current elders and wise men were not yet elders and wise men. It was as if someone interrupted Azis harmony, and who exactly – the mentors never said. And few of the young knew what really happened that night. And time after time, when the teachings around the fire about the first unity began, not only the beaters became curious to know who the violator was, but also the young sentinel who had grown up with the moons. But the wise tribesmen cherished the secret like the apple of their eye, tried in every possible way to avoid questions and quickly changed the subject of the conversation.
«What about the herbivore, Val? asked Iris, a black-haired hunter with a burn on his right cheek.
«Yes, unity with a lizard…» Vall scratched his beard. «In harmony with the reptile, I saw other Longnecks,» the shaman began to broadcast. «Eight or ten – I didn’t have time to count.
– Wow! What’s the output? Kuhn was surprised.
– And the brood too. There was a flock of them! exclaimed the leader.
– A flock? the relatives asked in unison.
Longnecks were by nature loners. And usually, not counting the male during the laying period, only her cubs were near the female. When the cubs grew up, the female drove them to an independent flock. And of course, the rangers, hearing about the brood and the pack of Longnecks at the same time, were very surprised.
«I’ve never seen giants gather in packs,» said Iris.
«Yes, yes, that’s the whole point – there was a flock of them, and they walked across the field, which is between our lands and the liana forest, along with this lizard,» Val pointed to the sacks with slaughter. – And recently they passed there – about five days ago. Then the downpour was heavy, remember? The relatives nodded. «In the vision, I heard the roar of another brat at the edge of the grove,» Vall continued to broadcast. «Maybe the Raptors or some other lizards attacked the cub, and this Long-necked one, having fought off the pack, went after him.
«But the cub was torn apart,» Arwen suggested.
«Yes,» Wall agreed. «So it is, since we tracked down a lone lizard. But! We tracked him down in the liana forest. And in the direction of the forest in the vision, other Longnecks were also heading!
«That is, this reptile followed the flock,» Kun concluded.
«You think right, old one,» the shaman nodded.
«And Longneck went out into the Bennettite field too,» Taro picked up, «and we didn’t lure him out. The flock went west across this field!
Yes, Taro. I think so too, – approved the leader of the Great Hunt, and the hunters roared together, gossip about the pack and its nomadism. «By the way, there is a lake in the wilds of the liana forest,» the leader remembered. «And it seemed to me that we were passing not far from him. On the way back we will look for a reservoir.
– And what about the Fireplace? Kuhn asked. – What does it look like?
«Just like the one-eyed guy said. On the horizon, I found a beam of light, and it was still moving so strangely, now to the left, then to the right – Varnus did not warn about this, but it was definitely the Totem of Flame. I give you the fang of Razavra! the shaman fiddled with the earring. – But this star that you noticed is not simple … – And Vall told the detachment about what he saw on the crowns last night: about the strange crowding of the stars, about the flash in the sky, about the birth of the phenomenon, and about his disturbing foreboding. «I didn’t tell you, so that your spirit would not be inclined to evil thoughts, and the hunt would be completed calmly,» the shaman concluded.
The tribesmen were silent for a while, and then they whispered, talking about the sign of the red star.
«Ah, here’s something else!» Val said. «Maybe I’m imagining all this, but what’s with Salas’s eyes… And his unity in such turmoil… Also, these Longnecks are in harmony… All this happened after the flash and the appearance of the star. What do you think? the shaman turned to the hunters. – Kuhn?
Kindred nodded, supporting the leader’s reasoning.
You are correct, Val. The long-necked ones walk alone – everyone knows, – the shaggy man confirmed. – And unity has never happened without silence and peace. And the eye of the boy is definitely not the eye of Zavrini! Kuhn thought for a moment. – With a star, you say, is this all connected? How only?.. – the elderly tracker turned in the direction of Salas. – Tyrant, come on, lift his eyelids!
Salas, covered with the skin of a reptile, lay on a bedding near the wall of the tent near the sacks of fresh meat, and the Tyrant, leaning on a pile, sat beside the teenager. As soon as the thin youth reached for the face of Salas, he instantly woke up.
«Ah,» moaned the beater, barely opening his eyes.
The tribesmen were alarmed, and the young man leaned back and wanted to scream, but the Tyrant managed to cover his mouth.
Salas’s eyes were still in a strange incarnation. The youngster still did not understand what was happening to him, and the same vision appeared in his eyes as on the day after the persecution of the Long-necked: all the relatives he saw then, again appeared before the ghost without skin – with bare flesh, with with bloody skulls and bulging eyes, in robes and armor, staring at him as if they wanted to eat – such a terrible look they had. And in the youth’s head, the beating of human hearts sounded with dull blows. He could hear indistinct tapping, like the deep, distorted sounds of a bongo. Now simultaneous, now out of place, they either accelerated, or pounded measuredly. Overnight, over the ugly silhouettes, Salas noticed strange torches tied to the chimney: the lights of the lanterns brightly illuminated the building, and the elements of the flame that blazed at the ends of the handles looked like clots of rotating and luminous particles. To all this spectacle, suddenly, through the rumble of heartbeats, a strange distant chirping of nocturnal insects and a rustle, similar to wind gusts, began to seem. From such a performance at once, the teenager was stunned again!
«Hush, hush,» the Tyrant said and removed his hand from the lips of his relative. «You want the lizards to come for our souls?»
The Tyrant’s voice echoed in Salas’s ears, and the young beater stared at his Clanmate in bewilderment.
Tyrant, is that you? What happened to you? What’s happening?
«Ahhh, I found out! The Tyrant smiled. – I am good. But what happened to you is not entirely clear…
«Hey, screamer, are you okay?» Wall said. We thought you’d never wake up! Do your eyes hurt? Well, look at me!
– Wall? Salas stared in disbelief at the silhouette of the leader of the Great Hunt.
«Wall, Wall,» the shaman confirmed. «It’s like you’re seeing me for the first time,» the leader grinned and reached out to the beater to examine his eyes closer. – You, my young friend, have almost no pupils. Yes, you can’t do without the elders and Inga…
The hunters surrounded Salas – some sat down, some stood behind – and all as one began to look at the strange embodiment of eyes. They stared intently at the youngster, and this alarmed him. Someone standing behind him waved his hand to the young man, and if the skull with a bloody mouth and yellow fangs had not begun to spew speech, then Salas would
