You struck the squishy knob of tissue that must've been the creature’ nose. Flinching, the hairy beast reared back with a pained howl!
Grabbing fistfulls of grass, you tore off of the shrubbery! You tumbled off, scrambling to your feet as your chest heaved. Not far behind, the hulking pawbeats of the monster echoed the crunching of leaves under your own feet!
So disoriented, you didn’t even notice when the branch you grabbed to pivot splintered until you were sent flying through the air!
Protectively, you braced the wrist thick limb across your chest. Sick, green eyes glinting in the low light, the wolf beast pounced with a ferocious snarl, teeth poised for your neck!
Blind with fury, the beast tore at you! It couldn't comprehend why you went fettuccine under its massive claws. You wondered the same.
Peeling your eyes open, the gravity of your situation sank in; you were flat on your back with this hulking predator on top of you, only a branch keeping it from ripping into your most delicate tissues.
Then the roaring, the growling, the spit- it stopped.
Freezing mid frenzy, the beast stared at you as the rabid glint in its eyes softened, before flopping limp on top of you. Your chest could only heave so much under the weight. Warmth trickled down from its mouth, sopping into the shoulder of your shirt- blood.
Adrenaline saturated your brain so dense that when the Hound who’d discovered you peered into your field of vision, you barely registered the silver bullets she was fiddling with.
“You just baited a werewolf…” She snagged the creature by the scruff while gawking at you like you’d hung the moon. “Even the bravest of us don't have the guts for that!”
As if the presence of one attracted others, you were suddenly surrounded by a horde of eager, fascinated monster hunters!
“What happened?”
“The traveler killed a werewolf!”
“I didn’t-“ Your interjection was awash in the excited sea of chatter.
“Anyone with half an eye could see that!”
“And I have two very good eyes!”
With a tired sigh, you conceded, letting them hoist you to your feet by your arms like you were some hero. But the changing, and the jockylatory celebration, and the camaraderie… It kinda felt nice.
Chuckling shakily to yourself, you realized you’d enjoyed this monster hunting nonsense more than you thought you would.