Notes:
1. Assume in this universe that chipmunks live as long as humans
2. Chipmunks have litters of 3-5, so they have a lot of kids
3. Don't think about family trees or genetics too hard, just roll with it.
4 I don't know where this story came from. I drank a ton of caffeine, watched three Alvin and the Chipmunks movies, and this popped out of my brain.
5. This story contains violent moments as well as some sexual content (implied, but not shown), read at your own peril
6. As more time goes on, the lives of the original chipmunks will be revealed. If you're patient you'll see it all. Anything not revealed in the first chapter will be revealed later
XX
Chapter 1
Alvin squinted his eyes across the village. His old, faded eyes could barely make out the huts around the village in the trees. Each of them was unique in their own way, most of them were well-designed, with multiple levels, staircases, and even gardens. They had been designed by Brittany, many years ago. It was a good thing it was one of her talents, otherwise Alvin was sure they would be living in holes in tree trunks, not gorgeous houses in the limbs.
Alvin's old eyes scanned over his blurry image of the village again and again. He detected no movement. He had just woken from his nap and felt a little disoriented.
"Richard! Richard are you here?" Alvin cried.
"I'm here grandpa!" Richard cried. Alvin could hear his descendant run across the house to his side. "What is it? Do you need anything?"
"No, I'm fine." Alvin replied. "Where is everyone? I don't see them."
"They've gone on a hunt grandfather." Richard replied. Everyone in the village often simply called Alvin "grandfather" just out of convenience, otherwise they would all call him eight different things. The old chipmunk grunted and leaned back in his chair.
"Hunting! We don't even eat meat!" the old chipmunk stated.
"I believe distant uncle Tom started that. He was your son, couldn't you stop him?"
"Too much of his mother in him to do that."
"Would you like to go for a walk grandfather?"
Alvin sighed and grunted.
"I suppose, I should keep these old bones moving." he said. With great care, Richard walked around to the front of the chair and grabbed his elder. The younger chipmunk gently lifted Alvin out of the chair. He then began leading Alvin towards their elevator.
"So I take it David is leading the charge?" the elder chipmunk asked.
"He always is grandfather. Do you want your sweater?" Richard asked.
"Yes, and bring me my staff."
Richard bounded over to a nearby table. On it was a very old article of clothing. It was faded red with an equally faded letter "A" on the front. Beside the sweater was an old staff, decorated with beads and gems dangling off of it. It was staff the elder of their tribe carried, it had only ever been held by one person. Richard ran back over and put the sweater onto his elder. He put the staff in one of the hands and he carefully took the other.
"Where shall we go grandfather?" Richard asked.
"To the pool I guess." Alvin replied. They walked slowly to the elevator at the end of the house. They entered it and began descending to the jungle floor. The elder gazed down at the sweater on his body. Memories of his early childhood flooded back to him. He reached up and began stroking his silver head. The grays had outnumbered the brown ones many decades ago.
"Have I ever told you the story of this sweater?" Alvin asked.
"Oh, countless times grandfather!" Richard replied. "I do love hearing about the world outside this island, though!"
"I'm sure you do. If only we could leave. I wonder…" Alvin's voice trailed off.
"Still wondering about Dave?" Richard asked, sounding worried.
"Yes, I suppose. No one ever truly gets over their father, or cheese balls."
"You always talk about those! Were they truly that delicious?"
"Oh, more than you could ever know. Berries, nuts, and fruits cannot compare."
"What about that other thing you miss um...television?"
"Yes, wonderful, funny shows, it was like seeing a play around the campfire everyday!"
"I wish I could see it!"
Alvin chuckled a little. He looked over at his descendant.
"You don't believe me, do you Richard?" he asked
"No, no, I do!" Richard cried. "The story doesn't change no matter how many times you tell it. It has to be true."
"You're always so clever." Alvin said. The elevator reached the jungle floor. Richard delicately led his elder out of the box and onto the ground. Alvin shook his head as they began walking.
