Kinverse: Volume One

PATH OF THE EMERALD MAIDEN

A naive young monster's tale by Moros, aka KinverseWriter

Legal Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise herein mentioned. No copyright infringement is intended. All characters and events in this story are entirely fictional. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is purely coincidental. This work of fiction contains disturbing content.

Reader discretion is advised.

Description:

A young woman from a pre-neolithic society is accidentally whisked away to another world entirely during a raid on a research lab run by alien invaders. Stranded with no friends, badly injured, and no idea where home even is, she's forced to live off the land and learn how to survive in this strange and hostile world.

There's only one slight problem, though.

She's not trapped in this world with them. They're trapped in this world with her.

Categories:

Adventure, Coming-of-Age, Isekai, Erotica.

Disclaimers:

This story contains sexual elements and disturbing themes. The contents aren't purely intended to be pornographic, but some scenes objectively are. This is about a giant monster that eats people, so reader discretion is advised. This story contains vorarephilic themes.

This story will have a very slow and intermittent pace to begin with. True stakes don't really show up until halfway through, though the build-up is always there in the background. This is ultimately not a story of grand adventure and defeating one's enemies to rise to the top, it is the tale of a lost and naive young woman growing as a person and learning new things. It is a personal one concerning her, and thus this story will be told in present-tense first-person.

Chapter 5: The Trespasser

---

Having needed to take my mind off of things, I went hunting once more. Unfortunately, I couldn't smell anything from where I sat at the base of the large tree so I had to wander for a while.

A few hours later I came across another path much like the one I found prior to the hunter interrupting my observations of the elk. I could smell a herd having passed by recently, though due to the lack of recent rain for a long time it was impossible to tell just how many there were by the number of tracks; the dirt was quite thoroughly trodden down. It didn't smell like there were nearly as many as there were before, but that was fine--if anything it meant I'd probably actually be able to attack them without having to worry about a stampede.

One antlerless elk is no threat to me, but a dozen? Absolutely. Hooves are hooves. I don't yet know the temperament of these creatures other than that the ones with antlers collect and defend the ones without, and that they fear the burning-sticks... or at least their booms.

Finally approaching the clearing the herd resides in, I... do actually immediately get an answer to one of my questions.

Well.

I guess I know which are the males and which, the females. A patriarch and his harem, one currently in the act of making more, with two other females grazing. In hindsight I probably should have checked the previous corpses, but I didn't think of it.

I'll come back later. They may be dumb as rocks, but attacking them now would just feel... wrong. The Kin have long ago learned the importance of proper management of the jungle's health; it is frowned upon to kill pregnant prey and those with young where they would be consigned to death, alone and parentless. In the times we must, it is considered best to eat the children too. They have barely any strength to give, but they're going to die anyway; it's efficient. The females should be fine without the male, and besides, they'll probably find a new one.

I hang back for a while, before returning to the clearing. They've finished, for now. I'll kill the male and scare off the females--I can barely eat my fill from half of one, let alone four. It would be a massive waste.

Charging into the clearing and roaring, I have a plan. After my battle against the first elk, there was something I wanted to try. I push up a bit and pound at the ground repeatedly with my foreclaws.

The elk all turn to stare at me, the females bolting, the buck stopping for a moment in confusion before turning towards me, preparing to charge.

This clearing is smaller than the one I last fought in, but that won't be a problem. I won't need space to dodge around; I'm taking this fight head-on. I'm very confident in my plan despite its potential danger, but that's where half the fun is: besting your prey through skill and cunning.

After a few more moments of my posturing, the buck begins its charge, tearing across the floor of the clearing, head down and ready to gore me. Prepared for it, I rear up on my back legs at just the right moment--

--and grab it by the antlers, halting its momentum!

Yes! I timed it perfectly! Slowly it skids to a halt, my rear claws digging into the ground in long furrows as the force of the charge is redirected through me and into the ground. If I reared up too early I'd have been too low and could have been trampled. If I reared up too late, I wouldn't have been at the right angle to do this. Normally I wouldn't have risked something like this, but I was confident in my timing, strength, and ability to salvage the situation if I screwed up.

It tries to twist its head to the side to make me fall over but I'm prepared, rolling and putting all of my weight that way too. It falls to the side, and as we tumble I swing my tail out for its neck. I feel it connect, and I shove off of it, turning and rolling away from it, scythes properly tucked to my side unlike a week ago.

