Darkness aded his senses.  There was no light to speak of and yet it did not matter.  He smelled prey nearby and his eyes took in the terrain in stark contrasts: shades of black and gray.  The terrain appeared as dark masses in his sight and flickers of light color jumped in the distance.  Something was running.

                A low hiss escaped from his throat, ghosting past rows of serrated teeth, and he leaned forward from his standing pose to prowl on all four legs.  Behind him, his tail swung easily, keeping his balance perfect as he moved.  Curved talons clawed into the hard earth with each swift step and the distance between them diminished quickly.  Nostrils flared as the smell of sweat and pumping blood reached his senses, drawing him faster.  His small ears flicked to follow the sound of their panicked breathing, each running step a beacon to guide him better.

                “Go!” a shrill voice cried, stabbing at his sensitive ears.  One of the prey stopped and faced him.  The other hesitated behind the first.

                “Mother!  No!” a smaller voice cried, the words familiar but strange.

                The sounds didn’t matter.  Only the hunger in his belly and the prey before him.  He gathered his legs under him and jumped, flying through the air effortlessly.  His target raised its arm in a futile warding gesture before he landed on it, snarling viciously as he bore the creature to the ground.  Both preys screamed but the one beneath him struggled for a few heartbeats until he bit down, tail thrashing at his successful hunt.  The figure stilled as sweet, delicious liquid filled his mouth, warm and thrumming with fading life.

                Before he could dig in, something hit him in the side: a rock of some kind that bounced off his dark hide and rolled away.  It was enough to draw his attention and his large head swung around to focus on the other prey nearby.

                “Get off her you monster!” the small one cried, throwing another rock as its voice broke up.  The second projectile hit and pinged off his forehead, little more than an annoyance.  He growled low in the back of his throat and his prey cried out, falling to the ground when its feet seemed to stop working.

                Before he could move to finish the other prey off, a strange tingling sensation began in his mouth and he opened and closed his jaws, trying to make the feeling go away.  It didn’t work and the smell got into his nostrils, invading his senses and making him shake his head.  He stepped back, moving away from his prey, and pawed at his nose and mouth, trying to get rid of the unfamiliar sensation.  Nothing he did worked though and it continued to move inside, spreading with a tingling feeling all through his body.

                Confused, he backed away and keened, shaking his head.  The taste of blood on his tongue grew thick and nauseating.  His head ached and his belly clenched.  Lights sparked at the back of his eyes and his tongue lolled from his mouth while he hunched forward on all fours.  His prey tasted wrong.

                “Mother!” the other one cried, moving close to the first.

                His eyes focused and unfocused, blurring through contrasts while motes of strange color danced in his vision, bringing the monochrome world to life bit by bit.  He hacked and coughed, trying to get the taste out of his mouth.  It helped.  A little, but the unsettling feeling was still there.  In his gut, he knew he shouldn’t have killed that creature but he didn’t know why and he didn’t like it.

                Loudly, his jaws clacked together as he walked, pacing around the other prey… no.  It wasn’t prey anymore.  Strange bits of color washed over his eyes, giving the world a new view.  The thing was scrawny, huddled close to the prey he’d felled.  It was covered in strange fur that didn’t seem to be a part of it.  Especially because it had pale strands on top of its head that did.  And it smelled poorly.  Not like prey anymore, but unpleasant.  And it kept making that aggravating, pitiful sound.

                Perturbed, he laid his ears flat to try and reduce the noise, no longer hungry or inclined to hunt.  His dark eyes narrowed and he padded closer to the creature.  His tail swayed back and forth lazily, keeping him balanced once more as his center shifted with each step.

                Human.

                The word came to him uncalled for, but even as it arrived, it made sense.  He did not know this human, but he should not eat it.  Or the other one.  He knew.  The thought displeased him.  Earlier in the evening, he had only wanted food and now there was this.  Further annoyed, he snorted at the human and was amused by the panicked yelp he got in response.  Helpless thing.  It was a wonder it was still alive.  Clearly, it would need some sort of guidance.

