Kenji glared at the bird staring him down from across the river.

  The beast was perched on a rock by the water, gray and black feathers puffed up in clear threat. Its round body was nearly a perfect sphere, as it attempted to scare him. Many creatures performed similar actions when trying to ward off predators, though they had widely different effects. Some threat displays could easily harm him, if he were not strong enough to withstand the warning.

  Fortunately, he recognized the beast.

  A Starly.

  Swarms of them would migrate to Greenleaf to hunt the Grass Types that called the kingdom home. Once, after forming his link, he would have participated in the efforts to drive them off and protect the kingdom's fields.

  A rite of passage that was no longer destined to happen.

  That this Starly was alone was strange, for the birds were known to travel in small flocks overseen by their older, stronger evolutions. Even without such a beast to watch over them, the birds tended to stay together.

  More likely, the bird's presence was a sign that such a flock was nearby. Already, the protection granted by the spirit he was linked with was fading, Kenji recognized sadly.

  Touching the orb, Kenji firmed his resolve. This was a beast that young Warriors were expected to battle on their own.

  Still, he was at a disadvantage. Flutter was weak from the powerful river beast that pierced the butterfly's carapace. Sprout was still too young, barely able to fend for itself. His bond was trapped inside the amulet and weak from the past days spent warding off any watching beasts.

  Now, Kenji stood alone. With his feet still submerged, he held a stone flake in his hand while he faced down the flying beast.

  "Go!" he shouted, waving the primitive blade. "Get out of here."

  The bird ruffled its feathers and screeched at him once more.

  Again, he felt the Energy infusing the sound and Kenji's worry grew. There was no reason for the beast to do so unless it was serious about a battle. However, after only two cries, the beast settled into glaring.

  Kenji waited for the beast to attack, but, as the heartbeats turned into minutes, he could not help relaxing. Sprout was cowering behind his legs and Flutter was prepared to lift off to defend them.

  Still the beast stared him down. Its feather's remained puffed, attempting to intimidate him.

  Narrowing his eyes, Kenji tried to figure out how far the bird was willing to go for a meal. He knew little about the species beyond the fact that they migrated to Greenleaf to hunt and terrorize the local Pokémon. Some considered it a rite of passage for new Warriors to face down the flocks without knowledge provided beforehand.

  He was now hating the tradition.

  When the bird made no other move, he turned to resume cleaning the fish. As soon as he placed the stone flake to begin descaling it, the bird cried out.

  Twitching, Kenji jerked back to face the bird.

  The gray feathered creature was staring him down in affront. The bird ruffled its feathers when it noticed him looking, as if to further indicate its displeasure.

  Kenji returned its glare with one of annoyance. Did the bird truly think that it could so easily steal from him. While the first morsel may have been one taken from luck, the next would not. Nor would be bullied into surrendering any more of his meal.

  Mustering another glare, Kenji purposely turned back to cleaning the fish.

  This time, when the Starly screeched at him, he was prepared. He refused to look at the beastly bird and continued to prepare the meal. The sun was settling low in the sky and he had little time to spend entertaining some bird too lazy to hunt for itself.

  The bird screeched for a third time and Kenji studiously ignored it. Sprout was still shaking and Flutter had settled down, leading him to believe that the beast did not truly intend him harm.

  That belief did not last long as a shadow flickered over him.

  Throwing himself aside, Kenji stumbled over Sprout and landed splayed out in the water. The shallow river did little to break his fall as felt the harsh stones underneath.

  With water soaking him, he looked up to see the bird land on the stone bearing their catch. Its body was shedding aura light, clear fog, showing him how the bird arrived so quickly. The black and orange beak lanced out, plucking up a piece of the carp and swallowing it whole.

  "Hey!" Kenji spluttered.

  He stood up in time for the bird to swallow another piece. Lunging at the beast, it flashed out with its wings and took off. Catching himself on the rock, he hovered over the remaining food. He stared up at the sky and watched the bird wing away.

  With a whole fish clasped in its talons.

  The beast let out a final screech of triumph before it disappeared.

  Kenji glared after it and snarled in frustration. It was an insult to both him and Flutter that the bird would steal so much of their catch.

  Worse, it showed that the creature was smart.

