Chapter 19: Food

Chapter 19: Chapter 19: Food

The Babarian call had been wide and wild, echoing off trees and stone. But somehow, by some instinct engraved in his bones, Victor knew what direction the call had come from.

In fact, his instincts calculated the shortest route there. As if the environment itself was guiding him to rush over and lend a hand.

By the time he reached the source of the call, Popo, Kiki, and the others were already there, and every one of them stood frozen.

The call had spread fast and more babarians arrived behind him, breathless, asking what the call had been for, only to fall silent themselves the moment they saw it.

The open field stretched out before their eyes.

What had once been their farmland, rows of crops that fed the entire tribe through every season.

There was nothing left.

Every stalk, every root, every green thing that had grown there was shredded, flattened, or simply gone.

They had been chewed down to bare, ruined earth by the swarm that had passed through it like a plague of locusts.

According to the lore that Victor remembered, Babarians used to be a nomadic tribes that pillaged to survive, but the Boundary had tamed their reach, and thus, they had no choice but to get other means of food.

That was when their ancestors remembered that the humans used to put seeds in the ground and yield fruit later on.

Of course, the early years had been really tough. But in time, they figured it out.

And so they hunted meat when the animals and beasts migrated into their territory, and when they didn’t, they survived on the plants of the field.

Over time, instead of pillaging, an agricultural based mentality had been passed down to the next generation.

It was the reason that this sight hit them hard.

The Babarian that gave the cry, a woman, she was less muscular than Kiki but no doubt also capable.

Then again, did a soul in the tribe exist that was not capable?

She was pretty in her own right, hair let loose to fall down her shoulders to her wrapped endowed chest.

A waist that was less muscular than Kiki’s but rather lean and attractive to look at.

For some reason Victor could not figure out, she always gave him a disgusted look.

Her tattoos were still straight, but at the ends, curved like a waterfall.

She was one of those that had somehow survived in the arena.

A very smart one had that, hiding underneath the bodies of over nine dead Babarians.

Foto was her name.

"Its not just the fields," she began voice sounding exhausted. "The Barns are all the same. Those disgusting things ate everything."

Those words permitted low murmurs.

"What are we going to do?"

"How will we feed?"

"Winter will soon be upon us."

Victor could feel their worry. Surviving Boramo was just the beginning.

In total, they were not up to twenty, but they still had to feed.

But then Victor noticed something, Foto did not exactly seem worried.

Popo stepped forward to calm the crowd. "Calm down everyone, please calm down. There is still time before winter comes. And we can still survive on the left overs in the homes."

"And what of when that finishes." Someone spoke up. "The animals are now migrating away from our side of the boundary to prepare for winter. What do we do then?"

Once again, the murmurs came.

One look at Popo and Victor, experienced in watching anime and reading Manwha could instantly tell that this big brother of his was not experienced in these kind of matters.

Popo was a leader no doubt, but his expertise was more inclined towards the battlefield than it was towards handling economic situations.

Even now, the sweat had began to form at Popo’s brows.

Victor turned towards Kiki. She did nothing but lean against a broken wall, her broad sword, at her side.

It did not look like she had the intention to butt in. In fact, it looked like she was observing Foto closely.

Just as Popo was helpless concerning the situation, Foto spoke up again.

"My great chief, if I am not mistaking," she said in a thoughtful tone, a remembering finger under her chin. "There shod still be some left over food. But..."

Everyone turned to her, silent.

—

Foto opened the doors to the underground storage.

It was deep underground, and smelled sweet. They were leather sacks stacked on top each other.

This much could feed all of them for a few months, even through winter.

"Is this what I think it is?" Popo asked.

Foto nodded as she whispered. "These are grains to be planted for next season."

Popo frowned. He knew what this meant. It was either starve now or starve months later.

However, turning back to the others, he did not say these words.

"The ancestors have yet shone their light on us." He smiled.

Many laughed, happy, and unaware.

Foto also rejoiced, moving closer to Popo, a little too close.

Victor could not help but question.

What is he doing? Is lying to desperate, traumatized people for morale the right call?

Just then, a voice interrupted their moment.

"And what happens later on?" It was Jaja. He was being assisted by the girl that had served him.

"What do you mean?" Popo asked back, a bad feeling rising in his gut.

"This is not the right thing to do." He grunted in pain. "Boramo found a way through the boundary, we should too."

He grunted again, "take our revenge." His breathing came hard.

No one said anything. The horror of yesterday was still very fresh in their minds.

Popo looked around. Jaja was dampening the moment.

He stepped forward boldly. "I have told you before. Preserving our kind is of utmost importance." He turned to the others, "First we fill our bellies, and raise new youngs. Then we go for revenge."

The crowd roared beating their chest.

Jaja frowned. "NO!"

They paused again.

Now Popo was really pissed. He approached Jaja again. "Jaja, do you challenge the words of your chief and future king?"

Jaja’s gaze was fierce. He looked around, at the faces of the others, Victor, Kiki.

Then back at Popo.Then he pushed the Babarian girl helping him to the side "Yes I do."

The crowd gasped.