An old man stood before a colossal gate hidden deep within the forest. His clothes were covered in leaves and mud, small branches were tangled in his hair, and his body was stained with the blood of beasts. Judging by his appearance, he had clearly fought his way through the forest just to reach this place. In one hand, he held a weathered map covered with countless markings. His eyes remained fixed on a circle with a cross drawn through it near the centre.
Towering trees surrounded the clearing, their twisted branches blocking most of the morning sunlight. An unsettling silence hung in the air. Not a bird chirped, and not a leaf rustled. It was as though the entire forest avoided this place. The old man looked at the massive gate, where only two words were carved: BARBARIAN VILLAGE. The spelling was incorrect, and the letters were crude and uneven, as though whoever had carved them knew little about writing.
The old man slowly turned his head. Roughly 400 metres behind him, several enormous beasts lurked between the trees, their hungry eyes fixed on his back. Thick strands of drool dripped from their open jaws. These were the same beasts that had attacked him earlier, forcing him to fight his way through the forest. Yet, despite their hunger, not a single one dared to take another step towards the gate.
The old man then lowered his gaze towards the ground. The soil surrounding the entrance was dry and lifeless, littered with countless bones and skulls. Some were so enormous that they could only have belonged to monstrous creatures.
Beyond that stretch of barren earth, however, the forest was strangely vibrant. Green grass covered the ground, and vegetation flourished beneath the trees. The contrast was almost unnatural, as though an invisible boundary separated the living forest from a land of death. The old man studied the gate for a moment before looking down at his map again. There was no doubt about it. He had found the place.
He turned his attention back to the gigantic gate. It was not made of wood or iron. The entire structure had been built from enormous bones. Thick ribs, massive skulls, and giant tusks had been fitted together to form a wall unlike anything the old man had ever seen. Judging by their size, the bones could only have belonged to monstrous beasts that no longer walked the world.
After a few minutes, the old man finished cleaning himself. His white hair was neatly combed, and his beard and moustache were perfectly maintained. He wore a neat black coat over a spotless white shirt, with a dark vest fastened by polished buttons. White gloves covered his hands, his black shoes gleamed, and a silver pocket watch hung neatly from his vest. He looked more like the butler of a noble family than a traveller standing before the entrance to a Barbarian village.
Without warning, the gigantic gate began to move.
Creeeak…
A long, scraping sound echoed through the forest. It sounded less like a door opening and more like enormous claws dragging across dry bones. Slowly, the gate swung open, and a giant man stepped out. He stood nearly 8.9 feet tall, with shoulders as broad as a cart and thick muscles covering his body. Compared to him, the old man looked like a child.
The giant looked straight ahead, then turned to his left and right, but found nothing. He scratched his head and muttered, "I'm sure I smelled a human." Frowning, he was just about to close the gate when a calm voice spoke from below.
"Good morning, gentleman. My name is Leon, and I am here to meet your powerful and respected Village Chief."
The barbarian finally broke the silence. "If you wish to enter our village, you must first prove that you are worthy."
Leon raised an eyebrow. "And how shall I do that, my handsome friend?"
A wide grin spread across the giant's face. "My name is Stone," he said proudly. "I am the guard of the village gate." He pointed towards the enormous gate behind him. "If you wish to enter the Barbarian Village, you must open the gate with your own hands."
Without another word, Stone pulled the gate shut.
BOOM!
Leon remained where he was. He rolled his shoulders and stretched his fingers before stepping forward and placing both gloved hands against the wall of giant bones. For a brief moment, nothing happened.
Then he pushed.
Creeeak…
The massive gate slowly began to move. The bones groaned as the entrance opened wider and wider until the gate stood completely open once again.
Stone stared at him with widened eyes before bursting into laughter. "Even I can't open it that easily!" His smile grew even wider as he extended his enormous hand. "I like you."
Leon smiled politely and shook it. The difference in the size of their hands was almost amusing. Stone stepped aside and gestured towards the entrance. "Follow me. I'll take you to the chief."
Leon nodded. Together, the well-dressed old man and the towering barbarian walked through the gate of bones and entered the Barbarian Village. Neither noticed the curious eyes already watching them from within.
Stone walked with a broad smile while Leon quietly observed his surroundings. The village was much larger than he had expected, but its houses were simple, built from large rocks, thick logs, and hardened mud. Some roofs were covered with wooden planks, while others were layered with leaves and animal hides. Nothing looked elegant, but everything appeared sturdy.
As they walked through the village, people gradually stopped what they were doing. Children paused their wrestling, women looked up from preparing food, and hunters carrying enormous beasts over their shoulders turned towards them. Every pair of eyes seemed to land on Leon.
He looked completely out of place, like a black dot on a sheet of white paper. His clean black coat, polished shoes, white gloves, and gentlemanly appearance stood out among the Barbarians. The men wore little more than coverings around their lower bodies, while the women wore animal skins covering both their upper and lower bodies. Many decorated themselves with necklaces made from bones, teeth, and animal claws.
After walking for a while, Leon finally spoke.
"Excuse me, sir. May I ask you something?"
Stone stopped walking, and his smile grew even wider. Nobody had ever called him "sir" before, nor had anyone spoken to him so politely. His chest immediately puffed out with pride.
"Ask anything, my friend!" Stone replied happily.
Leon smiled. "When I was walking towards your village, I saw many wild and dangerous beasts roaming through the forest." He glanced around at the peaceful village. "Yet none of them seem willing to come anywhere near this place. Why is that?"
Stone burst into laughter. "They won't! Even if they bring all seven of their ancestors with them, they still won't!" He proudly slapped his chest. "Attacking Barbarians is like begging for death!" He pointed towards the surrounding forest. "Every beast around this village knows who the boss is."
Leon nodded. "I see."