"I'm soooooo hungry," Raji moaned, rubbing his belly as he walked together with his best friend through the woods, following the well-worn (though fairly quiet) path that took them from their home village to the big city of Norastok. "Are you SURE you don't have anything to eat, Sebry?"

The brown-furred sabertooth smiled and shook his head. "Honestly, Raji, do you think I have a magic satchel that somehow has gotten filled up with food in the ten minutes since you last asked?" Sebry chuckled, his blue-tinted cheeks spreading out as he tilted his head up to look into the face of his taller, stronger demoncoon friend. He removed the pouch from his shoulder and held it up to Raji's face, showing the empty interior. "If only we were that lucky."

Closing his eyes, Raji took a deep breath of the empty bag, his stomach growling as he did. "Mmmm... but I swear I can almost taste the scent of bread in there, fresh-baked. You promise you don't have anything?" The demoncoon licked his lips as he stared wide-eyed at Sebry.

"No," Sebry said, his eyes softening. "Although, I did bring something home from the bakery in there three days ago. That sure is some sense of smell you've got there." He playfully pinched his friend's nose, knowing that Raji hated when he did that but wouldn't get upset because of it.

Indeed, the demoncoon only grunted in annoyance, the small black and red wings on his back flicking as he turned back to face the direction they were heading in with his arms folded across his chest. The two continued on in silence, having entered the densest part of the forest. Sebry closed his eyes, breathing in the spicy scent of the coniferous trees around them. "You know," he said, "I think this is my favorite part of the journey."

"Why's that?"

"Because," Sebry spread out his arms, making a grand, wide gesture, "here the trees really tower over us, stretching up so high and with trunks so thick... well, they almost look like an army of giants, don't they?"

"But," Raji countered as he rubbed his chin with his paw, "doesn't that make dangerous? I've heard that thieves and bandits love to hide out here, waiting for unsuspecting--and unarmed-- travelers."

"That's why I have you here for protection. And to keep me company too, of course." Sebry reached out and grabbed the thick bicep of the demoncoon, squeezing the muscle for good measure. "Of course, you'd probably end up hugging anyone we'd come across instead of fighting them, but at least your imposing seven-foot tall frame tends to keep most attackers at bay."

"I don't know," Raji said as he let out an exasperated sigh, "I might let them have you if they had a steak to give me." At the word 'steak', his stomach again rumbled loudly, causing Raji to groan. "How much longer till we're there?"

"Raji, I told you before we even left home that the journey would take all--"

The sound of gunfire cut the sabertooth's words short. Screaming in pain, Sebry's paw reached for his right shoulder as he stumbled back against a tree.

"Sebry!" Stunned, Raji rushed to his friend's side, just as another shot rang out. A bullet whizzed by, just missing Raji's ear by a few inches.

"Find cover!" Sebry exclaimed. Clutching onto the demoncoon's thick, muscular arms, he staggered to his feet, still grabbing his shoulder with his left paw. The pair then ducked behind one of the larger trees opposite the direction of where they were being attacked from.

"Sebry! Are you okay?" Bending down, Raji reached out and pulled away Sebry's paw, his eyes widening in horror as he saw the crimson blood coating the palm. The bullet had indeed hit the sabertooth in the shoulder, tearing through layers of clothing, fur, skin, cartilage and muscle, seeming to have embedded itself in the bone. The demoncoon's wings began to tremble as he felt his heart start racing. "S-S-Sebry!"

Wincing, Sebry nevertheless forced out a smile. "I'll be okay, Raji, don't worry. See? The bleeding's stopped." He got up on his knees, a little wobbly but able to keep himself upright. "But now we need to figure out just how we're going to get out of this mess."

Moving slowly and purposefully, Sebry moved around to the edge of the tree, his keen eyes narrowing as he searched the forest for signs of their attacker. The gunfire seemed to have ceased for the moment, but they both knew they were hardly in the clear.

"See anything?" Raji whispered, his wings still shaking.

"No, not yet. It's all just--Wait a minute. There!" Pointing, the sabertooth shook his head and grimaced. "Just our luck. It's Shin."

"Who?"

Sebry kept his eyes focused on the green lizard with black and red horns, noticing the sleek, black pistol he was clenching. "Only the vilest, most quick-tempered reptile I've ever had the displeasure of meeting. He's had it out for me since last summer, after he thought I conned him out of a month's pay while we were in Norastok."

"A month's pay?" Raji quickly darted his head back and forth between his sabertooth friend and the lizard who seemed to be getting ever closer. "Did you really con him?"

Sebry started to laugh but stopped, falling back against the tree trunk and grunting as pain shot through his shoulder again. "Of course not! We were playing Red-Bets, and he got in a little over his head. I mean, could I help it that the cards kept turning up in my favor… for seven hands in a row?"

The large demoncoon squinted. "So you DID cheat him then."

"The whole point of Red-Bets is to cheat, Raji. You know that. He just wasn't very good at it, so he decided to try and kill me instead. I was able to evade him then, but he's been on my trail ever since."

Turning his eyes back to the forest, Raji realized that he had lost sight of the lizard. He quickly began to scan the trees and paths, looking for any sign of him. "D-did he leave?"

As if on cue, Shin suddenly bolted out from behind a tree not more than a few dozen footsteps away, his snarling face looking straight at the sabertooth. "I've cornered you at last, you dirty, worthless cheater. I hope you've realized that you've messed with the wrong lizard; it'll be the last realization you'll ever make."

