The Lion's Jaw

The sun was bright above them when they began to see a wall cutting the sky toward the horizon.

The wall was made of diverse blocks of stones and concrete with bits of wood here and there and was more of a mount of rubble but its impressive height, more than twenty meters was sufficient to understand the work accomplished here.

Small barracks of wood and stone were put at the apex of the mount, probably used as a point of view for attacks, a watchtower for the poor would say someone not aware of the dire situation humans were in.

The small silhouettes could be seen from closer, cutting the sky as they walk, a proud gait felt even from down the heap.

As the four men and women came closer, they attracted attention as soon as they exited the thick forest.

A no man's land of three to four hundred meters surrounded the wall, manmade.

A massive amount of cut-off tree trunks was creating this desolate landscape.

Even if he understood the reason behind such a massacre of trees, Alric's heart aches at the sight, feeling a sorrowful melody coming from this cemetery.

It affected his mood greatly even more so when he touched the dead trunk, feeling a void inside him as if it was his leg which had been cut.

The trio looked at him a bit surprised as he truly looked like he lost his lover in the same place.

Closing his eyes as to mourn some second for the loss of such immobile beings, Alric walked again, knowing for once, humans were not the main culprit, the Flash and all that came after, were the reason for such acts.

"Not that human would need a reason to cut trees, as a carver myself, I dealt a great deal with logger before..."

As they neared the small outpost where five guards were looking proudly toward the wild, the trio were fidgeting, knowing this instant would change their life.

The leader of the guard eyed warily the new arrival, especially the tall tattooed man with a bizarre fox on his shoulder, the other guards step aside, weapon out, asking for them to stop.

As the young one approach closer to meet them, his eyes open wide seeing three enormous boar and a magnificent haze hanging from the four people in front of him.

- You, you are... Hunter, boss, they are all hunters he proceeds to shout in a strangely high-pitched voice, some joy and respect clear in his eyes.

As the leader walked to them a bit less snoring than before, he gazed at them solemnly before nodding his head.

- Welcome back young hunters, we need you here, my man will escort you toward the Hunter Guild as a show of respect and for proof.

He saluted while calling one of the guards who did not move until now.

Curious, Alric was looking at this process a bit perplexed.

The order here seems to be a strange mix of military discipline, feodal tradition, video game language and faces.

"Well, nothing surprising if we ponder a bit, society organised itself around what it knows best, and the vocabulary of all the post-apocalyptic imagery from before the Flash is being used in all sorts of ways before it will mix and make a coherent construct I guess..."

Passing through the wall by a not-so-trustful tunnel, they emerged soon at the other side, blinded by the temporary difference in lightning.

The settlement was a coherent mess.

That was what Alric could use to describe it as it made no sense but was organised nevertheless.

Barracks, houses, huts, cabins and shacks were next to each other but around straight lines perfectly traced on the ground with a military mind.

People of all ages, all colours and all social levels were mixing, speaking in a bombing hubbub, startling Alric who was used to the silent companionship of the fox and the noise of wildlife.

Colours going from red to yellow, passing through blue and green were shading the clothes of all these people.

Clothes from before the descent of the Light did not resist too well to a life full of danger and movement.

Especially the light garments were replaced by a new kind, probably made by a tailor in the settlement as they seem to be of the same type.

Wide and weightless but useful against the ambient fresh air.

As more and more people began to see the young people standing behind a serious guard, they quickly saw the dead beast on their back.

If Alric was a bit dubitative about a guard needed to escort them inside an encampment, even beginning to smell a dubious act, he was convinced right now.

If not for the pour guard trying his all to protect them, they would have been quickly pushed behind the cacophony of compliments toward their status as hunters mixed with a generous offer for the meat they had, some people even going as far as proposing their daughter or son for wedding, trying to secure a position of power while it was still possible.

By this very act, Alric understood how desperate some people were, having lost it all, and trying by all means to recover a per cent of what they had.

As they made their way through the crowd, the guard dividing it as if a red sea, they were led toward a grand structure, probably the highest and finest of them all indicating the name "Hunter Guild" in enormous character.

If the guard from the wall were proud people, the ones walking from this building were thick with haughtiness and disdain.

Largely more muscular and in better shape and health than people from the road before, they did not even try to speak to the new arrival, mixing only with themselves.

"A new kind of upper hierarchy I guess" commented Alric mentally, not too bothered by the act as with all types of time came all types of people of power sharing the same haughtiness.

"Well, in terms of weapon and armour, I must admit they seem especially fierce, I wonder how they would fare against a red lion" he pondered.

