Chapter 4: Gundo
Two days had slipped by since the day Garnt embraced whatever changes Eva brought to him. Garnt's mother, Gundo, woke up feeling rather fresh as her fever died rather quickly. Her eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the dimly lit interior of the cave.
She blinked several times, her senses gradually coming back to her.
Pushing herself up on her elbows, Gundo scanned the surroundings, her gaze flickering across the rocky walls and uneven ground. Her heart raced a bit as she realized she couldn't immediately spot her son. "Garnt?" she called out, her voice echoing faintly in the confined space.
As her eyes roamed, Gundo's attention was suddenly drawn to a flickering light off to the side. Her eyes widened, and she leaned forward, squinting to get a better look. A bonfire danced in the corner, casting dancing shadows across the cave walls.
Gundo's brows furrowed in confusion since she had never seen a fire before.
But then, her instincts kicked in, and a surge of adrenaline coursed through her veins. Gundo's eyes widened even further, her body tensing as she interpreted the flickering flames as the movement of some wild creature, threatening their safety.
Without thinking, Gundo lunged forward, her hands outstretched as she aimed to tackle the perceived threat. Her primal instincts took over, and her mind was convinced that she was about to fend off a dangerous animal. "Get away! You beast" she yelled, her voice a mix of fear and determination.
Despite her usual behaviour to flee in fear, upon noticing Garnt's absence, she immediately concluded that the wild animal might have harmed her son.
This led her to a heightened state of readiness, willing to confront the creature with her bare hands, despite lacking the physical strength for such a feat.
In an instant, a strong arm wrapped around her, halting her charge. Gundo's breath caught as she was pulled back, her eyes now focusing on her son, Garnt, his expression a mix of concern and urgency. "Mother, stop! It's not an animal," he exclaimed, his voice firm but filled with a reassuring tone.
Gundo's chest heaved as her heart slowly returned to a more regular rhythm, her eyes shifting back to the bonfire and then back to Garnt. "But... the danger," she managed to utter, her voice still laced with unease.
Garnt followed her gaze, understanding her confusion. "It's... a new way of keeping warm and cooking food," he explained gently, his grip on her loosening as he took a step back, giving her space. "It won't harm us, Don't worry, it's not even alive,"
Gundo's eyes flickered between her son and the mesmerizing flames. Gradually, her tense posture relaxed, and she nodded, though her scepticism still lingered.
But soon all of her affection suddenly pointed at Garnt, as she hugged him back sniffing his scent like a true primitive woman since they enjoyed the smell of close kin.
"I was so scared, I'm glad you're okay, I'm really glad you're okay, my baby," With a soft exhale, Gundo finally released her son from the embrace, though her hand lingered on his arm. She looked into his eyes, her gaze filled with maternal pride and a touch of vulnerability.
"Did you do all this, Garnt? What are these wooden things and how did you bring that bright orange thing here?"
Garnt nodded his head hearing her question and wanted to explain things but he knew it would be a long conversation since she wouldn't understand most of the things he had to say. Eva also told him not to overload her sick body and mind with excess information, so he decided to take it easy.
"First, let's eat something, I'll explain everything slowly, you must be hungry right? I found some good and tasty fruits that are edible," Garnt dragged her back to the cave and showed all the fruits he collected in a wooden basket that Garnt made using the blueprint he brought.
He also managed to build a few more to carry water and for several other needs, so things became a lot easier than he expected.
Garnt placed the basket of fruits on a makeshift table he had crafted from some sturdy branches and rocks. He motioned for his mother to sit down on a comfortable rock he had smoothed out, indicating for her to make herself comfortable. "Please, have a seat, Mom. I'll get everything ready for us."
As Gundo settled down, Garnt began arranging the various colourful fruits on large leaves, creating an unnecessary yet charming presentation. He explained each fruit's taste and texture as he placed them before her.
"This one is sweet and juicy, almost like a burst of water in your mouth," he said, pointing to a vibrant red fruit. "And this one is a bit tangy but really refreshing."
Gundo watched with interest, her heart swelling with pride and love at her son's resourcefulness and dedication. "You've become quite the provider, my dear. I never thought I'd see the day when you'd be teaching me about fruits in the wild."
Garnt chuckled softly, his eyes meeting his mother's with warmth. "I want to protect you, Mom, after all, we are family. Now, let's enjoy our meal." He handed her a piece of fruit, and they began eating in companionable silence, savouring the flavours of their makeshift feast.
Once they had eaten their fill, Garnt took a deep breath, and explained most of the things to her leaving Eva and complex things out of the conversation.
For some reason, Eva didn't want anyone else to know about her existence, so Garnt had no intention of disrespecting her after everything she did for him.
"My son is a genius, I would have never thought about all these new ideas," Gundo said impressed by everything she was presented with.
While they were having their sweet family time, Eva kept looking at the blueprint menu since she was interested to see what they were going to build next.
Blueprints:
Remaining points- 200
>
>Stone and Bone weapons - 300
[I see, so these blueprints always renew when there are new items available, that's good. Also, the items will only be those that are suitable for this era, so I won't be able to see a gun right now, at least until we exit this primitive age]