Primitive Man

Chapter 69: First encounter

Garnt and Rona crouched low in the shadows, hidden among the rocky and trees filled terrain that surrounded the mine entrance. Garnt scanned the area, searching for a way to create a diversion that would distract the guards and buy them some time.

He spotted a group of guards patrolling near a dense thicket of bushes.

"We found our target," He muttered as his eyes locked onto the entrance.

With a quick glance at Rona to make sure she was ready, Garnt picked up a small pebble from the ground and weighed it in his hand. He took a deep breath, steadying himself, and then with all his strength, he hurled the pebble towards the opposite side of the thicket.

It sailed through the air and landed with a soft thud, just beyond the bushes.

"What was that?" One of the men standing next to the entrance questioned.

"I don't know, maybe a wild animal," His friend answered, but the first guard wasn't confident.

"We should go and check it out."

The guards immediately reacted, their attention drawn to the noise. They whispered to each other, gripping their makeshift weapons tightly.

Garnt and Rona watched as the guards cautiously approached the area where the pebble had landed, their stones and branches raised, ready to strike at any potential threat.

With the guards distracted, Garnt signalled for Rona to stay put and stay quiet. He knew they couldn't risk encountering anyone on their way to find Bakotu and the miners since it could put their lives in danger.

Garnt moved silently, his senses on high alert as he slipped through the entrance of the mine with Rona and a few other villagers.

"Is it okay to not take all of them?" Rona questioned with her voice almost whispering next to Garnt's ear and he nodded his head.

"Yeah, if something goes wrong, they can help us from behind. It is called flanking." Garnt told Rona about his plans while travelling through the mine.

Inside the dark wooden hallways, Garnt could hear the faint echoes of distant voices. He followed the sounds cautiously, avoiding any signs of movement. Rona kept close behind him, her grip on his hand firm, her concern mirrored in her eyes.

They moved deeper into the mine, their hearts pounding with anticipation and fear. Garnt's mind raced with thoughts of Bakotu and his fellow villagers. He couldn't afford to let them down.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of winding wooden walls and tense silence, they stumbled upon a grim scene. Bakotu and the miners were tied to large poles, their faces marked by exhaustion and fear.

Standing menacingly in front of them was Moga, a hulking figure with a cruel smirk on his face.

"Damn it! Where did these fang wolves come from? I hope others are okay,"

Garnt's mind raced with worry for the remaining villagers outside the mine. He knew that they were waiting for him and that their safety depended on his actions here. However, he also understood that without dealing with Moga and his men, they wouldn't be able to escape the threat of the wolf pack.

As Moga struggled to lift the heavy boulder and close the entrance door, he suddenly heard a commotion behind him. Turning, he was surprised to see Garnt and Rona working quickly to cut the vines that bound their fellow miners.

"Who are you people?" He shouted feeling the anger.

In his distraction, Moga lost his balance, and the massive rock he was attempting to hold in place came crashing down, crushing one of his men's leg with a sickening squish.

"Ahhhhh~ It hurts," He shouted hoping for some help, but Moga didn't even bother to look at him instead he squinted his eyes only to see Rona.

Moga couldn't comprehend what had just happened, but his focus was soon drawn to Garnt and Rona as they successfully freed their comrades. Garnt hoisted Bakotu, who was still unconscious, onto his shoulders, while Rona did the same for the other miners who were conscious.

The rest of the miners, now liberated, began helping each other and carrying those who were unable to move.

Garnt shouted for everyone to run, urging them to escape the impending danger. He couldn't be sure if there were any other people left inside the mine, but he made the difficult decision to leave them behind for now.

The priority was to get everyone out safely, and if they stayed, they risked being overwhelmed by Moga's men. The group hurriedly made their way towards the entrance, which was now the most dangerous place.

"Woman! You're here," Moga shouted his eyes tingling from the happiness. For a moment, he didn't even notice Garnt since his main attraction was on Rona.

"Get out of the way!" Rona shouted, attempting to leave the place, but Moga lunged at her like the wild animal he was.

Garnt instinctively stepped in front of Rona, shielding her from Moga's menacing advance. His jaw clenched with determination as he locked eyes with Moga, who seemed more furious than ever.

Moga, still fixated on Rona, snarled, "Who the hell are you? This is none of your business!"

Garnt stood his ground, unwavering. "You don't need to know who I am," he replied calmly. "But you do need to let us go because if you do that, you might get to survive another day."

Rona, her heart pounding, whispered to Garnt. "I will deal with him,"

She was beyond happy to see someone helping her because until now, she had always been alone no matter how dangerous the situation was.

"No, we will. After all, this is our fight," Garnt said those words and got ready for his first encounter with a rather ferocious wild animal in human skin.