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Something felt off.

It was the last day Nuri was in the settlement to the south, where all of the Kinfa tamers were housed. He had failed in capturing a Kinfa, but earned respect from the locals for his actions with the chick. As a result, they trusted him with advice on how to train the great beasts of Tale, leaving him hopeful he could someday capture his own.

However, he couldn't help but notice the men who were also housed in the village. They were worn and ragged, but seemed keen to know more of the birds themselves. After a few days of observation, he finally realized what was going on.

They were poachers.

As they left the village, they boasted about the great kill, showing off feathers that looked like flames and would sell for a great amount. Angered, Nuri raced into the woods to search for the beast, before finally walking upon it's body on the ground.

It had been stripped of the beautiful feathers, and had been stripped of its life.

Nuri was aware that they were away from the nest, and so he made his way deeper into the woods and prayed the chick was still alive. When he finally got to the nest, he could hear the chick crying out for food, and quickly moved close with his net. He didn't cover it completely, but he did wrap the small bird with the net and attempted to calm it down. It responded to his gentle coaxing, but seemed keen to move and find its parent.

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He spent a long time sitting next to the nest, calming down the chick. The entire thing was difficult to manage, but Nuri was able to get the bird accustomed to his scent and eventually he was able to pick it up. Bigger than he expected, Nuri shifted the bird a bit before it cuddled into his chest and his cape.

It was heartbreaking.

The walk back to the village was long and slow, his mind focused on the parent Kinfa and his path longer so he could keep away from it. He didn't need the small bird to catch sight of the parent, and as a result freak out and put up a fuss. Instead, he kept the bird close to his neck and whispered soothing words much like he would to a child.

It seemed to work.

When he arrived, the village tamers were angry at the sight of the chick, and furious when they listened to why Nuri had the young creature. All of them agreed they would go out to the body and make sure it was given the proper disposal, and some even went around the village to spread the word of the poachers. Nuri...he was given a crash course on how to raise a youngling chick and a long night of no sleep.

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