Deep beneath the earth, Star could feel a strange heat, like the boiling magma of the volcanic mountains, much like she had felt from the Flame's aura, but this was quite different. Gazing under her feet, the soil that had been so cold was now hot, and a red glow emanated from within. In that moment, something emerged—a creature.
No, a man, his nerves seen through his skin, his eyes a glowing red. It was the tribesman, and an evil grin spread across his face from ear to ear. He grabbed the young woman, his clawed hands pressing into her skin like a hot blade. Star bellowed, the pain coursing through her body as her arms were scorched by the tribesman's grip.
Pushing her to the ground, he stood over her, a deadly look in his eyes that could scare away the deadliest predators from his sight, but Star was no other predator, gazing into his eyes as she wanted to battle him. This sudden demeanor that spelt bravery filled the tribesman with pleasure, and he didn't wait to cause her more fear than she could fathom.
The Star dragged herself back, struggling as she stood on her feet, taking a defensive stance, "Who are you?" she demanded, though knowing fully well that there would be no answer but she felt asking would make her stand out as brave and shut down the confidence that the tribesman had when it came to breaking her resolve.
The tribesman tilted his head, a cold edge to his gaze, "Do you wish to know? Why not come with me, and your questions will be answered?" he responded, stretching out his hand as he knew this woman possessed no knowledge.
Star stepped back, her resolve still firm; she had always relied on her instincts, and it always spoke to her. This time, it had been mentioned that this man was dangerous, from the crown of his head to his toes, he looked like the beasts of the earth, beings who were fallen from the kingdom that stood over the planet, and now they had to reside amongst humanity in a fiery abyss.
"You are wise," he said, dropping his hand. Now, seeing that the intellect of this woman had relied on her instincts, it was time that he took her with him by force and killing her would make it much easier.
Taking the nearest weapon that she could find—a rock that lay just beside her, the Star readied herself to strike as she saw that the man before her was ready to strike her down with the force of his clawed hands. As the battle between both the Star and the one from beneath the ground had reached a starting point, rain had begun to fall, the crops bathing in this biblical liquid from the heavens.
The tribes had always believed that the rain meant that the luck of nature had begun, but the luck of humanity had ended, and a catastrophe would ensue, spelling the end of something good in their life. Trudging through the wet soil, his legs aching, but with the burning resolve in his heart, he moved forward. The Flame approached the hut, seeing that he was meters away from it.
Panting heavily, his breath almost cut short, he finally reached and before him was the battle that had begun between the tribesman and the Star. Armed with a rock, swinging at him, the Star roared, her fingertips bleeding as she gripped the rock tightly.
With a powerful force, the tribesman clawed away at her flesh, causing the young woman to drop the stone and just as he was to execute another deadly attack, the Flame had rushed in with tremendous speed, pushing the deadly tribesman to the ground before executing his attack—a flurry of fist attacks that barely penetrated the skin of this tribesman but it was effective in keeping him down.
The Star held her bleeding hand that was washed by the rain, steam erupting from the open wound as she winced, the wounded flesh scorching from within. Watching the conflict led on by the Flame as he struck the tribesman, she was shocked by the rage he held and with each blow, his anger increased. She had never seen him in such a state, even from the first time she was attacked by the great beast, he saved her effortlessly with no emotion to his being, now something about him seemed different.
As the Flame's rage had reached its limits, his strength began to wither, his body giving up on the resolve he had built, and just as he raised the final fist, he had given the opening. Taking that moment of weakness, the tribesman retaliated with a powerful claw strike, his fingers digging into the Flame's chest and going towards his abdomen.
The Star glared with shock, the horror before her being far too overwhelming. As this chaos before her ensued, she could only think of her tribe and how they were clawed through by the great prehistoric beast. Star could feel her nerves wracking, her heart pounding in her chest, and her body began to heat up as she felt her body burn up excessively.
Taking any chances that were left, she lunged forward despite her injuries, the scorching claw marks causing her discomfort, but she still pushed forward and before the tribesman could recover from being put down to the ground, the Star gathered all the strength in her body, channeling every fiber into her left fist as she struck him on the face. The force of the attack was overwhelming; it brought the tribesman down, blood spewing from his mouth.
In that very moment, it felt as though a surge of power had struck the Star, and with the determination building in her heart, she pushed forward with a need to protect the only one she could see as her family. Her knuckles ached, the strength of the man's hardened skin causing her great pain.
Though her attack was effective, it wasn't enough to bring the tribesman down completely. Rising to his feet, he spat and grinned widely, seeing that he had won. Star, who was open and vulnerable with injuries that burned, felt that she was at a losing end, as the tribesman advanced, stretching his hand out to take his prey. A chant was heard from the forest.
The two opponents gazed up at the branches, the rain suddenly stopped as a figure emerged, a bow and arrow in his hand and at the tip was blue flames, the hottest it could ever be and with a powerful drag at the bow the arrow was released wiping the tribesman's hand clean, but this was so because he had used it to protect his head from being shot through. Though he did not falter at this, taking the only option he had—to run for his life.
As the man disappeared into the darkness, the Star faced the tree lines, wondering where the arrow came from. Dropping down from the branches, I am an old man adorned in attire similar to that of native culture. Star had never seen this attire before, and she had never heard of it. The headgear that consisted of feathers from powerful birds, his attire covered his body completely, as he resembled the elders of the evil tribe, but his face seemed different from theirs.
The man's eyes widened as he gazed upon the woman, from her clear, bright eyes that were as pale as snow to the darkness of her skin, such as hers. "Ah, you are alive, that is very surprising, especially after facing the demon," he said.
A demon? What was that? Star couldn't understand what creature that could be. Was it a part of the ones that existed in the fiery abyss? The time to think wasn't her goal; she had to keep her new husband safe. She had never gotten the time to know much about him, but the tribes never cared what lineage a husband or wife must be, so she followed that tradition, but she never followed the fact that evil and good could not co-exist.
Even if she knew that he saw her as a farmer only, she stayed true to her role as one, hoping one day that she would progress. Emerging from within the trees, a group of tribesmen emerged, adorned in the same attire as the man, but their skin was far more revealed than he's.
Stretching a hand towards the woman, the old man offered a welcoming gesture, "Come now, my child, you must come with us," he said to her before turning to the Flame who was gravely wounded, "The man beside you here could be very important to you, I assume, spending time here could endanger him further"
The Star nodded softly, accepting the helping hand of the strange old man who was from this strange tribe filled with great archers. Ordering the tribesmen, the old man took them both in, offering them a chance to live in his great solitude, away from the beasts that lurked on the earth.