Visha could feel their eyes on her. She gave an awkward smile before sitting down in front of the fire, warming her body.
The chatter echoed around her. The voices were excited and frantic. Visha sat there watching the fire. She didn't even notice that at some point, when she was spinning the wood, the screen disappeared.
She watched the fire. A small as it was, that flame brought her great warmth. She became so relaxed that she fell asleep without realising.
The next morning, she woke up feeling something on her back. When she tried to take it off, she realised it was animal skin.
In front of her, the fire was still burning.
The flames seemed bigger compared to yesterday.
The people in the cave looked more lively today than yesterday. People went in and out of the cave, some coming back with branches, others found berries.
She found their vigour much more pleasant than the gloomy atmosphere she had seen yesterday.
If she could communicate with them, she would want to find out what made them so happy.
The moment the thought came to her, the screen appeared.
[Task complete]
[Rewards issued: Ration pack, language pack]
Visha jumped slightly, having seen the screen appear again. She thought she was only seeing things because she was tired. Now, it seems, she really has gone crazy.
Seeing the language pack, Visha, although wary, couldn't help but take a look. Trying to discreetly select the option, she clicked on the language pack reward.
[Would you like to enable?]
[Yes][No]
She swiftly clicked yes. Immediately, she felt a tingling in her brain. When it stopped, she decided to try it.
She saw a young child who wasn't busy and decided to give it a try.
"Hey there, do you mind telling me your name?" Visha asked gently.
"Nimo," the child responded.
"Nimo, that's a nice name. Do you know why everybody looks so happy today, Nimo?"
Visha's curiosity got the better of her. She wanted to know why a sudden shift had happened with these people.
"Because the beast god loves us."
Confusion flitted across Visha's face. Beast god? What beastgod?
The chance to ask about the beast god was interrupted when she saw the man walking towards her. She stood up from where she was sitting beside the little boy.
"Hey, I can understand you now," the excitement was evident on her face.
Xeno was taken aback when he heard her speak. He knew she couldn't understand them yesterday. He looked at the fire, and hope surged through his body. She made the fire yesterday, and today they could understand each other.
Is she a priest sent by the beast god for them? Then what about her other tribe?
Xeno composed himself before answering, "Yes, I see."
He handed her some berries on a small piece of animal skin so she would have something to eat.
Visha looked at the berries in his hand. They were an enticing red colour. She wasn't sure if they were edible. But she noticed people carrying them in from outside, so she assumed they were safe to eat.
She took the berries, trying one. The sweet and savoury combination of the berry caught her by surprise. She made a "hmm" sound, showing she was enjoying it. After eating one, she looked at Xeno.
"Now that we can understand each other, let's talk."
Xeno nodded and led her to a corner of the cave. There she saw a man sitting. She noticed he only had one arm. It was inflamed, but didn't show any signs of decay. To Visha, it seemed to be a relatively recent wound.
If she knew the wound was only three days old, she would be surprised.
"This is Uri, and I am Xeno," he said as he introduced them both.
She looked between the two men. Although she hadn't seen Uri stand, she was sure both men were about the same height. Xeno was muscular with a head of golden hair, like a mane. His explosive muscles and scars told the story of his days of hunting. Uri, on the other hand, had a slimmer build. But that did not detract from the muscles he also possessed. His body was lean. The kind that was used for speed rather than explosive power like Xeno. Uri's hair was a mixture of reds and yellows.
"Visha Solace, it's nice to meet you both."
She reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear. A habit she had when meeting new people. It was only then that she realised she was still wearing the hood on her head.
She removed the goggles and the layers of head coverings she was wearing before. Her hair, although somewhat tangled, cascaded down her back, framing her face.
When they first saw her with the things on her face, they assumed it was something her tribe had. Different tribes had different traditions. Coupled with the fact that they could not understand each other, they never questioned it.
Seeing her remove it now, their hearts raced. Being able to see the face of the priest who gave them fire.
Seeing her face for the first time, they couldn't help but think she was beautiful. Unlike most of the females in Arkash, her hair was not an array of colours. Most people can tell what tribe a person comes from based on their hair.
Hers was jet black, which was not common for their people.
Her features were more delicate. Her skin, sun-kissed. Her upturned eyes made her look mysterious. Her smile made her mischievous.
While they revered her as a priest, her beauty made them respond.
After taking off her face coverings, she was ready to talk. Too bad two men needed to talk with their dicks first.
Visha saw it. Xeno was standing right in front of her. And while the animal skin was able to cover, it couldn't hide what stood strong and proud in front of Visha.
She turned away from Xeno to look at Uri, only to see that he was in the same condition. Except his was more obvious. Because of his position, when he reacted, the loincloth shifted.
So unlike Xeno, who was covered, Uri was shown in all his glory.
Now, Visha wouldn't consider herself someone unknowledgeable about things like this, but seeing them both react and how big they were, she couldn't help but blush.
She cleared her throat, trying to ignore the butterflies that had suddenly started fluttering in her stomach.
"I'll ignore those," she said, offhandedly pointing to them. "We need to talk. Can you tell me where I am?"
Xeno and Uri were unashamed. Unlike Visha, who grew up in a "civilised" society, they grew up in a place that openly acknowledged pursuing your passions. They grew up hearing the moans and cries of their parents' mating call.
Uri was the first to answer, "We are close to the snake tribe."
"Snake tribe? Where is that? What country? What continent?"
Visha was confused because he mentioned the snake tribe instead of a country. She needed more than that, so she asked for more details.
"Arkash, Beast continent. This is no man's land. No tribe lives on these lands."
This made her even more confused. She didn't know any Arkash or Beast continent. So she turned to Xeno and asked.
"The place you found me. The snow wall. Where is that? Have you ever crossed it before? Or do you know anyone who can cross it?"
"The winter wall? It only appears during winter. We have never seen anyone cross it. This is where the wind wails live. They come with the wind and winter and leave when it is over."
What the fuck? I can hear him, I definitely hear him. The words singularly make sense, but together they're gibberish.
"What do you mean, it only appears in winter? Does it disappear or something?"
Both men nodded their heads. They didn't understand why Visha was so confused. Meanwhile, Visha felt as if her brain had short-circuited. A disappearing wall? That didn't make sense.
"Do you..."
She wasn't sure what to ask. The little information she has now seems absurd. But looking at them, it seems they really believe it.
"Is there a way for me to go back to that wall? I want to cross it."
The absolute horror on their face made Visha aware that it was unlikely they would be able to go with her. Regardless of the response, she needed to find a way.
"We cannot defeat the Wind Wails. Crossing means going into their territory. There are too many of them." Uri responded.
The horrors of the Wind Wail are etched in their mind. It is one thing to bravely fight for your tribe, but going into their territory means certain death. Only people who have given up on living would wait for winter to have a quick death.
"What are Wind Wails?" Vish realised she didn't know what it was.
"They are large, completely white creatures. They travel with the wind. Their eyes are completely red. They like to pretend to be snow mounds, either moving closer to their prey in the wind or waiting for them to come." This time, it was Xeno who answered.
Hearing the description, Visha realised that it was the things she had run from.
She didn't know what to say to them. She had to take the time to process. So she thanked them and went back to her corner of the cave, wrapping the animal skin tightly around herself.