My food supply was running low within my shed. It has seen much use since its construction, as I tended to keep it stocked with meat. As much as I liked to appear normal, eating plant based food was giving me indigestion something fierce. Pinkie was a little upset about not seeing me as much, but her attitude changed when I told her that I was changing my diet to something 'healthier'. It wasn't a lie, just not the whole truth. Speaking of lies, I was wrong about Applejack warming up to me. While other ponies seemed to be more accepting of me, Applejack wasn't even giving me an inch.
I even saw her skulking around the aforementioned shed. I unfortunately had to scare her off by baring my, admittedly, rather impressive fangs and hissing. Fortunately, rumor spreading doesn't seem to be Applejack's thing. I just hope my attempt at keeping her at bay was successful.
Anyway, back to stocking the shed. I was hoping to take down something a little, bigger. Call it ambitious, but I saw a few boar in the Everfree, and damn do they grow 'em big! I don't know how big pigs got back home, let alone boar, but I'm pretty sure they don't grow to the size of cows. I've taken to calling them 'Razorbacks' due to the fact that they literally have thin razor sharp quills growing from their backs. I saw evidence of their sharpness when I saw an actual manticore back off after being on the receiving end of those blades. Said manticore was then run down by the pack using their short sword long tusks. That was a few weeks ago. After many successful hunts, I feel that I have built up the courage to take down one of these boar. Not one in it's prime though, that would be suicide. No, I've been tracking a pack of Razorbacks that were recently in a struggle with a pack of timberwolves.
Not sure why those things hunt, as I have yet to see anything remotely close to a stomach on them, let alone a digestive tract. I have my own theories, but no proof.
Anyway, I saw my mark amongst the other boar as it was lagging behind. Many of it's quills were gone as they broke off in the wolves and it was limping due to the large splinters in it's hind leg from an unlucky timberwolf bite. If I understand pack mentality, the other boar sense an unhealable wound and see that particular one as a liability to their own survival. If I attack, the others will most likely run off instead of defending.
When they stopped in a semi-thick area to eat some mushrooms that I was sure until now were poisonous, I decided to strike when my mark strayed away a bit.
I stalked close, lightly stepping around fallen leaves and debris. I won't be able to take it down in a single strike, so I decided to do a bit of hit and run. Bunching my legs, I pounced at it's side, my claws hooking into it's side and my teeth puncturing it's right shoulder. I didn't mention it before, but when I bite down on the creatures I'm hunting, I feel what I can only describe as some kind of energy flow into my fangs; making them pack a bigger punch then they should. As expected, the creature was surprised to be ambushed by an unknown attacker, so soon after the last ones to boot. As well, the others were also startled and ran off, not seeing any benefit to protecting their wounded pack member.
What was not expected was the sheer speed of recovery and the ferocity of it's retaliation.
The moment it seemed to register the pain, it began to violently thrash, ignoring it's wounds. It quickly threw it's weight around, throwing me off of it's back. It then immediately turned, bringing it's tusks to the side. Those tusks were not dull either. Their sharpness was comparable to the sharpness of their quills. A sharpness I became well acquainted with as the tusk cut through my shirt with ease and left a shallow gash down my chest. I had a feeling that I would have been eviscerated if I hadn't wounded it's right foreleg.
I landed on all fours. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins, but at the same time, I was terrified. Did I bite off more than I could chew? I dodged to the side as it rushed forward, it's size belying it's speed. I needed to get on it's back to bite it in the spine, but there were too many quills and I'm willing to bet it would just roll over and grind my body into the dirt with it's sheer weight.
Wait a minute... I. Am. A Genius!
I pounced on it's side again, earning another angry squeal from the big oinker. Before it could begin thrashing, I climbed on it's back; keeping my stance wide as to not be gutted on the blades. It began jumping around and bucking, trying to either dislodge me or hit me on the blades. Just as I hoped, it stopped thrashing in favor of rolling over to try and kill me. As it threw itself on it's side in order to roll over, I leapt off; hissing as a blade shaved a bit of skin off my arm. With nothing to cushion them, I could hear the blades breaking and being pulled off as it ground them on the ground. It quickly got up as most of the blades were either in the ground or lodged in it's back, causing it to profusely bleed.
