"What is it?" whispered Beus, slowly unsheathing his sword, peering around and ahead. Geju looked rather anxious, he could barely hold his axe. As he started to tremble, Beus held his shoulder both to soothe Geju's nerves and to hold him still. He gave Geju an assuring pat on the back, smiling at him.
"What do you see?" asked Beus this time, frowning. Urnyras Jael looked as if she was trying to figure out whatever she was fixated ahead, she did not respond immediately.
Only after a few seconds, she slowly turned her back towards them, nodding. Beus and Geju walked towards her in caution.
Urnyras Jael looked relieved, but she still did not increase the volume of her voice. "Nothing. I thought I saw something. Let's continue - but tread lightly."
They walked for a while, until they've heard a river, flowing down the hills of Southern Lyca'naus Mountains rather impatiently. Urnyras Jael halted again to figure out where the river might be, then she pointed towards north and she carried on walking. It was already sunset - and yet they have wasted another day without the triumph they have promised to the Muga chieftain.
They found the river in a short while, and quickly decided to camp by the river for the night.
"This beast does not want to be found, I think," Geju said, while looking for brushwood for the campfire. "It it was not for us looking for it, the beast would hit the town back."
"Do not let yourself down, my friend," said Beus. "With our determination, it is just a matter of time for us to encounter that menace."
Geju moaned unpleasantly.
...
They did not realize that today's hunting has been geniunely exhausting - in mere minutes, Geju fell asleep by his tent, without even bothering to get in. Beus has a pleasant, relieved expression on his face, lost in thoughts by the campfire, when Urnyras was cleaning his weapons and trying to figure out a route for tomorrow. She was rather stressed - two days have been gone and they did not have any clues of the whereabouts of this beast. It was definitely not as easy as she anticipated.
How hard could it be to find such an explicit menace, troubling the entire habitat of the region?
"Do you think we will make it tomorrow?" asked Urnyras.
"I assume so," said Beus quickly. Urnyras Jael wasn't expecting such a fast response, since she thought Beus was in fact lost in thoughts. "I don't think this menace is a forest nomad - we will eventually find a spot where it presumably resides."
"I was thinking about the same thing," approved Urnyras Jael. "Maybe, instead of looking for the beast itself, we may look for somewhere we know it will come back."
"Well, that's either we find its... home," Beus said, "Or we go back to the muga village, risking everyone's lives."
"No, we can't go back," said Urnyras Jael. "I wish not to go back there before killing the beast."
"You have a point," said Beus, slightly smiling. "Chieftain might think we have failed and producing excuses."
As Beus completed his sentence, his face froze with the echoing, deep, sorrowful voice that trembled the entire woods surrounding them. It was as if a giant was the entire forest was being tortured, in fact, that was the first thing that popped up in their head - trees screaming. Heeding more attention to the continuous sound, they have realized it was something else.
"Wake Geju up," she said to Beus. "Let's go check whatever that is."
...
As they have followed the sound towards the direction Urnyras Jael thought the origin of the sound was located at, they have instinctually fastened their steps, eventually turning into a jogging pace. Jumping over the stumps and trying to make their way through thicket and old trees, they eventually arrived at a plain area within the forest.
A huge bonfire - enourmous, Geju thought. It was right in the middle of the plain area they were looking towards; muga people, however with a darker skintone and red-orange glowing eyes, were performing a ritual - dancing, singing and screaming like mad, circling the bonfire, and sticking their spears to an humongous beast tied down to the ground with thick ropes-
"The beast!" squeaked Geju. He mumbled something in his native tongue, looking horrified. "The Gaulantan has the beast! They caught it!"
"Shh! Be silent!" warned Urnyras Jael. "What is this? Who are they?"
"This is the Woodblood Tribe," trembling, Geju could hardly speak. "My tribe's arch-enemies. Gaulantan, their chieftain, is a villain - a devil! I wonder how he managed to catch the beast!"
"I didn't know you've had seperate tribes," Urnyras Jael asked. "What is the name of your tribe, then?"
"Our tribe is called Greenpaw," he said. "We are the rulers of the mugian capital Ualtha Mugija - making us the ruling tribe. But these Woodblood mongrels are troubling us, they want our city!"
"That is very strange," said Beus.
