Chapter Text
Ever since he was small, Pursuer has always dreamed of having a cool sword. But now that he’s being hunted merely for existing, he can’t chase that dream.
He’s still hungry, so he’s prowling around, trying to find some unfortunate human to eat. Knowing how many humans enter this forest and don’t return, he’ll find another human somewhere.
And that’s when he comes across a human with a sword! A very shiny sword! He wants that sword, and as a plus, this human looks tasty!
He wastes no time in ripping into the human, devouring as much of it as he can before it spoils, and then stealing the sword. The sword isn’t too light or too heavy, it’s a decent length, and it’s shiny.
In Pursuer’s eyes, it’s the most perfect thing he’s ever seen. For a moment, the constant fear and paranoia melts away as he stares at the blade in his claws.
But he realises that he has nowhere to put his new sword. Perhaps that’s what the leather strap on the human’s body is for—to hold the sword.
Surprisingly, the strap fits Pursuer quite nicely, sitting snuggly around his body. He tucks the sword into the pocket where it’s meant to sit, and continues on his way.
[…]
As Pursuer nears the border between the forest and the city, he catches sight of a poster pinned to a tree.
In the top left of the poster is a photo of a human. One side of their face is white, and the other is black. Their outfit is a bit silly—a top hat, shirt, vest, pants and a bow tie make up the human’s outfit.
There are words on the poster, but he doesn’t understand much of them—though one word does catch his eye.
”Artful”.
He huffs curiously at the word, quickly figuring out that “Artful” must be the name of the human on this poster.
Despite how silly they look, Pursuer is intrigued by this human. They look different from the other humans, so perhaps their personality is different too.
After quite a while of searching, he finally finds “Artful”. They look exactly like they do in their poster!
He grumbles happily as he approaches Artful, who shrinks away from him. A strong scent hits his nose—floral and chemically rich—causing him to sneeze.
“Mon dieu…” Artful mutters under his breath.
Pursuer responds with a playful growl. He already likes this guy! He speaks in funny words, and he doesn’t seem scared of him unlike most other humans are.
He attempts to say hello, but it comes out as more of a growl than an actual word. He knows that Artful likely won’t taste nice due to the makeup and perfume, so he doesn’t even try to eat him.
“Hrnghh…he-ll-o…Purzuer iz me…mnghh…” He manages to growl out.
Meanwhile, Artful looks utterly lost and confused. He has no idea what Pursuer is, or what he wants. At the moment, Pursuer doesn’t seem dangerous.
The picture on the poster in his hands is greatly exaggerated—Pursuer looks nothing like what he’s depicted as. Knowing the Government, they probably disturbed him from his sleep, which is likely what caused him to go on a rampage.
To Artful, that’s quite a reasonable and valid crashout. He wouldn’t appreciate waking up to guns pointed at his head either.
“Ah…it is a pleasure to meet you, Pursuer. I am Artful.” The magician replies after a minute of hesitation.
Pursuer huffs lightly at Artful’s response—quietly deciding that Artful is his new companion.
Artful, ever the charmer, does a small magic trick—he makes a flower crown appear on Pursuer’s head, which makes the latter let out an odd sound that sounds somewhere between a laugh and a growl.
If Artful’s showing off, perhaps he should show off too! He grabs his harmonica out of his neck fluff, dusts it off, and starts to play a random tune. He even does a strange little dance as he plays the small instrument.
Artful giggles warmly at Pursuer’s silly display. Gee, he really doesn’t seem like the “dangerous predator” everyone else is so worried about.
He seems more like an overgrown child in all honesty. He doesn’t seem scary at all.
Just as Pursuer is starting to feel comfortable, the sound of angry humans shouting spooks him. Instinctively, he goes invisible, hoping that the humans don’t notice him.
Wait.
He dropped his harmonica. The item he’s the most attached to.
One of the humans picks up the harmonica, and claims it as their own.
No.
That’s his harmonica. He claimed it way before that human did. He growls lowly before launching at the humans.
He rips them all apart—arms torn off, legs as well. Every inch of skin covered in deep gashes, deep enough that the bones show clearly. Bellies split open, entrails hanging out like cursed streamers.
The white fur on his head is drenched with blood, to the point that it’s dripping from his cheeks.
Artful, who had ducked behind a tree, looks horrified—but he can understand. As far as he’s aware, creatures like Pursuer don’t willingly attack humans for no reason.
Usually, they keep to themselves, as they’re solitary creatures.
So, therefore, the Government must’ve sent people to kill Pursuer, which would explain why he reacted so violently towards these unfortunate soldiers.
Nonetheless, Pursuer goes back to playing his harmonica, continuing his silly dance.