Erodicilee growled as he squared off against the gray-furred creature he`d found asleep at the end of the tunnel he`d taken as refuge.

　　The beast startled awake as he stumbled into the cavern, screeching and baring its teeth. Its black eyes watched him warily as its whiskers twitched. Even over this enemy`s complaints, he could still hear the barking of the ambushers above, accompanied by the growl of their beast.

　　He sniffed, and his stomach growled as he took in the scent of the nearby meat. His leg throbbed, the limb still weaker than the rest. Before he could decide to attack, his opponent chose for him. Mouth open, the creature charged. A stumbling hop to the left got him partially clear, but the creature clamped its teeth around a group of fur.

　　It bit and chewed, but a strange silver sheen ran through the strands, and its teeth failed to pierce his delicate skin. With his opponent distracted, he reached out and raked his small claws across its side. They did little, but the beast moved away as a clump of gray fur hit the ground.

　　The creature screeched and turned, presenting its rear before kicking out with back legs decked with long, curved claws. They racked, the silver shimmer returning to stop the slash, but the sheer force of the blow knocked him back. He rolled across the ground, scrambling to his paws in time to see the beast advancing toward him, rear first.

　　Erodicilee barked and slashed out again. His claws failed to penetrate, and the creature forced him to retreat, backing him into the wall. The beast got closer, his back legs kicking out, and so he ran the only way he could—upwards.

　　Dirt shifted beneath his paws as he stuck to the wall, watching as the beast backed into the spot he`d vacated. Another slash, this time seeming a touch more successful. His attack earned him a painful screech, and the counterattack forced him to retreat onto the ceiling.

　　He hung from there, watching as his opponent contorted, trying to bite and scratch at him. Because of his positioning, the attacks were slow and awkward, making them easy to dodge.

　　The scent of fear entered his nose as he continued dodging. It made his stomach growl and his instincts sing. He was the predator here, and this beast would fall and grant him strength. Perhaps enough to avenge his mommy.

　　The idea of watching that first ambusher sitting below him came to him. His fear would be stronger and more potent, similar to his mommy`s yellow companion. Even his device wouldn`t save him.

　　That would come later, however. The screeching meat below him required dealing with. His instincts sang as his fur wound itself together, lengthening as he waited. It didn`t take long. The beast dropped to all fours, painting with exertion, and Erodicilee let himself drop.

　　Pink fur strands constricted the creature`s middle as he landed, sinking his teeth into the back of the creature`s neck. The warm sensation flooding his mouth made his insides sing, and he craved more.

　　Squeals signaled the creature`s rage and pain, and soon the world shifted as it smashed butt first into walls. He held up, his fur continuing to circle as he bit more and more. A jerk of his head ripped an ear off, and he swallowed it whole. That awarded him an even more vicious squeal, and his meal`s tactics changed.

　　It swerved, charging towards the narrower cave entrance. Erodicilee leapt off, being pulled along the ground. His toughened fur kept the worst of the small rocks from cutting him as the panicked beast dragged him along. He could smell the fear overwhelming his senses. The growl of his stomach sounded louder than ever in the confined space.

　　Then he heard the other sounds, the ones he`d forgotten. The ambushers` barking sounded louder and more frantic. Their beast roared, but the wombat didn`t appear to care as it dragged him onward. Erodicilee panicked. His opponent would kill them both. No, he couldn`t allow that. Not when his mommy remained in danger.

　　In desperation, he stuck out his feet and braced them against the walls. His new sticking ability fought against the creature`s relentless pull. They slowed, and his strands stretched tight. He yelped, and more strands twisted and wrapped around his opponent`s back legs.

　　His legs strained, and he continued to yelp and growl as he attempted to drag himself back. A strand snapped, then another, but he ignored them. He refused to be brought to the surface. They wouldn`t take him or his future strength.

　　An ambusher`s shrill scream filled the air. Erodicilee threw all his meager strength into the action as the wombat continued to struggle. However, its power lessened, and he dragged it backward. Inch by inch, he managed until he`d brought it back into the cavern.

　　It fought, shrieking and kicking dirt into his face, but he ignored it. Any pain it caused him, its own flesh would fix. All he needed to do was get it into a place where he could feast. When he reached the center of the cavern, he circled the creature coming in from the side.

　　That sealed its doom.

　　The explosion of instincts ran through him, and the heat focused on his paws. He whined, scratching them on the dirt even as he learned to tunnel. A happy yip filled him as he turned to a wall and struck.

　　In tandem, his fur and claws moved the earth to create the tunnel. He needed to get away and escape from the ambushers who waited for his return. While he didn`t know where to go exactly, he knew what he wanted.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

　　More prey.

　　More opportunities to advance.

　　More meat.

　　Although he`d recently eaten, his stomach growled. He sniffed, and the overwhelming stench of dirt filled his nose. His ears twitched, and he continued to tunnel onwards, his fur writing and acting as support as dirt collapsed in behind him.

　　As the air grew stale, he dug faster to escape the ambushers. After all, it would be far easier to hunt in peace.

　　***

　　His plan to hunt didn`t proceed as smoothly as he wanted.

