Chapter 19: Trapped in a cage
"How are your rune studies going..." the chief pondered, his gaze falling on a young Belk who drew idly in the sand in the middle of the village. The young boy stared up at his father with a weary expression in his gaze.
"Not doing ’em," the young boy defied, going back to drawing as if nothing had happened.
"Huh? Not doing them?!" he snapped, wondering if he had even heard his son right.
"That’s right," Belk quipped without hesitation, his back turned to his father’s twitching gaze.
"Those runes are integral to our ancestors’ history! You have to learn them!" the old man roared, but his boisterous yell fell on the deaf ears of a child. "Are you even listening to me?!"
"Now, now, just let the boy be for today," a soft hand rested on the chief’s shoulder. His eyes darted to a woman with lime green skin, round red eyes, and a cheeky smile.
"You can’t be serious..." he mumbled, his passionate disagreement quelled by the woman who stood right beside him. "He needs to learn the eight runes in order to be chief!"
"Well, he can learn them tomorrow," she chuckled, walking over and kneeling right beside the child.
"Wanna go exploring with me?" she mused, Belk’s eyes widening with excitement at the idea.