5_fingers 5_toes anthro belly black_nose blood blood_covered blood_on_ground bodily_fluids bottomwear claws clothing collar digitigrade dirt easyfluffv11.2_(model) eyes_closed feet fingers fluffy forest front_view full_moon fur hand_on_ground leaf light loincloth loincloth_only male metal moon moonlight navel neck_tuft night on_ground plant sad shirtless sitting slave slim solo spots spotted_body spotted_fur tan_belly toe_claws toes tree tuft whiskers wounded yellow_body yellow_fur scoutr raja_(rukis) cheetah felid feline mammal absurd_res hi_res
h2.By the Moonlight

A little fan-piece I wanted to work on to try and capture a key moment from a book I've read and enjoyed. The following is a little excerpt from the book that the artwork is based on, so spoiler warning; read it at your own discretion.

[section=Book Context (Spoiler)][spoiler]It takes me less time than I'd thought it would to trace Raja's tracks through the woods. In a forest this dense, the only way to get through portions of it is to cut your way through, and he'd done exactly that, with his shotel.

The cheetah had headed off in the direction of one of the nearby fields we'd passed on our way here, apparently sticking to the forest rather than the road, which was good. He'd been trying to play it smart. I travel for a bit, following signs of his passage, my mind racing, wondering how far I'll have to trek before I catch up to him or catch some trace of what may have happened.

I'm not nearly as far away from Anala as I'd thought I'd have to look before I begin to smell something disturbing.

Blood. A lot of it.

I speed my pace at that, rushing through the forest, heedless of how it tears at my body and clothing, and sinks into my paw pads. I'm covered in small cuts and up to my knees in mud by the time I find...

[i]...him.[/i]

The big cat is lying like a crumpled pool of gold in an earthen ditch, tangled amongst the raised roots of a tree, his long limbs splayed in the dirt and leaves. The moonlight pierces the canopy here, showing his true colors even in night shine. Staining his beautiful, unique pelt is a deep, dark stain, emanating from his lower back.

I stumble down the ditch, falling flat to my rear as I slide down nearly into him, fumbling for his body, my hands shaking. I reach for the wound, and my paw comes away such a deep red, it looks black in the near darkness.[/spoiler][/section]