Tenaro's eyes tracked the tiger's silhouette as it growled through the thick, dark undergrowth.

  His eyes followed the predators’ movement until it suddenly stopped moving.

  The tiger slowly stepped out of the shadows and onto the clearing, as Tenaro froze in place. Its stance low and its eyes narrowing at him, cold and focused. Claws already unsheathed, digging into the mud, and lips peeled back, revealing its glinting fangs, growling.

  He glared back at it, his stomach growling again, echoing through the darkness, feeling desperate enough to eat anything.

  *Might as well.* He thought as he clutched his stomach as he glared at the tiger.

  Tenaro then slightly opened his arms and braced his legs, as if welcoming a tackle.

  The tiger slowly approached him, its eyes fully locked on Tenaro's.

  He realised the dark made it difficult to see, the moonlight from the open canopy being the only source of light.

  They began to move in a slow, deliberate arc around each other, each waiting for the other to make the first mistake, reading each other's movements as they moved through the wet grass.

  Tenaro's eyes slightly adjusted to the dark and kept his arms loose, choosing not to withdraw his swords, ready for the tiger to make the first move.

  It did.

  With a sharp snarl, the tiger launched itself at him with fluid motion, dirt spraying behind its paws, jaws wide and claws outstretched.

  Tenaro only had a split second to realize the tiger's exposed belly mid-air.

  He dropped lower and launched himself upward, slamming into the tiger from underneath with a grunt.

  The predator yelped, more surprised than hurt, and they both crashed down, the tiger landing on its back and Tenaro landing on top.

  Tenaro instinctively pushed for initiative and pressed both his hands on the tiger's neck, attempting to suffocate it, its foul breath smacking Tenaro's face, face scrunching. The thick, soft fur made it hard to choke it. The tiger seemed to panic for a split second, its eyes showing signs of surprise, Tenaro's strength catching it off guard.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  But the tiger wasted no time and swiped a massive outstretched paw at Tenaro's face, its claws aiming to puncture his skull, with terrifying speed.

  Tenaro ducked his head almost instantly, claws slicing the air where his head had been a hearbeat ago. He rolled off the tiger's belly, springing up to his feet.

  The tiger rolled over and scrambled to its feet, growling in frustration, but also a bit of fear as it glared at him, but stood completely still as if waiting, tail waving around.

  The cold, humid air made Tenaro shiver,

  *Why's is so cold?* He wondered as he shuddered, goosebumps forming.

  The tiger lunged towards him again, taking advantage of Tenaro's distraction.

  Off guard, Tenaro sidestepped to the right, dodging a massive paw, stepping in front of a tree.

  Tenaro quickly glanced back at the tree and back to the tiger. The tiger bared its teeth and leaped at him.

  He tried to sidestep to the right but as he did, a root from the tree behind him made him trip, “Ack!” Tenaro yelped as he fell on his side, landing on another root, mud smearing his clothes and skin.

  “Oof!”

  He looked up quickly to see the tiger crashing into the tree, yelping in pain.

  Tenaro scrambled back to his feet again, clutching his right side.

  He watched the tiger as it unsteadily got to its feet.

  “Huff, huff.” The tiger breathed out, blood trickling from its nose, fury in its eyes.

  Tenaro slowly backed away, panting.

  *Maybe it isn't such a good idea after all.* He thought, feeling of doubt filling his body.

  As he backed away, the tiger got to its senses, softly growled, and glared at him, instantly charging towards him, furious.

  Eyes wide, Tenaro sidestepped to the right, dodging an attack from the tiger as it blindly swiped at him.

  He backpedaled fast, boots digging into the wet soil, leaving footprints behind. The tiger kept pushing, forcing Tenaro back step after step, until his back thudded into a tree, the tree groaning in response.

  “Damnit!” He hissed, glancing at the bark just as the tiger lunged.

  He ducked, but his feet slipped on the wet mud, landing on his arse.

  He heard the claws rake deep into the trunk, the wood splintering only inches from his head as he glanced up to see the fresh scratch marks on the trunk.

  He snapped his eyes back down, but it was too late. The tiger was already swinging again. Tenaro shifted to the right, but not fast enough; claws tore across his left shoulder.

  Pain burned hot as he rose to one knee. He hissed, teeth clenched, but his focus sharpened as the tiger came in for another swipe.

  Ignoring the pain, Tenaro reached out his hands, and grabbed the incoming forearm with both hands, the pain burning from the effort.

  The tiger froze, shocked from the sudden resistance and struggling to move its forearm. It didn't even growl, just quiet confusion.

  Tenaro rose to both his feet, the tiger trying to set itself free but couldn't escape Tenaro's iron grip.

  He planted his feet, muscles screaming, and he hauled upward with every ounce of strength he had. With a raw, guttural grunt, he lifted the tiger off the ground, and hurled it sideways.

  The beast slammed into a tree across the clearing, the bark splintering under the impact, a loud thud noise echoing through the clearing. It yowled in pain, falling on its side.

  It staggered upward, slower this time, and glared up at Tenaro, its glare still sharp but a hint of hesitation in it now, ears flat and tail flicking

  Tenaro clutched his injured shoulder, breath rough, and he locked eyes with the tiger, the breeze still biting his skin.