The Prince Who Was Reborn as a Monster

The Price of Staying Alive

The first sign that their shelter had become unsafe was the silence.

Kael noticed it before Murk did.

The forest around the ancient formation had always carried some sound, even during the quietest hours. Insects moved beneath the leaves, small creatures searched for food, and distant predators occasionally announced their presence.

Now there was almost nothing.

Kael lay beneath a cluster of exposed roots, his body pressed against the damp earth. The wounds across his back had stopped bleeding, but the pain had not diminished. His core still felt unsettled, and whenever he attempted to summon his shadow concealment, he felt only a faint resistance beneath his skin.

The failed absorption had taken more from him than he had expected.

Murk sat near the entrance of their temporary shelter, cleaning his claws against a flat stone.

“You are staring at the trees again,” the scavenger said.

“I am listening.”

“Then listen to this. We cannot stay here.”

Kael turned his head.

“Why?”

Murk pointed toward the forest.

“Because something has been following us.”

The pale creature, which had been standing near the entrance, looked toward the trees.

“I sensed it too.”

Kael slowly pushed himself upright.

“How many?”

“I don't know,” Murk replied. “At least two different scents. One is old. The other is recent.”

“Hunters?”

“Perhaps. Or scavengers.”

The pale creature shook its head.

“Not hunters. The energy from the ancient formation is still clinging to us. Something has followed that scent.”

Kael looked down at his chest.

The failed absorption had released enough energy to attract scavengers, and the ancient formation had responded to his presence. He had hoped the disturbance would fade after they left.

Apparently, it had not.

“How long have you noticed them?” he asked.

“Since before dawn.”

“And you waited until now to tell me?”

Murk's ears shifted backward.

“I wanted to be certain before waking you. Besides, you were not in a condition to do anything about it.”

Kael examined the entrance.

The shelter had protected them during their earlier travels. It was a hollow beneath a network of tree roots, narrow enough to discourage larger predators and concealed by thick vegetation.

But if creatures had begun following their scent, its advantages were disappearing.

“Can we defend it?”

Murk gave him a flat look.

“With what?”

Kael did not answer.

Murk stood.

“You cannot use your concealment. Your wounds are barely healing. I have an injured foreleg, and our companion attracts anything interested in ancient relics. Even if we survive the first attack, another creature may arrive before we recover.”

The pale creature lowered its head.

“You want me to leave.”

“I want us to survive.”

“That is not the same thing.”

“It becomes the same thing when something tears us apart.”

Kael watched the exchange.

Murk was not trying to be cruel. He was doing what he had always done: calculating the danger and deciding what offered the best chance of survival.

The pale creature, however, was not simply a burden. Its ability to sense ancient energy had already helped them understand the ruins, the royal resonance and the eastern catalyst.

Abandoning it might reduce the danger.

It would also mean discarding one of the few sources of information they possessed.

“We move together,” Kael said.

Murk's expression hardened.

“You cannot protect everyone.”

“I know.”

“Then why keep pretending?”

Kael slowly rose, ignoring the pain in his back.

“Because abandoning someone whenever their presence becomes inconvenient is not the kind of strength I intend to build.”

Murk stared at him.

“You speak as though we have already built something.”

“We have an agreement.”

“An agreement to survive. Not to die for one another.”

Kael held his gaze.

“Then perhaps we need to decide what that agreement means.”

Murk looked away.

For several moments, the only sound between them was the wind moving through the roots.

Finally, the scavenger turned toward the forest.

“Fine. But if we find somewhere else, I will not fight a predator because you feel sorry for its victims.”

“I will not ask you to.”

“Good. I would hate to discover that your promises are as unreliable as your judgement.”

They left the shelter before the sun reached its highest point.

Kael struggled to maintain a steady pace. His body had become heavier since the failed absorption, and the absence of shadow concealment made him feel exposed even when surrounded by trees.

He could still sense movement around him. His hearing and smell remained sharper than those of an ordinary animal, but his injuries prevented him from using those advantages effectively.

