A shudder ran down my spine. Another person? When was the last time I had seen one?
Out here? Had I run in circles and ended up back at our bay?
I shook my head. No, that wasn't possible. I wasn't that stupid anymore… so how?
My breath quickened, and I coughed softly, testing if my voice still worked for speaking to someone other than Onyx.
Breaking eye contact, I looked down at him.
"I think we should greet him, right?"
Onyx gave a short nod, his nostrils blowing out a warm gust of air.
With trembling fingers resting on his neck, I took my first careful steps downhill.
The figure below shifted—letting the dagger rest and pulling the crossbow closer, already loading it.
Somewhat uncertain, I smiled and raised my hands.
"Hello! My name is Larry, and I don't want to make trouble!"
I stopped a few meters away. The figure, masked with a strip of fabric, watched me carefully. Even from here, I could see the eyes—blue like a clear morning sky, sharp and steady.
Then a female voice called out—powerful, yet soft enough to almost… sound cute:
"What is a Faith Ambassador doing out here? Where are you from?"
My brows shot up. Faith Ambassador?
I reached up, touching under my eyes—the tattoos! I'd nearly forgotten about them.
"I'm from a bay where the Scalaris built a small village! A priest named Phillip trained me!"
"Do you have any weapons at reach, or do you fight with your fists?"
Her tone was careful, suspicious—but not hostile.
I shook my head quickly, raising my hands again.
"I have some butcher daggers, but for fights, I use my whole body!"
The figure tilted her head, then nodded slowly. The crossbow lowered.
With graceful, filigree fingers, she pulled down the fabric covering her face—and the sight made my words die in my throat.
Full pink lips. A dusting of freckles across her nose and cheeks. Skin kissed warm by the sun.
Then she pulled down her hood too, revealing a long mane of golden-blond hair, shimmering in the wind like the endless autumn grass behind her.
My jaw almost hit the ground.
Without thinking, I rubbed the scales on my head and blurted out,
"Why do you have a pelt like some horses on your head?"
Her nose twitched. The corners of her mouth trembled—and then she burst out laughing.
"Hahaha!"
Her shoulders shook, her chest rising and falling with each breath, and her laughter carried clear across the prairie.
I stared, half confused, half mesmerized.
Wiping a tear from the corner of her eye, she finally caught her breath.
"Never seen a human before?" she asked, still smiling.
My eyes widened even more, brows rising almost to the top of my head.
"Ohhh! So humans look like that!"
For a heartbeat, there was only silence between us.
The wind hissed softly through the tall grass, and a lone bison call echoed far in the distance.
Then she blinked—once, twice—as if making sure she'd heard right.
Her lips parted in disbelief, then slowly curved into the kind of grin you couldn't quite suppress.
"You're serious, aren't you?" she asked, amusement dancing in her voice.
I nodded eagerly. "Yes! I've seen drawings, but they were… different. More… bald."
I gestured vaguely toward her hair. "Not so… fluffy."
She snorted, shaking her head, strands of gold catching the sunlight.
"Fluffy, huh? Well, thanks, I guess." Her tone was teasing now, a little more relaxed.
"And what are you, exactly?"
I straightened my back a bit, proud.
"I'm a Scalari!"
Her blue eyes narrowed just slightly, curiosity sparking behind them.
"Scalari…" she repeated, tasting the word. "Never heard of that one."
I widened my eyes. "For real?"
"Hahaha. No! There are a lot of Scalaris in my tribe!"
"Oh…" I stumbled over my own words, looking at her, irritated now.
That earned me a laugh—quick and bright, slipping through her surprise.
It echoed across the prairie, light and clear in a way I hadn't heard in years.
For the first time since I'd spotted her, I felt something settle in my chest—a strange, forgotten warmth.
She slung her crossbow over her shoulder and nodded toward me.
"All right, Faith Ambassador. Since you didn't attack first, I'll take that as a good sign. You can come closer—but slowly, yeah?"
I nodded, still smiling without meaning to, heart hammering with the surreal realization.
"My name is Skylar, by the way, and I'm from the Bison Tribe! If you want to follow me, you'll see it soon enough—but first I need to finish this…" She pointed at the dead bison calf, half butchered on the ground, the blood staining the grass.
"Ah, cool! Thank you! I'd love to!" I stumbled a little before catching myself in the situation again. "And… Skylar… like the sky?"
She nodded.
"Apparently because of my eyes!"
Her answer lingered between us, soft but sure, like the wind brushing through the grass.
I smiled—awkward, uncertain, but honest.
"It fits," I said . "You really have eyes like the sky."
For the first time, her expression softened completely. The tension in her shoulders eased, and she let out a small, amused huff while her dagger ripped through the skin.
"Complimenting already, huh, Faith Ambassador?"
"Ah—no, I didn't mean—I mean, yes, but—" I stammered. She laughed again, a light, short laugh this time, as if she'd already decided I wasn't a threat.
Then she turned, nodding toward Onyx.
"And who is this?"
My grin widened. I gestured toward him. His nostrils moved up and down, muscles rippling under his black fur.
"This is Onyx, my loyal partner!"
He neighed and shook his head in greeting.
"Hahaha! It's nice to meet you too, Onyx!" She stood, drying her hands on the grass, then patted him. Looking up, she laughed again.
"You're even bigger than your friend here!"
She glanced at me for a moment before returning to the meat.
I raised my eyes and noticed she was small in comparison to us—barely reaching my chest.
I shrugged and waited until she finished. At one point, I helped and let Onyx carry a lot as we started following her.
"Come on," she said, glancing over her shoulder at me. "The tribe isn't far. You'll be safe there for the night."
Her lips twitched into a grin before she turned again, leading the way down the slope.
The grass swayed around her legs as she walked—each step steady, confident, practiced. I followed, clenching the violet gem hanging on my neck, my longer strides catching up easily despite the uneven ground.
For a moment, I looked up—the sky wide and pale, stretching endlessly above us. Onyx trotted at my side, the slain calf on his back, his shadow merging with mine.
And ahead, just visible through the mist and setting sun, a faint column of smoke rose from the horizon.