- Not even a scratch would end them, commented nonchalantly the small cub on his shoulder.

- Ho, how are you so sure?

-Their strength is much higher than the clown trio you are following, but compared to a red lion, heh, even a maned wolf alone would kill them without much effort.

- The group behind the curtain seems stronger than the other to me, don't you agree? Asked Alric, trying to gauge the strength of his fellow, not used to analyse humans much.

Looking toward the people Alric was talking about, three men and two women discussing quietly near the bar at the end of the corridor, Mozzi just grinned.

- Well, you are obviously better a judging beast I must say, they smell indeed more powerful than the others, but it's just in comparison. You would probably make a quick carpet of them without using your chisels I must say.

Laughing at Mozzi's antics, Alric did not see the angry look he created by not paying the due respect the hunter around were waiting for.

- And what do we have here, some brats wanting to become hunters huh? Interjected a burly man far in his forties.

- Don't joke with them Paulo, they hunt boars, after all, that's impressive, added a young and short man following him, in a sarcastic tone.

-Oh, if they didn't rob the corpse of another beast hehe.

- That would still take them some skills, continued the short man, probably well-versed in this kind of mocking exchange.

Triggered by the not-so-wrong sentence, Judith tried to defend her comrade.

- We are hunters, just like you, what makes you think you could talk to us like that? We took back the proof of our hardship and are ready to help the community as much as we can!

Looking toward the red-dressed woman, Alric was smiling inside, noticing it was a special kind of naivety to answer this type of people, but even to praise the community service around this type of guy was pure idiocy.

- Ahah, do you hear that? You want to help the community, how charming of you. But you know how you could help even more than taking back a bit of pork? Heh, why don't I show you, he asked in an obscene tone.

Red from anger and shame, Judith was ready to lash out when Rob's hand touched gently her shoulder while murmuring a small "it's enough" close to her ears.

Noticing the hairy man, Paulo, the gross man with a fierce body interrupted.

- If it's not our dear doggo, why don't you wave your tail before your mistress, hehe, you were already an eyesore with all this fur, but now you are just a pet for your beloved.

Trying to instigate discomfort in the group, he only heard a small laugh from Carl and Alric, who knew perfectly there was not even a bit of romantic feeling between the two.

As the watchers were becoming more numerous, enjoying the show, probably not for the first time, Rob spoke clearly, not addressing the duo anymore.

- We are here to show proof of our did, as is customary in the Hunter Guild. Why isn't there anyone to receive it already? Has our society enough hunters already to protect itself?

The words echo profoundly in the building, making silence in a matter of seconds.

Soon, a man from the group Alric and Mozzi identified before as the strongest here, made a small nod, and two men, one lean and the other a bit fat, soon exited a room hidden from sight and walked toward the group, as if unaware of the attention on them.

-What do we have here, three Phacos and a black Haze, that's good meat, the lean one said.

Addressing the problem as if there wasn't any in the first place, they quickly began to study the boars.

- Well, death by fire, it's obvious, good job Judith, said the fat one, obviously knowing the trio beforehand. And the haze too, did you just kill the four of them alone, asked the other.

-It was a work endeavour, hence why we are here altogether to collect the hunter's proof.

- Yes, I already heard that, but I just have your word for it, don't I?

- The word of a hunter is sufficient she answered a bit too quickly, her anger still under the surface of her tone.

- And a hunter you are, obviously, because I already said it, well played yes, but it's not smart to protect others just to remain with your friends.

- As a hunter, I would not endanger my own like this, I trust the three of them with my life, knowing they do the same with me, including Alric, she added the last sentence in her head, not sure enough to speak it aloud.

- I guess I can't oppose that, your dad is not gonna like it...

- I don't care what he liked, it's my life, my choice, we need all the strength we have to survive this and what is coming, she said a bit too passionately, making it apparent it was a sentence she often said before.

Taking four emblems from his red and white uniform, the fat man throws them in the air toward the youth, but strangely, making them difficult to catch.

As three emblems echoed on the ground under the shameful eyes of their proprietary, the fourth one glided toward Alric hand as if it was meant to land here at the start.

Glancing a bit curiously toward the unknown fourth member, the lean man just sighed, knowing his work had increased once again with taking these troubled youth in the Guild.

- Don't let yourself be too much at home, as a First Star Hunter, you have tasks to do once every week, so I would advise you to visit your family shortly before coming here again, beasts are more and more daring nowadays, and it's not by walking toward the Boring Valley were the strongest creature are these weak wild boars that you will survive.