The Plains thinned gradually rather than ending all at once.
Nussudle noticed it first through Nova's senses rather than his own eyes. The bond shifted as the ground below lost its dense, layered life and became something more open. The endless expanse of Grass moved farther apart. The Deep orange and light red softened into lighter shades, broken by pale stone and stretches of exposed earth.
Then the land simply stopped.
Ahead of them, the world opened into endless blue.
Nussudle leaned forward slightly as Nova glided over the final cliffs. The ocean stretched in every direction, flat and vast, reflecting the sky so completely that it was difficult to tell where one ended, and the other began. The wind changed the moment they crossed the edge, becoming sharper, colder, and heavier with salt.
Through the bond, Nova reacted instantly.
This was not forest nor plains air.
The ikran's wings adjusted, movements becoming more deliberate as unfamiliar currents pushed against his body. Nussudle felt it too: the strange mix of freedom and unease, like standing at the edge of something too big to fully understand.
"I know," Nussudle murmured, stroking with his hand against Nova's neck. "It's different."
The smell was the strangest part.
There was no soil. No damp leaves. No rot or growth or familiar forest life. The air carried salt, minerals, and something old. It made Nussudle's chest feel open and hollow at the same time, as if the world had suddenly grown wider than he was ready for.
They flew on.
The sun sank slowly behind them as the land faded into memory. Below, the sea rolled in long, steady waves, broken occasionally by darker shapes beneath the surface. Nova kept his distance from the water, wings beating with careful strength.
Nussudle checked his supplies again out of habit, though nothing had changed since morning. His thoughts drifted, pulled between excitement and doubt. This was further than he had ever gone. Further than most Omaticaya ever needed to.
He wondered briefly what Nayat'i would think if she could see this.
That thought tightened something in his chest, but he let it pass.
Night approached faster over the ocean.
The light dimmed, colours fading into deep blues and silvers. Stars began to appear one by one, their reflections trembling on the water below. Nova let out a low sound through the bond, not fear, but weary.
They needed ground.
Nussudle spotted it moments later – a small island ahead, little more than a rise of dark stone crowned with sparse trees. It sat alone in the water, waves breaking sharply against its edges.
"That'll do," he said.
Nova angled downward, wings pulling back as they descended. The air grew damp, cooler, carrying the sharp scent of sea spray. Nussudle tightened his grip as they dropped lower.
That was when the bond flared.
Danger.
Nova reacted before Nussudle fully understood why. His wings snapped wide, pulling them sharply upward just as the water beneath them exploded.
A massive shape burst from the sea.
Teeth and an open maw that swallowed the remainder of the light.
The Akula surged upward, its jaws snapping shut just below Nova's tail. Nussudle felt the rush of terror through the bond, sharp and sudden, and acted without thinking.
"Up!" he commanded, pushing through the bond and queue together.
Nova obeyed instantly.
His wings beat hard, dragging them skyward as the Akula fell back into the sea with a violent splash. The sound echoed across the water, followed by a deep, rolling movement beneath the surface.
They did not stop climbing until the air steadied again.
Nussudle's heart pounded as he forced himself to breathe. Nova let out a harsh hiss, wings trembling slightly as adrenaline burned through both of them.
"Easy," Nussudle said, though his voice shook. "You did good. You did very good."
They circled wide and cautiously before landing on the island at last. Nova touched down heavily, claws scraping stone as he turned toward the sea.
The water moved again.
The Akula surfaced slowly, its massive head breaking the waves as it watched them. It did not attack. It simply stared, eyes dark and unblinking.
Nova hissed, wings spreading wide.
Nussudle stood beside him, heart still racing, and bared his teeth in answer.
Neither side moved.
Eventually, the Akula sank back beneath the surface, leaving only ripples behind.
Only then did Nussudle realise his hands were shaking.
The silence after the Akula disappeared felt heavier than the attack itself.
Nova remained tense, wings half-spread, tail low and rigid as he watched the dark water. Through the bond, Nussudle could feel his ikran's instincts fighting to decide whether this place was shelter or a trap. The island was small, exposed, and unfamiliar – nothing like the layered safety of the forest.
But it was solid ground.
"That thing isn't coming back tonight," Nussudle said, more to steady himself than Nova. "Not after missing once."
The reassurance wasn't entirely true, but it helped.
Nova slowly folded his wings, though he did not turn his back to the sea. He paced once around the edge of the island, claws scraping stone, nostrils flaring as he tested the air. Only after a full circuit did he settle near a cluster of twisted trees at the island's centre.
Nussudle exhaled and slid down from the saddle.
His legs felt weak as his feet touched the ground. The rush of the encounter caught up with him all at once – the closeness of death, the sheer size of the Akula, the realisation that this place had its own rules.
The ocean did not forgive mistakes.
He moved on instinct, setting about making the place safer. There was little to work with. Driftwood lay scattered along the shore, bleached and worn smooth. The trees were thin, their roots clinging stubbornly to stone. Still, it was enough.
