Chapter 284 - Day CMLXXVIII

I started the day with my usual routine, and after just grabbed my weapon, and shadow walked to the alley. Then started jogging towards the rats' territory. The plan was to reach the swamp ty the end of the day and leave an anchor there. I needed to explore that area, and also search what was around bear territory.

It would be nice to have a map in my brain, just like in video games, but unfortunately, all I had was my drawing skills and a piece of paper, if I bought it. Maybe if we had a cartographer here, with time we could work something out, but I never heard of such a person among us.

We could argue that I wasn't the best-informed person around, but I doubted Hatta or Blue wouldn't be on it if they knew about somebody like that.

When I left the city, and food settled down a bit in my stomach, I went into a sprint, and just ran through the hunting grounds ignoring the hunters preparing to lure rats out of their nest. When they vanished in the distance, Ki'rai, in a wolf form, joined me.

She had to catch up to me in a different form since she had trouble keeping up with my pace. I slowed down, and we traveled together for several hours. Then I stopped, to take a break and jump back to the city, but before I wanted to have a conversation with her.

We ended up in a nice spot, with no bushes around. The grass was low, and a lot of sunlight was making it past the tree crowns. Still, there was plenty of shadows. If only we had birds to accompany the rustling of leaves.

I sat under a tree, as she transformed into her original form, tired, fighting for breath. It made me laugh a bit, which clearly made her a bit angry.

- Come, sit with me - I said when she seemed to finally get a grip over her body, and patted the ground next to me.

She didn't go at first, looking intensely at me, and throwing daggers with her eyes, but then she gave up and came closer.

- Where did you go yesterday? - she asked me.

- I was hunting in the cave you showed me. What did you do? - I asked her, and using the 'Void manipulation' I wrote in the air "Are they listening?".

She read it quickly and stood up.

- I was looking for you all around the city, but couldn't find you. I even looked at the closest hunting grounds - she replied and did something peculiar.

She cleared the ground out of the grass and then started writing with her knife.

"I have a device that is recording our conversations. They always check it when I go back."

I nodded.

- Sorry. Next time I'll try to let you know.

"Which side are you on Ki'rai? Are you with us, or with them?"

- You should - she replied.

Her face changed. It was hard to read because of her alien physique, but I had this feeling that she id battling with herself. I couldn't even imagine what she was going through at that moment. I made her choose between people that created her and were in some way her parents, and me. Somebody he clearly valued to the point to inform me about what was going on. She kept looking at her feet. Her head was going from one side to another, as she was battling with new thoughts.

- How about as an apology I will give you some nice food? Do you want some dried fruits? Or maybe fresh ones?

She looked up at me, and for a moment the idea of fresh, sweet fruits overtook her mind, I noticed that she was clearly already seeing the food, with the eyes of her mind. She nodded.

- Yes. I want fresh fruits.

Then she quickly wrote on the ground: "Can I be your friend, Peter?"

"You already are," I replied.

She smiled in response. Her eyes were sparkling with happiness. I only saw her interactions with her masters once, and only for a short moment, but it gave me a decent idea of how they looked like. Maybe in the beginning she just didn't know better, but now she saw the interaction between people. She learned about friendship and love.

For me, her motivation became plainly obvious. She wanted to feel welcomed. She wanted to feel loved.

- I'll be right back with some tasty ones - I said while standing up.

She nodded in response.

I dropped the anchor where I was standing, and shadow walked to the alley. I quickly went bu but some of my favorite fruits, and a bunch of beef jerky for myself, then I shadow walked back, and removed the anchor.

- Here. Try all of them - I gave her an armful of food.

She couldn't even take it all, and some of them fell to the ground. She started tasting immediately. It was fun to watch her experience the different tastes for the first time. Her expressions were changing with every bite. From surprised to overjoyed. It was an incredible experience, to witness her exposure to different flavors.

I ate all the meat looking at her, and when she finally finished, we continued our travels. While walking, we couldn't really talk. Running was also out of the question since she was so full, she barely could move. Watching her experience being so full for the first time was also incredibly funny.

When the night started approaching we stopped again.

- How about we go back to the city, and return here tomorrow?

- Ok.

I touched her shoulder and brought us straight to my room in the barracks.

- You can take the bed. I'll sleep on the floor - I said to her shortly after we appeared in the dark room.

I used my flame, to light up the olive lamp. The windows were shut, and I didn't want to open them because somebody could see her. She happily jumped on the bed.

- I'll go and get some food. Stay here.

She nodded. I left her alone for a moment and returned with more fruits and some jerky. Then we ate.

I kept thinking that I need to let her meet Will and the rest as soon as they will go back to the city.

The day came to an end with 23 440 930 points remaining on my account.