《Another Mankind》


 Chapter 0 - Prologue

    Since the beginning of human history there have always been inconsistencies in humanities genetic tree, with missing links and extinct ancestors, where did they go?, what happened to them?, those kinds of questions are what plagued the mind of Spanish archaeologist Rodrigo since he was young, and visited the Altamira caves in Cantabria.


    His parents had taken him there as just a Saturday plan, but they had no idea that that decision... would change Rodrigo''s life forever.


    Those drawings on the walls of bison, deer, and other humans as they were hunting or just the negatives of their hands on the walls... it was fascinating to him, humans tens of thousands of years ago had stood in the same place as him and drawn all those wonderful scenes... were they happy? Were they celebrating a good hunt? or were they just hungry and planning for the next?...


    With all those drawings from ancient humans, that very day his curiosity, the very thing that makes us humans..., was sparked.


    Young Rodrigo: "mom... I wanna be an archaeologist when I grow up!"


    Both of his parents were surprised at the sudden yell, so they quickly apologized to the guide and crouched beside him.


    His father ruffled his hair and asked with a smile: "so you wanna be an archaeologist huh? what are you gonna research then?"


    Young Rodrigo pointed at the drawings: "that! I wanna know who they were! how they lived! I-"


    Mother: "shhh, don''t shout honey, it''s okay..., if that''s what you wanna do in life, then we will support you" she then smiled and kissed his forehead.


    Father: "Just promise us you will study hard okay? if you are gonna do it, then be the best!"


    Young Rodrigo nodded seriously: "i promise!"


    Father: "that''s my boy! now let''s continue the visit okay?"


    Young Rodrigo: "okay!"


    Years passed and Rodrigo kept his promise, he didn''t get the best marks in other subjects, but he was always the best in biology, geography, physics, history, and all other subjects related to archeology.


    Finished high school, he enrolled at university to get a degree in archaeology in Madrid, and after finishing the best of his promotion, he managed to get a job in the South, he had done his field practices nearby so it was easier for him to get a spot.


    He was in Gibraltar in the south of Spain, the last believed refuge of Neanderthals was here, in the cave of Gorham where our protagonist was investigating some Neanderthal carvings and remains along with other archeologists.


    "?Rodrigo!, ?get that bucket checked!" shouted the chief archeologist.


    Rodrigo, our young archaeologist, and protagonist was just an archeologist''s aide for now.


    "?going!, I will screen it now!" answered Rodrigo.


    The entire team had been working for a long time, and had found quite a bit of things buried in the mud layers inside the tunnels of the cave, from dolphin bones, and intricate stone figurines, to carved deer bones, the problem was that they had to stop at times due to the tide, since the water level had gone up by a lot since ancient times, with the seawater now flooding the cave at high tides.


    Rodrigo had just used a metal screen on a wheelbarrow to screen through three entire buckets of mud, all while enduring the scorching summer sun from the South of Spain.


    "hope we find something cool today" Rodrigo mumbled to himself.


    Stolen story; please report.


    That''s when someone told him "Rodrigo, the tide is going up, go inform those inside the cave to exit!"


    Rodrigo: "okay, right on it sir!" Rodrigo was happy to go into the cool shade inside the cave.


    The entrance to the cave was muddy and quite slippery, so he held a rope that was tied at the entrance as he slowly descended inside with a headlamp.


    He walked through the dark, wet, and muddy cave floor with his rubber water boots squeaking as he went.


    Deep inside the cave, on a muddy slope, he saw the leader archeologist smiling as he dug through a deep layer of mud, on his hand was a rough stone figurine of a quadruped lizard creature with long legs and a spiky spine.


    Leader: "ah Rodrigo, just in time, what do you think this is?"


    Rodrigo scratched his head: "a crocodile?"


    Leader: "Bah, crocodiles don''t have legs so long or spikes on their backs, this... is an unknown species!" the old man said with enthusiasm.


    Rodrigo: "is that so... ah! doctor, the tide is rising!"


    Leader: "is that so... then aide Rodrigo, pick my tools, I will go out first"


    Rodrigo: "but-"


    Leader: "I have my hands busy with this priceless figurine"


    Rodrigo: "...I understand"


    As the leader went out, Rodrigo used his hands to move the mud away as he the tools from the slippery mud.


    As he was almost finished while muttering curses, and the water slowly flowing in pushed the mud away, he pick some tools that had slipped near the edge, and his lantern flashed over something shiny.


    Rodrigo: "what the..."


    Rodrigo put the collected tools in a bag and left them on a ledge further up, approaching the sparkle as he slowly advanced down the muddy slope again.


    There he saw it, there was a precipice, the seawater churning at the bottom, but in front of him on a two meter away, and one meter down jump from him, there was a sparkling necklace on a stone ledge on the wall.


    Rodrigo couldn''t avoid smiling: "haha~ that is much better than that stone figurine... I have to get it!"


    Rodrigo was quite athletic, and the ledge seemed sturdy for what he saw.


    Rodrigo smiled to himself reassured: "totally doable~"


    He took some steps back, ran, and jumped with his rain boots almost slipping down the ledge, but his hand managed to grab the ledge, he pushed half of his body up, and grabbed the collar, a sparkling metallic chain held a piece of golden metal with a rainbow colored jewel in the middle, the light of his flashlight coming out as lots of other colors.


    Rodrigo: "wow... this... this can''t be from the stone age..." his smile became wide at the realization "I''m gonna be famous... this is big! I will be way more famous than Modesto Cubillas for this..."


    He looked down, the water churned down the dark slope, he would need both his hands, so he put the necklace in his t-shirt''s pocket, and pushing his legs against the cave wall, he made the jump.


    His left foot touched the ledge, as the feeling of success washed over him, but... the piece of ledge broke, his hands not ready to grab onto the slippery edge... he was falling.


    Rodrigo: "shit!" time seemed to slow down as he saw the light reflected on the wet cave walls, soon his left leg impacted a rock, and broke, then his back.


    He was sure he had broken his leg, but he couldn''t feel anything from his waist down, the water pushed him against the cave walls again and again, as he did his best to protect his head. His skin broke and tore... his blood was everywhere on the water.


    Rodrigo could feel it, his body felt cold and sluggish, and his eyes could barely open, the scenery turning dark: "I''m gonna die..." he muttered, minutes earlier he had been the happiest, but now...


    The tide kept rising, and as the caverns flooded, the current hit his head against the rocky walls, his strength left him with the concussion, and he felt his lungs filling with water... his consciousness was fading, he could feel his life ending as he held on tightly to the necklace in his pocket, thinking "the rigor mortis will keep my hands in place, if they find my corpse with the necklace, at least..." and that was his last thought.


    Darkness..., wet darkness all around him, but he no longer felt any pain.


    "what''s going on? am I dead?" Rodrigo thought, but he couldn''t see, he couldn''t move. The wetness around him felt warm though, not the cold he was expecting.


    He concentrated and managed to move a bit but... his body felt different... strange... the proportions didn''t match...


    As he was thinking that, the world around him started to tremble, and he felt something squishing his entire body so much his head distorted.


    "what the hell''s going on?!" Rodrigo thought to himself.


    His body travelled through a narrow wet tunnel, and then a light blinded him, he opened his eyes and could barely see blurred images around him, but then he looked at himself.


    Rodrigo: "am I... a baby?! how?!" but only cries came out of his mouth when he tried to talk, a towering creature holding him on his arms, that was... "my father I guess... but that face... a Neanderthal?!" the face of him father and tribe members around, were surprisingly those of Neanderthals.


    Rodrigo was in disbelief as the tribe people around him seemed to be cheering loudly.


    His father smiled at him, and rested a finger on his chest: "Shak''Ar"


    "guess that''s my name..." Rodrigo thought, he looked around a saw his mother smiling tiredly at him from a pile of furs on the floor "that must be my mother he thought" as he thought that, a man weird man approached him, wearing a huge horned animal skull on his head like that of a lizard and deer combined, and multiple animal fur scraps stitched together.


