Snippet #2472155

A great joy overcame Nuru the second the woman and her horse crossed into the grasslands. Most would assume you would ditch your stalker, but such as not the case. As a Chethume, a human with cheetah qualities and features, Nuru was born to rule this terrain. As much as he loved the leafy canopy of the forest, he preferred the savanna. There was just something about it that really made him come alive. He could almost taste the freedom on the wind that road up from the dancing golden grass.

Once he sprung from the trees, he immediately shifted so that he could prowl along on all fours. It was a tad awkward at first, but this hunkered down position soon became second nature to him. Within no time, his front paws (hands) were silently snaking along the ground, carrying the rest of his body with them. Within no time, he could pounce on them and take them out.

Sadly, such was not the case. Dapple's perspicuous presentation alerted Nuru to his own quickness. He was far too hasty and seemed to have spooked the horse, or so he presumed with its jolt of energy in the direction opposite Nuru's location. To combat this, Nuru went about stalking in a more roundabout manner. He no longer followed directly behind the pair, instead, he ran parallel to them. It was hard to not pass the pair for no horse could ever match his speed, it was just the nature of the cheetah. Granted, Dapple could long outrun the Cheth, but where could the horse run that would really put much space between it and the cat? He wambled some, finding fatigue and hunger were starting to take its toll on him. With this new found data up front, Nuru knew he couldn't continue hunting these two like prey. No, he would need to change his tact yet again. Perhaps approach as a traveler, like them?

He came to a dead stop. Reeling back onto the balls of his feet, he let his knees push into the earth before him. His body was still tucked toward the ground, but his eyes and ears remained just above the thicker blades of the grass. From this position, he could watch the two find a snack just at the mouth of the city. Ears shifting to and fro, he tried to listen to the earth around him. He could hear the sounds of metal on metal as a mighty battle was had out in the streets of Girau. Not far from his left scurried a field mouse who was in search of the grain that the grass had produced. In that same tree where Dapple and Ana snacked, a crow ruffled its feathers and cawed before taking to the sky.

Cat-like instincts kicked in. He didn't even have a chance to register what he was doing. Before he knew it, his sleek body was busting out of the grass and flying toward the black bird that was passing above him. Forearm swinging forward, his claws latched into the spine of the bird. Pulling it down, the bird tried to fight, but Nuru's massive jaw clenched the sprawled feathers of the bird's wing. It squawked, alerting those in the area to its death. If luck was on his side, horse and rider missed his successful bird catch as they were blazing ahead toward the city, a cloud of dust and smoke being the only left behind.

Mouth painted red with the blood of the crow, the feline happily went to work mauling the bird. His constitution was top-notch, allowing him to eat raw meat. He left no part of the bird behind, save for the hard beak and its gnawed feet. Of course, feathers remained too, as a reminder of his successful hunt.

Licking his chops, he saw that the girl was already within range of the city's gates. Within minutes, she would enter the distraught city before her. Nuru's tongue lapped over his gums again, whisking away the last remains of the bird's liquid. Smacking, he found a bone at his feet that hadn't been dealt with. Popping it into his mouth, he blissfully bit into it. The sound of bone snapping was followed by a crewing, grazing sound. Moments later, a swallow. Again, his tongue cleaned up his mess, even licking away at his soiled paws this time. Satisfied with the light meal, he was ready to race forward again. Easing into it, Nuru zipped ahead. He soon became a blur against the golden field of grass and flowers. In no time, he too would be gawking up at the once great city of Girau.