A progressive disaster

From birth she could see these humanoid creatures, constantly changing. They had a dark color, as if they were a shadow in the middle of the air, and the appearance depended on the state of mind of the person who had it. Each person had their inner demon that revealed itself when a person acted in the wrong way, it had the shape of a bull when someone was angry, the shape of a skull when they killed the hunted animals and the shape of a hyena when someone coveted another. At first she was scared. As a baby, she cried every time she saw one, leaving people to ponder what was going on. It didn't take her long to get used to it and at some point communicate with them.

Because she liked to help people, she wanted to try to free them from their ills. When she was four, she'd walk up to them and tell them to get the hell out of there. It clearly didn't work. At age seven, she tried to fight them through her Krav Maga, yet they fought back harder. She seemed to have no effect on them, so when she went to talk to her father, she was worried. She saw a demon that looked like a giant gecko. This meant to her that he was afraid, probably of his own death.

She began to devote herself to finding a measure against these beings. Since talking to the monsters themselves didn't seem to work, she tried to talk directly to the person who had them. But demons got so deep into people's feelings that it was complicated to affect them, especially when people were unbelievers. As she grew up and had a mace as a weapon, she tried to beat them again and, even though she didn't seem to affect them, at least they didn't try to hurt her back.

She was getting tired of not being able to do anything until the day came when everything changed.

The day September 10th 2019 did not start very well. Esther had just dueled against Zacharias and lost. It didn't happen very often which surprised the girl. Zach was a skinny boy, but sturdy, having his shoulder blade and abs pressing against his skin while training with nothing on his torso. He was short compared to the girl, which helped him to be more agile, yet he became less threatening. He had long black hair, reaching down to his shoulders, with braided dreadlocks, due to the competitor's hobby of twisting his hair. He wore a large pelt wrapped around his waist, reaching down to his knees, light brown with a sling tied to his side. Esther, now seventeen, had a muscular body, gained through arduous captures of animals and constant training of martial arts, and managed to maintain a slender look. The hair was flat, it was short, without even reaching the shoulders and with half bangs crossing the left face to the cheek. She was wearing a black top made of boar's skin that covered her torso from her neck to just above the belly. Underneath was a skirt, composed of a bear's pelt, slightly larger than that of his friend, reaching almost to her heels.

He and she were, from a very young age, rivals, competing over anything. Every time a smaller animal, a rabbit or a wild cat, would come along, they would run for it, normally, without receiving any kind of reward. They rejoiced at the mere fact that they surpassed each other. Being always together, they quickly became best friends and rivals. They were friends for 13 years, and as they were practically the only two of the same age, in a village that followed the ancient habits of the Bible, it seemed almost impossible not to be lovers.

It was obvious that he already fell in love with her at one point, but it was only before he realized what that meant. If they were to stay together, they would immediately be forced to procreate, something they were unprepared for. Because of her late birth, her father being over fifty years old when she had her, the clan's inhabitants could not let the tribe have no ruler, and deemed it essential to have another to occupy the throne. When they noticed the rapprochement between the two young people, already at the age of thirteen they were instructed to fertilize. They immediately decided to separate, treating each other more as opponents (which still left room to braid each other's hair).

So, as opponents, they would face each other from time to time. And because they were afraid of exaggerating and hurting each other, they chose to fight only on special days. So on the morning that Zach's birthday was celebrated, they faced off.

Esther was the first to advance with a series of punches toward the young man's face. He blocked them with his arms until he saw his chance to grab the girl's arm. When he did, he took the shoulders and pulled it to himself, beginning by kneeling Esther in the stomach. It was like getting a log in your belly in the middle of a race, a feeling too familiar for her, forcing her to react instinctively. He took the boy's shoulders and gave him a big headbutt on his nose. Her forehead hit him hard enough to make him bleed and move back, bewildered. She went ahead with her fist raised, this time to get back at him for the pain in her belly, and she bent down enough to punch him mightily. Zach was left to see the world turned upside down, confused and already dizzy, surprised to see the lack of impact of his advances.

