The Island Ch. 01

No Longer Alone

Saren Arterius, his breath slow and controlled, crouched low with his machete in his right hand and a knife in his left. Breathing deeply through his nose, the stench of his blood and sweat mixed together assailed his nose. The pain from the laceration across his side was subsiding but he wasn't out of the woods yet, so to speak. Dying from blood loss was the least of his worries.

A tiger stood in front of him, a growl on its lips. Usually, Saren wouldn't mess with such a deadly predator but sadly the feline was blocking the entrance to his cave. Although Saren had blocked the entrance, hoping the tiger would move along in search of easier prey, this tiger was set on hunting him. His only option was to face the beast head on , either scaring it or killing it. The latter seemed nearly impossible, but he had no choice.

Upon exiting his cave, armed to the teeth and assuming the worst, the tiger had pounced at him head on. Even with his incredible speed, Saren was still wounded in the side by a claw swipe that would've cut open his stomach. At this rate, the commotion caused by their battle might attract the attention something equally as deadly, a pack of wild dogs maybe. or a demon perhaps.This needed to be finished quickly.

The tiger roared this time, the sound causing all nearby birds to flee in fear. Saren stood his ground and roared back.

"RAAAAWWWRRRR!" he howled, assuming his battle stance. Saren assumed that the tiger would see this as a challenge, or at least , he hoped it would. It attacking first was the only chance at survival he would get.

The tiger took the bait and leaped forward, claws extended and intent on tearing the flesh from his bones. Saren charged forward as if to meet, but then sliding forward under the flying beast. He drove his two blades deep into its belly. Blood rained down upon him and Saren half expected the tiger to go limp in mid-air, impaled on his blades. Tis' not the case.

It kept flying forward, its insides cut to ribbons by the blades and its own momentum. It landed on its four legs but the wound finally took its toll . The mighty feline collapsed in a heap, blood pooling under it and soaking the ground crimson.

Saren, although thoroughly pleased that he had killed such a fine specimen, was also very disgusted. He was drenched from head to toe in blood. The new clean shirt that he had salvaged from a piece of flotsam was soaked as well. It would have to be soaked in fresh water. Hopefully the pelt was salvageable. It would make a warm blanket.

But upon inspecting the tiger carcass, he came to the conclusion that half of it was useless. The belly was ripped to shreds by his blades but the rest was intact. That plus he would have meat to prepare as well as tanning the hide. Or maybe he should bring it to the temple? And offering like this would win him a lot of favor.

After a moment of debate, the decision was made. The carcass would be an offering. But first, Saren must gather a little food before making the journey to the deep heart of the jungle.

Grabbing one leg, Saren began dragging it through the jungle. Although he left an obvious trail in the dirt, what mattered more was keeping his prize safe. But god, this tiger was heavy and a pain to drag. The jungle floor was littered with fallen logs, dense bushes, and unusual plants that would most likely take a bite out of the corpse if he didn't keep an eye out.

After thirty yards of dragging, and carrying it over fallen logs, he reached his destination. It just looked like a tangle of vines creeping up the rocky cliff. But in reality it was a movable stone slab covering the entrance to his cave. Sturdy enough that normal beast could move it but light enough even a human could slide it a few feet.

Dropping the carcass, Saren moved to one side of the slab and began pushing it with all his might. After a couple of seconds, the slab began moving slightly, inch by inch. Finally, after toiling for two minutes there was a gap large enough for him and the tiger. He ran back to retrieve the carcass, slipping inside and dragging the slab back into place. There was no sign that there was an entrance at all. The perfect hideout.

Saren was surrounded by darkness, unable to see even his own hands. There was no need to worry though. Soon enough, the lights would come back on. And he was right. The entire tunnel was soon illuminated by strange crystals embedded into the walls and ceiling that emit a special luminescence.

Strolling down the tunnel for a few minutes led to a massive cavern full of these crystals, sparkling from the darkest reaches of the cavern. Although massive stalagmites loomed overhead, large enough to crush him, Saren felt at peace here. Ever since his family had died, this cavern had been his sanctuary. It sheltered him from the terrors that roamed Eru'm, the island he lived on.

It was the perfect home for him. A light source that never went out provided by the crystals. A bed made of soft furs from the wild goats that roam the island, perfect for sleeping after a hard day. Stone shelves , carved out by Saren's hand, held all of his provisions , tools, and extra clothes. And in the center of the cavern was a cool, freshwater spring that he could bathe in. All in all, this place was better then any mansion in his opinion.

He dropped the tiger in a stone basin with a crack in the middle, perfect for allowing the blood to seep out of the body and not ruin the carcass. The bloody t-shirt was stripped off and dropped in a wooden bucket of fresh water. A waste but Saren really liked that shirt. It 's blue with a wave logo in the center of it.

Dipping one hand into another bucket, Saren began drinking large gulps of the water until it was empty. The forest humidity and heat is something not to be taken lightly.

"And I see that the mighty survivor, the man of the wild, has caught quite the prize today! I wasn't expecting an offering for another week here you are thinking of little ol' me! Just aren't you precious!"

