“Being the opposite of Heroes, Villains did not require many requirements to manifest.”

“Typically, all that a Villian needed was enough negative experiences to manifest. Be that in their childhood or their adulthood. That being the case, the experiences they undergo define them and their future actions.”

“When all that is taken into account and combined with one simple Idea, that Life is suffering, it is easy to come to the conclusion that there are more bad people than good people.”

“Therefore, Villains will always outnumber the Heroes.”

“Thus, the more Villains a Hero overcomes, the greater he becomes.”

#Quote 21 - Book of Life and Death - Chapter - Heroes and Villains

*

Central Continent - Southern Forest - Survival Tribe - Scar

Scar, Chief of the Tribe, carefully paced himself as he and his fellow Tribal Hunters traversed the treacherous grounds of the Cave of the Black Many Legs.

Or at least, the Cave that they used to inhabit.

The tunnels he and his Tribal Hunters traversed were treacherous, because in some places they were narrow, providing a perfect ambush location. In some places the tunnels were wide yet one false step could and would ruin them from all the pitfalls that existed inside the wider parts of the Cave system.

Never before had he entered so deep into the cave, and he never would have dared go this deep into it, if not for the knowledge and experience of his Son having done so before.

Even then, he would not have sanctioned this exploration if not for the fact that his Mate, Tina showcased a marvelous new way of usage for the Special Ability of his Tribe members.

At least, all but his Son who turned out to be chosen for a different path by the Maker.

His son Alexander aside, Scar carefully stepped forward, right behind his Son who was guiding him.

Behind him followed his Mate, Tina.

Above her floated a white sphere made out of White Flame.

It was small and compact enough to be grasped into one paw. It floated about three meters above her, depending on the tunnel they found themselves in. That small sphere enabled this exploration in the first place. It delivered the much-needed Light to traverse the treacherous tunnels of the Cave of the Black Many Legs.

Behind her followed two more Hunters with orders to protect the Head Shaman of the Tribe in case something attacked them.

The order existed for a reason. His Mate and the Head Shaman of the Tribe, while belonging to the same Ascendency Path as him, followed a different direction.

He, Scar, and all the other male members of the tribe followed the Path of Hunter.

His wife, Tina, and all the other female members followed the Path of The Shaman.

As such, both of them had strengths and weaknesses.

The males exceed anything based on their physicality, including everything they achieved with the White Flame to empower their strength.

In return, their external usage of the White Flame suffered.

The females were the opposite. They suffered with things regarding physicality. However, in return, their external usage of the White Flame exceeds the males.

For that reason, Scar never succeeded in displaying anything like his Mate exhibited right at this moment.

Yet, even then, not long ago, Scar had no idea that it was possible in the first place. Especially, since he had never seen the Small White Sun, as his Mate named it, being displayed before.

He, alongside everybody else inside the Nightmare Pit, had been surprised by its appearance. Only Tina’s focus on their Son, and his experience displaying a stoic facade as the Chief of the Tribe, reigned him back from instantly asking for answers.

However, the consequent smacking of his Son’s ‘Punishment’ surprised him even further.

The way his Mate manifested part of their innate Primal Form was another novel new way of manipulating the White Flame that Scar would have loved to possess and use. Yet, The Maker, made it not happen.

Even after conversing with his Mate, and seeking her teachings, Scar failed to manifest the Small White Sun, much less the manifestation of the Primal Form.

The fact irked him very much. Yet, he could not fault The Maker for making it so. Especially, not when it was The Maker himself that taught his Mate how to do so in the first place.

When it happened, Scar did not know. Nor was he curious about that fact. Nevertheless, what he was curious about was the extent of the things his Mate could now do. After all, if it was possible to summon a Small White Sun, and part of their Primal Form, what else was possible?

It was that thought that bothered Scar the most, as it brought forth the possibility that he too, a Hunter, could ‘possibly’ find new ways to utilize the White Flame.

The possibility brought forth a newfound joy, he had not felt in quite some time.

But be that as it may, be. Scar knew that there was a time for such thoughts, and now was not such a time.

Now was the time for a Hunter to stalk new hunting grounds.

*

Tina, the Head Shaman of the Tribe she lived in, was many things at the same time.

Mother, Mate, Leader, and the guiding force of the Tribe. Or at least one-half of the guiding force.

Being a Mother was easy for her. Especially, since she had had cubs before. Yes, that was before she attained the two-legged, two-handed, upright standing form, but Motherhood was Motherhood.

There was not too much difference between cubs in their Primal Form, before her Ascension, and the humanoid cubs after her Ascension.

