The Law of Glor

Chapter 3

Sorry for the long wait. This chapter has a lot of setup and information, and I didn't want it to feel rushed. I'm still not satisfied, but its better to bring out now.

Thanks for reading! Please comment your thoughts below! The comments are what keep me writing.

@FreedomBase Thank you especially for your feedback. I must apologize, for I am sure that your comments have had an effect on my writing -- for better or worse. This chapter is dedicated to you!

Jack woke up feeling sore all over. He had spent waaaay too long on his exercises yesterday. He yawned but stopped when he felt his arm brush against something soft. He turned and opened his eyes.

All it took was seeing Vilet's face for all the memories of last night to come rushing back. The way they had moved... the sounds she'd made... the look in her eyes. He smiled at the memory.

Tentatively, he reached out to brush her hair from her face. Last night had gone much better than he had been expecting, especially since they didn't speak the same language. Fortunately, there was more than one way to communicate.

She sighed contentedly and smiled, pushing into his touch. The light coming through the window told him that the sun was up. Still, he had time. Leaning forward, he gathered her into his arms. Her head drooped against his chest as he held her.

Almost unbidden, he felt her chest begin to swell, and he bit back a chuckle. He closed his eyes, just holding her. Maybe everything wouldn't be so bad after all. If last night was any indicator, this was going to be a

major

upgrade.

A familiar voice from downstairs forced him to open his eyes. Lily? What was she doing here? He hesitated. On the one hand, he didn't really want to leave her to wake up alone. On the other... What if it was important?

He glanced down to his sleeping wife. "I'll be back," he murmured. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and pulled away, looking around for his clothing.

It hadn't gone far, merely scattered around the bowl. He bit back a groan as he gathered them up and got dressed. The gravity had already taken its toll on his body, making it painful to even stand up straight. Well, it could be worse.

With one last look to Vilet, Jack walked out. It was his first time seeing the house in the daylight, and he was surprised to note that it seemed to be made entirely of wood. Somehow that hadn't really clicked before. Additionally, although he was on a higher floor, they didn't appear to use stairs. Rather, the floor simply tilted into a ramp between floors.

It was two floors down that he could hear them talking. Cautiously, he stepped out into the room.

Howard, Lily, Sara, Ksfm, Mkr, and his two remaining wives were all seated around the room.

"Hey, guys. You're here!" He ran forward to hug Howard.

Howard sat up awkwardly. "Hello, Jack."

Sara smiled as he came over and hugged her. "Someone's in a good mood. Feeling better?"

"Much, thank you." He hugged Lily next. "What are you guys doing here?"

Ksfm cleared his throat. "Our society runs on a familial unit basis. Until you are married, you qualify as a child and must live in your father's home."

Lily smiled. "Since we don't have parents, they did the next best thing." She giggled. "I guess you're our daddy now."

Jack paused. "Wait, even Howard?"

"

Especially

Howard." He grunted and folded his arms. "Don't think I'll be getting married around here anytime soon."

Jack nodded. "Understandable." He looked over to Nelra, who was glaring at him. He tilted his head at her, confused. She turned away quickly. She couldn't be angry over last night, right?

"We didn't come empty handed," Lily said proudly. "All of the stuff off of the shuttle is waiting in the front room."

Sara quickly interrupted. "Are you adjusting okay? We haven't seen you since Ksfm took you to bathe."

Jack shook his head. "I haven't had much time to adjust. We got here late last night." He tilted his head as something occurred to him. "Is it really morning or am I crazy? I feel really rested for how late I was up last night."

Sara narrowed her eyes, but Lily nodded excitedly. "Remember how this planet is bigger than Earth? It rotates slower too. From what I can figure, it seems like each day is about fifty percent longer than back home."

"36 hours?" Jack whistled. "I'm not so sure I can handle that." He took a seat. "So, what's for breakfast?"

Lily winced. "You're not going to like it..."

Sara scowled. "Oh, hush. We worked hard for it. He can live with it." She spoke quickly to Lzbth, who got up and left to another room.

"Since you are new to our lifestyle, the council decided that you should live as a common man might for a time," Ksfm explained. "That means your family will provide its own food. Today, I will teach you the Hunt."

"You hunt your own food? What about trading and stuff?"

