The hunt

2. Rider

Today is a new day and I don't feel well, I wasn't able to sleep but couldn't wake up either so my head hurts.

When the sun comes out and I can open my eyes, I go look for Nezir and fly away.

For a while we just fly around, not a destiny per se, I even lean down and rest against Nezir's neck until I get to sleep but a flash of my dream wakes me up.

The bird was about to get me.

I focus on what's around us and notice too late that we're near the thing the humans are building, I hurry to make Nezir turn around and fly low so we can get out of there.

As we fly low I notice the smell of the kid again, so that means all of them should be near. I instruct Nezir to wait for me as I follow their trace.

Some minutes after walking and following the smell I notice them, they're once again reunited in a circle while the kid talks.

"They fly on them, but you have to get your own first," he says and the men snicker, well, I think I see a woman too.

"Okay then, take us there kid. Free rides for everyone," The man who's in charge speaks.

The woman laughs a little.

"I think this might take you all day and we should probably go in one of those," the kid says and points to something a little far from them.

I follow his finger and notice a helicopter, I learned the word from the time they have come back and the warriors and combat teams have had to go out and destroy them amongst other machines.

"But these people just... walk there, right?" The man asks.

"They climb there," the kid clarifies.

A man with sunglasses sighs.

"Are you afraid of a little exercise?" The man in charge asks the team.

"Colonel, with all due respect. The natives do it that way because they don't have our technology. Let's just make the trip there and get one of those things," another man suggests.

The kid rolls his eyes and after a moment of pondering, the man decides that they will go with their machine.

"So what are those things called again?" The Colonel asks the kid.

"Ikran,"

"Ikran," he repeats.

He makes a sign and everyone starts following him back to the base. I should go after them, from what I gathered they want to claim Ikrans, and that does not sit well with me.

They're not one of us, they won't respect them. They have no right to claim our animals.

I decide I can't follow them because I don't want to risk Nezir, but if I go back and talk with the group about where they're going maybe we can all go there and stop them.

I hurry up to fly back home.

Once I'm there I'm reminded that today Tarsem must choose a woman and we're going to the tree of souls but I don't care.

I look for Rhot'sau and the group, they're not at our usual spot, but then I end up stumbling with Tarsem.

"Yasira," he salutes me and smiles.

"Tarsem," I look him up and down quickly, he's stronger than when he was with us.

"Congratulations on being our new leader," I say.

He steps closer.

"I think I'm too young, but I'm honored to have been chosen," he says.

"You always showed promise didn't you?" He nods a little.