Fear The Jutonn Tribe

The Next Morning at the Ursus Camp

The sun's gentle rays painted the morning sky with hues of gold and pink, Nero and Namon were laden with a bucket of desired meats from their hunting expedition. The two were strolling toward the camp and debating with each other.

“You think I should've stayed at the camp with the kids last night?” Nero asked.

“Are you asking that because you were scared to kill a goat or because you care about the kids?” Namon rebutted.

Nero insisted, “Hey look I’m the one asking the questions alright. I’m just saying… don’t you think it was a little irrational to just leave the kids out here without us yesterday?”

“Maybe, It’s bothering me too honestly, I doubt those weak pricks could protect themselves against a cat. All that’s been on my mind lately is what Bjorn told us the night before he left.” Namon answered while tilting his head down.

“Ahh, you’ve been thinking about it too right, to ‘protect these kids no matter what’. It’s a heavy task he’s asking.”

“But it’s one we have to do, that was the last command he gave us, which means we have to fulfill it as his warriors. That son of bitch knew what he was doing.”

The two reached the camp, however, the scene that greeted them could only leave drawn-out faces of distraught and enlarged heavy eyes. The once bustling camp was now a cluttered mess of broken trees, a random assortment of rocks, dirt, and debris mounting up to look like a hill of rubble.

The camp had simply become a shadow of its former self. The twins exchanged bewildered glances, panic riddled across their faces, before making their way toward the center of what used to be the camp.

What they saw was enough to confirm their unspoken suspicions. Kirby was hunched over against a pile of rubble, he covered his eyes with his arms while curling into himself like a ball. Eira and Leif were lying nearby, their forms unconscious and battered with scratches all over them.

“What the hell happened!?” Namon clinched his fist, his face almost red as his panic fused with his anger.

Nero quickly knelt nagging at Eira and Leif's unconscious bodies, “Come on, you guys say something!” he pleaded.

Kirby lifted his head, his eyes low and heavy, “T...They’re still alive. B..but they're injured, really injured.”

“Well, you two find a way to wake them up then!” Namon insisted.

His sharp eyes urgently scanned the scene and realized something was off.

“Bo… Where is Bo!?” He yelled.

He started sprinting searching across the camp swiftly, tossing away the rubble to see if his body was hiding between the crevices of the heaps of rock. Endless worries flowed in his mind like a river.

“What happened here? Where’s Bo? Who did this to the camp?” These thoughts kept circling through Namons head.

He kept scattering around the camp in search of Bo until he lifted one particular rock, and underneath it was Feng cradled and shivering. Namon observed Feng’s skeletal body, from his lonely eyes of guilt, and his hardly scathed skin.

Namon’s tone was aggressive as he demanded answers, “So it was you who did this?" He pointed his sword at Feng.

Feng's eyes became wide, he quickly stuck his arms pleading as fast as he could, “WAIT!”

“If you just admit to it, I’ll do you a favor and make your death quick,” Namon replied, pointing his sword even closer.

“Wait please sir I… I can explain, it…wasn’t me I promise.”

“Well then who did it!?” Namon demanded sternly.

Kirby pleaded desperately, his voice cutting through the tension, “Stop Namon, it wasn’t Feng!”

Interjecting vehemently Kirby stepped forward and answered the lingering question, “The one who caused all this… was Bo.”

Namon lowered his sword, confusion wiping away his red flustered face, "So then where is he?” He asked.

“WE DON’T KNOW OKAY!” Kirby shouted at the top of his lungs, he finally reached his breaking point.

Silence settled upon the camp, the only inkling of sound that could be heard was Feng’s sniffling. His eyes had become moist, and guilt had palmed his heart. He muttered, “He’s right sir… everything that happened yesterday still hardly makes any sense. I… Just don’t understand why, why did he protect me yesterday. Why?”

Namon’s eyes had narrowed, pondering the nagging question in his head, “Protect? What the hell is he even talking about?”

Breaking the tension, Nero yelled from a distance, “You guys get over here! Leif and Eira are awake!!” Namon and Kirby hurried on over, setting aside the boiling tension, just before Namon left he grabbed Feng from the rubble he hid in and took him with them as well.

Namon, Nero, Kirby, and Feng were gathered around Leif and Eira who were slowly rousing from their unconscious state. The two struggled to open their eyes, they rubbed their hands across their sharp wounds. Suddenly both their eyes became disoriented and bewildered by their surroundings, they realized the wreckage that was once the camp.

