𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐎𝐅 𝐀 𝐇𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑 ✯ 𝑚𝑖𝑑𝑑𝑙𝑒 𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑡 ✓

The Mark of a Hunter

♦♦♦

NKOSANA kneeled down on the soggy ground and tilted his chin a bit upwards to look the chieftain in the eye.
The tribe around them hummed a wordless melody and stamped on the ground in an increasing rhythm, being so powerful it made Nkosana's heart beat faster. The adrenaline rushed through his veins, it was almost impossible to keep his hands still that laid in his lap.

The chief observed his son for a moment, his eyes as unreadable as the dark rivers that ran through the jungle. Then, he took the bowl with red paint in one hand and raised his other to silence the tribe. In an instance, the song decreased and a silence fell over the village.

'Nkosana, today you have turned twenty-two,' the chieftain began, his deep voice almost mesmerizing. 'To prove yourself worthy of becoming the tribe's next chieftain, you must capture a Mûmak. Do you accept this challenge?'

Nkosana took a deep breath to fight away the lump in his throat. 'I do,' he answered.

The chief dipped his index and middle finger in the red paint and drew a pair of lines over his son's face, from his forehead to his chin. The mark of a hunter.

Nkosana got back on his feet and called forth four of his friends, the ones he had asked to help him with this difficult task. They stepped forward and with no hesitation, they kneeled down in front of the chieftain to receive the mark as well.

'May Arom be with you,' the chief said as the five hunters grabbed their gear and made their way through the village. The huts were all built on high poles to keep most wild animals out and the roofs were made of huge leaves of ferns to protect the inside of the homes from the monsoon rains. Lianas hung between the huts, functioning as swing for the younger children.

Nkosana and his friends reached the end of the village and for a moment, the young man faltered in his pace. It had seemed unreal before, but now it really was here. In front of him, where the actual jungle started, rays of sunshine fell through the foliage, creating beautiful patterns on the ground. It looked peaceful and he'd tell himself not to worry as he had captured Mûmakil before, but this time he was only allowed to have five hunters in stead of the usual twenty.

'Nkosana?' Nyah asked, worriedly.

'I'm alright. I just hope our plan will work.' His father had refused to tell him how he had captured a Mûmak with limited men, as he should figure it out for himself. Nkosana had come up with an idea, but this would be the first time they'd put it to a test.

'It will work,' Nyah said with a sparkle of determination in her brown eyes. The two of them had been friends since the day she'd been born, resulting in the fact she had even more faith in him than in their chieftain.

Nkosana smiled thankfully and picked up his pace again, swinging the bag filled with thick ropes further on his back. He kept the spear in his hand and gestured to his friends they'd run from now on. They had much ground to cover as the nearest Mûmakil herd was spotted north of the jungle. The village, however, was located in the South-East.