First Time In The Tribe pt 1

Two years have passed since my little incident with a certain snake, and if you're curious to know the final fate of that snake, well, just look at my right arm to get your answer!

It turns out that a few months after my epic battle that day, Grandma gifted me this magnificent piece of clothing. It's a type of wristband, except it extends over my entire arm. I don't actually know the proper name for it, but that doesn't matter!

It's a bit funny if you think about it. Unsatisfied with having legs covered in scales, now she's covered her arm with them! And speaking of my scales, they seem to have finally stopped growing after reaching my knee, which is good news, at least for me. I definitely don't want to be completely covered in scales.

But that's not the only thing that changed in these two years. No, no, no. Unsatisfied with having legs covered in scales and hooves instead of feet, she now has two horns growing out of her head!

Yeah, you heard right. About two months ago, two bumps started growing on my forehead. At first, I didn't think it was anything serious, just bug bites. But then came the headaches. Ah, the headaches, like a knife was being forced out of my skull… because there was a knife being forced out of my skull! Two, to be exact!

I spent days bedridden, unable to get up and do anything, until one night, two small horns broke through my flesh to reach the outside world. And if that doesn't sound pleasant, good, because it wasn't!

I'm sure they'll keep growing over time, but for now, they're no more than five centimeters long. You might've noticed I'm pretty calm about this. Honestly? After the hooves, nothing really fazes me anymore. Have I mentioned how hard it was to learn to walk with those things?

But we're not here to talk about my appearance today. And what are we here to do today, you ask? I don't know either, so we're basically in the same boat here.

"What are we doing here again?"

An unfamiliar voice asks, breaking the silence of the dark forest.

"This is the ninth time you've asked."

"Oh, is it? It's probably your fault I still don't know what we're doing here!"

"And how is your not paying attention to a single word I say my fault?"

"Maybe if you didn't always speak in riddles, it'd be easier to understand what you're saying! Hmph."

What follows is a conversation that has become extremely familiar over the past two months.

Yes, after five years, I finally managed to speak my first word. I don't really know why, but after the horns started growing, I just began talking. Strange, but at least welcome.

"Fuu. In one week's time, there will be a very important ceremony for the tribe, and you need to present a tribute in the form of a beast's heart."

Sighing in a tired voice, Mama Huiya explains in a robotic way, making you think it's probably the thousandth time she's given this explanation.

"But that's the part I don't get! You've been avoiding taking me to the tribe like it's the plague, and now you're suddenly saying we're going to the tribe like it's the simplest thing in the world! I don't understand!"

"This is a very important ritual for your future. When a child turns five, and the moon shines its brightest in the sky, the parents must prove, through tribute, their determination and the value of their children to the moon. That's why we need to hunt a beast. Was that explanation good enough for you?"

"Okay, but how do they do that? Not to brag, but I haven't seen many five-year-olds, but I don't think they're very, how do I say this without being offensive? Capable of hunting a beast in the forest?"

"That's why the parents need to accompany them. Even the fiercest beast in the forest is born defenseless. It's up to the parents to teach it to face this wild world."

I can't imagine how this tradition became a thing, but I guess it makes sense, considering they live surrounded by a forest full of ferocious creatures.

"Unfortunately, it's been a long time since courage became a thing of the past. Nowadays, parents are satisfied offering a rabbit or a pheasant to the moon. They don't realize they're reducing their children to mere prey! But what else can I expect? How can I expect prey to try to nurture a predator?"

Ah, there it is again, that melancholic tone she has whenever the tribe, or more accurately, the people of the tribe, come up.

"So, I'm guessing we're walking so deep into the forest to find some powerful beast to prove my worth?"

"It's not just 'some beast,' but one of the kings that reigns over this forest."

"And what is this majestic beast?"

"A black lightning."

"Oh yes, a black lightning… WHAT?! Have you completely lost it?! How the hell are we supposed to hunt a black lightning?!"

In case you're curious, this thing is a panther two meters tall and four meters long that, if the name didn't give it away, can summon lightning to attack its enemies. And it can also blend into the shadows. And how do I know this? Despite my training and daily tasks, I have a lot of free time, time I spend reading the many books that fill our cabin, most of which contain information about the local flora and fauna. So, knowing these facts, can someone tell me how this crazy old hag plans to hunt something like that by herself?! No, no, no, first of all, how are we even going to find one in the first place? These things are masters of camouflage!

