Chapter 1 - Wildwalker
Deep in the heart of Ifra where a great variety of species coexist there is a land called Gono. In Gono the people tell a legend of a man who once changed the fate of the world. They call this man “Wild Walker”. They say that he created a great civilization by leading the people out of the caves and into the heart of the land. He fought off the jungle cats and built up houses of stone for the people to dwell in. His story is passed down through the children of Gono each generation to instill upon them something to aspire to be.
A shadow’s footsteps pattered hard on the swampy soil of the jungle’s bayu. It darted through the trees as it circled around something in the river nearby... Then as it neared a reasonable position the shade suddenly jumped up, grabbing onto a branch! Like a monkey it swung forward using it’s very own weight to launch itself into the water below! “HaAAAAAAAA!” it screamed like Tarzan as it soared until PLOOSH! A ring of greenish brown water shot up and the shadow disappeared. “Ha ha!” a tall Gonese girl emerged victorious from the river holding up a long arapaima fish in both hands. It was about half the size of her wingspan. The girl’s black, once curly and pear-shaped hair now ran down over her eyes and neck as she smiled. Twisting her body she unleashed her power and threw the fish over to the bank of land so that she could swim back.
What a catch! She thought glistening with joy, This should last me for a couple of days! Quickly, she wriggled her long slender figure through the slightly viscous liquid, almost appearing as the creature she just captured, and when the girl approached the edge of the water she grabbed onto a root “Thank you, Gaea!” and pulled herself out of the river. Now, getting a better look at the girl, you would be astounded! The Gonese are not your typical people! She must have been at least seven feet tall. It’s no wonder she was able to stand in the deep center of the river.
The girl dove onto the fish with the entire weight of her body as it tried to flop back to its home. “Sorry friend, but I’m just too hungry to let you go”, taking her right arm around its neck and left to the fishes torso she pressed the aquatic into her chest which even seemed to hold it in place. She was quite toned. Not large, but you could tell she had muscle when she flexed her arms to steady the animal. The arapaima wriggled, but the Gonese hunters made clothing specially for fishing. Although her shirt was damp, it was woven from tough plants in a pattern that held a lot of friction. So the fish could not slip through the young lady’s grasp.
“We’ve all got to eat”, the Gonese girl plainly spoke before shifting her grip down the body of the fish. Then a gleam shot through her vine-green eyes. Biting onto the arapaima’s tail with her fingernails, she smacked the creature down hard onto a large rock. A couple colorful birds flew off from the surrounding trees at the intensity of the sound. Blood oozed down the stone’s sides and the fish’s eyes rolled down, immobile. The girl then picked the fish back up by whipping her back and curling her arms. Swinging over her right shoulder it flopped one last time. “Phew!” was the last thing she uttered before walking back into the shadows of the thick brush. Had any predator been watching her, it would not be able to track the girl with sight alone in the brush. The Gonese evolved blackish-brown skin to mask themselves within the dark cover of the leaves.
As the afternoon sun began to set past the veil of trees, a small fire crackled within and the huntress sat beside it on a flat, mossy rock. The fish from before, held up by a diad of sticks over the flames which slowly crisped it’s skin. The girl now, with her back to the flames, toyed with a vine, stick and sharpened stone in her hands with a frustrated, wrinkled face. As she pulled the vines taught with her teeth and hands the blade of her new spear popped up and out nearly sticking into the bark of the tree beside her. “Raaaa!” she threw the remains of her weapon down in frustration. I should have paid more attention when father was showing me these things...
So then she pivoted back over to her fire and checked on the food. It was starting to brown. Almost ready, but not quite there. Reaching her hand behind where she sat, it dipped down into a small bag of fresh leaves which she had picked early in the morning. They were not odd for a jungle plant. The cook carefully folded the herbs over the top of her catch so that they would hug of arapaima and not catch fire, but almost melt into the meal. Ok just another minute, now.
The time past quickly and the girl ate her food. The sun was gone now and the embers of the fire was the only thing lighting up the dense jungle and keeping nightstalkers at bay. Within two giant roots of a lombi tree, the girl was curled up with a fur over her half-way asleep, but always with an ear listening to the area around her. The sound of those embers gave the girl a pattern to focus on and slowly she began to see hallucinations of her past, present and future.
