Primal Saga Volume 1: The Queen of Silence

Chapter 17: Set Yourself at Ease

My whole body went tense. Questions raced through my mind. How did he find me? Did he find Miyabi too? What do I do now?

"Donovan, I'm glad to see you are alright," said the voice.

"Miyabi?" I went to turn around but she tapped me with the blade. I knew something was up, but I didn't think she would betray me like this.

"Don't turn around," she said.

Why is she doing this?

"You're glad to see I'm alright, huh. Why are you threatening me? You plan to kill me?"

Does she want the totem in my bag? How would she know I even have it?

"It's not what you think Donnvan," she said in a hushed tone.

"Not what I think? Then wha-"

It was then I noticed something on a rock on the shore of the pool. Folded neatly on a rock was a raggedy girl's school uniform and well as a pair of blue undergarments. It slowly dawned on me. Miyabi was bathing in this pool, which means she was standing behind me - wearing nothing. My face turned beat red.

"Mi-miyabi. I'm soo-oo s-sorry. I didn't-"

"I know," she said with a nervous voice. "It was a mistake."

"Yeah, but did you have to threaten me with the sword?"

"I j-just kind of reacted. I wasn't going to hurt you. I just needed to keep you from seeing me. That's all."

I never heard her so nervous. There is no way this was the same girl I have been traveling with this past day. The same girl who killed an arbora with nothing more than a wooden stake.

"Hey? Ummmmm. Can you give me a bit of privacy please?"

I let out a long sigh. "No problem," I said. "I'm glad you're ok too."

"Hmmm".

*****

We ultimately decided to make camp here. The sun was beginning to set and we knew it wasn't wise to travel at night. Not only that, but the cove we were in made an excellent place safe from the jungle predators. Through the trees of the osis at the far end of the cove from the waterfall was an opening in the rocks large enough for us to walk through but small enough that large predators such as the laughing death won't be able to get through. Unfortunately we were still at risk from an attack by an arborasuchus as well as Godwin. So we agreed that tonight we will take watch shifts. But for now we tried to make the most of our evening.

Miyabi cut down a long branch and then she used her bowtie to fasten the knife to it to make a spear. In the evening light, she stood motionless, perched on a rock near the water's edge, spear at the ready.  Meanwhile, I used the tatchi to cut down brush for firewood. I occasionally would glance over at her to watch her progress. She was quiet and focused with her hair tied with her handkerchief in a high ponytail, blowing in the breeze. She was in her element. Elegant but deadly. I placed down the fire wood on the stack just as she struck her target. She pulled out the wiggling fish, which was the absolute ugliest thing I have seen in my life. When she looked over at me she gave me a smile of success and I smiled back.

Later we gathered what little bit of edible plants we could find. Ultimately, we could only find leaves which Miyabi said could be used to make tea. Our search brought us out of the cove and on the edge of a vast plain. A small herd of large spiked dinosaurs which Miyabi said were called Ferrahastasaurus drank from the stream not too far from us. They had dark bodies, almost black, with gold markings on the underbellies and plates. Down their backs they had two rows of plates which gradually turned to spikes at the base of their tail and continued to the tip ending in a cluster of spines. Though they are not aggressive by nature, Miyabi said that they will attack if they see us as a threat. So we kept our distance.