Bewildered by the predator's sight, the scouts hesitantly climbed into the crater. They knew how volatile the warriors could be, resorting back to their primal instincts when awoken from a deep sleep. Although unconscious, it was clear that if this creature became disoriented upon waking, the scouts would no doubt have a battle. As they reached the bottom of the crater, the scouts noticed a few other differences between themselves and the unconscious beast. Its scales shimmered in the sunlight with an iridescent hue, casting reflective light in all directions. As they approached the beast’s head, they noticed horns, sharp and pointed, dug into the side of the crater. The slime that dripped from its mouth was acidic, burning holes further into the pit with a foul stench. As they took an even closer look at the beast, they found that underneath its hard, scaly exterior, unhealed wounds covered its body. These wounds seemed to be caused by accelerated growth without the proper healing time. The beast was noticeably larger than the scouts, and it was clear that something unexpected had happened to it, causing it to grow far faster than was naturally possible.
The kaiju were once a cutthroat species, caring nothing for their comrades. Decades ago, the species was much more violent and disagreeable. Wars would break out between the different factions, leaving the species fractured and at war for generations. As time progressed, the factions began to settle their differences and assembled into one larger colony. Now that they had settled their differences and considered themselves a single colony, they had become much warmer towards their companions. Sympathetic to others’ suffering, compassion now came quickly to some, the scouts included. Feeling remorseful for the beast’s situation, they knew they had to help it; as far as they were concerned, the beast was one of their kind.
With a unanimous decision to help the injured beast among the scouts, the group moved quickly to extract the kaiju from the bottom of the pit. As they worked, the scouts began to discuss the beast; it was evident that something horribly wrong had happened to the kaiju, turning it into the mutate that they now found before them. They pitied the mutant, knowing that such a process must have been excruciating.
As the scouts struggled to lift the kaiju, their hearts grew heavy. The wounds across the mutant’s body were severe, and no matter how hard they tried, they could not wake the kaiju. The scouts were unsure whether all the wounds were old or sustained during the most recent battle. The beast seemed to be in a constant state of war, going from battle to battle, seeking victory or glorious death. This was not an uncommon thought in the old ages, and it made the scouts wonder if this kaiju had branched off from the tribes of old, pursuing a solitary lifestyle once rumors of peace talks had been raised. Regardless of this kaiju's lifestyle, it would be treated like any other community member.
After a few minutes of struggling, the scouts crested the crater’s edge with the kaiju and placed the behemoth onto stable ground. With no supplies to stabilize the mutant, the group had to wait, hoping it regained consciousness, or decide how to transport it back to the jungle. Although lacking in supplies, the scouts felt that if they were to leave the kaiju’s wounds unattended for much longer, they would die. They knew the jungle was not too far away and that other scouts would be on patrol at the territory’s borders. The scouts knew that they had no other choice. The mutant’s wounds were too severe, so they decided to gather the mutant and do their best to transport it back to the forest, hoping that when they neared the treeline, another scout would be in the area and able to assist in the transport.
As the scouts left the ruined city behind, they half dragged, half carried the mutant along with them. They knew from the moment they lifted the kaiju from the bottom of the crater that they would struggle to move it any significant distance. Although it was only a head and a half taller than the scouts, it weighed much more than the average kaiju. The muscle mass it carried and its scaly armor made it incredibly difficult to move. All the factors combined made the trek out of the city arduous. Once free of the city and back into the open plains, the scouts decided to save the rest of their energy and drag the mutant. The ground out in the open was much smoother than in the city, with minimal bumps or rocks around, allowing the scouts to move much quicker without fearing further injuring the mutant.
As the group neared the jungle’s edge, a colony member spotted them from the treeline, rushing to greet them. It wasn’t until the additional scout got near the group that it halted in its tracks, at first not able to see the unconscious mutant lying in the grass from afar. Unsure what to make of it, the scout stared confusedly. Thoughts not unlike the initial group’s running through its mind. As it stood there dumbfounded, the group brought it back to reality, letting it know that the time for questions was later. At the moment, time was of the essence, and they needed to get the mutant back to the village as soon as possible for one of the healers to tend to its wounds.
Once again confused, the bystander inquired what wounds they were referring to. Taken aback by the scout’s seeming stupidity, the group released the mutant and quickly turned to show the newcomer how badly it was injured; what they found astounded them.
Over the last hour of travel, the mutant’s wounds had closed. The deep gashes that had once separated its scales had been replaced with fresh scars. Surprise crossed the faces of the group, knowing that not long ago, the mutant was in such critical condition that they were not sure it would even make the journey to the jungle. Now, its body was healing enough for them to wonder whether bringing this mutant back to the village was a good idea. There was no doubt in the group’s minds that the beast was violent by nature, and bringing it into the heart of their village may be a mistake that could end in bloodshed.
Quickly, the group gathered and weighed the options. If they left the mutant where it was, it could easily find its way to the camp, now too close to the border to safely trust that it would wander the other way. If the scout’s suspicions of the mutant’s origin were true, it would search for the nearest village as soon as it awoke, looking for a battle. If that were true, the village would be its first target, and even if the colony defended itself, there would be casualties. The other option was one of peace. They would bring the mutant into the village as planned and tend to its remaining wounds, keeping it comfortable until it regained consciousness. When the mutant awoke, the scouts would retell the tale of what had transpired that day, and hopefully, the mutant would see them as an ally, providing them with the answers they so desperately craved. In their hearts, they knew that the second option was the only one that would potentially work. The mutant was a battle-hardened warrior, and if left at the edge of the jungle, it would not be long before it arose and began searching for its next target. Their only option was to bring it into the village and hope that when it awoke, it would recognize the favor its kin had provided and return the kindness with peace.
