The sound echoed through the forest. A shrill scream that raised my hackles, the little hairs on the back of my neck tingling a fearful warning. Wisps of red were disappearing into the dense spruce and thin, towering poplars as the sun sunk below the trees, replaced with black - pitch black. The clouds obscured the moon and stars, the last threads of light evaporating into the darkness, and I sat motionless against the trunk of the tree.

Another shriek pierced the dark silence, its volume fading in the distance. It was not as close as before, perhaps it had lost my trail. I sat in silence and let my eyes adjust to the dark, listening for the sound of his skin whistling over the tops of the trees or his movement through the forest, and thought of my woman with child.

*****

Her black hair hung down between her shoulder blades, swaying like long meadow grass in the summer breeze as she walked past. The deerskin dress was snug on her hips, clinging to her bottom just enough to highlight her shapely rump. The gentle sway of her walk held my gaze, the evolutionary beast of desire inside of my soul ignited, making her a magnet for my eyes and my heart.

A deep breath quelled my nerves, and I approached her, grasping her elbow gently when I stood next to her. Her eyes glanced at my hand before looking into mine, the deep pools of brown soft and welcoming.

“I wish to spend time with you,” I managed to speak.

The seldom-occurring feeling of fear gripped my heart, the thought of an arrow of rejection piercing it causing me to hold my breath while I waited for a response. I am a warrior, one of the strongest, bravest, and most-feared men of our people, and I was being brought to my knees by this alluring young woman.

“Our earth mother plays games with men,” my elder father had warned. “She will tempt you, distract you, and lead you, using the natural powers of a woman.”

My father’s father had been wise.

“I want that, too,” she replied with a shy smile.

The grip of fear relaxed and my heart beat once more. I had taken her hand and led her into the meadow, sitting with her in the warmth of the sun, and we had talked until the darkness fell. I led her to her home, ensuring her family knew she was safe, and retired to my bed. Dreams of her floated in my mind, dreams of holding her close, feeling her warm skin against mine. Twice I woke, disturbed by the hardness of my cock and the need of desire, and stroked myself to release.

*****

I slowly crawled along the ground on my stomach, moving myself an inch at a time and pausing, finally reaching the low branches of the spruce. Each movement was calculated and slow as I slid the bow off my shoulder and slipped under the cover of the thick branches. The damp earth chilled my bones and the stiff needles jabbed, but now I was well hidden. I pulled my legs up against my chest and slowed my shivers, happy the damp air was not cold enough to show my breath.

The shrill scream pierced the darkness once more in the distance, revealing that Baykok was still searching. I kept my face low.

“Baykok will see the white of your eyes in the darkness,” elder father had warned. “He is a very dangerous hunter. He may fly, crawl through the brush, or move through the trees. He is cunning and quiet."

The next scream was quieter, but closer. I curled up next to the trunk and stay still, hearing the faint whistle of its gaunt skin when it passed overhead, similar to the ducks that fly along the river - wip wip wip wip - and thanked our earth mother for the cloudy sky this night.

*****

The dress slipped from her shoulders, and she stood bare in front of me. Her breasts were full and firm, her stomach trim and flat. With a shy smile, she let it fall to her feet, revealing the dark patch between her firm thighs. She was beautiful. I untied the rawhide belt and slipped off my leggings, standing bare as well. Her eyes focused on the swelling cock that jutted out from my loins. I put my hand out and she took it, letting me pull her to me until we stood with our skin touching. My cock pushed into her belly as her breasts pushed into my lower chest, and I lifted her chin up so I could kiss her pouty lips.

It was amazing. My heart pumped faster, my lungs stopped, and the warm tingle of a lightning bolt surged through my body as my lips met hers. None of the women before had this effect on me. I opened my eyes and so did she, gazing at each other until the kiss ended. We both took a breath before grabbing each other in a heated embrace.

Tumbling on my bed we rolled with each other, her legs somehow wrapping around me and pulling my engorged cock into her. One moment I was on her and thrusting deeply, the next she rode on top, ending with her collapsing on my chest with my seed deep inside. I stroked her damp hair and gazed down at her beautiful face, knowing we had joined our souls in that moment of heated frenzy.

*****

The first of our group to disappear had been Mitig. The third day of our hunt had taken us deep into the forest, far away from the lake as we followed the river, and he had just vanished as darkness fell. Our search found only his bow, quiver, and one slipper among the rocky edge of the river. We agreed he would be far downstream by now and we would continue looking when the sun rose. We did not find him.

That night as we settled in Binesi stepped away for a few moments to collect wood for the fire and called out. Migizi ran into the bush while I gathered our bows, and I found him crouched in the dense brush. He gestured for silence when I crouched down and pointed his finger to the edge of the river. The dim light of the moon illuminated the scene we witnessed.

A tall, bony figure stood over Binesi, a gaunt skeleton with talons on its hands. His chest was split open, the ribs pulled wide apart, and the figure feasted on the organs inside. I stopped Migizi from touching his bow and gestured for us to retreat. After hesitating for a moment, he gave a slight nod and we quietly backed away.

“We must return home,” I told him. “Baykok has eaten, we will be safe until darkness falls again. He is hunting us.”

“We will kill him when he tries,” he replied and shook his bow. “I am not afraid.”

“Many have died trying to kill the Baykok,” my elder father had said. “None have come home.”

“No, we must leave his land. We cannot kill what is already dead.”

“It eats,” he snarled. “It will die.”

“I will return home; you should join me so we can warn others of this place. It is a warrior's duty to protect others. Do not let your pride guide you."

