Welcome to The Crucible

Fastus

Hello everyone, I apologize for my lengthy absence; I have been busy (and maybe a bit lazy too). Unfortunately, from now on I will have less time to write and I probably won't be able to stick to any schedule, so, for now, the chapters will come out when I have time to write. I will keep writing though, so don't worry.

I wasn’t paying attention before, but now that I was I noticed that there was no difference in noise when I walked outwards.

The various insects birds and animals that lived in the canopy steadily occupied the place during the day while I was working.

I moved around as carefully as I could without going full stealth.

When I reached a reasonable distance I also started looking around for some fruits.

I licked my dry lips wishing I had something to drink; I could have gone for the stream again but while dying took care of your hunger after a while it just felt wrong to not eat something, so wanted to have something solid in my stomach first before going for a drink.

I was searching in one of the places I remember seeing food that was near the stream, anyway.

It had been maybe a few minutes since I started searching – the more I lived without a watch the harder it was to measure time objectively – when, looking back for the umpteenth time, I saw something I really didn’t want to see.

Big yellow eyes were staring at me from behind the vegetation; I couldn’t really make out anything else and I lost them right after, but I was sure I saw them so I spun around and pointed the spear in their direction.

Sweat trickled down my brows while I searched for any sign of movement.

After around ten seconds when I saw nothing I looked all around me to see if it circled around trying to get me from behind but I still didn't see any tiger or jaguar or anything that could be hunting me.

I relaxed slightly and loosened the grip on my weapon which I realized was gripping too tightly.

I tried going where I saw the eyes by making a circle and going at it from behind.

When I reached that point I saw nothing there, but when I looked down I saw some gigantic paw prints on the ground – they weren’t too marked so if I didn’t pay enough attention I may have missed them.

I tried swallowing, but my mouth was dry.

I looked around me, trying to see through the dense foliage – nothing was there.

"But is there really nothing?" I thought, trying to relax my muscles, which were starting to stiffen.

I was both amazed and terrified at how such big cats could move around so silently.

I started following the paw prints – I’m sure whatever it was would be able to hear me way before I notice it but I wanted to see if it just turned around to ambush me again.

I followed them for about a hundred meter but since they kept going straight I stopped – I didn’t have too much time before it became dark.

“Maybe it’s better if I circle around my position from time to time; I don’t know why it didn’t attack me after I spotted it but I hope it will keep working.” I thought.

Slightly more reassured I backtracked until where I was before and kept going on my quest to find (and hopefully not becoming) food.

I found some orange fruit just as I thought the light was getting too low to stay out, and I also found some nuts on the ground that could be edible.

I ate one of the fruits and found out they had high water content – this will keep my thirst at bay until the next day since I didn't have time to go to the stream.

Going back took longer than I thought since I kept going back to see if I found prints, and at one time I did find them, though I didn’t follow the trail this time.

At some point, I started hearing some rumbling and I looked around startled until I realized it was the sound of thunder; it was going to rain.

It was darker when I reached the hut but fortunately didn’t yet start, and no animal took advantage of my impaired vision to ambush me.

When I entered I left and opening to have some light while I lighted the fire.

I hoped I wouldn’t have leaks inside, when I built the hut I also dug a trench around it so water shouldn’t flow in.

I had just made the coal when I heard the sound of rain – something didn’t feel right though.

I glanced through the opening and didn't see rainfall down so when I finished the fire I went out to take a look, and, indeed, it wasn’t raining.

The sound was coming from the canopy above me but there was no water down here – it may take some time with all the leaves in the way for the water to reach the ground I suppose.

Suddenly I realized I could use something to hold the water so I could avoid going to the stream in the morning.

Later I could put my canteen out to gather some water but if I could dig a hole I could have more water available.

I hurriedly started digging and when I saw the first drop reach the ground I covered the hole with some wide leaves; I didn’t know if they did anything to hold water but it didn’t hurt to try.

After that, I went inside and just a few moments later there was water everywhere.

The hole I made was nearly half a meter deep and about a meter wide at the top – if it could hold I wouldn’t have to worry about water for a while.

After that, I put my canteen out until it filled then closed the hole and started to weave to pass the time.

When I felt it was late enough, I laid on my bed of leaves and let the sound of the rain lull me into sleep.

The next day I woke up to the calls of the birds, frogs, and insects.

My blisters and sore muscles were plaguing me that day too but not as much as the previous morning.

I looked outside but it was still too dark for me so I had breakfast with some of the nuts and fruits I had left and thought about what to do that day.

I had yet to completely clear the underbrush around the camp, and then I wanted to make a fence to keep animals away; I should also go search for food, and maybe gather more than a handful, to spare me a few more trips.

I decided to first take the food so I took my spear and the sac I made the night before.

I went out and though there was no fog it was still a bit dark – I could already see well enough though.

I was happy to see that my pit held the water, so I wouldn’t have to make trips to the stream for a day at least.

The ground was wet but not too muddy, so it wasn’t as hard as I thought to move around.

Since I didn’t have to stop at the stream I went the opposite way this time.

I didn't forget to make a few rounds back from time to time; I would waste more time and if I took some longer trips I wouldn't do it but, for now, I thought it was best to be careful.

Well, it turns out that maybe tigers are not so stupid; I don't know if it was coincidence or something else but it was waiting, hidden, ahead of me.

The cat was crouched behind the a tree – it was hidden so well that if I was less alert I would have missed it.

I had already gone over what I would do in various situations based on the animals I saw until now and I am both proud and surprised at how perfectly I executed it.

I was able to spot it just as I passed the giant trunk, I didn’t have much time to react but I was prepared, so when I saw it I turned in her direction in the moment it jumped.

Just before it reached me I was able to put the butt of the spear on the ground and point the stone tip on the tiger.

My idea was that it would impale itself on the spear since it couldn’t change direction in mid air – unfortunately things didn’t quite go as planned.

While my spear did indeed stab the tiger I wasn’t able to aim very well in that split second and it’s reflexes were fast enough that it was somehow able to twist in mid air and almost dodge the spear.

While it avoided getting stabbed in the chest or in the face it couldn’t avoid it completely and got stabbed between the front right leg and the chest.

That though brought forth another unexpected development.

It did penetrate the tiger to an extent, but right after the shaft bent and shattered, unable to withstand the weight of the beast, sending splinters everywhere and letting the tiger fall on me.

I died again.