98The Monster stared at the village from the cliff, watching as a group of people loaded their belongings onto their carts and left. They had decided to take their chances and leave, possibly making it out of the valley rather than end up in the stomach of the beast. Only a handful remained and they kept feeding the Monster, which caused it to leave them alone for the most part.
A few months had passed since their first encounter and they quickly realized that as long as they offered something, it would leave them alone. While it was an animal in their eyes, it was smarter than they initially thought and it terrified them. The thing knew that they gave it a small supply of food, and numerous times it proved that it was an intelligent creature, such as managing to figure out if they poisoned the meat or not.
No one went near its cave after that disastrous first encounter and they hid in their homes when it lumbered near the village to drink from the river. If it was lucky, it managed to get a mouthful of fish and greedily gulp it down before retreating back towards its home.
It turned away and went back towards the cave area, scratching the surface with its claws and marking the territory. Making its way towards the direction of the village, it stopped behind the tree line and started to mark its territory through its urine. Once it was done, it started to head back, easily scaling the cliff and hauling itself over the edge.
Crawling inside the cave, its eyes adjusted to the low light as it got closer and closer to the back. Inside its confines was a nest, made of different flora and was stuck together with an unknown, black sludge. It provided insulation from the chilling sensation that the cave originally offered. The longer the Monster lived, the more accustomed to the outside world as time passed and started to understand some things better.
The valley was extremely large and there was plenty of food to hunt for, whether it was aquatic life or terrestrial. Grimm were plenty abundant and was the Monster's main source of food, as they provided both energy and the necessary sustenance to heal its wounds that it got; not to mention they were able to satiate its bloodlust. Territory was constantly fought over with them as well, and usually the smaller Grimm were nothing but food to the Monster, the larger Grimm were the threats that constantly tried to steal its territory.
The village was usually left alone, and although the Monster still preyed on those unfortunate enough to wander close to the cave. After trying a second time and still failing, the people constantly lived in a state of fear, which attracted the Grimm. However, that just meant more food for the Monster and it quickly figured out how the Grimm behaved after some time.
It stopped and turned back around when it heard something falling at the entrance and slowly crawled out, peeking its head out and looking around. A deer carcass was thrown out into the open and it looked ahead to see three villagers freeze in their spots in the bushes.
The air stilled and neither the Monster nor the villages moved a single muscle. It was hard to tell how long they stared at one another before the Monster slowly lowered its head towards the offering and sniffed it, making sure it wasn't poisoned or contaminated with something else. When it was sure, its tongue slowly slid out before wrapping around the body and retracting shortly after.
They watched as it lumbered back towards the cave but stopped, rubbed its shoulder at the entrance several times. A small, heated spike fell off its shoulder and it ignored it before heading off into the cave with the deer dangling out of its mouth. It didn't bother hunting the villagers since it was full and tired. Another group of Grimm tried to settle in the cave but were dealt with earlier in the day.
Once it was finally inside and all was quiet, the three slowly emerged and cautiously approached the spike. They kept looking at it then at the cave, gulping when nothing but the inky darkness could be seen. Nobody who ventured into the horrid place made it out alive and nobody dared to try anymore.
"I told you that we shouldn't have ventured this far." The first one snapped harshly and slapped the third one.
"I get it, by the Gods, I get it." The third one rubbed the back of his head.
"So what are we going to tell the village now that we came back empty handed?" The second one asked as he looked at the cave.
"That we had to sacrifice our prey to this vile beast." The first one sighed as he kicked a pebble.
"I mean, we could bring this thing back." The third one chimed as he gestured towards the spike with his bow.
"Have you lost your mind? The elder will have our skulls if he finds out we brought something back from this thing." The first one exclaimed.
"It's either that or come back empty-handed." The second one said, and the three of them chewed the insides of their cheeks. Every hunting/gathering group was supposed to come back with something of value on their expeditions, and not having anything meant no food for the night.
They looked at the spike and saw it pulse with energy every so often. As they got closer, they realized how hot it was and knew that grabbing it with their bare hands wasn't the smartest idea. So they took their shirts off and used them as gloves, grunting as they dragged the large spike back towards their village.
"I can't believe we're doing this." The first one muttered.
"It's better than nothing." The second one responded as he grunted a bit. His grasp on it slipped and he fell to the ground, causing the other two to do the same. They panted a bit before collecting themselves and dragging the spike back.
"Where do you think the beast came from?" The third one wondered.