However, it seemed that the day had just blessed and offered him the victory. He was punched in the face, which, beyond a great pain, made him slip in the soil in which they fought. He skidded in such a way that he raised his leg to the center of Esther's legs. She suffered to the extent of falling to the ground as well. Zach managed to get up before her and, placing his foot on her stomach, declared his victory.

Following its own celebration, he held out his hand and helped her friend to stand up, saying,

- Finally, Star. I managed to win! And to think that after four straight defeats, I could overcome you.

- Oh, don't be too cocky. - She spoke angrily. - You only won because I let you. It's your birthday, I had to take it easy with you.

- Clearly. – He retorted wryly. - Keep making excuses. You are simply in denial.

-What? It's obvious that you had luck. You slipped in the mud and, somehow, gave me a kick accordingly. Without it, you would the one on the ground now.

- So did you let me win or was I lucky? You're already getting things twisted. – Zach commented with a grin. However Esther showed herself clearly miffed, so Zach, afraid of her fury, quickly changed the subject. - What do you feel like doing next?

- I was going to go to the healer tent to pass the wounds with water and see if I can wrap them with some vines.

- Yeah, you should definitely do that. But I was referring to what you want to do after you heal?

- Why, don't you have any fun ideas? It's your birthday, you decide.

- Well I decide to give it up to you to choose. You tend to come up with something good.

They both went toward the tent to accomplish the act mentioned above. After half an hour there, they abandoned the place where the conversation continued:

- So? – Questioned an impatient Zacharias.

- I'll show you a surprise I have prepared specially for you. - She said smiling.

- Wait, you already prepared something? I thought you didn't know what to do up until now.

- If I were to immediately tell what I had in mind, wouldn't that ruin the whole point of a surprise?

- I suppose. So what did you prepare for me?

- Follow me and you will get the answer.

He followed her immediately, eager for what awaited him, realizing that they were headed directly for the mountain

The mountain was not very high, being more of a mount than anything else. However, The Gade Semini called it the Moses Mountain, in an attempt to not completely copy the name of what for them was declared "Mount Sinai". Because of its size, it was somewhat simple to climb, either by jumping in between ledges or by walking along paths that rose to the top. For them, it was just a few more calluses on their bare feet. When they got to the top, they noticed something strange. It was all empty. Usually there was always at least half a dozen men who were there to watch. Being the highest place to which the tribe could see, it was used as a sort of watchtower, in the case of Indians and fierce or appetizing animals

She sat in one of the borders of the mountain, waiting for his friend to accompany him. It did not take long to join her and before sitting down, filled with intrigue, he asked:

- How did you manage to get everyone out of here?

- Well, being the daughter of the leader comes with its advantages

- Well, it's not the first time. I do not know why I'm still impressed.

Esther always tried her best in her friend's birthday. Every year she asked a favor to his father, and even if he didn't let her, she would still carry forward her idea. There was a year in which they were hunting for a gorilla, another was bathing in volcanic thermal waters and, the earliest, was an attempt to storm an Indian field. This year was honestly the most common possible surprise. Not that Zach was upset, the view was great, but he had a feeling that there was more to it.

A couple minutes later in pure silence, Zach decided to start a conversation:

- So, Star, I heard that your father is back in the medical tent. Is everything all right with him?

- Nice way to break the ice. Really improves the mood. – She said sarcastically.

- You could have said something. It's not my fault that there is never anything interesting to talk about. - He said, sorry to have opened his mouth

- I was waiting for your surprise, and… I think its coming.

- What do you ... - He tried to ask before being stopped.

- Shut up! I think I can hear him. Ah, there! – She yelled pointing to the middle of the extensive woodland. A sound like thunder was barely audible, and far less aggressive than usual. From the sound source appeared a hovercraft wandering on a stream of water, disappearing shortly after behind the trees.

- Wow. What was that? - Asked the boy who had never seen anything like it.