Both were equally stubborn and unruly, Tina had found out. The only difference was the amount exhibited.

In their new forms, Cubs had much more freedom, as the Tribe offered security. With said freedom and security, the Cubs had more leeway for the troubles they could cause without anything killing and eating them for their folly.

That had been the first mistake the females had learned in their form of Motherhood. As such, new ways had been invented to punish their misbehavior. Yet, no female Badg’Er had ever imagined the number of punishments it would take to reign in Alexander.

With that being the case, Tina was extremely grateful for the warnings she and the Tribe had received.

The warning had been simple, and Tina had adhered to and even exceeded it. However, one thing had remained on her mind all this time and said fact worried her somewhat. After all, if it took somebody like her, to rear up a stubborn Badg’Er like Alexander, then what would be the requirement for a Mate to keep Alexander in check?

Tina looked ahead, into the darkness of the Cave tunnel she walked in, and observed her Son.

He slowly guided them deeper and deeper toward their destination.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Due to the monotonousness of the Cave dive, it was very easy for Tina to observe her Son. With experience and knowledge about Alexander, she realized the steady and relaxed gait Alexander exhibited.

Alexander’s steady gait displayed experience and competence in what he was doing. Unlike her, her Mate was ahead of her, and the two Tribal Hunters were behind her. And that bothered her. Especially when Alexander’s Ascendency Path went a different route.

At least, when compared to her and her Mate and his fellow Tribal members.

Although currently, it was much closer to her Mate, Tina knew that soon enough things would change. Because of Alexander's temperament, and his still unknown Path, Tina, was unsure of the kind of Mate needed to keep Alexander in check.

His Mate had to be strong just like her. Of that she was sure.

His Mate had to be confident to keep up with him. If not in strength then either in combat prowess or at least in stubbornness. Otherwise, she would be left behind, and Alexander would have all the freedom he'd need to run amok with his desires.

With that being the case, Tina wondered if there was anybody that would fit the bill in the Tribe.

The conclusion became an instantaneous denial in her mind.

With a dilemma manifesting, Tina began to wonder about the answer to the problem, when something happened that sidelined her thoughts.

The Small White Sun above her dimmed suddenly. Not by much but it happened. Before Tina could even examine why that was, as the reason did not stem from her, she noticed her Mate stop and raise his right paw.

It was in the shape of a fist, and while Tina was not a Hunter, she knew that the message was to be careful.

Tina, the Head Shaman of the Tribe, examined the surroundings and noticed that they had entered a much larger part of the Cave.

It was both very wide and very tall. If her experience with measurements were not wrong, it was ten times the size of her Den in the Tribe.

Moments passed as Tina wondered if anything would jump at them, but ultimately she was disappointed. There was nothing in this emptiness.

However, the sheer amount of emptiness did spark an idea in her mind.

With clarity of thought, gained by being taught by The Maker himself, Tina moved the Small White Sun. In moments the small spherical manifestation of Light appeared in the center of the enlarged Cave.

Then it flared with a brightness that took only a bit of effort on her part to manifest.

Instantly, everything got illuminated. Only nothing but pointed rocks on the ceiling and the ground showcased itself.

At least, nothing but three openings. The same three openings, Alexander told her about.

With that being the case, Tina directed her attention to the leftmost opening, as that one would guide her to the territory sporting the supposed enlarged mushrooms.

“No, Enemies. Go, On?” Tina remarked to her Mate, Scar.

“Hnn”

With only a small grunt and nod, Scar told her his opinion. With another grunt, he pointed toward the tunnel entrance in question.

Within moments they reached the opening. Once they did, Tina flexed her intentions, once more, and moved the Small White Sun to her side.

It dimmed as it reached her, and began to dim even more as they entered the new tunnel. Eventually, it vanished from existence as if it never existed before only for a weak green glow to replace the white one.

The green glow came from the ceiling above her and for the first time, Tina, recognized what her Son told her.

Bugs that glowed from their behinds.

Curious about them, Tina wanted to examine them. Yet the moment she manifested her Small White Sun, the green glow exhibited from their behind vanished, and she lost all trace of them.

Not giving up, Tina instructed the Small White Sun and had it float closer to the ceiling. Once it was there, an enormous mass of small black bugs appeared in her vision.

Their numbers aside, due to the white light exhibited by the Small White Sun, the bugs displayed a noticeable contrast between themselves and the gray rock ceiling. Thus, making them easy to spot and capture if one had the right tools, and those Tina possessed.

