Accepting that this was a weird place was easy enough. Whatever was going on seemed to be happening all over the place, Atlas had found more than a few odd creatures and lights glowing in the dark nights which seemed to last forever now, though less so as long as he remained more south. The ethereal deer that paraded with unusual grace even for a deer - which wasn't saying too much since they were really given too much credit in Atlas' opinion, those idiots were loud as hell in too much vegetation - had surely been a sight that would continue to stick with him. Maybe eventually it'd be a story to share, no doubt one that would get more wild tales in return as he couldn't imagine he was the only one seeing all of the things that were going on around here.

Hoping to see more sights, unusual or otherwise, and continue filling his belly along the way, Atlas meandered through the south contentedly. It was colder in the evenings for sure but his fur was thick enough that it didn't bother him personally any at all. That also meant that he didn't have to stress as much about consuming enough to keep himself going. The vegetation was positively bountiful here and what's more the usual mix of grasses was made all the more palatable by a mix of herbs common and rare. It was a bounty he was happy to reap the benefits of, roaming over the rises and valleys taking mouthfuls of every sweet herb he could smell. Delightful, just delightful. If only the whole continent was like this he could be happy and well fed anywhere. Maybe food was too often on his mind, but to be fair the amount one needed to consume to sustain an adult moose was considerable and it was winter so the growth of new plants wouldn't be happening for some time.

He did find himself up more in the dark during these short days just to get enough time in to munch away and keep himself from getting skinny. A weak herbivore, large or not, was a dead one. That was just how life worked and he intended to not be in that position any time soon. For a moment as he grazed and chewed ravenously he contemplated if there was a good way to save up vegetation for winter. He knew that there were carnivores who had ventured into practices like drying meat - fucking disgusting practice but he supposed they wouldn't be switching diets any time soon - and that made him wonder if there was a way to do the same for his own food. Probably not one he'd manage on his own, moose limbs weren't very craft friendly, but perhaps if he had a handy friend or two he could see about that. Might be nice to have something saved for this time of year when life got harder.

In the distance as he stood there thinking Atlas swore he saw a spot of white moving and swung his head to look. Nothing. Hm. He watched a while longer, fairly certain he wasn't going mad, though there was always the chance... No, there! An albino deer climbed up a valley behind him, also taking mouthfuls of the herb-rich grasses though much more daintily than Atlas. Swallowing, Atlas called out, "Excuse me, you wouldn't happen to be one of those deer I saw the other night would you?"

Rather than respond right away the doe froze, staring at atlas with wide cyan eyes. Not a normal white deer at all! So he wasn't losing it and they were in fact real. Either that or he was really really losing it and now he was having repeated hallucinations. Best to hope that wasn't the case. The doe started to back away uncertainly, suspicion written on her delicate features. "Don't worry, I was only going to say that you-" a rustling in the grass nearby was enough to set her off bounding away before he could finish the thought. Shame, he never could manage to get any deer to make a good conversation. They were such flighty things, preferring to stick to their own kind more even in the company of a technical distant relative. Elk were better - confidence seemed to increase with height apparently.

The doe was out of sight in no time at all, a white blur across the landscape and then soon just a memory. Maybe if he was younger and more curious he'd have followed to see where these glowing deer went anyway, but that seemed futile at this point and he was content to let some things remain mysteries, something he could have done well to learn earlier in life.

Heaving a sigh, Atlas flicked an ear towards where the rustling had come from, unsure what sort or size of creature might be hanging around but none too concerned. He didn't get too relaxed though, blue and green eyes scanning the ground for signs of movement beneath the tangle of grass and herb. After a few long seconds a dark-furred bunny came jumping along and Atlas let out a snort, which sent the faint hearted little animal shooting off in the opposite direction of him much like the deer it had spooked before. Atlas couldn't imagine being that much of a coward. Scared of every shadow, he'd have left the continent after the strange lights showed up if he was as bad as them. Nosing through the herbs again he did find one that seemed to faintly glow in the weak daylight still. Deciding not to eat it just in case, Atlas moved on to more familiar foods. It wouldn't be wise to risk eating something that looked more than a bit unnatural like that. Some of the glowing things that had cropped up gave him a weird feeling. Mostly the lights. Wasn't it kind of off for them to show up in winter? Then again maybe they weren't the glowing bugs he and hopefully every other creature assumed them to be.

Atlas

You get the sense that something is wrong. You also find 2 crystals. Maybe these are worth keeping…