Zeldritzon [Cycle 4] - Afternoon
----------------------------------------
Current Location:
[Ungroot Zone]
[UvoSath Forest of the UvoSath Realm]
----------------------------------------
A massive winged bird scaled a tree, howling as it made its way up. But a proper inspection by KiAera suggested that it had more flair to it. It resembled a moderate-sized wyvern. Approximately five times her size, counting its wingspan, but slightly smaller than Amber.
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Creature: Skyrawltal
APeX: [220 Units]
Attributes: [Wind] [Deino]
Faction: [Predator]
Variant Grade: [Common]
Evolution Stage: [Fledgling]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
[Insight] - [Rank: F] - TECH: 11% → TECH: 12%!
Anyone could have mistaken it for a typical bird of prey due to its feathered body and beak. It resembled an Archaeopteryx and its wings appeared to have a strong grip as it climbed.
Luckily it could not see them. KiAera remained crouched and hidden in the forest's growth. She glanced at the Osseods around her. They were scurrying along, their crystalline bodies shadowed by the canopy.
An umbra cast over her as Amber the LeapLeap stood tall beside her, keeping watch with her alert amber eyes.
KiAera continued to do the same for the others. She swayed her tail for her squad mates to follow her. Carefully and as silently as possible because if that Skyrawltal pounced, that was a wrap for them all.
Her extendable ears enwrapped the Osseods and with them bundled in her grasp, she trekked through the forest again with Amber stalking behind. KiAera noted the ratite monster's footsteps and was rather impressed by the quiet footfall.
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
After a significant distance had been made between her group and the Skyrawltal, KiAera scanned the forest intuitively for more crystals. Yet, as her secondary, her eyes scoped for material to craft for her clothing or armor. She may have had silky fur, but she still desired to cover herself as she once did. But anything resembling armor would suffice. She may have been a monster, but she was one that sought for any advantage.
Her footsteps suddenly creaked on a fallen tree trunk. Her gaze surveyed the growth, then headed to the toppled tree. A natural bridge that lengthened over a narrow ravine, shrouded in mist. KiAera's eyes traced its path, noting the way it twisted unnaturally, almost as if it had grown towards its inevitable fall. The bark was a deep crimson, stark against the blue and orange grasses below, and covered in strange, luminescent moss that pulsed with a dim, ghastly glow. It looked slick, treacherous, and very much alive.
The Osseods, still nestled within the curl of her ears, twitched with unease. KiAera could sense their nervous energy. Amber the LeapLeap shifted behind her, her amber eyes never still, scanning the surroundings for threats. The wyvern-like bird hadn't followed them, but that didn't mean they were safe.
KiAera crouched low, extending one of her ears to test the stability of the tree bridge. Her ears had become her most versatile tool—sensitive, flexible, and surprisingly strong. The ear made contact, and she felt a faint vibration run through it, a hint of movement beneath the moss. Her Insight flickered.
[Cautious Instinct] - The moss... it breathes.
Her eyes narrowed. The moss wasn't just a plant. It was alive in a more complex way, some sort of symbiotic organism. The tree trunk was its host, and the moss had integrated into it, creating a bridge that could react to the creatures crossing it. She had seen something like this before in her own world—a parasitic fungus that controlled insects—but this was different, more advanced, more aware.
KiAera considered their options. They could try to find another way around, but that would take time, and she didn't want to risk staying in one place for too long. The Skyrawltal wasn't the only predator in this forest.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
She reached into her memories, searching for anything that might help. This moss—it wasn't hostile unless provoked. It was a trap, lying in wait for something to disturb it. But it wasn't aggressive. It could be crossed, if done carefully.
Her focus snapped when Amber stepped forth and whooped. KiAera could not cry out fast enough to halt the LeapLeap.
Amber bent as she suddenly pecked a chunk of moss. Shrieking in terror, the moss twitched and dispersed as Amber chowed on another. Well, damn.
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
[[Mosscolt] consumed!]
[ApeX obtained: 25 Units]
[Conversion: 2.5 Units > 3 Units!]
Amber's [APeX]: 36 Units > 39 Units!
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
[[Mosscolt] consumed!]
[ApeX obtained: 20 Units]
Amber's [APeX]: 39 Units > 41 Units!
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
KiAera took a deep breath, shaking her head. The Osseods shifted within her ears, squeaking with laughter and causing her to smile.
She began to move, placing each paw after another to test the tree's surface before fully committing her weight.
