31 Settling Down

With Oli's help, a blueprint for a basic hut was created. Oli drew it up using a quill and ink that Vloz provided from his void choker and following the needs that Ania and Rathe provided.

They made dozens of copies and set out to see the other gorillas. In front of them all, Vloz presented their idea to build huts and showed the design when the clan cheered loudly. The gorillas started to run and gather all of the needed supplies listed on the blueprints.

Oli was shocked to see them so excited, not only to get their homes built but just excited in general.

"Are you curious why everyone's so anxious to build their homes?" Vloz could guess Oli's thoughts, "They've been nomads for almost their entire lives. For them to settle down is already great, for them to have something permanent to call home means a lot to them. But what they're most excited about is to share their homes."

"What do you mean?" Oli asked.

"Have you ever wondered why you were the only gorilla youth, Oli?" Vloz questioned.

"Well yeah, of course, I have."

"It's because of a clan custom," Ania interjected, wanting to explain it herself. "Due to past experiences, only the clan's chief may have a child before the clan has claimed a territory and that's only if there is no current heir. All of them have been waiting for so long to start their families, so for them, this is a major change in their lives for the better."

Oli smiled when he realized that the clan was going to grow soon and that he would no longer be the youngest. He wasn't the smallest gorilla thanks to him starting to grow into his father's giant build, but he was still picked on and treated like a child.

With other children running around, he wouldn't be judged for his youth anymore. Then he caught something his mother said and wanted to learn more. "Mom, you said that this was based on past experiences, right? What had happened for this to become a custom?"

Ania froze, unable to say anything. Rathe hugged her from behind and said, "It was about five years before you were born. At the time, there were almost a dozen little gorillas running around, including your late big brother."

"Wait, you mean—"

"Yup," Rathe didn't let Oli interrupt. "At the time, the clan was over one hundred strong and I wasn't with the clan but traveling with Vloz. Your old man was a mid-perennial and was lucky to have another two early-perennials in the clan. They were on their way to stake their claim on a territory when it happened. An ambush of Blade-beak Condors attacked from the sky with three early-perennials, one low-perennial, and one high-perennial among them. The high-perennial stalled Dioro while the other four targeted our perennials for their cores. The kids were playing near the edge of the group and were the first to go, including…"

Rathe didn't mention his name when Ania gripped him tighter. "In a rage, Dioro activated his soul technique and slaughtered them all, but not in time to save the kids, many of the males protecting their families, or the two other perennials. Dioro was out of commission for a few days after exerting himself and decided to bring me back to the clan and set the rule for no families till we settled."

They were silent, letting the story sink into their hearts and minds.

Oli finally understood why his mother always wanted to be with him and he couldn't blame her. He understood what it felt like to lose someone you had promised to protect. Even if it was irreversible it would always sting. With soft steps, Oli went to his mother and embraced her.

Though surprised to see him act like this, she welcomed it and hugged him back.

Rathe and Vloz backed away, leaving to go join the other gorillas gather materials.

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After a few minutes, Oli and his mom joined them as well. Oli asked Vloz for the quill again and drew up one more blueprint, this time it was far more extravagant and spacious with a second story and a balcony. There was even a portion of the roof with a paneled design to allow for a fire to be inside the home without smoke filling it up, yet it would still keep out the rain. He passed it over to Rathe and Vloz so that they could begin the construction immediately.

When night came, they had gathered all the materials they needed, from lumber and thin tree trunks to tree sap and large palm leaves. They spent the night in their nests and began construction at dawn, following their blueprints.

They drove large timbers into the ground to create a sturdy frame, using premeasured vines as markers for distance. Then, small tree trunks were laced together with more vines to create walls. In order to seal the homes, Oli and Vloz put their minds together to come up with a formula for an adhesive using the sap from the local rubber trees. Both sides of their walls were coated before they were ready to place them up with the frame. The same wall design was used to do a slanted roof, with one side higher than the other to guarantee that no rain pooled on top. To finish it off, they laid large palm leaves across the rooftops like dark emerald shingles with one last coat of adhesive.

Though it was late into the night, over one-third of the three-dozen homes were finished, including Ania and Oli's new home. Thanks to Oli's last-minute change of plans, their unique two-story hut was in the center of the gorilla settlement, with the others making a web-like pattern surrounding it. That night, many of the gorilla's enjoyed a good night's sleep inside their own home.