Bones.
Based on my knowledge, I believed that arranging bones would create a skeletal structure. As I lay on the uncomfortable surface, my eyes scanned to the right, where the three individuals stood.
And one odd one among them.
Skeleton.
Initially, it appeared as if it were solely a skeleton—a complete skeleton.
However, after blinking rapidly, I eventually discerned the truth behind what I was observing: a skeleton draped in skin. Ordinarily, such a being would have been referred to as a human if there were to be muscles between those skeletons and skin, as humans possessed skeletons covered by muscles and skin. However, what stood beside me seemed to possess only bones covered in extremely withered skin.
A distant memory connected the dots, revealing the identity of the person before me.
She was the individual Alcatraz mentioned as the 'old hag', the one responsible for crafting medicine.
'The hell, she doesn't have polio; polio has her,' I speculated.
A flickering smile adorned her face as well as her eyes—wait, no eyes were present. Instead, where eyes should be, only hollow sockets were within her skull.
"You, my child, have you truly been graced by the Maker?" She inquired, her withered and aged voice resounding as she parted her thin, wrinkled lips.
I knew that she didn't have eyes, yet I could feel the deep intensity that her hollow gaze exuded.
"Hey, old hag, cut the questions and do your j—"
"Silence! Or you'll understand why even your fathers wet themselves in front of me." Before Alcatraz could interject, the old woman swiftly counterattacked him, her tone and piercing gaze aimed squarely at him.
Yet again, she peered at me through her hollow sockets. "Boy, tell me."
'Did I make a mistake by using the Maker as bait?' I pondered it internally, although I decided not to dwell on it.
My primary concern was survival. If telling lies to ensure everyone's safety was necessary, I had no qualms. Even if those lies were tied to such an enigmatic entity, I wouldn't hesitate.
Maintaining my gaze within her hollow sockets, I replied, "Ye-s." My voice barely reached audible levels, but it sufficed for her comprehension.
Her flickering smile grew thicker after hearing my response.
However, it was at that very moment...
Blink!
She stood before me, her wrinkled nose nearly touching mine.
Her hollow sockets locked onto my eyes, creating an experience beyond me—as though she could delve into my innermost self.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Under the influence of her hollow gaze, my heart pounded loudly in my chest. My fists clenched involuntarily. I felt a fundamental sense of fear from this woman.
She spoke, her voice resonating loudly and crisply, "You, you, you, you..."
"The Maker bestowed upon you... strength, strength, hahhahahaha... hahahahahaha!" Her laughter rang out, her aged voice brimming with fervour, causing her wrinkles to quiver while her hollow eye sockets remained fixed upon mine.
Unfortunately, the more she opened her mouth, the more her unpleasant spit landed on my face. My face was already dirty enough from the blood I coughed up earlier. Her breath and spit smelled awful, releasing an odour reminiscent of boiled eggs, albeit with a fermented twist.
"Hey, old hag, I let you in because you promised to administer medicine to the Chief yourself. I should've known better than to heed your words." Alcatraz, realising the old woman's intentions, swiftly intervened, attempting to restrain her.
However, his efforts proved futile.
As events unfolded rapidly, my mind struggled to keep up.
Alcatraz's attempt to pull her away yielded little success.
Instead, like a spider, she lunged towards me, her bony hands stopping short of making contact. Positioned on either side of my body, she maintained her chilling hollow gaze. Her voice remained steady as she resumed speaking. "You, you will kill them, right? Right?"
'What on earth are you saying, lady?!'
If I were to kill anyone, my first choice would undoubtedly be you, for nearly giving a heart attack with your eerie whatever duck eyes.
Her monologue, however, wasn't cut short. She continued, "Kill them all, those... those... Kill... kill..." Her fervour escalated, her words spiralling into incoherence. Yet, her next words struck me to the core, "You will kill those Em...emperor bastards and those popes and their heroes... you will kill them, RIGHT???"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
My heart threatened to leap out of my chest upon hearing her words.
'What in the world did you just say, woman?'
"Kill those evil beings. Release me, you foolish child!" Alcatraz finally managed to pull her away, but her words persisted, fading into the distance as she was dragged out. Her voice grew faint as she continued rambling, her words becoming harder to discern. "Kill those emperors, heroes, particularly those detestable popes; no, set those popes ablaze..."
I drew deep breaths.
'What in the world!'
My thoughts were in disarray.
