As the group circled around the beastman's corpse, Gruum out of curiosity stepped forward and began to poke at the creature's lifeless body. "I've never seen anything like this before," he said, examining the creature's features.
"Hey, don't touch it!" Jorn warned. "We don't know what kind of misfortune these things might carry."
But Gruum in a nonchalant attitude continued to poke at the creature, examining its features. The rest of the group watched warily, unsure of what to make of the strange beastman.
"Look at this thing, it's like a man with animal parts, it seems that someone just decided to have a baby with a deer and succeded," said Huk trying to make a joke but no one laughed so he can only make a dry cough to cover up his embarrassment.
Drax shuddered, still reeling from the shock of the encounter. "I can't believe I killed it," he said, his voice trembling.
"It's okay, Drax," said Jorn, patting him on the back. "None of us knew what it was."
Thak, the head hunter, frowned. "We need to bring this back to the village," he said. "We have to warn everyone about the dangers of these unknown creatures."
"But it's getting dark," said Gruum. "We should set up camp here for the night."
Thak shook his head. "No, we need to go back now," he said firmly. "We can't risk staying out here any longer than we have to."
The group fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts. For many of them, the encounter with the beastman had shattered their beliefs about the world they lived in. it's any other creature like a human out there that they have never seen? Or maybe the corpse they see is just some mutation of some beast? Or Forest's spirit is true?
After a few moments, Thak spoke up again. "Alright, let's gather some branches and make a stretcher for the body. We'll carry it back to the village as proof of what we've seen."
The group quickly set to work, gathering branches and leaves to create a makeshift stretcher. They carefully lifted the beastman's corpse onto it and began the long trek back to the village, their minds filled with thoughts of the unknown dangers that awaited them in the uncharted lands beyond their home.
…
As the group made their way through the dense forest, their senses were heightened, and their hearts were racing. The sudden encounter with the beastman had left them shaken and on edge, aware of the danger lurking in the shadows. Every twig snap, every rustle of leaves, sent shivers down their spines, and they hurried along the path, clutching the beastman's corpse tightly. The darkness of the night engulfed them, and the only sound that could be heard was the crunching of leaves and twigs under their feet.
As they shuttled through the forest, they couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. They knew that they were venturing into uncharted territory, and they were all too aware of the dangers that lurked in the shadows. But they pushed on, their determination to warn their village about the unknown creature spurring them forward.
Despite the fatigue and exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm them, the group continued to push forward, never once slowing down. They knew that time was of the essence, and they had to reach their village before any more harm could come to their people.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they arrived at the tribal village at noon the next day. As they made their way to the center of the village, a crowd began to gather around them, their eyes wide with shock and disbelief.
As the group entered the tribe's gathering area, more and more villagers gather around they were met with curious and fearful stares from the other villagers.
Even though feeling tired, the group gathered the tribal group around, and Jorn stepped forward and rush out to call the Tribal Chief.
Once everyone had gathered, the group presented the beastman corpse to the crowd. Gasps and murmurs filled the air as the villagers looked on in horror and amazement at the strange creature. The crowd hushed as they saw the gruesome creature, and everyone wondered what other horrors lay in wait for them in the dark forest.
As the initial shock wore off, the crowd became full of whispers and yells.
Jorn took a deep breath and stepped forward to address the crowd, his voice shaky with fatigue and nerves. "People of Atrak, we bring a warning from the unmarked lands," he began.
The crowd murmured uneasily, eyeing the beastman corpse that Thak and his group had brought with them.
"We found this creature in the forest, and we don't know what it is," Jorn continued. "But we do know that this creature might be dangerous for all of us."
Some in the crowd nodded in agreement, but others scoffed or muttered under their breath.
One man stepped forward, his eyes blazing with anger. "You killed a forest spirit! You brought misfortune upon our tribe!" he shouted. "We must expel these outsiders at once!"
Others in the crowd began to shout and argue, their voices rising to a fever pitch. Thak and his group stood nervously, unsure of what to do.
an old woman with a shawl wrapped tightly around her head, stepped forward and pointed a bony finger at Thak. "You and your group have brought misfortune to our village," she said in a hoarse voice. "We have angered the forest spirits by killing one of their own, and now we will be cursed."
A few murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd, and Thak could feel the weight of their suspicion bearing down on him.
A younger villager, a girl with bright eyes and a sharp tongue, stepped forward and parroted the old woman's words. "Yes, you have brought misfortune to our village," she said. "And now we will all suffer because of your recklessness."
Thak felt his heart sink as he realized that many in the village were already convinced of their guilt.
"We did what we had to do to protect ourselves," Thak said firmly, trying to make himself heard above the rest. "Please, listen to us."
But his words were lost in the chaos, as the crowd continued to argue and shout, each person with their own opinion on what should be done. The atmosphere was tense and fraught with danger, and Thak and his group knew that they were in trouble.
The atmosphere in the tribal gathering was tense as the news of the beastman corpse brought by Thak and his group spread among the villagers. A few moments later Jorn came with the Tribal Chief, the villagers gathered around the hunters, whispering and muttering amongst themselves.
One of the most extreme villagers, an old man with wild eyes and unkempt hair, stood up and pointed accusingly at Thak and his group. "Chief! They have killed the forest spirit! Our village is cursed now because of them! We must expel them before it's too late!"
The rest of the crowd erupted in voices of agreement and disagreement, creating a chaotic scene. Some villagers parroted the old man's words, repeating "cursed" and "expel" over and over. Others argued that it was not Thak and his group's fault, that they were just hunting like any other day.
Thak stepped forward facing the newly arrived chief, his voice strong and clear. "We did not know what we were hunting, and we had no intention of angering any forest spirits. We brought the creature's body back as a warning to our tribe, to protect us from danger. We do not deserve to be expelled."
The crowd quieted down as they listened to Thak's words. Some nodded in agreement, while others remained unsure. The Tribal Chief finally spoke, "Let us not make any hasty decisions. We will investigate this matter and determine the truth."
An old woman stepped forward, her voice shaking with anger. "This is all their fault! Thak and his group have brought nothing but misfortune and cursed us all They must be expel,,!" she shouted.
The tribal chief listened to her words, but his face remained stoic and cut her words. "We cannot simply cast out our own people without evidence of wrongdoing," he replied calmly. "We will investigate this matter thoroughly before making any decisions."
The old woman shook her head in frustration, but the chief's words can't be denied and it's seemed to calm some of the villagers. They began to murmur amongst themselves, with some nodding in agreement and others still skeptical.
At that moment, the chief called Thak and his group forward. "You have done well in bringing this creature to our attention," he said. "But for now, I must ask that you return to your homes and rest. We will convene a council to discuss this matter further."
Thak and his group nodded, relieved to be allowed to rest after their harrowing journey. As they made their way back to their homes, they couldn't help but feel anxious about the future of their tribe and their place within it.