A vast forest appeared in the distance before Zugner, who continued to bleed with every step he took from the wounds inflicted by the tribe's new chief—his older brother—before banishing him. All he felt was guilt toward himself for having disrespected his beloved brother so deeply. As he pressed on, the weight of that grave mistake grew heavier inside him, especially as he leaned on what remained of a broken spear from their duel, now serving as a walking staff. The wounds on his face and torso slowly began to bleed less, but daylight was fading fast and darkness was closing in. Worried for his safety, he decided to seek shelter in the forest.
After several hours of trudging through the night, he found a cave. He planted his staff at the entrance to mark the way back, then—despite the pain—managed to gather enough material to build a small fire. With nothing else he could do, he retreated into the cave, sat on the rocky ground, and rubbed branches together until a small ember flared to life, lighting the space.
Zugner stared at the cave ceiling, watching moisture form droplets on the stalactites. The sight only intensified his thirst. He glanced at the fire, resisting the thought of licking the damp stone—he knew he wasn't in any condition for that. His stomach growled; all he could do was clutch it and endure the hunger. Time passed, but sleep wouldn't come. Guilt kept him awake.
Father gave us time. I failed him. I should have fought… but I didn't want to hurt Agnar. He's my brother. I couldn't fight him.
Noises echoed outside, alerting the sixteen-year-old. With great effort, he rose and grabbed his staff from the entrance, staying near the fire and waiting for whatever lurked outside to step into the light. Heavy footsteps approached. He heard breathing—then a roar that filled him with fear. He recognized it instantly: a saber-toothed cat.
The beast charged in a frenzy. Knowing his body couldn't withstand a direct fight, Zugner aimed his palm at a small rock, but it barely lifted. As the predator leapt over the flames to devour him, he threw himself left, narrowly avoiding the attack.
The animal recovered, glaring with fury as its prey scrambled on the ground to keep distance. Without hesitation, it attacked again. Seeing the massive jaws open to sink its fangs into his flesh, Zugner raised his right hand in terror. By pure instinct, a massive blast of fire erupted from his palm, hurling the predator into a cave wall with severe burns.
He sighed in relief. That was close… As the thick smoke dissipated, he could only think, …that's new. The feline lay unconscious. Assuming it was dead, Zugner finally allowed himself to sleep.
He awoke slowly the next day, muscles still aching from his clash with his brother. Knowing he could never return home, he rose with difficulty—without needing support—and picked up a sharp stone to harvest meat from the beast he had defeated. But when he turned, the body was gone. Alarmed, he followed blood droplets leading out of the cave. With no other food options, he followed the trail despite his pain.
Leaving the forest, he reached a riverbank and saw that the saber-tooth had staggered along the shore. Confident it was wounded, Zugner advanced until he spotted it trying to catch fish in shallow water. Stomach roaring, he tightened his grip on the sharp stone and prepared to strike—when he heard the creature's thought in his mind:
I must… survive.
At the same time, an image flashed: small cubs and a female saber-tooth, their remains devoured by a short-faced bear. Shocked, Zugner dropped his weapon, pity filling him. The feline struggled to hunt, hampered by the burns he had caused. He sighed heavily, then took up the stone again—not to attack, but to sharpen the end of his staff.
The saber-tooth went on alert as the human approached, but seeing Zugner ignore it, it fled as fast as it could. Unconcerned, Zugner tried repeatedly to spear a fish with his sharpened staff—failing each time. Frustrated, he closed his eyes to calm himself. In that moment, he felt the water's movement. Forming an image in his mind, he sensed something swimming behind him, a strange mix of cold and heat coursing through his body. He thrust—and skewered a fish.
Smiling, he opened his eyes, amazed by his discovery. He repeated the process, feeling and visualizing the fish as if he were one with nature. He caught more than eight fish, sat down, and ate them raw. After three, he patted his stomach, satisfied, and gazed at the sky.
Keep moving. I can't further dishonor my brother.
Remembering the wounded animal, he followed its tracks and found it licking its burns. The saber-tooth growled as Zugner approached, but he ignored it and tossed the remaining five fish before leaving.
He traveled for days—feet blistered and wounded—until weeks had passed since his banishment. He reached a massive mountain. Using hides from hunted animals, he fashioned a pack and began the climb, which took hours. Near the summit, exhaustion betrayed him and he slipped. With no way to save himself, he thrust his left arm out; rock surged up to catch him with a jolt. Though painful, it saved him.