"No! That's not strange! They want us dead. We want them dead!" said Geju fiercely.
"No, no, your bilateral hostility is not strange, Geju, that is indeed very ordinary - enemies, war, you know," Beus shook his head. "What I am looking at is pretty strange."
Urnyras Jael and Geju looked towards the direction where Beus was looking, towards the beast. They have seen the Woodblood muga untied the beast, the shamans of the tribe casting spells to it (Geju squeaked again). The beast was just an oversized abomination that resembled a severely beaten gorilla.
"This makes no sense!" Geju was literally jumping around. "They control - this is a mind control ritual! They are commanding that beast!"
"That actually makes -a lot of- sense, my little friend," Urnyras Jael said. "Woodblood are apparently responsible for the beast's killing spree upon your tribe. Fear, terror - these are very primitive yet effective methods to subdue masses of people."
"What do we do, now?" asked Geju, realizing the treachery of Woodblood. He was frowning - if he actually had a lighter skin colour, Urnyras Jael was sure he would turn into blood red because of the fury he is building at that very moment.
"First we calm down," said Beus, rather strictly. "I understand your fury, but if you recklessly unleash it, you will be smashed down yourself."
"Eila is right, yes, okay, I will calm down, BAH!" he squeaked again, slamming his axe to the ground in anger.
"Let's observe, Urnyras," Beus said. "I highly doubt that when this ritual ends, they will go to bed in peace. Our arrival here was a fortunate coincidence, a timely one too."
"I have a feeling that this beast will head back to the Greenpaw tribe to attack Ualtha Mugija," said Urnyras Jael. "The best thing to do is to follow it and take it down when appropriate. Come, they're on the move already."
The hunting trio slowly retreated back into the woods, Urnryas Jael led them towards the path beast is likely to follow out of the plain area the ritual just took place.
...
The pursuit was rather tense: due to Geju squeaking several times in excitement and fury, they risked being seen by an army of mugian shamans of Woodblood - that would result in certain death. As they have approached, they have realized the number of shamans casting the spell on the beast that controls him decreased. Shortly after, as they could see the feint light of Ualtha Mugija, the Greenpaw and mugian capital, there was only one shaman controlling the beast, a well-dressed, old looking, apparently strong shaman. All the rest left him alone, apparently on his own request, as Geju could hear and translate to Urnyras Jael and Beus.
As the elderly shaman screamed, his voice shook the leaves under the dark, cloudy sky.
Urnyras Jael looked at Geju for a brief second, he looked as if he was holding his breath. His eyes were burning with hatred, and as he inhaled again, he charged towards the shaman blindly, and unexpectedly fast. Even Urnyras Jael could not realize Geju broke off and started running towards the shaman, it took her a couple of seconds to follow him. Beus sighed, spoke a curse to the air, and followed them.
Geju swung his axe towards the fully-focused shaman and managed to disrupt his concentration, as the beast crumbled in pain for a brief moment, as he was running towards the city. Shaman was obviously experienced and regained his concentration shortly after, while trying to repel the unexpected Greenpaw trespasser. Neither Urnyras Jael nor Beus could understand what Geju was telling him with such a high-pitched voice, but they were almost certainly sure that they did not want to know.
Geju swung his axe again, this time to actually cut him in half. Shaman hopped backwards, and sending a lightning bolt towards Geju. Geju crushed the lightning bolt with his axe, but as the bolt hit it, Geju had to spend a considerable effort to keep his balance. He growled and jumped forward again, blindly swinging his axe and screaming. If not from the unexpected attack, the shaman looked intimidated by the mad screams Geju let out.
Urnyras Jael prepared her bow, and as Beus wanted to go forth to aid Geju, Urnyras Jael told him to stop.
"Let him handle this," she offered. "He is yet to prove himself to his people."
The rain started to pour. Shaman was definitely having a hard time, but it was certain that if it wasn't for the huge beast to be mind-controlled, Geju would be long dead. Eventually, Geju grabbed a throwing knife from his pouch and swiftly threw it towards the shaman - expecting another melee charge, shaman was too little too late to dodge it.
Hit right between his eyes, shaman fell on his knees, losing all the focus on the beast.
