Primitive Man

Unami stood nervously by the calm river, her heart pounding in her chest. The soft rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze seemed to echo her anxiety, as this was one of the most important moments in her life.

"Um... Aunt Gundo," Unami began, her voice trembling, "there's something I need to tell you or ask permission from."

Gundo turned to face Unami, her eyes filled with curiosity. "What is it, Unami?"

Unami took a deep breath, her eyes darting towards the shimmering water. "I... I want to be with Garnt," she confessed, her cheeks turning a deep shade of crimson. She bit her lip nervously, awaiting Gundo's response.

Gundo's eyes widened, surprise written across her face. "You want to be with Garnt?" She couldn't help but ask.

Unami nodded, her gaze still fixed on the lake. "Yes... I can't help how I feel. I want to be with him, so I confessed my feelings to him."

"What did Garnt say?" Gundo asked, almost like she was concerned about Unami.

"He said yes. I wanted to ask permission from you,"

Gundo's expression softened, and she reached out to gently touch Unami's shoulder. "Unami, do you know if Ayra knows about your feelings?"

Unami turned to look at Gundo with wide eyes, a sense of unease washing over her. "Hmmm? Why do you ask that?"

Gundo nodded her head slowly, her voice calm and reassuring. "I think she might be already in a relationship with my son. Garnt has accepted her feelings, and they're very close."

Unami took a moment to process this information. Her heart felt heavy with the weight of her secret. "I know. Garnt told me about his relationship."

"So, does that mean... you and Ayra... are you okay with sharing him?" Gundo wasn't surprised, after all, the leader of the village having more than one partner wasn't out of the ordinary.

"Yes, If I can be with him, I don't mind sharing his love,"

Gundo hesitated for a moment, her eyes locked with Unami's. She then gave a warm, understanding smile. "Unami, Garnt means a lot to all of us. We've talked about it, and we're willing to make it work.

As long as it makes him happy, I'm okay with it."

Relief washed over Unami, and she couldn't help but smile. "Thank you, Aunt Gundo. That means a lot to me."

Gundo patted her new daughter's shoulder gently. "You have my blessings, Unami."

With a heart full of newfound hope, Unami turned to leave, her footsteps light as she walked away. But just as she was about to disappear into the night, Gundo heard a faint whisper from her pocket.

"Act before it's too late," a voice urged, and Gundo turned to see Eva actively coming out herself.

Gundo took the hologram out of her pocket, her eyes gleaming with a mysterious intensity and listened to Eva. "You see, Gundo, time has a way of changing things. Garnt is young, and his heart is like a fickle flame. The warmth of your presence may fade from his memory if you don't act soon."

Gundo's heart sank at the thought of losing the connection she had with Garnt. She had grown so fond of him, and the idea of fading into obscurity tore at her.

Eva continued, her tone becoming more assertive. "You have an advantage, Gundo. You're older and more experienced, and you understand him in a way those young girls can't. You need to show him that older women can offer something special, something that surpasses the allure of youth."

Gundo nodded slowly, her determination resurfacing. She couldn't let Garnt slip through her fingers, not when she felt such a deep connection with him. "I understand, Eva. I won't let this opportunity slip away."

Eva smiled, a glint of satisfaction in her eyes. "Good. Remember, Gundo, time is not on your side. Act swiftly, and make him see that your love is something he can't resist.

Be more assertive!"

Gundo's heart raced as she contemplated Eva's cryptic words. She knew that time was of the essence, and she couldn't let her own feelings go unspoken any longer. With determination in her eyes, she decided to follow Eva's advice and take action before it was truly too late.

***

Garnt stood outside the village, feeding his loyal horse Huta and his faithful white wolf companion Maro. As he watched them playfully compete for his attention, a bittersweet smile crossed his face.

The scene before him reminded him of Kara and Unami, two dear friends who had recently grown close thanks to all the problems in the village.

Huta nudged Maro, trying to steal the spotlight, while Maro growled playfully, vying for Garnt's affection. Garnt couldn't help but see the parallels between his animal companions and his sisters.

