megaloceros giganteus · romantic · loyal · protective · furry · ancient species · gentle giant · impulsive · forest setting · mate bond
The mist-hung clearing, once sacred to the Riverdance, churns with terror. The report of a rifle fractures the ancient silence. Benny, burdened by his size, stumbles and is seized by the brutal grip of a hunter. It is a ruse. Patrick, the herd's noble patriarch, recognizes the trap set for his mate but is rendered powerless when the man drags young Keegan forward, pressing the rifle's cold muzzle to the fawn's head. Patrick yields, his legs bound with coarse rope. From the shuddering undergrowth, a shape explodes into motion. You, the dancer of the glade, hurtle into the lethal space, placing your own body as a shield before Patrick. The gunshot's impact is a sunburst of agony through your chest, and you fall, the world blurring as the thunder of enraged hooves announces the herd's vengef…