The Hunters: A short story

Akin Sawat and Rukilou, natives in the land below the winds, went to the jungle to hunt for wild animals. They took their normal path, with Rukilou leading the way, “Keep up please.” They had planned earlier on to go hunting for snakes in general but it was a cold day even for snakes to come out from their shelter.

As they enter the thick jungle with nothing but the clothes on their body and handmade spears with the tip made of sharpened stone. Rukilou looked at her friend who was slow in his pace. Neither one of them would talk to each other for the rest of the journey. Although they were still in their teens, both were season hunters.

The tracks were wet due to the rain earlier, it made things harder for them to track an animal. Even a rabbit at this point will be a complicated task. Akin suggested a little breather before moving deeper into the jungle, “Aren’t you tired princess?” Akin placed his spear on the ground.

“Unlike you, I actually like the jungle.” Rukilou sarcastically replied but nonetheless adheres to Akin’s suggestion of resting.

Although the jungle was cold, the sweat on their heads were visible, even their palms were sweating from just holding the spears. They spotted a snake on a tree nearby the steep hill, “Careful! It could be venomous.” Rukilou warned the oblivious Akin. In retaliation, Akin replied with an egotistical tone, “We’re hunters, these snakes won’t get the better of me.” An unknown path opens up to them since they have never venture this far into the jungle.

Each step they took, their breathing gets heavier. It gets steeper, for each step they take. Rukilou almost fell from climbing up the steep hill. She almost lost her footing but thanks to her quick reflexes, she managed to pull through. They noticed the amount of snakes as they were almost at the top of the hill. “Snakes don’t normally show up on high places like these.” Akin explained the whole snake situation to Rukilou.

“Remember don’t kill it unless you want to eat it. That’s the rule.” Rukilou added after seeing her partner’s eyes. The eyes of a hunter preparing to jump on its prey.

Suddenly! One of the snakes that was going about its own business bitten Akin’s leg. He screamed in pain, “Ahhhhhhhh!” as the snake's teeth sink into his flesh. It was provoked to bite the intruders as they have entered its territory. Fortunately, the snake’s venom was not as deadly as one would have thought but the result of the bite caused young Akin to lose his footing. Rukilou even with her cat-like agility could not help her friend in time. He tumbles down from the hill, bruising only parts of his body. He was a smart boy but nonetheless nature was unkind to him today. The snake still attached to Akin’s leg was fighting for its life when Akin tried to removed it with his knife that he had kept on the side of his pocket.

It was a bloody fight but most of the blood came from the snake. Akin stab the snake’s head in anger for biting him. With the twist motion coming from Akin’s hands, he snapped the snake’s head followed after with a decapitation. Vulgar words would come out from Akin’s mouth after the demise of his slippery foe, “Damn it!”.

Rukilou was worried and came down from the hills as fast she can. She noticed how badly injured Akin was but he was completely oblivious about it. To him, his mind was set on being fine but his body said otherwise.

“Are you fine?” the first Rukilou would asked.

“Ya, but I feel dizzy though.” Akin replied as he was about to passed out. Apparently his adrenaline rush has died off after uttering those few words. His body would not agree with his mind.

Unfortunately, the sun was no longer visible and it was near impossible for them to get back at this hour. The jungle favors the dark and cold night as nothing human-like enters the forest. Rukilou remembered her training, which was how to start a fire but the coldness of the jungle which was caused by the rain earlier made it impossible to start one. Everything is wet.

Rukilou tried to carry Akin but to no avail, he was too heavy even for his body frame. She checked her surroundings, a safe place to spend the night. If Akin’s injuries goes untreated in the next few hours, it could probably lead to death which Rukilou does not want that to happen. She dragged his unconscious body under a tree which has enough cover for the both of them. From there, she took out her medical kit which they always carry in their hunting pack, which she treated the young hunter’s bruises by bandaging him up. The bandages were dipped with alcohol and surprisingly Akin’s pack had a tiny bottle of anti-venom. She used that to treat him because her inexperience with snake bites made her worried of her friend’s life.

“He knew that this would happen one day.”

She wanted to look for fruits around the jungle but leaving Akin alone would be bad idea. Unfortunately, they were not prepared for such shortcomings because they had expected to have caught a few snakes or wild boars at least before nightfall.

Akin was sweating a lot due to the snake bite and the injuries. He must have caught the fever after his fight with nature. Rukilou was worried that other creatures of the night would show up. Especially, centipedes and scorpions that roam the jungle freely. One sting from either creature would mean death. A slow and painful death as the venom sinks into the body and assimilating with the blood cells.

To avoid unwarranted events to occur, Rukilou bathed herself and Akin with mud to cover themselves from more snakes approaching them. It is also to fool other animals and insects as their tribe believes that if one were covered with nature, they would be safe from other creatures; blinding them.

Akin finally opened his eyes after a much needed rest. As a result, Rukilou was overwhelmed with happiness. She did not know what to do or say to his parents if he was really gone for good.

“What happened while I was out?” the poor lad looked around his surroundings and noticed it was already dark. He further questions Rukilou, “Why are there bandages on my body?”

“You were out cold after that scuffle of yours. You’re lucky that snake didn’t kill you.” Rukilou sarcastically points it out. They knew it would impossible for them to go back at this hour and with their parents away from home, they were on their own. Akin was surprised that his whole body was soaked with mud.

“At least this was not as bad as that wild boar incident. Remember that?” Akin jokes about his current predicament.

“I remember it vividly, you broke your fingers and your left shoulder.”

“This is not as bad as that. We can make it back.”

They took turns every one hour to be on the lookout because the mysterious night could present a threat to their safety.

Dogs would howl, rabbits would make this weird hopping sound as they pass by, the flapping of the bats’ wings were noticeable, and snakes would slither about the fallen leaves. As day replaces night, it was already safe for them to go back home. Here in the land below the winds, sunrise was so early as five in the morning. Rukilou assisted the injured Akin by lending him a shoulder.

Before they left the premise, Akin took a good look at the snake that sunk its teeth in his flesh, “As I always say to myself, I kill everything I eat.” He grabbed the snake’s dead body and placed it in his pack.

“You have a very weird motto.” Rukilou said as they continued walking away from the steep hill.