The playroom buzzed with the sounds of children chattering and laughing as they settled into their respective tables and chairs. The caregivers moved efficiently, pouring a chunky porridge into little bowls, making sure every child received their share. "Remember, no eating until we say our prayer," one of the caregivers reminded the children, her voice gentle but firm.
The children held their hands together, and bowed their heads. The prayer began, a chorus of young voices echoing through the room.
"We thank the Nature for the gift we are allowed to receive. May this food be a blessing to the tribe. May our warriors always have plenty on their hunts, and may we never face starvation."
With the prayer finished, the children eagerly dove into their meals with typical childish enthusiasm. Food flew, bowls tipped, and porridge smeared across faces and tables. The caregivers, always ready, moved with swiftness and gently chiding and cleaning up the messier eaters.
"Do not waste any food," one caregiver reminded, wiping a child's face.
"Eat carefully and make sure nothing falls from your bowl."
Erten, the wise one-year-old, was different. He ate with surprising grace, carefully scooping each bite of food into his mouth, unlike the peers his age. His friend Ball, though occasionally playful, was also playful with his food. He was always reminded by Erten to treat food with respect.
"Hey, it's not toy, don't do that," said Erten, as Ball began to experiment with his meal.
Ball, with his untamed creativity, used his spoon to shape the finely ground meat into tiny balls.
"Look, Erten, hehehe. Meeat Baalls!" he exclaimed, giggling.
He then skillfully tossed one into his mouth, cheering when he succeeded. "Yeeah!"
Erten watched, astonished. "Woaahh, that's amazing! How'd you do that?"
Ball grinned, puffing out his chest with pride.
"Just aim and throw!" he replied, demonstrating again with another meatball.
"Yeah!" he clenched his finger, his mouth full.
'Yep, that motor coordination, I knew this kid was something.'
For a moment, a vague memory flashed in his mind—he and a friend, holding a tool that emitted fire. The details were fuzzy, but the feeling was familiar. Ball's playful yet skilled demeanor reminded him of that long-lost friend.
'Who was it again? It feels like just yesterday but how can I not remember the name?'
As Erten continued eating, he felt a sense of something peculiar about the nursery. Something had changed, but what? He glanced around, scanning the familiar surrounding, trying to pinpoint the change. The two rows of children's tables looked the same. The bed area, now separated by a fence, seemed unchanged. The windows let in the usual light, and the children were eating as usual. His gaze landed on a particularly chubby child who always tried to pick fights with him.
The child, noticing Erten's glance, protectively covered his bowl. Making Erten chuckle to himself.
"Eat all you want, buddy."
It wasn't until he looked at the caregivers that he realized. The caregivers. There were twelve in total, but two of them had noticeable changes in their bodies. Their bellies had a slight bulge.
"Are they... pregnant?"
Erten wondered, comparing their appearances to how they looked a few weeks ago. He wasn't entirely sure but made a mental note to observe them further.
Still pondering, Erten found himself contemplating the peculiarities of his world. For as long as he could remember, they had always been eating ground meat porridge.
'Can a newborn in this tribe really eat solid food and chew already? Well, its not like I didn't, but still this is pretty weird.'
The children in this new world, particularly the tribe that he belonged to, were growing at an extraordinary rate, unlike anything he remembered from Earth. He had always known that newborns grow quickly, but not to the extent of walking and talking within a few months. And yet, here he was, the first among his peers to do so.
'Is it hereditary?' He glanced around at the other children, noting their robust builds and muscular physiques. 'Or is it something unique to this tribe?'
He felt a deep curiosity about the world beyond his tribe. Questions swirled in his mind, hoping to find some answers.
'What are other tribes like? Do they grow as quickly as we do? What about the people across the world?'
Thinking too much made his little brain hurt. He felt a wave of tiredness wash over him, even though he had just eaten and should have been full of energy. Maybe, he thought, he should start to think and act according to his physical capabilities—a child's body. Accepting this, he decided to let his mind rest.
