Chapter 6: Chapter 6

What makes us brave

Ghaoil .

Yes, Gràin ?

I recommend we stop here, further on... I need to explain what it is.

Okay, we have to talk anyway.

They had finally arrived, the Northern Limit. Gràin gazed at the vastness of darker contrast that awaited them, remembering his few moments spent deeper within.

Ghaoil and the entire caravan looked in disbelief at the Mothachadh cemetery that made up the entrance, a mixture of dry and sand-buried biomes made up the horizon their eyes were fixed on.

Ghaoil calls Creideamh and Gràin , they gather in a separate corner of the caravan, they were all scared by the huge figure they saw flying; but it was only those three who seemed to know who that silhouette belonged to.

Gràin , Creid , that thing we saw... I seem to remember it.

Yes – says Creideamh – when the first wave of Aimhreits appeared, he was the one there in front, leading, I would remember that thing as if it were yesterday the first time I saw it, it was she who... It was him.

So it's the same as 10 years ago... The Leader – Ghaoil moves away from the two, thinking to herself as she looks at the sand she's walking on – I thought he had been killed during some battle, but he's here, alive – She looks at the road they would follow – What awaits us further ahead, if right now we've already seen that he's wandering around here?

Nothing we can't solve Ghaoil - Gràin steps forward, his eyes blazing with encouragement, or perhaps it was the fear that Ghaoil would give up on moving forward - He may have beaten us ten years ago, but that was because he had millions at his command, now he is alone, and we are stronger than we were before, we have learned to overcome any problem that comes our way.

Grain ...

Yet – Creideamh steps forward, looking at the horizon beyond the North – How will we know what lies ahead?

I know that until we get to the Sequoias, there's nothing dangerous.

Sequoias?

Yes, The Great Sequoias Of Ionnsachadh , the forest that separates the road from the final death row.

... Gràin , have you been here?

I came from here... - The revelation keeps Creideamh and Ghaoil silent, confused looks that emanated questions and distrust - Further ahead, there is a clan, people fanatical about the Mothachadhs , who said they were the gods who punished the Earth and now walk among us so that we contemplate their work, tsk , they are a bunch of crazy people, I deserted them when their belief began to override their reason.

Like this?

Ghaoil , Creideamh .... Further on we will find Aimhreits , many of them.

Not that one... – Ghaoil looks at the caravan, begins to ponder about the lack of protection the other vehicles have.

My clan considers them divine soldiers, executing the rest of humanity that exists in the world in the name of the God who started the War. The main idea of my clan was to be recognized as faithful devotees, so that they would be spared. But when they began to realize that the Aimhreits did not care about devotion, our leader went mad, thinking that their faith was weak, and so he decided to perform a test of the Aimhreits ' devotion. Sacrifices.

I knew it would turn out something like this – Creideamh says , kicking sand into the air.

Every fifty Suns, the most loyal member of the clan would be buried alive on a sand dune, where the Aimhreits watched. Their true purpose in performing such acts was to be protected by them from Uìne 's poison , for the Aimhreits are the only ones immune. Somehow, it worked, and my clan began to live further, past the Ionnsachadh Redwoods .

The clans ahead are certainly not known to any of us – Ghaoil looks ahead, hands on hips, head held high – who are we dealing with, Gràin ?

The Sgùrr , is the clan I came from.

I see, are they hostile?

Only if we do something against the Mothachadhs .

Are there more of them ahead?

Two, from what I heard when I was part of them, only two Mothachadhs live around here, and further on, something bigger.

Something bigger, but... what about those? – Creideamh points to the Mothachadhs cemetery – What does they mean?

I don't know either, I think that at some point, their time runs out, and then they die trying to get back to this bigger thing.

What do you think, Gràin ? – Ghaoil had not lost his concern about the dangers of the path they would take – Do you think it will be worth reaching the end of this road?

Yes, Ghaoil , I think so.

So let's go.

Let's go.

Let's go.

