3

"We have to move quick, dumb fools!" said the man with a bulky frame. In his hands was a machete, and a piece of hard bread. He seems to be the leader of the small group. Following behind him are another bulky two men, and one slim, tall figure with a bag over its head.

"Where do you think we are going? We've been walking for three days now! You said you know the way to the hermit's cabin, but I don't see anything, Lucas." replied the less bulky among the three.

"Our provision is almost gone, man. That's the last of the bread." the quiet one among the three bulky men commented.

The man named Lucas looked away. They were all dirty, body-ridden with grime after days of walking through the jungle. Their bodies were also field with scratches, and cuts from the plants around them. Don't even mention the fauna.

A month ago, they all decided to make a daring plan to explore the dense rainforest, traversing through jungles and rivers. Lucas wanted to prove to the head of the district that they could utilize the area, gather more resources. A plan that was on the edge of being illegal just for the safety of the doers.

You see, the geography of the world changed after a massive earthquake occurred a couple hundred of years ago. It was off the scale, more than the Ritcher scale could ever imagine. It surpassed the cap, absolutely taking all of humanity by surprise. No one was ready to combat the strength of that earthquake.

Millions of people died after a few minutes of that earthquake. It forever changed the formation of the land causing cracks and crevices appearing in the ones most famous cities. It was so strong that it was felt across the continents. Cities went under and never to be seen again.

One could not imagine the devastation it caused.

Millions survived the impact, but the aftermath took most of the population. After the earthquake happened, the tsunami followed. It was reminiscent of those doomsday movies. Waves so high it easily toppled the cities located near the waters or whatever's left of it. The volcanoes were stirred right after that. If one survived the number of tsunamis and eruptions all around the world, the injuries, infections, and medical problems were another problem. The smell of death was everywhere. It was an unending ripple effect.

It was pure chaos.

To make matters worse, a deadly fever took another chunk of the population. The odd thing about it is that it affected mostly the female population. If they survive the fever, they were declared barren years after that.

At the present time, you can say that the aftermath of that deadly disaster was still ongoing with the decreasing number of women every decade.

To make it easy to understand, the population of the people dwindled to roughly more than a million and the female population was at risk. The number of adult women left was less than ten thousand, with a few of them already barren. It is a literal male dominated world, with no chances of female infants being born.

Those handful thousands were divided into five districts located strategically away from the main island. The shape of the island was like an octopus. The head was the main island, and the tail was like the smaller islands. The longest tail was occupied by two districts. All of these islands were connected with a narrow land bridge. Some of these bridges were only accessible during low tide.

Also, the population was back to living like they were in the 19th century with a few exceptions. One of those exceptions is the declining number of the female demographic. The researchers can't find a solution to the dwindling number.

Now, a woman is a coveted property. Coveted, protected, and hunted.

"We are lost, aren't we?" a soft voice breaks the awkward silence of the three bulky men. Although shaking with anxiety, the voice was kind.

"Are we lost, Lucas?" the disbelief in the voice of the quiet one was evident. The sound of betrayal and anger were felt at once.

"You better answer that question before I make you." the less bulky among the three men. He was named Henry.

Lucas whipped around facing the small group with defiance in his eyes. One could say that he won't admit his mistake even with his life hanging from the tallest cliff.

"So, what if we're lost? What are you going to do about it, Henry? Smack me? You can't even fight a lame ass prostitute without visiting the infirmary after." Lucas. His mocking voice was outright personal, aiming to touch a sensitive subject.

"You dumb fuck this is your grand idea in the first place! Boasting like you know the terrain. Is the map you're hiding inside your bag even real?!" Henry shouted in reply, squaring his shoulders.

"At least, I'm not a wussy who got knocked out by a prostitute, yeah?" Lucas goaded the other man.

They have been so restless and exhausted from the travel that they were easily provoked with a little fuse.

"Speak for yourself man. You are the one who acts like a dog kicked by its owner every time that prostitute of yours is around." Henry reiterated. His face turned beet red in anger.

"Don't involve Alex into this. You fucking pussy!" Screamed Lucas in fury.

"What? Are you afraid that I would tell that partner of yours about your idea of bringing a prostitute to snack on while traveling?" Henry added riling the man even further. It was comical to watch.

"Hey, knock it off. We need to find our way out of this forest first." The quiet one named Mattias commented, subtly trying to diffuse the situation happening right in front of them.

"Shut the fuck up, fag." The hissing reply of Lucas. He was beyond reasoning at this point. Maybe it was the thought of being lost in the massive rainforest with no way out that makes them illogical.

"You are one to talk. We're all fags." Henry scoffed.

"And we are all dead meat once Xander knows we stole one of his moneymakers." Mattias commented that rendered the two into silence. It was true that they kind of kidnapped the prostitute they brought with them. They only intended to borrow the prostitute for the first two days, all paid, but they did not expect that they'll be lost.

It seems reality finally struck the two arguing bulky men. Xander is one nasty man and is extremely possessive of his moneymakers. He isn't a nice man, and they are bound to face that wrath once they're back in the district. Also, the owner of the prostitute is the brother of the district head, Dickens. He is a lot worse.

"Can we gather something here to trade for his forgiveness?" That was Henry. Thinking about how to diffuse the situation they are currently in. Suggestions that will help save their lives is paramount.

"We can leave the prostitute here and tell Xander it escaped in the middle of the night?" the quiet one suggested.

They ponder the thought. After all, prostitutes were nothing but objects to them. A temporary source of relief once in a while. With all the ruckus going, the slim figure fainted after hearing the suggestion. The men did not even care to catch the toppling figure. A resounding thud can be heard.

"The last part sounds better."

Three pairs of gazes snapped in the direction behind them. There, among the trees stood a figure clad in a long-sleeve wool tunic and wearing dark pants. His feet were encased with a pair of shoes made from leather.

The man was well-armed to the teeth. Nothing is exposed except his hazel-colored eyes. They are quite a sight. The figure is lean, and you can tell he was agile in a glance. He reaches the jaws of the three bulky men if measured, and they are quite tall reaching more than six feet.

Realization suddenly dawned on them as they watched the figure approach with no sound at all. The dried leaves beneath the figure's feet did not even produce a crunching sound.

"You are the Hermit!" Mattias exclaimed in surprise.

"Talon?" Lucas asked in disbelief.

"Yes." the man himself replied.