Chapter 3

Red Forest, Chernobyl - Ukraine, 31 December 2299

The pale, white piles of smoke slowly looming in the atmosphere have nothing to hold against the biting winter, yet even the harshest of climates would seem a little bit too lenient for the Bear Tribe and their heavily fortified outer skin layer.

A breed of creature that is proudly the most gigantic throughout the Red Forest of Chernobyl, with the symbolic coat of fur that resembles the shades of the autumn maple leaves. Traditionally donning the skin of their ancestors as a way to express their respect, a male Bear would commonly have his hair neatly tied and his neck-hair tidily in braids, while a female would have hers in a single braid tied behind her head, and a scarf made out of tree roots around her hip.

As bona fide hunters and fighters, their Tribe would resemble something that looks very much like the human army's field barracks. The Bear tents are constructed on equally spaced concentric circles, with the Tribe combatants occupying the outer spheres, followed by the females, children and the cubs. At the center of the rings, burns the Sacred Flame of the Tribe. The Flame is brightly lit under the colossal totem pole erected with fine steel that is almost four meters tall, on top of which hung four massive skulls belonging to the creatures of the Red Forest: The Bear skull is placed on top of the pole, with the Owl, the Wolf and the Deer skulls right beneath it. As Bear Tribe legend has it, this towering steel totem pole was brought back from The Ruins - the cradle of all Red Forest creatures - by the first Bear Chieftain.

***

As the dawn is still nowhere to be seen on the completely darkened Northern sky with little remnants of the moonlight, he awakes and quietly gets out of his tent. Akim - a young Claw who is approaching the edge of adulthood, though not as impressively tall as his father Igor, his appearance is already intimidating enough with his razor-sharp teeth and claws. He sits all by himself in the dead of night and lets himself carried away with the burning Sacred Flame at the root of the steel totem pole.

- Can't sleep?

A voice pulls Akim off his train of thoughts. Behind him, his father Igor exits his own tent, fastening the leather cape covering his shoulders.

- I can't. - Akim responds as he moves to one side. Igor takes a seat next to his son, his shadow - the shadow of an adult Claw - instantly swallows a great portion of the yard.

- Big day today, isn't it! I still clearly remember the day you were born, how little and fragile you were in my paw. On this exact day a year ago, you had your own tent. Then came the time when you started catching the trouts. And now, you are ready for your first journey...

Akim sits in tranquillity as his father talks. Igor pats on his son's shoulder and raises his voice:

- Are you afraid?

- Not exactly, father. I was even eager for this, but truthfully… I was a little worried. What happens if I encounter The Pack? Or… the Terror of The Ruins...

- The Terror of The Ruins? - Igor asks his son, pretending to be surprised. Because he knows precisely what his son is talking about.

A frightful monstrosity in a forest area that has been long dead, the rightful owner of the Ruins, where none of the Bear Tribes, The Pack, the Antlers or The Owls would dare approach.

- I have heard stories… the monster with four flaming eyes, as enormous as a Claw, with antlers on its head. And it would devour any creature that was unlucky enough to stumble upon it.

Igor sighs quietly. The rumours surrounding the Terror of the Ruins have been spreading among the Bear Tribes for a time. Hunters would return and tell stories about the monster. Some of them were completely made up, and some were imaginatively modified, leaving Igor the only one who knows the exact truth.

Nakil, the hybrid child of Kolya from the Bear Tribe and Trava, a hind of the Antlers. Igor's disowned lifeblood. No living creatures ever had the knowledge of how no one else but Igor, who during the first three winters of his son Akim's childhood, secretly raised his nephew with his wife's own breastmilk that he smuggled out of the Tribe. On the day when Nakil finally reached his third birthday, Kolya has fulfilled his sworn oath with Igor: He took his child back to the ancient Ruins - where stands the conspicuous stone skyscrapers blending with the trees at the far end of the Red Forest.

On the day of their farewell, Igor left the pouch of milk under the tree at the outpost as he would normally do, yet instead of rushing away, Igor stopped.