  Smart enough that it would be back for more.

  While beasts often grew in intelligence after a period of time linked with a Warrior, there were always those smart enough beforehand. He was unsure what the screech it infused with Energy was meant to do, as he did not feel any different after hearing it.

  Or, perhaps it was because the cry was not meant for him.

  Kenji turned to peer at Flutter. The butterfly was still laying down on the rock, drying its wings in the fading sunlight. When the bird first appeared, it was ready to battle, despite being weary from previous fights.

  Then, after a few cries from the bird, it settled down. The beast likely did not think Kenji a threat so, once Flutter was relaxed, it struck.

  Not only that but, after stealing the first morsel, the bird waited for him to feed it again. When he did not, the beast took action. It ensured that he was not looking, that he would not react to it, it moved to steal more.

  Kenji released his breath with a sigh and leaned back into a squat.

  "It will be back," he murmured quietly.

  A beast smart enough to trick him like such would be smart enough to return for more. And it would bring friends.

  Picking up Sprout, he fed the turtle a piece of the fish to help the beast calm down. He snapped down the treat with eagerness while Kenji thought. It seems that he would have to accelerate his plans.

  Already, after several days in one spot, he was growing too relaxed and easy. Kenji recognized that he was delaying, perhaps not intentionally at first. However, now that he realized it, he could not allow the procrastination to continue.

  In his arms, Sprout warbled for more, breaking Kenji out of his thoughts.

  "Alright, alright," he chuckled lightly. "I hear you." He reached forward and gather up the less desirable pieces and offered them to the turtle.

  The beast chirped in happiness and voraciously swallowed the proffered meat. He quickly grew content and Kenji could tell that if he did not return to camp soon, then he would be carrying the turtle.

  "Not yet," he chided as the large eyes started to drift close.

  Setting the beast in the water, he allowed the cool river to wake Sprout up while he collected the remaining pieces of fish.

  "Come along, Sprout, Flutter," Kenji called out as he stepped out of the river.

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  Both were reluctant to move, but as he started to walk away, Sprout hurried out of the water to follow.

  "Beau," Flutter cried out in indignation.

  "Ah, you are right," Kenji paused and turned towards the large butterfly. "This one thanks you for your hard work, and apologizes for not speaking earlier." He bowed lowly to the hovering Pokémon.

  "Ti," the beast trilled shortly. Apparently satisfied, the Pokémon winged its way ahead of them.

  Not wanting to be left alone after having already been accosted, Kenji snatched up Sprout and stepped quickly. They arrived back at camp to find the fire in embers and providing little to light the surroundings.

  He threw several thin branches in the pit and stirred it back to life.

  While the fire warmed him, he held up a piece of the fish to inspect closely. It did not look wrong or diseased to his eyes. The flesh was a soft pink fading to white. Slicing a piece free with a stone flake, he gingerly tried it. The meat was firm and had a wet taste, not entirely what he expected.

  Kenji blinked in surprise as he swallowed and tasted it further.

  The meat practically fell apart and left behind a rather mild aftertaste. While not entirely favorable, the fish was exquisite compared to some of the berries he tasted in his foraging efforts.

  Cooked, the fish gained a smokey flavor and lost some of the river taste. He finished the remainder of Flutter's hunt, tossing some of the more burnt pieces to Sprout.

  The Pokémon was practically drooling as he watched Kenji eat. The large, clear eyes were rather persuasive and could not be resisted for long.

  After only a few mouthfuls, the meal was gone and Kenji stared forlornly at the smoldering ends of the sticks he used to cook.

  Sighing, he fell back and tugged the silk blanket down. The leaves clinging to it largely kept it from doing the same to him. Curling up underneath it, he rested his head on his bundled up leathers. He fell asleep quickly, the efforts of the day encouraging him into a slumber.

  That night he dreamed of sand bordering the sea. Wood, shells, and more dotted the grainy surface or lay buried beneath, waiting for him to reach for it. He dug into the ground, piling the sand high and forming a castle fit for a Warlord. Phantom hands helped him and Kenji smiled as he drifted further, the waves carrying him into dreamless sleep.

