It had been one hour since the game started, and Sagiri had not yet moved from his position right outside the gate. He was lying on his stomach, and his face was planted to the earth, unmoving. N'varu was on one knee beside him, his eyes scanning the dark beside him, unmoving, and did not dare to question him. Sagiri had not realized how caged he had felt inside the pentagon, untouched by the outside air. Now, however, without his oru-shells on in preparation for the hunt, he was experiencing the unfiltered air once again. It was as if he was experiencing the outside for the first time in weeks, and it made him a little homesick.
Just like how he used to do every time before the hunt back at home, he lay flat on his stomach and placed his ears to the earth to listen to the vibrations of the earth as far as he could. The animals' chatter, breathing, and calling sounds oddly made him feel at ease. Even the very earth under his skin felt familiar.
