He woke in his small cave that morning.
Today was the big day, the day of his official initiation ceremony.
He stood and prepared himself, then went to Chief Pre to ask what exactly would happen.
The chief and Karlmos were already discussing plans about the neighboring tribe.
The chief explained the situation.
"Ako, you are a strong warrior and a knowledgeable man.
The neighboring tribe is large; they have many strong men.
If we fight them head-on, we will not survive.
But they keep pressing us, taking our goods, and controlling us.
Tell me, what should we do?"
There were two paths he could take.
He could give his opinion immediately and risk creating tension with Karlmos, or he could show that he stood beside them.
He thought for a while, then finally let the words flow:
"Karlmos is a great warrior and a leader, and the final word belongs to you. If you choose war, I will fight at your side. But if you wish to avoid bloodshed, I can think of another way for you."
He saw in Karlmos's eyes that respect was beginning to form.
Chief Pre nodded approvingly.
"A good answer,"
he said.
"When the light fades tonight, your initiation will take place in the village square. Do not be late."
Ako bowed his head and left.
Until evening, he had nothing else to do but hunt.
He took two of the younger men from the tribe to help carry what he caught, and they set out.
His snares had caught nothing yet.
He carried his spears, knives, cloak, horned helmet, and the strength of his body.
He still had not made proper clothing for himself.
He noticed some women staring at his nakedness, and, strangely, the attention thrilled him; it gave him a raw sense of power.
After a long search, they grew tired and stopped to rest.
In that moment, he decided to craft a sling and a bow.
The boar's intestines would make strong bowstrings.
All he needed was the right wood, straight and solid.
He found the tree he needed and cut it down.
As he worked, he realized he would also need tools like an axe and a shovel; he added them to his mental list.
Using his knife, he shaped the wood carefully, then tied the stretched boar intestine tight across it.
Karo's hunting instincts stirred within him; the hunter inside was awakening.
Next came the arrows.
He had many sharpened stones, which he chipped down and fastened to thin shafts of wood.
While he worked, he showed the young men each step, teaching them.
They watched eagerly and learned quickly.
Soon the bow was ready.
From the same wood, he carved two or three slings and handed them over.
He told them to wait for his first shot if they found prey, because he was their leader in the hunt.
Without him, they would starve.
They moved again and found tracks on the ground, many of them.
Pigs.
He followed the trail carefully, using every bit of tracking skill at his disposal, until finally they found them: four boars.
Tonight, there would be a feast.
He hurled his spears, then charged.
Fear no longer lived in him; he was a warrior now.
The young men flung stones with their slings, distracting the animals.
Ako struck again and again until three of them lay dead at his feet.
The fourth escaped into the forest.
The young men shouted in triumph.
They tied ropes around the bodies and dragged them back.
On his very first hunt with the tribe, he brought back three full-grown boars.
He was a hero.
When they entered the village, the people greeted them with awe and admiration.
He stepped aside to rest, while the young men bragged loudly about everything he had done.
He went to those who had watched him skin animals the previous day, handed them his knife, and said,
"This task is yours today. I hunted them; you will skin them."
They accepted and went to work.
The hides were stripped, and the fire was lit by him, of course, and everyone watched with that same mixture of fear and wonder.
The meat was cooked, shared, and eaten.
Then Chief Pre stood up and raised his voice.
He praised Ako before all: how he had proven himself a hunter, how he had mastered fire.
Then he said,
"Now comes the true initiation. If you succeed, you will be one of us completely."
Everyone already seemed to know this moment was coming
His heart beat faster, but he was ready.
Chief Pre spoke again, his voice carrying across the square:
"Ako, your task is this. Tonight, you will go to the neighboring tribe.
You will watch them, study their tools, and learn who they are.
If we are to fight, we must know our enemy.
And one more thing, you must remind yourself what it means to be human.
You once told us fire only burns if you allow it. Prove it. Stand upon the fire."
He had said those words. Now he had to back them up.
He looked the chief in the eye, then stepped into the fire.
The heat stabbed into his feet, pain exploding through him, but he stood there.
Ten seconds. Twelve. Fifteen.
He stepped down at last, legs shaking, eyes burning with tears he refused to shed.
Chief Pre embraced him and roared,
"Akooooo!"
The people erupted in cheers, hands reaching to touch him, voices calling his name.
The crowd dispersed slowly, and he limped back to his cave, every step searing.
He missed Ako's Haven already, the place where no fire could burn him.
But this was the price he had to pay.
He lay down, aching, when Annabel appeared.
Quietly, she slipped into his arms, her eyes shining with relief that he would stay.
She noticed the burns on his feet.
Without a word, she left the cave, then returned with plants in her hands.
She knelt beside him, crushed the leaves into a paste, and with a small smile, spread it gently across his burns.
The first touch stung sharply, then a cool relief spread like water.
Then their closeness deepened.
Annabel's hands moved tenderly over his skin, and she kissed him.
What followed was a mutually desired, passionate intimacy, consensual, urgent, and unguarded, until at last they lay breathless, holding one another in the dim light.
She settled against him, and they fell asleep together, warm and close.
For the first time, he did not feel like an outsider. He felt like he belonged.