Tisis

Sirus' instinct (N)

While Sirus is running all over the place, looking for Zero, I finish my breakfast, get up and start looking for him myself.

It's not like I have anything else to do and I guess Zero is useful enough to warrant me looking for him.

It's not like I like the little critter particularly much, but for some reason he means the world to Sirus...and watching a grown man cry over some animal is not something I want to add to the list of the things I've seen.

Let's see...Sirus is actually going about it methodically from the looks of it. At least it looks like he's headed to check the entrance. If the door is open, the hope of ever finding the little guy again are slim to non existent, but I don't need to tell him that.

But if it's still closed, Zero would need to be in here somewhere...I'll assume that for the time being, seeing how Zero has never left without Sirus at his side thus far.

The possibility of a winged predator snatching Zero and carrying him away crosses my mind, but Zero is nothing if not loud...if there had been any sort of struggle, the noise would have woken us.

And if the hypothetical predator had the means to kill Zero without giving him the chance to make a sound, there would need to be some sort of trace...like spilled blood or something.

Then there's the option, that the predator might have some sort of poison which might paralyze its prey or kill it straight away. But if something like that was around, why didn't it attack us already? It's not like we have super tough skin or any other sort of defense against this sort of attack.

I banish the theories about the hypothetical monster bird from my mind and begin to actually search for Zero's whereabouts.

Just where the grass begins, I kneel down and check the footprints.

There's Sirus' footprints of course and a few of Sera too...huh, never realized she came this close to the plateau recently. Did something stir her up? Zero, by chance?

I look up at the grazing Zolemna and say aloud, "I wish you could talk, Sera..."

She looks at me curiously and then continues grazing.

"...right...still just an animal. Alright...oh footsteps where art thou...why do you have to be so damn light, Zero...?"

Eventually I manage to spot a trail, almost too faint to make out, but still there.

It looks like Zero was dragging his feet, as if he wasn't really awake...or hurt.
But there are no traces of blood or anything. For now I'll assume that he was sleepwalking. Huh...never knew animals did that too.
I thought it was just creatures capable of dreaming.

I carefully follow the trail, which pretty much goes in a straight line...what is in that direction...a small group of trees and then the wall.

Honestly, I'll laugh into Sirus' face all day if I find the little critter sleeping in his own piss.

I keep following the trail, but what I find at its end is no laughing matter whatsoever.

I yell, from the top of my artificial lungs, "Sirus, get over here! I found something!"

It takes him about one minute to get where I am standing, completely dirty and ruffled. Apparently he fell down on the way here.

He huffs and asks, "W-what is it?! What did you find?"

I raise my hand and point towards the large object sitting in the shade of two of the trees, a grayish lump of...I don't even know.

It looks a bit like a carapace or cocoon or something...nothing I've ever seen before though, at least that much is for sure.

"What...is that?"

"I honestly have to say, that I have no idea whatsoever...but Zero's trail lead me right to this thing here...I...I am sorry, Sirus."
"What? Why?! Do you mean to tell me...?!"
"...I have reason to believe that whatever that thing is...may have eaten him."
"...what...what makes you think that?"
"I've remember reading about animals, who can emit pheromones to lure in their prey...and this looks like a cocoon, like insectoids create them after...well, having enough to eat."

Sirus blinks a few times, then kneels down and asks, "...is it safe to touch?"

"...I don't know. I could imagine there to be some sort of defense mechanism in place protecting the cocoon from predators, like an acid coating or something, so...I'd advise against it."

Sirus picks up a stick and pokes against the solid software.
No sizzling. No mouth suddenly opening and attacking us. So far so good.

He then carefully places his palm on the shell, closes his eyes and suddenly says, "...you're wrong, Nym."
"Oh? And what makes you think that?"
"I...can feel the heartbeat from within. It is Zero's heartbeat. He is inside this thing. He is alive."
"...okay...I can see that the size might be a fit, but Sirus...mammals like Zero don't wrap themselves into cocoons. Insects do that. And..."

"And how do you know that Zero is a mammal? Because he looks similar to creatures you've learned about on the ship? Like the...what was it...ah yeah 'Zolemna'? Nym, you yourself taught me, that I shouldn't assume anything on this world. Just because things worked one way where we are from, doesn't mean they have to be the same way here."

Well, color me surprised. He was listening to what I was saying after all.

"Okay, I'll bite...but still, how do you know it's Zero in there? I mean, hardly by feeling a heartbeat, right? Cause, as it happens, I have one too. And so do you. And I'll just bet they sound and feel very similar. And no, you don't get to check."

I immediately feel silly for adding the last sentence, but still try to retain my composure to not let him know about it.
But he doesn't seem to notice at all.

"I...I don't know how I know. I just do...I know, this makes no sense, but when I touch this thing...I can feel him. Like there's this tiny voice inside of me, telling me it's going to be alright."

I close my eyes and slowly count to 10.

I mean, it was only a matter of time until he snapped. Actually I'm kinda surprised that he lasted this long. But then again, maybe he caught some sort of illness that's making him delusional or something.

I look at the grayish blob of matter and Sirus who still has his hand sitting on it, but eventually shake my head and say, "Good, for the time being we'll refrain from breaking it. But I will expect you to check on it each and every day until it hatches and if what comes out is not Zero, I expect you to dispatch of it. Did I make myself clear?"

Sirus looks up at me and just for a moment he looks a bit like Zero himself.
I swear to Garkla, give that boy a tail and it's be wagging like crazy right now.

Honestly, that guy and his dog are going to be the death of me one day.