The first rays of dawn spilled across the Akane Region, painting the sky in shades of gold and lavender. Kael stretched his arms with a groan, his back cracking as he rose from the makeshift cot in his tiny hut. Outside, the sound of rhythmic squawks greeted him, Bobo, of course, already up.
Kael peered out of the hut and sighed. The dodo was chasing a crab along the shoreline, wings flapping like it was on some heroic quest. "Bobo, leave the crab alone! You're not even gonna eat it!"
The dodo ignored him, too focused on its tiny, scuttling adversary.
Kael shook his head, stepping outside and letting the cool morning breeze wash over him. "Alright, big guy. Today's the day we go hunting for more dodos. For XP. And, well, dinner."
At the mention of "dodos," Bobo immediately perked up. He abandoned his crab-chasing and waddled toward Kael, head tilted in curiosity.
"Don't look at me like that," Kael said, crossing his arms. "You're coming with me. Not by choice, mind you, but because you'll probably just wreck something here if I leave you behind."
Bobo squawked indignantly, flapping his wings.
"Yeah, yeah," Kael muttered, grabbing his rudimentary spear, basically a sharpened stick and a small pouch of berries. "Let's go, troublemaker."
The forest was alive with the sounds of chirping insects and rustling leaves as Kael and Bobo made their way through the dense undergrowth. The morning sunlight filtered through the canopy, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor.
Kael crouched low, scanning the area for signs of his quarry. "Alright, Bobo, keep your eyes peeled. We're looking for your cousins."
Bobo let out a disgruntled chirp, as if offended by the implication that he was related to the other dodos.
Kael chuckled. "Oh, come on. Don't get all high and mighty on me now. You're still a dodo, no matter how much personality you think you have."
After a few minutes of trekking, Kael spotted movement up ahead. A small flock of dodos was pecking at the ground near a berry bush, their round bodies bobbing as they waddled about.
Kael grinned, crouching lower. "There they are. Alright, here's the plan. I'll circle around and..."
Before he could finish, Bobo charged forward with a loud squawk, wings flapping as he barreled straight toward the flock.
"Bobo, no!" Kael hissed, scrambling after him.
The flock of dodos scattered in a flurry of squawks and feathers, waddling away as fast as their stubby legs could carry them. Bobo skidded to a stop in the middle of the clearing, looking around in confusion as his prey escaped.
Normally, dodos are known for being harmless, slow, and not running away from humans. But in this world, they run rather fast and seem a bit more intelligent. Probably due to magic.
Kael groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You had one job, Bobo. One job. Stay quiet."
The dodo squawked defensively, as if to say, *I was helping!*
Kael sighed, shaking his head. "Alright, new plan. We track them down. Again. But this time, no charging in like a lunatic, okay?"
Bobo ruffled his feathers, looking mildly offended.
---
After another hour of tracking, Kael and Bobo finally found the flock again, this time near a small clearing by a stream. Kael motioned for Bobo to stay put, holding a finger to his lips.
"Alright," he whispered. "Here's how this works. I'll sneak up on one of them and take it out quickly. You stay here and… try not to mess things up."
Bobo tilted his head, as if he had no idea what Kael was talking about.
Kael rolled his eyes and crept forward, spear at the ready. He closed the distance slowly, carefully, his eyes locked on one particularly plump dodo that seemed too engrossed in its berry feast to notice him.
He was just a few steps away when a loud squawk shattered the silence.
Kael froze, glancing back to see Bobo standing proudly on a rock, flapping his wings like he was announcing his arrival to the entire forest.
The flock scattered again, waddling in every direction.
Fucking bird.
Kael let out a frustrated yell, throwing his hands in the air. "Are you kidding me, Bobo?! Why do I even bring you along?!"
Bobo hopped off the rock and waddled over to Kael, chirping innocently.
Before he could finish, a rustling sound caught his attention. He turned to see one of the fleeing dodos had tripped over a root and was now struggling to get back up.
Kael's eyes lit up. "Finally, some luck!"
He sprang to his feet and dashed toward the downed dodo, spear raised. The bird let out a panicked squawk, flailing its wings as Kael closed the distance.
With one swift motion, Kael brought the spear down, ending the dodo's struggle.
"Yes!" he exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air. "Got one!"
Bobo waddled over, eyeing the fallen dodo with a mix of curiosity and disdain.
Kael smirked, wiping the sweat from his brow. "See that, Bobo? That's how it's done. No squawking. No charging. Just skill and precision."
Bobo squawked, clearly unimpressed.