                ‘Come,’ he barked, chuffing at the human intently.  He stood for a moment to be sure the thing understood him and exhaled in annoyance when it appeared to be dumb as it flinched away, hiding its face behind the dead creature.  His talons flexed into the hard dirt and he chomped his jaws again, feeling agitated by the lack of comprehension.  They could not stay here.  The fresh kill would draw others and while he could probably fight them off, the human was helpless.  Obviously.

                Wasting no more time, he drew close and reached out one clawed hand to carefully grasp the human with his long fingers.  It screamed and tried to lurch away, causing him to flex his hand.  Talons dug accidentally into frail flesh and he dropped the human, concerned he would hurt it more.  Panicked, it tried to crawl away again, making him further annoyed.  Turning around, he used his mostly flexible tail to wrap around the human, satisfied when it merely cried out in protest instead of pain.  That would work just fine.

                “No!  Let me go!  Mother!” it continued to yell, beating at his tail with puny fists.

                Like that was going to do anything.  Content with his solution, he lumbered off, slightly unbalanced with the human in his tail but otherwise functional.  He needed to find someplace safe for the night and then he could puzzle this mystery out further.  After that strange occurrence with the tingling in his mouth, the human at his back was now like kin instead of prey.  It was distinctly odd and annoying.  It needed protection for sure and he didn’t want to give it, but now he felt obligated.  Stupid…

                Which was also how he found himself settling down under a large rock where he carved out a hole for them to stay in.  Still hungry, he curled his tail close and sequestered the human on the inside of the cave, leaving himself to guard the entrance from any unforeseen predators that might come prowling.  They were out there: other creatures like him.  Crawling or walking along with their tails swinging behind, keeping them in perfect balance when they needed.  And he had been just like them.

                Only now he was different.  He felt different.  He thought different.  He saw things differently.  The weird color variations in his vision told him that.  And the fact that he couldn’t see as well in the dark now.  That was annoying.  And as he finally closed his dark colored eyes to the exterior world, he noticed that the surrounding area was particularly drab.  At least there wasn’t anything immediately nearby he would have to worry about.

                Byunghyun hiccupped uncontrollably.  He couldn’t stop the sobs that plagued his body or the fear that continued to hold sway over him while the monster that killed his mother was right there.  Even if it was sleeping, it still had her blood on its body and around its jaws.  And he was its prisoner, for whatever reason.  No way was he going to wait around for it to eat him when it felt like it.

                The tail was loose around his torso and he pushed it down carefully, forcing the pliant limb to unwind just enough for him to wriggle free.  His legs got stuck for a brief moment while he pushed outward with all his young strength, and then he flopped over the tail onto the hard, cold ground.  “Ow,” he whimpered, sitting up and pressing his back hard against the dirt wall.

                It was completely dark outside.  Whatever moonlight the orb might have offered was hidden behind some sort of cloud cover.  There was no rain coming but it was rare they saw any pure, natural light at any given time.  Regardless of that disability, Byunghyun knew he couldn’t stay there.

                Oh so carefully, he crawled on the ground, feeling his way with his hands at each awkward step.  Tiny rocks dug into his palms and he grit his teeth against the pain as they bit into his knees in turn.  The monster slept in front of him, the sound of his breathing unmistakable.  Byunghyun couldn’t see the rise and fall of its body but he knew by the heat radiating from it that the beast was right there.  He did everything in his power to avoid it too.

                Trying hard not to cry again, he bit down on his lip as he remembered his mother and how this damn thing had killed her.  They’d just been trying to get to another safe spot when they’d stayed too long in the open before true dark.  She’d been trying so hard to find a place for them.  But it hadn’t been enough.  Secure locations were few and far between and their lack of cover had been a death sentence.  She knew it and had tried to keep him from worrying, but it hadn’t mattered in the end.  Death had come for them anyway.  Only it carried him away instead.

                Stupid monster.

                As he crawled, his hand fell upon a short, sharp stick that was jutting from the earth.  Some sort of broken root it seemed.  His hands felt around the material and he could picture it in his mind.  With a harsh tug, it shifted in the dirt and he figured he might be able to jostle it free.  Taking several, shallow breaths, he braced himself and gave a mighty tug on the root, feeling the item shift ever so slightly.  Swallowing hard, he tried again and was rewarded with an improvised weapon in his shaking hands.  The tip was jagged and broken, but that was all he needed.

