We ventured above ground to look for styders, and spotted two right away, roaming toward an outcropping of rocks. It was a long hike to reach them, and Nida insisted on doing it by night. For the first time, it occurred to me to wonder how there could even be day and night on these wheels. Did her people take the sun with them, when they flew off into the stars? Before we'd come topside, Nida showed me how to use her magic gear to look around in the dark. It was distracting - I'd keep stopping to gawk at things I shouldn’t be able to see at all. I took the lead since I was the one in armor, but the girl managed to keep pace with me. We caught up with the stryders while they were standing snout-to-snout, as if they were conversing somehow. They were so massive, it took my breath away to be close to them. Now I just had to trust that the girl knew how to tame those mechanical hulks.
Explorer Note Gabriel 8
by Gabriel