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– If a flame is born in your gaze in the engraving, then it will definitely be carved, and more than once! All hunters will walk with such an engraving,» Veles declared convincingly.
«You know,» Barda thought for a moment, «I want to be a leader one day.
The young hunter looked proudly at his elder brother.
«It’s a difficult path, Barda… probably. Although, how would I know? Veles patted Barda on the shoulder and smiled. «You’ll have to grow a braid longer than Roshan’s and bring back just a little – two heads of a Gigantosaurus!» The watchman laughed. – Do you remember? When we were very young, did Roshan return from hunting with the head of a giant?
Barda broke into a smile.
– Yes Yes! Then everyone in the tribe only talked about it.
«And Hord that evening at the fire told us that Roshan the night before, for the first time in unity, turned the prana of Pangea into flame, and then he carved the first symbol of the first people on the tip of his spear.
– Aha! Bard confirmed. – And when he knew the flame, he promised his relatives that he would defeat the indestructible lizard and the carved symbol would reveal prana. And that this prana will unite the strength and spirit of every hunter and shaman.
The watchmen were silent for a moment.
«The Gigantosaurus was defeated, and at the moment of the fatal blow, people saw through the eyes of their ancestors how Roshan’s body acquired incredible power, and the tip of the spear blazed with a green glow,» with solemn faces in one voice, the brothers retold the story of Hord, who every three or four hundred moons to youngsters the fire broadcast the same story about the feat of the leader. – That’s how Roshan became the first leader of the first people! – the brothers again immediately blurted out the words of an experienced huntsman, imitating his own manner of speaking, and burst out laughing in unison.
Raising their spirits and laughing enough, the relatives fell silent for a moment. Everyone thought about something of their own.
Suddenly, something rustled behind a ledge at the path that led down to other caves. The watchmen pricked up their ears.
«Someone can’t sleep…» whispered Barda, listening.
«Yeah… Stop!» Who goes? Veles jokingly ordered in a voice.
But in response, apart from gusts of wind and the snoring of the elders, nothing followed.
– Hey! Who’s there? asked Barda louder.
The answer is nothing. The brothers looked at each other. A sound was heard again. As if something heavy hit the ground. Then there was a distinct crackling of the bushes.
«I’ll go and see who it got in the middle of the night.» Barda jumped off the ledge and headed down the path. Soon his call was heard: – Veles, come here!
– What else is there? – Veles lazily wandered to the request.
Barda turned to his younger brother. Barda’s eyeballs were turned into reptilian ones, and he held a spear at the ready.
– What happened, brother? Veles took out a huge knife from his belt.
– There’s no one here! No one answers the call and the call, but some noise was again at the lower cliffs.
– Raise the alarm? – With these words, the sentinel took the bugle out of the bag.
– No, Veles, wait. We’ll handle it ourselves! The Lazoons must have sneaked into the village again to feed on supplies. Lead me!
And the relatives began to descend down the illuminated path, peering into every bush, checking every rocky nook.
Having outwitted the sentinels, in the meantime, the young, having passed the sleeping elders, slipped into the cave leading to the Temple of the Creator. In the middle of the way, in the place where the corridor forked into three channels, the teenagers and the leader’s daughter stopped. In a dispute about whether it is worth going along the illuminated path or is it better to climb over the barriers and go through the dark corridors, where the likelihood of running into the next sentinels was reduced to a small one, Ronin won. As if he once heard from the hunters that all three moves lead to the Temple. The teenager pulled out a blazing light from the wall and led the young relatives along the narrowed tunnel to the right channel.
***
As soon as the detachment returned to the camp, the sentinels immediately informed Brun about the events of the previous night: about the flash and the newborn star, about the leader’s campaign to the Temple of the Creator, about what the tribesmen had heard, how the elders had spoken about the premonition of Zavrini. As if the spirits of the ancestors suddenly turned to the elders and shamans.
The news of the star did not surprise Brun. He and the hunters also spotted a star and lightning. But the rumor about the mysterious urge was very strange. What the spirits were talking about, none of the sentinels knew. The watchmen only heard out of the corner of their ear how the elders talked about the spirits. In addition, something strange happened to Illy, the young beater, during the persecution of the Polosuns: she was suddenly overtaken by unity and insight at the same time. At least that’s how Brun and the other hunters in the squad took it.
