Inside the dojo, the air shook with a heavy crash as weights slammed against the floor. A young man in his late twenties collapsed onto the bench, breathing raggedly. Sweat poured down his body. Tondo wiped his face with a towel, staring at the massive weight bar before him. Nine hundred pounds.
"I still can't lift it," he muttered bitterly. "My goal was a thousand. I'll be of no use to anyone being this weak."
Across from him, Misa, a sharp-eyed deer woman with her hair tied up, sat cross-legged, arms folded. She rolled her eyes.
"Tondo, you really shouldn't be so hard on yourself. Nine hundred pounds is a lot."
Tondo's eyes burned with frustrated tears. "You don't understand. I want to be as strong as the legendary bodybuilders... like Grumble and Lady Veeta!"
Misa shot to her feet, irritation boiling over.
"I'm not going to sit here and watch you sulk all day. We have a war in just a few days. I'm going to enjoy myself before we all die."
Tondo "Misa, don't you think that's a bit dark.
Misa "Nope, not at all, I think its realistic, that's why it's important to enjoy every moment we have left."
She stormed off, the door slamming shut.
"Wait, Misa, where are you going?" Tondo shouted after her.
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"To get a cantaloupe smoothie!" her voice rang out from the hall.
Tondo's jaw dropped. In an instant, he jumped up and scrambled after her. "Misa, wait!"
Meanwhile, outside in the village, chaos erupted. Several Deer soldiers had encircled a monstrous parasite, their daggers glinting in the sunlight. The creature writhed, snapping its grotesque jaws, its body dripping slime.
One soldier snarled, "This thing came out of nowhere. Looks like they're trying to cause trouble before the war. It destroyed all of our weapons wagons."
Another shouted "It's got hoves like us."
The parasite roared, a guttural screech that shook the trees.
But before it could lunge, its body split down the middle. The soldiers froze, eyes wide as the parasite's halves hit the ground with a sickening thud.
Standing behind it, arm still extended, was Tondo. His hand radiated with glowing Abi, his muscles bulging like iron beneath his skin.
The Deer soldiers erupted in cheers. "Tondo!"
But his head bowed, his voice breaking. "I'm sorry for being late. I'm sorry for not killing it sooner. I'm sorry for the way I look. I'm sorry—"
Before he could finish, the soldiers surged around him, clapping his back, gripping his arms. "Such a strong man!"
Several deer women slid closer, eyes shining, hands shamelessly tracing the curve of his biceps. "So powerful..."
Tondo's face went red. He stammered, "Sorry, ladies, I prefer another strong man..."
At the back of the crowd, Misa leaned against a post, sipping from her cantaloupe smoothie through a straw. She watched him quietly, her expression soft for once.
"If only he knew how strong he was," she murmured.
Later that evening, Tondo worked alongside the soldiers to repair the wagons destroyed by the parasite. He heaved massive logs onto his shoulders, muscles straining, sweat dripping down his arms as he carried each beam with ease. Villagers gathered to watch, their eyes wide with awe.
"Look at him," one whispered. "Like the heroes of old."
Children clapped and cheered as Tondo dropped each log into place, never once complaining.
And then the crowd parted.
Father Heart walked slowly through the village, draped in flowing robes. His antlers were polished like ivory, his eyes warm and full of grace. One by one, the villagers knelt, bowing their heads.
"Blessed be Michi. Blessed be Tanchi. Blessed be Singway. Blessed be Tondo. May the God of this forest grant us the strength to win this war."
His voice carried through the air like a hymn. As he passed, soldiers straightened their spines, children smiled, and even the tired villagers felt a little lighter.
For a moment, the Deer Tribe glowed with faith and strength, preparing their hearts for the storm that loomed ahead.