“I will follow, but when darkness falls, I will kill it.”

I shook my head, gathered my things and headed back down the river. It would lead us away and back to our lands, where the forest was safe from Baykok. We travelled quickly, keeping inside of the trees and avoiding the open shoreline and meadows along the way. Once the sun was high, we made good time, even though the bush was thick and the air heavy.

“We must find a place to hide, the sun is going away,” I told Migizi. “Watch the sky.”

He looked up and lifted his bow over his head.

“Baykok! You will die!” he yelled.

His voice carried across the land, the words being spread by the wind, and I pulled him to the ground.

“You will tell him where we are!” I scolded. “He will find us!”

“Let it come. I am ready,” he spat.

I found a fallen tree that lay against another and had a shallow space open underneath. I slid inside, wedging myself under the log and pulling a few branches in front of me. Migizi climbed a tree and crawled into the thick branches, keeping his bow and quiver in front and ready, just as the darkness began to creep in. A shrill cry erupted nearby, sending chills through my soul, and I knew Baykok was coming.

Wip wip wip wip

Migizi let out a grunt and tumbled from the tree, as if arrows had filled his chest, and landed with a heavy thud. Baykok suddenly appeared, his sinewy skin glistening in the light of the moon, and swung a heavy club at Migizi’s head. I stayed silent and still as it looked around, searching for me with its bright red eyes and sunken face, and kept my face down to avoid his gaze. After a moment the talons sliced him open and the sounds of his sternum breaking apart echoed through the forest. In minutes, his organs were devoured by the thin skeleton, and I kept my eyes closed and my thoughts on my woman as it feasted.

*****

Twice more that night we shared our souls, devouring each other sexually before falling asleep. The next day we were now man and woman, each forsaking others and promising love between us. Her appetite for my cock was as strong as my appetite for her, and in time she was with our child. I promised to return from the hunt, with food for our people and ourselves, and to see our child arrive. The morning I was to leave she had pleasured me with her mouth, sucking my swollen cock and swallowing the hot seed. She promised more upon my return.

*****

When the sun began to appear, I slipped out of my hiding place and went to Migizi, taking his necklace and arrows before leaving. I travelled quickly, choosing to take the open meadow in the hope Baykok would stay hidden in the daylight, and was very close to the widening part of the river that bordered our lands. The cloud moved in, a dense blanket of grey and black that covered the moon and darkened the forest quickly.

The thick tree appeared, heavy with branches and brush around the trunk. I glanced up before sitting down and blending into the undergrowth, noticing the large spruce a few feet away. I hesitated before moving and heard the wip wip wip wip.

*****

“You must hide well. Baykok cannot smell you, but he will see everything in the dark. Every movement, every breath... you must be still and silent.”

His words ran through my mind as I lay still under the thick cover of the spruce. Thoughts of my woman and child kept me warm throughout the night as Baykok searched for me. My muscles cramped and my hunger raged as I stay curled up, exhausted from the effort of the past days.

Wip wip wip wip

The screech was loud, almost directly overhead, and I kept my face down and my mouth covered when it dropped down nearby. I could hear the movements of its feet and the feint sound of raspy breathing. I held my breath and the sounds disappeared, leaving me frozen in my hiding place.

Light began to appear just as the rain started. I waited until it was light to unfurl and stretch my aching limbs in very slow movements, holding my breath as each leg straightened out and the muscles screamed. Soon the numbness went away and I slipped out from under the spruce, moved to the other tree, and stood up. After a few moments of stretching, I put my bow over my shoulder and began to run.

The wide part of the river appeared finally, and I slowed down to catch my breath. My lungs burned and my legs ached, and I found a thick tree to hide under, sitting down for a moment.

“Baykok will not leave his land. Once you are away from it, he will no longer hunt you.”

I stood up, stretched, and continued to the river. The last of the light was dropping behind the trees when I crossed the log bridge. The shrill shriek coming from behind froze me in my tracks. I slowly turned around to see Baykok standing on the other side, his tiny red eyes glowing brightly. His fingers fluttered slowly, and his feet pawed at the logs of the bridge.

“I am out of your land, Baykok!” I shouted. “This land belongs to my people!"

He fluttered his hands a few times, gripping his bow in his bony fingers, before shrieking in response. His red eyes bright in the darkening rain, he glared at me and shuffled around the edge of the logs as if considering crossing.

A clap of thunder filled the air, followed by a bright bolt of lightning. It illuminated Baykok, allowing me to see him clearly. His bony body was a gaunt and ghastly skeleton, skin pulled tight on top of it, and his gaping mouth filled with rotting teeth. Another clap of thunder, loud and violent, filled the forest. Lightning flashed and I wiped the rain from my eyes.

Baykok was gone.

*****

The young men sat quietly while I told the story of what I had encountered, their eyes wide and ears hungry for more. It had been a long time since Baykok, and it was my duty to ensure that the young warriors knew it was more than just legend.

“How is it safe for others to travel through Baykok’s land, Elder Father?” my son’s son asked.

“Baykok is a warrior hunter,” I explained. “If you are not a warrior, he has no desire for you. He feasts on warriors to feed his angry soul.”

My woman came over and tapped my shoulder, indicating it was time to end the teaching for the day. I stood up and gave them permission to rise.

“Go, young warriors. Tomorrow we will talk more about when warriors need to think of others before themselves.”

They stood and began talking, shuffling around nervously as the sun began to set.

“And stay inside after dark, Baykok may be watching," I warned teasingly.

The shrill shriek in the distance ensured they would listen.