Laying in my bed as the first pieces of Sol graced my presence through my window as he came over the horizon. Crawling out of my bed from the side closest to the door just to change things up a bit, I began looking for clothes a fresh pair of clothes as I had been in at least this pair of pants for just at two days. After getting dressed, something seemed to be a bit different, and I couldn’t quite place why.

Looking back on it, I’m more than just a little thankful that I grew into the habit of going to sleep mostly dressed. I personally can’t think of something more embarrassing than meeting a God and not looking presentable. Shivering at the thought of what could have happened, I pick out a set of clothes and get ready for the day.

Walking out of my room and down the hall I knock on Elaine’s door to try and get her up. Upon this, I don’t wait for her response as I turn and go to the living room area where I was interrogated by mom last night. Walking through, I took a seat at the table that took up a large part of the living area. At the table, I was greeted by the presences of both my mother and father. As usual, Elaine was late to get up, though at this point I think that she’s doing it on purpose.

The food that my father had prepared earlier this morning was seated in front of each of the chairs surrounding the round table that served as the dining room portion of our living room. Every part of the prepared meal was cultured by the hands of every member of my family and a few others that are tasked to help out as a form of compensation for the work my dad does or those working to shorten sentences meted out by the Bright’s who study the law’s laid out by Sol as dictated by his Luminous Tesoro and all the previous Luminous’ back to the first.

What was it that Bright Daphne said… oh right. Sol has, on multiple occasions, adjusted the laws he has laid out for us. The reason being the differences between those laws laid out during the Era of Crusades when battles were prevalent, and order had to be maintained much more strictly than currently. Other times laws were adjusted according to the populace, certain infractions against the laid-out laws were made less severe, while new laws were enacted. Those who were helping out with work around the farm were those who broke a law in some form or fashion and are working to aid back to the Conclave in proportion to the laws which they broke. The more severe the law broken; the more time required to work off the punishment. And those who have broken a major law, or broken laws multiple times get excommunicated.

I have only ever witnessed one excommunication. Or the aftereffects anyway. They are called the Shadowed, and in accordance with which law they broke, the skin of the accused is scorched under the Lens of Sol turning into a charred and mangled mess of flesh resembling that of burnt wood. They are then given a few days of water and food as a last act of kindness and told to walk across the desert that surrounds the conclave past the outer orbit. I know not of any who have survived, but that doesn’t mean that none have survived.

From what I have… researched per the ‘push’ Bright Daphne calls homework for whenever I have a question, I found out a few bits of information that’s not exactly talked about. The excommunicated are different from the faithless in that the faithless are beings who have not accepted a God or their teachings, but are capable of doing so at any point in time willingly. Whereas the excommunicated of any religion are scorned by all others and have to live the rest of their lives without the aid of gods in any way, shape, form, or fashion; with no usually no possibility of being welcomed back into a religion. Not saying that those who were excommunicated couldn’t be accepted by another religion, but those religions and gods that accept an excommunicated into their number have historically been of the more violent and scheming variety.

These wayward thoughts kept me occupied through the entirety of the meal placed before me. “Thank you Sol for the food you helped to provide us,” I said as I got up from the table to take my dishes to the kitchen, my feeling of unease grew slightly more as there was no discussion from either pf my parents during this meal which was unusual. Upon my return, my father grabbed my shoulder before I could go to my room to prepare for my daily routine of either helping out around the farmland or going to the lesson Bright Daphne taught. As the farmwork was taken care of without me being there, my plan was to go to the lesson. Or it was supposed to be anyway, before my father said, “don’t bother dressing for class today Adamas, and don’t worry to much about work clothes either. I’m going to need you to wear something that you are comfortable in. You’re heading with me today,” his firm grip leaving my shoulder with a slight shake. “I’ve already talked it over with your mother, and she agreed to let me teach you a bit about what it is I actually do, so that you know that farming isn’t your only option in the future.”

