Ruins of the old world

I'm walking along the meadows like usual.
Only a huge grass region with a few small hills.

It's far away from society, so it's pretty safe here.
But once in a while, I see a lupin walking around.
They are probably hunting for lepin. So I still have to be cautious.

At least I have an old knife, which I can use in emergency situations. But gladly I never had to use it.

Since my family has been attacked by a group of lupin, I'm on my own.
I'm the only survivor.

Since then I wonder what these lupin are all about.
But it's difficult to find out more about them when they probably eat me in case I get closer to them.

I found out some things by watching them from the distance, though.
They usually walk around alone and when they find a lepin, they take it with them.
They don't always eat them immediately, but I guess that's what they always do in the end.

Sometimes I've seen them walking around with some lepin.
They didn't see to fear the lupin.
But it was obvious they were meant as provisions.
I've seen it once in a while.

But recently I stumbled over something interesting.
I found some old ruins and I thought they might be able to answer some questions I had about our past.

How did these creatures emerge?
Why did lupin start to eat lepin?
Or were they always in some kind of submissive relationship?

It seemed like lepin and lupin had been living together for a long time. These ruins seemed to confirm that. At least they had two different bed sizes.

But I didn't find answers in these ancient buildings.
So right now I'm looking for more of them.
I expect some ruins somewhere in this area.

I'm sure they should be pretty close.
I already see some interesting structures in the distance.

As I get closer, it actually turns out to be some old house.
The house itself is still intact, but inside it's pretty dusty and the furniture is mostly destroyed.

I soon notice a broken bookshelf.
It has a bunch of books in it.

I open one of the books.
It looks like it might fall apart any moment. But for now I can leaf through it.
I don't understand most of the symbols, but it also contains a bunch of drawings.

One of them shows a person, who looks pretty much like a female, but she doesn't look like a lupin.
She is standing around with a group of lepin, seeming to care for them.
But unlike lupin, she's not much taller than them.
And doesn't look like she wants to eat them.

The description is difficult to read, but it says, she's one of the creators.
Is she the person who created the lepin?

Still puzzled, I look at some other pages.
There are multiple drawings of something which looks like a family. But most of the time, there are two lupin, too.
Maybe it's really common for lepin to live together with lupin?
Maybe I've been the exception?

Suddenly I hear some noises.
I look outside and some lupin approaches.
Two lepin are following him.

Even if this building is a good place to hide, it will be a trap if he goes inside. When I still had a family, a lupin just entered our home and started eating us. We were trapped and couldn't easily run away.
But we also didn't understand what was happening at first. We never experienced pain and also didn't know about death. So when we finally understood, most of us were already injured.
And I was the only one of us who was able to get away.

Since then I'm very cautious around lupin.
So I immediately leave and hide behind the building.
Then I run away, hoping he won't see me.

I look back, and the lupin is still in sight.
He definitely has seen me.
So why doesn't he just run faster?
He could easily get me.

I run as fast as I can and hide behind the next rock.
I'm pretty exhausted already. Maybe I could surprise attack him when he comes. So I take out my knife and keep it ready.

After a while, I hear some steps through the grass.
I just keep sitting there. Maybe he didn't see me hiding?
And then suddenly somebody appears to my right.
I immediately stab this person.

Then I realize it's another lepin.

Oh, I'm so sorry.

Don't worry. This should heal, soon.
But before I can heal, I'll probably be eaten anyway.

Oh...
But I can help you escape.

When thinking about it, having another lepin with me might save me.
Maybe if we get attacked, the lupin will only get one of us.

No, I'm hunting with my dad.
But we're not good at that, so I'll probably be used as provisions.
But if you want, you can come with me, and we'll have you instead.

Is the lupin I saw before its dad?
I heard about people having parents before.
But how can this be? Can a lupin really be related to a lepin?

It seems like I can save it from its dad if I sacrifice myself.
I really feel bad for this lepin, but I don't want to die.

I get up and look back.
The lupin is still far away and he doesn't seem to look.

Maybe I can save this lepin.
I just grab its arm and run away, making it follow me.

What are you doing?
Let me go back!

The lepin struggles to get out of my grip.

Don't worry. You'll be safe now!

But I never was in danger.
Are you abducting me?

I'm just glad I found another lepin.
I don't want you to die. But I also don't want to die myself.
I'd like to have a friend.

The lepin stops struggling.

Okay, then let's be friends.

It giggles.

I slow down. There's not a single lupin within sight.

I guess my sib will be able to fill this role, too.

Your sib?

The other lepin who was with us.

I feel bad. In the end, I probably wasn't able to save a single lepin.

No, maybe the lupin wanted to eat both of them.
He definitely would have eaten the other one eventually, right?
Now he only gets to eat one of them.

While walking around, we talk.
It's the first time I talk to a lepin, who wasn't part of my family.
It also confirms that it's pretty common for lepin to live with lupin. It's because lupin are just the parents of lepin.