Ksfm shrugged. "I suppose you can if you'd like, but you don't have much to offer to any of your neighbors. At least, until you join the Hunt."

Jack thought on that. "No offense, but that sounds kind of... primitive?" Sara shot him a warning glare. "Back home hardly any of us actually have to produce food. We have a huge global trading system."

Ksfm huffed. "An economy. I've heard. No offense, but not having any Glorks seems far more primitive to our sensibilities."

Lzbth returned, carrying what appeared to be...

"Moss?"

Lily nodded. "Freshly handpicked and squeezed by yours truly." She looked over to Nelra. "According to

someone

, it takes days to really treat it. But it's all we've got until you go hunting."

Jack sighed and took what Lizbeth offered him. Her face was entirely neutral as he thanked her.

He glanced over to where Nelra sat. She still seemed kind of angry. If only he could talk to them to find out what was wrong... He supposed there was always the next best thing.

"Hey, Sara. Could you and Ksfm start a conversation with them?" Jack asked. "I want to learn more about them, but the whole translation thing is a huge pain. Can you help me out?"

She acquiesced and started talking to Nelra. She answered hesitantly, but slowly started to warm up. Sara soon turned the attention to Lizbeth, who answered impassively. Ksfm quickly joined in, and even Howard and Lily were able to participate a little bit.

Why hadn't he learned any of the language? For the foreseeable future, he was going to be stuck here. He was going to have to learn it eventually. He tried to pay attention to what they were saying and how, but it was pretty much Greek to him. No, worse than that. At least Greek was somewhat similar.

They talked with their mouths mostly closed. As he had seen earlier, they didn't really use vowels, resulting in a much quieter method of speech. Ksfm had mentioned that he was loud. Is that what he meant?

The moss wasn't

terrible

. Honestly, it was just really tough and bland. It had a vague taste, but nothing that bothered Jack. It was stringy, but fresh. It took several minutes for him to get down, as the texture was threatening his gag reflex. Sara hardly touched hers, but the Vagonal's didn't really seem to have any difficulty.

The atmosphere at the table became more relaxed, to Jack's relief. Lizbeth was still pretty closed up, but Nelra seemed less upset. Here's hoping it would last.

They never saw Vilet. He was thinking about going up and checking on her when Ksfm pulled him aside.

"Jack, it's time for us to go. We are already late as it is."

Jack nodded. "Alright. Can someone go check on Vilet? I guess she's still asleep."

Ksfm's eyes widened. "In the crn?" He sighed. "You have much to learn. I must remind myself that you know nothing of our ways."

Jack shrugged. "Curn? Doesn't sound familiar."

"The Crowning Room of the house. It's... private. Only you and anyone you take with you are permitted to enter that room. It's a sanctuary of sorts."

Jack nodded like he understood, but he really didn't. "Okay... I'll keep that in mind. What else do I need to know?"

"We'll discuss that on the way. Howard," he turned to the older man. "You'll be coming with us. He will need all the help he can get."

"Have fun!" Lily called after them. "Don't get eaten?"

"Wait, they aren't really in danger of-"

Sara's voice faded as the door shut behind them.

Howard followed them as they exited the door. Again, Jack flinched at the sudden brightness. "It's so bright!" At first, he thought it was just because his eyes needed to adjust, but he was quickly realizing that was not the case.

Ksfm nodded as they walked. "Your planet has a much more stable light environment. Our eyes are constructed for rapidly adjusting to changing light. So yes, for you, it is probably very bright."

Jack's eyes adjusted somewhat, but the sun was still terribly warm on his skin. If only he'd thought to pack sunscreen.

The landscape was unlike anything he'd ever seen. He'd been to the Grand Canyon before, and that was as close as it got. Towering plateaus were a regular sight, alongside weaving arches. What he had not noticed the previous night were the stretches of moss growing over nearly every rock. "So where are we going?"

"Underground."

Jack looked at him in surprise. "I thought we were hunting?"

Ksfm nodded. "Yes. Long ago, we were the creatures that emerged from the depths. Our sun is not a kind star. Very few species can thrive within its presence. As such, we have the surface mostly to ourselves."

"Unfortunately, this makes agriculture rather difficult. The plkr (what you call moss), while plentiful, is not very nutritious or practical to eat long term. So we venture underground for the Hunt."

"Is it dangerous?" Jack was afraid he knew the answer to that.

