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Wild Hearts
Chapter 1 - Encounter on the Mountain

Chapter 1 - Encounter on the Mountain

Some hunters trudged through the dense underbrush, their feet crunching on the fallen leaves and twigs that littered the forest floor. They had been tracking a herd of deer for hours, and their stomachs growled with hunger.

As they reached a clearing, they spotted movement in the distance. It was a man, naked and covered in dirt, with wild hair and eyes that seemed to glint in the sunlight. He moved with the grace and power of an animal, his muscles rippling beneath his skin.

"What in the world is that?" one of the hunters whispered.

"I've never seen anything like it," another replied.

The man suddenly turned towards them, his eyes locking onto theirs. His lips pulled back in a snarl, revealing a set of sharp teeth.

Before they could react, the man charged at them with incredible speed, his movements more akin to a wild animal than a human being. He tackled one of the hunters to the ground, biting and clawing at him with ferocity.

The hunters fought back with their weapons, but the man seemed impervious to their attacks. He shrugged off arrows and slashed at them with his razor-sharp nails.

One of the hunters, a woman named Hana, watched in horror as her friends were brutally attacked. She knew she had to do something, or they would all be killed.

As the man lunged towards her, she ducked and rolled, using her momentum to land a solid blow to the back of his head. He stumbled, dazed, and she seized the opportunity to grab him from behind.

With all her strength, Hana managed to subdue the man, wrestling him to the ground and pinning him beneath her. The man snarled and struggled, but she held on tight.

The other hunters cautiously approached, their weapons at the ready. They looked at Hana with a mixture of fear and awe.

"Who...what is that?" one of them asked.

Hana struggled to catch her breath as she replied. "I don't know...but we need to take him back to camp. We can't leave him here to die."

The hunters nodded in agreement, and together they carried the man back to their campsite. As they walked, they noticed strange markings on his skin, as if he had been branded or tattooed.

Once they arrived at the camp, the hunters set about their work, examining the man and treating their wounds. They discovered that he was, in fact, a human, but with a strange, animalistic demeanor.

"He's like a savage," one of the hunters muttered.

As they worked, Hana couldn't help but think about her own past. She had been born into a family of hunters and had spent her entire life in the forest. She had seen many strange and terrifying things, but this was something new.

She thought about the day she had left her family's village to strike out on her own. She had wanted to prove herself as a hunter, to make her own mark on the world. And now, with this savage in their midst, she had a chance to do just that.

As the night wore on, the hunters discussed what they should do with the man. Some suggested turning him over to the authorities, while others argued that they should study him and try to learn more about his strange condition.

Hana listened to their arguments, but her mind was made up. She knew that she had to help this man, to understand him and perhaps even cure him of his affliction.

"We have to help him," she said firmly. "We can't just leave him here to die or be hunted like an animal."

The others looked at her skeptically, but Hana refused to back down. She approached the man, who was now lying on the ground, panting and sweating.

"What's your name?" she asked gently.

The man grunted and tried to speak, but only a guttural growl emerged from his throat.

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"He can't talk," one of the hunters said dismissively. "He's just a savage."

Hana ignored the hunter and continued to speak to the man in a soothing voice.

"It's okay," she said. "We're not going to hurt you. We just want to help you."

The man looked up at her with wild, fearful eyes. Hana saw a glimmer of recognition in his gaze, and she realized that he understood her words.

"He understands me," she said excitedly. "He's not just an animal."

The other hunters looked at each other uncertainly. None of them had ever encountered a creature like this before, and they were unsure of how to proceed.

"What are we going to do with him?" one of them asked.

Hana thought for a moment, then made a decision.

"We're going to take him back to our camp," she said firmly. "We can study him there and try to understand what's happened to him."

The other hunters grumbled and protested, but Hana stood her ground. She knew that she had to help this man, no matter what the others thought.

With some effort, they managed to lift the man onto a makeshift stretcher and begin the long journey back to their camp. As they walked, Hana tried to speak to the man and learn more about him, but he remained silent and wary.

When they finally arrived back at the camp, the hunters set to work building a makeshift cage to hold the man. Hana protested, but the others were afraid that he might lash out and attack them again.

For the next few days, the hunters studied the man, trying to understand his strange behavior and find a way to help him. They tried to communicate with him, but he remained stubbornly silent. They also examined the bite marks that he had inflicted on them, and they realized that they were slowly turning into creatures like him.

Hana was horrified by this revelation, but she refused to give up. She spent hours sitting beside the man's cage, talking to him and trying to reach him. Gradually, she began to see a change in him. He grew less aggressive and more trusting, and he even began to respond to her words.

Despite the progress that they were making, the hunters remained wary of the man, and they continued to keep him locked up in his cage. Hana knew that she had to find a way to convince them to release him, but she was unsure of how to do it.

As the days passed, Hana found herself growing more and more attached to the man. She felt a connection with him, a deep understanding that she could not explain. She knew that he was not just a savage, but something more.

Finally, she made a decision. She knew that she could not let the man remain locked up in his cage any longer. She had to set him free, no matter what the cost.

Hana knew that freeing the man would not be easy, and it would come with risks. She knew that some of the other hunters might not agree with her decision and could even turn on her. But she was determined to do what was right, even if it meant going against her own people.

Late one night, when the other hunters were sleeping, Hana snuck out of camp and made her way to the man's cage. He was asleep, his chest rising and falling with each breath. She could hear his soft snoring and the sound of his heartbeat.

Hana hesitated for a moment, wondering if she was making the right decision. But then she remembered the way he looked at her when she brought him food, the way he seemed to trust her. She knew that she couldn't abandon him now.

With a trembling hand, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the key to the cage. She fumbled with the lock for a moment, her heart racing with fear and excitement. Finally, with a satisfying click, the lock released, and the door swung open.

The man stirred, his eyes fluttering open. He looked up at Hana, confusion and fear in his gaze. But then he recognized her and his expression softened. He slowly stood up, his muscles creaking from disuse. Hana held out a hand, gesturing for him to follow her.

Together, they crept out of the camp and into the forest. The man followed Hana, his senses alert for any danger. They walked for what felt like hours, the forest growing darker and more ominous as they went. But Hana was determined to find a safe place for the man to rest.

Finally, they arrived at a small clearing. Hana gestured for the man to sit down, and he did so, his eyes never leaving her face. She sat down next to him, taking a deep breath.

"I know you're scared," she said softly. "But I promise you, I won't let anyone hurt you. You're safe with me."

The man looked at her, his eyes shining with something that Hana couldn't quite decipher. She reached out and took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. In that moment, she knew that she had made the right decision. No matter what happened next, she would always cherish this moment of connection with the man, this moment of pure understanding and trust.

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