As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the land, the stars began to twinkle in the velvety night sky. Jano and his three companions returned to Eagle''s Nest Peak, their


    wings heavy with the weight of three forest wolves they had brought down.


    A bonfire crackled brightly on the cliff, casting a warm glow over the gathering tribe. A thick-skinned wild boar spun slowly on a spit over the flames, its savory aroma drifting through the cool air. The hawkmen, their eyes wide with anticipation, huddled around the fire, their mouths watering at the sight of the feast. A boar was a rare and precious find in the Whispering Forest, and it was pure fortune that they had stumbled upon the creatures as they were attacked by the wolves.


    When the meat was ready, Jano was given the choicest cut, the tender flesh searing with juices. As the tribe ate, the mood was a mixture of relief and melancholy. After they had all eaten their fill, a frail, elderly hawkman with feathers as white as snow rose to speak, his voice carrying the weight of years.


    “It has been three years since Chief Wing led our warriors to the Everwood Forest to answer the call of the Thunder Titan. They have not returned, and we must assume the worst.”


    A heavy silence fell over the tribe as they bowed their heads. The hawkmen were few in number and weak, and they knew they could never match the power of the Titans.


    “However,”the old hawkman continued,“our children have grown stronger these past three years. They can now hunt with their mothers. And Jano, especially, has proven himself a skilled hunter, capable of bringing down a lone wolf.”


    Jano, who had taken down a lone wolf six months ago, felt a swell of pride.


    “Our tribe needs a leader,”the old hawkman declared, his voice resolute.“I propose that Jano become our new chieftain.”


    Jano, though young, had proven his worth in battle. The tribe murmured in agreement, many nodding with approval.


    “Jano, will you accept the mantle of chieftain?”the old hawkman asked, his gaze steady.


    Without hesitation, Jano nodded, his chest swelling with determination.“I will.”


    In this ancient world, survival was a constant struggle. As chieftain, it would be his duty to protect his people, to guide them through the trials of this unforgiving land.


    Later that night, Jano lay on a large boulder overlooking the cliff, gazing at the stars. The vast, glittering sky seemed to stretch endlessly above him. He thought back to the old turtle’s cryptic warning about avoiding the searing heat of Titan’s blood.


    “If the old turtle was just an ordinary creature, then he must have bathed in Titan’s blood near the battlefield. And since the Thunder Titan was the patron of the hawkmen, the blood he bathed in must have been that of the Thunder Titan.”


    “To find the old turtle, I must journey to the Everwood Forest, the site of the final battle between Titans and Dragons. There, I will surely find traces of Titan’s blood. But it’s too dangerous to go alone.” Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    His thoughts turned to the only option available to him.“The next royal conscription will happen in seven years. I will join it. As a soldier, I will go to the Everwood Forest and find the old turtle. Only then will I learn his secrets.”


    Jano’s plan was set, but the path ahead would not be easy. Seven years was a long time to wait, but he was determined to see it through.


    The hawkmen, with their innate affinity for cliffs and mountaintops, had lived on these mountains for generations. They carved caves into the cliffs using crude stone tools as their homes. Eagle’s Nest Peak was just one of many mountains in the ancient world of Ferland, but the legendary Hawkmen Kingdom was said to be located on a towering peak known as "Heavenly Mountain." This majestic mountain was home to tens of thousands of hawkmen and was considered the ancestral home of all hawkmen. The Eagle''s Nest Peak tribe had migrated from this place.


    After becoming the chieftain of the Eagle''s Nest Peak tribe, Jano set out to improve the living conditions of his people. Although the caves were safe, they were unpleasant and unsanitary after generations of use.


    In the first year, Jano crafted stone axes, felled trees, and led his people to build dozens of wooden houses and beds within a year, replacing the original cave dwellings. They sealed the caves with wooden doors, transforming them into storage spaces. The hawkmen''s houses had two doors: one on the roof for flight and another near the cliff for easy access. Subsequently, Jano organized the tribe to dig a pond in the center of the village for daily water use, and assigned people to take turns fetching water. He also surrounded the wooden houses with a wooden wall, forming a secure village.


    Although the wooden houses were less defensible than the caves, Jano felt a sense of civilization for the first time in this wild land as he looked at the transformed village.


    In the second winter, Jano led the young hawkmen into the Whispering Forest and hunted several hibernating black bears. His strength and skills improved, and he made warm winter clothes from bear skins.


    In the third year, Jano discovered a deer-like monster in the eastern part of the Whispering Forest. Although powerful, this monster was relatively docile and stayed within its own territory. While there was no immediate threat, Jano''s desire for supernatural power grew stronger.


    In the fourth year, while chasing wild oxen during a hunt, Jano and his team flew three thousand meters westward and discovered an open-air copper mine. This discovery thrilled Jano, as copper would allow the tribe to enter the Bronze Age and significantly increase their strength. However, a young scout reported that there was a Serpent Tribe living in the area. The Serpent Tribe and the Hawkmen had been natural enemies for generations. In ancient times, the ancestors of the hawkmen had preyed on the two-legged serpents. But when both races were granted intelligence by the Titan giants, the hawkmen''s aerial advantage diminished, while the serpents'' reproductive ability and archery skills made them more formidable.


    Jano decided to investigate the situation himself. He led his tribe to the Serpent Tribe and found it to be a small tribe of only a few hundred serpents, mostly old, weak, and women. After careful consideration, he decided to launch a night attack.


    In the dead of night, Jano led the hawkmen and wiped out the Serpent Tribe. They then began mining the copper and smelting it into bronze. Using his knowledge of ancient smelting techniques, Jano successfully created bronze objects.


    Within a year, almost every warrior in the tribe had a bronze weapon. With these weapons, they could hunt larger and more ferocious beasts, and even challenge some weaker monsters.


    In the sixth year, with an abundance of copper, Jano had a large bronze cauldron made for cooking. He also had bowls, basins, pots, and spoons made. At this point, the Eagle''s Nest Peak tribe had completely left the Stone Age and entered the Bronze Age.


    In the seventh year, at the age of 16, Jano reached adulthood. His body was strong and his wings were powerful. To prepare for the upcoming war, he led his people to create light bronze armor, covering only the chest, arms, and head, allowing for flight. In the autumn of that year, a messenger from the Hawkmen Kingdom arrived, and the curtain rose on a tale of civilization and war.