Echo Island: The Clan Games

Calum O’Brian was unique in every way except for his looks. Like most fifteen-year-old boys in his clan, he had dirty blond hair, brown eyes, and stood just over five and a half feet tall. He was neither fat nor skinny, handsome nor ugly; the perfect example of average. To top it off, he usually wore the typical brown pants, blue tunic, and leather sandals that many boys his age preferred. Yet those who met Calum always remembered him.

Many people believed Calum was blessed with his personality; others saw it as a curse. Those close to him knew better. In truth, what made him so special was his ability to observe. Calum was always watching, always taking in his surroundings. It wasn’t that he had an exceptionally gifted mind, instead, it was his dedicated note-taking. He’d started the practice when he was eleven and had done it so frequently that it had become second nature to him.

On this particular morning, Calum had gone to his second-story balcony to watch the city around him. It was a place he could watch but not be watched. He’d learned the hard way that most people don’t appreciate it when someone watches them while taking notes. Fortunately, he also learned that most people rarely look up.

Calum squinted as he looked around. Most of the houses were only one story, with buildings getting taller closer to the clan center. The sun was barely beginning to rise, and the stone buildings around him gave off a faint golden glow. Torches around the clan walls snuffed out in the distance and, like clockwork, the clan came to life. As the sun rose higher, people could be seen throughout the city, coming and going. A baker opened his windows, and the fresh smell of bread filled the air. A cart could be heard bumping along the cobblestone road somewhere below, and Calum felt a warm breeze brush across his face. Though the mornings seldom looked different, Calum always enjoyed these moments. As he watched the city, he wrote notes about everything he experienced:

—

- Temperature getting warmer. Summer is just around the corner!

- 14 people in the street by sunrise, 2 more than usual. (Mr. Neal has visitors?)

- No cries from Mrs. Bennet’s baby this morning, thank the owls.

- The Lentry family left earlier than normal today.

- Day three since the street has been swept, sweepers likely to stop by today.

- Only three small clouds in the sky, likely to be a pleasant sunny day.

- Grumpy Joe looks extra angry today, best—

—

Calum looked up from his page as movement caught his eye. Three streets away, he spotted a hooded figure sprinting across the rooftops. The person ran from roof to roof with precise determination. After crossing four buildings, a loud whistle pierced the air, and Calum saw members of the clan guard in the street below. Calum shook his head as he observed the confused guards. They were searching down every side street, but none of them looked up. Lucky for them, Calum had no qualms about ratting out the fleeing figure. Once the figure dropped out of sight, he would go straight to the guard and let them know where the criminal went. As he watched, however, the figure turned in Calum’s direction.

Calum’s thoughts froze as he realized the fleeing figure was now making his way toward him. As the figure approached, his features became more clear and Calum could now tell that it was a man. Likewise, he could see that a mask covered the man’s face, and he held a leather sack just large enough to hold four or five oranges. The man was now only one building away and locked eyes with Calum. Calum bolted toward his bedroom door, but he wasn’t fast enough. As he grabbed the doorknob, a firm hand caught his shoulder and pulled him back. He tried to yell out, but the man placed his other hand over Calum’s mouth.

“Hush!” The man said, “I’m not your enemy, but I don’t have time.” He paused to catch his breath. “I’m a friend of your da, please boy, take this sack and give it to him for me. He should know what to do with it. Understand?”

Calum stopped struggling and nodded. The man released his hold on Calum then looked him in the eyes.

“Say it aloud. What are you to do?”

“Give the sack to my da?”

“Good lad.” The man winked, stepped away, climbed onto the side wall, then looked back at a thoroughly confused Calum.

“Oh, and boy, do yourself a favor. Don’t go looking in that bag.” Turning back to the street, the man jumped down.

Calum ran to the side wall and spotted the man running toward the clan guard. Once he got close enough, he started shouting and waving his arms.

“Oy! You bunch couldn’t find the sun at midday. Been right here the whole time! Can we get on with this already?”

