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Fire consumes a village. Tribal men and women run away into the dense jungle. The jungle of all places was their only haven from the war that would unfold before them. They were desperate to escape the flames and the chaos. Apes from the Mizian Clan attacked the armed men of the village ferociously. Both sides clash in an epic war. Shintiro sees visions of his village being destroyed.
The flames leaped up from the village, reaching into the sky with a hunger that threatened to devour everything in its path. Tribal men and women screamed, their voices echoing through the jungle as they ran for their lives. Their terror was palpable, and their desperation was heartbreaking.
The apes from the Mizian Clan, led by their leader King Soren, were swift and savage in their attack. They raced through the trees, their teeth bared and their eyes ablaze with fierce determination. Arrows flew high in the air. The tribal men would hit an ape or two, but they just kept coming with even more rage. The armed men, outnumbered and outmatched, tried to hold them off, but the apes were too strong.
Shintiro watched the battle unfolding before him and felt a deep sorrow and a sense of anger at what was happening. The vision of his village being destroyed, the screams of his people, haunted him, making him feel powerless to stop it.
As the battle raged on, the flames grew higher, and the cries of the villagers echoed throughout the jungle. Shintiro's heart was heavy with grief. He wakes up suddenly from a dream. He gasped for air. He scans the jungle left and right after awakening, realizing he fell asleep. He was near the Mighty Mizian River. He held his dagger firmly in his hand. He must have dosed off due to the exhaustion he felt searching for his green Guardian Stone.
Shintiro’s eyes widened, realizing something. He springs up from the ground turning his body around in one fluid motion. He whips out his dagger quickly with no hesitation. He lifts his arm with the dagger in hand pointing it straight to the direction of the tribal woman's throat.
“Luntra…” Shintiro holds his ground with the dagger’s tip very close to her neck. The tribal woman does not flinch. She wasn’t frightened at all nor felt threatened by his dagger. She notices the injury he had to his arm. It was slowly healing. He had large leaves with some herbs wrapped around the wound.
Shintiro smiles and looks to his left and right. “You are alone I see. Such a foolish mistake.”
“Why are you here, Shintiro? Did you get lost in the jungle? I’m surprised you’re not dead yet.” She says mockingly.
Shintiro lowers his dagger. He didn’t see her as a threat. He puts the dagger away. “You know why I’m out here.”
“Oh, yes. I forgot. It was so many years ago. You are chasing after something that will only get you killed. Those evil stones… Viktu!” Aggression can be seen on the tribal woman’s face.
“I have a stone Luntra. It is just gone right now. But I will find it…” Disappointment can be seen on Shintiro’s face when he said that. “When I do find it, I will seek out all the other stones, then you will all witness my power.”
“Power? Maltuuk!” She yelled out a word in their native tongue. “You’ve wasted your life. You’re nothing but a pathetic man, looking for stones of little to no value. I should not be talking to you. If anyone from the village sees us talking, they will have me killed.” She slowly backs away from Shintiro. “I thought being out here would change you, make you a better person, even bring some sense back into that small head of yours. But I was wrong to approach you.”
“You do not know how it feels to hold the stone. How could you know? You do not possess one yourself. If you did, you would feel the raw power it contains. It’s a feeling unlike any other. I have only scratched the surface of the stone’s potential.” 161Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrMXX1eunfR
“Listen to yourself! You sound like a madman. You used to be a great leader. Those days are now gone. Now our village is divided… We are no longer the same. Our people's spirit is broken. I will unite our people once again.”
The fierce tribal woman, Luntra, stands her ground. She narrows her eyes at him. Shintiro points his finger at her. “You? You are not a leader. You will fail in your attempt to unite the villages. With the power of the stones, I will do it.” Shintiro points to himself, his index finger pressed against his chest.
"Shintiro," she says, "you are on a fool's quest. The Guardian Stones will only lead to destruction."
Shintiro scoffs at her words, "Destruction? It is power I seek, Luntra. A power that I know I can wield." He looked down at the ground, his gaze then drifted towards the river that took his green Guardian Stone away.
Luntra shakes her head. Shintiro's eyes flash with anger, but he takes a deep breath and tries to contain it. "I will find it, Luntra," he says, his voice low and dangerous. "And when I do, the whole world will feel my power."
He looked up, and to his surprise, she was gone. He scans to the left and then to the right.
Luntra watches him go. She hides amongst the cover of the dense bushes of the jungle. A mixture of pity and disgust can be seen in her eyes as she shakes her head. She knows that Shintiro is beyond reason, that his obsession with the Guardian Stones has consumed him completely. And yet, she still holds out hope for him, hoping that one day he will see the error of his ways and return to the tribe as the leader he once was. But for now, she knows that he is a lost cause, a man consumed by his desires and ambitions, a man who has lost sight of the true meaning of power and leadership.
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“Nothing. We’ve been searching all day long and still, nothing. Like I’ve said before Ruog, this jungle is just massive.” Alaska pouts and gives out a sigh of frustration.
