That feeling of death was cold. Star could feel it, the cold mud hardening on her skin as she was taken away by the stranger she admired. Why was she saved? She wondered, could it have been fate, as said by the ancestors she had no belief in? Why was it that such a man could harness such physical prowess that enabled him to do wonders that were known to no man?
All the questions that encircled her thoughts kept her alive as the mystery behind this new world she had just encountered at the cliff's end was still uncovered, and if she was to die, there was no way it was possible she could do so. Raising her eyes open, she felt the hardened mud being washed away. Looking around, she could see herself in water, unable to breathe, being far too weak to raise her head, she felt as though she was going to drown.
Star closed her eyes, accepting another horrible fate, but a strange force had dragged her from the bottom of the water, raising her head from the water. She gasped, her breath returning to her lungs, and the feeling of death no longer held her in place, clinging to her fate.
Panting heavily, she was hit with a wave of relief, only for her heart to stop once more as she noticed a cold hand was placed on her shoulder. All this while, Star's eyes widened, the fear she felt causing her to slowly turn to face who this person could be. Standing at an incredible height that his chest covered her face, his shoulders over her head, and his loins quite visible over the waters.
It was the hero, his skin quite dark, not like the way Star had seen it from the very beginning, his hair as dark as the abyss and his eyes filled with depth, red like blood that flowed endlessly in the rivers of death that existed in her tribe for years to come, "You are awake, that is a relief at least for you," he said, his tone harsh and deep.
Star felt his words sink into her core, her body shaking as she stood naked in the middle of a river with an evil tribesman, his grip on her shoulder was already frightening enough that his voice was just an addition, to make her lose her composure and the only words she could mutter were a soft, "Thank you," her tone as light as a feather, more lighter than the way she often spoke, it was as if she felt vulnerable being close to this strange man.
In this moment, he had the strength to do anything he wanted; he could either hold her captive, force her to bear him children by forcing his seed into her, or he could end her life in an instant. But from the way he scowled at her, he had no interest in any of that as he walked away, his back that was covered in life-threatening scars, leaving her shaken. Rising from the waters, he picked up a pair of clothing that he had placed on the ground, putting them on and covering himself.
Star could only gaze in awe, not bothered by the cold water on her bare skin, her body void of anything that could be considered a garment, even her weapon was gone, but she was sure that she could craft another.
The heroic man pointed at the ground after he was done, a pair of clothing which was meant for the women of the evil tribe, "You must put this on, woman," he said before he disappeared into the bushes that surrounded the waters.
Now being left alone, the sound of the waterfall being the only source of sound, Star was left to wonder, Who was this man? What service could she render to him that would make her useful to him? She didn't care if he was a stranger; if the other women of her tribe wanted something, they fought to get it, and going through hardships wasn't all that big for them. A common wife of every strong man needed their seed as sustenance for doing great things.
Star craved strength as this man's seed was one of the many things that could get her what she wanted; she had also wanted to spread her great resolve in the form of children. This thought of hers made her grin as she made her way out of the water, hesitating before struggling to put the clothes that had been offered to her by the strange man. The attire she adorned was quite uncomfortable; the feel of it from the lower side was like that of a mammoth's fur.
The top side was of the feel of the great sabretooth, which was hard to hunt, the attire holding her breasts together. Her legs were exposed as the mammoth's fur covered the space between her legs and her lower back. Star gasped as she admired this new look; she never knew the knowledge of something such as clothing could be so beautiful; it was as though she had evolved, her skin brightening and the brightness in her eyes altering into a deep crimson.
Facing the bushes, she could now advance forward, pushing her wat into the cold leaves. Once she had made it to the other side of the bushes, she was met with a new world, the grasses were red, the trees were shallow with no leaves to shed, the bushes were filled with edible berries that looked untouched and a small farm lay next to a small hut that stood at the middle of all these things.
The land was hollow with the wind that passed, making sounds that struck the eardrums. The Star found this uncomfortable, using her hair to block her ears from the wind's pressure. Miles away, she could spot a volcano that could destroy the earth if it erupted, meters from the hut were trees as huge as mammoths, roots as big as a hundred men, all bearing red leaves.