    On the left hand of that man there was a bowl made of an animal skull, and a glowing red liquid inside, the man observed him with a smile, he looked ancient from up close, his skin rugged like tree bark. The mysterious man dipped his index finger into the liquid and drew lines all over Rodrigo''s body.


    Rodrigo didn''t know what they meant, but the liquid slowly absorbed inside his body, making him feel energized, but extremely sleepy at the same time.


    Rodrigo could feel his eyelids drop as his father put him in the arms of his mother "well, I sure need a nap, can''t figure things out tomorrow" and fell asleep soundly.

 Chapter 1 - Another Beautiful Spring

    Six months passed, as the once Neanderthal baby was now a toddler able to crawl around.


    Rodrigo, now called Shak''Ar had been gathering information, his father''s name was Othar, he was the village chief and the strongest hunter in the village, with a body that would beat a culturist full of strong muscles and the solid bones of a Neanderthal. He was beast, and the best hunter in the village, but not a very attentive father. He saw him bring big deer and bisons, to roast them over a fire, and smoking the rest of the food into jerky, it seemed even more impressive for the baby sized Shak''Ar, as everything looked at least twice as big from a baby''s perspective.


    Then there was his mother, Jhana, and his aunt Matka, both of them were also quite muscular, and great hunters, but one of them always stayed behind to take care of him, curiously observing him and following him around.


    Shak''Ar had tried to make some tools with the bones of the beasts his parents hunted, but it was no use, his toddler''s hands were too weak to do anything properly.


    His uncle Vit''a, the husband of Matka always laughed really loudly when they ate together with his family. Shak''Ar wanted to try the roasted meat once, but his mother always caught him and breastfed him. It had felt a bit awkward to be breastfed at first, but he was used to it by now, the milk was creamy, and when his mother was away, his aunt Matka fed him along with his cousin Hir.


    The spring was in full bloom when he had been born, with lots of prey stored as jerky, then came the summer, as the tribe moved to some plains on the west to hunt, away from their valley, but with widely abundant prey.


    They had caught three giant wooly bisons there, and even a mammoth, and made loads and loads of pemmican, drying the meat into jerky on the sun and then grinding it to dust over a rock, finally mixing it with rendered fat to take back, the resulting pemmican blocks highly nutritious and long lasting.


    Nothing went to waste, as they transported their prizes back to the village in the valley by the end of the summer. The intestines were a prized material for sewing and securing spear heads firmly in place, as they got tighter as they dried, and the cranium of the mammoth was set on a nearby mountain lake, securely surrounded by stakes, according to his father talking to other hunters, that kept the tasty big brain inside fresh for eating at winter, even the fat on the scalp of the mammoth was saved for illuminating the interior of the cave.


    Then the winter finally came, and the tribe didn''t go outside much anymore, other than collecting wood, logs, bones, and mammoth skins that blocked the entrance of the cave, but also kept the smoke inside.


    Shak''Ars eyes stung from the smoke, and he even tried to draw a rocket stove on the cave wall, but the adults didn''t pay him much attention, instead occupied with telling hunter stories over and over again.


    Shak''Ar had been excited the first week, as his father''s stories were interesting indeed, but after a month it just felt repetitive. His favorite was one from when his father was young and he hunted his first mammoth, they poke it full of spears and had to follow it for days till it bleed out, Shak''Ar couldn''t avoid thinking that if they had used some poison on their spear tips the hunt would have been much easier.


    His parents and most adults in the tribe also had sex at night with their wives, no one cared how much noise they made though, so sleeping was hard.


    His favorite pastime in winter though, was searching for the tribe shaman, Rahiki, the strange man was always crafting one thing or another, from drugs and medicine, to ivory figurines, statues, and paint pigments, moreover he seemed to understand the nonsensical babbles of his baby mouth, though his mostly dilated pupils and incoherent muttering were indeed scary. He sometimes stole some paint pigments from his tent to paint around as he didn''t have much to do and the Shaman was frequently collapsed on the floor on his spiritual trips.


    One time, Shak''Ar had drawn a floor heating system, like those in ondol used in Korea in the past, drawn in detail in a cave wall beside the shaman''s tent, and the shaman had stared at it with wide eyes before looking at Shak''Ar surprised.


    Shak''Ar never knew if the shaman understood anything, or was just drugged in one of his spiritual trips, but it had been worth a shot.


    He also observed his mother Jhana making stone knives and spearheads, as a matter of fact, everyone in the village knew how to make stone utensils due to necessity, but his mother was quite good at it, making tools for herself and his father Othar too. His fur clothes had also been made for his mother too, his father could also sew but he wasn''t as careful or patient.


    Meanwhile, his father Othar spent his days in winter carving ivory pieces of the animals he had hunted, using silex flakes from his wife''s tool making as tools. Each animal took weeks to carve, but Shak''Ar could see he was proud of each of them, displaying them on a carved log, but never letting Shak''Ar even touch them.


    Winter was a boring season, but by the end of it at least, he was able to walk, the first toddler in the village to be able to walk, something that his father Othar couldn''t be prouder of, bragging about it, and giving Shak''Ar small stick shaped spears to practice when Jhana wasn''t looking.


    They had hunted a lot of meat, jerky, and pemmican to pass the winter, but even then, when Spring finally arrived there was barely anything, as Neanderthals ate a lot. At that point, his father had gone to the just unfreezing river, and took out the mammoth head from the past spring back to the village.


    The shaman Rahiki skilfully drilled holes on a circle into the bone using a pump drill and a piece of silex as the drill bit, and then with a stone mace, Othar cracked the skull open at the top. The brain inside smelled a bit fishy, but the people quickly served it into bone bowls, taking each their share back to the tribe.


    Shak''Ar would have just set the skull over coals to cook the insides if it was him, sadly no one cares about the opinion of a baby.


    Once on the tribe, he observed that most tribe people just heat the brain matter somewhat over the fire and ate it. If anyone asked, Shak''Ar would have sweared it looked exactly like foie gras, and the people seemed to enjoy it as they even licked their bowls clean.


    The spring came again and so did abundance, lots of women had gotten pregnant during winter, even his own mother was pregnant again.


    By the end of spring, lots of babies were born, and Shak''Ar had a little sister now, his parents named her Shab.


    He also observed something new that summer, some people also collected some grain plants growing wild in the area, they then ground them into flour and along with some pemmican made meaty flat bread near the fire, and for the first time he was given some to try, it was crunchy and fibrous, not as good as a nice garlic naan, but it was delicious after feeding on only milk.


    --- 6 years later ---


    Time passed and more kids were born, but lots of them died too, his sister hadn''t endured her second year, and had died of a fever in winter, the shaman had tried to save her but she got sick all the time and finally died close to the end of winter. His parents spent less time together for two years after that, but eventually, they got back to producing babies.


    Shak''Ar on the other hand could now finally talk and use his hands, he liked making necklaces and small stone knives in exchange for materials. Anuhr was his best customer.


    Anuhr was reserved and often avoided by the others, a young hunter that liked preying on already dead animals instead of hunting them himself, he also ate bugs and strange plants, and was frequently sick as a result, but he brought Shak''Ar curious rocks and bones to use, even a glowing strange bezoar stone he had found on inside a beast on the mountains to the East.


    Shak''Ar: "wait, aren''t the East mountains forbidden to go? father told me so"


    Anuhr then shrugged: "everything comes at a prize, the mountains are dangerous, full of monsters, but there''s also free meat if you are patient, and willing to take some risks haha~"


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    That same week Anuhr came back missing his left arm, the tribe people asked him about it, but he seemed too scared to talk about it, only babbling incoherent things about a shadow beast.