Turning back, I see it frantically trying to stand back up but stumbling, great gouts of blood spurting from its neck. Success!

Strolling back over next to the second of what will hopefully be just the beginning of a long line of decisive victories, I can't help but feel proud of myself and my abilities. I feel on top of the world!

With a bite from its neck and a swallow of its flesh, the elk finishes its flailing. I once more grab its antlers, this time dragging it over to the side of the clearing to eat, leaving a bloody smear trailing behind us.

Yet another reason for why we tend to hunt during the day, and not purely in ambushes. It feels so good to WIN, to know that we've indisputably defeated our opponent through a combination of strength and tactics. I'll always remember my early days as a broodling, play-fighting with my siblings and learning how to hunt.

I complete my meal as fast as I can, tearing into the buck's flank. Quickly enough, blood coats my muzzle and I'm left content and very full, dozing off to a rarely silent jungle beside my kill. In a few days, I'll be all the stronger for my efforts.

---

AWAKE. My snooze is interrupted!

I can hear something approaching the clearing, no stealth at all, huffing all the while. Two somethings in fact, and they sound big.

Darting up, I mentally prepare, shaking off the last dregs of sleep. They're coming from opposite where I brought the elk; near where a boulder sits at the edge of the clearing with a fallen tree draped over it. Noisy predators are rare and dangerous--it means that they don't need to worry about something hearing them coming!

This isn't good, I'm full and there's two of them. I don't even know what they are yet, or if it's the same animal or not; the wind is against me.

Brushing aside a large fern like it isn't even there, a shaggy brown beast enters the clearing followed by another. Their skulls are wide, their sides are fat, and they're entirely rippling with muscle. They're like armorless Kin, claws probably just as good as ours, something I might be testing soon whether I want to or not.

Snuffling at the air, they see the dead elk, then me. They're confused, not knowing what I am, but they do know that I'm on their turf. I recognize the smell from earlier, when I had found the marks on the tree. After a moment, the lead one rears up on its hind legs, growling!

Fight or flee? I need to decide quickly before they're done posturing. The second is eyeing me with confusion and hostility. I suppose I must look vaguely like one of their kind, just with a hard exterior, bony head, and three more limbs. I can't tell if they have tails or not, but if they do they must be small--these creatures are quite squat.

This isn't ideal, but I can do this. They have no armor, they have no scythes, they don't even have true tails, just... really thick legs and bodies. I can do this. I'm refreshed from my nap, but I'm still full! Kin don't fight well like this! Our weight is all off, we're slower, and our belly-plates are distended out!

I can't let it slash me in the belly or my armor will do nothing to protect me. It's just bare skin showing between the plates, normally folded up, but now a weak point.

At least I have size and weight on them because of it. I rear up, stumbling back a bit before catching myself, and roar. The shaggy predators are taken aback for a moment, but not for long. I'll try to fight for now but the moment it looks like I'm not going to win, I am out of here.

I stay balancing reared for a few more moments, but they aren't having it. The lead one drops, and starts approaching, the other close behind. I drop back down. Here we go.

This would be an extremely safe fight if I was unladen or there was only one of them. Back home, things are as dangerous as we are, with spiked tails, massive teeth, crushing weight, and even a few more exotic weapons like spike-firing muscle-slings and venom-injecting claws.

I'm completely in the dark for what dangers to expect. For all I know those elk could've had venomous fangs for some reason! These creatures don't seem to have anything special, but complacency is the death of all Kin in the end, sooner for some than others.

They don't seem like they're the smartest, at least, but they aren't blindly charging in... yet. They're staying back for the most part and assessing, but they aren't using their numbers to their advantage. If they split up and flank me not only will my escape be cut off, I also won't be able to properly defend myself! I can't let them do it. I need to keep close to the trees and use them as a wall.

If I have to, I can always try climbing the tree. These two might be able to follow me up, but I'd have the advantage in reach, thanks to my tail!

They're getting closer now, still occasionally growling. The one in front is a little bit bigger and has a circular scar on its forehead. My mind flashes back to the hunter's burning-stick.

Thick skull. At least now I know I could almost certainly take a hit from it, but it would hurt. Do these things have armor like mine on the inside? If they do, I'm screwed.