The road was endless, bearing only the different dead paradises on the sands beside it, above the black and blue sky, where the Sun struggled to let its rays pierce the dense clouds.

Ionnsachadh Sequoias , with dark trunks and bright yellow leaves. Entering them, it seemed like a piece of the old world, the road in that small part inside was brighter and cleaner, yellow leaves fell like snow, creating large mounds on the road and, together with the roots on the sides that jumped out of the ground, hid any sign of sand.

So here it is... – The Hunter decides to open the hatch, steps out, and then... removes his mask; that's when he breathes in light, fresh and cold air, pure air – The notes were correct.

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He takes the notes he was following out of his pocket, he had finally reached the last page, where the notes said:

“ Day 152

I couldn't go on, I wouldn't have survived if I hadn't gone back to the Sequoias. It was my best decision to go back and prepare myself, I need to go on, I need to find the source from which this life is coming, the closer I got, the more life there was. I don't know what I'll find further ahead, but I know that first I must go see my brother, and ask him for equipment to go on.

- Òrdugh ”

After that page, the diary ended, and that was surely when Òrdugh met the Hunter. From that moment on, the Hunter was supposed to find what Òrdugh could not.

He looked at the Sequoia in front of him, the tallest in the forest, a challenge he would take. With his bag carrying his binoculars, he began a long climb.

The Sequoia seemed to have no end, but the Hunter tamed it anyway, even though his arms burned every time he rose higher, and his legs trembled when halfway up. He reached the top, strong winds swayed the leaves that surrounded him, the enormous branch served as a bridge between one Sequoia and another, the Hunter's weight did not even affect him.

He sets up his binoculars, and over the horizon he looks ahead, the road becomes more alive... the trees brighter... the leaves green... the wind blows and takes them to the sky...

Impossible – He observed a place where Ùine had no strength – ... The closer you are, the more life you will have.... I am on the right path – But then, the binoculars reveal the dangers that Òrdugh had said: Aimhreits walked free, countless – Damn...

It wouldn't be a challenge to get past them during the day, but when night fell, the Hunter would be at the mercy of the creatures. A drop falls on the Hunter's face... what could it be... another falls... it couldn't be... his clothes got wet in small amounts that grew... rain.

Rain....but how?

Thank my mother for that – From the shadows, without the Hunter noticing, Urras finds him, the Hunter was unarmed, he wouldn't think he would be in danger up there, but he didn't count on Urras.

After a short while of staring at each other, Urras heads to the middle of the branch and sits, silently watching the rain falling on the living horizon ahead.

The rain is beautiful, don't you think? – Asks the creature.

It was more beautiful when she didn't fall on a floor that only had sand.

Hm, I think it's beautiful, that it falls on trees and the ground, without any people down there.

The Hunter sits on the branch, far from Urras , to see the view he enjoyed too.

It was raining, wasn't it? When the first day of the War began.

It was the heaviest rain I had ever seen, no plane or helicopter could take off, it was like that until the end of the war.

Yes, my mother had planned that moment for a while.

The Hunter turns to Urras – We met that day, but even so, two things never made sense to me, one of them, is why you spared me in the War, and the other, is why there was a War.

The war began – Urras looks to the sky – because my mother saw that the Earth would not survive the way you humans were treating it, so she created fruits of the Earth itself, and sent them to destroy every abominable creation you had created.

Cars, power plants, nuclear depots.... were the first places where the attacks began.

We had no intention of harming any human, only of preventing you from hastening your own demise through your greed of always wanting more, without concern for the Earth. But then, when your response was to start killing my brothers, that was when my mother created me, Fèin-Ghràdh , Misneachd and Sonas .

The four horsemen of the apocalypse.

As?

Forget it, move on.

When we were created, we were given only one order: Exterminate. Apparently, our mother learned from you that the only way to stop something from happening because of humans, is to stop the humans themselves.

The War... all of this... Was it to save the world? - The Hunter stands up enraged, prowling the branch, among the destroyed landscape - What? What's left of the world?