As the group of scouts neared the outskirts of the village, the mutant began to stir restlessly. Although knowing that its physical body was nearly healed, they were unsure what kind of damage had been done to its mind to cause it to lose consciousness. They hoped it was not as severe as the wounds across its body as they feared damage of that magnitude might have irreversible effects. Knowing it was only a matter of time before the mutant awoke, one of the scouts ran ahead of the group, gathering the council and a healer to be ready for when the scouts arrived.
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Not long after the scout had collected the council members and healer, it quickly briefed them on the situation and visitor they were about to receive. Responses to the news varied. The healer was taken aback, unsure if it could heal the mind of a creature, especially one it did not know. Meanwhile, the council members looked at each other with grim expressions. Clearly, they knew more than they were willing to share about this beast, but inquiries could wait. The group cleared a space outside the healer’s home and gathered the necessary materials to help the mutant as best as possible. Not long after the area had been prepared, the scouts arrived with the mutant, who had begun to awake from its unconscious state. Although the beast was not fully conscious, it thrashed around, knowing it was being transported against its will. Time was not on the side of the scouts. As they neared the healer’s home, the mutant began actively fighting the scouts, making the last few meters a nightmare for them.
As the scouts fought to get the mutant to the area they’d prepared, it became more alert by the second. By the time they had brought it to the rest of the kaiju, it was near full consciousness. After the scouts had released the beast, it settled for a moment, lying still on the ground between all the community members. As they looked down upon the beast, they hoped it had lulled itself back to sleep, no longer agitated by the feeling of restraint the scouts had put it under. Hopes were quickly dashed as the mutant’s eye snapped open moments later, revealing a mesmerizing set of iridescent eyes, not until its scales. As they peered down into the mutant’s eyes, they saw numerous red, green, and blue hues swirling within its pupil to create a mosaic of ever-changing colors.
As they surrounded the mutant, entranced by its eyes, they almost missed the mutant’s claw swiping up at them, narrowly missing the face of one of the elderly council members. Immediately, the group backed away, knowing that the mutant was predisposed to violence; they hoped the swipe was just a way of telling everyone hovering that it needed space. Now from a distance, the group gathered and inspected the mutant. It slowly began to rise, disoriented and seemingly in pain, reaching for its head as it rose. Gradually, the healer and scouts approached the mutant, and as they did, it mustered a low, guttural growl echoing from the depths of its chest. The mutant was precise in its messaging. If the group were to come any closer, blood would be spilled.
As the standoff with the mutant continued, a crowd began to gather, the commotion of the brief altercation grabbing the attention of nearby kaiju. Some warriors even joined the crowd, moving to the forefront of the gathering to see if their assistance would be needed if an exchange were to occur. The mutant began to gather an inventory of its surroundings as the crowd gathered. Realizing it was in an unknown village, surrounded by a race of beasts that looked similar, it lowered its guard. The scouts and healers made their postures as soft as possible, indicating to the mutant that they meant no harm to the beast. Hesitantly, both sides began to de-escalate. As the warriors started to inch closer to the beast, the healer, and scouts took a step forward again, emphasizing to the mutant that they were trying to help. As they did, the mutant tensed again but did not growl and slowly let them approach.
A few tense minutes passed, but by the time they had, all parties involved had come to a basic understanding; neither side intended to hurt the other. The healer had finally made it over to the mutant, indicating that it just wanted to check the mutant’s head, searching for any extensive damage that may have been caused. At first, the mutant shied away, taking a defensive stance indicating that it was still hurting and would take greater care not to be injured again. As the healer quickly inspected the mutant, it began softly talking to it, listing what it was doing and what it would do next. After a few moments of silence, the mutant responded, shocking everyone within earshot. The council members were the only ones who seemed to expect the vocalization, once again leading the others to believe that they knew more than they were saying.
Once the healer realized that the mutant could speak their language, it began chatting away, inquiring where else the mutant was hurt and if there was anything else that it could provide for it. The mutant quickly indicated that the only thing that ailed it was the pain cascading through its head, as its innate healing ability had taken care of the rest of its wounds. Sadly, unable to assist in the pain within its head, the healer stepped back from the mutant, gathering its things, and signaled for the council members to approach. As they did, a look of familiarity crossed the mutant’s face. It was clear to everyone nearby that the council and this mutant knew each other at one point, which had become an unexpected reunion. Not wanting their conversation to be overheard by the growing group of spectators, the council talked with the mutant quickly under hushed tones and then escorted it to their council chambers, where together, they disappeared.
Hours later and late into the evening, the council members emerged from their lodgings, followed by the mutant, who looked much more refreshed after their meeting. The news had spread throughout the village of a strange visitor. In anticipation, the colony had gathered around the council hall, waiting patiently in the hope that they may get to see and even speak to the mutant. Seeing as a crowd had gathered around the entrance, the council decided it best to announce the mutant, allowing it to introduce itself and tell its story. With a brief introduction, the council silenced the masses and backed away from the crowd’s edge, leaving only the mutant standing, ready to address the colony.
At first, a wave of fear and envy washed over the crowd. For generations, the kaiju of the southern jungle had assumed they were the apex predators of the kaijuverse. No other creature neared their physical prowess, and the kaiju were near unstoppable when in a group. They were a force to be reckoned with, and every beast, animal, and human understood their place under the kaiju. What amazed the community most was that the mutant was bigger and more imposing than their strongest warriors. It had adapted further down the predatory line, its very presence striking fear into the hearts of anything that stood in its way. The warriors in the crowd stood tall, envious of the mutant and how far it had evolved. They wished that at one point in their lives, they could command the attention that the mutant did so effortlessly. Its power was unquestionable, and it knew it. Once the fear had washed away, the community was left mesmerized, and in place of the fearful whispers that echoed among the crowd was a deafening silence that rang throughout the village.