    Shak''Ar exercised anytime he could, and when the next hunt came he accompanied his father to hunt, he helped them set a stake trap to make the buffaloes fall inside, it had taken a lot of convincing to make the tribe help on his idea, thankfully his father gave it the okay and the results were superb, at least 20 huge bisons were impaled inside, sadly they didn''t manage to hunt any mammoths that year.


    Shak''Ar mostly collected wild wheat seeds secretly during that hunt though, he wanted to try growing them on the valley back home.


    So when they came back, he made a hoe using a bison shoulder blade bone, and tied it up to a rock polished wooden stick, using some cleaned intestines, and some sap and soot glue.


    He used the hoe to carve a canal from the river, and covered it in stones, making a small trickle of water flow from the river to a small plot of land he fenced with sticks, and plowed, planting the seeds he had collected


    He had also noticed clay while digging the canal earlier, so he also collected some clay on the shore.


    Othar: "what are you doing son? we need to start preparing the cave for when winter comes"


    Shak''Ar: "thats exactly what I''m doing, aren''t you tired of the smoke inside the cave?"


    Othar was confused with the question: "yes, but it can''t be avoided to stay warm"


    Shak''Ar pointed at some baskets full of refined clay he had prepared: "can you help me carry that back home dad? I''m gonna try something to avoid the smoke getting inside the cave"


    Othar didn''t understand, but he helped his son anyway: "okay son, you can give it a try" not really having much expectations about it.


    The tribe people were preparing to set the pelts, but young Shak''Ar stopped them, instead he mixed the clay with dry grass and put it on top of the stick structure that had already been set with the help of the other tribesmen, he left open an entrance and carved open a chimney hole. He made a big chimney big enough to cook, and added a tube made of dried clay hay mix for the smoke to escape.


    The tribespeople were excited with the invention when he lit the fire and no smoke remained inside the cave, but he wasn''t done yet, he added a new layer of clay on top and covered it on gravel, and then on dry grass, setting it on fire to quickly dry the outer layer.


    He then arduously cut some wood against a big stone cutter, and made a crude door he also covered in clay, now the cave entrance was properly insulated, finally ready to protect them from the elements properly.


    Autumn came and his plants had somewhat grown, he had left one of the other kids from the village caring after them. Adze was a quite boy from the village that didn''t like hunting, so Shak''Ar had given him the job of caring for his plants, and he seemed to love the assignment, making his own small stone hoes to care for the plants and all.


    There weren''t many grains, but he selected those from the plats that had the most to plant next year, and ground to flour the rest, he had thought about making beer too, but decided against it as the alcohol would do more bad than good for the moment, it was better to use the grains for food.


    The next step was pottery, Shak''Ar had had some pottery classes back on Earth, so it wasn''t too hard to smash the clay over and over and work it untill he had taken most of the debree out, he then rolled it into strips and accumulated them along the border of a clay base, slowly making a clay vase.


    It took almost an hour to make one, and the shape wasn''t too perfect due to needing a spin wheel, but they were good enough, some tribe people even tried imitating him.


    He then left some to dry from bowls to containers and prepared a firing oven with the help of his uncle that was free, they dug a hole in the ground and covered it with hay clay and flat stones ,and more stones on their sides to create a kind of grill that allowed the ashes to fall while burning, he then added clay and dry grass mix walls and lit a fire inside to help it dry.


    Four hours later the improvised oven was ready, and Shak''Ar put his pottery inside, including a botijo jug he had made. The fires were lit below and the top covered with a flat stone, the orange glow of firing pottery soon illuminating the insides alter a couple of hours.


    By the next morning, Shak''Ar exited the cave excitedly along the morning dew, the temperatures were already descending as the winter was certainly getting closer. He took off the lid stone, and the fire had died down, he picked up the now cold pottery and tapped it with his nail, the signature metallic ring sound making him know it was ready.


    The other tribesmen and women soon came out too, the sun was starting to rise on the horizon as Shak''Ar came back with a container full of fresh water from the river, he had made a basic wooden backpack and strapped the container to it.


    Everyone was happy to drink some fresh water in the morning, normally they would use animal skin or a hollowed out piece of wood, some times they found Calabas pumpkins to store water inside, but they were rare.


    Pottery became a big thing from that day on.


    The winter arrived and Shak''Ar put on his fur shoes and clothes his mother and father had made for him, ready to go outside.


    He opened the door and the winter cold hit him, it had snowed during the night so everything was covered by a layer of white.


    Othar: "where are you going son? we were about to tell some stories" the furs usually used for closing the cave entrance weren''t needed anymore, so thanks to the surplus of skins everyone was wearing thick fur clothes.


    Shak''Ar: "I need to cut down a tree to make some cooking utensils"


    Othar nodded to the other tribesmen and they stood up, they were the hunter group, twelve males and nine women.


    Other came to Shak''Ar and patted his head: "we''ll give you a hand son, the outside ain''t safe too anyway, there are lots of hungry animals during winter, they would attack if you were alone"


    Shak''Ar: "well, we could also carry some more wood back too if so many are helping then, is there any wood good for carving nearby?"


    Jhana: " I can take you to some I usually use, I can teach you which ones are good, what do you wanna make?"


    Shak''Ar: "since now we have the clay utensils I was thinking of making some bowls and spoon for everyone to eat some soup properly"


    Jhana: "soup what''s that? and don''t we have the bone bowls already?"


    Shak''Ar: "soup I meant heating water over the fire inside those clay containers and adding meat inside until it cooks, that way the meat would be juicy and we could also drink the water afterward, two in one"


    Othar scratched his chin: "hmm the meat would get soft then, I prefer a good crust on meat and a good chew, but the old or sick would eat it easier... that''s a good enough reason I guess, let''s go"


    They walked for almost an hour to a nearby small forest, and his mother pointed at a tree with white bark.


    Jhana: "that tree is easy to work with, the sap is sweet too, also the bark is useful to pack things or to start a fire"


    Shak''Ar touched it and muttered: "a birch tree huh... interesting"


    Jhana: "what?"


    Shak''Ar: "nothing mom, does this tree have a name?"


    Jhana shrugged: "white bark tree?"


    Shak''Ar: "what about calling it an abedul tree?" (birch in English)


    The tribe people shrugged.


    Othar: "Sure son, that''s fine"


    Shak''Ar grabbed some peeled off bark into a fur pouch his mother had made for him, with a boar tusk as the button a nice fire starter to have, they are better combined with a horse shoe mushroom, but he didn''t find any.


    Shak''Ar: "this wood would be too soft, is there anything harder?"


    Jhana: "yeah, there are some nearby, lets go"


    They walked for another twenty minutes and reached a forest of ash trees.


    Jhana smiled as they arrived: "these are the harder around, they are good for lances, we usually just call them tool wood, wanna name them too?"


    Shak''Ar nodded: "yes, fresno would be a fine name" (ash tree in English) he pointed at some suitable trees "those will do"


    Othar nodded to the others, and they started chopping with their stone axes, taking turns to chop around the trees, the rocks lost their edge quite quickly too, making the work even harder.


    It took almost an hour to fell just one tree, making Shak''Ar convinced of something as he thought [I need to find some metal soon, there should be some natural cooper somewhere... better keep an eye for green stones from now on, some malachite would be great...].


    Shak''Ar had been thinking when his father tapped his shoulder.


    Othar: "the tree is tied, when will cut it with fire back at the cave"


    The tree didn''t have any leaves and most branches broke once it fell, even then it took the effort of all of them pulling for a couple of hours to take it back to the cave.


    Shak''Ar could smell the difference even, as all of them were sweaty once they got inside the cave, the smoke in the past dulled his senses, but now he could clearly smell how much his tribe stank, the sweat smell covering the entire cave.


    Shak''Ar: [...damn, I need to make a bath too, a stone bathtub would be cool... but I would need metal tools for that first... maybe concrete, will need some limestone though, will be hard to test without some vinegar... maybe a wooden bathtub?... Nah, too hard to make with stone tools, concrete will be better...]


