Life in the Shadow of the Monster.

Aryeh was not a giant hunter like other cats that once roamed this place. Or at least that's what he thought as he passed the sun bleached skeleton of an ancient hunter. It's skull was large enough to fit Aryeh's whole body within it, and it had only recently been exposed by the winds sweeping waves of sand across the desert.

Aryeh trudged on, the soft fur on his oversized paws being all that separated him from the scorching sand. Aryeh was a skilled hunter, bringing a kill home to his family on two out of three nights, this night had not been so fortunate. He listened for movement below the sand, he smelled for prey, he looked for disturbed sand. Being small with big ears was essential for surviving in the desert. Not just to hear the little prey in their burrows, but to shed heat and to survive on what little food and water there was. Aryeh needed little water and his prey even less, but all that was green and grew needed the holy stream and prey needed the plants and Aryeh needed prey.

Aryeh reflected on the tales his mother told him of the past. Of how this place was an oasis where all that is green grew rapidly and both prey and hunter lived long and grew big under the shade of enormous trees. These tales did not explain the raiders that Aryeh saw. These were strange creatures, as they were big with each of their two feet bigger than Aryeh and they stood towering. They brought their food with them, and struggled to survive the desert as they drank water greedily and seemed to bring all their food with them. They smelled of the hunter, but Aryeh found their food to be a mix of plant and prey, and the scraps of it he ate was filling. That was how they spotted him once, and they acted yet stranger when the emotions they gave out was as one would look at their own child. This only made them more frightening, as Aryeh could not understand their intentions, and struggled to keep his family hidden.

Aryeh still walked along, stopping at every brush and hill to look, listen, and smell. The breeze was not too hard tonight, allowing smells to travel far, and his walk home was bringing Aryeh up wind. Aryeh's soft and big paws left no print and made no sound. He may surprise his next meal.

Aryeh's wife Gebireh was probably getting hungry around now, and the kittens had not been weaned so she needed to eat well. Aryeh had once last chance to bring dinner before sleeping in the daylight hours. But wait, Aryeh heard something. A mouse digging a new burrow.

Aryeh approached slowly and looked for the entrance. He may need to dig into the burrow, but that would give the mouse the chance to escape. Aryeh saw the little opening, a small low hole in the shade to stay cool, and he blocked it. The mouse was still digging, and Aryeh smelled him and started expanded the hole.

The mouse swore, and said "You think you have the drop on me?"

Aryeh replied "I think so," and resumed digging.

"You don't think I have plans?" The mouse seemed more angry than afraid.

"Dude, I've got kids to feed. Nothing personal." Aryeh said without emotion.

The mouse called Aryeh a curse word again, and thought he saw his chance. Dashing through the opening and in one movement hopping over Aryeh's shoulder. Aryeh's paws were faster, catching the mouse midair and bring him down where Aryeh's teeth could sink into his arteries. After a minute of struggle, the mouse had become dinner. Aryeh carried the warm body in his teeth, the sweet test of blood in his mouth making him eager to bring home his prize.

Aryeh moved faster now, and there was not far to travel. It was always surprising what he found within smelling distance of his house as the desert could easily conceal anything big and small.

Aryeh's lurking place was an enormous stone formation that the desert did not make. Indeed, this was the burrow of unknown mighty creatures that lived in the days of the oasis, but now hid several of Aryeh's burrows and other desert creatures. This stone building stood out in the desert when it was not covered in sand, and there was a time during his mother's days when the hunters had to dig through much sand to enter the place.

The spot was ideal for burrows as not only did it have shade, but it was deeper than it was tall, and puddles formed by seasonal rain could sometimes last the whole dry season. Especially in the deepest place, where a tunnel of stone lead far away to the ancient river and brought water when it fell even now.

Aryeh entered through a narrow break in the stone. It was safer this way than through the giant's entrance. He entered the main area of the stone burrow, and looked at the figure in the center. It scared him.

This was the Monster that bore all the giant trees that use to grow here, who were here children. At least, that was the tale, and the tales all contradicted each other. Some say she was a devil that came to turn all creatures into hunters that would fight until there was nothing left to eat. Others said she was a tree that could move and eat flesh using her branches as tentacles.

However, all that Aryeh saw was an enormous, warped, blacked tree that this burrow was built around. It smelled both of the plant and of the hunter. There was a stone table in front of it, making Aryeh wonder if the stone burrow was built by the Monster or built to honor and preserve the Monster.

Perish those thoughts, Aryeh ran across the floor downstairs. A hole in the wall was the entrance to his burrow, and from there up into the sandy room than was his home. His burrow was just big enough for two hunters and all their kittens to lay down without disturbing each other, but since they usually snuggled together to sleep this was all the room they needed.

Gebireh was eager to taste rodent flesh, but she seemed more parched than usual.

"Have you not been out today?" Aryeh asked.

"No," she said "There are raiders." She spoke quickly as she was busily opening up a torso.

The news disturbed Aryeh, as he saw no traces of them when he got here. "How many?"

"There must have been at least two pride's worth from what I could hear just after the sun fell. I could hardly tell their footsteps apart."

Such a large formation of creatures was rare in the desert, much less of such exotic and dangerous hunters that could strike distant animals by waving their iron sticks in their hands. Gebireh and the kittens must have spent the entire time he was away in great fear.

Gebireh continued, but was still preoccupied with dinner "They left several hours after midnight. They were angry at each other."