  The night passed and Kenji awoke to a piercing trill. Sprout's warbling cry complained at the harsh call to wakefulness. Kenji sat up with a stretch, feeling relaxed for the first time since his arrival in the unfamiliar land.

  Until now, every time he awoke, there was always a brief moment of confusion. In between the lull of sleep and consciousness, he would wonder at the odd warmth. The strange feeling of his bed and why it was so uncomfortable. Then he would open his eyes and reality would fall upon him.

  Until today.

  He was not at peace or worry free, far from it, but this time he just . . . was.

  Kenji took a moment to stare at the ceiling of his small shelter.

  Sticks, rough crates of fruit and berries, stone, and mud surrounded him. The leaf-and-silk blanket helped to keep him warm at night, and provided a further sense of safety. Sprout was by his side, the Pokémon trembling, while Flutter was trilling angrily at the blue and white creature scrabbling through his supply of berries.

  The fire had died down during the night and there was a slight chill to air, though he was unsure if it was warning of oncoming winter or simply a sign that the day would be cool.

  "Hopefully the latter," he murmured quietly. "Let the seasons be-"

  Kenji froze into silence, his body stiffening in surprise and fear.

  Slowly rotating his head, he kept the rest of his body still while he looked at the invader stealing his food. The beast was a bulbous mass of blue and white fur that quickly revealed itself to be a large bushy tail. Thick blue spikes jutted out, shifting as the tail flickered and curled.

  Now that he was more aware, Kenji could hear the soft sounds the beast chirped. Likely in excitement at its discovery of Kenji's hoard.

  "Pa, Pa," it squealed softly.

  Flutter was expressing indignation from the safety of the corner of his meager shelter, out of range of the squirrel's harsh looking tail.

  As Kenji took in the scene, he felt his shock morph into anger and he glared at the Pokémon from behind. He flexed his abdomen, pulling himself up with a minimal amount of movement. The leaks stuck to the silk blanket crinkled as it fell, alerting the beast despite his attempts at silence.

  The colored squirrel froze and twitched its head, looking around at Kenji. Cheeks bulged with stolen goods and made prominent the yellow spots decorating the beast's face. Eyes widened and the tail flicked, nearly fast enough that it blurred.

  "Chi!" the Pokémon wailed.

  Kenji dove without thinking, flattening himself onto the ground. He heard a crackle and felt the hair on his skin lift up. The air began to smell sharp and sweet, burning his nostrils. Before he could pull himself up, he heard Flutter trill with fury, overshadowing the sound of the beast furiously rummaging through his berries.

  He shoved himself upwards in time to see the squirrel flying at his face. The furry body muffled his shout of surprise as the beast struck him hard enough to push backwards.

  However, before he could react, the squirrel had already leapt away. By the time he opened his eyes, the last he saw of it was the spiked tail disappearing through the chimney hole at the top his wood and mud walls.

  All Kenji could do was stare in disbelief. First, the Starly and now the strange squirrel.

  "At least the bird had the honor to confront me." Kenji snapped at the walls, righteous anger curling within him. He ignored the more reasonable argument that this was the wild, where Ronin ruled and monsters took as they pleased.

  Moving over to his now reduced supplies, he grumbled further when he saw what the large squirrel took. Despite his fears, it was not too much but still enough that would have lasted him nearly a day.

  Recognizing that there was little he could do for now, Kenji stirred the fire back to life. Hopefully the flame and smoke would keep the beast from sneaking in with his back turned.

  Though he had little intention of leaving the camp too long. When the fresh log began to char and provide a soft light, he started to carefully inspect his stacks of wood.

  While he stocked the shelter full of branches in preparation for the storm several days ago, he was using it quickly. It was merely another indication of how lax he was growing. Just because he was comfortable for now did not mean that he would remain so.

  Either way, none of the wood held the qualities that he was searching for. All of the branches he gathered were dry and firm, easy to break over his knee. There were a few thicker branches, nothing unwieldy, but they served his purposes even less.

  In order to build a proper sled, the wood needed to be firm enough to not break yet supple enough to bend. Especially when he began to load the sled down and travel through the forest. The ground was rough, with plenty of low spots and rocks that could break a dry branch.

  "Well, it looks like I'll be foraging sooner than I thought," he said lowly.

