The Way of the Future: Age of Machines(Completed)

Where Did They Come From?

"Mama!" A joyous voice rang out. A little girl stormed out of her meager wooden hut and embraced her mother. The mother smiled at her, patting her head a few times before the two headed inside. There home was small, there were no rooms but an open space that was of a circle. There was a thin cloth on the floor, it was there bed. The little girl sat on the middle and waved her hands. Her mother was bring with her a sack full of potatoes. She unloaded everything onto the floor and the little girl lunged at the pile.

She grabbed one of the potatoes and tried to bite a chunk off it. Her jaw was too weak, her teeth were too little. The hard potato was like iron to her, she couldn't bite it. Her dirty hair and skin did not dissuade her from smiling always, she still smiled at her mother after the ordeal and waited for her to boil them.

"Now, now, mother still needs to cook, you go play outside while mother prepares your food," The mother patted her once more after noticing that her daughter pouted. Her mother showed her a smile and the little girl had no defence. She hugged her mother tightly once again and the both of them giggled. After giving her a kiss on the forehead, she ran off outside.

The day was not hot, although the sun was brimming since it was noon, it was not enough to burn skin or cause any health conditions. And so, many were outside, particularly the children. The village was big, a total of 300 people actually lived there in relative comfort. Almost everyone knew each other and this friendship and close bonds developed among them all. Most of the adults worked in the fields, fished or chopped down wood at the nearby forest. The foodstuffs they actually get from their fields or from their fishing are not sold, rather, that's their food supply. The wood, though used for the building of new houses and buildings in the village if ever the need came, were actually turned into wooden products or construction material like planks and then sold to the nearest city.

The little girl cared no less how the village fared as long as everyone she knew had smiles on their faces. The innocence of a little girl, she was full of it and proudly so. She did not know how hard it actually was to work on those fields during which the sun was at its hottest, or the horrors of fishing when fishermen catch demonic hybrids of fish, or that in the forest loomed the monsters who wanted them for breakfast.

"Heave!" The little girl heard a rough voice coming from the fishing port. She hurried there and saw the fishermen hauling their catch. Five fishing nets full of fresh fish! Normally the village would only get two fishing nets worth of fish everyday but today's haul was tremendous! Her eyes glowed as the shirtless fishermen, with their broad physiques dragged the nets inland. Many rushed in with barrels and all were gleeful with the catch.

Winter was coming, with this catch, they could allocate more food for the winter to come in just a few weeks time. Maybe, they won't need the assistance of travelers or neighbouring settlements for aid during the harsh season. The village was known for imploring the aid of their neighbors since they struggled to store enough food for themselves.

But with large fields that bore much food, why aren't they able to store enough for the winter?

A young man ran across the dirt road, shoving to the side everyone in his way until he near the fish that were caught. His eyes grew as he stared at the catch, he then shouted "Feast!"

And so, the village was subject to another feast. And thus, their food stores will dwindle once again, but not as much.

It was something they've gotten used to and just let be. They did not want to offend the young master who was the son of the current chieftain. Hell, even the current chieftain supported the lavish spending of the village food ever since they were assured of aid from the other settlements. Their over-dependence on others for their survival could lead to their downfall but none cared.