Saren turned around to see to see a young man of eighteen (the same age of him) standing in the middle of the cavern. Dressed in a green and gold robe like buddhist monks, his tan skin and black hair would've marked him as one of the locals of Eru'm. Only the small fact that they had died out years-ago crushed this conclusion. His golden eyes are the real clue. Only a god can have such eyes.

Saren turned around to face the god, bowing to him.

"Welcome to the Shining Caverns, Kyar Et Sor, Nature God of Eru'm,. You honor me by gracing this place with your presence," he greeted.

Kyar chuckled at this. He gestured for Saren to rise.

"Saren, Saren. You are way too formal and polite. You know that if it wasn't for your offerings, I would not be as healthy and young looking like I am right now!"

"Nonetheless, I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for your guidance and generosity," Saren said, speaking honestly.

"By the sands!" Kyar cried dramatically. "If any other human said that, I would know that he was lying. But you Saren Arterius have only ever spoken the truth! It is a wondrous thing to see such honesty in a world of lies, yes?"

"Kyar, you speak too much."

Kyar acted as if he had been punched in the stomach, flying a couple of feet backwards. For a god, he is very dramatic.

"Oh, Saren you wound me! How could you ever say such a thing?"

"Because its true." Saren started clean his bloody blades with a rag. "Although I am grateful and respect you, you talk way too much. "

Brutal honesty at its finest, Kyar thought as he got back up. But that is why I like Saren. He will pursue his desires and speak his mind. No matter what Kyar did, Saren would not be cowed into submission.

Saren walked over to the tiger carcass, picking it up and carrying it as if it was his most prized possession. Stopping right in front of Kyar, he dropped to one knee and offered it to the god.

"Will you accept my humble offering?" he said.

Assuming a more serious expression, Kyar accepted the offering. Kyar did miss the sacrificial ceremonies and festivals honoring him. But what he truly missed was the reverence and respect that was the spirit of these special occasions. Being worshipped gives one the most wonderful feelings.

"Thank you for this amazing gift, Saren." Saren bowed once more. " My gift to you shall equal it in value." He placed a hand over the tiger and it disappeared into thin air to be replaced by a package bound in silk made from the unique Slythe plant, whose fibers are just like silk threads. "This is for you."

Saren took the package, laying it on the ground, and opened it up. Inside lay a recurve bow and a quiver of arrows, a blow dart gun, and a syringe made of crystal . Each was an amazing gift that would serve Saren greatly in the days ahead.

"Thank you," Saren said, testing the bow out.

"Think nothing of it. As my only human denizen, it is only right that I take care of you. " Kyar sat down on a nearby rock, watching as Saren tested out his new tools. "What has it been? Three years now yes? Since your family died in that storm?"

"Yeah. Three years tomorrow." Saren looked up from his testing. "Is there anything else? If not, I must get back to gathering food. The dry season is nearly upon us."

"Oh yes of course. Just one small task that I would like you to do for me."

"What sort of task?"

Saren's interest was piqued. Over the years, Kyar had given him tasks to complete and the rewards were very generous. The last one had been to bring him ten sharks teeth, resulting in a nasty bite but a water crystal that ensured Saren would never die of thirst.

"It has come to my attention that this island has been uninhabited for too long. "

"So? It's been fine." Saren began to turn away.

"Erumai! Just hear me out!" Kyar gave him a pleading look. Sighing, Saren beckoned for him to continue. " Great! Now then, there is a group of college students coming to the island for a vacation. Usually I would allow this since I love the company of partying, happy humans but this time things shall be different!" He paused dramatically for effect then pointed an imperious finger at Saren. "You shall capture all the females and take them as slaves!"

"Pardon?"

"You heard me. All of the females in this group of college students shall become your slaves."

Saren's mind began to race. Surely this was just one of the occasional jokes that Kyar played on him? But this seemed too serious, too certain for it to be a joke. Usually they were small things, tricks like messing with the locations of all his things, nothing on this scale. And he wasn't interested in women or at least he thought he wasn't. Back when he lived on the mainland, Saren had been a loner. He focused on his studies and on training his body. Friends , let alone people, had no place in such a life.

"Why can't you have them?" Saren asked, confused and uncomfortable. "Gods in all of the legends had many lovers, wives, or husbands. You just take them."

"True but you my good man are like a friend to me. A good friend, hell, maybe even a best friend. And I share with my friends." Kyar placed one hand on Saren's shoulder. "You are young and have never experienced true lust for a woman, for sex, for domination. I will awaken that lust, but only if you want me to. Then you complete the task. Capture all of the girls, bring them here, and dominate them. Turn them into your slaves. Once that is done, I will take one as my bride. A good deal, yes? Now, what do you say?"

Saren thought long and hard, weighing the choices in front of him. Slaves were immoral, something that civilization had done away with. But he was interested in what this lust would do to him. Girls intrigued him and maybe such a lust will lead to new experiences.

"All right," Saren said. "I shall do as you ask. Awaken the lust locked away within me, Kyar."

Kyar grinned happily, stretching his hand to touch Saren's forehead.

"Oooh, things are going to become fun!"

A bright light blinded Saren and next thing he knew, Saren was sitting in a tree overlooking the south beach.

He heard splashing, chatting, and laughter coming from a boat on the beach. Around it were college kids in their early twenties, carrying bags and other items. Saren grinned. Kyar was right, things were going to be fun.