“What are you doing Civ?!” Arsh alerted everyone around Civ. They tried to compose themselves. But seeing what Civ is doing is beyond their understanding.

  “Why? What is the problem?” With a clear look in Civ’s unblinking eyes, he awaits Arsh's response.

  “What you're doing is a problem!” Arsh sat, facing Civ. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

  “We cannot eat the brains of any animals.” Arsh slowly explained.

  Civ scooped the last brain in the skull and asked.“Why is that?”

  “You!” Arsh wants to beat the living out of his friend, but seeing the curious look on Civ, she continued.

  “That is not allowed. Someone from a long time ago ate a brain from a boar. What happened then was the person got sick and died a few Sun days later!” Arsh patiently explained it to Civ. Hoping to convince his friend.

  “I understand. But who said I’m going to eat this?” Civ mischievously smiled.

  “You are not going to eat it?! I thought you were going to cook it since you placed it in the jar.” Arsh's brows raised.

  “Yes, I am not going to. I will be using it in a different way.” Civ set aside the boar brain. Picked a jar that has half-full water, then went to the campfire.

  Seeing that the water is boiling, he scoops some of the hot water using a bowl. Then he pours it into the jar where there is cold water. After a few more scoops, the water is warm now.

  “Great. Let’s start working. Time is crucial.” Civ starts brought the warm water back to the hut.

  Arsh looked at his friend. She wanted to understand what Civ’s doing. But she kept it to herself, avoiding the distraction it might cause. So she silently followed Civ.

  At the hut, Vel was already waiting for Civ. “Civ! Here is what you requested.”

  Leaned in the hut, there is a big square that was tied on each edge with a cordage.

  “Thank you Vel. Please get the boar skin in the cave and rinse it with water.” Civ instructed Vel, since rinsing was already a known process, he gave this task to Vel.

  “Then let's mix this.” Using a bowl, he scooped warm water and poured it into the brain. He did this a couple of times until he was satisfied with the mixture.

  Arsh can’t control herself. She breaks her silence. “Hey Civ, what is this for?”

  “This. This will be our protection!” Civ happily stirs the brain mixture.

  “For what?” Arsh pressed Civ.

  “Look Arsh, help me and I will tell you.” Civ wants to tease his friend a bit further, but she might start beating him until she is satisfied.

  “Sure, tell me what I need to do.” Arsh sat next to him.

  “Civ, I rinsed it already.” Vel came running with the boar skin.

  “Great. Arsh, help me with this one.” Civ folds the boar skin like a donut. He gave the other end to Arsh.

  “We need to remove more water with this skin. Try to turn it like what Horm and I did.” Civ starts twisting the skin.

  Arsh nodded, they twist the skin. The longer they twist, the harder it is to turn.

  “Arsh, use this stick and put it in the hole.” Civ threw a stick around arm's length, and he got his stick and put it in the hole.

  Arsh followed the demonstration from Civ, and they further wrung out the skin.

  PSSHHHH

  More water was escaping the skin. Which Vel and Arsh were surprised.

  “I didn’t know there was still water there,” Vel commented.

  Civ and Arsh continued to twist it until the skin started loosening. He rolled it again like a donut and wrung it again until there was no water left.

  After this, Civ quickly put this skin into the brain mixture and soaked the whole skin.

  “Civ, why did you put it there?” Vel asked.

  “To avoid it from rotting.” Civ finally revealed.

  “Rotting? Can the brain do it?” Arsh is also skeptical.

  “Honestly, I do not know yet. But I feel we are in the right direction!” Civ smiled, looking up to the two.

  “I think you do Civ. I know you can do it!” Vel cheerfully replied.

  “So Civ, what’s next? ” Arsh asked.

  “We wait.” Civ put a stone in the hide and left it set aside in the hut.

  “We wait? After that?” Vel asked.

  “We need to see that the hide is fully soaked in the brain water.” Civ smiled. Tapping his apprentice’s shoulder.

  “Follow me Vel. I need you to help me bring the tools into the cave. Arsh, you can stay here if you want to look out for this skin.” Civ started walking towards the cave.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Vel’s face brightened, and he ran behind Civ. “Tell me what I need to do.”

  Arsh smiled and sat next to the mixture. She noticed a meaty smell coming from the soaked skin.

  Back to Civ and Vel.

  “Vel, check on the dry sticks there. Look for smooth-edged sticks. I’ll get some thicker coradges.” Civ starts checking the cordages they have.

  “At your command, Oh Chosen One!” Vel replied. Then he starts combing through the dry sticks they stored.

  After a few scrambles.

  “These sticks look good Civ?” Vel showed three sticks to Civ.

  Civ inspect the three by checking them one by one.

  He smiled and nodded. “These look great. Bring these two to the hut. I’ll follow you shortly.” Civ handed him the cordages that he found.

  “Alright.” Vel happily obliged and left the cave.

  Returning to the hut, Arsh and Vel were waiting for him.

  “Civ, why are you bringing those bones?” Arsh was puzzled again.

  What Civ was holding was the bones from a boar’s legs. He also brought some extra cordage and tools.

  “We will use it later. But I need you both to help me with this.” Civ grabs one of the leg bones from one hand and a heavy stone in the other.

  BAM

  He hit the bone with a stone. Looking to break it lengthwise.

  BAM

  He hit again.

