---
Morning broke softly over the Sapling Forest, the pale light filtering through the thick canopy and reflecting off the frost-dusted ground.
Fowad stirred from his makeshift bed in the nest, his muscles stiff but invigorated from another night of rest.
He stretched, glancing at Foxy, who was already awake and watching him with calm, intelligent eyes.
Beside her, Fattey hopped energetically, chirping loudly.
But something was different about Fattey this morning. The little red bird, once small enough to sit comfortably in Fowad's hand, now stood slightly taller.
His feathers seemed brighter, their fiery hue almost glowing in the early sunlight. Fowad squinted, his brain slowly processing the change.
"Fattey… did you grow?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.
The bird tilted his head and let out a series of chirps...
"Chip chip chip!"
["Mommy, the food was good! I need more food!"]
Fowad blinked in disbelief, trying to piece together what Fattey was trying to communicate.
His mind raced back to the previous evening when he had given the mischievous bird a beast core from a normal-level creature.
Could it be that the energy from the core was responsible for Fattey's growth?
"Are you asking for… more beast cores?" he murmured, watching as Fattey flapped his small wings and chirped enthusiastically, hopping onto Fowad's head in an unmistakable display of impatience.
"Well," Fowad sighed, brushing a strand of his long hair away from his eyes, "I guess we're hunting today."
He turned to Foxy, who was already on her feet, her tails swishing eagerly. "Let's go, Foxy. We've got some work to do."
---
The trio descended from the nest and set out into the forest, the air crisp and filled with the faint rustle of leaves in the breeze.
Fowad felt a renewed sense of determination as they moved through familiar paths, the snow crunching softly beneath their feet.
It didn't take long before they came across their first challenge: a small group of basic level horned rabbits grazing in a clearing.
These creatures were quick and agile, but they were no match for Foxy's precision.
Fowad signaled to his partner, and with a blur of movement, Foxy darted forward, weaving through the rabbits with practiced ease.
She dispatched two of them in quick succession, her claws flashing in the sunlight.
Fattey, not one to be left out, swooped clumsily toward the remaining rabbit.
His flight was still unsteady, and instead of a graceful attack, he tumbled into the rabbit, squawking loudly as the startled creature fled into the underbrush.
"Fattey!" Fowad called, suppressing a laugh as the little bird righted himself, puffing out his feathers indignantly.
"You're supposed to scare them, not trip over them."
"Chip chip chip!" Fattey chirped back, flapping his wings in protest before perching on Fowad's shoulder.
["Mommy I want play with the rabbits."]
With the rabbits dispatched, Fowad collected their beast cores, storing them carefully in his satchel. The hunt was off to a good start, but he knew they needed more if Fattey was to continue growing.
---
As they moved deeper into the forest, the terrain began to change.
The trees grew taller and denser, their gnarled roots snaking across the ground like veins, creating treacherous paths that required careful navigation.
The air grew cooler, and the sounds of the forest became muted, as though they had entered a realm untouched by time.
Fowad felt a growing sense of unease as he scanned their surroundings.
He had never ventured this far before, and the unfamiliarity of the area put him on edge.
Foxy seemed to sense it too, her ears flicking constantly as she sniffed the air, alert to any signs of danger.
"This place feels… different," Fowad muttered, tightening his grip on his knife. "Stay sharp, both of you."
---
The dense forest presented new challenges, forcing Fowad to adapt his training regimen.
The uneven ground made swift movements difficult, and the thick underbrush provided ample hiding spots for potential threats.
Fowad used these conditions to push Foxy to refine her agility, setting up makeshift obstacles and having her practice weaving through them at high speed.
Foxy performed admirably, her movements fluid and precise as she navigated the challenging terrain.
Fowad couldn't help but marvel at her progress; she had come so far from the timid creature he had first tamed.
Fattey, however, was a different story.
The little bird seemed more interested in mischief than training, often interrupting their drills by diving into bushes or playfully tugging at Fowad's hair.
Despite his antics, Fattey's clumsy attempts at flight drills provided moments of levity, and Fowad found himself smiling more often than not.
"Fattey," he said, watching as the bird landed awkwardly on a branch, nearly tumbling off in the process, "you're going to give me gray hair before I even leave this forest."
"Chip chip!" Fattey responded, clearly unbothered by the comment.
["Mommy's hair so good. I want to stay there mommy."]
---
The group's training was interrupted when Foxy froze, her ears swiveling toward a distant sound.
Fowad followed her gaze, his eyes narrowing as he strained to hear what had caught her attention.
Faint voices drifted through the trees, accompanied by the rhythmic crunch of footsteps on snow.
"People?" Fowad whispered, his heart racing.
He hadn't encountered any humans in the Sapling Forest since the bounty hunter who had been killed by his father.
His first instinct was to retreat, they might be related to bounty hunter. The bounty hunter told that he informed others.
They might have been hare looking for him and his father. He should get away as soon as possible.
Then he think father is dead. The bounty hunter only finds us cause of father wanted poster. They don't know me.
Let's finds out what they are looking for, if they find me I will act like I am only a kid who lost in the forest.
For now I should hide, and observe them from a distance. The curiosity kept him rooted in place. He decided not to run away.
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