He took his pipe out and quietly smoked, patiently waiting. His scar-faced brother was both surprised and delighted when his own brother appeared before him, in flesh and blood.

- Brother...

- Come here, Kolya. - Igor dusted the ash residues sticking on his belly and stood up. It was already three long years since Nakil came to life, three years without the brothers ever seeing each other, though maintaining their contact in secret.

The two brothers still looked the same way they did three years ago, only Kolya then would have Igor's parting gift - his own pipe - on his belt; and a pair of antlers tied to his leather scarf - the splendid pair of antlers that used to belong to Trava - his loving wife.

- You mourned her in the traditions of an Antler? Not a Claw you are anymore, I see. - Igor smirked as his brother stood before him, petrified.

- You did not leave as you normally would. I reckon… today's that day, is it not?

Igor calmly nodded, trying to suppress his bitterness. During the past three years, not even once did they meet, and their only connection was through each and every drop of Kvitka's breastmilk. Then the day eventually came when their feeble linkage had to be severed, once and for all.

- He eats meat now? - Igor asked.

- Yes. Perhaps next year he can start fishing salmon, then he will eventually have his first hunting trip. - Kolya concurred.

- He will not fish in the waters of the Bear Tribes, and never hunt outside of the Ruins. - Igor grievously declared. - Today is the day when you and your son must fulfill your oaths.

Kolya softly nodded in understanding and turned around to leave.

- Wait! Kolya! - Igor shouts for his brother, pulling out a four-hole makeshift mask from his satchel. The mysteriously peculiar object was forged by Igor himself using thousands of scrap pieces that he scavenged throughout the greenwoods, on massive landfills from the past civilization.

- Give this to Nakil and make him wear it until his adulthood. He is to never take this off his face. - Igor continued. - Kolya, you and your son, Nakil, will become legends of the Ruins. I will make certain that the hunters would never come close to both of you. Go, my brother, and don't ever come back....

By the burning flames under the totem pole, Igor realizes that he would never be able to abolish the memories he has of his brother on the day they parted - the glare from his unscathed eye. All these years, Igor has - with all his efforts - been spreading the rumors about a frightening creature - the Terror of the Ruins - whose stature would overwhelm any Claws alive, with a giant pair of antlers on its head, and its capability to easily rip a Fang to shreds.

Nevertheless, these attempted misleads were, not at all, a threat to the fiercest hunters of the Bear Tribes, whose thirst are the thrills and the challenges, who, more than once, have encountered Nakil as they advanced towards the Ruins.

It would be truly unbearable for Igor when that day comes - the day when the hunters eventually find Kolya and his half-bred son.

What troubles him even more, is the fact that the mask he gave Kolya did not have any antlers on top of it. Perhaps, just perhaps, Nakil has reached his adulthood and would bear the antlers for his father. Or what could be worse is Nakil having to mourn his mother in lieu of his deceased father. From time to time Igor would ask the hunters if the Terror of the Ruins would have the skin, the looks of a Bear, but no one was desperate enough to spend their precious time to have a closer look.

- Don't you worry, Akim. As long as you keep your distance away from the Ruins, nothing can hurt you. - Igor reassures, patting on Akim's shoulder, never expecting that his own made-up story has clung onto the nerves of his son.

- But… what if I meet The Pack? Or if I can't bring anything back...

- You are no one else but my son, the child of the Valiant Igor of the Bear Tribes! - The loving father smiles and gives his son a forehead kiss. - You'll pull through!

***

As the daybreak settles, the inhabitants of the Bear Tribe gradually leave their tents to gather around the Sacred Flame, where four young Bears stand straight, their chests full of pride, solemnly awaiting their coming-of-age rituals. The other watching Bears stand around, pounding their fists to the ground and growling in celebration as if to put some the extra heat to the big day.

From the Pavilion of the Chieftain, Igor appears, taking a handful of powder out of his pouch and throwing it into the flames. Immediately, the blaze transforms itself into a flaring, glorious mass, and gargantuan piles of resplendent red fumes starts twirling then rising into the air while the gathering Claws give a standing ovation.

