LITMIR.BIZ

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did not tell his fellow tribesmen about what he had seen at night. Didn’t want to disturb the hunting mood. The leader wanted to quickly hunt down any giant that came across and return to the Great Volcano to report the vision to the leader Roshan.

      Val, are you sure? – the young tribesman disturbed the leader.

      The shaman frowned.

      What are you, Arwen? You think I’m too old for the Big Hunt?! Watch and learn, son, while I move my feet! Forgot where I got this helmet from? Vall was indignant and tapped his fist on the top of the skull.

      The rest of the hunters chuckled softly. Arwen also smiled, not at all doubting his leader. After all, every young ranger heard this story, and experienced ones saw with their own eyes the fierce battle of the brave Wall with an underdeveloped ancestor.

      The head of the reptile had fallen to the shaman almost two hundred moons ago, during the last carnivore attack on the temporary camp. Stopped by fire arrows and spears, the pack of Razaurs retreated, but one of the lizards managed to get through the fence on the other side of the village. He almost tore apart a child hiding in the hut. The shaman, by chance, was nearby and was able to attract the attention of the cold-blooded one in time. The frightened girl ran away, and the hungry predator accepted the challenge. Despite the mortal danger and the superiority of the reptile, the hunter did not flinch and, drawing his knife, attacked first. The huge lizard was faster and grabbed the shaman’s hand. Sharpthorn bone armor on the forearm withstood the pressure of the carnivore’s jaw, and while the reptile was dragging Vall along the ground, trying to bite through the bone protection, he stabbed the predator many times with a knife in the neck. The lizard fell. From the skull of Razavr the shaman made a helmet and called it his amulet. Wall believed that the amulet would intimidate other reptiles, especially carnivores.

      «Tristail nearly broke Tris’s head last time!» Val continued to be indignant. – It was necessary to think of it, being a dexterous one, to jump from the side of the tail to the Tailbone. You’re lucky Tris that Razorthorn has a tough skull. Together with a helmet and your head would split!

      The hunters giggled again, and Tris blushed uncomfortably.

      – Yes, Rylan, Arwen! Find something to laugh about. Quiet everyone! Val ordered angrily.

      Teenagers and men grimaced seriously and, barely suppressing smiles, began to wink at the embarrassed Tris. In order not to watch the teasing antics, the fair-haired tracker averted his timid gaze from his fellow tribesmen and directed his gaze to the bennettite field.

      «From now on, no youngsters in the hunters!» Enough already, got it! Wall snapped. «Only die-hard hunters!»

      – Wu-u-u-u! – among the young relatives there was a rumble of discontent.

      – I don’t want to hear anything! the leader insisted.

      Being a hunter is a dangerous business in the fishery! Despite this, young men were always eager to ride a reptile to demonstrate their skills. True, the youngsters did not have that skill at all. But everyone was ready to jump on the herbivore. And then, returning to the House of Hunters, tell women, children or fellow tribesmen from other hunting parties about their courage and dexterity. But lately too many young hunters have failed. And in Akira’s detachment at the last Great Hunt, Sharpthorn even ripped open the belly of one of these onlookers. The gutted hunter died on the spot, and his body was not returned to his relatives. Alas, walking the trails with bloodied human flesh is like throwing yourself naked at a pack of Raptors. The one who was killed after the end of the persecution by the element of fire was led to the stars – they burned it, erecting a fire and pounding drums, and sang songs on a good journey, so that one day a kinsman would descend from heaven and be able to accept his genuine death from the moons of the new lived…

      So Tris’s mistake was another example of the fact that the young are not ready! Tris learned his lesson: during an attempt to jump on a reptile, he received a powerful tail blow and lost consciousness. The teenager almost died, but they managed to drag him away from the angry lizard, and as Wall said, Tris was lucky! And such youths as Arwen, Tyrant, Rylan and other young hunters who had recently been beaters did not even suspect how dangerous it was to be a hunter! Any experienced person has experienced this sudden attack of indecision more than once, when you need to act right now and not a moment later! When everything constricts in the chest and a taste of strange bitterness comes to the throat, when a surge of emotions muffles the mind, when the heart begins to beat as if it is about to burst out. In this state, it is very difficult to properly assess what is happening, and even more so to control your actions. Already then you stand over the killed lizard and partly do not remember what happened. Only pain and abrasions all over your body make it clear that the victim has thrown you off your back or neck more than once, trying to trample on you.

      Those who have never been dexterous seriously think that riding a giant is as easy as shelling pears. But it’s not!

      By the way, the death of any tracker from the Great Hunt squad has always become a real tragedy not only for the tribe as a whole, but also for the squad itself, to which the tracker was assigned. After all, each leader had his own peculiar ways of hunting, and it took a lot of time for a fellow tribesman from another detachment, for example, or a completely newcomer, to get used to the manners and conventional signs of already close-knit hunters.

      – Arrow! Tris said almost in a whisper and pointed to the sky with his hand.

      The Kindred raised their heads.

      Val, did you see? Rylan asked.

      «I see everything,» the shaman replied calmly. «What they were doing with him is incomprehensible!» I suppose Salas thought for a long time… about what he would have in his stomach in the coming days!

      The first people removed the leather covers from their spears and clubs, prepared arrows, twine from loose vines, and, waiting for a command, stared at the leader of the Great Hunt. Vall, meanwhile, latched the lower part of the helmet – the jaw of the Rasaur, covering the chin and neck – and tightened the armor with a leather yoke through the nostrils of the skull. His head was completely protected. Behind, coming out of the back of the head of the helmet and hanging almost to the very waist of the shaman, was attached the backbone of the lizard. Wall decided that the vertebrae of Rasaurus could also serve as a barrier to the teeth of reptiles.

      The elongated shape of the cranial bone of the cold-blooded one only in their appearance resembled the former owner, the first ancestor of the first people – the most dangerous predator that could move on earth! Sitting harmoniously on its new owner, the Rasaur’s skull blended perfectly with the Razorthorn’s carapace on its chest, giving its wearer a flawless and intimidating appearance.

      Val raised his head and squinted at the Great Fire.

      – May the glow of the Great Fire abide in our hearts! And our hearts will not go out with his departure either during the Great Hunt today or tomorrow! – admonished the shaman. «May the spirits of Zavrini protect our bodies and souls!» May the flames of Pangea give us strength!

      «May the spirits of Zavrini protect our bodies and souls!» May the flames of Pangea give us strength! the others whispered.

      There was a roar from Longneck.

      – In places! Wall ordered.

      Tris and Rylan rushed to their prepared positions. The second climbed to the top of the hill and hid in the thickets. Rylan saw the dark blue giant approaching the ambush, followed by Salas and Taro, spears brandishing at his heels. Tris went down along the ledge and hid among the moss-covered stones. Young hunters will be on patrol today. Through the eyes of Zavrini, they will see to it that no carnivorous reptile can interfere with the persecution. As soon as the heart of a predator beats nearby, the rest will be warned and will instantly drive away the intruder!

      Vall pulled a huge, intricately engraved knife of Verge stone from a leather sheath

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