SABIS the SURVIVOR

Chapter 1: The Thin Line

Chapter 1: The Thin Line

Eldris hopped out of his hammock before the steam from the volcanic vents had erupted. "Up before the vent of steam," he liked to brag to the other Elders. He boiled some water and added some mushrooms and crickets to his pot. He liked to drink a steaming bowl of his concoction to start his cycle.

Eldris' family consisted of the other tribal leaders. His Mother had died while giving birth to him. "She was valiant and fearless," his Father used to gush while rocking him in his hammock at the end of each steam cycle. As a young boy, drifting off to sleep, he would imagine his Mother clad with the hide of a pika or hyrax, marching into battle against the harsh elements in SkyGod's domain. She would outwit and outlast the predators that lived out of the caves while she searched for other tribes to join with and pool resources.

While his hammock swung, he used to gaze at the stone carving of his Mother that his Father had done for her before she gave birth and then passed into the stone. After the age of six, his Father would no longer rock his hammock before sleep but would tickle his bottom with the handle of his bone blade. Eldris liked to carve using wax. Since his Father forbade him from using a blade, Eldris used the edge of a yucca leaf to do his wax carvings. He would use his hammock as a hiding place for his carvings so that he could one day surprise his Father with one of his creations. One steam cycle, when the school arena was closed, he and his friend Giulis played hide and seek in his home cave. Giulis dove into Eldris' hammock and crushed the carvings that were hidden under the blanket. After that time, Eldris hid his carvings at the bottom of the dried and dusty cricket jar.

Living alone as an Elder had its advantages. He could rise from his hammock at the time of his choosing without fear of disturbing someone's sleep. He could cook any dish without having to apologize for the resulting odours. He could stay awake while carving by torchlight without anyone telling him to dim the torch. He could use the toilet alcove without having to excuse himself away from some conversation. He could practice his yoga poses while whistling through his nose and nobody would be the wiser.

But since his Father had passed into the stone ten ritual of fires ago, he missed their discussions. As he sipped his brewed earthy breakfast, Eldris studied the wax carving that he had gifted his Father for his fortieth ritual-of-fire ceremony. It was a wax bust carving of his Father. On the left side of the face, one could discern a melted hammer descending from the lower eyelid to the upper mouth crease. Below the mouth on that same side, an anvil protruded below the bust's neck. On the right side, there was a hand and forearm raised to the right ear. The bottom of the forearm flattened out so that together with the left-sided anvil, the bust could rest on a flat surface without falling over.

Then Eldris recalled one of the final discussions that he and his Father shared while seated at the dinner table. Father then passed into the stone only seven steam cycles hence.

"Son, you know that I love you and that I always have felt proud of who you are as a person."

"Thank you Wallis." Eldris used to call his Father by his given name. That habit had begun once he celebrated his thirteenth ritual of fire. At that age, he had joined the warriors-in-training group. His instructors insisted on being called by their given names since according to them, "Speaking each person's name is an opportunity to honour that person's uniqueness, their family heritage, as well as the Ancient Heroes that a person is named after."

"I love you too." Telling each other their feelings was indeed a rare occurrence so Eldris suspected that Wallis had some agenda for this emotionally-expressive conversation. Was Wallis going to tell him some bad news? Had he contracted the warrior affliction?