　　After what he concluded was enough time to be out of range of the ambushers, Erodicilee dug upward and emerged into the fresh air once again. Briefly, he sat and enjoyed his renewed ability to smell. Dirt, plant life, and smaller creatures all jumbled together in his senses.

　　He yipped in excitement, his ears flicking as he searched for something bigger. A meal that would allow him to grow truly strong. None made themselves known.

　　When he continued to sense nothing, he hopped onto his feet and ambled forward. His leg no longer felt weak, and the few scrapes and bruises he`d gained had long vanished.

　　The sun moved across the sky, and he started searching for water. He found a few small pools, and he drank his fill. In one, he cleaned himself, getting the sticky red substance off his fur after it started itching.

　　Other creatures avoided him, including small-scale beasts and more of the black spots fleeing as he neared. Even his stay-still and wait plan didn`t entice them. A growl escaped his throat, though his annoyance faded as he smelled something unique in the breeze.

　　A new creature. His stomach growled, and he started in its direction. Greed filled him, though tempered with caution. While it was far away, he could act without care; close, however, he would go slow. He still remembered the bitey log and its trick.

　　He should start using that tactic himself.

　　The smell grew stronger the more he walked, and he realized it wasn`t a singular creature. Multiples of the same beast congregated together, causing the overwhelming stench.

　　Drool escaped his mouth, and he crept closer. He heard them as they yipped, barked, and growled. Their combined scents were hard to read, and he found it difficult to sense any individual`s emotional state. With light footsteps, he shuffled forward before he paused next to a large rock.

　　He quickly jumped, running up the side and peering over the top. What he saw made him pause and reconsider, even as his stomach growled at the banquet before him.

　　Creatures with four legs, pointed ears, and muzzles lounged in a small group by the edge of a cliff. Their dusty yellow-red fur blending into the dirt made it hard to judge their exact numbers. Not that he needed to.

　　The pack contained far too many of the predators for him to charge in head first. Instead, he studied them. His mind was racing as he tried to concoct the best approach to picking them off.

　　No other rocks or obstacles covered the area between his hiding spot and their location. That meant they`d spot him if he attempted to charge. His rumbling stomach made it harder to think, but he forced himself to concentrate.

　　As the sun dipped further towards the horizon, some beasts yawned while others looked more alert. Each group huddled together, barking and growling, and that was when he saw it.

　　A beast with silver sections to its fur sat on the outskirts of the awake group. The others ignored it, one growling when it got too close. Erodicilee focused on it, trying to pick its scent out from amongst the crowd. There was a touch of fear and weakness there.

　　It didn`t smell as appealing as the others, but he felt far more confident about overpowering it than the rest of the pack. A plan formed as he climbed off the rock. Dirt flew into the air, and he vanished beneath the ground. He could hear the beasts stir, but he ignored them.

　　All he wanted was one, and he had the perfect idea how to get it.

　　***

　　The pack of beasts let him know they knew of his presence as soon as he exited his cave in a shower of dirt that rained onto the earth far below.

　　They barked and snarled muzzles over the cliff`s edge as small stones tumbled past. Erodicilee remained at the end of his cave, occasionally peeking out. He noticed his target with them, leaning a touch further than the others. It whined, sounding more frightened than angry, as though begging him to leave.

　　His stomach rumbled.

　　With a growl of his own, he clung to the side of his tunnel, scrambling to the cliff side. Stones fell, pebbles kicked off by the beasts on top and their aggressive movements. He did his best to dodge, but some rained down. One cracked his head, and he fell, blinking green liquid out of his eyes before catching himself. A bark of pain and anger left his mouth. They wanted to fight him? Fine!

　　As fast as he could, he raced up the side of the cliff, dodging more rocks. The beast`s barking filled the air, but he ignored it as he twisted his fur together. He needed to grab his prey and retreat to the hole he`d dug. Once there, he could consume and heal, and then repeat until none remained.

　　The sun dipped lower, and his visibility faltered. He whined. That would mean he`d get only one shot at this tonight. When his strands felt sufficiently twisted and he nearly reached the top, he let them loose.

　　They shot up, grabbing his prey and dragging him forward—success!

　　His elation turned to panic as the beast tumbled off the side. Its weight jerked at him, and for a moment, he strained to keep it airborne. The creature barked and flailed, and like his previous opponent, he found himself dragged from the wall.

　　A yelp escaped his throat, and he made a split-second decision to abandon his meal. Barks and thuds rang out as he watched the corpse fall to the ground. Tendrils that used to hold his prey lashed towards the wall. His feet thumped against the surface, and he whipped before darting into his hole to hide.

　　Overhead, he heard the pack yelping and running. He curled up, shivering in anger and fear. His meal lay ruined somewhere far below and too dead to interest him, and the others hadn`t stuck around.

　　He whined as he let himself drift off. Tomorrow, he would hunt down the pack and devise a new strategy. Come what may, he was going to find out if they tasted as delicious as they smelled.

　　Progression: Evolutions

　　360 Vision (Flies)

　　Sticky Feet (Flies)

　　Limb Regeneration (Lizard)

　　Gills (Fish)

　　Scaled Fur (Fish)

　　Digging (Wombat)