Thin rays of sunlight entered through the holes in the cave ceiling, cutting through the darkness in golden lines. Angled beams that danced with particles of dust, illuminating patches of the stone floor, revealing textures that the night had hidden.
Hawke heard a noise that fully woke him. The familiar sound of stone scraping against stone. Deep, dragging, echoing off the walls.
He opened his eyes slowly.
At the door, someone was pushing the giant stone that blocked the entrance.
And incredibly, it was Grandma.
The old woman was surprisingly pushing it all by herself.
She grunted with the effort, her thin arms visibly trembling, but the stone moved. Inch by inch, scraping noisily against the floor, until finally opening enough space to pass. The light rushed in like an avalanche, filling the cave with brightness, blinding Hawke's vision for a moment.
'What a strong old woman. She moved that thing all by herself, that's incredible.'
It wasn't normal. It definitely wasn't something simple to do. A woman of maybe seventy years old, thin as a twig, skin covering bones with almost no flesh in between, moving tons of rock as if it were the door of a heavy refrigerator.
'Nobody here is normal. Their strength is... different, it's unusual.
Was it the food or did dinosaur eggs and giant insects give them super strength? Some unknown nutrient, some mutant protein?
No. I didn't eat any of that and I'm just as strong. I knocked out the Brute with a kick. I jumped off a cliff and came out unscathed. I killed five insects the size of dogs.
So it wasn't the diet. Was it... the world? Did the physics here work differently? Was gravity lower, allowing for greater agility? Were humans naturally stronger, more resilient?'
He had no answer, but she felt that something was different.
She moved her head slowly to look around.
Kaira was still there. On her left side, pressed against him, her arm thrown over his chest in a tranquil hold. Her voluminous, messy hair covered part of her face, brown strands scattered over her tanned skin. Her lips were slightly parted, her breathing soft and regular, like someone still fast asleep.
And those breasts. Still pressed against his ribs, warm and soft through the thin strip of leather that barely covered them. Rising and falling in slow motion with each breath.
He turned his head to the other side.
Yuka.
Also still asleep, curled up against him like an animal seeking warmth. Her small body nestled into the curve of his, searching for the warmest spot. Her absurdly large breasts molded against his side, spreading, adjusting, rising and falling with each breath.
In the darkness of the night, he hadn't been able to see properly. Only feell every detail. Only imagine.
But now, with the morning light coming in...
'This... this is heaven.'
A silly smile spread across his face. Involuntary. Uncontrollable and childish.
'Screw dinosaurs. Screw giant insects. Screw a primitive world without internet or pizza. THIS makes up for it all.'
He looked at the group of men; they were still sleeping, a deep sleep so as not to wake up to the creaking of the stone door.
'Well, if they're still sleeping, I guess it doesn't hurt to sleep a little longer and enjoy the moment.'
He closed his eyes again, the smile still on his face, and let himself relax back into the comfortable warmth. His body sank into the animal skin beneath, his muscles melting.
'Just a few more minutes…'
--- YANK!
Something grabbed his ankle with brutal force. Thick, rope-like fingers tightening around the bone.
"WHAT THE HELL!!?"
Hawke was ripped from the ground and thrown through the air like a mere rag doll.
The world spun. Once. Twice. Three times.
FUCK FUCK FUCK! he exclaimed with each spin that seemed to occur.
The cave ceiling flew by. The floor. The walls. Everything blended into a blur.
'I need to regain control'
His body seemed to react on its own.
His muscles contracted in a reflex he didn't know he had. His arms opened for balance. His legs flexed in the air.
And somehow, he managed to control the spin in the air, regaining his balance he landed in perfect somersaults.
About four somersaults on the ground, not as perfect as a professional athlete's, but good enough to ensure a safe recovery.
He stopped still inside the cave, about two meters before the door, in a perfectly balanced crouching position. One hand on the ground. Knees bent and eyes wide.
'I... did I just do that? How did I do that?'
He didn't have time to process.
"YOU BROKE THE RULE!"
Duggi's voice echoed fiercely through the cave.
The short, stocky guy stood next to where Hawke had slept, his face red with anger, the veins in his neck bulging. His fat finger pointed accusingly, trembling with indignation. Raika seemed to wake up at the man's shout.
"You slept with the women! MEN DON'T SLEEP WITH WOMEN!"
Hawke stood up, still half-dazed. His heart was racing, adrenaline burning in his veins.
"I didn't... they came..."
"IT DOESN'T MATTER!" Duggi stepped forward, his fists clenched. "A RULE IS A RULE!"
Grandma was outside the cave, standing at the entrance with the morning light behind her. She scratched her ear with her little finger, looking at the sky as if clouds were the most fascinating thing in the world. Totally oblivious.
"Grandma!" Duggi pointed at her. "You saw! He broke the rule! I must teach him a lesson."
The old woman turned her head slowly. Her narrow eyes met Duggi's, then drifted to the cave ceiling, then to her toes.
"Hm? What?" Her voice was slurred and sleepy. "I didn't see anything. I was sleeping."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DIDN'T SEE?" Duggi's voice rose an octave.
"How could you not see? You literally slept on top of me, explain that to him." Hawke tried to defend himself.
"I'm an old woman," Grandma said, touching her chest. "Deaf," she pointed to her ear. "Blind," she gestured to her eyes. "I didn't see anything. You all figure it out."
She continued to scratch her ear, as if it were the most important activity in her life.