"Has Adonis still not returned from his hunt?" his mother asked Jason as she entered the living room, finding him seated on one of the carved trunks, an ancient scroll in his hands.
"He's come back, Mother, but he quickly left again. You must remember that today Hera comes of age. He didn't mention it, but I'm sure he's with her right now," informed Jason, as he unrolled more of the scroll in his hands. His scroll, lengthy enough to dissuade many—Adonis, for example—from reading it, was an old tale depicting ancient times, known as the era of strangers, before the founders settled on these lands.
"When they arrived on the plot of land," he read inwardly after his mother had entered her room, "the nature was lush, the animals lounged in the grass, seemingly unaffected by the golden light that seemed only to caress their fur. The woman was clothed in 'silken' fur, while the man wore 'medieval' armor that revealed only his eyes.
'We have finally reached this land,' said the man, his gaze full of emotion. Joy, euphoria, sadness... a plethora of feelings showed and evaporated from his expression as he looked deeply at the land before his eyes.
"No one could have imagined what they had gone through together to get there—where had they come from to be so happy to land on this seemingly isolated plot of land? Nonetheless, they were happy, or rather reassured, at peace.
"After so long, they could finally remove those 'armors' and enjoy the breeze and the glow of the golden light.
"After walking along the coast, scaring off a few animals as they passed, they entered the dense forest, seeking shade to cover them. They quickly found a relatively safe cave and took refuge there.
"his cave seemed to extend underground to a distance they couldn't determine at that moment.
"After a few days of rest and settling into the cave, the man had to go out to fetch provisions, hunger already becoming oppressive, as dried or canned foods no longer satisfied them.
"He hunted a few small rabbits and squirrels, offering decent meals from which the woman created flavors. However, he found something troubling emanating from these animals, a feeling he couldn't fully explain. He shared this with his partner, who replied that the effects of the sun's emanation affected several aspects they certainly did not control.
"Their new way of life lasted for a while as their skin regained color under the shelter of the tavern.
"One day, during one of the man's excursions, he came face to face with an animal much larger than the game he had hunted so far. Their presence had already been noticed, and it was apparently time for the newcomers to be incorporated into the local food chain.
"These events became more frequent, making the man's supply trips increasingly dangerous.
"Then, one fine day, as the man returned from his weekly hunt…
Rrrraaaarrr
He heard a roar from the cave entrance he was heading toward…
Jason grabbed the stag horn that contained drinking water and brought it to his throat as he continued his reading. Near the cave entrance, he spotted a 'neighboring' inhabitant prowling around. The man's knowledge allowed him to make an educated guess about the probable identity of his visitor.
His expression darkened. Knowing his adversary—for it was clear that this was a predator that had scented prey—did not mean he was capable of facing it… and in this case, he wasn't. The rudimentary weapons that could capture small rabbits were certainly not capable of dealing with what the man would face in a few moments.
Furthermore, their newly acquired way of life made his survival skills relatively recent and thus less effective, as evidenced by the difficulty he had in hunting small game despite the abundance on these lands…
Jason glanced up for a moment to see his mother, who had returned to the living room holding a pot similar to those they used for urine. This intrigued him somewhat, but he didn't dwell on it, clearly immersed in his reading—how many times he had read this scroll was a mystery—even to shift his attention to something else.
"Jason," she called as she passed, a slightly sinister smile on her lips, one hand on her belly. "When your elder brother returns, we will need to discuss something, all four of us," she finished.
Jason gave her another look. "Is it because he fought yesterday? I crossed paths with Rudaus and Greymouse earlier, they seemed quite upset with brother."
She turned towards him before her lips curved into an expression Jason knew all too well; his mother was not very happy. After a few breaths, she finally added, "I indeed received complaints from two other mothers today during the committee. Four times in two moons, that's more than enough. We'll discuss it further later."
"But mother, I would like to add that those fools had it coming; they're the ones who provoked big brother first, he only defended himself..." As he tried to plead his case, Jason met his mother's gaze. He dared not speak further on the matter and simply said, "I'll let him know once he's back."
"Good boy, loving your brother as you do is commendable," she paused again before adding, "but he is not without flaws either. His strength, as well as your intellect, are equally indispensable to this land. You two remain my greatest pride. I hope you will watch over him—his strength often strips him of any cognition."
To conclude her sentence, she gave her son a broad smile before kissing him on the forehead.