- Today, is the day, when the four of you truly become Bears. - Igor declares in his iconic, deeply powerful tone of speech that instantly swallows the exciting atmosphere around the Tribe. - Show your tenacity and fulfill your duty, feed the Tribe and be recognized!

The thunderous, hoarse, joyful cry from the youthful Claws responding to their respected Chieftain beautifully harmonize with the sounds of ground thumping and cheering roars of the Tribe.

- Have respect for the territory of The Pack - be very vigilant of the Mont Blanc and never, ever engage yourselves in pointless fights. Have yourselves embodied by the Bear Tribes' authority on the land of the Antlers, protect your feeble ally and show them how valuable, how precious it is of your mercy. Always listen carefully to the instructions from the members of The Owls, so you can learn and respect the dark and inexplicable great thousands. And lastly, keep yourselves away from the Ruins - the land of damnation, the origins of eternal curse!

Igor's deliberate emphasis as he mentions the Ruins is, most certainly, to lure the hunters away from the place. All his life, Igor has known too well that his species - creatures of boldness, ruthlessness and maybe too much determination - will not be easily swayed by a legend that is merely a few years old, especially when it is in the blood of the Bear Tribes to always expand their territory in their competition with The Pack.

Perhaps, his four children will hopefully listen to what he had to say. The sight of a fateful encounter between Akim and Nakil, somewhere deep in the wildwoods is the least thing Igor would want on the day his son becomes an adult.

***

It has been two hours since the younglings begun their adventure deep into the Red Forest. The birch tree at the outpost was where the Bears parted ways. As he follows a narrow water track, Akim carefully observes his surroundings to look for any traces of nearby animals: Footmarks, leftover animal furs, scratch marks from horns and antlers, or even their fecal matters.

Faraway, a column of crimson fumes rises up, signaling the return of the first hunter. "That was quick!" - Akim talks to himself. That must be Koev, the alpha of the young hunters. Possessing a build resembling a brick house which helps him breeze through most of the brawls almost too easily; a fine skill that the most experienced fishers would have to watch with envy only after being instructed a few times, it is not something surprising when Koev pulls off an impressive show for the first hunting expedition of his life.

Quickly dismissing the distracting thoughts, Akim straightens himself up and continues his journey deeper into the Red Forest. Approximately a half-hour later, his opportunity once again shows up: A wild bull, poking around, relaxingly having all the fresh greenery for himself without a care in the world, on a wide, open field, apparently without any knowledge that it is being stalked from afar.

The Bears rarely spend too much time to observe their preys. Their hunting strategy sounds simple enough: the hunter would attempt to approach his prey the closest he can, then he attacks. A swift, sudden lunge with their entire body at the prey. The abrupt forward thrust motion aided by the element of surprise would certainly throw the hunted off-balance and to the ground. Their massive body weight and their highly efficient attacking movements would take care of the rest. Akim's choice of strategy for this occasion is no different, he gradually reduces his distance with the bull, waiting for the decisive moment. When the time finally comes, Akim throws himself towards the easy prey.

However, instead of an expected impact with the bull, he unexpectedly collides with something else with a shade of deep red, bouncing Akim back.

From out of the blue, another massive Bear appears, completely blocking his line of sight and attack route, his claws fatally impaling the poor bovine's belly. When his prey finally succumbs to its wounds, Akim also realizes that he has just lost his trophy to Kovu.

- Sorry Akim, it's mine. - Kovu grins, showing his bare teeth and makes a defensive stance before Akim and the dead bull.

Though not as menacing as Koev, he is a formidable opponent on his own, and Akim would not want to bring himself in a tough situation by engaging in a direct combat with someone more powerful than he is, especially when it is unnecessary.

- You can keep it, Kovu. A Claw does not murder his own kind. - Akim speaks to Kovu as he stands up and turns away.

- Yeah, like you can, Akim. - Kovu responds with a smirk. - Let me save you some time. This dead bull strayed from its herd, and you can hear the smell of their shit coming from the trails leading to the Ruins.

- Don't you remember what the Chieftain told you, Kovu?