    He then cut the big tree in pieces using fire, first you use a stone to make a dent, and then you set embers from the fire over it, letting it cut the tree while also heating the cave, the slow burn also doesn''t produce almost any smoke. He would also need some wood ash for the cement too anyway.


    The carving went smoothly as the rest of the tribe helped after Shak''Ar had finished the first set,  he then smoothened their surface using a rough round granite river stone.


    Finally, he weaved some sinew strings to make a piece of rope to tie his spoon and bowl to his backpack for traveling.


    The bowls and spoons were much better than those made of bone, so everyone liked them.


    He then dissolved some pemmican into a pot of water near the fire along with some herbs that smelled like rosemary from the shaman, some smoked jerky for extra flavor, and passed it around. The pemmican and hard jerky were much easier to eat like this, so everyone loved the idea.


    He had plans to make more things, but the outside quickly became too cold, so it was impossible to go outside, they had enough food reserves, so everyone just stayed inside, as thanks to the pottery they had plenty of water reserves inside the cave.


    Shak''Ar even examined the depths of the cave in his boredom, along with Anzu, a strong girl that liked following him around, but they only found more paintings on the walls, and bodies of dead villagers that had been covered in stones and now dried flowers. The cave finished in a collapsed area, big piles of rocks blocking their path.


    Shak''Ar: "seems like the cave ends here"


    Anzu: "awww, do we move the stones? I''m strong, I can move them!"


    Shak''Ar shook his head: "better leave it as it is, we don''t know if its natural or intentional by our ancestors, let''s leave it like this for now"


    Anzu pouted: "that''s no fun, you always sound like the adults"


    Shak''Ar: "jaja~ one day I will be the village chief after all, a leader needs to be wise"


    Anzu: "No, my father always says the strongest is the village chief, and I''m stronger than you"


    Shak''Ar: "well, strength certainly helps but... it''s not that important-"


    Anzu tried to punch his head, but Shak''Ar sidestepped and grabbed her wrist with his left hand while twisting inwards, and her elbow with his right hand, advancing and successfully immobilizing her.


    Anzu: "How did you do that?! that''s cheating!"


    Shak''Ar chuckled: "brave words for someone punching out of nowhere jaja~"


    Anzu: "hmph! that''s the only way to hit you! my father always says, that when you hunt prey you need to ambush it when it least expects it"


    Shak''Ar released her and sighed: "Let''s go back, I will make some soup"


    Anzu: "soup? yay!"


    Time passed and Shak''Ar became nine years old, so his mother made him a stone spear and stone knife that he carried hanging from his neck.


    Winter had just finished after a really cold winter, and they finally opened the door to the outside on the first sunny day.


    Shak''Ar came out with all his gear ready as he stretched in the sun, the melting snow around him.


    Shak''Ar: "another beautiful spring"

 Chapter 2 - Neanderthal Youth

    Shak''Ar breathed in the fresh spring air and suddenly his stomach rumbled.


    Shak''Ar went inside his family tent and grabbed a piece of jerky, but he wanted something more substantial.


    Othar saw him and came close.


    Othar: "son, we are gonna go fishing, come with us"


    Shak''Ar: "fishing? how?"


    Othar: "well, the common technique is making some holes in a side of the river and a stone wall blocking the current, so when the fish come close you just throw them out of the water, simple right?"


    Shak''Ar: "why not using a spear?"


    Othar shook his head: "no son, it''s quite hard and it just breaks a lot of spearheads, even if you hit the fish it ain''t a guaranteed kill also"


    Shak''Ar touched his chin in thought: "I have an idea... can you wait for a while?"


    Othar shrugged with a sigh: "sigh... we will go first, just come when you are ready"


    Shak''Ar: "okay dad~"


    Shak''Ar collected some antler bone, some sinew rope, a stick, and some leftover stone pieces from making knives, setting it all on the floor near the cave entrance to have light to work.


    Anzu came at that moment.


    Anzu looked curiously at the materials on the floor: "what are you making Shak''Ar?"


    Shak''Ar: "A harpoon"


    Anzu was puzzled: "what''s that?"


    Shak''Ar chuckled: " you will see" he grabbed the stick and some stone flakes "first, you carve a groove in the wood, then..." he placed a small ember on top of it "you let it burn through the wood, meanwhile," he grabbed the antler now "on the side of an as straight as possible piece of antler, we carve the shape, first straight and then the spikes"


    *(like this: https://www.agefotostock.es/age/es/detalles-foto/hueso-arpon-pesca-dordo%C3%B1a-region-francia-paleolitico-periodo-c20th-siglo-artista-desconocido/HEZ-2663339</a>)


    It took a lot of waste stone pieces that were a subproduct of making stone knives and spearheads, to carve the bone properly, but finally, Shak''Ar got spike hooks carved on each side, he then picked a pointy stone flake and used it to carve a hole in the base of the bone piece, using it like a drill.


    Shak''Ar: " well, with that done I just need to tie the rope to the stick"


    Anzu: "hmm... it took a lot of work, are you sure this is better than a normal spear?"


    Shak''Ar: "a normal stone spear will cut the fish, but if the fish pulls away it will scape anyway"


    Anzu pointed at his spear tip: "I don''t know, you didn''t use any birch bark glue on that tip, how will it hold itself to the spear?"


    Shak''Ar finished carving a hole at the tip of his stick and smoothened it with a smooth river pebble, the hole an exact fit for the harpoon bone tip.


    Shak''Ar put the tip in, held in place just by friction, and tied the sinew rope to the holes to the stick and bone harpoon.


    Shak''Ar: "like... this! no need for glue"


    Anzu had already sat down nearby: "Finally, I thought you were ignoring me"


    Shak''Ar: "one image is worth a thousand words after all!"


    Anzu: "...what?"


    Shak''Ar: "... forget it, see the friction keeps it in place"


    Anzu: "hmm but the moment it hits a fish it will get stuck and fall, what''s the use then?"


    Shak''Ar pointed at the rope tied at both ends: "that''s what the rope is for, the fish can swim around and get tired, while I can just wait, and pull it out of the water once its tired"


    Anzu touched her chin: "that is a good idea..."


    Shak''Ar: "of course, also bone is easier to give shape than a stone after all" he looked in the direction of the river "let''s go test it out!"


    Anzu: "okay!"


    They arrived at the river, and the adults in the village were almost done building the trap.


    Othar saw Shak''Ar and waved at him: "Shak''Ar what took you so long? Your mother and I are almost done with our part"


    Shak''Ar offered him his harpoon: "I was making this father"


    Othar examined it, easily taking off the spear point and shook his head: "you need to glue this part son, we were gonna make some birch glue later"


    Anzu: "I told him that too!"


    Shak''Ar: "it''s made to ve that way, see the rope father? with that, it remains connected until the fish gets tired"


    Othar: "hmmm sure, give it a try then"


    The three went a bit up the river to avoid disturbing the others, and came close to a bend on the river with lots of fish.


    Shak''Ar readied his harpoon: "take that!" but completely missed the fish "huh? what happened?"


    Othar by the side laughed: "Jajaja, the water is tricky son, things aren''t where you think they are, you need to aim lower, let me try, I used to be stubborn about this when I was young too"


    Othar readied his aim, and easily speared a big river bash, the point came loose but the rope held the fish as it struggled to come loose for a minute before tiring.


    Othar was quite surprised as he easily took the fish out of the water: "son, this is quite useful"


    Shak''Ar: "see? with this the tribe won''t need to spend so much time fishing, once they learn they could easily catch fish"


    Othar massaged his beard in thought: "that''s true, our walls always break every year when the river freezes, but I do see value in both methods, anyone can carry rocks, but spearing a fish through the water is quite complicated" then patting his head "so you better practice a lot to teach the others, come let''s eat this one with the others"


    They walked behind Othar as Anzu came close to Shak''Ars ear: "I can''t believe that worked, where do you get those ideas?"


