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All he ever had was that gun for defense.
Thats what he was thinking of now, after being lost in these god forsaken woods for so long. Also after thinking of ways on perhaps how to get back on track, after fully realizing that he was completely lost, and after noting to himself he was probably gonna be in this place longer than he anticipated and that if any danger came at him, all he'd have was a gun.
It was getting dark, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't absolutely terrified right now.. all he wanted to do was deliver some things to a relative of his across the forest yet unfortunately enough he happened to lose track of the path he was walking along and now he was stuck wondering if he'd passed this certain tree more than once now..
Ah, what was he going to eat? Where is he going to sleep? What was he gonna do?? Miyabi only sighed at the thoughts, digging his face in his hand as he'd ponder over and over again while walking around in circles. He was always at peace around plants or nature yet he was in clear panic as of the moment.
He'd stare at the gun. A gun he's never used before, a gun that his grandfather simply handed over to him and telling him to use it when he's in serious danger. He'd laugh, as if he'd even have the guts to shoot something or someone…
Yet his grandfather sounded serious. Because recently it's said that some supposedly imprisoned beastman has escaped and is out on a hunt.
…As if he'd be so unlucky as to randomly come across a criminal in a big forest. He shook away the thought, simply absurd and though possible it was extremely unlikely to happen..
Then he heard a noise.
He reflexively put a hand on the revolver hung on his belt, looking around for wherever the hell that noise came from. An animal? Most likely, he's dealt with them before so he didn't exactly see that all too worrying. Perhaps a deer trailing around, maybe a bird to it's nest, or perhaps if he was really unlucky enough then a predator looking for food?..
Ah, then he heard the voice.
"Hey, are you supposed to be around here?"
Now hearing it much clearer he turned around to see, as expected, a man. He was way too in shock and in fear to study his appearance first and the first thing he thought about was what to say.
"I was, uh, on my way to a relatives house. The town near this forest?" Miyabi smiled, clearly nervous by the way his hand trembled holding the sling of his bag, and the way he crouched down his back. The man smiled.
"Ah? I actually know how to get there. Very familiar with this forest, really. You wanna follow me?"
He sighed of relief yet at the same time something in the back of his head told him no. He wasn't stupid enough to follow a random stranger in the woods, yet alone a guy who looks like… that. This guy had a bunch of bandages around his neck, and on his arms though slightly hidden in his sleeves…
A pair of ears on his head too.
And a nice, fluffy tail behind him.
Ah, let's not forget that fanged smile…
The grip on his bag grew tighter and he only stared, more terrified than he already was. Though, wait, he shouldn't judge beastmen in such a way, should he?.. I mean, beastmen are just like people, there just happened to be one that got imprisoned due to some incident…
…This would’ve been his only way out of the forest yet it had to come from a sketchy guy in the woods.
"Do you live around here?" Miyabi wondered, taking a very slow step back.
"I do, actually! I tend to pass these woods a lot because of that."
Those ears and tail were cute, sure, yet Miyabi seemed to have second thoughts on those claws.. they were long, very long and sharp and he could only wonder how easy it would be to cut skin open with those.
..Focusing on his nails, what was that on his left hand?
His wrist. Theres some metal object dangling from it. A bracelet? A chain?
Ah, no, those were… handcuffs.
Well that awfully reminded him of something, didn't it?
"How do I know I can trust you?"
"Ah, well, I'll leave that decision up to you. But you do need a way to get back, no?"
..He hated how he was right. For all he knew this sketchy guy could be his only way to get out of here.
To be completely fair, if a criminal, perhaps one that wants to, I don't know, eat you, where could he lead you in a forest? Miyabi could just run away once he saw an exit out of the trees and as said, he had a gun on his hip. Surely this guy knows not to mess with an armed man?
……No, he wasn't THAT stupid. Bandages from being hurt, a collar and cuffs that could only suggest a break out..
"I-I'm sorry, I think I can find my own way ou—"
"Ah? But you look like you've been circling for a long time now."
"It's fine! I'm sure I just got a little puzzled with directions, I think I'm familiar with the area now!" He exclaimed, grabbing his belt and taking a few steps back while remaining eye contact. "Thank you for the help, I'll.. uh, get going now."
And immediately he sprinted towards some unknown direction, he had no idea where he was going but anything was better than dying,
yet suddenly a hand grabbed his hood.
He quickly pulled the revolver out and aimed it right at the face of the beastman.
"D.. Don't move." His eyes widened in only fear but he still held that gun up with a tight grip. The other man stayed silent.
"..Ah, what a shame, you know who I am, don't you?" The man frowned and his ears folded down, disappointed at the thought. And so he put his hands up in the air where they're visible..
Yet, his ears perked up again upon a certain realization and he dropped his hands down.
"Oh, you poor thing."
"H-Huh?"
And this beastman began walking forward, every step he took Miyabi stepped back. This guy… eats people, right? Who wouldn't be scared at the thought of someone ripping you to shreds piece by piece?
God, he hated how his legs were shaking. He told himself he should be running. That he should be looking for a place to hide, that he should find a way to escape this guy's sight and hearing.. but he could barely even move out of place. What if he couldn't outrun him? Couldn't run far enough to completely hide? There was no telling, and he was scared.
"Don't move or I'll shoot!" He yelled, his voice trembling yet he still tried to show himself to be confident. As long as he looked like he knew what he was doing, it'll be.. fine, right?
"You'll shoot?"
"Y-Yes—"
"You've never shot a revolver before, have you?"
"I have."
"..You claim you're going to shoot despite not having pulled back the hammer of the gun?"
'Stupid.' He thought, 'I'm so stupid.'
He didn't even ask his grandfather on how to properly use it because he was somehow so sure that nothing bad would happen, that he wouldn't be as much as a scaredy cat as he was now. Yet here he was, shaking while holding up an object he didn't even know how to properly handle.
This beastman began walking towards him with some kind of shitty smile on his face and out of pure fear Miyabi even had a hard time moving back.
He placed his hand on the gun and tilted it down, "..I feel bad, I really do."
He spoke with such a calm voice, like that of a parent to their child…
"But unfortunately for you I haven't eaten in a long time now, and I'll have you know jackals are very opportunistic when it comes to food."
And so he smiled, stretching out his other hand and baring his fangs in a feral manner.
Miyabi told himself to move but his body didn't seem like cooperating now. He stepped back slowly with eyes wide, staring at the jackal about to pounce at him and inevitably tear his neck out too.
He then gazed at the object in his hands before he was roughly pushed onto the ground, the predator on top of him snatching it out of his hands and throwing it away before opening his mouth wide, golden eyes stuck on the other's neck.
He reflected on his inability to move, his weakness and fear. He was even mad at himself for it, his only way of getting out of here completely taken away.
All he ever had was that gun for defense.