Chapter 4: harvest and a pleasant surprise!
When Eric and Cross turned around, it was then that Vince asked:
” Do you guys believe that if one of these beasts was not injured, could we take it on?”
“…. NO” both of them replied
” this world is not normal! not like the previous, and these do not seem like prehistoric beasts as well, just look at these tattoos and spike on the skin of the snake, I don’t think we’ve ever seen something like this”
“Indeed, this is just too strange”
” anyways their corpses might help clear our doubt so we will dissect one and bring the other one to the village!” Vince proposed
The other two nodded.
” Cross carry the tiger and put it in the tree house! Eric come and help me drag the snake, watch out for the spikes!” Vince said.
At the village entrance, there was always 2 men on shift guarding the village, they readied some roughly made spears ready to attack when they heard the shuffling voice of the bush.
” Oh it’s little Eric and Vince, how was the hunt! huh! whaa-whaaaa-whaaaaat is that! Oh my god!” The older one said while stuttering, at first he saw just the two little boys coming out of the bush, a second later he saw what they were dragging and trembled.
The other was dumbfounded, but as soon as he reacted he hit the bell that was supposed to work as an informant for the villagers to gather.
Soon after The first at the scene was Rolland then a couple of elders and when they saw the scene, they too were dumbstruck.
” Hey Vince, where did you find that snake?” asked Rolland while swallowing his saliva.
” We hunted it!” replied Eric with a proud voice.
the villagers looked at each other thinking what has the world gone to?? how come the beast that most adults would die fighting got killed by 2 little kids. They felt that they have lived their life in vain.
” Where is little Cross?” asked Rolland in an agitated voice when he noticed Cross was missing.
” He had to pee, he’ll come after finishing,” said Eric
” Thank God! huuuh” Rolland sighed in relief and then asked
” Where did its wounds come from?”
” It was fighting with a tiger, we took the chance to ambush it while the tiger ran.”
” What! how can you do that! It’s way too dangerous! Luck was on your side this time! Don’t you ever do this again! Yo you hear me?! I said do you hear me!!” Rolland screamed in a severe voice.
That’s when Cross came out from a bush grinning foolishly , he was hiding so as to avoid getting scolded.
All of them nodded.
” it’s a joyous occasion for you to survive and bring this beast on your first hunt , we have another reason to feast now ! No one shall sleep tonight! HAHAHAHA!” Laughed Rolland.
” Another reason?” asked Cross
” Hahahah! you don’t know yet! your mother is pregnant! another member will join our family” replied Rolland with a smile.
The trio was dumbstruck. For them, it was always the three of them, and all of them felt that way, as, in their previous life, their mother was just too hurt by having 2 of her babies die so she didn’t want to have another tragedy as she couldn’t handle it.
They also thought that since 7 years passed , their parents also thought that 3 was enough , this was seemingly wrong .
Rolland grinned and asked :
” Do you want a brother or a sister?”
the trio was silent then small smiles crept up on their faces , this was indeed a joyous occasion. they now could take care and love their little sibling that was on the way.
” a sister!” all of them replied at the same time
This time even Vince talked! he was usually silent! and rarely talked to anyone besides his two brothers even their father! only their mother was an exception as he had a deep relation with his mother with the way she treated him since young. One could say like a favorite , while in fact, she loved all her children the same, she took extra care for him as he didn’t talk much and hadn’t opened up to anyone. He remembers her saying ” I don’t care if you don’t open up to others as long as you open up to me” with tears all over her face. That was the first time his mother heard his voice.
Eric and Cross were not jealous, they realized that their mother was just afraid for her son so they encouraged him to open up a bit to her which yielded good results. She was smiling non stop for a week. Vince saw that just a word from him made her this happy for a week and felt a bit guilty inside yet happy for the care she has given him was much too obvious. As such he started talking to her a bit more and more . His Father too was happy about it and they had a feast at their house that night.
the feast ended and just when the sun shone , the trio was in their base trying to figure out how to deal with the tiger.
” No matter how I look at these tattoos their patter is just weird” muttered Vince
” Cross skin it and keep the skin intact , try not to damage it! it could sell for a lot!” said Eric with glee
Cross grumbled and grabbed a skinning knife and plunged it but no matter how he did it it would not penetrate the skin. he got up and looked at them with a confused look.
Vince said nothing and threw his word to him .
Cross caught it , and tried again , the same result. A question then popped up and sweat started forming feeling their backs go cold.
” then how did it die?”
Vince reacted fast grabbing his sword using all his might stabbing towards the wound it had on its skull . stabbing once twice and thrice, it was then that the sword found its way inside the skull and the tiger’s body started trembling then finally died down with a sword stuck in its head.
a moment of silence.
” Your hit on its skull and the snake’s poison must have kept it unconscious!” said Vince.
“Holy shit! we almost fucked up big time! i can’t imagine if it woke up and got released into the village ! fuck their mother what kind of damned beast is this!” Cross said while wiping sweat from his forehead.
” Confirm that it’s dead,” Eric said .
They pushed the sword with their power and there was still no reaction confirming its death.
” This beast is too strong and must be very precious, I suggest we don’t let anyone find out, and since we can’t even skin it with steel, I guess the only thing that might work in this village is father’s ax,” said Vince.
the axe was their family heirloom and was the strongest weapon in the village .
” Cross ask father to lend it to you for practice ” Eric suggested
” I’ ll be right back!” he rushed off coming back 5 min later holding an axe almost as tall as him . he told them to back off using all his might swinging down to cut off the head. it took 5 times using all his might to finally cut the head off.
“indeed, ain’t no way in hell this is an ordinary beast,” Cross said
” I think we should eat it,” Eric said
” huh ?” the two looked at him
” I feel desire when I look at it , don’t you feel the same?” Eric
” I thought it was just me!” Vince
” I want its head! I feel an urge to eat it right here and now!” declared Cross
” Then you get the head, and we’ll get the other parts, but how do we cook it? Will ordinary fire even manage to harm its skin?” Eric
” Then do we have to eat it raw?” Cross
” I guess so, now shut up and start eating” Vince
” I can’t believe we re doing this!” Eric
A weird thing happened, they indeed ate it raw, and they had not noticed that once they started, they did not stop and the skin which steel could not hurt got torn easily by their teeth. They found themselves in an ethereal state just eating, their stomach did not get bloated even after finishing a tiger this big. Cross even swallowed a pearl while not noticing that it was inside the brain. another weird thing was there was no resistance to the gory scene and no reluctance. Their state was an ethereal one!
When they finished , they woke up and got shocked at what happened , before they could even express their, they felt their body burning and blood rushing at an unprecedented speed and they fainted.
