explained, “Look here, students.” He pointed to the base of the tree where a group of the tiny beings had gathered. “They are collecting the ostrin nut, which, as you can see, is a round, purple nut. It falls from the trees that share its name, and is only ripe for a short time every solar cycle. So the Bratteans must gather and consume as many as they can before they hibernate once more. They spend ninety-five percent of their existence slumbering, so we are very fortunate to see them in their state of animation.”
At the base of the trees, around a dozen Bratteans were busily searching through the foliage of leaves and fur or in between their thick roots. Very suddenly, one of them twitched and its entire body briefly became out of focus, like a very low resolution image, before returning to its original sharpness once again. From behind, another Brattean accidentally bumped into it, causing all the nuts it’d gathered to drop to the ground.
The Brattean twitched again, this time remaining in focus, and abruptly turned around. It grabbed the other of its kind by its shoulders and forcibly pushed it down. There was something in the way it moved that was unlike the rest. Its movements were almost mechanized and automatic.
The other Brattean, who now sat on the ground propped up by its round, wooden hands, and its legs splayed in front of it, looked up at its companion, befuddled.
Standing above it, the twitching Brattean took a couple of steps forward and then savagely attacked the other, beating its head and body with its fists as it continued to sit with a look of confusion in its eyes.
I looked around at the other students and teacher, but none of them seemed to be shocked or worried by what was happening. Not even Iris, who continued to squeeze my arm with excitement, seemed disturbed by the event.
Suddenly, the twitching Brattean let out a deep, croaking roar, and placed its hands on either side of its head in apparent pain. It twisted and contorted its body as it continued to howl. As it did so, the color of its entire body changed from its earthly tones to a dark crimson red, and it grew. First, its legs became twice their size and bulk, then the trunk of its body, followed by its arms. It’s head, however, seemed to remain the same size it’d been.
As it growled and roared, it once again approached the sitting Brattean, grabbed its head with its now much larger hands, and yanked it completely off its body. Strangely, its headless companion’s body remained in the same position as it’d been, with its body still propped up by its hands and its legs splayed out in front of it. Even its eyes continued blinking in surprise as the growing, twisting Brattean held its head in its hands before violently throwing it to the ground.
With each moment that passed, the Brattean grew larger and angrier. He ripped up roots, stomped on others of its kind who continued to gather nuts, seemingly unaware of the threat, and smashed the tiny homes around the trees. The Brattean had become so tall it’d almost reached my size.
As aggressive as the situation had become, however, none of the students or Mr. Sylva seemed aware of it, delightfully looking on in wonder as the teacher continued giving facts about Brattean storage methods.
The crimson monster’s height and bulk now easily outmatched a Morex, and fear gripped me. Keeping my gaze fixed on it, I grabbed Iris’ arm and began slowly walking away.
“We have to go, Iris—now.”
“Huh?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at me with an air of confusion. “What are you talking about? Where do you want to go?”
My gaze was still fixed on the enlarged Brattean, who now held its hands above its much smaller head as if in search of it, and roared.
“Iris, let’s go,” I insisted, trying to keep my voice as low as possible, so as not to draw attention.
“I don’t think Mr. Sylva will let us just leave, Seven. Besides, I want to stay to look at
At the base of the trees, around a dozen Bratteans were busily searching through the foliage of leaves and fur or in between their thick roots. Very suddenly, one of them twitched and its entire body briefly became out of focus, like a very low resolution image, before returning to its original sharpness once again. From behind, another Brattean accidentally bumped into it, causing all the nuts it’d gathered to drop to the ground.
The Brattean twitched again, this time remaining in focus, and abruptly turned around. It grabbed the other of its kind by its shoulders and forcibly pushed it down. There was something in the way it moved that was unlike the rest. Its movements were almost mechanized and automatic.
The other Brattean, who now sat on the ground propped up by its round, wooden hands, and its legs splayed in front of it, looked up at its companion, befuddled.
Standing above it, the twitching Brattean took a couple of steps forward and then savagely attacked the other, beating its head and body with its fists as it continued to sit with a look of confusion in its eyes.
I looked around at the other students and teacher, but none of them seemed to be shocked or worried by what was happening. Not even Iris, who continued to squeeze my arm with excitement, seemed disturbed by the event.
Suddenly, the twitching Brattean let out a deep, croaking roar, and placed its hands on either side of its head in apparent pain. It twisted and contorted its body as it continued to howl. As it did so, the color of its entire body changed from its earthly tones to a dark crimson red, and it grew. First, its legs became twice their size and bulk, then the trunk of its body, followed by its arms. It’s head, however, seemed to remain the same size it’d been.
As it growled and roared, it once again approached the sitting Brattean, grabbed its head with its now much larger hands, and yanked it completely off its body. Strangely, its headless companion’s body remained in the same position as it’d been, with its body still propped up by its hands and its legs splayed out in front of it. Even its eyes continued blinking in surprise as the growing, twisting Brattean held its head in its hands before violently throwing it to the ground.
With each moment that passed, the Brattean grew larger and angrier. He ripped up roots, stomped on others of its kind who continued to gather nuts, seemingly unaware of the threat, and smashed the tiny homes around the trees. The Brattean had become so tall it’d almost reached my size.
As aggressive as the situation had become, however, none of the students or Mr. Sylva seemed aware of it, delightfully looking on in wonder as the teacher continued giving facts about Brattean storage methods.
The crimson monster’s height and bulk now easily outmatched a Morex, and fear gripped me. Keeping my gaze fixed on it, I grabbed Iris’ arm and began slowly walking away.
“We have to go, Iris—now.”
“Huh?” she asked, looking over her shoulder at me with an air of confusion. “What are you talking about? Where do you want to go?”
My gaze was still fixed on the enlarged Brattean, who now held its hands above its much smaller head as if in search of it, and roared.
“Iris, let’s go,” I insisted, trying to keep my voice as low as possible, so as not to draw attention.
“I don’t think Mr. Sylva will let us just leave, Seven. Besides, I want to stay to look at
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