Kael ignored him, crouching down to examine his catch. "Alright, let's see if I get anything good from this one. System, give me the loot!"
A faint glow surrounded the fallen dodo, and a notification appeared in Kael's interface.
---
Trait Obtained: Feather
Host already has this trait : 10 XP
XP Gained: 50
---
Kael groaned. "Feather again? Come on!"
Bobo let out a smug chirp, as if to say, Told you so.
Kael shot the dodo a glare. "Don't start with me, Bobo. I'm already regretting bringing you along."
Despite his disappointment, Kael couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, fine. Let's head back. At least we've got dinner."
Bobo squawked happily, already eyeing the fallen dodo like it was his next meal.
Kael shook his head, hoisting the bird over his shoulder. "You're impossible, you know that? But I guess I wouldn't have it any other way."
---
Back at the hut, Kael set the dodo down and began plucking its feathers, all while keeping a wary eye on Bobo, who was circling like a vulture. "Don't even think about it," Kael warned, pointing his knife at the mischievous bird.
Bobo squawked innocently, hopping onto a nearby crate and watching intently.
Kael sighed. "You know, for a supposed companion, you're more like a professional nuisance. But hey, at least you're good company."
The process of cleaning and preparing the dodo took some time, and by the end of it, Kael was covered in feathers and grease. "Ugh. I need to set up something better around here," he muttered, glancing around his makeshift hut.
The bed he'd been using was little more than a pile of leaves and a tattered cloth. His cooking setup consisted of a small fire pit and a couple of flat stones. Everything else was either scavenged or hastily cobbled together from driftwood and vines.
Kael wiped his hands on his tunic and pulled up his system interface. "Alright, let's see if I've got enough XP to hit level eight yet."
---
XP: 400/500
---
Kael groaned. "Still short. Great. Looks like we're going dodo hunting again tomorrow."
Bobo squawked happily at the mention of more hunting, flapping his wings enthusiastically.
Kael rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you're real excited about that, aren't you? Well, before that, I need to make some upgrades around here. Starting with a proper bed."
He grabbed his tools—a crude stone axe and a bundle of rope and headed into the forest to gather materials. Bobo waddled along behind him, occasionally darting off to chase insects or peck at random plants.
By the time the sun was setting, Kael had managed to construct a rudimentary wooden bedframe. It wasn't perfect, one leg was slightly shorter than the others, causing a wobble but it was a vast improvement over his pile of leaves.
Kael flopped onto the bed with a satisfied sigh. "Now this is living. Sort of."
Bobo hopped onto the foot of the bed, curling up like a cat.
"Don't get too comfortable," Kael warned, though he couldn't help but smile. "This is still my bed. You get the floor."
Bobo chirped defiantly, refusing to budge.
Kael shook his head, too tired to argue. "Fine. You win. Just don't snore." He did all this so that a damn Dodo could take his place, as a master why does he have so little authority ?
The two of them lay there in companionable silence, the sounds of the waves and the chirping insects lulling Kael into a light doze.
---
It wasn't long before something jolted him awake. A distant splash, followed by the unmistakable sound of a body hitting sand.
Kael shot up, his heart pounding. "What the...?"
Bobo squawked in alarm, hopping off the bed and flapping his wings.
Kael grabbed his spear and stepped outside, squinting in the dim light of the moon. His eyes widened when he saw the figure lying motionless on the beach.
A girl.
She looked no older than him, her red hair matted with seawater and sand. Her tattered clothes clung to her frail frame, and she wasn't moving.
Kael's grip on his spear tightened. "Who…?"
Without thinking, he dashed toward her, his mind racing. Was she alive? Who was she? And where had she come from?
As he reached her side, Kael knelt down and gently shook her shoulder. "Hey, are you okay? Can you hear me?"
The girl stirred, letting out a soft groan. She had only one eye while the other was patched, fluttered open, revealing a striking brown irise that seemed to burn with a fierce, unyielding will.
"Who… are you?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Kael swallowed hard, his mind reeling. "I'm Kael. And you… just washed up here. What happened to you?"
Her gaze sharpened, and for a moment, Kael thought she might faint. But then she whispered one word that sent a chill down his spine:
"Escape."
Kael blinked, trying to make sense of it. Escape? From where?
Before he could ask, the girl's eyes closed again, her body going limp in his arms.
Kael stared at her, his mind racing with questions.
Who was this girl? What was she escaping from? And why did he have the sinking feeling that his quiet life was about to get a lot more complicated?
The waves crashed against the shore as Kael carried her back toward his hut, his heart pounding with a mix of fear and anticipation.
"I will ask her some questions tomorrow."