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His message came through loud and clear. Dad had managed to come up with a plausible enough reason to convince mom to let me study under dad. As was dictated to him last night, he was to help prepare me for my future travels. Something tells me that today was going to be painful.

“Well that’s not fair at all dad!” came the high pitched voice of my sister. “How come Ady gets to go with you and I have to go to the lesson?”

“it’s not that I forgot about you Elaine,” my father answered. “But unlike your brother, you didn’t wake up in time for me to extend the offer. I mean, look at what you’re wearing, you are still in your night gown Elaine.” The retort was curt, truthful, and enough to make my sharp-witted sister curb her enthusiasm.

Elaine’s shoulders dropped noticeably at the harsh critique.

“However, if you show me that you are adult enough to start getting up with your brother’s help, I will extend the same invitation to you in time,” my father continued, seeing her reaction as well; on top of getting a sharp glare from my mom. That particular line was obviously not discussed beforehand obviously.

Elain’s shoulder shot right back up as she lunged for our father, grabbing him by his midsection and giving him a quick squeeze. “That’s a promise, right?”

My mother was the one to answer this time. “That will have to wait and see little missy. Now sit down and eat quickly. You still have much to prepare before you even think of stepping out of this house and going to your lesson.” Turning her attention towards my father and I she continued, “and aren’t you beginning to run late Daimos?”

Looking outside my father all but cursed out loud. “See you later dear,” dad said as he gave here a quick kiss on the cheek and scruffled Elain’s hair. “Play nice kiddo, and tell me about what happened when I get back. And you,” he said to me, “you have about sixty seconds to get in comfortable clothes and get outside.” Not waiting for a response from me, he hurried out.

“One of those days I guess,” I said out loud before running to my room to change. Changing being to simply grab a broad brimmed hat, I run outside to meet my father who was waiting patiently for me.

“Thirty seconds. Not to bad, but could be better,” my father said as I all but jumped out of the front door to meet him. Taking a moment to look me up and down, he spoke once more. “From this moment on, you are not to call me as dad, father, or any sort of overly familiar family term. From this moment now until we get back later, you are to refer to me as Sir. When I ask you a question, you are to answer with ‘Sir, yes sir,’ is that understood?”

“Yes fath…” I started to say before catching myself. “I mean. Sir, yes sir.”

Patting my shoulder, he spoke with a smile. “I might make a Guardian out of you yet son. And nice call on the hat.” Stepping away from my side, he began walking down the road. “Follow me, and keep pace. When we get to where we are going, you are going to be glad you brought that hat with you when you get back in two days.”

“Two days? Why so long?” I asked, almost stumbling over myself at the sudden timeframe of my stay with my dad at work. Not that I’m not happy with the time I get to hang out with him, but that uneasy feeling I got earlier started to increase.

“Yes, two days.” He said back to me, not missing a stride in the process. “I have been tasked with preparing you for your pilgrimage by the most high within our faith. Now that’s not a whole lot of time, but it’s enough to drill into the most basic of the basics. Of which I expect you to repeat them as necessary during your travels.” Wording this statement in such a way as to elude to his Luminous in order to dissuade any who are an ear to close for comfort.

Well, that certainly explains the uneasy feeling I had since I woke up. “Sir… yes Sir…” I said halfheartedly.

As we arrived at a signpost with a cart apparently waiting to pick up my father, he jumped into the back and held out a strong and firm hand for me to grab. “Come on now Adamas, it’s not like I’m going to kill you or anything. Just think of this as some father son bonding. Now let’s get going,” a soft smile growing across his hard features.

Reaching up to grab my fathers’ hand, I could have sworn I saw a dark glint grow from the smile he presented me with. At that, the uneasy feeling grew even more.

I have a feeling that someone is going to enjoy these next few days, and that someone was most certainly not going to be me.

Taking my seat beside my father, he spoke to the driver. “We’re all loaded Thomas, take us to the Outer Orbit. We have a temporary member to welcome.”

Only one phrase crossed my mind as the steady clippity-clop of the horse lead us to our destination. “Welcome to hell”.