After finishing their meal, Erten headed straight to his bed for an afternoon nap. The soft, familiar feeling of his bedding called to him like a warm hug. Ball, ever the bundle of energy, quickly caught up with him, his eyes bright with excitement.
"Erten, why go there? Come on, let's play! " Ball called, his voice brimming with enthusiasm.
Erten shook his head in response. His words punctuated by a big yawn.
"I'm tired, Ball. I wanna sleep."
Ball shook his head in disbelief.
"We just ate! How can you be tired already? You're always like this, how can you grow stronger if you sleep? Come on, you need to move it!"
Erten just smiled, a small, knowing smile, and crawled into his bed. Embracing the comfort of his bed he quickly fell asleep.
Ball decided to go back inside the playroom, escaping a breath of annoyance as he walked away.
"Look at him! Who else would I play with if not him."
The other kids went on group outings or played inside the playroom, their laughter echoing softly in the background as Erten closed his eyes.
Meanwhile, outside the nursery, Darna noticed several kids heading out for their usual outings, their tiny feet pattering on the ground in a rhythmic cadence. She approached the line of kids and their caregivers, greeting them warmly with a smile that reached her eyes. She asked she asked one of the caregivers standing by the door if she could go inside to look for her child.
The caregiver returned her smile politely.
"Hi! Good day! Visiting hours are in the evening. You can come back then."
Darna nodded, trying to hide her disappointment. She noticed the caregiver's belly, round with the promise of new life, was a sight that brought a soft, nostalgic ache to Darna's heart.
"Thank you. Good luck and good health for your pregnancy," she added with a warm smile, hoping to convey her best wishes in a more personal way.
The caregiver's smile widened.
"Thank you, I wish you good health too!"
As she strolled down the village paths, the sounds of daily life surrounded her—the rhythmic chopping of wood, the murmur of conversations, and the distant laughter of children. She wondered what to do next and then her father's request to ask the Great Shaman about recent events came to mind. Deciding to follow through, she headed to the Great Shaman's hut.
"Nane'?" Darna called out, her voice hesitant but clear, as she reached the hut. She called again and waited, listening intently, but no one answered. The air was still, the only sounds were the rustling of leaves and distant bird calls.
"Hm... where could she be?"
Feeling a bit lost, she considered visiting the northeastern village, hoping to find the Shaman there.
Upon reaching the village, she observed the tribespeople at work. Some were tending to the crops, a type of grass with grain-producing parts and reed-like stalks. Others wove baskets from the grass' stalks, their fingers moving skillfully with practiced ease. Elders sat nearby, teaching younger farmers the techniques passed down through generations. Despite their efforts, the crop yield was limited due to the limited knowledge of farming, which meant the tribe relied heavily on meat, with only the elders and newborns enjoying additional food from the crops. The scene was a tapestry of life and labor, each thread contributing to the fabric of the village's existence.
She tried to ask around, but still, the Nane' is nowhere to be seen. She even asked the apprentice shamans, but they were also unaware of the shaman's whereabouts. Feeling a bit defeated, she decided to head back to the western village—where the tribe's warriors reside—to clean herself up instead of waiting aimlessly for the nursery's visiting hours. The thought of the cool, refreshing water made her feel a bit better.
On her way back, she spotted someone entering the Great Shaman's hut. Squinting, she recognized the figure—it was the Great Shaman herself!
"Nane'!" She called out, her voice a mix of relief and excitement, as she hurried towards the hut.
The old woman turned, her eyes twinkling and her smile a mix of surprise. "Oho, Darna! What brings you here?"
"I've been looking for you everywhere. Where have you been?" Darna asked, slightly panting from her run, filled with relief and curiosity.
"I didn't know someone was looking for me. Why?"
"I couldn't find you even when we returned from the hunt. Have you heard about it?"
