Gründ was starting to question his decision. This didn’t feel quite right. He was standing on the roof of Bared’s house, the tallest building in the village, and looked down. “I really hope this is high enough” he thought, then closed his eyes, took a deep breath and crouched.

“Gründ! You’re an idiot!” said Baruf. He was the leader of Gründ’s usual hunting party, and currently eating a juzuc in the shade of a giant Bocti. “Töskrs can’t fly!”

“I saw Atzi do it, why wouldn’t I be able to do the same?” But Atzi was different.

“Atzi is a Natl, you idiot! Not a Töskr! You’re too big to…” Gotha covered her eyes. Gründ had pulled on the strings that would deploy his home made wings and jumped. He had time to flap exactly three times before ungraciously hitting the ground, nose first, his Z-shaped tail helplessly wagging.

“Ouch…” said he, as he pulled himself back on his paws. Baruf and Gotha shook their heads and returned to their conversation. “So as I was saying, Filnu has finally started reading on her own last pulse, she’s making me so proud! Did I tell you she wants to be a foodmaker? Yes, and Toxal my little boy he…”

Dear reader, it is time for you to discover the world in which this incredible story takes place. This world is foreign, entirely different at its very core… The core of light that is its center, whose pulsations give its rhythm to the odd forms of life that strive on the bits of land floating around it. Forms of life like the Natl, winged creatures that reside high in the gigantic trees of the Druss continent; or Töskr, big floofballs dwelling in ruins on the ground.

“Guys… A little help?” Gründ’s wings were torn from the crash and he couldn’t take them off. Baruf shook his head and motioned for Gotha to come get the fool out of his personal homemade prison.

“Will you ever stop this nonsense? You were made for hunting, Gründ, not for flying!”

Bits of wood and feathers were stuck in the Töskr’s fur, making him look a bit like the weirdest cactus ever had tried to eat a bird.

“This isn’t nonsense, you should believe in me a little more. I’ll show you! Someday, I’ll be a flying Töskr. You’ll see.”

As soon as he was able, Gründ bid his friends goodbye and headed for the healer’s home. His nose felt shorter than it used to.

He stopped at the entrance, knowing full well what kind of welcome he would receive and not really wanting to face it. But he didn’t have much of a choice, his nose was hurting and he had questions to ask. He scraped at the wall, gathered his courage and took a step forward.

“Hey Haylir, sorry to interrupt…” She turned around, fire in her eyes, cutting poor Gründ’s speech up with just a look.

“You again? What did you hurt this time?” She was the best healer in the colony, and a long-time friend of his. She was kind and caring, always willing to help, but she had fixed him up so many times that she was growing tired of his recklessness. In other words, she was serious, and that was terrifying.

“My… My nose…” Head bowed, he didn’t dare look up. He looked so miserable that she couldn’t help but smile.

“Come here then, let’s see the damage you managed to do this time…”