Though all these things never bothered her, the man was nowhere to be found, and she must've assumed that this was his home. She stood motionless, wondering where he must've gone to, "Could he have gone for a hunt?" she muttered to herself.
She had to investigate, at least see for herself if anybody was inside this home. She then walked forward, her feet cold from the grass, despite its redness, from the way this new world looked around her, it seemed the earth was scorched, but all she could feel was coldness, almost like the winter had approached. The Star shook, rubbing her arms as she tried to heat herself up to avoid the biting cold.
The wind pressure had increased greatly, though it was not enough to push her; it was enough to sink into the pores of her skin like icy jaws. From behind her, she could hear a soft growl, like something dangerous as such as the prehistoric beast loomed. In that tense moment, the door leading into the hut swung open, and from inside, the stranger stepped out it.
The coldness seized, returning to the atmosphere in a warm embrace, almost as though the presence of this strange man was like a flaming entity. The aura that was emitted from him was like fire, but not enough to scorch the flesh, he stretched his hand out, his demeanor filled with hatred but he seemed like a welcoming adversary, "Don't stand there, gazing at my abode, come in and let's see if you are useful to me," he said to her.
The Star smiled brightly, her eyes filled with pleasure. She could feel a bond between her and this strange man begin as he welcomed her into his home. So she did as she was told, making her way into his home with no little hesitation whatsoever. Inside was dim, the bright light from the sun's gaze casting through the open space. A bed lay in the right corner with a platform that was made from wood, with four supporting legs holding it.
At the other end was another small bed, made from the skin of a rhino and a sabretooth. Star did not like how that looked, it seemed uncomfortable, but she was sure that she was going to be forced to sleep on it if she was to be his partner.
The stranger walked up to the wooden platform with four supporting legs, interacting with the items that had been placed on it. Star could only watch as he did this; the room was quiet as the man was of few words, but the woman wanted to speak, struggling as she mustered her courage; her heart raced.
Her lips parted as she made small sounds of distress, "Uh...Uh.." she muttered, her moans cutting into small shortcuts. The silent treatment she received was infuriating, but she had to start the talk.
Just as her mouth closed, the man spoke, "Tell me, woman, what is your name?" he asked. Indeed, that was how to start a conversation, though they both spoke in strange ways, they could understand each other at least.
"Star, is my name," she replied, a little smirk on her face. In order to gain trust, each warrior must know the name of the other. "What... is yours?" she asked, regretting the fact that she questioned him of his as well, but he asked hers first of all.
The man faced her, his expression still the same as well, devoid of any happy emotions, only filled with anger and loss. Star had thought that he would turn on her if she had asked such questions, but something about his fiery soul seemed calm, like warmth. His lips parted as he spoke.
Flame was what the people of his tribe called him, not because of any birthmark, unlike Star, he was burned in the times of tragedy. His mother had to burn off the extra skin that shielded her womb from birthing him. She had died right after he emerged from the womb, his eyes a deep red from the blood that had been wasted.
"Flame..." Star muttered under her breath, her eyes sparking as she admired the name greatly; no other tribesmen bore such a powerful name.
The Flame turned back to whatever he was doing on the table, mixing something that seemed like herbs. He then spoke up again, "You may sleep on the mammoth bed, you need your rest for you are going to take the role of being my farmer," he said.
This, A farmer took aback the Star? That was outrageous, but something about this gave her a sense of hope. In every tribe, when a child-bearer is chosen, which is the final level of womanhood, they begin from farming, taking care of the crops while the man is away hunting and gathering food.
It started from the farmer, then it progressed into the meal maker, from that point, a huntress would be made. After that is done, the child-bearer, also known as the wife, is created and blessed with the seed of the man as sustenance and something to develop children with.
Star had a goal that she could now rely on, and she was proud that she never needed the help of her ancestors to do so. She had spent her entire life hunting down the beasts that roamed the earth. There was no purpose for her, and it seemed that she would die with nothing to amount to.
This new goal was what she craved, and she was certain to accomplish it. This goal wasn't to be trapped as a wife, but to build a life and become something, as the goal was to multiply and explore.