Kyuu moved forward, each step steady but without direction. Orby floated at her side, wobbling slightly, its surface rippling in subtle waves. The forest around them was dense, the trees stretching endlessly above, their shadows casting strange patterns on the ground.
Her mind was blank, yet something stirred within her—a curiosity, an instinct to interact with the world around her.
She raised her hand again, fingers flexing, then pointing.
Orby reacted immediately, shifting its form, anticipating.
Kyuu moved her finger to the left.
Orby wobbled left.
She moved it right.
Orby wobbled right.
Kyuu tilted her head slightly, watching the pattern repeat. She lifted her finger higher, then lower, Orby following her every motion without hesitation. She stopped, waiting.
Orby wobbled in place.
Kyuu lowered her hand.
Orby stilled.
She lifted it again, and Orby resumed.
A test. A discovery.
Her gaze remained empty, yet something like acknowledgment flickered faintly behind her dull pink eyes.
Then, movement in the underbrush. A small, twitching nose, long ears perking.
A rabbit.
Kyuu’s hand lifted again, her finger extending toward the small creature. As soon as her intent settled, Orby launched forward, bouncing across the ground, racing after the rabbit.
The rabbit froze for a moment before darting away, its small feet kicking up dirt. Orby pursued, shifting erratically, its form stretching and bending as it tried to gain ground.
The chase was clumsy.
The rabbit zig-zagged, its quick, sharp movements keeping it just ahead of the orb’s reach. Orby lunged, a tendril extending, but the rabbit veered sharply to the side at the last moment, causing the orb to sail past it. With a desperate wobble, Orby bounced after it again, but the rabbit was already gone, disappearing into the underbrush.
Orby hovered in place for a few moments, deflating slightly, then slumped its way back to Kyuu.
Kyuu blinked, watching it return. She raised her hand again and pointed toward the trees. Orby remained still.
She pointed at a rock.
In a swift motion, Orby shot forward. The moment its surface touched the rock, the small stone was swallowed whole, disappearing into its pink mass without a trace.
Kyuu stared.
She pointed at the ground.
Orby wobbled but did not react.
She pointed at Orby.
Orby wobbled violently in protest.
Kyuu lowered her hand. Her expression remained blank, yet something about the reaction made her tilt her head slightly, as if considering.
The two continued forward, wandering further from the thick trees. The terrain slowly changed, the dense forest giving way to a dirt path that cut through the land. The sky above stretched vast and open now, the forest thinning as it led toward something else—something distant.
Then, the sound of wheels on uneven ground.
Kyuu turned her head slightly, her dull pink eyes locking onto the sight of a traveling merchant’s cart.
A man walked alongside the wooden wagon, adjusting the reins of a large beast pulling it—a sturdy, horned creature unfamiliar to Kyuu. His clothes were layered but simple, dusted lightly from the road. His sharp eyes scanned the path ahead but paused when they fell upon her.
Kyuu stood still, staring.
The merchant slowed his pace, his gaze flicking over her appearance—her ragged, dirt-streaked clothing, bare feet, and expressionless face. He hesitated for a moment before taking a step forward, his voice even but laced with curiosity.
“You lost, girl?” he asked.
Kyuu said nothing.
She raised her hand, slowly pointing at him.
Orby reacted instantly.
The orb lurched forward, slamming into Kyuu’s arm, forcing it down. It wobbled frantically, shifting left and right—a clear “no.”
Kyuu blinked, confused.
The merchant arched an eyebrow, watching the strange interaction. “You mute?” he guessed. He eyed Orby, its frantic shifting obvious. “That thing with you?”
Orby bounced up and down—a clear “yes.”
“Huh. Guess that’s an answer,” the merchant mused. He exhaled, rubbing his chin. “Well, can’t just leave a kid out here like this. You alone?”
Kyuu remained still.
Orby bounced once—yes.
The merchant sighed. “Well, that’s an answer, at least. You from a town?”
Orby hesitated before shifting left and right—no.
The merchant let out a dry chuckle. “That’s a no then. Figures.”
Kyuu merely stared, her gaze locked onto him as if waiting for something. The merchant, though wary, eventually shrugged and gestured to his cart.
“Tell you what. I’ll bring you to the next town—get you something to eat, clean you up a bit. What do you say?”
Kyuu said nothing.
Orby bounced up and down—yes.
“That settles that then. Hop in.”
Kyuu tilted her head but made no move.
The merchant extended his hand toward her, offering to help her up.
Kyuu did not react. She simply stared, uncomprehending, at the gesture.
Orby wobbled once, then pressed itself firmly against Kyuu’s back.
She lurched forward, stumbling onto the edge of the wagon, landing unceremoniously in a heap.
The merchant chuckled and grabbed her arm, pulling her the rest of the way up. “Well, that’s one way to do it.”
Inside the wagon, another man sat, his posture relaxed but his expression sharp. His arms were crossed, his gaze lingering on Kyuu with the quiet scrutiny of a trained adventurer.
His presence wasn’t imposing, but there was a careful tension in the way he observed her. Not out of fear—just habit. The gaze of someone used to assessing danger.
The merchant glanced toward him and smirked. “That’s Duran. My bodyguard. Try not to weird him out too much.”
Duran didn’t react to the introduction, only continuing to watch, silent and unreadable.
Kyuu sat motionless, her gaze forward as the wagon creaked forward down the road.