How are you, Illy? – the leader ran his hand through the strands of the maiden, straightening the tangled black curls. – Are you not hungry?
She was lying on the bed. Her eyes were still transformed into the strange appearance of Zavrini’s eyes: the squirrels shimmered with shades of scarlet, and the black irises seemed to merge with the pupils and gave the pale face of the mature huntress an eerie and at the same time captivating charm. The sight of the young maiden, like a predatory gaze piercing with determination, froze Brun’s soul, and with a long contemplation of her gaze, a chilling shiver ran through the body of the leader of the Great Hunt.
It’s all right, Brun. Until you’re hungry. But you look terrible,» Illy answered with a grin. «If it wasn’t for your voice, I wouldn’t have believed it was you.» Her cheekbones and the scaly lines under her eyes puckered up in a smile. – This is so strange. The eyes of the ancestors are not what I imagined,» the maiden spread her hands. Everything is so pale in here. Everything but you.» She gently touched the leader’s cheek. «You are completely different, Brun… Your flesh… And those sounds in my ears. I can hear your heart beating. I can hear you, Brun. And what is happening outside I hear… And the fire, Brun! Fire – it is very strange, as if it was created from luminous dust.
«Don’t worry, Illy, I sent for Inga. She will cure your eyes,» the kinsman assured.
The young lady nodded.
«Will you tell everyone how good I was at tracking down the reptiles?»
«Of course I will!» You’re doing great, Illy! Now rest. Try to sleep,» Brun answered and hugged the beater.
Having risen to the House of Hunters, Brun’s detachment lit fires and lamps. Trouble immediately began in the settlement. The Pathfinders went to the wells for water, the rest bustled about in the huts. In the clearing in front of the tents, the hunters piled up the Polosuns, who had fallen in the grove. This time there was plenty of prey, and the sentinels were very surprised.
For six nights, the detachment hunted down two dozen lizards, and these reptiles were dexterous rogues: striped herbivores, slightly larger than the knees of adults, knew how to hide in time from an alien gaze and always moved silently. Inhabited in small flocks of five to ten lizards, the Stripers were careful to ensure that no one approached them. And if suddenly the flock was in danger, then there were always reptiles in it, which, risking for the sake of the family, deliberately attracted an unfriendly gaze and led the persecutors away from their relatives. In addition, the Polosuns began to leave the grove. Whether roaming behind heavy rains, or because of the numerical reproduction of the Raptors, or for some other unknown reason, the smart reptiles have long ceased to be seen. Therefore, the sentinels could not even imagine how the tribesmen managed to drive so many lizards for such a short absence. Apparently, the flames of Pangea and the benevolent light of the Great Fire bestowed impeccable agility and luck on the squad.
Having kindled the fires, some hunters began to skin their catch. Separating the skin from the flesh, they immediately cut off the tidbits and roasted them at the stake. Quite tired and hungry, the rangers ate juicy cuts of tenderloin, treated them to the lookouts and heatedly discussed the hunt, the mysterious unity, Illy’s epiphany and the flash last night.
Brun left the hut. His robe, bone armor and body were heavily stained with the blood of the slain lizards. And even on the head, among the braided blond braids, one could see bloody curls. Fresh bruises oozed on the leader’s pale face. Around his narrowed gray eyeballs and on his scaly cheekbones, there were traces of martial color. The blurred juice of the cycad on Brun’s face was mixed with the blood of reptiles during the persecution, and now only worn, filthy remnants remain of the skillfully drawn sketches.
Throwing off his bulky armor, Brun looked around. In the House of Hunters, juveniles were already running everywhere. Women met their men, gave them jewelry and attention. On the fires, vats were boiling with might and main, and dishes were being prepared from fresh pulp. The camp has become quite lively. The leader turned and looked at the glow of the whirlwind that blazed over the settlement, and then fixed his eyes on the sky – at the twinkling red star. It seemed to the hunter that she had become a little larger, and her radiance intensified. Brown thought…
Brun, my friend! Radon greeted. You came back so fast! How was the hunt? Hope all is well? – the senior watchman hugged his fellow tribesman.
– Oh, Radon! The hunter patted the watchman on the shoulder. – Greetings, Radon! Everyone is alive, yes, but Illy’s hunting… I don’t know where to start.