As the man finished shouting, the guards drew their swords and gave chase. Not hesitating a moment, the man ran in the opposite direction of Calum. Seconds later, the street went back to normal. Calum stepped away from the wall and looked down at the sack in his hand. He briefly considered opening it, then paused. It’d probably be best to open it in the privacy of his room. He knew the man warned him not to look inside, but he didn’t even know who the guy was. For all he knew, the bag was filled with some stolen valuables, and the thief would return for them later.

Taking the sack inside, Calum sat on his bed and pulled at a leather string that held it shut. The string was pulled tight, but he managed to get it loose after a couple of minutes. He started to peek inside when he heard a knock at his door. The sound made his heart jump as he threw the sack underneath his pillow, got up, and opened the door. He was surprised to find his best friend Brenan with a big smile on his face.

Brenan stood slightly shorter than Calum but had broad shoulders. His hair was dark brown and cut short, and he had narrow blue eyes.

“Thank the owls, it’s just you.”

“Good morning to you to. What do you mean it’s just me, is your da back, or were you expecting someone else?”

“He should be gone another day or two, kinda wish he was here though. When you first knocked, I thought you might have been a guard.”

“Why would a guard come up to your room?”

Calum shut the door and gave Brenan a serious look. “Did you see what was going on outside?”

“You mean all that shouting? No, why? Did you?”

“Yes, but I still don’t know what it was all about. can I show you something?”

“If it’s interesting,” Brenan said.

“It’s about as interesting as it gets, but you have to promise me you won’t tell anyone.”

“Alright, I’m interested.”

“Promise first.”

“Fine, I promise.”

Calum picked up his pillow, showed Brenan the sack, and explained what had happened.

“Well, that doesn’t happen every day,” Brenan said. “So, what’s inside?”

“I don’t know yet, but I’d like to find out now. If this is something illegal, I want to take it to the clan guard.” Grabbing the sack, Calum dumped its contents onto the bed, revealing a wooden box small enough to fit comfortably in two hands. The exterior was light-colored, smooth, and had several flowers etched into the surface.

“A flower box?” Brenan asked, grabbing the box. “That seems like a dumb thing to get into trouble for.” He turned it over in his hands. “It doesn’t even look like it can open.”

“Let me see,” Calum said. “There must be something to it.”

Brenan handed the box over. The moment it touched Calum’s hand, the box started to shake. The movement startled the boys, causing them to drop the box reflexively.

“What was that?” Calum asked.

“Owl’s if I know,” Brenan said. “It didn’t shake like that when I held it. Maybe there’s a bug in it?”

“I hope not,” Calum said. “I don’t know of any bugs that could shake a box that size, and I don’t want to know if one exists. Maybe we should wait for my da to get home and give it to him.”

“Oh, come on, it can’t be that bad. Look.” Brenan crouched to the ground and cautiously picked up the box. He gave it a slight shake, but the box remained normal. “A shake like that would’ve upset something living, but I don’t feel anything. It could be some fancy mechanics. If that’s the case, we just have to figure out what triggered it.”

“Fair enough,” Calum said. “Let me see it again.”

Brenan held the box out again, but the moment Calum touched it, the shaking started again. This time Calum was ready and tightened his grip. He took the box from Brenan and shook it experimentally. The shaking didn’t stop, but it didn’t get worse either.

“It does feel a little too regular to be a bug,” Calum said, “But I don’t see wha—”

The shaking stopped abruptly, and the flowers on the box started to glow light blue. Calum squinted as the light intensified. He was getting increasingly worried and about to set the box down when a sharp pain shot through each of his fingertips. The pain shot up his arms, through his shoulders, and into his head. He yelled as the pain intensified. Gritting his teeth, it took all his strength to remain standing. As the pain in his hands lessened, the aching in his head increased. He could hear Brenan frantically asking if he was okay but he couldn’t respond. Brenan’s words started to sound slurred as Calum’s vision slowly went black.

As Calum began to wake up, he felt wet stone beneath his skin. He opened his eyes and was startled to find he didn’t know where he was. The sky was dark gray, and rain was pouring around him, yet, he was completely dry. Frantically standing up, he looked around. He was on a high wall about ten feet wide and fifty feet tall. The wall extended a couple hundred feet in either direction, connecting to sturdy towers. On top of each tower stood a bowman under the cover of a wooden roof.

