《Legend of Pino - (A realistic ancient kingdom builder and warfare novel)》 Chapter 1 CHAPTER 1 Ahhh- ¡°FUCK! FUCK! What¡¯s going on why does my-¡± My monologue halts as another jolt of pain pulses through my leg and up to the rest of my body. This hurts so much; I can hardly remain conscious. What is this? Where am I? The last thing I remember was reading a few chapters of my favorite web novel and playing a blitz game of chess with my friend. Did we get drunk? Maybe I fell and that¡¯d explain the pain I¡¯m feeling. ¡­But if that were the case, why am I surrounded by trees? A forest? How the hell did I get from the middle of New York City to a forest? I grit my teeth as another pulse of gut-wrenching pain snakes its way through my body. Now that I am slightly prepared for the pain it is just a bit more bearable. ¡°The first thing I need once I get back to the city is some painkillers.¡± I think as I reach for my phone to check if there is service out here. That¡¯s where the problems truly began. First, why are my hands so much smaller than the ones I remember? Second, why the hell am I wearing this weird fur coat? Where are my pockets? Where the hell is my phone?!?! Finally, I start to register the things that I previously hadn¡¯t noticed. The height of the trees, the fresh and sweet taste of the air, the fact that I was wearing some weird animal cosplay clothing. ¡°Did I do shrooms?¡± I wondered out loud. I¡¯d never been one to do drugs but this seems like one of those trippy out of body experiences. Suddenly a piercing howl broke the serene natural ambiance of the forest. ¡°AWWwwoooooo¡± ¡®Wolves¡¯ I thought ¡®Have to run, to hide, can¡¯t face them alone.¡¯ ¡°What the hell was that?!?¡± I once again said aloud. Those weren¡¯t my thoughts, who or what the hell is talking in my brain? The wolves howled once again; this time closer. I decided to chuck finding out who might be messing with me to the back of my mind and attempted to stand up. A sharp spasm of pain like I''ve never felt before tore through my body as I fell to the ground once more. I look down at my leg with extreme confusion, a sprain shouldn¡¯t hurt this much. When I saw the condition of my much smaller than I remember leg, my heart dropped into my stomach. The leg was twisted at a strange angle and showed deep purple marks. ¡°Fuck!¡± I yelled in fright. How the hell would I get away from a pack of wolves like this. Fear and panic began to slowly envelop me. Wolves shouldn¡¯t be aggressive to humans, right? RIGHT??? Maybe I will be fine. ¡®Will die, will be eaten, must move, must survive.¡¯ Once again, this voice in my head, who is it? What is it? No matter what it was one thing was clear, sitting here wouldn¡¯t do me any good. I lay flat on my back and slowly begin to drag myself away from where I am currently. It was an arduous task, there are many, many thorns, sharp branches, and slippery pieces of moss and grass. What I hadn¡¯t noticed before was the insane quantity of bugs. Mosquitoes, ants, beetles and all other forms of critters crawled on and around me. It was truly a painful, horrible, and terrifying experience. Every time I wanted to give up, the voice would return: ¡®Run, survive¡¯ the same words over and over, until I stopped thinking. Just the same words, the same motions. I have no idea where I am headed as long as I can put distance between myself and the wolves I don¡¯t care. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. How long have I been doing this? One hour? Two? I don¡¯t know when the sun went down but it¡¯s slowly been getting darker and darker. My hands are now dirty and bloody from the constant dragging of myself. My clothing is in tatters and my skin is riddled by bumps from the insects collecting their taxes as I moved past them. None of that matters, as long as I can survive I can- ¡°GRRRRRRR¡± a deep and resonating growl sounds from my left. My body freezes up as I slowly turn my head to look at what made that sound. Until now I¡¯d never seen a wolf in real life, only through the TV when watching movies or nature films. The beast stood at about 1 meter in height and almost 2 meters in length. Before I could process this deadly sighting, more and more wolves appeared from the surrounding trees and bushes till a total of 8 wolves surrounded me. I felt a warm trickle slowly stream down my leg, ¡°Is this it?¡± I thought as I looked around with growing fear and panic. One of the wolves slowly made its way towards me, ¡°STAY BACK!!¡± I screamed frightfully, as I grabbed a handful of dirt, grass, and whatever I could get my hands on and threw it in the animal¡¯s direction. This outburst caused the wolves to pause for a moment, observing me. During this respite, the voice sounded again, ¡®Climb, survive¡¯ the voice was like a holy beacon. Giving me direction, letting me know the next steps, ensuring that I survive. I began dragging myself towards the nearest tree, this time while in an upright position so that I could keep an eye on the wolves. The pain was terrible, but I knew if I showed any more weakness than I already had, they¡¯d all pounce. I slowly made my way to a rather tall tree, a little less than 4 meters tall and with many branches to grab onto and make my way to a safe height. I began climbing, although it was hard using only one leg, I began to make progress. As I was reaching for the next branch, I felt a tug on my already tattered clothing. Then I tumbled, felt the sharp pain of a bad landing on my injured leg. I would¡¯ve yelled but the air had already been knocked from my chest by the sudden impact with the ground. Gaining my bearings again quickly, likely due to the adrenaline, I look around to see what caused me to fall. Directly in front of me stood what I can only assume was the leader of the pack of wolves. So close I could feel the heat from its breath, smell the putrid scent of rotting meet stuck between its¡­ its teeth. Large, sharp, dangerous, dripping with saliva and speckles of blood. I turn to the side and empty my stomach. Never before has fear gripped me in such a way, countless possible deaths race through my mind. I begin to tremble, like a leaf in the fall, surrounded by wind. A soft cry leaves my lips as I cry and shake, ¡°This is it.¡± I think as I sob. I hear a lapping sound, like when an animal drinks water. Opening my eyes just enough to see what is happening, I wish I hadn¡¯t. Where I¡¯d thrown up, three wolves were eating it, biting and bumping at each other to ensure they got a larger share. This caused an even larger tremble to cascade across my body, these animals don¡¯t fear me in the slightest. I am only alive as long as they are curious, the leader of the pack gets very close to me. Sniffs my hair, my body, my throat, I try to remain as still as possible. Looking down, making myself seem small, all the little things I learned from TV, things that¡¯s increase my chances of surviving. The wolves had just finished eating my regurgitated food, and were now eyeing me whilst licking their chops. Clearly hungry for more after the appetizer, I closed my eyes and braced for what came next. ¡®GRRRRRRR¡¯ ¡®RIPPPP¡¯ ¡®ROOAAARRR¡¯ Many sounds filled my ears, yet I felt no pain. Is this how death feels? Or perhaps my mind has gone into shock, preventing me from feeling what they are doing to my body? I open my eyes fearful, yet also strangely calm and accepting of whatever I might see. Not far from me, less than three meters away stands what I can only describe as a grizzly bear. The bear stands tall a bit less than 3 meters in height, large and magnificent. It roars as it swipes at a wolf, seemingly breaking its back. The wolf that was hit slams into a tree not to far from it and stops moving. The other wolves circle the bear slowly, jumping back anytime it tries to make a move, and springing forward, barking and yapping in an attempt to tire it out. Finally, the bear charges at one of the wolves. It¡¯d leaped forward and slipped on a moist patch of ground, giving the bear enough time to run forward at an insane speed, and sink its jaws into the wolf¡¯s hind leg. The wolf yelped in pain and snapped at the bear, but it ignored this as well as the other wolves approaching and biting at it. All to shake its maw, ripping and tearing at the wolf¡¯s leg, swiping its massive paw to tear and rip at its body. The wolf captured in the bear¡¯s deadly grasp finally stops crying. There is a small reprieve in the battle between apex predators as the bear releases the now dead wolf from its iron like jaw, and once again stands on its back legs to tower over the wolves. The pack leader, either due to losing its nerves, or figuring that they can¡¯t beat the bear, howls out the sound of retreat and slowly backs into the trees, always watching the bear, before disappearing. Leaving a bear, a man, and two dead wolves in the small clearing. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 The bear snuffed around, making small grunting noises as it poked, smelled and licked the corpses of the wolves. After a small inspection of the slain, the bear appeared to have grown bored and slowly looked around while yawning. Locking its eyes on me, my first instinct was to run, run or climb, whatever it took to get away from this animal, this beast that easily drove off the biggest danger to my life. However, these thoughts were that of the voice, the br- my brain, instead, reminded me what I know about these animals. Brown bears usually eat their prey alive; they also aren¡¯t scavengers by nature and more times than not leave dead animals alone. I slowly ease myself to a flat lying position, relax my body, and breathe as lightly as I can muster. I hear the bear slowly lumber over to me and I try my best to keep my body from trembling or my voice from betraying me and letting out a fearful scream. The bear slowly begins to prod me, sniffing at me, nudging me with its nose, and turning me with its paw. I barely manage to avoid yelping when it lays some of its weight on my injured leg. After a few minutes that felt like an eternity, I finally hear it start to trundle away. Even after its footsteps disappeared, I still laid there, refusing to move, on the off chance this was all a feint by the beast. I don¡¯t know how long I laid there, ignoring the gnats flying in my ears or the mosquitoes sucking me dry. What finally made me move was the thought that eventually the wolves may come back. I opened my eyes and was greeted by pitch darkness, I looked up towards the sky, only to be greeted by the tree canopy, blocking light from reaching the ground. ¡°That isn¡¯t important right now.¡± I told myself, right now I need to get out of here before the creatures of the night come to claim the two corpses on the ground. When my eyes locked on the bodies of the dead wolves, I took a moment to think things through. With this injury, it¡¯d be hard to gather any berries, much less hunt! Moreover, even if I wanted to hunt, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d have the stomach for it. Before any other animal, now was my best chance to claim meat, fur, and anything else I could use. With that line of thought triumphing in my brain, I felt my way through the darkness, as I dragged myself to the body of the first wolf. At first, I was scared, jumpy, believing that the wolf would spring back to life at any moment and sink its jaws deep into my throat. After nudging it for a while I finally calmed down enough to begin trying to harvest it. I shouldn¡¯t have known how to handle the whole process, but the voice provided amazing input whenever I was stumped. I pulled a bone knife from the fold of my tattered garments. A knife that until recently I had no idea I had, a knife that would''ve been a real confidence booster had I had it in the face of the wolves. A knife I used to skin both wolves, and cut of decent sized chunks of meat from the chest and softer meat from the stomach area. I also dug a few of the larger teeth from the mouths of the wolves. My other brain, as I¡¯ve decided to call it, believes that is a good idea. I put all of the gathered materials onto pieces of the hide that I¡¯d harvested. I then grabbed the edges of the hide up so that they met in the middle, then tied them with another strip of hide, making it into a makeshift bag. I then put this small sack on my stomach and began to drag myself farther away from this gory mess. The flies and mosquitoes were already feasting on the bodies, which meant other scavengers wouldn¡¯t be far behind. After dragging myself for what seemed to be about 100 meters, I finally stopped due to exhaustion. I was extremely thirsty, another problem, I simply laid on my back. Looking up at the never-ending darkness, too tired to swat at the bugs buzzing around me. Once I¡¯d gathered a bit more energy, I, while struggling greatly, managed to hoist both myself, as well as my sack into a tree. I climbed to a height I believed decent enough to avoid many of the predators and other animals that roamed the forest at night. As soon as I secured myself in a position where I wouldn¡¯t fall, I fell into a deep slumber. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I quietly sit on a branch in a tree, barely more than a meter off the ground, but high enough, and in such a position that no unsuspecting animal will spot me. I wait, ears preened for the signal that is sure to come. The shrill cry of an unnatural bird bounces off the trees, this is the signal. I tense up and prepare for what I know will soon approach, suddenly from the brush bursts forth a deer. It has a serious limp due to the spear lodged deeply in its left hind leg. This doesn¡¯t seem to bother the deer too much though, as it pelts towards the location I am currently perched upon. Just before the deer arrives under me, I jump from my hidden position and fall towards the ground. I land on the deer¡¯s back, startling it, before it can make any sudden moves, I rip my bone dagger, my pride, a dagger made from the fangs of the mighty bantila, from a sash within my robes. With all of my strength I plunge the dagger deep into the deer¡¯s neck. It makes a heart-tearing bleat, but I continue to stab, twice, thrice. The deer finally loses momentum as it tumbles to the ground and lays still. I jump up and move fast to slit the beasts throat, putting it out of its misery. I offer a quick prayer of thanks to Akinola, He who Lords over the Skies. As I finish the prayer, the other two hunters of our tribe jog up to me. ¡°Good job Pino! Your father would¡¯ve been proud of you. When he was your age, he couldn¡¯t even throw his spear straight!¡± A man who appeared to be in his 40s said. ¡°Thank you elder.¡± I responded with a large smile on my face. The other hunter, just a bit older than me said, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for my spear hurting the dambi there is no way you would¡¯ve been able to surprise it. How great of you! The son of the Bantila slayer, to hunt like a coward.¡± The smile quickly left my face, ¡°Who are you calling a coward?! Say it again, I dare you!¡± Before things could get out of hand, the elder intervened, ¡°You are both the hopes of our tribe. You are the last two young men alive after the Bantila hunt. I pray to Akinola that you can both work together for the betterment of the tribe.¡± We stared daggers at each other before responding in unison, ¡°Yes elder.¡± The elder sighed while looking at the two of us before saying, ¡°Lets quickly bring this thing home, we haven¡¯t had meat in days. This is cause for celebration!¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°What the hell was that?¡± I wondered aloud. That was too real to be a dream, but I¡¯ve never met those people in my life. ¡°Pino¡­¡± I murmured as I stare at my dagger, the dagger that I saw in the dream. My mind is drawn away from the useless thoughts by the constant throbbing in my leg. ¡°Before I can worry about any of the bigger questions, I have to survive first.¡± I said, while slowly clambering out of the tree. I took out the dagger and marked the tree with a large X, before saying to no one, ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Chapter 3 Chapter 3 ¡°The biggest problem that I face now is my leg.¡± I think to myself as I drag myself along. I considered just hopping around on one foot, but in the case that I fall, I might do more damage than good. No, what I need to do now is straighten my leg, make a rudimentary cast, and maybe get a walking stick so I can get off the ground. I¡¯ve been thinking about the situation I¡¯m in. This is clearly not my body, I have knowledge that isn¡¯t mine, and sharpened instincts that didn¡¯t exist before my waking up here. Being the avid reader that I am, these are all signs of soul transferring, or ¡°isekai¡± as some would call it. The only unfortunate thing that I¡¯ve noticed is that I lack a system. Whilst dragging myself around this forest, in a direction that I believe is north, I tried every word or action phrase that could initiate a system with no luck. When people think of going to another world, all they consider is the cool powers, and easy women. What they don¡¯t consider is the disease, lack of good drinking water, easy to attain food, and the struggles to survive. If it weren¡¯t for ¡®other mind¡¯ I¡¯d likely have died very soon after I woke up. I¡¯ve lost track of where I am so I pause and begin to reposition myself. My theory is simple, the sun rises from the East and sets in the West. Since I got up fairly early this morning, I kept turning till I felt the warmth of the sun more on my back than my front or sides, then turned towards what I believe to be the North using the cardinal directions. Of course, the same astronomical rules may not apply due to this likely being a different planet, but its better than nothing. After repositioning, I grab onto a tree and leave a deep mark, ensuring that I know the path back to my small base of operations. A few hours of me slowly dragging my way across the forest floor when I spot something useful. ¡®dogbane¡¯ other mind tells me. This plant has fibers that can be torn off and twisted into rope. I ¡°rush¡± over to the plants and search for a decent stalk. The key (according to other mind) is to find a stalk that is rotting enough to have fiber falling off, but not so rotten that the fiber isn¡¯t usable. Other mind, tells me that the fiber is used to sew fur and hide into simple clothing pieces, but I see the massive potential in this! Traps, clothing, securing structures, holding materials¡­ this dogbane is my ticket out of my current predicament! Is what I thought, the process of finding good pieces of stalk, removing the fiber from the stalk, putting the pieces of fiber in groups and braiding them properly to make strong rope is hard work! I¡¯d been at this for hours, and if it wasn¡¯t for the callouses that already covered my hands, I¡¯m sure I¡¯d be bleeding. My stomach begins to grumble once again, and I pull a few berries I¡¯d managed to pluck from the sash where I keep my dagger. The berries have a bitter taste and feel like hardened boba going down, but they provide food, and essential liquids that I haven¡¯t been able to find a substitute for. After eating just enough to stave off the hunger, I get back to work. By midday I¡¯d become proficient enough to make a good length of rope, about 3 meters, while also completely decimating the thicket of dogbane that I¡¯d been using. ¡°The next step is to find some sturdy sticks and set my leg.¡± I said to no one. Talking to myself has become my only reprieve, being alone in this forest with little to no idea of what to do can drive one to insanity. I scour the duff of the forest for any suitable sticks, a few looks strong but have rot in the middle, others are too weak and small. Finally, I came upon a branch, about a meter across. I felt it and pressed down on it, feeling for rot, after the branch passed my rigorous testing process, I took out my dagger and began to saw at it. This obviously wasn¡¯t the best use of my blade, and would likely dampen the sharpness, but I don¡¯t have many options. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Once the branch was split relatively evenly came the hard part, I looked down at my disfigured leg, knowing what I had to do. I have no medical knowledge, but I do know that the longer my leg stays like this, the worse it¡¯ll be in the future. I bite deeply into the wooden hilt of my dagger, grab my leg and swiftly wrench it into a straightened position. The pain I experienced is hard to describe. Tears flow like waterfalls down my face, as I feel my teeth about to shatter against the dagger. I let out a muffled groan as massive waves of pain rampage through my body, while I shiver to the extreme, my mind not being able to fully comprehend the amount of pain and shock I¡¯m experiencing. I sat there for a while, letting myself calm down, getting used to the fresh pain. ¡°It¡¯s time to get back to work.¡± I winced. I took the two branches that I cut and put them side by side, then I cut a piece from the length of rope and tied the branches together with my leg in the middle using an X knot pattern. I made sure that the branches and rope were very tight and well tied before I began to once more drag myself forward. Now I need another branch, one long and strong enough to use as a crutch. So, the trek continues, you¡¯d think that the forest would be rife with sticks and branches, which is true, the problem is finding the sticks and branches that suit your purposes. I don¡¯t have much experience with foraging so maybe I¡¯m looking in the wrong places, who knows? It doesn¡¯t matter because I end up finding a good branch anyway. It stands at about 2 meters vertical with the top being wider and heavier than the bottom. I dug the stick into the ground, and used it to drag myself into an upright position. This is the first time that I¡¯ve stood in a week. I laugh hysterically, then suddenly I choked up and began to cry. I stayed like that for maybe 20 minutes alternating between laughing and crying. Just a week ago I sat in an airconditioned room, playing video games online, surfing the web, watching movies, and talking to my friends. Now I am happy to just stand on my two feet and have something to eat. The change happened far too fast, and it seems only now that my brain is catching up. Before I can sink further into my melancholy, I hear a twig snap behind me. My body immediately tenses up, as I grip my new walking stick hard and turn around faster than someone with an injured leg probably should. My well-tuned ears tell me the direction that the sound is coming from, and I scan that area with my eyes, ready for whatever may come. Suddenly a¡­ a hare hops from the underbrush. The tension leaves my body, but I remain vigilant, when I confirm that there aren¡¯t any animals besides the hare, a sudden laughter erupts loudly from my chest. ¡°Fuck! My nerves are on end.¡± I said, while rubbing my head and looking up. Noticing the sky was beginning to darken, I decided to return to my ¡°house¡± which was little more than a few branches sturdy enough to support my weight. The way back was a lot easier than the journey forward. With the markings I left on the trees, I quickly found my way back to the tree I¡¯d chosen to sleep in today. Because I no longer had to drag myself on the ground and could instead hobble and hop, I made it back a few hours before sunset. I took the chance to loop the rope back and forth between the two branches of the tree to make a secure place to lay. Then I took a larger piece of the wolfs hide, that still had fur, and laid it over the rope to complete the bed. To finish it all up, I secured my bag under the bedding but attached to the rope and placed my staff over my chest as I began to fade into sleep. ¡°It really is a shame I had to throw out the meat, I¡¯d love some barbecue right now.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Two men stood outside a cave, serious expressions on their faces. They scanned the surrounding rocks and the canopy below, alert for any bantila or lokin that might try to invade their tribes laying grounds. ¡°Elder! Elder! Tell us a story!¡± The children sang as they danced around the elder who was sat next to the fire as his chosen stoked it. ¡°Children! I will tell you a story, but first you must behave. Don¡¯t disturb the women while they prepare the hunt!¡± The children quieted down and sat obediently in front of the Elder, causing a smile to branch his face. ¡°Have I ever told you the story of the Bantila Slayer?¡± Chapter 4 Chapter 4 ********************************************************************************************************************************** The children looked at each other with confusion. ¡°Bantila Slayer? Never heard of him.¡± They said while looking back and forth amongst one another. The Elder, who¡¯d told this story well over 100 times could only smile at their antics. ¡°Well, allow me to tell you then.¡± He spoke. ¡°Bantilas are the most ferocious beast that roam Mahr-Kelan. Who knows what Mahr-Kelan means little hunters?¡± he asked. The children jumped up and down, eager to be the one to answer the question. The elder looked around, feigning having difficulty choosing whom to answer, before pointing at one of them. ¡°You De-lah, what is Mahr-Kelan?¡± ¡°Elder, Mahr-Kelan is the name that the Sky God Aki gave to the lands below!¡± ¡°Correct!¡± The elder praised, ¡°You will receive more meat tonight.¡± De-lah beamed with pride while the other children grumbled about how they also knew the answer. ¡°On Mahr-Kelan,¡± the elder continued, ¡°Bantilas are our greatest tribulation. One bantila can hunt and exterminate an entire tribe. They are large beast, with sharp fangs and even sharper claws. They run, jump, pounce, and tear their prey apart better than any other being known.¡± ¡°Elder, if they are so strong, how could there be a Bantila Slayer?¡± a curious child asked. ¡°Good question little one,¡± he responded, ¡°Although bantilas are fierce, they aren¡¯t impossible to beat. In fact, the Bantila Slayer is from our very tribe!¡± The children gasped in shock and awe, looking around. ¡°Where?! Where?!¡± ¡°Sadly, he has already ascended to the star palace above, to feast with Aki.¡± The elder said with a sigh. ¡°But before he did, he handled the monster haunting our tribe. As you little hunters know, we must always be on the move. Following the dambi and bufan, because they are what we rely on to eat and clothe ourselves. We cannot sleep on the plains or clearings because there are far too many insects, predators, and deathly beings that prowl the duff. The only safe place for us is the caves and overhangs that are small enough for us to defend against these great threats.¡± ¡°Usually, there will be no problem. Many generations will live, hunt, die, and return to the stars like this. Living the life of an accomplished hunter, and valuable tribesmen. However sometimes a calamity will befall a tribe, such as the one that hit ours. If a bantila begins to hunt a tribe, there are very few things that can be done. Against their fur, the strongest of bone spears bounce off or shatter. One swipe of their paws can crush and kill even the strongest amongst hunters. Look around, there are only two men other than myself who can hunt. There is only one finger less than a hand of women who remain to take care of all of you children. Would you believe that our tribe used to have more members than both my hands and feet?¡± The children looked stunned, some looking at their hands and feet, others looking at Pino and Si-ah, the only two hunters in the tribe. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°The bantila would come at night, pulling men, women, and children from the cave. It wouldn¡¯t take them far and would instead eat them at the cave entrance, we could hear the screams and pleas for help as we shuddered in our furs.¡± ¡°We moved caves many times, fleeing for many moons, but the bantila followed us, unwilling to let go such an easy meal.¡± ¡°Soon there reached a point when there was no more than one hand of men, a finger less than a hand of women, and a little less than both hands of children.¡± ¡°Elder what did we do?!¡± A child, clearly enamored by the story asked. ¡°The hand of men decided to fight the beast, instead of waiting for it to slowly kill us all! So, they sharpened their bone spears, and tightened their furs and set off after the beast.¡± The children leaned in, anticipation written all over their faces, waiting to hear the next part. The elder leaned in as well before saying, ¡°I will tell you the rest after we¡¯ve finished eating, the meal is ready!¡± ¡°AWWWWWWWW!!!¡± The children cried. *********************************************************************************************************************** Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop, A torrent of rain falls in a loud cacophony, drenching the parched forest in much needed precipitation. ¡°FUCKKKK! It¡¯s raining all my materials will be ruined!¡± I cursed loudly. I scrambled from my perch as fast and carefully as I could. This was the first time it¡¯d rained since I arrived here. ¡®Other mind¡¯ doesn¡¯t have any great insights this time so I¡¯m on my own. First, I removed my bag of supplies from under the bedding. Then I swiftly undid the rope before letting the fur on top of the rope fall with it neatly into my outstretched hand. Once I¡¯d disassembled the bedding, I awkwardly hugged the tree and slid towards the ground. The water from the rain acting as a lubricant to make the journey quicker. Once I had steadied myself, I dug a hole using my walking stick, and placed the thicker end firmly at the bottom. Then I patted the wet soil down as well as I could considering how soaked everything was. After that I got to work, tearing a hole into the piece of hide I usually use as a bag. There isn¡¯t much in there other than a few fangs and berries anyway, so it makes no difference. Once I¡¯d made what I believed to be a decent sized hole on one end of the hide, I began the process on the other end. It took far longer than it should¡¯ve but considering that rain was getting in my eyes and all over my hands, making the work 10 times harder, I believe I did a pretty good job. I cut the rope into two pieces, one being longer than the other. I took the long piece and looped it through the hole on one end of the hide, then I ran the hide around the trunk of the tree and tied a fast knot. Then I took the piece of rope and imitated the process, except this time I used the staff as the other supporting pole rather than a tree. Once the work was done, I gathered all the fangs and dirty berries from the muddy ground and sat under the makeshift cover. The rain still battered me slightly when the wind changed direction, but when I grew accustomed to the muddy ground I was sitting on, and tightly wrapped the fur around myself, I found sleep slowly returning to me. Just as I was about to sink into another dream, my eyes shot open. ¡°I¡¯m a fucking idiot!¡± I exclaimed. ¡°Water! This is all water!¡± I shouted. I ran out of the cover and opened my mouth to the skies. Rainwater is one of the few reliable sources of clean drinking water, since I haven¡¯t yet found a reliable water source, I¡¯ve had to rely on the juices of berries to barely get by. I let the water slowly accumulate in my mouth before quickly swallowing it down and beginning the process anew. At first, I just fill my stomach with as much water as my deprived body can handle. However, as I slowly satiate my thirst, I begin to take the time to enjoy it. I feel as the water slowly runs down my throat, I swish it across my teeth and tongue. This water tastes sweeter, fresher, more delicious than any drink I can recall from my old life. I don¡¯t know when, but I began to cry again. I lived life so fast that I forgot about the little things, but that doesn¡¯t mean they don¡¯t matter. A bed, food, water, all the things I took for granted¡­ If anyone were to peer into the forest at this moment, they¡¯d surely be shocked, thinking perhaps they¡¯d happened upon a forest spirit. There in the rain stood a boy not older than 16, laughing and crying, doing a strange one-legged dance, his mouth open and facing the heavens. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 *************************************************************************************************************************** ¡°Elder, I have decided on my son¡¯s name.¡± spoke a well-built man. ¡°I will hear his name and pass it on to him at the suitable time, what shall he be called?¡± the Elder asked. ¡°Call him De-lah, it means to worship the earth.¡± The main said. ¡°That is a very good name Nol-kaan, it shall be so, De-lah, to worship the earth. You, Lahk-teh, you haven¡¯t named your son though many messengers have crossed the skies, what better time than now to finally give him a name?¡± The elder asked. ¡°Elder¡­¡± Lahk-teh responded, ¡°A name is what one must carry forever. My father gave me the name, to water plants, surely it is a name with no strength and no meaning. For my son I will choose only the best name. I have spent many moons praying to Aki, and the names I have imagined are more than both my hands and feet. When the right name comes to me, then, I will name my son. For now, we will continue to call him Pino, he who survives.¡± Lahk-teh said as he hugged Pino and his Chosen. The elder sighed having many things to say, yet not knowing how to say them. The reason everyone was naming their sons and daughters, even before they left their mothers wombs, was because they would soon set out to slay the bantila. No one spoke it, but everyone knew, many of them would not return. If they did not name their children now, they may never get the chance. ¡°Father please! Please don¡¯t go! We need you; mother needs you. Aki has laid another spark within her, soon there will be another tribesman. Please don¡¯t go.¡± A young Si-ah, barely at the age of 12 cried. ¡°Si-ah¡­¡± Lami-nii said softly, ¡°You won¡¯t understand, maybe until many messengers have crossed the skies or until you have a chosen and small spark of your own. This is something we must do so that you all can feel the warmth of Aki when he lifts the Great Fire from the deep darkness.¡± He kissed Si-ah¡¯s head before turning to the hand of hunters. ¡°HUNTERS!¡± Lami-nii, the leader of the hunting group yelled. The hand of men responded in kind, yelling out and singing a strange melody that appeared to be a battle cry. Once they responded Lami-nii made no effort to speak further, there was no need for a speech. Everything they were fighting for stood to their backs within that cave. The hand of men stood tall, bone spears, and wooden clubs held tightly. They marched forwards, to slay a bantila. *********************************************************************************************************************************** Judging from the number of marks I¡¯ve left in this tree; I¡¯ve been in this forest for about a month. I don¡¯t know whether the bodies of people here are naturally stronger or better at healing, but after I straightened my leg, it begun to heal rapidly. It is still very sore, and I still lean heavily on the walking stick, but I can put a bit of weight on my leg and move a lot faster than I used to. Over this last month there have been many run ins with danger, and I¡¯ve learned much. For one, overing my skin with mud and certain herbs and grasses to avoid the detection of predators. There is a small bright green berry that is apparently repulsive to lokin and insects alike. By mixing the juice of the berry with dirt, I''ve made a decent insect and lokin repelent! I''ve also learned what are the safest locations to sleep, and slowly but surely, I¡¯ve begun to understand the territories of the predators and the layout of this forest. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The area that I¡¯m currently in is the bear¡¯s territory, it spans from the mountain where it lives, all the way to what I believe to be to the tree I am at now. Its territory is roughly in the shape of a circle, and I¡¯ve determined it to be the safest location so far. The reason being that the bear isn¡¯t as active as some of the other predators. It stays relatively close to its den, only goes out when its hungry or very bored, and even when it does wander, I can spot the tell-tale signs and hide in a tree or bush until it passes. The territory adjacent to the bear¡¯s is the wolves, that was where I woke up. Luckily, I¡¯d dragged myself enough ''herds'' away tha- that I somehow reached the bears territory, and the rest is history. There is all manner of wildlife in this forest that I¡¯ve observed, snakes, hares, wolves, bears foxes. All manners of trees and fruits that neither myself or ¡®other mind¡¯ can identify, and of course bugs. An insane number of insects, I count myself as blessed by Ak¡­ God that with the help of the insect repellent I haven¡¯t gotten sick yet. This¡­ has also become a problem, I¡¯ve found myself slowly becoming one with ¡®other mind¡¯ . From saying words like ''herd'' to measure 10 km, saying a ''hand'' to represent the number 5... down to the way I''ve replaced God with ''Aki''! I don¡¯t see myself as the 20-year-old waste that I used to be. No, I can¡¯t even remember what the New York skyline looks like. I¡¯m not Carter or Pino, now I am a bit of both. Whenever I sleep, I experience this other side of me, this other life and I don¡¯t know how to feel about it. There isn¡¯t much I can do regardless, so I will just let it happen and hope for the best. After all there are bigger problems. ¡°Now¡­ what the fuck am I going to do about this.¡± I asked the air. The reliable hide and fur bedding that I¡¯ve been using is beginning to rot. It makes sense, since I¡¯ve been here, I haven¡¯t started a fire once, scared of what it might attract. I think that fire, or at least smoke, is necessary to properly cure hide. Not to mention the fur, enough water and not enough sunlight will cause anything to rot and mold. Which brings me to my current predicament, now, what the hell am I going to do. I need furs and hides; they¡¯ve been essential to my survival so far. They can be used to store food and water as well as bedding and protection against the elements. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be lucky enough to chance upon another battle between apex predators, so the only thing I can do is begin to hunt for myself. I have mixed emotions about this, the modern side of my brain is queasy and scared to take the life away from another living being. While the primal side of my brain is excited, anticipating finally being able to hunt again. I settle my emotions and look at things objectively, without hide and fur I won¡¯t survive. Moreover, the weather has been getting colder which implies winter is close, without the necessary materials¡­ I won¡¯t survive. If I don¡¯t make a move now, it may be over for me. Finally steeling myself in pursuit of the task ahead, I start the first and most essential step of my plan, finding some good sticks. ********************************************************************************************************************************************** Two unnatural birds cry back and forth, filling the tall grass with a strange noise. This is the unique language, only know to hunters that allow them to communicate while blending in with the environment. Si-ah: ¡®There are not many dambi out today, we should just turn around and help the women forage for berries, it would be a better use of the Great Fire before Aki places it into the darkness.¡¯ Pino heard this and with exasperation twittered back, Pino: ¡®We haven¡¯t had meat in two hands worth of Fires, the Elders need meat to stay strong, and the young ones need meat to grow strong. We should search for at least half a hand of Fire more, before we decide to go back.¡¯ Si-ah responded with anger, Si-ah: ¡®We have been out here since before the Great Fire breached the darkness, how much longer should we- ¡® Pino: ¡®Shush!¡¯ Si-ah: ¡®No! This time you must listen, I have hunted with you for almost two messenger crossings and yet- ¡® Pino: ¡®Do you hear that?¡¯ Si-ah: ¡®Hear what?¡¯ Si-ah strained his ears to hear what Pino was hearing. It didn¡¯t take long before he could hear the huffs and shuffle of the animal not too far in front of them. Si-ah: ¡®A bufan?¡¯ Pino: ¡®A bufan!¡¯ Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Shing-Shing! Shing-Shing! Shing-Shing! This is the fourth wooden spear I¡¯ve made, the process to reach this point has been arduous. I leveraged the dagger against the piece of wood, that stood at about a meter and a half. I dug the dagger a few centimeters into the wood, then swiftly pushed the knife upwards towards the sharp end of the stick. The key to making a good spear is to harpen it enough that it has a decnt point, but not so much that the tip becomes brittle. It''s similar to how one sharpens a pencil, enough to write well with, but not so much that you can''t write at all. A new shaving fell into the small pile that had begun to accumulate on the ground between my legs. When I first decided to start hunting, it was almost impossible. The spears broke more times than not, the clubs were to slow, and the small prey I tried to capture were far too fast for me to catch up to. I tried everything, from hiding in trees like my old self did, to laying bait like I¡¯d seen in the movies. Nothing worked, the experience was truly frustrating. ******************************************************************************************************************************************** "HOW THE FUCK!" I yelled in exasperation once more. ''This is impossible!'' I thought while clenching my bone knife against my head. "If I''d been smart enough to take a couple of bones from the loki- wolves," I correct myself "I wouldn''t be in this predicament, and bone spears are stronger anyway... at least I think," I mutter as I grab another piece of wood. This has been happening for over an hour, and I''m honestly at my wits end! The only bright side to all of this is that I''ve finally managed to find decent sticks and tree limbs without too much trouble. The large stack of broken limbs and wood shavings that was swiftly piling next to me a testament of that. "AGAIN!" I yell, smashing yet another failed product to the ground. "Fuck it, who needs spears anyway?!" I said, questioning the air around me. Picking up a large limb, I decided to simply bludgeon any animal fool enough to approach. Finding a good tree, I simply waited... and waited... and waited. "Nothing?" I uttered confusedly, this spot was a high traffic area for hares. Just as that thought crossed my mind, a plump hare hopped into the small clearing, eager to munch on the berry bushes near it. Immediately, my heart rate skyrocketed, and my breathing became erratic. A surge of adrenaline coursed through my body as my muscles tightened in anticipation of what I''d do next. The moment that the hare lifted its head in worry, whilst scanning the surrounding area, I pounced. "HAAH!" I yelled with vigor, while smashing the club downwards. I felt the thud of something soft coming into contact with my club, and when I looked down to see the gory mess of a felled hare, I was met with upturned and moist ground. ''I missed?!?'' I thought, as I watched the hare run into the duff and disappear. "That was only the first try, next time will be different!" I asserted, more to convince myself than anything. But 8 hours later the outcome was the same, no matter what smart little trick I tried to employ, I couldn''t even catch a hare, much less a larger animal! Sighing as I dragged my weary body back to my "home" I decided ''I have to figure out how to make spears. My life depends on it.'' ****************************************************************************************************************************** Sleeping, suprisingly, was my saving grace. From learning which animal was close simply by the way that it breathed, to properly hiding myself and masking my scent. The dreams showed me the way to survive in this wilderness, while my modern mind made the methods more efficient. For instance, I am still to scared to start a fire, yet I need to eat meat. I remember reading about how the Mongols would cook meat by putting it between the horse and the saddle, and letting friction cook it. I¡¯ve done the same thing by putting meat at the bottom of my shoe and putting hide between it and my foot. The result is barely cooked meat after a day of hunting and foraging, but at least its edible, albeit a bit smelly. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. The goal today is to hunt a dambi, or deer in English. I¡¯ve been following a herd of them for the last two days and I¡¯ve finally decided to hunt one. Of course, I could¡¯ve attacked them while they were sleeping or even when a youngling strayed from the herd, but my other mind told me better. It reminded me that these animals need to drink water eventually, so if I followed them, I could find a water source. At the thought of water, I quickly peek my head through the tall grass and thick bushes I¡¯m currently hunkered in. Before me lies a lake of large proportions. Around the edges of the water there is nothing but orange-ish sand and sparse trees. To the left of the lakes is a wide clearing, which the dambi are currently grazing from. I am a small way to the right of the clearing, where the grass meets the trees, and the forest grows undisturbed. After watching the dambi drink from the lake, I¡¯ve all but confirmed there are no major predators lurking in the depths, such as alligators or anacondas. Now all that is left to do is to prepare myself for the hunt, and the next steps of my plan should it be successful. I gripped the newly made spear tightly as I slung the other three on my back. Held firm by a small circle of hare fur and a long sling of poorly sown and patched fox hide that went over my shoulders and under my arms. ¡°It¡¯s time to hunt.¡± I whispered to myself as I slowly slank towards the dambi. A little closer and I will be in position. It took me almost 30 minutes to reach where I am now, only 20 meters away from the dambi. I slowly and silently peer through the grass until my eyes lock on my targets. After observing this herd of dambi for the last couple of days, I was able to spot the old, weak, or wounded. Those would be my targets today, one of the dambi had a scar shaped like a star on its right flank, and due to that walked while leaning heavily on it¡¯s left side. That wound couldn¡¯t be caused by any predators in this forest, do other humans live in this forest too? No. Doesn¡¯t matter, all that matters right now is the hunt. I slither through the grass, watching out for any dry leaves or small twigs that could give me away. I simultaneously keep an eye on my targets movements while also ensuring that the tall grass I¡¯m moving through doesn¡¯t shake more than the wind would cause it to. This part of the hunt is the hardest, the last few meters before you reach the kill zone are the most important. When I am no farther than 10 meters away from the dambi, and I know moving any closer will expose me. When I hear its slightly pained breathing and can see the juices that dribble from its mouth as it nibbles on the grass, that¡¯s when I know I have reached the kill zone. I slowly reach for the extra spears on my back and unsling one, the fur surrounding the spears preventing any grating noises. Once the spear is out, I lay it on the ground beside me. Now I must choose, between the old and the injured, which should I kill first? My initial thoughts were, ¡°obviously the old one, it¡¯ll be an easier kill.¡± But then the true hunter in my brain, the Pino side of myself instead suggested, ¡°Kill the injured one first, the old one will have a much harder time of running away.¡± Who am I to argue with the incarnation of myself who¡¯s lived in these lands since birth? I watch the injured dambi, weary of any sudden movements, finally after 15 long minutes of observation I understood its pattern. When it bowed its head once more to graze on the lush grass, I made my move. I raised myself up slowly, took aim, leaned back and threw the spear forth with all the might I could muster. The spear whistled through the air at an amazing speed as it spanned the short distance, tearing through some of the blades of grass as it sailed towards its target. The sudden noise caused the injured dambi to raise its head in alert, just as anticipated; the spear landed true lodging itself deep in the neck of the injured dambi. ¡°That blow will be fatal.¡± I thought. I quickly reached for my other spear without even looking for it. Once I felt my hand secure around the shaft of the spear, I began to line a shot up with my next target. The injured deer attempted to bleat, to warn its herd, but the spear stuck in its neck only allowed for a blood-filled warble. This however was enough, many of the dambi raised their ears and became tense. Knowing that they¡¯d likely flee soon, I did the only thing I could think of. ¡°AWOOOOO¡± I howled. The sudden sound of a wol- a lokin, caused the dambi to freeze in instinctual panic, only for a moment. This moment, however, was enough time for me to make my move. Having already begun to line up my shot, all that I had to do was throw the spear. The spear once again sailed through the tall grass, making its way towards the old dambi. This time, things didn¡¯t go as smoothly, the old dambi began to run, so the spear missed the intended target of its chest, and instead embedded itself shallowly in its side. As the dambi ran the spear was shaken out and fell to the ground, whilst the old dambi escaped through the trees along with the rest of the herd. I considered giving chase¡­ but I didn¡¯t need more meat, anyway, hunting any further would be a waste of time and energy. ¡°I¡¯ve weakened the old dambi so the next hunt will be easier.¡± I thought as I pulled out my bone dagger and moved towards the felled dambi. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 ******************************************************************************************************************************* ¡°ARGHHHH!¡± I grunted as my injured leg bumped against a protruding root. Si-ah who was carrying me said, ¡°You deserve the pain, who the hell do you think you are, jumping at a bufan alone?? With no planning?? DO YOU EVER STOP TO CONSIDER THE FATE OF THE TRIBE LIES ON OUR SHOULDERS?!?!¡± He yelled, his anger gradually rising as he spoke. ¡°But I felled it didn¡¯t I? Without your help, I sunk my dagger deep into the neck and eyes of the bufan and felled it!¡± I retorted. ¡°AT WHAT COST?! LOOK AT YOUR FUCKING LEG!!¡± Si-ah raged. ¡°Si-ah, have you lost your mind?¡± I asked quietly, ¡°We are still deep in the wilds, do you want to let every beast know where we are?¡± I uttered questioningly. Si-ah tacitly agreed, with a simple nod, both of us sinking into silence as Si-ah supported me by letting me lay my arm over his shoulder and lean on him as I walked. ¡°Regardless of if you felled the bufan or not¡­ you will likely never hunt again, and if I were to return to the wilds or ascend to the stars, you would have damned the entire tribe. For what? Pride? To prove something to your father? He¡¯s dead. My father is dead too. The tribe is close to returning to the wilds, for what? To prove something? I won¡¯t accept it, there is always a better way. The path you¡¯ve chosen¡­¡± Si-ah didn¡¯t continue his quite rant, he just smiled bitterly and continued to walk in silence. I stared at him deeply, a sinking feeling in my stomach. Perhaps I¡¯ve truly messed up this time. ********************************************************************************************************************* Looking at the dead dambi that now sported a freshly slit throat, I felt a small tinge of pride. Perhaps for the people born in this world, felling a singular animal is no large feat, but for a modern man like myself, far removed from firearms and modern technology to reach this point is something to be proud of. After allowing myself a moment to thoroughly pat my back, I hoisted the dambi up a tree, it head and neck facing downwards so that its blood can properly drain, making the butchering easy later on. After letting the blood drain for about an hour, I nervously got to work. The reason for my nerves was two-fold: One, this was my first time butchering such a large animal, this was a completely different level than a couple hares. The second reason is that I have no Idea what predators this large amount of blood will attract. If I have a fire by the time they arrive, then fine, if not... Regardless, it''s time to get to work. Pulling the dambi down from the tree, I grab its member and swiftly chop it off. The fact that the dambi is a male confuses me a little, I thought male deer had horns? "But this is a different world." I conceded to myself. Swiftly forgetting about that, I toss the reproductive organ to the side before opening the dambi''s stomach. I sift through the intestines, stomach, liver and other such organs, removing any waste and small bits of dirt and blood mixed together. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ''This is quite the treasure trove! When I butchered the lokin I forgot to take their bladders, but now I finally have a decent water container! Moreover, these other parts are good food according to other mind.'' I thought ecstatically. Once I''d properly removed all the good bits and thrown the rest into the duff, I completely skinned the dambi, before divying up its meat into breast, ribs, lungs... Two hours had passed and I looked at my work with great joy. Layed before me was neatly cut-, or neatly as possible with a bone knife, portions of meat, organs, and large swathes of hide. Before I could pause for another round of back patting- A rustling echoed from my left side. I twirl around at an astounding speed, picking a spear up from the ground and readying myself for whatever may come. A moment that felt longer than eternity passed, but I soon hear a soft grating sound in the underbush, assuring me that this new adversary is a snake, and likely not a dangerous one. Although the incident wan''t serious, it did remind me what I had to do next. A large smile branched my face, I can pratically smell the roasted meat. ... All this talk of starting a fire, and I forgot one of the most essential components. I need a flintstone and a spark rock, shouldn¡¯t be too hard¡­right? ¡°What the fuck¡­¡± I grunted unhappily. After finally successfully hunting my first ¡®big game¡¯ I was on an adrenaline high, feeling on top of the world. Those feelings have faded now, when I remembered what was necessary to start a fire, I thought I¡¯d be eating bar-b-que within the hour. How wrong I was, not any rock is flintstone, and not any stone is a spark stone. Sufficed to say although I walked around the edge of the lake, and searched the surrounding forest duff, I was unable to find any rocks that suited my purposes. That brings me to what I am doing now, I¡¯ve taken a rather short piece of rope and tied it to two ends of a rather flexible stick, while leaving a loop in the middle of the rope to insert another stick. Once that was all done, I laid some dry tinder into some dry bark, which is the closest thing to a bowl that I have and began shaking my contraption back and forth. The goal is to cause enough heat via friction to set the tinder a-smolder, then I will gently blow on the smoldering tinder until enough oxygen is provided to produce a flame. Once I¡¯ve completed the three steps for fire, I¡¯ll simply put the small flame into a larger batch of tinder, which will be the base of a larger fire. I could kiss my science teacher right now. Since this will be my first attempt at making fire, I¡¯ve prepared just about everything. From plenty of tinder, to digging a hole to place the fire, to various sized sticks. Now if only this tinder will start smoldering before my arms fall off. ¡°It¡¯s going to be another long day.¡± I sigh as I mindlessly operate my rudimentary tool. While my mind is busy surfing my memories of air-conditioned rooms, and pre-packaged meat, I smell something. It smells delicious it smells¡­ smokey! ¡°Aki above!¡± I exclaim, Right under me there is a small amount of smoke rising from the tinder I¡¯ve been working on for the last hour. I carefully remove the Firestarter then bring the smoldering tinder towards my mouth. ¡°I¡¯m happy I used moss, and wood shavings, lots of smoke and it will last for a while.¡± I thought aloud. I gently blew on the smolders, then as my confidence grew, so too did the strength of the air I pushed from my chest. A small flame burst to life in my hands, its heat growing by the second. I excitedly rush to my basic firepit, careful to shield the small flame from the wind or anything else that might extinguish it. I slid the bark holding the flame gently onto the tinder under the larger sticks¡­ and waited, and waited, and waited. Until finally I heard that familiar crackle, as Aki¡¯s gift danced upon the sticks and branches in the firepit. I leaped to my feet, yelling ¡°EUREKA!!!¡± repeatedly. Finally, I regained control of myself, remembering where I was. As Aki pushed the Great Fire into the darkness, a small piece of it remained. Deep in a forest, close to a lake, with a madman dancing around it, screaming silently. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Winter is certainly coming, the weather has gotten considerably colder compared to when I first awoke here, and the predators have become a lot more active. Likely in preparation for the winter, they are stocking up on as much food as they can eat. This has made the bear¡¯s territory a lot less safe for me. I can hardly move without having to hide away from Teddy, which is what I¡¯ve decided to name him. Don¡¯t judge me, if not for these little things I¡¯d probably lose my mind. If my understanding of the seasons is still correct, then I¡¯ve been in this forest alone for close to half a year! I think I deserve to at least name a few animals, no? That doesn¡¯t make me crazy right? ¡°But then again, who the hell am I even talking to right now?¡± I question myself. ¡°Yeah, I might be losing it,¡± I sigh. Due to having to leave the bear territory and not wanting to risk the wolf territory; My only option was either to brave the unknown and enter a different area of the forest or settle closer to the watering hole. There was only one real option, the watering hole seems to be a neutral ground for all the animals. Although I¡¯ve certainly seen animals being hunted close to the watering hole, very rarely is there any conflict there. The proximity to water is only one of the perks, prey walking to my doorstep is another, if that didn¡¯t seal the deal there is an even greater profit from living here. The true boon of this area is a large clay deposit. The tell-tale sign was the fact that the soil had an orange and red tint, and a lack of grass or shrubbery like the rest of the lake. Clay changes everything, from the way I cook and store things, to the way that I live, and the amount of water I can drink! Being able to drink more water is the most exciting part to me. When I first awoke here, I was extremely dehydrated. I barely managed to scrape by through drinking the sparse amount of juice that came from berries. Even then, that wasn¡¯t very healthy, and it left me just slightly less thirsty and consistently tired. Whenever it rained, I¡¯d drink as much water as my body could handle, and I¡¯d also try to collect some water for later in the hides and animal blatters that I had. But due to the lackluster curing process, drinking water from the hides would make me sick. If the water hadn¡¯t already leaked or been evaporated by the time I was thirsty again. When I finally began using fire, I could boil water using the hides as a makeshift container, but the hides could only be put over fire so much before they finally cracked or burst. Meaning I had to spend more and more time hunting, it just wasn¡¯t efficient at all. But now¡­ this clay is my ticket to a better future! The first and most essential step to furthering my plans is stone tools! I will need a lot more wood, and a lot more stone, and more clay than I can probably handle to properly prepare for this coming winter. Towards that purpose, a bone dagger and a few sharp sticks aren¡¯t going to cut it anymore! I need to start making actual tools¡­ but how does one make an axe? Two Weeks Later ¡°How do you make an axe?!?!¡± I all but cried. I¡¯d tried many things: If I tie a stone to a piece of wood it falls off. If I try to shove the stone into the wood, it splinters or splits in half. I truly am stumped on this issue. I decided to begin creating clay and clay products without the help of stone tools. That too was a learning experience. Learning how to properly mold the clay into the shape I wanted, ensuring that there were no holes or air pockets in the mold was a struggle. Even when that hurdle was climbed the clay would sometimes just burst into shards over the fire. Heat control is also apparently necessary to make clay tools! The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. It took a few days, but once I mastered the basics of pottery, the first thing I created was pots for food and water storage. I could¡¯ve made woven baskets from branches, but although they are light, they aren¡¯t as durable, nor do they preserve food as well as pottery. Immediately after I made clay pots, they began to show their use. Although the water would sometimes be a little dirty from the clay chips, its much better from what I used to deal with. I also made a small brick oven, which makes boiling water and cooking food easier. Additionally, I began burying pots full of meat to keep them cold, it¡¯s a primal refrigerator of sorts. I still haven¡¯t shaken my fear of using fire yet, if the smell of cooking meats attracts a predator it may spell the end of me. That, however, won¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m slowly starving and losing more and more energy per day due to the lack of protein intake. So, I¡¯ve decided, rather than die weak and starving, why not fight with full vigor should a problem arise? Of course, I remain cautious, straining my ears to hear any unnatural sounds over the roaring of the fire. The lack of security is another large problem, sleeping in the trees won¡¯t cut it forever, and it¡¯ll be impossible to avoid the cold of the snow with my little makeshift tent. I need an actual shelter. To that effort, the brick oven has come a long way. The process starts by mixing clay-dirt and water until it is thick as pizza dough. Then I simply form the mud into as rectangular a shape as I can manage before leaving them to sit for a while. After the sun has baked them into the desired shape, I place them in the oven to be completely cooked. Once the oven has done its magic, I take them out and let the bricks cool. The process sounds simple, and it is, but the work is extremely tiring. Digging up clay, mixing it, forming it, putting it in the oven, removing it and allowing it to cool, then assembling the house. The worst part is, that the house requires a monumental number of bricks! Due to my own requirements of course¡­ I want a floor and foundation of bricks; I want a fireplace to keep the home warm and to be able to cook in comfort during the winter. I want an area I can dedicate to food storage, and lastly, I want double layered walls, meaning that there is an outer wall, then furs, leaves and any other insulation materials, then an inner wall, so that the house looks refined and not like a haphazardly assembled birds¡¯ nest. Its my attempt at insulating the house from whatever nature throws at me. The task will take up most of my time, but that is good. If I sat on my hands doing nothing, I might lose my mind. To sweeten the pie, all this building has taught me new things. For instance, by mixing warm ash with tree sap and water I can make a primitive mortar to solidly bind the bricks for my house together! That¡¯s only one of the many things I learned during this whole ordeal. I look at the not even half-built house, ¡°There is roughly 60 days before winter comes¡­ time to get to work.¡± I grunt as I heave another load of bricks toward the house. Mana-tula POV ¡°Elder! Elder! Look at this dambi!¡± A young man, barely older than 17, said as he ran up to me. ¡°Mahr-kel!¡± I yelled strictly, ¡°Instead of boasting about your kill, go watch over the young ones! Go train your stalking abilities! One good hunt doesn¡¯t make you a bantila!¡± Although I dislike yelling at the young hunters its necessary, I¡¯ve seen far too many of them return to the wilds or become broken due to their pride. As the Elder of the Tula tribe, it is my responsibility to direct these young ones down the right path, even at risk of them hating me. ¡°But elder¡­¡± Mahr-kel mopped at the reprimand, ¡°This one is truly strange, look at its side.¡± I decided to indulge him and look at the flank of the old dambi. As my brain registered what I saw, my eyes quickly grew sharp, and my breath baited. ¡°Good job!¡± I exclaimed to Mahr-kel, trying to keep up a calm fa?ade. ¡°Give me that dambi,¡± I said while slinging the animal over my shoulder. ¡°I will show this to the leader, I¡¯m sure he will be pleased with your finding.¡± I remarked as I turned away from him and began walking through the pitched tents that dotted the clearing our tribe rested in. ¡°Thank you, Elder!¡± Mahr-kel said, with a slightly confused glint in his eyes and a strange sinking feeling in his stomach. I simply waved over my shoulder as I continued walking. ¡°This may be troublesome¡­¡± I thought as I glanced at the dambi again. There on its flank was a star shaped wound, a clear sign of other hunters. ¡°And if they aren¡¯t our hunters¡­.¡± I sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s talk to the Honorable Tula first.¡± I grunted. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 The Tula Tribe, one of the many small tribes that roam the vast Mahr-Kelan continent. The tribe started as a decent sized group of no more than 20 people. The group was headed by the Honorable Lakn-tula, his name meaning good hunting. Lakn-tula lived up to his name¡¯s sake, felling many bufan and dambi. There are even rumors that he fought a bantila alone for 3 days and 3 nights, with the battle ending in a tie. Due to his large physique and superior hunting skills, he was able to have his pick of Chosen, and so he bedded 5 women. From those 5 came the first flock of his lineage. Lakn-tula was originally part of a large 1,000 strong tribe, but as his family grew, so did his ambitions. When his family grew to the size of 20 members, with 11 men strong including himself, he set off to start his own tribe. Fleeing the Halkan-kan tribe from which he originated, he left the Great Steppes of the North, and descended unto the Grand Eastern Forests. Here he was able to expand his tribe from a mere 20 to well over 1,000! Rivaling the tribe from whence he came. Lakn-tula died a powerful man, with all the food and women a man could ask for. However, once he passed, things took a turn for the worst immediately. His sons took up arms against each other in pursuit of power. The smaller tribes he¡¯d subjugated in his lifetime also took the chance to rebel and claim their independence once more. These problems, along with the lack of food, and the occasional raid for women and supplies by other tribes decimated the Tula tribe. Many moons and many more generations have passed since the founding of the Tula tribe. The tribe still stands, but merely as a shadow, a laughable imitation of what it used to be. The once strong Tula tribe now numbers no more than 200 tribesmen, with only 60 hunters. The rest being women, children, or elderly. The tribe has finally, after many messengers have crossed, managed to gain a foothold near a decent sized forest, but a tribulation faces them much sooner than expected, or hoped for. ¡°That is the situation.¡± Mana-tula said while addressing the group of men seated before him. The Honorable Tula hummed before asking, ¡°Does anyone have anything to say or to add? This is the opportunity for the clan heads to make their opinions known.¡± As he looked around the room, at the well-dressed, well-fed clan leaders lower their proud heads and avert their eyes, he had only one thought: ¡°Cowards.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± The he began, ¡°Is yet another tribulation that we, the Tula, must face.¡± Continuing with more strength he added, ¡°We have survived the civil wars, we have survived the raids, we have triumphed over winter and the proud beast of the Eastern Forest!¡± ¡°WE HAVE SLAIN OUR ENEMIES, WE HAVE SUBJUGATED TRIBES, WE HAVE PLUNDERED WOMEN!¡± He yelled roaringly. The yurt seemed to have been filled with electricity as the clan leaders raised their heads and puffed out their chests. ¡°WE HAVE TRAVERSED THE GREAT STEPPES, WE HAVE BRAVED HARD RAIN AND SKY SNAKES, WE HAVE CLAIMED AN OASIS OF OUR OWN. WILL WE LET ANYONE TAKE THAT FROM US?!?!¡± He yelled. ¡°NOOOO!¡± All the clan heads responded while jumping from their seats. ¡°WE ARE STRONG, WE ARE PROUD, WE ARE MANY, WHO. ARE. WE?!?!?¡± The Honorable Tula asked, also leaping from his seat. ¡°TULA!¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°TULA!¡± ¡°TULA!¡± After the roaring and excitement died down, the chieftain began to give orders, ¡°Clan Heads, hear me!¡± He spoke. ¡°Awaiting orders, Honorable Tula!¡± The clan leaders responded. ¡°Reinforce the hunting parties, have scouts always active for any possible enemy raids, and be on the lookout for any smoke or other signs of tribal habitation. Have you understood.¡± He asked domineeringly. ¡°Honorable Tula has been heard!¡± The clan leaders responded as they rushed from the tent, high on morale. As soon as the last clan head was gone the chieftain slumped back into his chair. ¡°Father, what will we do? This newest trial may be our undoing!¡± The chieftain sighed exasperatedly. ¡°Honorable Tula, I have taught you better than this, never show weakness¡­ even to your father,¡± The Elder said. ¡°But you are right, we know nothing of the enemy this time, and with winter coming we shouldn¡¯t go seeking problems that haven¡¯t sought us out. We should be preparing for winter! This one seems to be a cold one, and many will perish before Mahr-Kelan awakens once more.¡± ¡°I know that Elder¡­I know.¡± The chieftain murmured silently, ¡°However, what choice do we have?¡± The men looked at each other and sighed. *************************************************************************************************************************** ¡°Here is you portion of the meat Pino.¡± Si-ah said with a tired expression on his face. ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡± Pino responded with a dejected look on his face. ¡°If you don¡¯t take it, I will force it down your throat. You must eat to get better; hunting has become for too hard without you.¡± Si-ah said, cracking a smile and trying to lighten the mood. This, however, only made Pino feel worse. After he injured himself fighting the bufan, Si-ah had to basically drag him back to the cave. After which he immediately set out again to claim the bufan before any luck scavengers could steal the fruit of the day¡¯s labor. Si-ah had to push, pull, and drag the large animal hundreds of meters before he was close enough to the cave to ask the women to cut up the beast. Si-ah was dead tired and so he immediately crashed onto his fur mat, with no thoughts of talking or eating. Which left Pino in the awkward position if explaining exactly what happened. No one berated him for his actions, but he could see it. In the way they looked at him, the coldness they used when addressing him, the barely concealed scorn they felt for him. From the women all the way down to the children. They despised him for his selfishness and his vanity, it¡¯d endangered the continued existence of the tribe. At first Pino thought he¡¯d get better fast, but every time he asked the Elder to adjust his leg, or apply some herbal medicine, it only seemed to get worse. He didn¡¯t know why! He walked on the leg regularly despite the pain to help the bone grow back stronger. He prayed to Aki every night for increased strength and the ability to persevere through this tribulation. He even prayed to the other gods, nothing worked! Pino knew he¡¯d never hunt again when the pain began to seize him every day. He couldn¡¯t move his leg without trembling from the immense burden it put on his body. His leg was bent at an unnatural angle, and it was starting to become deep purple around the edges. The tribesmen could smell his weakness, the scent of death so close to his skin. They instinctually began to avoid and ostracize him, not responding to his cries for water or food. He had to resort to dragging himself on his back towards what he needed. He didn¡¯t blame his tribesmen, being near improper death is a bad omen and it could spread to the rest of them. They were only doing what they must. The small reprieve he got was when in the presence of the Elder or Si-ah. They treated him as if he were just the same, although his actions forced them to take on quadruple the amount of work to support the tribe. They¡¯d do nice things for him, like bring him food or water, take the time to talk to him, make sure he was comfortable. This killed him on the inside, it truly did. ¡°Keep the meat. I won¡¯t be getting better, you know that.¡± Pino said while sporting a downcast grin. ¡°Instead, call the Elder, tell him I¡¯m ready to return to the wilds.¡± He said calmly. The smile on Si-ah¡¯s face vanished as he asked with a serious expression, ¡°Do you know what you are saying right now? Do you really understand what this means?¡± Pino simply closed his eyes, leaned back and took a deep gulp of air, ¡°Call the Elder.¡± Chapter 10 Chapter 10 I finally built the house, and not a moment too soon, there was a moment where I conidered abandoning the brick house project, and just stackint sticks together then covering it with mud. But if history channels have taught me anything, its that those housing methods weren''t safe or sustainable longterm. Looking at the situation now, I believe I made a smart decision. I didn¡¯t expect there to be snow considering what I thought I knew about this area. Based on a few facts I¡¯d assumed that I was in a hotter region of this world. The first clue was bantilas¡¯ I¡¯ve yet to see one in person, and hopefully I never will, but as they are described they seem to be some pre-historic lion. Most of the lions I¡¯ve seen and heard about live in warmer areas like Asia and Africa. The second clue is the clothing that everyone wears, although it is tough and made of animal hides and furs, it seems to be intentionally light. Heat also passes through it very easily, so during hunts or intense physical labor I don¡¯t overheat. Maybe there is also winter clothing, but in all the memories I have from my last life there weren¡¯t any. The final, and in my opinion most glaring evidence is my skin color. If this were modern times it wouldn¡¯t matter, a person¡¯s skin color didn¡¯t necessarily directly equate to where they¡¯ve come from. However, in this ancient era I¡¯d think that for the most part people are stuck in the regions they are from, meaning that if a person has darker skin, then they are likely from a more sun-kissed region. When I first saw my appearance a while ago, when I first drank water from the lake, I wasn¡¯t too shocked. I¡¯ve always been a darker complexion, considering I was an ¡®African-American¡¯ in the modern era. When I came here, I didn¡¯t think it was too weird to see a familiar complexion with just slightly different features. As the months wore on, and I had more downtime in the small hours before sleep, that¡¯s when the differences truly made themselves apparent. Although this new body couldn¡¯t be more than 17, it had strong facial features, large and taut muscles from years of surviving in a hunter-gatherer society, and a height of nearly 200 centimeters. This able-body, muscle memory, and essential knowledge has helped me tremendously during my ongoing effort to survive in this harsh and horrible environment. The results have also been clear! In the 6 months that I¡¯ve been here I¡¯ve learned to hunt, found a water supply, found a safe area to build a home, and properly stocked and prepared for winter! If that isn¡¯t an accomplishment, then I don¡¯t know what is. I wrap my fur tightly around myself as I prepare to head outside. Once I opened the door, a blast of cold, furious, and snow strewn wind assaulted me. ¡°FUCK!