Primitive Man

In the quiet aftermath of a tumultuous night, Garnt found himself bedridden, surrounded by the delicate embrace of sheets that felt like both a refuge and a cage. The room was dimly lit, and the air carried the lingering scent of herbs and medicine that a few of Gundo's students applied on his back.

Rona, his companion in adversity, lay beside him, eyes closed, her face a canvas of exhaustion. Ayra, another victim of the night's trials, occupied the adjacent bed, both of them nursing the aftermath of an ordeal that left every inch of their bodies numb.

Luckily Unami and Gundo were fine with all the other girls, but even most of them were feeling rather exhausted after what happened last night, and the rumours about Garnt's amazing night started to spread around the village.

"Did you hear that Patriarch went crazy last night with his girls?" A woman who came to the newly established market asked the lady who was selling the vegetables while taking the gold coins that had a unique mark on them.

*Tsk

"I am jealous of all those women who managed to impress our leader. I told my useless daughter to try and do that, but she can't even talk properly with a normal man so how could she do that with a great man like our leader,"

The other woman smiled at the merchant lady's words.

"Don't be harsh on her. It all depends on luck. I heard Patriarchs don't really care about how beautiful the woman is. Apparently, he takes both normal-looking and most beautiful women to his family, as long as he feels they are perfect."

"I guess that's true. I wonder what he is doing right now." She wondered and at the same time, that same proud leader was getting scolded by a woman who was done with his reckless way of acting.

Enter Eva, the stern caretaker and voice of reason in his life. She shouted in Garnt's with an accusatory tone laced with worry and frustration.

[Garnt, you reckless fool! What possessed you to meet all of your wives in a single night? I told you it was a bad idea! And how dare you ignore my advice and take all those drugs? Do you want to die?]

Garnt winced at her scolding, feeling the pain resonate through his body. "I know, I know, Eva. My back is killing me. You were right. Meeting them all at once was a bad call."

Eva sighed, her concern shifting into a more maternal tone.

[You can't keep pushing yourself like this. I won't allow you to jeopardize your health just for the sake of your romantic endeavours. Garnt doesn't lose yourself to lust like a real caveman. Control yourself.]

Garnt nodded, a sheepish smile playing on his lips. "I get it. Lesson learned. I won't have orgies again."

As they received treatment, a delightful interruption occurred. A group of wolf babies, their fur as white as Garnt's loyal pet Maro, entered the room. They scampered onto the bed, tiny paws padding softly on the sheets. Guni, Garnt's child, followed closely, concern etched on her young face.

Wide-eyed, she asked, "What happened, Father? Why are you and Mother in bed? I heard some aunties talking about how you two were working on something and got injured doing that."

Garnt and Ayra exchanged awkward glances, their smiles masking the truth. "Oh, it's just a small problem, sweetheart," Garnt replied, tousling Guni's hair. "Nothing to worry about. go and play with your brother and sister for now."

Ayra chimed in, "Just a little numbness, dear. We'll be up and running in no time."

Unconvinced but accepting their explanation, Guni nodded and decided not to pry further. The wolf babies, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, frolicked on the bed, bringing a moment of levity to the room.

"Where is Maro? Is she hunting again?" Garnt asked worried about his pet, and Guni quickly answered his question.

"Yes! Brother Kiriah said he is going to hunt a lot because the winter is coming, I thought about helping him but he won't allow me to do that," Hoping to get permission from her parents, Guni asked but Ayra quickly refused Guni's little wish.

"No, not yet. Guni is too young for that," Ayra muttered, looking at Garnt, who was the victim of the little wolf babies that kept licking his face, showing their love to the master of their mother.

But this state of relaxation didn't last for too long, as Kara came running to see Garnt. She knew that even if he was sick right now, he should know what they found and needed to be informed.

Garnt's eyes widened as he noticed Kara's pale expression. "Kara, what's the matter? You look like you've seen a great primitive bear," he said, concern etched across his face.

Kara took a deep breath before responding, "Garnt, we have a big problem. The farms in the forest, have been destroyed by some kind of black liquid. It stinks, and it's spreading fast. We're in danger of losing our food supply, especially with winter approaching."

Garnt's mind raced as he processed the severity of the situation. If he was healthy, his body would have been shot up from the bed as soon as Kara mentioned about food because he knew as the leader of the village how important their food is.

Winter without a proper food supply could be disastrous for the village, even deadly. "Black liquid? How did this happen?" he questioned.

Kara explained, "We're not sure. We found it spreading when we were checking the crops. It's toxic and has already taken a toll on the vegetation. The smell alone is making some villagers sick."

Since farms were located rather distant from the main village, most people were lucky enough to not get any diseases, but it was their least concern if they had to die starving.

[Garnt, this is bad. I might know what this black liquid is, but we should confirm. Can you walk?]

Eva wanted to see it with Garnt's eyes and confirm her suspicions.

Garnt knew he had to act despite his current physical condition. "Ayra, stay in bed and rest. Guni, take care of your mother," he instructed. Ignoring the numbness in his legs, he swung them over the edge of the bed, determined to stand.

Kara rushed to support him, "Garnt, you shouldn't be on your feet right now. Let us handle this."

Garnt shook his head, "No, Kara. I need to see this for myself." He looked at Ayra with a reassuring smile, "We'll be back soon. Just rest for now."

Guni nodded, her worry evident on her face. "Be careful, Father."

With Kara's help, Garnt made his way to the door, glancing back at Ayra one more time. "We'll figure this out. I promise."

As they stepped outside, the gravity of the situation became apparent. The village's survival was at stake, and Garnt couldn't afford to stay confined to his bed.

"Market is already feeling the effects of this disaster? People are scared and you are the only person that could convince them to not feel scared," Kara said well knowing how their village functioned.

The position Garnt held was beyond anything others could imagine, and she sometimes had to wonder whether, if she were in the same situation as Garnt, she would be able to keep her sanity because of the responsibility one has to bear to lead such a large population.

*Sigh

'I will die from the stress and I think most of the people would. That's exactly why he needs our support because I know how vulnerable my brother is...no my darling'

"Kara, take me to Huta and let's ride her to these farms. It won't take long with her. Also, make sure to bring our weapons. We have to be ready if that ungrateful Baktou's faction is there," Kara nodded her head and got ready.

Within a few hours, they were ready to depart and a few other talented warriors also joined because they knew it was their duty to protect Garnt when he was vulnerable.

The group of warriors rode on the back of Huta and their other horses through the dense forest. The air was thick with tension, and the urgency of their mission weighed heavily on Garnt's shoulders.

As they emerged from the shadowy trees, the bright setting sun revealed a desolate landscape. The once vibrant farms now lay in ruins, with twisted plants and trees bearing the scars of a disaster. The stench of decay filled the air, and the ground was stained with a mysterious black liquid that seemed to seep from the damaged crops.

Garnt's eyes widened in shock at the sight before him. "By the spirits, what has happened here?" he exclaimed, his voice carrying a mix of disbelief and concern.

[I knew it. Just as I suspected, this is a locust plague. So these would creatures existed in this age too. What a nuisance. Garnt gets ready because we are in for a long ride now.]