Errol.

That there,
That's not me.
I go where I please.
I walk through walls.
I'm not here.
This isn't happening.
I'm not here.
Thin beams of sunshine filtered through the relatively dense cover of leaves; not much light made it through the thick jungle canopy, but it was enough to illuminate the dark earthen surface of the forest floor on which an adult male tiger lurked. It was not an unfamiliar sight to see a tiger in that particular segment of the jungle, nor was it uncommon for a big cat to hunt alone. It was, however, slightly odd for that specific tiger to be padding alone in the shadows, looking for food without another feline soul in sight at a time during which no one's stomach rumbled and the morning sun was barely brimming the horizon. Errol was often among the first of his tribe to awaken, and he usually spent the early hours before, during, and slightly after dawn at his favorite rock outcrop deep in the forest yet not very far off from his tribe's camp, the epicenter of their territory. The rather generic tiger enjoyed perching on a particular stone formation that jutted out from the cliff side to watch the sun's golden rays gradually spill over into the valley, setting alight the endless plethora of trees within it. It was such a calming sight, not to mention his alone. It was nice to grant yourself some seclusion every once in a while, especially if you experienced the relatively unchanging life of an armored tribal tiger.That's not me.
I go where I please.
I walk through walls.
I'm not here.
This isn't happening.
I'm not here.
Errol had decided to leave his sanctuary earlier than usual for a reason that was lost to him; he had been enraptured by the insatiable, instinctive urge to hunt all of a sudden. This, as well, was not uncommon for a tiger of his average standing. Navigating the jungle in which he was born into was a simple task, one that had easily fallen into second nature for any tiger older than a year. His paw steps were silent by default while the great creature continued to travel stealthily through the dark place; his golden eyes examined the undergrowth carefully. He hoped to find some sort of deer, or at least a boar. . .
It was not long until Errol came across a rustling sound in the bushes opposite him. He had been stalking through a small, foliage-encompassed hunting trail that had long ago fallen under misuse when only a few yards away, he detected a faint noise. The tiger immediately dropped into a low crouch, his white belly fur brushing roots and shriveled plants. Acting on instinct, Errol unsheathed his claws and came to an abrupt but inaudible nonetheless halt. His paws tingled in anticipation although he could barely feel them due to his lengthy walk. He glanced down and felt a brief pang of despair when the hunter realized that he had left his claw casings at the camp. No matter. The male could only hope that he had not come across a larger, more formidable prey animal that usually took a pair of tigers to bring down at once.
No time to think. Breakfast wouldn't wait forever. Errol's powerful leg muscles contracted; he prepared himself for the leap for a moment, then he launched his armored body into the air toward the general direction of his quarry. He had only a moment to glance down and analyze what sort of creature would be between his jaws in a moment; thinking fast, Errol gazed down and found himself rapidly descending upon a small, alarmed antelope that had previously been enjoying its final meal of a modest palate of ferns and shoots. Shock froze the prey animal in place, and it could only stare up in terror as a silent death cascaded down upon it. It was even more surprised when the new threat landed several feet behind it. Errol bared his glistening, metal-encased teeth; it was not in anger, but surprise. He overshot!
He had to react quickly. His prey had done so already, overcoming its unexpected plight and attempting to get away. The hunting tiger whirled about and raced after his quarry, desperate to prevent it from escaping. It had the advantage of a head start as well as a small, lithe body. Errol hastened his speed, cursing himself for staying up later than usual to partake in a discussion about the current war. He could feel fatigue beginning to take over his body, but the tiger pumped his muscular legs faster and harder, keeping his evasive quarry in sight at all times.
Eventually, Errol was forced to give up his pursuit; he was able to keep up a swift pace after any animal in the jungle, albeit not over long distances. He would simply have to hope for better luck another time; keeping this in mind, he continued the hunt. It was a lucky occasion to make a kill at all; he would not be discouraged by a single unsuccessful attempt. Straining his ears for any sounds that might have escaped him otherwise, the armored feline resumed his silent stalk.
This time, he did not have to wait long for yet another telltale indication of rustling leaves; he had a target. Errol took more care this time to pad quietly toward his adversary and peered warily through the foliage. His eyes had long before adjusted to the dim light under the canopy in this part of the jungle, and he recognized his enemy at once. The faint sun rays danced lightly off the off-white surface; the animal's anatomy creaked with every movement; it had no flesh, fur, or organs on or within its entire being, yet its senses were still intact. It could be harmed, but not killed, for it was already dead. It was an enemy of every living tiger on the planet. It . . . was only a tapir. Even so, Errol examinated his newfound opponent cautiously. His right ear twitched in the memory of a rather small raven tearing it in half during one of their battles. One thing that the war had taught him was size didn't matter.
Despite that being in mind, Errol was experienced doubts that this practically microscopic being could be much of a threat to even a yearling. He knew that it was unwise to underestimate any other living thing at all, but it was difficult to ignore the seemingly fragileness of the skeleton before him. Even if it was another tiger, like him, or a rhinoceros, bear, or any other large creature, the creature before him was still a Bone. He could not ignore his duty as an armored tiger. It was logical to attack this creature, correct? Once again, Errol crouched close to the ground and eased himself forward, replaying the plan in his head a few times. He would burst out of the shrubbery all of a sudden in an effort to take the Bone by surprise. Then he would dispatch his foe with a swift blow to the side with the intention of knocking over the inferior animal, or the shadow of one. He expected a fight to immediately pursue his assault, and he was perfectly capable of improvising. He planned to use his superior size and, most likely, strength to win the fight. It was a good, wholesome plan. Now to follow through with it.
Errol barely hesitated before he rushed the skeleton, lurching forward with the speed of a tiger with the element of surprise on his side. He had to take a grand total of precisely two strides before he was at his unsuspecting quarry's side. A guttural, uncontrollable growl emitted from Errol's throat when he raised a large, lethal paw in order to knock the tapir Bone over, and he swung it quickly through the air directly towards where an ordinary animal's heart would be.
[[Geh. . . Looks like the writer's block is spreading. x.x I apologize for the quality [and quantity. There is way too much fluff. . .] of this post; I thought that I should just get it over with since it's been a while and I still needed to post for Errol.
Anyway, I hope you don't mind me involving Fleck in this, Zmija. . . I can always erase the last few paragraphs; this roleplay could use a bit of action, methinks, but if you don't want that to happen, it doesn't have to. I'm sorry for not consulting you prior to this as well.]]
Anyway, I hope you don't mind me involving Fleck in this, Zmija. . . I can always erase the last few paragraphs; this roleplay could use a bit of action, methinks, but if you don't want that to happen, it doesn't have to. I'm sorry for not consulting you prior to this as well.]]