Nothing for now, but as soon as Uìne finishes her part, and the last of you finishes breathing, that's when my mother will start all over again.

A new world... are she and Uìne creating a new world without humans?

Wrong, there will be humans.

As?

Sonas ... he was protecting someone, wasn't he?

Yes... she lived inside the Sìth .

That's what they were created for, the Mothachadhs carried pieces of the ancient Earth before it died, not only to sacrifice themselves when the time came, and plant their Sìth in the ground so that their seeds would reshape the world, but they also served to protect people who our mother considered did not deserve to die due to other humans.

They were...chosen?

Yes, only me and my three other brothers had the right to select who would enter and be protected inside, people who would help the planet grow with its new species, and then they would be considered the gods of this new world.

This... this is...

Don't worry, I know it's a lot of information, but know one thing... I've already answered your second question.

...You... chose me...

Uìne 's strongest servant ...

Ìsleachadh ...

...

I saw in you the human embodiment of my mother's hatred, and I knew that something like that could not die in this world, so I created Eagallach for you. A human tank that protected you from Uìne 's punishment . He does his work while my champion is protected, doing his.

But why.... why didn't you put me in a Mothachadh ?

Because I needed you out here killing, exterminating – Urras gets up to leave – Uìne is not omnipotent, just omnipresent. Humans think they can get away with it without killing anyone, they would rather die sooner than give up their dignity for your life. You are the one who brings disbelief that they can survive without genocide of themselves. Earth cannot be punished by Uìne any longer , so all humans need to die soon.

So that's why you disobeyed your mother and didn't kill me, huh?

Yes, I don't want you to continue your journey, it's very dangerous, but... the reason I came here is because of the unexpected event that will occur.

What event?

Many are coming this way, rows and rows of machines walking on this floor are heading towards my mother, and this worries her.

It's Ghaoil , she was with me when we killed Sonas .

No, I have already told you Ìsleachadh , I do not care about them, I mean those who are following the tracks of one of them.

Tracks....the flares, but who's coming? Why would that worry your mother?

It is not just the power they carry or the numbers in which they are found, it is also the man who leads them, Dìoghaltas .

Dìoghaltas ... I've heard that name before.

He was a worthy opponent during the War, if he had been in a higher command position, there was a chance we would not have won.

...

Anyway, Ìsleachadh , I have a proposal for you.

Hm – The Hunter goes to his bag and starts to take out all the pieces of the binoculars, leaving only the contents that never left it inside.

The Aimhreits at the front... will not consider you an enemy

This catches the Hunter's attention, who turns to Urras – What do you mean?

You will be able to pass unnoticed among them, and you will be able to walk among them without any danger, besides... I will let you command them.

Interesting, but... at what price?

...I want you to stop all the humans who are coming here, kill them, Ìsleachadh .

Thoughts overflow the Hunter's head, questions arising without answers while being pushed by more questions. He adjusts the bag, now revealed as a backpack, on his back, and heads to the branch where Urras is located.

Why don't you do it?

I can no longer directly interfere in the extermination of these beings, so I created you to be my champion, Ìsleachadh , The Hunter.

...

I have waited too long to give you this offer, accept it and you will earn your place in my Sìth , alongside the creature you seek to kill.

...

Yes, you can enter it without fighting, just accept it.

...

Silence, wind blowing the leaves, thoughtful steps, wrists tightening the backpack, head downcast face- ...I... accept.

His words allow Urras to grab his head, his fingers positioned over his eyes and mind, a sensation as if Urras himself were reaching his fingers into the Hunter's brain.

Then voices, unrecognizable, but their patterns soon became a language the Hunter understood - It's one of us now.

...

See you soon - He jumps, falling to the smaller Sequoias below, when he enters them, he pulls a cord on his backpack, opening a parachute, landing him safely on the ground.

Hm, so easy, so be it.

The tank continues, leaving Urras with a landscape of redwoods on the horizon.

Don't think you can fool me Ìsleachadh , you can read our thoughts...

... but we can also read yours