She returned to the bedroom after putting away the pot she had been holding. "The forest is quite lively tonight, I wonder what's going on there," she added as she walked away.
Jason, not knowing how to respond, quickly delved back into the scroll he still clutched.
The man knew he absolutely could not win against the predator wandering in front of his home, but his partner was still inside, and even though she wouldn't likely step out after the roar, nothing guaranteed that the animal wouldn't enter.
After all, there was no 'door'.
Deciding quickly, the man grabbed one of the few rare stones around and hurled it in the direction of the cave. The noise wasn't loud, but it was enough to alert the animal, who first directed its attention to the point of impact, then followed the next sound and the one after that.
The man seemed to be throwing stones with an unknown intention, but the result was a very irritated 'Jaguar' that eventually spotted him, leading to a direct charge.
The animal engaged at full speed, chasing this new kind of prey. The man ran with all his might while confirming from the corner of his eye that his partner was trembling as she stepped out of the cave.
A slight smile appeared on his face once the situation was confirmed. Unfortunately, it was short-lived when the animal, with a leap, swung its front paw, violently slashing the man's foot, cutting him short and throwing him to the ground.
Blood spurted from the gaping wound, and the bone was visible.
The animal, having caught its prey, circled it for a few moments. It seemed to be analyzing the man's body, searching for possible defenses.
Its survival instinct detecting no danger, it grabbed the trembling man in its enormous jaws, its sharp teeth sinking into his shoulder. It began to crush his shoulder with all the force of its jaw as the man's bones crumbled. The pain caused him to lose consciousness, his screams failing to evoke any sympathy from the animal.
During these few moments of lucidity, the man couldn't help but feel unease emanating from the animal.
Earlier, upon seeing the Jaguar, it had already seemed to him that it differed greatly from the memory he had of such animals. This troubled him greatly, especially since it wasn't the first time he had had this feeling on these lands.
Unfortunately, his thoughts were of little use to him once he fainted, at the mercy of the beast."
The relative silence finally achieved, the animal seemed to be savoring its loot when its attention was drawn by an unfortunate noise in the distance.
The woman, rather clumsy, unintentionally attracted the Jaguar's gaze.
Without a moment's hesitation, the animal became aware of the presence of a new prey in its territory, and given how easily it had seized its current prize, it lunged toward this new target, tossing what was in its jaws with a quick flick of its head.
It took even less time to close in on this new prey.
That's when the ground began to tremble.
Boom...whoooosh!
Kaboom! Kraaash!
…
Kaboom! Kraaash!
Jason's field of vision was obscured after a heavy detonation was heard, his sight disrupted by a crimson flash before plunging into darkness.
The dwellings within this hamlet were entirely made of timber frames, wood harvested from the surrounding forests chosen for its sturdiness. Once cleared, the wood was coated with a particular oil to prevent it from catching fire.
As Jason regained his senses bit by bit, he found himself trapped under a set of beams that had fallen on him earlier. His abdomen had been pierced by a horn that was previously mounted on the wall. The pain quickly brought him back to his senses.
When he opened his eyes, the ceiling that had been there before had given way to a scarlet sky, from which beams shot out like a spectacle, the meaning of which he could only comprehend through the scrolls occupying his thoughts.
Next to this blazing sky, the house was also engulfed in flames. The temperature quickly rose around him as he tried to free himself from the beams that pinned down his upper limbs. After managing to do so, though not without difficulty, he grabbed the head of the game whose horn had pierced his abdomen and began to stagger with it, unwilling to remove the horn just yet.
Besides the wound in his abdomen, he had multiple incisions across his body, from which blood flowed ceaselessly. If his mother saw him in this state, she would have had trouble recognizing her precious son.
"Mother, Father, can you hear me?" he called as he walked down the hallway toward his parents' bedroom, the flames occasionally cauterizing the wounds on his feet when he stumbled into them.
As he passed through his room, he remembered that his elder brother was still outside, and a new wave of anxiety overtook him. Gritting his teeth, he continued his journey to the room at the end of the hall, where he found his two parents unconscious.
There, too, the roof had collapsed, as had the exterior walls. As the scene unfolded before his eyes, he saw his father covering his mother while a piece of wood, struggling to resist the spreading fire, had fallen onto his back. This room was holding up much better against the fire's effects than the living room, indicating that it hadn't been the one struck by the irradiating stone.