Tina raised her right arm into the air. Her paw faced the ceiling. Moments later a White Flame manifested above the paw and took the form of her own paw, only slightly bigger.

What came after was careful plucking of a handful of Butt Glowing Bugs.

Weirdly, the bugs made no effort to resist her actions. Why that was, Tina was not sure. But her intuition told her the white light produced by her Small White Sun was responsible for that.

Once she had a handful of them in her carefully braided bag out of wines and leaves, it was time to move on.

Moments later, Tina’s manifested light vanished once more, and the green glow of an entrance manifested before her and her Tribe members.

Moments later, Tina finally witnessed a strange yet wonderful environment of Giant Mushrooms dotting an enormous Cave. The green glow of an unbelievable number of Butt Glowing Bugs, dotting the ceiling of the Cave opening, only exacerbated the feelings she felt.

Tina knew she wasn't the only one feeling that way, but unlike the males in her group, her feelings stemmed not just from the sight. But from the imagination clouding her mind of the possibilities.

Possibilities of endless experimentations she could potentially imagine herself doing.

“Son? You, Shaking… Is, There, Problem?” Tina heard her Mate ask her Son.

Turning her head in Alexander’s direction, Tina noticed her son shaking for a tiny bit before it stopped.

“No…” Tina heard her Son reply. Only there was a slight hesitation in his tone.

When Alexander’s eyes glanced toward her, Tina immediately knew what was going on.

In the same instant, a bright idea manifested in her mind. Her Son shook once more, only this time he controlled himself. However, seeing the shake, Tina knew she was somehow thinking in the right direction.

Only there was a problem. She could not be there for her Son, all the time. Thus, if she wanted to keep her Son in check, she needed a female that was strong like her.

Stubborn like her.

Driven and inquisitive like her.

But most of all, she needed to be firm regarding Alexander.

Currently, there was no such female in the Tribe.

Nevertheless, just because there was no female like that, it did not mean that one would not exist in the future.

At the same time, it did not mean that she could not shape a female of such a caliber.

Only the female could not be from her, after all, Alexander needed a Mate, not a sister. No, this female had to be from one of the other Adults in the Tribe.

However, that created a problem.

In the tribe, a Rule existed. One family would not interfere in another family's upbringing of Cubs.

With that being the case, Tina had to find a way to circumvent the Rule. Then, after a few moments passed, her mind thought of the possibilities, and one solution seemed to be better than all the others.

It was simple and profound, as Tina realized, she did not need to rear up another family's child. She could just pick one old enough, yet not too old, and shape her into what she needed.

A female that could, and in time would take her place as the Head Shaman of the Tribe.

With said idea realized in her mind, Tina ignored her Son, her Mate, and the Hunters beside her. With steps, she closed in on the Giant Mushrooms acting as trees while smiling with glee for the future.

After all, with so much material before her, she could spend a lifetime experimenting and still not be done with it. Especially, if she shaped her… Disciple correctly. Then she would not only be able to relinquish her position and responsibility as the Head Shaman of the Tribe, yet still, retain enough authority over the Tribe.

An authority manifesting through her Disciple and her Son, who in turn would become the Chief.

Walking towards the Giant Mushrooms, Tina wondered about the name of such a position. After all, the position had to sound grand and important.

Going over the words she possessed, one word stood out amongst them all.

Elder!

Elder of The Tribe!

*

Time passed.

Tina, very proud of herself, gathered things at the beginning of the Giant Mushroom forest.

Once all of her vine-woven and giant leaf-stuffed bags were full of Mushrooms and other stuff, she and her fellow Tribe members embarked on their journey back home.

However, unknown to her, the Giant Mushroom Forest was much more sensitive to intruders, who plucked from it, than a Badg’Er to his surroundings.

As Badg’Er did as they wanted, with not a care for the consequences of others but Badg’Er.

Signals, whether they be chemical-based, electrical-based, or some other unknown type, traversed through the Giant Mushroom Forest.

Each Giant Mushroom warned its neighbor that something had disturbed their peace.

Not that it would help the Giant Mushrooms, in any case.

Nonetheless, there were others that could pick up on those signals.

Once everything was examined, and once it was understood from where the signal originated. There was only one conclusion.

Once the news of that conclusion traveled deep enough into the Giant Mushroom Forest, it actually reached those that were bothered by the results.

Especially, if the message pointed at a much-expected enemy finally appearing in their territory.

An enemy who had hunted their young with abandon.

Even if they themselves cared not for those who relied on instinct, and had yet to attain reason to function in their society, a price had to be paid for disturbing one of their spawning chambers.

A price they will gladly enforce upon their new enemy.