Hammur was losing the respect of Ur if a mere child saw fit to scold him in public like that. As right as she had been, she should have shared the words with him in private. It was because Raziel had let her train with her brothers so often instead of teaching her proper manners for a lady. The whole town needed more discipline.
Hammur saw the wooden posts adorned with lanterns that indicated his land. Each lantern had its own particular blend of herbs and chimera parts that would ward off the pests and more aggressive species. Although Hammur understood their use, he always did have a hard time getting used to the smell. But it was a small price to pay for the protection it offered. Like having some grace when speaking to an elder!
Taking a breath to steady himself, Hammur willed aside the sliding bolt, and pushed open the fence door. Greeting him were the tall, bountiful trees full of ovalfruit, and another set full of hardshells. Opting to take his mind off the stress that came from disciplining children, he once again counted how many delicious fruits were hanging from their branches.
Frowning slightly, Hammur counted again, then looked about the floor of his garden to see if any fruit had fallen from their branches. It was strange. He was missing four ovalfruit and three hardshells each. He went back outside the fence and checked it for any evidence of forced entry, then he circled the perimeter and looked for tracks or chimera sign. Finding no evidence, Hammur’s mood immediately sank. If young Tao had stolen from his personal garden…
He slammed shut the fence door, and crashed the wooden bolt into place. After rushing through his hut, Hammur tossed open the curtains and looked down upon Ur. The tower shined with lights that made the setting sun look like a pale imitation. Several light posts scattered about Ur, all drawing their power from the tower, and kept the town from darkness at all hours. A circle of fencing protected Ur, with the river Breaker cutting a clean, straight line through the town, and the various huts and lodgings bringing a little more personality than Hammur would have liked.
If only people were more amenable to his suggestions, then the pathways wouldn’t be such a mess. If not for the obviousness of their construction, then people might think Ur itself was a jungle in its own right, with winding paths and dead ends. However, people were stubborn, and refused to change the town in ways that would be more beneficial for everyone. They claimed it was an adherence to heritage, but they never had a problem with addressing Hammur by name. He knew they were just too stubborn to change. It was a wonder he got anything done at all.
Hammur began winding his way down the gentle slope, earning a few glances and waves from townsfolk. The dirt and grime were on the faces of those who worked late, while others were still glistening from bathing in the river. One look at his face, however, and they were quick to mind their business. Good. Respect was earned, not given, and Hammur had earned enough respect to be left alone when he was busy instead of bothered with mundanity.
As he made his way to the tower, he saw Iroh drinking with Raziel, laughing without a care in the world. The two clapped each other on the back as they spoke, sometimes causing the other to choke on his drink with whatever they were joking about.
The patchwork hair scarf on Iroh’s head was as colorful as the beads that ran along several of the braids down his back. His poncho looked as yet to be washed, as it held the stains and fragments of whatever herbs and flowers he had been playing with earlier in the day. Raziel looked little better, with a loose vest that did little to cover himself — he must have spent the whole day practicing, like always. As far as Hammur was concerned, their tawdry look was evidence of their inattentiveness and neglect.
Finally managing to catch their eye, he motioned to his hut, and the two men nodded with solemn looks on their faces. Good. Picking up pace once more, Varona greeted him with a warm smile and asked small pleasantries. Hammur waved her off, explaining he was busy, and she wished him well as he finally made it to the base of the tower.
Unsurprisingly, Ekki was splashing in the water, with all of the other younglings. Though she was well away from the spinning turbines, she was still in the center of the river, which was much too dangerous for someone her age. That brat Amesh must have dragged her there. Ekki knew she shouldn’t be doing something so dangerous. Hammur was going to have to give a more stern lecture to Lusik and Lima about what they were teaching that brat.
More folks noticed his presence, and gave him proper salutations, but he paid them no mind. When Ekki finally realized he was there, she instantly got a panicked, guilty look on her face. Hmph, served her right. He pointed one finger to the ground, and she immediately began swimming toward him. Busy as he was being chief, Hammur wasn’t sure who taught her to swim, but always hated the reminder. If people were just more responsible, then he would’ve had the time to teach her himself. It was so strange how the years could fly by while the days dragged on.
When she finally pulled herself ashore, he noticed she was wearing a swimdress.
Hammur crossed his arms, “Where’s the war dress?”
Ekki stood in front of him, “It’s in the wash.”
“How long has it been there?”
“...not long.”
