Planet AI: Tale of the Three Kingdoms

Part Seven

Hudson remained calm, he needed rest and they weren't going to find anything in the dark, "I do believe....I should sleep." His head snapped around as he searched for a save place to...lie down. Or...

Hudson looked up to the trees, they felt safe to him. Logically it would be the best idea, nothing that could harm him would be able to fly, right?

Hudson adjusted his backpack onto his back and squatted. With little more than a hop, he flew straight up and found a branch, well let by the raising moon, as though it was calling for him. He landed on it and soon realized that he had left Elmarri on the ground.

He was about to go get her, but as he looked down, he saw she was quickly and professionally climbing up the tree! Her backpack snugly on her back. She had a beautiful, majestic look about her as she made it to Hudson's level. The branch didn't appeal to her, but the closeness of the tree's branches gave her an idea. She opened her pack and took out the bed roll.

Next she used her long rope, tied it to the bed room and the two forked branches that led above and made a sort of makeshift hammock and cloned in.

Hudson chuckled, amused, "I'll take off as soon as I am awake," he hugged his wings around himself and titled his head back, almost using his own wings as a pillow, "I'll see if I could find water." And with that, both friends drifted off.

The night passed by quietly without disruption. In a way, the nighttime was almost like the kingdom-- silent yet orderly. The stats would slowly drift away in the night sky, as the arising bright sun would slowly come back into place.

With the first sun ray hitting the branch Hudson grasped on, he would slowly awaken before Elmarri. He was adjusted to being awake at day more so than night from his prior role as a guard.

His wings extended, as his whole body stretched, and relaxed back into place momentarily after. His eyes were not staring straight ahead, out of habit. But, his eye right did catch the beautiful sky.

Hudson would take the peaceful time to admire the scenery, but he has work to do as promised of last night. He, and Elmarri, will have another day to admire the sun.

He glanced towards Elmarri, who lies on her made hammock, and see she is still in deep sleep. Hudson knew she needed the rest more than he did.

With one last casted glance towards his friend, he positioned himself into a flying off stance, and jumped off the branch, plummeting straight downwards, until he flapped his wings-- carrying himself through the sky.

Hudson didn't travel far before he spotted a river bed. From what he knew of rivers, they were clean sources of water. He pulled his wings in and gained momentum as his body lost distance with the ground.

Upon landing mere inches from the river, he gave the water an examination. It seemed clear and clean. He reached into his backpack and pulled out his water skin. As he reached down to fill the skin, he heard it. The clumsy steps that made their way towards him.

He quickly jerked his head to see it. What it was, he didn't know. It was slouched to the side, what was left of it's scaly skin hung in random decaying chunks off it's body, exposing yellowed, broken bones. It only had one eye and it seemed to be the milky color of the blind. The stench followed, almost causing Hudson nausea.

He didn't know what was worse, this creature before him, or the many shadows that clumsily walked behind it.