The forest was dense with towering trees, tangled grasses, and wild dicinal herbs that grew in thick, unruly clusters. At night, everything blended into a sea of shadows and muted shapes, the darkness swallowing color and form alike. Kather’s body was pitch-black from head to tail, and among the shadowy plants, he was nearly impossible to spot.
Rory searched anxiously for several long minutes, pushing aside grass and bending low to peer between leaves, but there was no sign of him anywhere.
"I’m sure I saw him fall right here," she muttered, her brows knitting together as unease crept into her chest.
Not far away, Jasper and Dax had already detected faint signs of struggle within the herbs using their ntal perception. They knew exactly where the little bird was. At first, they had intended to point it out—but the mont they realized the creature was male, both of them fell silent at the sa ti.
Neither said a word.
Males were instinctively possessive by nature. In a universe where females were rare and precious, every male guarded his place fiercely. Sharing Rory’s affection with other bonded males was already difficult enough to accept under the laws laid down by the Beast God. Now, on top of that, a bird—of all things—wanted to compete for her attention?
Absolutely not.
No way.
When Dax noticed Rory’s growing worry as she failed to find the bird, guilt finally surfaced. He quickly stepped forward, his voice filled with contrition.
"I’m sorry, Female Master," he said sincerely. "I didn’t realize that bird was the one that saved your life. It was... well, it was really ugly. I thought it was so kind of wild beast hiding in the grass. I panicked and kicked it away without thinking."
Rory paused and looked at him. She could tell he hadn’t acted out of malice.
"I’m not blaming you," she replied calmly. "Just help find Burnt Dumpling."
The na made both Jasper and Dax stiffen slightly.
In truth, neither of them had any desire to help search for the bird. Dax tried again, hoping to redirect her attention.
"Female Master, maybe Burnt Dumpling already flew away after it fell," he suggested gently. "If you like birds, I can give you so when we get back. There are all kinds of rare birds in the interstellar world—so can sing beautifully, so dance, and so can even talk."
Jasper imdiately nodded in agreent, seizing the chance to support him.
"Dax is right," Jasper added smoothly. "There are countless interesting birds out there. If you like them, we can catch a few for you."
As long as they were female birds, Rory could keep as many as she wanted. That much, they could tolerate.
But Rory shook her head firmly.
"I’m not interested in those birds," she said without hesitation. "I promised Burnt Dumpling I’d take him back. We have to find him."
That little bird had saved her life. And because Dax had kicked him away, she couldn’t shake the uneasiness gnawing at her heart. Not knowing where he was made her deeply uncomfortable.
Seeing how resolute she was, Jasper and Dax hesitated. For a fleeting mont, both wondered whether they should simply bring the bird to her and get this over with.
Before either could decide—
A faint, pitiful chirp drifted up from the grass.
At that exact mont, Kather finally managed to wriggle free from the thick herbs that had trapped him. He crawled out clumsily, his movents sluggish and unsteady, lowering his head as he staggered toward Rory’s boots. When he reached her feet, he lifted his head with effort and chirped twice, staring up at her with watery, pleading eyes.
Many of his black feathers had been torn out during the struggle, leaving patchy bald spots along his body. Combined with the dirt and bent posture, he looked even more miserable—and sohow even uglier—than before.
Jasper and Dax instinctively turned their heads away.
It was so unsightly they couldn’t bear to look.
Rory, however, felt a rush of relief and concern the instant she saw him. She quickly bent down and scooped him up carefully, cradling his small body in her hands.
"Burnt Dumpling... thank goodness you’re still alive," she said softly.
Kather’s heart skipped a beat at her gentle touch. Her warmth seeped into him, easing the lingering pain in his battered body.
Those two males are awful, he thought bitterly. But this little female... she’s surprisingly kind.
He let out two weak chirps, his aning unmistakable.
Little female, can you give a potion? I’m badly hurt. That kick almost ended .
It was as though Rory understood him perfectly. Without hesitation, she reached into her ring and pulled out a healing potion, uncorking it as she prepared to feed him.
Before she could, Jasper stepped forward, his gaze darkening.
"Rory, let do it," he said quietly.
He didn’t miss the way she was holding the bird so carefully. Even he had never been fortunate enough to have her feed him a potion with her own hands. Why should this ugly little thing receive such treatnt?
Dax imdiately joined in. "Female Master, leave this kind of rough work to us."
Kather was being held directly in her palms. Dax couldn’t help but feel a sharp stab of jealousy. For a fleeting, ridiculous mont, he even wondered if he could shrink into a miniature version of his beast form—just so she might hold him like that too.
Kather chirped weakly again, shaking his head as much as his frail body allowed. He made it very clear that he refused to let Jasper or Dax feed him.
He wasn’t stupid.
He had already exhausted his abilities. Dax had kicked him into the herbs, trapping him there. These two had sensed his presence earlier and deliberately ignored him. Now they suddenly wanted to help?
Who knew what they were really planning?
Rory noticed his resistance imdiately.
"It doesn’t seem like he wants you to feed him," she said gently. "I’ll do it myself."
She tipped the potion carefully, letting a few drops slide past his beak. After a mont, Kather’s breathing steadied, and so color returned to his dull eyes. He wouldn’t die now—at least not tonight.
With Burnt Dumpling finally found, Rory, Jasper, and Dax wasted no ti leaving the forest behind.
When they stepped out into the open and the bright blue sky greeted them, Rory held Kather close against her chest and reached for her Gravicar. Before she could activate it, Dax waved his hand.
A sleek, warship-like Gravicar appeared before them, compact yet unmistakably luxurious. Its surface glead with advanced alloys, far superior to standard models.
Dax handed the Gravicar’s capsule to Rory, his tone careful.
"Use this one, Female Master."
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