“Do not be pessimistic. This is only the second day of your search,” Ruog uses his staff to separate the dense foliage to move about, “Searching along the Mighty Mizian River is the most probable chance that you have to find them.” Alaska squeezes under while he lifts a large leaf with his staff. The usual jungle sounds are all around them. They keep their guard up as they search for you, Inkagi, and Pyro.
It was a treacherous hike through the jungle. They kept their distance from the river just in case. They did not want to attract the attention of any predators. They used the thick jungle as their camouflage to stay hidden from any potential dangers. Although the journey down the river was difficult Alaska was able to keep up with Ruog’s pace.
It was a rough walk, but Alaska was in good spirits. Ruog was the one leading the way and she had to trust him. Along the way, Alaska noticed Ruog gathering some branches and a small stone. She wondered if he was going to use them to start a fire. As they took a break, Alaska sat on a large stone. They decided to rest and drink some water. Alaska saw how Ruog constructed a bow and an arrow with some tools he had in an animal-skinned bag. He sharpens the small stone and makes it the tip of his arrow.
Alaska was impressed with his ingenuity. “You never taught me this,” She points to the bow and arrow.
Ruog looks up at her. “I’ll teach you how to make these soon enough. Your staff for now is your most valuable tool.”
“Oh, I know,” Alaska takes a sip of water from an animal-skinned bag she had around her chest. She smiles, “But a bow and arrow are so much cooler than a wooden stick. Wouldn’t you agree?” Ruog shakes his head as he puts the finishing touches on his new bow and arrow.
As they walk along the edge of the river, they suddenly hear the sound of water flowing, the sound of a waterfall. It is a sound they have not heard before, but it is a welcome one. They follow the sound, eager to find its source. As they approach, they see the waterfall, a towering pillar of water tumbling down the side of the riverbank. It is a beautiful sight, one that fills Alaska with hope and determination. They take that time to pause for a moment to catch their breath, to drink from the cool, clear water, and to rest. They know that they must continue their search for Alaska’s friends, but this moment of respite gives them the strength to carry on.
The jungle was hot and there were insects everywhere. Alaska and Ruog traverse through trees and overgrown foliage. Alaska and Ruog pass by old ruins of an ancient building. Ruog takes a quick look at it and continues without care. Alaska asks curiously what the mysterious structure in front of them is. Ruog stops in his tracks and pauses for a second. "It's nothing. Let's keep moving. We have to head back to the hut." Ruog says, uninterested in the sight.
"No, I am going to check it out." Alaska goes forward to inspect it further. Alaska and Ruog come to a clearing, and as they step out, they see a stone bench and a building.
“Stop being so stubborn. We do not have time for this.”
Alaska couldn't help but feel intrigued by the ruins of the ancient building, wishing she could explore it further. She could see the massive structure from a distance. She wondered who built such a large structure and for what purpose. “I’ve never seen something like this before.”
But she knew in the back of her mind that they didn't have time to stop and investigate. They needed to focus on finding you, Inkagi, and Pyro, and they had to keep moving.
“I’ve seen it once before. They say that this is one of many structures built by the Ancients.”
“Who?” Alaska turns to Ruog scratching her head.
“The Ancients. A long-forgotten people, of a world that disappeared many, many years ago. Your friend that has the red Guardian Stone, is but a small fragment of the civilization that once was. This building is just one of many. The main structure where all the Ancients once lived dwarfs this building in comparison. No one dares to go to that structure.” Ruog zones out as he stares at the ruins.
Alaska looked over at Ruog, his eyes focused on the massive building. She could tell he was in an almost awestruck trance as his words began to trail off.
“Hey!” Alaska helps him snap out of it. He shakes his head. It was as if a high-pitched humming noise was penetrating his mind.
“Sorry… I do not know what came over me.” Ruog looked at his hands, they were shaking. Alaska did not feel comfortable staying any longer near the ruins after seeing Ruog behave in such a manner.
“Something is off.” Alaska shakes her head. She gulps and closes her eyes for a few seconds, “Come on, we should go. This place is starting to creep me out.” Ruog nods his head in agreement.
Alaska and Ruog turn around. As they disappear into the jungle Alaska turns her head to look at the building one last time. She remembers what Inkagi had said about the Ancient Civilization and the Guardian Stones’ existence connected to such a place. She felt something odd inside her, an uneasy feeling resonating from the ruins of the Ancients.
She had no idea what was causing her uneasy feeling, but this feeling tugged at her heart. She looked at the broken tower in the distance. Alaska turned her attention away from the ancient ruins and towards the dense jungle that lay ahead. She and Ruog walked in silence for a while, the sounds of the jungle filling the space between them. She followed Ruog's lead and began to make their way back through the jungle, their progress slowed by the dense foliage.
“Ruog…” Alaska was the first to break the silence, “How do you know so much about the Ancient Civilization?” Alaska was still curious about knowing more about the Guardian Stones.
