"You don't have to tell that idiot anything!" Raziel exclaimed, "Let's just leave."

Frac looked at Raziel with agreement, yet nonetheless didn't want to lose Forneus's respect. Even though an idiot as Raziel stated, Frac still liked Forneus, who was always a blast to be around. Often Forneus skirted the edge of trouble, but then so did Frac, sometimes, and Raziel as well, sometimes. But this was indeed dangerous, very dangerous and Frac did want to make that special thirteenth birthday--that's when the real adventures would begin. Just two weeks to adulthood. Raziel was born a couple of hours after Frac. A Nuemerican's thirteenth birthday was the major rite of passage for each villager and a great celebration for the entire village of Nuemerica. So, Frac did decide to pass on this adventure, but not before asking, as to oneself, "Should I go for it?" But alas, Raziel was right--as always--this would be crazy! Frac stood up and gathered the rawhide.

"This is the right thing to do, Frac. All those who go down there end up being a bit weird afterward--if they weren't before. It's rumored Dagon has never even returned from going down there and rules down there--and you know what Dagon is like," Raziel said, attempting to reassure Frac of making the right choice. Dagon was sort of the village hooligan, and had been involved in all sorts of questionable activity, though nothing had ever been proven as fact against Dagon. Regardless, everyone, or nearly everyone stayed out of Dagon's way. "Do you want a master like Dagon?"

Raziel was right, Frac acknowledged without saying a word. Nonetheless, Frac wanted very much to go down to the Underground Pool. "There must be another way down there," Frac mumbled, "I can't imagine Forneus slipping down this shaft every time...maybe...but, Forn's not that agile, and I've never seen any scars, or twisted limbs like a lot of the others have had."

"I'm sure you may be right," Raziel said, "That clutz should be busted up big time, all the times having been down there. Plus, Forn isn't the bravest of souls and come to think of it, I can't imagine Forn ever going down such a treacherous slope, can you?"

Frac's head shook "no."

"Well are you coming, or what?" Forneus yelled from below.

Frac looked at Raziel, then shouted down the chute, "Next time! I'll follow you down next time you go down."

"What?"

"I said that the next time you go down, I'll just follow you."

"Why?" Forneus nervously asked, "Just do as I instructed you, now!"

"I'm not quite sure I have it right, Forn," Frac coolly said, "I'll just wait and watch you."

Not a word was replied for what seemed several minutes, but Frac was certain it was only a moment. "Frac, you may not be welcome down here at another time."

"What do you mean 'not welcome?' It's a free world isn't it?" Frac replied with a bit of indignation. Another moment of silence. "Come on, Frac. Just come now. It will be worth it, I guarantee you. If you like, I'll give you instructions again."

"That's okay, I'll just wait and follow you down. I'd rather play it safe than stupid," Frac said, "Besides, what's the rush? If it's better for you, come out now and lead me down. If not today, then tomorrow. Just stop by and pick me up when you come down tomorrow."

A splash was heard and Raziel imagined it was Forneus punching the water. "You're right, Forny doesn't go down via this chute. There must be another way in," Raziel whispered.

"Like I said, you may not be welcome down here--tomorrow," Forneus said in a mean, challenging voice, or so it seemed to Raziel.

"Yeah? You think you can stop us from coming down there--TOMORROW?" Raziel yelled in a near scream, and much to Frac's surprise.

"You just better watch your step, peanut--and your mouth," Forneus replied, cold and mean. "Frac, this is your last chance! Are you coming, or not?"

"Later," Frac replied, calm and cool. "And, you better watch your mouth, too--and your threats," Frac firmly and confidently said to Forneus. Though Forneus was a bit older than Frac, and Raziel; Frac and Forneus were pretty much equal when it came to rough-and-tumble play. They never had a fight per se, but neither underestimated each other; and neither would ever yield to the other. It was always a stale-mate between Frac and Forneus. Frac and Raziel were a different matter. Frac almost always yielded to Raziel; not because Raziel was more powerful, quite the contrary. Actually Frac was considerably larger in physique than Raziel, as was Forneus, it's just that Frac respected Raziel, who never was a loudmouth, or boisterous, or provocative. Forneus didn't hold this same respect for Raziel, and viewed Raziel's qualities as weak and inferior.

