Primitive Man

The dimly lit workshop which was modernized thanks to the equipment brought by Mia's team, was slightly buzzed with the sound of machinery as Garnt was forced to work on the project that would capture the essence of the meteor. Mia watched intently, her gaze fixed on the intricate gears and wires wondering how the final product was going to work and whether she could believe Garnt to complete this product.

"Mia, hand me the wrench, would you?" Garnt called out, his eyes focused on the delicate calibration of the machine without even caring about Mia's distasteful look.

Mia passed him the wrench with an annoyed smile. "Sure thing, boy. What are you working on at this time? It had been two days, and I could tell that we were in the last stages. Don't try to fool me or you will regret your life decisions."

Garnt adjusted his goggles, his fingers deftly manoeuvring the tools. "I'm trying to perfect this device so there won't be any problems when we execute it. It's going to revolutionize the way we—"

But before he could finish, a voice echoed in his mind.

[Careful, Garnt. You need to recalibrate the flux stabilizer slowly. Otherwise, this machine will explode. Also, make sure it is not fully stabilized so the machine won't work unless we fix it.]

Garnt's brow furrowed slightly as he glanced around, making sure no one else had heard the voice. "Eva, not now. Mia's right here."

Eva's voice persisted, only audible to Garnt.

[I know, but this is crucial. We can't let Mia succeed in her plans. Besides that bitch can't even hear me, so let's take advantage of that. We need this machine, so this is our only choice.]

Garnt nodded imperceptibly, his expression tightening. "I understand, Eva. I'll make sure the machine doesn't reach its full potential."

Mia raised an eyebrow, noticing Garnt's sudden change in demeanour. "Is everything alright, boy? Are you talking with Eva? What did she tell you?"

Garnt forced a smile, his mind racing with conflicting thoughts. "Everything's fine, Mia. Just a minor setback. Don't worry about it. I'm not used to working with these types of things since I was a caveman before all of this, so you have to be patient with me"

As Mia returned to observing, Garnt's gaze drifted to her, a mixture of pity and bewilderment clouding his eyes. How could someone harbour so much hate? he wondered silently, a heavy sigh escaping his lips.

"Eva, can you talk with my mother? I want to know how they are doing." Garnt asked while working on the machine since he was anxious that he left his family in the forest for three whole days without knowing what was happening to them.

He was confident enough that they could survive without him, but at the same time, he knew things were not so good in the forest right now.

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[I can't contact her. We are too far away, but you know they can survive in that forest, after everything you taught them.]

Even though Eva spoke those words, her voice was laden with guilt, for she knew Garnt was doing everything for her dream. She realized she wouldn't be able to forgive herself if something happened to Garnt's family while he was helping her. So, she prayed that they were safe, just as fervently as Garnt did.

In midst of all this, Garnt had a sudden realization and looked at Mia in eyes. "Mia, have you heard anything about Baktou's recovery?" he inquired, his voice tinged with concern.

Garnt was not foolish enough to let Mia tamper with his brother's body anymore, so he took the chance of using the promise of making machine to make a fair exahnge with Mia.

Mia glanced up from her work, her expression softening as she met Garnt's gaze. "He's stable for now, but it's going to be a long road," she replied, her voice tinged with a hint of exhaustion. "His body is healing, but his mind... well, that's going to take some time. But when I say healing don't expect him to look like a normal human again. I can say even if he recover, he is going to look like a pile of flesh because of how badly damage his body is."

Garnt nodded solemnly, his mind already racing ahead to the next steps. "I understand. Just remember, Mia, I won't forgive you if you do anything foolish to yourself in the process," he said firmly, his eyes locking with hers. "Just as you wouldn't forgive me if I lied about anything."

Mia's lips quirked into a wry smile, a hint of gratitude shining in her eyes. "Don't worry, boy. I'm doing everything I can to help him," she reassured him. "You focus on creating that machine of yours. I'll take care of your brother. This is a fair exchange."

With a nod of thanks, Garnt turned his attention back to the machine, a renewed determination coursing through his veins and a heart with filled with guilt.