    Shak''Ar shrugged: "I just have"


    The rest of the tribe also caught lots of fish, they then ate some raw and left the guts near the bank, ready to roast the fish at a different location.


    Shak''Ar: "dad, why can''t we smoke the fish near the cave?"


    Othar paused and looked at his son: "this valley is quite peaceful son... but there are monsters out there son, if they smell food they will travel long distances to get it"


    Shak''Ar: "but... don''t we cook inside the cave in winter?"


    Jhana that was nearby answered instead: "it''s okay in winter, the smoke doesn''t go far in the cold, and some monsters sleep in winter, but in the summer... it can reach the mountains..." her face becoming serious.


    Shak''Ar: "...what''s on the mountains?"


    Othar was about to talk, but Jhana held his shoulder and shook her head.


    Jhana: "monsters, just monsters son, never go to the mountains..."


    Shak''Ar: "Okay..." but deep inside... now he wanted to go more than ever, muttering to himself "monster''s huh... I''ll be a monster hunter then... hehehe~ I need a weapon first, time to start looking for some metal... some natural cooper or malachite would be nice..."


    They smoked the fish in the forest, and went back to the cave.


    The next morning, Shak''Ar made a rudimentary backpack with some sticks, and a huge leather bag, as he went back and forth to the river, bringing clay, sand, and limestone.


    Anzu: "what are you making now?"


    Shak''Ar: "hah... hah... it''s... concrete uff..."


    Anzu rolled her eyes: "let me help and catch your breath, what else do you need?"


    Shak''Ar nodded as he sat down, it had been a tiring morning, and his back was killing him.


    Shak''Ar: "I need... some wood... to heat... the limestone"


    Anzu nodded: "Sure, be right back" sprinting away at top speed in the direction of the forest.


    Jhana that was looking the whole time asked: "son, where is she going? are you done with your project?"


    Shak''Ar: "forest... get some... wood"


    Jhana''s eyes opened as she ran to get her spear: "call your father!"


    Shak''Ar was confused: "what?"


    Jhana: "we roasted fish yesterday! the forest might have monsters! it''s dangerous to go alone!"


    Shak''Ar''s face paled, muttering: "monster''s already... but my oven and copper ain''t ready yet..." he clenched his teeth imagining Anzu in danger, his face becoming determined "let''s go!"


    Anzu had started running ten minutes prior, but thankfully Othar was an excellent tracker.


    Othar examined the ground in the forest: "hmm she went this way..."


    Right at that moment, they saw Shak''Ar''s backpack thrown by the side.


    Othar, Jhana, and the tribe members following got serious.


    Othar: "let''s hurry"


    Shak''Ar was becoming increasingly nervous as they all ran through the forest, the breeze was refreshing, and full of earthy smells, the place would have been popular back on Earth surrounded by the huge trees all around, but when those trees could be hiding a huge predator behind... the story was way different.


    At that moment Othar stopped.


    Othar: "I hear something..."


    Shak''Ar concentrated, and he could hear shouting from their left, so he pointed to the left and said: "that way! let''s go!"


    He was so on edge he ran as fast as he could, now leading the group in front.


    They heard shouts and loud growls, and soon came to a clear in the forest. A huge cave bear was trying to claw at Anzu that had climbed a huge tree, her back was bleeding from a claw mark though.


    Shak''Ar: "shit! Anzu!!!"


    Othar: "Son wait! don''t attack alone! feel the spirit of the wolf people! surround it and attack as a pack!"


    Shak''Ar''s head cooled off as the enormous bear turned around, just twelve meters ahead of him, he should have felt scared, but his blood was boiling in anger, that stupid bear was trying to eat his best friend, at that moment he felt a hand on his right and left shoulders, his father was to his left, and his mother to his right.


    With the power of the group, everyone started advancing as they stabbed forward with their spears. It worked perfectly, as the bear slowly retreated, his enormous paws and claws swinging in the air as they almost broke a couple of spears.


    Shak''Ar could see Anzu by now, her face looked pale and tired, but she smiled at him.


    The bear was surrounded as the spears kept poking at him, but the bear wasn''t going down, they could poke deep enough as the bear had a very thick skin and fat underneath, so they risked their spear getting stuck or pulled every time.


    The bear kept turning in place and roaring to different hunters as those that faced its back would poke it in a continuous loop, replacing any broken spears, when it was Shak''Ar''s turn though, he had a better idea.


    Shak''Ar: "my thick stone spear can''t go through the hide bit... what about... this!" his spear stabbed inside the rectum of the bear in one go, piercing and mangling all organs in its path.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    The other tribesmen took a step back in front of the gruesome scene, even clenching their butts as the bear roared in pain.


    The bear tried to turn around, but that just broke Shak''Ar''s spearhead, tearing quite a bit of the bear''s organs in the process.


    Othar: "...that... will ruin the meat..."


    Shak''Ar: "saving Anzu is what''s important now"


    The bear was big, but quite overnumbered, the hunters hid behind trees if the bear tried to charge at them, and others would poke it from the back, the bleeding was brutal, and soon the bear was panting, barely able to move.


    Othar: "it''s time"


    Othar took out a bone knife from his belt and gave it to Shak''Ar.


    Othar: "take the spirit son, you earned it"


    Shak''Ar: "...what do you mean?"


    Othar: "rip the hearth out and eat it, get the strength of the beast, urus will be your guardian spirit"


    Shak''Ar nodded seriously: "okay" as he walked up to the panting bear and stabbed its neck, cutting it open. The light soon faded in the eyes of the huge cave bear as it fell to the floor lifeless.


    Shak''Ar then walked up to the tree Anzu was in, and carefully helped her down.


    Jhana then grabbed her, as she looked at her son: "we got her, eat the strength of the beast son, be quick before the spirit flies away"


    Shak''Ar was sketchy about it, but seeing everyone''s serious faces, he could only do it: "Okay, clean the wound with clean water and-"


    Jhana put a hand on his shoulder: "don''t worry, Rhahiki is on his way, he knows how to cure wounds, Anzu will be fine"


    Shak''Ar was doubtful inside of the medical knowledge of the crazy shaman, but he would offend everyone if he voiced his concerns, so he just walked back to the bear.


    He kneeled next to the corpse and cut under the ribcage, then pushed his left arm inside till he felt the shape of the hearth, trying to pull it off, but it was no use.


    Othar laughed: "you need to cut off the veins first son"


    Shak''Ar''s face got a bit red, he had wanted to rip it off like in the movies, but it was impossible.


    Shak''Ar: "Okay..."


    He cut open more space and pushed both arms inside, grabbing the veins with his right hand, and cutting with his right hand.


    In Spain, it''s common to hang prey, and bleed it out, even manually pumping the hearth, as the blood leaves a bitter taste on the meat if you don''t drain it, but there was no time for that now, the hearth was still slightly pumping as he took it out.


    Shak''Ar: "what now? do I cut it with the knife? roast it?"


    Othar: "no son, bit it and eat it, fire damages the spirit inside"


    Shak''Ar: "...sure...okay..."


    Shak''Ar bit on the still hot hearth, and he felt it pump and twitch in his hands, the tissue was still very much alive, his mouth soon full of the metallic taste of blood, he had never been a fan of liver, much less a hot pumping hearth from a bear.


    The iron taste on his mouth was making him gag, but bite after bite, he finally finished the hearth, but his stomach wasn''t feeling good at all.


    Shak''Ar muttered to himself: "ugh... not even some water to clear the taste..."


    Rushed steps were then heard as the shaman Rahiki came over carrying a sack on his back.


    Rahiki spread a big bison skin on the floor.


