Siblings of Sol: Destruction of a Planet

Chapter 29

Cal hurries down the central tunnel with the bundle of food and water strapped to his back, causing him to bend over even more than normal. The yellow bundle of strange material swings from his right hand as he rushes to complete his task for Jarl, so he can get back to the village for playtime. Tonight, it is his turn to be first male in the choosing, and he knows just who he wants.

He moves around the outside of the huge round chamber to the only room that has a light on that shines weakly through the doorway. He steps in, happy to be away from the open space in the center and the fear that the ground might drop out from under his feet. Jarl had instructed him on how to get to this place with dire warnings of what could happen if he did not follow them to the letter.

Adam had fallen asleep in the quiet of the small chamber, and sleepily turns in the direction of the sudden noise that echoes off the stone walls of the natural amphitheater.

Cal stops when he sees him move slowly. "Sorry to wake you, but Jarl said I was to get here quickly, so you would not want for something to eat or drink."

He sits up on the edge of the bed. "What time is it?"

Cal moves to the small table and stands up straight, so he can slip his arms out of the straps holding the pack on his back, before setting it down beside the yellow bundle he had been carrying. "It is time for the noon meal on the period after Jarl brought you here. I have something for you that will help you tell the time as long as you remember to use it properly."

Adam watches as he pulls a long glass tube from the side of the pack. The tube is divided into two parts, with a narrow point in the very center. He smiles at the familiar device. "An hourglass."

Cal stands up straight. "I don't know what an hourglass is, but we call this a turn keeper."

Adam nods his head as he gets up from the bed and crosses to the table. He picks up the time piece and checks to see if all the sand has made it to the base of the glass tube past the orifice in the center, which it has. He turns to Cal. "How long does it take for the sand to run out?"

"Half a period, so you will need to turn it as soon as it runs out or you will miss the time of the period you are in," informs Cal.

He sits the turn keeper off to the side of the table and turns it upside down to start the flow of sand into the now empty lower portion of the glass tube. "So, what have you brought me to eat?"

Cal lays out the different packages of food wrapped in white cloths for transport. "Well, we have a few loaves of the dark bread and the jam from the Avon fruit. I also have a bag of fresh vegetables, firm and just picked from the fields so they will last till Jarl comes for you." A large leather sack that flops around as he places it on the table finishes the contents of the sack he had on his back. The yellow bundle of Evian's and his clothes, he takes to the bed and sets it there so he can go through it later, before returning to sit down at the small table.

"Are you staying to eat something before you return?"

Cal smiles and sits down in the chair opposite his. "If it is OK with you, I would like that."

Adam opens the first bundle to reveal a fresh loaf of bread still a little warm from the ovens. Cal takes one of the jars of jam and produces a scooping tool from the side of the now empty pack and removes the string that holds the cloth top on the jar. Adam spreads some of the jam thickly on the bread and takes a big bite from the edge, chewing it eagerly. "Oh, that is good," he exclaims, as he chews, while setting the rest of the piece on the edge of the open cloth.

Cal has opened the bundle of vegetables and hands a couple of sticks of an orange root plant to Adam. He crunches the crisp firm root, as he reaches for a cup, so he can get some water from the leather sack. Adam fumbles with the stopper as Cal smiles at him. "Here, let me get that for you. Jarl told me that you are unfamiliar with our ways, and I was to help you anyway I can."

He holds the cup as Cal rests the bag in the crook of his arm, and uses his other hand to twist the stopper, so the water can flow out. "Thank you, you're much better at it than I am. So, what did Jarl tell you about Evian and me?"

Cal sits back and chews on another of the vegetable sticks as he responds. "He said that you and Evian are from a more advanced people, and the Shrils are anxious to talk to you, but that we need to keep you hidden till the Speaker of the Shrils calls for you."

"Are you ok with that? I mean, does it make you nervous that we are being sought by the Shrils? It could possibly mean some hardship for your village," explains Adam. More to focus the attention on Cal and the village, instead of him asking questions that he does not want to answer at this moment.

Cal turns serious at the thought, because it is obviously something that has been bothering him, as he walked from the village through the tunnels. "I have put my faith in Jarl and can't believe that he would put our village in danger. He is our Elder, and has been instructing me on Elders' duties," states Cal flatly.

Adam smiles at his conviction. "I believe that you will make a fine Elder, but you do know that you need to survive the Island first, though."

"Yes, and that is something I wanted to ask you. How did you survive when the others were caught and eaten by the young Shrils?"

He grabs another piece of fruit and leans back. "First of all, you need to remember that the Shrils do not like anything cold, because they need the heat to keep their bodies functioning properly. Also, their eyes are very sensitive to bright lights. So, all I needed to do was head for the cooler water at the edge of the beach and wait till the rest were eventually caught."

Cal looks at him sideways. "But Jarl said that you had help from Tar, the Elder from an adjoining village."

Adam laughs out loud at the look on his face. "Yes, you are right. He did go to the Shril to prevent it from coming for me."

"So, he sacrificed himself to save you?"

Adam looks down to the table as he remembers the sight from just a couple of periods ago. "Yes, he did, and it is something I will never forget. He smiled as he raced towards it and attempted to fight it."

They eat in silence for a time till Cal looks to the turn keeper. "I should get going, I have to be back before playtime tonight. I am first male this period, and I get to choose my playmate for the playtime."

"Do you have someone in mind?" he asks.

"Yes. Tric. She is a cook in the main hall. I cannot seem to get to sleep at night without picturing her in my mind. She is..., well you know," confesses Cal, as he puts his head down, shyly.

Adam reaches across the table to place his hand on his arm. "I know exactly what you mean. It is the same way I feel about Evian; the world just seems right when she is with me."

Cal gets up and looks down on him as he reaches for another slice of bread. "I can eat this on the way. Is there anything you need me to tell Jarl when I return?"

He thinks about it. "Just that if he could get here sooner rather than later, would be nice. I have no idea what I am going to do for the next couple of periods."

"OK, I will tell him that. Have a good period, Adam," smiles Cal, as he turns for the doorway and slips back out into the dome shaped chamber.

Adam watches him disappear and sits back in his chair. "What do I do now?" he thinks, as he gets up to open his yellow bundle and check its contents.