Sun King

"I think we should start thinking about getting some containers and backpacks" Says Biel

He is probably saying that because we've been doing very well these last two days when it comes to gathering. 

Ours shelters are simple, still sleeping in a leaf bed under a bunch of trunks, but aside from that we're managing to gather some good amount of basic resources.

We have done good work with bamboo to shape them as multiple blades for everyone. We're currently working on resin gathering from nearby medium-sized trees that can be used to stick two or three layers of bamboo together to make more resistant blades. Not to mention the greatly increased grip with a leaf handle that isn't only held by some loose cordage, but actually has some sticking to it. 

My last skill point went towards resin gathering. We need it to make better equipment, but it also has been helping us to light fires and seal containers. Which, we have at least two bamboo cups for each of us and some extra in our little camp. He probably means another type of container.

"You mean bigger containers, for cooking?" I ask

"Yes. We've been doing well with açaí and small animals, but I think we'd get better nutrition by making some kind of soup."

"You don't have to tell me"

I definitely miss better food.  Thank god I got those points in basic traps, since I don't think we would be doing well eating only little fruits.

Actually, we're currently heading towards the river to get some fish and preparing some traps along the way to get some smaller creatures. 

We tried arapuca, a simple wooden pyramid. Two beams, about two spans long, crossed at the base to make a square. Then we connected their ends with some cordage, making a cross. Finally, we layer it with more wooden pieces to make a container. We put them in descending size pieces close to the edges until it is closed off.

The trap itself is pretty easy to do, and using it isn't a lot harder. We simply put a stick to keep one of its side suspended. Any animals that happen to pass by or is interested in some bait (açaí mostly) and knocks the stick, gets stuck inside. 

"It is so disheartening to kill these birds in cold blood. I prefer the other trap, I cannot see them die" Biel says.

The other one is a more lethal trap, but a bit more complicated. We do it in three parts. 

For the lethal one, we got some of our pointier bamboo shivs and strapped to a perpendicular piece of wood, similar to an axe or a hammer, I'll call it the spike. This is connected to a Frame. 

The frame is two triangles made of wood, each one with a side on the floor and the opposing vertex holding a support beam. In the middle of this supporting beam, we have our spike hanging.

The last part is the trigger. We get some more flexible wood and stretch it the most we can, and place if behind the spike. There is a little piece of wood stuck in the ground holding the device in this high tension state, and it is wrapped with some cordage, making a tripwire. 

It is a lot easier to eat the animal after, and it has a way better catch ratio, but it does often break. Good thing, replacing the parts can be done by any of us.

To be completely honest, I wish I could get some points into actual hunting. Animal patterns, stealth, tracking. It seems a lot more exciting and to get better results, but I haven't got any more points.

This actually bugs me quite a lot, while fai miserably to get any fishes with spears.It might be partially because we don't have any skills or experience, but the waters seem eerily void of life. I ask him:

"Are you still getting passive points?"

"No. That is quite weird, isn't it? Joy isn't either."

Joy stayed in the camp. She has been in charge of making palm clothes for all of us. She is pretty creative, I gotta admit. By only weaving green palm, she tries and makes some great things.

For Biel, she made a denser robe open on the sides so it doesn't get too hot, as well as arm protection for bites. The shorts are also pretty dense, with the same smaller patterns, but with larger leafs on the sides. He kinda looks as if he is using a full suit.

I got a shirt with losangular patterns with some space between threads, leaving a lot of skin visible, which helps a lot by not heating. It is quite a lot denser closer to vital areas, such as in front of chest, stomach and shoulder blades, closer to the neck. Denser brief shorts, arm bands, and knee pads complete the look.

As for herself … Tsk, she is annoying, but damn she made a beautiful two piece dress. She used dry leaves as a base that is very close to her own skin tone and leaves a bit greener near the breasts. It is quite a bit tight, but there are stripes in green to hold the thing by the shoulder. Her skirt is a solid dense base with dry leaves, with an external part of large leaves. The whole thing looks like a conceptual dress. She also did a small green cape that protects her shoulders and the upper part of her arms.

I can almost feel myself blushing while thinking about it, when Biel continues.

"She seems down, doesn't she?"

Still no fishes around, but I can hear a large turbulence in the water quite far. Maybe a school of fish, I'm not sure if it is a good omen. 

"Yeah. Quiet for once… thank god." 

I give a small laugh, just enough to signal it is a joke. 

He smiles a bit. Maybe I did disrupt their dynamic. She hasn't been talking much since that first day, and her eyes look sadder and sadder. 

"I'm actually a little worried, to be honest. Do you really dislike her?"

I've known Biel for at least eight years now. He was a transfer student from Braxil, and we hit it off instantly: We live close-by, we liked playing chess and generally don't speak much, although we can understand each other. 

He teases her with that 'Matraca' nickname, but I know that is proof that he ultimately respects and cares about her. However, I don't see him having the sparkle in his eyes … 

Maybe I'm saying that because I just don't want to think I'm a third wheel …

I wish I had made up with her already. I think I was the one who was rude for no reason. I keep waiting for a good moment, but it only gets more awkward. 

I honestly don't know what to answer. 

I'm ready to just make some joke about how strong is the river current or how impossible it is to fish here when I hear a scream.

"Aaahhh!"

The scream tears through the riverbank. I whip around.

Crimson brush strokes. A terrifying painting in blood. Biel thrashes for the shore. A bubbling mess. His leg locked in the jaws of it. Not one—three? No, cannot know how many. Snapping and ripping.

I lunge, spear in hand, stabbing, stabbing, until they release. One floats belly-up, two dart back into the murk, the others scatter. The bubbling gets even more intense. There are hundreds of them. We got Lucky.

Biel is on the bank, screaming, his calf shredded. Chunks of skin gone, blood pulsing out hot and fast. My chest is hammering.

Joy. I need Joy. But do I run? Leave him here, bleeding, helpless in the open? Or drag him back, every step shaking him, tearing him more?

His screams pierce into me.

What do I do? What do I do?