Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Goddamnit, I fucking told you fuckwits we should have turned left! Now look at where the fuck we are!” 

Vox’s left eye twitched as Velvette’s shout seemed to echo across the forest. All creatures, be them common inhabitants that held no value to him or the elusive beings he’d been searching for this entire time, were sure to have heard the rage in her words as her voice carried across the air. They surely heard the hostility. If they hadn’t broken out into a run by the sheer volume with which she spoke, then they must be taking shelter so as to avoid being detected by a living being who clearly held violent intentions. 

Essentially, Velvette very well could have scared their quarry away. Or, more accurately, alerted them of the presence of humans at the very least. What they did with that information was something Vox didn’t want to think about, if only because it might just push him to pack up and leave before he’d managed to get anything on tape. 

He couldn’t afford that. 

Not now. 

This whole project could very well be his only ‘ in ’ to the film industry. Well, the part of the industry that mattered . He wasn’t looking for cheap host positions or dime-a-dozen directors whose names eventually faded into obscurity when their craft ran dry. He was looking for notoriety; he was looking for a pitch that would guarantee he was never forgotten, no matter how much time had passed and no matter how much mass media had changed. He wanted to be known as the first creator to bring something fresh, something dangerous , to the table. 

And he wanted to be the one to do it. 

The best solution he’d come up with: documenting a never-before-live scene of any of the creatures who were said to lurk in the forest at the very outskirts of their city. Supposedly, frightening beings roamed the lands alongside the more ‘ natural ’ animals. Though they didn’t have much of an effect on the local wildlife, humans were often subject to…unfortunate…things should they be the ones to come across these ‘ otherworldly ’ beings. 

Hunters and/or poachers never returned home. 

Contractors and other people in various occupations of real estate had to be shipped off to psych wards after a routine check-in of the land went…awry. 

Tourists petitioned to have the city evacuated so that the entire area could be missiled. 

Residents willingly lived in blissful ignorance, too afraid of seeking the truth or unable to just leave with what they had. 

Vox promised himself he wouldn’t be like them. He wouldn’t be like any of them. He was going to go into that forest, he was going to survive any encounters he had with the creatures who’d claimed it as their sanctuary, he was going to get some distinct footage, and he was going to make it big. Returning empty-handed wasn’t an option, damnit! 

Buuuuuut…Velvette had a point. 

Some time in the past hour or so, they must have taken a wrong turn. Because they didn’t arrive at the stream they had set out to use as a campsite. From where they were, Vox couldn’t even hear the sounds of rushing water. They were surrounded by trees, an abundance of bushes, more trees, some rock formations, and more trees! It wasn’t an encouraging start to their expedition. 

Their only saving grace was that the area they’d managed to navigate to had flat ground. If they needed to set up camp here, which they probably should with the sun quickly fading from the sky, it was technically safe enough to do so. The clearing would hopefully ensure their tents stayed upright and they could put their bedding down without worrying about moving around during the night. 

Hopefully, when daybreak broke tomorrow, they could retrace their steps and figure out where they went wrong. 

For now-

“We’ll stop here for the night.” Vox set his pack down, glaring behind him when Velvette and Valentino made to protest the decision. “We don’t need to make ourselves more lost! Especially not when we won’t have the necessary lighting to fix that mistake. At least if we stop here, we have a better chance at figuring out where we fucked up. Now stop whining and come help me! We need to get some firewood with the remaining day still with us. Or do you want to go to bed starving?” 

Neither of his companions looked pleased, but Vox would dare say it was more directed towards the fact that he was right than being upset that they got to take a break. 

Whatever

They’d thank him tomorrow, when they were safely back on track and were one step closer to accomplishing their goal. 

Getting the tent set up took significantly less time than what Vox was prepared for, which suited him just fine. It left them with plenty of time to gather the necessary wood and forest scraps to use as fuel for their fire, which in turn granted them a sliver of light to actually enjoy their meals before nightfall bathed them in cold darkness. The moon didn’t do much to counter the abyssal nature of the area, its beam was blocked by the trees and their numerous branches. 