The first few steps were uneventful as the moss pulsed gently under her paws but not reacting violently. Another step came and KiAera could feel the tension in her squad... The Osseods silent for once. And Amber followed, her larger frame moving with a surprising grace, her weight distributed carefully to avoid triggering a response from the moss beneath.
Click.
KiAera paused, ears twitching. A sound—barely perceptible—a faint rustling from the depths of the forest. She froze, every muscle in her body going still.
Rustle. Click. Click. Click.
The rustling grew louder, a series of clicks and snaps, like the movement of many small legs. Her ears strained, swiveling to pinpoint the source.
She stopped.
It was coming from above, from the canopy!
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
Creatures: Wsarmtacts
Lowest APeX: [50 Units]
Highest APeX: [80 Units]
Attributes: [Xensect] [Evil]
Faction: [Predator]
Variant Grade: [Common]
Evolution Stage: [Fledgling]
꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱꒰ᐢ. .ᐢ꒱
[Insight] - [Rank: F] - TECH: 12% → TECH: 15%!
A pair of glistening eyes reflected the dim light, peering out from the darkness. Then another, and another. KiAera's heart thudded in her chest. She knew that look—predators, but not like the Skyrawltal. These were something else, something smaller, but in numbers, they could be just as deadly.
The creatures began to emerge, spider-like beings with elongated limbs and armored carapaces that shimmered in the strange light. They moved in unison, a single entity made up of many parts. KiAera recognized their kind—not individually, but as a concept. They were a swarm, a collective intelligence that would overwhelm their prey by sheer numbers.
"Amber," KiAera hissed. "Faster. Quiet, but faster."
Amber didn't need to be told twice. She sped up, her steps still careful but now more urgent. KiAera could feel the bridge quiver beneath her, the moss reacting to their increased pace, sensing the vibrations.
The swarm was closing in, moving down the sides of the trees, their eyes fixed on the moving figures below. KiAera's mind raced. They had to get off the bridge before the swarm reached them. If the moss reacted to the swarm's presence, it could collapse the whole structure, sending them all plummeting into the misty stream below.
She pushed forward, her small form darting across the remaining distance. The moss pulsed angrily now, sensing the disturbance, but it held firm.
Breath heavy, KiAera leaped the last few feet, landing on solid ground with a soft thud. After placing the Osseods down, she turned, ears extended, ready to assist Amber if needed.
Amber followed, her powerful legs propelling her forward in a single, graceful bound. She landed beside KiAera, her amber eyes wide with adrenaline.
KiAera was quick to witness the Osseods scurry around her, forming a defensive circle around them, their crystalline bodies shimmering with a faint inner light. They were ready to fire.
Before them, the swarm reached the bridge, their many legs clicking against the moss-covered surface. For a moment, KiAera held her breath, watching as the first of the spider-like creatures stepped onto the tree trunk.
Suddenly, the moss twitched, its surface rippling, but it didn't collapse. Instead, it seemed to react to the swarm differently, its pulsing light growing brighter, almost welcoming.
KiAera's eyes widened when the moss began enwrapping and devouring the Wsarmtacts.
The moss coiled around the swarm's spindly legs and armored bodies, its bioluminescent glow intensifying as it fed. The creatures struggled, their many eyes flickering with panic as they were pulled into the mossy tendrils as their clicking mandibles snapped in a futile attempt to escape.
KiAera watched, half in horror and half in fascination, as the bridge became a feeding ground, the once-dangerous swarm being absorbed into the moss's ecosystem.
At her peripheral, Amber shifted beside her, feathers ruffling as she emitted a low, guttural noise—part disgust, part relief. KiAera felt a similar churn in her gut. The Wsarmtacts had been a threat, but to see them ensnared and devoured so systematically... Everything was predator and prey...
"Keep moving," KiAera whispered, shaking off the cold dread that had settled over her. There was no point lingering here; they had escaped one danger only to be reminded of a thousand others lurking in this damn twisted forest.
Amber took point this time, leading them into the underbrush with surprising agility for her size. KiAera followed closely, her ears twitching and swiveling, on constant alert for the faintest sound.
Her gaze drifted toward the noisy river below, a misty purple stream. Without wasting a beat, she gathered up the Osseods in her ears before traversing down the rocky slope.
Once reaching the bottom, she bolted toward the stream.
"We'll follow it. See where it leads," she informed the others.
In response, the members of her squad released a series of squeaks and chirps.
They had barely taken their first steps along the riverbank when the air was split by a deafening roar—a shriek that echoed through the forest, shaking leaves from the trees and sending ripples across the misty water.
The Skyrawltal.