¡± I yelled, whilst swiftly closing the door behind me to keep the heat in. I then began walking to the lake a few hundred meters away from my home. Of course, I could just melt snow over the fire at my home, but that would be a waste of firewood, the firewood that must last me for at least another two months, and that¡¯s only if the winters here are the same length as those back on Earth. And so, I trudge along the same path that I do every few days towards the lake. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. When I get closer to the lake, which I will call Lake Tural, I hear something that immediately makes me drop to the ground and hug it tightly. I also slowly burrow into the snow to camouflage myself better. Directly in front of me is my savior, Teddy, and he has been a problem as of late. During these winter months bears and other large predators should be hibernating. Though due to whatever circumstances, whether it lacks fat on its body or something arousing it, the bear has been awake for the last three weeks. One of the first things it did was sniff out the meat that I had buried outside or left smoking close to my hut and ate it all. If that wasn¡¯t bad enough, it then took my home for a free food area and had plagued it to the extent that I could only barely crack open the door to grab a handful of snow to drink water. It only left my house alone when I felled a dambi and sprinkled it¡¯s blood over 3km away from my home, bordering on lokin territory, and dumped the corpse there. The reprieve was slight but needed, the event also put me on high alert. If the bear is awake and hungry, what about the other animals? Lokin (wolves) in the snow would be dangerous, I would tire more quickly, and run slower than they would in case of an encounter. My solution thus far has been this, if a predator is spotted, get low, stay quiet, and wait for it to leave or retreat to a safe location. ¡°Hurry up and go!¡± I mutter to the loitering benan (bear) ¡°I¡¯m freezing my nuts off here!¡± Finally, after 20 minutes of excruciating cold, the bear lumbered off towards its cave. I take note of the direction the bear was headed before jumping up and shaking the snow off myself. Then while warming up my body, I walk the last few meters to Tural. The process is simple, efficient, and well-practiced, cut a hole into the ice (which usually takes the longest), slide rope under the ice and pull it out of the lake, lastly fill the jug with fresh water, and drag both the ice chunk and water home. I use the ice chunks for my ¡°cellar area¡± to keep all the food I have stored within the house cold, and obviously the water is for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. Once I make it home, I grab a few pieces of firewood before dragging the entire haul into the domicile and sorting everything. I place the water in the cellar next to the 3 other large pieces of ice and 2 additional water jugs. Then I walk back out and place the pieces of firewood in front of the furnace to dry out before placing them on the already burning logs. Throwing moisture filled wood onto a hot fire is a¡­ ¡°Rookie mistake¡­¡± I chuckle as I remember my first few days of winter. Once I was properly settled down and warm, I pulled from atop my makeshift bed my newest project. Winter is extremely boring, there is nothing to hunt for and very few things to see or reason to see them. The only option left is to otherwise occupy yourself with daily tasks or small hobbies like this. ¡°Not too bad.¡± I mutter while turning the straw hat that was half complete back and forth in my hands. This is only one of my many projects that I¡¯ve been working on. Everything from learning how to dye my clothes in different colors using berries, to mastering the art of sewing better clothes, to decorating the house with furs. I¡¯ve been very busy, but admittedly most of my time is spent sleeping, other than once every three days when I must get more water. ¡°Thread in, thread out, thread in, thread¡­.¡± I repeatedly murmur to myself as I go about the small task. Although it isn¡¯t very useful until perhaps summer, it¡¯s still a nice item to have. BANG! CRASH! A sudden thump against my door startles me from my monotonous stupor. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 My body stiffened¡­ In all my time here, from when I first built this house, when winter first set, even when Teddy stole my food, never once was there such a loud disturbance directly at my doorstep. As quietly as I could, I slinked towards my spears that I had stacked against the wall. As I silently made my way across the rather small room, I thanked my inner decorator for deciding to furnish the clay floors with animal furs. The padding made for an amazing muffler. Finally, with the firm and weighty spear in my hand, I had time to think. I poised myself to the right side of the door, the direction it would swing in. If some starved animals were to barge in, I¡¯d at least have a couple of seconds to analyze the situation before engaging the enemy. ¡®What if it¡¯s a person?¡¯ A small part of me asked in dread. If there were people trying to invade my home¡­ what would I do? In both my last life as well as this current one, as far as I know of, I¡¯ve never taken a life. ¡®Will I be able to do it? If not, what will happen to me?¡¯ I wonder. Deciding to shove any unnecessary thoughts to the back of my head, I settle my mind into a preparatory silence. The fire crackled as time passed slowly. The only sounds disrupting the otherwise serene night were the frosty wind, the roaring fire, and my shallow breaths. What felt like an eternity had elapsed, but less than five minutes had passed. Within this span of time, both my fear and curiosity reached their peak. On one hand, it was entirely possible that a wayward branch had slammed against the door. It was also possible that some distraught and freezing dambi or skny, this world¡¯s birds, collapsed here. Those were only the good options¡­ The only predator that stalks so silently is the bantila, if a bantila has set its eyes on me, I¡¯m as good as dead. If I stay in my home, it¡¯s only a matter of time until I run out of food and water. While if I go outside, there¡¯s a more than decent chance it¡¯ll be waiting for an opportune time to take my life. That isn¡¯t even the worse outcome, if the danger is human, then all the worse. From what I understand, I¡¯m extremely deep in this forest. If humans have happened upon my cabin, that means they are here deliberately. Which begs the question: ¡°What do they want? How many of them are there? Are they armed? Why haven¡¯t they announced themselves?¡± The string of questions bounced and echoed within my mind as I firmed myself to make a decision. Just as carefully as when I grabbed my spear, I made my way to the fireplace. Picking up a piece of firewood, I held it to the fire until it caught alight. Now, with a torch in one hand, and a spear poised in the other, I made my way to the door. ¡°Hello?¡± I shouted through the door, making myself sound as gruff and mature as possible. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. I waited, but no reply sounded back. ¡°HELLO!¡± I yelled louder. The only response was the howling wind. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°The Once-a-moon report may now begin.¡± Mana-tula said to the surrounding family heads. There was a small rustling about as all the family heads respectfully took their seats. The decorum amongst the Tula tribe is for the Elder to speak on behalf of the Honorable Tula, and for the family heads to communicate their reports and thoughts to the Elder. The Honorable Tula only spoke to deescalate situations, deliver a verdict on an issue, or to deliver his commands. This system was put in place due to there being a few incompetent leaders amongst the Honorable Tula lineage who¡¯d made fools of themselves during the monthly and quarterly meetings. A more experienced and smoother talker would be the mouthpiece, while the Chieftain would only need to yell occasionally. This arrangement obviously gave the Elder, whoever that may be, a lot of power and influence within tribal politics, which is why its essential to choose a trustworthy man to take up the mantle of Elder. For Sama-tula, the current Honorable Tula, he chose his father, Mana-tula, just as Mana-tula had chosen his own father when he became the Honorable Tula. This system only works if the previous Honorable Tula resigns whilst still of a good age to help direct his son in the ways of politics. The effects of an Honorable Tula refusing to relinquish his power has yet to be seen, but that¡¯s a story for another time¡­ ¡°Reporting to the Elder,¡± A lanky man said while slowly standing up. ¡°My clan has been on patrol duty ensuring the safety of the tribe from enemies, both bestial and Aki-blessed alike.¡± The man said somberly, while pausing for effect, ¡°Due to this we have spent less time hunting, and the share we receive from the communal feast isn¡¯t enough to feed the entirety of my clan! As such, we request more meat and hides from the communal feast, so that my clansmen may survive this winter. If not, then we will be forced to relinquish these duties to a clan better suited to handle the task.¡± After looking deeply at the Elder, the man took his seat, a small frown plastered on his face. Immediately other clan heads leaped up to rebuke his small speech and demands. ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know that your clan receives just about everything the communal feast has to offer?!?! What about our youth? Our old? Our sick? Do they no longer matter? This is the Long Cold, every clan and tribe across all of Mahr-Kelan understands that a few will die during these times. What makes you and your clansmen so much better than ours that only you will take no losses this time, while the rest of us suffer!¡± An overweight clan head yelled. ¡°As he said! He¡¯s right, who do you think you are? All you do is patrol; it is our men who go into the cold and dangerous forest to find prey to eat!¡± A chorus of the other clan leaders sang and jeered. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be suffering at all ¡®Honorable Clan Head¡¯¡± The lanky clan leader sneered while looking the fat man up and down, a deep fury barely concealed behind his eyes. Although his clan hadn¡¯t been the ones at the forefront hunting, how was that his fault?!?! When the Honorable Tula asked who¡¯d take up more patrols, who¡¯d risk the lives of their men for the tribe, not a single clan head was willing. None other than him and his 12 men, his clan was strong, making up almost a third of all the hunters within the Tula tribe. When danger came knocking it was only right that he and his clan rose to the challenge, for the sake of the tribe. But what was this, this betrayal? How dare these fat, cowardly, and deceptive snakes dare challenge his clan¡¯s right to survival? If an enemy tribe were to attack right now, his men would throw down their lives for the tribe. Other than sticking their heads up their asses, what would these spineless fools do? No, today his clan would either get their just due, or another clan would take up responsibility for protecting the tribe. When everyone heard the words of the lanky clan head, the tent went pin-drop silent. Being fat in a hunter-gatherer society was one of the biggest possible shames if you weren¡¯t an Elder. It meant that you enjoyed the bounty of the tribe while not working towards its betterment. Afterall, how could a hunter, gatherer, or caretaker possibly become that big with all the responsibilities they handle every day? ¡°Say that again¡­¡± The larger man whispered in a cold and venomous tone. The lanky man, not to be outdone, slowly stood up and said steadily, ¡°You. Are. A. Fat. Fu-¡± Just as the Honorable Tula was about to stop this drama before it escalated to a level that¡¯d be hard to come back from, a commotion outside the tent drew the attention of everyone. ¡°HONORABLE TULA!¡± A man said as he ran into the tent and greeted the Chieftain. ¡°Speak!¡± Sama-tula snapped, ¡°And if I don¡¯t see your words as worthy enough reason for this intrusion, prepare for punishment.¡± ¡°Of course, Honorable Tula.¡± The man said, taking the time that Sama-tula was speaking to catch his breath and gain his bearings, ¡°Enemy hunters, they are 2 kilometers away and swiftly approaching!¡± Chapter 12 Chapter 12 ************************************************************************************************************** ¡°Clan leader,¡± A warrior whispered, ¡°why are we waiting here for, when the enemies are more than 2 runs (kilometers) in front of us?¡± Clan leader Tala-il of the Honorable Tula Tribe, when the weighty responsibility of defending the tribe from adversaries was suddenly thrust forth, he picked it up without hesitation. However, the reception he received for his bravery and loyalty to the tribe left him deeply dissatisfied. His clan was just too busy patrolling, they had to maintain the security of the tribe from when Aki¡¯s grace rose, and even throughout the great dark. His clansmen were worn thin by the constant cycles of defense and patrols. When they were given even a moment of rest of course the men would sleep! A consequence of this is that they never went out hunting, and even if they did, prey was always in short supply during the winter. The only thing that would be accomplished by sending the clan¡¯s hunters out into the harsh cold for prey, is to add a few bodies to the infinite expanse of snow. The community feast was the only respite, a congregation of meat, herbs, furs, and hides, openly available to any tribesman in need. The feast is managed and guarded by the Tula hunters to ensure that everyone remains honest and fair. The feast has saved many of the smaller clans and families from starvation during rough times, and now it¡¯s the lifeline of the Il¡¯ clan. Without it, both him and his clansmen would¡¯ve long returned to the wilds. Still¡­ it simply isn¡¯t enough, the cold bites more deeply and fastens more tightly to the young and old. How can you expect anyone to defend something with all their heart whilst their parents starve, their children freeze, and their Chosen weep? The lack of resources has plagued the Il¡¯ clan because every clansman knew, without the responsibility of protecting the tribe, they wouldn¡¯t be struggling at all. The lack of support from the tribe, and the ¡®Honorable Il¡¯s¡¯ apparent submissiveness during Moon-gatherings has caused much unrest amongst the clansmen. Luckily the enemy came when they did¡­ if the Il¡¯ clan eradicated the threat now, there would no longer be a state of emergency, which means less patrols, and more time to hunt. Every problem that currently ailed the clan would be washed away by the blood of the enemies. The thought of this brought a deep-smile to Tana-il¡¯s face as he cheerily answered his son, ¡°Listen well boy,¡± he whispered, for fear of his voice traveling on the wind to the ears of the enemies. ¡°If we meet them in the open field, they may run, or even worse, strike many of us down. However, if they fall into our trap, we can fell many of them without taking a single loss. Do you understand?¡± he asked, the shine of wisdom and intrigue gleaming in his eyes. The boy hesitated a bit, before mumbling, ¡°But only cowards don¡¯t face their enemies face to face¡­¡± Tana-il snapped his head towards his son whilst simultaneously grabbing the boys¡¯ neck, ¡°Listen well ¡®clansman¡¯¡± he hissed, ¡°All are beast in the eyes of Aki, just as the bantila stalks its prey, the winged ones target the young bantila, and the land dragons swallow sleeping birds, we too must use every advantage given to us when we hunt. The men we shall soon kill are also beast, and any experienced hunter will tell you that killing a beast before it understands its in danger is the best way to hunt!¡± After finishing his quiet rant, Tana-il released his son, noticing that the kid was having trouble breathing. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Do you understand?¡± he asked again. ¡°Yes, Honorable Il¡¯¡­¡± the boy responded despondently. After that the small hill sunk into silence, the only sounds being the bated breath of the two men, as snowflakes cascaded towards the ground. ¡°I hate to treat the kid so harshly, but he will one day head the clan! If he is too focused on honor and appearing strong, the clan is doomed! It¡¯s best to root out the issues now¡­¡± Tana-il pondered, slowly sinking deeper into his thoughts as time wore on. The men didn¡¯t have to wait long, as the familiar crunch of hide and fur boots hitting the snowy ground echoed in the surroundings. Tana-il slowly creeped forward, till only his eyes crested the hill, investigating the valley below and the unsuspecting men within it, marching forth. ¡°Two hands of men!¡± Tana-il said, breathing in sharply, he¡¯d only brought about a hand and a half of men with him. Believing that this would only be the first skirmish of many before the actual confrontation. He glanced at his son who also looked at him with urgency in his eyes, ¡°This son, is why we prepare.¡± Due to their position on the hill, the Il¡¯ clan had a small advantage over the enemy tribesmen, and Tana-il had every intention to use it. Using small hand signals, he conveyed the plan to his clansmen. Once he was sure they all understood the plan, he swiftly rose from his laying position and crested the hill, throwing spear in hand. Like a wave, his clansmen did the same. Then as one, they took aim and loosed their spears upon an unsuspecting enemy. ¡®FWOOSH¡¯ ¡®FWOOSH¡¯ ¡®FWOOSH¡¯ The spears rushed downhill, thirsty for the blood of man, two of the spears struck true. One of them struck deeply into the ear of a hunter, piercing his brain, tearing it to mash then peaking through the other side of his head. Allowing the stew that was now his brain to leak through the new opening as he dropped to the ground. Another spear catapulted through the abdomen of another enemy, eliciting an extreme blood curdling scream as the man fell to the ground in agony. As he fell forward, the spear pushed out of the man as it contacted the ground, causing the pained man to groan and shiver. His contents quickly seeped from his body to the ground. Lighting the pristine white canvas with a scarlet dot that quickly grew as the snow melted from the sheer heat of his blood. Before any of the surprised tribesmen could react, another salvo of spears pierced their ranks, ripping another three tribesmen asunder, and sending them to feast with Aki. ¡°@#%^&#&¡± The leader of the small band said, apparently trying to organize his men to salvage the situation. Tana-il heard this and muttered, ¡°steppe folk.¡± Each of the Great Regions had a mostly common language, and although the meaning of specific words, and certain dialects made understanding each other hard at times, there was at least a baseline of understanding. However, for those who weren¡¯t of a certain region, other than their appearance the most glaring difference was the language they spoke. The Tula tribe originally being from the steppe, and the Il¡¯ tribe having followed the Tula tribe since the beginning, Tana-il could understand what they were saying to an extent. His heart hardened. The steppe folk were known for their warlike nature, and unwillingness to concede if not thoroughly beaten. ¡°MEN!¡± Tana-il exclaimed as he bound his final spear to his hands and looked at the recouping enemies below. ¡°CHAAARGEEEE!!!¡± Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Pino POV The silence was becoming too much to bear. ¡°If there is a bantila, and I¡¯m to die anyway, I might as well go out swinging. And if there is a band of hunters come to raid me, I¡¯ll be sure to take down at least one of them!¡± I reasoned to myself angrily. As rage and adrenaline coursed through my body and fueled my actions, I took two large steps, spanning the distance to the door, ripping it open. I then leaped through the door into the frigid snow, swinging my torch in large arcs as I screamed, ¡°COME AT ME!!¡± I was once again met with only silence, but I refused to be fooled. My eyes earnestly scanned the snow and surrounding trees, looking for anything suspicious, ready to pounce. As the cold set in and the adrenaline wore off, I began to feel a little foolish. ¡®Perhaps it really was just a branch?¡¯ I thought as I turned and began walking back towards the cozy and warm embrace of my home. ¡°What the fuck?!?¡± I yelled, nearly jumping out of my skin. There was something warm and squishy under my feet just now. Tana-Il POV: Now having an advantage in numbers due to the surprise attack, Tana-il was sure of a victory. No matter how battle-prone the steppe tribes were, a hand (5) to a hand and a half (8) battle was all but impossible to win. ¡°CHAAARGEEE!!!¡± Tana-il shouted, as he swiftly made his way down the small hill. His clansmen were right behind him, taking long strides towards the enemy. They closed the 20-meter distance in a matter of seconds. Adrenaline, honor, and glory fuel their excited motions. When they were close enough Tana-il leaped into the air, and using his momentum, crashed onto the leader of the band of enemy tribesmen. They crashed to the ground, and Tana-il, using the few seconds that the enemy leader was disoriented, rendered a quick strike to the man¡¯s throat, dispatching him from the fight. The man¡¯s eyes were wide as he clutched at his throat desperately, in a futile attempt to scoop the blood back into his body. His eyes swiftly lost their luster, leaving behind only a look of pain and confusion. Tana-il¡¯s eyes swiftly scanned the battlefield, less than a hand of his tribesmen engaged in singular battles, while a hand of them teamed up on the final opponent, jeering at him and pushing him amongst themselves, having already disarmed him. Tana-il nodded at that, the men knew to keep at least one of them alive for questioning. He then sprinted to one of the duels that were taking place and ended it with a well-placed jab to the back of the enemy¡¯s neck. Then he ran forward a bit more and pierced the skull of the other man who had his clansman on the ropes. There was only one more enemy alive, and he was in a heated battle with Tana-il¡¯s son. ¡°Tie up the enemy so we can question him!¡± Tana-il commanded, while never taking his eyes off his son¡¯s battle. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°It is necessary to let him experience his first blood, and real battles, but I will step in as soon as his life is in danger.¡± He thought. ¡°COME ON KAITOOOO!!!¡± The surrounding clansmen yelled and cheered, taking the one-on-one duel as a form of entertainment now that there was no longer any real danger. Kaito-il smiled, even during the heat of battle, before becoming serious again as a spear thrust barely missed his throat. While the man was attempting to fight inertia and bring his spear back towards him, Kaito-il took the opportunity to smack the man¡¯s spear farther to the side. This sudden movement caused the man to lose his balance and stumble. Kaito-il stuck low to the ground and darted towards the man, bracing his spear in preparation to pierce the man¡¯s chest. Understanding the imminent danger, the man released his hold on the spear, and using his imbalance to his advantage, rolled backwards before quickly regaining his feet. Kaito, to keep the advantage, did a large horizontal sweep at the man¡¯s chest, forcing him another few steps backwards. However, Kaito-il was now wide open, and the man dashed forward, tackling the boy, and bringing the battle to the ground. The bout quickly became a wrestling match. The man, clearly more experienced in such combat, quickly asserted his advantage and began pummeling Kaito-il. Fist after fist thrashed his face, breaking his nose and causing an aching headache as his brain smashed time after time against his skeleton. He attempted to block some of the blows by raising his hands in a defensive position, but the man¡¯s fist simply powered through his defense and continued to rain their fury upon his face. Just as Kaito-il felt himself slipping into an unconscious state, he felt something fall onto him that wasn¡¯t a fist. He cracked open his swollen eyes to see the tip of a spear protruding from the mouth of his opponent. Thick and warm blood mixed as they dripped onto Kaito-il¡¯s face, an eternally shocked expression stuck on the assailant¡¯s face as his body lost power and he collapsed on top of Kaito-il. Once the man was no longer blocking his view, he could see his savior. His father, looking down on him with slight disappointment. ¡°Father¡­ I-¡± before Kaito-il could finish speaking, his father reached a hand down towards him. Kaito, believing that his father meant to help him up, pushed the fresh corpse off himself, and reached out his own hand. However, he was surprised when Tana¡¯s hand continued past his and grasped his nose, before quickly snapping it back into place. ¡°FUCK!¡± Kaito couldn¡¯t help but express. ¡°Do you understand where you went wrong?¡± Tana asked stoically. ¡°I- I almost had him!¡± Kaito exclaimed. ¡°ALMOST?!¡± Tana said sharply, ¡°If not for me, you would¡¯ve almost died. Never make a move, you don¡¯t have to. Never lose focus in the face of the enemy. And never-¡± Tana said as he ripped a bone dagger from the hide belt that looped Kaito¡¯s waist, ¡°Get caught in your enemy¡¯s flow. You could¡¯ve ended the battle long ago.¡± he said, shoving the hilt of the dagger toward his chest. Kaito, at a loss for words, simply nodded his head while closing his eyes embarrassedly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Tana said in a slightly less harsh tone. ¡°For your first battle you did well. Now come and watch this, it will be important to know when you are clan head.¡± He said while directing Kaito¡¯s attention to the tied-up and kneeling tribesmen. ¡°aln¡¯ supar` tahkn!¡± the man exclaimed while looking around in a frightened manner. Tana-il slowly walked up to him, pulling out his dagger as he made his way towards the man. He bent down so he was eye level with the prisoner, then with a swift motion cut the man¡¯s thumb off. ¡°AHHHHHHHCKKK!!!¡± The man yelled in pain, tears gushing down his face. With no visible reaction Tana grabbed the man¡¯s wrist. The man tried his best, although tied up, to resist, balling his hands into fists to stop any further disfigurement. ¡°You see son, this is why you start with the outer-finger. It makes it harder for them to impede your work.¡± Tana said calmly as he pried the mans index finger from the rest of them and slowly sawed it off with his knife. The man cried something horrendous, saying incoherent words, maybe begging for them to stop this torture. The clansmen simply grinned a bit and held the man down, ensuring that Tana could get along with his work. ¡°B-but father¡­ why?¡± Kaito asked in barely a whisper, his voice cracking as he worded his question. Even in the heat of battle, he hadn¡¯t felt this scared. Not even enemies deserved this cruelty, in fact, those who¡¯d died were the lucky ones! Kana sawed almost completely to the end of the finger, leaving only a little skin between the decapitated finger and the rest of the hand. He then slowly ripped the finger off, taking with it a swathe of skin. Then he turned to his son and simply stated, ¡°To show them we aren¡¯t playing around.¡± Turning back to the wailing man, he grasped another finger. Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Tana-Il¡¯ POV: The man looked deeply into Tana¡¯s eyes, fear, and pain evident on his face. A warm liquid slid down his trousers, yellowing the already dirty and tousled snow. ¡°Please¡­¡± the man whispered, finally speaking in the tongue of the Forest, ¡°please, no more.¡± He cried while shaking his head left to right, shivering all over, tears streaking down his face. Kana finally changed his deadpan expression, his face melting into the gentle smile of a lover or good friend. ¡°I can make it stop¡­ would you like that?¡± he asked in a soothing and kind voice. ¡°Yes, please. Please make it stop.¡± The man whimpered. ¡°I¡¯ll help you, but you must help me. Is that fair?¡± Kana asked in the same gentle tone. ¡°Yes. Yes, whatever!¡± The man said, no longer crying but still shaking and scared. Kana looked at the man unwaveringly, ¡°Where is your tribe?¡± Within the Tula Tribe¡­ ¡°Elder, the Tamul tribe is a herd movement and two runs (22km) to the south of our tribe. They have a forward party that numbered four hands of men, but after the brave men of the Il¡¯ Clan defeated a band of them in battle, they now have two hands of men, and we have a prisoner to guide us to both their forward base as well as their main tribe.¡± Tana-il said with flourish, chest puffed, not hiding any of his pride. ¡°Felling two hands of men with less than the same is quite the accomplishment!¡± Mana-tula exclaimed. ¡°After we defeat this ¡®Tamul tribe¡¯ you will get first pick of the rewards!¡± This was met with small murmurs of discontent from the other clan leaders, but none dared raise their voice in opposition. When word of enemies approaching was delivered, none wished to risk their men in an uncertain confrontation, so only the Il¡¯ clan sallied out, and not even with their full number! Leaving a few hunters behind to ensure their clan¡¯s survival should they return to Aki during the battle. ¡°How many hunters do they have in total?¡± The elder asked. ¡°A similar number to ours Elder, but after we defeat their forward party, there will be less. Then all we must do is kill off their hunters as they go out to find food to whittle their numbers down further. Finally, when they are weak from starving, and few men to defend themselves with, we can walk in and claim the spoils for ourselves!¡± Tana-il stated with confidence. ¡°I must pay more attention to this one¡­¡± Sama-tula thought, ¡°Should he become ambitious he could be a problem.¡± ¡°That is an excellent idea!¡± The elder said with a glint of admiration shining in his eyes. ¡°This one has more wits, and back-bone then the rest of them combined!¡± he thought. ¡°When do you believe we should begin the operation? And can this prisoner be trusted?¡± Sama-tula uttered, breaking his silent musings, and asking the important questions. ¡°We will start now, Honorable Tula.¡± Tana responded, ¡°It is getting dark so the forward party will likely search for their missing tribesmen come the first sight of Aki¡¯s grace on the morrow. The best chance we will have is to attack tonight while they aren¡¯t too suspicious yet.¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Very good¡­¡± Sama-tula murmured, ¡°and how many men will you need for this entire expedition? The Tula clan will provide what you lack!¡± This brought forth quite the commotion amongst the other clan leaders, usually the Tula hunters acted as the policing force and defenders of the tribe, by offering up men for this expedition, the Honorable Tula had expressed the importance of this expedition to the security of the tribe. ¡°The Su clan will offer two hunters!¡± The pudgy clan head exclaimed. ¡°As will the Lan clan,¡± said another clan leader. Not to be outdone, all the clan leaders began yelling about the ways that they¡¯d support the expedition, all in the hopes of looking good in front of the Honorable Tula. Tana-il lightly sighed before saying, ¡°Respectfully, Honorable Tula, the Il clan believes that we can handle the entire expedition on our own. Considering that only we were willing to step forward in the moment of need, it also makes sense that only we partake in the glory. As the old saying goes, ¡®he who doesn¡¯t hunt deserves no meat.¡¯¡± Sama-tula looked in Tana-il¡¯s eyes, searching for some deceit or flickering emotion that would reveal his thoughts. All he saw was pride, and a general disdain and disgust for the other clan heads, something that he could agree with. The Il clan had served the Tula clan since inception, there was no reason to doubt them now. ¡°Very well, I the Honorable Tula, give the Il clan full right to pursue and decimate the Tamul tribe. There are many of them to your few, do not disappoint, or there will be consequences for your entire clan.¡± Sama-tula said with a dangerous glint in his eyes. ¡°Of course, Honorable Tula!¡± Tana exclaimed with a respectful expression. After that the meeting flew by quickly, it¡¯d been an emergency meeting regardless, so there wasn¡¯t much more to say. The Il¡¯ clan once again requested additional food and supply aid, this time it was granted. The reason being that they¡¯d just one a great victory for the Tula. Also, they understood the Il¡¯ clan would get a lion¡¯s share of the spoils once they conquered the Tamul tribe. To perhaps be ¡®gifted¡¯ a bit more than the rest, they sought the Il¡¯ clan¡¯s favor while they could. Once the meeting was adjourned Tana began walking in measured steps towards the entrance of the Tula tribe. As he passed by the many yurts filled with the rustlings of people preparing for bed, he acted calmly and naturally. When anyone greeted him or paid respects, he acted in a way fit for a clan leader, and an important member of the Tula tribe. Finally, as he saw the entrance of the tribe, guarded by two of his clansmen, he began to smile. He gave them a nod then walked a bit farther, heart hammering in his chest. Convincing the Honorable Tula to let him take on the expedition alone was the hardest part of this entire ordeal. Had he denied the Il¡¯ clan that right everything might have gone sideways for both him and his clan. He looked at the gathered hunters, two hands of men, his entire clan¡¯s fighting force minus the guards. Staring at each of them in the eyes solemnly, he began to speak, ¡°Many of you believe that we will soon march to face at least a similar number of hunters to our tribe. You believe that we will march through the night to achieve an impossible task. You believe that many, if not all of us will die¡­ right?¡± The men glanced at each other, noticing the fear that they felt reflected in one another¡¯s eyes. A few of them nodded assent to the clan leader¡¯s conjecture. ¡°How will we face a force that outnumbers us by so much?¡± one brave clansman asked. When he heard this question, responded solemnly, ¡°I will tell all of you the true plan now, but you must swear secrecy, with Aki as your witness. Should you ever break your oath, you will be cursed to burn for eternity in the skies of the great darkness, just as all the other oath breakers¡­ will you swear?¡± he asked. The men looked around nervously, but soon swore one after the other. Tana couldn¡¯t help but smile broadly. Pino POV: ¡°Shit! Shit! Shit! SHIT! What do I do!¡± I cursed frustratedly. On the poor excuse for a bed that I made for myself from hide, feathers, and grasses, lay a small boy, barely ten-years old. Why the hell did he show up at my doorstep? Why was he alone? Why was he in the middle of this Aki forsaken forest? These were all questions that I wanted the answer to as well, but there were lives at stake right now. I ran back outside and grabbed some more firewood; I considered chucking it straight into the fire, however, since the goal was to heat up the house putting moist wood onto a burning fire was counterproductive. Instead, I sensibly laid the wood near the fire. Then I grabbed the pot that I use to boil water and filled it with snow, before placing it atop the blazing flame. After that was done, I made sure that all the cracks near the door and windows were airtight, ensuring the maximum amount of heat stayed within the house. Once all these tasks were completed, I stacked every spare piece of fur, hide, and straw on the small boy, and began to pray. Chapter 15 Chapter 15 ¡°Fuck it¡¯s cold!¡± A hunter complained, as he shuffled his body around to fight off the frosty snowflakes that continuously fell on him. ¡°Just get closer to the flame and stop whining like a wounded lokin!¡± The hunter¡¯s fellow guard said. ¡°Hehe ¡­ don¡¯t try to fool me, I can see you shivering just as hard as I am.¡± He responded, while turning his back to his compatriot, and edging closer to the small firestick held up by a long pole of wood shoved in the ground. The man placed aside his spear to bring his hands closer to Aki¡¯s blessing, an attempt to defrost his ice-cold fingers. ¡°What? You have nothing to say?¡± He called over his shoulder without looking back. His snide remark was met with silence, so he said, ¡°A wise man knows when to admit defeat, don¡¯t be too sad that I proved you wrong.¡± Still his friend didn¡¯t respond to him. Annoyed the man turned around while saying, ¡°Nishi, what the¡­ what the fuck?¡± Before him splayed on the ground was the body of his friend, eyes open wide in shock, blood painting the snow red. Just as the man was about to yell a warning to his tribesmen, a gloved hand covered his mouth. ¡°MMMFFH!¡± He attempted to shout. ¡°Quiet now,¡± an icy voice whispered into his ear. ¡°If you scream, I will kill you. If you attempt to run, I will kill you. If. you. lie. to. me. I will kill you. Do you understand?¡± The terrifying man asked. The man frantically nodded his head yes, causing the mysterious person to release his mouth but still maintain a firm hold on the arm, lest he attempt to escape. ¡°Now, how many of you are there?¡± the assailant questioned. ¡°A little less than two hands.¡± The man responded shakily, but with enough firmness to make his statement seem believable. ¡°How many hunters are on patrol?