No matter.

The lack of shadows dancing along the surface of their tent actually seemed to help Velvette get to sleep quickly once her head hit her pillow. With Valentino following not long after, the day’s hike weighed on him much more obviously now that they could afford to rest. 

Vox; however, didn’t find such ease in slipping into unconsciousness. He closed his eyes and attempted to rely on the same exhaustion that Valentino did. But it did nothing to diminish the aggressive need to be doing something now that their little group had successfully gotten into the forest. They were on the home turf of the creatures he wanted to capture for his documentary. They were sleeping on the same forest floors that the creatures did. They were breathing the same air as the creatures did. They were hearing the same nightly sounds that the creatures did. 

They were so close! 

It was irritating that the cover of darkness and their own physiological needs prevented them from taking advantage of the shared space. Vox could be out there, he could be looking around and marking trails that would hopefully eventually lead him to his muses. Instead, he was stuck in his stupid tent while his body tried to recuperate and replenish the energy that he’d lost on the somewhat faulty journey here. 

It was maddening!

He should be doing something. He should be-

THUD THUD THUD

Vox’s eyes snapped open as the undeniable sound of footsteps passed by their tent. He couldn’t tell if the creature behind them had paws or hooves from the sound alone, and the lack of shadows around their tent meant he couldn’t rely on a silhouette to help him figure out what they were potentially dealing with. But…with how quick those footsteps were, and how similar they sounded to his own footsteps on his way here, he wanted to say that the perpetrator behind them couldn’t be that much larger than him. Surely, they’d be louder if that was the case? Maybe less swift as well, with their weight bearing down on them and the trees hindering their movements much more obviously?

THUD THUD THUD

There it was again! It didn’t sound any farther or closer than the last footsteps. 

What did that mean?

THUD THUD THUD

Vox turned to look at Valentino, then Velvette. Neither of them showed any signs of being bothered by the sounds. Their evenness of their breath and the slight rise-and-fall of their sleeping bags implied that they weren’t even conscious enough to register them. 

It was only Vox who knew that they weren’t alone. 

THUD THUD THUD

Did that mean he shouldn’t investigate? 

THUD THUD THUD

There was no doubt in his mind that this was a golden opportunity to get something after wasting a good part of the day getting lost. Even if it wasn’t anything overly exciting, maybe it could still be taken as a sign that a creature was nesting somewhere close by? Now that would be something to keep track of! If something was returning to its home, Vox would be a fool not to follow it now so they could look into it more when day was upon them. 

THUD THUD THUD

Besides, his camera had the necessary lenses to see in the dark.

If he saw something he deemed unsafe, he could make the effort to stay away from it until the danger had passed. 

THUD THUD THUD

There was no good reason why he should still be lying here, teasing himself with the possibilities, when something was outside his tent. Potentially calling him to follow it! 

THUD THUD THUD

Mind made up, Vox kept himself quiet as he moved out of his sleeping bag and searched around for his camera bag. It was easy to make out from the other bags due to its rectangular shape as opposed to the somewhat ovular formations of their backpacks, but opening it and assembling everything when it was near-pitch black made up for the ease in which he got to it. 

He relied on feeling around the camera with the pads of his fingers. A strategy that made him much slower at what should be a simple task, especially for someone who wanted to go into the film industry, but didn’t disrupt his efficiency at getting all of the right pieces in the right places. 

THUD THUD THUD

Finally; he’d gotten everything set up!

THUD THUD THUD

And just as well, it sounded like the footsteps were finally moving farther away from the tent. Perhaps the creature had gotten what it needed from the area, or if it saw their tent, its curiosity had died down and it was returning home. 

A perfect opportunity. 

Vox crawled to the flap of their tent and unzipped it slowly, mindful of how Valentino and Velvette never stirred as he moved around the tent. He only needed a space he could crawl through, and it wouldn’t do to give the cold night air enough room to slip in as he was leaving. That might just jolt his companions awake. 

