The wind hummed gentle in the night, slightly brushing against the hut that stood out of place, midst the greenery of the woodlands that enclosed it.
A soft sigh could be heard from within the hut.
One laced not with exhaustion but one that told anyone who heard that this person was disappointed.
I looked up at the huts ceiling with my hand on my chest. I felt like hurling insults or even complain but no one was around to be of audience. None, except for the insects and beasts of the woods, that dared not encroach on the lush meadow like opening.
This meadow stood as an oasis in the desert, a dessert of lush greenery, trapped below the never changing sky's of the night void of any clouds but filled with stars that lit up like fireflies.
I started trough a small hole in the ceiling that acted as a window to peer at the moon which light forced it's way into the hut.
I gazed into the nigh sky not with intent, I had no goal for doing so, My eyes just aimless wondered the skies, as if counting the few stars visible from the small openings I had.
I was lost in thought and overcome with worry, my plate had a little too much on it, to spare the time or to make an attempt at removing myself from the questionable comfort my haystack bed provided.
A suddenly rustle followed by the repeated chirp of an insect broke the silence of the hut. I titled my head towards the source half hoping to find a small insect. Much like the grasshoppers I met when I first came to this world.
I was astonished at what stood by the entrance of the hut.
It look in at me
Not with hunger
Not with intent
Just pure curiosity
The sudden interruption provided me with enough reason to sit up. And face what had interrupted my privacy.
My gaze now fixated on the insect that rudely interrupted the peace I had present. A brown grasshopper the size of a cat stood by the entrance to the hut, seemingly surveying the premises.
It seemed curious yet alert its wings rustled when my sudden movements alerted it to my presence.
Its antenna twitched slightly as if the survey its surroundings
Was I prey
Was Ian object of concern
Or a predator
The grasshopper seemed confused but curious
It's small glass like eyes glistening as it reflected the moonlight and its wings continued to twitch preparing for a fight or flight response.
I didn't panick even in the presence of my uninvited guest, if anything I was also just as curious as it was.
From further inspection the grasshopper seemed battered, the ends of its wings were torn and it was missing a front leg, it was riddled with wounds.
Sounds akin to gashed of a blade but in multiples reminiscent of claw marks. It was evident this creature sought refuge to heal,
To escape the hardships that came with living from a survival of the fittest lifestyle.
"Stout arm." I tossed a pebble at the locust, a fiery red streak zipped from from where I sat in a flash and then vanished as the pebble left my fingers like the bullet from a pistol.
This skill is one I copied a while back. It's a muscle enhancement skill that also allowed to user to use both arms naturally as if they had two strong arms that knew not awkwardness.
It's a skill that could also multiple the force that hand could operate at whether that be; lifting, punching, pushing even throwing.
I had decided to not reply on my skills while training but I had lack to motivation to face this small insect with any intent or seriousness especially with the sorry state it was it.
I released another sigh as I looked at the lifeless body figeting as the remaining life force drained from its carcas.
The stone I had thrown with my skill, left nothing but destruction in its wake and the remains of the locust fidgeted as it slowly lost oozed its thick greenish goo before finally exhausting what energy it's had remaining.
Now I had giving myself a reason to get up from the confines of my makeshift bed.
Leaving a lifeless corpse on my door step was nothing but an invitation to predators.
The scent of a rotting corpse would not just attract the hungry, but also the bold and fearless who was confident in their strength enough to approach a strange man-made structure for a free snack.
I stood up slowly using my sole arm as a brace to ease my lump of a body onto my feet.
I trodded towards the entrance/exit of my hut before stopping and looking at the weapons that stood adjacent to the doorframe.
I strapped the Lashed Scabbard to my waist adjusting it to the perfect spot to for carrying my sword.
After forcefully tightening it at the hips I grabbed my sword and allowed it to fall into the sheathe blade first.
Stepping outside the hut I grabbed the lifeless carcas of the locust then pulled it away causing a streak of thick green goo to solos along as I embarked on a journey to disposed of the body like a cereal killer hiding evidence.
Step by step, I advanced towards to dense greenery that stood dark ominous. My destination
Unconfirmed but my goal predetermined, get this body as far as way from my hut as possible
What tore it apart but I completed the kill, might still be out there and I had no desire to meet it. Atleast not in my current state, where my fighting abilities had been halved.
I looked up at the red and blue moon that stood side by side in the night sky, they were beautiful and inviting as such sights could not be seen back on earth.
There no way two objects of such mass could stand side my side in space without gravity pulling them into a collision.
Yet here they stood defying physic or atleast the laws of physics I knew of, yet they did it beautifully in a way that took you're breath away and kept you staring.