Wolf Heart

Chapter 7

Planet: Eteran

First Insurgency War

RAYAN

It took several weeks of getting used to his new home to sort through the art dome and place things where he wanted them to be. Mom had done most of the work for him, though left his personal artist tools for him to organize. Rayan kept track of all of his tools with his own head as he placed them in assorted cupboards; from acrylics, which he sorted by colour and shade, his fresh papers Mom bought from the crafts store James told him about. His pencils and brushes he put in holding spots beneath his workbench. He grinned at his brand of organized chaos, and shuffled for his old artbook.

I've got a few pages left... maybe I can get to know the area if I could just put it on paper. He tore off each used page to slide into the board on the wall of the dome for future projects and references, where Mom left him extra, empty infopods on the side. Okay, I think I'm good to go. Let's see if I can find any landmarks to jot down so I don't lose my way again... He shoved his artbook into the pocket of his coat, before grabbing it and leaving the art dome into the main foyer of the manor.

"Mom?" he called. "I'm going out."

Mom left the kitchen. "Okay, just try not to be out too late, Rayan. I'll have dinner in the heating unit when you come back." She hesitated, then added, "If I'm not home, I'm probably discussing something with Garrett and waiting for your father to send me some news from Odaport."

Rayan frowned at the mention of Dad. "I understand." He opened the double doors, where the SAI clicked in response and he donned his coat to escape the chilly breeze.

Ugh... why is it so cold? He trudged through fallen leaves. Where do I even start...

He wandered through Eastpoint, and spotted several of his new classmates in every place he drifted by. Jon and a few boys Rayan hadn't learned the names to put to faces yet hung outside the park by the pitch, chatting animatedly, but otherwise didn't notice him. Glad for the reprieve, he rushed across town, shoving his face into his collar to try and avoid awkward conversation, where every voice echoed without the canopy of metal to smother them. Rayan swallowed the fresh air without smog, almost choking on the sensation it left in his lungs as he continued to keep his brisk pace.

I don't want to get lost again.

Trees replaced concrete and buildings as he kept on the well-maintained path through the forest, following the small signs on the trail. Birds chirped in the green, rustling canopy over his head which blocked out any sense of sunlight, only leaving patches on the ground as it trailed to the event horizon. Mist trailed past his lips with the chilly day as he listened to the leaves crunch underneath his boot. Pinpricks swept up his skin when the breeze picked up and threatened to carry him off to the unknown. He froze with the smack of wind against his cheeks as he growled at nothing in particular before hugging himself and trudging through the hard breeze of Eastpoint.

And here I thought the winds of the salt flats were a nightmare.

He tread past a small park, where a single pair of swings and a slide rounded around a mini jungle gym. No children with their parents gave life to the park, only the tree leaves which scattered across the beams and benches. He kept on the trail, marked clearly as it led him deeper into Eastpoint's surrounding forest. A small creek tore through the roots of some trees as he followed it all the way to a glistening pond.

Rocks shadowed patches of the crystal water as he tested the air within the grove. As he reached the water's edge, a trickle of movement caught his attention. A small burrowing creature licked at the water, where its double tail held out to weave with the wind shattered by tree cover. Sketchbook in hand, he crept closer to the strange creature. Its ears twisted in his direction, and without a second look, bolted back into the underbrush with a hiss.