The morning mist hung low over the ridges when Luciel and Mino finally found the rock tortoise again. Around the nearby hills, jagged spurs of stone jutted from the earth like the teeth of a sleeping giant, silent and unmoving—except for the faint rumble of the enormous creature breathing in the distance.
"Woo~"
The sound came out like a muffled sob. The rock tortoise's mournful cry echoed through the valley the moment it spotted its master.
Luciel blinked, startled. "What's wrong, buddy?"
The tortoise lowered its head pitifully, its shell glinting with veins of earthy brown. The thought came through the mental link that tied them together—a faint pulse of hunger that made Luciel's temples throb.
He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "You're hungry again, aren't you?"
Mino's big blue eyes widened. "Black Tortoise… hungry?"