  Sighing, he gathered a few of his remaining stone flakes and the one successful attempt at an axe. While he was wary to put it to use, he could not help but feel a small bit of excitement. A large flake of stone was held in the crook of a thick branch with a not-insignificant amount of silk. This would be the first time he put the axe to use and he could only hope that it remained that.

  A tool.

  Sprout chirped at him, breaking Kenji out of the dark turn in his thoughts. Kenji offered the turtle a small smile of thanks.

  The turtle was calming now that the foreign beast was gone.

  Flutter had already drifted out, either in search of nectar or to chase the squirrel now that it was no longer confined with it. Creatures of the sky did not fare well in battles that limited their maneuverability. Honestly, Kenji was faintly surprised that it spent any time in the shelter at all.

  He rolled a fruit towards Sprout and stepped beyond the mud and wood wall shielding him from the elements. While he waited for the turtle to eat, Kenji conducted several simple stretches. He had too much to do today to spend time cultivating or exercising his body. When the young Pokémon trundled out of the shelter, he quickly stood upright.

  Before the beast could begin to dig into the soil, Kenji started to move, calling out to the turtle as he did so.

  "Come along, Sprout," he said. "We have much to do today."

  The beast whined in response, eliciting an expectant stare from Kenji. After a few heartbeats, he purposefully turned away and started to walk into the forest, away from the river.

  Kenji could practically hear the beast's hesitation before it chirped loudly and started to race after him. Hiding a pleased smile, he slowed until Sprout caught up.

  "Today, we are going to be building a sled," he told the turtle. "Or is it crafting? Constructing?" he asked thoughtfully, cocking his head upwards in question.

  "It matters not," he decided with a shrug. "What is important is that you will have a new nest and I will have a new sled. Far superior to our previous one," Kenji declared.

  "Hopefully," he added with a mutter.

  While he spoke to the young turtle, he kept his voice low. That he came within striking distance of a beast, not once, but twice, was a warning. And not one he was keen to forget.

  While he circled the camp, he kept an eye out for any beast that may be nearby. While he was sure that some were hiding, it was the ones unafraid of his presence that he had to be careful of. To do so told of a confidence in one's strength or a nature that led one to be uncaring of unfamiliar creatures.

  Fortunately, he saw little evidence of any Pokémon nearby. The upper boughs shook little and he heard strident calls echoing through the forest. He had to travel further than he wished, however he managed to gather enough fresh wood to build a sled with plenty leftover.

  His stone axe saw plenty of use as the branches were reluctant to break free. While his father was skilled and powerful enough to part a limb without harming the tree, Kenji had to resort to brutally chopping at the branches. By the time he was done, he found that the stone flake was dull enough that it could be used as a club and little else.

  Returning to camp for the final time, he dropped the wood in the camp with the rest. Picking up a handful of berries, he eagerly bit into one and offered another to Sprout.

  "You did good today, little one," he told the small Pokémon.

  And indeed he did. The young beast kept up with Kenji, despite the long, meandering path that circled back to the shelter several times. The time spent cutting down branches allowed the beast to recover. Twice, they journeyed to the river to slack their thirst.

  Finishing the small meal, Kenji began laying out the branches. When Flutter returned, they would wrap silk around the overlapping limbs and secure it fully. The process went quickly, and by the time he was done, Flutter had yet to make an appearance.

  Shaking his head, Kenji looked over the remaining pieces of wood. They were either too small or too long for the sled, and he stared at them in consideration. The branches were too green to burn and he hated to simply toss them aside after putting the effort into collecting them. Not to mention the damage he inflicted on the forest.

  His disrespect for the land was approaching the limits of what a major clan would consider forgivable. It would bring shame, and perhaps worse, to so casually throw away the broken tree limbs.

  Instead, he had another idea.

  Positioning the branches, he envisioned a sturdy pack supported by wood and woven of silk. He would not be able to carry much, but every little bit helped. Plus, if he kept enough food and necessary items in the pack, he could potentially abandon the sled should the need arise. He would have to carry Sprout in his hands but it would still be faster than struggling to run while dragging the laden frame.

  Taken with the idea, Kenji continued to craft and plan well after Flutter returned until he found himself doing it by fire light.