- You mean your loving daddy? Your old man? He just does not want his lovely baby to get lost and be late for his dinner. You spend your whole life living under his shadow, you would never, ever become a true hunter, Akim. - Kovu lifts the bull's corpse up as he speaks, carrying it with his shoulders and turns towards the Tribe.

All that's left now is Akim and Kiv, a small, diminutive bear who is constantly made fun of whenever he shows up in the Tribe. The thought that he is the last to return in his own expedition ceremony - even behind a bear like Kiv - greatly frustrates Akim. In a fit of rage and determination, Akim decides to leave his father's advice behind - he turns around and rushes towards the edge of the Ruins.

- I do smell bullshit, that can't be wrong!

***

When the second column of crimson smoke curls up towards the sky, Akim has gone deep into the Red Forest.

Slowly, a massive ground fissure shows up, tearing the edge of the woods as if a cruel lash from mother nature. On the other side of the crack is a completely isolated, contrasting realm, where Akim has heard many stories and never had a thought of ever getting close to it.

The Ruins.

The elders of the Tribe used to tell Akim about the Ruins - the original territory the Bear Tribes, The Pack, the Antlers and The Owls. Through many years of cataclysm, the four Tribes soon realized that the area had been under a mysterious curse.

Many Bears and Deers at a young age would die of unnatural causes, the Wolves rapidly weakened, and the Owls being driven insane. Eventually, all of the four Tribes decided to abandon the Ruins. Different areas of the Red Forest were seized for occupation. The Pack were repressed far away from the center and towards the Leaden Ridges. The Antlers gradually became slaves to the Bear Tribes, and The Owls chose to live a secluded life on the canopies of the forest.

Since then, the entirety of The Ruins has been abandoned for good.

It then became a free territory, an ideal resting place for the creatures without any intellectual integrity - wild bulls and the likes - where almost no predators could be seen.

Leaping across the fissure, Akim stumbles upon an array of wire mesh steel protective barrier - something that he has never seen in his life. Assuming such thing would belong to the past civilizations and outside of his knowledge, Akim tracks along until he sees a breached segment of the barrier. He then squeezes his body through the hole and travels into the depths of the Ruins.

Eventually, his efforts have paid off.

The scent of the animals has led Akim to where the hunting trail ends: Hundreds of scattering bovine corpses, their blood reddening the massive stream nearby. An entire herd, dead. The flabbergasted young Bear stands before the scene, petrified, wondering what creature in this ordinary world could be behind such abomination, not to mention that most of the herd were at their maturity. Kiv? No, not him, not that weakling!

Or it might be... "The Terror of the Ruins"?

His mind filled with curiosity, Akim rushes towards the water trail for a closer look. Similar injuries on most of the dead bulls: Gruesome teeth marks on their bodies, their throats gaped. "Must be The Pack" - Akim mumbles.

Unlike the Bear Tribes, those vicious creatures would kill just for sport, without any considerations for the natural food chain. At that moment, a subtle sound of a footstep disrupts Akim from his own mentation; as he looks up and inspects his surrounding, he realizes that he is being surrounded, and that he is badly outnumbered.

On the cliff that encompasses the meandering water trail, three wolves slowly appear from behind the canopies.

Having a reputation of being fearsome creatures, The Pack and the Bear Tribes have always been in a lengthy territorial dispute over the Red Forest. Conflicts after conflicts have led the two lineages to come up with a nameless covenant - the Bear Tribes would take the majority of the woods, and The Pack would retreat to the Mont Blanc. Language and gesture differences have precluded the two Tribes from the uncomplicated task of just meet and negotiate; the creatures would engage in ferocious skirmishes and slaughters whenever they clashed.

At this very moment, it is Akim himself who is in the exact situation, having his all directions surrounded by The Pack with their threatening canines and intentions too obvious.

The outnumbered Bear gradually exhibits a defensive stance against the Wolves as they draw closer. A lone Wolf has never been much of an issue for the Bears thanks to their naturally instinctive standing posture, which grants them tremendous advantages during a melee. Their extremely thick skin layers and muscles have made it very difficult for the wolves to penetrate with their canines and fangs, and their bulky mass automatically gains them another upper hand.

