The forest did not end suddenly.
It thinned.
Nussudle felt the change before he saw it. The dense canopy beneath Nova loosened, the familiar tight weave of branches giving way to wider gaps and longer shadows. Wind moved more freely here, pushing against Nova's wings with a different weight. The scents shifted too, from less damp earth and resin to more dust and open air.
Ahead, the trees finally gave way to open land.f
An endless plain stretched toward the horizon, tall grass rolling in uneven waves, broken only by scattered stone outcroppings and the distant silhouettes of herds moving slowly across the land. Nussudle eased Nova higher, giving himself a better view.
Movement caught his eye.
Below, near a shallow dip in the ground, a group of cloaked panthers stalked their prey. Their bodies were low and controlled, outlines shifting as their natural camouflage bent light around them. Only their eyes gave them away, faint glimmers sliding through the grass.
A Dodiapede.
The herd was small, unaware, grazing as if the plains had never known danger. One strayed too far from the others.
Nussudle felt Nova's attention lock instantly.
I see it, Nussudle thought.
Hunger rippled through the bond. Not desperation. Focussed.
The Panthers moved first.
They burst from cover in near silence, bodies stretching forward with brutal speed. The dodiapede reacted too late, legs scrambling as the pack closed in.
Nussudle grinned.
"Alright," he said aloud. "Let's be rude."
Nova folded his wings.
They dropped.
The sudden dive tore wind past Nussudle's ears as Nova angled sharply downward. The panthers noticed too late, heads snapping up as shadow fell over them.
Nova's jaws snapped shut around the dodiapede's neck in one clean motion. The animal went limp instantly.
The panthers roared in fury, some leaping upward uselessly as Nova surged back into the air, prey clutched firmly in his grip.
Nussudle laughed, the sound torn from him by speed and exhilaration. "Sorry!"
Nova roared back, a sharp, satisfied sound.
They climbed fast, leaving the panthers below, their frustrated calls fading into the open sky.
When Nussudle finally slowed Nova's ascent, the plains stretched endlessly beneath them. He rested a hand against Nova's neck, feeling the ikran's steady strength.
"Well earned," he said.
Nova agreed.
Dusk came gradually on the plains.
Nussudle flew until the light softened and shadows grew long, searching for shelter. The open land offered little protection, but eventually he spotted a break in a low stone ridge. A narrow cave, shallow but dry, opened into the rock.
It would do.
Nova landed just outside, wings folding neatly as he lowered the dodiapede to the ground. Nussudle dismounted and set about his routine without thinking. Stones for a fire. Dry grass. Sparks.
The fire caught easily.
He worked carefully, skinning and preparing the meat with steady hands. The smell rose quickly, rich and grounding. Nova watched closely, tail flicking, eyes sharp.
Nussudle cut thick strips and tossed one aside.
Nova snapped it out of the air and tore into it, roaring low in satisfaction.
"Easy," Nussudle said with a smile. "There's plenty."
He cooked his portion slowly, sitting near the cave entrance as the fire crackled. The plains beyond glowed gold and red as the sun dipped behind the gas giant, the sky opening wide above him.
Alone.
The thought surfaced without weight. Not lonely. Just… alone.
He ate in silence, listening to the wind move through the grass, to Nova shifting nearby. The system flickered faintly at the edge of his vision, but he ignored it for now.
This wasn't about progress or lists.
It was about being here.
When the fire burned low, Nussudle fed the last of the meat to Nova and stretched out near the cave wall. Nova settled at the entrance, wings half-open, blocking the wind.
Sleep came easily.
Nussudle woke once in the night.
It wasn't sudden, and it wasn't alarming. It was the quiet pull of instinct that had been trained into him since childhood. His eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the pale grey light creeping into the cave. The fire had long since burned down to ash, leaving only a faint warmth in the stones beneath him.
Nova was awake.
Not tense. Just aware.
Nussudle followed the ikran's gaze upward. Somewhere far off, something moved across the sky. Too distant to be a threat. Too faint to matter.
He leaned back against the rock, hands resting loosely at his sides.
This was the path now.