I was able to smell it's fear now. It decided it couldn't win this encounter. It turned and began to limp away, now feeling it's wounds. I wasn't letting it get away though. I've been anticipating and tracking this beast for too long to let it get away. I made one last pounce, landing squarely on it's back. It began to thrash again, but it was weak now; there was no strength left. With it's lack of strength and my added weight, it collapsed. There is no fight left. I delivered a crushing bite to it's spine, permanently ceasing it's struggle.
I inspected my kill. I then came to a realization. How the hell am I going to move this thing? I placed a hand on my chin. Maybe if I gut it, that might make it lighter? I then shook my head, dismissing the thought. No, that won't work. I lack my tools and it would still be too heavy. I then had a thought. Maybe if I-
*SNAP*
I stood stock still as I heard the sound of a stick breaking. Now that I thought about it, I smelled something putrid in the air. A common sign that timberwolves were near. Damn it! How could I forget that a timberwolf NEVER stops tracking it's prey? I was too caught up in my own hunt, I was sure of it. I turned toward where the smell was originating from and alter my stance to make myself look bigger. I hissed as the first wooden wolf entered the clearing. They aren't even attempting to surround me, or use hit and run tactics. They see me bleeding, sense my fear, and see my frailty. They knew I ccouldn't kill them. They slowly approached, obviously looking to scare me off as to steal my kill. They stopped, and we stared into each others eyes (or what ever they have). The one in the lead got antsy and impatient. It knew that I was willing to put up a fight to keep MY kill. It howled and charged before its brothers could follow.
I got into a stance to lower my center of gravity. I was most likely going to leave here bleeding, but I was not leaving without a fight! I've seen timberwolves fight, due to my constant observations on the fauna, or in their case flora. While they would normally surround, one would rush in and bite at the target in order to wound. As I was a comparatively frail target, it would go straight for the throat. That is what I wanted it to do. My ploy worked as I made my throat an exposed, vulnerable target. the moment it leapt, I rushed forward and grabbed it from underneath with both arms. While the bloodthirsty plant would normally be heavy, I wasn't looking to carry it. As I grabbed it, I redirected it's forward momentum into downward momentum. Thus, due to the laws of physics became face smashing momentum. The timberwolves snout cracked against the ground, and I heard it's friends begin to engage. Then, without thinking about it, I bit down on the wolf's throat. I knew it wouldn't do much, as only fire can truly kill a timberwolf.
It tasted as awful as it smelled. In fact, it was worse. Imagine the taste of driftwood, raw fibers, and carrion all mixed into one. Absolutely disgusting! When I bit into the throat, releasing a burst of energy, I noticed the other wolves stopped approaching. When I stood back up, I saw the wolf in front of me, lying on the ground. One thing stood out, however. It was not moving. There was no glow in it's body.
I killed a timberwolf.
The other wolves began to bleed fear. What manner of creature could kill one of their members? Without fire! I turned to them, seeing that I had reduced them to a hunting party to five. One of them took a step a back as my eyes roamed over it. I took a step toward them and hissed. What came out was instead a triumphant roar. The wolves were gone before I could even contemplate my new found roar.
Satisfied with the result, I turned back to my thoughts. Anyway, maybe if I built a sled...
Elsewhere, while Jacob was busy dragging a shoddy, hastily built corpse sled through the Everfree.
"Honestly dear, I have no clue why you brought me to Jacob's homestead. He didn't invite us. He's not even here." Rarity said to Applejack. Rarity had been working on a blueprint for an outfit that she was sure would take the fashion industry by storm when Applejack came in and asked her to come with her. Rarity decide to go, despite her groundbreaking work. She has been working on the design for two years now, and every time she tries to work on it, something comes up. She is always interrupted. Rarity would have stopped working on the cursed project if she didn't have so much faith in it.