                Panting, Byunghyun his lips and edged closer to the monster, drawn by its body heat and breathing more than anything else.  His free hand waved in the air before him and he flinched when his palm brushed against a warm, smooth hide.  That was it!

                The monster snorted in its sleep and shifted once, tail brushing over the ground as it moved in reaction.  But it didn’t wake up.  Something small flapped nearby and he figured it might be the ears, but it was hard to say.  Gripping the jagged root in both hands, Byunghyun took several quick breaths again, trying to get himself ready.  If this didn’t work, he was probably going to be dead in an instant.  But even if he got around the beast, he’d be dead on his own.  Something else would find him and kill him and he’d be just like his mother.

                Tears pricked his eyes and Byunghyun shook his head, blinking them away.  It didn’t matter.  He was as good as dead anyway.  Sniffing once more and pulling the weapon back, he growled in the back of his throat and stabbed down blindly, hoping for some sort of success.  The rip of the root snagged on something, scraping against flesh before he felt the barrier give just a touch.

                Almost like it was alarm bell, the beast hissed and rose up.  Byunghyun couldn’t move away fast enough and he was shoved back by the moving body, his weapon torn from his hand.  The dirt wall caught him and he hid his head in his hands as he felt the monster turn, crying softly as he did so.  Warm breath washed over his body and he was certain this was the end.

                But death did not come for him.  The monster continued to hover and breathe, but it did not end his life.  Uncertainly, Byunghyun uncurled enough to get a glimpse of the outline looming over him.  The sight alone was terrifying, even if he couldn’t see it outright, but he was trapped and there was nowhere else to go so he looked.

                And as he stared, the beast shifted to look back at him.  Some pale glimmer of light hinted at the dark orbs staring at him and Byunghyun found himself transfixed.  He wasn’t hypnotized, no, but there was something in the eyes.  Something intelligent.  Something familiar.

                He flinched again when the monster snorted at him, blasting him with warm breath, but he didn’t fight when it laid down once more and drew him close with careful, clawed hands.  Byunghyun’s jaw chattered as the monster curled its tail near and further blockaded him in while the strangely humanoid arms held him close to the warm, smooth underbelly of the beast.  Crying softly, he tried his best to relax so that he wouldn’t further upset the monster, but he knew sleep would be a long time in coming.

                It was the unorthodox beginning of a very strange relationship.  Uneasy days passed first, with Byunghyun constantly trying to escape or kill the monster that held him captive.  And all the while, the beast merely reacted to defend itself or detain him.  It even protected him from other monsters that came, following his scent.

                When he managed to get free after the beast went hunting for other food, Byunghyun realized just how lost and helpless he was.  At nine years of age, he hadn’t been taught more than the basics of survival training, and that hardly helped when he knew everything in the dark could kill him with ease.  Furthermore, he had no idea of where he was or what he could eat beyond what the creature brought back for him.  Nothing human, fortunately, but his mind rebelled against eating anything that monster found.  Then again, it was better than nothing and infinitely superior to feeling like the hunted.

                His breath burned in his throat as he ran, eyes blind to the terrain and making his way by feel in the dark.  Dawn was almost upon them but there still wasn’t enough light to see by for his human eyes.  Not that his pursuer needed it.  And he knew it wasn’t the beast that killed his mother: it was another instead.

                Claws tore at the ground and a great huffing sound followed mercilessly.  Byunghyun knew he was dead.  There was no way to escape this one.  Just like his mother hadn’t been able to escape the last.  Unable to see, he tripped over something on the ground and his palms burned when they were ripped open by debris.  Byunghyun cried out and curled up preemptively, waiting for death to find him at last.

                It never came.

                With a shrill cry, another creature stampeded into the area and clashed with the other in midflight.  Their bodies thudded together with a painful sound and Byunghyun flinched, afraid to look.  The sounds of combat were terrible.  Ripping flesh and wet hisses overwhelmed him while claws tore through the ground.  The earth trembled and shook with their duel and he could do naught but huddle close and flinch at every new cry.

