Striking two stones together repeatedly until fire beamed out. Immediately it did, she released a great sound of relieve after all, she had been trying to get that fire to light for ages. Just as she did, she heard the sound of dry leaves being trampled on. Heras, a very beautiful nineteen-year-old girl with raven colored hair and slender body, looked up just as the owner of the footsteps came forward. It was Vassilis, her only male friend and an extremely handsome young man. He flashed her a smile just as she frowned when she noticed he had come back empty handed.
Noticing her glance, his once seductive smile turned sheepish.
"I wasn't able to find more firewood." He explained pointing towards the small pile of wood he had accumulated beside her.
Shrugging, she got up, dusting her naked knees with her hands and then walked towards him.
The period they were was one hundred and forty million years before Verity was born but it was not the same dimension so her time was only a couple of years slower.
In this dimension, it was the stone Age.
"This should do for now moreover, the cold isn't that terrible." She comforted him just as his smile came back.
"I wasn't able to fetch more firewood but I found this". He said bring out a round, heavy stone.
"It looks like a circle of some rare gem but I couldn't determine what it was," he continued pulling a ring that happened to be a jade from his own pocket. He had found it the same place as the jade ring but was also attracted to the dull looking stone.
But then part of the circular gem started shinning leaving the other colors dull.
He also felt something strange like something was holding him down, dragging him to a halt but as he was able to stretch his hands forward in order to give her the heavy stone, he discarded the thought.
She took the stone, inspecting it. She found it wasn't like any other stone and that it was very strange as it had some markings Heras couldn't read.
"I don't know what it is but I can ask Colisma." She replied returning the piece. But he had taken the piece for her so he rejected it. She thought he wanted her to hold it until Colisma came over. "Bring it over when next you come."
"I don't mind leaving it here," he confirmed though he would have loved to tell her he had kept it for her.
Not wanting to cause any argument, she kept it by her side.
"I have to go meet mama," she said sending him an apologetic look. You know Alix's condition.
He shooed her with the back of his hand, not offering to see her off as he knew it would only make her more angry.
She had gone far before he saw the stone on the floor. Thinking she had left the gem intentionally, he felt down. How then could he tell her of his intentions to marry her if she wouldn't even accept such a simple gift from him?
He picked the stone and then realised that the strange thing had happened again. The green of the gem was no longer shinning!
In fact, it would be hard to believe if he ever told anyone that this dull material once shone.
No wonder she didn't want it. He concluded.
He returned the gem back to a safe pocket in the animal fur he used as covering.
He concluded he might have been delusional hoping that that material would make her feel something for him. He didn't notice the red haired, cat-like woman watching him with pity and anger in her face.
Such weird combination!
With a scowl on her face, she thought, what did this ignorant man think he was doing holding the Gependink?
If she wasn't absorbing it's fury with her own power as the protector of the SIRED, he would have been dead by now.
But she knew even she could not hold it for too long so if he didn't drop it, he could die hence the pity on her face.
***
Meanwhile:
Heras had gotten to her home, a large cave occupied by her, her mom and her sickly brother.
Her father had died from the sickness her brother was now experiencing. Even though he had already lived longer than her father had they knew he would soon die too.
She looked at her mother who was very sad and scrawny and sighed.
They didn't know any herbs that could cure her brother but she was still trying as she knew what would happen if they lost the hardworking older brother.
Still thinking about the gem, she went to a secluded part of the cave which happened to be her room and picked a slate which held the information of all the gems she knew existed. None matched the description of the round stone.
She dipped her hands into her linen with the aim of retrieving it when she realised she had either lost it or had forgotten it there.
Worried, she got up immediately and started searching when she remembered she hadn't brought it out so she must have left it there.
She felt relieved before she remembered again that the place was her family's environment not Vassilis' so he might not have seen it and could have left.
Alarmed that she had lost setting that was important, she ran to the sitting part of the cave. She met her mom heating up some herbs for Alixandre.
"Good afternoon", she greeted her mother who threw her a quizzical look but didn't pressure her into telling her wher she was going after all she was big enough to take care of herself.
Never minding though, her mother still asked her "where are you going?"
"Somewhere."
She didn't feel the need to tell her mother where she was going.
As she got to the fireplace, she saw Vassilis was still there.
"I think I forgot the gem here," she inquired embarrassed about her forgetfulness.
I picked it up, he explained though he was happy she had not intentionally left it.
It meant she didn't hate him.