Both their voice was a barrage of questions similar to the ones Namon had asked before, their concern was evident as they sought to piece together what had happened after they were knocked out.

Namon held up his hand, his tone curt. "Enough questions. What we need are answers."

Namon then turned his attention to Feng, his grip tightening on his sword as he approached. "You're the one who knows what happened yesterday right, alright then explain everything from the top."

“O..Okay sir, I’ll try my best.” Feng gulped.

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[After Fengs Explanation]

After Feng’s recap of last night’s events, the camp had fallen silent. Namon’s eyes were wide struggling to put together his thoughts together,

“So you’re telling me this all happened in one night.” He asked.

Kirby answered, with his head low. "Yes, it wasn’t just Feng who saw it all, I did too. Bo decided he wasn’t going to let those warriors take Feng. He fought against them, and right on time, Materia activated. I think it was just luck that he didn’t die yesterday, really it’s luck that none of us died at all.”

Namon looked at Feng, a mixture of bewilderment and exasperation on his face. "Sudden and stupid decisions, Bo really is Bjorn’s brother.” He thought.

Leif chimed in, “So after me and Eira got our ass handed to, where the hell did Bo go?”

Feng replied, his voice carrying a tinge of hesitance, “It’s all still so foggy to me. A…All I can remember was a man standing behind Bo as he fell, I can’t remember what he looked like. Maybe one of the Jutonn warriors had managed to survive Bo’s attacks, all I know is that the man took Bo and ran off.”

“So where we going from here?” Leif asked.

Amidst the suffocating tension, Eira’s emotions surged to the surface, her voice cutting through the silence like a blade. She stood abruptly, pointing a resolute finger at Feng, her expression hardened.

“I think it’s obvious what we need to do next.” Her voice was fierce, her words unyielding. “Feng should never show his face around us again. I knew he’d be trouble the moment I laid eyes on him. After everything that’s happened the chaos, losing Bo there’s no reason for us to keep dragging this burden around. He’s a danger to us all.”

Her gaze burned with intensity, though her posture remained calm, making her judgment even more chilling.

Kirby, desperate to push back against her condemnation, scrambled for words. “But… don’t you think that’s a little too harsh? Come on, guys, help me out here. Isn’t this going too far?” He turned to Leif and Nero, his eyes pleading for support.

But Nero sighed heavily, his voice grim. “It’s harsh, sure, but she’s not wrong. We can’t afford to paint a target on our backs when we’re already vulnerable. We still don’t even know where Bo is.”

Kirby’s gaze snapped to Leif, his last hope, but Leif avoided his eyes, his jaw tight as if battling his own inner conflict.

Eira took a step closer to Feng, her glare unrelenting, her voice now like iron. “Seems like the majority agrees with me. So, Feng, if you’d kindly…”

Kirby stammered, his voice trembling, “B-but…”

“No,” Feng interrupted, his tone low and resigned. “She’s right.”

His words were heavy, carrying the weight of his guilt. “If it weren’t for me, your King would still be here. I’ve brought nothing but trouble to your tribe. You’re better off without me.”

His shoulders sagged as he turned, dragging his weary feet away from the ruined camp. His head hung low, his frail frame trembling with each labored step. It was as though the weight of the world bore down on him, his breaths shallow and uneven.

“Wait.” Namon’s voice broke through, sharp and unexpected. Feng froze mid-step, his body rigid as Namon rose to his feet.

“I agree with Eira,” Namon admitted, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. “You’ve caused us nothing but grief. But if we send you away now, everything Bo did yesterday, his sacrifices, his pain it will all mean nothing.” His voice cracked, but he pressed on, his conviction growing stronger. “And if Bo really is in the hands of the Jutonn Tribe, you’re the only one who knows how to find him.”

The group fell silent, Eira’s fiery glare softening ever so slightly.

“So,” Namon continued, stepping closer to Feng, “you’re staying. Not because we want you here, but because that’s what Bo wanted. And because, like it or not, we need you to help us find him.”

Feng turned back to face the tribe, his lips trembling, his knees buckling as he collapsed to the ground. He pressed his forehead against the dirt, tears flowing freely, his body shaking with raw emotion.

“Thank you,” he choked out between deep, shuddering breaths. “Thank you all. I promise… I’ll do everything I can to help find your King. I won’t let his faith in me go to waste.”

“Don’t get too comfortable, and definitely don’t be a thorn in our side or I’ll have you dead myself,” Namon answered.