"Somewhat. For those of us who are experienced and skilled, there is little threat held in the fggrw. Some die, but far from the majority."

"Our first priority will be to get you your kt."

"A what?"

Ksfm turned to Howard and spoke briefly. Howard grunted. "A stick."

"Then what?"

Ksfm kicked up a loose stone. "Then we will need to find you your first qnf and bring it back alive. They are a staple of nearly every family, as they produce copious amount of milk and other goods. If that is all we find for you, I will be satisfied."

Jack nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

They continued their march in silence. He had gotten a drink during breakfast, but he was sweating it all out. The intense heat from the sun combined with the increased gravity for a very

pleasant

walk. He was grateful when they strayed off the path to walk into the nearby valley, as the arches began to provide shade.

Ksfm stopped and turned to speak with them. "Once we go underground, you need to remain quiet. We are far from the largest things down here -- much less the most dangerous. We will need to stay together. I will relay instructions the best I can." He held up his hand. "If it gets dangerous, run back to the surface. Do not stand and fight. If blood is drawn, we're all dead. Understood?"

After Jack and Howard nodded, Ksfm led them a little farther. The temperature began rapidly dropping, a welcome relief. The arches above them began to thicken, then mold together into a ceiling as they walked. In just a few minutes, they were walking in a cave.

No, not a cave. A tunnel. It quickly branched off into three distinct passageways. The faint sound of dripping water could be heard, along with distant groans.

Ksfm didn't hesitate and began walking down the far-right path. Jack shivered, feeling more than a little nervous. They didn't seem nearly as concerned with

dying

as he was used to.

With a start, he realized that he could still mostly see. He looked around, but he couldn't find any particular light source, just like in the Vagonal ship. Odd.

The pathway split several more times, Ksfm marching forward confidently at every intersection. As the floor continued to slope downward, the sound of trickling water grew stronger. Soon, after roughly an hour, they arrived at a large cavern. Hugging one wall was a small waterfall with a strange tree beneath it.

Ksfm gestured him forward and mimicked breaking one of the branches off. Jack studied the branches for a second before selecting one. With a small grunt, he snapped it off of the tree. In total, it was nearly as long as he was tall.

Ksfm then gestured for him to smack the tree with it. Confused for only a moment, Jack quickly caught on. He swung the branch.

With a loud crack, the branch snapped in half. Ksfm shook his head and pointed to the tree again. It took several tries before Jack found one that wouldn't snap.

Quickly, Ksfm led them onward, farther down into the tunnels. Didn't the branches breaking make way more noise than talking? Jack wasn't about to stop and ask, but it did strike him as odd.

Ksfm pulled to a halt and Jack froze. They'd arrived. He hadn't known what to expect, but this sure wasn't it.

The cavern (if it could even be called that) was colossal. In the dim light, Jack could just make out the movements of creatures and plants all across the cave. He couldn't see the far wall. How big was it? Ten? Twenty miles? He wasn't sure.

Ksfm nudged him and gestured to the wall beneath them. He began to climb down, looking up to see if they were coming.

After sharing a nervous glance, Jack and Howard followed suit. Jack had done a bit of rock climbing before, but that was in a dry, well-lit environment. On the bright side, there were many obvious handholds that seemed to be well used. Hopefully only by Vagonals.

A faint click made him freeze up again. He looked to Ksfm, who just shook his head. Reluctantly, Jack kept climbing down.

Soon they arrived at the bottom. Ksfm continued to lead the way, weaving between the vines. Jack's uneasiness grew as he examined their surroundings. The plants were far from tree like, reminding him all too much of Venus Fly Traps. At least Ksfm didn't seem concerned about them.

Ksfm pulled them to a halt and dropped, crouching behind some plants. Jack and Howard quickly followed suit as a pack of what looked to Jack like penguins dashed by, hardly making noise with their footsteps.

After a minute or so, they continued moving. Twice more they had to stop when they encountered another creature. Once as a massive, stone-like rhino more than double their height passed, and the other when a large-monkey like creature saw them and crouched similarly. It was finally resolved by Ksfm back-tracking and circling around.

Jack hoped he knew where he was going, because right now he was hopelessly lost. Looking around, he realized that he couldn't even locate any of the walls. Seriously, what had he gotten himself into? He couldn't help but think of his life in perspective.

