Leaving

The avatars of the World didn't block Nio or the Black Menace. It had a reason. Every action by the Avatars is always deliberate and this one seemed rather obvious.

Were it Nio or The Black Menace, neither meant any harm to him. They could be trusted and counted on as friends. However weirdly they might show their affections.

It was late, and the sun was getting close to peaking over the mountains and reaching the forest. It would soon trigger plant-based toxins. Liam went to the Black Menace who was curled up by the tree. He approached and observed that the Black Menace was shivering.

"It's okay, I'm here." he started to murmur to it as he hugged the creature. It took time but she calmed down. "We should decide your name tomorrow ..." he said and drifted off to sleep after this eventful night. The energy in him was drained as well, meaning he had no energy or resistance to stay awake.

The Black Menace had been terrified by everything that had happened this night. And all this was happening to a two-legged creature whom she had started to like. Why was this two-legged creature this weird? She didn't know and understood even less than Liam. In some way, she felt very relieved that Liam had come to comfort her at this time.

She had started to understand some of his words. She liked the two-legged creature and when he had said that he was going to give her a name, made her happy. She had started to understand that a name was something to distinguish between others. She didn't understand it because she had never understood another creature. She had never met one like her either or at least, she doesn't have a memory of this.

The next day arrived quickly.

Liam had, yet again, woken up before the others. Not wasting any time, he didn't know when he could have a decently safe place to clean himself and proceeded to wash up first.

After that, he collected all the skins he had stored in the river. He had done so they wouldn't go bad and start to rot, smell, or attract bugs. He cleaned yesterday's skins from meat and leftover fat, before washing and storing them with all the others. It was quite the load. But guessed that he could earn some money from the closest city to them. He was wondering how far that was when he felt the soft fur touch his side.

"Good morning cutie," he said and patted the large kitty's head. "We should head out soon, is that snake still sleeping?" he looked up at the tree and sure enough he was still snoring. He could even see the 'Z' in his snores. But that was all fake.

"You damned morone, at least get up to say goodbye, especially if you're not coming," he said, but he knew the snake would appear to travel with them sooner or later. So, he didn't fuss or whine with him much. And once the snake left, the tree would put up its defenses and Nio wouldn't be able to return.

But that would actually happen sooner than the tree, Nio or Liam anticipated.

"What the fuck! You can't wake me like this. I could eat you!" He shouted in anger.

"I dare you!" Liam sneered up at the tree. He knew his bluff was a fake and so was his.

"You stupid two-legged bastard. Get out! I don't ever want to see you again!" The angry words come out of Nio, but Liam suddenly grinned.

"You are going to eat those words soon enough," he grinned wickedly and ran off. The Black Menace trailed right overhead of him, traveling from tree to tree.

Nio was rather stumped.

So, this was their goodbye. He was offended by those words and somehow, he wasn't. How could one describe that feeling?

Liam had been the first one he had ever talked to, formed some kind of bond and he even protected the creature, that wasn't from this world.

And all those forms! He didn't understand what they were but he knew each one could kill him with just a thought. They were older than him, not just a few centuries like he was but those were ancient beings that formed when this place was developing.

And those formed shapes that appeared yesterday looked to be supporting Liam. He didn't think of it before but, how had he arrived on the planet? What had been the glowing thing? What was a World Reader?

Some sort of curiosity had risen inside Nio, and he knew he won't get any answers if he stayed up on this tree. He wasn't a curious being, he liked how things were. But now, things were changing and, in his mind, something was hurrying him along so he wouldn't lose track of things happening at the moment. He felt that if he didn't tag along with the two-legged creature called Liam he would regret it for the rest of his life.

Slowly he unraveled himself from the tree and slid down. He was following the duo with his senses and stayed far away from their ranges. He didn't hear them or rather Liam talking, but he could pinpoint their location.

Soon they approached the river where Nio had sent them to look for that weird rock Liam had asked for. There he sensed Liam climbing a tree and stuffing his bag between branches, securing it with some vines. He gestured to the Black Menace, and it looked like it could understand.

Nio got closer and could hear Liam again.

"Haru, stay here," Liam gestured toward the pile secured between the branches, "I want to know what the creature living in the river looks like, it has a similar energy to Nio, so I want to at least see it!"

Nio could hear the excitement in his voice. He didn't like what he was saying. It appeared that the Black Menace didn't agree with his words and started to growl. Nio was of the same mind, he even sort of started to like the black furry thing. It was strange, why was he feeling like this?

Somehow, Liam had convinced Haru to let him go down.

Liam approached the riverside and sat down near it. Waiting for the tentacle to appear. He wanted to test something out.

He had observed that the tentacle would only take the first one that approached. He had of course made sure that he wasn't the first one. After all, he wanted to see it and not become its food source.