He placed the bird gently down onto the ground. For a few moments, it twitched, its tiny form jerking as if adjusting to the new state of existence it had been thrust into.
Aster found himself looking at a pale looking Person maybe in his twenties with pure silver long hair, bluish eyes and a medium build. He stared at his own reflection for a while then, without warning it took to the sky, its flight shaky at first, as though it were a newborn learning to fly. With each beat of its wings, however, it steadied, gaining control, and soon it was soaring effortlessly above him, leaving Aster below with a sense of power that was as intoxicating as it was unsettling.
"This is unlike anything I've experienced before," Aster thought,the weight of the bird's vision—its perspective—bleeding into his own. He could see through the bird's eyes, feel its tiny heart beat in time with his own. The world around him seemed to take on a new vibrancy, rich with color and clarity that his human vision could never fully grasp.
His mind buzzed with the overwhelming sensation of duality. The bird's instinct to fly, to hunt, and to explore melded with Aster's own thoughts, creating a sensation of unity. He watched as the bird flew high over the forest, the sprawling treetop.
In the west,north and south side on the forest were trees stretching to the horizon, only the east of the forest where he came from was without any trees and that's where we went. As he past through the area were he had woken up, he couldn't help but notice that it looked darker than the rest of plain almost as if it was charred.
"What would have caused it? Maybe It's related to my transmigration?"
Putting those thoughts to the back of his head, he continued to fly east, at the same time his main body climbed down making sure to focus on his body to prevent falling down and started catching fish and starting a fire now that he had new ideas on making the trap better.
After traveling for about an hour without seeing any settlements and the earth continuously stretching out beneath him, vast and endless and as the bird's flight continued, Aster noticed something strange in the distance. A vague line, almost unnatural, cut through the otherwise untouched landscape. His pulse quickened as he directed the bird to fly closer.
There, far ahead, he could make out the faint silhouette of a wall, towering high above the trees. It was unlike any natural formation he had ever seen. This was no mere trick of the mind or a product of his altered state; it was something real.
Something made by hands far beyond the crude tools of nature.The bird's wings beat harder as it sped toward the wall, its eyes keenly focused on the details emerging as they drew closer. It was an imposing structure, massive in scale—made of stone, with signs of wear and age.
The surrounding area was flat, with only the distant, hazy edges of the forest hinting at the natural world beyond. As they neared the wall, Aster felt a pulse of excitement rush through him.
"This is it," he thought. "A city... or at least some form of civilization."
The bird swooped low, its sharp eyes catching the movement of several figures below. Humans. There were people on the streets, their hurried steps a stark contrast to the vast emptiness of the forest that stretched beyond the walls.
The city was alive.
The closer they got, the more details came into focus. The city seemed ancient, its buildings crafted in the style of old-world architecture—stone and timber intermingling to create narrow alleys and towering structures. The people below, dressed in simple tunics and worn clothing, bustled about their business.
They appeared to be mostly peasants, their faces tired from the hard work of the day.
Aster's heart lifted as he saw the signs of civilization he had longed for. But it was not just the sight of the humans that stirred something within him—it was the potential answers that they might hold, the knowledge that they could have and perhaps the power that his Ashal would provide.
The bird, still under Aster's influence, flew closer to the gates of the city. He could see the large wooden doors, reinforced with iron, and the guards patrolling the outer perimeter. The bird, instinctively, perched on the stone wall, unseen, hidden among the shadows.
Aster watched through the bird's eyes, seeing people of different ages and social standing move in and out of the city some merchants others peasants. He was busy studying what the horse-drawn carriages were carrying while feeling both the thrill of discovery and the weight of uncertainty.
"How can i enter?"
As if answering his thoughts, a figure appeared coming out of the city, Aster saw someone walking alone in the direction of the forest. He stood out among the others for that reason—a man dressed in simple brown tunic, with a bow and arrow slung across his back.
His movements were deliberate, as though he had a destination in mind. Aster's bird puppet followed him, keeping a discreet distance, watching as the hunter made his way toward the forest—toward where Aster had first woken up.
"A hunter?" Aster thought.
"This is strange... why would he go into the forest alone?"
The hunter, after reaching a certain point, began to remove his clothes, changing into tighter, more practical garb meant for quick movement. He carved markings into nearby trees, preparing a trail for himself, then buried a bag beneath one of the trees.
Aster observed carefully, noting every action the man made.
"He's preparing for something... but what?"
Curiosity tugged at him. Even though he had only been in the forest for a day and a half he knew that the forest was dangerous. Why would someone willingly venture so deep into its heart?