“Make sure you don’t lose it.”
“I know. I won’t.”
Placing his hands on his hips, he asked, “Did you take fruit from my garden?”
“I’m sorry, papa,” she confessed. “Some of the ovalfruit looked so ripe and I didn’t want them to go to waste.”
“I was going to prepare some of those for us tonight.” Hammur wondered what made children act so impulsively all the time. “But since you saw fit to eat them so greedily by yourself, then you can go without dinner.”
“Sorry, papa.”
“That is my personal garden. You can’t go taking things without asking permission.”
“Yes, papa,” she curtsied.
“Alright,” Hammur noticed some of the other children watching from the water, “I expect to see you — in your proper dress — at home in an hour.”
“Yes, papa,” Ekki curtsied again.
He looked over at Amesh swimming in the water, and the boy immediately dove underwater. Brat.
His business concluded, Hammur left the base of the tower. More townsfolk wished him a good evening, and Varona somehow bumped into him again and offered some spare stew. Knowing he’d have to talk to Iroh and Raziel, he declined her offer, citing his duties. She said it’d be a shame to let it go to waste, so he suggested she offer it to someone else before he finally managed to break away from her. Honestly, being chief was more trouble than it was worth some days.
Finally returning to his hut, Hammur could make out the hushed conversation from inside. Good.
“Glad you two decided to make time for me,” Hammur pushed past the curtained entrance to his hut.
Iroh gave Hammur a brief nod before returning to examine a griffon carving on the mantle. His eyes never stayed in one place for long, and his face passed through a number of expressions as he regarded each carving, painting, and ceremonial garb. With Iroh inside, the stench of the lanterns in the back didn’t seem as pungent — and the room was filled with a rather pleasant scent of the woods after a rainstorm. Raziel, on the other hand, stank of sweat. He had bound his hair upright, but it looked more so done out of haste to be out of his eyes rather than out of custom. The two were, in many ways, the same in their ways despite being different.
Leisurely leaning against one arm, Raziel looked up from the carpets and gave Hammur a small smile, “Well, it was either you or the wife. Honestly, if Iroh wasn’t here, it would’ve been little more than a coin flip.”
Chuckling into a cup, no doubt full of alcohol, Iroh said, “Be grateful you have such a difficult choice, Raziel.”
Suddenly stone-faced, Raziel looked at Hammur, and muttered, “Sorry.”
Hammur cleared his throat, “I wanted to speak about your students.”
“Wonderful talent, isn’t she?” Iroh grinned.
“Why did you teach her ‘recall’? That isn’t for anyone uninitiated to know.”
“She is a shaman, Hammur,” Iroh rested his cup in his lap. “She will know eventually.”
“When she’s not a child.”
“Come now,” Iroh moved the cup aside, and climbed to his full height. “She has seen more winters than Joshua, and he has put the trial aside three times to continue his carving uninterrupted.”
“He’s a child, too,” Hammur growled. “As are young Tao and young Ertia, and it’s your lackadaisical attitude that seems to spur them to be disrespectful and conniving as they are.”
“Oh?” Raziel sat up, “What did Ertia say to you?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Hammur crossed his arms, “and isn’t nearly so important as the fact she was willing to say it without fear of consequences. Neither of you have been disciplining them enough.”
“And how should I do that, wise chief?” Raziel splayed his hands out and bowed his head.
Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
Hammur scowled.
“How much have you grown in the past year, Hammur?” Iroh asked.
Hammur just gave him a questioning look.
“How much do you think Tao has grown,” Iroh held his hand at chest height then moved it to his shoulders. “About this much?”
“What are you on about?”
“And little Ertia,” Iroh slumped over to hold a hand to his knees, then moved it to his upper thigh, “Maybe here?”
“She’s taller than that,” Hammur said.
“Not me, though,” Iroh continued, apparently ignoring Hammur. “I’m a small man. I haven’t grown much at all this past year.”
Hammur grunted in response. So that’s what he meant.
“Ertia used to run around and get herself hurt punching and kicking anything she could,” Raziel said. “Giving her the spear was the best thing I’ve ever done.”
“Do you remember,” Iroh cut in, “how often people would complain about Tao pestering them while they worked?”
“Ah, yes,” Raziel nodded. “The ‘Why Girl’. Every parent’s favorite.”
“Don’t forget, ‘what about this’ and ‘but what about that’,” Iroh pointed at various adornments on the walls.
