Under the protection of countless rocks surrounding everything, a civilization was saved from all that cold outside, they lived inside that cave that gave them protection and shelter. In order to have something to eat they planted a kind of purple fruit with a flattened shape, this fruit grew from a tree that needed a base to stand up, it was something that was very reminiscent of the tomato, but with the distinction color clear. One of those people who was tending this garden was a little girl with a scarf wrapped around her neck and a large cloak that covered her head with the hood and extended down to her feet. She had a skin with a bluer tone, in addition to being a little dry and with pieces of it peeling off, it was unusual for a child, but for these people it was more than common. An older figure approaches her, it was her hand, it was clear how corroded her face was and her face seemed withered, her lips had deep wounds due to dryness and her eyes had a yellowish color throughout the sclera (something common in older people in that society).
-Have you finished collecting the most rotten shoots? - asked the girl's mother.
-Yes. I have also removed the dry leaves from all the silveiras (plant that grew the bud). -answered the girl.
-Great, I'll go see with the others if they've finished and how the brambles are doing. You can go home now, your dad will be home soon.
The girl nods her head indicating her mother has understood the message, leaving the basket on the floor she runs away, her mother looks at her in the distance with a fragile smile on her face. As the girl ran, it was possible to see how that village was structurally divided, each place was a suspended terrain supported by stone pillars (as if they were scattered islands) and united only by thin bridges. There were islands with other plantations of silveiras and islands with the dwellings of individuals, that whole place was lit only by natural green crystals attached to the pilasters that illuminated all that land. While the girl was running, she stopped suddenly and looked at the way she should go, looking to her right she saw a bridge that descended to a place below where she was. After thinking for a few seconds she disobeys her mother and chooses that path, something was on her mind. Running and descending more and more she arrives at the lower ground of her village where there was a group of people gathered looking at a tunnel in the wall. Without taking another step, she stays there waiting until for some reason the people waiting in front of the tunnel start to get agitated.
-Hey, they're back. - said a boy.
And emerging from the deep and dark tunnel a group of men with a physical size superior to any other there appear holding pickaxes made with a black ore and held by a green rope. When everyone saw that group, they couldn't contain their excitement and one of the curious asked:
-And then?
The man who led the pack and the one who had a more developed physique than anyone else doesn't answer anything, just raises a green bag that appears to be full.
-Thanks to you, my family will be able to survive more strongly and repay the village. - reported a rather thin lady.
-I'm sure the elder will be very happy to find out that we have food for another week. - said a young man with a big smile on his face.
-And all this thanks to our leader. - said one of the men in the group of diggers putting his arm on his friend's shoulder.
Immediately a circle around that man was formed, everyone looked at him with great admiration, the man, in turn, answered them with a big smile on his face. However, something momentarily caught the attention of that gigantic human, it was the little girl standing far away from any other individual.
-Ker, can you take the bag to the warehouse for me? the leader asked another man in his group.
-Of course brother, I will also schedule the meeting we talked about with him.
Apparently the man was his younger brother who respected him and helped him run the business.
-Thanks.
Thanking for the help he continued on his way away from his group and the crowd and heading towards the little girl. Coming close to her he lowers his head and looks directly into those bright little eyes still white with no sign of the yellowish mark the adults had.
-You know that your mother will be furious if she finds out that you disobeyed her, right?
-But I wanted to see you daddy. I like to see you coming back and being praised by everyone. -answered the girl.
-Hmm, very well.
Extending his arms, the man lifts her with extreme ease and places her over his head.
-Let's go back home quickly, before your mother notices.
The girl, hearing that, smiles and hugs her father's huge head, which was the same length as his entire torso. On a higher view, the little girl is delighted with the view from above and observes the places and people from that point of view, there was no one taller than her father there, because of his height everyone, without any exception, stared the girl's father with such admiration and respect. While people bowed before his presence, the girl was filled with pride for having a father so admired by them. Finally arriving at his house, the man puts her back on the ground and sees that his wife was already waiting for them in front of the entrance to his house.
-Frankly, I can't believe you disobeyed me. - said the mother with an air of disappointment.
The scared girl hides behind her father's calves.
-Hahahahah. Leave it to Hilda, she just wanted to see me coming home from work. There were other people in the place so it's ok. -replied the father protecting his beloved daughter.
-Still, it makes me worried. But that's fine, as long as she didn't get hurt I'll let that one go.
-I wasn't hurt, look! I am fine.
-Hahahah. So it's okay, let's go. Between the two of you, I'm finishing making the soba with the sprouts and the stones.
The woman turns her back and enters the house entirely made of stone, without any type of door or window, just disproportionate blocks arranged in a way that they would not fall and secured with green ropes. The man looks at his daughter and smiles, the now calmer girl smiles back at her father who puts her mother's palm on her back and accompanies her into the house. From the outside, you could hear the happy laughter of that united family and feel a warm and cozy atmosphere inside that house.
After a long night of conversations, the girl was sleeping in her bed, when a crack of light wakes her from her sleep. With her eyes still sleepy she sees the figure of her father sitting at the table in front of her mother. However, something seemed to affect him, with his hand holding his head he looked tired and frustrated, a scene she never imagined seeing from her father who was seen as a hopeful hero by everyone in the village.
-You must be very worried, I'm sure it's not so bad. - says the woman trying to cheer up her husband.
-You can't even imagine how serious this can become. Once again we dig until we reach the end of the world, now there is only a small area left and after that we will be without any edible stone. -answers the man.
-But isn't it just digging a new tunnel somewhere else? -asks the wife.
-These stones are found in specific regions, I don't know how to explain it well, but it would take a long time digging a new tunnel until we find them.
-How long have we been talking?
-Years.
The woman's face is scared by what she heard, it seems that it was an extremely worrying situation, something that the little girl who was watching from afar did not understand.
-I give thanks to God that the only ones who know this and are allowed to delve to the ends of the world are me and my brother. If the rest of the excavation personnel or residents find out about this... -report the man.
-What does Ker think about this?
-He is intelligent, but also concerned. I'm sure inside his head he must be thinking about a whirlwind of things. Anyway, I asked him to set up a meeting with the elder to discuss this matter.
-Do you think your father will be able to think of a solution? - asks the desperate woman.
The man seeing his wife's concern doesn't have the courage to answer her and just shakes his head with his eyes closed. When she sees that not even her husband has hope, she begins to cry.
-I didn't want to say this now..., but I talked to the other women and men in charge of the brambles. The situation is bad Mazir, I don't give it much time until we run out of sprouts to harvest. -reported the woman.
After saying that, she falls in tears to the ground, the husband, seeing his wife in pieces, goes towards her and hugs her.
-What will we do? What will become of us? What will become of our little San, she won't be able to handle this situation with her fragile body. -asked the weeping woman.
The night felt heavy and sweltering, full of problems Mazir and his wife found an outlet for their frustrations with each other's body heat. In the midst of all that situation they began to hear murmurs coming from outside, it seemed that most people in the village were awake and moving, something was happening and that caught the attention of the two, it didn't take long until a man appeared in your home.
-Boss! - shouted the man.
-What is happening? Why all the fuss outside? Mazir asked.
-You need to see this immediately. The guards guarding the entrance to our cave found a man. -answered Mazir.
-Even if you found a man, it could just be one that wandered around lost, it doesn't justify all this...
-You do not understand! - interrupted the euphoric man. -He's unlike any other I've ever seen, he... he's weird. I don't know how I can explain this to you, but if I were to describe it, it's as if he were another creature. Unlike us.
That caught the attention of Mazir, who lets go of his wife and heads towards the man who reported it.
-Take me to him.