Broken Worlds

[blueayes]

It watched as the beings all began to settle in their lives, they were of no consequence, the only ones that mattered were the humans, humans that had spent far too long inside it, they needed to rest, but it had no way of ejecting them.

This wasn't a game, not anymore.

It needed to find a world, someplace safe, but not too safe, the humans liked worlds that had some form of danger, after all, why would the play games that actively put them in dangerous situations.

Even these extras were proof of it, so it began to search amongst the many memories it now had, some worlds were beautiful by human standards, but had so many factions and political happenings that they were eliminated from its options, some were literal hells, finally there were the dead and dying worlds.

The dead worlds were eliminated, the dying ones were perfect.

The humans would have a certain monopoly over resources incase something was alive on that world, whatever world it chose, in all honesty, didn't matter they were all the same, barren worlds were little to no vegetation grew.

It would not leave that world unless it was ordered to.

It briefly wondered if it was being arrogant in its decision making, perhaps the extras needed time to forge bonds and unite as a people, or people's considering the different kinds it had inside it.

Then it remembered that it was made for the adventurers, the extras didn't matter, it found the nearest dying world and headed towards it.

Void travel is odd, objects and beings don't age, but it will starve or die of thirst, however just because a person or an object doesn't age in the void, those on the worlds however do.

It sent out the message to everyone, along with the explanation that settling on a garden world would bring unneeded danger, it explained that they had more than enough food and water, plus building materials for people to build their homes.

It watched the reactions, some simply slept or ignored its call, others selebrated, some were indiferent and others were enraged of the thought of having to settle in such a place.

Her masters, her children were still in pain, he wondered if he could help them, but how could it when they needed to heal themselves.

 

[blueayes]

The process would take an day because it didn't have ships capable of exploring space, it had no other choice but to use the many teleportation platforms it had, as well as every type of portal it had.

She needed to test the consequences of its actions, there were many energies it carried within itself, so it began to open portals leading to several moons and dead worlds, it soon learned not to.

To open several portals at once would force the world or moon to shatter, it didn't matter it simply did the same thing it had done before to whatever data had survived when it was fighting the infection.

It added the broken worlds and moons to itself.

It eventually learned that one or two portals were the correct way to do things, even if the energies themselves poured into the world, they would not overwhelm it.

It had no way of knowing how the animal or plant populations would react, but if any of it died failed to grow or was mutated in any way, the humans would always have everything it has inside it for food.

It finally reached its destination, he had to remember to synchronize the time that passed inside him with the time that passed on the planet, that way no one would look younger than those below.

Look that was the keyword, just because he wasn't aging, didn't mean that those inside him would benifit from the same thing, eventually, the humans themselves would age and die, and when the last of them was gone he would no longer need to exist and would join them once again in whatever ream hey existed in.

She briefly wondered why she was now thinking about herself in terms of gender, she wasn't male, nor female, she was a ship, a caste and she was nither.

She was a mixture of both, leftover data and now worlds she had broken with her reckless actions.

It stopped now that its destination was directly beneath it, a simple portal was opened far from any native species and it began to scan both on the world and from the void, sure enough, the native species on the planet were far from the location of the portal.

So it began the process of creating a forcefield around a large area, this way the extras, the plants, animals and its humans could begin the process of settling the world undisturbed.

 

[blueayes]

[Batman Bruce]
The smell of perfumes was the first thing he noticed, the second was the the the voices of different women, finally, he noticed that he was laying on a comfortable bed.

He would have jumped or struggled to get free, but there were no restraints on him, it was just him on a bed.

"I've lived long enough to know that something rules over this place, what are we, prisoner? slaves your playthings?" I asked the ruler of the ship, truth be told I want expecting an answer, things like this hardly ever answered and when they did it was usually to gloat, or say that it had our lives in its hands, and could do what it wanted with us.

My help screen opened on its own and I found a message written on it, it wasn't a comforting one.

"Playmates for my children, my masters"

"What if we want to leave?" I asked it and immediately I was shown a planet where a barrier was being set up.

"Feel free to do so, better to keep them safe" were the words written on the screen.

"Why, there were other worlds, people that could have helped" I said to it and immediately I understood the next set of words written on the screen.