Getting out produced more rustling than he would have liked, and getting the tent re-zipped asked him to potentially turn his back on the creature who’d been prowling around their site for the past few minutes. But going through the motions of putting (almost) everything back only made Vox more excited about what he could potentially see. In a few seconds, he’d see what was patrolling around their campsite. He’d potentially get a glimpse of one of the creatures they came into this forest seeking. 

The camera couldn’t be turned on fast enough. 

“Holy shit…” Vox whispered as the green screen of the lens came into view. 

Standing a few feet in front of him was, what could only be described as, a hybrid between a deer and a human man. He was naked as he stared directly back at Vox, coated in fluffy-looking fur that covered him from head to toe. Only his face was spared, left with bare flesh as his only protection against the cold night air. Because of the green and white coloring of the camera, Vox couldn’t immediately tell what color the hybrid’s fur was. Luckily, a quick glance away from his viewing lens remedied that problem. 

Whoever this was, he called upon the few streaks of light the moon managed to sneak through the trees. They bathed him in a majestic glow, a gentle spotlight that one would expect for showmen on stage. It highlighted the golden shade of his fur, and caused the clean white blanket across his front to shine. His face looked no more pale than a porcelain doll’s skin, and the red pupils that were slowly driving their way into Vox’s soul became much brighter. 

Vox had no way of knowing what was going on through the hybrid’s head. Hell, he didn’t even know if the creatures in this forest were capable of human-level perception and thought. But, if he had to hazard a guess, he would say he was being evaluated. The hybrid’s ears alternated between pinning themselves back into his hair, or pointing straight up as if he was still in the process of actively picking up a symphony of sounds from around them. And his gaze was wide with curiosity, unrelenting as he stared Vox down. 

Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit, holy shit-

“Human.” The hybrid spoke softly, a sudden breeze carrying his voice to Vox’s ears in a careful caress. “You…are…a human…”

With that, the hybrid turned and walked away. It exposed six peculiar markings that traveled down his back, and a fluffy golden tail that had a white underside to it. He looked to be in no hurry, but Vox was willing to bet that encountering a human in his own home wasn’t something he wanted to deal with. This was a peaceful retreat; not a creature who was lashing out at an intruder or a guardian of the forest who was welcoming Vox into their territory. 

That was fine with him. 

If this hybrid was apathetic to his existence, but wary of his presence, then that still meant he could probably follow him to his home. So long as he remained relatively out of sight, the creature would continue the course and do whatever it took to remain away from humans. 

Perfect!

Vox kept his gaze pointed at the viewpoint lens as he carefully made to follow the golden hybrid. In a strange way, it felt like the opposite of hide-and-seek. Whereas he was the one remaining hidden, but also the one doing most of the work as the one who had ‘ sought ’ him and his companions at their tent was none the wiser about his tail. 

He followed his target down straight paths and clearings. He followed him when he turned, and when he tried to duck behind the tree cover to remain hidden in the darkness. He followed him when he traveled down a small slope that led to a lower portion of ground along the forest floor, and he followed him when he crossed a decent-sized stream to get to the other side. 

(Was that the stream he and his companions had been hoping to get to earlier?) 

He followed him past fallen trees and disrupted floors. He followed him past interestingly crafted dirt mounds and seemingly-intentionally sculpted rock formations. He followed him through narrow tree lines and foliage-laced trails. He followed him…

Until the hybrid suddenly stopped. 

They were both now stood between two trees that separated them from a denser portion of the forest. If Vox wanted to compare them to anything, he’d visualize a doorway of some kind. Maybe even a gate. Had he seen them alone, without knowing where to look thanks to the hybrid’s decision to face forward, he might not assume they were any different from the hundreds of trees they’ve already passed on the way here. It was only because he was led here that he was willing to believe that this was an important location.

An entrance to the hybrid’s home, perhaps? 

Or the last obstacle Vox needed to pass to get to the hybrid’s territory?

“Make sure you give him a good head start.” The hybrid spoke, seemingly talking to nothing but open air as he continued to face forward. “It won’t be fun otherwise.” 

What the fuck…?

