Loopshard

Fuzzy black fur broke out of the dense treeline and into the amber-orange light of the setting sun. At first, he thought it was a bear, but then it fully emerged. It was a round ball of fur lifted on two skinny chalk-white legs, with arms just the same. Each limb ended in three-fingered claws tipped with black talons. At the top of its spherical body was a small head with pointed elf-like ears, two violet-glowing eyes, and a tiny grin full of needle teeth.

The sight made him pause.

What the fuck is that!?

Of their three guesses, Lenard had seemingly been the closest this time. The creature certainly wasn’t human or elphin. Most peculiarly of all, a translucent violet collar was fastened around its neck and a leash tied to it ran back into the treeline it’d emerged from.

It fixed Adam with its bright eyes and cackled.

Then it kicked off the ground and shot itself towards him, flying through the air like a cannonball.

He panicked for a second and cowered behind one of the large rocks.

The sound of cracking stone startled him as the creature flew right past his hiding spot with a swing of its clawed foot. The side of the rock had three deep grooves carved through it.

Holy shit! That thing is terrifyingly fast!