And suddenly I was no longer alone.

The weight of the gryphon egg clung to me, tiny egg wrapped in the cautious embrace of prairie grasses and gathered lichen, the net clasped fiercely between opalescent teeth. Steps are tender and gradual as I make my way towards the foothills; I fear staying in the Steppe with my small prize, for the egg doubtless needs warmth to survive. I wish Merakerr were here, to teach me how I should care for her kin.

Gingerly, I lowered the little basket into a pocket of tall grass, keeping a vigilant eye upon the unhatched child even as I surveyed the area. At the base of a great oak, grass rustled; twin peaks shot forward eagerly, bright eyes capturing the flicker of soft brown ears above the ragged foliage. In a smooth movement, I threw myself forward, dark hooves thundering against the dry loam, fierce and deadly should they connect with a tender skull. While the idea of killing creatures was not one that came naturally to me, the circle of life could not be stopped. I was responsible for a predator, now, and so I would find my prey.

The rabbit escapes, unfortunately for it; all it has gained are a few minutes of agony before dying, either by my hooves or just due to its injuries. And so I pursue it as it hobbles off brokenly, lashing out with dark hooves and aiming a solid blow towards the retreating rodent. The crack of its leg breaking beneath me had awoken within a blood lust previously unknown, a fierce realization that it would be my responsibility to feed and care for this child, until it could fend for itself.

As the roar of power recedes from my mind, a rustle of sound is caught. Head snaps up, eyes immediately searching out the nest where I left the gryphon egg. For a moment, the sight that met me was confusing, and I wondered if the father had come back for his child. But this gryphon was larger, and bore a pattern unlike that of the father. A bright smile broke across my face as I recognized Merakerr, and a sigh of relief escaped my lungs. "Merakerr!" I cry back to the hybrid, pleased to see my friend once more, especially now.

"It seems you have a habit for finding me in my times of need," I state wryly, letting my eyes drift towards the unhatched chick. "I have so little idea of what I am doing." I am not afraid to show her my uncertainty, my hope and amusement - she has seen me at my worst already. I do not expect any worse judgement than what she has already made.

I remember the rabbit, and turn back to see if I have succeeded in felling my prey. I have so many questions for Merakerr, but they can come in the breaks of my hunting.

The rabbit has fallen, and I wish its spirit well on whatever adventures it might encounter in whatever afterlife rabbits have. As I reached down to grasp the limp body between ivory teeth, a flicker of movement caught my attention; still spurred by an oddly predatory instinct, I lashed out, poised to bite down on the fleeing lizard, a fierce snarl seeping out from between opalescent dentiles.

Its body snaps under the pressure of my jaw, the life drained from it instantly. A feeling of shock pierces my odd bloodlust, the taste of death strong and foul in my mouth. Life has fallen, breath has ended, and I brought it about. It is not the place for an animal of prey to bring about death, and yet I know that I will have to kill again, before this egg has hatched.

Jaws slide around the felled beasts, the tangy copper of blood rolling across my tongue as a stark reminded of my actions. Somehow, I feel a strange calm against the upset of reason, a numbly mechanical and instinctual sense of purpose. Merakerr offers assistant, and before I can respond she has risen into the air, wings beating purposefully, graceful body thrown high into the evening sky. Eyes remain locked on her as I return to the egg, fascinated by the fluidity and strength to her elegant motions. She dives and vanishes, leaving me with a wistful expression; sighing softly at her natural talent, I turn to drop the felled animals near the unhatched gryphon, wondering how my hatching would appear.

The crunch of footfalls distracted me from my pondering; arcing my neck, I noted at the edge of a clearing an odd creature who appeared completely undisturbed by the odd goings-on of gryphon and horse. The creature, which I did not know was called a nutria, seemed to be busily hunting for some dinner.

Unfortunately for it, so was I.

I snuck around behind the beast, no doubt a harmless visitor to the large rodent. Three paces from it, I suddenly tighten my hindquarters; dark legs release, propelling me towards it, and I rear up above its head before bringing my weight down against the smaller creature, solid hooves seeking to slam into the mongrel's spine.

I drag the nutria back by its tail, retreating to avoid snapping the brittle tail, the plump rodent leaving a vague indentation in the grass. The carcass is deposited among its fellows, and I sigh deeply, growing weary of this chase. The frightening bloodlust which earlier overwhelmed me had died down into a dead calm; turning my back on the egg, I trudged off towards the edge of the woods, determined, if not excited, to finish what I had begun.

The musky odour of snake scales, coupled with an all-too-familiar hissing noise, forced my awareness into a heightened state. Swinging ebon skull to survey the perimeter, I alighted on the source of the sound: a blue and white creature, nearly as long as I, slunk through the dried clearing directly towards where my egg sat. No. Nimble and quick as a shadow, I pivoted and leapt at the invading kingsnake, ears laid back and nostrils contorted into a cruel snarl. Large black hooves fell again and again in an attempt to fell the beast; a kick thrown backwards as my momentum carried me past the thing. Throwing my weight into a halt, I quickly spun around to survey the damage, cursing myself for letting the snake get anywhere close to the unborn kit.