Ai walked with her hand stuck in the bag. The feathers were so soft it was like she was stroking air. Tal raised one eyebrow at her.

"You like Fluff Ball?"

Ai ducked her head, was it really that obvious? Tal was beginning to grin now.

"I have clothes at home. On inside have Fluff Ball feathers. Very good."

Ais ears perked up. That was a good idea, she bet that they were super comfy too. And warm. "Is Fluff Ball clothes hard make?"

"Hard. I ask Brandi help. You learn." Ai nodded fiercely even though it wasn't technically a question.

They passed through the gate into the village. It was a familiar sight now, and a comforting one. The only annoyance that Ai had was the colour. The ground was brown, the grass long since trampled to death. When it rained, the paths became more like mud slides. The huts, made out of wood, were slightly off-brown, going grey at the edges of the planks. The people, with their limited clothing, wore brown. The whole place was brown.

They needed some paints. Or dyes. Anything to breath some life into the place.

"Tal!" Ermine called from where he had leant against the barrier, hidden from the two girls until they turned around.

"What?"

"Your Qron wants to see you." He gave a wave then strode away as fast as he could without running. Ai blinked. It was like he couldn't get away fast enough.

Then she noticed Tal was pulling a face, somewhere between a wince and a grimace.

"What Qron?"

"Village Elder. Mother of my Mother."

"No like Village Elder?"

Tal sighed heavily.

"I go now. You go home?"

"Yes..." Ai watched, wide eyed, as Tal gave a short nod then headed towards her Grandmothers hut. Her shoulders were hunched, as if she carried the weight of the world on them.

Interesting.

Not nearly as interesting, however, as Ais imminent discovery of the status screen.

Leaving Tal to it she headed in the direction of 'home'.

She was almost there, passing in the tight space between two houses, when a dark lump on the ground stopped her.

The lump trembled, then stood, one pale withered hand fastened around Ais arm to keep it stable. Ais tail was puffed again, but when she pulled away, she pulled the stranger towards her instead.

As the shawl fell, it uncovered a hunched old woman. Older even than the Village Elder. Her skin was white, had a thousand wrinkles, and looked paper thin. Her eyes were hooded underneath her sagging flesh - yet somehow Ai could still tell that she had a wild look in them. When she opened her mouth to speak, Ai saw that she only had a few yellowing teeth left.

"Great wings it had! Big teeth! Yellow eyes!" Ai staggered back as the woman spat in her face, smelling strongly of garlic. "Watch the skies, where it flies. Know the beast, or become its feast!"

She cackled, then gasped releasing Ais arm to rest her frail frame against the wall. Ai glanced behind her, unsure whether or not to leave the woman to her ranting.

"Eitr tells me, Eitr knows. From me head to me toes!

"The beast it comes, the beast is near.

"Watch your back, or become a snack!"

Ai knew lingering was a mistake a moment later, when the woman fastened both hands around her shoulders with surprising speed.

"I cut it up, nice and pretty.

"Now it's your turn, little kitty."

With that the old woman pushed past her. Under her breath she was repeating the word food, food, food over and over.

Ais hands shook lightly, and she shoved one into the bag, feeling the reassuring softness of the feathers. What was that woman doing wandering about? For a moment Ai thought she might have imagined her. Then she reminded herself that she wasn't mad, she was an amnesiac.

What's this? Your luck has raised by 10 points. Be wary how you continue.

As far as she knew.

Hurrying along it wasn't until Ai shut the door behind her that she realised she had understood every word the woman had said.

"Hello Ai. You help me make food?" Brandi asked.

For a moment it was so normal Ai couldn't help but stand there with her mouth open.

"Ai? Are you good?" Brandis obnoxiously pretty face looked into Ais, concern written all over it. Ai hesitated.

"Sit sit!" Brandi led her over to the table.

Ai had to ask. About everything. She simply couldn't let it sit and stagnate any longer.

"I...I see woman. She say big animal with wings, she say she cut." Ais voice gave an embarrassing tremble, which she tried to control by clearing her throat.

Brandi sighed. "Woman...woman grow food with family. Food for village. Woman eat Fonq. Touched by Eitr. No good say." Brandi tapped her chest twice.

"Who Eitr?"

"No who. You know of spirits yes? Give offering, take away body. Leave meat and hide?" Ai nodded. "Eitr spirit of Baata'n. Baata'n in Fonq. Woman eat Fonq. In woman."

Poison? Ai frowned as she digested this.

"No make good? Take poison out?" Brandi shook her head as Ai spoke.

"Poison out, Eitr still in. Village Elder try to take Eitr out, but he like woman. Woman name Celina. She good. Strong. Eitr kill weak." Brandi seemed to age as she continued, and for the first time Ai noticed that she had crows feet by her eyes. "No take Eitr out. Celina touched now. No good. Her daughter die when make baby, Celina no care. Celina take baby and put under water. Her son watch her now. Village Elder say she no kill other people, only kill baby. No harm other people."

Ai leant back in her chair, eyes wide in disbelief. Celina had killed her grandchild and life just went on? They didn't lock her up where she couldn't hurt any more innocent people?

