12 Making Decisions

Sometime after the events that caused chaos in the Househill campsite stopped, things eventually started to settle as the people began to fix their homes and treat the injured tribesmen.

In the midst of all this, Key Stroke sat to the side watching the people busy about their duties. He had tried helping earlier with the repairs and treatment of the tribesmen, but instead, he got forbidden from acting in those manners since he was now the tribe leader.

These cases then led to being in his current spot while thinking of what his next steps needed to be to get out of their current predicament. The changes that had been happening was just too sudden. He had gone from a regular high school student to a figure that others could only look up too.

Even then, the pace kept on increasing to the point, if he didn't solve the situation at hand, all the lives of the human race in Green Grass Field would be eliminated.

Glancing at the stars that seemed to stretch farther away in this unknown place, Key Stroke heard the sound of footsteps approaching him from the side. Taking a quick look, he saw that it was his best friend making his way over. "What are you thinking so hard about?" Black Bourne asked.

"The solution to our problems." He responded before pausing for a short time. After gathering his thoughts, he spoke again. "Black, I know you find it hard getting along with Donn Kell but his strength is needed for the protection of the others." Key Stroke continued.

Black Bourne looked a little confused. "What are you trying to say?" He asked. "Black, there are things you just wouldn't be able to do in the future that must be done. For example, your response was a second slower than Donn Kell's because the bug talked. What would happen if you had heard a child's voice come from it? Would you still want to kill it?" Key Stroke inquired.

Not giving him time to answer, Key Stroke spoke more. "In this world, it should be possible for a child to be stronger than a grown man. There might even be enemies that are human children, and we'll have to fight against them. All I want to say, you don't need to change your disposition. Let Donn Kell handle the work that is too dark to do." He finished.

"Do you think he will listen to you? He's a loose cannon waiting to explode." Black Bourne countered. Key Stroke shook his head in a negative manner. "Donn Kell is the type to respect strength the greater it is. Of course, there are principles that he follows, but as long as the person telling him what to do is stronger, there won't be any serious complaints." He answered.

"In the following days to come, I will need the three of us to grow stronger and form a working team. Maybe a hidden fourth person since the enemy is aware of the three of us. During that time, try to form a bond even if it is loosely with Donn Kell. After all, you had said that you were number two right? Then staying stronger will help the process." He farther told.

"Is it really necessary?" Black Bourne asked, not really looking forward to being anywhere near Donn Kell. "Yes. If Donn Kell can't establish bonds with our group, he will eventually go solo despite the dangers involved. Like I said, his not to bad and we do need his strength." Key Stroke encouraged.

"Okay but I don't like it." Black Bourne said before going back to finish helping the others and to call it a night for the day. Key Stroke could only sigh. As long as both Black Bourne and Donn Kell didn't continue to war against one another silently, just this would help increase their survival chances.

He to soon got up to retire for the today. Everything that happened so far was really too stressful, especially since he was only a normal youth a few days ago.

...

Eventually, when the sun rose up in the sky, the group of students and tribesmen became busy again. Key Stroke, however, wanted to change things today. Last night, he had come to a decision that the next step of action was to build a strong impression on the other groups of tribespeople.

Because the tribespeople followed a mindset that the strong was right and should be respected, they needed to set themselves apart from the others. To do this, Key Stroke would need to change his tribe's status image to the others.

Since living underground was an insult to humans, whether they voiced it or not, he only needed to build a living condition on the surface instead. And what better place was there besides the Divine Door area where everyone was going to meet up?

But to make this work, there were a few things he still needed to do which is why he had everyone in the camp gathered together for a huge announcement. "From today forward, it's not safe to live in this campsite. I know that everyone is attached to this place but the dangers have become too high. We will relocate to the safest place near us which is the Divine Door area." Key Stroke spoke.

Nobody made a move to complain but it was clear none of them was willing to leave either. Key Stroke could only assume the reason they would follow his words was his strength and him now being the tribe leader.

He then farther told them that they would have a day to move to the Divine Door area or the giant wolf spider would come again. This time, the tribespeople was more motivated to listen. Having said what was needed, he made his way to the old man at the edge of the crowd.

They then left for a more private area. Once the two were in privacy, Key Stroke asked the main questions he needed to know to move his plans forward. The first question he asked was who made the grass garments for clothes.

The old man then told him that several tribeswomen knew this skill and could make dozens if needed. Key Stroke, however, didn't have plans on them making clothes. What he wanted was their ability to craft things out of the grass stems.

With the students' current ability to adapt and learn, he could have the others who wouldn't be involved in the upcoming fight to learn from the women in a day or two, and then have them use that skill to help promote the tribe's image.

But there was a more important thing he needed to know to make this all work. "Tribe Leader, earlier when we first came across the Househill campsite, I noticed the weapons used by the tribesmen are solid and hard even though they are made out of the grass stems. How is this possible and how long do you think it would take for the grass stems to gain these properties? Key Stroke asked.

The old man was stun by the question. Besides for making weapons, was that useful? "Young Tribe Leader, are you talking about the Water of Stone?" He asked to be sure.

Key Stroke smiled as he heard the question. He was worried that there were no particular means that made their weapons like steel and it was just the grass stems being compacted. However now, he could say that things were finally moving forward.