Greenpaw tribe, armed and ready to fight the beast, was now instead watching the beast walking back and forth as the shaman lost and gained the control of the beast. As the beast broke free with the shaman's death, it spent a few seconds to realize where it was and what it was doing in confusion. Then, it gasped in pain and fell down to the ground in exhaustion.
Geju panted, slowly walked towards the corpse of the dead shaman and spit on it. He could hear the cheers of joy from his city - he grabbed the corpse and dragged it towards where the townsfolk was gathering around the beast's enormous body.
Urnyras Jael and Beus followed Geju silently, letting him enjoy his glory as his townsfolk encircled him and praised him for his heroic success. He let out a shout of triumph, as his townsfolk, extremely happy and proud, shouted after him.
...
"This is an unforgivable treachery," said the chieftain of Greenpaw, the one who explicitly humiliated Geju and laughed at him sarcastically as they departed from the city - now he looked very grim. "However Geju's priceless heroism proved his worth and this makes the entire tribe drunk with joy, the treachery of the Woodblood tribe has to be punished."
"I intend not to meddle with your internal affairs, chieftain," said Urnyras Jael. "If you please, since we have kept our promise, we wish to depart as soon as possible."
"You are no more captives here, Urnyras Jael and Beus," he slightly smiled at them. "You are the most precious guests that this city has ever seen. You are free to leave whenever you wish. However, I suppose, you would not want to miss tomorrow night's feast in Geju's name - and his naming ritual."
"Naming ritual?" asked Urnyras Jael.
"The tribe headshaman will name him a title, as he has now recognized as a warrior of his tribe," said chieftain. "Then will we feast and celebrate his honor and the end of a menace. Only after that, can we start the preparations for war - war against the Woodblood tribe, as I am sure they are already preparing for it."
"Very well," said Urnyras Jael, peering at Geju. "We shall attend then, to the naming ritual. We are to leave early at dawn, the day after."
...
They have slept - almost the entire day. Gladly, nobody woke them up. Rested, they have woken up around the sunset hour.
The preparations of the feast was almost over, and they could see the gloomy, tense atmosphere of the city has been long gone; leaving a cheerful mass of mugian people, preparing their stomachs for an exquisite celebration.
...
As the ritual hour arrived and all the townsfolk gathered around the huge ritual bonfire, Geju, dressed up in a traditional robe and his face painted by the shamans to honor the God of War, kneeled before the headshaman.
Eventhough Urnyras Jael and Beus did not understand any words, the chieftain tried to translate the ritual oath. Eventually, the headshaman yelled out, as the mugian crowd went mad in joy. Geju rose with pride and an unexplainable happiness expression on his face.
He slowly approached to Urnyras Jael and Beus.
"Daybringer," he said. "They will call me Geju the Daybringer."
"That is a great title for a worthy warrior like you," Beus said. "You will make your tribe proud."
"He will, I am sure," the chieftain said, holding Geju's shoulder. "There is a war ahead of us. He will be leading others into glory and victory over the traitors."
"Can I, if you allow us my chieftain, talk to Urnyras Jael and Beus in private?" asked Geju, rather hesitantly, resembling his anxiety the first day he appeared in front of Urnyras Jael's tent.
The chieftain nodded, and three hunting companions walked away.
"I thank you with all my heart," Geju said, as if holding it for too long. "If you did not help me, I would be the coward, little Geju."
"It was a pleasure to show you what you really are," said Urnyras Jael. "You carry a golden heart. A brave, fearless heart. You could well die last night. You did not step back."
"I have nothing to add," Beus said. "All I wish is that one day, may we meet again."
"May we meet again," Geju repeated, looking up at Beus and Urnyras Jael with gratitude.
...
Beus and Urnyras Jael, by the dawn, left Ualtha Mugija.
"Where are you heading towards, then?" Beus asked.
"Orbh," Urnyras Jael shrugged. "I have a task to complete - and I have only a week. What about you?"
"Well, I have to travel back to Rolinbragh," Beus said. "I have a wife, you know. And a son."
"That is perfect," Urnyras Jael smiled. "What is your son called?"
"Quarlyn," Beus said. "He is merely fifteen, but he fights bravely. He is a good student in Rolinbragh Khia, I hope a well-trained warrior will become of him one day, just like you."
Urnyras Jael smiled feintly, eventually parting ways with Beus, a friend she would always remember.
