AH!!!IT'SDONE!!!
***A gore warning on this, gotta love those fight-scene climaxes***
I’ve had Nanetta’s past in my head for a while and finally got the muse to start writing it down
Helpful critique wanted and welcome
Might continue this, might not.

Nanetta lazily grazed tender grass shoots under the hot African sun. Her short and agile gazelle frame shook slightly every so often to rid her sensitive skin of biting flies. She was at the age where she was mostly independent but still stayed close to her mother; and, at the moment, she wondered where exactly her mother had gone off to. Probably for some water…

-Her mother, Aleah, was a gentle, loving soul but had an unique past; she had been a human at one point. Long ago -or so it seemed- she had gotten herself changed into her favorite animal, a gazelle, in a vain attempt to escape the demons that wanted to harm her and the daughter she was pregnant with. Why did the demons want harm to befall the two? Because of the unborn child’s father. Nanetta’s father.
Her father was a demon hunter, and a good one at that. He was also a human, and he had died as a human, merely months before his daughter was to be born. Killed by demons nonetheless. Their revenge not yet satisfied, they set there sights on his lover, Aleah.
Aleah tried to keep away from them for a month but it was getting too hard, she was just to weak from her pregnancy to fight them off. So she went to a close magician friend of hers to seek advice. The magician offered to turn her into an animal, being as how it would be incredibly difficult for anything to find her then, as an animal, she could be free.
Naturally she wanted to be a gazelle. To be quick and graceful, to live wild and free of human cares. Of course there was always the challenge of eat or be eaten, but that turned out to be easy enough to her compared to her life as a human. The magician granted the request and she found peace as a gazelle.
Soon after, she gave birth to her daughter; her daughter conceived human but born a gazelle. Aleah named her Nanetta and taught the little doe the ways of a gazelle, but, still her emotions where almost completely human, her mother unable to change that.

Although Nanetta’s life had been rather uneventful thus far, she was always aware of how her mother was always looking over her shoulder, and not just to look out for any predatory cats. Her mother had told Nane about her past not long ago, and though it confused Nane, she was proud at the courage of her mother and father. Sometimes, even though she had never before seen a demon, her hair would stand up on end in reaction to one being in close proximity.
Now was one of those times…-

The young doe felt her heart pick up speed as adrenaline began to seep into her veins instinctively. Her head shot up as did the tan fur on her neck. The grass she had plucked from the ground carelessly feel from her muzzle as she focused her full attention on working her ears and eyes wildly around to see what had made her body react with fear.
Nane expected to catch sent, sound, or sight of some hunter. Most likely a cheetah, the only cat on the savanna who would have a chance to match her in speed and maneuverability. Possibly a hungry, inexperienced lion, hyena, or even a leopard.
To her surprise though, she sensed nothing.
Snorting a blow of nervous breath from her nostrils she gracefully began to trot around in a circle adding leaps and bounds to her display. Even though she hadn’t been able to sense any hunters around she knew there was always the chance one was near; and something had startled her -although she had no clue what it could be- so the display would ensure that, on the chance that there was in fact a hunter around, they would see Nane was healthy and fast. Not easy prey.
Her head held high in the air, her eyes wide, she also searched for her mother. Even if she could outrun every hunter it still gave her peace to be near her mother in such times as this.
Thankfully, she picked up a slight sent of her mother. Nane’s muscles where still taunt and ready to unleash her full speed at a moment’s notice as she trotted in the direction of the familiar smell. Not to her surprise the scent was leading her north to the watering hole.

Every sound and movement seemed to startle Nane as she neared her mother. The adrenaline in her blood seemed to increase oddly as she drew closer and closer. Her anxiety increased with it as well, painful fear that a hunter had gotten her mother now entered her mind as she now smelled death.
The death smell was so strong, so morbid that every fiber of her being told her to turn tail and run; but, she had to find her mother, desperation added to her swirling emotions.

When she finally found her mother, Nane froze in fear at what she saw…

-------------------------------------------

Nane had never seen anything like it in her life. It was a cat, a hunter she could tell; but, she'd never dreamed anything near to it in her worst nightmares.
Spotted like a cheetah yet with the build of a lion only larger, much larger it was. It's stench was that of death. Eyes glowing red, it was death.
It was a demon.
The way her body reacted to it, she knew it had to be a demon. The adrenaline no longer flowed in her blood, the adrenaline was her blood. So powerfully it pumped through her body it threatened to destroy her from the inside out. Her muscles tenesed so tight they screamed in pain, her hair stood up on ends. Her breathing dangerously shallow, the ponding of her hear loud enough for all of Africa to hear.
The feline demon perched itself on a rock, it's deadly teeth showed in a dangerous grin. Nane's eyes dared to follow the demon's gaze. Although she thought herself hidden behind tall grass and clearly the thing hadn't yet realized her, what the demon had it's gaze on made her stomach twist in agony. Nanetta's mother was reflected in the demon's blood red eyes

--------------------------------------------

"Finally." The demon said through a feral hiss "A year of searching, finally paid off."
It jumped off the rock to stalk around my mother in a circle, low to the ground, like it could pounce and take her at any moment. Deadly couldn't even accurately describe that glint in it's eyes.
Nane found she couldn't move, she was scared stiff to the spot.
Her mother, Nane was amazed by her mother. The dangerous spark of the demon's eyes was perfectly mirrored in Aleah's. A hard mask of determination covered any fear she might have had.

Aleah kept turning to face the demon-cat as it circled her. The cat growled and hissed, baring teeth, trying to force intimidation.
It was a living nightmare.
The demon charged Aleah with a feral snarl that shook Africa’s core. The fleetly gazelle tried to dodge and outmaneuver the beast; but, it was clear to all that might have been watching -including her daughter- that the doe was clearly outmatched...
At first it was much like a dance. The beat was the feral rhythm of life and death.

