The owl dove forward with all its speed, in a move that would be enough to end all but the most tenacious of opponents. Yet the monkey somehow managed to dodge, if barely. But this was good too.

  If it died too fast, how could it receive its proper due?

  The creature turned, about to run away, causing a brief jolt of eagerness: how the owl loved the chase. But it was a very short lived thrill, as the monkey threw the last remaining chick on its back.

  The owl faltered, expecting the little creature to fall off and to have to catch it, but it surprisingly clung onto the swellings in on its captor's back, and they were soon both getting away fast.

  The owl had thought it couldn't get any angrier.

  It had been mistaken.

  It darted after the fleeing creature, easily gaining on it in no time. In fact, it was just about to close-

  the monkey disappeared.

  The owl dug its feet onto the rocks to halt its rush, and looked around in confusion. Until a talon stumbled onto a void in the ground, that turned out to be an opening. There must be a cave down here, where the thing had disappeared into. One far too small to follow!

  Still, the owl was already digging furiously by the time it realized how pointless this was. What did it think, to upturn an entire cave? This rage was really clouding its mind... It should take a step back, and reevaluate before it risked-

  the monkey emerged from another tunnel some way off and any other thought than slaughtering scattered in the owl's mind.

  But infuriatingly, the thing disappeared again before it could close in. This time, the owl knew exactly what had happened, but that was no help.

  And this frustrating situation kept going on and on, the monkey running circles around it, taunting more and more with its detestable tunnels.

  And when it wasn't tunnels, it was trenches or boulders it disappeared behind. So very frustrating. Sometimes, it even disappeared out of thin air, which reminded the owl of another little critter that had made a fool of it long ago - about the same time its suffering had started. Maybe it had even been the very creature that had started it all? Maybe. Those moments were too clouded in its mind, but it could be.

  In any case, the similarity only compounded its frustration. That thing had managed to escape in the end!

  But this one wouldn't.

  It was trying to be smart too, judging by where they were headed: it must have known the owl hated leaving its territory. But if it thought that simply getting out of the nest would save it at this point, it was sorely mistaken.

  Not after daring to injure it. Not after taking a chick hostage. And it was probably responsible for the disappearance of the others.

  Of course it was. What else but it? Certainly not that useless firefly.

  It must also be the cause of the shortage of victims...

  Why do this?

  Was it some kind of ultimate tormentor? Was it in league with that critter? Were they responsible for its curse, the real reason why its chicks died and its nest was destroyed?

  Maybe they were even the ones that had guided it here... They must have sent the firefly to lure it in this horrible place! They must have.

  But this one would get all that it deserved. And soon.

  Trying to leave the nest was a mistake on its part: the owl had chosen it because the jagged terrain made it feel comfortable, but it also had the disadvantage of letting slippery creatures sneak in.

  Out here though, there were only so many spots to hide in. And the monkey, for however smart, wasn't fast enough. Quicker than most, maybe, but still painfully slow.

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  And the owl, even in its rage, started to learn to predict were the creature would emerge. Though the monkey still managed to slip out of its grasp, it was getting a closer and closer thing, every failed attempt leaving grazes deeper and deeper.

  Such shallow wounds would be nothing if left by any other, but the owl knew how to inflict pain like nothing else in the world, even with this little. They would build on each other until the victim couldn't even move. And soon, it would really catch the monkey and then...

  On that note...

  The monkey jumped in another tunnel, and by any reason it should emerge as far away as possible. But the owl had grown used to its unpredictability and waited for it over a much closer opening than-

  the monkey emerged right under it and found a talon ready. The thing twisted away with surprising speed, but the owl wouldn't fail this close, and grabbed firmly at one of its arms.

  The creature screamed and tried to wriggle out, reaching at its back to pull out and stab with its strange quills. But it was all useless. Such shallow wounds would heal easily, especially after the owl had its due.

  And it would exact until the very last drop.

  It could kill this thing any moment now, but the monkey didn't deserve the easy way out. After all it had done, the owl would make it feel pain.

  It started to squeeze down on the arm, taking in the cries of pain, relishing the sound of wrongs righted. But very careful not to go overboard: this one had only just started making amends, and it had so much more to give.

  The owl shook the creature up a little, to keep it aware and perceptive for-

  the monkey pulled off one of the swellings on its back and made a throwing motion. For some inscrutable reason, the owl preferred to let go and jump away from the object.

  The pustule hit the ground hard and burst out with an impossibly foul substance. Horrible like nothing else before. If that thing had touched its feathers...

  There truly was no limit to the wickedness of this one.

  The monkey was already running away, finally leaving the nest entirely.

  Despite everything, the owl hesitated at chasing after a creature that could produce something so disgusting and at leaving its territory, but with its chick-

  Where was the last chick!? There was nothing on the monkey's back anymore!!

  The owl cried out with all it had and darted in the sky, gliding after the creature and gaining ground quickly, about to explode with rage.

  There were plenty of available victims out here that it hadn't noticed when so focused on its quarry. It killed some each time it was forced to land, trying frantically to contain the bloodlust, but getting no relief, for they'd done nothing to deserve retribution.

  It needed that one. The monkey had gone too far. And it couldn't keep up for long.

  There. Standing still over a ledge, bent over and clearly depleted, the wicked thing was clearly done running.

  The owl didn't hesitate and darted forward.

  Somehow the creature still had the reserves and the gall to jump away, over the ledge, but the owl was right behind it, and in no time-

  There was no ground ahead.

  The being grabbed at the spike it had driven into the rock for this very situation, and stopped its fall.

  The owl recovered in no time, but was still unable to grab onto the edge or onto the being, though not for lack of terrifying trying. It righted itself and glided smoothly to the bottom of the gorge.

  Immediately, it turned around and darted towards the being, jumping upwards... But the wall was far too high even for this creature, and the being had smoothed it so much that there was no foothold. Better yet, the owl seemed to refuse to touch it directly in the first place. Even to it, the filth was too disgusting.

  Still, no matter how it knew rationally that it was safe, the being couldn't help but flinch back in fear.

  That had been far, far too close, especially there at the end. If it hadn't spent so much time scraping up all the excess filth from the ground and the walls, which only amounted to that paltry little, bag...

  And there went the last of the stuff.

  But at least its plan had gone well.

  The owl kept raging, slashing at the ground, throwing rocks and hurting itself. But no matter how much it kept rampaging, it truly seemed to be trapped.

  Still, the creature didn't feel like it was getting any weaker. Quite the opposite, actually. And any time it took a running start and tried to leap, the being couldn't help but panic, even though it kept falling way short.

  With all the stress, the low essence and the wounds that refused to close for some reason and that hurt far more than they should, the being decided it had earned some time to relax and recuperate.

  It found a nook to rest and decompress. Hopefully, by the time it was well again, there would be good news on the owl's front.