.The Coming.
The rustling of leaves in the brush was apparent for any who cared to hear it. It was the only sign that there was any life amidst the thick copse of foliage that filled the forest to its brim. The call of a bird rang out from somewhere under the canopy. Once. Twice. And then all was silent. The movement had ceased. Two pairs of ears pricked, on high-alert for anything out of the ordinary. A wave of energy seemed to ripple through the air, the tension ready to snap like a dry twig. Even the trees fell quiet, as though hushed by some unseen force. The atmosphere was stifling. There was a soft crunch of dead leaves as a lithe figure rose out of the sea of green. From afar, one might have mistaken it for a human being. But this creature possessed a coat of fur in place of skin, and eyes that could never belong to an ordinary man. They shone a liquid gold, scanning the horizon meticulously, even as a black-tipped nose quivered, picking up whatever the wind had to offer. The Mynx's tail flicked, disturbed by whatever it was he had picked up.
It was a while before sound crept back into the forest again, and when it did, the creature once more disappeared back into the foliage. A brief flash of mottled spots was all that hinted of his pa.ssing. The forest watched on as Molochai returned to his pride in silence - blissfully unaware of his role in what was to come.