Primordial Sage: Plight of Immortality

When Stone saw this he knew it was bad. VERY bad. Just as he thought about what to do he saw the biggest guy with the jagged dagger going into the more luxurious cottage while looking submissive without his previous majesty. It looks like those Aborigines won't waste any time resting. That was very bad news for Stone. This was the only opportunity he got to escape so he chose to act.

*Snap*
He tore the rope which bound his body and sprung up into the action. He slashed the closest person in the face who then started to scream as he held his face with his hands, blood leaking from behind his fingers... The aborigines were surprised at the sudden attack and scared for some reason but they acted quickly, lifted their weapons, and attacked him.

Stone unfortunately didn't know how to fight and was still a small eleven-year-old boy so the only way to survive was to run away. As he jumped to the side avoiding the enemy attacks he got up and wanted to run...

But he realized he couldn't! His legs were wobbly and he felt so unnatural when trying to walk let alone run. But when you think about it it was understandable. Even though it was gastric juice he was in all those years it was still a liquid. When he was in it for a prolonged time his muscles for used walking got weaker and his coordination got worse. And that was fatal for him.

He fell onto the ground and tried to get up again. He pushed himself to the side to dodge the horde of fanatic Aborigines and got on his feet. But then he heard the sound from the luxurious cottage and looked in it's direction. The leader of theirs was beside a bald aborigine who looked to be around his 60s. His half-naked body was covered by strange dark red paintings and the fur of the bear. He was also skinny but the muscles he had while small looked as strong as stones. He was holding a cane which had all kinds of bone ornaments on it making a noise every time he moved.

Then the leader who was probably the chief of the village and its shaman slowly emerged out of the cottage's door and looked at the Stone. Shaman looked at him for a moment and then said something. The aborigines around him yelled in response and lunged at the boy with renewed vigor.

Stone defended fiercely but being outnumbered with his numerous disadvantages got him to his knees soon. The shaman started slowly chanting something as aborigines that didn't guard Stone nodded and ran somewhere.

Others slowly held Stone up with their spear and guided him to the stone altar. Stone was in a panic and didn't know what to do.

He was too tired to do anything at all. He wasn't able to get rest for so long as every slip brought him closer to death in that nightmarish environment. Now he got outside but there was no respite for him. Stone helplessly slumped on the ground hearing aborigines screaming around as he breathed heavily, cold sweat covering his still naked body. In the end, the chief who watched it all took a new and stronger rope and threw it as a lasso at Stone.

The darting rope flew and circled right around Stone's neck like a noose. Then chief started to pull Stone towards the altar without any consideration.

Even before this Stone couldn't do anything but now when he couldn't breathe he felt the same as when he was in the stomach of that creature. Completely powerless. Fortunately, he was already used to not breathing for longer periods as there was usually no air in the stomach of the monster making his survival a miracle. The only reason there was little air a few times a day was the monster's irregular eating and drinking habits disrupting the coordination between breathing and swallowing. Same when the monster was in fights or ran for a longer time.

Thus although Stone hated it he could endure the situation without much panic.

When was Stone dragged to the altar he got bloodied and brushed on his entire body while mud and soil got into his wounds. But that was nothing for Stone. He lifted his head and started to look around. What he saw was the full square of aborigines loudly cheering and booing. The aborigines from before had on their shoulders one big stake while others brought firewood.

The sacrifice may begin.

Stone saw a shaman coming closer to him with some kind of basin full of crimson liquid. When he got a step away from him he submerged his hand into it. Then he started to chant some unintelligible words while splashing droplets of the liquid on Stone. After a while he stopped, submerged his hand again, and this time he used it as paint. He started to paint on the body of the boy all kinds of weird symbols while still chanting. Then he continued with his face. When the hand reached Stone's cheek he felt a deep smell of metallic odor. The crimson liquid was obviously the blood.

Shaman finally finished the painting on Stone and retreated together with the basin. Then aborigines who held the wooden stake came to the altar, raised it, took some large stones to support it, and surrounded it with firewood making a huge pyre. After that, all of them looked at the Stone creepily.

Stone felt goosebumps and his premonition ringed. When the chief climbed the stake and took some long and big iron nails which he nailed at the top and started binding the other end of the rope which circled Stone's neck. As he bound the boy he slowly pulled the rope until Stone was right under the stake. But he didn't stop until Stone was suspended feet above the ground. He held onto the stake with his hands and legs with his remaining strength to keep breathing. Then chief jumped down from the several meters stake. Aborigines cheered once again. Several of them took meter-long rusty iron nails and came closer to him while one of them gave one to the chief too.

Immediately after they turned to Stone and approached him. One of them screamed and thrust the nail at the helpless boy like a spear.

"#@%!!" screamed the aborigine at Stone who didn't understand anything as he felt a sharp pain on his thigh.
Stone who had embedded a rustic nail inside of himself couldn't hold himself anymore and let go of the stake.

When he fell there was a muffled crack heard. It looked like his neck cracked a little which brought him even more pain as he slowly suffocated. With the rope holding him up in the air, aborigines had an easier time nailing the boy on the stake, which was their intention from the beginning.

"Ugh..." he could only groan as more Aborigines started to thrust at him while looking happy. After his fall chief approached him and with caution and disgust got hold of him close to the stake to help his clansmen pierce him deeper.

Of course, they didn't do this only for fun. Mostly. What was their main reason to pierce his limbs and body was to restrict him. When the tips of the nails pierced through the body they were then hammered with stone hammers lodged into the stake so that the boy couldn't free himself. Later after the ritual, they will retrieve them in the ash.