Looking over the edge of the wall, Calum could see his home, The Eighth Clan, on one side and a dense forest on the other. Though he’d never been on the wall before, he knew it well. It had been there in the distance whenever he’d left his home. This wasn’t just any wall. It was The Great Wall. The only thing that protected The Ten Clans from being destroyed. Calum’s heart sank. To approach the wall without good reason was a crime, but what would happen if he were discovered standing on it?

“Monster! Monster approaching the wall!” He heard a man shout. Spinning around, he spotted one of the bowman pointing into the forest, looked that direction and saw a woman covered in mud flying out of the trees. She soared, as if by magic, to the edge of The Great Wall and pulled herself up. By the time she was standing, the tower door swung open as a guard burst out, sword drawn. Something was off. While the shouting bowman above drew his bow, a look of recognition came across the swordsman’s face.

“Keep it safe!” the woman shouted, then tossed something to guard. The man caught it and Calum’s eyes widened as he recognized it as the flower box. The twang of a bow snapped through the air and the muddy woman screamed in pain, leaned back, and fell off the wall. Calum tried to look over the edge, but all he could see was swirling black smoke rising steadily toward him. He stepped back, looked around, and had to wipe the rain from his eyes. Once he could see clearly, the black smoke had surrounded him so that he could only see a few feet in any direction.

Afraid for his life, Calum covered his mouth with his shirt. The black smoke swirled around him, getting closer and closer. He tried to bat it away, but nothing he could do would stop it. Once it reached his body, he started to evaporate. His skin tingled, and he could feel his bones melting into the smoke. Everything went black, and then he heard an unexpected sound.

The familiar sound of the clan bell rang somewhere in the distance. Calum moaned and started opening his eyes. He was lying alone on his bedroom floor. Daylight was now shining brightly through his windows. The clan bell rang a second time. Calum looked around for Brenan, but his friend wasn’t there. As he stood up, the clan bell rang a third time, and Calum went tense with worry. He kicked himself mentally for not realizing sooner. Running to the window, he peered outside and confirmed his suspicion. He’d been passed out on the floor for at least twenty minutes!

Turning around, he frantically collected his things and threw them into his bag. He was about to leave the room when he spotted the box on the ground near his bed. Using a cloth to prevent direct contact, he grabbed it. It looked different now, the etched flowers were no longer glowing, and the edges of the wood looked as if they’d been in a fire. He quickly packed it into his satchel and ran down the stairs into the kitchen. He was pushing through the front door when Brenan shouted from behind.

“Calum!? Thank the owls, you’re okay!”

Calum looked back to find every cupboard in his kitchen wide open, Brenan standing between them.

“There’s no time! We’ve got to get to school!”

“Well, excuse me for thinking your death was more important. You wouldn’t wake up! I was looking for—”

“Brenan! We’re going to be late!”

Calum pushed the rest of the way through the front door and ran into the street. He made it a few houses away when he heard Brenan running behind him. As Calum ran down the road, he realized they wouldn’t make it on time. School would start within the next five minutes, and it would take them at least ten to get there. An idea struck, and Calum took an unexpected turn.

“Where are you going?” Brenan said. “School’s this way!”

“If we run across the rooftops, we might still make it in time!”

Calum found a wooden ladder and began to climb. Once he reached the rooftops, he found that the city’s flat stone roofs and tight-knit organization made running across them relatively straightforward; however, there were still obstacles. Like Calum’s home, some houses had two floors, and some were more spread apart than others. Since Calum had to choose his moves carefully, Brenan soon caught up, and the pair were racing side by side.

With a few minutes to spare, they could see the school just two streets away, but a broad road blocked their path. The gap it created was twice as wide as anything they’d jumped so far. They knew they couldn’t go down or across unnoticed, so they backtracked to an empty ally. Brenan cautiously climbed down, lowering himself by holding onto the rooftop’s edge. The wall below was smooth, so he hung as low as possible then dropped to the ground.

Calum jumped straight from the roof. As he hit the ground feet first, he transitioned into a crouch and did a forward somersault onto hard cobblestone. Feeling the impact, he looked back and realized how far he’d fallen.

