Endangered: The Strings of Fate Pt. 1
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© 2025 S. Round. All rights reserved. No part of this story may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the author. All sexually active characters in this work are eighteen (18) years of age or older.
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Prologue
Namat stepped out of his hut and smiled as he watched the sun shine through the nearby tree line. It would surely be very hot later in the day, but it felt nice right then as the air was still holding on to some of the coolness of the night. He looked around and watched everyone in the village busily starting their daily work, his mother among them. It was a beautiful morning, and not just because of the weather. Time had finally come for him to join in on the daily hunt, something he had long looked forward to.
All the young men in the village idolized the hunters. They were fierce and strong, and they brought great blessings to the village in the form of delicious meats. It was Namat's greatest ambition to be one of them, but the village leaders forbade participation for any boy until they came of age. Namat always thought that was stupid, but it didn't matter anymore. He had now been recognized as a man, and the hunters had agreed to teach him their ways.
Carrying his long spear, which he had shaped himself over the course of the last year, Namat walked across the village to meet his new companions at their normal gathering spot near the forest. There he found a couple dozen men waiting for him, each carrying their own impressive weapons. Kan, the leader of the hunters, stepped forward to meet Namat as he arrived.
The elders officially ran the village, but Kan was the real leader. When Kan had an idea or request, everyone always made sure to go along with it. Not out of fear, but out of respect. Everyone knew Kan was responsible for keeping the village safe alongside providing their supply of animal products, and he did a great job of it. Namat's greatest dream was to be just like Kan someday. That's why, when Kan put his big hand on Namat's shoulder affectionately, he had to fight hard to keep his face serious.
Kan explained what they would be doing for the day. A routine hunt, trying to track and kill any big game they could find traces of. He said Namat should stay in the back and watch for today, but he made sure to stress that it was still dangerous and to stay on guard the entire time. Namat said he understood and was rewarded with a grin and a pat on the back from the bigger man.
After that, the group made their final preparations before they headed out into the forest. But before they could disappear into the tree line, a loud voice was heard calling out from the center of the village. The group turned as one to see a woman there waving her hands with a big smile. It was Namat's mother. Uncaring about the eyes of the entire village on her, she loudly wished him good luck and told him to be safe. Namat covered his face in embarrassment as the men around him laughed at the scene and gently ribbed him for being a mama's boy.
The hunt got underway without any other delays. Namat was nervous as they trudged through the trees, but as the morning hours passed, he began to feel more comfortable. There weren't monsters behind every large tree or in the darkness of every shadow like the young boys in the village always claimed in their stories. It was mainly just birds and trees. Lots of trees.
Hot, green, and damp, the rainforest where Namat had spent his entire existence was full of life. He loved the tall trees and the beautiful display of flowers all around. He had heard that there were places without trees, where there was nothing but dirt as far as the eye could see. There was also talk about endless water that no man had ever found the bottom of. If he had been asked to explore such places, he doubted he would have been able to calm his nerves so quickly. But this was the rainforest, and the rainforest had always been home.
The sun was soon at its highest point in the sky, and they had not yet managed to find any game. Kan addressed the group and indicated that they would make their way to the nearby river to gather fish if they didn't find something soon. It was disappointing. Namat had hoped to bring back a rare prize to mark his first hunt, but there wasn't much he could do. This was about feeding his people, not his pride. When it came to filling bellies, fish was always welcome in the village.
The first surprise discovery of the day came on their journey to the river. They were walking along the path when a group of men emerged from the trees ahead. Kan quickly brought their party to a halt and signaled everyone to be alert. It was rare to find other tribes while hunting, but it wasn't unheard of. The problem was that not all the neighboring tribes were friendly. There were one or two villages in the area that had been downright hostile at times.
Namat wondered if they should just back up and avoid the new group, but it was too late for that as the others had already spotted them. He stared at the men from the back of the hunting party as they started slowly making their way closer. As their appearance got clearer, Namat noticed how strange these other men actually were. Their skin was a sickly gray, and their eyes looked almost completely white with only the barest hint of dark gray where their pupils should be.