    Rahiki: "put her on the carpet!" and started examining Anzu''s wounds, he then chewed some plants and applied the paste over her wounds, then applied some dry moss over it and wrapped them with some flexible tree bark.


    Shak''Ar: "is she gonna be okay? anything I can help with?"


    Rahiki observed the blood covered Shak''Ar and the bear corpse behind, and put a hand on his shoulder.


    Rahiki: "meat, and water, that''s how you can help, she won''t be able to move while her wounds heal, and she needs to change the herbs every three days"


    Shak''Ar: "why not every day?"


    Rahiki shook his head: "unfortunately, I don''t have enough herbs, if anyone else got injured, then I wouldn''t be able to heal them..."


    Shak''Ar slowly nodded: "I... I understand..."


    Rahiki patted his back once more: "we will carry her back to the village, you have a bear to butcher"


    Shak''Ar nodded: "thank you"


    Rahiki laughed heartily: "no need to thank me young one, it''s my role in the tribe" smiling widely and leaving with half of the hunters, six of them grabbing the edged of the fur to carry Anzu back.


    Othar and half of the hunters stayed behind.


    Othar: "well son, how does the spirit of the bear feel?"


    Shak''Ar: "...my stomach hurts"


    Othar laughed, as well as the other hunters.


    Othar: "yeah, that tends to happen the first time haha~, well let''s get started, we have a lot of meat to carry back!"


    They started by cutting the thick leather in the underside of the paws, and separating it to the sides using spare arrowheads, and pieces of sharp stone, cutting between the skin, and the fat layer underneath. Once a hold of the skin was secured they grabbed tightly and used their first to separate the skin.


    Once the four limbs were skinned, they chopped them off at the joints, they were then hanged from a tree and cut into smaller slices to smoke. Some tribesmen were also back with containers by now, so they put the cut fat there.


    They had made a fire nearby for smoking most of the meat, but some cuts they roasted in hot rocks over the fire, the pot with the fat rendered most of it liquid, so they put meat in other containers and drenched it in fat, lard was a good way to keep food for long, as since ancient times people have preserved meat in oil.


    Once they were rested, they opened the belly of the bear, the smell was horrible as poop and bile had contaminated most of the insides by now.


    Shak''Ar looked at his dad: "it''s too contaminated, we better throw them-"


    Othar shook his head: "such a wasteful mindset son, the excrement can just be washed, the intestines will be used to repair spears and knives, the liver will give strength to the sick and injured, the kidneys will be roasted over the fire for the old, the stomach and lungs cut and boiled with fat and other meats, nothing goes to waste son"


    Shak''Ar: "...but there could be bacteria..."


    Othar was confused: "bact... what?"


    Shak''Ar sighed: "forget it, let''s keep going..."


    The smells assaulted his nose as he cut off the anus, and ripped off the organs from the connective tissue, setting them on baskets full of green leaves that some hunters would take to the river to clean. The bones came next, they were split with a couple of biface rocks or hand axes, and set into a pot, the marrow was then boiled into a thick soup, and the clean bones were then transported back to the village to make tools and armor.


    *(hand axe: https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand_axe</a>)


    After an entire day of work, only the skull and skin were left, Othar cut open the throat, and split the jaw, separating the skin from the skull, and carrying them both to the village.


    Over the next four days, Shak''Ar would use the claws and teeth to make a necklace for him and another for Anzu, dry the skin in the sun using some stretchers, and then use the boiled brains from the bear to soften and protect the leather. Then he broke the bear skull, and polished it, so it could be worn as a kind of mask inside his bearskin coat. In the end, he had to widen the eye holes by drilling the forehead of the skull too, but the final result was quite intimidating and protected from the cold and wind.


    He renounced his share in the meat and organs to be able to get all the materials he needed to make a new suit.


    The full bear suit consisted of a huge coat full of pockets inside, boots, pants, arm guards, globes with eight of the claws, a mask, and pieces of bone reinforcing the entire thing.


    There was a problem though, once he put on the entire set it was quite heavy, and really hot inside too.


    Othar that was looking whistled: "quite the creation son"


    Shak''Ar sighed: "thanks..."


    Othar: "oh? why the long face?"


    Shak''Ar: "it''s way too heavy and it makes me sweat a lot..."


    Othar nodded: "well, that seems to be the case, what about just using it in winter then?"


    Shak''Ar nodded, and with no other option had to make a simple wooden mannequin and left the suit inside his room. He hadn''t told anyone, but he planned to make a trip to the mountains in winter to get some metal ores, he needed all the preparation he could manage.


    As he had been doing the past days, Shak''Ar then visited Anzu.


    Anzu was lying down sideways on a pile of animal skins when Shak''Ar entered.


    Shak''Ar: "hey, how are you doing?"


    Anzu groaned: "it hurts..."


    Shak''Ar: "your back still hurts?"


    Anzu: "...yeah..."


    Shak''Ar looked around and her usual caretaker was gone: "why are you alone?"


    Anzu: "...the blood..."


    Shak''Ar was confused: "the blood?"


    Anzu: "...my parts are bleeding dummy, women need to be alone those days..."


    Shak''Ar came to an understanding: "ah... your period... it''s okay I don''t care, let me take a look at your back"


    Anzu sat up and slowly removed her coat painfully: "okay..."


    Shak''Ar helped her take it off in the end and slowly removed the bark bandages: "the wounds seem to be healing properly... did anyone change your bandaged?"


    Anzu shook her head and pointed to a corner: "Rahiki left herbs so I can do it myself during the bleeding days..."


    Shak''Ar was flabbergasted and sighed heavily: "how do they expect for you to reach your own back... sigh, these people..." he grabbed the herbs and sat behind Anzu "I will do it myself"


    Anzu: "Okay..."


    Shak''Ar chewed on the herbs and applied them over the closing wounds, then some dried moss, and finally the bark fiver bandage.


    Shak''Ar: "that should do it... how''s that Anzu?... Anzu?"


    Anzu: "ah! y-yeah, thanks..."


    Shak''Ar saw her ears were red: "okay... I will let you rest"


    Anzu nodded, as she laid back down on her side: "...okay..."


    Shak''Ar exited her cave and thought to himself: "if we had baths we would need fewer medicines and would be healthier... seems like I can''t delay making concrete anymore..."


    Shak''Ar was getting ready to go to the forest when he met his cousin Hir.


    Hir was an excellent trapper, and usually came back with some small animals to eat.


    Hir: "Oh Shak''Ar the mighty bear hunter!"


    Shak''Ar: "well... I didn''t hunt it alone..."


    Hir: "I know right? but my mother keeps telling me about it, I bring back small animals while my cousin Shak''Ar hunted a bear for the whole village... truly heroic, sigh..."


    Shak''Ar: "aunty Matka? well, don''t worry about it" patting Hir''s back "what you do is important, you give variety to our food and keep us healthy"


    Hir was a bit flattered, so he changed the topic: "...thanks... so... were you going somewhere?"


    Shak''Ar: "oh? yeah, to the forest to collect wood... what?"


    Hir: "dude... after what happened to Anzu?"


    Shak''Ar shrugged: "I need wood"


    Hir: "sigh... I will go with you, I wanted to set some traps there anyway"


    Shak''Ar: "thanks"


    As they were exiting the valley though, they could hear an argument going on, so they ran to the sound. In a clearing, they saw Adze on the ground, with a hit on his head, and in front of him was Otki. Otki was an orphan hunter boy, he was always jealous of everyone, and was quite overbearing with those weaker than him.


    Otki: "Not so brave without Shak''Ar around huh~"


    Adze: "I was just going for water, why did you hit me?"


    Otki was angry: "don''t play dumb! Hana is always looking at you! no matter how I improve or get stronger, she''s always looking at you!"


    Adze: "w-what? I just like growing plants, there''s no way...-"


    Otki: "exactly! someone that can''t even hunt like you-"


    Shak''Ar: "ENOUGH!"