One misstep was all it took on the gazelle’s part. It was quick, a broken neck, and Aleah was rendered dead. No heroic rescue, no savior came swooping in.
Then, it was only then, that Nane had the power to move again, and move she did.


Rage welled up inside of her and threatened to explode as she jumped out of the long grass and towards the demon. There was no thought behind the action, just pure, instinctual reaction.
The small doe charged for the cat, head lowered, thin legs using muscles she never knew she had to put explosive speed in her run. The demon-cat hissed in an almost amused tone as it artfully stepped out of the way and swiped a paw at Nane. It’s claws were even sheathed, it treated the little doe as a joke.
“Mhmm. You’ll be a nice snack.” it growled in a guttural voice.

Nanetta was grazed by the paw as she dodged to avoid it. Then turned to charge again at the demon, blinded by her anger. The demon merely leapt out of the way leaving Nane to run right past it. Laughing, the demon turned to face Nane, a toothy grin on it’s face and dared her to continue with a flick of it’s tail. It didn’t realize just how quickly the gazelle had doubled back though, and before it had a chance to move, Nane was slamming into it’s chest with all the little might she had.

The beast yowled in pain as Nane drove her two, short antlers into it’s chest. Nane’s heart leapt into her throat as she realized what she had done. She had just a split second to wonder how she had managed to gather the strength to drive the full length of her horns into the cat’s chest, before the demon let it’s claws loss and swiped her side with a harsh blow.
The doe grunted in pain as the blow sent her skidding sideways, black blood sprayed from the demon’s wound and it made a morbid crown on the gazelle’s head. She only had one thought now… Kill…
She doubled back towards the demon once more, charging for it’s side this time. She was fast enough to get to her target before it had a chance to react; but, what Nane didn’t count on was her lack of height. At the last millisecond she realized she was too short to ram the thing’s side.

Nane skidded to a stop right underneath the beast and reared up without thinking, slashing and thrashing hard with her head doing all she could do to score the demon. The gazelle was unfeeling now, adrenaline masking any pain, making her see in a bloody haze. She jumped out from under the frantically slashing demon, thinking she had done little to harm it.
She turned again to face the beast once more, knowing her strength would soon fail her; but, the sight she saw, snapped her out of her frenzy.
The demon stumbled a few steps towards her, a painful scream leaving it’s jaws as it’s guts spilled from it’s barrel with a sickening slosh. The demon’s eyes widened in a mixture of pain and disbelief.

Now, you couldn’t kill a demon, only send it back to the fires of hell if it’s mortal vassal was harmed greatly.
The demon disappeared, leaving nothing but the black blood that stained both the yellow grass and Nane’s fur. It was finished.
Nane’s heart clenched as the gravity of the situation took hold of her. Her muzzle twisted in pain at the four gashes on her side where the demon had swiped her. She tripped and stumbled over to her mother, the withdrawal of adrenaline leaving her incredibly weak. Her legs folded and gave out as she reached Aleah, leaving her to crumple to the ground beside her deceased mother.

No last words were to be spoken. No last wishes. No more direction or encouragement. No goodbyes could be given. Aleah was gone from this world, unmoving, unbreathing, her heart had ceased beating. Leaving Nane to share her tears with no one but her own wounded soul.

--------------------------------------------

There was no where to go. No one to turn to.
Life was over for Nanetta.
She somehow managed to pull herself to her feet when her tears had long since ceased; and she casted one last longing look over her mother. Then the doe turned, legs feeling heavy as blouders as she sought to make her way to the river.
Her head seemed to drag the ground as she left the only life she had ever known.

When she reached the murky waters of the river she didn't even look around to check for the river monsters. The crocodiles.
Maybe she hoped one would go ahead and eat her, to save her from her misery.
She plunged into the cooling waters, up to her neck, to let the rapid water clense the foul smell of the demon from her coat and wash the wound to her side.
She dipped her slightly to drink some of the water. It didn't satisfy her though, like there was a thirst in her that water couldn't quench.
Nanetta was lucky to stumble out of the river, unnoticed by a crocodile.

After leaving the river she just started walking; she almost went back to her mothers body, but when she looked up into the sky and saw vultures circling the cold, hard realization hit her again. So she just walked.
Away from her mother, away from the place in the savanna she had called home, away from her life. She walked aimlessly.

--------------------------------------------

It seemed as though her legs would give out from under her any minute now, she had been walking so long. Her head was down, her ears where dropped; it was amazing a predator had yet to kill her off.
Finally, when she felt she could go no longer go one, she nearly ran into something tall and brown.

She didn't look up, just winced and expected to be eaten. It was over.
... But nothing happened...
She looked up, it was an odd creature. It's body was like hers, only brown in color and taller, but it had odd, branch like things poking out from it's head; and it's face.. It was like a human's...

The creature bent it's head and neck down to meet the little doe's sad eyes.
"You seem troubled, little one." the stag said in a deep voice.
Nane merely looked back towards the ground.
"Would you like a fresh start?" he asked gently.
Nane had no clue what he meant, but she nodded nonetheless.
Would he take her away from here? Would he kill her?
Either of those seemed better than going on here like she was.

What Nane didn't know was what the unusual deer creature had the power to do. He had the power to take the burdaned and dying of this world and send them to a new world. A more peaceful world.
So he touched his human-like nose to her cervine one and sent her away, the stag moving on then to find more lives in need of saving.

Nane had the sudden feeling of falling and being out of mind and body and then utter darkness.
When she awoke, she was at her new home, she had arrived at her new life.
She blinked away the brightness of the sun and stood up with wobbley legs.
Here she was. Her fresh start.
The Endless Forest.

--------------------------------------------