Episode 1 - Reborn (2)
How long had I been chipping away at the stone? When I came to my senses, a fairly usable stone tool was already in my hand. One side was left rounded for a good grip, the opposite end sharpened to a horn-like point, and one face honed to an edge. It was a step beyond Oldowan tools, but not quite as refined as an Acheulean handaxe—somewhere in between, a clumsy intermediate.
Still, I was probably the only one in the group who could make something like this. Satisfied deep down, I tucked the tool under my arm and moved to climb a nearby tree.
That was when it happened.
“Aak! Aak! Aak!”
A sharp, urgent cry tore through the forest. My body reacted before my mind could. My spine stiffened, my heart plummeted. Danger. Predator. Close. That short wail carried all the meaning it needed.
I jerked my head up reflexively.
“Aak! Wa-a!”
[Predator, where?]
My shout got an immediate reply.
“Ui! Ui-a!”
[The direction where the light fades. Close.]
The direction where the light fades. The sun was setting—west. Confirming that, I scrambled up the tree without hesitation. I kicked off the trunk, swung across shaking branches, and leaped to the next tree like I was throwing my body. For now, this was still much faster than running on two feet.
By the time I reached the massive tree where the group usually gathered, terrified females and young ones were already huddled together at the top, clinging to each other in a tight cluster. A bit lower down, the Alpha stood on two feet gripping the trunk, scanning the forest. The other males were scattered around him, watching different directions.
As I approached the tree, one male stepped forward to block my path.
“U, a!”
[Fight!]
Tch, he's telling me not to run. They ignored me like I was nothing most days, but when danger hit, suddenly I had to play male. In the end, I squeezed in among the males and joined the watch.
But I wasn't just going to stand there like an idiot waiting for the enemy to show. I pulled out the stone tool I'd just made and snapped off a suitable branch nearby. The edge was sharper than I'd thought—a few hard strikes, and the twig snapped clean off. I scraped and whittled the end several more times. It wasn't perfect, but something far better than bare hands quickly took shape. Short and rough, but definitely stabby. Too crude to call a proper spear yet, but the essence was there.
I didn't stop. I broke off a few more branches of similar thickness, trimmed their ends the same way, and wedged them into splits in the trunk and branches nearby. Ready to grab and hurl or thrust when needed.
The males around me glanced over, clearly not getting it. Some barked short warning cries; others just stared like I was some weirdo. I ignored them. The spear was humanity's star weapon, the key to becoming apex predators. Throwable at range, deadly up close.
I was finishing my fifth one when a male out on recon screamed from afar.
“U-u!”
[Close!]
And soon enough, I spotted the predator he meant. Yellow fur dotted with black spots. Body the size of a big leopard, but size wasn't the issue. The jutting lower jaw with its long, thick saber fangs, and forelegs thick beyond its bulk—they screamed power. I'd seen those bones before. Megantereon. The beast future scholars would call Smilodon's ancestor someday.
But right now, to me, it was the pinnacle predator of this jungle, plain and simple.
It sauntered toward us slowly. My nose—far sharper than my human one—caught a familiar scent on it. Blood. The same smell from the kudu we'd torn into that morning. So it had tracked its prey here.
But all the Megantereon found were scattered bone fragments on the ground. We'd smashed them to suck the marrow, so "bone remnants" might be more accurate.
Krrrng.
A low, guttural rumble rose from its throat. It knew who'd stolen its kill. Proof: it was slowly looking up at our tree.
I flinched. Our eyes met. Fur stood on end across my body; I froze. The instinctive terror of prey facing predator crept over me.
Then—
“Aak! Aak! Aak!”
The Alpha suddenly grabbed a branch and shook it like mad. The other males erupted in cries, puffing up their bodies. Thick arms pounded the tree; shaking leaves rained down. We're many. Attack, and you'll get hurt too. The forest filled with roars and thrashing meant to intimidate.
But the predator snorted at the racket like it was nothing.
Threats failing, the Alpha yanked a rock from under his arm and raised it high.
“Wa-a!”
With that bellow, the males hurled stones in unison.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Fist-sized rocks flew from all sides. But in that instant, I saw in its eyes—this was routine. The Megantereon didn't blink. It just crouched its shoulders, twisted sideways, and flowed a few short steps. That dodged most of them.
Rocks thudded harmlessly into dirt and trees. Then it moved—sprinted and exploded up the trunk.
“A! Aak!!”
The nearest male screamed and turned to flee, but it was too late. The paw slammed his chest first.
Crack.
With a chilling snap, the male twisted midair. The Megantereon clamped its jaws on his neck and dragged him down to a lower branch.
“Aaak!”
A short, cut-off scream. Blood sprayed. Red soaked black fur; the body convulsed twice and went limp.
“Wa-a! Wa-a!”
The Alpha bellowed again, snapping and hurling branches. But untrimmed twigs didn't fly far—just plopped to the ground.
Not sated by one male, the Megantereon looked up again. I realized its gaze fixed on the females and young high in the tree.
No.
It dropped the corpse and climbed higher. Each paw strike shook the trunk.
Then the Alpha stepped up. He wasn't alpha just for strength—he was the first to charge.
“Aak! Aak!”
He blocked its path, pounding the tree with both arms.
“Aak!!”
The biggest male in the group—three times its size—swinging wildly gave it pause; its body shrank back a bit. Wild beasts fear wounds. One cut could infect, lead to death.
But the Megantereon crouched low again. Its yellow eyes scanned the Alpha's arms, shoulders, neck. It figured the risk was worth it. And probably spotted the clear fear in his eyes.
Krrrng.
Shoulders twitched. Then—
Whoosh!
It launched like a bullet.
“Wa-aak!”
The Alpha wasn't waiting. He lunged too, arms wide, smashing its face.
Thump!
His arm connected solidly. But that was it. The Megantereon barely slowed. Paw whipped like lightning.
Riiip!
Chest and shoulder tore open. Red flesh gaped through black fur; blood rained.
“Aaak!”
The Alpha staggered back. But it seized the gap, twisting to slash upward with its jaws.
Crack.
Horrific snap—the Alpha's arm went limp. Bone broken. Fangs had half-ripped it off. Fatal wound, blood pouring like a waterfall.
It shook its head, flinging him down.
“Wa-a! Wa-a!”
Males screamed, hurling stones and swinging branches. Leaderless and terrified, their efforts were chaotic.
It glanced at the fallen Alpha clutching his arm, then looked up. Females. Young. And among them—
“U-uh!”
My Mother. Older and slower than the others, she hadn't climbed as high. She huddled just below the young ones, twisting her body.
She looked up at the young above her, then slowly turned and descended to a lower branch. She knew. With just two males and scant meat, we weren't enough for it. So she offered herself—the old, slow one past breeding.
No.
My head screamed run. Going down means death. That's a Megantereon. It just crushed the Alpha.
I didn't see her as my mother. Hell, I didn't even see these as my kind. I'd been human; they were ancestors, sure, but not human.
Yet—
“Wa-aak!”
A cry burst from my throat unbidden. I yanked a spear from a nearby trunk split. My palm was slick—sweat? Moss? Couldn't tell.
The Megantereon crouched toward her. Forepaws gripped the trunk; hind legs coiled tight. Pre-launch stance.
I gritted my teeth. Even if I die…
Then Mother lowed softly.
“U-uh.”
Run.
But my body ignored it. Or maybe my head did.
“Aaak!!!”
As it leaped, so did I.
=====
Africa's apex predator, presumed to have hunted early humans extensively.
†Megantereon cultridens
B.C. 6,000,000 ~ B.C. 500,000