Speaking of that irradiating stone, Jason had seen it earlier in the living room near the fire but decided to ignore it for now.
He approached gently and pinched his mother's nose intermittently, which brought her back to consciousness after a few minutes.
Once awake, without making a single cry and after observing her young son for a second, she woke her partner, whose breathing was becoming increasingly labored.
His father, robust with muscles that defined his silhouette, with short, jet-black hair, rose to his full height, pushing away the debris that had partially scorched his back. He then turned toward Jason after ensuring the condition of his partner beneath him.
He walked to a corner of the room and returned a few seconds later with an axe in hand. He approached the burning beams from earlier and began chopping one.
All of this happened within a matter of minutes.
"Can you feel it when I press here?" Solatricia was probing certain areas around Jason's wound as he couldn't help but grimace or cry out at times, despite using all his willpower to maintain control over the pain.
Not long after, his father returned with a branch that was still glowing, crackling within.
"Close your eyes and count to ten," ordered Solatricia to a Jason who was becoming noticeably pale.
"One, two, three, fou… Aaargh," Jason screamed before losing consciousness the next moment. His mother had just removed the horn that had been lodged in his abdomen until now. He knew that's what she was about to do, but his strongest willpower couldn't overcome the pain of the moment. His mind fogged as soon as the horn was forcefully pulled out. Drool dripped from his mouth, and it was clear that this was far more painful than walking on embers, as he had done before.
And yet, his suffering was far from over.
"Aaargh, aaaargh," Jason regained consciousness with screams and tears as Solatricia pushed the branch his father had brought into the gaping wound. The blood, which had flowed abundantly earlier, was becoming more scarce, although the scent of charred flesh now filled the room.
It must be said that aside from Solatricia, both men had serious burns.
The cauterization process continued for a while as Solatricia ensured there were no more raw flesh inside or around the wound. Jason, on the other hand, passed out multiple times, only for the pain to constantly pull him back to reality. Tears and snot covered his now-red face.
Solatricia was strong enough to hold her son down while treating his wound, giving Jhonas, the father, time to first clear the debris in the room and put out the fire that was trying to spread around them using a tank of drinking water they had stored in the room. He then headed toward the hallway, disappearing from his partner's line of sight.
"A very strange phenomenon is happening outside," he said when he returned after a while. His son's treatment was nearing completion as Jason lay on his mother's lap. "Also, it seems a large stone has fallen on us; the living room is partially collapsed, but the house will hold for some time—though the fire might become toxic." He picked up an unfinished wool cloth lying on a nearby table, fortunately spared, soaked it with water after tearing it into three pieces, and covered his companion, who in turn did the same for the boy on her lap. Jason opened his eyes at that moment, still looking pale.
"How are your wounds, Jhonas? Show them to me," she said, casting a worried glance at him.
"You don't need to worry, Oranbini. I only have superficial wounds. I'm far more concerned about you; your condition remains delicate," he confided, his eyes glowing with a desire that only Solatricia seemed destined to understand, even in the dim light illuminated by a few remaining embers.
As far as they knew, the current situation was unprecedented. They had never experienced anything like it, nor had anyone in the entire settlement. Through the gap created in their bedroom from the impact, both could see crimson streaks in the sky, and from time to time, the sounds of impacts and the roars of beasts could be heard in the distance.
Despite all of this, they both faced the event with a calmness that seemed surreal. Even after burning his back on a collapsing beam, Jhonas hadn't groaned once.
Earlier, Jhonas and Solatricia had been in the bedroom, deep in conversation about their eldest son, when suddenly a loud noise was heard from the next room, followed by a tremor that shook the entire house. In that moment, Jhonas leapt to cover his partner, his breath short, as the ceiling collapsed on them.
In a reflex, he had protected his companion.
Although they faced an unimaginable situation, the pair, considered the most formidable duo in the entire village, had a lifetime of experience in crisis management and adapting to the unknown. This time was no exception; they had to face a perilous situation once again.
However, as Solatricia looked at her son and Jhonas seemed to project his gaze toward the distant horizon outside, a certain anxiety began to grow in their hearts.
This time would be very different; they were no longer just a duo.