Aryeh no longer had an appetite, he left and surveyed the grounds. Now he saw the tracks of the metal beast that smelled of ancient death. Of course, they both entered and left through the giant entrance, the only one they could fit through.

Aryeh returned, and found the food left for him. Gebireh had ate the lion's share, but left the tenderest bits for Aryeh and was nursing the kittens. They all went to sleep, as daylight brought the scorching sun and sight to giants who could not see in the dark.

They awoke before nightfall, and Aryeh watched the kittens as Gebireh went to get a drink of water before Aryeh went to work. Aryeh was in no hurry when she got back, as they were all still full, which is why he was still lingering at dusk when they heard the rumble of the metal beast bringing the raiders. They heard many giant feet impact the sand, and the whole family froze. Aryeh knew it was probably wise to remain hidden indefinitely, but knew he would need to escape eventually as these raiders were so irregular with their habits he did not know how long they'd linger above them. Aryeh resolved to defend his family as prey did, and offer himself up as a scout and distraction against Gebireh's better judgement.

Aryeh left, and put several feet distance between himself and the door to his house. Aryeh looked, listened, and smelled. He smelled the raiders, and they were the same hunters that came every season, except there were more this time and every raider he had ever smelled seemed represented. They smelled of the poisons they both breathed and ate, and the odor made Aryeh feel strange. One of the raiders appeared bound and could not move from a seated position. He smelled very afraid.

These raiders had brought everything they needed with them for a burrow, even their own light which they used to turn the stone burrow into a cool day while night surrounded them. These raiders spoke to each other of a ceremony and new blessings, and if it were not for the hostage Aryeh would have thought this was a wedding and union of two prides or something. They also did not like to look at or be near the ancient Monster.

Their work in making the stone burrow into their burrow continued, and after a time they finished and they ate in silence. After that they waited, saying nothing, as if waiting for prey to come. Was Aryeh that prey? Aryeh moved to a better hiding spot and looked, listened, and smelled.

When the night came near its deepest point, these men rose and formed a loose circle facing the Monster. The alpha of this group stood in the center, and addressed the Monster. Actually, he screamed in an attempt to imitate another creature. The strain in his voice and strange pitch of the squeal made that clear.

"Ai! Shub-Niggurath! Aiiii! Behold how your servants now!!! We have brought this unbeliever to make you whole. May you be hole and may your Young spread across this Earth! Take this feeble mind, and feed on his flesh!!! Ai! Aiii!!!!!"

The rest of the group joined in the screaming, and the hostage struggled in his bonds. Two of the raiders in the group, however, seemed just as surprised as Aryeh, and made a conspiracy with their eyes as they looked at each other. The screamers took the hostage and brought him to the stone table. The rebel raiders went outside and returned with an iron stick of the hunt, and Aryeh had seen enough.

Down Aryeh went, stumbling down stone steps much to big for him. He fell down on his face once, but kept running as raider voices argued and threatened each other. Then came the thunderclap that hurt Aryeh's little ears, and Aryeh knew the raiders had begun to hunt each other.

Stranger sounds were heard, as dried plants coming to life with water. All the raiders screamed in their own voices and were afraid. Something heavy moved, the ground shaking so that Aryeh wondered how a living thing could be as heavy as the Earth. A strange smell of a breathing creature came, and a wet noise of an animal making its first attempt to speak came.

The raiders continued to fight, and soon the two factions apparently had a winner and loser. Some fleeing with their feet across the desert, and the winners taking the metal beast.

Aryeh got to the bottom of the stone burrow and got inside the stone pool, and snuck a drink while there was momentary peace. He remained there for at least a half hour in the silence. Silent except for strange noises down the stone tunnel that went ever deeper. He thought the noises were like distant echoes of what he just heard, and wondered why he never explored down there. He knew why now, and was afraid of that hole in the wall, for it much be the burrow of some terrible and ancient creature.

When he was sure all was quiet, Aryeh ascended. The climb was slow and long, but hunter was very good at climbing with his claws. After much effort, he achieved the top, and saw the raiders did something they never did before: They left all the trappings of their burrow. The light they brought still shown, the packs were on the floor, and even an iron rod was left laying on the floor. Aryeh smelled raider blood, and saw it on the floor.

When he got a better view, he saw that one of the raiders had become prey. He lay on the stone table, and his bones were exposed and broken was all flesh but stray shreds were missing. Aryeh saw by the remaining clothes that this was the great alpha, and Aryeh wondered how their mightiest was the first to fall while so many others survived. Aryeh also wondered why the raiders would eat their own, as such sinful behavior could be nothing but the death of all raider prides.

Something more subtle but terrifying struck Aryeh. The Monster stood still, holding up the vaulted roof with its tree limbs. However, those limbs were not arranged as they were hours before. Aryeh thought his memory might have failed, but YES. The Monster had changed. There was now a root stretching near to the stairs that had not been there, and there was a hole in the roof where a branch had vacated it. But the Monster remained whole, there were no broken branches or markings upon it, and it seemed blacker and wetter than before despite no rain.

Aryeh ran back to his home to alert Gebireh that they were moving as soon as he could dig a suitable burrow. Gebireh did not understand all the noises she heard in the night, and Aryeh said the two prides had fought over a girl and had killed and eaten the losing bachelor. They must stay far away from the raiders.

This was the story that Aryeh stuck to for the rest of his life. Any alternatives were simply too terrible to consider.