"Woof!"
Above the snowy slope, Dodo suddenly barked, ears stiff and body alert. Its eyes were fixed on the valley below, as though warning that something unusual had happened there.
Gilgamel and Dean immediately walked over. Together, they peered down the steep incline, but the distance and drifting mist of snow obscured their sight.
Gilgamel's brows furrowed. He raised his hand toward the small Snowbird perched on his shoulder, "Flurry, check it out for us," he said softly.
"Chirp!"
Flurry flapped its wings and darted into the cold air. Its tiny form swiftly vanished into the white curtain of falling snow.
Moments later, Flurry returned, landing on Gilgamel's arm. It hopped restlessly, chirping in broken phrases as if saying, "Fight, fight, people… dying!"
Gilgamel's eyes flickered with confusion. He could understand Flurry's speech thanks to their Blood Contract, but the little bird was still too young. Its words were fragmented, childish, and often incoherent.
