Primitive Man

The oppressive sun hung low in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the lands of Chaos. The usual symphony of bird songs was replaced by an unsettling silence. Baktou, a fierce leader with a scarred face, surveyed the turbulent ocean on his side, while Garnt observed the restless volcanoes on his territory. Both sensed an impending doom in the air.

It was as if the whole land was preparing for something big, and neither Garnt nor Baktou had any idea about it.

Baktou frowned, his weathered face etched with concern. "Something ain't right. Even the sea is acting up. It's like nature itself is in turmoil."

[The sea level is rising, and the danger of a tsunami is back. Baktou looks like we will have to abandon this place. It's dangerous to stay here.]

"No! I might have agreed with you earlier, but recently I got the message that even the mining village is experiencing problems. This is not unique to the sea."

While Baktou was grappling with his dilemma, Eva addressed Garnt with her own speculations about the situation.

[Garnt, something big is coming. I know that, but I can't predict what's going to happen.]

Garnt nodded grimly, his eyes narrowing. "My wolf Maro and her kids are acting strange too. Animals are hiding as if they know something we don't."

Just as tension mounted between the both factions, a fiery explosion erupted from one of the volcanoes on Garnt's side. His eyes widened as he witnessed the chaos unfolding. Before he could revel in what was happening around him, the ground beneath him shook violently.

"What in the world is happening?" Garnt shouted, struggling to maintain his balance.

Suddenly, the sky above them erupted into a dazzling display of light. Fireballs rained down, streaking across the whole sky. Both Baktou and Garnt exchanged wary glances with each of their respective systems, realizing that they might know something about it. However, when they sought the answers they wished for, Eva and the other woman were equally confused.

Eva knowing Garnt needed her support quickly commented about what they were witnessing. "Garnt, look! It's a meteor shower!"

"What is this? What is a meteor shower?" He questioned, and Eva answered his question.

[Garnt, a meteor is a small rock from space that enters the Earth's atmosphere. When it does, the air around it heats up, creating a streak of light in the sky. That streak is what we call a shooting star. But when a bunch of these rocks enter our atmosphere at the same time, creating a beautiful display of multiple streaks of light, that's a meteor shower!]

But she didn't forget to add the most important part.

[They might look beautiful, but at the same time, they are dangerous.]

Garnt's eyes widened as he tried to process the information. "So, these rocks from space are making the lights in the sky?"

While Eva and Garnt were busy talking with each other, On the other side, the mysterious woman who stood by Baktou's side spoke urgently to him. "Baktou, we're facing a meteor shower. This is no time for us to talk. We need to find shelter."

The two leaders, momentarily forgetting their enmity, shared a tense nod at their relevant system women. "To the houses!" Baktou ordered, motioning his followers to seek refuge.

Garnt, echoing the sentiment, called out to his people, "Find cover! Everyone quickly stop what you're doing and get inside your houses and get ready for an explosion."

As the meteor shower intensified, fire streaks lighting up the darkened sky, Baktou and Garnt led their factions to safety. The impending disaster forced them to set aside their animosity, united by a common threat from above.

And just as Garnt and Baktou expected, for the next few hours, the whole land was filled with the sound of explosions. Baktou quickly realized that the seaside village might not be useful after this event, after all; the water had already risen up to the village, and he knew it wouldn't be beneficial for both Garnt and him.

Meanwhile, in Garnt's territory, the volcanoes erupted sporadically, adding to the chaos. Garnt barked orders to his people, "Get the children and the elderly inside the caves. Maro, protect them!"

His wolf, Maro, howled in acknowledgement and ushered the vulnerable members of the pack to safety.

But there was one thing odd in the midst of all this. Eva, her holographic form shimmering from Gundo's tool, kept looking at the sky as if she had seen something she had been waiting for her whole life, but then coming back to her senses she gave the orders.

[Garnt, we need to find cover as well. The explosions might cause collateral damage if hit near the village.]

Garnt nodded, his eyes still fixed on the dazzling display above. "Lead the way, Eva. We can't let our people down."

The chaos lasted for a few hours, but luckily, on both sides, nobody was injured or at least wounded. However, they certainly felt the change in nature after this incident because it felt hotter.

"Garnt, are we going to leave this place?" Gundo asked. She knew Garnt was contemplating the possibility of relocating, but leaving behind the things they had built over the years felt like cutting off a part of her own body.

"I'm not sure... Eva, what do you think we should do?" Garnt questioned his most trusted source of information. Despite his technical prowess, he knew that without Eva's instructions, he would be like a lost child. However, for some reason, the immediate response he expected from Eva didn't come. "Eva... Eva, can you hear me? Why aren't you talking?"

[...]

For a moment, Garnt was worried that something might have happened to her, but then he heard the voice he had been dying to hear.

[Yes, Garnt. I'm here!]

"I was worried. Why didn't you talk? So, are we going to leave this place?" He questioned without thinking too much about her silence, and he got an answer that he had been waiting for.

[Garnt, do you remember our promise? The thing I said as soon as I chose you as my host about our relationship.]

"What is this about, Eva? Of course, I remember. Our relationship is not ordinary; it is a give-and-take relationship. But recently, you have been telling me otherwise. Honestly, I have been dying to hear some request from you since I'm on the receiving end always," Garnt said in a lighthearted tone.

[Garnt... it's time for you to give me something. I... I want you to examine that meteor that just dropped on this land. I...]

"Is that all? I will do it." Before Eva could even finish, Garnt suddenly agreed with her, causing her to almost choke on her next words.

[*Sigh, I should properly explain things to you about this new request because I don't want to keep you in the dark. Also, you can refuse if you want because right now, I honestly don't know what's right and what's wrong. I want to be selfish, but at the same time, I don't want to be. My mind is all jumbled; I don't even know how I should react.]

Eva explained about every single negative possibility, as well as the danger in her request. Also, how it is connected to her main goal of finding the chicxulub meteor.

"So there's a possibility of me dying in this project?" Just in case, Garnt wanted to confirm about what he had been told.

[I...I'm sorry, I'm a selfish bitch, who can't forget about my daughter!]

Suddenly, Eva, who had been an Iron Woman throughout her whole life, started to cry and break down, which was a miracle for both Garnt and herself. After all, she thought her tears had dried up a long time ago since she hadn't even cried beside her daughter's grave.

Why was she crying for this young boy? Did she really care about him that much, even more than her daughter?

Eva didn't know the answer to any of those questions, but she knew one thing: she didn't want Garnt to find the meteor, but at the same time, she wanted him to find it.

Garnt went silent for a few seconds and he looked at his people and then at Gundo, Ayra, Rona and Unami, who were standing next to him holding the hands of Guni, Aran and Mera. Behind all those family members was his second generation harem with Kara leading them and Kiriah holding his girlfriend's hand.

"Eva, look behind me! All these things were possible because you were there with me when I was a clueless little kid. I know your intentions were not pure, but they don't have to be because you saved all these people when you decided to help me that day. My life belongs to you, so if you want me to die, I will." Garnt said and he smiled.

"Of course, I can't die because I want to see my children grow up and I want to have sex with all of my girls every day. I want to make sure my people see the flying birds that carry humans inside them and metal horse like things that ride so fast, also brick like things that enable us to talk with each other."

[I'm sorry!]

Eva still cried upon hearing his words, but then she received the confirmation and made the decision she needed from Garnt.

"I will do it. But I alone will be the person facing the danger because I made a promise. We are not going to make any other sacrifices other than myself. Yes! Let's do this. From now on, we are going to start the project of recovering the meteor."