[center][color=a36209][h3]Marc Nadler[/h3][/color]
[youtube][url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39szQy3TcH4[/url][/youtube][/center]
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The first few days were unknowable. Primal, unrestrained instinct were what guided Marc for the first few days of his new life. He was pink, fleshy, and for the first day, completely blind. On some level he might have known that this was normal for a newborn rat, but at the time, all he cared for was securing a position on one of his mother's teats. He could feel the wriggling bodies of his siblings next to him, smell the musky yet calming scent of his mother, and feel himself grow stronger by the hour. He relied on pure instinct, nursing and cuddling closer to his siblings and mother whenever his hairless body felt the cold sting of the air. Mother occasionally left to feed, but she always returned, and was always willing to provide nourishment to the growing children. For the first 4 days, Marc fed and fattened, nearly doubling in size in an incredibly short time.

On the dawn of the 5th day, Marc realized something extraordinary - he could remember. He could think clearly, and he could consider his existence. Life wasn't solely dominated by instinct anymore, rationalization had finally begun. His form was far from normal, at least as much as he could tell in the dirty puddle he used as a mirror. He was missing fur, and while it didn't hurt, his skin was inflamed and almost looked raw. Comparatively, his siblings were normal looking - furred, quickly developing their fangs, and some were even beginning to leave the nest. Marc realized his unnatural growth - all of the rats were developing far too quickly in comparison to normal rats. He was about the same size as a normal rat, and he was only 4 days old, if his sense of time was accurate in the cave. Eventually, fatigue over took Marc, and he fed once more, before drifting to sleep. 

Upon awakening, two of his siblings were gone - seemingly left the nest. Marc calmly took note, as this implied a sense of independence among the dire rats. They sought to strike out their own, not rely on others - Or, perhaps it was a survival strategy. Separate as quickly as possible in order to ensure a predator does not consume them all instantly. Either way, it seemed completely based on instinct, with no real thought put into it, if the hurried claw marks on the stone floor were anything to go off of. Marc, however, was not a normal dire rat.

Two days passed calmly, and more and more of his fellows left without a sound - usually in the dead of night. On the 7th day, he as the only one remaining, and was already nearly 3/4ths of his mother size. Marc knew that his growth was faster than his brothers and sisters - a mammals milk is the perfect diet for a growing offspring, and with them leaving so quickly, they risked malnutrition. Marc planned on staying and consuming as much as he could before he was forced away. He would not let a second chance at life go without a fight, and he needed to be able to give a good fight if he wanted to survive. However, it appeared that 7 days was beginning to annoy the mother - she growled slightly whenever Marc fed, and he quickly realized her maternal instincts were most likely temporary. As he finished feeding for the final time, in fear of the larger and obviously stronger female, Marc left his home and scouted the cave he would now live in - at least for the time being.

The first thing he found was the nearby pool - one of the most prominent and easy to reach features for the large rodent. Swiftly, Marc scanned the surface and the shore - water meant life, and life was his next meal. Small fish were visible, but with a lack of coordination, Marc did not feel confident trying to fish for his first meal. Instead, he spied the small herbs that lined the border of the water - there was a large number of them, and they were the easiest meal he could find. The fact they grew in the depths of the cave, with the only light being faint and in the distance was suspicious, however. It wasn't until a small, gelatinous sphere moved over a patch, assimilating it into the creatures being, that Marc was convinced. If it grew in the Dire Rat's environment, and was clearly edible to some species, then more likely than not, it was edible for the dire rat. Quickly, Marc devoured as much as he could possibly stomach.

After gorging himself, Marc filled his mouth with the herb and attempted to carry as much as he possible could - the strategy was far more effective than it should have been, most likely due to the fact that the Dire Rat was a rodent, and seemed to possess a cheek pouch. Marc quickly realized how energized he felt, full of life - he was free from restrictions for the first time. No taxes, no responsibilities, simply him learning to carve his own way into the future.

...No, that could wait. Marc had to grow as fast as possible, and once he reached adulthood, he could begin his journey to the demon king. There was a loud popping sound as the slime, whom Marc had carelessly forgotten, launched a rock at a smaller, floating light. Marc immediately hissed in surprise, and only barely managed to suppress the urge to run. It appeared dire rats, like their normal counterparts,  preferred flight over fight. Marc kept himself alert, ready to leave as soon as violence started going down. After all, he could always come back to the pool later - it was an excellent source of water and food, and predators couldn't stay around it forever.

It was just as the adrenaline started pumping that his Beast Senses went into overdrive - he saw a small, green humanoid, crouching only a few dozen feet away. Slowly stalking into the grass, Marc hoped that his hiss did not alert the others to his presence.