He looked to Eira, “Are we fine with this?” He asked.

She took a few seconds before nodding slowly.

Nero chipped in bringing a new light to the conversation, “Alright now that we got that out the way, we can move on to what’s next. If we're gonna rescue Bo from the Jutonn Tribe, then Feng, we’re going to need as much of an inside scoop on them as we can get.”

Feng lifted his voice quickly, “Of course sir…I-I’ll do my best.” He proudly answered.

He began explaining, “Over the past 5 years, the Jutonn has established themselves as the strongest nation in the continent were currently in Leola. Since they last landed here 5 years ago, the tribe has already conquered 7 nations, mine included.

With each tribe conquered they’ve enslaved all its people like me, and many others. They've taken everything they have to offer. They’re easily the most formidable tribe in the continent and it’s mainly due to the strength of their King… Ignerous.”

He continued, “If we want to save Bo, we have to capture him without running into any battles. There’s simply too much of them to fight off.”

“Okay, so we swoop in on them grab Bo before they realize us and we’ll be fine,” Leif said, dumbing the magnitude of the situation.

“W-Well it’s not that easy. You see there’s more than one place that the Jutonn Tribe could have taken him.” He continued, “The Jutonn have made up to 7 bases from Tribes they’ve conquered pulse the main base that they made on their own. All prisoners are eventually sent to the main base, but before then, there shipped to one of the conquered bases.

Given that it’s only been a day, the likelihood is that Bo is in the process of being shipped to one of the 7 conquered bases.”

“So you're telling me we're gonna have to check all 7 bases before Bo gets shipped to the main base? That's ridiculous.” Eira said, her tone hostile.

Namon replied, “It's not the best situation, but even if we don’t know where he is, we still have to check.” He continued, “Tomorrow, we’ll make our move and start heading to the outer bases.”

Kirby's tone anxiously shifted, “Why not now? Wouldn't it be best to look for him as soon as we can?”

“Well, you're not wrong Kirby,” Namon replied rising to his feet and eyeing the 4 kids of the camp.

“But if we were to go now, what would happen if one of you got us caught or even worse killed? You see for the first time the adults of the group were not here to watch you kids. And the first thing you guys do is almost get yourselves killed. If it wasn’t for Bo’s mantle activating, all of you would be dead without question.

The truth is… this group isn’t ready. You’re not strong enough. You don’t think ahead, you don’t act like a team, and you don’t understand the risks. Right now, you’re nothing but liabilities. I can't stand working with liabilities”

The words hung in the air, heavy and cutting. The group stood in stunned silence, the weight of Namon’s rebuke sinking into their hearts. Kirby looked down, guilt gnawing at him, while Leif's hands balled into his fists, his face flushed with shame. Even Eira, usually defiant, clenched her jaw, her anger tempered by the sting of truth.

Namon raised one finger, “However, that’s just my opinion, and you can change that, with a little test.” He said.

Leif, Eira, Kirby, and Feng's eyes lit open simultaneously, and they all gazed at Namon with a strand of hope.

“I’m sure Eira knows this test, so I’ll spare you guys the details. All I can say is if you fail this test, Nero will simply stay hidden with you guys while I go search the Jutonn bases. However, if you guys manage to pass, then I’ll be glad to have you come along with me to rescue Bo.

"It all depends on how you perform tonight in this test. So you guys better get your asses together, and prove me wrong for once.”

Nero grinned cunningly, his laughter echoed as he stood up next to Namon, “Alright, that’ll be some fun, let’s see if you guys got what it takes.”

The four kids stood shoulder to shoulder, their eyes gleaming with an unshakable resolve that seemed to cut through the heavy air around them.

Eira’s fierce gaze burned like wildfire, her clenched jaw and steady stance a testament to her unwavering commitment.

Kirby’s face softened with a quiet hope, his lips pressed into a thin line, yet the faintest glimmer of a smile hinted at the belief stirring within him.

Leif’s furrowed brows and hardened expression spoke of determination forged from frustration, his intense stare fixed on the horizon as if daring fate to challenge them.

Even Feng, though his shoulders sagged under the weight of guilt, raised his head, his tear-streaked face alight with newfound purpose.

Their expressions, though varied, shared a common thought: “We will save Bo!”

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Meanwhile, far away from the camp, in the depths of the dark Bo had found himself in a pitch-black room, His eyes fluttered open. He turned to his left and right but all he could see was a void.

Lost in this small room's abyss, he finally asked himself,

"Where am I?"