Returned to "Civilization"

After what felt like an eternity but may well have been no more than 10-20 minutes, the distance between the hunting party and the ground began to decrease exponentially. Evie's time in ropes-- at least, hopefully-- was nearing its end. As the huntress' touched down, the survivor was surprised at what she saw.

They had delivered their catch to a large courtyard of sorts, surrounded by overgrown stone walls decorated with intricate carving work. Four more tribeswomen rushed in, untying the ropes from the Spinosaurus. Each huntress coiled her rope, returning them to their saddles before taking off again. Evie had to swallow hard to keep herself from purging whatever may have remained in her stomach for the sudden rush of motion. The final destination for the Quetzalcoatlus steeds was high above, a series of nests tucked within trees and high, intricate stone roofs. From here, the survivor could hear the sounds of waves crashing against a cliff face. That explained where the flying reptiles got their meals...

She let out a reflexive gasp as the first huntress released her from the Quetzy, manhandling her like a sack of potatoes tossed over the tribeswoman's shoulder. The powerful, muscular arm wrapped around her legs was more than enough indication that struggle would be utterly pointless. As she was carried off down a set of steps returning to the Spino, Evie took in the architecture around her. It reminded her of Angkor Wat, the Khmer ruins in Cambodia. How something like this could exist in a place like this one, the stranger had no idea.

The rest of the hunting party caught up, talking all at once in tones both excited and questioning, all of their statements clearly directed at the victorious huntress. She herself gave very brief responses, some of which seemed to excite her companions in a way which made Evie feel... uncomfortable...

Soon enough, they arrived on the ground level. The outsider could hear more women setting to task butchering the huntress' catch, chattering to one another as they did. All fell silent as they saw what else the huntress had caught.

Evie was taken past the Spino towards the center building of the complex. The feeling of the muscular shoulder digging into her stomach as her captor ascended the stairs was much more uncomfortable than the wider base of the Quetzy's tail had been. The survivor winced with each step, a slight whimper squeezing through her throat on occasion.

With one hand, the huntress pushed open the large, intricate wooden door into the temple.

The huntress approached her Chief with the mysterious woman she had found. She could thank the stranger for drawing her prey from the water for her, but it seemed a little too coincidental. The hunting party had faced down a strange metal beast, only to find a foreign... person... trying to hide from raptors and a lost woman on their next outing.

She did not believe in coincidences.

As she neared, her Chief looked up from the spear she had been sharpening, a look of surprise crossing her strong features.

"Xia?" she began, standing slowly. "Where does she belong to?" The huntress-- Xia-- shook her head.

"She does not speak our tongue, Chief," she explained. "I tried asking her, but she answered with the same strange noises as the other one." The Chief's gaze shifted towards a nearby room, though her view of the other stranger was blocked by the priestesses trying to provide medical treatment.

"You believe they may be related somehow?"

The huntress nodded sharply. A startled gasp and small grunt escaped the bound woman as Xia dropped her to the ground. The Chief approached, looking the stranger over analytically, trying to judge for herself if the huntress' theory may have been correct.

"Untie her," the Chief commanded shortly. "We will see if she recognizes the other." The huntress immediately set to removing her captive's bonds, much to the outsider's relief. Grabbing her by her upper arm, Xia pulled the stranger to her feet, leading her towards the other room.

"Let us see them," the huntress commanded as she neared. The priestesses parted, revealing the first stranger to the second. A gasp escaped her, and she tried to rush forward.

"Let her."

At the Chief's word, the huntress released the stranger, watching her actions intently.

The moment she was freed, Evie rushed forwards, feeling the tears spilling past her lashes as she dropped to her knees next to the familiar figure.

"Oh, Jason..." She reached out, taking his hand. He was breathing, but it was clearly painful for him to do so. Either he had not escaped as unscathed as she, or he had run into something vicious with far worse results. Her fiancé did not move in response. Her throat sealed itself at the realization that he would most likely not make it...

A hand on her shoulder made Evie stiffen and jump. The woman the huntress had clearly brought her to stood behind her, looking down in a mixture of concern and question. She did not understand the outsider's behavior-- that much was clear. Thinking about it, that made some sense. The only natives the survivor had seen were female. Could this be a culture comprised entirely of women?

The hand on her shoulder pulled her back a bit. Taking the hint, Evie leaned down to kiss her fiancé on the cheek briefly before standing, following the huntress and (probably) Chief out of the room once more.