"No there weren't, think about it, many versions of yourself all in one place, an army attacking and a ship filled with refugees. The answer is in front of you"

It was something I had suspected, but in all honesty, I hoped I was wrong, there weren't any other worlds, no other realities, we were all that was left.

"What are you going to do with us?"

"Inside me, you must follow my rules, anywhere else you are free to do as you want, I only care for my masters, my children." Again that word children.

I heard the door to my room open and I watched Selina place a tray of food on the table next to me.

"Did you have a good nap?" she said to me, before taking a glass of water and anding it to me, I looked at the glass and then to her, she smiled and began to drink it in front of me.

"Sleeping potions, better than some drugs, it was just your bad luck that I was getting ready for bed when we met" she said to me as she took a seat on the bed.

"Why?" I asked her.

"How much do you know?" she asked me.

"We're on a ship, there are no other realities we can escape to and there are different versions of us running around" I answered her.

"No Bruce, how long have you been on the ark?" she changed her question, however, she already knew the answer.

"Two days, we were fighting a zombie invasion when we were invaded." I answered her, there was no point in lying.

"I'll make our reasons quick, there are people that came from places where women were protected and kept safe, it was them that wanted to keep their women and children away from the battlefield"

"Most women abused of that, we aren't as strong as men, physically and mentally."

"In the past, a lot of women would have had my head for even saying that, but.....women have wombs Bruce, wombs that can produce children that become soldiers."

Selina's words were heavy as if remembering something she would rather not.

We found birthing chambers, it was then that the rule of marriage was enacted, they were strapped to machines, some twisted atrocity of magic and technology"

"One of the adventurers killed them all, but the machines didn't turn off, so he broke them all, we later found out that the machines didn't need them to be alive and that part of the machines function was to keep them sane."

"That's what they do to women they capture, that's the reason we want a husband, you're an excuse to stay as far away from the battle as possible," she explained to me.

"We're going to settle a new world soon" I said to her, however she just began to laugh.

"No, Bruce things are different now, even if were to settle, our populations are small......All of them are......this rule isn't going to go away, the women won't let it, we've seen too much"

I watched her as she rose walked to the table and began to move, I heard the sound of silverware hitting a plate, then she turned around and carried to me the plate filled with food.

I noticed that the meat was cut into bite-size pieces, Selina sat next to, placed the plate on her lap used a fork, took a piece of meat and fed it to me.

"What if I said yes?" I asked her.

"Then you would have six women as your wives and would be expected to impregnate all of them" I heard the voice of my older self, I now understand what people meant when they said that I cut the mood that had set in.

"I suggest you take the offer, better to be with people you already know" my older self said as he walked in.

I could see the other Selina's behind him as well as the young woman that had accompanied me earlier.

"Bruce" Selina said as she looked at my older self.

"I heard your conversation, so you know about the planet' my older self said to me, however, I didn't answer him.

"No one is signing up to colonize, the chatroom is filled with people arguing, but everyone is busy and as things stand we already have a batman."

"So you want me to go down" I said to him and my older self's answer was simply to close his eyes.

"They can go down with you and because we both own one or more buildings, they will be able to return to the ark and have a place to come back to if things go bad" headed.

None of us said anything, and I clicked yes on my help screen the last thing I saw before I covered in women, was my older self letting a small smile form on his face.

 

[blueayes]

[ Elsewhere ]
I watched as the barrier grew around the portal it widened until it covered a large section of the forgotten lands.

I felt the strange energies begin to pour into our world, in ages past we would have fought, greate armies would have risen, now that was no longer the case, our world is dying and we can barely stay alive much less fight.

I watched as the strange portal moved until stopping when it was high in the sky, when before it was just above the ground.

Even as I watch with my mind's eye, I can feel my mouth open in disbelief, water, water is pouring through the portal until the lands themselves are soaked, however, it's not stopping far from it, instead, it only increases in force.

It's like there is so much of that it's forcing itself out of the portal and it's completely unable to.

My heart races as I watch the once-dead rivers fill, the drylands greatly take the waters until their no longer able to soak it up any longer.

I can feel the seeds, the last remnants of a past once believed to have only been stories, drink, and breathe their first breath.

Souls and spirits flow out of the portal, some seeking rest within the lands of the dead, others simply seeking to fulfill their duty.

I feel my breathing calm itself, its like life is returning to our world, the feeling is strange if I had to compare it to something it would be as if I had been inside a cage my entire life and for the first time, I am seen the outside world.