"D-d-dear Grandma, I think there's still time to turn back and hunt something else. How about we hunt one of those green wolves we saw earlier? They're exceptional hunters too, you know? Way better than trying to hunt a black lightning. We don't even know how to find one, we might not even find it before the ceremony."

I cling tightly to her arm, trying to pull her back toward the forest entrance, which is about a day's walk away.

"You underestimate me too much. A green wolf isn't good enough, and we're not looking for a black lightning because I know where to find one."

But my attempts to reason with her seem to fall on deaf ears, and with determination, she quickens her pace, leaving me standing there, unsure of what to do. It's not like I can go back alone—like I said before, it's more than a day's walk, not to mention the wolves and various other predators along the way.

"Yeah, my life was good while it lasted. Goodbye, cruel world."

Resolute, I follow, chasing after the crazy old woman who has doomed us.

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After another two hours of walking deep into the forest, we arrive at a sort of clearing at the foot of a hill, with a cave and a small lake in the center. It would be a beautiful place if I weren't terrified of absolutely everything since I learned the final destination of our journey. Judging by the fact that Mama Huiya stopped walking for the first time since we entered the forest, this must be the place.

"What do we do n—"

ROAAAAR!

Suddenly, a thunderous roar echoed from inside the dark cave, and soon a shadowy figure emerged from within, stopping a few meters from the cave entrance. And forgive me, did I say black lightnings are two meters tall? This thing is at least four! Before I could say anything else, Mama Huiya muttered something.

"Huiya Mandum, Negrez Vashaz."

Not only did I have no idea what she just said, to my surprise, the panther on the other side of the clearing responded.

"Negrez Mandum, Huiya Vishoz."

And as soon as it spoke, I started to feel my horns vibrate, and a deafening noise filled my ears, consuming all sound for a good ten seconds. When my horns finally stopped vibrating, and the sound disappeared, I heard something very strange.

"You enter my territory and challenge me to a duel? Your arrogance knows no bounds."

For some reason, I could now understand what they were saying.

"As far as I know, you've been stuck in this form for many years, haven't you? And you don't have much time left, or hope of evolving now. But if you consume my core, that wouldn't be a problem anymore. So, what do you say to my proposal?"

"Today is your last day in this world, witch."

Both assumed a combat stance almost simultaneously.

"Phoebe, you'd better find somewhere to hide."

And before I could start running for my life, they began to fight.

The cold wind cut through the air, the clearing illuminated only by the pale light of the moon. The black panther, immense and majestic, occupied much of the field with its colossal body and eyes glowing with crackling blue. Every step it took seemed to make the ground tremble, and its black fur blended with the shadows around it, making it a ghostly apparition.

In front of that beast, the small, hunched old woman, no more than a meter and a half tall.

Then, without warning, the panther leaped, disappearing into the shadows in a movement I could barely follow, and to my surprise, Mama Huiya also vanished without a trace. All I could hear was the sound of thunder and lightning.

BOOOM!

I quickly understand the danger I'm in and start running. After running for a few minutes, I finally stop and hide behind a large rock. I can't see them anymore, but I can still hear the explosions echoing through the forest, and it seems like the animals—and even some plants—can feel the power behind these blasts. I see many of them fleeing in the opposite direction as if there's no tomorrow.

...

BOOOOOOOM!

After a little more than an hour of relentless explosions, silence seems to return to the night. I reluctantly decide to head back to the origin of the blasts. Why? As I said before, I can't go back on my own, and if I'm going to die in the middle of the forest, I'd rather it be from a giant panther's bite, thank you.

But when I return to the clearing, I see something surprising: Mama Huiya sitting on top of the fallen panther, and the panther itself looks gravely wounded, on the verge of death even.

Meanwhile, Mama Huiya has no visible injuries—she just looks extremely tired.

"Phoebe."

She calls me as she dismounts, almost too out of breath to speak. I cautiously approach the beast, though I'm not sure which one of them—the panther or the old woman—is the real danger here.

"Phoebe, this is now an important part of the ritual, so I need you to do as I say."

I just nod, unsure of how else to respond. She then places a knife in my hand. The knife is made from some animal's bone and has inscriptions all over its body. After handing me the knife, she places her hands over mine and points toward the panther's chest. With a swift motion, she drives the knife into the heart of the fallen beast, which quickly takes its final breath.

…I'm not sure what the standard is around here, but I'd say that's a pretty good offering.

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