She was in the jungle, similar yet different to where she was now. She was pushing bush and branches out of the way and moving quickly. Trying to keep up. “Come on, An, or it’ll get away.” It was a familiar voice. So she sped up. The branches scratched her arms as she moved too rapidly now to steady her aim. But she pursued and didn’t even think to falter. One more burst of energy and the sunlight hit her! At the end of the ticket, she found that voice again. “Good, An, you can see it up ahead can’t you?” It was her brother, Xander. A well built young man another foot even taller than the girl. He had a shaved head and similar green plant made clothes.
He was just ahead of her and turning around back towards what he was chasing in the meadow. “I see it, X!” CRUNCH! Andrea’s ear pricked her awake to the sound of a violent branch breaking. Her limbs sprawled about the core of the tree. It’s so dark... I... I can barely see... the embers of the fire were long put out. It rained. SHIT! The Gonese huntress realized. The nightstalkers! She glanced around making sure to move her neck slowly and as little as possible. Not bringing her arms back to her at all. They aren’t making any other sounds. Did they already notice that I woke up? Did they stop because of the tree branch? Did they find something else to eat? The girl sat against her midnight tree. Waiting. Sweating. The wind whurred the last of the raindrops off the branches. Andrea strained her ears to listen for what they hit. Tap tap tap taptap. Nothing sounded like fur. The timer in the paranoid persons head kept ticking along as the minutes slowly crept by. Still not another sound. She remained like this for the entire night...
Just as the first rays of the sun grew up from the eastern sky, Andrea’s head bobbed down and she instinctually slowly brought it back up over and over again. Her eyes half closed. As she caught the yellow sun, the tired girl finally gave in and let her head fall back down. “Huuuuuuuu!” gasping for breath she lurched her entire body forward! Suddenly she remembered what had happened during the night. Jolting up into a ready stance and whipping her head side to side she took in her surroundings ready for a fight. The birds were ending their squacks now. It was late afternoon. Oh my god I slept through the whole entire morning! Thankfully she began to relax. I lucked out. Nothing is here. They left me alone last night.
Moving back over to the pile of wet ash that was once a fire, she checked her belongings. The bag of herbs. Everything will have to dry out, time to start from scratch. The unfinished spear she tossed aside. ...That one is bad luck... The rest of her fish!!! ALL GONE WHAAAATTTT!? In a tantrum, Andi stomped around the fire pit grumbling to herself. “DAMN CATS!” stomp stomp “TAKE MY FOOD WILL YA!?” clomp clomp “MAKE ME STAY AWAKE ALL NIGHT!!!” gromp gromp “eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrRAAAAAAAAAAAA!” enraged, she threw her arms high into the thick air! And after letting out all the power from her lungs she sunk back down bending over and staring at the muddy soil. But out of nowhere she bounced back up straight with her hands on her hips and pronounced to the jungle, “YOU CAN’T DEFEAT ME!!!!!!!! WA HA HA!!!!!!!!!” and skipping back to grab that leather she used as a blanket the proud huntress tied it up as a cape on her back. “Gaea bless me!” It’s time to fish.
Traveling out of the thick sea of tree trunks and brush, the forager picked various plants that she passed. Soon Andrea found herself back at the river. Walking upstream she continued on her voyage whilst looking for ripples in the water. I wonder how much further it is to the sea? I’ve been out here for... what was it? One... two... three... AH DARN! I lost count. Well... that’s ok! I’m sure it can’t be too much further! She closed her eyes letting the sunlight warm her skin and smiled wide showing the clouds her teeth. The leather cape on the hero’s back made her start to sweat in combination with the UV rays, but alas, Andrea was more for fashion over function in her current mood. About another hour passed and the sun was now just starting to fall from it’s apex when the watchwoman finally noticed what she had been patiently waiting for.
Another arapaima! It was Andrea’s favorite afterall and while she was traveling she needed a daily source of protein to keep up a good pace. Allllllllllright! The fisherwoman was already darting back into the jungle, she let her cape and bag of newly picked herbs fall by the river’s edge so that nothing would get caught on branches as she performed another flying monkey jump. And after a moment or two, the shadowy blur zapped out of the tree tops once again singing “HaaaAAAAAAAAA!” she looked at the water below as she made her dive down. Yes! Those bubbles, it’s still gnawing on water whisps! With her lanky figure blocking out the light from reaching the cylindrical spot of stream she was above... an alligator flew up and out of the water in an arch knocking Andrea back to shore as it plunged into the river’s depths!!!!!! And as the startled girl spun she looked out in shock. The prey is in it’s jaws! She was too late!