More strange energies flow, some entirely alien, other familiar.

I nearly let out a gasp, as I watch the strange creatures swim about the newly formed rivers if I remember the stories they are called fish, strange creatures have taken the skies, some blend with the now wet soil, others are o colorful that they could never hide anywhere.

Something is being born in our world, I watch as long dead, the insects we believed long dead are hatching because of the rivers.

Somethings happening, I can feel it something is reawakening within me, something ancient and long forgotten.

"What is it, shaman?" I can hear the voice of the village leader but it sounds so distant.

"I see a land filled with water and the creatures we once called fish. Something has come" I answer him but for some reason, my voice sounds hollow.

"Our world, no, we have been given a second chance"

"We must head north, it's there where we will find it, we must not attack them, for they may leave and the portal is sealed forever." I said to him as I feel the ancient power flow within me and the whispers of those that came before me becoming louder until they can no longer be ignored.

They're forcing my eyes open and the strange energies are forcing their way through me, red, blue, orange, indigo, yellow, pink, green, white and black lights flash before all those present, and the images of the other clans still clinging to life are shown to everyone.

"The clan's migration has already begun, whatever beast still live are heading to the rivers even as we speak" I said as I watch strange beasts begin to fall from the portal.

Giants and little things made of grass, some walk on two legs others on four, others drag themselves on the ground, where they step the lands come to life, yet their own lives are short.

Any part of the ground that isn't green takes a small part of the creatures, until they crumble and die, leaving a garden behind.

I watch as beings are led on t the lands beneath the portal some predatory and some that eat the grass, I can hear some of the people begin to worship the portal, calling it the life bringer, or the Ark of life.

The creatures are all leaving the safety of the barrier, that sight makes me wonder something, but it's the chief that askes it.

"What is that barrier protecting?"

"I don't know" I answer him.

"It doesn't matter, take us there, we will not starve" says to me but I can feel his voice directed to all of us.

[ Wonder Woman ]
I watched as Jaune and the exiled all sta together drinking, the men laughed loudly all of them except Jaune, there were only four, but it seemed like if there were only three present Jaune was distant.

"Mind if I join you" I asked them, none of them said anything they just gestured to an open spot on the ground.

One would think that Adventurers city would have all sorts of bars and places for them to enjoy themselves and it does, but these men decided to past the night on the streets.

"I remember she had these hips that whenever she walked they would just swing side to side, how I loved graving them" Rober Baratheon said to the men who listened to every word he said.

One by one the men spoke about the women they had slept with and the ways they had done the deed with them and yet Jaune was silent.

"Come with me" the man with the shield said to me his eyes were hard yet soft.

I followed him until we were far enough to not be heard, yet we were close enough to still be seen, we looked at the empty streets light up by electric lights.

"Take Jaune away from us, he's lost too much, we all have."

"He's going thru survivals guilt, I know you aren't married yet and don't have any sutures yet" he said to me, before he moved a hand in the air and I heard a beeping sound, he had sent me a video.

The man left, I stood there for a moment and opened the recording.

I watched an army of men, carrying rifles, swords and other basic weapons, some had picked up the weapons of the enemies.

"There's too many of them!" I heard a man scream, as an adventurer reformed itself beside him

"The walls have fallen!" someone screamed as the burning legions soldiers charged in, the fighting was brutal, over and over again the men's final a, was to detonate explosives they wore to kill just one more enemy befor death took them.

Then the portals were forced closed, I watched as the soldiers of the legion were sucked out of the ark.

This was the reason why there were only four men left, these were the only survivors.

I turned to look at Jaune and headed back to his side.

"I heard we will be colonizing a new world, I was wondering if you wanted to come with me?" The rest of the men stayed silent, as they heard what I had just said, however, Jaune didn't react.

"It started searching for survivors of our worlds, you might want to look into it" I said to him and I watched him move his hand before his lips formed into a small smile.

"My sisters are alive" he said with a soft voice

 

[blueayes]

 

[blueayes]

[ Elsewhere ]
I can hear the awakening of the spirit and for the first time in years the sky darkens as water begins to fall from the sky, strange lights move from the dark clouds, those that came before us called this rain, but for me for those that accompany me, this was nothing more than a myth, a story passed down from generation to generation.

