Field Journal Entry #14
Since my arrival on this planet I have struggled to find any megafauna to study. It seemed the majority of the animal life here is microscopic in nature. I struggled to understand how a planet so perfect for supporting larger life forms was so devoid of them. It wasn't until tonight that I finally began to understand the truth.
As fate would have it, I had actually encountered many larger life forms in my time here, but they walk in the shadows of the night as if they are one with them. My weak human night vision unable to perceive them. But tonight, by the light of my campfire, a blighted beast revealed itself to me.
The creature was so large I cannot understand how it's size alone did not betray it's presence before. As it lumbered closer to me I was overcome with the stench of wet dog, but I could see that all of the creatures fur was bone dry. My heart pounded in my chest as I took in it's wretched features. Shaggy fur covered it's body and it's short, ringed, tail. But, emerging from the fur, much of it's head was solid. Almost like bone but of the same deep black as the rest of it.
The most striking feature of all were the teeth. Oh good lord, the teeth. So many of them, all visibly razor sharp. A gentle touch from even one would leave me in need of the first aid supplies I had nearly forgotten to pack. But with this beast before me now I could do nothing but pray it was already well fed.
I heard a deep rumble, like those the earth makes when it quakes, and the beast held out a paw to me. The fur there was shorter than the rest, I could see the shape of it's bony feet well through it. Each foot bearing three toes tipped with sharp, needle-like, claws. And this paw was... bleeding?
A stream of a dark oil-like substance flowed from a small wound on the underside of it's foot. Carefully I took it's paw in my hand to examine it but quickly withdrew as some of the substance made contact with my own hand. My nerves screamed in agony as the substance burned my bare skin.
I ran to my tent to find my supplies, but attempting to wash the substance away with water from my canteen simply made it sticky and more difficult to remove. Rubbing as much of it away as I could with a dry towel was painful and difficult, but it did work. I wrapped my hand snuggly in a bandage before returning to the campfire with what remained of my first aid kit.
The beast had remained there, waiting patiently for my return. I slipped my hands into a pair of thick leather gloves and set to work. Stopping the bleeding was difficult, impossible really. But I was able to slow it, from a pouring to a weeping. I wrapped the creatures paw in a bandage with the same care as I had my own. It nuzzled my uninjured hand, as if to thank me, before limping away into the forest once again.
I have not seen that creature since, but each night I leave a plate of food by the campfire, and each morning the food is gone. Replaced by the familiar smell of wet dog.