“Ooof!” The blocked attempt managed to catch herself with her but and wrists and heels preventing the fallen girl from rolling farther backwards, but at the cost of a bit greater pain. Was... was that an Alligator!? “WHOA!” I’ve never seen one before!!! I must be getting really far up north now! But shaking the excitement away, Andrea knew that this meant finding fish would become more rare if the predators were living up here. They probably scare most of the arapaima downstream. Standing up and patting the dirt off her terrace twined clothes she decided. ALRIGHT ALLIGATOR FIGHT ME FOR IT!!! So the combatant sprinted after the waves that it made leaving everything else behind.
Normally Andrea would run to the jungle trees to help her, but she was beginning to notice that they were growing sparse and shorter. Fewer in between one another. And even that there were plants beside her that she did not recognize. I must have crossed over into Astui! And she didn’t quite know the habits of the alligators. So it would be risky to completely turn her attention away from it. The tracker felt as if she always needed to keep the river now in part of her view. I don’t really know how to go about this... but I remember reading that it’s snout is its weakness! If I can get my arms around those big jaws then I will be safe! A little ways up the bend now, the reptile poked its nose out of the water to catch a breath of air. Now!
The huntress kicked off the largest rock on the muddy riverside path and leapt to the water once more to confront her rival. Her limbs swam in the air for a moment as if she was still running, but before long she curled her back over and lifted up her legs so she could dive face-first at the monster before her! Not making a sound with her voice, the river lizard did not notice she was before it until Andrea wrapped her long powerful arms about its mouth! And squeezing tightly on those razor teeth, the arapaima fish hanging partially out of it’s jaws was rendered in half! The creature spun! Within the watery realm it was a natural hunter. And it was not uncommon for jungle cats or other gators to try to fight each other. Normally when the gator clamped down upon a large prey this is what it did to kill the meal. But as nothing had ever grabbed and pressed down its weapon before the monster did not realize that this would not yield the same result. Aaaaaargh! Andrea struggled to hold on as the rotations and the slippery stream tested her grip! Alas she had not worn long sleeves and so the gripping pattern on her clothes held little effect now. For her body was the first thing ripped off of the gator. But soon after her arms began to slide down the creature’s head and over it’s eyes until... In a quick burst of might the alligator opened its teeth wide, knocking Andrea completely off of it. At the same time letting the other half of the arapaima back out into the river.
Now it was a race! Andrea foolishly went for the fish If I go grab this piece now, I can turn around and go back for the other half! Putting her limbs perfectly to her sides, the swift swimmer whipped her body back and forth emulating the way the fish would move. But the alligator was not done. It saw a new meal, Andrea. And the way she moved in the water did the girl no service to trick the alligator of that. She appeared to be just an even bigger fish! The monster followed close behind her and opened it’s huge set of teeth yet again! Andrea’s face lit up in pride, she was able to grab the upper half of the arapaima before the alligator could! I won! She assumed. When... CLAMP! “Aaaglugluaglu!!!!!” the gator found a hold on the swimmer’s left leg. And with that, the monster began to spin once more. Water flooded into Andrea’s lungs as she screamed out in pain. I’m an idiot! She now realized Of course it would just go for me! She put her hands over her mouth and pressed her own jaws down to make sure no more water could get it. Gulping down the last mouth full of muddy water her head began to spin and her stomach wanted to let back out everything that was now in it.
The victim’s blood propagated out into the surroundings. It felt like she had taken a spear through her thigh and calf. Yet she knew that giving up here meant certain death. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! She yelled loud in her mind bending back to the monster with her core. Not only did she need to fight off the normal current, but also the waves of rotating water and force that was being produced. It was slow and arduous. And with her stomach already ready to give up, her muscles knocked a good half gallon of fluid back up into her throat. No! She bit down, choking herself. AAAAAAAAAAAAA! And with all her senses now spinning she reached for the mouth of the assailant and grabbed it’s lips where her leg lay prisoner. BASTAAAAARD! With all her might she pulled! ...it was no use.