The Great Shaman nodded, already knew about the bounty they brought, nevertheless she kept the question alive. "Well, tell me about it, how'd it go? Any good prey?"
"Ooohh, we caught some big prey this time. We could've gotten more, but many of the yabans in the herd were young, so we decided to look for yeyur instead. But we didn't expect they'd retaliate, and we ended up killing more than we intended," Darna said, painting vivid images of their hunt.
"Oh, sounds like a good hunt," the old woman said, nodding thoughtfully. "Anything else?"
Darna shook her head. "No, I just wanted to find you. Wait, why do you keep asking. I'm the one who's supposed to ask. Where were you?"
The old woman smiled, a mysterious, knowing smile. "I've just been down north, breathing some fresh air."
"Really? Just for fresh air? Tell me, why were you by the lake?" Darna asked, her tone skeptical but respectful.
The Great Shaman laughed softly.
"No particular reason. Why? I can't enjoy my alone time?"
"Hmm, how many years do you think I've known you. There must be something you're not telling me."
"This brat." The old woman paused, inhaling a deep refreshing breath. "Sometimes, a simple walk is all I need. Aren't you tired of standing, wanna talk inside?"
Darna paused, weighing her options. The thought of water made her hesitant but talking to the shaman was an opportunity she rarely encountered.
"I feel like there's so much to discuss," the old woman barged between her thought.
Deciding to take the opportunity, Darna followed the shaman inside. The hut was a sanctuary of peace, filled with the scent of herbs and the gentle light of the setting sun filtering through the woven walls.
They settled down and started to talk about the recent occurrences in the village, the ongoing construction projects, and the recent hunting experience. The Great Shaman shared stories of her first hunt, a tale that made Darna laugh with its unexpected twists and turns.
"...yeah, that happened. How could you possibly know, you're still just a little troublemaker."
"Ah, come on! By the way, why didn't you continue mentoring in the warrior village?" Darna asked, curiosity glinting in her eyes. "You were my idol! I would have been honored to learn from you."
The shaman cleverly dodged the question, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Why would I teach a troublemaker like you?" she teased, shifting the conversation. "Anyway, how's your kid doing?"
Darna blushed, hearing the word 'troublemaker' and 'kid' made her a little awkward.
"Uhm, I initially wanted to visit my son, but the caregivers said I could only come during visiting hours."
The shaman nodded, "They did a good job. I instructed them to do so. It's important to prevent the kids from being too pampered and cling to their parents," the Great Shaman said, her voice carrying the weight of experience.
"Everyone in the village has assignments, and we must work together."
Darna nodded in agreement.
"Do you know how my son is doing?"
The Great Shaman laughed heartily, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Like mother, like son."
Darna blushed, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red. "Has he been causing trouble?"
"Ah, don't you worry! It's all part of growing up. He'll be embarrassed about his antics someday, just like someone."
"So, he did cause trouble. What did he do while I was away?"
"Remember the practice ceremony for the first hunt months ago?"
"Yeah, I do. What about it?"
"It was actually a ruse to lure your son back after he escaped the nursery unnoticed. We covered it up with another big event."
Their conversation continued, filled with laughter and stories. As night fell, the Great Shaman glanced at the darkening sky.
"Do you not wanna see your son?"
Realizing the time, Darna jumped up.
"Oh, right! Thank you, baba." She hurriedly said her goodbyes and made her way to the nursery.
Arriving at the nursery, she heard the harmony of young voices, a sweet and out of tune performance trailing off into the night. She waited until they finished before entering.
"Good evening," she greeted the caregivers at the main hall. "I've come to see my son."
One of the caregivers, skimming through her memories, said, "Oh, right. You can wait here," pointing to a long chair, "I'll bring him."
A few moments later, a sleepy, black-haired boy with a slender build emerged, rubbing his eyes and looking around drowsily. Darna couldn't help but smile widely, her heart swelling with love.
Erten, seeing the familiar face, blinked several times as if trying to clear his vision. "...oya?"