Fighting three Wolves is a different story, however.

As one of them initiates the attack on the young Bear by diving towards him, it is almost instantly shoved sideways by a violent pushing movement. The same outcome goes for the rest of the wolves - all falling victim to Akim's paws as he lifts them mid-air then ferociously pins them to the ground, giving them a brutal slap. Akim's situation changes, however, in the fourth attacking wave from the unforgiving Fangs: One of them shifts his aim from Akim's throat to his arms, which are being completely exposed.

As the scent of pure, fresh blood incites the wolves to their fury, they vehemently charge at Akim - at once - while loudly howling their war cry. No mercy.

An already confused Akim could probably hold his own against single attacks, for a while. It's a different thing when an inexperienced hunter has no choice but to fight against three wolves at the same time. The sheer force exerted on him by three enraged, bloodthirsty adversaries quickly throws Akim off his balance, making him fall on his back.

"If you have to fight with the wolves, never let yourself fall down. If you do fall, do it face down". - Akim recounts what Igor has taught him from the first training days, though he is utterly powerless at the moment. He can certainly feel The Pack penetrating the skin and muscles on his belly, his legs, his ribs, and the two arms that are very busy defending his throat and face right now.

Suddenly, there is the sound of a pure, sharp bellow out of the blue. The weight that was rendering Akim helpless a moment ago has now disappeared. What he sees next, for him, is so otherworldly that it is totally unbelievable: A strange creature with a stature as colossal as his father Igor with an almost-sparkling, pale everblue skin layer, single-handedly dealing with all three of the grown Fangs, freeing Akim from his own demise. The creature would stand straight with his hooves - the kind of hooves that can only be seen on the Antlers, his upper body being of a Bear, and a splendid pair of antlers on his head. His fighting techniques are nothing different from an authentic Claw: Shifting the weight to its arms and form a defensive stance whenever it is being charged at to avoid falling; and only attacking with its paws whenever the wolves are at a close proximity. What truly makes it different from Akim, however, is the fact that every wound inflicted upon it by The Pack would almost instantly cicatrize.

Akim has seen these before.

Regenerative healing, an ability granted to only – or as far as he knows - the Antlers by the Old Forest since many years ago which makes them different from every other creature; this unique attribute would grant them the power to rapidly heal themselves or their companions from all kinds of wound, whether it is a flesh wound or a fatal one. the Bear Tribes did, many times in the past, bring their wounded to the Antlers, asking for the cure, often after their expeditions or violent skirmishes against The Pack. This is the first time in Akim's life that he has seen this ability on another creature.

Quickly realizing the kind of clusterfunk they will be in if they keep fighting the strange creature, the wolves gradually retreat to the depths of the redwoods. Having gained back the upper hand, Akim quickly stands up and plunges towards a retreating enemy, threateningly grumbling.

However, when the foe is essentially within reach of a merciless, fatal strike, Akim is blocked by the paws of the masked creature - the paws that are made of the unmistakable Bear claws, with a pale mauve shade. The creature subsequently throws Akim with a force that is powerful enough to knock him several meters away from where he was.

Is it no more than just a stalking vulture, an opportunist? Was it just lurking at the hunting grounds, waiting to seize the moment when it could ransack the dead bulls?

Or perhaps, it is Akim himself who's going to be its dinner.

As he turns his eyes towards the bizarre creature, the young hunter starts to tremble as the face of the creature becomes clear: A horrifyingly deformed appearance, with four massive eye sockets illuminated with a flaming, menacing everblue luminescence.

A hard, staggering fall and countless bodily injuries gradually put Akim in a daze, his visions gradually blurring.

"Am I going to die today, at this very place?"

The thought of himself dying in the middle of a place like the Ruins would sound terrifying at first, but at this very moment, what seems like "death" is slowly crawling on Akim, in a strangely pleasant way.

He can even feel it so lucidly as his consciousness begins to dwindle.