She’d been had. Under the water for several minutes now and with fluid in her lungs she had not a moment to spare. The Gonese girl on her last resort reached her hands for the gator’s eyes and with tight claws she pierced into it’s sockets. I’LL RIP YOUR DAMN EYES OUT!!! She belted in her mind. As the cold blooded creature felt the pain of the girl it’s mouth clamp loosened and Andrea quickly pulled out her leg. Get away, get away! She was panicking now. Her eyes were just a blur. All she could make out was a goopy light and darkness. So she used the last bit of energy to swim up towards the light. “HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU.” Finally taking a breath of air she caught hold of a river root by sense of touch alone. But as soon as she opened her mouth to breath, of course the muck water came bursting out. The rundown girl forced her way over the shore with her three remaining limbs. “Huh HUU huuuh” she took a quick breath at first then slow before coughing up more fluid and some blood. The dirt sept into her wound and stung like the poison from a snake. “AAAAaaaagh” she cried out. I can’t just wait around. What if it comes back?
The wounded warrior pressed the path with her pecks and got herself partially up. The alligator sprang up from the river in anger! “AAAAH!?” Andrea screamed flipping over her arms out of the way and landing on her back. “FUCK YOU!!!!” she growled grabbing the closest rock her hands could feel and hurled it as the bottom of the monster’s throat. “RRRRRAAA!” the alligator belted out before falling back into the water. Needless to say, the huntress had no fish now and she stumbled back south into the remaining jungle empty handed. I... I need to find something to disinfect my leg and... wrap... it ...u- CRASH! She passed out.
BUT ADRENALINE SHOT THROUGH HER VEINS! Andrea jolted her head back up. Breathing heavily she got to all fours dragging her injured leg. Like a puma she stepped forward with opposite limbs and she used her nose to smell the plants that crossed her path. This one! She bit into it to pull leaves off and fell over. Grabbing some more now with her hands she twisted and wrenched the sap out of it over her left leg. “AAAAA!” the wounded warrior let out. That always stings! Then taking the stalk of the same vegetation, the medical novice wrapped it tight around the top of her thigh pulling up her dress. I can’t lose any more blood. Her mind reminded her with a brief flash, sitting in a classroom it raced over the lecture on how to treat basic wounds.
Next she stumbled deeper into the trees to find something else to eat. Fruit. That would be nice... She looked half awake. Holding herself up by leaning against each tree’s shaft that she hobbled by. Trying to use her ears, the forage now closed her eyes. She saw her path with the sounds of the breathing jungle and moved forward trusting her hands. Before the sun was half way down, she managed to pick out a familiar sound. Oook ook! A group of monkeys! Unleashing her sight her pupils pointed in the direction of the sound. Where there are monkeys there would certainly be mango or butterfruit! The excited and hungry girl picked up the pace and began to pull herself up the core of the agba tree before her. Reaching for the first branch she swung! Once. Twice, and... lift off! She sailed towards the next branch mustering up as best she could the sound of the monkeys “ook! Ook!” The wild girl smiled.
Her sounds and movement so convincing, the group of chimpanzee didn’t even move until they saw the giant monkey girl! “Eek!” One let out as Andrea who was three times its size swung by!!! “Ook!” she hummed to the chimp. It had no idea what to do. So the whole troop just watched in awe of the giant... monkey? Before them. The seeming shapeshifter grabbed a mango off the tree branch and swung herself up onto it to take a seat. ... She viciously bit into the fruit! The monkey’s screamed and some began to swing away. I was so thirsty! The famished friend ate through it in just three bites! Then grabbing another she tossed the skin aside. A couple curious and brave chimps stuck around and one in particular swung over onto the branch adjacent to her. “Ookaa ooka!” the hairy beast went in a show of force saying ‘I’m not afraid of you big monkey!’. Andrea diverted her attention from her meal to smile at the chimp with closed eyes, but she took in air and “ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOARRR!” the force melted leaves from the treetops. The chimps hair stood all the way up and it’s face was now wide and unmoving. Slowly the brave chimp tilted back and fell off! CRASH! The other monkey’s slowly swung away, keeping their eyes on the beastly monster monkey girl. “Ha ha ha!” She giggled out loud. Sorry chimps, but I’m not in the mood for any games. And the lion like girl snatched up another two pieces of fruit.
