Karata (ARK Fanfic) ✔ DRAFT

Chapter 1 | The Pain of Truth

Karata woke with a start.

It was Raptor Day.

Sunlight streamed through the thatch roof. She could hear the other members of the hut stirring and rustling as they woke. The thatch door creaked as she stepped outside. Dew gleamed on the grass like thousands of tiny crystals. The sky was bright and blue, peach clouds with gold edges surrounding the sun in a halo of flame-colored wisps. The sunlight beaming down was warm, but the breeze was cool.

"Good start to another Raptor Day, eh?" Karata spun around to see Taroz grinning at her. 

He held up pre-dyed cloths, colored with the black and orange of Jagged Flame. The highlights were left blank. When she returned with a raptor, she would be allowed to pick a dye and dye her First Armor. 

The First Armor was always cloth, followed by hide, chitin, and then flak. Yun had told her that in the North, especially around the Whitesky Peak, their First Armor was made of fur instead of cloth.

The thatch door creaked loudly, and Myu, Senella, and Zorne stumbled out, blinking blearily in the sunlight. Taroz tossed them their First Armor and handed Karata hers. She put it on proudly. It felt good to know that she was going to be a real citizen of the Tribe soon. She was going to be a Jagged Flame.

Rokur stepped out of his hut. Karata instantly knelt into a bow, Myu following her lead. Senella grabbed Zorne's sleeve and pulled him down into a bow as well.

"No, no, that's not necessary." He said with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. "I know I'm the Tribe leader, but by the Lysrix, I'm not that important." He motioned to Taroz, who disappeared into Rokur's hut and returned with a large portable dais. 

Then he raised a horn to his lips and blew hard. People started stepping out of their huts, dressing in beautiful ceremonial clothes. 

Six large men with dark green tattoos all over their arms, shoulders, and backs emerged from a hut. Two of them went back and together they pulled a huge drum set out. The drums were made of smooth ebony wood with animal hide pulled taut over the top. Waves, battles, hunts, flames, storm clouds and many other things were carved all over the drums. Beautifully painted, abstract patterns wove around the drums, and clean, shining white bones adorned the bottom.

One man with a trail of navy blue patterns across his cheek stepped forward with two bones. Fur was wrapped around the top, and when he beat them against the stretched leather, a hollow thummm resonated out. Suddenly he was a blur of arms and drumbones. The other men walked over and beat on it with their hands. 

The beat was amazing. 

It was the kind of music where you just have to move to it. The whole Tribe was dancing and tapping their feet to the rhythm. The drum beats rose to a towering crescendo, then dissolved into applause and cheers. Rokur stepped on the dais, and instantly the crowd silenced.

"It's here! Another Raptor Day is finally upon us. Today, the members of the Young Hut will be moved to the Raptor Hut!" he beckoned to Karata, then Myu, then Senella, then Zorne. As they stood upon the raised platform, the Tribe began to cheer and clap. The wave of approval was deafening. 

Rokur handed Karata sixteen stones and a slingshot. He then gave her three spears, two of which she placed in her SI (Specimen Implant), a bow, and twenty-four tranq-arrows. Karata hopped off the dais and walked to the nearby storage bin. There she grabbed the two narcotics, and 42 stone arrows that awaited her. Senella, Zorne, and Myu followed her lead as Rokur continued speaking.

"When these Youngsters return with a raptor, we shall supply them with a Raptor Saddle, and they will be allowed to choose their custom color and dye their armor! Today, boys become men and girls become women. Today, men become militants and women become warriors! Today, we welcome four new members to the Tribe!"