All my careful planning and strategizing seemed to be unravelling.
"Chief, are you alright?" The girl Skylar had rescued approached, her concern evident as she observed my laboured breathing.
Yet...
"STAY AWAY FROM ME!!!" Suffocation gripped me, compelling me to shout, my voice mingling with the throbbing pain in my chest.
"Unlike her brain, the medicine seems to be working well," Alcatraz said to me, a weary smile tugging at his lips. Guilt marred his expression, likely stemming from what had transpired earlier. He was a serious guy, so this expression conveyed his genuine remorse for the old hag's behaviour.
I only gave him the sidelong glance that he deserved.
The words of the old hag were constantly echoing in my mind, reminding me of my main quest that asked me the same question, but I had to constantly push that aside. I only wanted my brain to be focusing on the things that seemed important; this valuable extra information was not so valuable for someone like me who was on the run from an army of 100.
'Focus.'
He continued to apply the magical herb paste to my chest and my right hand.
A stinging pain radiated from my chest and hand, where the medicinal paste was applied, but it was not as intense as when I had tried to get up; the pain was also constantly breaking my thoughts.
"Bear with it; bear with it; it will only last for a few moments," he consoled me.
Approximately an hour later.
I stood. Completely on my own. Without anyone's assistance.
'Wow! What kind of medicine is this? It's incredibly fast.' My face bore a visible expression of surprise.
I genuinely marvelled at the effectiveness of the medicinal paste created by the old hag.
However, time was running short. I wished to learn more about the herb, but time wasn't on my side.
I turned my gaze towards Alcatraz and began to explain the resources that he, along with a few other individuals, needed to collect.
Did he question me? Did his expression silently say, 'What an unusual directive'?
No.
He showed unwavering obedience and respect. Having spent considerable time with Skylar Reigns, he knew not to disregard my instructions.
His responses were limited to nods of confirmation. When he and Skylar were alone as friends, he would refer to him as 'Sky', but in situations that demanded work for the tribe or when interacting with others, he would always address him as Chief, honouring Skylar's esteemed title.
He assured me that they would gather all the necessary resources within the next hour. He planned to enlist the help of a few men who were on break and some of the females, opting not to use the barbarians who were patrolling.
I was suspicious of how he could manage to gather all the resources so swiftly, but I chose not to probe further. I needed to trust him.
'Now, I need to assess how I look.' As I examined my new body, I couldn't help but be impressed.
Collecting the resources was a straightforward task since I already knew what we needed. However, the true challenge lay in determining the ideal location for the town hall.
This decision held immense significance.
Town Hall would definitely be the main building, and other buildings would be located accordingly.
My system was a tribe management system; sometimes words were enough to tell the story, but not only my system but even the situation in which I found myself alongside this tribe hinted to me what could happen in the potential future.
Barbarians were hunted, was that going to stop?
No.
Unless they became strong enough to defend themselves, the hunting wouldn't cease. The barbarians were told of the legend of how they had come close to extinction multiple times, indicating that even in the past, they had been hunted on a dangerous scale.
'I'm not entirely certain if the legend holds true, but it certainly suggests that the barbarians aren't as formidable as they should be.'
'Ahh, not again, not in this life too, shh!'
I sighed, thinking how much work was left to do and how much would come my way.
I glanced around, this was the place where I had awoken in this new body. The spot I had slept on was a long, hard rock with a few protrusions. Its naturally black colour indicated it likely came from mountain ranges within regions with abundant rainfall or proximity to a constant water source. The walls, stretching approximately three metres, resembled cave rock, displaying signs of dampness.
'This? Where are we exactly?'
This location wasn't part of Skylar Reigns' memories. The ambience and circumstances were unfamiliar to him.
"Where are we right now?" I queried while stepping outside this rocky shelter.
"Where you instructed me to head," Alcatraz responded, his tone returning to seriousness, but it felt oddly different, as if one would hear this tone when someone was ready to take things to the extreme.
If I had just turned around and taken a glance at Alcatraz's eyes, I would have known how my fate would now duck me over; his vicious eyes looked bloodthirsty.
'I don't like this.'
I didn't like this; I didn't want any more surprises; my situation was bad enough.
However,
I looked at him, my expression conveying my desire for a more comprehensive explanation of his seemingly nonsensical response.
"Green Valley."
'Oh great! Duck shake, this was the last name I would want to hear right now.'
