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>> TRANSLATED FROM NATIVE H'RAH LANGUAGE

>> MAY CONTAIN TRANSLATION ARTIFACTS

That day I had many problems, but most of those problems started when I was banished.

H'Rahs are pack creatures. We use our numbers to ambush plant-eaters, even larger predators if there are enough of us. Even our strongest fighters rarely brought down a kill alone. Banishment, if you could not find allies, was a death sentence by starvation. I had no allies.

Hunger left me cold, constantly tired, and desperate, but still my pride kept me from sources of false nutrition like those banished before me. While plants were sometimes used to preserve or flavor our meat, using them as a source of nutrition was deeply taboo. During the day, I sought out small creatures I could rarely capture, and carrion. During the night, I hid from those more dangerous than me--a list that was growing--and attempted sleep. This night was no exception. I lay hidden, exhausted, deep in the tall plants and the undergrowth like the scared fool I was.

Then I heard movement from something large. It was not stealthy like some of those I once called my own, decayed plant being crushed and snapped beneath it. When I stood to see its heat, I was convinced my vision was deceiving me. It appeared as though it floated above the ground, its limbs the same temperature as the dirt around it. The darkness made it indistinct, with a pair of menacing eyes that glowed like fire. I could not make out its true shape.

I presumed safety in the undergrowth, and kept watching as its heat wandered across the land. It stopped moving frequently, absolutely still. On one such pause, I saw something truly strange. A light, dazzling as the Star, projected out of the creature, frying the ground it hit. It illuminated the beast, revealing its features.

It stood tall on four limbs, its head an unnatural shape. Its skin was grey and black like night, yet somehow as sleek as water. And it had no hair or spikes, only occasional stubby black sticks pointing from its ears should be and its back, as though impaled. This beast made no sense to me.

"What are you?" I whispered to myself, straining my eyes to see more. Instantly, the creature's eyes bore straight in my direction. More intense light emanated from it, this time pointed at me. Nearly blinded, I was unable to make my legs move me away.

But it did not suffer from this lack of clarity. With astounding speed, it crossed the rocks separating us and stood well above my terrified body. Its light was still overpowering.

I was ashamed to not try to fight back as it lowered its head to me. Hunger left me without hope. I knew my death would soon find me one way or another, though I could not have imagined this.

In a final act of bravery, I looked the beast in the face, only wishing to see how it ended my life.

But of course, it did not kill me. For the longest time, it only stared back, those bizarre eyes changing colors and even shapes. Stranger still, it did not appear to have a mouth, only eyes and lights and glossy surfaces. I dared not move, fearing how it would react.

Then its head moved. It peered at me at different angles, remaining close enough to feel it make the air move in the calm night. My fur stood on end.

Returning in front of me, it stopped. In a voice not unlike my own, it said:

"What are you?"