Next came Hord, Varn and Valan.
– Good catch, Brun! Where are you after such a flock … – the experienced hunter wanted to take an interest in fishing, but Radon interrupted him:
– Wait, Hord! What’s up with Illy?
«Let’s go to the hut,» Brun called. – You need to see this.
The tribesmen entered the tent. Illy was already asleep, and Brun carefully lifted her eyelids so as not to wake her up.
In the name of Pangea! Valan whispered. – My child… What’s wrong with her?
«That’s what I wanted to ask you, Valan,» Brun answered.
Kindred began to consider the embodiment of the eyes of a young maiden, which did not subside even in a dream.
«The eyes are as black as night, and the pupils seem to have merged with the irises,» Valan remarked. And the squirrels are red…
The elders thought.
***
Darkness shrouded the vision of Varnus, and suddenly children’s voices were heard in the darkness:
– Where is he?
– Don’t know…
He’s the last one, right?
«Taro, if we don’t catch him before it gets dark, then tomorrow you will be the Hunter again!» – With difficulty restraining laughter, said a young man.
– We’ll catch it. Check each bush. He is cunning! Couldn’t he have escaped from the camp?! His sentinels would be under…
The childish voice faded into silence.
Immediately, right in front of the vision of the one-eyed, fiery eyes flared up, and in them the pupils were blacker than night, and overnight Varnus thought a familiar voice:
Do you hear what I’m telling you, Varn?
***
– What are you standing for? Find, I say, Inga. She and Ana are somewhere here in the Hunter’s House. Let Bruna come to the hut, and Ana too! Valan exclaimed.
– Oh yes. Fine! the one-eyed one caught on.
Confused Varn went to carry out the assignment, and the rest looked after him in bewilderment and continued to discuss Illy’s gaze.
– I don’t know what it is, Valan. Maybe it’s some kind of disease? How many diseases have we cured? Hord turned to the sage. «This is the first time I see this and I don’t remember this in any of my ancestors until Alak himself.
Valan didn’t answer. He peered into the eyes of the beater for a long time, and suddenly exclaimed:
«Her eyes – the whites of her eyes – are like starlight!» With a newborn star! Everyone looked at the old man in surprise. – They shimmer with scarlet, as if a star burns in her eyes! Valan continued to admire.
Brun looked inquiringly at Radon, and the rest of the relatives began to look closely and really noticed the resemblance to the red luminary, only blackening irises interfered with the incomparable community.
«And the blackness points to the night!» Valan exclaimed again.
– Yah! Do you really think, Valan, that a born star and her eyes are united?! Radon immediately hesitated.
«Hmm…» thought the old shaman. Roshan will tell us about it.
– Wait, wait, Valan, Radon! Are you talking about the red star that lit up last night? Brun didn’t understand.
– Exactly! Valan exclaimed.
And the relatives told the leader of the Great Hunt about the past events. And they told about the foreboding of Zavrini.
– Here is the news! – the leader was amazed. «We saw both the lightning and the star. And how the luminaries dazzled and the colo shone – they did not notice. There was no time to look at the sky in the fishery. And we didn’t hear spirits. What does «run» mean?
– That’s what it means! The spirits want us to leave the Great Volcano, Brun. Me, Valan, Viksha, Hann and the leader heard the call at the same time! Hord exclaimed. «This has never happened before!
«Warn us about something,» Valan added. – And we have to wait for Roshan.
«And how long will he have to wait?» I was told that he went to the caves in the morning,» Brun asked.
«We’ll wait as long as it takes,» said Hord. – When our ancestor Alak was looking for a cure for diseases, he was in unity for two nights and found it. Therefore, we are waiting for the leader. There is no other!
«And if he doesn’t come back the second night?» Radon suggested.
«He will come back,» the experienced hunter confidently answered. – Will be back!
***
«There were still two days left before the alien paths,» Brun began the tale. – We got only something to the second ravine and decided to make a halt. Many of you know Illy. She cannot live without trees. A little something – immediately on araucaria. Well, she climbed from one tree to another to see what was going on behind the ravine. We didn’t worry about her at all. Her dexterity – everyone can envy. And now, she comes back to us and breathes so heavily, as if she was in a hurry. She returns and says that she has tracked down the flock – there are fifteen Polosunov. Many laughed, and I, along with them. Where is it seen that the beater without the embodiment of the hunter Polosun tracked down?! Brun was indignant, pointing at his eyes with his hand.