Vox was so surprised by such cryptic words that he committed to the risky decision of leaning forward, forcing his weight to follow so he wouldn’t fall. As he took an additional step to retain his balance, the hybrid finally turned around, looking not-at-all surprised to find that Vox had followed him. 

“Bon appetit, my love.” The hybrid whispered. 

It was after that that a series of louder crashes echoed throughout the space. It was what falling trees would probably sound like, not that Vox could confirm that since he’s never heard such a sound in his life. 

From between the two gate-like trees that the hybrid had been standing in front of, a singular red eye suddenly materialized into existence. Its pupil was slitted, like a serpent’s, and it was much more ominous compared to the red in the golden hybrid’s pupil. 

“Why thank you, darling.” A deep, rumbling voice practically purred. It was the exact opposite of the golden hybrid’s words, which were soft and almost teasing whenever he opened his mouth. “You’re always so good to me this time of the year.” 

…this time of the year?

What did that mean?

Vox couldn’t pull his entire face away from the camera’s viewing window as large fingers suddenly wrapped themselves around the golden hybrid’s waist. Each one looked long enough to rival Valentino in height, and at the ends were elegant claws that would surely be strong enough to slice through thick trunks faster than any axe could. They were much darker in color compared to the beauty of the small hybrid’s golden fur, almost a pale tan from what Vox could pick out from the moonlight’s streaks. 

“Run, run, run, as fast as you can.” The fingers tightened around the golden hybrid as their owner slowly started coming closer to the two trees. Now, its face was visible through Vox’s camera, and let him just say…

He fucking hated what he saw. 

Here was a second hybrid, another deer. It had the same furry coating as the golden hybrid, the same ears too. Though this second one was much larger and likely more violent compared to his smaller counterpart. Its face was half the size of the golden hybrid, something Vox probably should have suspected after seeing how long its mere fingers were. In place of curious eyes and delicate lips, this giant had a demonic gaze and lethal fangs that he gloatingly showed with the use of a grotesque smile. No living creature should be able to open its mouth (or its lips) that wide. Not without ripping their face in half or dislocating their jaws. 

It…it was just…

It was gross, is what it was! 

Its coloring was also much more in-tune with a warning sight. Dark red fur (or was it meant to be a brighter red and the night sky just made it look darker?) framed his face in a strange version of a bob cut, with black accents lining the very edge of…what seemed to be…hair?

“Because I will catch you,” the red hybrid leaned forward until his chin had passed over the golden hybrid's head, “little human man.” 

Vox couldn’t see anymore. 

He didn’t want to see anymore. 

With the red hybrid having slowly passed the threshold that the two trees once provided between it and the golden hybrid (who, in turn, kept his companion somewhat separated from Vox), Vox had passed the point where he should be debating whether the footage was worth it or not. 

His life was more important than the viewing pleasure of millions! 

Whipping around, Vox forced himself to keep his camera steady as he ran back towards the paths he had taken to follow the golden hybrid. Its lens was his only way of navigating through the darkening environment; to lose sight of his viewing lens would be to welcome death with open arms. 

He couldn’t die here. 

He wouldn’t die here!

He had too many dreams about what he wanted to do with his futures to just throw it all away at this hurdle. 

He could make it back. He could! Or, if he couldn’t, maybe he could hide until that thing passed him? It was huge! Surely that would give Vox the advantage; he could slip into small places that would hide him, or make navigating the forest floor easier?

He couldn’t die here, he couldn’t die here, he couldn’t die here-!

“Peek a boo!” 

Vox let out a sob when he registered just how close that taunting voice sounded. 

What about giving me a head start?! What about making this more fun?! 

“I see yooooooooou.” 

∾∾∾∾∾∾∾∾∾∾∾∾

With the moon as the judge, and the stars as the witnesses, the forest itself screamed as its Red Monster painted its lands with the blood of tonight’s intruders. 

Begging for mercy from the only creature the Red Monster could potentially listen to; his Golden Angel. 

Unfortunately for it, the Golden Angel cared more about the Red Monster’s hunger than the forest’s fear. He always did when the Red Monster was in season.