A Texas girl finds herself admiring a light in the sky only to find out it is indeed an alien, which transports her to another time long long ago in Africa and pairs her with a Neanderthal population in hopes that her descendants will populate Nort...
It will be a long week before the next Sabatta, and many fear that it will not come because they see Teaki as a strong contender, but fear not, I am Jason Blue Eyes, son of Julie who comes from the Borealis, and I speak with Taso who is the voice of the Ori.
To reach me he had to climb the rocky cliff as I had, and it was no easy task. While I waited, I thought back to when I was young, and my son Clevis was just a lad. I took him everywhere with me. As we often did, we hunted for the great Ibex here on these cliffs.
The Watersea's breeze felt cool after three weeks without a drop of moisture. I could sense the rains coming. The clouds looked different, thicker, darker, and they moved much faster. The wind gusted from the leeward side and I stopped.
The Ibex stood like stone. Despite its large size and tremendous horns, it proved quite agile, maneuvering along the cliffs overlooking the beach. When it stopped, I held my breath. Clevis sat down, scratching his feet, tired after such a long day hunting with his father.
I held up my hand just the same, knowing the boy would try to speak. He always did, but this time he behaved, quietly handing me the short spear I always used here on the rocks. I learned long ago that the long spear, while good for plains hunting, is useless on the cliffs. The animals' keen sense of smell made it very hard to hunt. It was a special prize if one could bring it down.
I counted on the strong wind to keep my scent masked even though I had rubbed my body with the animal's dung. Strength wasn't everything, although I had enough.
Kamrasi had taught me the art of hunting well, but I discovered so much more on my own since becoming a man. And it was for my father now that I hunted this grand old buck. The horns were at least as long as I was tall and thick as my arm. I called it Dork, my mother's favorite word. It seemed appropriate since it had eluded every hunter who tried for the last year.
I wanted to teach Clevis to hunt. Stealth, I told my son, is the only way to catch and kill an animal this smart. Hunting alone brings a man closer to his prey, and the spirits approve. The loud noise the elders used to drive beasts into traps made the meat tough, I told my boy. Alone. That is how to do it. Although to be honest, food is plentiful, no matter how it is gotten.
From below, Clevis watched me quietly. I had been following Dork as it climbed another thirty feet almost to the top ledge, and I knew that once it reached the top, it would be impossible to get.
Then, without warning Dork jumped; he had heard something, his eyes ablaze and his nostrils flared. In a flash, he disappeared over the top of the cliff. There was a scream, and moments later my sister's head appeared over the ledge, smiling.
Missed him again, she said
Oh how I frowned - upset but not angry. The thrill was in the chase as much as in the kill. I would try again another day. I retrieved Clevis from the lower wall, and together we climbed back up to where my sister waited.
You have terrible timing Mary, I said as I reached the top of the cliff.
Old man, came the voice of Teaki, do you see me here? He broke my thoughts, and I looked down at him bristling with pride, the followers had gathered at the top of the cliff. He had in his hand a long spear, and I smiled for I carried the jawbone of the great Cave bear, which was heavy and powerful and polished from years of use, and it still had the large sharp teeth they use to tear the flesh from their prey.
Teaki came towards me, leaping from rocky ledge to rocky ledge. Never taking his eyes off of me he stopped to pick up a handful of salt and licked it. He did this to bond himself with the rocks so he would not lose his footing. I had already done the same thing.
I stood motionless like the Ibex as it waited for the right moment to flee. But the Ibex had no reason to fight and could run away, whereas I would kill the man who chased me. Teaki neared quickly, always keeping his eyes on me, until he came to the crevasse between us. He paused gauging the distance, thinking how to cross safely. The only danger here was if he decided to throw his spear because I know he is a great spear-chucker. But I had seen the Ibex cross here before and knew that for a man to jump would be hazardous. But there was a little foothold he could use and then propel himself across, and when Teaki hesitated and looked down at the rocky beach, I made that leap and thus appeared before him ready to strike.
But Teaki was wily, and no easy opponent, a great skilled hunter he was, and he saw me as I flew through the air towards him. He was mine I thought, but by the skill of the great hunter spirit that possesses the black leopard, he brought his spear around with just enough time to point it at me hoping to impale me. And it almost happened that way but I was ready. I brought the jawbone around as his spear met my flesh, and I deflected it before it pierced me, and it flew out of his hands and clattered on the rocks below. He stumbled but met me with resolve. I had my weight and movement behind me and pushed him back and brought my weapon bearing down on his skull, but he stopped me and we wrestled together there on the precipitous ledge. Above I could hear the crowd gasping as they watched our struggle. For a moment I doubted the outcome, as this young man was furiously strong. But Kamrasi taught me long ago that to kill, one needed both strength and brains.
As he rose to meet me he caught my hand that held the weapon. I felt his strength bare down upon me and he smiled. In his pride, he said to me, I am Teaki, son of Big feet, son of Kuka the great leader, thinking he had already won. But I wrapped my foot around his left leg closest to the ledge and pulled it from beneath him as I thrust the jawbone between us. At that moment, he realized he had made a mistake and he grasped the air trying to keep himself from falling, but it was too late and he fell to his death on the jagged rocks below.
I watched as he fell and saw his body break and the blood spray, it was gross, and then Ocean sent a wave to wash away the fallen hunter, and he was gone. Tired as I was, I stood up and climbed the rest of the way to the top of the salt cliffs, and being the showman that I am, I stood on the outermost point and raised my arms still holding on to the jawbone, and with the wind in my long hair I screamed, I am Jason Blue Eyes, I fear no man.
I felt bad for dead Teaki. If only he had thrown the spear.
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