I was young when we started to venture back out into the world, slowly discovering others and sharing generations of stories leading to an understanding of the dangers in this new world. Somehow we fooled ourselves that understanding the dangers made them less deadly overshadowed by the excitement of new people, of sleeping under the stars, of possibilities. As though the years living small lives of survival snapped and those my age grew so restless, they abandoned everything heading out into the unknown.

Some returned with items that brought death to their village. I thought of how all the time being cautious, growing slowly, waiting to see the stars at night, taking small joys in a child’s laugh was ended by one who found something shiny and opened it to the doom of all around him. Still, there were so many that went out; not all brought bursting death to their home; others brought a slow death. We did not know at the time, but we considered them success stories. We thought an enlightening period began to understand what was left behind. That, too, was foolish to chase after what we did not need.

Explorers that were very gifted at understanding some of the remnants started to gain followers, making claims of knowledge from the divine to protect themselves from those that wanted to end the explorations, protect the homes. They started practicing fake struggles with each other as though it was for life and death versus a beast. Then they began to provide things from the wilderness conquering beasts we would not think possible. They started an exchange with us for our small crafts and labors at home to conquer any creature for us. They were loud and brought much food and feasts from the wilds home. They gained the favor of so many so fast. But my father’s words of caution always rang in my ears.

“It is said we were weak before we became masters of this world. What did we do being so powerful that we offended the gods to strike us low? Be careful of associating with these new loud gift bringers. The gods are likely watching them closely to see if they should be wiped clean. Do not be caught near them. Keep the faith; keep the future bright.”

I never understood what made those explorers so unsettled that caused them to be so foolish, to try to run so fast after so soon of learning to crawl. Their moods seemed to change too as they could never settle, but soon they wanted too much for their services, and others resisted, but they started taking without exchange. They took my sister and my brother into their “service,” and my father decided we would leave with what we had.

When others made their way to our new home farther away from the explorers and their influence, they told us how some explorers had tested the gods too far, and the gods woke the beasts from their slumber to strike them low again. We went into hiding for many days following the old ways, not seeing the stars at night waiting to hear more of the beasts return. The stories started to shape a new reality, one where the gods only sent their monsters when an explorer’s tribe tried to grow too big.

You would think they would learn to be humble, but still, news reached us of the fights between the most prosperous explorers. They called themselves “Warlords” now. They claimed various areas, including our home. We moved again, but Father could not handle the travel in this world, and he went through the veil. Still, others that fled after we had told horror stories of the warlords fighting over who would have the most influence, clash after clash with magic in the air and buzzing machines. It was horrific from the look on the faces of those that fled to us in our new home. Those that had survived so much betrayed by their kind. My father made the right decisions to save us from seeing so much darkness in our fellow people. Those that sought refuge barely had any room in their eyes for light. The explorers offered great things with feasts that turned to ash in the mouth with so much destruction and slavery.

We stayed as far away as we could and developed new laws to keep us safe from others that did not believe as we did. Stay away from those bearing gifts that talk loud of accomplishment but do not make the future brighter through careful planning and focus on the needs and desires of all.