Before he could get too lost in thought, Ksfm pulled to a halt again. After catching their attention, he pointed directly below to a large pool filled with rocks. He then pointed to Jack's stick and pantomimed using a prybar, followed by lifting something onto his shoulders in a fireman carry.

A rock? What did they need a rock --

Oh. He really was stupid. It didn't take a genius to figure out the principle of camouflage. Still, he had been expecting something more cow shaped. At Ksfm's insistence, he cautiously stood and began walking over to the pond, stick in hand.

His feet made gentle squishing sounds against the wet soil as he approached. As he got closer, he could make out the distinctive silhouettes of legs in the water. He looked back to Ksfm, who once again gestured for him to use his stick as a prybar.

Jack shrugged and gently slid the stick under one of the rocks. It didn't move a muscle. After looking for a second, he found a suitable place to brace against for leverage and began pushing down.

To his surprise, it didn't move at all. If the rock's size were any indicator, he was putting plenty of pressure onto it. He pushed down harder, putting nearly all his body weight into it.

With a pop, it came loose. The sudden lack of resistance sent Jack crashing straight down into the water. He spluttered at the bitter taste, his eyes stinging as he struggled to stand. Instantly, Ksfm and Howard were by his side.

Ksfm grabbed the surfaced qnf and placed it on Jack's shoulders as he stood. The texture was disturbingly marshmallow-like. He then gestured rapidly as it squirmed on Jack's shoulders. He caught the feet and tried to figure out what Ksfm was trying to say.

A rumble from the far side of the pool interrupted them. All eyes whipped over to where one of the stone-rhino's was standing. Staring straight at them.

Ksfm pointed straight up. And then the beast charged.

With rumble like a powerful engine, three tons of pure rage blasted through the water, casting qnf aside like rag dolls, their long pale legs flailing wildly. The object of the beasts rage was directed at only one thing.

Him.

That's what Ksfm was trying to say.

If things get dangerous, return directly to the surface

. Jack took off at a run, feet pounding desperately at the stone beneath him. He could hardly spare a glance over his shoulder to see if Ksfm and Howard were behind him.

He only got a quick look. Ksfm was trying to distract it, and Howard was nowhere to be seen. The monkey from earlier plucked a helpless qfn out of the water and quickly leapt back into the jungle.

The rhino creature didn't notice any of this. Jack stumbled and dropped his eyes back to the ground. Tripping would mean certain death.

His heart was racing as he ran through the jungle. Occasionally he would see a flicker of movement, getting out of the way of the impending stampede. Other than the deep rumble and grunts behind him, his footsteps were the only sound to be heard.

How long had he been running? His breath was getting labored. His legs were burning. The qnf had gone quiet on his shoulders a while ago. He spared a glance behind him to see that the rhino must have given up pursuit a while ago.

He collapsed to the ground and slid the limp creature off. His muscles were hurting something awful, and he could hardly breathe. With painstaking effort, he tried to stay quiet, but his lungs were screaming for relief. At this rate, he'd be in shape in no time at all.

The qnf still wasn't moving. Hopefully it would be okay. Ksfm wouldn't have had him carry it if it was just going to die, right? Maybe it fainted or something. He'd have to ask Ksfm.

Did they manage to draw it off? Where were they? He grimaced. He had no idea where he was. He could faintly still hear the trickling of water, but that might lead him right back to Mr. Rhino, which was pretty much the worst case scenario.

After catching his breath, he started looking around for any sign of Ksfm. He had been told during Boy Scouts that if you got lost, you were supposed to stay where you were. He wasn't sure that applied quite so much here.

Could he survive on his own if they didn't find him soon? No, probably not. He didn't even know what was edible. That water from earlier had tasted sour, which he took to be a bad sign. Trying to survive until they found him wasn't an option.

He sighed. That meant exploring and trying to find a wall. Hopefully he only needed to find an upward sloping tunnel to get to the surface. Ksfm said that it was pretty much only Vagonals up there. At least then he'd be relatively safe.

He bit back a groan as he stood. Extra gravity

sucked

. He hefted the qfn back onto his shoulders and looked around. That's when he saw it.

At first, it looked like a tree. It was only when he accidentally looked farther up that he saw the eyes. They were terrifyingly human, made only more unsettling by the fact that they were on a snake.