There was something to be said about wandering Anima. It was huge, open, full of Grimm to fight to stave off boredom, and plenty of animals to hunt if you got hungry.
Civilization was always something rare outside the major kingdoms but villages and small cities were always something good to see. A lot of them only ever had a few hundred to a few thousand people and never lasted long without strong natural defenses, good walls, and a whole lot of luck. Thankfully, this place seemed to have them. He didn’t really know the name of it, but it looked big enough to warrant a spot on a detailed map. They’d at least better have a decent bar. Still, he’d need to scout the place first.
He sets down the bundle of cages with a clatter, the various animals inside scurried, flapped, or otherwise jittered when they hit the ground. He opened one and snatched out a sparrow, holding it tight so it wouldn’t fly off. He saw down and focused. Aura flowed into the bird and he felt his sense of sight and movement leave him and be replaced with the alien feeling of the bird’s. He let go and held his arms outstretched as the bird flared its wings out and both flapped as the bird took off.
A bird’s hearing was trash so he kept his own so he didn’t leave himself defenseless. Approaching the walls of the place, he found something he didn’t expect- a ring of massive mushrooms. They had to be some kind of extremely local plants he’s never heard of. What else did this place have?
