Night came in the blink of an eye. Aware of the girl’s hunger, Karim didn’t bother asking and went to her hut with a feast for dinner.
“You’re back,” the girl spoke, stopping him in his track. Did he hear that correctly?
“You can speak our language?”
“I cast a spell that would allow anyone inside the hut to understand each other.”
It was hard to believe but the proof was right in front of his eyes so he didn’t refute her words. Instead, he came closer, eager to speak with his tribe’s final hope. How did she end up in the sea? How did she pass through the barrier isolating the island from the rest of the world? How would she react when she hears their circumstance?
“Thank you for the food,” she said when he gave her dinner. “And thank you for saving me.”
Her sincere words made him feel a bit guilty. He didn’t save her because he wanted to help. It has been a decade and a half since the last woman of the tribe died. They needed someone to bear their children and she fits the requirement.
Judging by the girl’s size, she was around ten years old. She still has a few years before the tribe begins asking her to produce the next generation. Until then, he would do his best to make her happy so when the time comes she would willingly accept her role as the tribe’s mother.
Unlike earlier, he stayed after delivering the girl food. Now that they could talk he wanted to ask some questions. “Who are you?”
The girl raised a brow as she answered, “I’m Milla, an ordinary mage. And you are?”
“I’m Karim, an elite warrior.” Saying one’s occupation along with the name was probably a part of her culture so he did the same. He wanted her to feel at home so he decided to follow her traditions until she was prepared to adapt to theirs.
…
“We should use her to defeat the guardian,” the third son of the tribe leader said.
“Do you even hear what you’re saying, Koga? You want the only person in the island that could prevent our extinction to fight the monster that wiped out the elite warriors of our tribe years ago? Even if we helped it would be impossible. We’re not as strong as the previous generation, just give up.” The second son Kael reasoned.
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“But if we succeed we could leave this island and find more women for the tribe!”
“It’s not about the reward, third brother. The risk is simply too high. You have to remember, there were magicians in our tribe before yet we still lost miserably. I doubt a single magician could perform better.” The first son Kashim stated.
The discussion between the three eldest siblings continued while the twelve other siblings sat silently on their seats. Each was under one of the three and the opinion of their leaders was the same as theirs so they didn’t dare to join the conversation. Only the youngest sibling Karim could voice his thoughts since he wasn’t affiliated with any group and was the one who found the girl.
“Enough,” the tribe leader’s voice resounded in the meeting hall. Once the three quieted down, the old man turned to look at Karim and asked “As the one who brought the girl into our tribe, you have the final say in the matter.”
Everyone’s mood immediately soured apart from a certain musclehead. Karim has always been the favorite so of course the tribe leader would listen to him. They would’ve killed him a long time ago if it wasn’t for the old man’s protection.
“I want her to stay away from danger but Milla herself has expressed her wish to grow stronger. She still has a few years before she becomes an adult so I suggest we let her train until then. We could make a decision again after we see how much she improves. For her mate, let’s allow her to pick who she wants when she reaches the proper age.”
“Wouldn’t she choose you for saving her life?” The eldest son asked.
“Anyone can approach her and try to win her heart. But no one,” blood lust seeped out of his skin. “I repeat, no one can force or manipulate her.” Everyone aside from the three eldest siblings and the tribe leader paled. “If anyone tries I wouldn’t hesitate to kill.” The deadly aura grew thicker, making his two eldest brothers sweat a bit.
The tribe leader smiled for a split second then clapped his hands. An invisible force spread throughout the meeting hall, completely overriding the tense atmosphere caused by Karim.
“Are there any complaints?”
When no one responded, the discussion came to an end – everyone went back to their respective huts with the exception of the tribe leader, Karim, and an excited Koga.
“Third brother, what-”
“I volunteer to be the girl’s sparring partner! With my help she would surely become the greatest warrior!”
“She’s a magician,” Karim reminded him.
The bear-like man went into deep thought. After a few moments, Koga happily proclaimed “nothing is impossible if you have the spirit! If I try my best it will work out somehow!”
“…”
“…”
“Come on father, I know the fires of vengeance in your heart have yet to fade! Let us descend to the lowest level of the dungeon and vanquish the core guardian!”
“…”
“…”