and squealing began to be heard from all sides. The hunters shuddered and again prepared to fight back. Whoever is there.
«What else is this?» Arwen pricked up his ears.
«Looks like the Lazoons have come,» Tris whispered.
«The Lazoons have come to profit,» said Kuhn.
Lazoons very much looked like Raptors, or rather, their cubs, as if the latter had not grown up and remained to be Lazoons. Noisy and importunate lizards dwelt in every corner of Pangea where hunters had ever set foot. In addition to dragonflies, horned beetles, butterflies and eggs of all sorts of reptiles, Lazoons allowed themselves to live with Pisks, Divers, and the same Pawwings, which occasionally descended to the ground. And it happened that two-legged rogues hung around the camps, striving to find loopholes and feast on dried meat from pantry tents or pits, for which they were always punished by sentinels, that is, they were killed – despite the precepts of the sages about the keepers of balance, the murder of any predator who desired the food of the first people, was considered right and for the good of the tribe.
The tribesmen whispered, agreeing with Tris and Kun’s assumption, and outside the tent a real hunt began! The reptiles could be heard rushing around the building, rumbled and rushed at each other. The rustle of wings, thumps on the ground, the swaying of the walls of the tent, hissing and other fuss completely disturbed the rest of the hunters.
«Listen,» Vall began to be indignant, «this little thing will not let us sleep, and we definitely won’t be able to rest before the road!» Therefore, I propose to light torches and disperse these rogues. If need be, we’ll finish off a couple. Both those and others! The rest will run away.
«What if the larger carnivores notice the flames?» Iris hesitated.
«We’ll disperse the trifle and put it out right there!» – supporting the idea of the leader, said Kun.
The hunters, without hesitation, nodded and approved of the decision of Vall and Kun, and then began to set fire to the lights.
– I, Kun, Iris and Taro – bring the eye to life! the shaman gave the command. The rest are our human eyes! And you, Tyrant, sit here with Salas and don’t go anywhere! Is everything clear to everyone?
«Yes, yes, yes,» the relatives unanimously assured the order of the leader.
– I’m going out first. Tris, you’re my guide, so keep your eyes peeled for me! Vall alerted and, holding the torch in front of him, turned the eyes of the hunter and silently jumped out. Tris, along with the others, followed the leader.
Zavrini’s eyes in the night, in the presence of a fiery element nearby, lost their legible visibility of the surrounding world. Not only did the specter darken the radiance of the Moon and stars and turn the ordinary colors of Her abode into gray shades, but the flames of fire became too bright and did not allow one to focus on the nearby details of the area: it was quite possible for oneself not to notice a stone, a large snag under one’s feet, or some other obstacle, stumble, or worse, fall to the ground. In addition, the reptiles themselves – their flesh – in the dark hours of the day with the eyes of Zavrini were visible and distinguishable only at a distance of twenty or thirty steps, no more! This opposition of the elements – night darkness and fire – and the short-sightedness of the incarnation of the eyes did not allow hunters to confidently go hunting at night. And no one, by the way, in the tribe of the first people since the death of Lasso did not approve of night hunting!
But for the lizards, for some unknown reason, the flame of fire was especially bewitching, but the reptiles were afraid to come close. And since the fire interfered with Zavrini’s eyes and was needed overnight to frighten Lazunov and Lapokrylov, the human eye and the reptilian gaze in the current situation at the tent were needed at the same time in order to see everything that was happening for sure. Therefore, Wall ordered some of the staunch hunters to turn their eyes, and the rest to leave the human ones. And those who embodied the gaze, and those who remained with the ordinary, overnight became each other’s guides. Some could hardly see the reptiles in the darkness, others – obstacles. It was here that the consistency of the hunters and trust were important, so that, at the very least, they would not run into their own gouges, understanding at a glance and instant support, which, of course, could not be taken away from close-knit fellow tribesmen – only the coordinated actions of the entire detachment could justify such here are forced night outings!
The chirping of reptiles came from all directions. There was complete confusion around the camp tent. Pawwings dived from the chimney and the roof of the building to Lazunov. Lazoons bounced and tried to catch the attacking Pawwings. Some flying lizards simply squeaked or rumbled, sitting on the ends of the goads, and Lazoons, who were more cunning, tried to climb onto the goads and pull the winged ones down.
In the gaze of the shaman, like other relatives with embodied eyes, only the glow of torches and a huge amount of small red flesh remained visible. And on hearing the screech, rumble and accelerated heartbeat of more than a dozen lizards were heard with a rumble. Seeing all this, Vall and the staunch hunters, growling and waving torches, began to rush at the reptiles. Nearby, side by side, uttering hunting calls and also dispersing the crumbs, the rest of the trackers were bustling about. The lizards, seeing the people, were alarmed and rushed in all directions. Lazoons took to their heels, making their way through the hammered goads, and Pawwings flew over the stakes and immediately flopped into the tall grass. Very quickly, the camp was cleared of shrill intruders. Even after a little time of cold-blooded and the trace caught a cold even in the district. No squeak or rustle was heard, only the chirping of night cicadas and cracklings trilled everywhere.
Having bypassed the tent and checked the surroundings, the hunters put out the lights.
– OK it’s all over Now! Three breaths of business,» Vall said, and involuntarily raised his gaze to the sky.
The cloudless vault, as always, was strewn with bright stars. The full moon shone on the western side of the sky, and not far from it a red star flickered. The rest of the hunters paid attention to the contemplation of the leader.
«She’s still here,» whispered one of the seasoned trackers.
«Where is she to go?» Val frowned. – It’s a star!
The Kindred again began to discuss the star, and the Longneck pack, and the look, and the unity of the young beater. The eyes of the Clanmates had adjusted to the midnight darkness, and Iris, having removed the helmet from the Sharpthorn, drew attention to the fact that the night was not so dark. The radiance of the moon filled everything in the neighborhood with light, and the black-haired man could see in the twilight the outlines of the vegetation around the goats. Immediately the hunter turned towards the liana forest and managed to spot its edge. «It’s bright, but…» thought the big man Iris and went up to the stakes that guarded the northern side of the camp. In two steps, he climbed onto the goads and fixed his eyes on the bennettite field, and the trackers, chatting stormily at that moment, did not notice that the kinsman had gone away.
A warm wind swayed rare ginkgo trees and steppe palms with light breezes. In addition to the trill of the primitives, the rustle of grass and leaves could be heard everywhere from the gusts of the windy element. Iris pricked up his ears and, for as long as his breath was enough, pulled the northern monsoon with his spiked nose. Not feeling any extra smells, except for the aromas of a vegetable plateau, the man tried, under the glow of the moon, to distinguish the remains of Long-necked, which was poisoned during the day, but tall grass and bushes prevented him from doing this. The steadfast hunter turned his eyes, but the herbivore’s carcass was too far away, and if there were any lizards next to it, it would hardly have been possible to find them. Then Iris pierced the distance with his eyes, but still he could barely make out the silhouettes of vegetation. Despite the bright night, Zavrini’s eyes, like an ordinary gaze, did not see well in the dark. The black-haired hunter returned the human mind and looked at the strange outlines of low hills on the horizon.
Meanwhile,