Murk led them through a shallow valley, avoiding the open ground.

The pale creature followed closely.

After some time, they reached a rocky slope where the ground descended toward a narrow stream.

Murk stopped beside a cluster of bushes.

“Water.”

Kael approached carefully.

The stream was clear, flowing from a crack between two large stones. It continued toward a small hollow beneath an overhanging rock formation.

Several tracks marked the muddy ground.

Kael examined them.

“Creatures live here.”

“More than one,” Murk said. “And they have been using this water for a while.”

The pale creature lowered its head.

“I can smell them.”

Murk looked toward the hollow.

“Then we should leave.”

Kael noticed movement near the rocks.

A small creature emerged.

It was roughly the size of Murk, with brown fur, a narrow muzzle and two short horns above its eyes. Its body was thin, but its claws were strong. It stopped when it saw the three travellers.

A second creature appeared behind it.

Then a third.

They did not attack.

Instead, they stood between the stream and the hollow.

Murk lowered his voice.

“Lesser monsters.”

Kael studied them.

“Do they control this place?”

“They occupy it. There is a difference.”

The first creature released a low growl.

Murk responded with a short sound of his own.

The creatures moved closer together.

Kael understood their message.

They did not want strangers near the water.

“We need to speak with whoever leads them,” he said.

Murk gave him a doubtful look.

“You want to negotiate with creatures that might attack us for drinking?”

“They have something we need. We have something they may need.”

“And what exactly do we have?”

Kael looked at his injured body.

“Not much.”

Murk sighed.

“At least you are finally learning.”

The creatures did not allow them to approach the hollow.

A larger one emerged from the shadows.

It had a broad head and a scar running across its muzzle. Its body was covered in dark brown fur, and one of its forelimbs was noticeably thicker than the other.

Behind it, Kael heard faint movement.

A small, high-pitched sound followed.

Young ones.

The larger creature stepped between them and the hollow.

It lowered its head and bared its teeth.

Murk remained still.

“They have young,” he whispered.

Kael looked toward the entrance.

Several small creatures were gathered behind the larger one. Their bodies were barely developed, and their movements were unsteady.

The group had not simply occupied the cave for convenience.

It was raising its young there.

The clean water and surrounding vegetation were essential to their survival.

Kael understood why they had refused to share.

“Can we drink from the stream?” he asked.

Murk answered quietly.

“Not without convincing them.”

The larger creature growled again.

Kael lowered his head slightly.

“We do not want your shelter.”

The creature did not understand the words, but it seemed to recognise that Kael was not advancing.

He pointed toward the stream, then lowered himself to the ground.

“We need water.”

The creature remained suspicious.

The pale one stepped forward.

It lowered its head and released a faint sound.

The larger monster's attention shifted toward it.

For a moment, the two creatures seemed to recognise something in one another.

Then the larger monster moved closer and sniffed the pale creature.

It growled.

The pale creature stepped back.

Murk watched carefully.

“I don't like this.”

“Why?”

“They have noticed the resonance.”

Kael looked at the larger creature.

It was no longer merely guarding the water. Its attention had shifted to the pale creature, whose unusual presence seemed to disturb it.

Kael stepped between them.

The larger creature growled.

He did not retreat.

“We are not here to take anything from your young.”

The creature's body remained tense.

Kael glanced at the small monsters behind it.

Their food supply appeared limited. A few pieces of dried flesh lay near the cave entrance, and the surrounding vegetation had been stripped in several places.

They were surviving on little.

Demanding food from them would be unreasonable.

But they had clean water and a protected shelter.

He needed to offer something in return.

A sharp cry came from the western trees.

The smaller creatures immediately retreated toward the cave.

The larger one turned.

Murk raised his head.

“What was that?”

A second cry followed.

This time, several creatures emerged from the bushes.

They were lean scavengers, similar to those that had attacked Kael near the ancient formation. Their bodies were covered in dark patches, and their long jaws were designed for tearing flesh.

