BXBX NOVEL Chapter 255 The Plains
After that odd ritual, the bull was placed on top of the fire, finally cooking the beast for a meal. The women of the tribe also started to move as they gathered fruits and berries growing around the village.
Then, an odd thing started after their sumptuous dinner as the men lunged at the women and started doing "business".
After looking at them for a minute longer, Alexander then went to the last human habitat within this world.
It was located at the plains, beside a large river snaking from the sea, reaching 5,000 miles into the land. Being in an era where beasts are rampant, it was such an oddity that this society survived. Their way of surviving? Landscape Formations.
They have mastered the art of landscaping, turning their territory to a fortress using little amount of harvested resources and full-on land modifications. From layers and layers of deep trenches, high mounds, water channels, and fire pit, they used all sorts of modifying just to defend their territory from danger.
Their territory, spanning an area of over 60 hectares, was riddled with either houses or artificial land formations. The population, on the other hand, was only a little more than a hundred, considering that most of their lands were either a mound, a trench, or a developing land formation. There wasn't really that much space for housing.
Their solution was to build tall houses, which was a benefit they got from constantly changing their landscape. They got the ability and knowledge, researching various methods of hardening, digging, and modifying that they developed cement earlier than the others, exceeding even the people of the Great Plateau which is currently using large bricks of stone
Without that ability, their population would have to build more land formation outside the three circle-shaped defensive mounds to accommodate more people, which would potentially endanger their lives.
Now, Alexander's predicament was to choose which civilization he could show himself to and establish faith.
If he chose the Great Plateau, he would simply become "a strong figure" to them, but they just wouldn't need him except for healing and to satisfy their pursuit of knowledge. With the terrain they have, them being attacked and desperate for the help of a higher being would be less than 10 percent.
If he chose the hunting tribe of the Forest, he would likely be called a false god and be entangled in a fight against their worshiped deity. He could tell that that deity, which was an Ancient Dryad, was a spirit living for at least five hundred years. Although he was confident that he could defeat that being and establish his religious dominance, he could feel that the Dryad does not mean or seek harm for its subject and even wants to protect them under his gentle cradle. With that reason, he ruled the Forest people out for the time being.
With all that considered, the only society left for him to establish his church was with the Plains People. Their situation is suitable, with their habitat being assaulted by beasts for almost every day, and with their belief in a Sun God who still hasn't manifested its divinity, he ought to become the god that they are worshiping. And for that matter, he looked up high in the sky, towards the fiery white ball of light.
At night. Within the inner defensive mounds of the Plains People.
Inside a house made from dirt was a lean teenage man sitting cross-legged on a straw mat. He had his chin on his hand, seemingly contemplating something.
Pu Yathermein, being the son of the Chieftain of The Plains Mein Yathersich, had a responsibility to lead their people and advance, for the betterment of the village. For nearly ten generations, his forefathers introduced advancements and development that led them to survive within this vicious world brimming with deadly beasts.
Through the use of their hands, their ancestors built the first mound and trench to protect their land. They used their bare hands to fight against the beasts, causing countless people to die in the process. For hundreds of years, it became a natural work for the Plains People, with their body evolving to become a lot more efficient in digging, lifting, and fighting.
They could get wood from a forest a mile away to craft weapons for fighting, but although they have evolved for those activities, they could still be outnumbered and killed by the countless beasts roaming around the forest. Because of that, the rarity of wooden tools increased and it became something that only the most important workers had. More so the stone tools that only the most noble of warriors could wield.
Pu wanted to move the village near the forest to acquire more resources such as wood, stone, and berries, but he also knew that such an endeavor was simply impossible.
For one, it would require them to build new mounds, trenches, and houses, which will take a lot of time and might also easily collapse because of the earth's moisture, another reason was that by doing so, the villages would then be cut off from a necessity that simply all of them would need to survive; Water and Fish.
As a freshwater civilization, fish had already become their most important meal. Suddenly switching to plant-based meals would definitely be a death sentence for them.
Lastly, the beasts are concentrated within the Forest. Going there without enough preparation and weapons would be an absolute suicide.
Plagued by various thoughts, Pu ruffled his hair in frustration. He wanted to make a contribution to the village even before he became the chieftain, because doing so would solidify his rule in the future. Their family had already ruled the Plains for more than nine generations. Compared to his kin, he was just a lousy kid who couldn't even take a kick in the stomach.
There was a time when the young were sent to compete with each other in a fight. Pu himself didn't even last ten moves against a kid which made the Yathermein lineage be shamed and avoided by other lineages. It took Mein himself to fight all the family leaders and defeat them to quell the distaste of the masses.
Although the masses were quelled, their view towards the Young Chieftain still remained. Due to his infamy, his position as the Young Chieftain was shaky and definitely unguaranteed.
Because of human greed, the other families had also already been eyeing the Chieftain position from their family for years, especially the family of Yatherkhan, which was currently a dominant power within the Plains due to their control of a quarter of the warrior population.
Although their numbers were still few, only reaching a number of fifteen, those fifteen strong warriors would definitely have an influence over the people who seek protection, and with Yathermein's family only having a measly twelve, including the Chieftain, of the strong population now, the moment that Chief Mein died would be the time of the Yatherkhan and the other families that supports them to rebel against the new Yatherpu Chief.
"Oh great Sun God, ruler of the sky, guide me and my family from this predicament." He muttered, praying to their god.
Suddenly, a strong bulky man rushed inside his dirt house, panting with weariness and stress. "Kulkon, what's the problem? Why are you rushing?" Pu stood up and held him, asking with worry.
Kulkon was a loyal servant of Chieftain Mein. He was found by the Chieftain when he was still a young one on the outskirts of the forest. The chieftain then trained him to become one of the most powerful warriors of the Plains, earning Mein the man's eternal loyalty and gratefulness.
"Young Master, the village is under attack by Forest Boars! The outer mound is barely holding on!" He cried out with agony.
"What?!" He gasped in shock. He immediately got his spear with a pointy stone at the end as he immediately pulled Kulkon out, "Lead me there!" He ordered.
"Young Master?!" Kulkon was baffled, "You need not force yourself to fight, Young Master. You need to escape with the Madame! I will bring you all inside the forest and lead you to another home. Maybe one day, you can avenge the Lord Master!" He said.
"What do you mean by that?" Pu was livid with anger, "Are you saying that my father will die? How dare you curse him!" He pushed Kulkon, but he couldn't even move him.
This made Kulkon even more determined to bring the Young Master away, "Young Master, I am not cursing the Lord Master! There's just too much Forest Boars outside! As your protector, I need to bring you to safety!" He persuaded.
"Safety, my ass!" Pu spat angrily, "I am not just your Young Master, I am also the Young Chieftain of this land! Even if I am weak, I am obligated to fight side-by-side with my people! How dare you tell me to escape?!"
"If you want to escape, just bring Mother with you! I will stay here and fight!" Immediately, he rushed out of the house and ran as fast as he could towards the frontline.
Looking, out, he saw the blazing fire from afar, causing him to become even more determined to rush forward.