The elders and sentinels nodded approvingly, agreeing with the reasoning of the leader.
– Well, who will believe? the leader of the Great Hunt continued to escalate. – She’s serious! We went there – to convince the young maiden that it seemed to her. But it was not there! Brun waved his hand. «The beneficent light of the Great Fire really spotted a couple of Stripers for us exactly where Illy led us.
From this news, the relatives groaned with surprise, and the rangers who arrived from the Great Hunt, praising the young beater, stomped.
«It became clear that a flock was grazing nearby,» Brun said. «In two days, apart from the Vultures and those rabid Raptors, not a single lizard was seen. Well, I look – there are only two striped ones, which means that the rogues have already discovered us and are taking us away from the herd. But no! exclaimed the hunter. «The reptiles didn’t notice us at all, as if we didn’t surrender to them. So I sent Illi and Ramir as beaters, – the leader of the hunting parties pointed towards Ramir, who was sitting among his relatives, – around the right slopes, assuming that the pack was there.
Ramir nodded, confirming Brun’s words.
We’ve gone to the left. We climbed to the other side of the ravine and we hear – vanity at the edge! The eyes of the incarnation came closer *, – at this place of the tale, the leader turned his eyes into reptilian ones, – and through the thickets I see Polosunov – a dozen or two of them huddle there. We have prepared the guns and are waiting for Ramir and Illy to frighten off the flock and bring them to us. We wait and wait, but they still don’t exist. That’s what we decided for ourselves. Bows, spears at the ready took and sneaking closer. We sneak, and I see that there is no gap behind the flock, as if it does not end. The whole clearing is strewn with flesh, and there is a hum in the ears. Hearts are beating – they are not afraid of us, or even they do not hear at all and do not smell, as if the lizards have lost their abilities. With the flame of your engraving with the truth, brothers and sisters, wither my tongue – there are about four dozen of them, or even more! I freed the eye in order to see with my own eyes whether I was imagining it, – Brun returned his eyes to their former human appearance. – Do not imagine! he continued. – And suddenly this herd began to fuss and began to slowly go deep into the grove. I could not restrain myself, whistled, and we attacked. That’s how they raised the guns, so everyone managed to stab Polosun, and I – two. The rest of the reptiles pulled east in fear, and there were a lot of them, brothers, a lot!
– Wu-u-u! The tribesmen clapped their hands enthusiastically.
«Where did Illy and Ramir get lost?» Hord asked.
– But let Ramir tell you. What should I tell you, Brun answered.
The tribesmen stared at Ramir. The experienced hunter got up from his bedding and sat down closer to the fire. His beard and hair were neatly woven and suspiciously clean. And judging by the fresh camouflage color on the face and in those places where the bone armor did not cover the limbs and body, it became completely clear to everyone that Ramir did not take part in the persecution of the Polosunov. The paint applied by the cycad juice on the kinsman’s skin was so fresh and untouched that if no one knew that Ramir was on the Great Hunt, everyone would think that he was just about to go for it. And, of course, many fellow tribesmen had questions, but Ramir, without waiting for judgments, began to open the eyes of the ignorant with his tale:
«Illie and I went around the right slopes,» the hunter immediately began. – I examined the area – everything is clean, not a single predator in the area, only striped ones. And the flock is big! I confirm Brun’s words – he did not imagine! I myself went ahead a little, but Illi and I agreed on a signal to start. I’m sneaking around, that means, make my eye come true, and it seems to me that Illy is calling me, but somehow strangely – her voice broke off. So, I decided that I heard. I got to the thicket and I give a whistle, but I myself do not climb towards the flock. Waiting for Illy It’s interesting! This is her first hunt. How will she behave, what will she do?
The tribesmen murmured their approval, supporting Ramir’s decision.
«But she seemed to have fallen through the ground,» the hunter continued to tell. – There is none and no… Then I look – there is a commotion in a flock of lizards! I understood that Brun gave the command to poison the prey. I wanted to help, but Zavrini Illi’s foreboding directed her to search. I returned to the place where we parted ways, and she was lying unconscious there. Let me bring her to her senses. She opened her eyes and how she jumped away from me! I have never seen such a jump,» Ramir said admiringly. She jumped back and looks like she doesn’t recognize her. And her irises are black as night, and there are no pupils at all! And the squirrels shimmered red, as if the flame had mixed with blood!