At first I can't believe it.
But when I think about it, it would at least explain where the lepin come from.

I'm glad you came with me.

But my lepin friend doesn't reply anything.
I look towards it, and it doesn't move at all.
It looks in my direction, but not exactly at me.

So I turn around and see a lupin quickly approaching us.
She can't be the lupin from before. She's definitely female.

I immediately start to run, but my friend just keeps standing there.

What are you waiting for?

It's too late already.
We don't have a chance.
So rather stop, so her hunting instincts won't kick in.

As told, I stop running. I've never heard of these instincts before, but it seems reasonable.
I still keep moving away slowly..

The lupin stops close to my friend, but she doesn't eat it.
Instead they seem to talk.

Come back! She wants to make an offer.

I hesitate, but I decide to come back to them.
If she really wants to harm me, I have no chance anyway.

I'm so hungry. If I can eat one of you, I can protect the other one of you.
I'd also let you have enough meat to turn you into a lupin, too.

What did she just say?
Is this true? Lepin can turn into lupin?
So that's where they come from?

And I'll also ensure, you'll be a man.
I always wanted to have children myself.

I really have to agree to her. If I could turn into a lupin myself, life would be much easier.
All my problems would basically be gone.

But I can't just sacrifice my new friend.
On the other hand one of us will probably be eaten anyway.
She wouldn't just let us go if we don't agree, would she?

I guess it's worth a try.
Most lepin probably agree to such a deal because of the same reasons, so it shouldn't be difficult to find different lepin she can make such a deal with.
She wouldn't just betray us. Why else would she make a deal with us in the first place? She's much stronger than us.
Or is she really?

It's okay. If you want this, I'm fine.
I don't really care who of us it will be. Both options have some good and some bad sides.

Yeah, having to grow up to become a lepin probably has some upsides, too.
And if I got eaten, I could at least be useful before I die.
If I hadn't such a strong interest in exploration and the past, life would be too difficult to keep up with this.
But there's no need to think about my life. My friend already agreed to this. I think it should be fine.

Should we kill it immediately or later, when we reach home.

Now this is really going a little fast.

I'd prefer it to stay alive a little longer.

I'd prefer to die immediately.
I won't be able to do anything interesting anyway. And more importantly I won't have to walk.

My new friend giggles.

Yeah, not having to carry is a good point.
And at my place we can also cook it, right?

I cautiously nod. I've never eaten another lepin before, but cooking them sounds reasonable.
I can't imagine eating it raw.

So the lupin starts walking and we follow her obediently.
I'm really sorry for my new friend, but it's my best option.

Suddenly I hear something from behind.
Before I can turn around, I notice a group of lepin jumping at the lupin, who's with us.
Two of them already cling at her legs, making it difficult for her to walk.

What's going on? Are lepin trying to attack me?
Why would lepin do this? They only risk their lives.
I'm sorry, but I guess I have to eat one of you right now.
I can't really fight like this. I'm still too hungry.
And you can help me while I eat your friend.

My friend willingly gets closer to her and she picks it up.

I take my knife. Fending off these lepin shouldn't be a huge deal. If I become a lupin myself, this will be worth it.

But when thinking about it, I could also switch sides.
When I join forces with the lepin, we might have a chance.
She didn't just make this deal because she was so nice, she made it because she wouldn't have been able to hunt us. She was too weak. And she still is very weak.

As the other lepin are trying to jump onto her, she loses her balance, but they can't stick to her.
Soon she shakes one of the lepin off her legs.

I immediately take action and stab her free leg, trying to hurt her heel.
She can't hold herself anymore and falls down.

The group of lepin immediately climb onto her and hold her to the ground.
They aren't able to hurt her seriously, though.

What are you doing? Why do you betray me?
I wanted to protect you! I wanted to be your wife.
If you're my husband, you'll be allowed to do anything you want to me.

I am able to do what I want to you right now.

I hold my knife, ready to attack.

Are you really going to kill me?
A lepin is going to kill me?

She probably never expected to be killed by a weak lepin.

As I get closer, she really struggles, trying to get all the lepin off of her.
But even when she manages to throw one off, it immediately comes back.

I still have to hurry. They won't be able to keep this up forever.
In the long term, she will still win.
She's already biting off the lower leg of one of the lepin.
The lepin can free itself, but its lower leg is missing.

After that I just stab her throat.
She gasps for air a few times and then she gets pale.
After some minutes she stopped moving completely.
I guess she's already dead.

But where is my friend?
I look around and see it lying on the ground, covered in blood.
It's dead. My friend has been killed already.

I think about eating it to become a lupin myself.
But then I would probably start eating lepin myself.

So in the end, I decide against it.
Instead I join this group of lepin.
They offer me to join them. I might be helpful to them.

And they can be my friends instead.
Maybe they'll even become my new family.

I still don't get why they attacked her, but I don't care right now.
I'm pretty exhausted. For now I just follow them wherever they go.
They can tell me later.