Morning had come, mist had settled over the foot of the mountains, and the sky stretched like a crimson curtain across the horizon. My war chief, Cycnopy, and I set out, for a long journey awaited us. Meanwhile, the people left in the village were already busy with their duties. Among the newcomers, those skilled with their hands joined the builders, the women worked the hides, some gathered herbs, and the hunters disappeared into the forest. Everything moved with an organized rhythm, like a wheel in which every cog turned exactly as it should.
As we passed through the thick forests, Cycnopy turned to me, his eyes sharp with both curiosity and caution, "Chief, would you like to see the other tribes as well?" His question was direct, and I answered without hesitation, "Of course I would, we must be open to both new opportunities and new threats. But we must hurry, if the land you found is good and the path is not too long, then before night falls we must already be there." Our pace quickened. Among the shadows of the trees we saw animals watching us, but we spared their lives. There were still many things on these lands that we would one day need.
On our way to the new site, we encountered three small tribes. From what I observed, none of them had more than twenty or thirty members. Yet something caught my attention, something I could not ignore. One tribe's warriors carried pieces of iron. Crude, unfinished fragments hammered into armor and primitive weapons. Where had they found such metal? In this age, such power was unheard of. Perhaps once I met them, I could offer them the same chance I offered others, the chance to join me. I said nothing, but I knew my eyes betrayed my thoughts.
And at last we arrived. Before me was more than I had hoped for. They had found the ocean. A vast, endless blue stretched before my eyes, so immense it seemed to devour the horizon. My breath caught in my throat. No one had ever ventured to these parts, no one had seen this wealth. We had to settle here. We could build a great shelter, fish the waters, purify what we drank. The ocean could grant us limitless resources. A thrill unlike any other surged through my chest.
After exploring the surroundings for a while longer, we began our return. We had to reach the village before the sun sank, we had to prepare everyone for our new home. Our steps were quick, urgency driving us forward. We could not allow night to catch us unprepared. By the time the sun stood high above, we were already stepping into the village once more. Cycnopy wasted no time, he gathered everyone in the square. All eyes fixed upon me, waiting for the words that would shape their fate.
I lifted my chest and spoke with a voice that rolled through the air like thunder, "Gather everything. Tonight we will sleep in our new home. It will be hard, but together we will succeed. Leave nothing behind. Load the heavy belongings onto the cart, do not weigh yourselves down with useless things we can craft again. When the sun reaches its peak, we march." Murmurs rippled through the crowd, excitement tangled with fear, but my certainty steadied them like a pillar of stone.
Then I called two warriors and two laboring women to my side. Fixing them with a stern gaze, I spoke, "I will not give you a difficult task. As long as you stand beside me, I need neither throne nor tent. But inside lie my weapons of war and my other tools. Bring them out, for when the time of battle comes, all will be needed." They nodded and ran toward the tent with determined steps.
I took my cloak of fur, my horned helm, and my spears. I felt once more like a warrior, a soldier tempered in flame and ready for the coming storm. Then I turned again to the people, "I will go ahead, there are things I must discover. All authority belongs to our war chief Cycnopy. Whatever he commands is as if I myself had spoken it." My voice carried across the square, silencing all whispers. Finally, I faced Cycnopy directly, my eyes burning into his, "Take them, lead them, and settle them. I will go ahead, I will study the threats and uncover the source of that iron. I trust you, keep our people safe. It will be difficult, but you will take my bison with you as well. Build him a pen, guard him as if he were our own strength."
And so I went on alone. From a distance, I kept watch over the village as I moved. A deep curiosity gnawed at me. How could they possess iron in such a primitive age? For some time I observed in silence. I saw warriors hauling massive stones, straining with their weight. I followed their movements until the truth revealed itself before my eyes. They were mining iron from the mountains. Breaking open colossal boulders, tearing from them veins that glowed faintly red in the light. My heart pounded. A mine, a gift buried within the earth itself. If we claimed this, if we added copper found along the coast, we could forge new tools, new weapons, perhaps even reshape the world around us.
It was as though in an instant we had leapt ten ages ahead. Possibilities, opportunities, the future's grandeur stretched before me. I had seen where it came from, I had understood who wielded it. Now it was time to return, to lead my people, to bring them into this new dawn.
And so I returned to what would be our new home. Before me lay a land vast and strong enough to hold two thousand souls. Before us, the ocean, its endless waters offering fish, salt, the power of the waves, and the gift of cleansing. At one side the forest, an infinite source for hunting and timber. At the other side the mountains, rich with ore, a treasury waiting to be claimed. Every horizon promised strength. My people set to work, lashing branches together, piling leaves, building crude shelters. In the center we raised a great fire, its flames reaching into the heavens, its smoke mingling with the sea breeze.
Since the attack of the wolves, everyone remained alert. Spears and axes stayed close, shields rested by their sides. But here an ambush seemed difficult. Everything lay in plain sight, the ocean's reflection cast silver light, the forest's edge whispered in the distance. Between the glow of the flames and the pale gleam of the moon across the waves, the night revealed every shadow.
Sleep claimed us slowly. Some lay near the fire, some huddled beneath their hastily built huts. I rested with my weapons close at hand, cloak pulled across my shoulders. My eyes lingered one last time on the dark expanse of sea. Tomorrow would be hard, our bodies would ache, but we would strengthen this land, we would raise defenses, and we would shape it into our fortress.
Within me a deep resolve had taken root. Here we would not merely survive, here we would grow. This was more than a home, this was the spark of an empire. With the ocean at our feet, the forest at our backs, the mountains at our side, and fire in our hearts, we would not just live, we would change the age itself.