Savva remembers a stone coming loose beneath his paws, the ache in his lungs, the flash of tawny hide disappearing over a ridge ahead. Hunger had hollowed him out for weeks, sharpening every scent and clouding every thought until every decision was ruled by it.

Then came a moment of terrible weightlessness, the mountains suddenly falling away beneath him. The world shattered against jagged rock with a dull thud and a helpless wheeze. His story should have ended there.

Instead, he woke beneath green leaves. The Forest greeted him with birdsong, sunlight, and more deer than he had ever seen. For a while, he thought he had been rewarded. It must be paradise, he thought.

Then he realized the deer could speak.

Not in sounds he understood, but it was impossible to mistake. They laughed, they mourned, and gathered in circles beneath the trees to share quiet moments together. They had friendships, rivalries, histories, they belonged to one another. And Savva... was hungry.

This realization cast a dark shadow over his world. He had died only to arrive to a place full of souls. Gentle, bright souls. Yet all of his instincts insisted they were prey. Some days he wondered if this was a punishment.

On toughest days, Savva seeks high places. Stone Playground has become a favorite spot of his, its boulders are the next best thing to the mountains he once called home. There, he sprawls across sun-warmed rock and watches the canopy sway overhead, green waves rocking him to sleep.

From atop the stones he watches life unfold below. Conversations he will never understand. Stories they share. Jokes they tell. Whether they ever look at him and see past what he really is:

A beast sent to heaven to eat its angels.

Part of him wishes he could just give in. It would be easier to become the monster he fears he is, than grasping and clawing at his will every goddamn day. Sometimes he lies awake wondering why he should have to. What crime had he committed? What choice had he made? Was wanting truly so terrible? Was needing? He did not ask to be hungry.

At the end of the day, the desire mixes with envy. He swallows it.

Favorable with:
Omi — the first forestling he's properly met, and the fateful deer that made him believe he mustn’t hunt them. She struck him as, frankly, naive. And yet, her whimsy touched him as she played with his flicking tail. It reminded him of playing with his sister.

Acquainted with:
Yura — despite his deeply unusual appearance and his own brand of low-key eccentricity, the gryphon's steady presence became an unexpected anchor for Savva. Yura offered calm and patience, which is all that the cougar needed.

Puzzled by:
Whisper — despite a rocky start, he's coming around to her presence. While her telepathic abilities were startling, even terrifying at first, Savva has grown to appreciate them as one of the few ways he can freely communicate with another creature. And it seems this bizarre, skull-faced witch actually means no harm.