The Ascension of Man Part Five

And so we approach the end. AoM part Six contains the ending to this long and pointless tale. However, as three or four endings are to be found in part six, you yourself will have to choose the real one.

That evening Arden choked down half-cooked rabbit and shivered next to a dying fire. He regretted surrendering his jacket to the forest now and he regretted not bringing food. He wanted to ask himself whether he regretted coming here altogether. They had need him at work this week, and he could expect some long and sleepless nights in the weeks and months to come. Would this week off, if it were a week of hunger and cold, really prepare him for half a year of that? But he didn't ask this of himself. Because things would be better tomorrow. Today the forest had tested him. A smile crossed his lips when he realized he had passed the test. He found a large pile of leaves and raked them over his body and fell asleep.

The next day he started his hunt early. Ironically, the full nights sleep left him feeling more victorious than yesterday after his conquest. Now he was ready for a new challenge: boar. To kill a boar in the forest, that would be a real experience. He carved himself another, shorter spear and, holding one in each hand, set out again. He hopped to make his way gradually to the stream, just to hear its comforting murmur, but he wasn't positive of the direction. He looked at the sun for a moment and headed along what he thought was an eastern route.

This day the forest creatures fled before the mighty hunter. His feet grew weary before he finally saw a squirrel behind a tree route. He was not nimble enough to catch, though, and knew that he would have to wait on slower prey. Arden sprinted ahead every once in a while. In those moments, weapon in hand, he felt a bond with his ancient ancestors who made this way of life their own. Helios raced across the sky now, as he had in those days. But on this day his chariot blazed brighter, in order to illuminate the great conquerer below.

Arden approached a clearing...