“Show off!” Brenan said, not waiting for Calum.

Calum stood back up and shook himself to loosen the impact. By the time he started moving again, Brenan was already out of sight. Calum was about to exit the alleyway when he heard a thud from behind. Startled by the sound, he stopped and looked behind him. His heart sank as he saw a woman with short blond hair dressed in the uniform of a clan agent. She caught Calum’s eye and gave him a warning glance.

Calum thought about running, but he hesitated too long, and before he knew it, the agent grabbed him and pinned him against the alley wall.

“Why were you on the rooftops?” the agent asked.

Calum’s heart pounded and he struggled to loosen her grip. “School,” He said between breaths. “I just wanted to be on time, I swear!”

“By the Owls, you’re just a kid,” the agent said, looking him over. “You’ve got some rotten luck.” She let Calum go and pushed him toward the school. “Go on then, and don’t let me catch you on the rooftops again.” Not waiting for a response, the agent turned around and ran into the busy street.

After catching his breath, Calum rushed toward the school. The agent told him he had ‘rotten luck,’ but he couldn’t help but feel the opposite right now. He jogged across the schoolyard with smug satisfaction. While he certainly wouldn’t be attempting the roof route again anytime soon, he was happy he’d made it today.

Slowing his pace, he tried to blend in with the other students. Entering the school’s main hall, Brenan spotted Calum and waited for him to catch up.

“Thought I lost you for a minute there,” Brenan said. “I can’t believe that worked.”

“You have no idea,” Calum said, lowering his voice. “An agent just caught me.”

“And I’m a shiny Gullen Bird.”

“I’m serious, Brenan. I don’t know why, but she let me go.”

“Exactly. Everybody knows you aren’t getting away if an agent comes after you.”

“That’s what I’m saying. I didn’t get away. The agent caught me, realized I wasn’t who she was looking for, and sent me on my way. I nearly had a heart attack.”

“Great Owls, you’re serious, aren’t you? This has been quite the morning.”

“You’re telling me.”

The school bell rang the moment after Calum and Brenan took their seats. Their educator, Sir Gregory, wasted no time and started calling names for attendance. As Calum waited to hear his name, he reflected on the morning he’d just had. The more he thought about it, the more questions filled his mind, and he started writing them in his journal:

—

- Who was the thief?

- What did that box do to me?

- How was I on the great wall, then back home so quickly? (Dream?)

*Ask da about the box when he gets home

—

Sir Gregory called Calum’s name, snapping him back to reality.

“Glad to see you’re actually on time today.” Sir Gregory said.

Calum laughed nervously.

“Problems keeping time?” Brenan said loudly. “Calum? You must have the wrong person Sir Gregory!”

The entire class laughed as Sir Gregory set his list down and stood up. He was just about to start talking when the classroom door swung open, and a member of the clan guard stepped in. The guard apologized to the instructor for the intrusion, turned toward Calum and Brenan, pointed at them, and said, “you two, come with me.”

“Told you no one gets away from an agent,” Brenan whispered as they reluctantly got up and followed the guard out of the room. They tried to ask the guard what was going on, but he politely asked them to hold their questions until they reached their destination. After an awkward walk through the school, they stopped on the third floor of the central tower at the head educator’s office.

“Wait here,” the guard said. “Head Educator Dominic will be out shortly.” He promptly turned around and headed back the way they’d come. Once he was gone, Calum and Brenan looked at each other with puzzled expressions.

Calum turned to say something but was interrupted as Dominic’s office doors opened. The man greeted them with a grin and eyes filled with excitement. Dominic was usually energetic and upbeat, but today Calum thought he could see an extra glitter in his eye.

“Calum! Brenan! Welcome to my office! Please, please, come in, remove your packs, and have a seat!”

The boys put their bags down and sat in over-sized green chairs as Dominic stepped around to the other side of a large wooden desk covered in papers.

