SABIS the SURVIVOR

Chapter 2: Water-Logged

Chapter 2: Water-Logged

In his haste to leave his home cave, Ravis almost collided with the shoulder-height ceramic aqueducts that marked the UnderStrata caves' passageways. The path to the Stone Arena was lined with these sturdy ceramic conduits so as to bring fresh water to each cave from the pumping station located deeper underground.

Owing to the inherent electrical properties of these ceramic conduits, the tribe's engineers built these 'pipes' into the sides of the caves so that the pressure on these aqueducts would slightly deform their sides. This mechanical stress in the 'pipes' generates an electric impulse that could be harvested for energy. But if anyone decided to hit these pipes firmly with a rock or spear then an electrical spark could form. Consequently, the gas that emanates from the cave's igneous and sedimentary rocks could be set on fire, or worse. There could be an explosion.

Sparks weren't flying as Ravis pounded down the path to the Arena. But he certainly kicked up enough dust to make his form almost invisible. So when his friend Flavius almost ran him over as he hurried to the Arena from the other end of the home cave section, it was no surprise.

"Ravis, you lucky huckster, how in Mother Earth's name are you?"

"Flavius Magnus, aren't you the lucky one? I almost impaled you with the horn on my helmet!"

"Yeah. That Griffin's tail on your horn is quite long and sharp. Say Ravis, we're both late for the Games so let's take the shortcut. What do you say?"

"Yeah F.M. That's great. I can use a dip in the water to clear my head."

So they left the aqueduct-lined path to the Arena and abruptly cut left towards the shortcut through the Sea of Salinity.

As long as the Sound of the Stone clangs resonated within the caves, then each prospective competitor for the Stone Games could declare him or herself as a viable contestant. Despite their hurrying and heavy breathing, they kept an ear out for that particular echo noise.

"Flavius, are you sure that you want to do this?"

"Yeah! It'll be good for me. And you too. Don't you want to kick some warrior recruit butt?"

Ravis nodded and smiled as they climbed up into an antechamber filled with rocks and gemstones that were discarded from other people's attempts at harvesting the Sea for anything valuable. Finally, they looked in a back corner of the chamber to see a trickle of water coming from the ceiling, winding its way to the ground then disappearing into a crack in the stone floor. They both hiked down the path that the trickle of water followed.

Eventually, they came to a cataract that dropped into the Sea of Salinity.

Over the rush of water, Flavius shouted, "Ravis, all we have to do now is dive into the Sea and swim across to the other side. Are you with me?"

Ravis had forgotten why he was on this path. All he could do was stare at the ten-meter drop into the Sea. Listening to the rapidly advancing waterfall as it fell over the edge of the cliff and crashed into the Sea below, he became frozen like a stone statue.

I wonder what it would be like to dive off this edge head-first and into infinity, cascaded through his mind. Then Flavius' shouts dried up his wet daydream. He untied his leather bone-blade across-the-shoulder carrying sac and used it to bundle together his wartis, bone blade, uniform, and helmet. As he secured his helmet affixed with his family crest, the sign of the Griffin, he considered how that mythical creature represented mastery of both sky and earth.

"I can fly like an eagle and I can rule like a lion," he mused. More composed and confident, he picked up a small stone and tossed it as far as he could over the cliff and into the Sea while praying.

"Mother Earth, you are my rock. Mother Earth, please remove my fear; courage I need to unlock."

He looked over at Flavius then shouted, "Here's to winning at the Games."

Then he threw his bundle and stone from his home cave entrance's arch over the edge and jumped.