¡± the assailant asked, firing the second question rapidly after the first. ¡°Just us, the rest should be sleeping in their yurts.¡± The man responded swiftly, feeling his attackers arm begin to tighten around his. ¡°Very good,¡± the mysterious man said, ¡°Final question, is this your entire force, or do you belong to a larger tribe?¡± This time, the man hesitated, not wanting to sell out his tribe. But when the pressure on his arm became too much to bear, he divulged what he knew. ¡°We belong to a larger tribe! They are farther south from here, but I don¡¯t know exactly how far. We are many! So don¡¯t think we will be an easy target.¡± He uttered through pained breaths. There was a pause as the mysterious man pondered on something. ¡°You didn¡¯t lie to us no fingers!¡± He exclaimed quietly to someone who apparently was close behind him. ¡°Of course, not Lord Il¡¯, we had a deal and I intend to stick to it. I only hope you stick to your end of the bargain as well.¡± No-fingers replied despondently. ¡°No need to worry no fingers, I¡¯m a man of my word, and before Aki I swear to uphold our agreement.¡± Tana stated. The captured man¡¯s mind was whirring at insane speeds, ¡°Miso?¡± he asked. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The entire warband had been slightly worried about the forward party because they should have returned long ago. Now, however, Miso appears alone, surrounded by enemies, speaking of a deal. ¡°YOU BAS-¡± the man began to roar, but it was soon cut off by a swift jab to the throat from Tana¡¯s dagger. Tana then covered the man¡¯s mouth again, ensuring not even his pained last breaths could be heard, as he slowly lowered the man to the ground. ¡°I told you the rules¡­ but you were dead anyway.¡± He sighed. The gathered men hunkered close to the ground, making themselves small as possible as they strained their ears. Listening for the urgent shouts as men leaped out of their bed towards their weapons, due to their tribesmen¡¯s outburst. After a few minutes of chilling and tense silence, the Il¡¯ men relaxed a bit. Stretching their backs and slowly made their way into the encampment. They went tent to tent, piercing a hole in one man¡¯s chest, a slash across another¡¯s throat, a swift spear through the eye¡­ for the next 20 minutes the Il¡¯ men committed a silent massacre in the snowy valley. ¡°Father! The clansmen have collected two hands of yurts, many hides both smoked and unsmoked, as well as enough meat for a hand of hunters to eat for a week! There are even strange sticks with stones stuck in them! We have gained enough to return to the tribe with our head high after only this raid, imagine what awaits us within the Tamul tribe!¡± Kaito shouted. ¡°Calm yourself son, we won¡¯t have to imagine for long.¡± Tana replied, unable to keep a small smile from spanning his face. ¡°Two men will stay here, and the rest of us will push through to the Tamul tribe!¡± Tana uttered in an unquestionable tone. ¡°YAHHHH!!!¡± The men cheered, still hyped off the adrenaline they received from their easy battle. As the warband trudged farther and farther into the distance, being erased from view by the billowing snow, the two Il¡¯ guards who were left behind began conversating. ¡°We are taking a loss this time friend.¡± The taller guard said to his clansmen. ¡°We have been left on guard duty whilst the rest of our brothers will go to conquer the Tamul tribe!¡± ¡°Lost out!?¡± The shorter man asked incredulously. ¡°There is no honor to be gained from this conquest, nor will this be a hard-fought battle, knowing the honor-less tactics of Lord Il¡¯! Do you remember the words of Lord Il¡¯ less than a day ago?¡± The short man asked while thinking of Tana¡¯s speech not long ago¡­ ~~~ ¡°There are no more than less than four hands of hunters remaining in all the Tamul tribe.¡± Tana whispered. ¡°The advanced party will easily be wiped out by us tonight, which will mean they will only have two hands of hunters left. But their tribe is a similar number to ours, that means most of the tribe is women and children!¡± Tana exclaimed. The surrounding men murmured in excitement, access to a large supply of women and children meant that they could expand their families by having their pick of women and raise servants by taking in any of the children that were not culled. Moreover, due to the perceived danger of the mission, they would get to keep many of the war spoils! If they could keep their deceit to the tribe a secret, this would be a boon to every Il¡¯ clansmen! After seeing the looks of excitement and approval on the faces of his men, he knew he¡¯d made the right choice. The Tula tribe was rotting from within, it was time for the Il¡¯ to begin planning for its own independent future. ~~~ After allowing the taller man to reminisce for a while, the shorter one continued, ¡°Moreover, Lord Il¡¯ can¡¯t afford to dishonor us by not giving us a cut of the spoils. If he were to do that, the risk of us reporting him to the Honorable Tula would keep him awake at night!¡± He quietly chuckled. The tall man thought this through slowly before responding, ¡°Hmm¡­ You are right! But I do not like the disrespect with which you treat Lord Il¡¯, he¡¯s, our Clan Leader! You should respect him more.¡± ¡®The current Il¡¯ clan leader certainly was not the most honorable, but he always delivered. That matters a lot more than honor, if you do not think so, try starving and freezing for a few days, maybe that will change your mind!¡¯ That was the sentiment of all Il¡¯ men, and they were willing to follow their clan leader through the deep darkness for surely, he would find a way to turn even that nightmare into a profit. ¡°You are right.¡± The shorter man said while lifting his hands in defeat and letting out a short sigh. The taller clansmen simply harumphed before looking into the distance, in the direction that the warband left towards. The shorter clansmen could only think, ¡®I have just barely risen from servant status. No better than a slave! Why would I respect the man who ra*ed my mother and killed my father?!?!¡¯ These thoughts, however, would never see the light of day. His old tribe was gone, and it was all but impossible to join a new one without inferior status. The Tula tribe was his best bet. For now, he could only sigh, until an opportunity arose¡­ Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Pino POV My age from my past life was a young and spry twenty years old, while Pino¡¯s age was only around sixteen to seventeen years old when I arrived in this body. In the old world I didn¡¯t have much experience with children, while in the current world, child-rearing is 100% a woman¡¯s job. This all boils down to what I¡¯m doing now, in the middle of winter, sitting in a tree, freezing my butt off, looking for fresh meat. Ever since the boy, Atilla, came too, I have been working overtime. I¡¯ve had to fashion new winter clothes that fit him, I¡¯ve given up my bed so that he can have a comfortable place to rest and recuperate, I¡¯ve had to make my trips to Lake Tural more and more frequently, and most importantly, food has been running out quickly. Since it¡¯s no longer safe to bury meat in the ground, my only option became my paltry storeroom. So, the amount of food I can store was effectively cut in half. Moreover, I¡¯ve come to realize that a child¡¯s stomach is essentially a black hole! No matter how much food I put in front of him, he can eat it. Then he sleeps, then he wakes up and eats aga- A small crunch of dead and frigid twigs being brushed aside resounded through the surrounding area. Immediately my hunter instincts kicked in as I further slowed my breath, and hugged the tree, making myself appear small. Ignoring the snow battering my face and stabbing my eyes and nose, I searched the pristine blanket for whatever caused the disturbance. It took a while for my eyes to recognize it, but there was a hare standing just a bit to the left of where I was perched. It cautiously looked around, ensuring no predators lurked in the snow, before pushing its nose in the ground, searching for Aki knows what. As I slowly analyzed the hare¡¯s movements, as well as its alertness, I began to formulate a plan. If I jumped down towards it, it would likely sense me before I was in attacking range and run off. I¡¯m nowhere close to as fast as a hare, so that isn¡¯t an option. When it comes to laying traps, any trap is all but obsolete in this snow. Which only leaves spear throwing. Usually, I am confident in my ability to throw spears, however the weather has gotten colder and windier. That not only affects my accuracy, but also the integrity of my spears. I don¡¯t want them to break due to brittleness, because it¡¯d be all but impossible to make a new one during this season! After a short amount of deliberation, my need for more meat and hide outweighed my fear of being potentially defenseless. I reached behind me at my back, and my hand clasped around a firm and trusty spear. I slowly and silently slid it from its holster while also making sure that the prey never left my sight. When the spear was firmly in my hand, I leaned slightly backwards, stretching my arm out and sideways. After that, I paused in that position, feeling the wind, and making small adjustments. Once I was sure that the spear would strike true, I snapped my arm forward while releasing the spear from my grip. The spear glided through the air in a beautiful and deadly arc, but I didn¡¯t stop to admire my handy work. Instead, I kept my eyes on the hare, already prepping for my second throw. ¡®SHIT!¡¯ I thought as I saw the hare move slightly forward. This small shift was enough to cause the gliding spear to dig gracefully in the snow, just where the hare had been a moment ago. I reacted fast, but the hare reacted faster. Just as my second spear grazed the animal, it shot off into the distance. I didn¡¯t even attempt to chase it, I just clambered down the tree and collected my spears, checking their integrity as I holstered them. ¡°It¡¯s going to be another long day¡­¡± I practically cried as I made my way to my alternate hunting grounds. Miso POV: When I first left on this expedition, I never thought my life would turn in this direction. We, the proud Tamul tribe, worship the mighty Banta, the God King of all bantila, ruler of the strong. The Tamul tribe practices ritual sacrifice, giving up the weakest of our members to the Mighty Banta, it assures that we are protected against his messengers on Mahr-Kelan, and it also pushes us forward in our pursuit of strength. All of us pursue strength. From the men down to the smallest child, grasping his mother¡¯s tit, seeking nutrients to empower its body. Because of our power and ambition, we were feared, and seen as a scrouge on the steppe. Just as the great cold fell, we were run off our ancestral roaming grounds by the larger tribes of the steppe. Left to freeze to death in the frigid winter. Many of our men died honorably whilst we fled, but we, the proud Tamul didn¡¯t falter. We knew that with the blessing of Banta, we¡¯d soon return, far stronger due to the tribulation. At that time, we¡¯d surely pay those evil weaklings for their actions! Moving to the Great Forest was the obvious decision for our clan Elders, its long been told that the people of the forest are the weakest on all Mahr-Kelan, and stories have been told of the great success that many of the steppe tribes who migrated to the Forest accomplished. Moreover, with our skills with stone working, houses, prey, and firewood would never be a problem. All that was left to do was to find a good place to settle within the forest. Many of the tribesmen battled each other, me included, for the opportunity to go on this expedition. The reason being that in the Tamul tribe, you aren¡¯t allowed a name until you¡¯ve proven yourself. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Hunting prey is an expectation and a responsibility, so that isn¡¯t good enough proof. Nor are mere physical feats, what bantila can¡¯t climb or leap? The only way to prove oneself is either by killing men in battle, dying honorably on the battlefield, or contributing greatly to the tribe. Scouting a new tribal roaming ground is as big an accomplishment as one can get, other than battling a messenger of Banta! I, along with four hands of the strongest within the Tamul tribe set off to scout our new lands. We hunted a little every now and again, but mostly we simply scouted. On one of those scouting missions, a terrible fate befell us. Spears appeared from thin air and pierced us from the side, felling many of our strongest and bravest. The leader of our band called out to the enemies, saying to fight like men and die with honor, but he died promptly after his shout. I soon was witness to a sadistic slaughter as my comrades and friends were picked off one by one. Though now I wished I¡¯d died with them, if not for learning the Forest language, I would¡¯ve died a terrible and painful death. That man¡­ Tana¡®Il they called him, he is more terrifying than a Bantila, colder than a snake. If any deserves to burn for eternity in the great darkness, it¡¯s him. He offered me a deal, and since the fate of my tribe has already been decided, I have taken it. Perhaps I am a coward, maybe I should¡¯ve died with my lips closed on that snowy battlefield. But death, real death, the kind that isn¡¯t a swift spear to the throat or a thrust to the chest. The type that causes you to soil your pants, I felt that death. I felt that FEAR... I don¡¯t want to feel that way ever again, nor do I want my small clan to either. With this, we will be done with the Tamul tribe¡­done with Banta. Tears streaked down my face as I resolved myself, ¡°DISASTER!¡± I yelled as I swiftly ran towards the guards at the tribal entrance, ¡°DISASTER HAS FALLEN THE TAMUL!!!¡± ¡­ The Tamul tribe is run by a council of Elders. Once hunters become too old to perform their duties, the four mightiest and most pious among them are chosen to lead the tribe. One elder acts as head of the hunters, another the head of the gatherers, another head of the resources, and the final being the Grand Elder, the overall decision maker. Usually, the Elders meet once a month, but this is an emergency. ¡°So, let me get this straight¡­ there is a large tribe, with more hunters than can be counted on the hands of all those gathered here, and they are headed towards our tribal grounds?¡± The Grand Elder asked somberly. ¡°y-yes Grand Elder.¡± Miso replied in a shaky voice. ¡°How did only you manage to return, when other hunters, braver hunters, STRONGER HUNTERS ALL WENT TO HUNT WITH BANTA!¡± the Elder of the Hunt screamed, unable to control his emotions. ¡°You know how!¡± the Elder of Gathering scoffed, ¡°Look at his hand, who amongst us hasn¡¯t learned of our enemies through such tactics? Clearly, he has sold the tribe to this ¡®Tula¡¯ tribe to save his own skin. This man is a filthy muttan!¡± (muttan is an imaginary word for mutton or sheep. It means that the man is a timid coward, which is a grave insult to any hunter but especially for the worshipers of Banta, and so the people of Tamul) ¡°You understand what must happen to you next right? You have betrayed our God, our tribe, and your ancestors. You will forever burn in the Great Darkness. You understand that right?¡± The Elder of Resources asked softly. ¡°Yes Elder.¡± Miso responded with a grim gaze. ¡°At least you had enough honor left within your muttan body to warn us. It will take a while to march so many hunters to our tribal grounds. We will have time to flee, and the tribe will live on. For this final act of service, we shan¡¯t cull your chosen and sparklings. But today¡­ today you will watch Mahr-Kelan from the Great Darkness.¡± The Grand Elder stated, finalizing Miso¡¯s fate. ¡­ ¡°GATHER TRIBESMEN, GATHER!¡± A hunter yelled continuously, quickly gathering a crowd in the central area of the tribal grounds. ¡°What¡¯s happening? What¡¯s going on? Is there an emergency?¡± Many voices called out in confusion. The Grand Elder who¡¯d been standing to the side with the other elders, walked towards a central location to address the tribe as a while. ¡°THERE IS A MUTTAN AMONG US!¡± he started. He was met with a shocked and confused silence, so he continued. ¡°THIS MUTTAN WENT TO FIND OUR TRIBE¡¯S NEW HOPE, BUT HAS INSTEAD BROUGHT ENEMIES TO OUR YURTS, AND THREATENED THE VERY EXSISTENCE OF OUR TRIBE!¡± This was met with an outcry, some of the women and children felt fear, while the men felt deep anger. ¡°What will we do?!¡± ¡°How far are the enemies, will we have time to flee?!¡± ¡°Who was it, bring that dirty muttan to face punishment!¡± A mix of yells, spanning various emotions bounced across the gathering. ¡°Silence! Don¡¯t disgrace yourselves in front of Banta and the Ancestors by showing fear in the face of the enemy!¡± The Elder of the Hunt yelled. ¡°THE BETRAYER, THE MUTTAN, IS MISO!¡± He shouted for all to hear. There was a collective gasp, but there was one voice that screamed, ¡°No! Impossible!¡± A frail looking woman, no older than 25, shouted in defense of her chosen. ¡°He would never! My chosen is brave! Strong! And a good man!¡± ¡°Brave? Strong? DRAG HIM OUT!¡± the Elder of the Hunt sneered. Two hunters dragged Miso out of a nearby tent and tossed him to the ground, fingerless hand still bleeding and badly beaten, the result of the elders and hunters present at the emergency meeting venting their anger. The woman was shocked, but she still ran towards her chosen, ¡°What is happening?¡± she cried as she ran towards him, feeling his face and looking over him frantically. ¡°Wha- what happened to your hand? Is it true?¡± She whispered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry my love. I- I¡¯m truly sorry.¡± he replied, voice cracking as he began to cry anew. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve solved any problems you will face. Everything will be ok, all that is left is for me to take this final step.¡± The crowd could no longer stand this scene, they cried for blood. ¡°HE MUST PAY! STONE HIM!¡± ¡°STONE HIM¡± ¡°STONE HIM¡± ¡°STONE HIM¡± ¡°STONE HIM¡± ¡°STONE HIM¡± The crowd cried, screaming for blood. A/N: (muttan is an imaginary word for mutton or sheep. It means that the man is a timid coward, which is a grave insult to any hunter but especially for the worshipers of Banta, and so the people of Tamul) Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Tana-Il¡¯ POV: ¡®Battles just aren¡¯t meant to be fought during this time...¡¯ I thought while shivering. ¡®Death comes to all during the Great Cold, a curse, but also a blessing. Just as the Mighty Mahr ordains.¡¯ I further pondered. Shaking myself from the philosophical trance I was in, I looked to the side and asked, ¡°How long has it been?¡± ¡°Aki¡¯s grace now hangs above our heads father!¡± Kaito promptly responded. ¡°Just call it Akigi like everyone else!¡± I snapped. ¡°Needless formality is the reason the Tamul tribe is in the state it is now.¡± I further explained. ¡®They should be about done right?¡¯ I mused, remembering the conversation I¡¯d had with Miso just a while ago. ~~~ ¡°To sum it up, if you admit to being a muttan then you will be stoned to death. You will claim that we are many akigis¡¯ away, so they will make your death a public event. Since there will be no one left guarding the tribe, it will be easy for us to enter the tribal grounds¡­ is that correct?¡± I asked. ¡°Ye- yes¡­¡± Miso replied while shivering, his imminent demise clearly weighing on his mind. ¡°We have already made a deal¡­¡± I said softly. ¡°As long as you deliver on your end, I can assure you that your chosen and sparkling will live peaceful and abundant lives amongst the Tula.¡± I continued. He remained silent, so I pressured him further. ¡°Even if you betrayed us and somehow managed to hold onto your life, it would only be a matter of time until you all will have to go out to hunt. We will pick you off one by one till there are none left, then we will plunder everything. Is that what you want?¡± I asked in a questioning tone. ¡°No! Of course not!¡± He yelled, a fierce glint in his eyes. ¡°Good, good¡­ then we have a deal.¡± ~~~ ¡°Honorable Il¡¯¡± an excited voice shouted, jolting me from my reverie. ¡°The guards are entering the tribal grounds!¡± ¡°Are they?!¡± I asked equally excited. I quickly arose from my seated position and crested the small hill we were camped behind, barely peeking my head over to see the situation in the valley below. Once I¡¯d confirmed that the guards hadn¡¯t gone to relieve themselves or get something to eat, I ordered, ¡°Men move! You know the plan and your parts to play in it. For the Il¡¯ Clan!¡± I yelled excitedly. ¡°FOR THE IL¡¯!¡± They responded with equal fervor. Our distance from the tribal grounds was a little less than a kilometer, not too close, but not far enough away to make the sprint a problem for the elite and highly trained hunters of the Il¡¯ clan. We quickly spanned the distance, hearing cries of, ¡°STONE HIM!¡± ¡°STONE HIM!¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°STONE HIM!¡± When we finally entered the tribal grounds, I said calmly but urgently, ¡°Does everyone remember what they must do?¡± ¡°Yes, clan leader.¡± They murmured. ¡°Good!¡± I replied smilingly, ¡°As long as everything goes to plan, we will be covered in spoils and women when Akigi next rises!¡± As if a burst of electricity had suddenly made its way through the gathered Il¡¯ men, they rushed off in their preordained directions. I stood there silently, finally allowing myself a moment to relish the coming victory. ¡®What should I do now?¡¯ I wondered. The cries for blood were my answer, Miso had helped me so much in the past few days, I might as well see him off¡­ right? Rushing towards the noise, I pushed and shoved my way to a good spot in the crowd. Close enough to see the action, but not so far that I¡¯d be at the center of attention. Not that it mattered, the throng had already sunk into insanity. Miso¡¯s last moments were like this: ¡°DO YOU WANT HIM TO DIE?¡± The Grand Elder inquired ¡°YESSSSSS!!!¡± The crowd roared. ¡°DO YOU WANT TO FELL HIM YOURSELF?!?!¡± He asked again. ¡°YESSSSS!!!¡± They bloodthirstily responded. ¡°THEN GRAB A ROCK,¡± The Grand Elder said while grabbing a stone, ¡°STONE HIM.¡± He completed his sentence while viciously casting a stone to the small of Miso¡¯s back. ¡°My love,¡± Miso cried urgently, bearing the pain of the rocks that were swiftly pelting him. ¡°You must leave. Please! You don¡¯t have to share this fate with me.¡± ¡°No!¡± The woman replied, shaking like a leaf and tears in her eyes. In that moment she was feeling more pain than she had felt in her entire life up to this point. Rocks smashing against her bones, the sharp edges gashing her skin. ¡°Just as you chose me, I chose you. If you are to burn in the Great Darkness¡­ I will go to burn with you. You will never be alone, even in your suffering.¡± She cried as she vainly attempted to cover Miso¡¯s body from the torrent of rocks smashing against them. ¡°What did I do to deserve a woman like you? I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so fucking sorry.¡± Miso said as he grasped her face. SWEEE SWEEE SWEEE SWEEE Larger and heavier rocks were cast onto the couple, crushing their bones, tearing their skin, and making a mushy mess on the snow-covered ground. Just about everyone joined, the men, women, children, even the aloof Elders. The couple had long sense stopped crying in pain and fear, but the rabid crowd hadn¡¯t satiated their bloodlust. Once they ran out of stones to throw, they scooped snow and small pieces of wood and threw that. What finally ended the madness was a sudden shout, ¡°FIREEEE! THERE IS A FIREEEE!¡± It¡¯d been so long since the last stoning in the Tula tribe, I must admit that I felt slightly sick watching all this occur. It¡¯s truly unfortunate that I can¡¯t entirely keep my promise to Miso. However, the sudden panicked outcry did bring a smile to my face. As the tribesmen of Tamul ran around haphazardly, pushing, screaming and causing chaos, I slowly but surely sifted through the pandemonium, making my way towards my first target. Pino POV: ¡°The food is almost ready.¡± I said quietly, glancing towards the bed. I was met with no response, as I¡¯d gotten used to. This kid, after saying his name when he first woke up, didn¡¯t speak a word to me. It¡¯s worrying, I¡¯m no child psychiatrist, but there must be a reason why he ended up so far out here, all alone, and on the verge of death. So far, I¡¯ve only tried to coax him a little bit, only asking him small questions or talking to him when it¡¯s time to eat. This seems to have yielded small results, seeing as he¡¯s a lot less jumpy than he used to be. The pot on the stove released a delicious scent, one that¡¯s entirely unexpected for completely unseasoned meat. I peered into the pot and judged that the meat was fully cooked, so grabbing two pieces of hare hide that I¡¯d fashioned into mittens, I grabbed the pot and placed it onto one of the small areas not covered by fur. Then I grabbed two bowls and ladled portions of the broth into them using a third. Grabbing the two portions, I walked over to the bed and sat on its edge, as I usually do. ¡°Here Atilla.¡± I spoke. He grabbed the bowl, like he always does. I sighed quietly and began to eat. ¡°Mhun¡¯ thjyu.¡± A voice echoed behind me. ¡°SPThhhh-¡± I spit my soup across the room. ¡°What?!¡± I asked excitedly. ¡°Mhun¡¯ thyju.¡± Atilla repeated. ¡°I- I don¡¯t understand.¡± I responded confusedly. Chapter 18 Chapter 18: Pino POV: ¡°Fire.¡± I said, pointing my finger in the direction of the fireplace. ¡°Phire.¡± Atilla responded. My new ward and I sat cross-legged on the carpeted floor in front of the fireplace. It¡¯d been especially cold the last few days, so I refused to go out. Instead Atilla and I occupied ourselves by learning from each other. This had been happening since I realized Atilla was no mute. I¡¯d point out certain objects for him and tell him what they meant. He¡¯d then respond with what the objects were called in the steppe language. I don¡¯t know if Atilla understood or not, but this was likely one of the first language exchanges that ever occurred on this planet! I didn¡¯t let the momentous occasion get to my head as I continued pointing out objects. This was an amazing time consumer, although I could spend my time dying clothing or sewing hats and other apparel, learning is much, much more engaging. It also doesn¡¯t hurt to learn a new language; knowledge is power right? ¡°Yawnnn¡­¡± Atilla sighed out in exhaustion. ¡°Sometimes I forget you are still just a kid,¡± I said rubbing his head. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get you to bed!¡± I continued, hoisting him over my shoulder as I crossed the room. Atilla made his hatred for this treatment known with a fair amount of whining and kicking, but I just couldn¡¯t help it! Being able to pick on him made me wish that I had younger siblings in my past life¡­ Once Atilla was snugly under the covers and well on his way to dreamland, I decided to occupy myself by taking inventory. Water was essentially a non-issue, I usually keep about three pots of water, one for cooking and two for drinking. During the harsher days I just refill my water using the surrounding snow, but on days with good visibility I¡¯ll make the trip to Tural for a refill. The big issue right now is food. I thought I¡¯d stored enough for a winter, but I didn¡¯t account for unexpected guests. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I love the kid, but he¡¯s eating me to starvation right now! Moving from the small storage area, back into the main room, I contemplated my predicament. ¡®I only have three to four days¡¯ worth of food left. That wouldn¡¯t be a problem considering I can go hunting, but if the weather continues like this¡­ we may find ourselves in a predicament.¡¯ I think while glancing towards Atilla. I still haven¡¯t unraveled the mystery behind how he ended up all the way out here. He hasn¡¯t offered the information and I¡¯ve decided to let him tell me when he¡¯s comfortable doing so. I have a decent idea of what might¡¯ve happened, from the memories of other mind, but if I¡¯m right, that¡¯s even more reason to give him time. ¡®As long as you¡¯re with me, I¡¯ll protect you!¡¯ I resolved while imagining the horrors Atilla had to face before I found him. Whether it was the warm fire, full stomach, or soft fur underfoot, I began to get sleepy. ¡®I really lack any furniture other than the bed.¡¯ I thought, This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡®When I figure out how to make stone tools, a few chairs will be in order.¡¯ I decide while finding a good spot on the floor. After I glanced around the house one more time to make sure everything was in order, I finally let my body rest. Meanwhile in the Tamul Tribe¡­ A vicious fire leaped from one yurt to another, voraciously consuming anything it could touch. Smoke covered the surrounding area, obscuring the vision of the panicked crowd as they stampeded in every direction. Piercing cries sounded throughout the valley, the cries for mothers, siblings, and lovers. Ironically the first casualties weren¡¯t from the fire or the Il¡¯ clan. The first deaths were that of the children, the old and the weak. To preserve their lives, the men, and women of Tamul didn¡¯t hesitate to push the defenseless to the ground and trample them. ¡°Servant!¡± a respected hunter coughed out to his slave. ¡°Yes master!¡± The servant answered while covering his watering eyes. ¡°We must find the women and children of the family. Then we will grab anything of value we can and flee! The Tamul tribe is finished.¡± The hunter said as he scanned the chaos in search of his clansmen. ¡°B- but master¡­ Surely if we joined the battle against the fire with the elders¡­ perhaps we can survive this tribulation.¡± The servant responded as he followed swiftly behind his master. The hunter turned to the servant and delivered a fierce slap to his face. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a coincidence that the tribal grounds start burning down right after that muttan returned. When has anything caught fire this entire winter?!?! Let me tell you, not once!¡± The hunter said angrily. The servant simply stared at his master, perhaps still shocked from the force of the slap. Sighing in exasperation, the hunter continued, ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? The enemy is already here! There is no chance to call the tribesmen together to battle when their families are in peril. Moreover, even if we did manage to repel the enemy, the fire would¡¯ve burned our tribal grounds to ashes! How will we survive this white death with nothing? No matter what we do, we will lose.¡± ¡°The only thing we can hope for is to escape with our lives!¡± The hunter finally finished with his rant, began moving again. Grand Elder POV: ¡°DO NOT SHOVE! DO NOT SHOVE! ANYONE WHO PUSHES WILL BE BEATEN AND SEVERELY PUNISHED!¡± I yelled myself hoarse, attempting to calm the frenzied crowd. ¡°You and you!¡± I shouted to a hunter and his servant. ¡°Follow me to quell the crowd and fight the flames.¡± I ordered, already running towards a throng of people trampling over each other. ¡°STOP!¡± I yelled, shoving the most aggressive of them to the ground and wading my way into the mass of people. ¡°Help me!¡± I cried to the hunter, but upon turning around I found him and his servant getting farther and farther away from the turmoil. Gritting my teeth and promising to remember that hunter and his lack of loyalty, I began my ferocious assault against the crowd. Bashing them over the heads and smacking their arms and shoulders with a sturdy stick I¡¯d grabbed from the ground. After twenty minutes of grueling ¡°combat¡± I managed to bring the rabid crowd to order. ¡°Women and children evacuate! Men, with me! We will secure resources before attempting to fight the fir-¡± ¡°THE ELDER OF THE HUNT IS DEADDDD!!!¡± a voice resounded from the south. ¡°Dead?!?!¡± I exclaimed, a sinking feeling in my stomach. I swung my head side to side, quickly analyzing the situation. This may be a much larger problem than just a fire¡­ Quickly changing my orders, I commanded the three men to follow me as I rushed towards the south to investigate the death of the Elder of the Hunt. As we ran two of them broke off and ran in an opposite direction. I can¡¯t blame them too much, if I weren¡¯t the Grand Elder, perhaps I too would¡¯ve already grabbed anything of value and fled. Anyone with eyes could see the tribe was all but finished. At least there was one good man, willing to fight till the end. ¡®A true bantila of a man.¡¯ I thought while looking at the only man who¡¯d continued to follow me all this time. ¡°Wha-¡± The brave hunter laid on the smudged snow, a spear through his side, a pool of blood quickly forming around him. Before I could fully process the situation, I sensed something from my left side. Every hunter and survival instinct roared at me to dodge, so I did. Flinging myself to the ground and rolling away from my previous position, I was able to see three spears lodge themselves in the ground where I stood not a moment ago. Scrambling to the fallen tribesmen, I wrenched the spear from his ribs, steadying it at the three foreign assailants who¡¯d just walked into the open. ¡°Who are you? Why are you on Tamul land?¡± I rapidly fired two questions. Attempting to both gain information as well as precious time to catch my breath and find a way out of this predicament. Luckily, what appeared to be the leader of the men was willing to indulge me. ¡°I AM KAITO-IL!!¡± He roared at me. ¡°And we-¡± ¡°THE GATHERING ELDER IS DEAD!!!!¡± another loud cry echoed. ¡°Are the mighty Tula!¡± this ¡°Kaito¡± said, completing his sentence. Chapter 19 Chapter 19: Grand Elder POV: ¡®Damn this snow!¡¯ I thought, slipping a bit while throwing myself out of the way of yet another thrown spear. This fighting style is foreign to the steppe. These people have three spears, two for throwing and the last for melee. This is an amazing tactic, one that we¡¯ve never thought of. As worshippers of Banta, we glorify up close and heated battles, however, under the current circumstances I can see the benefits of a ranged skirmish beforehand. They¡¯ve forced me to run like a headless chicken, wasting my stamina, while they merely watch from a safe distance. This can¡¯t continue. Roaring, I sharply turn towards Kaito while he¡¯s grabbing a spear from the ground. The sudden change in movement startles him as he flinched backwards. That small movement was enough for me, I brought my body close to the ground as I darted towards him. Gripping my spear tightly with both hands, I thrust it upwards towards the man¡¯s chin. The spear whistled from the sheer force I¡¯d put into it, arcing towards the vulnerable underside of Kaito¡¯s jaw. While I was already anticipating my next move, waiting for the squelch of spear meeting flesh, I was met with a hard rebound force nearly knocking the weapon from my hand. Quickly snapping back to reality, I took three quick steps back, one of the unnamed hunters had managed to parry my blow. Since I was now on the defensive, the two unnamed hunter pushed their advantage, while that ¡°Kaito¡± still appeared to be in shock from his near-death experience. ¡®Very good, it¡¯ll only be a two-versus-one for now then.¡¯ I affirmed. The two hunters were aggressive, throwing multiple jabs and forcing me backwards. They would also occasionally swing their spears horizontally, it wouldn¡¯t cut, but it would leave me bruised and off balance, so I had to be cautious of that as well. Knowing that I had to break the flow, I leaped backwards before suddenly rushing forward again, letting out a reverberating roar at the same time. The experienced hunters weren¡¯t as shaken as Kaito was, but I noticed one of them slightly lose their footing on the slippery ground. That was enough for me. Rushing towards my left side, which is where he was, I raised my spear for an overhead strike, intending to stun him. His partner quickly thrust forth in the area he thought I¡¯d dash into, however, that¡¯s exactly what I was waiting for. I crashed my spear onto his with as much force as I could muster, causing him to lose his grip and drop it. Then, using the rebound force of my strike, I quickly lifted the spear and slammed its shaft roughly against the temple of the unarmed man. I didn¡¯t get to see him crash to the ground unconscious, because the other hunter had already regained his bearings and ran at me with a maddened roar. Twirling my spear, I was able to divert the power of his thrust by hitting his spear with a glancing blow. The man fought inertia as he brought his spear back to a defensive position. We eyed each other as we slowly circled one another, looking for any openings as we desperately caught our breaths. ¡°Although you Woodlanders have unique tactics, your fighting ability with the spear is worse than a young dambi!¡± I taunted. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The man clearly didn¡¯t understand the steppe tongue, because he had no reaction, he just continued to watch me. Suddenly I noticed an unprecedented excitement in his eyes. I firmed my muscles and tightened my grip on the spear, readying myself for the next bout. However, to my surprise he hadn¡¯t made a move yet. ¡°Ahck-¡± I couldn''t help but let out a pained cry. There was a searing spot that sent small spasms of pain throughout my body. Looking down I spotted a bone dagger being withdrawn from my side, as that cowardly Kaito-il scampered away. ¡°YOU MUTTAN OF A MAN!!!¡± I roared as I swept my spear in his direction. ¡®How dare these primitive people use their primitive weapons on me?!?! The people of the steppe would laugh if they heard I¡¯d been wounded by a bone weapon. We¡¯ve long switched to black rock spears!