The Hero sat next to Kulana's unconscious body as Arkanos stood near a rock acting as a table. With his one arm, he crushed a few leafs into a stone bowl and crushed them. After the leafs were grinded into a fine powder, Arkanos moved carefully to a boiling pot of water. Pouring the powder into the water, the liquid began to emit steam, air filling with the cloud filling the cave with a pleasant earthy smell.
"What was that beast?" the Hero asked, holding a cloth against Kulana's injured shoulder to keep the blood from seeping out. Her veins were visible through her dark skin, yellow lines running up to her neck and down her arm.
Arkanos grabs a wooden ladle and stirs the concoction to mix the ingredients thoroughly. "That, my young hero, was a Saber Tail. It is indigenous to this island specifically, created to eradicate any outsiders and keep me from leaving this blasted place." The man explained, grabbing a cup and filling it up with the liquid. The Hero looked back towards Arkanos who was carrying the cup towards Kulana carefully. Steam rose from the cup as he approached, only filling the air more with that calming sense. Arkanos knelt down and placed the cup to her lips and allowed the liquid to flow into her system.
The Hero watched as the yellow veins slowly vanished, bringing a sense of ease to the Hero. He looked to Arkanos, who finished pouring the liquid down her mouth. After the cup became empty, he set the cup down next to her and sighed. Arkanos raised his head and focused his eye on the Hero. "Come. Let us speak." He said as he stood up, walking away from Kulana.
The Hero returned his gaze to Kulana, who know only had the stained blood on her shoulder. She breathed easily as she rested, and the Hero chose to follow Arkanos. The two men moved to the cave opening, overlooking the island. Birds flew up into the night sky, disturbed by a creature on the floor, most likely a Saber Tail. "So, I would assume that you are here to free me of this place?" Arkanos asked blandly, his voice unenergetic and tired.
The Hero turned to Arkanos, contemplating on what to say exactly. This man did not look like a god, he looked like a hermit, but he moved inhumanly. Perhaps this man was the god he was sent to find. The hand did lead here. "Sir, I would answer yes, but I'm not sure if you are the man we were sent to find." Hearing this, the man turned around, his eye seemingly glowing with anger.
"If you were sent to find a god for some silly quest, then yes, I am the man you were sent to find. I am the Fallen God that she has planted in your people's history." Arkanos explained, his brow furrowed in annoyance.
The Hero became confused at that last statement. Placed in our history? Who was this she he had mentioned? "Eh, who are you referring to? Who created our history?"
Arkanos' brow relaxed, and a slight grin appeared on his face. "The so called 'All mother'. The one who created this world." Arkanos turned around and faced the sky, staring at the constellation that was directly above them. "Phrea, goddess of the night sky. She created this world, and all of the creatures here are her beloved children," He paused, looking back to the dense forest surrounding the spire. "Save for the Saber Tails and the other monsters that plague this planet. Those creatures, I assume she despises."
The Hero faced out towards the forest and out to the ocean, recalling the Serpent Squids and the Bull Sharks that haunted their fishing reefs. "Perhaps, but are these 'beasts' just a part of the natural order?"
Arkanos shook his head. "No, not all of the beasts that hunt down other creatures are born from Phrea. Some of these predators were creatures created by a... a pain of a being." Arkanos turned his head to his missing limb.
The Hero suddenly realized that this man called the All Mother, who was Garima, Phrea. "Who is Phrea? I thought the All Mother was Garima."
Arkanos let out a soft chuckle. "So, that's how long I've been here, huh? I suppose that the stories may have changed over time." Arkanos returned his gaze to the world outside of the cave. "Garima is the planet; this vast oceanic world is Garima. It is Phrea's world, her child.
The Hero watched as the waves crashed on the shore, as if the world was responding to the man's claims. "If the All Moth- Phrea is the mother of this world, who is the father?" He turned towards Arkanos once more, seeing that the man was looking over the waves as well, as if lost in the moonlit waters.
"That is a story for another time, but first, we must begin this quest. You were sent here to get me to help save this world, correct?" Arkanos turned around to face the Hero, rolling his one good shoulder. "If we want to get off this island, we need to be able to get to your canoe without another Saber Tail attack, and the best way to do that is to burn a path through the trees." Arkanos raised his hand to the forest directly in front of them. "These beasts are primarily nocturnal, but if there are foreigners on the island, they will stay within the dense forest. They hate the sun, and will avoid it at all costs. We need to create an opening through the forest to get to your canoe. I can go out there and burn a path; they won't attack me unless I step close to the water. Stay here and keep an eye on your friend there."
The Hero nodded, looking to the forest. He knew those things were still out there, and he didn't want them to try and kill Kulana. Arkanos returned the nod and walked out of the cave. He placed a hand on a nearby boulder and looked back to the Hero. "I'll be back." Then, the boulder shifted, covering the entrance of the cave.
The Hero sighed, now only in the soft light of the cave. He turned and approached Kulana, who now stirred in her sleep. He knelt down next to her and placed a hand on her uninjured shoulder. "Stay strong, Kulana. We will make it out of here and we will save our world.