Rion followed behind Haria, confusion masking his face, but he didn't ask the questions that were clawing at his mind — not yet.
'That guy... he wasn't a Dhaevrak... why is he here then? Let alone being the vice lord, and what's even a fang trial?' He shifted his eyes to Haria, who was also deep in her thoughts.
He quickened his steps, appeared beside her and questioned, "What's wrong?"
"Hmm?" Haria came out of her thoughts, turned towards him and spoke, "I was just thinking what weapon would suit you the best."
"Weapon? Do I need it for the fang trial?" He questioned, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.
She furrowed her brows and let out a noise before the understanding settled in, "Huh? Ah!"
She hit herself on the head with an open palm and spoke, "Stupid me, I forgot to explain the fang trial to you."
He chuckled lightly and asked, "So, what is it?"
"Nothing much, you and a trainee would be fighting in a circle. What you have to do is defeat them without stepping out of the circle. Once you step out, you'd be disqualified," she explained.
Rion nodded at her and asked, "I see... What's a trainee?"
"...Did I not tell you?" She questioned with a wry smile on her face.
He shook his head.
Seeing that, she scratched the back of her head and spoke, "I should explain everything from the start, then."
His expression turned serious. He nodded and focused on her next words.
She smiled slightly and explained, "Redwood Basin is where the retired hunters and elders live," she pointed at the ground. "Redwood Den, on the other hand, is where we train the youth, teach them how to hunt and survive."
Her voice lowered slightly as she continued, "The reason we don't tell the children about the Den before they turn ten is simple; our numbers are few. Barely fifteen hundred. If they knew too early, their recklessness and pride would lead to needless deaths… all for the sake of proving themselves."
Rion's eyes sparkled in understanding. He nodded slightly and thought, 'That makes sense... But why do we have to be so strict about hunting some animals?'
"In the Den, only strength matters," she said.
"Those younger than fifteen are called Trainees. Once they reach fifteen, they become Squad Members."
"From there, their rank rises with their strength — Squad Leader, Group Leader, Vice Lord… and the strongest among us all — the Den Lord."
"That's all of it," she flashed him a smile as she finished.
A thoughtful look appeared on his face, he shifted his gaze towards the few people he could see walking around and spoke, "Why do we have to be so strict about hunting some animals?"
Her steps faltered slightly, and her smile crumbled.
Silence hung between them like a sharp blade.
Feeling the awkwardness of the moment, he added, "You don't have to answer if you can't."
"You will know once you become a squad member," she said before turning towards a hut.
She pushed open the door and stepped inside. Rion raised an eyebrow and stepped in.
He looked around, and his eyes widened when they fell on a combat attire crafted from thick dark leather, while strips of hide and fangs hung subtly from it.
'Is that a leather body suit? How is that even here?' He thought and stepped closer to it, his eyes wide in both amazement and confusion.
"Did you like that?" Haria questioned with a smile as she placed her clawed gauntlets on the table.
He turned to her and spoke, "I do... but what is this?"
She walked closer to the dark leather body suit and gripped it. A reminiscing smile appeared on her face as she responded, "Old man Arok told me that this is a leather suit and... it's made from the skin of the first beast I killed after becoming a group leader."
He shifted his eyes between the body suit and her as he thought, 'If we can make these body suits, then why are we wearing these hides?'
At last, he could take it no more and asked the question that had eaten at him the most.
"Bis sis, if we can create weapons, fabric and these leather suits, then why do we still wear these hides?"
She chuckled and patted his back as she answered, "I knew you'd ask that. We wear hides instead of fabric or leather suits because of our culture. We believe nature grants both life and strength, and those closest to it are, naturally, the strongest."
'That's a load of bullshit,' he commented inwardly. On the outside, however, his eyes were sparkling in amazement.
He frowned slightly and asked, "Why do you have this then?"
"Group leaders and above can wear fabric and leather... It's considered a privilege of strength," she said and took the leather suit off the wall.
"I see..." he mumbled and stood there, watching her.
A smirk appeared on her face as she teased, "Do you want to see me change ?"
"W-what?! O-of course not," he replied flusteredly.
He ran out of the hut, his face turned red as Haria's amused laugh reached his ears.
He didn't slow his feet; instead, he ran towards a secluded spot.
He tore through the bushes, slid under the fallen logs, and scrambled over jagged rocks before reaching the cliff's peak.
He looked around the area to make sure that no one was there.
A few minutes later, he stood by the edge of the cliff and stared at the vast forest before him as he thought, 'I wanted to live normally for a bit longer... I do love the thought of being absurdly strong and a literal Immortal, but it would take away the joy of being normal.'
Just as he finished his thought, a smile appeared on his face as he muttered a saying common in people like him, "Weakness is a sin and there is no joy in being weak..."