The After - End 12

As he climbed up to the hill within a broad strain after leaving the barren valley, and he grew more determined to find his daughter as her voice frequently call out to him. All of a sudden, a huge bird flew close to him flapping its broad wings. This stunned him and he missed his steps. He tumbled down the hill unceremoniously. As he tried to get a hold of his bearing, the brown Haast Eagle though bigger than any bird he has ever seen fluttered its wings again causing him to fall. The enormous bed grasped him with its clawed feet. His screams were of no help for he know that the Haast eagle was known to feed on humans too. He felt almost squeezed to death by the sharp claws around its body. As it flew over the top of the hill, it opened its curved wide beak to munch his head off. Shockingly waiting for his death, the eagle started to fall. A spear had jabbed through it. He saw a movement below him. A black man scantily dressed only in leather wraps around his waist holding another spear in a defensive stance.

The bird crumpled down and fell a few feet away from him. The bushman extended his right hand to him and helped him out of the bird's claws. The bushman started to talk but he could not understand his language. Realizing that they speak different languages, the bushman brought out a small wooden pointed stick from his leather pouch which he had carried on his shoulder. He began to draw out the sketch of the eagle he just killed. He explained with his drawing that the Haast eagle had killed his family when he had been little and he had been hunting it ever since. Now that he has killed the last one he could die in peace. When the bushman made to leave, he knelt before him and bowed down and said.

"Inú mí dùn gan, iwọ ní o jẹ kinri ẹyẹ abami yí pa"(I'm so happy, because of you, I was able to kill the bird)

Seeing the bushman still bowing. He was confused and could barely understand what he was saying. Attempting to ease him from such act. He took hold of the opportunity and grabbed the wooden pointed stick from his hand and began to draw on the ground too. Although his drawings weren't as perfect as the bushman. He explained his quest to him and begged that he should teach him how to throw a weapon as he did. The bushman stood still for a long time, staring into space. He assumed that the bushman was thinking on his request, and so he bent back to his knees and bowed as the bushman had done earlier.

I need all the help I can get.

Really, and what help will this get you? Your family? The one you've already killed? Think again. The voice crept into his mind and mocked him.

My daughter!, It will get me, my daughter. I will do this for her. He quickly shut his mind off.

The bushman helped him up and made a sign for him to follow and so he did.

They began their training soon after. When they were hungry they took a break. The bushman had shared his fruits and vegetables with him. When the moon changed, they gathered the sturdy twigs and the bushman showed him how to make the spears he used. Then he was taught the basics of throwing stones and then they moved back again to the training with sticks. He started well but his hands started to ache though he tried to hide the pain and continued with his learning. Many days later, he could throw his sticks from a considerable distance. During those moments, something changed within him, he couldn't say what exactly but he knew he had hope and he felt stronger.I will see her again. He breathed a sigh and continued training with new intensity and concentration.

For shelter, they had made camp under the shadows of some pine trees. As he slept, the bushman kept watch. Suddenly, he was shaken awake by the bushman whose face was livid and laced with fear. he slammed his chest with the wooden weapon they had carved out the other day. Then the man stood in a fighting stance facing the shadows before them.

The brute riders!

His heart roared in beating drums and he fled. He had run for a little while before he noticed that the bushman wasn't with him. He unfolded his tight fist releasing the weapon the bushman slammed on his chest. Then, he also remembered the weapon in his shoe through the trouser he had on concealed it.

I shouldn't have left, I was supposed to fight with him. If the worst happens, I have the dagger.

I'm such a coward. I'm such a fool.

Indeed, you certainly are one. The voice crept into his head again.

By the time he got back to their camp, the brute rider had laid dead on the ground, beside him was the bushman also dead. He was feasted on by the brute alligator. In anguish, he hurled himself on the crazy alligator and began to plunge in the sharpened sticks into the brute's trunk. The brute swayed dangerously from side to side and flipped his long and big spiky tail over his back to wade off the attack but he was able to dodge quickly. He moved swiftly and continued stabbing through the puncture he had made on its body. Then, he stabbed the brute's eyes sight and at the same time, he was shaken off. He landed on his back against a tree. He noticed two of the spears lying on the floor beside the tree and he picked them. As the blind brute crawled aimlessly looming towards him, he strikes back. At the slightest opportunity, he aimed his spear by Its side and stroke the spear through its belly, and down it went.