The forest clearing lay hushed except for the small pond's ripple. Ember slept on, a warm breeze curling through her ember-red hair.
The Worst Idea First
Nyxar crouched beside her, tilting his head like a hawk inspecting prey.
"If we stab a dead body," he murmured to Bug, "do you think we get this 'person' as a summon?"
Bug nearly choked on his own wings.
"What?! No! Why would you— No. One: that's murder. Two: she is breathing. Three: you only get summons when you solo-kill monsters, not random nap-taking humans!"
Nyxar studied Ember's relaxed form.
"No sane creature sleeps on the floor, on their back, if alive."
Bug threw up his tiny forelegs.
"Fair, that is a death wish. But still—NO."
Panic Acrobatics
A soft groan. Ember stirred.
Nyxar and Bug exploded into motion. Nyxar leapt back so far he cleared an entire fallen log. Bug zipped after him.
Bug, panting mid-air:
"HOW—HOW DID YOU JUMP THAT FAR?!"
Nyxar, eyes wide:
"Not dead."
Both of them ducked behind a thick oak trunk, peeking around it like two guilty raccoons.
Friendly or Foe?
Ember pushed herself upright, rubbing her eyes. She spotted the shadow of a boy with a hovering insect.
"Hello?" she called softly, raising a hand in a friendly wave.
Nyxar froze. He glanced at Bug, waiting.
Bug whispered,
"I… don't know those words. But a wave underground usually means 'I'm about to eat you.' Could be intimidation."
Nyxar's grip tightened on his dagger.
"Do we kill it?"
Bug squeaked,
"I—I don't think so? It's not charging…"
Ember stepped closer, noticing their nervous posture.
"Hey, it's okay. I'm not a threat."
Bug translated cautiously.
"She says she's not a threat. Maybe. Or she's lying. Or both."
Nyxar blinked.
"Friendly… creature?"
Unexpected Company
A sudden whoosh. A swirl of leaves condensed into a tiny wind-spirit, glowing like moonlight with gossamer wings.
"Ember," it said in a bell-like chime, "what trouble have you found this time?"
Ember gasped.
"S-Spirit? Wait—you came out on your own?"
But before she could say more, the spirit turned to Nyxar and Bug—then did a double take.
"An insect… can speak the tongue of spirits? Impressive."
Bug bristled so hard he looked like a spiky puffball.
"Excuse you?! Who are you calling an insect? And what's that supposed to mean, impressive?"
Nyxar tilted his head.
"What are you?"
The spirit drifted closer, eyes bright.
"And you, cave-dweller—you also understand me. Remarkable."
Ember blinked, confused by the rapid-fire chatter she couldn't hear.
"Wait—can you… can you speak with the spirit?"
Bug spun mid-air to face Nyxar.
"She's asking if we can talk to this glowing annoyance."
The spirit raised an eyebrow-sized gust.
"Can you speak the human tongue?"
Nyxar shook his head.
"No."
The spirit smiled like a tiny cyclone.
"Interesting."
Three Languages, One Big Misunderstanding
From Ember's perspective:
A bug and a strange boy were apparently debating with her personal spirit while she understood nothing.
"Um… can someone explain—"
Bug waved a leg dramatically.
"Yeah, sure, she wants an explanation, but we're the ones getting called insects and 'remarkable experiments.' Rude!"
Nyxar stayed silent, eyes darting between them like he was weighing whether this "friendly creature" needed head-patting or stabbing.
Ember hugged her knees, cheeks pink with curiosity.
"Okay… I have so many questions."
The spirit twirled a tiny gust around Bug just to annoy him.
"And I have many answers… once someone teaches this boy a few human words."
Bug buzzed irritably, Nyxar kept his dagger half-drawn, and Ember simply stared at the strangest trio she'd ever met—
a silent cave boy, a furious talking insect, and a smug little gale of light.
The forest hummed with possibility… and impending chaos.