Bab 273: The Wild Heart Sanctuary [2]

'So, it really was something they used,' Adrian thought, his suspicions confirmed. 'But what exactly is it?'

He then noticed the beasts unusually gathered in one place, around the spot the scent was coming from. 'Are they attracted to the scent or is there something else?'

Adrian decided to investigate further, moving cautiously around the aviary to see if he could find any more traces of the strange scent. After a few minutes of searching, he identified four or five other spots where the faint chemical smell lingered. Each time, he noticed that the birds were similarly drawn to these areas, their behavior more agitated than before.

Curious about the beasts' reaction to the scent, Adrian carefully rubbed his finger against one of the scented spots, picking up a small trace of the chemical. He then approached one of the bird-type beasts, a medium, half-of-height creature with shimmering blue feathers. He held out his hand for the beast to sniff.