Worlds Away Book 1: Crucible

Chapter 1:The Unavoidable Campaign

Please feel free to vote on which version you prefer more between the first person pov and the third person pov of parts of chapter 1, thank you!!

"Wake up boy," pa grumbles in his rough baritone voice, all while poking my gut with the flat end of his spear.  "It's time we get a move on, we are to meet Milo and the rest at shore by half day."

I awake in my quaint little home. Though, it isn't much of a home anymore, since the tribe’s decided to leave. It more closely resembles a shelter quickly made for a one nights stay, not a place for comfort, but a hollow remnant of better days, when mother's laughter used to fill the hovel.

Once upon a time there was an ogre of an Elder who lived here, whose voice sounded like a thunderstorm with even the faintest of effort while talking. He's thought to be the greatest elder we have had to date. The man was able to calm a storm in our people with only his words, don't get me wrong, he was a fierce man, calm yes, but when the need arose he was always the first to thrust himself forward into danger. Because of his undying ferocity he was promoted to leader of the Dreadnoks while still in his teen birth years. He was a peerless hunter who brought the islands animals to the brink of extinction just before he had passed away. His name was Darthrack Exhulm, I am his grandson, Croix Exhulm.

Were nestled atop a hill that overlooks the rest of the tribe's homes. They're all lined up in assorted rows and columns creating a simple square village with the Elders house directly in the center for safety. I know, it would be much easier for the Elder to be up on our hill overlooking everyone to better watch the tribe. But this is the Exhulms house, the first of our tribe. My father's father's father's father, Rucknuck Exhulm, had been the first to convert from simple tents crafted from pelts to wooden houses.

I'm the 6th generation to live here and being the eldest son it would have been my family to live here next, while I raised the 7th generation of Exhulms. If we weren't leaving our island of Umbriax.

Thin branches stacked one on top of the other lean against four broad poles of a trunk with mud mashed inbetween chinks of wood, forming the only remaining solid wall of our home. My quilts and bear pelts are set to the opposite side where only the trunks are left of the wall and a larger pelt hangs in replacement separating us from the harsh winds outside. My spear and shield rest on the floor directly next to me in case I would ever need it here.

"Do we have to leave?" I ask dreading the answer. Pa draws a line with his mouth.

"Although I wish it weren't true you know we must," he replies, "we cannot stay on this island any longer, it's of great importance that we find a home that can feed us."

"But this is our home," I say petulantly.

"My boy, our home has betrayed us, the Great Aridity has kept rains from falling." He says flatly as we've been over this a handful of times.

Wishing it weren't true I know he is right, our lands used to birth us an abundance of crops to feed the tribe, but in the last five harvest seasons no rain has fallen and impregnated the seeds of crop deep within the soil, leaving us nothing to harvest, only a dried up cracking floor of a desert. We've been forced to focus all our attention on our hunting. Which wasn't a problem as hunting is our tribes oldest tradition. From birth boys are taught how to wield the smaragdine jade tipped spears and shield. Spending countless hours sparing with others from their birth year perfecting their craft and preparing for the Trial.

“lets say we did make land, will I be allowed to take my Trial, earn my tattoos? ” I ask about the markings that separates the men from the boys. “ This week was to be my turn to prove myself.”

“No, in the presence of uncharted land it would be imprudent to allow a boy to travel into the wild on his own.” Pa says. “ The Elder has made it clear, the Trials are to be resumed only when your uncle and the Hunters have mapped out the surrounding land.”