[ToxicShadow]

Without wasting any more time, Vayde set out to trail Nero, just as Aggoth had instructed him to do, creeping and jumping through the shadows in the direction that their leader had traveled in not too long before him. It did not take him all that long before he located the Demon King, but he did not appear before her.

No, just as he was told, he stayed within the shadows, lingering entirely unseen, as he followed along with her.

[ToxicShadow]

---

"Momma, momma," a tiny voice cried. "Don't go."

"Hide here," she had been told by the one that looked much like her. "And if anyone finds you, run. Run away, as fast as you can. Use your small size to hide. Do whatever you can to live. You must." The mother already knew that the chances of her own survival were slim; her clan was not strong enough, and their enemy were vicious and out for blood. And her child's chances may have been even smaller, but she had to have that hope, if nothing else. She was desperate. "I'm sorry, little one."

[ToxicShadow]

"Momma! No, don't leave me alone!" the young one protested.

"Hush now," the mother's voice was stern as she said the words, but she leaned in to nuzzle into the child's fur with her nose, purring gently as a she did.

And, only a brief moment later, she abruptly leaned away and took off running.

The young one wanted to shout out for her, but when she opened her mouth, the words caught in her throat and no sound came out. Only tears began well up in her eyes and streaked down her fur as she crouched low, heeding her mother's words.

For what else could she do?

[ToxicShadow]

---

"Where did you hide her?!" The words were spoken with a malevolent, ferocious roar.

"Y-you will-" The mothers' weak, but defiant voice was cut off as she began to cough, it shaking her entire damaged body. "Never find her!" Even through her coughing fit, she did not let it stop her words. If the last thing she could do in her life was lead this male away from her child, to keep her alive, then that was okay with her.

[ToxicShadow]

If this was it, there was no better purpose.

She did all that she could to protect her child, even knowing she would face her own death. She ran and she fought back for as long as she could, but she was barely holding on now. She was injured and too weak, no longer could she even lift herself from the ground.

In an even stronger fit of rage, the male struck at the her face with his massive paw, thinking to crush her skull beneath him, but ended up leaving her for dead, knowing she would not survive her already existing injuries.

It was time to hunt down that last child.

[ToxicShadow]

---

"My child, I hope you... live," she was barely holding on, knowing that the end would be soon. It was only a matter of time. She could feel the pain all over her body, but her thoughts were only filled with her child, and her hopes that she would, somehow, survive all of this.

It was like that, that Nero found the mother. The hurt stranger didn't even bother opening her eyes, in spite of sensing the presence of another. There was nothing more her broken body could do.

[ToxicShadow]

The Demon King knew upon seeing the other that there was nothing she could do to save her, she was too far gone. It would have hurt her heart to see someone in such a state, but Nero had long since steeled herself. So she asked, instead, "Is there anyone left alive?"

The kindness in these words seeped into the mother's mind, and she forced open her eyes, but it was hard to see. "Are... you here... to help...us?" she barely managed to utter. The voice was unfamiliar to her, but she could not help but to hope.

[ToxicShadow]

"Yes," Nero answered. It's too late for me to help you, but if there is anyone else..." Even finding the first victim of the war that she had come across, Nero was not about to give up.

"My daughter!" the mother roared out with all of her strength, summoning up that which she did not even have moments before. "Please... Stranger, if you are kind, find my daughter. Save her."

Nero reassured her with only two words, "I will."

[ToxicShadow]

---

Some time passed, but the young one's mother still had not returned to her. The rising sun had reached over head, and moved on further still. Her tears had mostly dried up, but the sniffles just would not stop. By then, her thoughts were consumed with the idea that her mother was never coming back. She knew it would be nearly impossible for her mother to fight back and win.

She was tired. Her eyes stung. It was hard to breathe.

[ToxicShadow]

But she got the feeling that she just shouldn't stay still any longer, and began to move. First, the young one began to crawl away, keeping as close to the ground as she could, moving as quietly as she could, so as not to draw attention to herself. Eventually, though, she broke into a run. Running further from her former home land. Running from the fighting, the killing, and the death.

But she soon heard the growling voice, "Come out, come out, wherever you are."

[ToxicShadow]

The young one tried her best to flatten herself further against the ground, hiding within the overgrown grasses against a fallen tree. But she could hear the footsteps coming closer and closer to her hiding place. Between the blades of grass, she could see hints of the unfamiliar beast as he drew near, no doubt hunting her down by her scent. The other smells that filled the air helped to muddle her scent, but she was not at all optimistic.

[ToxicShadow]

Her heart was hammering away in her chest, and she held her breath, but it wasn't of any use.

"There you are! Trying to hide!" The male shouted, his voice practically dripping with his desire to take the young one's life.

When he roared, she nearly froze in terror, but she willed herself to move. Her mother told her to live. The child practically threw herself forward, scurrying over the fallen tree and bounding forward, pushing herself to run faster than she ever had before.

[ToxicShadow]

The dangerous stranger was thrilled as he witnessed the child give herself completely away to run. The prospect of hunting the small, defenseless creature down was just what he wanted and sprinted after her.

"Leave me alone!" the young one found herself shouting, even though she knew it wouldn't do her any good as she attempted to flee for her life. "Anyone! Someone! Momma! Momma! Save me!" she cried, as she ran, realizing that it would impossible for her to outrun the grown male.

[ToxicShadow]

Hearing the desperate cries was all Nero needed for she, too, had tracked down the young one by her scent, which was similar to her fallen mothers. She let out a thundering roar, announcing her presence, and charged toward the sound of the young voice.

The roar was unfamiliar, but in the heat of his pursuit, the male did not seem to pay it any mind, instead going in for the take down, leaping toward the child when he had finally closed the space between them.

[ToxicShadow]

The red furred female bowled into the male midair, knocking him off of his course toward the young one and a fight broke out between the two. The male immediately tried to go for the throat, but Nero was more experienced and was too fast for him.

The young one was finally frozen as she witnessed the scuffle. Part of her thought to keep running, afraid that this other stranger would hurt her, but they smelled a little like... "Momma!"