Well this sucks, but standing here isn't going to change anything. Just going to have to see what we can along the way as we head downstream. Besides, my intentions were to head that way all along, only skipping out on breakfast wasn't exactly in the play book…

My stomach cries out in anguish, and I suddenly find myself grateful that the unbecoming noise is drowned out by the thundering river.

Marco surely didn't hear it right? I can already see Marco wearing a smug expression on that muzzle of his in my minds eye, but rather, when I turn around, I realize I'm dead wrong. From close behind me, he and that partner of his are busy taking stock of the entire forest. His head constantly sweeps side-to-side, scanning every inch of the waterlogged thicket. All the while, his ears flick about constantly, clearly struggling to filter out the overwhelming background noise. Meanwhile, his serpentine half isn't slouching either, it seems to be focusing it's attention where the main head isn't.

If there is someone out there, I doubt it's going to escape Marco's notice. With two heads and acute canine senses, his awareness must be unparalleled.

Admittedly, I feel a twinge of guilt for thinking he was goofing off. Rather, on the other wing, it's me who is being immature.

Come to think of it, it's ridiculously loud with this river surging so violently, and the air is thick with the sole scent of fresh rain and wet earth. Isn't this kind of dangerous now that I'm thinking about it? This would be the perfect setup for an ambush.

No wonder Marco is being so paranoid right now, he's already connected the dots. Either his instincts are sharper than I give him credit for, or he's far too clever for his own good. Makes me glad he's on my side, and that's including the weird obsession he has with me. But there's just something so curious about this behavior of his. I mean, what sort of pack animal walks away from their own pack without a hint of hesitation? Is he just going to keep following me, no matter how far I go? Is this your life now Marco?

In a single unexpected gesture, he stops what he's doing to stare me down with stern, wild eyes. The timing of which, is nothing short of uncanny.

In those few seconds that Marco looms over me as an immovable giant would, I do not find myself scared or frightened as I normally would. Rather instead, he inspires an infallible sense of reassurance and confidence. Feelings that can only conveyed by those who hold absolute conviction in their loyalty and duty.

With his message delivered loud and clear, he doesn't waste any more time and quickly returns to his reconnaissance.

The sheer intensity of that experience… It's going to take some time to unpack my feelings on the matter, that much is certain.

All of a sudden, movement out of the corner of my eye snaps my attention back into reality.

Something is out there!

Staring into the dark recesses of the thicket doesn't reveal anything. The only thing out there are branches that stir with a gentle sway, as if a giant, ghostly serpent were weaving it's way through the thick of trees. In it's wake, the boughs dance with taunting allure, each promising that indeed! Danger lurks just beneath the surface, come and see! And yet, when my gaze finally pierces through the veil of woven leaves, there is nothing to be found but tricks and lies.

Taking a second to glance in Marco's direction, neither head of his is staring into the area I'm suspicious of.

With a sigh, I repress the urge to keep searching. Marco's senses are way better than my own, if he doesn't detect anything, then I doubt there's anything there. Just a trick of the eyes.

As Marco and I continue our way downriver, Whispers of torment coming from that shadowed copse goads me to turn back. Are you sure there's no one hidden? Can you afford to be wrong?

How frustrating. However I trust in Marco's senses right now, so we press onward.

A few hours pass with us moving at a our slow and careful pace. No creatures cross our path during our travel, which begins to unsettle me. I figured we would at least find something, a small rodent, perhaps even a song bird. But there's nothing. To make matters worse, the roaring of the river is seriously starting to give me a headache, and by the looks of Marco's pinned back ears, I would wager he's feeling the same. At this point, I would love for nothing more than to leave it behind us already, but I know full well that if we do, I'm going to miss the landmark that I've been keeping an eye out for. While I'm sure most of them are probably buried under a couple feet of water, I remember that there were several large stones when I first discovered the river and met that strange, wooden-shelled tortoise, Gaia. It's these markers that I'm looking for, and if I can just find those blasted stones, I'm sure that I could find that clearing again. The one where my necklace was left behind after my first struggle with the wild apes.

