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Restricted File #67908435 --Apocryphal Text of a Surviving Deciphered Fragment

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The hunt was good today. I rose with the morning sun and traveled to the East by the river. There, I saw many deer--as if arrayed by the stream in wait for me. With one toss of my spear, I easily drove the point through its heart and fell the animal where it stood.

As I began to clean my kill, I noticed a clan of others who congregated near the area--what looked to be a hunting party. They paid too much attention to me and my kill. I remembered the red ochre in my bag. I instinctively reached for it and began to smear it upon my body. The other group had passed, but something told me I needed to take this precaution.

After some time, I felt a sharp pain in my back. As I looked to see the cause, I could see blood flowing from a hole in my side. The injury was not fatal, but as I looked in the direction the projectile that struck me must have come, I saw the same party. I became aware that they intended to kill me.

With my hunting knife, I cut a gash into my palm, watering the Earth with my blood in supplication to Aries. I prayed fervently that he would grant me the necessary strength to slaughter these foes. As there were three of them and one of me, I prayed for anything that would help even the odds.

As I put my thoughts here, I felt a quickening--a sort of red hotness flow through me. I would describe it as rage, but rage is consuming. This was not. It was the adrenaline of battle--the anger which when had makes men impervious to death as nothing exists but the sublime battle. I found my spear and began to advance on the men. Everything began to move slowly. The one on the left dropped his shoulder ever so slightly and shifted his weight. He was preparing to launch another projectile. I was already ahead of him as I dodged out of the way of it. The other men moved to brandish their spears. The one who hand-thrown the projectile did not, and that made him the most vulnerable. My feet swiftly carried me to him. His eyes were wide with fear, probably from seeing my red face. I thrust my spear through his chest and felt it crack as I used my weight behind it. He fell to the ground as I continued to run past the party. After I got some distance away, I whirled back around. The two men with their spears were brandishing them. My spear was still stuck in the body of the fallen man. I felt for the weight of my hunting knife and secured it. Again, I closed the distance between me and the men. They expected me to come in close--I feinted as though I intended to do just that. Then, at the last possible second, I took my hunting knife by the handle and threw it. It landed in the middle of the forehead of one of the standing men. I could see for a moment his eyes roll upwards probably glimpsing the handle, then the crimson began to run down as he fell. His friend was startled by his companion's sudden collapse. I knew that time was precious. I must use the advantage of surprise while I had it, as all of my weapons were otherwise unavailable.

I ran directly into the last remaining man's space. I ran hard. I could feel the sweat rolling down my head, to my arms. I could feel my nostrils flare. I could feel my feet pumping the ground, and hear the sweet songs of the birds. I could feel the rigidity of my muscles as they made themselves ready, and I could see the man suddenly regain his composure and attempt to fasten his spear into position to skewer me as I ran in. He did not know the power of the Ram. As I ran, I gathered momentum and became the Ram. I threw myself deliberately at his spear--ramming it with my torso. It did not pierce my flesh as expected. Instead, it splintered and broke. By the time he realized what had become of his weapon, my hands were around his throat. I felt his pulse as I ripped his windpipe from his body. He stumbled backward, his hands instinctively clasping where his throat had once been. Then he fell to the Earth, and I stood over him as his blood watered the Earth in tribute to Aries. His other companion with my spear stuck in him still lived. His eyes were wide as I slit his throat with a rough piece of flint. His breath gurgled as he too watered the Earth.

Finally, I retrieved my hunting knife from the head of the last man and used it to slice the veins in his arms so that he too watered the Earth.

I do not know why these men wished to quarrel. Perhaps they did not feel confident they could get their own deer. perhaps they felt that they should kill me and take mine. If one hunts a deer, one is a hunter. If one hunts a man, unless he kills that man, he risks becoming the deer as men do not forget. I loaded my kill on my shoulders and looked back one last time at the party of men. All I could see around them was a vast lake watering the Earth. Aries would drink deeply tonight.

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