The place smells of smoke and death.

You dare not look up, for the sight of your kin brings sadness to your heart.

You are locked inside a cage, too small for your species, but you are sure the Star Hunters do not plan to keep you here for long.

The nest of the Star Hunters differs greatly from that of the humans you have seen earlier. The houses you saw there were made of rocks, these ones are made entirely of wood. It looks quite cozy and tranquil, if it weren’t for the people that dwelled within. Beaten paths snake through the grass, leading towards a giant bonfire that lights up in the night, creating dancing shadows on the walls of the houses.

You have been alone for a few days, now. Your cage isn’t at the center of the village, instead being a bit distant from the houses. You have not seen your friend ever since they brought you here, in the Star Hunter’s camp.

You wait. You wait for him to come rescue you. You wonder if he will ever do that.

If the world were a simple one, he would. You two are linked by a friendship, or so you like to think. He would help you. But the world is so very big and vast and difficult. Ancestral laws mean nothing down here.

A man sometimes comes and offers you food: at first you refused it, hissing at the hand in front of the cage, but the man forced you to take it. So you waited for him to leave before scrapping bits of it and then throwing them on the grass, watching as the squirrels ran by, taking them with them. At least you were helping somebody while you waited for your body to decay.

One night, tired and hungry, you hear noises and chantings near the giant bonfire. You do not care much, the houses are so far away both from your eyes and from your mind, but one voice among the others gets your attention. You’d recognize that voice from a billion other ones.

The one who has accompanied you during this journey.

You did wonder where the child had been brought to and you had prayed for his safety, and now knowing that he seems to be fine brings joy to your heart.

You are glad.

But it’s when you see him that your wish to decay grows stronger.

The boy is wearing the garments of the Star Hunters. Black symbols are dragged on his skin, showing his kinship with them.

You do not even have the strength to hiss.

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Betrayer. Betrayer. Betrayer.

Hate and anger fester inside of you, pleading to be let out. But you are too hungry for that.

You want to feel your claws on his skin, you want to see him suffer. But you are too tired for that.

You remember, the voices of your elders. They warned of cruel humans. Led by greed, led by envy.

But you hoped. You hoped to repeat the legend told by your kind, of a star that befriended the humans.

The world is so very vast and so very big and so very difficult. The ground is riddled with traps and dangers, but the ancestral laws you always followed were strict and clear, so you followed them.

But those laws mean nothing down here.

But do they?

Stars are not made to act. They are made to watch and listen.

Likewise, the Star Hunters follow the ancestral law of being your predators.

Maybe, the world is not so complicated, after all.

The kid simply wanted your feathers since the very beginning.

He saved you from the bear to ensure nobody else had his prey. He fed you and took care of you to ensure your feathers were in good shape. He saved your life from the clutches of the raging river to make sure he still had his prey. He sought your trust so that you wouldn’t run away, so that you wouldn’t ruin your feathers.

The flame at the center of the village flickers, sending golden hues to the boy’s hair and body. Older humans are around him, uttering words full of pride and happiness. The child is silent, among them.

Someone hands him something. His hands tremble as he picks it up.

A broken spear.

You recognize it.

The spear that struck you down.

You hiss.

Betrayer.