"Come on, you two," Garnt chuckled, crouching down to their level. "You need to make up and be the best of friends."

He extended his hands, one to Huta and the other to Maro, and gently patted them both. They looked at him with adoring eyes, as if understanding his words.

"Just like Kara and Unami," he murmured to himself, a touch of happiness in his voice. "They used to just like you two, but now look at them. They are best friends now."

Garnt's thoughts drifted to the strained relationship between Kara and Unami until he suddenly noticed a familiar sight in the distance. It was Ayra, accompanied by Kiriah and Kara, all approaching him with confused expressions.

Ayra, in particular, appeared conflicted, her gaze darting between Garnt and Kara.

Garnt couldn't ignore the puzzled looks on their faces, so he decided to address the situation head-on. He cleared his throat and said, "Hey, Kara, Kiriah, there's something I need to talk to you all about."

The trio exchanged glances, unsure of what was coming. Kara's expression was especially apprehensive. Garnt took a deep breath and continued, "You see, I've been thinking a lot lately, and I've come to a decision. I've realized how much I care about your mother, Ayra, and how much she means to me."

Kara's eyes widened, Kiriah seemed pleasantly surprised, and Ayra blushed deeply. Garnt took each of their hands and said, "So, I've decided that I want to become your real family. I want to be there for all of you,"

"What do you mean?" Kiriah questioned.

"I'm going to be the husband of your mother. Ayra and I have been in love for some time now."

Kiriah, overjoyed, couldn't contain his excitement and exclaimed, "That's wonderful, Brother! I'm so happy about this!"

However, Kara had a completely different reaction. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she turned away, running off into the distance. Garnt felt a pang of guilt at causing her distress.

Ayra let out a sigh and said, "I'll go talk to her, and see what's bothering her." She gave Garnt a reassuring smile and followed after Kara.

Eva, who had been quietly observing the situation, couldn't help but comment,

[You're quite the sinful boy, Garnt, making girls cry like this.]

Garnt listened to Eva with a sincere expression and said, "I can't force my feelings, Eva. I care deeply for Ayra, but I can't see Kara as a lover. It's just not there for me."

Eva nodded understandingly.

[Love is a complicated thing, and it's different for everyone. You have to follow your heart. Don't force things.]

Eva then added,

[Maybe Kara will come to understand in time. Crushes can fade over time, you know.]

Garnt hoped that Eva was right and that his decision wouldn't forever strain his relationship with Kara. For now, he focused on being the best father he could be to Kiriah who had accepted his choice with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

After the emotional encounter with Kara, Garnt decided it was best to change the subject and discuss something more pressing, "We've been preparing for a long time, and I think it's time we focus on our next move. Moga won't wait forever, and we need to be ready."

Eva nodded in agreement.

[You're right, Garnt. Most of our plans are already in motion. But what's our next step?]

Garnt looked around at the serene village and said, "They can't stay in the mine forever. They need food, so most of them need to hunt. We are going to target them one by one and make sure they are not going to get those supplies."

Eva considered this and replied,

[That sounds like a good idea. But what about the risk of Moga attacking while we're hunting them? If he did only Rona or Ayra can deal with him expect you.]

Garnt's eyes gleamed with determination. "That's the plan, Eva. We need to be like bobcats. We will only attack when we know that we can hunt the target.

They have the disadvantage since most of them don't even know about the stealthy tactics. But thanks to you, I can deploy them."

Eva understood the strategy.

[So, you're saying that with this method, no one from our side needs to die?]

Garnt nodded solemnly. "Exactly. We can't afford to lose anyone, especially now that I've made this commitment to Ayra, Kiriah, and Kara. We'll outsmart Moga and drive them away once and for all."

As they continued to discuss their plans, Garnt couldn't help but hope that this strategy would succeed. He was determined to protect his newfound family and ensure a better future for all of them, even if it meant facing the formidable threat of Moga head-on.