What the bloody hell is this now? My eyes reluctantly opened as my keen hearing wouldn’t allow me to sleep through the violent commotion that sounded far too close for my comfort. For those without dark vision, it would have been impossible to view the scowl now forming on my sleepy visage. With a few angry mental curses and a heroic effort, I roused myself from my sleeping position and began to assess the situation. The view, obstructed by the bush I was sleeping under, was something I needed to remedy. Cautiously and quietly, I crept toward the main trunk of the shrubbery, intent on climbing higher among its branches to get some visual clarification on the events unfolding nearby.

The climb towards the top of the bush presented no obstacle for one of my size and skill, so it didn’t take long to make out what was happening on this thankfully moonlit night. Perhaps twenty yards away, there were several larger shapes surrounding the barely noticeable much smaller form of another creature. The big quadrupeds engaged in some sort of sadistic game where they grabbed the small creature in their mouths and flung them high into the air in the direction of one of their mates who then attempted to catch the unfortunate thing, failing more often than not. I’m going to need a better view than this, curse my non-magical vision! Hmm, I may be growing too comfortable with magic and supernatural abilities. I shook the thought away as I quickly descended to ground level, the noise of my movement easily masked by the loud game of catch.

I moved quicker this time, forgoing stealth in favor of speed, certain the brutes were too engaged to notice him. After reaching some large rocks on the side of the hill maybe ten feet away, I got a clearer picture of events. Before me, arranged in the circle, were four bobcats. Three of them were grinning and laughing, which sounded more like wailing to his ears. The other one, currently holding its prize in its mouth while it swung it around with glee, growled deeply. The tiny lizard-like creature in its mouth screamed wildly, the sound resembling the lovechild of claws on a chalkboard and breaking glass.

No sir, ladies and gentlemen, this is something I cannot abide. I must act, but how? This poor creature doesn’t deserve this kind of torment. A plan began to form in my mind, but first I would need a distraction.

Before I could even finish the thought, one of the other cats seemingly took issue with the length of time the other was spending with their prize and moved to grab the other end of the cold-blooded chew-toy, attempting to wrest it away. The current lizard-holder did not apparently play well with others nor appreciate its peer’s point of view, for they doubled down on their grip and drew back possessively. It seemed the original feline remained in control of the small lizard as the two quickly separated.

I quickly realized that something about the group dynamic had changed, for the atmosphere went from playful torment to one of resentful anger. Each beast, now in control of half of their quarry, quickly realized that half of their quarry did not equal half of the fun and their newfound rage rose to express this. The two rival bobcats rushed each other, screaming in frustration. The other two, unhappy with the situation and determined not be left out, joined the fray. It was hard to discern individual cat forms as they quickly combined into a ball of teeth, claws, and fur. It did not last long, however, as soon the fight reached its climax and one of the animals burst from the pile and ran off to points unknown. The other three flew from the melee not long after and chased the other out into the night.

Waiting for the sounds of the chase to be out of earshot, I cautiously approached the scene of the carnage. Bracing myself for the signs of the blood and guts that I expected, I inspected the scene of the grisly incident and found . . . absolutely nothing. Other than the disturbed grass and weeds and occasional pawprint, there was no indication of the dismemberment I had witnessed only a few minutes prior. Most peculiar. Most peculiar, indeed. This would require further study.

Scurrying about, widening my search to the nearby area provided more information but only raised more questions. Within a few hundred feet of where I started, there were clear indications of other such encounters; some seemed as recent as the first, but others were barely noticeable as if some time had passed. All, however, lacked any sort of corpse or evidence of blood whatsoever. It occurs to me that this isn’t the first time this situation has played out. I wonder what this means?

With the immediate danger gone his road weariness reemerged, and drowsiness once again set in with its insistent nagging to be sated. I’ll get no more answers in this state, Yes, a good night’s sleep and some daylight would help me sort it all out. Somewhat reluctantly, I began staggering back to my makeshift nest.

Returning to the moss-covered rock under the protective bush, I struggled for a time to get comfortable, my body ready to give into sleep but my mind unwilling. Who knew my own world was so strange? And to think, this was only the first day on my own. I pondered the fate of the unfortunate soul who met an untimely end for quite some time, but eventually my brain gave in, and I drifted off to sleep.