When they were younger, all three played with each other--all the time. Frac, Raziel and Forneus were inseparable. This changed one day while the three, at about four years of age, were at play. Pronoia, Frac's 2nd Main Guardian, had made a beautiful clay urn, in which to store their water. While Pronoia was away to get water, Frac, Raziel and Forneus had been playing "hide, find & tag" and the playing got a little wild--Raziel finding, chasing and tagging Frac; Frac then finding and tagging Forneus. Then Raziel took to hiding behind Pronoia's big, new water urn and Frac across the compound under a table. Forneus now the prowler, had climbed on the roof of Frac's home, instead of prowling the grounds, and with a bird's-eye view, seen Raziel hiding behind the urn and dove arms-stretched, head-first from the roof and tackled Raziel crashing them both into the new urn, smashing it and drenching them both with half an urn full of water. Pronoia had come back moments later. Frac took the blame, claiming to have pushed Forneus into Raziel.

Why Frac had taken the blame, so thoughtlessly and without hesitation, Raziel to this day could never figure out, but Raziel wasn't about to lie when questioned by Pronoia and told what really happened. A Nuemerican's word was as sacred as life, and it was as limited. One could not refill one's word like a mug of water. Once a drop is gone--it is gone. Pronoia and Haniel had a long talk with Frac after this, commending Frac for sticking up for friends, but very sternly explained the worth of one's "word." Frac never forgot this and held it to heart everyday. And, Frac had only lied this once, to date. Forneus never forgot Raziel's truth either, and Raziel thought Forneus as swamp-scum for letting Frac lie and not admitting to Pronoia. The two grew very much apart over the years. Frac had no hard feelings against Raziel's admission and was really a bit relieved, as having told a "commendable" lie was not as serious as having foolishly destroyed an item that apparently meant a lot to Pronoia.

Frac and Raziel heard Forneus go splashing off, muttering something about, "Blowing your chance."

"He's such swamp-scum," Raziel said, stepping down from a large boulder on the small, rocky, hill that concealed the chute to the Underground Pool. Upon descending the small hill, Frac and Raziel made their way through some tall grasses and marsh, where they were heading for the beaches of the Great Salty Lake to go for a swim before heading back to the Village. "I can't for the life of me figure out what you even see in that character, Frac. Someday Forneus is going to get you in big trouble...and sure as I'm breathing--will leave you hanging," Raziel said. Frac said nothing.

"What's that?" Frac exclaimed, pointing across the tall grasses, which were about nose-high to them.

"What? Where?"

"I don't know what, but I seen it over there," Frac excitedly said, making way across the tall grasses toward the direction that Frac's finger was pointing.

"What did you see?"

"I said I don't know, it was a big, dark shape moving across the grasses right over there."

Raziel seen nothing, but followed Frac nonetheless. They stopped at the point that Frac indicated. Nothing was there or even ever appeared to be.

"Frac, there's nothing here. Nothing was here, look the grasses aren't even bent," Raziel said, while indicating the path through the grass that they had just made. "It must have been the shadow of a cloud," Raziel stated, "Let's go swimming."

"There are no clouds today," Frac said. Raziel looked up; not a cloud in the entire sky. "I know I seen something.. or someone. Just help me look around for a moment."

"So what if you did see someone? It's probably some Guardians playing Wooku in the bushes."

"Funny," Frac said with a grimace. "If someone's following us, I want to know who and why."

Raziel consented and helped Frac look around, but there was no sign, no clue of anyone, or anything. Not even a single bent grass.

"C'mon Frac, let's go swimming. There's nothing here."

"I'm going home. I'm hungry. I don't much feel like swimming today." Frac was never one who was big on swimming or any water activities, like a lot of villagers were, Raziel included. Raziel loved being in the water and loved building rafts. The rafts weren't much, not like the huge village-made rafts, but for a child--they worked. Raziel would gather fallen branches, tie them together with vine and throw a piece of cowhide over it to sit on; then spend hours just floating out on the Great Salty Lake. Frac rarely joined Raziel, and Raziel suspected that Frac feared the water, though would never admit it.

Frac and Raziel made their way through the tall grasses to the beach, then down the beach, with the bright day-torch over their right shoulders, to the main path to the Village.

Continue to Chapter 2




© 2001 John Gnotek