ORIGIN

They prefered their own company, honestly.

They didn't feel particularly lonely wandering Polaris on their own - they dared say that they felt content, albeit tired. Sleep wasn't much of a thing for them; perhaps it was their own endless curiosity that kept them awake or the festering pit of paranoia that told them sleep was no different from falling into death.

The last thing they wanted to do was have another conversation with Death. They last thing they wanted to do was have a conversation. However, with one basic need avoided, the rest had to be put into consideration. Breathing was alright. Hunting was something they had to improve on.

Their chest and belly felt tight. They weren't sure if it were from the hunger or the general condition of their body, but regardless, it was time to hunt for food.

They had already discovered their fairly remarkable sense of hearing - they could hear the footsteps of rats from simply being in a five mile radius between them. At least, that's what it felt like.

Along with their sense of hearing, their sense of smell was also quite remarkable. By inhaling through their nose and opening their mouth they could practically smell the entire caves. They enjoyed it to an extent too - half-closing their eyes to savour the taste of dust and rock mixed with the general scent of life.

Their sense of sight? Well, they could see. That served them fairly well.

Regardless of this, they had never attempted to hunt. Perhaps that is why their chest felt so tight - or why they were weak and couldn't walk and always had to wheeze. Perhaps their basic function of breathing was not as perfect as they had once thought.

Regardless, they closed their eyes and pressed their nose to the ground, trying to pick out the smell of rat.

It was not their proudest moment.

Immediately, they inhaled a rock. They coughed and they spluttered and they sneezed until the tiny pebble came flying back out of their pig-shaped nose. Their sense-sponge hurt a little and there was a grinding, uncomfortable feeling in the back of their throat.

They shifted somewhat. No one had seen it - or so they had hoped. To see that would have meant seeing themselves, which was undesirable for a hybrid who only wished to be alone. A quick glance, left, right, behind him and in front of them however, told them that they were indeed, alone.

They had learned one thing from the events that had just transpired: a sense of smell is perhaps not required for hunting. If they had to use all five senses to locate something to eat, then so be it.

The hybrid went very still, over-sized ears pricking up as they began to listen.

Their giant ears had come to good use, it seemed. Somehow, they could manage to pinpoint a near by rat's movements, burrowing and scrambling against rock and dirt.

Their eyes shifted around the room, their ears twitched and moved. Hunting. How was hunting done? Their shoulders rolled back and they began to hobble forward towards the sound of the rat carefully, but their feet provided none of the necessary silence needed to sneak up on something as delicate as a rat.

Regardless, they'd have to try anyway.