“Information gets around quickly among the different villages. Merchants spread the information fast, for a price of course.”
“Uhm, where did they go, the Ancients? I wonder… Are they still around? Why do the Guardian Stones exist?” Ruog was getting tired of all the questions as they headed back up the river to get back to the hut.
He turns around to face her. “Look, I do not know all the answers. This is all rumors and tales and speculations and legends of a people that used to exist. Now they do not. Let’s leave it for now at that.” He turns around and walks away from her.
Alaska could see he was annoyed with the sudden bombardment of questions. She knew that Ruog was getting tired of answering question after question. She could tell by the tone of his voice and his body language. She made a mental note to tone down her curiosity and only ask when it was necessary. It wasn't that she didn't want to know the answers to her questions, it was just that she didn't want to annoy her mentor. She respected him too much to do that. She decides to keep her curiosity in check for now.
As they walked for miles up the river and through the jungle, Alaska could start to feel the burn of the trip on her legs. She was exhausted. Sweat rolled down her face as she took another sip of water that was starting to run low. She looks at the river and wonders when will Ruog decide to take another break so they could refill their animal-skinned sacks back up with fresh water. She also notices the sun starting to set on the horizon. It was obvious that they weren’t going to make it on time back to the hut before dark. She could sense Ruog picking up the pace as they went along.
Alaska’s knees and back started to hurt. It’s been hours and they’re nowhere close yet to the hut. Suddenly, Alaska's tired legs gave out and she stumbled forward, falling flat on her face in the dirt. She lay there for a moment, panting and exhausted. Ruog turned around quickly to check on her as she lay on the ground, her face covered in a mix of sweat and dirt. "Alaska," he called out. "Alaska, get up. We need to keep moving. It’s starting to get dark." He held out his hand, attempting to help her up.
When she finally got up with his help, she took a moment to breathe and wipe her face clean. “Ruog, how much farther do…” Suddenly Ruog pushes Alaska to the cover of a tree where both he and she used to shield themselves from the clearing that was in front of them. Ruog placed his hand over her mouth as he pushed her toward the tree. His sudden actions startled her. He then places his index finger over his mouth signaling to her to be quiet. They both look toward the edge of the tree to see what exactly Ruog saw.
It was a man standing in the clearing looking down at the river. He can then be seen crouching down to get a closer look at the river. He looked at the flowing water with his cold lifeless eyes.
Alaska’s eyes widened. She couldn’t believe it. It was Shintiro digging his hand into the river, pulling out stones one by one.
“That’s him… Shintiro.” She whispers.
“I see.” Rugo looked at him from a distance and stepped forward around the tree’s edge to get a better look. The waters of the river were calm in the area they were in. As Ruog steps forward he unintentionally snaps a tree twig under his foot. A drop of cold sweat rolls down his face as he realizes he made a grave mistake.
Shintiro’s ears picked up on the sudden snapping of the twig. He quickly looks to his right and gets up from where he had kneeled. He draws his dagger preparing for anything that would come out of the jungle to attack him.
Alaska watched in horror as Shintiro held his dagger at the ready, his knuckles tense from the force of his grip. He was ready for an attack, ready to defend himself. But there was no attacker, no one came out of the jungle to attack him. Just the silence of the jungle and the sound of the river rushing past.
He was confused so he stepped forward to investigate the source of the sound. She strategically maneuvers the dagger forward in front of his body, so that he is prepared to strike at a moment's notice.
He creeps forward, slowly. Alaska’s mind was going wild. Her heart began to race wondering what Ruog would do if Shintiro got any closer. She had faith in his fighting abilities, but it was obvious she was terrified. Her hands began to shake as the only thing that came to her mind was to grab her wooden staff and grip it in front of her body.
Ruog thinks quickly and grabs his bow and arrow. Shintiro looks to his left and then to his right. His heart was pounding wondering what exactly made that noise. That’s when Ruog raises his bow and arrow and shoots it across the river into the dense foliage of the jungle.
Shintiro notices the foliage shaking, moving from left to right. He was not aware that an arrow had just dashed past the river and fallen through the jungle shrubs. Shintiro acts fast by jumping into the river using the last bit of energy in him to get to the shrubs that were shaking. “Come out!” He yells in the direction of the shrubs. He slashes his dagger into the foliage, shaving down some of the leaves. Then Shintiro looked down. Something caught his eye. He notices something on the ground. He picks up the arrow with a confused look on his face. He looks behind himself over his shoulder. He noticed the direction the arrow was positioned on the ground and came to the realization that it came in the direction of the other side of the river.
“Someone was here.” He rubs his chin thinking to himself. When he turned back something massive emerged from the jungle right in front of him. He fumbles back in shock as he drops his dagger to the ground. It steps over his dagger preventing him from making a quick reach for it.
Shintiro frantically moves his body back away from the unknown silhouette as it steps forward out of the shade of the jungle into full view. He gulps as he gets a clear view of what it was.
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