The vast darkness of the night sky filled Blackberry with awe. Bright stars, celestial miracles, reflected off of his glossy black eyes. How beautiful. How wondrous.

Though he kept moving through the jungle of flowers and weeds. Loud clucking from a massive cage, no longer in view, deafened the quiet air. The roars of the beasts made Blackberry veer away, further into the dense thicket. One paw after another, the sacred True Tree grew larger. Its bountiful leaves reflected moonlight.

The merry sound of giants rumbled behind him, though the tall grass obstructed his field of view. Their loud belches thundered through the serene silence and hurried his chubby legs forward. Nearly getting squished had a clearing effect on the mind. His world had sobered and no longer dipped hither and thither. Each of his senses returned, everything becoming keenly felt once more

Sable fur reflecting white starlight, Blackberry suddenly halted and lifted his snout. His button nose twitched. The wind carried a sweet, fresh scent.

Spin’s Ache.

The rarest of vegetable delicacies. Thimbleberry, a scout with no rival, had shared the green snack with him. Even days old, the crisp leaf had been a mouthwatering treat.

His belly growled once.

Blackberry looked back to the True Tree. Dauntless, the ancient monument stood tall, strengthened by age.

His tummy gurgled twice.

It’d be there later, right? The sweet fragrance of the Spin’s Ache lingered around his tiny nostrils.

His stomach rumbled thrice.

Following his nose, he made a hard turn. Speeding through the foliage, the fresh scent began to grow and entice him like a long lost lover.

Just a nibble. After all, he’d just survived arriving at the Great Beyond. Surely it’d be an extraordinary waste to not enjoy it a little. The dense thicket whipped past his cheeks as he ran. It was annoying but willingly endured for the leafy goodness that was Spin’s Ache.

Finally breaking through the dense grass, Blackberry carefully stuck his doughy head out. A length of flattened earth, as wide as the halls above Sellar, emerged in front of him. He paused, casting a glance down both directions, and then skywards.

Ancient elders always told tales of Taloned Terrors to scare the younger pups. A bednight story that everyone scoffed at once old enough. Back in Sellar, we could see the ceiling above us; there were no winged monsters hidden there.

But out here?

The fur on his nape bristled, a warning that couldn’t be ignored for a groaning stomach. Temporarily swallowing his hunger, he waited patiently. The shadow of something quick passed him by. Roaring wind, the fabled death sound of the Taloned Terrors, beat against the quiet. Blackberry didn’t bother looking up. He slipped his head back into the heavy thicket, blending within its shadow.

He did what the Hidey Hamster did best. Hiding.

Minutes later, the nighttime serenity returned alongside Blackberry’s courage. Taking advantage of his own bravery, he raced across the flat path. His ears perked up, straining to listen for any monsters. Only the wind shrieked as he ran.

After a dramatic forward tumble, Blackberry dived into the high grass. Relief washed over him, no longer feeling exposed. Putting as much distance between the clearing and himself, he continued to track the salivating scent.

A wooden wall, fourfold taller than himself, emerged from the horizon. It would be an insurmountable task for the average hamster, making the most prudent method to dig under it. However, Blackberry was no average hamster. He was a guardian of Sellar, and he was hungry.

With a heave, he sprung into the air and gripped the uneven bits of the wall. His daggers would be completely unnecessary. Like a nimble acrobat, the midnight hamster climbed without halting, every grab without any wasted momentum. Finally pulling himself up onto the ledge, a cornucopia of delicious smells greeted him. The wall had not been a fence or a barricade, but a massive raised dais of plentiful delights. Endless stocks of green goodness, lush leaves bigger than his entire frame, laid out in rows.

A delectable jungle.

“Don’t mind if I do,” Blackberry muttered happily, marching over. A swift dagger swipe later and he was already munching away on a healthy chunk of the crispy leaf. Sweet and earthy flavors filled his mouth. Mild and pleasant, it brought a smile to his dark features. Each bite was as flavorful as the previous one.

Several skillful slices later, he’d composed a small pile on the ground to enjoy. Each one was an ideal bite-size. He popped one into his mouth, cheeks bobbing as he chewed.

