At its highest point on a bright sunny day, the great life giving Sun is blazing down on the vast savanna below.

– the naked Man — all alone, is happily basking in its warmth.

He is standing up and dozing lightly in the noon day sun. The Man  in this stance, was also leaning casually on several long poles. Each spear is tipped with sharp flints. Round his waist is a pouch made of animal skins, and it conveniently covers our vulnerable groin against attack.

The folded skin also contains yet more sharp flints, fire stones, fine grasses, and yet other things that he holds dear. A long flint axe is twisted into the thong at his waist.  Its handle presses against our genitals, and it feels very comfortable there.

A slight breeze makes us open our eyes. We can smell them coming closer. The Man : smiling slightly, looks down to his hardened feet, and then his missing shadow.

It’s almost time.

Now our eyes slowly travel across the great grassland that we are standing on. In the distance, we can see the great trees waving gently in the wind. Our eyes continue on, and we look to the rising mountain beyond, that we’ve named as the Misty Mountains.

We have been to our named place, and have even walked to the summit as it was getting dusk.

Up there, and looking round in wonder; we discovered that we could go no further up, and the ground we could see from here in the gloom  went on even further behind us, and in that place; we could see where we came from, but in the dark of the night: it didn’t show us where we could go.

Standing on that high peak, we discovered that the great black sky above us, the silver Moon, and the bright Spots were still out of our reach.

Up there, was a place high above that we cannot get to.

Never-the-less: we spoke to the great Moon, and then pleaded to the navigation Star Points,  but they didn’t answer our desperate pleas and questions. We realised in that moment of sheer silence, that the place up in the black; is where the great Sky Gods of thunder and rain must live.

** And we certainly couldn’t ask them for favours, because they favour no one.

On that high place, and in the light of another dawn. We stared in wonder at the mighty warming Sun  rising over the horizon. As it did every day without any assistance from us. In its bright light, we then looked in amazement at the world on the other side of the Misty Mountains.

Here, we discovered that it went on forever.

We remembered that trip well, and we smiled at what we had discovered: then our eyes move slowly from the Misty Mountains to our left, as a low growling came from the caves in the ridge that rises besides us. Here we can see the deep holes that holds the Vermin.

The animals that live there, come out at night; and hunted.

They would hunt us as well: if we allowed it, but we do not.

Their home below the ground is a place of death, a place of the underworld. It is a place where we can go, but we do not without a good reason.

It is a place, .. of the Demons.

Grinning harshly, we stare intently at the cave entrance. We have gone into the deeps armed with fire, and in that low place: we have sent messages to the other Older Growling Powers that lived there. Demanding at first, then asking for favors, and then finally: begging for the tribe’s continuation.

We knew that our own pictograph descriptions of the mighty herds, (that we desperately wanted to return), were still held in that place, along with our hand print bargain, and those powerful markings of our life force will be held by the Demons forever.

And for all (known time), a small part of us will reside in there, trapped with them forever.

Such was the arrangement that we made with the other ones from the deeps.

We knew that in our soul, that when it was our time to return into the fold of our tribe, at a time when we were no longer able to hunt: then at that moment of our joining, and of our own departing; we knew that one small piece of us would be held, and remain in that deep cave : and remain there for all the known time of our tribe.

In that under place of the Demons is where we made the deal.

We swallowed hard at that memory, and reconsider our desperate contract we entered into with the Spirit Creatures that live there. The life bargain was foolish we knew, but the deal must have been honored: because the vast herds had returned.

The Man, (us), decided in that moment: that we would only tell our first born son of the actual nature of the deal that we made with the others in the depths of that dark place. We felt that only he would know, and truly understand our sacrifice that we made for the tribe, but his held trusted women would never understand it, and we had decided on the mountain last night not to tell them of the life bargain.

Looking from the caves: the Man  once again regards the massive herds of animals, now returned to the great green savannahs.

We understand, that our prayers to the Demons  in the underworld have been honored.

