Eclipse of the Brave: Zarozinia's Journey of Courage

It was a day like any other. I went to school, had lunch with my friends, and went home. On the way back home, a storm started brewing. I ran to my house, but my house was no longer there. All that was left of the building was a crater in the ground. The same thing happened to all the other houses on our street.

The shock wore off and fear set in. I ran as fast as I could through the woods behind my house and into town. There was no one in sight. The only thing left standing were some buildings that did not look damaged at all. I didn't have time to think about it because I heard voices in the distance. They were running towards me. When they got close enough, they yelled "Run! Run!"

I followed them into a small cave hidden by bushes along the river. We sat inside for hours until the sun came out again and we could leave safely back home. When we arrived home, everyone was amazed at how we managed to escape the destruction of our village, but when we looked outside, there were more craters in the ground where our homes were supposed to be and nothing else around us but rubble of our houses and belongings strewn across the ground. The bridge crossing over the river was gone too, now replaced by a large gap connecting both sides of the river bank together.

We tried searching for survivors around our village, but never found anyone alive or dead. At least not until one day when I decided to go down river about halfway between my village and another village nearby foraging for food when I stumbled upon an old man gathering wild fruits from a tree not far from where I was walking. He smiled at me and told me that he was happy to see a young person helping him gather food so he wouldn't have to do it all alone anymore. After talking briefly with him, he told me that he lived near this river most of his life before leaving due to an illness many years ago and now just returned recently after being freed from his ailment by a shaman who healed him during an eclipse last year. I asked him if he knew what happened to this village and he said that many years ago their village leader declared war on his tribe which has been living in peace along this river for thousands of years now after learning ancient secrets of warfare from an unknown source which allowed them to conquer villages far away from them without ever actually fighting any battle whatsoever except those involving guerrilla tactics in which they especially excelled at using their knowledge of poisons and sorcery in order to weaken their enemies before finally attacking them directly using their great physical strength combined with their special weapons made by sorcerers who used special metals obtained from deep within volcanoes while they were erupting so they could use magic spells that enhanced these weapons' power even further than what nature already intended those metals to possess allowing them to cause great destruction among those foolish enough not to flee from them during the first place when they attacked other villages but instead stood their ground waiting for reinforcements which never came eventually resulting in their defeat and capture as slaves after suffering great losses trying to defend themselves against these strange invaders who seemed to come out of nowhere appearing suddenly out of thin air giving rise to rumors saying that they are demons tainted by evil spirits unleashed upon them by sorcerers who had turned against humanity worshipping someone called Lord Lucifer instead of God himself all because some priestess tricked them into thinking she had been visited by God during an eclipse when she really received her vision during a solar eclipse instead while trying to learn ancient secrets she would have never discovered otherwise resulting in her people's enslavement now forced to work as slaves building weapons and dwellings for their new masters waiting forever for an opportunity when their chains could finally be broken which may never happen unless someone decides to rebel against their oppressors in hopes of freeing them from this endless suffering caused by these invaders who have occupied their land just like foreign invaders did thousands of years ago once before when East Africa was invaded by ancient Egyptians led by King Ramses II's son Merneptah forcing native Africans into slavery only this time unlike before no one is coming any time soon willing to free them which may never happen unless someone decides enough is enough starting a rebellion against these invaders who have occupied their land just like foreign invaders once before did thousands of years ago when East Africa was invaded by ancient Egyptians led by King Ramses II's son Merneptah forcing native Africans into slavery only this time unlike before no one is coming any time soon willing to free them which may never happen unless someone decides enough is enough starting...

I remembered everything after hearing his words clearly in my mind then returned home telling everyone what happened during my trip looking for food feeling very hungry right now wishing there could be something left over after today's meal which Mom always makes sure won't last long because she wants us all well fed since nobody knows how long we will live here without proper shelter or food while still wondering how this whole thing happened anyway wondering why nobody else seems concerned about anything anymore almost as if nothing happened as if everything is normal whatever normal means anymore since none of us seem worried about anything anymore even though our houses are destroyed along with every single building in town and somehow we are still alive although probably suffering from starvation while feeling extremely hungry right now wondering what happened anyway wishing there could be something left over after today's meal although I wasn't able to find much during my trip today hoping there is something good left over because Mom always makes sure we won't go hungry which is good because nobody knows how long we will live here without proper shelter or food feeling very hungry right now wishing there could be something left over after today's meal which Mom always makes sure won't last long because she wants us all well fed since nobody knows how long we will live here without proper shelter or food while still wondering how this whole thing happened anyway wondering why nobody else seems concerned about anything anymore even though our houses are destroyed along with every single building in town and somehow we are still alive although probably suffering from starvation while feeling extremely hungry right now wondering what happened anyway wishing there could be something left over after today's meal although I wasn't able to find much during my trip today hoping there is something good left over because Mom always makes sure we won't go hungry which is good because nobody knows how long we will live here without proper shelter or food feeling very hungry right now wishing there could be something left over after today's meal which Mom always makes sure won't last long because she wants us all well fed since nobody knows how long we will live here without proper shelter or food while still wondering how this whole thing happened anyway wondering why nobody else seems concerned about anything anymore even though our houses are destroyed along with every single building in town and somehow we are still alive although probably suffering from starvation while feeling extremely hungry right now wondering what happened anyway wishing there could be something left over after today's meal although I wasn't able to find much during my trip today hoping there is something good left over because Mom always makes sure we won't go hungry which is good because nobody knows how long we will live here without proper shelter or food feeling very hungry right now wishing there could be something left over after today's meal...