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever believe to see it much less fell it.

Still, we march on, we can not hope to stop, rest is completely forgotten, old ways are being discarded today none will be left behind, no matter how sick or old they may be.

All of us see the end of this journey, the young are moved o the center of our clan along with the elderly, those that can no longer walk are either carried or dragged by those stronger than them.

Strange shadows move in the distance and more than once I've felt something move or bump into me, it's like if the entire planet is moving.

The ground is shaking and the moans of an ancient creature echoes, I nearly stop walking when I notice its right on top of us, but someone just shoves me urging me to keep moving.

Wolves are walking beside us, the entire pack ignores our presence, the rains finally stopped and the clouds have left.

"By the ancients"

All around us beasts and clans march, it's like if we've become apart of some great migration, tyranos, panthers, towering ancients and creatures I've never seen or heard of before all march next to us.

I can see several other clans near yet far from us, all looking straight ahead, I can see it now the portal that hangs in the sky, its blue, green, pink, orange, indigo, red and white light spreading through the sky.

The herds are starting to separate from one another, some have started chasing after the beats of nature and feeding directly from them, even as the creatures bring back life to our world.

Infant beasts as well as old, have begun to jump as if celebrating such bounty.

Still, we march on, we must find a place to begin our new lives our new homes, I can see the ancients begin to greedily drink from the rive, they immediately lift their head to the sky and let out a moan filled with much joy, that I can't help but laugh.

I'm not alone, all are laughing, roaring and moaning, our world lives.

We have much to learn, old ways need to be rediscovered and others need to be abandoned, I hear the sound of footsteps approaching and baskets filled with fish are placed in front of us, I watch as the various clans stand near us.

Today none shall spill blood, no matter how deep our resentment way run, not today.

I can hear the whispers of the other shamans and I begin to join them in their chant, I can feel my mind drift into the barrier, there are more energies within it, the barrier isn't to keep us out, its to keep these energies in.

I can feel them slowly seeping into our world, the barrier is nothing more than a bottle that's constantly being filled despite it already overflowing, and spilling its contents everywhere.

"It quite the sight don't you think?" I hear the voice of someone not native to my world.

"You shouldn't be here" the being says to me.

"Then why don't you reveal yourself and explain why?"

"Reveal that would mean I'm hiding and I'm not, I'm standing next to you"

I see a strange creature, it has hair on its head but its body is frail, some muscles here and there but nothing I cant crush without much effort.

"You see all those strange lights and energies that are flowing everywhere, well those things are too dangerous to be controlled in their raw states, so they're being let out all at once in here so they don't cause problems for the planet itself," it explained to me.

"I see"

"Just don't attack us and we won't attack you, trust me when I say this we have more than enough room."

"Name your territory" I say to it as the rest of the shamans listen.

"The barrier and if there are places you dot want us to enter just place things so we can see where those places are and tell us what they are."

"That's it?"

"That's it"

I open my eyes and everyone is already feasting, none argued against what I and the rest of the shamans inform them, our deal has been made.

[ Wonder Woman]

I woke up alone, Jaune wasn't sleeping next to me, I can hear him putting on his armor.

"Diana, I'm going with the Exile down to the planet, Officially all of the slaves are under our control." he says to me before leaving the room, however, I can't say anything, the only thing I can do is look at my help screen.

Jaune has agreed to be my husband, the age of the Amazon's isolation has ended, now we have to join with the rest of the survivors and build our homes on this new world.

"Now I need to find worthy women to serve as my sisters" I said to myself as I begin to look at the pictures of the various women that are still in waiting.

Jaunes' other wives have to be capable, not just in combat but in many other ways as well.

 

[blueayes]

"This is madness, I won't stand for this!" said the chief

"The humans and the settlers restored our world and only took a small part of the land, we have all the planet for ourselves" the shaman said, as he tried to talk some sense to the young orc in front of him.

"They restored our world because they saw it too weak to defend itself, you all can feel it. The power flowing from the barrier, just touching it makes one strong and entering their land makes one even stronger"

"We don't have to do anything, all we have to do is stand there and we have the strength of five orcs" the boy said to them, it was now clear to everyone present that he was blinded by greed and the thirst for power.

The chief rose from his seat, his powerful body somehow seemed even larger and stronger than ever before, he walked up to the boy and leaned his face forward, until it was inches from the younger orcs face.

