Page 15 of Sohut's Protection

It’s bones, maybe.

Senses primed as he made his way through the undergrowth, he scanned and noted everything even as he stepped over the twisting vines, shrubs, and small fallen trees in his path.

To any animals peering at him from their nests, he looked like a harmless visitor strolling through their domain.

To anyone who knew him well, they’d know that he was on the prowl.

Nothing escaped him.

Every slight movement of the leaves, he saw.

Every slight sound, he heard.

He was very aware of the tuli birds in their nests above him, silently watching, and the little zideks blending in with the bushes as he walked by. But he made no indication he knew they were there.

They were safe from him.

After all, he wasn’t hunting them. He was hunting something different entirely.

Something that was probably already dead but…

Sohut perked his ears, ducking under some hanging branches as he did. So close to the road, he was probably safe, but the deeper he ventured into the jungle, the more dangerous it would become.

The beasts of Koznia didn’t like intruders. Because of this, the jungle was untouched except for the reckless Torians that lived in its center.

Out here was…freedom.

It was so different from the Sanctuary he called home with his brother, Riv…different from the mines they'd grown up in too. The Sanctuary was free but out here was a sense of natural freedom you could only get if you went out into the wild.

It was unpredictable.

There was no routine to things, no restrictions.

Out here…he could forget for a few moments.

He could be of use.

Out here, he wasn't a mistake.

He could pretend he wasn't the reason his brother had endured so much.

Pretend his very birth hadn't been a curse upon his family.

He could forget he was the reason all things had gone to hell.

It was probably the reason he liked taking these jobs.

Where Riv preferred staying within the perimeter of the Sanctuary tending to the animals they cared for, he liked taking jobs such as this one that took him all over Hudo III.

They reminded him that he was alive, gave him purpose.

Back at the Sanctuary, Riv handled almost everything with precision. Riv didn't need his help or his company. His brother only tolerated him because they were blood.

And so, he spent most of his time away, taking odd jobs all across the planet.

This was just one of them and he’d do what he was hired to do.

He’d hunt the thing, find his evidence, collect his payment, and head back to the Sanctuary he called home.

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