Chapter 235: Long journey
Following Garo through the dense forest and across barren, dry lands reminiscent of an ancient time, they encountered various challenges and wonders along the way.
Their path led them through towering trees and tangled underbrush, where they had to navigate carefully to avoid hidden dangers. At times, they stumbled upon hidden springs, providing much-needed refreshment for both them and Garo.
Other times, they encountered strange creatures that seemed to have stepped out of a long-forgotten era, like giant ground sloths and massive glyptodonts, which they observed from a safe distance, marveling at the diversity of life around them.
Some people had a hard time travelling through these great distances, but Gundo or other girls didn't let go any of them despite their complaining about how they can't proceed further.
As days turned into weeks, the landscape changed gradually, morphing from dense forests into open plains and then into rocky, mountainous terrain. Through it all, Garo remained steadfast, leading them with unwavering determination, his keen senses guiding them forward.
But one thing that significantly changed about the whole environment was the heat and the light. They days got a little darker and the whole atmosphere had a unusual heat that felt irritating toward the skin. Even Garo showed visual uncomfortable because of this.
"Is this normal?" Rona and Gundo had to question, but they knew neither of them would be able to answer their own question. They were aware that Garnt might have some knowledge about it, but they no longer depended on him, demonstrating that they were their own people.
Finally, after a grueling journey filled with both excitement and hardship, they reached the edge of a vast icy expanse, stretching out before them like a frozen ocean. The air grew colder with each step they took, and the ground became slick with frost.
But their awe at the sight before them quickly turned to confusion as they realized the true nature of the land they had arrived at. Before them lay a massive ice boulder, cracked and weathered by time, with a strange land visible beyond it. However, the path leading to it was fraught with danger, as they witnessed a fierce battle raging between prehistoric beasts.
Dinosaurs clashed with thunderous roars, their massive forms shaking the ground with each blow. Sabertooth cats prowled among the chaos, their razor-sharp fangs gleaming in the dim light. Mammoths trumpeted defiantly as they fended off attacks from agile predators, their tusks glistening with frost.
"Are we supposed to go there?" Ayra asked horrified by what she witnessed, but she wasn't alone as everyone felt exact same as her.
As they watched in awe and horror, Gundo spoke up, her voice filled with determination. "We cannot let fear hold us back. If we want to find our new home, we must brave whatever challenges lie ahead. Garnt might be already their waiting for us"
Rona nodded in agreement, her eyes fixed on the icy boulder in the distance. "Garo has brought us this far. We must trust in him to lead us safely through."
Even though most of them knew it was next to impossible for Garnt to be there, they hoped to see their leader again and find a safe home they could build their life again peacefully, so they were ready to wait forever.
Just when they expected things to go smoothly, Rona started to feel a presence behind them that she quickly tracked and decided to deal with. She turned slowly, her hand instinctively reaching for her weapon, ready to confront whatever or whoever approached.
Emerging from the dense forest behind them was another group of humans, their appearance rugged and wild, their clothing mere scraps hanging from their bodies. Gundo and Rona exchanged wary glances, their eyes assessing the newcomers as they cautiously approached.
"Who are you?" Gundo called out, her voice steady despite the tension in the air. "What brings you to this place?"
The leader of the ragged group stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he studied Gundo and her companions. He grunted something unintelligible, his expression vacant, as if he struggled to comprehend their language.
Rona frowned, frustration bubbling within her. "Can you understand us?" she asked, enunciating her words carefully.
The leader merely stared at her, his gaze vacant and uncomprehending. Beside him, the other members of his group milled about aimlessly, some scratching at their unkempt hair or picking at their ragged clothing. The stench they produce was something that everyone felt replused by, but they knew it won't be a good outlook for their village if they refuse people like that.
Gundo sighed heavily, her patience wearing thin. "They seem like they've been living like animals," she muttered to Rona, her voice tinged with frustration. "Look at them, barely civilized."
Rona nodded, her jaw clenched in annoyance. "They must have been without guidance, like we were before Garnt found us and taught us everything," she replied, her eyes scanning the group with pity, but she knew it wasn't the time for them to deal with something like this.
Just as they were about to turn away, dismissing the ragged group as irrelevant, one of the men lurched forward, his eyes fixed greedily on one of the women from Gundo's group. Before anyone could react, he reached out a grubby hand, intending to grab her.
Rona's instincts kicked in, and she moved swiftly, interposing herself between the man and his intended target. "Back off!" she growled, her voice low and menacing while using her weapon to slightly injure the man.
But the man only grunted in response, his eyes glinting with primitive desire. And then, without warning, he emitted a guttural shout, a sound that echoed with primal aggression.
"Damn it! Shut up," Rona muttered as she got more and more annoyed by these humans.
The tension in the air escalated as Gundo's group bristled, their own voices rising in a chorus of defiance. Like a pack of cornered animals, they bared their teeth and squared their shoulders, ready to defend themselves against this unexpected threat.
"Let's finish them off here otherwise they will become a problem,"
"They tried to touch one of our villagers, we shouldn't let them leave unharmed,"
"Yes! Yes! Kill them,"
the villagers also started to voice their opinions, some wanting to kill these primitive people, while others wanted to peacefully discuss things with them, as they knew Garnt would have done so.
Rona also knew that engaging in violence would only escalate the situation further. If they fought now, they risked drawing the attention of the prehistoric beasts nearby, and that would spell disaster for them all.
With a heavy heart, Rona stepped back, her gaze locked with Gundo's. They shared a silent understanding, knowing that they needed to find a peaceful resolution to this confrontation, no matter how dire the circumstances.
"We must find a way to communicate with them," Rona said quietly, her voice carrying a note of resignation. "We cannot afford to let fear and misunderstanding divide us. These are humans just like us, so we don't want to kill them when we have no advantage in doing so."
Gundo nodded, her expression grim but determined. "Agreed," she replied, her eyes never leaving the ragged group before them. "We must find common ground, no matter how difficult it may seem but how are we going to do that?"
Even though Gundo and other villagers were trying to approach a more peaceful option, the primtive people that wanted to fight against them were not going to take things easy, as they started to growl more and more showing they were about to attack until Garo slowly got close to them and showed his mighty form in front of them.
The people who were supposed to be strong and wild quickly became covered in fear. They attempted to run away, but before they could do so, Rona swiftly calmed Garo, demonstrating her superiority in the situation, along with the others to whom Garo obeyed.
Meanwhile near the entrance of the promised land that everyone wanted to enter, there was a huge bloodbath happening that didn't subside at all, as more and more creatures kept appearing from the different sides of the forest.
Some managed to slip through the entrance, but Gundo knew with their weakness and numbers of people it won't be possible for them to do that without sacrificing some of their people. For a moment, Rona had the wicked idea of using these primtive people to their advantage, but she quickly shook her head as she knew Garnt would despise her if she did something like that.
Everything was looking grim for their future, but they didn't know that things were about to get even more grim, as they suddenly heard the sky screaming in pain as if something huge is going to happen, and they all felt the impact.
"It's here!" Thora suddenly shouted, as she looked at the sky that had been decorated in blood red hue. "We are all going to die at this rate!"