    Both boys froze as they saw an angry Shak''Ar running at them.


    Adze was relieved: "Shak''Ar!"


    Otzi, on the other hand, was scared, that if he messed with the village leader''s son he might be exiled: "S- Shak''Ar... we... we were just talking..."


    Adze: "that''s a lie! he hit me!"


    Otzi: "n-no...I- I just-"


    Shak''Ar: "I said enough didn''t I?"


    Hir: "you sure did cousin"


    Otzi was sweating in nervousness: "I will go then"


    Shak''Ar: "not so fast... you seem to like Hana, but... this is not the way, why would she be with a piece of shit like you?"


    Otzi was about to go, but Shak''Ar''s comment hit right at his insecurities, he couldn''t let it go.


    Otzi slowly turned around, his face full of anger: "what did you just say?"


    Shak''Ar sighed: "are your ears full of shit too? wow~"


    Otzi couldn''t take it and sprung forward to punch Shak''Ar: "you bast- guh!"


    But Shak''Ar advanced, and with his palm from below hit Otzi''s chin, launching him back.


    Otzi twitched on the floor as he lost consciousness.


    Shak''Ar: "well that''s awkward" he looked at Adze "are you okay?"


    Adze: "Yeah,  thanks a lot..." he looked at Otzi on the floor "what about him?"


    Shak''Ar: "him? don''t worry about that" Shak''Ar sat on top of Otzi''s stomach, and fiercely slapped him over and over.


    Just one minute later, Otzi was awake, his cheeks inflated from the slaps.


    Otzi: "w-what is-" his eyes dilating as he saw Shak''Ar "you bastar-!"


    *SLAP!*


    Otzi: "let me go-!"


    *SLAP!*


    Otzi: "I... I have things to do so-"


    *SLAP!*


    Otzi: "I... what do you want?"


    Shak''Ar: "Apologize to Adze, he will decide whether to forgive you or not."


    Otzi: "are you for real? how could I-" a slap sent him to the floor again.


    *SLAP!*


    Otzi: "...fine, I understand..." he looked at Adze with resentment "...forgive me... please..."


    Shak''Ar: "the most insincere apology I''ve heard in my life..."


    Adze: "I-... it''s fine Shak''Ar, just let it go... I''m okay..."


    Shak''Ar sighed as he shrugged: "sigh, fine..." he then pointed at Otzi "you come with us to the forest"


    Otzi was scared: "to... to the forest?... why?..."


    Shak''Ar smiled: "relax~ I just need you to carry some wood~"


    Hir: "yeah, not like we would murder you in the forest and blame it on some animal right?"


    Shak''Ar: "exactly, now Otzi you lead the way~"


    Otzi was sweating coldly, but seeing their serious faces could only walk in front: "huh... I- I''m sorry so-"


    Shak''Ar had a cold face: "walk"


    Otzi: "okay..."


    Contrary to his expectations though, they just collected wood, Otzi was loaded the most, barely able to walk.


    Soon a big pile of wood was gathered in front of the cave home in three trips.


    Otzi was panting, he hadn''t been so tired in his entire life, but the fear of death had kept him going until now.


    Otzi: "is... hah... is this... enough..."


    Shak''Ar: "hmmm for now it should do..."


    Otzi: "T-Then... I will go... rest..."


    Shak''Ar: "sure~"


    Hir: "then me too, urgh... my back is killing me, what do you need so much dried wood for?"


    Shak''Ar smiled: "to make lime, you need to heat limestone on the fire and then water it, if I mix that with refined clay and sand from the river... I should be able to make concrete"


    Hir was confused: "concrete? what''s that?"


    Shak''Ar: "hehehe~ you will see~"


    Hir sighed: "you are a really weird person cousin..., I barely had time to set my traps due to you... sigh, I''m gonna go take a nap..."


    Shak''Ar: "sure, sweet dreams! thanks for the help!"


    And Shak''Ar started piling limestone and wood inside his clay oven, using some hoof mushrooms to transport the fire from the cave to his oven.


    Shak''Ar: "nothing like a good fire~"


    At that moment Adze came with a sack.


    Adze: "here, I collected some grain, thanks for earlier..."


    Shak''Ar slapped his back: "it was nothing man, why don''t we cook something in the meantime?"


    Adze: "cook? what do you wanna make?"


    Shak''Ar: "well, we should be able to make pancakes, or at least flat bread... need to make an Indian tandoor oven..."


    Adze: "what?"


    Shak''Ar: "nothing, can you bring me... some lard, and see if anyone has an egg"


    Adze: "okay"


    Shak''Ar set a flat stone on top of his clay oven while he waited.


    Adze came back a couple of minutes later, accompanied by a boy and a girl, Shab a very silent muscular boy, always with a serious face, and Khaan, a cheerful girl that loved cooking.


    Adze: "they said they wanna know what you are making before giving the lard and eggs..."


    Shak''Ar sighed: "Sure, sit down friends-"


    Shab: "dish"


    Shak''Ar: "huh?"


    Khaan: "oh don''t mind this bloke, he means what are you gonna make?"


    Shak''Ar smiled: "pancakes~"


    Shab: "hmm taste?"


    Shak''Ar: "their taste? well in this case salty I guess, I wish I had some sweet herbs..."


    Shab nodded and rummaged a pouch around his waist, taking out a fist full of sun dried berries: "to make sweet, use this"


    Shak''Ar was surprised: "oh, thanks this will be good"


    Shab just nodded: "hmm"


    Khaan: "we also like cooking you see? we can''t let you create all the new foods right~" giving Shak''Ar three bird eggs, and a cup of bear lard.


    Shab''s face got serious as he deeply nodded.


    Shak''Ar was surprised, but also happy to see others wanted to develop: "well let me teach you then~"


    Shak''Ar first ground some grain into fine flour, teaching them how to do it, and poured it into a wooden bowl, along with a cup of fermented yeast water, he then ground the berries and added them to the mix, he then added the three eggs. Finally, he melted the bear lard in a clay pot over the fire, and added it to the mix.


    The liquid dough was now the proper consistency.


    He then oiled the hot flat rock, and used a wooden spoon to pour some of the mix over it, soon flipping it using a scapula bone as a spatula.


    Khaan: "wow~ it smells good!"


    Shab nodded: "good smell indeed"


    Adze: "it really smells good"


    Shak''Ar plated the first one: "here, try a piece everyone!"


    Shab''s face slightly untensed: "...delicious"


    Khaan: "so good~"


    Adze: "I like it"


    Soon other tribe members smelled the pancakes, and came to try them.


    Shak''Ar looked at Shab: "can you make the rest? I''m gonna take some to Anzu"


    Shab nodded: "yes, leave it to me" calmly taking the bowl from Shak''Ar and imitating his movements perfectly.


    Shak''Ar opened Anzu''s door and saw her sitting cleaning blood from some pelt.


    Shak''Ar: "how are you feeling?"


    Anzu: "my stomach and back both hurt... I feel like shit..."


    Shak''Ar took the bloodied pelts: "I will clean them later, here try this"


    Anzu blushed slightly: "thanks" she looked at the bowl and grabbed a pancake "what''s this? so fluffy..."


    Shak''Ar smiled: "go ahead, try it"


    Anzu nodded and took a bite: "quite good!"


    Shak''Ar nodded: "Indeed, with some honey or maple syrup it would be even better..."


    Anzu looked at Shak''Ar deeply as she finished three pancakes, her period make her not be too hungry, but the pancakes were really good.


    Anzu: "...how do you think of these things Shak''Ar?"


    Shak''Ar just shrugged: "dunno, it just comes to mind I guess..."


    Anzu finished the pancakes quickly: "...You never told me why you needed the wood"


    Shak''Ar: "oh that, it was a surprise but fine, I plan on making concrete to make a big bath in front of the cave, we could also build a sturdy wall to access the cave, smooth out the cave floor, properly divide rooms with brick walls... it''s quite useful I promise"


    Anzu: "Can''t wait to see what you make then"


    Shak''Ar: "of course, gotta go back, get well soon okay?"


