Chapter 2 - The Talk
CHAPTER 2
--- THE TALK ---
Freya walked into the cave carrying a few local herbs found in the forest. She walked with a dignity that commanded respect, part of what Fyurik admired about his wife. The sun was beginning to set behind the cave and the sky was an orange tint with traces of red beyond all the black silhouettes of the trees.
"Ah she returns!" Cried Fyurik, greeting her with a warm hug.
"Indeed I have, bearing gifts no less!" She replied, "so then what have you filled your daytimes with then?" She looked at Januk who had been watching his father greet his mother.
"Well, I slew a dear! With my claws, no little stone daggers or weapons, my own speed and agility." Januk boasted, "and I have the proof to show for it!" He revealed the venison lying on the cave floor, "we were waiting for you to come back before we cooked it you see?" He beamed with pride as he set up the stone spit over the blazing green and pink fire, attaching three strong chunks of meat, all of which were very juicy with barely any fat. They cooked in mere seconds so he had to be careful as not to burn them. Everlasting flames were powerful things hardly comparable to our microwaves or ovens. He presented everyone with their piece of venison in bowls alongside water from the stream itself to wash it down. To an Anklorian good meat was something of a treat, in truth a selfish side of Januk wished he had not been so kind to Korar but he assured himself he was right to have given up those pieces too, sharing the bounty proudly among people.
"This is delicious, very flavoursome and juicy, must've been a very fit deer mind you, hats off for that!" Said Fyurik with pride.
"I was just putting my flare on proceedings," grinned Januk. "Besides I've had a couple lessons have I not?"
"Mmm… Januk this meat will keep me going for weeks, I don't want to taste anything else for a while," chimed Freya. "Be careful or else this will be your job everytime we become hungry!" Januk laughed this off, they ate and drank and spoke over the meat which they all savoured. They sang songs to the fire, a popular song known by all the Anklorians is the song sung at the collection. It was a beloved classic such as we have 'Bohemian Rhapsody' or 'Hey Jude' they had 'We few' and it went as follows.
We house the dark we hide in sight,
We were the ones who traveled at night,
Humans may you just beware,
If we are hungry you best be scared,
Oh! Ah!
Oh! Ah!
We the few are coming for you,
We can make this easy if we try,
I may ask what is it you do,
But no one hears you scream at night,
Oh! Ah!
Oh! Ah!
A morbid song I grant you, this race was not proud of their conditions by any stretch but they did understand they needed to stay feared by humans if they were going to continue to survive as a species. They needed to be feared so that humans wouldn't fight back. Other races feared Anklorians due to their mystery, none of them had knowingly seen an anklorian and the ones that did, had died… coincidentally of course. Either way sufficed to say the family had a merry evening around their green fire, until they began to discuss the collection.
"Well Korar said something odd, that there were rumors about the high mountain, about problems," explained Januk.
"I heard nothing of late," said Fyurik
"I saw his mother earlier today, she said nothing of the sort, in fact she was rather excited about the collection and our journey, Korar has odd folk for friends does he not?" Enquired Freya.
"Well yeah he's friends with that ancient one Kusved or something- you know, he lives higher up our mountain, known of him since I was young, Korar used to tell me all kinds of stories about him, like he fought in the wars that got us cursed, I hardly think it's true. I'd say those tales are as tall as our legend of Ephin with about as much truth as betra had height," Januk rolled his eyes. "What was your coming of age collection like?" He prayed he didn't get Korar's answer.
"Ah… it was fun, I remember all the mead that night, my friends Auskar, Hektor and Jaran." (Jaran was a father to Korar) Fyurik smiled but before he could finish Freya interjected loud.
"I remember that, you were all very much out of your wits. We had to take you aside and calm you down, Karis, Lagerta and Gunthi all helped you too." (Karis was mother to Korar) Freya recounted how she had first laid eyes upon Fyurik claiming he was only that drunk to calm his nerves, which Fyurik denied with a lot of laughing and sheepish grins towards Januk.
"All you need to know is, your mother and I had a lovely evening on the collection, and we want the same for you, that's all, but if you need a small private chat about," he coughed and spoke out the corner of his grey mouth "anything else just don't hesita-"
"O-ho-kay! Thank you for that I'm sure that I won't need to ask that in a hurry," laughed Januk with his eyes wide from the shock of what he assumed to be the end of that sentence. "Less of that thanks you two!" He eyed his parents as he collected the bowls. The sun had since gone down and the moons had risen each a different shade, one bright pink, one bright red the other dark blue. The night sky was black like a curtain and the clouds rested over the stars like blankets and the three moons dimly lit the land beneath. Januk squatted outside over the stream washing the bowls in the clear water, even when the used water fell back in it fell clean. His hair hung over the water, as he removed it, he caught his reflection. His grey skin and wide turquoise eyes with large black pupils staring back with his slightly thin lips in a scared stare of what he would become. The dread of the collection ceremony, to have to maintain his blood intake or else his fate could well be death. Petrifying. He looked at his reflection trying to take it all in but he really couldn't. He looked out upon the trees and mountains and the high one in the distance. Thinking just how much he'd miss it. But then again that's all part of it. No point denying it, he thought as he crawled back into the cave, reclined on the floor from the other side to his parents and slept.