Dig up the soil. Plant the seed. Water it. Repeat.
The basics of agriculture. Simple in theory, yet it took the tribe several days to understand even this much. To them, the idea of coaxing food from the ground felt alien, almost unnatural. Everything had to be learned from scratch.
Motivation, however, was never an issue. Either they learned, or they died.
Once the method was finally clear, progress came naturally. They had managed to salvage a handful of wheat grains and a few berries during their journey. Those became their first crops.
The process took nearly four months. During that time, the tribe survived on whatever the recovering forest could give them. As the burn scars slowly healed, life crept back into the charred land. Small animals returned, plants sprouted, and the hunters once again found prey.
When the wheat finally ripened, the Kramlins acted almost instinctively. They threshed it, separating grain from stalk with crude tools and bare hands. Then they crushed the grains between stones until they became a fine, pale powder.
From that powder, they made a simple porridge.
And with that bowl of warm, grainy mush, they knew they had succeeded.
Just like that, another two months passed. The community had transformed. Small houses now circled the Sun Eater, which the tribe had instinctively turned into a temple of sorts. Its charred ring stood as a reminder of both danger and salvation.
Most homes were built along the riverbank for quick access to water. Every morning, the villagers woke to the soft rush of the current, a gentle reassurance that life was finally stabilizing.
The fields grew larger with each passing day. Hunters worked as farmers now, though they still kept their weapons close. Animals often wandered in to eat the crops, but that only meant more food for the tribe. Nature took from them, and they took back in return. It all balanced out.
Jermal, however, was exempted from any physical labor. He spent most of his days in the forest or near the river, writing.
He practiced mana control every single day, and he had grown a lot since six months ago. Every breakthrough he achieved was carefully recorded in his book.
Ever since the incident in the cave long ago, when Jermal first described the Hollow Eye god, every Kramlin in the tribe had instinctively learned how to read and write.
The magic brush, the one formed from a stone, now rested in the center of the Sun Eater, protected from any harm.
In any case, Jermal had worked hard. His mana reserves had almost doubled, and his control had sharpened tremendously. If he faced the fire from six months ago again, he would be able to stop it with ease.
So, on this cloudy summer day, Jermal once again sat at the settlement's border on a crude wooden stool, writing.
Suddenly, footsteps.
He did not look up. Not yet. His mind was buried in his work.
The steps stopped right in front of him. Someone stared at him in silence.
Jermal finally looked up.
A woman. Around his age. Someone he had never seen before.
She carried a bag on her back, a walking stick, and a spear.
Jermal stared into her eyes, and she stared back.
The woman noticed that the man before her had eyes as black as night. A hue deeper than what she had seen on any other Kramlin.
After a tense moment, she spoke.
"Greetings. My name is Kino, and I come from another tribe. We wish to establish contact with you."
Jermal kept staring, offering nothing in return.
Then he stood.
Now that he was fully upright, Kino could finally see the small red and grey accents on his body, subtle but unmistakable. She noticed how his anatomy differed slightly from that of a normal Kramlin.
His skin looked impenetrable. His posture revealed coiled strength.
And above all, he was tall. Almost two heads taller than her.
Jermal stared down at her from his imposing height.
"And why would I do that?"
Kino felt an undercurrent of hostility. A quiet hatred for outsiders, perhaps one that had been growing inside him for a long time.
"Well… I believe our tribes could both benefit from each other. We saw your fields of food, and we hoped you could share your knowledge with us."
Jermal's breathing stopped. His irises shifted to a deep crimson.
"So you have been spying on my people? Listen here, girl. I do not know who you think you are, or what your tribe wants from us. But I promise…"
Jermal did not finish the sentence.
Instead, he showed her.
He lifted his arm and opened his palm. A spark ignited, followed by a small sphere of flame that hovered above his hand.
The flame flickered gently at first, almost harmless. Then it grew brighter, hotter, alive. It reflected in Kino's eyes like a warning carved in light.
She took half a step back. Her spear remained steady, but her fingers tightened around it.
"M-magic?"
She had seen beasts that could wield it. Two, in fact. Both were so powerful, that her tribe didn't dare come anywhere near them.
She fought the urge to react. To throw her spear and dash the other way.
Jermal's palm shut close, the fire dissipating. He had achieved his goal. The woman standing in front of him now knew that they were not talking as equals. She should watch what she says.
"Let's start over," he said. "Why are you here?"