From the far side, he saw an endless ocean stretching out below. Relieved, he jumped, thinking the path continued—only to face a free fall of over 120 meters. Terrified, death rushing up to meet him, he remembered how he'd saved himself before. He stomped on nothing—and a pillar burst from the cliff face. He grabbed it, the force nearly tearing his arm free, but he pulled himself to safety.
As the sun set over the water, its reflection filled him with peace. He realized he had no people anymore—only himself and nature. He studied his hands, clenched them, then stood as a powerful wind blew. Smiling, he leapt again, kicking the air with his right leg. A violent gust erupted beneath him, letting him float briefly and land safely.
Amazed, he accepted that he no longer needed limits. To survive, he had to discover what he could truly do with this strange sensation within him.
Zugner continued on, hunting animals for meat and skins. After two days, he reached a beach. With his ability to attune to nature, he sensed a figure watching him from afar—yet felt no hostility. He set up a small camp, fashioned an axe by sharpening a stone and binding it to a log, and spent days gathering materials and felling trees. A saber-tooth watched from a distance.
One day, after dropping two giant oaks, Zugner thought there had to be a faster way. Calming himself, he focused on a tree's base, raised his knee to his elbow, and stomped. A massive, sharp slab of earth erupted, slicing the tree down. Delighted, he repeated the technique, felling another. He collected fifteen logs—the number his instincts told him he needed.
Back at camp, a chill ran down his spine. Something was watching. Curious, he closed his eyes and sensed the feline perched on a branch—the same saber-tooth he had burned. Its fur was growing back. He smiled. Did you follow me all this way? The cat nodded.
Laughing, Zugner fetched dried meat and left a trail to where he sat, offering a piece. Hours later, the hungry beast descended. They eyed each other warily. Zugner held his axe behind his back—then remembered the many chances it had had to kill him. He let the weapon fall. The feline took the meat and lowered its head, allowing him to scratch it.
Looks like we're friends now, Zugner thought.
The saber-tooth nodded.
I should give you a name… How about Pariziu?
The beast growled.
Zugner laughed. O-okay… Ungar.
Ungar accepted the name. From then on, he helped Zugner until the time came to part—when Zugner would sail beyond the ocean, fulfilling his brother's decree to walk until there was no land left to tread.
With Ungar's help, Zugner gathered supplies and built a raft. Lacking rope to bind the logs, he entered a calm state, raised stone pegs, and shaped tools to pierce and lock the logs together. At last, the raft's base was complete.
They slept one final night. At dawn, Zugner loaded supplies. Ungar lingered. Zugner told him to leave—but the beast stayed. Frustrated, Zugner blasted fire skyward to scare him off. Ungar didn't budge. Sighing, Zugner let him aboard.
Using a crude oar, Zugner paddled for two hours until his arms burned. He realized he'd barely gone a hundred meters. Angry, he tossed the oar—then regretted it. Stranded in deep water, he sat while Ungar basked in the sun. With a mischievous grin, Zugner splashed Ungar awake. Laughing, he wondered if he could move the raft without an oar.
Centering himself, he stepped forward and pushed with his arms—sending a wave that propelled the raft. Thrilled, he repeated the motion, accelerating rapidly, though he lost some cargo overboard.
Days passed; they traveled hundreds—perhaps thousands—of kilometers. He built wooden barriers to keep supplies from falling and set a flat stone for cooking. Drinking seawater sickened him. He heard whispers, saw visions of children on distant shores, and endured hallucinations. Desperate, he sought a way to drink safely.
At last, inspiration struck. Using stone vessels, he boiled seawater and captured condensation—fresh water. He drank, then gave some to Ungar. They recovered.
END OF FLASHBACK
Francesca (serious):
"Master, I understand this is important to you, but how does the story of a caveman who used Fiu and was basically an inventor help us?"
Jayden (smiling):
"A simple caveman? Is that what people think?"
The brown-haired pair nodded. Jayden gestured to the black-haired girl.
Her eyes widened. "I've never heard the story of the First Grand Master!"
Shock spread among the others. The faceless alien laughed softly.
Francesca asked, "How could he hear thoughts if language didn't exist back then?"
The warm voice answered in her mind, "The same way I do—telepathy."
Jayden added mentally, "Zugner possessed immense Fiu and instinctive control. He never fully understood its potential, but his rudimentary techniques became the foundation of everything we can do today."
The students stared wide-eyed.
Tyron asked, "What about the voices he heard? How did he survive drinking seawater for days?"
"His Fiu likely protected him," Jayden replied. "As for the rest—many mysteries remain."
He smiled. "Shall I continue?"
They answered yes in unison. Jayden poured tea, took a sip, and said:
"The journey was long—but Zugner and his feline friend could already imagine their new home on the horizon…"