"I don't know nor am I concerned for the matter." The first one said and they were thrown into silence again. The only sounds that were heard were birds chirping above, leaves and branches being brushed to the side, and the distant sound of the waterfall. None of them knew how they were going to explain to the village that they managed to grab a piece of the beast without dying in the process.
"Do you think we made the right choice?" The third one asked.
"Explain." The first one said.
"Staying in the valley. We know this creature exists... why do we stay?" The third one clarified.
"It is our home, there's nowhere else to go." The first one answered and glanced back at the direction of the cave. Unlike half of the village, the ones that stayed were preparing for their new dangerous way of life
The days started to slide by and before anyone knew it, winter had arrived. The white sheet of frost had covered the forest and the houses of the village, forcing the denizens to stay inside. While the denizens were somewhat safe in their village, the Monster slumbered the days away. It had the instinctive need to sleep during this time of year and it had been relentlessly hunting and consuming both regular animals and Grimm.
While it slept, a torch faintly illuminated the pitch black cave. A group of individuals could be seen walking deeper into it, looking around and noticing that the walls had started to become covered in a thick, dark resin. After travelling down it for several minutes, they looked down when they stepped in something and lifted their feet. Each one cringed when a thick layer of slime stuck to their boots from the freshly secreted resin.
They stopped when they heard a deep rumble and could faintly see a large silhouette. After getting a bit closer, they saw the Monster sleeping and froze. It didn't look like a Grimm to them, the lack of bone white armor and pitch black flesh was the most noticeable thing. Not to mention, Grimm never slept like this.
After receiving word from the village that there was a monstrous problem, the travelling group of hunters originally assumed they were talking about a dangerous Grimm. None of them had any idea how to take this thing down now that they were so close to it. It was covered head to toe in armor and the only open spot they could see was its mouth.
The Monster jerked around once and they didn't move a muscle, beads of sweat running down their faces. It was hot in the cave and the many layers they were wearing to protect them from the snow was backfiring against them.
When the Monster started to move around a bit, they slowly backed up. It was going to take more than four people if they wanted to bring it down. All four of them stopped when one of them stepped on something and a loud crack reverberated throughout the cave.
It was deathly silent and they all looked at the direction of the sound, watching as the item rolled across the floor, continuing to echo for the next few minutes. Their hearts slammed in their chests and they could practically hear the blood pumping through their veins from how quiet it was. None of them wanted to move and prayed that the beast behind them didn't stir from its slumber.
"You fool-" The first hunter's sentence was cut off when a massive pair of jaws slammed together on his upper torso. His body was easily bitten in half and time seemed to slow down to the other three. They could only gape in horror as blood flew through the air and splattered against them and the ground. They quickly fell backwards as they watched his lower half drop to its knees and fall forward.
Blood and organs spilled from his bisected body and onto the ground. They looked up and saw his intestines dangling from the jaws of the Monster; the color drained from their faces as they watched it swallow his torso whole. If they looked close enough, they could see the bulge in its throat as their companion slid down it.
"By the gods..." The second one muttered and started to scramble to his feet. He didn't get to chance to even run very far before he was impaled by one of the Monster's tusks, skewering him and killing him instantly.
The other two quickly started to dash out of the cave, panting heavily as they could faintly hear the sound of their companion being feasted on by the creature. Neither one looked back as they continued to flee as their lives depended on it. They felt the ground shake and a terrible snarling started to get closer and closer. Terror flooded their systems and the adrenaline allowed their bodies to run faster than they ever had.
One of them punched the other in the face and threw her onto the ground before fleeing himself. He had to force himself to ignore her terrified pleas and cries before her screaming went silent with a loud crunch. His feet slammed against the rocky floor of the cave and his pants grew more frantic as he saw the light at the entrance, filling his soul with hope.
Only a little bit further and he could make it out of this hellish place.
That feeling was snuffed out as quickly as it surface when something grabbed his leg and he fell onto his face. Dirt kicked up and small pebbles and sticks stuck to his skin as he raised his head and coughed. He groaned painfully and looked back before his eyes widened with terror at what he saw wrapped around his leg.
A forked tongue emerged from the pitch black entrance of the cave and was tightly coiled around his right leg. He already knew what was inside and tried to crawl away but he wasn't moving an inch. A desperate scream tore from his throat as he clawed the ground with all his power when he started to go backwards.
His fingernails broke as he was slowly dragged into the darkness, leaving behind ten bloody trails. No matter how much he tried to plead or struggle, it didn't matter to the beast hidden inside because all that screaming wouldn't matter in the end. The Monster would make sure nothing of its victim went to waste like all the others and this would be the final one before it slumbered the winter away.
