Social Bonfire

                Wood was piled, children were put to bed and the older Ursanisad gathered around the social bonfire in the center of the village.  This nightly ritual had happened as far back as even the eldest villagers could remember.  It was a time to relax, talk to friends, discuss tribal problems, and listen to tales of the past.  And, sometimes, predictions of the future were made.

                The fire was ablaze, the last child had fallen asleep and Desanti was just taking his seat on a log as the ceremony began.

                Mumak, the tribal leader, stood with the first words of the gathering, “In the past, Ursan, the Great Bear, has provided us with all we need.  He has given us food to feed our families and shelter from the cold and dark.  We have been to war with neighboring clans and we have dealt with illnesses and aggressive nature.  But Ursan has always rewarded us for our trials and tribulations with a following peace.”  There were agreements all around the fire, and many curious looks.

                “Last week, young Mestaf was attacked near his parents’ tent by a geral,” he continued, to many looks of sad remembrance, “and today, Mekat reported a group of them lurking ever closer on the outskirts of our village.”  The audience gasped in surprise and worry.

                Mumak resumed his speech, “There has always been a balance: if we overhunted there would be no prey later for ourselves or the surrounding tribes, and if we gathered too much the plants would be bare of fruit in the following months and the animals would overpopulate and sometimes become aggressive towards the villages in their own search for food.  This season we have hunted only our share, and still the wild animals come closer and closer.  There has been no word from other tribal leaders recently, but I fear the same is happening to them.  It has been too long since we have had contact with any of the neighboring clans.  Tomorrow we will organize a hunting party to gather food and meat for the spring celebration and to try to make contact with our tribal cousins.”  Much applause followed.

                The crowd roiled into many discussions about Mumak’s speech.  Where are the other tribes? and, Why are the animals coming so close to the village? were just a couple of the many talking points.

                Drums began their light rhythm around the fire: it was time for the telling of stories.

                The oldest villager, Delbalsan, began the tale, “Ursan, in the beginning, had come from another world, a world of many wars and great strife.  He knew not what he was in our world, that he had dreamed our creation into existence.  When he found us in the forests and mountains and by the seas he decided to nurture us and to save us from the fate of his own world, a fate he warned our ancestors of.  He told them there must be balance on the land, too much unchecked power will destroy as a wildfire does, spreading across the lands.  And he told our ancestors that he could only protect us for so long, that eventually we would lose contact with him through disobedience and apathy.  But if we keep the faith, one day he will return.

                Our world is shifting and we are coming to a new age.  Great vicissitudes are upon our civilization.    We will meet many tests and challenges in these new times.  There will be much upheaving in our lives.  We must remain true to our faith and trust that Ursan will provide us with the necessary means to overcome.”

                The gathering continued into the night with many more tales shared between friends and much discussion about the gerals, the silent tribes and the coming spring.

                As the last embers in the bonfire began to dwindle, Desanti remained on his log thinking about Delbalsan’s tale and it what it entailed for his people.  His entire life seemed just as a small moment in comparison to the tales of the formation of the world.  He had always followed the tribal rules and practiced spiritual observances to the best of his knowledge.  And everyone he knew had done more or less the same.  But the people in his village and the rest of the people he knew only made up a small speck on the picture of the world.  He began to wonder what he could do to stop this change from happening… Or if it really could be stopped.

Reviews

[wtp]

This is a promising start for a fantasy novel. Based on the assumption that Desanti is the central character, a bit more about him would help retain interest. I can guess that he is not an elder, and not one of the children, but we haven't heard any other clues...