Alligator Eyes

Chapter 20

Jinyoung immediately agrees to help with the rebuild, in anyway that he can. The hunters invite BamBam out to survey the surrounding jungle with them, replacing Uteh as he has to stay in the city now.

It doesn't take long for Youngjae to make himself useful resetting traps and figuring out which mechanisms will explode and which ones won't, but as Mark has gathered, he's loving every minute of it. He can't read the text from the books on them, but he can identify them on drawings alone. He spends most of his time down there, Mark only sees him sporadically.

As if he wasn't busy enough, Jackson starts up a school for sign language so that anybody who wants to learn Linon sign language and talk to Jaebum, can. It's especially popular among the kids, all of whom follow Jaebum around in wonder.

Their own younger siblings struggle greatly. None of the kids here speak any Chetka or Linon which is all they know, but they make a few friends. Eri and Pom take up the task of teaching them Rigoan but it will be a while before they'll be able to communicate.

Yugyeom, while trying to avoid what he considers 'real responsibility', helps Jinyoung with the rebuild.

Mark expected this to be an awkward transition. They've never had anyone move into their village. Not that they're not open to it, but they've had such a bad reputation that no one wants to. This many people all at once, with only of them able to speak Rigoan and one who can't speak at all should have been hard. He's reminded again just how much he loves his people when they don't bat an eye at it.

They talk to Jackson like they've known him all his life and try as best they can to help the kids not feel so alone. A few of the adults speak Chetka, and Mark managed to find a few who speak Linon, so they aren't completely without. He just worries they'll decide this is too hard and leave.

It isn't however his most pressing concern. Finally, the Chief has deemed Uteh ready to rule, and is stepping down. His coronation is in only a few days and Mark's own is the day after. As it turns out, what Mark thought was the regular duties of a member of the chief's family, was actually to prepare him to advise his brother.

Mark looks up at the sky, clear blue and then back down at the papers in front of him. He's been writing and revising this speech for over a week now and it doesn't feel right yet. It might never feel right. He should have been preparing this speech his whole life and instead he's got the week. Jinyoung is sitting next to him, studying from a book Jackson found in the library to help him learn the language.

The entire ceremony is going to be in Rigoan, naturally, so he's going to be a bit lost on the fine print. Mark has told him the gist of what will be said at both ceremonies, but he expects them to be a bit different this time. With them back in their temple, the venue is different and according to their books, the text also use to be different. They've also found some items that are mention in their books as the only items that can crown a new chief, so technically, the last four chiefs haven't been official, their father included.

Although they intend to add that into the books, they have chosen to ignore the finer implications. Uteh will be the first man in generations to be officially brought to rule. Mark as his adviser is the same.

"Mark," Jinyoung starts, waving a hand in front of his face. "Wera is calling for you"

Jinyoung points and Mark follows his finger with his eye to where Wera is running up, yelling his name. He hadn't even heard him. He stands to meet him, picking him up with a groan. It seems he's getting bigger by the day, soon he'll be too big to carry.

"Yien, Uteh needs you to come to the temple"

Mark nods his assent, putting Wera back down, he looks at Jinyoung to see if he's coming and he's already standing wiping the dust from his pants. Wera takes both their hands, walking in between them as they head back. What Uteh could possibly want, neither of them have any idea.