run for it.
God forbid, she'd actually kill him. As Eris made a beeline for her tribesmen, she silently prayed she had only given him a mark to carry for the rest of his life and not send him to the afterlife.
---Roy---
Blood trickled from a cut high on his forehead, just above his right eye.
He shook his head attempting to rid himself of the pain and the fog that diluted his senses.
Roy prodded his fingers around the edges of his injury, as he stood unsteadily on his feet. Only then, he realised a fair chunk of flesh had been torn away.
He still didn't understand what had hit him. From the shape and size of the wound, he knew it could not have been a wild beast nor another beast kin.
Roy pushed the pain aside and concentrated on scanning the ground around him.
Lips slightly curved, he picked up a chestnut approximately two meters away. Closing his eyes, he felt himself breathe in deeply from his nose. Scenting the sweet underlying smell under the metallic scent of his blood.
Plucking the dizzy flower out from its roots, Roy chewed aggressively on the petals. Allowing the plant to alleviate his pains as his body absorbed it.
Agilely shifting into his beast form, he let out a deafing roar.
The hunt was on.
That thought cheered him considerably.