Ornamirus

Kozor: A large ruminant is very similar to an American bison in its body structure. The male has large horns in the form of trumpets that are connected to his nose by a keratin tube. His horns are used to make a loud cheer during the courtship season and in times of danger. In our world they cannot be found but in Inha they are quite common.

From Edmon’s testimony: My raft drifted with the wind until it stopped on a shore. I didn’t know where I ended up but it didn’t matter to me. All I wanted was water, just water. The thirst weakened me and clouded my senses. I felt like my sanity was about to leave. With my last strength, I climbed the slope that rises from the beach. There at the edge of the slope, my weakness overwhelmed me. I fell asleep. I don’t know how long I slept until the raindrops woke me up. I got up quickly so the mud wouldn’t stick to my clothes. The rain was getting stronger. Its drops fell to the ground and combined with each other until they accumulated into tiny streams that all flowed into a depression in the ground that quickly turned into a puddle. I drank from it. It was the tastiest water I’ve ever tasted.

The rain stopped. I stood there with my back to the sea and looked inland. A green, vast, almost endless plain spread out in front of me. A knee-high sea of green grass stretching from my shoes to the horizon without a tree or house in it.

A kilometer away from me I saw dark spots scattered all over the grasslands. A herd of cattle, I thought. I will approach it, maybe it has a shepherd who can help me. I went fast. The closer I got, the more confident I became. I was happy, indeed a herd of cattle. I got closer. Suddenly a large animal rose from the grass and stood in front of me. It had a strange appearance. It was similar in body structure and size to a bison but it had huge horns whose shape resembled trumpets and above its nose grew a tube that connected to these horns. I have never seen such an animal. It lowered its head and pointed its horns at me as if trying to tell me: don’t come close! I froze in place. It raised its head again and then made a sound. Its voice did not come out of its mouth but from its horns. It was a very loud sound with one low tone that reminded me of the sound of a ship leaving the harbor. Immediately came more, similar to him, large males with horns in the shape of trumpets. They formed a circle around me. I couldn’t run away. I sat down on the ground cowering in fear. I prayed they wouldn’t hurt me.

After many minutes I heard them move. The circle opened, and an old female bison entered it. She had no horns. She approached me, smelled me, and then blew a short breath from her nostrils. It was a signal. The circle broke up and the bisons moved away from me, each on their way except for one who stayed in place.

He lay down on the ground and she pushed me gently with her forehead so that I would come closer to him. I got on his back. He got up and started walking.