No walls. No voices. No guidance beyond instinct and the bond beneath his skin.
The system pulsed softly.
Journey Progress: Active
Distance to Coastal Regions: Long
Nussudle exhaled. "Yeah," he murmured. "I know."
He closed his eyes again.
By morning, the plains would stretch onward. By nightfall, he would be closer to the sea. And beyond that, to the Metkayina.
Nova shifted, settling fully now, wings folding as sleep finally took him too.
The cave was shallow, but it was enough.
As he slept, his thoughts drifted back to Home Tree without warning.
To Kamun's steady voice.To Ilara's careful silence.To Nayat'i's hands gripping his arm the night before he left.
His jaw tightened slightly. Dwelling would do nothing now.
This journey had to be done.
Nova shifted once, then stilled, keeping watch as the stars climbed higher overhead.
Nussudle woke before the sun.
Nova was already awake.
The ikran stood just outside the cave entrance, wings folded tight, head raised. Through their bond, Nussudle felt it immediately – alertness without fear. Something had moved during the night, but nothing had come close enough to matter.
"Good," Nussudle murmured as he sat up.
He stretched carefully, joints stiff from sleeping on stone. The plains were colder at night than the forest, and it clung to his muscles even now. He rubbed his hands together and stepped out beside Nova.
The view was wide and open.
The grasslands stretched out in rolling waves, broken only by low rock formations and the occasional cluster of trees far in the distance. Morning light washed everything in muted gold. Herd animals were already moving, dark shapes against the grass, keeping distance from one another as they grazed.
Nussudle took a slow breath.
This was further than he had ever travelled alone.
Back at Home Tree, mornings were full of sound – voices, movement, life layered over life. Here, there was space. Too much of it, perhaps. The quiet pressed in, forcing him to sit with his thoughts, whether he wanted to or not.
Nayat'i came to mind again.
Not her face at first, but her voice. The way it hardened when she felt cornered. The way it softened when she thought no one was listening. He replayed their argument without meaning to, the sharp edges of it dulling but not disappearing.
"I should've said it better," he muttered.
Nova flicked his head back slightly, a pulse of reassurance flowing through the bond. Not words, but intent. You chose a path. You are still moving.
Nussudle rested a hand against Nova's neck, grounding himself in the solid warmth beneath the skin. "I know," he said quietly. "That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt."
He checked his gear next.
Water skins – intact.
Food – enough for another day or two.
Weapons – all present, clean, usable.
Then the system returned, clearer now that he was fully awake.
Crafting Objective – Improved Saddle (Phase One)Progress: 0%
Required Components Identified
– Forest-grown binding vines
– Reinforced leather substitute
– Bone or shell stabilisers
– Coastal materials (unavailable in the current region)
He stared at the final line longer than the others.
Coastal materials meant the Metkayina lands. Open water. A different kind of danger.
Nova shifted his weight, wings flexing slightly as if eager. The plains were easy flying compared to the dense forest. Open air. Long distances. Speed.
Nussudle smiled faintly.
"All right," he said, swinging up onto Nova's back. "Let's keep going."
They took off smoothly, Nova pushing into the air with controlled power. The ground dropped away, the grasslands shrinking beneath them as they climbed.
Below, a group of cloaked panthers paused mid-stalk, heads snapping upward as the shadow passed over them. This time, Nussudle didn't interfere. He let them be.
Not every hunt was his.
As they flew west, the plains slowly began to change. The grass thinned, the ground rising into uneven terrain. Rocks gave way to scattered trees, and far on the horizon, the land dipped and darkened, hinting at something larger beyond it.
The sea, eventually.
Nussudle adjusted his grip, feeling the steady rhythm of Nova's wings. The bond between them felt strong, certain. Whatever waited ahead – tribes, danger, answers – he wouldn't face it alone.
Behind him, the never-ending expanses of the plains.
Ahead, the world opened wider than it ever had before.
The floor below dropped sharply as stone pierced towards the sky, steep drops making the ground look like it was alive. All this flooded the bond between Nussudle and Nova as the Ikran kept a high alert as it felt itself being watched.
(AN: And so it Begins. :) )