"That's jus' it, Rarity. Where is he going? Fer a good while, we ain't seen his hide in any restaurant. He doesn't even buy food in his groceries, for Celestia's sake! He doesn't even buy mah apples!" Applejack could feel it, something was not right here.
"Well, to be fair, you have not been the most... polite pony to Jacob." Rarity said, rolling her eyes as they walked onto Jacob's property.
Applejack scoffed. "That's aside tha point. Ah won't rant about how Ah feel about Jacob, 'cause ya heard it a hundred times already. But Ah need to know what he's hidin'. He's dangerous, Ah know he is!" Applejack then pointed her hoof at Jacob's shed. Though, to call it a shed would be like calling a whale a goldfish. It was a single story building that's size rivaled a small house. "Ah know Ah will find tha answer in there."
Rarity blanched. "B- but Applejack, that's trespassing! Jacob will never forgive us if we go in there."
"Ah know Rarity, but think about it!" Applejack sat down and threw her forelegs out in exasperation. "Nopony has a sign sayin' to keep out anywhere in Ponyville."
"Yes, well-"
Applejack got up and whispered. "Not only that, but he hissed at me earlier when Ah was lookin' at it."
Rarity's eye's widened. "Really?"
"Ah wouldn't lie. There is definitely somethin' that Jacob doesn't want known in that there shed."
"Well darling, you have definitely peaked my interest." Rarity approached the door. "Now, let me show you that Jacob is absolutely harmless." She lit her horn, and the inside of the lock began to glow as well. After a few seconds, the lock turned with an audible click. "There we go."
Applejack simply stared at Rarity. "Did ya jus' pick tha lock?"
"But of course, it was the simplest way in. I may not be able to teleport like Twilight, but my telekinetic precision is next to none." Rarity boasted. "Now let me show you that he is harmless." Rarity opened the door, and immediately slammed it shut. She then turned her head to face Applejack, her face a pale green, eyes filled with fear. She was muttering 'dear Celestia' under her breath. Applejack pushed past Rarity, not that she noticed, and opened the door to see inside herself. What she saw was an undecorated room with two tables and a tiled floor. One table had rows upon rows of knives and saws. The other was bare, but was heavily reinforced with metal, as if to bare quite a load. At the tables corners, there were grates on the floor, allowing drainage. In the back, however was a horrifying sight. Hanging from the ceiling, there were five massive, frost covered hooks. Applejack knew what those hooks were for, she had heard of a Griffon Meathook. Griffons were banned from entering Equestria, as while they could eat plants, they heavily leaned towards the carnivorous side and most often had no qualms with eating pony. She had heard tales of war where a pony soldier would be put on the hook as torture. These tales were not tall ones either. She had seen the scar on some veterans. Four of the hooks were perfectly clean, but one was in fact occupied. She had no clue what creature it had once been, but now it was just a frozen hunk of meat. There were shelves on both sides of the hooks, most bare, but some containing various fish.
Applejack was stunned. She was sick. She was angry. But most of all, she was scared. Nay, terrified. This was why he always ate so little. Why he always excused himself to the bathroom after meals. She didn't think it was possible, but he was a walking, thinking, full on, "C-ca-carnivore..." She slowly backed up. Wordlessly, Applejack and Rarity quickly exited the building, slammed the door, locked it, and ran as fast as they could.
Back to Jacob
I was exhausted. I had to haul the multi-hundred pound body back home, defend it all the while, and it was nightfall when I got back home. I had no way of getting the body on the table, let alone a hook. Though, the hook might strain under the beasts full weight. I needed a pulley, but I had no time to get the supplies to make one. So, I left the body on the sled in the freezer section. I removed the organs, but still needed to get it on the table for a full butchery. So, the now drained and disemboweled body was secured in the freezer and it was time to relax after a full day of hunting and hauling.
I took a shower and got into bed. A thought struck me before I fell asleep, however. I quickly got up, not even bothering to put my pants and shirt on, and went to my desk. I sat down, grabbed a few papers and a quill, and began to write. 'The Everfree Bestiary. By: Jacob Feles.'