Chapter 4: Kovo
Dian's POV-
Not a single rustle came from the moist undergrowth that I was stepping silently on. Every breath silent and calm, not a tremble from my hands that held a large bow, and not a clatter from the quiver that sheltered flint-tipped arrows.
I was a perfect hunter of the rainforest in Iban, one of the many islands in the Hundred Isles.
My close friend, Kurnama, and I always went for an early morning hunt in the rainforest. We had set out separately today, competition in the air. Whoever gets a kill first, wins. And I've got a strategy.
I could hear his heavy breathing. His immature and naive steps that produced cracks and squelches too loud for stealth. Then, a sudden silence. A long exhale came from his mouth. I stuck my back against a thick tree and slowly looked behind.
There he was. Kurnama, squatting low behind a rock covered with moss or fungi. He had a colourful headband on, and cloth draping down his legs as pants of some sort. Though I was better than him in terms of silence, he was superior in tracking and knew nature well.
Beyond the boy, a wild boar, with a thick black hide being ruined by a mud bath. I smirked, confident of my strategy. Kurnama readied his spear, tipped with a poison from some type of frog.
Taking my plan into action, I gripped my bow, knuckles white, pulling an arrow from my quiver. Right when the other boy was about to throw his one use weapon, I drew back the bowstring and shot the boar in the neck, where it was most vulnerable.
With a loud squeal and a few frantic seconds of running around panicked, the animal collapsed on its side, dead. I could see Kurnama's eyes widen as he turned to where the arrow came from. I simply stood beside the tree with a tempting smirk, teasing him,
"What? It was my kill." He scowled at me, digging the tip of his spear into the ground to help himself stand up before ripping it back out in an act of intimidation or anger.
"You are a big cheat. Like always," he scoffed, twirling his spear to position it right-side up again, its sharp tip glinting in the faint streaks of sunlight filtering through the rainforest canopy. "Rematch. Tomorrow. Same time. I promised to accompany my uncle on the trading trip to the northern tribes by the river today."
With that, he dignantly stepped out of the scene, spear clutched in his left hand. After the loud rustling of his departure faded into the sounds of the rainforest, I beamed brightly at my own wits.
Tilting my head at the boar, I wondered if I could carry such a beast back. Nonetheless, I tried heaving it over my shoulder. Almost toppling over when the entire corpse was slung over my body, I dropped it quite carelessly.
Frowning, I wondered if I should've asked Kurnama to stay and help carry "my" kill.
Pouting, I concluded that the best way to transport this animal would also be the dirtiest way. Dragging it.
After slowly hauling the boar across the rainforest ground to my village, I took a quick rest before gazing upon the clearing. Wooden huts were built on top of stalks so that they towered above the ground and prevented predators or water from getting in.
Exhausted, I used the rest of my energy to make the tiring journey up the ladder to my family's hut. Leaving the kill outside along with weapons, I collapsed onto my bed. It was steamy, sticky, and hot in the jungle, all to make your hunting life that much harder.
I almost jumped when I heard clanging footsteps climbing up the ladder. Looking to the entrance, I saw my younger sister and older brother approach me. My brother, Darsi, looked to the dead boar, then back to me, sighing.
"Looks like you won the competition," he smiled, with a hint of skepticism. I nodded proudly, as my sister, Fitri, who was no more than four, gazed upon the dead animal with interest and curiosity. I smiled.
"So what were you doing this morning?"
"Well, for some odd reason Fitri wanted to look for orangutans today, so I took her. Didn't find any though," my brother replied, shrugging as my little sis pouted noticeably upon the mention of orangutans. "Also, I don't think mom and dad are going to be home fast enough before that pig starts to rot."
"Fine, I'll make lunch then," I smirked, even though I never actually cooked an animal before. Darsi raised an eyebrow before chuckling,
"Good luck, then." With that, he picked up Fitri and descended the ladder again with a
few squeaks and creaks of the wood.
I forcefully got up from my hard bed to once again attempt to pick up the kill I made. Getting a good grip on it, I managed to haul it down the ladder.
A sudden growl caught my attention. Not five feet away from me, a snapping alligator was eyeing the dead boar hungrily. I huffed and tried to drag the boar to somewhere safe, but within seconds, the beast had the prey between its jaws, tearing at the flesh and fur.
"Oh, come on," I scolded, all fear of the creature overcome with anger. "Do you know how much work I put into hunting that thing?"
"Dreadfully sorry for the inconvenience," a young woman approached the alligator from behind, but the reptile didn't seem to notice. "Bima here hasn't eaten a good meal in days." The woman then held out her hand to recall her Spirit Animal. Growling, Bima hesitated before taking one last chomp at the pig and then disappearing into a tattoo on the woman's palm.
"Well, what do I do with a half eaten boar?" I questioned dully, as the woman shrugged and then merely said,
"Feed it to the jungle beasts." Then she swiftly headed off. I sighed aloud and decided to just let the animal lay there until it attracted some other predator.
I recognized that woman with the alligator. She was one of the three people in our tribe who managed to call a Spirit Animal. I had heard rumours that people have stopped summoning companions ever since the fall of the Evertree.
But most of the people in my village were oblivious since we rarely summon Spirit Animals anyway.
An enraged roar pierced the peace of the village. At first, I thought a tiger or other beast had been attracted to the boar laying behind me. But when I turned, I realized it was much more that that.
With a veil of darkness seeming to envelope a large area in the centre of the clearing, a huge and bulky creature had appeared.
Coarse fur as black as the night, white fangs gleaming in the dimmed sun, and silver hairs running down its back. A huge silverback gorilla stood tall before me. With one pound of its fist, it crushed the poor pig in front of it.
I felt my eyes widen and my breath get tangled in my throat. Gorillas were not native to the Hundred Isles.
With scarlet eyes flashing fiercely and wide nostrils flaring to investigate his surroundings, the ape settled on his knuckles and began to approach me with anger.
I couldn't hold my fear in any longer, I felt the need to run from the creature who struck vulnerability into everyone's hearts. To run from the beast that just appeared from the shadows. But I couldn't run.
The presence only shouted a name that echoed through my mind, blocking out everything.
Kovo. The true Devourer.
A/N: Aaaaaand sudden ending. Well that was the last of the four main summonings, but that doesn't mean the other Great Beasts won't make an appearance. Not sure how Kovo the evil mastermind is going to work out his problems but we'll see.
Until the next time,
RainbowCookies :)