…
Luxus was a young, tall warrior of the tribe. He was rather valiant and fearless, and although he wasn't among the strongest like Adonis, he was recognized for his potential as a future troop leader. He had dark gray hair, a somewhat unusual physique, but one that made an excellent contrast with his pale white skin, which gave the impression to those who didn't know him well of a frail young man.
He had a younger sister who shared his physical characteristics, although her father had her with a different mother, who also fulfilled the role of a mother for Luxus.
In Luxus' tribe, the concept of a half-sibling was unknown. A man could have as many wives as he desired, as long as he could impregnate each one and ensure that none lacked daily provisions.
Luxus and Ada had an extremely close sibling bond, perhaps due to the relatively small age gap between them. They shared everything that was available to them. Ada made sure to teach her brother the tasks she had learned throughout the day. As for Luxus, he would sometimes secretly take the young girl on his nightly hunts.
"Lux… big broth…" were the last words that came from Ada's open throat.
At that moment, Luxus was covered in mud, mixed with sweat, blood, and a variety of other filth. A foul stench even emanated from his hunting pants. The contrast with his usual appearance was shocking. His face displayed an expression difficult to describe.
Earlier that evening, Luxus, as he often did, had once again taken his sister for a hunt without the knowledge of their three parents. They hadn't strayed far from the settlement, staying within the safe zone.
Ada was all excited; it hadn't taken long for Luxus to catch a black rabbit right in front of his hunting partner's astonished eyes. It certainly wasn't the first time, but it didn't take much to delight her, especially since she had played a "big" role in the hunt.
Once the rabbit was gutted, the young siblings set off for home.
As they walked side by side, with Luxus holding the rabbit, a feeling of unease began to grow in him as they approached the house.
They were just emerging from the shadows when, out of nowhere, a pack of wolves suddenly appeared, howling as they charged at full speed in an unknown direction. Some of them seemed to be struggling with fire, while others were covered in wounds, with gaping holes sometimes visible on their bodies, yet they did not slow their pace.
Brother and sister jumped in terror, Ada screaming.
The next moment, her throat was ripped open by a wolf that didn't stop its charge. Her frail body was flung into the air before falling back to the ground under Luxus' incredulous gaze.
She was dead, and he still had the black rabbit in his hand.
As for the wolves, they continued on their way, attacking everything in their path, including the settlement.
After spending an indeterminate amount of time on his knees, his face livid, Luxus, in a sudden burst of nervous energy or hatred, jumped to his feet and set off in pursuit of his previous attackers.
Hatred, sadness, regret, anger—a mix of complementary and contradictory emotions could be read on his face. His tears had flowed until only blood remained.
Would she have died if he hadn't taken her with him?
His mind screamed that she wouldn't have.
What was this horde of wolves?
How could it have entered the village despite the safety zones?
Why had he been spared?
His mind faced a growing chaos as he quickly lost his bearings, running recklessly after predators he had no chance of defeating, especially in his current state.
By this point, wolves, rabbits, snakes, wild boars, and many other animals had already overrun the settlement.
There hadn't even been time to sound the alarm, so improbable and absurd was this invasion.
Some animals, still on fire and able to move, seemed to run in all directions, affecting other animals, houses, and even the local population, including the warriors.
Once the warriors realized the situation, they all began hunting the beasts overrunning their living space. It quickly turned into general chaos. Fights could be seen in every direction the eye could look.
The warriors seemed to have the advantage because the invasion, if it could be called that, was disorganized. The beasts were far from united; many were in poor condition, on fire, injured, and as a result, even their own kind avoided them, making them easier to kill.
The situation seemed to stabilize as the warriors, facing numerous adversaries, demonstrated the full extent of human ingenuity. They regrouped in small teams and hunted down the fiercest creatures, while the younger warriors were tasked with the smaller beasts.
"Luxus, where are you running off to like that? We need help here, don't you see?" yelled Jackson, seeing him running to the other side of the square. He couldn't tell what Luxus was chasing, there were so many beasts around. Luxus ignored him entirely, leaving one to wonder if he even heard him.
But in the next moment, Jackson was forced to look in Luxus' direction when a crashing sound was heard, shaking the ground in a certain radius.
Boom…!!!
Luxus turned for a moment, his ears ringing from the crash. In his line of sight, there was a fiery red rock the size of a medium tree trunk. Beneath the rock, there appeared to be a pool of blood, bones, and various body parts scattered several steps away, as if ejected.
Luxus stumbled at the sight and began to vomit his guts out.