But the longer we walk, the more pesky thoughts I begin to have. Such as, "Was it upriver?" or, "Did I miss it?" Those kind of annoying thoughts.

Suddenly, I notice something small laying in the grass just beside the river.

Is that… FOOD!?

Oh thank goodness, finally!

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With an extended wing, I gesture for Marco to stop moving, which causes him to look visibly confused. Both of his heads scan the immediate area, searching for the apparent danger, but he looks towards me again with a lost expression.

Right there bud!

At this point, I'm low to the ground and pointing at the sleeping creature with the tips of my wings, but Marco is clueless.

HOW? How do you do you not see the brown fur of that critter in front of us. It's literally only twenty feet in front of us! Oh forget it!

Keenly aware of my own surroundings, I crouch down low to the ground and creep up on the unsuspecting creature as carefully as I can. There is absolutely no scenario where I don't end up catching this guy and finally getting some food. Even better is that it will be fresh! Not whatever that putrid, fly-ridden crap is that the other orothus pass off as food back at our camp. From about ten feet away, I can barely make out the rising and falling of its tiny chest. The creature is a slinky looking mammal, with slicked fur, a stubby face, and short, stubby little legs.

See it now?

To my astonishment, Marco is still looking around, trying to figure out what the hell I'm talking about.

Okay so maybe Marco isn't the keen-eyed scout I thought he was if he can't see this thing right in front of us. Whatever, I don't need his help to catch something that's hardly a quarter my size.

Closer…

Just a little closer…

The little otter-looking creature is barely three feet away at this point, it's so close that I could practically scoop it up in my talons and finally get something to eat. But something compels me to stop.

This is… a bad idea? Wait, what?

No!

It's right there!

Then I realize it, these thoughts are indeed my own, but I still have enough grasp over my own well-being to realize that something is off. It's just like that time back with Gaia, where she was able to communicate with me by influencing what I was thinking. This little guy can do the same thing?

What the hell is wrong with this forest?! Good lord, why can't anything be normal around here!

Now Marco is looking at me like there's something wrong with me, but when I gesture again towards this otter that is the current source of all my frustrations, he just looks past it like it's not even there.

You can't see this?

I point with my beak, and then with both of my wings, but he continues to have a concerned look on his face, as if I were going crazy all of a sudden.

Oooookay, we're about to get to the bottom of this.

This time I fight off the false voice in my head that is telling me to stop and walk away, and take a closer look instead.

There's definitely something strange about this creature, because now that I've got a closer look, I can see that there's a strange, transparent and flowing quality to its fur. I didn't notice it before because honestly, it's pretty subtle, but the tips literally bob and sway as if they had a mind of their own. Even the tail tapers off in similar fashion, the individual hairs becoming translucent, moving back in forth like gentle rippling waves.

Slowly, its eyelids open to reveal a pair of dull blue eyes, and when it realizes my head is hovering only inches away from its own, it lets out a panicked SQUEAK and attempts to right itself. Only it hardly takes two steps towards the river before collapsing to the ground once again, it's chest heaving even worse than before.

I take a couple looks around, but the scenery remains the same. Violent coursing river, seemingly empty forest, and Marco with an anxious and bothered look on his face.

Turning my gaze back onto the strange otter, I can't help but wonder why I'm able to see it, but Marco can't.

Wait, nope. Let me guess

Essence, I think sarcastically. It's always the bloody essence. The mysterious life force that makes everything in this maddening forest go round.

So, what does that make you, my curious little friend?

The poor otter just makes another pathetic squeaking sound, still eager to run away despite how weak it is.

Suggestions to leave it alone suddenly surge in my head, almost causing me to succumb to the subliminal command. But as quick as it came, it ebbs away just as fast, until it is nothing more than a weak plea.