¡¯ I raged. My small rant was cut short by the other assailant throwing yet another sharp jab to my throat. I side stepped the attack, gritting my teeth against the searing pain that I felt coursing along my ribs. I felt the air shift behind me, and I instinctively rolled forward, lashing my spear out in an arc to preemptively avoid either one of these wretched Tula from taking advantage of my position as I regained my bearings. A spear sailed over me as I stood and faced the enemies once more. I felt a bout of dizziness attack me. My eyes flittered for a moment, but I refused to give in to this weakness. I am the Grand Elder of the Tamul. I forsook chosen and sparkling, all so the tribe would be my family, as ordained by our Ancestors and the Elders before me. If I am alive, the Tamul Shall. Not. Fall. Letting out a battle cry, I engaged the invaders with fresh vigor. Dodging the cowardly strikes of Kaito-il, parrying the strong thrust and swipes of the other hunter, all while attempting to land a few decisive blows of my own. The battle wore on as I heard the cries of my people, smelt burning flesh and smoked hides, as the rising heat of the fire consumed all my predecessors had worked for. It was becoming harder and harder to keep my eyes open, the smoke obscured my vision, and my body was slowly shutting down. ¡°THE RESOURCE ELDER IS DEAD!!!¡± a voice yelled, somehow overpowering the madness. This caused my eyes to shoot open, a mix of frustration, rage, and sorrow overtaking me. PUCHI- In my moment of shock, the strong-willed hunter had managed to land a well-placed blow to my stomach. I resisted the urge to cough out an unhealthy amount of blood as I saw my lifeforce seep from the wound and paint his spear red. He tried to pull back his spear, but I wouldn¡¯t let him. Grabbing the slippery spear tightly, I yanked him forward. Not expecting this turn of events, he stumbled a few steps forward. This was enough for me, ignoring the wound on my side, ignoring the spear in my gut, I whipped my spear through the air. Allowing myself to appreciate the whistling of the wind as the spear tore towards its target. The man could only scream, ¡°FUCK!¡± Before the spear contacted his eye, tearing through the thin membrane it pushed further and further, reaching the brain before piercing that too. Almost immediately the man lost control of his body as his soul was whisked away by his gods. As the brave hunter fell, the spear snapped whilst still lodged in his head, I dropped the spear while letting loose a guttural roar. Suddenly a force impacted my back, before I could understand the full scope of the situation, I felt multiple stings on my back and neck. I delivered swift and vicious elbow strikes to the ribs of the muttan that¡¯d once again attacked me like a coward. Once the muttan had released me in fear, I wrenched the spear from my gut, and leaped forward with it, striking downward horizontally to take one of his eyes. Unfortunately, he managed to scramble backwards. I only managed to nick just above his eye as he fell into the slushed snow. ¡°We worship Banta¡­ we worship the strong.¡± I began. ¡°Please spare me!¡± the muttan begged while crawling backwards, towards a spear not far from where we were. Ignoring his pleas, I continued, ¡°Only the strongest of the strong are allowed the title Grand Elder. In my prime, you muttan woodlanders wouldn¡¯t have been able to land a single blow on me! I would¡¯ve slaughtered you all like a bantila hunting a newborn dambi.¡± ¡°Indeed, you are truly strong!¡± Kaito said, swiping blood out of his eye. ¡°If you let me go, I can assure your life and that of your clan.¡± He continued, while inching ever closer to the spear on the ground. I smiled heartily at that. I have no family, and I can tell that I will die soon. There is only one thing I can do now. ¡°I tell you all of this, so that even a muttan like you can die with honor. Knowing that you were killed by a true bantila, clothed in man¡¯s hide. MY NAME IS JOCHI-GA, STRONGEST UNDER THE HEAVENS, GRAND ELDER OF THE TAMUL!¡± I roared as I plunged my spear towards his heart. Perhaps it was the blood loss, or maybe the gods are just on this Kaito-il¡¯s side, but my spear missed his heart, instead embedding itself in his left shoulder. Although disheartened, a savage smile still rested on my face as I fell to the side, my wounds finally getting the best of me. ¡°A muttan to the end.¡± I whispered to Kaito, who was too scared to approach me and send me on my way to The Mighty Banta. ¡°What muttan?¡± Kaito responded shakily, as he dragged himself to his feet with a grimace. ¡°There are only the living and the dead. I choose to live by any means necessary.¡± He said as one hand nursed his wound, the other tightly clenching his spear. I pondered that as my body began to warm up, reminding me of my time as a youngling. My mother hugging me to fend off the cold of a winter¡¯s night such as this one. The snow glistened and shined as fires danced and the people¡¯s screams played as the backdrop to this insanity. ¡®It¡¯s strangely beautiful¡¯ was the last thing I thought. ¡°THE GRAND ELDER IS DEAD!!!¡± Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Pino POV: ¡°Pay attention!¡± I snapped at Atilla. While staring at him sternly, right hand gripping my dagger, while using the left to hold the branch steady. ¡°Learning how to make spears is extremely important to a hunter, if you can¡¯t even do this, you¡¯ll have a hard time attracting a Chosen!¡± I warned, the fire helping to cast shadows across my face. I¡¯d frozen my butt off, finding branches thick and flexible enough to use as spears. I figured that instead of waiting for starvation, I¡¯d teach Attila how to hunt, to mitigate the food problem. I never thought he would be so lazy! Does he not appreciate the severity of our situation?!?! Attila seemed undisturbed, yawning as he said, ¡°But brother, why should I learn how to make such barbaric weapons?¡± ¡°BARBARIC?!?!¡± I yelled in agitation. ¡°How do you even-¡± I said exasperatedly. ¡°Trust me when I say, there is nothing better than such ¡®barbaric¡¯ weapons at this time!¡± I continued. ¡°Brother¡­.¡± Attila said, looking a bit disappointed. ¡°How is this the best? Aren¡¯t black rock spears sharper and more durable?¡± he asked. I stared at him blankly for a while¡­ ¡°Black rock¡­ as in a rock as the tip of the spear?¡± I questioned. Attila now looked at me with pity, ¡°Yes, what else could it be?¡± Tana-il POV: The remnants of the Tamul tribe shifted about restlessly as they sat in a clearing near their smoldering settlement. Some shed tears as they witnessed the only home they ever knew burnt to the ground. Others simply grind their teeth and wish to bludgeon their ears as they listen to the screams of fear, pain and agony. Tried not to lose control of their stomachs as they smelt the strange scent of burnt flesh melded with fecal matter and cured hide. Presiding over this nightmare was Tana-il, standing tall as he struggled to count the spoils of the successful raid. ¡°There are more spears here than the amount of hands all of my men have! How can I plan for the usage of this if I don¡¯t even know what I have?¡± I pondered. I often considered this problem, the fact that as the quantity increased, the harder it became to count using hands. Hands are an inefficient measuring method, but what can I do? This is sacred knowledge that¡¯s been passed down for generations. ¡°Yet that¡¯s only amongst our forest kin¡­ how far might the steppe have progressed since our ancestors departed?¡± I mused aloud while glancing at the captives. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Honorable Il¡¯?¡± A battered clansman questioned as he stepped closer. ¡°Nothing.¡± I responded, snapping free from my ponderings. ¡°Ensure that all the captives are properly tied, and remain vigilant against any bantilas in man''s hide!¡± I further commanded. ¡°Yes honorable Il¡¯¡± The three men who accompanied me confirmed as they went about the task they were given. Looking at the paltry number of clansmen made me grimace. I knew that the battle would be tough, but to lose so many¡­ Bringing myself in front of the nervous captives I began to speak in my broken steppe tongue. ¡°Your tribe, the Tamul tribe¡­ as of today it no longer exists.¡± I slowly enounced, my words reverberating throughout the clearing. ¡°From now on, everything here, including all of you¡­ belong to me!¡± I continued. No longer able to contain himself, an older man jumped up yelling, ¡°We the great Tamul will never be slaves! As long as Banta is Master of the Hunt, we will never yield.¡± Although he was far beyond the prime years of a hunter and his hands were bound, he still struck an imposing figure. His heated words caused some of the other men, of varying ages, to stand as well. ¡°He¡¯s right! There are less than a hand of you, and more of us than you can possibly hope to beat! We don¡¯t fear you, the Tamul will fight to the death!¡± They exclaimed excitedly. Hearing these words and seeing the various expressions on the captives faces, I couldn¡¯t help but to smile. ¡°Just as planned.¡± I thought. ¡°Tamul?!?!¡± I ridiculed. ¡°All that is left of the Tamul are you old men, women, and children not even old enough to hunt!¡± I remarked. ¡°Tamul?¡± I asked again. ¡°Gathered here are four hands of men, of you men, which are slaves?¡± I pressed. The men, both standing and sitting, looked at one another in confusion. ¡°I¡¯ll repeat myself, who among you are slaves?¡± I asked in a slightly irritable tone. Whether due to fear or simply curiosity, the men started to distinguish themselves. ¡°Tamul?¡± I whispered. ¡°Of your four hands of men, half of them are slaves, a hand is made of old men, and the last of children!¡± I barked ¡°TAMUL?!¡± I roared ¡°You are what I say you are, so you are slaves!¡± I uttered sinisterly. ¡°And if you don¡¯t like it,¡± I said while grabbing a black stone spear. ¡°This will be your end!¡± I finished, thrusting the spear through the chest of the man who first rose up. There was a deep silence in the clearing as the old man fell to the ground. All those who were previously standing quickly knelt back down, not daring to look me in the eye. It was hard to tell whether the surrounding people shivered due to the cold or their fear of me. Either way, this is the optimal atmosphere. The old man was right, if they decide to rise up, if they decide to put their lives on the line, we can only flee. Only by striking the fear of Aki into these people do we have the hope of bringing the spoils home! ¡°Now!¡± I said calmly. ¡°Who amongst you is gifted at counting?¡± I asked. There was a short pause, but an aging man stuttered as he rose from the frigid ground saying, ¡°L-Lord, among all the Tamul, I dare s-say that I¡¯m the most gifted at counting!¡± I looked at the man deeply before snapping my head towards the remaining captives. I couldn¡¯t sense any deceit in his words, nor did any other tribesmen jump forth to challenge his claim. ¡°What name do you go by?¡± I asked, my tone more commanding than inquiring. ¡°To- Togba!¡± He hastily responded. ¡°No family name? You look like you¡¯ve survived many seasons, yet you don¡¯t have a clan name?¡± I questioned critically. ¡°I have always been more interested in travel than in hunting master¡­ I never earned the right to a clan name.¡± Togba said embarrassedly. ¡°So your travels helped you with counting?¡± I continued to interrogate. ¡°Yes master! In my travels, I came across a land flat as a clearing, surrounded by tall golden grass. Many tribes lived inside cases of wood, and these wood cases were surrounded by many trees stacked together closely! It was in this wonderful place that I learned how to count well!¡± Togba said with fervor. I couldn¡¯t help but sneer at his fantastical story, who would sleep in a wooden case? Yurts and caves have more space and they are likely more comfortable! ¡°Enough stories! Count for me the total amount of people in this clearing.¡± I ordered. ¡°At your command master! ¡­However, I will first need a few strips of hide.¡± Togba requested, eager to prove his skills. Chapter 21 Chapter 21 Pino POV: ¡°Please explain it one more time.¡± I said seriously while looking at Attila. He seemed exasperated, which is fair considering I¡¯d had him run me through the process of making stone tools at least one-hundred times. Sighing he responded, ¡°First you need to find a sturdy stone, around the size of the blade you want to make.¡± After pausing for a moment in anticipation of questions, he continued, ¡°You¡¯ll then take that stone, and chip it into the wanted shape, by hitting it with another stone, of similar hardness.¡± I interjected to ask, ¡°What stones did the Tamul usually use?¡± Although it may¡¯ve been insensitive to talk about a sore spot in his past, I needed to know, this is a matter of survival. Attila looked stunned, but he answered, ¡°For our weapons, we use black rock, but for axes we usually use river stones.¡± ¡°Thank you¡­ and sorry.¡± I said quietly. There was a small interlude as Attila settled his emotions. After taking a moment, he pressed onward, ¡°After you find your stone and make it into the shape you prefer, you¡¯ve completed the basics.¡± ¡°After that you will need to find a sturdy stick, preferably one with a few good notches at the top or bottom.¡± ¡°Notches?!¡± I once again cut in. This is the reason that I¡¯ve had him continuously explain the process. Perhaps to him everything is simple knowledge, for that reason, he skips over ¡°minor details, or expects me to just intuitively know what he means. However, I have no understanding of making tools! Not from my last life or even this current one! Stone tools seem to be a new technology in this region, and not one that¡¯s particularly valued, seeing as even children know how to make them. Then again¡­ there¡¯s likely no concept or understanding of national security or essential trade and technology secrets¡­ ¡°...and the notches basically hold the axe head in place, and help to avoid splitting the wood. Do you understand now?¡± Attila asked, breaking me from my reverie. ¡°Yes, I think I get it.¡± I confirmed. ¡°So once I have a good piece of wood, what''s the next step?¡± I inquired. ¡°This is the easiest part!¡± He jubilantly replied. ¡°From that point, you want to dig a small dip into the wood using your axe head. After that, you will take a hot stone and-¡± Attila was dictating before I interrupted him. ¡°Hot stone?¡± I asked. ¡°BROTHER! It¡¯s a stone that¡¯s heated by phire! It¡¯s so simple! Why do you have so many questions?!¡± Attila said, finally unable to bear the constant questioning. I looked at him somberly, I wasn¡¯t angry, he¡¯s only a kid, but I have to set some ground rules and make it clear that I¡¯m the adult here. That I¡¯m in charge, and that he can¡¯t talk to me in whatever way he sees fit. I continued to stare at him silently, a tactic I learned from a manager at the store I used to work at part-time. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Finally when he couldn¡¯t maintain eye contact, and began to fidget, I spoke. ¡°We are running out of firewood, did you know that?¡± I asked He didn¡¯t say anything, only stared at me, but once he realised I desired an answer, he shook his head no. ¡°Well, we are. Did you know that we are running out of meat to eat?¡± I questioned, continuing my interrogation. Once again, he shook his head no. ¡°Well, we are.¡± I repeated myself. ¡°I do everything here. From collecting firewood, to hunting prey, to bringing home water, to repairing the house, to teaching you how to be a hunter. Have I lied thus far?¡± I asked. While he was shaking his head yet again, I interrupted, ¡°I don¡¯t understand head shakes. Yes or No?¡± ¡°N- no.¡± Attila dejectedly replied. ¡°Exactly.¡± I said Then pressing on while the iron is hot, I continued, ¡°Stone tools are very important to us, especially now. It will make collecting wood easier, it will make building and repairs easier, and most importantly, it will make our weapons stronger and hunting more efficient. Do you understand that?¡± I asked. He went to shake his head again, but a stern look from me caused him to respond with, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good.¡± I said ¡°For that reason, I need to know exactly what I¡¯m doing, so that if it¡¯s ever necessary, I can use this knowledge even if you aren¡¯t available to help me.¡± I explained. After those words left my mouth, Attila jumped up in shock. ¡°Brother please. I¡¯m sorry, I won¡¯t ever question you again.¡± He said frantically. ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me, please don¡¯t abandon me!¡± He sobbed, clutching tightly to my coarse robe. I looked at him in surprise, but slowly my expression softened. Because we¡¯d built a comfortable repertoire, I¡¯d forgotten that he wasn''t just a normal kid. I¡¯d heard him screaming horribly in his dreams. Whatever happened¡­ it must¡¯ve been traumatising. ¡°Hey, look at me.¡± I said softly as I brushed my hand over his cloud-like hair. ¡°As long as you want me around, I¡¯ll never leave you. Okay?¡± I vowed. ¡°R- really?¡± He asked through his tears. ¡°Really.¡± I smiled. A smile broke the downpour of tears on his face, and after a nice moment, he finished explaining stone tools to me. The process is pretty simple: Find a good stone, cut it into the desired shape, use a hot rock and chipping method to make a hole in the tree limb in the shape of the axe head, insert said axe head into said limb and seal it with sap, mud, or whatever else is available. After that you can further secure it by tying some rope or hide around it, but that¡¯s just my personal speculation. Tana-Il POV: ¡°Essentially, each knot represents the number five.¡± Togba explained while readjusting his placement in the tent. ¡°Fyyvuh?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but to ask. This strange man had already spent a while trying to explain this ¡°mayth¡± to me, and now he is describing ¡°nhmbers¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Togba continued with excitement, ¡°Everything that exists has a number, for instance, you have two hands. On each hand you have five fingers. So if you say that your warband has two hands of men, then you have nine plus one men!¡± ¡°Why nine plus one? You kept going up in nhmbers, but when you reached nine you went back to one. Why is there no new nhmber after nine?¡± I questioned. ¡°That¡­ is also a mystery to me.¡± Togba said as he stood up and began pacing ¡°When I asked the wisemen of the Great Plains, they too didn¡¯t know. Perhaps only Aki can tell.¡± Togba said sagely. Just as I intended to continue my line of questioning, a disturbance from the front of the tent interuptted our discussion. ¡°Honorable Il!¡± Kaito greeted as he entered the tent, glancing slightly at Togba. ¡°What boy?!¡± I snapped in annoyance. It¡¯d become common knowledge around the fire pits that my son was a muttan. He was fearful in front of the enemy, and used muttan tactics to best the Grand Elder. Not that I am against such tactics, but if you are to act dishonorably there must either be a good reason or no witnesses. He¡¯d messed up by allowing the hunter who¡¯d been knocked unconscious return alive. Kaito flinched at my harsh tone, but reported nevertheless, ¡°The captives are becoming restless. We must decide what to do with them now!¡± Kaito said urgently. Sighing, I looked at Togba and said, ¡°We will continue this soon.¡± As I stood and began sauntering towards the entrance of the tent. Just as I was about to walk out I remembered something as I turned back to him. ¡°Oh! And before I forget, is there anyone you¡¯d like spared? I can do this for you considering how useful you will be.¡± I asked. Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Togba POV: Night began to fall, casting long shadows over the decimated Tamul lands and enveloping the rising smoke in the expanding darkness. Small fires dotted the clearing not too far from the fresh ruins. The remnants of tribes folk and servants sat closely to the fire, all but clinging onto one another in an attempt to seek not only comfort but also warmth from the unforgiving cold that encompassed them. The brutal winter wind would occasionally bring the anxiety filled questions of servants, women and tribesmen alike. ¡°What will become of us?¡± ¡°Is this it for the Tamul?¡± ¡°Mama¡­ where is daddy?¡± ¡°The children are getting cold, if we don¡¯t seek shelter soon¡­¡± I could only sigh in contemplation as I weaved silently through the mass of people. These are my tribesmen, my family, but if my travels have taught me anything, it¡¯s that this world is a brutal place. The Tamul have subjugated other tribes before, when we were the victors¡­ how much did we care for the oppressed? I scanned the people around the fire place again, slowly counting the numbers once, then once more. ¡°Nine and one.¡± I muttered, tying a double knot into the long strip of hide I held in my hand. This is the method I was taught for keeping count of larger numbers while in the Golden Plains. My quiet utterances and strange movements attracted the attention of the people around the fire. A sturdy man, Kehma, stood to greet me. ¡°Togba!¡± he called out kindly, although with a slightly anxious expression. ¡°How quickly the times have changed!¡± He continued. ¡°It feels like not too long ago I offered you some of my clan¡¯s personal prey to ensure you survived last season, and now¡­¡± He let his words die out, the hidden meaning clear. ¡®I have helped you on multiple occasions, now it¡¯s your turn to return the favour¡­ or something like that?¡¯ I mused internally. Although what he said is true, the goods he provided were far from charity! I couldn¡¯t help but want to sneer, in exchange for the scraps he gave me, I worked like a dog! Watching his children, cleaning his yurts, sharpening his spears¡­ at times it was hard to distinguish rather I was a tribesman or a mere servant! That, however, was my life. I¡¯m no hunter, I¡¯m a scholar! ¡°Knowledge is my tribe, the world is my hunting grounds, understanding is my prey.¡± I recited those words season after season during my times of toil. Scholars are meant to roam and enlighten, but when I returned to the tribe after many akigi, I was met with disdain. As if my existence were a nuisance, a waste of food and space. No one, not even the almighty Elders cared for my knowledge, my experiences. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.Now however, I can finally rejoice! There is someone intelligent enough to understand my value. Due to this, I¡¯ve escaped what¡¯ll likely be a massacre! Truly, knowledge is power! Looking Kehma in the eye, I responded, ¡°I can¡¯t assure you anything unfortunately¡­¡± A false sorrow in my voice. ¡°Although the Honourable Il¡¯ values me, there is only so much I can do!¡± I continued in a righteous manner. I proceeded as if wistfully pondering, ¡°Your clan has yourself, three chosen, four sparklings and two servants!¡± ¡°A clan of nine and one¡­ it¡¯d be hard to ask him to spare all of you.¡± I determined, shaking my head, I began to walk away. ¡°Wait!¡± Kehma yelled. ¡°P- please¡­ wait.¡± He continued quietly, glancing around to make sure he hadn¡¯t drawn undue attention. ¡°There has to be something, anything we can do. Just please¡­ save us.¡± He pleaded. I looked at Khema silently, barely avoiding a wide smile as I noticed the slight tremor in his hands. ¡®This feels good.¡¯ I thought. ¡°Well¡­¡± I began. ¡°If you had a few less clansmen, maybe I could ask for leniency.¡± I said while staring behind him. He turned in confusion, not understanding what I meant. ¡°Your daughter has experienced her first blood no? If you were to find her a chosen, then¡­¡± I let my words die out, allowing him the chance to connect the dots himself. When a glimmer of realisation finally shone in his eyes, I continued. ¡°Also, it would be difficult for only myself and new chosen to manage all the benefits that the Honourable Il¡¯ will bestow to us. A servant would go a long way in helping our budding household.¡± I said, nodding at my own words. This wasn¡¯t merely petty revenge, I¡¯m offering him the safety of his family in exchange for one of his daughters and a servant. Compared to the alternative where he¡¯d simply be slain, his wives and daughters raped and forced into marriage, and his servants given away as gifts¡­ my offer was reasonable! To seal the deal, I leaned in and whispered, ¡°Many things are changing, soon I will rise to the top¡­ would you like to rise with me or be a step on my path upwards?¡± Khema gulped before asking, ¡°Wha- what¡¯s a step?¡± Trying not to lose my cool I asked a simpler question, ¡°Do you prefer to live or die?¡± Tana-Il POV: ¡°You¡¯re as weak as a newborn dambi!¡± I spit venomously at Kaito. ¡°Father,¡± he gasped, attempting to catch his breath. ¡°I¡¯ve been going at this alone for a while with no rest! The fact that I¡¯ve already done this much is already a feat!¡± He continued through laboured breaths. Behind Kaito¡¯s hunched and tired body stood a large tent. It was held up by wood and covered by a patchwork of furs and hides. This, and another tent that was less than halfway finished, were to be the accommodations for the Tamul. As punishment, and a lesson, for Kaito¡¯s cowardice, I had him construct the housing by himself. I expected him to either fall from exhaustion, or ask for help due to his lack of knowledge. I then planned to reprimand him before providing assistance. I would use that opportunity to not only teach him that when you fail to handle a job properly, it only means more work in the future. It would¡¯ve also been a good bonding moment, and would have deepened our familial bond. That, annoyingly, wasn¡¯t the case. He stubbornly kept at his assignment until he figured out how to properly build such a large tent. Then after that, he took on the laborious task of hoisting it up and assuring its integrity. By the time he¡¯d managed to erect the first tent, the last rays of akigi were yielding to the darkness, causing not only unrest amongst the Tamul, but also my own personal annoyance at this stubborn sparkling! ¡°More and more of the Tamul who initially fled are returning due to cold and hunger. We only have five men to hold off more people than even the best scholars could count!¡± I spit, while also flexing my new knowledge. ¡°Will you be responsible if they rise against us because their sparks are freezing and dying in this cold?¡± I asked. Kaito, gritting his teeth, replied, ¡°No¡­ father.¡± ¡°Good!¡± I exclaimed, ¡°Then hurry up.¡± ¡°And you two¡­ help him¡± I said to two of the five idling clansmen. ¡°Yes Honourable Il¡¯!¡± They affirmed before rushing to the task. ¡®These tents are essential to my plan for safely returning with all the spoils, they have to be erected before the darkness falls completely.¡¯ I thought. As I pondered the future, my eyes followed my newest subordinate, Togba. He is well travelled and knowledgeable about things that I¡¯ve never thought of. I can appreciate a man like that, and for the foreseeable future, he will be necessary. ¡­but ¡®I will have to be wary of him, he isn¡¯t ignorant to the world of power and control.¡¯ I determined, as I watched him pull along a young girl,whilst a servant trailed silently behind him. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 Attila POV: ¡®Oh Aki it¡¯s cold.¡¯ I thought as yet another frigid gust of air bombarded my body I was having a hard time understanding just what was happening. When akigi first rose, it was like any other day¡­ ¡°Mother¡­ Father¡± I muttered, tightly gripping my rugged top. Desperately pushing away the terrible pain that throbbed in my chest and echoed throughout my body. Tears streamed down my face as I watched the surrounding murderers with hatred. ¡®Them! They did this!¡± I seethed My eyes settled on Togba as he sifted through the crowd like a snake through sand, speaking briefly every now and again with his former enemies and comrades alike. Occasionally a few objects or softly spoken promises would be passed between the two parties, as Togba devoutly tied his leather straps, for reasons unknown. Trailing behind him was a young girl¡­ a bit older than me maybe. Her name¡­ it was, was¡­ I can¡¯t remember. ¡®Not that it matters, she¡¯ll pay. They¡¯ll all pay!¡¯ I roared internally. Another gust of bitter wind uprooted me from my vengeful contemplations and I leaned closer to my pitiful fire. ¡®Endure. Endure!¡¯ I commanded myself. ¡°Attila¡­¡± A voice called out ¡°Atilla!¡± It yelled, yanking my attention in the direction of the noise. ¡°Y-yes Togba?¡± I asked stutteringly. Pino POV: ¡°Togba?¡± I inquired while staring at the bleary eyed Attila quizzically. ¡®Another nightmare¡¯ I thought, before ignoring what¡¯d just occurred all together. I took my index and middle finger, both covered in ash from the night befores¡¯ fire, and began rubbing my teeth. I can¡¯t remember if I¡¯d read it somewhere, or maybe saw an ad about it, but this should keep my hygiene in as good a condition as possible. At least when considering that dentists don¡¯t even exist yet! ¡°Brush your teeth and get ready to go.¡± I said, throwing my voice behind me while I reached for the pottery that we use to hold drinking water. ¡°Awww, but it tastes so bad!¡± Attila moaned. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. I turned to stare at him blankly, my mouth full of water. After swishing the water over my tongue and teeth a few times, I spit into the fire before saying, ¡°Do you think I like the taste of ash in my mouth? ¡°Trust me,¡± I continued, ¡°You¡¯ll thank me in the long run.¡± Albeit grumpily, Attila got on with the task. ¡®He¡¯s a good kid at heart¡¯ I mused, a small smile on my face. Once the daily sanitation was over, I tossed Attila the stone spear he made himself, as well as two more stone spears made by yours truly. I figured that since he has been so energetic, and eager to leave the house lately, I might as well take the chance to teach him how to hunt. This not only handles his excess energy, but also helps to resolve the food issue. We strolled within the ¡®safe area,¡¯ near the house, towards our prospective hunting grounds, making small talk. ¡°What will we catch today?¡± ¡°Who will cook it?¡± ¡°Will it be tasty?¡± This type of light conversation filled the air as we continued leisurely forward. When finally reaching the tree that I demarcated long ago, I asked, ¡°What¡¯s the first rule of a hunter?¡± ¡°To be as silent, as invisible, and as lethal as possible.¡± Attila whispered in response. Instead of providing praise, I simply nodded before moving on, ¡°What¡¯s the second?¡± ¡°Be observant, use everything, from touch to taste to track both prey and predators. ¡° He responded swiftly. And finally, I said, a hard look in my eye, ¡°What¡¯s the third and most important rule?¡± ¡°Life is more important than any prey, don¡¯t take unnecessary risks, and run from predators if possible.¡± Attila said solemnly. ¡°And if you can¡¯t run?¡± I asked, cracking a smile. ¡°Then try to take it with you!¡± Attila replied, a wide grin on his face. After enjoying that small moment, we got about the business of the hunt. For the most part, I let Attila take the lead, he spotted small flecks of fur against thorny bushes. Still warm dung heaps in thick patches of grass, and the smell of rotting corpses, no doubt leftovers from Teddy¡¯s newest escapade. As the day wore on, it seemed less and less likely that we¡¯d bring any meat home tonight. Our mood, equally dampened with each less ray of sunshine. Suddenly, I froze, slowly crouching my body to the ground. Attila, noticing my movements, did the same. ¡°Wha-¡± He began to ask, but a swift fist motion shut him up. I then used hand signals to explain that I¡¯d heard a grunting sound a little over 100 meters in front of us. Attila¡¯s eyes lit up, but stemming his excitement he questioned via signals, ¡°What¡¯ll we do?¡± Giving him a wicked grin, I motioned for him to follow behind. Tana-Il POV: The desolate landscape and biting weather did nothing for my mood. I was eager to begin the trek back to Tula territory, but first, I had a final few matters to handle The wind blew strong, the frostiness that it held stronger. The two large tents flapped in the wind as I stood starkly between them. Glowering strongly as Togba walked forward with a boy in tow. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry about what happened to your mother.¡± I said abruptly to the child as soon as he was within talking distance. ¡°Although your father is a mutton, I always stick to my promises. If your mom hadn¡¯t ran out to him in his last moments, I would have ensured both of yours safety to the Tula lands.¡± I continued The child stared at me blankly, but I could feel the anger, the rage, the indignation just below the surface. ¡®Interesting¡¯ I thought, a small smirk slithering across my face. ¡°This new situation is complicated for me.¡± I thought aloud while sighing. ¡°None of your former tribesmen will want to take care of the child of the betrayer¡­ and if I forced one of them to, I have no doubt that one day you¡¯d end up dead.¡± I continued to ponder. ¡°I could make you a servant, but that would break my agreement with your father¡­. What do you think I should do?¡± I asked, staring piercingly at the boy. The kid stared at me¡­ And he stared¡­ And stared¡­. The wind blew a frosty breath into my lungs, and just as I was about to say something more, he finally spoke. ¡°Will you kill them?¡± He asked, staring at the tents behind me with a raging passion. I turned slowly, relishing the moment. ¡°Some of them,¡± I responded softly. ¡°Just enough to make them too scared to rebel. Why?¡± I asked. ¡°Let me¡­¡± He whispered. ¡°What?¡± I asked ¡°Let. Me.¡± He repeated. ¡°I. Can¡¯t. Hear. You.¡± I said. ¡°LET ME!!¡± He screamed. ¡°Let you what?¡± I smiled broadly. ¡°Kill Them! KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL! KILL!¡± The boy screamed his guts out. ¡°I can grant your wish, but what can you give me?¡± I asked, barely containing my laughter. ¡°ANYTHING!! ANYTHING!!¡± The boy croacked. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 Attila POV: Our feet barely touched the ground as we slinked towards our target. The only indication that we were even there was the slight partings of the vibrant tall grass as we pushed forward. Moving in a roundabout fashion, we worked our way from one covered area to the next, approaching the clearing that the animal was grazing in. Methodically, we circled to the back of the beast, its most unsuspecting area. Just as my back had begun to ache from the constant hunched positioning, I heard it. The gruffing of a beast rummaging the duff. It let out small snorts and huffs as it tore apart the foliage in search of its favourite plants and insects. I strained my ears, listening for exactly what the animal might be. Any small noises or motions that¡¯d give some idea as to what it might be. Just as I¡¯d come to my conclusions, my brothe-, Pino, turned to me with a serious expression and motioned a few times with his hands. Reading his hand symbols, I motioned backed questioningly, ¡°Bo-ar?¡± As if having some sudden realisation, he exasperatedly motioned again. ¡°Hogahn, lots of meat but also extremely dangerous. This won¡¯t be an easy hunt, be careful.¡± He signed once fast, then a second time slower to ensure that I¡¯d caught what he said. Wiping the sweat from my palms before tightening my grip on the spear, I gave a nod of confirmation, With that, he turned forward again whilst motioning for me to fan to the side, flanking the beast. I silently moved to my position in a hurried manner. In my current position, there was a fair amount of vegetation, as well as the hogahn, that cut my line of sight of Pino. I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t nervous, this would be my first actual hunt. The times that I practised stalking, tracking, hand signals, bird calls¡­ all of that has congregated into this one moment. I don¡¯t want to fail, I want to make him proud¡­ to show that I¡¯m a useful part of the clan. I want- A calming birdsong settled on the clearing, drifting along the wind, and cascading against the trees. It was so natural that the hogahn didn¡¯t alter its actions, it even seemed to be enjoying the song? I on the other hand knew by heart the subtle messages within the birdsong: ¡°I will throw two spears and drive it in your direction, you¡¯ll startle it back to me when it rushes you, then I¡¯ll deliver the final blow.¡± Internalising the information, I sent out a short whistle of confirmation. My lacklustre whistling skills caused the beast to pause for a moment, but not too suspicious, it continued to graze. I internally groaned, knowing that I was in for an earful, as I did a quick check on my spears one more time. I remained crouched for another minute or so before hearing a familiar sound, a spear whistling through the air. That sound was followed by a similar sound in quick succession. ¡°AHHRCK-¡± The beast uttered, clearly startled. I took this as my cue to take action, I swiftly stood, spear at the ready, and caught my first sight of the beast. The first impression I got was, tyrannical. It was extremely large, almost half the height of a man,thin fur all along its body and large bone spears protruding from either side of its mouth. The most striking feature though, was the spear deeply lodged in its side, as well as the madness and anger in its eyes. I heard a familiar roar from my right side, no doubt Pino scaring it towards me. ¡®I¡¯m ready¡¯ I thought while firming myself, the spear held in a throwing stance. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. As the hogahn barreled towards me, mouth frothing and breath steaming, I took a small step back. Then another I considered dropping my weapon and running¡­ but I knew I couldn¡¯t. If I couldn¡¯t even battle a beast, how would I ever get revenge for my family ¡®¡­true revenge¡¯ I thought as I remembered that massacre in the snow. Its mouth frothed and steamed as it ran towards me ¡®AHHHHHhhhhhh¡± I roared with conviction, taking two strong steps forward I put my back into the throwing motion as I hurled the spear at the boar. Aiming wasn¡¯t a concern considering how large it was, and the fact that it ran in a straight line. The spear made a beautiful arc through the air, it hit the hogahn¡¯s shoulder, and sank deeply there. I didn¡¯t have the opportunity to fully appreciate my marksmanship. Keeping an eye trained on the prey, I grasped another spear and readied for the next throw. As the pain settled into the beast, it quickly veered away from me, running parallel to both Pino and myself. ¡°Don¡¯t let it get away!