At this tale, the relatives groaned in surprise, and the hunters from Brun’s detachment again rustled and stamped, confirming the words of the hunter.
«I understood that the maiden recognized Zavrini’s eyes, but the eyes are somehow wrong,» Ramir explained. – And she says to me: «Do not come near, monster!». I was in a hurry. «Illy! I calm her down. «It’s me, Ramir!» And she looks and understands nothing – she does not recognize me! I am closer to her, and she screams and collapses to the ground unconscious. I took her in my arms and carried her to the detachment…
The tribesmen opened their mouths.
– Upon returning to the camp, Illi told me that when she parted ways with Ramir, the roots of unprecedented plants entwined her legs, and then got to her hands. And she doesn’t remember anything else. She doesn’t even remember how Ramir brought her to her senses,» Brun concluded. – She has known unity, people! And her unity was broken. I tell you exactly! Did you forget Azis? He, too, lost his memory when they violated him.
The elders and experienced rangers nodded, and the sentinels, once again hearing the mention of the old shaman, again froze in anticipation of some details, but Brun continued to explain what had happened to his beater:
«Illy hears our voices as we, the hunters, hear with the vision of incarnation. And what about her eyes is not at all clear. You say, Valan, they look like a star? – he pointed with his hand at the manifestation, and all those sitting by the fire immediately raised their eyes to the sky. «Perhaps they are similar,» the leader continued to argue. «But what do I know for sure, and Illie herself told me that she saw with her eyes the twilight in the middle of the night, as if it were not night at all, although then it was well after midnight. And all living creatures that chirp and clatter, she saw luminous lights, and she sees us all relatives in a different guise, like our eyes are embodied lizards! He says – carcasses we are in armor! She herself knew that her bones stick out everywhere and meat with blood – there is no skin! Neither she has, nor we, nor anyone! Only bare flesh!
* incarnate the eye – in the language of the first people means «with the eyes of a hunter.»
***
– Aaa! Unga yelled, and an eight-legged shadow appeared on the illuminated wall to his side.
– What? What’s happened? – frightened by the cry of a fellow tribesman, the already excited children began to wail.
– She’s on me! Sitting on me!
– Who is sitting? How is he sitting? Ronin immediately brought the torch closer to his kinsman.
– Creature!
A barely visible shiny cobweb stretched down from Unga’s chin, and at its end, at the chest level of the future hunter, a tiny furry creature hung.
«In the name of Pangea, Unga!» Elna exclaimed. – It’s Yellowbelly!
Omi giggled, and the black-haired girl picked up the web with her finger and held it up to her to see the insect. The spider, meanwhile, chaotically waved its paws, trying to cling to at least something.
«They live in rocks, remember? Elna added. – He himself slipped them dragonfly larvae!
– Unga, it’s already so creepy here, and you’re still with your creatures! Ronin growled angrily.
The gloomy tunnel gave off dampness and coolness. Its narrow and winding corridors were so monotonous that it sometimes seemed to young explorers that they were walking along the same nooks and crannies. In places, the pointed reliefs of the walls and the shadows falling on them resembled the silhouettes of lizards, and sometimes it seemed to the children that the stone forms were moving at all. This made it scary. But despite the terrible decoration of the underground passage, the desire for adventure did not leave the brave hearts, because the mysterious and unknown path inspired young relatives not only with anxiety, but also with the anticipation of seeing something unusual and unseen before.
Making their way along the narrow corridor, the future hunters barely spoke. They were seriously afraid to break the enchanting silence of an unfamiliar dungeon. Therefore, the road to the Temple of the Creator passed without chatter and tomfoolery. And only distant bursts of an underground stream measuredly disturbed the silence of the walls.
Ronin and Unga were constantly helping the girls up the awkward slopes and ledges. And Unga also marked the walls of the tunnel with his small bone knife. From time to time, carving arrows on the walls and asking him to wait, the boy delayed the move, to which his fellow tribesmen were indignant, since the tunnel did not branch out and it was impossible to get lost in it with all the desire. But Unga insisted, justifying his actions with the words: «Just in case.»