Moo-Moo Land
03-02-2005, 09:37
The cold breeze whistled through the cave, a chunk taken out of a mountainside, piercing the skin of the dozens of men and women that sat with sticks, huddled together in small groups. They drew what little warmth they could from the dwindling flame in the centre of their circles.
These people of the Devanosk tribe had travelled dozens of kilometres to reach this mountain range. Today they would finally reach the peak, and learn whether their people were to survive.
They had fled the onrushing glaciers, which had crushed their homes, destroyed their crops and clamed the lives of hundreds of their people. Dozens more had perished on the escape. Finally, as they had climbed a mountain, they had breathed a sigh of relief, as the glaciers had halted their imperious march, unable to venture past this mountain range. However, their survival was not guaranteed: today they would find out if there was habitable land across this range, and whether their people could survive.
Sitting away from the rest were a group of four adults: the leaders of the group. Yarros and Jacinto were the men, Elana and Aurea were the women. They kept a silent vigil, waiting for the time when they would rise for the final part of the journey.
Other people sat in circles, some attempting to sleep, others leaning against their sticks, and yet others waiting nervously.
Suddenly, Yarros stood up with his stick, and pounded the ground, signalling that it was time. The people slowly awoke, drew their sticks and stood ready to leave.
It was time.
They walked out from the cave, into the dim light that preceeded dawn. They began the final climb, clutching at handholds with their sticks tucked into their cloths.
The climb continued for almost an hour, and as they finally reached the peak it was almost time for dawn.
The leaders walked towards the edge of the cliff, the rest of the people following, awaiting their fate.
As the first rays of the sun peeked over the horizon, the leaders looked out onto a beautiful and fruitful land, with plain grass stretching into the horizon, and clumps of healthy trees with a forest to the east. To the west, an ocean was dimly visible, with rivers penetrating the land, sometimes pooling together in lakes.
As the people roared in happiness, the joyful leaders turned to where the sun was just rising.
It was dawn
The dawn of a new era.
These people of the Devanosk tribe had travelled dozens of kilometres to reach this mountain range. Today they would finally reach the peak, and learn whether their people were to survive.
They had fled the onrushing glaciers, which had crushed their homes, destroyed their crops and clamed the lives of hundreds of their people. Dozens more had perished on the escape. Finally, as they had climbed a mountain, they had breathed a sigh of relief, as the glaciers had halted their imperious march, unable to venture past this mountain range. However, their survival was not guaranteed: today they would find out if there was habitable land across this range, and whether their people could survive.
Sitting away from the rest were a group of four adults: the leaders of the group. Yarros and Jacinto were the men, Elana and Aurea were the women. They kept a silent vigil, waiting for the time when they would rise for the final part of the journey.
Other people sat in circles, some attempting to sleep, others leaning against their sticks, and yet others waiting nervously.
Suddenly, Yarros stood up with his stick, and pounded the ground, signalling that it was time. The people slowly awoke, drew their sticks and stood ready to leave.
It was time.
They walked out from the cave, into the dim light that preceeded dawn. They began the final climb, clutching at handholds with their sticks tucked into their cloths.
The climb continued for almost an hour, and as they finally reached the peak it was almost time for dawn.
The leaders walked towards the edge of the cliff, the rest of the people following, awaiting their fate.
As the first rays of the sun peeked over the horizon, the leaders looked out onto a beautiful and fruitful land, with plain grass stretching into the horizon, and clumps of healthy trees with a forest to the east. To the west, an ocean was dimly visible, with rivers penetrating the land, sometimes pooling together in lakes.
As the people roared in happiness, the joyful leaders turned to where the sun was just rising.
It was dawn
The dawn of a new era.