  BAM

  BAM

  BAM

  In every hammer, he carefully hit it with precise calculation. Then-

  CRAAACK

  The bone was split into smaller pieces.

  He collects the pieces with good long structure.

  “Ohhhh we can actually break it!” Vel exclaimed.

  “Hey Vel, help me with this. You too Arsh.” Civ handed them the pieces of the bone.

  “What are we going to do with this?” Vel asked.

  “Follow what I’m going to do.” Civ handed them some stone flakes.

  “You need to make a hole in one of the edges with the thicker part.” Civ drilled on the bone using the stone flake.

  Vel and Arsh followed what Civ was doing. They were able to finish it by drilling both sides.

  When the hole was shown, Civ instructed the next part.

  “Find a rough, flat surface. Then rub the bone to make it smooth.” Civ was already a flat, rough stone, and he started rubbing his bone.

  They followed Civ’s instructions and slowly but surely shaped the bone.

  Since Civ had his vision, he had already rubbed the bone to his preferred shape.

  Then he rubbed the other edge, where there is no hole, to a sharp point.

  “See this, this should be what we need to make.” Civ showed it and handed it to them.

  Both Arsh and Vel stopped rubbing the bone. Arsh was the first to inspect it. Vel is silently looking at the item they are making.

  It was smooth and had a tiny hole in the other end. Enough to have a string of thin cordage to go through. On the other end, it was pointed sharply. Like the pointed wood Vel made for the barricade. He tried to press his pointy finger onto the point.

  “Ouch!” Vel exclaimed.

  After he was pricked, there was a droplet of blood appeared on his pointed finger.

  “Don’t - Oh! You are already pricked. I was going to warn you.” Civ just smiled.

  “I think we get it now.” Arsh smiled. Seeing the structure, Arsh thinks that these are the items they need to make another item.

  “Great, please help me make these items. The more the better.” Civ asked them.

  “Sure Civ!” Vel replied while he was instinctively sucking his finger.

  They continue to shape the bones with rough stone and were able to create 6 of these, and suddenly.

  GRRUUUMBBLLE

  GRRUUUMBBLLE

  GRRUUUMBBLLE

  The three of them hear their stomachs growl at the same time.

  “Hahahaha, I know you are all hungry already. Here, have a sip of the rabbit soup.” Kivrah walked to them, laughing. He brought three bowls of rabbit soup with the help of their fellow tribesmen.

  “I noticed you are all busy. So I did not call all of you and have Shaman Mashu finish cooking the soup. ” Kivrah explained.

  Both Arsh and Civ remembered and had an embarrassed look.

  “Thank you tribe leader. Now that you mentioned it, I’m already hungry.” Vel stood up and took a sip of the soup.

  “At ta ta ta” Vel tongue was out. Trying to alleviate the burn.

  “Hahaha careful. We just finished cooking this, so it is really hot.” Kivrah laughed and shook his head.

  Civ noticed the burned tongue from Vel, and a thought came to his mind.

  ‘Cooking these soups, yet we have no tools to eat them.’ Civ wanted to take care of this after working on the animal hide.

  He was planning to make these cooking and eating tools when they found the other pair of the soups. But seeing the struggle Vel is having, they need to make it sooner.

  Civ accepts the bowl given to him. He leaned it and patiently blew the steaming soup water. Creating ripples inside the bowl.

  Fwoosh

  The steam slowly escapes the bowl, and Civ takes a sip in intervals.

  Arsh and Vel followed Civ’s way, and they were able to take a sip of a warm, meaty rabbit soup.

  “Whew! These tasted delicious as always. I will not get tired of eating this.” Vel was able to speak now after sipping the soup again.

  Some of their tribesmen brought more bowls for Kivrah and others to eat. They happily enjoy the feast, finishing their labor early in the morning.

  Arsh, Vel, and Civ continued rubbing the bone in the stone. Civ instructed them to make shorter ones and longer ones.

  With the bone legs Civ stored, they were able to make around twenty-five of these.

  Noticing what these three kept busy, Kivrah called the attention of Civ.

  “Civ, what are these?” Kivrah picked one of the smaller pointed bones and carefully ran his pointy finger. He felt a sharp but small surface. If he put more pressure on his finger, he might prick.

  “This is sure sharp. Why are you making these?” Kivrah wants to know the purpose.

  Civ looked at his Father and excitedly smiled. “These will be used to combine skins.”

  Everyone looked at Civ blinking in silence, including Kivrah, Arsh, and Vel.

  “What do you mean by combining skins?” Vel asked.

  “We already have the animal skin covering our bodies. Also, you mentioned last time that it can protect our bodies. Can you explain it to us Son?” Kivrah wanted answers now for his Son.

  For Kivrah, having the animal skin covering their body is more than enough to protect them from cold nights and hot days. Doing these things for him might be a waste of effort. Especially that they need to prepare for the Tuanir. They need to focus on either looking for another camp to move to or to or find ways to make sure they can protect the tribe.

  Feeling the pressure, Civ took a deep breath.

  “Alright, I’ll explain it now. Step by step. But I need everyone's help.” Civ asked the group.

  They happily obliged and all ears to what Civ is going to say.

  “But first-” Civ stood up and walked toward the meaty smell unassuming jar that was set aside in the corner of the hut.

  He pulled the boar skin, then pressed the skin. It was oozing with juice!

  Civ’s eyes sprang with excitement.

  “Everyone, please help me with this boar skin!”