Instead of just tying him with ropes they used this cruel method to be sure he really won't be able to get away. All of this excessive caution was because of the fear of the devil's spawn who they thought Stone was. Stone's inhuman regeneration was obvious to everyone present during the hunt and that is why the chief alerted their shaman to take care of it. In this, the normal rituals and sacrifices won't be suitable as they thought that Stone simply wouldn't die during them. And it is mostly the truth. Thus the execution by burning seemed to be the best choice. They believed that by burning him they would release the devil from within the body but the blood painting would restrict him.

Next, they immobilized him with their Blood rods to make sure he wouldn't be able to get out while trying to not touch him during the process. During the entire day, there were only three Aborigines who had bodily contact with him.

The only one who dared to touch him was the chief who got a blessing through the Shaman of their Lord and the Shaman himself who was their Lord's chosen one. Of course, only a shaman would be able to touch devils without any consideration as only he has endless adoration of their Lord. So the chief touched him only when absolutely necessary lest the devil will do some tricks. Nobody else could touch him as they didn't want to be 'tainted'. They only held him through binds or their weapons. The only exception was the wounded aborigine whom Stone attacked.

But aborigines wouldn't let such stain inside their village and risk infestation of devils... That aborigine will reach their Lord together with the devil's spawn. Shaman already drained his blood and used him to do the rites on Stone after all...

Unfortunately for Stone, this wasn't the end. Shaman who only watched the entire time moved again. He took the torch from the clansman and came towards the four corners surrounding the altar where lamps resided. He once again chanted as he lifted them one after another.

When he finished he reached the middle where the altar with the pillar was. He looked deeply into the agonizing eyes of Stone and threw the torch towards the firewood under him this time in silence. He slowly took out some things from his pockets and started to throw them into the small fire he created. There were herbs, bones, some powders, and even insects.

The fire grew little by little and started to encroach the stake where Stone was bound. Clansmen clamored and the shaman once again retreated. This time everyone was at the square done with their work. Now they just needed to watch. Some during this time chose to throw things at the devil's spawn while yelling insults towards the boy while others just watched or prayed to their lord.

Stone whose mind was already numbed started to feel pain in his legs as he saw only smoke around himself. Now even if he could breathe something it would be smoke and not even a bit of air. In a few seconds, the pain intensified in no time as the fire had grown to his thighs.

Stone limply hung on the stake as the fire consumed his flesh while still not being able to breathe as the knot around his neck didn't allow him to. He just lay there for some time feeling hopeless.

He felt so despondent at that time that his mind almost broke. When he thought he was finally from the worst nightmare he only got into another. Before he was eaten alive and now he is being burned at the stake as some kind of sacrifice to the dubious god or gods. He felt so sad. He lost everything and yet still keeps losing. He already doesn't remember how his family members looked or how granny's voice sounded. He forgot memories of most of his life since his mind made him so to forget the sadness. But now... He felt the sadness again. And the wrath that came with it. Not the one he felt as they carried him to the village. But the one much more primal. The one that makes him crave the blood of all those backwater bastards who can only solve all their problems with mindless sacrifices! The one that made him want to kill to destroy despite never killing in his life. And so he screamed.

Screamed so much, despite the knot around his neck made it almost impossible to make a noise, that the smoke around his swirled a little.

Aborigines who saw this got scared a little but at this time shaman spoke for the first time instead of just chanting.

"No worry, little lambs. This is normal. Now that the devi's spawn got through the ritual, his expulsion to the Lord is imminent! Now let us watch as this evil writhes under the fires of heaven-"

*Aaaarggh*

Stone screamed once again. His muscles tightened and started to jerk. While the nails were crude they were embedded too deep inside and were lodged in the very solid stake. So if he wanted to free himself he needed to be more ruthless to himself.

*Crack*

As he wriggled he felt some bones cracking from the strenuous labor. Unfortunately, the nails were too hard to break and the flames got to his waist roasting him alive.

Stone wanted to scream in pain but couldn't. He jerked so much that he really looked as if he was possessed by the devil himself. He tried to free his left hand where the nail didn't hit the bone and started tugging at it with his full force. When he saw his arm's muscles torn a little he grimaced and jerked again. He did that until...

*Riip*

"Agh" a muffled scream sounded as Stone's left arm which was second ago attached to the stake separated from it as it was almost torn off. He gritted his teeth as he angrily looked at the aborigines who were watching this with horror in their eyes. Unfortunately, they could not do anything as getting into the fire would be fatal for normal humans and they were too startled to run to get their bows and slingshots. But even with them, they would not be able to do anything...

Stone used his free hand to free his neck first as he felt he would pass out otherwise. Thankfully now that the coarse rope's fibers were degraded by the extreme heat, with Stone's strength he managed to rip it off. Now that he could breathe a little he could muster more strength as he started to free his right hand. Unfortunately smoke from the fire made him just cough when he tried to breathe deeply.

As aborigines watched this they wanted to do something but couldn't. Chief watched this and came to the shaman to beseech him.

"Grand Tamala! Please stop this blasphemy! If we let him be he will be able to escape! Our clansmen won't be able to hold him, they are too tired for that after today's hunt!"

"All things happen due to reason. This is just another trial made by our Lord... The devil's spawn is obviously not so easily subdued. So the only solution is.." A shaman also known as Grand Tamala lifted his hand with his cane and opened his mouth. But then...

*Swish*

*Swish*

*Swish*

Several arrows emerged from the darkness beyond the village and aimed at the aborigines. Several of them killed their target while some wounded others. Aborigines who were too occupied by the boy wriggling for his life were too late to respond to the ambush and were disoriented. The chief who saw this quickly covered the shaman as he looked at the arrows and then shouted at others.

"Cover up! It's an ambush from the Bakur tribe!"