Zack collided with the side of the stallion's shoulder mid-stride. But because the horse was moving with maximum momentum, his claws failed to find a deep anchor. He lost his grip before he could even bring his weight to bear, slipping off the sleek hide and crashing hard into the dirt.
"ROAR~~"
He landed squarely on his backside, letting out a sharp, indignant yowl of pain. He wasn't broken, but his dignity was thoroughly bruised.
By the time he scrambled back to his feet, the stallion was already a distant shadow, its hooves disappearing over the ridge. There was no catching it now.
Moments later, the mother and Zoe caught up to his position. Seeing the empty clearing, the mother gave a heavy, disappointed sigh.
Another failure.
Hunting failures were common for any predator, but the parents could feel the deficit acutely now. Without James's unusual strength and uncanny tactical placement, the family's success rate had plummeted.
With empty bellies and heavy strides, the parents turned back toward the home cave, leading Zack and Zoe into a long, quiet night, hoping for better luck tomorrow.
Late into the night, while the rest of the family slept, Zack lay awake, his stomach growling fiercely.
He stared into the blackness of the cave, his mind drifting back to his big brother. He remembered how James used to slip away into the dark, only to return hours later dragging some massive, fatty prize for them to share. James had been a bully, sure, but under his watch, Zack had never gone to sleep hungry.
"Why did he leave?"
Zack tilted his head up toward the moon, and for a moment, he saw his brother's face there. The same brother who never missed a chance to bully him.
He remembered all the moments they had spent together.
Zack slowly closed his eyes. A single drop fell onto the ground… then another… and another.
Who would have thought that a sabertooth tiger, a creature feared as the pinnacle of predators, could cry like this?
The questions swirled in his simple mind until they solidified into a singular, burning resolution.
"I'm going to find you."
The thought spread through him like wildfire, pushing out the exhaustion of the failed hunt.
"ROAR~~"
In the pitch-black quiet of the cavern, Zack silently slipped past his sleeping parents, vanishing into the night.
In truth, Zack had absolutely no idea where his older brother had gone.
The impulsive urge that drove him out of the cave only carried him a little way into the brush before he found himself wandering like a blind insect. Outside, the world was a void of pitch-black shadows. Realizing there was nothing to guide him, Zack's ears flattened in defeat, and he turned around, preparing to slink back into the den.
But as he shuffled along, a thick, metallic scent of blood cut through the night air.
For a young cat with a fiercely growling stomach, the smell was an absolute trigger. Forgetting his initial hesitation, Zack quickened his pace, following the copper trail through the dark. In his simple mind, he was convinced a free feast was waiting just over the next ridge.
Before long, Zack reached the source.
Lying on the rocky riverbed ahead were two large, lifeless shapes. But what made Zack freeze was the colossal silhouette towering over the carcasses, methodically ripping into the fresh meat.
Peering through the shadows, Zack recognized the dead animals instantly.
It was the "Xenosmilus" pair from the neighboring territory—the ones who had always given his family trouble. How could two prime predators be slaughtered here at the same time?
Zack looked up at the massive silhouette, and the answer became brutally clear.
It was an American Lion(Panthera atrox).
Against a giant of that scale, Zack felt an instinctive, paralyzing terror. He spun around, trying to slip away before he was spotted.
But his frantic movement disturbed the loose gravel beneath his paws. The American Lion snapped its heavy head toward the sound, its eyes reflecting two icy green pinpricks of light in the darkness.
An instant later, the massive lion exploded into motion, charging straight down the riverbed after the sub-adult.