¡± Pino yelled, no longer worried about subtlety. I didn¡¯t respond, far too focused on my next throw. Twisting my waist for maximum power, I launched the spear with my full weight behind it. Screeching through the air, it glanced the beasts¡¯ back, causing a small gash to open, as it sailed onwards. The spear passed in front of the hogahn, driving itself deep in the dirt only a few meters in front of it. Turning yet again, it ran towards Pino. Pino, who¡¯d been trailing behind the animal all along, readied himself for the confrontation. The maddened beast lowered its head to the ground as it rushed Pino. Standing in a partially squatted and stout position, Pino stood firm. Just as the beast was reaching impaling range, Pino rolled to the side, outstretching his spear. The tip of the spear dragged along the beasts¡¯ flank as it charged past, causing yet another laceration. Swiftly standing up again, Pino charged the hogahn. The animal hadn¡¯t yet turned but Pino was already upon it. He deftly grasped the spear that he¡¯d originally thrown into the hogahn and ripped it out. The animal cried in pain as it flailed its head about, an attempt to ward off any attackers. Taking two large and swift steps back, Pino narrowly avoided contact with the sharp tusks. The animal sporadically trotted and charged at trees and bushes. It was no doubt fighting against the claws of death, so we merely stood a safe distance away,slowly following behind it and watching for any other predators. Waiting for it to bleed out or finally collapse from exhaustion. It suddenly stopped moving, As if gaining some form of clarity right before death, it looked straight at us Both Pino and I tensed up ¡°Move!¡± Pino barely managed to roar as he threw himself to the side ¡®Move?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t grasp what that meant, my mind too occupied by the small mountain of death charging towards me. ¡®Move?¡¯ I asked myself again, as I felt the specks of blood and spittle spray me, a testament to just how close the beast was to me. ¡®MOVE¡¯ ¡°MOVE!!¡± I yelled internally as Pino once again roared in desperation. Breaking myself from the shock, I unceremoniously threw myself to the ground, barely avoiding having a set of tusks lodged in my stomach. Relentlessly, it charged at me again, forcing me to scramble to the side. Once again barely managing to avoid a painful death. Although it¡¯d failed to impale me yet again, the force of the glancing blow was enough to knock the wind from my chest and send me rolling into a tree. ¡°Come towards me!¡± I heard a voice yelling, but my mind was already fuzzy, and I could just barely focus on what was in front of me. Dust filled the air as the hogahn pawed at the ground. It huffed, and snapped its head from side to side, perhaps trying to displace the spear still stuck in its shoulder. When it realised the spear wasn¡¯t going anywhere, locking its eyes with mine, it charged. Head lowered, and picking up speed it blitzed towards me, I knew that I only had a few seconds to make a choice. Dodge again or stand my ground? Forcing myself to my feet, I reflexively grasped for the spear that should¡¯ve been slung across my lower back. My hand gripped empty air. Somehow, in the heat of the moment, I¡¯d dropped it somewhere. That didn¡¯t matter right now, what mattered is how close the hogahn now was. Thinking fast, I put my hands behind me and gripped the tree, then jumping up and leaning forward, I placed both feet on the tree¡¯s trunk. I then kicked off of the trunk while simultaneously releasing my hands grip, propelling myself forward and over the beast. As I passed overhead I reached my hands out, fighting gravity, and managed to grip the spear still stuck in its shoulder. I was set on pulling the spear from the beast, but rather than that happening the counterforce and inertia that I exerted caused the hogahn to flip, whilst coincidingly snapping the spear. Ignoring the dull pain in my arms as I tumbled to the ground, I swiftly gathered myself and charged the animal again, barehanded. Before I could rashly engage a beast almost as tall as myself in hand to hand combat, Pino was already upon it. He had his bone dagger, one that he seems extremely fond of, and he used it to stab and slice at the animals¡¯ neck and exposed stomach repeatedly. I stood awestruck at the bloody and brutal display, I only came to when a blood drenched man grasped my shoulder and asked, ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± I replied. ¡°Are you okay?¡± He repeated, this time a lot more slowly, while also checking me for any injuries. ¡°Y-yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡± I confirmed. As if a heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders, he slouched to the ground, ¡°Fuck¡­¡± He muttered. ¡°Fuck.¡± I confirmed while sitting beside him. I peeked at him, fully expecting him to scold me for swearing, he always said I was too young to swear. No such admonishment came this time, maybe he¡¯d recognised me as a full blown hunter, or maybe he was just exhausted. A deep sigh pulled me from my musings, ¡°Let¡¯s take what we can carry from it and leave, before another predator catches its scent.¡± Pino commanded ¡°Yes brother! I- I mean¡­¡± I trailed off because Pino hadn¡¯t rebuked me yet. ¡®So brother is finally okay¡­¡¯ I thought as I rushed to help him butcher and store the best pieces of the meat. ¡°Why are you cutting strips off the back?¡± I asked He laughed while saying, ¡°Have you ever heard of bacon?¡± Chapter 25 Chapter 25 A monumental moment for this world was occurring in a small clearing in a forest. There was no fanfare, no music, no applause. Just two people, a young man and a boy. They sat in front of an outdoor fire pit, a clay disk that sat on the fire separating them from each other. Pino POV: ¡°That really does smell amazing!¡± Attila said, his mouth watering as the delicious scent of thick slice, pine smoked bacon wafted into his nose. ¡°You said this was¡­ bah-kan, right?¡± He asked ¡°Yes.¡± I smiled, ¡°Bacon. It¡¯s not great for your health, but it tastes even better than it smells.¡± Looking at the bacon while talking, I saw it had cooked enough, so I turned it over, allowing the other side to cook as well. Attila hummed his acknowledgment, and we sunk into a comfortable silence, both absorbed in our own thoughts. I turned my head, looking at all that I had. The smoking stands, the house, all the tools I¡¯ve managed to build. The fact that this clearing has a dirt path, a testament to the amount of time I¡¯ve lived and traversed this area. This is the life¡­ but It feels empty ¡°Oh shit!¡± I called out, grabbing the bacon that¡¯d started to burn off of the pan. I quickly tossed the extra crispy meat into a bowl that¡¯d already been set aside for that purpose. Once the food was secure, I jumped up and waved my hand through the air like a kite, warding off the burning sensation that assailed my fingers. My antics were suddenly interrupted by a burst of laughter that came from across the flames. I looked at Attila, rolling on the ground, and asked in false anger, ¡°What¡¯s so funny? Huh??¡± I then grabbed a stick that was on the edge of the fire, nowhere hot enough to cause any damage, but it¡¯d still be uncomfortable to touch, and I began chasing him around our clearing. His startled face soon turned to one of childish jubilation as he ran as fast as he possibly could. Eventually, the stick ran cold, and we tired of our little game, so we settled down to eat. The world seemed to slow as I watched Attila dive into his meal, heaping praise after praise upon the ¡°bah-kan.¡± A tiny twinge of pain attacked my heart, I¡¯d been in this foreign land for close to a year. I¡¯d never get to see my mom or dad again, I¡¯ll never hang out with my friends, I¡¯ll never get to confess to that girl, I- ¡°Are you okay?¡± Attila inquired with concern. He was suddenly a lot closer to my face than he was a second ago. He took his greasy hands, and wiped away tears that I didn¡¯t know had begun to fall. ¡°If I ate too much, I¡¯m sorry. You can have the rest.¡± He said downcast, handing me the few scraps that remained in his bowl. I looked at him and sighed, ¡°Do you want to hear a story?¡± He immediately perked up, agreeing without a second thought. I started slowly, telling him about fields upon fields of food. Animals that you don¡¯t have to hunt, but are readily available. Tents that are higher than clouds, and tribes with more members than the stars above. I told him about men who could fly on wings, and how all people communicated through a large web. How people sailed across massive rivers in very hard rocks. Spears that would shoot their tips at extreme speeds, felling both enemy and prey alike in seconds. I told him all of this, and he sat there, eyes growing wider and wider at these tales. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Once I¡¯d quieted down and he was sure that I wouldn¡¯t continue to speak, he exclaimed, ¡°That sounds like paradise!¡± He fantasised aloud about living in a tall tent, and never hunting again, then he asked, ¡°Who passed on this story to you? I¡¯ve never heard it before.¡± ¡°Story?¡± I chuckled, ¡°What if I told you it¡¯s no tale, but the truth?¡± He laughed at first, but seeing the seriousness in my eyes, he quickly stopped. ¡°Bu- but, if there was such a tribe, surely we would¡¯ve heard of them. Or seen the flying men, the boah-tsa of hard rock crossing rivers. There¡¯d be stories, but this is the first I¡¯ve heard of it!¡± He said inquisitively. I sighed, contemplating how to explain time travel or soul migration to a kid who didn¡¯t even know how to count a few months ago. ¡°Look up.¡± I said, while turning my gaze to the stars. ¡°What do you see?¡± I asked. ¡°The souls of the damned, burning in eternal darkness, reminding us what happens to oath breakers and mu¡­ muttans alike.¡± He finished softly. I processed his words silently, remembering some of the folktales that my other mind was fed as a kid. ¡°What if I told you that¡¯s wrong?¡± I said in a contemplating manner, my eyes never breaking contact with the sky. Attila¡¯s breathing became unstable, but he didn¡¯t respond, so I continued, ¡°Those are all akigi, every last one of them. Those akigi are worshipped by these things called planets. Planets circle the akigi, praying to them for all eternity. On some planets, there are people, like you and I, we-¡± My monologue was cut off by a sudden question, ¡°but¡­ if those are all akigi, where do the damned souls go?¡± I thought about that for a moment¡­ There was no God here, no Allah, no Greek, norse, Hindu religions. How do I explain this to him? ¡°Everything that lives will one day die.¡± I began ¡°And there is life in everything, from the birds in the sky, to the ground below us. When you die in one form, you¡¯re born in another. No one is ever damned, only always changing.¡± I said, looking at Attila, who was on the verge of tears. ¡°Is there no punishment? For the evil, for the muttans?¡± He asked, with bated breath. ¡°Nature controls all things. She makes life both arduous and beautiful. To her, there is no such thing as evil, no such thing as muttans, only the endless circle of life and death. She¡¯s impartial, and once this lifeform dies, you¡¯re washed clean and your new life has nothing to do with the old.¡± I stated sagely. Maybe this started as me venting, but for some reason or another, I could tell that he needed this. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯ve been told!¡± He bawled. ¡°These aren¡¯t the stories that¡¯ve been passed to me! Who do you think you are, how do you know this?? Why should I believe you?!¡± He cried, clutching his chest. I looked at him with a sad sympathy, he clawed at himself, a vain attempt to scoop the pain from his chest. He¡¯s still a kid, a child who¡¯s had to go through something perhaps unimaginable to me. I scooted nearer to him, and put my arm around his shoulder. ¡°Have you ever wondered why I¡¯m in this forest?¡± I asked him. I could feel his body language exuded curiosity, but he couldn¡¯t manage any words over his emotional state. ¡°I¡¯ve come from many akigi away, or perhaps many akigi from now¡­¡± I said, sinking into my musings. ¡°Regardless of that,¡± I affirmed, snapping myself back into the moment, ¡°I¡¯m from the largest, most powerful tribe on that planet. These stories are passed down to us, and there is even proof! We use a mystic called science.¡± I finished matter-of-factly. I knew I was mixing science and religion. I knew I was feeding him half-truths. I knew, but¡­ but¡­ I also knew there was someone in need. I knew I could help him, and I knew how to help him. So the consequences be damned, there are no politicians or religious zealots here! Only a hurting child, in need of love, guidance, and assurance. While I pondered my actions, it was as if a dam had broken in Attila. He cried as he retold the story of his parents being stoned to death, him being ostracised from his tribe, begging this Tana¡¯Il to let him kill those who¡¯d murdered his family. He regaled me how the Il¡¯ clan set alight one of the two large tents, and slaughtered the people as they ran out, burning alive. How those in the other tent cowered, daring not to come out. How he, in the crucial moment, wasn¡¯t able to kill his fellow tribesmen. The racking guilt that barraged him as they died in the heat and the snow. ¡°I killed them, this is because of me.¡± He thought. Finally he told me how Tana¡¯Il said to him with disgust, ¡°A muttan father will raise a muttan son. I kept to my end of the bargain.¡± Then the Il¡¯ clan chased him away, to survive alone, in the wilderness and the snow. How he wondered for days upon days, eating snow to stave off hunger and thirst. How when he felt he couldn¡¯t take another step he happened upon a strange square hut. He only remembers running towards the hut, then everything else is history. I listened to all of this silently. I truly didn¡¯t know what to say, how to comfort him. ¡®Everything will be okay?¡¯ His parents are dead. ¡®Things will get better?¡¯ He¡¯s lost everything he¡¯s ever known. ¡®They deserved it?¡¯ This kid just watched his neighbours get slaughtered and burned alive. I¡¯m barely twenty-one, I was born in an era where strife is mostly a foreign concept. I have no experience with things like this. I settled on saying the only thing I could assure with my own two hands. ¡°We can¡¯t change the past, but I promise¡­ from now on, nothing like that will ever happen to you again.¡± It was a bold proclamation for a world like this. I have no power, no weapons, no influence. But what I do have now is a purpose, an ambition. Protect those close to me, protect the weak, be the change I want to see. I smiled at the corniness of my thought process. ¡°brother¡­¡± Attila whispered. ¡°yes?¡± I softly responded. ¡°I wish I could see it. I wish I could¡¯ve been born on your planet.¡± he said, tears once again welling up in his eyes. ¡°I can¡¯t assure you that you¡¯ll get to see everything that I described to you¡­ it took thousands of years for my tribe to reach that point.¡± I said honestly. ¡°But¡± ¡°Although you can¡¯t decide where you start, only you can choose where you¡¯re going.¡± I continued ¡°I¡¯ll show you Attila, I¡¯ll show you what humanity can- will be.¡± I stated, hugging him tightly. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Pino POV: ¡®Talk is cheap¡¯, it¡¯s a phrase that I learned from a professor of mine when I first started college. He said that to me because I thought up a lot of alternative history scenarios. I¡¯d preach about how easy it¡¯d be to do this or that if only they¡¯d made the right move at the right time. ¡®Talk is cheap'', was my professor¡¯s only reply. I understood what he meant, it¡¯s easier to make decisions or find solutions when you understand every element of a problem. That, however, didn¡¯t stop me from believing if I were ever in a precarious predicament, I could easily work my way out of it. The immature notions of a child. Now that I¡¯m on the hot seat, I understand the gravity of building something massive, something that¡¯s only ever existed in my mind as far as this world is concerned. At times I doubt myself; Do I really have the ability to create a strife free world? Are my ambitions too massive? How do I even go about any of this? For the weeks after I made my resolution to Attila, I battled with these questions, and many more. It¡¯s easy to believe that I¡¯d made this decision in haste, or at least I¡¯d convinced myself as much. One second I was cooking bacon and the next I was promising to save the world, it was quite the leap. I had to dive deep and really look at myself to come to a satisfying conclusion. When I first got here, the only thing that I felt was fear. It clouded my mind, pushed me forward and helped me to survive. Fear of predators, fear of hunger, fear of thirst, fear of death¡­ If it wasn¡¯t for other mind, if it wasn¡¯t for the Pino that I was, I likely would¡¯ve been torn apart by wolves within hours of me appearing in this body. After the initial fear wore off, I was beset by something new, and foreign, to my 21st century self. The struggle to survive, a daily battle of: Will I eat? Where will I sleep? Will I die today? Questions like that ate me alive, there were nights when I¡¯d go hungry or my throat would feel like pavement from the lack of actual drinking water. It was those moments when I decided to be better, do better, and actually live rather than purely survive. I found the clearing, built my mud and clay home, refined my hunting techniques and braved winter. When Attila came, I was finally no longer lonely, and for the most part I stopped talking to myself. Yet this, once again, brought its own new set of challenges. The human mind is always active, always moving, planning, and dreaming. I¡¯ve finally secured my life, there¡¯s almost no danger of death or hunger. I could live out the rest of my life in this clearing, in these woods, living in harmony with the land until I die of old age. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Is that what I want? I asked myself, am I satisfied with dying in some corner of a foreign world? Knowing what I know, understanding that I can change things. At first I didn¡¯t understand what I was feeling as I settled into the monotony of hunt, eat, sleep. ¡®Is it boredom?¡¯ I asked myself. No, I¡¯ve been bored and this isn¡¯t the feeling. It''s something else, something deeper. I found it to be a sadness, and a deep depression, only staved off by the constant need for activity that my environment wrought. The depression stemmed from the fact that I knew I could do, and be so, much more. It¡¯d been something that I had neither the time nor will to face. Perhaps Attila was the catalyst, but I was just waiting to erupt, looking for a reason besides my own selfish and proud desires, to make a move. Which brings me to this moment¡­ How exactly does one change the world? What steps would I have to take¡­ While leisurely lying on a hammock I¡¯d set up, I listlessly pondered the empire that hadn¡¯t even stepped out of my brain yet. There was a slight wind that caused the lively grass to dance and whisper. I let the sun wash over me as I stretched, ¡°Talk is cheap, I just have to make a move and see what happens from there.¡± Enjoying the moment for just a bit more, I hopped out of the hammock and made my way back to the house. ¡°Attila!¡± I called out, as he scampered over I began speaking, ¡°Today is the beginning of everything¡­ I think that we have to leave this area. There¡¯s nothing and no one here.¡± ¡°In fact, this is a place for the broken to die quietly.¡± I continued while reminiscing about the events that led me to this forest. ¡°So!¡± I affirmed, shaking myself from darker thoughts, ¡°We will have to leave soon, we¡¯ll gather supplies like food and water. We will also make a few extra spears for protection¡­¡± I trailed off because Attila didn¡¯t seem to be following too well. ¡°Why would we leave from here? We have everything, the house is the nicest I¡¯ve ever lived in, and there¡¯s always food and water. Is there any reason to move away from this paradise?¡± He asked, a confused expression on his face. ¡°Attila, the grass is greener wherever you water it.¡± I sighed. ¡°We can make this paradise anywhere, but if we want to make a better world, the type that we talked about, we¡¯re going to have to leave this place. We have to find more people, and rally them to our cause, to our clan.¡± I said. He pondered for a moment and seemed to understand. I silently nodded at his epiphany as I went into the storage room and began to count the supplies. I know that we can¡¯t bring everything, so I rifled through the dried meats for the biggest and relatively ¡°freshest¡± of the supplies and began to pack them into a backpack. The ¡°backpack¡± wasn¡¯t much more than a large piece of sun dried hide with four puncture holes and a large stick running through it, still, it served its purpose. As I picked through the supplies and chose the best of them, Attila came from behind me and asked, ¡°Are we moving a bit too fast? Maybe we should wait a while, and prepare more.¡± He suggested. I turned to him with a serious expression saying, ¡°It¡¯s been over a month, Attila.¡± There was a brief flicker of confusion that dressed his face before he remembered what a ¡°month¡± meant. ¡°During that time, I¡¯ve thought long and hard about the world I want to live in. We have the opportunity to create a beautiful utopia!¡± I exclaimed ¡®Although he probably doesn''t even know what that means¡¯ I thought ¡°The world¡­ will likely turn into a brutal place, filled with greed, oppression, and death. We can prevent all of that from happening, we can be the first of the Greats!¡± I said, my heart beating furiously in my chest. Not a single man can deny his fantasies of conquest and grandeur, but in the modern era it''s almost impossible to achieve something like that without being jailed or worse. The unexpected situation I¡¯ve found myself in allows me to pursue the fantasies I¡¯d never dared to say aloud¡­ I¡¯d be a fool to overlook this opportunity. Attila stared at me hard, trying to understand what I meant. He had multiple questions, and I answered all of them. Slowly he began to understand what I envisioned, a large number of people, living in harmony and working towards the common goal of a thriving and successful life. Basically the life that we lived, but for all people. Not only that, but the atrocities that happened to his family, and his tribe would never be repeated. That was an idea he could get behind. Rapidly nodding his head, his breath quickened as he asked, ¡°So what will we name the clan?" ¡°Huh?¡± Clan Name Time So apparently you need at least 500 words for a chapter. I¡¯ll be honest I didn¡¯t know there was a minimum but I guess it makes sense, just so there¡¯s less spam. If you haven¡¯t noticed I¡¯m basically talking for no reason here. Other than that, we have grown a lot and thanks so much for your support. I¡¯m struggling with the pacing right now, don¡¯t want to go to fast or too slow, but I¡¯ll figure it out. Also, I have a fan fiction recommendation, don¡¯t know if you guys like stuff like that, but if you do let me know. It¡¯s actually super hard to write all these words without having anything to say. I¡¯m planning on making a discord, but I really don¡¯t know how to set them up ?????? I suppose that I will have to look up a YouTube video, it can¡¯t be thattt hard. I actually post this novel on scribblehub too, but SH just doesn¡¯t give me the same amount of exposure this app does. Speaking of apps, did you guys see that RR is pushing out their own app??? I wonder if it¡¯ll be good or not. If it looks bad I¡¯m not going to use it to be honest. However if it looks nice then ?????¡á? why not? Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. They have changed a few things so it¡¯s possible to have the app on the Google store and iOS App Store, I think that maybe that¡¯ll limit authors in the things they are able/willing to write. My novel for instance will be hidden behind age walls and what not (fair enough) because of the torture and descriptive battles aka gore/blood. When I was reading the guidelines I laughed because I literally put most of the targeted things within the first 10 chapters ???? Anyway, I have been thinking of ways to make some money (yes the eternal struggle) I noticed that so many people post YouTube shorts and TikTok¡¯s of short movie clips. I think I will also begin to do this, it will probably be hard to get good clips, but I figure if I do clips of 1 minute each then it doesn¡¯t really matter because one of them will be good. I wanted to do this with my friends, but they aren¡¯t really digging it. I¡¯ll do it by myself and if they decide to join in later then that would be fine. My eventual goal is to make enough money to retire, raise a good family and travel. So I look for anyways to make a decent living. I do have a full time job, and I also invest. We are now talking about my personal life ?????? sorry for rambling. Luckily we are very close to the 500 words mark. It¡¯s been a long journey getting here, if you actually read all of this ?????¡á??? then thank you. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Attila POV: ¡°What about ¡®Vhai?¡± I asked, ¡°Since we will change the world surely we¡¯d also be the most prideful, no?¡± Pino hummed in contemplation before saying, ¡°It''s not about pride. Pride, honour, greed and tradition is what tears the world apart.¡± He paused before sighing, ¡°No¡­ we want to exude strength, but not arrogance. Instead, what about Enya? Bear-born, born from one of the strongest animals of the forest, it would leave a deep impression on anyone who hears our name.¡± He had a sagely expression on his face, one that I stared at blankly. ¡°Y- yeah, it¡¯s a great name¡­¡± I said, letting my voice trail off. He glanced at me from the side of his eye, but I pretended not to see him. When I started whistling while avoiding his gaze, the embarrassment was finally too much. ¡°Fine!¡± He said, ¡°It¡¯s your turn to suggest a name.¡± He huffed. I tried to hold in my laughter as I straightened my back and got ready to make my recommendation. A small giggle escaped my lips as I said, ¡°What about ¡®Tesr, or to prosper. Since your given name is Pino, or to survive, then adding ¡®Tesr which means to prosper, then our clan would be destined to survive and prosper!¡± I exclaimed. ¡°That is¡­ That is¡­ a pretty good name.¡± Pino said begrudgingly, his sharp rebuttal slowly deflating in his chest. ¡°Tesr¡­¡± he murmured, ¡°It sounds foolish to just say aloud, but eventually as we grow from clan to nation, it¡¯ll be a strong name.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a nation?¡± I chimed in, asking questions about words and other things that Pino said or pointed out has become a routine of mine. He always seems to know so much more about the world, likely because he¡¯s the messenger of the great Nah-ture gods. Or, or maybe he¡¯s a strong priest of the Skie-nce majiks. He always says that he¡¯s no false prophet, although I don¡¯t really know what that means, I do trust his judgement and abilities. Only an Aki-blessed person could have the skills and knowledge that he does. ¡°HEY!¡± his voice blasted in my ear like the roar of a rabid bantila ¡°Are you going to help me pack or not?¡± He asked in a more normal tone. For the last few days we¡¯d been packing up the house, taking everything of decent quality, and throwing away anything that was too torn, old or dirty. Despite trying to strictly manage how much we took with us, there was still a lot of excess. Since we¡¯d basically be thrusting spears through hide and using that as our mode of support for everything, I¡¯m not excited about the fact that there¡¯s still more to pack. ¡°Yeah, yeah..¡± I muttered as I stood and began grabbing different objects and stuffing them into a sack. 2 Weeks Later¡­ The sun beat down heavily on two people, one young and the other a bit older. There was a thin canopy of trees, barely offering a smattering of shade. There were the sounds of gurgling and roaring that became increasingly loud as the two men walked in the direction of a river. Pino POV: ¡°We are..¡± *huff* ¡°Walking in the direction of the river.¡± *huff* ¡°Because, because if we follow the river, we¡¯ll eventually find fertile land.¡± I explained. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°What¡¯s fertile land?¡± Attila asked ¡°Land that¡¯s good for *haah* agriculture.¡± I responded matter of factly, ¡°And what¡¯s agriculture?¡± Attila¡¯s line of questioning continued unceasingly. Eventually, through both baited breath and a torrent of sweat, we finally reached the bank of the river. Sighing, I unsaddled the heavy two-sided bindle and gingerly put it on the ground. No matter how tired I am, I refuse to risk breaking the pottery that I worked so hard to make. Slumping on the ground, I kicked my legs out and tossed my hands behind my back. Grunting a sigh of relief, I allowed myself a moment to relax. Although it''s still relatively dangerous, I¡¯m too tired to care at this point. Attila sat beside me and we watched the river flow and swirl in silence. There was a cool breeze that dried our sweat and we decided to have lunch there. Through bites of dried dambi jerky Attila asked, ¡°How much farther do we have to go?¡± I took a swig of water from the canteen I¡¯d made from the boar¡¯s bladder before replying, ¡°We want to find a large open plot, relatively flat, and neither too close or too far from the river. When we reach that location, we¡¯ll know, trust me.¡± In my mind I picture a city similar to the Sumer, the first human civilization. Although our ¡®Tesr tribe suffers from lack of members, we have the sole advantage of knowing how civilization and technology will develop. We need a place close to a water supply, fertile enough to support agriculture and animal husbandry, and a ready supply of clay¡­ The list dragged on and on in my head. There are many things that I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m hoping that there¡¯ll be people from this world and era who can fill in the blanks. The night crept upon us, and instead of pushing onwards in the darkness, we chose the safer option of camping where we were for the night. I grabbed two poles from our makeshift backpacks and drove them into the ground. Then I emptied one of the sacks and flattened it so that it appeared like a large piece of hide. From there I inserted the poles on the hide¡¯s holes and secured everything with rope, making a rudimentary lean to tent. The emptied contents of the sack was all the supplies that we¡¯d use to sleep, so as I readied the bedding, Attila started making a fire. All in all it took us about thirty-minutes to set up camp. When the fire was finally crackling, warding away the cool river winds, I swiftly drifted to sleep. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°Aghh!¡± I groaned, trying hard to hold back the tears that swelled in my eyes. Si-ah stood beside me in silence, neither complaining about how slow the journey''s been or commenting on how much I¡¯ve made my misery clear. He looked at my bent and deformed leg with sadness, there was already a deep blue color around the injury. Being from a smaller tribe where hunting is the main source of food, we aren¡¯t foreign to injuries. When the wound turns blue, there is basically no hope. Only Aki can save a man at that point. I silently let the tears drip down my face as we walked deeper and deeper into the forest. The tribe surely suffered, offering enough food for me to make my final journey. I have no idea where we are now, all I know is that half a hand of akigi have passed since we left the ancestral caves of the tribes and wandered out here. I¡¯ve truly messed up this time, not only have I killed myself, but it''s uncertain if Si-ah will be able to make it back to the tribe safely! Any manner of things could happen in the wild. Moreover, who will protect the tribe if the only hunting age man is gone? It wouldn¡¯t be too surprising if Si-ah returned to empty caves or starved tribesmen¡­. Thinking all of this, I couldn¡¯t allow this charade to continue. To return to the wilds, I¡¯d have to trek as deep into the wilderness as I could before succumbing to my injuries or predators. Usually a tribesman would make the trek with you, proving that at the end you were no muttan and faced death bravely. However, tradition be damned! We were raised in the way of Vookun, worshipping and appreciating our ancestors is a must. Becoming an ancestor is every man¡¯s ambition for the life after, but at this moment, none of that matters. How long will I allow my people to suffer due to my foolishness? ¡°I can¡¯t go any farther¡­ drop me here.¡± I said to Si-ah. He froze up, not thinking that our time together would end here. I heard his breath becoming ragged as he said, ¡°No, we can still go farther. The farther you go, the more likely you¡¯ll be accepted into the ancestral tribe.¡± I smiled deprecatingly at that, gathering the last of my strength, I pushed him hard. Since he¡¯d been supporting my weight this whole time, that meant that I fell to the ground. Landing on my injured leg and inhaling sharply due to the pain I barely managed to let out a few words, ¡°The second I damned the tribe for glory, I lost any right to enter the ancestral tribe.¡± Letting out a hollow laugh I continued as I dragged myself up against a tree, ¡°My time is over now, don¡¯t waste anymore food or water on me.¡± Si-ah seemed like he wanted to say something, but struggled to find the words. I looked at him strictly, wiping the tears and sweat from my face, ¡°You were always greater than me, the way you think, always larger than mine. As if you were a skyn, seeing farther than I ever could. I love you, I¡¯m sorry, take care of the tribe.¡± I heard him begin to cry, but I closed my eyes, seeing another man¡¯s weakness is no proud thing. He seemed to be fighting to let words escape his throat, but he finally gave up and began to walk away. As his footsteps faded, I must admit I¡¯d never felt weaker or more alone. I¡¯m ashamed to say that I cried loudly, bleating like a muttan. Cried because I knew it was over, there would be no more hunts, no more adventures, no chosen and no sparklings. The life of Pino would end here¡­ I cried. A/N: So if you didn¡¯t know, this is a flashback ;) I¡¯m starting to tie the loose ends (if you remember me saying that) A/N(2): skyn: means bird Chapter 28 Chapter 28 I woke up to a throbbing ghost pain in my leg and a face drenched in tears and sweat. I laid there for a moment, my breath fast and my heart pounding rapidly. It¡¯d been a long while since I¡¯d had a vision¡­ or dream, memory- whatever it was. They, the visions, truly helped me when I first arrived in this world. Not only because they were knowledgeable, but it was as if I was truly there. Every animal I skinned, every track that I traced to prey, every event that happened throughout ¡°Pino¡¯s¡± life, I felt like I¡¯d physically been there. As I slowly progressed in this new life, the visions came less and less often. At this point I¡¯d thought they would¡¯ve stopped coming but¡­ guess not. This last vision held only pain, regret, sadness and a plethora of other emotions that I can¡¯t even begin to unravel. However¡­ at the same time I feel refreshed, liberated, as if a great burden has been lifted from my chest and I can finally breathe a lot easier. Taking a few deep breaths I calmed my raging heart and reeled in my rampant emotions. I closed my eyes to let the cool wind caress my skin- ¡°Fuck!¡± I muttered as I scrambled from under the lean to. I crawled over to the fire, that¡¯d all but died, and began to blow on it. Slowly the embers burned brighter and I added more and more kindling until the flame had regained its strength. Usually throughout the night I¡¯d wake up to tend to the fire. Almost like a sleeping habit, my body would naturally wake up every few hours to keep the flame strong. I¡¯m assuming that due to the dream I overslept. Once the initial excitement of keeping the fire alive died down, I sat back and watched the fire dance for a while. The sun will rise soon, so I¡¯d rather not go back to sleep and end up more tired than I am now. Instead I took out my spears and made sure they were sharp. Then I grabbed the sacks and made sure they were still secure and- As I picked up a sack, its contents spilled out onto the ground. ¡°What the hell?¡± I wondered aloud as I began to inspect the bag, grumbling all the while about rodents and structural integrity. Feeling along the bottom of the sack for any openings or tears, my hand completely slipped into the bag. My heart leaped into my throat as I grabbed the spear and got into a defensive position. Originally I thought that a small animal had nibbled into the bag and made a hole that¡¯d slowly widened, but that was a slash. A clean cut, one that no animal could possibly make, the only possibility was¡­ ¡°Attila!¡± I yelled, startling him from his sleep. ¡°Get up!¡± I roared. Noticing the intensity in my voice, he rolled from his resting spot, grabbing a spear mid movement. As soon as he was free from the shelter, he leaped up and went back to back with me. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± He asked, trying to stay calm. ¡°I don¡¯t know, there were people here.¡± I responded. This, for some reason, seemed to calm him down as he dropped his arms and let the spear hang at his side. I gave him an inquisitive glance, while trying to remain vigilant, to which he responded, ¡°If they wanted to kill us, we would¡¯ve died in our sleep. The fact that they only looked through our stuff means they have no ill will.