    Anzu: "sure, thanks for the food, and washing my pelts"


    Shak''Ar smiled: "no problem"

 Chapter 3 – Concrete and Baths

    Summer was ending as the first signs of autumn appeared on the valley, leaves fell, mushrooms grew after a rainy day, days got shorter and the nights got colder as the wild animals hunted more to prepare for winter. He¡¯d been pondering a new project, one that would revolutionize their way of life. It was time to introduce a new material to their tribe: concrete.


    His clay and wood wall at the entrance of the caves had worked so far, but he wanted something more permanent.


    Shak''Ar: ¡®I can do this,¡¯ he thought. ¡®They¡¯ll understand once they see it.¡¯


    Shak''Ar: "Anzu," Shak¡¯Ar said, turning to her "I¡¯ve been thinking about something that will change how we live, something that will warm our bodies and keep us healthy."


    Anzu raised an eyebrow, intrigued: "What is it this time, Shak¡¯Ar?"


    Shak''Ar: "A bath," he said with a grin. "Not just the cold river. A warm, soothing bath made of stone and heated by fire."


    Anzu: "A bath?" Anzu tilted her head, trying to picture it. "Like the river, but... warmer? How would that even work?"


    Shak''Ar: "Trust me," he said, his eyes gleaming excitedly. "We¡¯ll need limestone, ash, and water. Together, they¡¯ll create something stronger than stone, I call it concrete."


    Anzu frowned: "Concrete? What¡¯s that?"


    Shak''Ar: "It¡¯s a mixture," Shak¡¯Ar explained. "The ash and water react with the lime of the fired limestone, forming a material that hardens over time. It¡¯s durable and can hold water."


    Anzu gave him a doubtful look but sighed, this wasn''t the first time he had come up with something strange, just his harpoons had started to become popular, and growing edible plants seemed like a really good idea.


    Anzu stood up: "Alright, let''s go, I will help you" She really wanted to see what he would make this time.


    Shak''Ar: "Great, I will go get the rocks, collect wood for me in the meantime, and also black sand and clay by the river"


    Anzu nodded and went to prepare.


    Shak¡¯Ar led a small group to the mountains to gather materials, including his father, Othar, and uncle, Vit¡¯a.


    The journey took a while, but Othar and Vit''a knew the area well, so they found the rocks he needed after some hours of searching.


    Othar watched as Shak¡¯Ar examined a large, gray rock. "This limestone will be perfect," Shak¡¯Ar declared.


    Othar: "Why do we need this rock?" Othar grunted. "The river¡¯s always been enough for bathing."


    Shak¡¯Ar: "Father," Shak¡¯Ar said patiently, "This is different. Mixing this limestone with ash and water will create a paste that hardens like stone. It¡¯ll form walls that can hold water... and of course, it will be fireproof so we can even heat the water!"


    Othar shook his head: "And where will this water come from? Are you going to drag the river to the cave?"


    Shak¡¯Ar smirked: "The tribe can help us for now. Later, I¡¯ll build a concrete pond outside to collect it from the rain."This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Back at the cave, Shak¡¯Ar began the process. He crushed the limestone into powder, explaining as he worked. "When we heat limestone, it releases a gas¡ªcarbon dioxide¡ªand turns into quicklime. We then mix it with water, turning it into a paste called slaked lime. Combined with volcanic sand from the riverside and wood ash, it will harden into concrete! "


    The tribesmen watched, skeptical but curious. Shak¡¯Ar built a fire pit, placing chunks of limestone over it. As the stones glowed red-hot, they began to crack and crumble, turning into quicklime. Carefully, he picked them up using two sticks and poured them inside a clay pot with water, and it instantly dissolved bubbling violently.


    Anzu: "It¡¯s fizzing!" Anzu exclaimed, watching the bubbling reaction. Everyone else was also surprised as they took a step back.


    Shak¡¯Ar nodded. "That¡¯s the heat from the reaction. It¡¯s turning into slaked lime. Now, we add the sand and some wood ash."


    He combined the slaked lime with volcanic sand, ashes, and water, creating a thick, gray paste. "This will harden over time, becoming even stronger than it looks now." he then made sample bricks with different mixtures for testing.


    It took him some time, but he finally got a concrete mix that had the consistency and strength he wanted.


    Using that concrete mix, Shak¡¯Ar constructed the bath. First, he formed bricks and cylinders from the mixture, leaving them in the sun to dry. Once hardened, he lined a basin with the bricks and coated the walls with fresh concrete. Leaving a space underneath for the hot air to circulate from the furnace chimney to the left.


    Anzu watched him work, marveling at his precision. "This is going to be amazing," she said. She really liked Shak''Ar''s face of concentration when he worked on projects.


    "The best part is yet to come," Shak¡¯Ar replied, smearing the final layer of concrete onto the walls to smooth it out.


    The heating system was the most challenging innovation. Shak¡¯Ar crafted a curved chimney from fired clay cylinders, channeling smoke from a furnace beside the bath but not touching it, to avoid the heat cracking the concrete. Taking inspiration from Roman therms ruins he had seen in Spain.


    "This will keep the bath warm without filling the cave with smoke," he explained to Othar, who had reluctantly helped shape the clay.


    Othar grunted: "You¡¯ve got a clever mind, boy. Let¡¯s hope it works."


    It took a lot of effort and they had to wait a couple of days for it to harden, as they kept the concrete moist and applied new smooth layers to make sure it would hold water, and wouldn''t crack with the heat, he even lined the bottom with small smooth stones from the river.


    When the bath was complete, the tribe gathered to admire Shak¡¯Ar¡¯s creation. The smooth gray surface of the concrete contrasted sharply with the rugged cave walls.


    Jhana: "It¡¯s beautiful," said Jhana, Shak¡¯Ar¡¯s mother, her voice filled with pride as she caressed the smooth concrete, polished layer after layer.


    Anzu: "Let¡¯s try it!" Anzu exclaimed, eager to test the warm bath.


    Shak¡¯Ar filled the bath with water and lit the fire. Soon enough, steam rose, and the water grew comfortably warm. He, Anzu, and a few family members stepped in, their bodies relaxing as the warmth seeped into their muscles. They had to take turns as the bath wasn''t that big.


    Anzu: "This is incredible," Anzu said, leaning back against the smooth wall.


    Shak¡¯Ar: ¡®That was worth every moment,¡¯ Shak¡¯Ar thought, watching the smiles on their faces, as other tribespeople also started to take turns getting into the bath, they had to even change the water two times from the grime that accumulated.


    Rahiki, the tribe¡¯s shaman, emerged from the bath with a broad grin: "I feel rejuvenated. This will be a gift to the tribe, Shak¡¯Ar."


    As the days passed, Shak¡¯Ar¡¯s mind turned to other ideas to improve the lives, and health of his tribe. He remembered something else from his past life: soap.


    ¡®Fats and lye,¡¯ he thought, recalling the basic recipe. ¡®But where do I get lye here?¡¯


    He experimented with wood ash, mixing it with water to create an alkaline solution rich in potassium hydroxide. He produced a crude paste by combining this with heated and rendered animal fat. The first results were inconsistent, but Rahiki suggested adding herbs and minerals to enhance the mixture, and trying different ashes mixures, and finally saponification happened with a consistency he was happy with. He made soap bars full of dried medicinal herbs by adding them to the mixture and letting it cool down on clay molds he had fired previously.


    With time, Shak¡¯Ar developed a rudimentary soap, bringing yet another innovation to his tribe.


    Shak¡¯Ar: ¡®One step at a time,¡¯ he thought, watching his people adapt to the changes. ¡®We¡¯ll make this world ours.¡¯