"The Kind." It was Garut who spoke instead. Bringing everyone to listen to him silently.
"It's a monster that wore the human skin of someone we know. They don't talk or communicate."
"Instead, they are bizarre monsters that would give something to their prey before eating or killing them."
"Another trait that distinguishes them greatly to us are their enigmatic creepy smile that reached their ears and their half-moon upturned eyes."
"They would only appear during moonless nights." When the whole night was covered by the clothes of darkness and fog,"
"They appeared once in the past when our ancestor traveled in the depths of the forest in search for another village."
"They found one, an empty one. A desolate village. Since it was already dark at that time, they decided to stay for a night and return tomorrow."
"However, the next day. The ancestor's villagers were woken up in the middle of the night by the noise of banging on their doors."
"When they saw who was outside, They saw it was someone they knew who was smiling at them strangely."
"Then they saw him giving them meat." "Overjoyed, they hurriedly received it."
"When they were about to thank him, all that remained in their vision was a hideous mouth expanding towards them."
"They died, their skin got extracted, and then they left after wearing them."
"As luck would have it, they didn't expect to miss someone; a trembling child remains in hiding inside one of the jars, witnessing everything."
"And that is how their existence was known to everyone. Since then, every village chief of his generation has taken the order of migration every time the Kinds appear."
There is more in-depth information he can give, but Garut thought that it was enough. His parched throat was moistened by the water he brought with him.
"A bizarre monster who took on human skin."
Everyone was terrified. They seem to distance themselves from each other by a few inches in distrust.
"They don't talk; they have a creepy smile reaching their ears; they give something before killing their prey." These words seem like a wake-up call to them.
Garut and the Village Chief were both silent. The elders were talking with each other, exchanging views on what to do.
Then an elder suddenly remembered something upon seeing one of the seats was missing someone. "Argar?"
"If you're looking for him then, then he's already with the caravan traversing the grassland." Another elder spoke gravely.
"What will happen to them?" The others seem to have thought of something and can't help but have a change of expression.
"Can they survive?" An elder asked.
This time, Garut shook his head and said, "I doubt about that. My dream only let me see the end and not the beginning of every event."
The meaning is clear; Argar is no longer in the equation. "However, there are some that would survive instead. Just like the kid who survived in the past."
Their eyes lit up at that moment. They wonder who it was.
"Now then, we'll have a meeting on what the whole village will decide." The village chief slammed the table with attention and seriousness.
"To migrate, or to stay and...fight!"
...
Half a day passed.
"Hey Argar." A rough voice of a man sounded beside the cart, where a man in a coat was lying comfortably, almost sleeping, amidst the journey.
"Call me Elder Argar." Argar half-opened his pair of eyes, glancing at the middle-aged man with scars on his face.
This man was called Bador, his childhood friend as well as best friend. They've been through thick and thin; that's why they can joke like this despite their current status.
Bador didn't seem to hear his correction, as he said with a serious tone, "I got a bad feeling about this. You should know I don't make mistakes with my instincts.".
Hearing the graveness in his voice, Argar's leisure mood immediately changed as he sat up calmly. His eyes were examining his surroundings.
"Are you sure?" The two eyes met.
"Alright." Argar stood up and became serious.
"Don't shout, whispered the order to be vigilant. There's something in the fog."
Bador responded with a hmm and then got to work. Soon, the whole crew knew that something dangerous was lurking around them.
"Unfortunately, I didn't notice how the fog still remains until now. It should be afternoon now, right?"
Argar shook his head. He got so engrossed in his scheme and future that he forgot to look around him.
Bador also nodded as his eyes flickered with a dangerous gleam. "I... didn't notice it too."
They looked into each other's eyes and suddenly had a guess. However, they shook that out of their minds. "That's impossible, right?"
Bador remains silent. because it's a possibility. "The lore."
Argar shook his head as he denied, "It's not yet night. There's no way they would appear in the day."
Shaking his head, Bador has another thought in his heart. He said, "The fog. I see no sun above."
There's indeed no sun above them, as the thick fog seems to form clouds thick enough to hide it.
Only the sunlight passing through the fog remains to illuminate the surroundings and tell them that it's still day.
Argar's heart tightened at this realization. It was as though darkness suddenly appears to consumed his vision for a bit.
As he was in thought, looking from afar, he shook his head out of his stupor and breathed in out heavily.
Cold sweat trekked down his back as he heard his heart rate beat faster like a galloping horse stepping on the hard land.
He slowly looked at his best friend solemnly and said, "We're in danger. They're around us."
Bador didn't say anything; instead, he motioned for the caravan to stop and arranged the cart into a small barricade-like formation.
The crew didn't ask anything. They remained silent as they followed Bador's order nervously.
Confused and fearful, they hid behind the cart, waiting for an enemy they hadn't yet seen to comes out.
"Should we stay like this?" Bador asked calmly.
Argar, however is dazed, looked at the fog. He couldn't help but smile somewhat hopelessly. "That kid, I can't kill him, huh?"
He seems to realize something in his heart. "What do you mean?"
"Nothing. Just that kid; the target seems to be protected by some kind of miracle. I can't find the opportunity to kill him." Argar chuckled; his heart was cold.
Bador was silent; he gave his best friend a deep look as he sighed. "I told you. You should stop your greed before it's too late."
"And now here we are. Because of me." Argar mourns for himself. He turned to his best friend as he wore an apologetic face.
"I'm sorry; I even took you with me."
Bador replied calmly, "So be it. We can try to survive first. In any case, it's normal to die early on the battlefield."
"Battlefield, huh." Argar laughed, grabbing everyone's intention. He stood up and looked at everyone.
He seems to see himself when he was young on the young ones faces. Thinking of what he was doing in his life all along.
He was indeed greedy.
As an elder, he took much more meat than needed as tribute behind the elders and village chiefs' backs.
He also coerced women to sleep with him. Bully anyone, especially those who fail to follow his commands and will.
"Ah, huh. I'm sorry, everyone. "It looks like this retribution will affect many of you." Argar laughed so hard that he was clutching his stomach on the ground.
Everyone looked at the elder with an incredulous face.
Their elder—has he lost his mind already? Is the fog poison to the mind?
Everyone immediately took a piece of wool and covered their nose.
The surrounding light started diminishing. The day is receding while darkness slowly consumes the land as the veils of night cover it.
"Start a fire in five directions." Bador commanded. The men immediately moved silently.
Although they don't know who their enemy is, judging from what they've seen so far, They had a hunch in their hearts.
That it might be one of the stories used to scare the kids at home that is happening right now. "No way."
The young man was feeling hopeless in his disbelieving heart. He gripped his stone spear nervously while looking around him in fear.
Creepy fog, an icy cold prickling breeze, and the swaying eerie shadows of grasses dancing from afar
The bonfires lit up to illuminate and bring warmth to their cold hearts. "Come near me, brother."
They can't help but keep each other nearby. It gives them much more comfort and security amidst their panicking mind.
Slowly, the darkness descends. The cold breeze that would cause the fog to churn often stopped.
It was as though everything was standing still.
Even the heavy breathing everyone was having was forcefully suppressed, as though something heavy were pressing on them.
Step.
Step.
Step.
The noise of someone stepping on the grasses of the land suddenly came resounding in front of them.
A figure of a human wearing a wool coat seems to have appeared walking from the fog to the limit illuminated by the bonfire's fire.
"Who are you?"