He gathered wood and stacked it between two rocks, shielding the fire from the wind. Nova watched him closely, eyes sharp, head tilting at unfamiliar motions. Forest fires were different. This one smelled wrong – salt and smoke mixing in the air.
When the fire caught, Nussudle felt a small sense of victory.
He checked Nova's wings carefully, running his hands along the membrane and bones. No tears. No blood. Just tension slowly easing as the danger passed.
"We nearly lost our tail. Again," Nussudle muttered. [1]
A ripple of irritation came back through the bond, followed by stubborn pride.
"I know," he added quickly. "You did well dodging that thing."
Nova huffed softly and lowered his head, allowing Nussudle to rest his forehead briefly against the warmth of its skin. The contact grounded them both.
As night deepened, the sea changed.
The surface glowed faintly in places, stirred by unseen life beneath the waves. Light moved where nothing broke the water, strange and quiet. It was beautiful in a distant way, but it made Nussudle uneasy.
Too much movement. Too much unknown.
He ate sparingly, saving what food he could. Nova refused cooked meat entirely, tearing into raw pieces with sharp efficiency. The bond carried satisfaction, but also alertness. Neither of them fully relaxed.
Nussudle found himself watching the water more than the fire.
Every wave looked like a movement. Every shadow hinted at teeth.
He shook his head slightly and forced himself to focus. Fear here would only dull him. He needed clarity, not panic.
The system flickered into view again, uninvited.
Environmental Shift Detected – Coastal ZoneNew Materials AvailableWarning: Increased Predatory Presence
"Helpful," Nussudle muttered under his breath.
The panel faded, leaving him alone with the sound of waves and the crackle of fire. He leaned back against a rock, staring up at the familiar stars. They were the same as home, he knew, but they felt different here. Wider. Colder.
He wondered if the Metkayina felt this way about the forest.
Eventually, exhaustion won.
Nova curled protectively around the edge of the island, body forming a barrier between Nussudle and the sea. One wing draped partially over him, warm and heavy.
As Nussudle drifted toward sleep, he felt it again – that sense of being watched. Not by the Akula this time.
And yet he slept anyway.
He would need his strength.
Nussudle woke to the sound of waves striking stone.
For a brief moment, he forgot where he was. The rhythm was wrong – too steady, too open. There were no layered calls of forest life, no rustle of leaves overhead. Just water, endless and moving.
Then memory returned.
The island.The Akula.The sea.
He sat up slowly, brushing grit from his hands. The fire had burned down to embers, glowing faintly in the early light. Dawn crept across the horizon, painting the water in pale orange and grey. Nova remained half-curled beside him, eyes open, watching the shoreline.
Nothing had come during the night.
That alone felt like a victory.
Nussudle stood and stretched, joints stiff. The air was cool, damp, heavy with salt. It clung to his skin in a way the forest never did. He rolled his shoulders and glanced back at the sea.
The Akula did not surface again.
Still, he knew better than to assume safety.
He checked Nova first, as always. Wings intact. Muscles steady. The ikran accepted the inspection with quiet patience, though the bond carried a faint edge of restlessness. This place bothered him.
"Just one more stop," Nussudle said, resting a hand against Nova's neck. "Then we move on."
Nova flicked his tail once in acknowledgement.
Nussudle gathered what little he could from the island. Strips of tough coastal plant fibre. Smooth stones worn by water. Fragments of shell washed ashore overnight. The system reacted immediately, faint symbols appearing at the edge of his vision.
New Resource Registered – Coastal ShellPotential Use: Reinforcement / Stabilisation
"Good," Nussudle muttered. "At least it wasn't for nothing."
He packed the materials carefully. Every piece mattered now. Each step west took him further from Home Tree and closer to places he only knew from stories.
The Metkayina.
He thought of Nayat'i again as he worked. Not the argument this time, but her voice afterward. Softer. Hurt. The feeling of the two under the tree of voices.
I will come back, he reminded himself.
He mounted Nova shortly after the sun fully rose.
The ikran launched smoothly, wings catching the morning air as they climbed. The island shrank quickly beneath them, reduced to dark stone surrounded by endless blue.
Nussudle didn't look back.
The ocean stretched ahead, vast and open. Flying over it felt different now – not just strange. Yet he understood the danger better. Respected it.
The wind shifted as they gained altitude, cooler and steadier. Nova adjusted without prompting, settling into a strong, even rhythm. Through the bond, Nussudle felt something else begin to form beneath the tension.
Confidence.
They had survived the night. They had adapted. That mattered.
As the sun climbed higher, the water below began to change colour. Deep blue faded into lighter shades. Shapes appeared beneath the surface – reefs, sandbars, life moving in patterns unfamiliar to him.
Somewhere ahead, land waited.
Not large forests. Or endless plains.
But something new.
Nussudle leaned forward slightly, fingers tightening around the saddle straps.
"Let's keep going," he said quietly.
Nova answered with a low, steady sound through the bond and pushed harder into the sky.
Behind them, the island fully disappeared. Ahead, the endless sea, lighter and more stunning, sprawled beneath the two as Nova carried with his wings powerful strides.
[1] Think of when the Toruk attacked and aimed for Nova's tail