Laughing along, Raziel said, “And Ertia steered clear away from her. She never did get along too well with the talkative types. Rough housing and mud slinging were her specialities.”
“Do you remember,” Iroh laughed, too, “when we were fighting in the pits—”
“I swear I saw some coins fall in there,” Raziel said.
“Yeah, and we were wrestling and rolling around in the tar because you had already wasted a sun trying to find them,” Iroh finished.
“You idiots would have been stuck if I didn’t have a lifeline,” Hammur added.
“We’d be sinking still!” Iroh said.
Chuckling softly, Hammur rotated the ring on his left hand, “Abi made me promise to take every possible precaution.”
“She was a good woman,” Iroh rested a hand on Hammur’s shoulder.
A moment of silence descended upon the three men. They simply smiled wistfully at days gone. It was good.
“Where’s Ekki?” Raziel asked.
“Swimming in the tower,” Hammur shook his head, “with all the other kids.”
“How many more moons until she takes the trial?”
Hammur just gave Raziel a glance, before sighing.
“She’s grown, hasn’t she, Hammur,” Iroh said. “She can’t be a youngling forever. She’s not Joshua.”
Hammur grunted.
“Besides,” Iroh picked his cup off the floor, “once the trial is done, then the real learning can begin!”
Raziel placed a hand on Hammur’s shoulder, “Spend time with her while you can, my friend. They grow up faster than you think.”
“She needs discipline,” Hammur muttered.
“Hey,” Raziel looked into Hammur’s eyes, “you need your daughter, and she needs her father.”
Hammur simply looked down at his left hand, at the small golden band on his finger.
“I’ve got to finish some things at home,” Iroh said. “I’ll be seeing you bright and early tomorrow, then.”
“And my kids need someone to make sure they don’t eat all the meat in the house,” Raziel patted Hammur on the back. “Until tomorrow, my friend.”
Before the two men could push past the curtain, Hammur said, “You still have to face punishment for your students.”
Iroh snapped his fingers, “Darnit!”
Hammur shook his head, “But that can wait for tomorrow. Goodnight to you both.”
After the men left, Hammur took off his headdress and placed it on the mantle. He pulled off his robes and began to clean them. As he lost himself in the menial work, he thought of Ekki and how she used to help. She was always happy to help him where she could, and never complained. Ever since she was born, it had been just the two of them. A little light bright as the sun.
The curtain parted open once more, Ekki had a dripping bag on her back.
“Sorry, papa,” she immediately said. “I lost track of time and didn’t get to dry my clothes. I’ll get it done after I prepare dinner for you.”
He waved off her concerns, “That doesn’t matter. Let’s just hang them to dry together.”
“Yes, papa.”
They worked in silence, with a synchronicity built up from hundreds of repetitions. Were these moments the memories that Ekki had of him? Performing duties day and night? He couldn’t remember ever going out of Ur with her. Maybe she would like to see the ocean sometime soon. Younglings could go that far with a chaperone. And he was the chief. Who would tell him no?
Hammur cleared his throat, “Do you like swimming?”
She stiffened for a moment before pinning another dress on the line, “Sorry, papa.”
“No, it’s fine,” Hammur quickly answered. “I was wondering if you’d like to go to the beach sometime.”
Ekki looked at him in wonder, “Really?”
He nodded.
“Can my friends come, too?” her eyes sparkled.
Hammur stopped himself from frowning. No doubt she wanted to invite that brat, Amesh.
“Just Yeon and Neti,” she added.
With relief, he answered, “We’ll have to ask their parents.”
“Yes, papa.”
She hummed a song as they continued hanging the laundry. He knew she liked to sing when she thought he wasn’t listening. It was nice to hear, but Hammur also knew that she’d just be embarrassed and stop if he asked about it. Instead he asked what she wanted for dinner.
Her eyes sparkled like gold, “Ovalfruit and bacon.”
“Well, I can’t promise bacon but,” Hammur pinned another shirt to the line, “I think I remember Varona saying something about extra stew.”
“Oh? Varona said that?”
“Yeah, so if you want to eat before it’s cold, then we need to hurry up.”
“You should go put something on, papa,” Ekki said. “You need to look presentable as chief.”
Hammur hummed in thought, “Well, you’re right. I suppose it is part of my duties.”
“Wear the blue dashiki, papa,” she said. “I’ll finish up here and get dressed in a moment.”
“Are you sure?”