Behind him, (we) : turn at a noise in the valley below us. We grip our spears more tightly, and as we do; our hand quickly goes down to pull out our long flint axe hanging from our waist bag.

We turn, ready to kill.

In that stance, disgust as a low growl is emitted from our throats, and in that noise our anger is rising. ‘How dare they stalk me’ this we consider as our blood-rage rises. We are ready to kill the day Hunters. To face them head on and kill.

Our raw-anger is now unstoppable.

We know, we will take one, (or two) : down with a good cast. As it was howling and trashing around with a spear embedded in it, (or them), we would throw stones at the rest; the vile day Hunters would soon scatter. They were cowardly animals, they were vermin : neither the dogs, or cat packs could face us down, but when they retreated from our attack, then we would run in and skin the dying animal alive.

As we did it, we would scream abuse at the rest.
They would scatter.
Our tactics are sound.
The day Hunters have learned to avoid us, and these rogues below will learn that hard learned lesson as well.

Our killing anger begins to abate, as we see that it isn’t a pack of Hunters in the lower valley, but our noisy tribe making its way through the dense thicket.

We relax again, and now a new emotion of joy flows through us.

They have seen our beacon fire (we) have set on the hill for the last three nights, that even now smokes with the green leaves we put on it this morning. Our satisfaction of looking at the returning animals, is amplified greatly as we see our large troupe has finally arrived.

Our depression over our deal with the Demons, is momentarily forgotten: the we grin looking at our tribe.

There are many more there now that can be counted on two hands, which means that we have acquired some more bonded members since being away.

** And some look like they are in forced bondage, restrained as they are.

But as long as the bond members work and carry, and all without complaint of the burgeoning tribe: he doesn’t care about their welfare, and a knotted vine will soon put them in their place should they object.

Focusing harder below: we see the tribe are all walking in a long line, with the men in the center of the snaking column.

The Man nods with approval, seeing that his brothers have long double poles slung between pairs of them, and strung across the stout poles, are the skins that contain the tribe’s wealth. With the women and older children, armed with long tipped spears walking as outriggers, and all of them were protecting the skins of (his / our) successful group of hunters.

The Man, (us), smiled at their arrival and considered that tonight, under the Moon and many Star Points they will eat well. He then considered further, that sat around the campfire: we would relate our story of going into the depths of Hell, and tell them of our successful messages to the Demons there.

We smile at our plan.

We turn and regard this great world we live in.

Our smile turns into a light headed broad grin.

In that grin, is a deep contentment at what we have here.

Behind us a deeper rumble echoes across the great plains. The Man knows that it’s only an approaching rain storm, but one with bright lights and bolts that can kill. In that noise, we are worried that the Sky Gods above may be angry that we asked the Demons below; for help.

The Man  considers yet again, that perhaps tonight; he should burn some of the flesh from the hunt, and in the rising smoke: he will utter thanks to the great Sky Gods. It may show them the honor he feels, and also show them the deep respect he has for the untouchable Gods above,

That absolute devotion that they rightfully deserve.

That absolute devotion that they obviously demand.

The Man feels weak thinking these godly things, and then the heat of the noon day sun increases around him: our weary mind continues to spin out in all directions.

In the mists of devotion swirling around our befuddled mind: the Man, (we); consider further: that maybe this burning ritual should be carried out every-day, and he should even demand that the rest of the tribe to follow his lead: because they are all alive now, because the untouchable Sky Gods  above: obviously created the Demons below, but where this radical idea came from was a worry. Then in the heat of the noon day sun; we slowly realize that the Gods above are talking to us.

And what that all means; is that the tribe’s survival was a direct result of the blessings of the Demons  below, who were obviously servants of the Gods  above, because it’s obviously the Sky Gods  that can command and effect them all.

From finally working that out, .. the solitary man (fears them all the more), fear born from that undeniable logic; unassailable logic that must be the truth of the world, .. and of all things, .. Amen!

In All (Things) – Keep An Open Mind.

Thanks for reading, Jessica: Praise be the ORI.