"Fair exchange! I wonder about that." He muttered to himself under his breath, while going back to finish the machinery that would prove to be the keystone for all of his problems.

***

As the sun rise from the misty mountains and the chaotic forest, casting long shadows, Rona, Unami, Kara, and Garnt's villagers pressed forward, their footsteps muffled by the thick underbrush. The air was heavy with tension as they navigated through the unfamiliar terrain, their hearts heavy with the knowledge that they could no longer call their former home safe.

"We had to abandon everything again. But just as Garnt taught us, we are the village that should survive, not the buildings and other equipment that we built," Gundo standing behind Rona and Unami gave the emotional support their people needed in this chaotic time.

Rona, her long black hair trailing behind her like a banner of determination, took the lead, her eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of danger. Unami walked beside her, her grip tight on her weapon, her gaze darting nervously from tree to tree. Kara, the youngest addition to their group, followed closely behind, her expression a mix of fear and determination.

Normally Ayra would be the one standinggn next to these women, but right now she wasn't in a state that she could support a battle, so Kara decided to take her mother's place and support Rona and Unami.

"This place isn't safe! We can get attacked anytime, so keep your senses sharp," Rona muttered to the other two that was leading the group.

Suddenly, a rustling in the trees ahead sent a ripple of alarm through the group. They froze, their breath catching in their throats as they listened, straining to hear any sign of what lurked in the shadows.

Then, without warning, a massive shape burst from the foliage, its wings outstretched as it soared towards them with a deafening roar. It was a flying dinosaur which Garnt would call a Pterosaur, its sharp talons glinting in the fading light as it descended upon them with terrifying speed.

"Watch out!" Rona shouted, her voice steady despite the fear that clenched at her heart. "We must defend ourselves!"

Unami nodded grimly, her fingers tightening around her melee weapon as she squared her shoulders, ready to meet the oncoming threat. Kara, her eyes wide with terror, reached for her own weapon, her hands trembling with adrenaline.

Normally they wouldn't feel this much of fear, but knowing that Garnt wasn't with them, they knew their firepower was decreased by several folds.

With a primal screech, the flying dinosaur swooped down towards them, its razor-sharp claws slashing through the air with deadly precision. Rona and Unami leapt into action, their weapons flashing as they struck out at the creature with all their might.

But the dinosaur was relentless, its attacks coming fast and furious as it sought to overwhelm them with its sheer size and ferocity. With each swipe of its claws, it drew closer to its prey, its eyes gleaming with hunger and rage.

"We can't hold out much longer!" Unami cried, her voice strained with effort as she parried blow after blow from the relentless creature.

Rona gritted her teeth, her muscles burning with exertion as she fought to keep the dinosaur at bay. She knew that they were running out of options, that they could not hope to defeat such a formidable foe on their own.

"Run away with villagers! Gundo, quick! We will deal with this creature," She shouted knowing common people in their group would only become a liability for them, if the creature decided to attack them.

But things took a different turn, as Kara decided to take things seriously.

Then, as if in answer to her silent plea, Kara stepped forward, her gaze steady as she raised her gun high above her head. With a cry of determination, she unleashed a barrage of gunfire, the sound echoing through the forest like thunder as she unleashed the last of their precious ammunition.

The flying dinosaur let out a deafening roar of pain as the bullets tore through its thick hide, sending it spiralling to the ground in a tangle of wings and claws. With one final, desperate effort, it lunged towards them, its jaws snapping shut just inches from Rona's face.

But before it could strike, a single, well-aimed shot from Kara brought it crashing to the forest floor, where it lay still and silent, its threat finally vanquished.

For a moment, the only sound was the ragged breathing of the exhausted villagers as they stared down at the fallen creature, their hearts pounding in their chests.

"We did it," Rona whispered, her voice hoarse with relief as she turned to her companions, a weary smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "We survived."

And as they gathered together, their spirits bolstered by their hard-won victory, they knew that no matter what trials lay ahead, they would face them together, but there was another problem that haunted them after this encounter.

"We are out of ammo! We don't have guns anymore." Rona said knowing she shouldn't be hiding something important like that from others, which was another wave of despair despite their win this time.