¡± He concluded. I was taken aback, and just stared at him as he searched the supplies to see what the robbers had taken. Moments like this reminded me that the Pino of old truly didn¡¯t know everything, and neither did I. My thoughts were cut short by Attila saying, ¡°They¡¯ve taken almost all of the food!¡± in a dazed manner. ¡°What?!¡± I yelled as I sprinted to the ruined sack and began to sift through the jumbled items in a panic. We need those supplies, there¡¯s no time to hunt, and smoke more meat. If we don¡¯t get these supplies back.. There¡¯s a good chance we starve. My eyes began to scour the surrounding area, looking for something.. ANYTHING! Soon, I hit the jackpot, a muddy footprint. Sprinting over to it, my mind began to churn. The size of the footprint indicated how tall the person was, the depth, how much they weighed, how defined the print was gave an implication of how fast they were moving. Finally, and most importantly, the direction of the toes told us in what direction they were headed. I dug my hand into the print, the mud was still wet and soft at the top, the trail was still hot. This realisation allowed me to finally calm down. If the top layer of the print had been dry and crusted mud, then the assailant could¡¯ve been long gone. Our efforts would be better used finding more food, rather than going on a goose chase. However, now that I know the trail is still hot, recovering the lost supplies shouldn¡¯t be too hard. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Attila, come over here.¡± I called over my shoulder. Attila, who¡¯d been reorganising the supplies and cramming the things from the ruined sack into the other ones trouted over. ¡°What do you see?¡± I asked him, testing his knowledge of tracking. He looked at the print, looked around the surrounding area, then finally dug his hand into the footprint. His eyes lit up as he said, ¡°Appears to be one person, likely a man by the shape and size of the foot. Around 1.5 meters but he could be taller, can¡¯t weigh too much because the print is rather light if you account for the added weight of the things he stole. He definitely left in a hurry, you can tell because the print is heavier at the heel and becomes lighter towards the toes. Most importantly this trail is still fresh, he couldn''t have left more than 30 mih-nuts ago.¡± He analysed matters of factly. At first I was stunned, but recovering I began to offer praise, just to be cut off by, ¡°Oh! He¡¯s also headed North.¡± a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. I struggled for words, stuck between being proud, shocked in a good way, and wanting to wipe the smug expression off of his face. ¡°Not too bad, but it took you too long to figure all of that out. During a hunt every second counts.¡± I said while quickly scaling a nearby tree. ¡°Now throw me those sacks.¡± After securing our equipment in an area where I was sure no curious animals¡­ or people would snoop through, we began to follow the trail. Whoever had stolen from us was a through and through amateur. They left a wide array of traces to follow. Small pieces of clothing snagged by sharp branches, footprints, small sprinkles of blood on a thorn. A real hunter knows how to properly cover their tracks, but he, whoever he was, ended up leading us directly to a small clearing about two hours North from where we camped. In the middle of the clearing were three tents that surrounded a large pit fire. Two women wove baskets out of long grass while also watching the children play. The younger kids played, while those who were a bit older watched the women weave baskets and tried to learn from them. There was the distinct smell of cooked meat wafting lazily through the air, a tell-tale sign that some of our supplies had already been consumed. I briefly considered simply bursting into the clearing and demanding everything we were owed, but the rational, more modern side of myself disagreed. We didn¡¯t yet know their strength, thus far I¡¯d seen mostly women and children. Even the older kids were mostly girls, the younger ones having a few boys dotted in. Until I knew exactly how many men were in this tribe, I wouldn¡¯t make a move. Instead we spent our time circling the clearing. Checking the surroundings for traps, counting the people, and waiting for any men to show themselves. As night began to fall, I finally had a general idea about the people here. They appeared to be a fledgling tribe, with ten children, eight of which were female while the other two were male. Then there were five young adults, three were female and two were male. Finally there were three adults, two women and a man that for some reason hadn¡¯t left the tent all day. All in all, if not considering women when speaking of fighting power, the odds were 3 to 2. As long as we used some guile, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible to regain what was lost. As night began to take hold on the surroundings, and the sun sunk deeper and deeper into the horizon, it was time to make a choice. Do I try to steal the food back? Do I fight this tribe for what I lost plus interest? Or, the most logical option, do I leave these guys alone and take the loss¡­ Coming to my final decision, I let loose a flurry of hand signals, cuing Attila into the actions we¡¯d take. Our mahogany skin and dark hides made us all but invisible as we silently slunk through the duff and tall grass into the clearing. Visibility was all but neigh, the only thing stopping us from losing direction being the flame that shone like a beacon in the middle of the tents. Stopping behind the tent on the farthest right, we continued to observe the enemy tribe. Due to the fact it was night, the entire tribe had gathered around the fire to have a meal and sing and dance together before bed. The smell of meat glazed the air with a fatty smell, as the two women sang. Their voices bouncing up and down, occasionally harmonising, as they wove a beautiful tale of the heavens kissing the earth, creating all that we now know. The children and teens danced around the fire, hand in hand. One of the more daring boys even jumped directly over the fire, causing a loud cry of appreciation to erupt from the other guys. The night wore on with more songs and dance, until eventually some of the kids began to nod off and head to one of the tents. As if dominos were falling, one by one all the other children began to head to sleep as well. I looked at Attila, our eyes met and silently we came to the understanding: Now. We blitzed from behind the cover of the uninhabited tent and rushed to the two oldest boys. I grabbed one from behind, twisting his arm behind his back, which caused a yelp of pain to escape his lips. His shout startled everyone there as their heads snapped towards him. Their minds not being able to catch up quickly enough to what was happening, they stared at me, stunned. I took the opportunity to direct my bantila dagger to the boy''s neck and said, ¡°Nobody move, or I¡¯ll kill him.¡± Attila wasn¡¯t far behind me, he had the point of his spear pressed into the back of the other lad. The air completely froze over, no one daring to move or break the silence. My adrenaline rushing, I began to speak, ¡°You have stolen from us Tesr¡¯ we demand that you return all that you¡¯ve stolen!¡± ¡°And more!¡± Attila barked angrily. None of the surrounding people dared to speak, the children who were still awake were frozen in shock, the boys we held hostage seemed to be holding their breath, and the women seemed too scared to form proper sentences. I decided to push on with my tough act, ¡°WHO STOLE OUR FOOD!¡± I roared. As if it was previously choreographed, everyone looked towards the boy who was being held at spear point by Attila. ¡°So it was you.¡± Attila growled. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I asked the boy He, almost on the verge of tears, said, ¡°D- d-d-d De-lah.¡± ¡°What?¡± I asked ¡°De-lah.¡± He affirmed his eyes beginning to leak. Chapter 29 Chapter 29 RECAP: Pino and his sworn brother Attila decided to leave the safety of the forest on a mission to create a world free of needless death and anguish. Many days journey on their way to a river cause their resources to deplete rapidly. As they set up camp one night a sound awakens the duo and they realize that they''re food has been stolen! Tracking down the thieves, they happen upon a small tribe. One of the members of this tribe is a person from Pino''s past, De-lah. The story unfolds from this point. Pino POV: My mouth was dry. No amount of saliva could quench the gravel that my throat had become. ¡°De-lah¡­ from the Lami tribe? That Delah?¡± I asked, my voice barely a whisper. His face shifted from one of terror, to one of shock, then scrutiny, finally surprise overtook him as he asked in disbelief, ¡°...Pino?¡± My knees trembled before promptly giving out on me. I hit the ground before swiftly scrambling forward, barely managing to rise to my feet as I shoved Attila¡¯s spear from the boy. I embraced him tightly, not wanting to let him go, any words that I could possibly say, all the questions that I had, were stuck in the back of my throat. I ugly sobbed as my mind tried to grasp the three emotional states I was feeling. The slightly detached, modern man that I am, able to appreciate the unfolding scene, but feeling slightly separated from it. The Pino of this world, who¡¯d lost his family, was left to die in a forest, and ended up ¡°melded¡± with this other¡­ foreign part of himself. Finally there was the person that I was becoming, not Pino, not Carter, someone in the middle. He wasn¡¯t only jubilant, but also sad that he would never be either person individually again. ¡°How? How are you alive?¡± De-lah asked, his tone showing true bewilderment. ¡°You died in the forest¡­ YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD!¡± He screamed. The sudden change in atmosphere startled me, my face a reflection of that. This was supposed to be a happy reunion, why was he so furious? Why did he seem so deeply aggrieved at the fact that I still existed? Before I knew it, De-lah had wrestled free of my grasp and had me in one of his own. He was no longer the small kid I remembered, and he showcased that by swiftly wrestling me to the ground. I was still in shock and barely managed to lift my arms in defence as his fists rained down. Attila, who¡¯d been silently observing in a confused stupor, jumped to action. He landed a well placed foot on De-lah¡¯s rib, kicking him off of me. He followed up by quickly stepping over me and pointing the tip of his spear at De-lah. ¡°How dare you touch my brother?!¡± He roared in fury. ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are, if you even attempt to lay another hand on him¡­¡± He said menacingly as he loomed over De-lah, jabbing the spearpoint on his throat, and pressing just hard enough to draw blood. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you.¡± ¡°Stop!¡± I eked out coarsely, pushing myself to my feet despite the aching in my arms. ¡°What¡­¡± I said as I wearily made my way to De-lah. ¡°The hell was that?¡± I questioned, a mix of confusion and rising anger. His words barely gurgling from his throat in a mixture of hate, rage, and fear roared, ¡°It¡¯s your fault! It¡¯s all your fault! Because of you my mother¡­ MY TRIBE!¡± Despite Attila¡¯s warning, De-lah once again pushed himself forward viciously, in an attempt to reach me. Attila POV: The night was calm¡­ not the calm that portrayed the peaceful symphony of nature as the world rested. No. This was a peace charged with tension, the calm before the storm, the moment of silence before a predator leaped from its place of ambush. A branch in the fire cracked, sending small sparks flying into the air. Pino traced these sparks with an intense and feigned interest. Doing anything, I¡¯m sure, to avoid the gaze of the boy¡­ De-lah? I think it was his name. The women and other children sat silently, waiting for whatever the outcome of this¡­ whatever this was, would be. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Finally, losing my patience, I let out a cough before asking, ¡°So¡­ De-lah, you said it was bro- Pino¡¯s fault¡­ something about your tribe?¡± De-lah looked at me, teeth gritted in frustration, his eyes flashing with a tinge of sorrow. ¡°Our tribe, the Lami, we¡¯d come across hard times since the fight against the bantila¡­¡± He began. As he spoke, Pino nodded his head in agreement. ¡°Although we still struggled, we were happy, and relatively safe. There were many times when meat was scarce, but we never went hungry as there were many herbs and mushrooms on the mountains and in the caves we resided in.¡± He continued, his gaze slowly turning venomous. ¡°That is until he, HE HAD TO BE SELFISH, HE- he¡­ he damned us all. Just to prove, what? When he was injured by the buffan, the tribe sacrificed for him! We all ate less, in the hope that our best hunter, the ¡®Great Pino¡¯ son of the Bantila Slayer, would heal quickly.¡± His emotions were clearly alight, but he reeled himself in enough to push on, ¡°As time wore on, it became clear that he,¡± De-lah spit, ¡°Wouldn''t be able to return to his former glory. Even still, the E- the elder¡­¡± He said, voice cracking, ¡°Still gave up his portion, as did Si-ah, to this¡­ ungrateful wretch!¡± De-lah cried. ¡°If that wasn¡¯t enough, you.¡± He said, pointing a trembling finger at Pino, ¡°You! Decided to return to the wilds. We had to give even more food so that you could journey deep enough into the forest to join the ancestors¡­ and Si-ah¡­ he never returned.¡± Tears began to stream from De-lah¡¯s face. I glanced at Pino, whose face was a mix of shock, confusion, pain, guilt, and regret. I knew that feeling all too well, the amalgamation of emotions, all firing off at the same time. Refusing to allow myself to sink into a depressing reverie, I pushed the conversation towards its finale. ¡°That still doesn¡¯t explain how you ended up here, it doesn¡¯t explain where the rest of your people are. This seems like too¡­ mixed of a group to be the remnants of a tribe.¡± I said honestly. There were far too many skin tones and a wide disparity in ages of people for this to be a singular tribe. Pino didn¡¯t say anything, but it was clear by the yearning for answers in his eyes, that I¡¯d asked the right question. I turned to De-lah, waiting for a response. He looked at me, before slowly and meaningfully holding eye contact with Pino for a minute, a minute that felt like an eternity. Then he said slowly, ¡°With the only two hunters in our tribe gone, the Elder took up that responsibility. The boys who¡¯d seen more moons were also made to hunt earlier than they usually would. This led to many injuries and eventual casualties. Because of this, the elder aged faster than a hare, and was taken by Aki in his sleep one night.¡± De-lah, his throat hoarse and face a mess of snot and tears continued to retell the tragedy of the Lami tribe. ¡°It got to the point where the women took up both the hunting as well as the home making role. Every day was hard, and we¡¯d be lucky if there was anything to eat at night. The women of Lami finally¡­ finally decided the only way that we¡¯d survive the coming winter was to venture out in search of a tribe to merge with.¡± He sighed. Once he¡¯d made that statement, an uncomfortable silence blanketed the surroundings yet again. Just as I was going to nudge the conversation forward yet again, Pino, surprisingly, broke the silence with his broken query, ¡°...then what?¡± ¡°Then!¡± De-lah snapped, ¡°Everything went to hell, and the root of all this is you Pino! You, and your pride, and selfishness.¡± De-lah stared death at Pino before spitting and saying, ¡°When I thought you were dead, I could only forgive you. I wouldn¡¯t dare to curse the ancestors, but since you¡¯re alive, I finally have somewhere to vent my hatred. My mother, my elder, my tribe¡­ they¡¯re all gone, and you¡¯re at fault. I hate you, I¡¯ll never forgive you.¡± He spat Pino looked broken, the ragtag tribe of women and children looked nervous, and I¡­ I slowly tensed my body, while tightening my grip on my spear. If the situation changed for the worse, Pino was in no condition to fight, he might not even want to. With the element of surprise lost, we had little to no chance of overpowering everyone here. In an extreme scenario, I¡¯ll have to fight our way out. One of the women uttered in a small and frightened voice, ¡°Sorry, but we truly haven¡¯t eaten much in many akigi. If we- if the children could have a portion of the meat, we¡¯d be ever grateful.¡± She said, her voice slowly turning to a whisper as everyone turned their attention to her. Just as I was prepared to rebuke her and tell them to fuck themselves, Pino answered first saying, ¡°You can all take a portion, women, children, any sick or injured, then the men.¡± When I looked at him, there was a steel in his eyes, the same glint that he¡¯d had when he told me we¡¯d leave the forest and change the world. I grinned, I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking, but at least for now, he was back. Pino looked at De-lah and sighed, ¡°I can¡¯t change the past, I can only tell you I¡¯m truly and deeply sorry.¡± His face, although originally downcast, hardened, as he clenched his fist and said, ¡°However, in regards to the future, I¡¯ll do everything to provide for you¡­ and your new family, if you so choose. Instead of mere words, I¡¯ll use my actions to repent, for all the misery I¡¯ve caused.¡± As he spoke, he met the eyes of every woman and child, finally finishing his statement by holding eye contact with De-lah. ¡°WHAT!¡± De-lah roared, leaping from his seated position in-front of the fire. ¡°DO YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST WALK IN HERE, THREATEN US, GIVE A LITTLE FOOD, THEN BECOME THE CHIEF?!?!¡± He yelled with indignation. ¡°WE-¡± He said, whilst looking around. ¡°We¡­¡± He continued his voice dying off. I don¡¯t know what might¡¯ve been going through his mind, but what I saw was a lot of starving and desperate women and children, two boys who didn¡¯t know the first thing about hunting, and more than likely the only real hunter was in that tent, either too sick or too injured to benefit the tribe. Right now this, we, were their best chance at surviving to see the moon be eaten. ¡°We¡­ have to discuss this amongst ourselves first.¡± He choked out with disgust. Pino nodded his head in understanding as he said, ¡°I understand, we will go back to our camp and return tomorrow. If you decide to carry on without us, we will accept that decision. However, if you want to move past the simple and arduous struggle to survive¡­ I¡¯ll lead you there.¡± With that he stood, stretched a bit, then began to walk away. I silently fell in step behind him, no matter what sins he¡¯s accused of, this is my brother. The man who pulled me from the jaws of death in the middle of the winter. Nurtured me to health, taught me how to survive, and gave me knowledge that sounds almost like a fireside tale. Even if he is marching into the darkness, I¡¯ll march with him, ready to face any adversary along the way. I steeled my resolve, gripping my spear tightly. And just like that, we sunk into the shadows of the surrounding trees, and disappeared into the night. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 De-lah POV: The first thing you notice is always the stench. It¡¯s not particularly revolting, not overly strong nor does it have a specific scent. The smell just feels wrong. The next thing you notice is the bugs, little pests, feeding on the blood or the sweat or the flesh, perhaps a mixture of all three? After that you notice the heat, the fact that you can see this person burning up right in-front of you, yet they seem so¡­ so cold. I¡¯ve gotten used to it though, the damp and heavy feeling when you know death is imminent. Looking at his barely open eyes, his sunken cheeks, his raspy breath, as if every draw of air were a struggle to survive, I clenched my fists. Something that I¡¯ve done a lot of lately, if not for him, we wouldn¡¯t have escaped the slavers. We¡¯d have been ¡°servants¡± for Aki knows how long. ¡°How can we simply allow some outsider to take charge of our clan?! Has he suffered with us? Sacrificed with us? Experienced loss with us? Is our pride so cheap, have we fallen to the level of servants? If so, then why did we run from the Lakri in the first place?!¡± Thamil orated with indignation. Thamil, my sworn brother, was born in the Golden Lands. They''re taught many things there, ¡®khounting¡¯ and ¡®wreeting¡¯, whatever that is. I quickly learned that he was much wiser than I. It''s for that reason that I asked him to speak on my behalf, rather than letting myself get torn apart by the hunger-crazed women. As if on cue, a string of belligerent outrage burst from the mouths of the women gathered in the tent. ¡°What is pride worth when we are hungry? Will we just watch the children starve and die?! If you are so great, go and hunt more prey, who would we need then??¡± Although Thamil tried his best, it wasn¡¯t long until he too lost his temper at the incessant yelling and insults, and the debate devolved into a yelling match. ¡°WE¡¯D BE ABLE TO FEED OURSELVES IF IT WASN¡¯T FOR YOU WOMEN AND ALL OF YOUR KIDS!!¡± Thamil roared as he stood up, as if ready to pounce. Refusing to back down, the de facto leader of the women fired back, saying, ¡°IT WAS ALSO ¡®US WOMEN¡¯ WHO HELPED YOU TO ESCAPE IN THE FIRST PLACE! MOREOVER, WHO FORAGED FOR FOOD WHEN ¡®YOU USELESS MEN¡¯ COULDN¡¯T BRING BACK A SINGLE HARE?!¡± This entire time I tried my best to remain silent, sinking into my thoughts to avoid interjecting, but I couldn¡¯t take this, I wouldn¡¯t! ¡°It must be very easy to judge when not one of you has spent a single akigi on the hunt! Any of us can pick berries, or weave a basket. Which of you can grab a spear, head into the wilderness, and return with anything other than an empty stomach?! There will be times when prey is scarce! That¡¯s the way of the forest, only you women who haven¡¯t known struggle can dare to shift loyalty when times are hard.¡± I spat in disgust. Surprise flickered in Thamil¡¯s eyes, and scorn and rage lit in the eyes of the two women across from me. The older of the women, Saha-mi¡¯s, nostrils flared as her hand whipped out and slapped me squarely across the face. ¡°Don¡¯t know struggle?! You¡¯re still a sparkling! How dare you-¡± Before she could finish a tired and weak ¡°Enough!¡± sounded from the center of the tent. Immediately everyone, myself included, quieted down. Ignoring the pain that ebbed from my cheek, my head snapped to the man as Thamil cried, ¡°Father!¡± quietly, while edging closer to the weak man. ¡°Thamil!¡± Shah-mi said, whilst fixing her clothing, a maneuver to calm her nerves. ¡°You have to convince these ¡­ boys, to see the bigger picture,¡± She said while looking at the frail person in front of her. ¡°We have no direction, we have no experienced hunters, the kids are starving, and there are predators all around us! How will we survive the coming great white with these conditions? These outsiders offer us food! Clearly they¡¯re better hunters than us, because they followed the trail of De-lah and your son after they stole from them.We can¡¯t think with our hearts here, rather with the wisdom that the ancestors instill in our heads.¡± She finished with an air of righteousness Just as Thamil the younger took a deep breath, ready to interject, Thamil the older said, ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± as he let out a haggard cough, ¡°The trail has gone cold, and we need to make a decision.¡± He continued while breathing heavily. ¡°What these outsiders seem to be offering is an alliance rather than servant status, let¡¯s at least hear them out¡­ completely, before deciding what is good or bad for the tribe.¡± He sighed before sinking back into the folds of the hides that surrounded him. As he returned to a comfortable position he said, ¡°When they return¡­ bring him¡­ Pino, so we can have a talk.¡± Scanning the room one last time, Thamil the older closed his eyes, adjourning the meeting and prompting everyone to leave his tent. Stolen story; please report. Thamil the Younger POV: De-lah and I strolled the perimeter of the tribe slowly as we independently digested everything that''s happened only a little while earlier. After collecting my thoughts I said, ¡°De-lah¡­ Father is right, you know that.¡± while looking vigilantly into the surrounding forest. His lack of response caused me to follow up hesitantly, ¡°If you truly thought we didn¡¯t need them, you would¡¯ve turned down his offer then and there, instead you sought the opinion of the council¡­ you know what¡¯s good for the tribe.¡± I said. Pausing a moment while I released a deep sigh, I finished with, ¡°You¡¯re my oath-brother, I love you and will support you, because I owe you my life. But I wouldn¡¯t be able to face the ancestors without saying, this might be our last chance at survival¡­ and I think we should take it.¡± After I finished speaking, a deep silence ensued. We simply walked, keeping our eyes on the tree line and maintaining the quiet atmosphere. A lifetime seemed to have passed before De-lah finally said, ¡°I can¡¯t forgive him, or what he caused, but I can pretend to forget¡­ for the sake of the tribe.¡± A small smile played on my face, ¡°Thank you, I¡¯m sure that-¡± Before I could finish my sentence, De-lah put his hand up to stop me, ¡°I¡¯ll take the first rove.¡± Then he turned his back and stalked away. Pino POV: As we made our way through the forest, avoiding snagging branches and trying our best to not ruffle the duff, I turned to Attila and asked, ¡°Do you remember the plan?¡± as I grasped my spear and readjusted the sack on my shoulder anxiously. ¡°Yeah, yeah!¡± He responded in annoyance, ¡°This is the third time you¡¯ve asked bro!¡± I smiled at his use of ¡®bro¡¯ . It annoyed me how much he says brother. ¡®Bro¡¯ is much more my era, and to my taste. ¡°Just repeat it for me one more time, then I promise I won¡¯t ask again.¡± I said softly. This was a pivotal part of the plan, right now I have to suppress all the other emotions and focus on what matters long term. Population was a problem I was concerned about even before we left the forest, and now a population pie dropped into our lap. I can¡¯t let this opportunity pass by¡­ but of course this comes with its own risks. They¡¯ll outnumber us and¡­ ¡°HELLO!¡± Attila screamed into my ear. Jerking my head away and shaking the ringing from my ear I cried, ¡°What the hell was that?!¡± completely flabbergasted. ¡°That was me getting your attention, so I wouldn¡¯t have to repeat myself for a tenth time!¡± He said pointing an accusatory finger at me. ¡°Anyway, you will go in alone with no weapons. We¡¯ll pretend like I didn¡¯t follow you because I¡¯m guarding prey from thieves.¡± He said pointedly. Ignoring his choice of words, I nodded for him to continue, ¡°If the negotiations become violent, I¡¯ll take one of the women or children hostage so that we can make a clean¡­ and hopefully bloodless escape.¡± he sighed. After hearing him regurgitate my plan essentially verbatim, I finally let the tension escape from between my eyebrows. Now the only thing left is to convince these people to join the Tesr banner¡­ ¡­. Exiting the brush, I saw the other ¡®hunter¡¯ who helped De-lah steal our food, patrolling vigilantly around the gathered tents. ¡®At the very least I¡¯ll give them points for effort,¡¯ I thought. Not wanting to startle him, I called out while slowly walking forward to make myself known. As I approached, the small clan quickly woke up, the children and the younger of the two women swiftly hid in their tents. At the same time De-lah, the other boy, and the older of the women walked forward together to greet me at the entrance of their encampment. ¡°This won¡¯t be easy¡± I muttered to myself as our two groups closed the distance between each other. The ground was slightly wet from the morning dew, the grass was a hardy and vibrant green, the color of spring. We stopped, just outside of spear thrusting, or sudden dagger charging range. The wind rustled, picking up the damp leaves and causing the trees to whistle and sway. I held my spear up horizontally in both hands, then slowly, symbolically¡­ I cast it on the ground in front of their feet. ¡°I come before you alone, and defenseless.¡± I said while motioning at the spear at their feet. ¡°I come in peace, and want to talk about a future that will benefit all of us equally!¡± I declared. There was a silence that I felt crept into awkwardness, but luckily the woman stepped forward to respond to my words. ¡°I am Shah-mi, the mother of our young tribe. We are a people who only seek peace, full stomachs, and freedom.¡± she said. Although she sounded accommodating enough, the emphasis she put on the word freedom made it clear that they desired freedom over food or a lack of conflict. Through those words alone she made clear their clan¡¯s bottom line, and the negotiations hadn¡¯t even begun. She¡¯ll be a tough cookie. Her and I held eye contact for a moment, finally I smiled and extended my hand towards her. The three of them tensed, I was startled and also readied my body for battle, but then I realized my mistake. Laughing I explained, ¡°Ah, among the Tesr we shake our hands together whenever we meet someone for the first time, or even just as a greeting.¡± After that I demonstrated the handshake a few times before successfully shaking hands with Shah-mi. With that taken care of, I was led to the central tent, where the true negotiations began. The Tent of Thamil the Older There was a vague scent in this place, as if some ghastly smell had been shooed from the room recently. When my eyes adjusted to the interior of the tent, the first thing I noticed was the large man in a seated position. His hair was golden and tinged with red, his eyes a piercing sea green with bluish hues. He wore thick furs and sat in a relaxed and confident manner. My first impression of him was that he was imposing, but as I walked closer, I began to see under the facade. His eyes held deep and dark bags, his brow was tinged with sweat, and his face held a sickly paleness. This man was sick, injured, or both. Regardless, that wasn¡¯t the point of this meeting. Shah-mi, who¡¯d proven herself to be quite the diplomat, began the introductions. ¡°This is our Chief, Akii (1) Thamil of the Golden Plains, and Akii, this is Pino Tesr of the Tesr tribe.¡± She said smilingly. Chapter 31 Chapter 31 Pino POV: After the introductions were over, I reached my hand out towards Akii Thamil. He was slightly confused, but after a small explanation, he grasped the idea much quicker than his counterparts, and seemed uniquely delighted at the new greeting concept. I¡¯d considered just using the customs and greetings of this world, but then I figured that in order to stand out, the Tesr tribe had to be different. Thus the small customs such as shaking hands, and as I remembered more, I¡¯d add them to the budding Tesr culture. ¡°Please, Honourable Tesr, have a seat.¡± Thamil the older said, gesturing to the spot directly in front of him. I took a moment to inspect the ¡°seat¡± . It was little more than tall grasses covered by fur, but it was most definitely this world¡¯s form of ¡°hospitality¡± or so I¡¯d think. Smiling, I thanked him while also taking my seat. There was a brief silence as we measured each other up. Finally, I decided to break the silence. ¡°You used the wrong title for me Akii, I¡¯m not the Honourable of the Tesr, you may know me simply as Pino.¡± I said. A flash of confusion crossed Thamil¡¯s face before he started with a smile, ¡°Oh? Here I thought I spoke to the head of the Tesr tribe! Maybe there¡¯s no point in this meeting?¡± He asked as a calm smile once again rested on his face. ¡®He is trying to scare me, get me to reveal my hand. But I can''t because the most crucial part of my plan is having their group believe I have a larger power behind me.¡¯ I thought. ¡°Well¡­¡± I began, ¡°The way that our Tesr tribe functions is a bit different from the other tribes and groups. We Tesr all come from deep within the Forests. The prey is bountiful and life is not merely existing moon by moon, but rather enjoying life in every moment.¡± I said. Before I could continue, De-lah blurted, ¡°There¡¯s no such place! Aki has mandated that we live just as every other creature lives. Life is struggle, and only by struggling to the end can we join the ancestors!¡± Thamil stared me in the eyes, waiting for a reaction, annoyance, anger, I gave none. Instead I peered back at him quietly, before slowly raising an eyebrow. ¡°Who should I address Akii? You or the boy? Who¡¯s in charge here? I¡¯d like to speak to him.¡± I said calmly. Releasing a small smirk Thamil the Older ordered, ¡°Everyone other than Shah-mi, leave at once!¡± Looking at De-lah¡¯s face, I could see he was shocked¡­ hurt, but a nudge from Thamil the Younger forced him numbly from the tent. After they¡¯d both exited, Shah-mi swept the room with her eyes saying, ¡°Now that the sparklings are gone, let''s finally begin.¡± From that point, what felt like a century elapsed, but in reality it was likely a lot closer to six or seven hours. We talked about many things, the largest concern of this fledgling tribe was their freedom. They don¡¯t want to join a tribe that¡¯ll treat them as servants, the Earth¡¯s equivalent of a slave. If they were to be treated as such, they¡¯d rather fight and die, all the way to the last child, rather than relinquish the freedom they worked so hard to attain. This was essentially a non-concern for me, as I explained to them that the ¡°Greater Tesr¡±, the imaginary tribe deep within the forest, forbade any form of slavery- servitude of civilians, yet another word I had to explain, and so not only they but any person who sook shelter within the folds of Tesr would be safe from servant status. From there, questions as to what ¡°Greater Tesr¡± is, began to pile up. How many tribesmen are there? Why did you leave such a wonderful place? Why do you need us? Why would Greater Tesr want us? I explained everything in order calmly, Greater Tesr is something called a ¡°Nation¡± a group of ¡°city-states,¡± which is a word I was alarmed to find out Thamil knew about, that join together under one banner to prosper and protect each other from outside threats. The reason I¡¯d ¡°left¡± Greater Tesr, was to expand the nation, and found a new city outside of the Great Forest, ideally near a river. Since not many people wanted to leave such a prosperous place, only I and my sworn brother struck out into the wilds in search of new citizens to add to the ¡°mighty¡± banner of Tesr. As for why Tesr would want a rag-tag group such as theirs? The nation of Tesr wants and accepts all people who want peace and prosperity, and will work diligently for the nation in pursuit of that goal. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°So¡­ how¡­ How many tribesmen- citizens, are under the banner of Greater Tesr?¡± Thamil asked as he licked his parched lips. He leaned forward, fully enraptured by the picture I was painting, his fingers fidgeting, showing his anxiousness and desperate need for an answer. Looking at him with all the esteem and sageliness a ¡°governor¡± could muster I said, ¡°We don¡¯t yet have an accurate count, because our nation grows by the day, but I¡¯d say around 8,000 tribesmen, women included.¡± He looked at me, extremely confused, ¡°How many 9 and 1s is that?¡± He asked. I stared blankly at him before bursting out laughing, from there I explained the concept of zero and double, triple, and quadruple digit numbers. I could tell by the deep shock in his eyes, that I¡¯d shaken his understanding of the world around him. Pushing on while his mental state was weak, I said, ¡°The knowledge of Tesr is deep and almost limitless, aside from Aki we also worship Skyence, through her we uncover the secrets of the world! If you join us, we can lead you to a truly prosperous future! One without constant death, fear, hunger, and servitude! Isn¡¯t that what you want? Freedom, peace and prosperity?¡± I continued, almost shouting in excitement at this point. Not only Thamil, but Shah-mi, who¡¯d been extremely quiet since I began my monologue, exchanged a glance. Gulping to quench her dry throat, Shah-mi said, ¡°Give us the night to discuss this¡­ Governor Pino. If you¡¯d like, can we shelter you here for the night?¡± Pausing and pretending to consider, I replied, ¡°... Sure, I¡¯ll bed here for the night, but by the time akigi is directly above our heads, I¡¯ll need your answer. I¡¯m extending this offer not only for Greater Tesr, but also in consideration of De-lah¡­ but I won¡¯t wait forever.¡± With that, I began to walk towards the tent¡¯s exit, which was a relatively short distance away. As I raised the flap to leave, I turned as if only just remembering something, ¡°Oh and by the way,¡± I said, ¡°Don¡¯t mention anything I¡¯ve said to others¡­ not even your fellow tribesmen. The knowledge I have is enough to get myself killed, and all of you with no fingers in an attempt to grasp the power¡­ the potential that we hold.¡± Then without waiting for a response I turned and left the two to their own machinations. It was only after I left the tent and walked a few steps that I realised¡­ I had no idea what tent I¡¯d be sleeping in. I turned and looked back towards Thamil¡¯s tent, but quickly decided not to reenter, it¡¯d ruin the image that I¡¯d just built. Instead, I leisurely strolled the tribal laying grounds while keeping an eye out for De-lah or Thamil the Younger, who¡¯d hopefully point me in the right direction. The children had slowly but surely trickled from their hiding spots as the hours wore on during the negotiation. Now, although they were wary and mostly avoided me, they¡¯d still come out to play. A few of the kids were playing a game with a stick. Most of the children stood between two other kids, who threw the stick back and forth to each other. The children in the middle jumped and grasped for the stick. Once one of them wrenched the stick from the air, they¡¯d join the two children who were throwers, and the last person in the middle lost¡­ or so I thought after observing for a while. ¡®Monkey in the middle?