Alfred steadily opened his eyes and repeatedly closed them again, trying to understand what had happened. The first thing he saw was an odd yellow stone hanging under the ceiling. A ceiling that also raised another question, as it was made from animal hides sewn together, which confused him even further.
It took him several seconds before he recalled the incident, snapping him fully from his grogginess.
"I'm alive… but where am I?"
He looked around, scanning his surroundings to further understand his situation.
It appeared he was inside a tent, a dome-like tent. Around him were all sorts of tools usually used by primitive people: baskets made from leaves, ornaments made from animal bones, a bed of hardwood covered with animal furs for comfort, and a blanket made of the same materials.
'Did the tribal people save me?'
Wanting to know more, he decided to stand up, but he fell back as his body cried from the pain in his muscles.
"That was painful…"
Then, his attention was quickly drawn away by a person entering the tent. It was a girl, maybe around 18, and in her hands was a wooden bowl with white steam rising from it.
She had tan skin and long black hair, which complemented her oceanic eyes. She wore fur clothes and a headband with two feathers sticking out. Everything about the young lady emanated gentleness, calming those around her.
"You are finally awake," she said happily, then approached him and sat on the small, circular chair covered with animal fur, her demeanor casual.
The chair was so small and low that it seemed to be merely a means of separating a person from sitting directly on the dirt.
Alfred swallowed his saliva due to how beautiful the girl was, also probably from a delicious scent in the air.
Yet, even though she seemed nice, he couldn't help but be cautious.
Then again, these people rescued him; shouldn't he give them a bit of his trust?
He wondered if he should greet her or ask where he was, but the simple thought of talking to a stranger already made him panicky.
"Are you okay?" The girl questioned and extended her hand towards Alfred's face. "Do you feel sick or anything?"
Flinching, Alfred instinctively avoided the girl.
"Ah, I am sorry, I did not mean to scare you." The tan girl withdrew her hand with a reassuring smile. "I am Aponi. What is your name?"
Alfred hesitated, but he felt guilty avoiding the hand of the young girl. Thus, he mustered his courage and answered.
"A-Alfred."
"What a unique name." Aponi tilted her head. "May I know the meaning behind it? Mine is a butterfly. It is embarrassing, but my mother chose the name due to her fondness for them. How about you?"
'Meaning? What does she mean by that…? Wait a moment. Now that I think about it, she was using a foreign language, so how come I can understand her? What the hell is going on!?'
Confusion grew inside him. Unknown place, unknown people, and unknown language. As if he were in an entirely different world.
He instantly threw the idea though; that was impossible after all.
"Is there something wrong?" Aponi asked in worry. "You do not have to tell me the meaning of your name if you do not want to."
Alfred nodded, afraid to utter a word. He had no idea how, but it appeared he could also speak the unknown language, as his mind naturally used it as the voice in his head.
"Anyway, it was a good thing I brought soup," Aponi said while raising the bowl she was holding. "You should eat. You have been sleeping for almost two days; you must be starving. Do you want me to help you sit up?"
Shaking his head, Alfred panicked when he imagined it. He would freeze if a beautiful girl like Aponi touched him.
Therefore, even if his whole body ached, he endured it and slowly pushed himself up.
Upon successfully sitting up, the blanket that covered him fell, revealing his lean body underneath.
He had failed to notice it last time due to the circumstances, but seeing the perfectly aligned six-pack on his abdomen widened his eyes.
'This doesn't seem right. When did I have this kind of body? Surely I would have known if I worked out.'
However, before he could examine his entire being, a group of people entered the tent, interrupting his line of thought…
###
Somewhere inside the tribe, in a much larger tent.
Four people were sitting, discussing something with serious faces.
"Elders, I am against letting him stay in our tribe," a muscular man with long red hair and fiery red eyes said. Like Alfred, he too wore a loincloth made from animal hides.
His eyes were full of respect as he stared at the three Elders sitting across from him.
"I understand your worry, Vir, but the situation of our tribe is dire," the old man in the middle of the two other Elders replied.
He had a skinny body filled with scars, signifying that he was a veteran warrior. His long white hair cascaded behind him, reaching almost to his waist, paired with a long white beard, covering almost half of his face. His gentle blue eyes stared at Vir with understanding. Even with his weak-looking stature, the authority in his voice was unmistakable, a stark contrast to his kind eyes.
"We have to do everything in our power to survive, and that young man has something that might change our situation," the Elder continued.
"I agree with Chief Viren." The Elder on the left spoke.
She had long white hair with a bunch of things tying it around, making it seem messy. Her deep hazel eyes were full of knowledge that was hungry for more. Despite her old age and wrinkly skin, her body and face still had the evidence of her youthful beauty. Accessories made from different animal bones decorated her neck and arms, each with a different design.
"Even I, the shaman of this tribe, could not decipher a single word from that book," she added while staring at the old brown book sitting in the middle of them. "That book contains ancient language that perhaps has the solution to our growing problem. If that young man can provide us with an answer, I will let him stay here as long as it takes."
"But we do not know that, Shaman Catori," Vir responded calmly. "We do not even know which tribe he belongs to. What if he is from that tribe? We are endangering our people for something uncertain."
"Vir's statement is not wrong." The last Elder on the right supported Vir.
He had a bald head, a bulky build, and a stubble chin. His green eyes examined everything as if they could penetrate the soul. His muscles are smaller than Vir's, and his body lacks scars like Chieftain Viren, but it didn't mean he was less than them.
While Vir's demeanor oozed with might, and Chieftain Viren with authority. The Elder had a confident air around him that would not be outdone by anyone.
"I am rather concerned about the background of the young man. Possessing such an item is a subject of suspicion. However, it does not mean I do not understand what Chief Viren and Shaman Catori imply. Desperate times call for desperate measures." He cleared up.
"Even you, Elder Ahote? I do not understand. Why are the three Elders so sure that the book is something important?" Vir glanced at the worn-out brown cover of the book. "How can we be sure the content of the book is not a mere symbol with no meaning? Is there something I am missing?"
"These letters and symbols are familiar to us Elders." Chief Viren nodded in confirmation. "You may not comprehend it right now, but soon, when you inherit my position, you will know why the content of this seemingly unimpressive book is important."
"Why are you so worried, Vir?" Shaman Catori followed. "In that young man's condition, I do not think he can do any harm to our tribe. Also, if we learn that he cannot give us what we need, we can always kick him out."
"That is a bit harsh, Shaman Catori?" Elder Ahote gave her a sideways glance. "With that young man's condition, he will not survive even a day out there in the wild."
"Why are you suddenly concerned?" Shaman Catori retorted. "I thought you were also suspicious of that young man?"
"Yes, I am," Elder Ahote confirmed. "But that does not mean we should just let him die."
"Stop your arguing." Chief Viren raised his right hand, taming the situation. "We do not have time to fight among ourselves; it will only worsen our tribe's circumstances."
Elder Ahote and Shaman Catori halted as they were fully aware of the tribe's predicament.
Vir, on the other hand, frowned slightly. The decision of the Elders was not to his liking, but his respect towards them prevented him from objecting.
As the head of the hunters, he could only do his job and protect the tribe from threats.
"Elders, I have something to report." A voice from the outside halted their conversation.
"What is it?" Chief Viren inquired.
"The outsider is awake."
"I see, go back, we will go there," Chief Viren ordered, then looked at Vir and the two Elders. "It seems we will have our answer soon. Should we meet our guest?"