Perfectly, absolutely, marvelously delicious.

He paused at the twelfth earnest bite. His stuffed belly sank.

If only Thimbleberry, or any of them really, were here to enjoy the treat with him. It warmed his heart to think how they’d laugh together while munching away. A windless night, the perfect climate for a sweet treat.

Then why were the heavy leaves swaying in the distance?

A tingle in his belly — not hunger — warned him something strange was afoot.

In verdant herbage, a soothing rasp mingled with the sound of something wet being dragged. Something enormous.

Gulping as quietly as possible, Blackberry unsheathed his daggers and stepped back, one slow paw after another. He refused to avert his eyes. Every instilled instinct to fight clashed against the natural impulse to flee. His mind raced as he mentally retraced his steps.

How far was it from the wall’s edge? More than five paces? Six?

Whatever the distance was, it felt too far away. His intuition told him he wouldn’t be fast enough. He recalled the same feeling whenever he sparred with Lingonberry, who’d overwhelm him with a flurry of rapid punches.

Trying to flee against someone faster was a death sentence. The only way was forward, to charge the chasing tide. His paws gripped the daggers, his knuckles turning white.

Two fangs, like the prongs of a translucent pitchfork, launched towards him.

Blackberry dashed forward, dipping under the serpentine maw. He lashed out with a dagger; its edge sliced through scales and flesh. With a roll, he dodged the spray of blood that followed. He spun back to his feet, not wanting to turn his back to the creature. Focused as he was, he couldn’t help pausing to catch his breath.

It was the fabled Garter Snake, the fiercest of the famed monsters.

Thimbleberry claimed to have seen one from afar. Blackberry had honestly never believed him. He should’ve believed him.

Crimson stained the naga’s brown and beige stripes, scales rippling as it rose. Vertical slits occupied its lidless eyes, locked onto his every move. The monster’s swerving body, five times longer than Blackberry, slowly coiled. A forked tongue flicked in and out, making it appear impatient.

Blackberry knew a luring feint when he saw one. This time he chose to trust the defensive instincts. A feint for a feint.

He jerked forward, pretending to break into a dash. The stutter step drew out the snake’s lunge. The swift bite forward was matched by his leap backwards. Mid-jump, he tossed one of his daggers. The blade spun through the air, puncturing straight into the creature’s eye. Clear fluid leaked out as it hissed and shook violently. A back handspring to regain his momentum, he burst forward as the beast writhed. He jumped, through air and leaves, onto the back of the Garter Snake’s skull.

The monster tried to shake him off, whipping side to side.

Like a piton for a pitched tent, he drove his other dagger into the top of head. The stuck dagger served as a stable handle. Caught between a buck and a thrash, horrible serpent tried to buck him off.

It was almost enough to fling Blackberry to the dirt, only holding on with a single paw. He felt like a flag being swung by a child. The sky rattled, the earth shook, but he held on.

An eternity passed before the monster slowed, still reared back enough that Blackberry dangled from the hilt. The pause was brief, no longer than a single breath, but it was enough for him.

He swung his body up, snatching the far dagger embedded into the eye. Gritting his teeth, he stabbed into the skull relentlessly. Renewed thrashes almost threw him off. The shakes only made his dagger jabs more furious. The monster’s blood splattered and clumped his sable fur. He ignored it — what mattered was driving another stab through the skull.

After one final, gutting stab, the dirt below suddenly raced towards him as the serpent crashed down. Its death shudder frightened him enough to stab it twice again. Then another two, for good measure. The naga’s alluring scales, once tense with unparalleled strength, went slack and still.

Blackberry collapsed back onto his bottom, trying to catch his breath with heavy heaves. Sticking his daggers into the soft dirt, he wiped away the monster’s crimson ichor from himself. Legend had it that these creatures had venomous blood, so he was careful around his face and eyes.

Once clean, he took a deep breath of the chilly night air and looked at the snake properly. The beast laid strewn across the several Spin’s Aches, its blood splashed across the greenery and ground.

