𝐈 𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮 (ON HOLD/PENDING CANCELLATION)

𝐈𝐈

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???

I sigh as I quietly collect spearmint with my clawed hands from the earth frozen by winter they firmly called home. Digging into the ground carefully, I easily feel my hands, paws as some humans called them, I pry the delicate plants from their earthen home. With the same delicate touch, I place the pleasant smelling medicinal plant into basket made from the reeds of the now cold river.

I enjoy this task immensely during the winter months. Some may consider this grueling, I however find it very soothing. The quietness of the winter landscape only disturbed by the sounds of the river inches away from me flowing quickly but not enough to blot the silence with a roar. The pines and bamboo covered in a thin blanket of glistening snow and a breeze that nips at my black canine nose the only thing I dislike about winter.

I lean back on my calves as glance at the basket to marvel at my collection of herbs. Mixed in with the spear mint is a variety of plants I have collected, barks from alder trees that resided by the river, roots dug from a neighboring trees, and various berries and leaves that could be turned into a tonic, tea, or powder. With how full it is, I'd say this winter was my best one yet.

I reach my hands out into the freezing water and quickly run them through the water, quickly pulling them out as the cold air causes them to sting slightly. I wipe them off on my clothes made from a various layers of reeds and silk that hide my fur and genitalia from the frozen air. I may have fur, but that doesn't stop the cold setting in.

Sighing, I look at my arm, seeing the black and brown, with the reddish brown stripes that are faintly visible. Remembering the stories my family told me of how my great grand father, a noble tiger, fell in love with my grandmother a wolf. Conceiving a wolf with the stripes and claws of a tiger, but the face, tail, and body of a wolf. This memory, my only happy one of my family before I remember their deaths as a child. How they gave up their last breath to protect me and the smell of ash lacing the air as I ran into these very woods.

I felt something warm go down my face at this memory, making me squint my eyes shut to stop the tears. Replacing it with my neutral expression and quickly picking the basket up, it being little effort thanks to the years of training and living on my own, make my way to my dwelling.

As I climb up the stone bank to the tree line I hear it. Faint at first, but quickly growing in volume as I presumed it draw near. I swiftly duck behind a tree and wait for my answer. When I get it I'm mildly surprised to see a red robed figure run through the trees that were far, but close enough I could see them run by. They are then followed by what I can only conclude being guards mixed with what I can only presume as mercenaries following close behind them. I scoff as I comb the characteristics of the figure, lining them up to being human that was being hunted.

I find pleasure in that thought as I see the most likely vile being stumble and recover as it tries to escape their pursuers. As I leave the cover of the tree I hear it for a split second in the back of my head...

Help it.

I shake my head as the words form in my head. Help a human, now that's funny. The idea of it makes me gag as I think of the thought ever occurring. I chuckle as I continue on my path home. But yet, the further I get from the human and their hunters, the louder the voice gets, increasing and getting more annoying as it does.

Help! Save! Rescue!

I lift my lips and let out an animalistic snarl as I curse at the voice to shut the fuck up. Only making it louder until I scream aloud for the entire forest to most likely hear.

"SHUT UP ALREADY, I'LL DO IT!!!"

Afterwards, silence. My mind ceased to speak and I realize what I said. I grown as I most likely make a look of disgust and shiver as I set the basket down and bolt towards the direction the human was going. All the while, thinking of how stupid, idiotic, and vile it was to save a furless creature escape their soon to be hunters and possibly killers. As I presume I draw closer to the human, I hear the galloping of horses, followed by yells, taunts, and cursing of multiple voices. Followed by some howls and roars of beastmen.

Then as quickly as I heard them, they stopped. Silence with only my feet crunching through snow effortlessly and quickly being the only sound audible. Then, as quickly as it came I heard a loud growl followed by a man saying "caught you you furless wretch!" Confirming that the human had given up, fallen, or was injured by these hunters. Quickly, I hurry my pace to see which was true.

Upon arriving I see the scene before me. The human was being lifted up effortlessly by their hair, revealing a faced covered in rags that hid his mouth and skin of his face and neck, but not his hair or eyes. The beastman gripping his hair being a simple tiger wearing the leather armor of a mercenary. Flanking around him were three beastmen, two being fennec foxes and the other a raven black wolf. The last two standing by the sides were archers with crossbows being wielded by oddly masked humans with cloaks and light armor. The human was outnumbered as well I was.

I sigh as I realize it's hopeless to save them, but at the same time. Part of me still wanted to try. I see the human eyes close and that's when I ambushed them, quickly bolting towards the archers. Seeing confusion from the others near by, I quickly strike the crossbow men, striking through the clothes that covered their throats from the winter and earning pained gasps from them as blood sprayed for a moment as they fell back and stopped. Without wasting a beat I struck the wolf with a firm jab to the nose, feeling something cave with an audible snap and crack. Earning a yelp of pain and the wolf recoiled back and began to fall, all the while yipping and screaming.

The other three remaining quickly shook the surprise and shock with by anger as the fox's drew their kunai's and prepared to throw them at me. Not wasting a beat I pivoted my foot. Grabbing the wolf that was babbling like a baby and quickly spinning him into their line of fire, earning a gasp from the fox's and a pained grunt from the wolf as I heard the kunai's thud into the grim wolf. I let go, letting him fall as I moved over him and stick my thumbs into the left eye of the fox on right and the right eye of the fox on the left. Earning myself a mixed scream from the fox's.

Smirking I turn to the tiger, only to get a firm fist to my muzzle, I grunt as I reel a bit from the shock. Feeling blood seep from my mouth as I presume I bit my tongue. I look back with slightly blurred vision to see an oncoming orange fist. Quickly, I duck and tackle the tiger, catching him by surprise enough he collapsed to the ground. The pain replaced by anger as I begin beating the tiger senseless. Each punch earning a yelp, scream, and a shifting of teeth as I presumed some gave from the force of my fists.

I don't know how long I go at him, but eventually once the pain in my muzzle subsided only to be replaced with pain in my knuckles do I stop. I feel the red haze that clouded my mind dissipate as I look down at the tiger. What I see is nothing more then an unnaturally bent jawed open mouth that leaked blood, with teeth either gone or lodged into the cheeks from some possibly breaking off to be forced into his own mouth. The rest of his face was disheveled, with his right eye blood shot and his left swollen shut. I heard no breathing from the tiger as I shift my attention to a slight twitch to my right.

The wolf, with the now crimson blades had sticking from his back only crawled but a few feet with a slightly visible splotching of red snow and disturbed snow marking his desperate path to escape. I walk over to him, hearing pained grunts and breathe as I see the kunais, though not broad as most, somewhat buried into his back. The muscles seemingly not enough to stop them from one sliding into his spine and the other into his chest, possibly hitting his left lung. Sighing, I untie some of the bandages I keep tucked between my tunic and pants and wrap it around the padded palm of my hand.

When I had finished making the shield, I trusted my palm out and forced the projectile deeper into his chest. I hear a wheeze from the wolf after I had done it and then silence. His muzzle opening and closing like a fish out of water, before ceasing. I grunt as I feel my nose and muzzle sting, the pain finally kicking in as I turn to the limp body of the human.

I sigh as I see the arrow in his leg, leaving it so as to not cause further damage or have him bleed out. I heft him over my shoulder and make my way back to my basket. I feel his chest rise and his labored breathing as I do so, knowing fully he's alive but in a terrible state. I mumble to myself and furrown my brow as I look at my... paws as I grab my basket and walk towards my home

"Can't believe your doing this Nisang... You're helping a human... A HUMAN... God that punch hurt... This better be worth it