I watched from the other side of the cavern as the little sheep halfer woke up, I had wondered around quite a bit while carrying her around (so sue me, I forgot she was there). I was in my less massive human form, and whittling on a stick. I wasn't really paying attention to it but so far it as a bear claw at about 1/3 scale. I watched the lantern in the middle of the cavern. There was no wood to start a good fire.
She moved a bit and let out a "eh?"
"You went out like a light, there." I said with a grin.
She popped her head out of the pile of blankets and looked at me.
"Boo"
She immediately hid her head again.
I smiled, it was cruel but hey, she had to learn to not be afraid at some point.
She slowly popped her head back out.
"Are you going to ea-"
"No" I interrupted. "Halfers have a tendency to upset my stomach when uncooked"
Her eyes widened.
"No, silly" I smiled a smiled that might've shown to many sharp teeth. "Notice, no fire?"
Her eyes looked at the lantern, then at me.
"Nothing going to happen, trust me." I said as soothingly as a bear could.
She seemed to calm and then she stiffened and hid her head. I heard it too, one big footstep down the way to the left. I heard another.
Moving quickly as I threw the girl in my pack rather roughly and packed up my camp as fast as I could. I could feel her pop out to get in a manageable position on my shoulder. She whispered.
"You feel it?"
"Yeah"
I turned off the lantern and and passed it to her, she put it in one of the smaller pockets of the bag.
The thing was big and strong. He was displacing so much air in the passage that there was a perceptible difference in air pressure to us. I could smell the sucker already, and he didn't smell right to me.
"Hey you, get in there and zip up, this could get messy."
She did as she was told.
I took a stance in front of the large passage and steeled myself of all fear. I looked unexpectedly of the passage. My hands to my sides.
He didn't keep me waiting. After a few long minutes he appeared. A dark silhouette appeared in the smoke. It was tall and robust, as much as a shadow can be. It breathed heavily but not in a rapid fashion, he wasn't tired. I just stood there in the strange half light of the cave.
He took a few steps forward. Out of the mist a huge head became horns and the thin feet became huge hooves. Out of the black stepped the minotaur. Large arms and a great big barrel chest easily distinguished this most easily spotted of halfers. A insane halfer, legend goes, that likes meat. Specifically a Aurochs halfer, he was on the large side for even that. He smelled different than a cow, and stood at about 11 feet tall. My guess he was around my weight or even a hundred pounds more.
"Food" came from the dirty red mouth.
I lightly tossed my bag down the passage way, I winched as I heard her yelp.
"Get it"
He took a step and I started to shift. On my hind legs we stood about eye level which wasn't a often occurrence in either's experience.
He took a back the step his was going to make and sized up his opponent. I opened my jaws and let it hang loose.
I took the first strike and jumped forward. I ripped my claws across his chest and he punched me in the shoulder. He put a hand on the large scratch and brought it up to his face to see the blood. He was studying it when I ended his break with a wild paw from above. He raise his arm to block and I kept going, nearly breaking through his guard and bashing his face in. I felt a nice crack and grinned uncontrollably. I brought my other claw in a hook, gashing his ugly face. He backed up and started to retreat but not before I threw another paw and slashed his arm. He turn tail and started running away as fast as he could. He had no chance, I was the predator here, and I was just going to kick his ass, even with his size advantage. I ate groups of other predators for a little reason as to round out my meat diet. And beef was my favorite vegetable.
Speaking of vegetables, how was the sheep girl doing? I walked over and took a look in the pack. I grinned.
Out cold.
-----------------------------
Alright guys, took me a while but now there a man-eating minotaur in the picture! He's slightly wounded he's not that bad.
Me: You couldn't just leave him in good condition for everyone else, could you?
Zar: Please, Aside from some of the dragons, who could take him down a notch?
Me: The wolfs?
Zar: Every good Greek knows Bear>Aurochs>wolf.
Me: True, true.