She waved him off, “Go on, and make sure it’s fitted properly. You have to look proper as chief, after all.”
Happy that Ekki was so earnest with her duties, he went inside. Maybe she was more aware of his duties than he thought. Showing such responsibility meant she was maturing. Raziel was right. Ekki was growing so fast.
Now, where was that dashiki?
----------------------------------------
“Do you think they noticed?” Ravi asked.
Ertia clapped the hollow halves of the hardshells together, “A brainrot like the chief probably tracks how long it takes to file his toe nails — no doubt he noticed.”
Ravi sighed, “We're going to be in so much trouble when we go back.”
“Better to live and face punishment than starve,” Tao slurped down another chunk of the white meat from her hardshell.
“I brought rations…”
Tearing a piece of jerky off with her teeth, Ertia said, “And we're grateful.”
“How do you like your new dress?” Tao asked.
“Bit tight,” Ertia tried tugging at the bodice of her dress, but barely managed to do more than pinch it. “Too much color for a hunt. But great to stand out in a fight.”
“I still say you shouldn't wear that,” Ravi frowned.
“It's more than just ceremonial,” Tao explained, “it's made for war.”
“That's what they say, but we've never had a war.”
Tao put down her hardshell, “In the founding of Ur, our ancestors had to break free from the Samsarans. They used the extech to try and enslave us. We fought back using qi, and managed to secure our place here.”
“That was a thousand years ago,” Ravi tore into a piece of jerky.
“It's been centuries,” Tao corrected, “and Iroh says they may invade again someday, so we have to be prepared.”
“Let them come,” Ertia clapped her hollow hardshells again.
“So, isn't it even worse to have taken Ekki’s dress then?” Ravi questioned.
“If the chief didn't break Ertia’s armor, then this wouldn't have happened.”
“Tao…”
“Look, Ravi,” Tao set down the other half of her hardshell, “we'll finish the trial and pay our dues when we return. I feel like the three of us are over prepared as it is, so we won't even have the dress for very long. I know for a fact that Ekki was going to wash it today, on schedule, and will assume it got lost in the turbines. We can just toss it in the Breaker when we get back, and someone will see it.”
“Flawless,” Ertia clapped her hardshells again.
“If you say so,” Ravi looked entirely unconvinced.
“It'll be fine, Ravi,” Tao wiped some of the water from her chin. “We'll finish this trial in no time, and no one will be the wiser.”
As the girls finished eating and prepared camp, there was a small skittering rodentia waiting for its chance to snatch some fruit. However, once the campfire was lit, the rodentia darted along the jungle floor, fleeing through underbrush and shrubbery. That is, until it was suddenly pounced by a small felidae. Happy to have a meal, the cat dashed through the dark, eagerly cutting through the jungle towards its den. Before it could crawl inside, a bolt of energy lanced through it.
Emerging from the darkness, a faintly glowing ursa slowly darkened as it moved toward its prey. The felidae struggled to stand before its neck was crushed beneath one of the ursa’s paws. Happily tearing apart its two meals, the ursa no longer glowed. In a matter of minutes, it was finished and began to search through the jungle for more prey.
Just then, a rumbling shook the earth underfoot, and the ursa fled toward the cave where it slept. A colony of chiroptera flew out, their shrieks and the fluttering of their leathery wings were startling, but the ursa simply charged through. Once inside, the chimera kept to a small alcove it could squeeze into near the cave entrance. The rumbling did not stop.
The ground gave way beneath the ursa’s feet, and water swelled. Desperately trying to find purchase with its paws, the chimera fell into the growing pit, which now pulled so much ground from the cave that it began to collapse. Rubble rained into the growing sinkhole, and water rushed deeper into the dark cave.
Deeper in the cave, the water flooded into every corridor, every tunnel, and every nest. Hurrying to collect its eggs into its mouth, a chupacabra began to try and swim against the current to find a safe place for a new nest. But the growing rubble and detritus made it impossible for the chupacabra to swim upcurrent, so it dove deeper into the flooded portions of the dark. Its ESP allowed it to navigate the cold labyrinth, twisting its body through holes and tunnels, searching for an air pocket to catch a breath.
Something nearby suddenly flared up, and the chupacabra knew it must flee. Blue light shot toward the chimera, and it died in an instant. The eggs bubbled out of its open mouth, and began floating away. A long tentacle coiled around the chupacabra’s corpse, and pulled it deeper into the dark.
Another meal for the abyss.