'Pain. It hurts'
That was all mika's mind could think as his body was violently dragged along by the current of the river, being smashed into by the debris it carried.
Mika knew he was in a bad place as he felt himself losing consciousness again. Why couldn't he hear Mahlia's voice in his head?
.....
Mahlia couldn't believe it when Mika was attacked. She got no warning from the system of a potential treat. It just happened too and Mika was knocked out.
She could only activate the emergency protection mechanism which couldn't do much except keep Mika from drowning or getting fetal injuries.
It was this moment that Mahlia knew there something very wrong. The program of the Ancestral system had no ability to detect threats, attacks, defend or even protect the host.
Her merging with the system had also corrupted her original program and dulled it.
After the emergency shield was put up she tried to contact Mika via telepathy and fail. She had been somehow locked out of Mika's consciousness.
There was something very wrong with the system and since she couldn't get in contact with Mika she decided to fix the issue.
After pre-setting a series of commands for mika's safety, she shut down the system.
"Am sorry Mika, this is my fault. In doing what I thought would keep you alive and comfortable , I had forgotten to keep you safe.
I have been selfish and forgotten my true purpose, I have harmed you. Am sorry.
I'll make this right."
...
In a his semi-conscious state, Mika felt himself being pulled out of the water.
'Who? Who is saving me?'
He wanted to speak but couldn't move his lips, his body won't listen either.
It took a lot of effort to will his body to move slightly. He could tell it worked as the person trying to move him around started screaming and running away.
' Am not dead yet.'
As he waited for the most-likely girl that was saving him to came back so he would know his fate, he passed out again.
... _____-----____....
"Tuul!"
A young warrior of the river tiger tribe, tuul's friend Kepp. He had seen tuul's looking at Mika earlier and had been looking for him.
"Why are you running? You must have eaten a lot to be wasting your strength running for nothing. "
Tuul said in a teasing tone to his obviously tried from a small run friend. He said Kepp had been friends since they were younglings and he knew his friend must be searching for him for something important.
" Must you be so annoying. I won't tell you the important news if you act like that tuul."
Kepp put his arm around tuul's neck as they continued down the path leading the low trees that served as a common place for the young males to meet and relax.
" So, what is it you wanted to tell me? "
Tuul asked slowing his pace so Kepp could keep up.
" Where you intending to court the one brought back to the tribe?"
Tuul stiffened a little at the question. He had showen only a little interest but his friend had caught onto it.
" What about it?"
He tried to look disinterested as he asked but Kepp could see his anxiety.
Suddenly Kepp started laughing, which caused tuul to glare at him. A big smirk on his face, he told tuul what had happened in the collective tent.
Tuul was quiet for a while and turned to face his friend.
"So were is he now?"
Kepp didn't expect him to ask that. Wasn't he supposed to be angry he mistook a male for a female he could court?
"Where?"
Kepp's silence and look of disbelief was starting to annoy him. Was it wrong for him to what to know the where about of the one his sister saved?
"Since he is a feral male as of now like the priest, he was given to him to look after until he could talk and say where he came from."
Tuul's face changed when he heard who had the beautiful thing he wanted. It didn't matter to him if the beautiful thing he wanted was male, he could make him submit eventually. But it would be a problem if Mänd were to take an interest in him also, anyway Mänd was still a young male and priests were not disallowed to have mates.
The thought of Mänd touching something he already considered his was very annoying.
He turned around from the path and headed towards the cave that served as home to the upper class of the tribe and also prison for the feral priest.
"Where are you going?"
Kepp inquired as tuul changed the direction he was headed.
" To make sure he is ok. "
"Are you still going to court him even though he is a male? Tuul he is weak and will only be a burden."
Tuul walked forward for a few steps and stops.
"No feral has such things to wear. I am only interested in what I can get out of him, do not worry"
But how can Kepp not worry about his friend, when he knows that look in his eyes.
That weak male will be unlucky.