There were five.

They approached the stream cautiously, sniffing the ground.

The larger horned monster moved in front of its young.

Its injured forelimb trembled.

Kael noticed the weakness.

It could defend the cave against a single intruder, perhaps two, but five scavengers would be difficult.

The scavengers noticed the young creatures.

One moved toward the entrance.

The larger monster charged.

It struck the intruder with its shoulder, sending it tumbling across the ground. The others spread out, attempting to approach from different directions.

Murk backed away.

“This is their problem.”

Kael watched the larger creature struggle.

It was protecting its young, not defending food or trying to dominate strangers. The scavengers had identified an opportunity and intended to exploit it.

The creature's injured limb weakened its movements.

A scavenger slipped past and rushed toward the cave.

The pale creature moved to intercept it, but Kael caught its attention.

“Stay with Murk.”

Then he stepped forward.

Murk immediately objected.

“Kael, you can barely stand!”

“I know.”

“Then don't make me repeat myself!”

Kael ignored him.

He moved toward the nearest scavenger.

The creature turned and lunged.

Kael twisted aside, but his injured shoulder prevented him from moving quickly enough. Its claws caught his side, reopening one of the wounds.

Pain flashed through him.

He struck back with his claws, catching the scavenger across the muzzle.

The creature retreated.

Kael stumbled.

Murk cursed and rushed forward, biting the scavenger's hind leg.

The creature turned on him.

Murk released it before its jaws could close around his body.

“Do something useful!” he shouted.

Kael looked at the terrain.

The stream narrowed between two large stones before flowing beneath the cave's rocky overhang. The ground around it was muddy, and several loose branches lay scattered along the bank.

The scavengers were faster than he was, but they were not particularly coordinated.

He moved toward the narrow passage.

The first scavenger followed.

Kael waited until it was close, then shifted behind a protruding rock.

The creature lunged and struck the stone.

Its head bounced against the surface.

Kael attacked its exposed neck.

The scavenger cried out and retreated.

The second attempted to approach from the opposite side.

Murk intercepted it, snapping at its foreleg and forcing it away from the cave.

The larger horned creature charged another scavenger, driving it into the stream.

Water splashed across the clearing.

The remaining two hesitated.

Kael saw his opportunity.

He dragged a fallen branch across the narrow path, making it harder for the scavengers to reach the cave entrance.

One attempted to jump over it.

Kael struck its forelimb.

The creature stumbled into the mud.

The larger horned monster immediately attacked, forcing it away from the young.

The last scavenger began circling.

It was looking for an opening.

Kael lowered his body.

His muscles trembled, and the pain in his side was becoming difficult to ignore.

He had no intention of wasting energy on a prolonged fight.

He advanced just far enough to make the creature reconsider.

Then Murk appeared behind it.

The scavenger turned and found itself between two opponents.

It released a sharp cry.

The other scavengers responded.

One by one, they withdrew into the forest.

Kael did not pursue them.

He watched until their movements disappeared among the trees.

The larger horned creature remained near the cave entrance, breathing heavily.

Its young emerged cautiously.

One approached its injured forelimb.

The creature lowered its head and touched the small one with its muzzle.

Kael watched the exchange.

They had not fought for territory or dominance.

They had fought because losing that cave might have meant losing their young.

He looked toward the forest where the scavengers had disappeared.

He had not needed to kill every attacker.

He had only needed to make the attack too costly for them to continue.

Murk approached Kael.

“You are bleeding again.”

Kael looked down.

The wound along his side had reopened, and blood darkened the fur around it.

“I can still stand.”

“That is not the same as being fit to fight.”

Murk examined the wound.

“You need rest. Real rest. Not hiding beneath roots while creatures search for your scent.”

Kael looked toward the cave.

The larger horned monster had returned to its young. It watched them cautiously, but the hostility in its posture had diminished.

The pale creature stood beside the stream.

“They have accepted us,” it said.

