"Bwacawk?" Marc was surprised at the sound the creature made but when he waved the torch he was able to see clearly, it was a rooster. But that was not the problem here, the rooster was the size of a horse.
Marc's axe was embedded on its neck connecting to its back and into the spine. The large rooster was convulsing in the ground as it bled to death, Marc was stunned for a moment but he felt other presences in the cave.
He suddenly pulled out a short spear on his back and went on guard but he was surprised as other large chickens the size of donkeys came out of the cave walking slowly.
He was wide eyed at how large they were but his eyes were more on the regular chicken sized chicks walking under the other chickens. Somehow Marc was in a staring contest with the other chickens but suddenly they exclaimed and bowed to him in subservience.
What he did not know that almost all of the animals around are currently in hibernation mode as the rains outside seem to be harmful for them. Many other beasts are on lookout and they had noticed Marc for a long time already.
A being that could travel in the Long Rain was something the chickens do not know off. And even when they were hungry for months and weak, they were not an easy prey to kill.
But seeing Marc killing the current strongest of their coop made them see him as the new leader. The older looking rooster cawed a bit to the other large chickens and surrendered to Marc.
"What the?" Marc was stunned but he saw a smaller older rooster walked towards the large dead one and pecked on the handle of the axe. It then looked at Marc then pecked on the axe again.
"You want me to remove that?" Marc asked but surprisingly the smaller rooster nodded.
"You understand me?" Marc was unsure but then the rooster nodded again.
"Holy shit an animal is talking to me!" Marc exclaimed but the old rooster visibly frowned.
"Bwack!" the old rooster cackled as he flapped his wings to Marc then pecked again at the axe.
"S-sure alright, can they understand me too?" Marc looked at the other chickens but the old rooster just shook its head.
"Broaackkk!" the rooster said.
"So only you then, so how can you understand me?" Marc slowly walked towards the larger dead rooster and stood in alert as he slowly pulled out the axe.
"Brocawck!" the old rooster waved it's wings to seem like it was an old chinese guy in a white tang suit stroking it's beard but it was just stroking it's wattle with its feathers.
"So you are like an Elder to this group or flock then?" Marc asked making the old rooster nod.
"So I killed a member but why are you not angry with me?" Marc looked at the weird actions of the group of chickens but the old rooster just opened its wings and showed the balding areas and scars he has then pointed a feather to a hen that seemed to be hurt.
"Was he your leader then? So he was not a good leader then?" Marc's words made the old rooster nod.
"And he was abusive to all of you?" Marc then saw the rooster nod again.
"Shit, I'm talking to a rooster in a cave and now I'm learning their family drama." Marc mumurred but then he saw the old rooster peck the crown feather of the dead rooster and walked towards Marc making him in alert once more.
But the old rooster just placed the feather on his legs making Marc confused, but he slowly picked up the feather nonetheless. The other chickens then started to have a conversation amongst each other as they saw Marc pick up the feather.
"What now?" Marc asked making the old rooster look to the other chickens.
"Cack! Brwackrowkacle!!" the old rooster shouted and the other chickens nodded. Then all of a sudden they all bowed again spooking Mark but this time he could see visible gratitude from the eyes of the chickens.
"Owwkay… I'll just take this with me." Marc then held the leg of the dead rooster and dragged it with him since the chickens seem to be not hostile to him at all.
This time he could see that he was stronger than ever and felt the large body was too light. Placing the spear back and the axe on his side Marc then dragged the body out the slightly world and placed it on his back.
Marc looked back to the cave again and seemed thoughtful but he placed those stuff back in his mind as he was excited to eat meat after a very long time.
Marc ran back in full speed carrying the large bird as he went towards his tree shelter and was able to arrive there in a few minutes. Taking out some fire wood he started to boil water to prepare to de-feather the bird.
"Heck yeah I now have meat baby!!" Marc screamed in excitement as he waited for the water to boil and hung the rooster upside down to drain the blood.
Placing the blood on a large bowl he was able to gather about twenty liters of blood from what he could see. Marc was surprised at the size of the chicken and the amount of blood it has but it was then something dawned on him.
"Oh sit I have no salt!" Marc knew that if he let the meat be then it would spoil if it is not preserved. Marc looked outside and saw it was not yet noon so he closed his doors then ran as fast as he could west where he saw the sea.
He even brought with him a large jar so he could boil the hell out of the sea water to get salt. There Marc used his full speed to the fullest and felt he was running about 60kmph in the rugged terrain.
He still does not know how he got this strong but his guts tells him that the fruits he ate might have been where he got such strength from. He was always full every time he ate one and somehow he is full of energy as he went about his daily life.
After twenty minutes he was able to reach the beach and was alert for the meantime, picking a few pebbles he threw them in clusters on the sand but there were no reactions.
Feeling something was off Marc picked another large stone and threw it is full force. This time it made a crater in the sand and the ground suddenly surged as dozens of large crabs the size of a regular dog came out of the sand and scurried away from where the rock was thrown.
"Holy Shit!!" Marc quickly picked up a rock then threw it full force to a crab making the rock kill it quickly. He was smiling as he had never tread near the area when the long rain was happening because the sea was treacherous even on the beached where at least five meter tall waves appear to ravage the area.
But Marc did come here for some time as this is where he found the strongest rocks he used to make very tough spearheads. He threw another rock and hit a crab as he made his stone path towards the sea.
"Yes! Sea food acquired!" Marc was so happy that he now has sources of protein in his diet. Picking a few more large rocks he threw them to the beach disturbing the sands.
This time he stopped throwing rocks since the way is clear as he made sure to line it all up so his path would have no large crabs along the way of the two he killed for meat.
Marc ran as fast as he could with the Jar and went to the beach and scooped up a lot of sea water. Then on his way back he grabbed the two dead crabs and ran back as fast as he could.
Looking back there he saw a larger crab wake of on a farther side of the beach and it was the size of a small Van.
"Holy crap that shit is large!" Marc said as he ran away with two dog size crabs.
Running back he was able to balance the jar on his head making sure not much will spill and he saw a happy tune.
"~Nuggets and Crabsticks! They are so delicious!!~" Marc skipped happily back to his tree shelter and he arrived with no problems on the way.
He then quickly started another fire to boil the pot of sea water and used the boiled water to soften the feathers of the large dead rooster. There it took an hour until Mark was able to take out the feathers of the large chicken and now he stood in front of it.
Holding a large stone cleaver, he laid the large rooster on a wide stone in the nearby stream. Making sure the cleaver is sharp he started slicing the large rooster apart.