Hern studied day and night for weeks already for a glimpse of something new. Last year it had only taken three days and two really good sandwiches. Each creature discovered igniting a thirst for another. On his first trip to Aereno, City of the Shadeless, he’d found a lizard that could cut through wood with it’s tail like an organic saw. It nearly took his arm as well when he had chased it in study. That was decades ago and nearly every year he’d made the trip to discover what else hid within the arcane soaked roots that surrounded the city.

On colder nights, he’d wander the frosted brush in search of any ore eaters—a slug that uses acid to not just cut stone, but also eat it!—in hopes of collecting enough to study and experiment with for the next few months. He also had his eyes on capturing a Corva or two. They lived in the tunnels left over from the slugs slowly enjoying a meal of dirty and slime. Their fur was immune to the acid according to one of the local caravans. They also made great pets, one of the kids had shown. The fluffy creature trying to eat the dust out of the air as the caravan rolled.

Local mining groups like The Ore Magistrate—The Ore.M as it was known by the locals—have had a public request for all magical innovations that had the potential of improving production and this might be the find they all needed. Most ignored the request directly but would search out solutions in order to pitch their ideas to rivals. The Ore.M was.. archaic in their processes but unfortunately, they drove the economy.

Hern’s new side project however was his true draw to the city this time around. Something a friend of his had been after for over a century. A Lenarin bird had been spotted near the forest’s center. If true, Luron’s Acarium is about to get a boost in business. The bird was rarely found to begin with. Nearly impossible to catch. Impossible to keep if you did.

“The little bastard flies right through solid stone whenever he chooses Luron! It took me two hours to realize he was still inside a rock. He hid inside the rock! Imagine the possibilities if we figure out the how!” Hern shouted gleefully into a glowing spoke-stone.

“How high were you?” Luron’s voice vibrated scratchily from the stone in Hern’s palm.

“Not very, but slightly. Like usual.” Hern smiled and tucked his pipe away.

“Bring me the bird then.” The voice started to fizzle as the stone’s glow faded. “And good luck figuring out how.”

“Damn it.” Hern laughed and gathered the rest of his supplies to head back into the forest.