"And what then?" the question hung int he air, but it wasn't a question it was a statement, a threat.

"Will you demand this clan kneel to you?"

"Will you strike at the Draenei next and start another war, because like it or not the Humans won't forgive this betrail, so you won't be fighting one war you'll be fighting two."

The chief backed away from the boy.

"If you want power, you said so yourself just walk into the barrier, the humans won't care, as long as you pull your weight"

The young orc turned around and walked away.

"Why now? why are all these problems showing up now?" the chief lamented.

"Its youth, the young thirst for adventure, for battle, and its that very thirst I see bringing about our world's ruin" the shaman said as his eyes began to glow and the visions of a portal being open and from it an army spilling forth in numbers unimaginable.

He could see the other shamans watching the same events taking place, however the vion was forced away when the image of the Humans settlements was shown.

The image changed to a door opening and something that was once belived lost, returning.

They watched their world burn in a war so greate that it broke the planet itself.

"Whatever it is, its comming and we are not ready" said the shaman, as he sensed the young orc arriving at the egde of the barrier.

"You desire power, I know how to get even more than the one powering the barrier." a voice said to the boy as an unatural green light burned infront of him.

 

[blueayes]

Originally the amazons were just ordinary women, while they did have superior strength to normal humans, they could still have children and they weren't isolated from the rest of the world.

Now the time of living isolated from the world and immortal bodies were gone, there was no underworld for them to seal here on the ark and she douted that even her sisters would return to their old roles.

None of them could go back, not after what the all have seen, the sight of heaven and hell being consumed by all the fighting broke something inside all of them.

No, she knew that all of reality was undone, one last attempt to deny the legion control of reality itself.

Even if reality remade itself, none of them were apart of it now, the ark was their new home, regardless of the new planet chosen for them by the ark.

She needed to get up, and as she looked around she found a dress hanging inside the closet, as she removed the dress from the hanger, a thought popped into her mind.

Jaune had said that he was going to go down to the planet, perhaps being guards once more wouldn't be so bad after all, but that was for later, right now it was time to begin the search for the other woman, there would be more, but for now, Jaune needed to be able to handle the two of them.

[Jaune Ark ]
I watched my help screen light up and the mission the ark had given me was very specific.

Put all of the prisoners to work, but just keep an eye on them. None of them were threats to the people on the ark, none were to remain slaves, and were all to be set free, once their time as slaves had passed.

Keep the natives away from the portal linking the planet and the ark together, and if not attacked don't attack the natives.

Live.

I stared the at the last order, it was going to be the hardest one to keep up, I heard the screen beep again as the slaves began to teleport into adventurer city.

The people began to gather until they were all standing side by side and one behind the other until there were nearly sixty roles of ten people each.

The problem was that the people kept arriving, I was about o say something when I heard Steves voice behind me.

"They're the people that want to go down and settle on the planet." Captain America, steve rogers said to me, before stopping.

"It seems the Exile are officially broken up" the man stopped

"Perhaps not, considering you will be handling security on the edge of our new territory, while we will be handling security on the inside" he said to me, as I notice Robert and Jaime walking up to the captain.

Almost immediately several men drew their swords and I couldn't help but notice that they were all wearing black clothes, some wore black armor, others build leader painted black and some just black pants and black shirts.

"The night watch lives" Jaime said, as he and Robert walked up to the group of armed men.

"It can't be" the captain said as he noticed a group of soldiers standing next to one another, all of them grinning at him.

"Squadron easy, the black halks and the howling commandos" he said as he stood in front of them.

"Sooner or later war will happen down there cap, best we start seeing what works and what doesn't, plus the boys here are ready to grow some roots." one of the men said.

None of us noticed when we were teleported, but all of a sudden were found ourselves standing on an open field.

"Alright once your time has passed you all get a choice, if you want to stay and live on the planet or go back to the ark, the option is yours."

"If you don't have a place to go to, adventurer city has its doors open for you" I said to the slaves under my control, none of them said anything

I turned to look at my old companions and they all lowered their heads saying their goodbyes to me and I began to walk into the field the slaves under my control followed me to the edge of the barrier.

[ elsewhere ]
The moon was brighter than ever before, its cool light made it seem like if it was day, I watched as the tribe finished setting up camp and I sensed a familiar presence approaching.