What a waste.

The raucous laughter of giants, somewhere off in the distance, made him grab his daggers again. The memory of the behemoth, who massacred his beloved friends, flashed before him. His heart was racing, even louder than before. He spun, taking a low stance, but nothing stood there.

His nerves were shot. Shame and anger fused together, threatening to explode at how long a shadow that titan cast over him. That weakness needed to die. He’d kill it the only way he knew how.

More power.

He turned back to the serpent’s corpse, daggers held close. Shifting his weight behind the blades, he thrusted them through the scales. Dark blood squelched out as he pushed to the hilts. Coated in crimson, the blades were wiped against sliced bits of Spin’s Ache. Every inch of the green leaves were dyed to a ruby red. With the venomous blood absorbed in the leaves, he folded and tucked them away. He’d figure out some use for them later.

He took another bite of clean leaves as his bounty. It was good to reward little victories. The smartest wizard of the entire hamsterdom — Blueberry — had given him that suggestion.

Blackberry could use a bit of good advice right now. His stomach panged with something other than hunger; it was the regret of loss. He’d faced the feeling regularly during his recovery. However, he wasn’t bedridden anymore.

So he ran instead, back to the edge, his eyes locking on the real prize. The True Tree. It was as majestic as Lifeberry claimed.

If he wanted more power, where else better to go? With a jump, he rolled into the tall grass below.

Only pausing at passing shadows from the sky, he kept a steady pace that would’ve made Raspberry round. He took deep and slow breaths, wanting to be careful of overexertion. Whatever was out here, he didn’t want to be caught too tired to do something about it.

The enormous sky orb, known as the moon, finally reached its apex. But the celestial body didn’t hold his attention long. His gaze was locked on the looming legendary tree.

The trunk of the tree was twice as thick as a bellybin, and its branches reached higher than the ceiling of the Keeper’s abode. It was hard to believe such a large thing could exist.

Breaking out of the brush, he came to the wide base of the white tree. A bundle of cut flowers laid there, most certainly the preparation or aftermath of a sacred ritual. He only looked as he worried about disturbing hallowed ground.

Spotting nothing else, Blackberry took a long lap around the titanic tree. While the grass was shorter here, the shadow of the branches saved him from feeling too exposed. He looked for any sign of life or some hideyhole nearby. By the time he’d spotted the colorful bouquet again, his search ended empty-handed. Approaching slightly closer, he examined the large flower bundle. If it was a hamster’s work, it must have taken a whole morning to do.

He risked a squeak. “Anyone out there? My berry brethren? Guardians?”

Only the nighttime wind replied; a playful breeze blew across his fur.

Hope let him hazard another cheep. “It’s me! Blackberry!”

Zilch.

His heart sank.

Had he been too naive to assume to have found something? Someone?

The feeling of inevitable failure swelled within Blackberry. So he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Rearing his head up, he let out a frustrated roar — fearsome enough to have made Raspberry proud.

He held the howl as long as he could, until it trailed off into a sputter. The reckless shout elevated his mood considerably. Perhaps Raspberry was onto something with his yelling. Feeling a bit better, he let his shoulders drop and opened his eyes.

A pair of yellow eyes stared back.

Perched upon one of the countless branches, a Taloned Terror stared down upon him. It was a massive creature, hidden in the dark corner of the tree, only its bright eyes and its razor sharp beak visible.

Blackberry felt his blood go cold as the eyes continued to stare at him. The monster’s head slowly rotated upside down like something straight out of a pup’s nightmare. His breath hitched.

The creature dived downwards, unfurling gigantic wings. Black talons reached out, sharp as knives. By the time he had his daggers out, he was already pinned flat against the ground.

Above him, the wide-eyed Taloned Terror peered at him. With a soulless stare, its face inched closer. A horrible smell of carnage reeked from its grisly beak.

Blackberry felt his right paw was loose enough to wrench free. A single chance to make something happen. His grip tightened on the hilt.

A nearby voice froze both of them.

“Still as violent as ever, old mate?”

Lifeberry.