The puppet moved swiftly through the narrow tunnels, its body of rat bones and flesh making soft, wet sounds against the damp ground. Above it, the sparrow darted through the air with surprising speed, weaving between the low ceiling and twisting passages as it searched for living targets. For the first time, the puppet was chasing after another creature under the Creature's silent command, its single focus locked on keeping pace with the small bird.
The sparrow flew ahead, its sharp eyes scanning the dim light and faint movements on the surface. It chirped once, a quick signal, and changed direction, leading the puppet toward a small clearing where several feral beasts had gathered. The puppet ran faster, its bony legs pounding the earth, fleshy strands trailing behind like living ropes. The air grew thick with the scent of wet soil and warm blood.
The first targets were three feral rats, larger than the ones the Creature had consumed before. They scurried near a cluster of roots, sniffing for food, unaware of the predators closing in from below and above. The sparrow dove sharply, its small claws extended, striking at the eyes and ears of the largest rat to create chaos. The rat squealed and thrashed, giving the puppet its opening.
The puppet lunged forward. Its fleshy appendages shot out, wrapping around the rat's limbs and spine with brutal force. Bones cracked loudly, but the puppet was careful. It avoided the heart completely, crushing the legs and ribs instead. The rat's body went limp, yet its heart continued to beat faintly inside the ruined shell.
The puppet turned its head toward the sparrow and spoke in its flat, rasping voice.
"Remember this. We must never damage the heart. Destroy everything else, but leave the heart untouched."
The sparrow tilted its head in mid-air, understanding through the Beast Origin Language. It chirped once in acknowledgment and immediately turned toward the next target — a lone wild rabbit frozen at the edge of the clearing. The sparrow swooped down again, pecking fiercely at the rabbit's face and ears to disorient it. The rabbit tried to bolt, but the puppet was already there. Thick fleshy tubes burst from its body, coiling around the rabbit's legs and snapping them with a sickening crunch. The rabbit screamed once before the puppet crushed its skull, again leaving the heart completely intact and still beating.
One by one, the pair continued their hunt. The sparrow's speed and aerial view allowed it to spot hidden prey — another pair of rats, a small deer-like beast drinking from a puddle, and a burrowing creature that tried to escape underground. Each time, the sparrow struck first from above, creating distraction and panic, while the puppet followed with raw crushing strength. Flesh tore, bones shattered, and blood soaked into the ground, but every single heart was carefully preserved, still pulsing weakly even as the bodies around them were destroyed.
As they dragged the growing pile of corpses back toward the Creature's domain, the puppet spoke again to the sparrow, its tone simple and mechanical.
"We must bring the hearts whole. That is the only rule the Master gave. Do not damage them."
The sparrow circled once above the pile of bodies, its feathers lightly stained with blood, and chirped in quiet understanding. It had already begun to feel the strange pull of loyalty to this dark cave and the silent master that controlled it.
Deep underground, the Creature sensed the approach of its two servants. The fleshy floor pulsed with anticipation as the first corpses were dropped into the central mass. Wet, greedy sounds filled the cavern as the floor swallowed the broken bodies whole, leaving only clean bones behind while the intact hearts were carefully separated and stored deep within the Creature's growing collection. Energy began to rise slowly once more, feeding the ever-hungry mass.
The Creature remained still at the center of its fleshy domain, its many tubes and appendages twitching with quiet satisfaction. The first joint hunt had gone well. The sparrow's speed from the air and the puppet's crushing strength on the ground worked together effectively. With more hearts gathered, the Creature could feel its domain slowly expanding and its power deepening.