Primal

The drums beat in my body. A frantic, urgent pace. I crouch in the ferns, listening, waiting. Suddenly before me, a magnificent stag appears. He turns and stares at me, feeling the fire that burns behind my eyes, feeling, just barely, the drums that drive my soul. In a split second, he turns and bounds into the primeval forest. I leap after him and the hunt begins. I race through the forest, spear in hand. Every turn is seen before it happens, every tree and boulder in its place. The stag rushes before me, always one step ahead. As I race, I begin to change. Now I am wolf. Now I am panther. Always the same, leap, turn, lunge. I smell the fear of the stag, such a strong pungent smell. I feel the end coming soon... Dodge the tree, Bound off the boulder, Hurtle the fallen tree that has crossed the path. There the stag stands, caught in a moments hesitation. I lunge, feeling my teeth enter flesh and bones crunch under the strength of my jaws. As I pull my prey to the ground I can feel the life beating slower, slower, slower, until only the barest pulse beats. I stare into the eyes of the stag and give a moments thanks to the god who sacrificed himself so that I may grow. As I consume the stag (god) I feel his power coursing through me, filling me. I am more than I was and revel in the feeling of strength and vitality. As I finish, I feel the drums which drive my soul shift beats. The urgency is still there, but the focus has changed. Now it urges me onward, towards the edge of the great forest, into the vast unknown...