Berries, Beast, and a Traveller

Bob stepped into the forest.

The air was cooler here. The leaves above were silver and indigo. They blocked the two suns, making light and shadows dance on the ground. It was quiet, but a different kind of quiet. A heavy quiet.

His stomach rumbled. It was a loud reminder. He looked for food.

He saw tall mushrooms and strange ferns, but nothing to eat.

Then he saw it.

In a small, sunny spot, there was a bush. It was covered in round, purple berries. They glowed with a soft light. They looked good.

Bob's face was still flat, but he walked faster. He stared at the biggest berry. It would stop the ache in his stomach.

"Purple..." he whispered. "Pretty."

He reached out his hand for the glowing fruit.

A low growl came from the bush.

Bob froze. His hand stopped. He blinked, then looked over the leaves.

A creature came out of the shadows. It looked like a hedgehog, but it was much bigger than Bob. Its quills were long and sharp. Its eyes were small and black. It sniffed the air. For a moment, it just looked at Bob.

Bob tilted his head. He had never seen one before.

Then, the creature snarled. Its long quills stood straight up. They made a dry, rattling sound. Its eyes were not curious anymore. They were hungry.

It lowered its head and ran at Bob.

Bob's eyes grew wide. He had no weapon. He could not run. He just stood there.

A flash of white and gold moved from the side.

There was a soft, wet thump.

The big creature stopped right in front of Bob. It shook, then fell over. A long, thin sword stuck out of its back. The sword had no handguard. It looked like a big needle.

Bob stared at the dead beast. Then he looked up.

A person in a white robe stood there. A hood hid their face. Only a mouth and chin could be seen. Gold lines decorated the robe, and a strange shape, like two pyramids joined at the base, was on the back. The person put a foot on the beast and pulled the sword out.

Then, the person saw Bob. The hood turned.

"Well now," a calm voice said. "You alright there, little one?"

Bob stared. He pointed a finger at the dead beast, then at the person.

"You...?"

"Me," the person said with a nod. "It was going to hurt you."

Bob's focus went back to the bush. He was still hungry. He pointed at the glowing berries.

"Bob... hungry. Eat?"

The person looked. "Ah. Glimmer-Poppers." A small smile appeared on their mouth. "Bad idea. I would not eat those."

Bob tilted his head. "No eat?"

"No eat," the person said. "Here, watch."

The person gently moved Bob a few steps back. "Stay here."

They reached out with their long sword and lightly touched the berry Bob wanted.

The berry's purple light grew very bright. Then it exploded with a loud POP! Hot purple liquid flew everywhere. It burned small holes in the leaves and the ground.

Bob stared. His eyes were wide. He understood.

"See?" the person said, pulling their sword back. "Bad for the stomach. This forest is a dangerous place."

Bob looked at the sizzling ground, the dead beast, and the calm person. He patted his stomach. It rumbled again.

"Bob... no understand," he said. A little frustration was in his voice.

The person was quiet for a moment, then sighed. "No, I guess not." They put their sword away inside their robe. "Look. There is a town not far from here. It has real food. Cooked food. Food that doesn't explode."

The person paused. "And... I've been walking alone. It gets lonely." They looked at Bob, this small, quiet creature. "Come with me. We'll get food. You can keep me company."

Bob looked at the person's open hand. It was an offer. It was better than being alone.

He nodded once.

"Bob... go."

A real smile formed on the person's mouth. "Good. Let's get moving. Just call me Traveller."