Tal had made the spirits seem like a thing to be respected, worshipped even. Every time they killed, it was the spirits who took the parts of the bodies they liked, leaving behind food for them.

Yet the spirits did this to somebody? More like something to be feared. Thank god she hadn't eaten the Fonq. They seemed to be the source of all things gone wrong.

What exactly did the Village Elder do anyway? She says that Celina won’t hurt anyone else, but fails to predict her drowning her daughters baby?

"Spirit strong. No bad. You and I no see why spirit do. Spirit not good not bad. Eitr not person. We no understand. We no judge."

Ai shook her head slightly. Brandi was right, she didn't understand. She didn't want to either. Time to change the subject.

"I see blue-" Ai cut herself off, still uncertain at sharing her possible delusions with somebody.

"Mother spirit say in blue datt. You call, say 'toot'." Brandi told her, completely unfazed.

But...toot? Ai hadn't heard the word before, and couldn't imagine walking around and tooting to attract the attention of spirits. It would've been funnier if not for the shadow still hanging over their conversation. Brandi was watching her expectantly. Ai fidgeted, uncomfortable.

"...toot." Her voice was so quiet it was almost a whisper.

Status Window: Level 1, 0%

Name Aitast (Lost One) Age 17 Race Beast-Bred Class N/A Strength 10 Speed 20 Agility 20 Intelligence 10 Resolve 15 Charisma 5 Constitution 15 Perception 17 Luck 15

Skills/Traits

Crafting Lv. 1 37% Stealth Lv. 4 14% Survival Lv. 5 24% Tracking Lv. 4 78%

Active Enchantment: Language of the Spirit Folk, Comprehension 35.7%

"Say share with Brandi." Brandi said, tapping Ais hand comfortingly as she stared at the blue box in front of her. Ai shared it with Brandi, who rested her head on her hand brow crinkling as she concentrated on reading the information it gave her about Ai.

Ai didn't know if the numbers were good. She did think it was kind of stupid to have skills. Of course she was getting better. She didn't need a blue box to tell her that when she practiced something, she got more skilled at it.

The bonus that each unlocked at level 10...well, let’s just say that Ai was more than a little suspicious.

She moved to tap the title 'Lost one'. To her surprise, her finger actually met resistance and more information popped up.

Lost One: Who are you and where did you come from? Two questions most people grow up knowing the answer to, and take for granted. +5 to Charisma and +4 to luck

Once again, giving her no additional information.

Strength: represents avatars physical strength Speed: represents how fast the avatar moves, determines ability to dodge Agility: represents flexibility of avatar Intelligence: represents the avatars ability to grasp new concepts and, at higher levels, enables supernatural powers Resolve: measure of the characters mental resistance, plays a large role in resisting mind altering spells Charisma: affects how others view the avatar Constitution: affects how the avatar reacts to injury, poison, illness, fatigue, heat etc. Perception: Like a sixth sense, this stat is heavily influenced by luck and controls the liklihood of seeing clues, traps, hiding enemies etc. Luck: to what extent the spirits have noticed the avatar, increases the chances of unusual things happening

Ai probably could have guessed what these words meant. All except for luck, which worried her a little. When the crazy lady had spoken to her, Eirt must have noticed her. Being noticed by spirits didn't seem like a good thing. It was something she would much rather avoid. This 'mother spirit' could shove it.

Since when was 'etc.' used in explinations anyway? And why was she called 'the avatar'?

Regardless she knew the source of the blue boxes. She didn't feel even remotely on a level to mess with said source.

She was just going to have to live with the annoying pop-ups she guessed.

"Good status. Luck high." Brandi frowned at that. "Careful of spirits."

Ai could have told her that. At least she was assured in her sanity now. It had been a long day. All she wanted to do was go to bed.

---

Ermine POV

Ermine shifted the bag on his back again. The hunting bird had given alot of meat. It had also given him a scar on his arm to add to his ever growing collection.

Looking at the still bleeding gash, his upper lip curled.

He knew exactly what his mother would have to say about this. She did, after all, have an opinion on everything.

So, you've brought back another one of your birds have you? I thought you were going to go after something that actually puts up a fight this time.

No matter what he bought back her eyes practically radiated dissaproval. When he was younger, he would have gone to the ends of the earth to make her happy. He very almost did. Then he realised she would never be happy.

Not while their neighbors had a larger house than they did. Not while his father spent his days 'sitting like a bird on a fence' - never mind that fence had kept them alive during the rainy season.

And certainly not before her son had killed the impossible.

A small, childish part of him still wanted to make her happy. Wanted to tell her he loved her and ask if she loved him back.

The larger part of him wasn't stupid enough to ask this question.

His father might actually be worse than her. Where was he, when she locked him in the cupboard for hours? Where was he when Ermine had taught himself to hunt? When he was almost killed going after creatures far bigger than himself?

In the gathering hall, drinking himself to death.

Coming to his 'home' he pressed his palm to the door. There was no smell of cooking, no light leaking through the gaps in the worn wood. Only people screaming at one another. He could feel the vibrations through the door.

He would be at Tals early tomorrow. Again.