Primitive Man

[Garnt, seriously, what\'s happening here? I mean, just look at those creatures,]

Eva interjected, gesturing towards animals that seemed to defy the natural order by coexisting with dinosaurs.

[This isn\'t how it unfolded in my history, right? Something\'s definitely not right.]

Garnt, mentally conversing with his inner voice, chuckled inwardly. "Eva, why are you complaining about it now? Didn\'t you decide that the evolution was it... that might have gone wrong. Why are you acting so surprised now?"

[I did say that but you were small I didn\'t want to push some difficult things on you but Garnt, this isn\'t a fantasy novel; it\'s a jumbled mess of timelines. In your world, mammals didn\'t share the stage with dinosaurs. There\'s a glitch here. To put it simply it should be impossible for animals like bears, lions and snakes to appear when there are dinosaurs and to be honest, we only saw a few of them.]

Eva insisted, mentally shaking her head.

[My history books paint a different picture – a much simpler one and it makes sense both scientifically and theroictaclly. So my guess is something is definitely wrong in this land.]

Garnt couldn\'t help but smile within. "Well, Eva, this is the Land of Death and we already knew that. Evolution here might be like a rollercoaster. Maybe it\'s a crossover episode we just don\'t comprehend yet."

Eva sighed in her mind.

[Crossover episode? Garnt, I\'m serious. Something must\'ve gone awry with the land. Dinosaurs and mammals weren\'t supposed to team up like this and live in the same era. Did someone mess up the timeline? Since we are free now should we start to find out more about this and-]

Garnt raised an imaginary eyebrow. "And?"

Eva nodded mentally.

[Never mind! I will talk to you about that later. Now let\'s see how your hunt goes. These animals are looking rather panicked, so I guess some kind of predator should be coming your way. Get ready with your bow!]

Eva muttered, but then she thought to herself.

[Maybe this is just a parallel universe where evolution decided to take a creative detour. I don\'t really know but I don\'t want to force my problems on Garnt anymore. He is free to do what he wants, I don\'t want anything from him, I just want to look after him right now and pass away like I should.]

Eva convinced by everything, mentally crossed her arms and Garnt continued to hunt, but he suddenly started to feel odd as he heard sounds that he couldn\'t ignore from the direction of the mountains where the hot spring village is located.

At first, it was just the sounds, but slowly the smoke rings started to rise into the sky and Garnt realized things were not going smoothly.

"Unami, what is this situation?" Garnt asked as he tried to find out whether she managed to capture some hunt, and he saw her looking stunned as she looked at the sky. Unami, still recovering from the shock, pointed to the sky, her eyes reflecting a mix of fear and disbelief.

"What are you looking at..." Garnt muttered, and looked at the sky with his eyes widened as he gazed at the ominous shadows casting over the landscape. The once serene hunting grounds now bore an eerie atmosphere, and the distant cries of the giant birds grew louder.

"Look up there, Garnt," she said, her voice trembling. "Those giant birds... they\'re carrying people! Some of them are from the hotspring village!"

Garnt\'s heart raced as he recognized the familiar faces among the captives. His instincts kicked in, and he turned to Eva for guidance. "Eva, what are those birds? Can we take them down? Some of the people are still alive, so if I could-"

Eva\'s calm voice echoed in Garnt\'s mind disturbing his thoughts.

[Those are Pterosaur birds, ancient creatures from the dinosaur era that belong to the dinosaur family. They\'re not to be underestimated because they can be just as powerful as the real deal. Attacking them could attract more trouble. We need a plan.]

Garnt nodded, his mind racing with possibilities and for a moment, he wanted to go and help hotspring village people, but he knew right now his priority was the people beside him. "Everyone, hide! Don\'t attract their attention. We need to figure out what\'s going on without making things worse."

As the group dispersed into the foliage, Garnt observed the Pterosaurs overhead. Their enormous wingspans intermittently blocked out the sun, casting ominous shadows on the ground. The sheer number of them was enough for Garnt to feel fear, not for his own life, but for the fate of this land. Grateful that their flight path veered away from the main village and the new mining settlement, Garnt stayed hidden.

Once the danger seemed at a distance, Garnt cautiously emerged from his hiding spot. He approached Unami, his eyes still fixed on the skies. "What\'s happening up there? And what\'s that smoke from the mountain?"

Eva chimed in because she knew what exactly it was,

[It seems like a volcanic eruption. The black smoke suggests an imminent danger. We should be prepared for potential lava flows and other consequences. The name you gave, the Land of Death is living up to its name right now. On one side we have a traitor that is trying to kill you and dangerous prehistoric animals, then we have volcanos erupting in this hard time.]

Garnt\'s expression tightened with concern. "We can\'t let the villagers in the hot spring village face that alone. We need to find a way to rescue them, but first, we have to understand what\'s going on. Eva, any insights on how we can navigate through this?"

Eva pondered for a moment.

[We need information. Perhaps we can find someone or something that knows more about the situation. Let\'s proceed carefully and gather intel before making any moves. Try to contact Yenya and find out what happened in the mountains, also make sure all the gunpowder we made our ready because it looks like we will have to use them sooner or later.]

With a determined nod, Garnt led the group towards the main village, keeping a watchful eye on the unfolding events. The mystery of the dangerous creatures and the sudden threat of a volcanic eruption had woven a complex tapestry of challenges, and Garnt was determined to unravel it for the sake of his family and his people.

***

The next day dawned with an eerie red glow in the sky, the ominous sign of the volcanic eruption continuing its destructive course. Garnt, Rona, Ayra, and a few other warriors rode hastily towards the hot spring village, their hearts heavy with worry for Yenya and the villagers.

As they traversed the forest, the air became thick with the acrid smell of sulfur, and the smoke from the volcano loomed ominously overhead. Garnt\'s mind raced with thoughts of the dangers that lay ahead, both from the volcanic activity and the mysterious creatures that had invaded the land.

Upon reaching the hot spring village, an unsettling silence greeted them. The usual sounds of life were replaced by an eerie stillness, broken only by the distant rumblings of the volcano. Garnt dismounted a sense of foreboding settling over him.

"Yenya!" Garnt called out, his voice echoing through the empty village. There was no response. The group quickly scanned the area, noticing the absence of villagers outside their homes. It was as if the entire village had vanished.

Garnt\'s eyes narrowed as he surveyed the surroundings. "They must be hiding in the cave," he speculated, gesturing towards the entrance. Without wasting a moment, he dismounted and approached the cave, determined to gather the villagers and bring them back to the safety of the main village.

However, as he neared the cave entrance, an overwhelming stench assaulted his senses. It was a putrid odour, reminiscent of rotten eggs, and it made his stomach churn. Garnt hesitated, his hand covering his nose, and he exchanged a concerned glance with the others.

Eva\'s worried tone flickered with anxiety.

[Garnt, don\'t go in there. Something is wrong. The smell is a clear indicator of dangerous gases. It\'s not safe.]

Garnt\'s instincts kicked in, and he took a step back, the gravity of the situation sinking in. "We need to find another way to reach them," he said, his mind racing for a solution and he knew this would be one of the most intense things he had to do in a long time, but he wasn\'t ready to give up yet

[Gask masks! Yes, we already made them since we needed them before. Use them to enter, but they are not fully safe. You are only allowed to stay five minutes inside that cave, so quickly find them and come here.]

Eva advised and knew their next project would be entering this cave, and she was ready to help Garnt because she knew he was the kind of person who wouldn\'t abandon anyone, even if it meant putting his own life in danger, but not when his close people are in danger.