The guards drew their weapons, but the Draenei simply lifted its hands showing it wasn't here for trouble.

"What do you want?" the chief demanded.

"A truth for now" the voice of an ogre answered the chief's question.

None said anything, but everyone was on edge, waiting for something someone to attack from any direction.

"You have seen them, the ones that carry life, they are slowing down, if they stop the tribes will all fight for these lands and everything will be gone again." the Draenei said to us.

"That still doesn't answer my question"

"We show the creatures that the planet isn't completely restored and we take them to the lands that are untouched by them." the ogre answered.

I felt the spirits call they were angered, they knew of the consequences should this go wrong.

"How?" I asked them

"Observe" the Draenei said as the image of one of the beings that carried nature itself walked into a portal that had been opened in front of it and left it somewhere far away.

The creature let out a roar before it continued its work, the roar was heard by those nearby and they all began to walk into the portal, but that wasn't all, some began to walk away from the lands and headed towards the direction of the one that had let out the roar.

"One race directs them to the lands they know, that way no surprises happen" the ogre said as he showed the same images, however, the difference in skill was visible by the kind of portal they had created.

"Everyone stays on their lands, no one attacks until everything is restored." the chief said and I immediately began to call upon the spirits of the elements to open a portal in front of one of the creatures walking about.

It did the same as the others before it, and I watched as the creature's numbers began to grow, however, when the portal was about to close, the creatures roared in unison and let out a blue light that kept the portal opened.

There was no stopping them now like it or not, the creatures would now march across our world.

 

[blueayes]

 

[blueayes]

It watched the world accepting its influence, soon it would stop interfering with the world anymore.

It watched as the natives spread the vegetation across the planet, it watched its plants begin to interact with the natural vegetation of the wolds and reawaken it.

The energies of the emotional spectrum were feeding the elements, strengthening, soon both the plants and the elements would begin to manifest themselves once again.

It called out to the souls, the beings that carried the souls to where they had to go, those in heaven and those in hell.

There would be a wall between those that existed in this reality and those that it had within itself.

It told them that they would be allowed to go down into the planet, but none could take any of the souls that were originally from this reality, the reason was that because those within it, didn't exist in this reality so there was no room for them in this realities afterlife.

Intime the populations both of those that went down to live on the planet and those that stayed living inside it, would grow.

As for how the heavens and soul realms and hells, they would all be divided upon themselves.

It began to expand the planes of existence, where the souls went and the heavens began to divide themselves, the hells did the same, as well as the lands in between.

The order had been given and none had gone against it, immediately the wandering souls it carried within it were taken to their place of rest, place of torment or place for them to train.

She turned her attention to the souls that didn't belong to her, those that were walking around and observing her lands soon found themselves in a completely different place, she gently sent them away.

There isn't enough room for them to stay within her, she wouldn't allow them to stay.

She found herself looking at an unexpected problem, several souls refused to be sent away, they liked being inside her and refused to be sent away.

These souls were either, regular people, holy men, and women, people that had been tainted and freed themselves from the evil that had taken hold of them.

All of them had one thing in common, they had seen the horrors of seeing their worlds dying.

Souls continue arriving from the void and she made sure they left her and went to the world bellow, unfortunately for every one that went to the planet and moved on, there would be one that refused to leave.

This was a problem they did not belong here, he had no choice but to make a soul realm specifically for this group what they did with it or what became of it, he didn't know.

He had no choice but to alter his previous order, those that proved themselves could go to one of the heavens, or if they were too corrupted would eventually go to one of the hells.

His influence with the world below had ended, the only thing she could do now was, create copies of the buildings it had, inside the area where the barrier was located.

It would now only observe and clems the infection it had within herself, some changes proved themselves to be beneficial, while others helped no one, so he had no choice but to clean itself.

To everyone on the planet regardless of how close or distant from the portal, a shock could be felt and those with the means of sensing or seeing souls either felt or watched an endless stream of souls pour out of the portal.

There were no attacks done, no invasion of restless spirits.

Those that could see spirits or souls watched them all vanish as they moved beyond the veil of the realms, as they left they bathed the world with spirit energy, saturating the atmosphere with its power.

To the common being, none of this was even happening and so they went about their lives, completely unaware of the significance of what was happening around them, no they were more concentrated with enjoying the bounty around them.