Shin lifted his arm, aiming the gun in his hand directly at Sebry's chest. Closing his eyes, he braced himself for the deafening gunshot and the bullet piercing his flesh. But instead, a thunderous roar surprised him, as he turned to stare at his friend next to him who's throat it emerged from. Like a flash of brown lightning, Raji leapt at their assailant, throwing his body in between the lizard and Sebry. Shin's eyes went wide as he saw the large, angry demoncoon rushing at him, and his finger reflexively squeezed the trigger.

"Noooooo! Raji!" Sebry cried out as the gunshot echoed throughout the forest, and the demoncoon collapsed to the ground. The sabertooth felt tears begin to well up as he did his best to hobble over to the body of his friend, glaring at Shin with a fierce hatred burning in his eyes. "You monster! It was me you were after, not him! Raji's never done anything to wrong anybody!" Kneeling down, Sebry took the demoncoon's paw in his, unable to keep himself from sobbing.

Scowling, Shin shook his head. "I'm sorry he had to become involved in this, but he was a casualty of your own deception." He brought the gun up to his face, checking the chamber. "Empty." Spitting on the ground, the lizard stuffed the gun into the holster against his hip. "I suppose I'll have to take you out with my own claws!"

He started to run towards Sebry, but before he had taken more than three steps, a sudden, loud growling sound startled him, throwing him off-balance. Before he could react, Shin suddenly found his feet dangling in the air, as the snarling demoncoon leapt up, grasping him around the neck. Shin's arms flailed, trying to grab at Raji's wrists, but he couldn't work himself free.

"Y-you're alive!" Sebry struggled to his feet, placing his hand against his friend's side. As he did so, the demoncoon's head whirled around, still snarling. Sebry stumbled back, frightened by his tall friend for the first time since they had known each other. "R-Raji?"

His eyes glowed red like lasers, and his mouth seemed to foam a little at the corners. Both Shin and Sebry gawked at the demoncoon as his chest heaved in and out, a low growl bubbling in his throat as he breathed. After a moment, Sebry realized that Raji's tall frame seemed to be getting even larger, and the guttural noise coming from his torso seemed to be getting louder. Gasping, Sebry couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight of his friend growing, now twice as tall as the sabertooth and inching up second by second.

Shin felt the thick muscles of the fingers around his neck squeeze even tighter, beginning to cut off the lizard's air circulation and causing him to start to panic. Looking down, he noticed the ground getting further and further away. This already-large demoncoon somehow, some way, was becoming even larger, and the fury that seemed to accompany his growth was being directed straight at Shin. "H-how is this possible?"

Gritting his teeth, Raji leaned in towards the trembling lizard, who looked more like a scared infant now in comparison to the giant. He neared twenty feet tall, as tall as some of the younger trees in the forest. His growing seemed to have slowed down, but his anger still swelled with each snarl directed at his catch.

"Raji…" Sebry placed his hand against the enormous demoncoon's knee. He hesitated, glancing back and forth between his best friend and his biggest adversary, feeling torn inside. He wanted to be rid of Shin once and for all, sure, but he didn't want to see his normally-peaceful friend turn into some sort of monster like this. "Raji, please… Don't…"

Turning his head sharply, Raji glared down, still growling lowly. His lips curled, revealing the sharp teeth behind them. For a moment, he appeared to be struggling to speak, as if the normal friendly nature inside of him was trying to break through the wild feral animal he had suddenly transformed into. He then turned his attention back to the lizard in his hands, speaking just one word: "HUNGRY!"

Shin's eyes went wide, realizing what this could mean. "N-no!! Let me go, you beast!" Struggling as much as he could, he tried to kick and claw against the demoncoon, futilely attempting to loosen the vice-grip around his neck. Looking into Raji's burning red eyes, the lizard saw his own terrified reflection, as he was brought ever closer to the sharp teeth…

---

Raji's jaw gnashed back and forth as he ripped a chunk of meat off the bone, the blood oozing out of it and dribbling down his cheek. He quickly swallowed without chewing and took another bite, devouring this even more ravenously than the prior one. As he ate, he closed his eyes and moaned deeply, savoring every moment of his meal.

Sitting on the other side of the table, Sebry leaned back in his chair, staring up at awe at his giant friend. This wasn't the nicest tavern in Norastok by a good stretch, but at least they didn't bat an eye at his request to bring a twenty-foot tall demoncoon in with him. He doubted that they factored in how ravenous Raji would be, but at least the cook seemed to be keeping up with his appetite.

"Full yet?" The sabertooth smiled as he patted his own belly. "I know I am."

Raji shook his head. "Not even close." He sat the lamb bone down on the plate, having picked it clean of every string of meat, then turned his head towards the kitchen. "Order of pork ribs here!" he yelled out, his voice booming through the tavern. He turned back towards Sebry as the cook gave a grunt of acknowledgment. "I hope this won't cost us too much, Sebry."

"Don't worry about it." Sebry smiled, patting the coin purse newly attached to his belt. "After what Shin forked over to get you to let him go, we could eat for weeks straight!"

Grinning and nodding, Raji picked the bone back up, breaking it like a twig and starting to suck out the marrow. "Well, I don't think he'll cause you more problems anytime soon."

The two friends exchanged smiles, and as Raji's next plate was brought out from the kitchen, Sebry closed his eyes. The lizard probably would always have it out for him, he realized. But as long as he kept his demoncoon friend by his side no matter how big he was, the sabertooth knew they would both be just fine.