The scene was indescribably horrific, though he didn't know what that meant.
Boom… Boom… Boommm!!!
As Luxus had his head lowered, a rain of crimson stones began to fall from the sky. The battle, which had seemed to turn in the warriors' favor, was completely overturned. Crushed or mutilated bodies littered the square. Everyone was running for shelter, and total chaos followed once more.
Although the animals were uncontrollable, they were somewhat predictable. Their patterns could be anticipated, allowing the experienced warriors to prepare, regroup as they had earlier, and attack before retreating, thus minimizing risks.
But the rain of rocks was something entirely new for these warriors, for this land. Each stone seemed to tear through the sky and crash down on the earth like an inescapable punishment. It was impossible to predict where the next one would strike.
Despair and terror were written on everyone's faces.
By this point, everyone had already lost someone; some had even lost their entire families, crushed by rocks as large as a medium-sized tree.
The homes were on fire; staying inside was no longer safe. In fact, experience had shown that this didn't prevent the disaster. Both men and animals were being crushed mercilessly as they fought on.
Luxus hadn't finished vomiting his guts out yet; he had seen the wolf responsible for his sister's death get flattened like a rabbit's skin. He had also come across some scattered remains of Jackson, his instructor, with whom he had learned to fish earlier that day.
On his face, snot and tears had already fused together, indistinguishable from each other. No longer able to run, he limped and wandered, sometimes stepping in pools of blood—was it from an animal or debris? He didn't even bother to ask himself anymore.
Half a step after another, murmuring Ada's name under his breath, he seemed to head in an unknown direction before collapsing in front of Adonis and Hera, who were running toward him.
Adonis found himself standing before a devastated village. Flames had become the rulers of the place, screams had replaced the foghorns. Blood had mixed with the air, creating a light mist that filled the nostrils and tinged the view.
Adonis had long wanted to break down and collapse in the face of such devastation. At that moment, he wasn't even thinking about his family; he was incapable of thinking and simply kept moving forward. Hera held his hand firmly.
"Luxus, what…?" Adonis almost choked as he spoke when he saw him. Luxus' left arm was partially torn off, veins and bones exposed as blood gushed out. Adonis swallowed hard, his expression twisted in horror.
Luxus was clearly on the verge of death.
"Adonis… (crying), I didn't… I couldn't save her. Ada… Ada. It's my fault. Father… I'm… sorry… I don't want to… die. Ada, I… don't want… to d… die (crying)."
Hera watched the scene, goosebumps covering her skin as she visibly trembled, gripping Adonis more tightly, who looked at his dying friend, crying and expressing his regrets.
Suddenly, a shock hit him, like a realization coming to him in a single word.
Jason.
At that moment, a rock the size of a full-grown tree fell from the sky onto the tall mountain, the mountain of fire.
Hera, unable to bring herself to look down, gazed up at the sky, her eyes lost and filled with despair.
Since the string of disasters had begun, she had struggled to keep herself standing. To face the unknown.
She had never been a weak girl to begin with, certainly not what one would call a damsel in distress.
As she watched the massive boulder falling from the sky, thousands of thoughts raced through her mind.
Originally, she was resolved, had made her peace with it.
Tonight was her last night with those she loved. By morning, she would leave the settlement and venture beyond the tides. No one had ever returned from this exploration, so for most, this departure was considered a final farewell.
And she had prepared herself for it. She had planned her evening with the one she loved. Earlier, she had spent touching moments with her family. They had laughed and cried around a bonfire her father had built after hunting wild boar and wolf cubs.
Her father had shown her a few final secrets about hunting and surviving in the wild, while her mother, red-eyed from crying, had shared some feminine tricks and the ability to use her natural attributes.
All of this came back to her as she stood there, incredulous at such a turn of events. The unthinkable was happening before her eyes, and no matter how resolved her mind had been at first, now all her defenses were laid bare.
The cruelty of life forced itself upon her. The unpredictability of nature etched itself into her sweating, scratched skin, and into her eyes, which had lost all their brightness as she continued to gaze at the sky.
All these thoughts raced through her mind in the span of a single breath.
The rock struck the mountain of fire violently, the love nest of Hera being ravaged before her eyes.
The ground immediately began to tremble, violently.
A deep rumble spread from beneath the earth and echoed across the entire forest.
Cracks began to spread from the center of the impact.