Grumbling one last time, the lead creature--who I dub Shaggy--charges forward the last few meters, and raises a paw to strike! I dodge to the side, making sure to keep my front pointed at my opponent. I've gotta protect my belly; one hit and it's over... but I can do this. I'm smarter than them. These are just big, dumb, and slow animals.

Having missed, it pushes forward again, The second one--who I dub Laggy--is a bit slower behind, taking its time. Shaggy's in no hurry to throw itself at my claws yet but it might feel bolder with its pal pressing the attack.

Rearing up again, Shaggy bellows at me, but I'm not a dumb animal, I won't run just because it's big and fat. In response, I build energy in my hindlegs, and POUNCE, using my own weight to overmatch it and bowl it over! My head impacts its sternum and I rake my claws down its sides while jamming my scythes into its shoulders!

From the corner of my eyes I can see a brown blur: Laggy takes this moment to dart forward itself, trying to save its friend. Before I can tear out my first victim's throat I'm forced to roll towards the other under a wild swing, throwing all of my weight at it. Not ideal, not efficient, but this is a brawl, and the only clean brawl isn't one at all.

Quickly shoving off of Laggy and backing up to the treeline again, I assess the situation. Laggy's pissed, Shaggy's getting up and is even angrier, now sporting two lines of claw-marks on its belly with a gash in the shoulder of each foreleg to match them. The wounds in its sides are barely staining its fur, but the damage to the muscles in its forelegs is definitely slowing it down.

Moving forward between me and Shaggy, I doubt Laggy's dumb enough to give me another opportunity like that. If they are... I can win this. It's roaring and standing its ground, more cautious now that I've drawn first blood.

Shaggy's not done yet--it's finished getting up, only stumbling a little, advancing to stand beside Laggy. Both stare at me, fury clear in their eyes. Some things transcend species.

I can do this. I can win. I will win.

Suddenly, Shaggy charges forward, lifting its claws to stupidly try what it did the first time, but it isn't any faster, so I dodge back. Meanwhile, Laggy, who seems to be much more against the idea of splitting up now, presses me too. Instead of slashing, it instead goes for a full charge, which is what finally gets me.

Shaggy was still too close, and I was already dodging when the second attack came. All I can do is push off with my forelegs again, but I'm too late, Laggy bowls into me!

AAAGH!

Doing roughly the same trick I pulled on Shaggy, Laggy rams into my side, knocking me over and clawing my flank! My blood erupts over the ground, and my side erupts in the rare pain of skin breaking. OW. OW. OW.

My side is torn open, claws impacting along ribs before being stopped by the side of a plate. Fuck this. Fuck this. I'm out. I can't win this. Not any more. I'm lucky it didn't get any deeper. Turning my fall into a roll I'm back on my feet and turning for the trees, making sure to slash my tail through where its head was. I feel resistance so I must have hit something, but I don't know how much damage that did. I need to go.

Slowed by the pain and my gut, Shaggy takes the opportunity to lunge and cut me off, getting another lucky hit in, claws digging into my left hindleg at just the right angle and taking a chunk out. Fuck. That was some muscle. I stumble. Nooot good. Plan C it is.

I make for the nearest tree, and dig my foreclaws into it, doing my best to haul myself up, scrabbling up with my right hindleg. Before I can get too high into the tree, teeth break through scale on my left ankle, halting my climb and causing my claws to dig in harder!

One of them's got me. I whip my tail again, right through where I estimate their head should be, but they don't let go! I'm pulling but they won't let go!

I'm putting all of my strength just into holding on, but gradually I start to rise again. Left claws firmly rooted in the tree, I raise my right to grab at the base of a branch, but then more pain rocks my world as I feel another set of teeth bite into my ankle and the pain of claws swiping at my leg again, right where I was hit before, striking right to the bone and sending shocks of pain up my spine. This hurts so bad!

PULL! PULL! PULL! Now that I have a better grip on the tree I'm just barely hanging on but the pain is getting worse and worse and worse and--

SNAPTEARSHLLLK

--MY LEG!

I'm practically launched upwards by my strength, left claws leaving their ruts to flail for another branch! THIS HURTS SO BAD, I'M BECOMING MORE LIKE MOTHER EVERY DAY IN WAYS I'VE COME TO HATE.