“Have they?” Murk asked.

The larger monster approached Kael.

It stopped a short distance away, lowered its head, then turned toward the stream.

The gesture was clear enough.

They were being allowed to drink.

Kael approached slowly.

He lowered his head and drank.

The water was cold and clean.

He drank until his thirst eased, then stepped away.

The larger creature watched him before returning to its young.

Kael turned toward Murk.

“We need a place to recover. They have water, shelter and a small food supply. We can offer protection in return.”

Murk stared at him.

“You want to stay here?”

“Temporarily.”

“They barely trust us.”

“Then we will give them a reason to.”

Murk glanced toward the forest.

“We cannot protect them every hour of the day.”

“We do not need to. We only need to help them defend the cave against creatures that threaten them.”

“And what happens when something stronger arrives?”

Kael did not answer immediately.

He was beginning to understand the difficulty of his own proposal.

A promise of protection was not a small thing. If they accepted the shelter, the creatures might depend on them. If they failed, the consequences would fall on the very beings they had agreed to help.

He looked at the injured horned monster.

It was already struggling to protect its young.

“We will make the arrangement temporary,” he said. “We will help defend the cave while I recover. In exchange, we receive water, a place to rest and a small share of their food.”

Murk's expression remained doubtful.

“And if they refuse?”

“Then we leave.”

The scavenger considered the answer.

“At least that is reasonable.”

The agreement was not immediate.

The larger creature refused to let them enter the cave at first. Kael did not force the issue.

Instead, he remained near the stream while the pale creature communicated with the group through low sounds and gestures.

Murk watched from a distance, occasionally interrupting when one of the smaller creatures approached too closely.

After some time, the larger monster allowed them to rest beneath the outer rock shelter.

It was not the deepest part of the cave, but it offered protection from rain and enough space for the three travellers.

The group would receive water and a small portion of the available food. In return, they would help defend the entrance against predators.

Kael accepted the arrangement.

Murk did not look pleased.

“You have made another promise.”

“A temporary one.”

“Temporary promises still require keeping.”

“I know.”

The larger creature placed a small piece of meat near the edge of their shelter.

Kael looked at it.

It was not much, but he understood the meaning.

He allowed the pale creature to take it first.

Murk watched.

“You are giving away your share?”

“It needs food too.”

“And you?”

“I will eat later.”

Murk shook his head.

“You will make a terrible ruler if you keep giving away everything you receive.”

Kael looked at the small creatures gathered around their parent.

“Perhaps a ruler should understand what his people need before deciding what he deserves.”

Murk said nothing.

But he did not leave.

By late afternoon, Kael's condition had worsened.

The fight had reopened his wounds, and the effort of moving through the forest had exhausted him. He lay beneath the rock shelter while the pale creature watched the entrance.

Murk sat nearby.

For a while, neither spoke.

Then Kael noticed the scavenger examining the forest.

“What is it?”

Murk's ears shifted.

“Something is wrong.”

“Again?”

“Listen.”

Kael raised his head.

At first, he heard only the stream.

Then a faint sound travelled across the distant hills.

A howl.

It was long and low, carrying through the trees before fading.

The smaller creatures near the cave immediately stopped moving.

The larger horned monster rose.

Its young retreated into the deepest part of the shelter.

Murk's body stiffened.

Kael looked toward him.

“Do you recognise it?”

The scavenger slowly nodded.

“Yes.”

“Another scavenger pack?”

“No.”

The howl came again.

This time, something answered from farther away.

Murk moved closer to Kael.

“That is not a hunting pack.”

Kael looked toward the eastern forest.

“What is it?”

Murk's yellow eyes remained fixed on the trees.

“A territorial call.”

The pale creature lowered its head.

The larger horned monster backed toward the cave, its injured leg trembling.

Kael tried to rise, but pain forced him down.

The howl sounded a third time.

Closer.

Murk turned toward him.

“And whatever made it has noticed that something is disturbing its boundaries.”