Treasured Tinder

After passing through the grove with low shrubs, we got a broader vision of nature and a wide plain appeared. It is relatively bare ground in late autumn now, but as green will take the place of yellow seasonally, it should be a vast grassland in spring and summer.

I pressed down the window and slowed down my driving speed, and then took my head out to speak with Kruger:

"KRUGER! Stop!"

"Would you like to have a rest by sitting in my car?" I waved my hand to him.

"Awo Ow Woo..."

Watching Kruger make a rapid sharp turn to me, I guess the roar I just heard means "yes".

The giant beast quickly turned back into human form while I was stepping on the brake, and rushed to the car door before I stopped the car. Only after one blink, Kruger was already leaning on the window that I just opened before, and even wrapped himself in my blanket.

"LuLu Lulululu! I am ready! Please open the door for me! I can't wait to come in!"

He smiled widely, I bet if his tail was still there, it should be wagging swiftly, he stuck his nose in my window and sniffed, and then kept talking in a happy voice:

"It is full of LuLu's smell inside the car! Wonderful! I love it!"

If Kruger keeps calling my name in this way, I might not be able to recognize this word anymore even though it's my own name...

I opened the door for him and let him ride shotgun. Considering his agile reactions to dangerous situations, I think if there's some accident happens, Kruger definitely can protect himself well. Having a safety belt on him might even lock his body and hold him back, in this case, I didn't ask Kruger to wear the seat belt.

As a consequence, I regretted my decision thousands of times all the way ahead on the next driving trip — if I had known so, I would unquestionably fastened his seat belt once he is sitting in my car!

Waited until he sat properly on the shotgun, I introduced Kruger to the function of each button on the car door, and then pressed the safety lock, and began to keep going in the way he directed to me before.

Kruger became a curious little boy who just sits in a car for the first time, and started to tap everything he can reach: after inspecting the air conditioner and the sunshade in the car for a while, he then began to flat and lift the seak back, making himself up and down.

I have no idea if it's because the effect of those coffee beans has not passed yet, or he was just too excited to be in a new place, Kruger just couldn't take the leisure at all, and now he is playing with the automatic lifting window...

After going through all the interactive devices in my car, Kruger is worthy of the nickname I secretly gave him as a humanoid Siberian Husky — he even lowed down the window and put his head out, making his mouth widely opened, and then sticking out his tongue to pretend to eat the wind — just same as a dog sitting in a car!

"Ah Ah Ah... Oh Oh Oh... Er Er..."

"Wow! LuLu, it is so funny to put my head out and open my mouth to speak in the wind! Do you know the tone of the voice can change because of the wind outside?" 

"I like this moving machine you called Jeep Wrangler!"

"LuLu Lulululu, let's go for a ride more often in the future!"

Kruger seems really enjoy riding, it's a pity that he can't experience a roller coaster ride, he should love that thrill. Apart from that, more's the pity, although my car was filled with gas before I left for the campsite, it can only run less than one thousand kilometres, no matter how I try to reduce the fuel consumption.

I thought this information might make Kruger feel disappointed for a while when I told him so, surprisingly, he actually comforted me in turn after listening to my explanation about the gas and car. This lovely male grinned at me and patted my shoulder:

"It does not matter, LuLu. If your car is run out of gas, and you still want to go for a ride, I can shift into the beast form and let you ride me instead! I can also reach the same speed as your car runs now."

Wait, aren't you the one who expects to go for a ride?

Secondly, it is because I am in an enclosed space that I can drive at a high speed, when it comes to sitting on Kruger's back, I don't think I can bear the pressure of the wind when we are moving fast.

However, seeing Kruger acting so optimistic and cheerful as if nothing can depress him, my mood also became peaceful and relaxed.

He really is a piece of ebullient pistachio for me — the pistachio is known as the "happy nut" in Chinese because it looks like it's always smiling, and we call people who make us happy and laugh a "pistachio" — just like Kruger. I believe from now on, my life in this new world will be more colourful and joyful with his company.

...

Time went to the sunset, and we finally arrived in the domain of the thylacine tribe.

According to Kruger's introduction, this is a jungle located not far from the seaside, with a stream running through the middle. Single beasts who have not found their mates are living on the outskirts of the tribe, while several beast couples live near a rockshelter. The tribal centre is a natural cave with a bonfire that would never be put out, and a guardian is on duty to protect the fire every day.

It reminds me of the aboriginal tribe that I visited briefly before, people were also using the rockshelter to protect the tinder away from wind and rain. It seems that at present — in this ancient continent, both humans and beasts can only use tinder but are not able to make a fire by themselves. Under the circumstances, tinder is extremely precious and needs to be treasured and guarded all the time.