Chapter 245: The Bird Section

Seren looked at Darion. He nodded, his eyes fixed on the birds above.

The creatures moved in the branches, their bodies sleek and dangerous, their movements fluid.

They were unlike anything he had seen before, unlike any bird that existed in his previous world. These were creatures of this forest, made for its dangers and its demands.

"This is crazy, to be honest," he said. His voice was low, almost a whisper, as if he was afraid the birds might hear him.

He didn’t even know that birds like this existed. He had seen strange creatures in this forest — Yuimons, Horned Olfs, the Slitherer, the Uootstans.

But these birds were something else entirely. They were literally fight machines. Living weapons designed for combat.

One of the birds had an armored skin, like that of an armadillo.

Its body was covered in thick, overlapping plates that gleamed in the shafts of light filtering through the canopy.

The plates looked tough, impenetrable, the kind of armor that would turn aside arrows and blades. Its wings were very, very wide, stretching out to either side, their feathers dark and dense.

Darion didn’t know how this made the bird stronger, but he hoped that it did. He could imagine it diving from above, its armored body crashing through enemy lines, its wings creating a wind that scattered formations. It would be devastating.

There were so many. The trees were filled with them, dozens of birds, each one more strange than the last. He counted at least twenty, maybe more, all of them watching the group with cold, calculating eyes.

They were assessing them, weighing the threat, deciding whether to attack.

Another bird had beaks that were more like mouths. Its beak was wide and gaping, filled with rows of sharp, glistening teeth.

The mouth was huge, large enough to swallow a man’s head whole.

Darion could only imagine what this bird could do. A single bite would be enough to sever a limb, to crush a skull, to end a life in an instant. It was the kind of creature that made you freeze, that made you reconsider every decision you had ever made... something like that.

"You see that my hunting plan wasn’t so useless after all," Seren said now. Her voice was light, teasing, a hint of smugness in her tone.

She had been defending this trip since the beginning, insisting that it was necessary, that it would be worth it. And now, looking at the birds above, she had been proven right.

"I never said it was useless," Darion said, smiling. "I just think it was... I dunno, pointless in a way."

He had been skeptical at first, and had questioned the need to venture so deep into the forest. But now he understood. The birds were exactly what Seren had promised, a challenge, a test of skill, a chance to push the archers beyond their limits.

Seren wanted to speak, to point out how that wasn’t a nice thing to say, but Darion quickly added:

"Buuu...tt, it has been very fruitful for me. I mean, look at what is in front of us. Different birds in different trees. Each one more dangerous than the last."

Seren looked at him, not saying anything. Her eyes were fixed on his, searching for something. She didn’t speak or interrupt. She just waited.

"Now you can show how this hunt is worth it," Darion continued. "Let’s see what this training is all about." He stepped back now, giving her space, giving the archers space. He had done his part. He had protected them, had led them to this place. Now it was their turn.

The archers had been examining the birds in the trees above, their eyes wide, their hands gripping their bows.

They had seen the strange creatures, had studied their movements, had assessed the challenge ahead. They were ready, even if they didn’t know it yet.

While Darion and Seren talked, the archers continued to observe, their faces a mix of fear and excitement.

The birds were terrifying, but they were also an opportunity. A chance to prove themselves, to show what they could do.

"I wonder why they haven’t attacked us though..." Seren asked. Her voice was thoughtful, curious. She was starting to ask the important questions now.

Darion looked at the birds, then at the Yuimons standing guard around them.

"Definitely because of the undead Yuimons," he said. The Yuimons were massive, intimidating, their presence alone enough to make anything think twice before attacking. The birds were predators, but they were also smart. They knew when they were outmatched.

He thought about it for a moment.

Birds like this were used to attacking prey, to swooping down from above and tearing into their targets.

But they were hesitating because of the Yuimons. The creatures radiated danger, their green eyes glowing, their bodies still and waiting.

The birds could sense that something was wrong, that this was not normal prey.

"Then why haven’t they flown?" Seren asked. It was a good question. If the birds were truly afraid, they would have fled.

They would have taken to the skies and disappeared into the canopy. But they hadn’t. They were still there, watching and waiting.

Darion considered it. "Maybe they just think they’re safe up there," he said. "They’re in the trees, out of reach. They don’t see the Yuimons as a threat because they’re on the ground. They think they can escape if things go wrong."

He thought about it more deeply.

Birds were creatures of the sky, masters of the air. They didn’t fear things that stayed on the ground. The Yuimons were powerful, but they couldn’t fly.

They couldn’t reach the birds in the branches above. The birds knew this, and they felt safe because of it.

Seren shrugged. "That should be it." She accepted his reasoning. She didn’t need to understand everything. She just needed to trust that he knew what he was talking about.

She turned to the archers. "Now we actually train."

The archers raised their bows. The birds watched. The Bird hunt was about to begin.