With a quick flick of its tongue, he was yanked backwards. His screams bounced off the walls as he was dragged into the cave and with one final scream. His terrified pleas fell on deaf ears before he was silenced forever by a loud snapping of jaws followed by the tearing of flesh.
All went silent after that, the rabbits continued to look around for food as well as other animals, the snow continued to fall, and the howling of the wind created a haunting atmosphere within the area.
Nobody ever saw the group of hunters again, and as the generations passed, their names would be forgotten like everything else.
The Monster went back to its spot and closed its eyes once again, trying its hardest to fall asleep. It was stuffed to the brim from its previous feasting and felt like it could sleep away time now, but it couldn't for some reason.
It huffed in irritation before slowly crawling back out of the cave, eventually making it out and leaving tracks in the snow.
An arctic blast hit the forest and covered the area in a thick sheet of snow, trapping the occupants in villages. The only one that wasn't affected by the cold was the Monster, who simply would look at it curiously, even rolling around in it a bit. Whatever snow originally clung to its skin would melt and dry up after a minute due to it having a high body temperature.
It tucked itself into a nearly perfect sphere and started to roll across the snowy valley, melting the snow nearly instantly and leaving small trails of fire in its wake. There wasn't necessarily a destination in mind, it just rolled around the open area near the village, melting the snow and seemingly marking its territory.
Something in the distance made it stop and uncurl from its boulder form, listening intently and sniffing the air. It looked up ahead and saw a large piscine Grimm emerging from a pile of snow. The creature had a large horn on its head covered in a thick sheet of ice and it roared at the Monster, causing the air to ripple a bit.
A deep, guttural roar tore from the Monster's throat and echoed across the area. It pounded its chest several times and the Grimm dove underneath the ground and it went quiet. The Monster looked around before rumbling below made it look down and the ground shook violently and it bent down a bit.
The Grimm erupted from the snow and threw the Monster in the air, shrieking as it started to slither around its body and bite its neck. A guttural bellow was heard from the Monster as it reached behind it and gripped the Grimm's neck tightly. It threw the Grimm off of it and slammed its fists into its body several times, cracking the ice covered bone armor.
When the Grimm tried to dive back underneath the snow, the Monster grabbed its fin and swung it over its body, slamming it several times. It climbed on top of the Grimm and wrapped its left arm around its throat, strangling it viciously. With its other hand, the Monster grabbed the horn with its right hand and started to break it.
The Grimm thrashed around and managed to claw at the exposed part of the Monster's stomach. Pain erupted across the Monster's abdominal area, but it also invoked a primal rage inside of it, causing it to strangle the Grimm even more.
With a thundering, sickening snap, the Monster easily broke the Grimm's horn. It used the broken horn to stab the Grimm several times before biting down on it. A rush of energy flowed through its body and it lifted the weakened Grimm with one hand and slammed it onto the ground. Loud cracking from the Monster consuming the horn was easily heard and it broke the Grimm's legs.
Earsplitting shrieking echoed across the valley as the Monster started to eat the Grimm alive, ignoring the pained noises it made. It started from the lower half before working its way up, spilling red ichor across the snow. Flesh and scales were easily swallowed and after ten minutes, the Grimm disappeared due to dying form its wounds.
All went quiet as the Monster beat its chest triumphantly before letting out a earthshattering roar. It shook its shoulders and shed off pieces of heated, damaged armor before tucking itself back into a boulder and rolling off towards its cave.
When the Monster was finally gone and the village was sure, they sent a few out to investigate the pieces of armor. Several of them cautiously approached the pieces and could feel the unknown energy pulsate every few seconds. They looked at one another before dragging each piece to the largest building in the village. Several dried up trails were seen as the broken pieces of armor melted and dried up the snow.
After a few minutes, they managed to finally get the pieces inside the meeting building and set them on a dirt arena. Nobody said anything as they simply stared at the pieces until the Elder went up to them. His movement was wobbly, and he used a cane to steady himself but his strides were purposeful.
"..." He just stared at each part and rubbed his bearded face.
"What should we do with them?" One of the villagers asked.
"..." The Elder just remained quiet and contemplated as to what they should do. Normally, he would have anything that wasn't man-made or found naturally in nature thrown away, but they were facing hard times.
"I think we should get rid of it. Anything from that vile beast is a curse awaiting to happen." Another one said, drawing a few mutters of agreement.
"What of the cold? These pieces are warmer than any fire we've ever experienced and this is the worst winter we've faced yet." Another one said, drawing a few murmurs of agreement on her side.
