Garo!
That must be the name of that wild man.
Sha Yi felt she must despise him intensely because just hearing those two words made her gnash her teeth. A savage with a savage name—in an instant, she felt the name truly matched the man!
Unfortunately, though her spirit felt vindicated, her wounds remained. Sha Yi struggled to slowly rise from the ground.
As she steadied herself against the massive hollow, a long, eagle-like cry echoed from the sky. When she looked up, several enormous birds were soaring overhead.
They weren’t flying too high, so she could clearly make out their appearance. They resembled eagles, but their size was several times that of modern eagles. Their golden talons were sharp and slender, their beaks large, long, and hooked like serrated blades. With wings spread, they must have spanned five or six meters—truly astonishing.
This was the first time Sha Yi had seen prehistoric birds other than Pankuo, especially ones of such unimaginable size.
Given their size, capturing prehistoric humans would be effortless for them, let alone other animals. From her vantage point, among the vertical, eagle-like birds, two or three seemed to be clutching something resembling snakes.
As they flew over her head, Sha Yi finally saw clearly—they were indeed snakes, and their size was comparable to the giant serpents she had seen dozens of days ago.
Though she was pleased to see the giant birds preying on the giant snakes, Sha Yi couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow. If such colossal creatures were helpless against these birds, what chance did humans have?
Before, she hadn’t given it much thought because she’d never witnessed it. But now that she had, worry was inevitable.
Life in prehistoric times was truly not for the faint of heart!
As she sighed, a rustling sound suddenly came from the woods behind her. Sha Yi’s heart leaped into her throat. When the foliage parted, she nearly burst into tears.
It was Xi Yi!
Without a second thought, forgetting her own pain, Sha Yi sprinted forward and threw herself into his broad, familiar embrace, weeping bitterly.
Caught off guard by her sudden outburst, Xi Yi froze in confusion for a moment before finally reacting and wrapping his arms around her.
He noticed the mud on her but had no idea what had happened in his absence. He wanted to ask why she was in such a state, but she was crying too hard, leaving him no chance to speak.
After a moment’s hesitation, he gently released her, scooped her up in his arms, and carried her to the massive water-filled stone basin, carefully lowering her back into the warm water.
His tenderness gradually soothed her sobs, though her vision remained blurred with tears.
Xi Yi’s heart ached for her. As he softly wiped her face, he tentatively asked, “Why is the soap leaf juice all over your face? And why are you covered in mud? Why were you crying?”
The barrage of concerned questions stunned Sha Yi into silence, her sobs halting entirely. Xi Yi, alarmed, gently shook her and asked again, “Sha Yi… what’s wrong?”
His attitude was a stark contrast to that wild man’s—so gentle and warm that she nearly cried again. But seeing Xi Yi’s growing distress, she quickly wiped her eyes. Unexpectedly, he seized her arm.
Puzzled, she looked up at him, only to find him staring intently at her arm. “Your arm is hurt too?” he exclaimed anxiously.
His frantic expression amused her, and she laughed through her tears. But then she noticed several sizable wounds on his body, some even bleeding. Now it was her turn to panic. “What happened to you?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Tell me the truth!” Sha Yi pressed relentlessly.
“On my way back from the river, I passed through the Pasa tree grove,” he said, squeezing her hand, seemingly pleased by her concern. But when it came to his injuries, he hesitated briefly before adopting a nonchalant expression. “The others in my raft-building group were all injured…”
He paused, lowering his head to gauge her reaction. Seeing she was still waiting, he sighed and continued, “There were three giant snakes.”
He spoke calmly, his tone indifferent, so much so that she initially overlooked the details. But when he mentioned the snakes, the sheer number shocked her. He merely chuckled dismissively. “Just a few minor scrapes at first. Then, out of nowhere, a flock of giant-toothed eagles appeared and snatched all three snakes away.”
The sudden fright followed by timely reassurance left Sha Yi torn between relief and lingering unease. In the end, she decided that since the man before her was unharmed, she wouldn’t dwell on it. Changing the subject, she asked about the newly spotted birds. “Giant-toothed eagles? Those enormous birds with wingspans almost as long as the giant snakes we saw last time?”
“You’ve seen them?” Xi Yi’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Those birds rarely come to our area. They’re so massive that they need a wide-open space just to take off. Once they enter the forest, they can’t fly. Luckily, many trees in the Pasa grove were struck by lightning, so they could land and grab the snakes. No idea how they ended up here, though.”
“I just saw them fly past,” Sha Yi said, pointing upward. “They weren’t flying too high, so I noticed they were carrying snakes.”
“Probably too heavy for them to fly higher.”
“Xi Yi,” Sha Yi ventured, voicing her concern, “do giant-toothed eagles… hunt humans?”
Shaking his head, Xi Yi flashed a reassuring grin. “They only prey on snakes. They don’t eat anything else and have no interest in humans.”
“Do they live in areas with lots of snakes?” Sha Yi pressed, still uneasy. “If they’re not usually in our territory, how do you know their habits?”
Xi Yi laughed again. “Last rainy season, we traveled far to find food after losing our supplies. I saw giant-toothed eagles there many times—dozens of them, every day. That place also had many snakes, though smaller and often venomous, unlike the giant ones in the forest.”
He pointed toward the cliff behind her. “In that direction, very far. I even rode one once. But their sense of direction and precision is terrible. When they encounter dense trees, they panic, often crashing into them. The worst part is how often they stumble when landing. I’ve taken a few tumbles with them—not pleasant. Still, they’re incredibly gentle by nature.”
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