“You boys are fortunate. You know that?” Dominic said in a more serious tone. “If any of the guards knew what you were up to this morning, you’d be sure for a night at the correction center, and it just so happens that they’re serving carrot soup tonight!” Dominic gave an exaggerated shudder. “Fortunately, I happened to be drinking my morning tea by that window. Imagine my surprise when I saw you two hopping about the rooftops as if it were commonplace. As I watched, do you know what I thought?”

Dominic left the question hanging and waited for a response from one of the boys. Not sure how to answer, Calum looked at Dominic and shrugged.

“Let me give you a hint. There are only three reasons I ever invite a student into my office. To give them an award, to expel them, or to give them a special assignment.”

Calum’s heart sank. Was he really about to get expelled? He’d happily take summer school over getting kicked out.

“Now, don’t get too concerned,” Dominic said. “I’m not about to expel you, and I don’t believe you’ve done anything worth awarding.” Both boys released deep breaths.

“Indeed, I should probably turn you over to the clan guard, but I’ve got a more selfish plan. As I’m sure you’re both well aware, The Clan Games will be held at the end of the summer. That means I’ve got about four months to prepare. You may not have heard, but this year’s team is short two participants.”

Calum’s eyebrows raised.

“Does that mean you want—” Calum said.

“For you to join The Eighth Clan’s team this year?” Dominic said, “Why yes, it does.” He paused to let the information sink in. “I’ve considered several people for the positions since two team members aged out last year. My job is to choose those I think will excel in The Games and increase our chances of winning. I’d already nearly decided on you two, but what I saw earlier this morning confirms it.” He leaned in closer and squinted at the boys. “I’ve been watching you two for some time, and I think you’d make a nice addition to the team.”

Calum and Brenan looked at each other with excitement.

“So does that mean—” Brenan began, but Dominic cut him off.

“I can see the questions waiting to spring from your minds, but I don’t have time for that now. You’ll get all the answers you could hope for soon. For now, my invitation has remained unanswered. What do you say, boys? Are you willing to compete in The Clan Games?”

“Sign me up!” Brenan responded. “I can’t believe you’re actually inviting us!”

“Count me in, too,” Calum said. “But do you really think we are the best pick for the team?”

“I’m certain,” Dominic said with a point of finality, “trust me, boys, I’ve thought long and hard about this. It’s a well-calculated risk.”

Calum looked over at Brenan, then back to Dominic. “We’ll do it. I still don’t know what we’re in for, but how bad can it be? Thank you for the opportunity, sir. We’ll do our best not to disappoint you.”

“Excellent! If that’s the case, let’s not waste any more time.” Dominic grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled something onto it. “You can head immediately to your new classroom located here,” he handed the boys the paper. “I’ll inform your instructor of the change. Welcome to the team.”

Calum and Brenan stood up and shook Dominic’s hand, then moved to grab their bags. Calum lifted his with a little too much excitement, causing it to swing into the corner of Dominic’s desk. As a result, half of his things went flying, ultimately clattering on the floor. Calum began apologizing, but Dominic didn’t seem to notice. His eyes were transfixed on the floor where Calum’s things had landed.

“Sir?” Calum said.

Dominic shook his head, jolting himself back from wherever he had just been, but he didn’t immediately reply. Instead, he crouched down and picked up the flower box. The cloth around it still covered most of the box, but one side was exposed. With the utmost care, Dominic uncovered the rest of the box.

“How did you come by this?” Dominic said, not taking his eyes off the box.

Calum hesitated, then answered, “It’s an old box my da had.”

“Right,” Dominic said, finally returning his attention to Calum. “We’ll talk more about this later. Gather your things and proceed to your classroom.”

Calum collected his spilled items, then looked at Dominic expectantly. Dominic raised his eyebrows in acknowledgment.

“Sorry, sir, the box?”

“Of course, I’m sorry. Here you are.”

Calum wasn’t sure why, but he could feel an air of reluctance in Dominic as he carefully wrapped the box and handed it back to Calum. Putting the box deeper into his pack than earlier that morning, Calum looked at Brenan, and the two made their way out of the office.

“Calum, wait,” Dominic said. “Something tells me you don’t know what that ‘old box’ is. Till then, try to keep it from falling out of your pack. Some would kill to get a hold of what you’ve got. Understood?”

Calum nodded again.