                Only when the eerie silence descended did he convince himself to look up carefully.  And with the encroaching light of dawn, he was able to see his captor come to glare at him balefully.  Fresh wounds marred the dark hide as it hunched over like a mutated humanoid, possessively guarding its kill.  The tail twitched behind it and Byunghyun gulped as the beast blinked at him once before it looked down upon the beast it had felled.  It opened its jaws wide and lunged down to take a bite of the still twitching flesh, teeth tearing into it easily.

                Byunghyun looked away reflexively but the sounds followed him.  Still, he couldn’t help but be slightly grateful that it was the other monster his strange protector was eating and not him.  When it was finished, he sat still and waited, listening for what the beast was going to do.  The hair on the back of his neck rose as he felt it stop behind him, warm breath hitting his shoulders and brushing past his bare cheeks.

                He sniffed and rubbed at watery eyes while he gathered the courage to look back.  The monster was a mere foot away and in the poor light of the morning, he could make it out easily, perched on all fours this time.  A broad, lizard-like head rested level with him.  Large, dark eyes more akin to a human’s peered back while small nostrils flared with each breath.  Dusky, gray skin ran smooth in some places and turned rough with scales and craggy patches in others, giving it a strangely mixed appearance.

                Byunghyun flinched when the monster leaned forward to nudge him with the still bloody nose.  “I don’t know what you want from me,” he whispered, getting up slowly and backing away a touch with his arms wrapped across his torso.  The monster huffed once and stood upright, his back hunched over so that he was still low to the ground, but even then, he rose a couple feet taller than Byunghyun.

                The monster reached down with careful, bloody talons and picked Byunghyun up.  He was surprisingly gentle as he held him close and looked around.  On the horizon, a glimmer of light filtered through the clouds and touched the ground with brief radiance.  Rocky terrain greeted them.  And at their feet, the messy remains of the previous monster.  Byunghyun swallowed the nausea that threatened and looked away from the torn carcass, casting uncertain glances at his erse protector.

                As they moved along, swaying from side to side in the awkward gate of the upright beast, Byunghyun rested his hands atop the monster’s.  “Okay.  If you’re not going to kill me or let me be killed…”  He shook his head at that, finding it incredibly strange.  “Then I might as well call you something other than… what you are,” he frowned, casting another uncertain look up.  It almost seemed as if the creature could understand him.  The thought unnerved Byunghyun and he shook his head before he nodded once.  “You can be Daniel.  I didn’t like him and I don’t like you,” he pointed back, glaring at their surroundings.

                If he didn’t know better, he could have sworn the monster – Daniel – snorted at him.  But he didn’t ask and he didn’t really care.  He was still a prisoner, even if it was because the beastie was keeping him alive.  And so Byunghyun stopped trying to run away.  It was more dangerous to flee and at least when he was with Daniel, he was marginally safe, even if he still hated the murderous monster.

                Days turned into weeks.  Weeks turned into months.  And months turned into years as they stayed together.  Sometimes, humans appeared on the horizon but Daniel never let them get close.  They occasionally veered near heavily guarded human settlements, or outran scouting patrols when they needed, though again, Daniel kept them separated.  While he didn’t allow any humans to come close, neither did he let other monsters interfere.  Above all, he kept Byunghyun safe from the creatures that ruled the night, even at his own expense.

                And yet, the more time they spent together, the less monstrous he began to appear.  Because there was no one else to talk to, Byunghyun spoke with Daniel and sometimes, it seemed as if he tried to answer back.  Not in words exactly, but with head shakes and nods, hand gestures and body language; clearly they understood each other.  What was more, during the pale light of day, Byunghyun could see that Daniel was losing size, little by little.  As time went on, he struggled more with the fights they often encountered in the dark hours of the night.  And yet, even as his physical form changed, Byunghyun could see a change in his mind as well.  His eyes had always reflected a strange intelligence, but more and more, they showed emotion and… maybe, a soul.

                Daniel had long since stopped being a monster in Byunghyun’s eyes, but was it possible there was more to him than being a simple, strangely attached predator?