As the strange, sickly men marched silently closer, Kan stepped forward with his spear and called out to them. He asked who they were, but they didn't respond. They didn't even falter in their stride as they continued to narrow the gap. By then, the entire party had noticed the horrible appearance of the other men and were greatly alarmed. They all stretched out their spears in unison, hoping to keep the men at bay.
To Namat's shock, the strangers pointed their spears at Kan in unison and began to run. It was an attack! Namat completely froze, but luckily, Kan and his lieutenants did not. They stepped forward and parried the incoming spears before striking out with their own. Although they were aggressive, the strangers were not skilled, at least not when compared to Kan and his best hunters. Kan and the others did their best to only lightly wound them before throwing them to the ground.
Kan stood over the fallen men and loudly demanded an explanation for the attack. But the sickly men never said a word. Instead, they silently stood back up and tried to attack again. This time, the hunters were not so merciful. They stabbed with their spears to hold off the strangers. One of the hunters even got carried away and completely ran through the heart of one of the assailants, almost certainly ending the man's life.
The hunters regathered themselves and surveyed the now bleeding strangers. Kan looked to try to talk to them again, but he took a step back in fright as he saw the skewered gray-skinned men stand up once again as if nothing had happened. Even the man who still had a spear piercing his heart stood up without a problem.
The party of experienced fighters were consumed by fear for the first time since setting out into the wilderness. Kan was the first to voice out what they were all thinking. Namat could hear the shaking in his voice as the brave warrior declared this to be the work of an evil god. Once said, a few of the hunters in the back turned and ran away at full speed. Namat could hardly blame them. He would have done the same thing if his body wasn't completely frozen.
Everyone in the village knew the stories of evil gods. They were said to imbue people with bizarre abilities that went against nature. People with those abilities almost always went crazy. It wasn't just one or two villages that had been wiped out in the past due to delving into that unholy power. If these men were products of such power, they needed to distance themselves quickly.
Kan seemed to be of the same mind. After overpowering the sickly men once more, the entire party was ordered to hastily retreat. Namat's legs finally unlocked, and he dashed back through the forest towards home with the other men. With fear as their fuel, they made much better time than their journey out, but it was still an hour before their cozy village came into view. What awaited them there, though, was anything but a warm welcome.
The village was in chaos. Gray-skinned men were busy tearing through huts and chasing down screaming women and children. Kan stood in disbelief for only a moment before resolve settled on his face. He ordered the group to protect the village, and they ran to meet the enemy. Namat ran behind them, but he did not seek out an opponent to fight. He instead swept his gaze in every direction looking for his mother.
Namat ran through the village, dodging fights breaking out on every side, weaving through screaming villagers. His legs instinctively carried him to his home, and luckily, that was just where he needed to be. As his hut came into view, he saw one of the gray men dragging his screaming mother outside by her hair.
What were the odds, today of all days, when his mother was home alone for the first time in years!? Rage filled him as he witnessed the person he loved the most in the world struggling for her life. Namat screamed and charged at the sickly gray man with his spear pushed forward. The gray man turned to face Namat just a moment before the spear struck. Carried by Namat's momentum, the spear thrust through the man's abdomen and lodged deeply into the walls of the hut behind him.
Breathing heavily, Namat let go of his spear and checked on his mother. She was greatly distressed, but Namat was relieved to find that she was not injured. He helped her stand up, and they both looked at her assailant. Despite being run through with a spear, he was trying to free himself from the wall as if he felt no pain, his dull white eyes remaining fixed on Namat and his mom.
Namat grabbed his shaking mother and led her away from their home. He then looked around and took stock of the situation around the village. Sounds of desperate fighting were all around. He had no idea how many of the evil men had invaded, but he was certain his people were outnumbered. Having witnessed that these men could not be killed, Namat had no hope that they could fight their way to victory. The only thing to do was run.