- I still do not know, but from what I noticed it's similar to one of those rafts we use. Only that it must be much more advanced. It can move as fast as a real hawk and can do it on both water and land.

- How could one of the other tribes create something so fast?

- Well, that's what interests me too. I do not think they have discovered it yet. Not one of them could make such a creation.

- If it wasn't us nor the Indians, where does it come from? As smart as monkeys are, I'm pretty sure that they also couldn't do such a thing either. – He commented with a smile.

- Pretty sure it wasn't an animal. – She said between laughs. - But you perceive what this means, right?

- I suppose I do. There are more things beyond us, with more advanced tools than we could ever imagine. You think they are threats?

- Well, I hope not. I've been watching them for some time and we would not have any chance against them. First we have that impressive raft.

- You said that is as fast as a real hawk… That may not be that big of a problem. I mean, we capture them for fun. The problem is the size.

- No, not even that. It ran over rocks on the most aggressive water I've ever seen. Unless you approach and hit it directly with a club, probably no one can penetrate it with an arrow, unless they point at the passengers.

- Oh, don't underestimate my sling. It can penetrate through anything – He reported jokingly as he lifted his weapon of choice.

- I have no doubts about that. It's just that… that's not even the worst part.

- Really? Are they violent?

- Maybe. All I know is that the raft crew aren't helpless. This time at least they didn't seem to travel for violent reasons, but their arsenal is as advanced as the mode of transport. Occasionally they go out on trips looking for a victim. Sometimes looking for peccaries, other Anacondas, but they always use the same weapon. They take up a metal pipe with a handle and shoot a projectile which takes the animal down almost immediately. I suppose they are using the poison frogs like us, but only after investigating it will I be sure.

- They have some usual route by which they can be surprised?

- Not from what I know, they always move at random. We'll have to find another way to approach.

- We? - He questioned the young woman, not wanting to face a more advanced tribe with only his friend. - You should warn your father and leave this matter to someone more capable.

- You had just said that you could pierce through anything with your sling, and now you're scared?

- I was not expecting to actually have to attack them. I thought it was all a joke.

- I told you literally everything I knew about them after watching them for a week! Did you really think I was joking? And by the way, are you this fearful even after you battled an entire clan?

-You know well that you forced me to accompany you. We only survived because we were lucky, and I do not think that the same would happen a second time. I don't want to be annoying, but we should warn others if they have not noticed. One would expect that they had seen something while patrolling up here.

- If you want to warn the others, then go. I'll just enjoy the view. - She argued, while seated.

- Fine. I'll be back with some guardians (equivalent to military chiefs of the tribe). - He said, getting up and returning to the clan.

Esther began to repent her birthday surprise. It seemed that the friend got more angry than joyful. Her goal was to have an adventure even more exciting than the invasion of indigenous neighboring tribe, but apparently she had exaggerated. She began to think of a way to soothe and reward the friend for an unwanted gift. However, at the moment that she tried to get up, she felt a tremor. Smaller stones around trembled and Zach almost fell to his knees. He was alright, though both were surprised. It was the first time they felt an earthquake and unfortunately it was not the last.

A second earthquake happened, and much more powerful than the first. The ground had begun to crack, leaving part of the soil in which Ester sat diagonal and leaving a sandy surface on that edge of the mount. She tried to get up, however, when trying put the foot in front of the cracked part that in itself created another space and was especially slippery. She stumbled and slid to almost fall, clinging to the edge of the cliff.

Zach ran towards her, he jumped up and down on the safe area, extending his hand. If he had been one centimeter behind he would not have been in reach of the girl, so he managed to hold the tip of her fingers, and then pull the whole hand to his. When it seemed that it was safe, the mountain collapsed.

The cave where was most of the town, such as the medical tent, did not hold the third tremor, bigger than the other two. Zach fell together with Esther, gripping her to protect her from the long fall. They closed their eyes, terrified and waiting for death, eventually "hitting the ground".