The voices grew louder by the minute and the Elder raised his stick before slamming it on the ground once, creating a loud noise. Everything went quiet as they looked at him and he went up to one of the jagged pieces and put his hand against the cooler part. It was still extremely warm to the touch but wasn't scolding like some areas.
"This winter has been harsh on us. The frost takes more lives with each winter that passes by. If we don't use these pieces then we will perish before the next spring arrives." He said and looked at them all.
"It's from that beast though." One of them said.
"I know that. When the spring comes, get rid of them or store them until next winter." The Elder ordered and started to slowly make his way back to his own home. They all glanced at one another and the more hesitant ones had no choice but to accept the decision. For the past twenty years, he's been their leader and has kept them alive so they knew better than to go against him.
Every one of them decided to stay in this building for the night since each mysterious piece provided the necessary warmth. Some were disgusted by the thought of being so close to whatever came from the Monster while others were simply glad to be able to sleep comfortably for the night.
The howling of the wind outside was loud, and if one listened closely enough, then they could hear the faint sounds of Grimm being hunted and consumed. Those horrid sounds constantly stuck fear in their hearts and drew Grimm, which provided more food for the Monster. Neither side knew it, but this parasitic relationship would go on for the remainder of their days. While the people would live in fear, the Monster would unknowingly continue to use them as a beacon to draw in more Grimm.
Maybe they should have left the valley with the others with the others. Then they would've had a chance at whatever was in store for them out there then what awaited them here.
"What do you think it is?" A villager asked.
"A vile beast, that's what it is." Another one answered.
"Not that, you fool. I meant male or female." The first one said.
"What does it matter?" Someone further down asked.
"Then there's a chance it may lay eggs." The first villager said as he adjusted himself. That single statement threw them all into silence and made them look at one another fearfully. Just one Monster was terrifying enough, but to think that there was a chance that there could be more made them freeze in fear.
"It's a male." A Hunter said as he looked out the window, seeing nothing but a blanket of snow cover the area as far as the eye could see.
"How do you know?" A farmer asked.
"I've seen its..." The Hunter gestured towards a certain area. It took several moments for them to realize what he meant and they gave a disgusted noise, making him chuckle a bit.
"Do you think we should leave the valley?" Someone asked.
"I don't know. Where are we going to go?" Someone else asked.
While the townsfolk quietly chatted between one another, the hunter looked out the window at the distance. Most of the others were terrified of it, but he was completely interested in the beast. To him, the Monster was an animal that was highly territorial as it was aggressive. The various claw marks and the heavy scent of urine were ways of marking territory. Unfortunately, the whole valley was considered the Monster's territory.
The Grimm were mere invaders and the Monster would do whatever it took to protect his land.
"What troubles you?" The Elder's voice suddenly appeared.
"Nothing, just thinking about the beast is all." The Hunter dismissed as he continued to stare out the window. The broken pieces offered a good amount of warmth and the people were slowly coming to accept that this was one of the few things that might get them through the winter.
"We should have left when we had the chance." The Elder sighed as he sat down in a seat near the window, staring out into the sea of frost that covered the land. Faint traces of the battle between the Monster and the Grimm could be see.
"Winter was too close, we wouldn't have gotten too far." The Hunter said.
"..." The Elder continued to look out the window before he coughed into his hand, pulling it back and seeing a splotch of blood on it.
"You should be resting." The Hunter said.
"Death comes for me soon and I presume it'll take me when spring arrives." The Elder said as he wiped his hand.
"..." It was the Hunter's turn to stay silent this time as he looked at his leader. After that, neither one wanted to say anything and simply enjoy what little time they had left. The only thing everyone could do was hope that the winter wasn't too harsh on them and that the Monster would leave them alone. A distant howl was heard in the woods and they all looked in the general direction before silently praying and trying their best to fall asleep.
Praying was all they could do at this point.
Here's another chapter for you all. I don't really have too much to say other than thanks for reading it so far. I think I might start answering reviews again, haven't done that in who knows how long.
saitama1155: Indeed.
Malgrath: It's been a while, huh?
Manatread: Yes.
HerrLepan: Somewhat back.
NightHawk The Warrior: To be honest, this has been in the works for a while. I was originally going to go the whole Monster/Faunus route but decided against it.
Slimy Cat: Thank you, great reader.
Zekken182: Yes.
T3ddy: Hopefully it'll be a decent story.
Dead344156: Yeah, that version wasn't going anywhere unfortunately. It's been a journey to get to this point though.
ER-47: Thank you.
Guest: Gracias.
nantono: ok
Don't have much else to say other than thank you for giving this a read. See you guys later.