violent affections

navigation - wildberry grove

The duties of a scout were simple, and yet they managed to neglect them. Today was a day to remedy that. There were many territories around the empire, which they should explore to their fullest ability. Currently, they had moved to the southernmost areas of the continent, seeking to tear apart every inch in search of something to report back with. The scent, ever faded, of their brethren, meant they were not the first yet. Too bad.

The place was rich with berries, fuelled by the torrential downpour falling from the heavens today. Lean form soaked by warm water, they moved carelessly. Aloof to the weather, they investigated a shrub. Perhaps it would have been smarter to make the trek with a healer of some sort, who would recognize the flora all around them. It was too late to turn back now. It would be their mission to memorise as many of the plants as they could, and relay the information back to someone back at the empire. If any of it was useful, they would return.

A thick clump of dark berries clung to the stems of a shrub a few paces away. They were small berries, and didn't smell too strongly. Of course, with all of this rain, scents were nearly nonexistent. These could easily have been the stinkiest berries ever to exist, and they would have no idea. Should they try to eat some? No, what if they were poisonous? Instead, they knocked a few from the clump onto the ground, and crushed them beneath their forepaw. The resulting mush was a deep purple, and didn't sting their pads at all.

The titan shook water from their eyes, and squinted at them. How on earth did anyone ever find out whether such things were helpful or harmful? Trial and error? That must have been awkward.