My foreclaw finds purchase and I haul myself up further, leg hanging uselessly having been severed above the knee, my tail swinging even wilder than my foreleg was trying desperately to stave off my enemies.

Just keep climbing. It'll grow back, good as new. The pain will end. Just keep climbing...

Slowly but surely I haul myself higher, angry grunts below coming from the beasts as they rear up and shake the tree. Looking back down, Laggy's face is covered in blood--probably not entirely its own--but it's got my leg in its jaws by the ankle. Fuck you, I say! You win this time, but I got away.

Kind of.

Before I can celebrate too much, Shaggy starts digging its own claws into the bark, fully intending to climb up after me, but it collapses back down, muscles too damaged. Laggy briefly makes an attempt to climb too, but after my tail whips through the air a few more times, it stands back down, grunting in anger.

They both circle my refuge for a few minutes, making their displeasure very known the whole time through their grunts and growls. Laggy eventually makes one more try, but I don't let it get too far.

We're at an impasse. They can't climb, and I can't leave. If this were one of the thick trees of my home I would be able to just jump from tree to tree, but... my leg is gone. I couldn't anyway.

Deeply exhaling, I consider my situation. Fuck.

---

They did leave in the end... eventually. Just in time, too. I'm not feeling good, not at all. To be honest a good chunk of the blood I lost from losing my leg was only from the blood already in it or on its way. That's not the problem though, it takes a lot of energy to keep a body like a Kin's going, especially if we're injured. I just ate hours ago, but already a lot of that's going into repairing the damage.

Damaged bone is one thing, but wound is just gone. It took a week for my scythes to heal, how long will this take?

Turning to the rest of the elk, I finish it off until it's just the antlers left, crunching through even the skull. I need all the food that I can get my jaws on if I want to make a speedy recovery and continue my growth in strength...

---

A/N:

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that this is a lesson she's not going to forget. She may be the biggest and baddest thing in this temperate rainforest alien jungle but she's not invincible and she has weaknesses she'd best keep in mind, like not stuffing herself silly when it isn't safe to do so.

This next bit is an insight into the protagonist's thought process during this chapter; skip it if you don't want your immersion miffed a bit, but I wanted to explain it because on the surface level her actions might seem contradictory with not only her previous ones, but her thoughts in this chapter.

Arrogance is anyone's downfall, no matter how big nor strong you are, and that is exactly what went on here. She didn't even think to regurgitate her meal so that she could properly fight and likely guarantee victory, because while she's strong compared to this part of Earth's biosphere... she's still young. This is something I explicitly worked to convey: that she believed herself superior to the local animals after a few key victories and having seen lots of weak little animals, but arrogance breeds complacency in even the most cautious of individuals.

She is outright considering and being cautious during this chapter, but it didn't matter because she was still thinking in terms of tricks and gimmicks--not simple brute strength winning because of one simple mistake and a failure to even realize one could rectify it, out of her own hubris and greed. I mentioned before in a previous author's note that she is a cautious individual, and her actions have reflected that, but this chapter goes right in the face of that and it's for the exact reason I stated: caution is irrelevant in the face of arrogance. It's even more dangerous than ignorance of the danger because in cases like this, she knew about the danger, confronted the danger, and even made contingency plans, but it wasn't enough due to one simple reason:

She thought that she could--and would--win. Not because she was strong, even with a handicap, but because she was smarter.

She wasn't. The bears went in with absolutely no information and beat her not because of their numbers but because of her repeated series of mistakes. If she cut and ran immediately, she'd have been fine. If she gave up her prior meal and ate the bears after winning, she'd have probably been fine. If she hadn't overeaten in preparation to become strong enough to fight the clearly delineated threat of the humans in the first place, she would have been fine, because at the end of the day she doesn't truly understand strength despite being outright told multiple times by her mother--even quoting her--that she needs to temper her curiosity and greed with wisdom.

There are some things that you can truly only learn from experience and observed mistakes, whether your own or others.

The word count of this author's note makes up a bit under a seventh of this total chapter, but I wanted to provide that bit of insight into what, exactly, went wrong here--especially because it's such a pivotal character moment. This isn't a throw-away event, she lost a leg. In any other creature, this would a permanent crippling, but thanks to her physiology she'll literally walk it off, and she damn-well knows it now.