Whatever tricks this otter has at its disposal, it clearly isn't capable of keeping this charade up for much longer. Marco is still the same, but I'm beginning to feel my own thoughts far more clearly than before. And admittedly, turning this frustrating creature into lunch is quickly climbing up the ranks for ideas on what to do with this thing.

But then I think back on old Gaia and how good it felt to help someone in need, and the genuine gratuity she had. The exchange was heartwarming and sweet, and it made this confusing world feel a bit less overwhelming.

Then there was that whole situation with Marco, tangled and left for dead in that massive oak. I acted on impulse to try and help him the only way I could, and I think it goes without saying what Marco's opinion on that matter is. And remembering the terrible panic attack that I had, it was Marco who was there for me when I finally came to. Acting like placing his massive head in my lap were the most natural and obvious thing in the world.

…

Dammit all!

Thinking no more on the matter, I hold the feeble otter still with one talon, and then flip him over to face me. Feeling my talons grasp him really sets him off, but he doesn't have enough strength to wrestle against someone that's several times larger than him. Then, very carefully as so he doesn't bite my claws, I hold his head still with my tip of my left wing, all while holding my right over his open and screaming mouth.

It takes an uncomfortably long time to focus on drawing out essence, considering how loud the nearby river is, but after a minute or so I finally get a bead of essence to form on my feather.

Alright, just have to line up the drop… Stop moving! I'm trying to help you!

It's no use, he keeps flailing his head side-to-side, completely oblivious of what I'm trying to do for him.

But then I see my moment, and I plunge the essence-coated feather into his mouth and quickly shift the claw I had on his head to close his jaw shut.

The rebellious little critter is clearly still in distress, but after a few more seconds, his struggling slows down, until it comes to a complete stop. His eyes shine with a brand new azure luster while his pupils dilate into big round expressive spheres.

Seeing how he has calmed down significantly, I pull my feather out of his mouth and step away from him to give him some space. In awe, I watch strength return to his body in real time. The previously clear and transparent ends of his fur grow in size and shape, forming an almost spectral, aqua-tinted larger version of himself that flows and glides through the air with chaotic whimsy. This time, he rights himself and stands on four confident legs, all signs of weakness completely expelled from his body. With one last look in my direction, he dashes into the river without any further warning and disappears beneath the white-capped rapids.

Sigh.

So much for gratuity, am I right Marco?

Only he doesn't look at me, rather he's looking into the river with a strange sparkle in his eyes.

Following his gaze, I spot the otter leaping out of the water, his beautiful aquatic trails following him in kind. Again and again, he does this, swimming through the violent churning river like it were nothing more than child's play. This joyful and majestic creature could hardly be compared to the sad and pitiful thing from earlier.

Marco and I sit together in silence, watching this otter do nothing more than exhibit its pure, contagious joy for all the world to see. In those brief and dazzling moments, that charming creature shined as if it were the center of this world.

Unfortunately though, all good things must come to pass. After one final leaping twirl though the air, its thin body disappears beneath the waves for good.

I'm the first to stir after the unexpected, yet brilliant performance. As I rise to my feet, I give Marco a gentle nudge.

Ready to go bud?

This orothus that has never wavered since we have left home has his guard completely down. Both the main lupine head, and his serpent partner, have their sights completely transfixed on the rolling waves of the river. I almost feel guilty for stirring him from such a state, he looks so peaceful like this.

After a few seconds though, he gets up, only sparing me a single glance as he does.

I indulge myself to a good stretch before taking the lead, but before I take another step, I hear a SPLASH come from the river, and the slight whistling of something soaring my way. Suddenly, a large fish crashes down onto the ground in front of me, and my eyes light up brighter than the night sky when I realize what it is. There's no way I wouldn't recognize that familiar bright yellow fish.

Looking back, I catch one final glimpse of the culprit as his aquatic trails become one with the river.

Sorry Marco, I have a new best friend.