¡¯ I asked myself, a small smile playing across my face. ¡®There¡¯s something strangely comforting about a familiar kids game existing in this world too.¡¯ I thought as I began to walk forward once more. As I strolled and casually observed my surroundings, I suddenly had to scramble and stop myself from falling on my face. ¡°What the hell¡­¡± I muttered as I glanced behind me to see what had almost caused an incident. There, sitting on the ground and holding her leg, trying not to cry was a girl. She was probably around 6 or 7 years old, and had the skin of the steppe folk. Brushing myself off as I approached to make sure she was okay,I bent down and asked, ¡°Hey little sparkling, are you okay?¡± In the swift and slightly rough tongue of the steppe. She looked at me, and as if the dam was only waiting to break, began to cry. ¡°Hey, hey, it¡¯s okay!¡± I blubbered, panicking. ¡°Look here!¡± I exclaimed, while pulling a small piece of smoked meat from the pocket I¡¯d ¡°fashioned¡± into my hide pants. At first she was too focused on crying to see the food, but after a bit of prodding she peeked just enough to see the meat, and her demeanour immediately changed. Snatching up the food, she began gnawing on it and murmured, ¡°Thank you.¡± between bites. I laughed a little and replied, ¡°No problem as long as you¡¯re okay!¡± As I ruffled her hair, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I asked as I stood up from where I was stooped and stretched a bit. ¡°Colada!¡± She said after savouring the last bite. ¡°Well Colada,¡± I said while pinching her cheek, ¡°My name is Pino.¡± I paused for a moment as my brain tried to recall something. ¡°I guess that makes us Pino Colada!¡± I laughed. I laughed and couldn¡¯t stop laughing, my stomach hurt and my eyes were watering by the time I¡¯d contained myself. At first Colada was confused, but then she just shrugged at my strangeness and slowly¡­ cautiously, walked away. Breathing hard and in a fantastic mood, I continued my walk with a bit more pep in my step. As I looked at the women starting the nightly fires and the children playing and shouting, a sense of responsibility suddenly landed on my shoulders. I knew that if Thamil the older was as smart as he seemed to be, then he¡¯d accept my offer. That means these people, my people, their safety and wellbeing was now my duty. I let that realisation wash over me, sink into me, into the pit of my stomach where it tightened and condensed into resolve. Clenching my hand into a fist I resolved to see my ambitions through to the end. My internal moment of triumph was interrupted by a yell that broke the serenity of the night. ¡°WHERE IS HE?! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY BROTHER?!¡± His roar reverberated across the clearing, ripping into the ears of the surrounding people. ¡®Shit!¡¯ I thought as I began sprinting toward the sound of the disruption. ¡°I¡¯ll kill all of you if you don¡¯t bring him out now!¡± Attila yelled. As I rounded a tent and Attila came into sight, I saw him wildly swinging his spear, a crazed look in his eyes, his face a mask of fury. Thamil the younger and De-lah held their spears forward in defensive postures, but appeared more confused than anything. ¡°Attila!¡± I yelled sternly, as I swiftly bridged the gap between us. When we locked eyes, I saw his face melt into an expression of immediate relief. I couldn¡¯t be too mad at him, we never spoke about contingency plans in the case of me not checking in after a few hours, only if De-lah or anyone became immediately aggressive. ¡°Thank Aki, thank the gods!¡± Attila cried as he ran to embrace me, ¡°I thought you were dead.¡± He said, while holding me tightly. ¡°No, not yet.¡± I responded while laughing. Our serene moment was invaded by a strict utterance, ¡°What is happening here!¡± Thamil the older, trailed by Shah-mi, asked. Chapter 32 Chapter 32 Pino POV: Throwing my hands up in surrender, I turned to Thamil the Older and said, ¡°Sorry, my brother was simply anxious at the fact that I hadn¡¯t returned in a while.¡± Thamil looked at me with a mystified gaze, I stared back in confusion before I realised that I¡¯d said a few words that likely didn¡¯t exist in the Forest tongue, so I¡¯d spoken in English. ¡®Forest tongue? I¡¯ll just call it Weald from now on.¡¯ I thought. Explaining what I meant in simpler Weald, I said, ¡°We have talked for a long time, my brother worried for my life.¡± Thamil nodded his head in understanding, but secretly he wondered, ¡®Was that the native tongue of the Greater Tesr?¡¯ Deciding to ponder upon this later, Thamil replied, ¡°That¡¯s understandable, he is also invited to spend the night here. However, if there is another disturbance like this¡­ you will have to leave.¡± After saying this, Thamil the Older slunk back towards his tent. Although his back was straight, I could see the tremors of pain as he walked. ¡®I wonder what happened to him?¡¯ I thought as my eyes narrowed in contemplation. Turning to address De-lah and Thamil the Younger, I could see that Thamil¡¯s eyes were red as he watched his father return to his tent. ¡®There has to be more to this¡­¡¯ That could be investigated later, for now, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for the actions of my brother.¡± I apologised. ¡°Please, let''s eat, drink and put this all behind us!¡± I said as I held up the bag I¡¯d brought with me. The sack held two hares and a generous amount of berries. ¡­ The fatty smell of the two hares wafted into the air and caused the surrounding people¡¯s mouths to water. Neither of the hares were fully cooked, but I took one of the hares off of the fire and began to cut it into chunks. ¡°De-lah, can you grab that clay pot and fill it with water and vegetables?¡± I asked Although De-lah still had quite the bone to pick with me, his stomach allowed for no arguments as he did what I asked, filling the pot with the water, wild onions and other vegetables before placing it on one of the three fires I had going. Attila sat at one, mixing and mashing the berries with boiling water. I manned the other two fires, roasting one of the hares, and making a stew using the other. ¡°What are you making?¡± A girl asked. Turning towards the sound, I saw little Colada standing near me, trying to peek over my shoulder at what I was doing. ¡°I¡¯m making a stew, little sparkling.¡± I responded, barely muffling another fit of laughter. Colada gave me another strange look, but her attention was quickly grabbed by Attila who¡¯d begun pouring the rudimentary juice into a few of the clay cups we¡¯d brought along. ¡°There¡¯s only a few cups so we¡¯ll have to share!¡± Attila yelled over the jeering of the children. ¡°This is so good!¡± ¡°It¡¯s so sweet!¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°What do you call this bro?¡± Atilla laughed as he explained the new beverage ¡°juice¡± to the children, and how to make it. I smiled as I watched the scene play out, although it was a beautiful moment, the implications went deeper. Ingratiating ourselves with the youth, and integrating into this community is paramount to the long term success of Greater Tesr. ¡°Save some room for the food!¡± I laughed while grabbing plates and bowls and began dishing out the meal. Another joyous uproar erupted as I faced the swarm of hungry and energetic children. When everyone was served we settled into our meals, I¡¯m not one to brag but the stew was amazing. At least that''s what the expressions of euphoria implied. While I was busy stuffing my face, I heard a grunt from my side as Thamil the Older took a seat beside me. ¡°Good idea.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± I asked. ¡°Well¡­¡± He responded while observing the surrounding activity, ¡°Using food to make us owe you. Using new things to make the children love you. You and your brother are both capable hunters, so the women will rely on you. The only problem¡­ is me. I¡¯m the head of this tribe, the patriarch. Without my approval, everything becomes much, much more difficult for you.¡± When he¡¯d finished speaking a deep silence sank over us, his words held true. He was obviously the epicentre of the community, the final obstacle to the assimilation of these people into the Greater Tesr. ¡°Wha¡­¡± I said, my voice slightly shuddering, ¡°This is the greatest opportunity your tribe may ever have. The opportunity to survive, grow, and prosper. I refuse to believe you will pass this up, for what?¡± Thamil looked at me with a serious, almost grave expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know how truthful you¡¯ve been. Although what you say and the new ideas you bring are¡­ far from normal, there¡¯s also no way for me to be sure that you aren¡¯t offering dambi meat while a trap lies under the leaves.¡± ¡°What could I do to convince you Akii?¡± I responded seriously, matching his demeanour. ¡°Look around.¡± He said, slowly waving his hands to the surrounding clamour, ¡°What do you see?¡± He asked. ¡°A group of people¡­ women, children, growing sparklings?¡± I asked, confused as to why he asked such a question. Sighing, Thamil-to responded, ¡°What a beautiful and strange way to see people¡­ No, what we are is a mismatched group. My son and I are from the Golden Plains, your De-lah is forest-kin, and we also have steppe folk women and umberland children! Did you ever wonder how¡­ or why, such a strange mix of folk are gathered?¡± Shocked by his revelation, I looked at the surroundings with new eyes. Being so accustomed to the diversity of New York, I completely overlooked that in this period of time, it was extremely abnormal for people so different in origin to be concentrated in one place, especially coming together as a tribe! My eyes widened, and almost at a loss for words, I responded, ¡°For- For me¡­ and those of the Greater Tesr, one¡¯s land of origin means nothing. Only that they contribute to the greater good of the whole, and don¡¯t cause needless violence or suffering to their fellow citizens.¡± As I spoke my voice steadied and became slightly deeper, my confidence building with every word. What I said is something I truly believed, racism was a large problem on Earth, and if I have the ability to change that in a new world where the lines haven¡¯t yet been drawn, then of course I¡¯ll try! Thamil-to stared at me deeply, as if trying to pierce my soul, scourging for lies or any signs of deceit. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a small smile played at the edge of his lips. ¡°If Greater Tesr truly exists is still left to be seen¡­ but I at least believe you when you say that all people are equal in your eyes.¡± He said wistfully. He sank into his ponderings, softly rubbing just below his ribs, at a spot that I assumed to be the cause of his weakness considering how gingerly he dealt with it. As he delved into thought, so did I. Although it appeared that I¡¯d given Thamil-to a satisfactory answer, it still didn¡¯t truly strike at the heart of the question. Why were these people from distant parts of the continent all gathered in one place? How did Thamil get injured? Why were there so few men compared to the amount of women and sparkling- children? Just as I turned to ask Thamil-to the questions that were burning inside my chest, an ear piercing shriek of absolute terror rocked throughout the clearing. Jumping up in alarm I reached for my spear, before swiftly remembering I¡¯d left it with Shah-mi as a show of peace and friendliness. Instead I opted to grab the bone dagger I¡¯d used to parse the hare and dashed in the direction that the commotion occurred. As I rounded a tent, I was met with the sight of De-lah, Thamil-ty, and Attila, spears bristling and poised to strike, facing a group of five hunters who I¡¯d never seen. Not while we were scoping out the Thamil clan, as I¡¯ve chosen to call it, or during our travels toward the river. As Thamil-to, who was following closely behind me, looked around, trying to fully grasp the situation, I asked, ¡°Who in Aki¡¯s name are these people?!¡± trying hard to suppress the confusion and panic in my voice. Thamil-to, almost as if in reflex, clutched at the area below his ribs. ¡°They are the reason we are here, they are the reason I¡¯m dying. They,¡± He said through gritted teeth, and an abundant amount of venom ¡°Are the Lakri, a tribe of disgusting servant-makers and maneaters!¡± He spat. Chapter 33 Chapter 33 Pino POV: ¡°Lakri? What do you mean the reason-¡± Before I could finish my sentence, another terrified shriek filled the air. My pupils dilated as my eyes honed in on the source of the commotion. Little Colada was held firmly in the arms of one of the Lakri as he slid his stone knife brutally across her small face, creating a jagged laceration. I witnessed her go limp, her body likely sinking into shock as a small puddle formed on the ground under her. All of us, from Thamil-to to Attila leaped forward, yelling indignantly rushing to tear those savages to pieces. ¡°No, no, no¡± said the man holding Colada, as he adjusted his grip on the knife, lowering the blade to her throat. This caused all of us to freeze mid-step, breath baited. Although I¡¯d barely known the little girl, both my modern and current heart refused to stand still as a child was mutilated and abused right in front of me. Through reddened eyes and gritted teeth I barked, ¡°If you kill her, we will tear you to pieces and feed you to the lokin.¡± The main culprit laughed, ¡°Kill? Why would we kill her? She will fetch quite the price in the Golden Plains!¡± He exclaimed, a sickly smile on his face. ¡°No¡­ after I scarred her, maybe not so much, but I¡¯m sure there will be work for her once the body of this sparkling grows into a flame¡­¡± He contemplated while looking her over. Just the thought of him pondering the prostitution of a child caused my body to burst forth with a speed I didn¡¯t even know myself capable of. I swiftly brought my body within striking distance before either of us knew what was happening. Barring my knife to his throat I roared, ¡°RELEASE HER NOW!!¡± He peered at me Calmly, far too calmly for a man who¡¯s life was in danger. ¡°No.¡± He said ¡°They were our property to begin with.. Either sold off by their parents,¡± he continued while casting a wayward glance to some of the surrounding children. ¡°Cast away by their husbands¡­¡± He smirked while looking in Shah-mi and the other women¡¯s direction. ¡°...disgraced Akii¡¯s, owing so much the only thing of value being their flesh.¡± he concluded snarkily, throwing a look of reproach in the direction of Thamil-to ¡°However, I will admit¡­ I had no idea I¡¯d be facing much more than two boys and an old and weak man, on his way to the Ancestors¡­ or whatever the hell you lowlanders believe in.¡± He spat. ¡°My kin and I could wipe you out, kill all the men and take the children¡­ to be sold off to the highest bidder.¡± At those words we all tensed, I tightened my grip on the dagger, ready to rend it across his neck and end his monologue. ¡°..but,¡± he pressed on, ¡°We would likely lose more than you are worth, considering the¡­ unexpected guests.¡± he smirked playfully, as he slid his gaze from me to Attila and back. ¡°This is what we¡¯ll do! I¡¯ll leave, and when I return in mmm¡­ three akigi, either you all will surrender, and accept punishment for escaping and killing our kin.¡± He said. Then after pausing his demeanour suddenly turned serious, killing intent rippling from his eyes. ¡°Or, we will arrive with two bands of nine and one strong Lakri, and kill everyone here.¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Sighing, he smiled again, the tension leaving his shoulders, as if he¡¯d just released something heavy from his chest. ¡°To ensure you don¡¯t just scamper off, I¡¯ll be taking this one with me.¡± He emphasised while scraping his knife along Colada¡¯s neck. Just as I prepared to throw caution to the wind, and make my stance on the situation known by slashing his detestable throat, two of the Lakri, all of whom remained eerily silent, stepped forward with their spears. Ready to pierce me if I made any move to threaten their leader. ¡®Tsk tsk tsk¡¯ came the reverberations from his throat, ¡°Three akigi¡­¡± He reiterated as he and his men slowly retreated into the forest, before eventually disappearing between the trees. As they vanished a loud roar erupted from De-lah¡¯s mouth ¡°FUCKKK! Why didn¡¯t you stop him?! Why didn¡¯t you stab him when you had the chance?! This is your fault!¡± I was startled by the sudden accusations that¡¯d been cast upon me. Sure, perhaps I could¡¯ve dealt with the man holding Colada, but then what about the other four? Moreover a knife to the neck doesn¡¯t kill automatically, there was always the chance that he took Colada with him before bleeding out. While these thoughts whizzed through my head, De-lah was already charging at me, spear in hand. My heart calmed and my eyes took on a cold light. I could understand his pain, his frustration, but I couldn¡¯t continue to abide by his disrespect. If I was truly to lead these people or take on any leading role, I couldn¡¯t have my authority constantly questioned. I saw Attila shuffling, likely about to intercept De-lah, but a swift glare from me halted his actions. De-lah was a bit more than a metre away from me when I dropped my knife to the ground. As he entered striking range, he pulled his spear back and adjusted his footing, poising for a strike. I watched it all with calm eyes, I¡¯m no great fighter but I¡¯d spent over a year in this body, joined with seventeen years of hunting experience from Pino before the merge. Suffice to say, I could take on a developing sparkling who can¡¯t even properly cover his tracks. As the spear approached my stomach, I dodged by deftly swinging my right leg backwards, and letting the blow fly past me. De-lah, in his anger, had put his full force behind the blow. Due to this, he ended up stumbling a few steps forward in his attempt to regain control over his weapon. Taking a step forward, I slammed my open palm onto the shaft of his spear, causing it to hit the ground. The vibrations of the blow travelled up the spear, and caused De-lah to release his grip. Taking the opportunity, I put more strength in my left leg and pivoted, pressing strength and speed into my right leg as it sailed towards his face. The blow landed with a satisfying and dull thump as he dropped to the floor. Taking a step back, I reached to the ground and levied the dropped spear. Then taking large steps, I made it to De-lah just as he disorientedly attempted to regain his footing. Leaning backward I heaved a heavy foot onto his chest and pushed him back into the dirt. Immediately after I pressed the spear against his throat, then I pushed it deeper, when I finally saw him wince, I knew I¡¯d broken skin, so I stopped. Growling I spit, ¡°I understand your anger you have every right to be, but the next time you raise your weapon to me¡­ I won¡¯t stop until I¡¯ve driven my spear through your throat. Do you understand?¡± De-lah stared up at me with hatred, we held eye contact for a long while, but he finally looked down, conceding defeat. The problem was suppressed for now, but I need a permanent solution eventually. It felt like an eternity, but the confrontation couldn¡¯t have lasted for more than two minutes. Turning to Thamil-to, who¡¯d remained silently observing the entire confrontation, I said, ¡°Well? It seems like you have some explaining to do.¡± Thamil-to POV: ¡­ As I stare at it, arms to my side slumped in defeat, my eyes can¡¯t help but glaze over. The place where I was raised, the place I started a family with my beloved, where I nurtured my children. This is my house¡­ as it was my father¡¯s house¡­ and his father before him. The house servants, they¡¯d been under our banner since Banni City was founded. Loyal workers, less servants and more so family. We protected them, cherished them, gave them rights that are hard to come by for people of such mixed blood and strange origin. ¡°Savages¡± the other Akiis¡¯ called them, barbarians from the hinterlands. No walls, no farms, no maths or writing¡­ tribal to the extreme. My father never saw them that way¡­ perhaps some fling or, or life saving moment altered his view. However the result, all the same, was a prominent family that embraced the dirt bloods, a family of ¡°savage lovers¡± The way that our equals viewed us never bothered me, they simply weren¡¯t as far along the path as we were, ¡®Knowledge is my brush, the world is my canvas, understanding is my work¡¯ I recited the mantra of the Scholars while I let their words wash over me and my anger found its vent. ¡­but now, as these- these- two faced wyrms ransacked, pillaged, and burned the place that¡¯d supported all of us for so long¡­ no loyalty, no honour. ¡®Mixed blooded¡­ farland¡¯ I thought as my anger bubbled to a boiling point ¡°SAVAGES!!¡± I roared. Chapter 34 Chapter 34 ¡­ ¡®Deep breath in¡­ deep breath out¡¯ I remind myself constantly as I circle my opponent. Making sure to keep my fists squarely in front of me while peering through my guard, I scour his form for any lapse in his defence. The sizable crowd completely encircled my adversary and I. Jostling, yelling boisterously, and spilling their cheap grain juice as they vied for a good view of the fight. The fight master, who stood in the middle of the two of us, hollered, ¡°ARE YOU READY FOR A SPECTACLE?!?!¡± The crowd roared a resoundingly positive response. A impossibly large smile stretched upon the fight master¡¯s face, ¡°ARE YOU READY TO MAKE. SOME. COINNNN?!?!?¡± he asked again. This time, those who¡¯d won a place nearest to the action whooped as they held up their coin pouches, and handfuls of note-worths. Splaying his hands to his sides in an act of showmanship, the jubilant announcer asked a final question, ¡°AND ARE YOU READY TO SEEEEE BLOODD?!!¡± The screams and cheers reached a fever pitch, crescendoing into the announcement to commence brutality as I moved forward fiercely toward my opponent. He threw a straight punch at my chest, a prodding move. Strafing to the left and ducking my head behind my guard I continued to close the distance. Throwing a testing blow of my own towards his chin, I devour even the slightest twitch of his muscles, trying my best to predict his next move and act accordingly. As the enemy assailant Registered the incoming blow, he panickedly took two steps back. ¡®There¡¯ I thought, a weakness, one that I had full intention of exploiting. Not giving him any time to properly regain his balance, I tucked my head towards my shoulder as I brought my arm up and covered the right side of my head. After effectively turning my body into a ram, I darted forward and directly into the poor man who was already off balance, sending him cascading to the ground. I saw the look in his eyes as the air was pressed from his lungs due to the impact. Followed by the dread as my shadow overtook his form, a harbinger of my body¡¯s imminent approach as I landed squarely on his upper stomach and lower chest, pinning him to the ground. ¡°Wait! I yiel-¡± before he could finish enunciating his surrender, I was upon him. Thumping sounds reverberated, and the cheers and roars faded to the background, and I heard someone calling my name¡­ ¡°..er, ¡­ther, ¡­ Father! Are you okay?¡± a worried Thamil-ty asked. As I shook the grogginess and cold sweats away, I braced my body for the ebbing pain that would surely follow after. ¡°Yes son,¡± I said ¡°What seems to be the matter?¡± ¡­ Thamil-to POV: Joining my son outside of the main tent, I was met by a torrent of activity. De-lah led some of the younger sparklings as they piled smooth stones, likely from the nearby creek, in a growing stack. The women were busy wreathing together vines into some form of rope, although it seemed far too thin for any of the usual maintenance around camp. Lastly, Pino and Attila, Attila was busy hacking away at some of the smaller surrounding trees, and Pino used his axe to¡­ shave it? Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Curious, I meandered over to them. ¡°It¡¯s good to keep everyone¡¯s hands busy.¡± I hailed, ¡°Keeps their mind off of the coming danger, but having everyone¡¯s hands full is no way to solve this feud.¡± I continued, ¡°I love Colada just as much as anyone here, but to risk the entire tribe for one sparkling¡­ I urge you to see reason. You¡¯ve won the women¡¯s hearts, and you¡¯ve set the boys'' sparks aflame with your speech. However, you know as well as I, our chances against two bands of nine and one men!¡± I finished my statement, my face slightly flush from emotion. I continued on to explain how running was likely for the best, and that we could gather more people and hopefully return to settle this blood debt one day. It was slightly humiliating, an elder having to explain his thoughts to a flame as young as him. However, the game had changed swiftly, he¡¯d garnered a lot of support with his show of strength over De-lah, and his fatherlike need and wish to protect Colada and bring her home safely. As I spoke, Pino only listened, bobbing his head from time to time in acknowledgment. Once I¡¯d finished my short oration, he caught my eyes and held them with that¡­ strange gaze. Eyes that blazed with impetuous youth, yet also simmered with knowledge and wisdom far beyond what his young face would imply¡­ ¡°Akii, we aren¡¯t simply keeping their hands busy, we are going to fight the Lakri, and we will win.¡± He grunted as he quickly looked at his work, making sure no mistakes were made due to his lapse in concentration. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you a few questions, and just answer the best you''re able, agreeable?¡± He asked. After I nodded in confirmation, he began to charge me with questions, while I answered with as much knowledge and history behind it as I could muster. He continued to say words I¡¯d never heard and described their functions. As he spoke more and more, my eyes lit up and the flame that was slowly withering with age and injury roared once more. Maybe¡­ just maybe, this was possible, we could win. ¡°It¡¯s interesting that the Golden Plains have invented coins but no form of metal weapons¡­ How- and why did society develop that way? In all likelihood, with their advantages in civilization and food output, they should be dominating this continent¡­¡± He said contemplatively. Deciding to interject at that moment, I offered a few words, ¡°Most of the Salnirocks we acquire from traders and wandering tribes, within Bantii city at least. As far as we know, the precious metal is found in rocks, and it''s amazing fortune to find a few rocks on your travels. There was a legend about a famous trader who found an entire field of Salnirocks- or¡­ silver as you call it. He became a wealthy man, but after the rock field was cleared, he had to look in different places. All in all, there truly isn¡¯t much Salni in the Golden Plains, rather note-worthies are what we use for trade, if not just outright bartering.¡± I breathed deeply after the prolonged explanation. He looked at me quizzically, likely having more questions than answers after my small lecture. Before he could dive deeper into Golden Plain history, culture, and trade, I quickly changed the subject to something that interested me more. ¡°So, what¡¯s the difference between a combat axe and a regular hatchet? They cut wood just the same, no?¡± Shah-mi POV: ¡°Elder Shah-mi,¡± a young sparkling said bashfully. As I looked up she pushed forward a long and relatively thin rope so I could look over it. I silently grabbed the rope, turning it over once or twice before pulling and tugging upon it. Finally I brought it close to my eye to inspect the braiding. After I was finally done scrutinising the work, I allowed a smile to broach my face. ¡°Good work little one!¡± I exclaimed while rubbing her small head. The child smiled, indulging in the motherly touch that she¡¯d likely never experienced much of in her short life. The smile slowly vanished and transformed into a sad grimace, ¡°Elder Shah-mi¡­ will Colada be okay¡­ will we be okay?¡± She asked, tears on the precipice of erupting from her eyes. My heart shook, I wanted so badly to assure her that everything would be all right, that we¡¯d get Colada back and all would be fine¡­ but I knew this world. I knew the cruelty of the Lakri, and experienced it with my own body. As I recalled the memories, I couldn¡¯t help but to shudder. Resolving to stay strong, at the very least for this sparkling in front of me, I peered deeply into her eyes. Then cupping her face, and bringing her close I whispered, ¡°You heard Lord Pino¡­ as long as we stand united and listen well to what he commands, he will help us weather this together. We beat the Lakri once, and with the new weapons we will surely beat them again!¡± I exclaimed while sporting a mischievous smile. The child smiled back before laughing, ¡°Okay mama-¡± the words caught in her throat, a look of surprise¡­ and bracing,perhaps for a reprimand, Instead my smile only widened. ¡°Okay my child, stop making bowstrings, and go help the others with the shafts and arrowheads, but be careful! Don¡¯t cut yourself!¡± ¡°Okay Mama Shah!¡± the girl shouted daringly as she ran to help the other children in their diligent war preparations. As the smile slowly faded from my face, I took the bowstring, and fitted it to the predetermined notches on the sturdy stick, before pulling the stick backwards and making a bridge. The bowstring a line that connected the top of the stick to the bottom. Looking over the latest creation, I tested it by pulling the string back a few times before carefully placing it on the hide that held five bows just like it. ¡°Two akigi left¡­ I hope this works.¡± I muttered. Chapter 35 Attila POV: ¡°Ready! Aim! Loose!¡± I roared, in harmony with my orders, a volley of small spears swooshed through the air. Arrows, brother called them, whistling towards their targets ten meters away. I peered down the ¡°firing line¡± another new word, brother, Thamil-to and -ty, De-lah, Shah-mi and another of the women all stood. Backs straight, eyes forward and towards the poor piece of hide that served as target practice. They pulled arrows from their quivers and kept firing away until they¡¯d run dry. ¡°Reload!¡± I commanded. At my words a few of the children who¡¯d been laying behind an artificial mound hopped up and ran towards the assembled bowmen, quivers full of arrows in hand. Once they¡¯d handed off the full quivers and taken the empty ones, they ran back to their placement where they began to refill the empty quivers with the store of arrows they had on hand in a basket. After we¡¯d practised just getting the hang of firing, I transferred to accuracy drills, moving drills, skirmish drills. All of these are things Pino had instilled in me best he could, and even as he followed my orders he¡¯d at times make recommendations on how I could improve the courses. As to why he gave me the responsibility of heading the archers? I have no idea, I¡¯m only marginally better than him at archery, but he seems to want to, ¡°Delegate certain responsibilities in order to make for a more cohesive unit, and give him a strategic level in the conflict.¡± Whatever that means, he sometimes goes on a rant like the wandering shamans we¡¯ve seen, he even sometimes speaks in a tongue that¡¯s neither Weald or of the steppe! As that training drew to a close we sat down for a short lunch, which consisted of- ¡°THEY¡¯RE COMING!¡± someone roared. Fiercely swinging my head in the direction of the commotion, I spotted one of the smaller and faster children scurrying over the small embankment that we¡¯d set up. Out of breath, he raggedly repeated, ¡°Th- they¡¯re coming!¡± A sudden uproar broke the harmonious atmosphere. Yelling, running, sudden panic, as if all the training we¡¯d done had been for nothing, gobbled faster than a hare in the maw of a bantila. As I watched this scene unfold, I couldn¡¯t help but to wonder¡­ Can we actually win this? ¡­ ¡®The air smells fresh, the wind isn¡¯t blowing too much. It feels as if the leaves and twigs move aside¡­ it¡¯s a perfect day for a hunt, Akii is on our side.¡¯ I thought as I watched my fellow tribesmen move forward in a loose ¡°formation¡± as the Plains folk call it. Although our Chieftain attempted to reform us in the ways of the plains¡­ once a Lakri always a Lakri! We fight free as the wind, fierce as bantilas, this is about as close as we¡¯ll get to a proper ¡°militia¡± Not allowing my thoughts to slow my feet, I slogged forward. A small rustling of wind brought the sound of terrified cries to my ears. I couldn¡¯t help but to allow a smile to grace my face. I don¡¯t know if it be premonition, or if those fools are in actual panic, either way, it¡¯s been a while since I last spilt blood in battle. ¡­ Pino POV: Disappointment washed over me, a tsunami faced against a small fire, all but promising to extinguish the hope I¡¯ve held all this time. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Watching as everyone ran and scrambled to grab their things and squish their possessions into hide sacks in preparation of fleeing. Perhaps they aren¡¯t foolish, maybe they¡¯re just frightened and are taking the proper precautions and measures that¡¯d kept them alive so far. Still, I couldn¡¯t help but to feel saddened at the lack of unity¡­ belief. ¡°Quiet!¡± I roared over the din of the panicked people. ¡°Quiet.¡± I repeated, lowering my voice by a few octaves. As the frenzied group slowly calmed, I continued my speech with an impassioned voice. ¡°Why did we stay here when we could¡¯ve ran? Why did we make bows and arrows? Why did we practise battle formations?¡± I asked. ¡°Was it all to run at the first signs of danger? Was it all to give up before we even fought? To abandon a sparkling who¡¯ll never have a chance to catch a flame if we run now?¡± I continued my inquiry. ¡°No¡­ No!¡± I exclaimed, ¡°The reason we stayed is because we believed in ourselves, because I asked you to trust me, I promised you a life beyond subsistence¡­ as long as you put your faith in me.¡± I said. ¡°Since I arrived have you ever been hungry?¡± I questioned, which was met with a prompt ¡°No.¡± and a firm head shake from one of the women. ¡°Since I made this tribe my home, have I kept every promise I¡¯ve made?¡± I continued. ¡°Yes!¡± an adorable child who was holding Shah-mi¡¯s hand yelled. ¡°Have I even once considered walking away from my problems, rather than facing them head on?!¡± I asked, my voice rising in volume as I did. ¡°No¡­¡± De-lah spat begrudgingly. ¡°So then!¡± I yelled, splaying my arms to either side and looking at the people who by now had surrounded me in a semicircle. ¡°I ask you to once again, put your faith in me. Trust the training you received, trust the tools you made with your own hands to defend you!¡± We WILL defeat the Lakri We WILL bring Colada home safely We WILL take our freedom and our destiny in our own hands NOW WHO. IS. WITH ME!!! As I roared the last few words, the hot blooded young men and boys roared and hooted with me. I even saw Thamil-to, decked out in some of the rudimentary wood and hide armour that I¡¯d created, raising his axe in a crazed roar for blood. Allowing everyone to revel in the adrenaline and bloodlust for a few moments, I began to issue orders. ¡°Shah-mi, you¡¯ll organise a few of the women to evacuate the sparklings too young to participate to the point that we already agreed upon. Remember, if we haven¡¯t come to retrieve you when the sun reaches its peak on the morrow, run and never look back.¡± ¡°Attila, you and Thamil-ty choose two of the best archers that we have and set up on the embankment.¡± Snapping my head to Thamil-to I barked, ¡°Akii, gather any of the boys who you think can hold their own in a skirmish and arm them with the shields and combat axes that we¡¯ve made so far.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll also lead from the front, with the axemen.¡± I declared while grasping the axe that¡¯d been on my hip since we first started crafting them. When it was clear that I had nothing else to say, everyone rushed to action. This time not in a panic, but rather with purpose. As they flitted across the clearing, packing the bags, gathering the children and mustering the tools of war, I interjected every now and again to ensure that everything was moving smoothly. In all honesty, to a degree I have no idea what I¡¯m doing, only reenacting the things I¡¯ve seen on games and TV. ¡­It¡¯ll do, it has to. ¡­ Within an hour and a half the former tribal ground had been cleared of all non-combatants and most of the resources that were stockpiled. Between the sparsely gathered tents and the smouldering fires the tension was thick. The nervousness that streamed through our small group of ¡°warriors¡± was palpable. As we stood there, waiting, a thought came to me¡­ why should we be on the defensive? What was the saying? The best defence is a good offence. Right? They likely expected us to either be panickedly running away, already long gone, or if we decided to fight, cowardly gathered together in a defensive position¡­ which¡­ Anyway Having gotten a fair grasp on the warrior mentality of the Lakri, I knew they wouldn¡¯t be scouting or planning, ¡°A full frontal charge.¡± Thamil-to had said. When I asked him why they didn¡¯t just attack immediately and take what they wanted, he responded, ¡°They enjoy spreading terror and fear, but above all they¡¯re a tribe of tradesmen, flesh mostly. They want the most gain with the least loss. Don¡¯t believe a word they say, but expect them to try that path least painful first.¡± That means¡­ ¡°Thamil-to, you¡¯ll take command of the axe-men. Thamil-ty and De-lah, you¡¯ll command the archers and reservists in tandem- together.¡± I corrected. ¡°Attila, grab some of the javelins and bows.¡± I said as I grabbed a spare axe for him. ¡°We¡¯re taking the fight to them.¡± Hey guys Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.