"You should be out hunting." the old chipmunk said. "Or flirting with girls, or swinging on vines, not spending time with me."
"I love spending time with you grandfather." Richard replied with a smile. "The girls will always be there."
An image clashed in Alvin's mind. It was Brittany, young and beautiful. She was wearing that two piece outfit made of flowers. She was dancing and singing around the fire in the moonlight. She was so hypnotic when she did that, like a leaf on the wind. Her beautiful voice was the sweetest sound he ever heard. She had finished and noticed that Alvin was gawking. She turned her body away from him and give him that knowing smile. She was absolutely adorable when she did that.
Alvin snapped back to the present, with his old bones, blurry eyes, and silver hair.
"No Richard." the old Chipmunk said. "They won't always be there. Trust me, it's better not to wait." They walked along in silence for a few moments. Richard then put his other hand on his elder's arm.
"I don't want to miss a moment of your life either grandfather." he said with a smile. "You're a truly unique person, I will miss you greatly when you're gone. I don't intend to regret not spending time with you either."
Alvin could only sigh. He gazed at his descendant. He was shorter and stubbier than most of the other young men in the tribe.
"You have a nice streak in you this tribe sorely lacks." Alvin said. "Must be the Theodore in you." In recent generations, the chieftains allowed people to intermarry with the other tribes, with many chipmunks sporting different traits from each today as a result. This was unheard of now, but allowed some diversification among the population.
Richard could only chuckle.
"Maybe it is the Theodore in me. I'm certainly a little nicer than David."
XX
Meanwhile, well into the jungle, a wild boar was running as fast as it could. It rampaged through the dense foliage, as if possessed. Following in its wake were many somethings that were rattling the plants close to the ground. A sound was following the savage animal, terrorizing it.
"Boom boom boom!"
Something was also leaping through the trees. Despite not being on the ground, it was easily keeping up with the wild pig. The tiny, furry creature in the trees was also emitting sounds, leaving the animal confused. It was a tactic to keep the boar disoriented, and it was working.
"Gotta get it!" the tiny creature in the trees sang.
"Boom boom boom!" the herd chorused.
The boar emerged from the foliage to realize that it had been cornered. It came out onto a cliff. It whirled around to face it's numerous attackers. Instead, it found silence. It wagged it's head back and forth, snorting in agitation. Abruptly, the foliage of the jungle began rustling all over. The creatures inside began singing out a beat, while someone else belted out words.
A large flood of tiny creatures erupted from the jungle all at once. They were painted many different colors, wearing clothing made of leaves, and had piercings made of bone. The boar wailed and lowered its head, preparing to charge. It made a fatal mistake.
Something leaped out of the top of the trees, howling the last word. The small, furry creature was screaming the last notes, with a large spear held high. It soared directly at the boar, which had its head down. The creature slammed the spear directly into the pig's forehead. The creature squealed in pain. The furry creature leapt away, grinning wide at it's work. All of the other furry creatures also backed away, watching the boar thrashing and howling. After several moments the poor pig gave one last groan before collapsing. All of the furry creatures cried in victory. The one that killed the wild beast leapt upon its body and removed the spear. It held it high, as a victorious hunter.
Standing upon the boar, surrounded by the adoring crowd, was David. He was dressed in warpaint and a loincloth. His ears had chunks cut out of them from fights and there was a string of boar teeth around his neck. He happily bathed in the cheers of the crowd. He held up his hand and they all fell silent. With a wide grin, he began humming a tune. The crowd of chipmunks shuffled into rows, all of them incredibly eager. Then David began to sing. As he did so, the rest of the chipmunks danced in a choreographed fashion.
"The winner takes all…"
The entire scene was rudely interrupted. A nut flew through the air and struck David in the head. Everything instantly ground to a halt. The lead chipmunk rubbed his head for a few moments before looking in the direction from where the nut was thrown. Standing at the edge of the woods were three new chipmunks. By contrast to the horde in front of the dead boar, they were short, stocky, and fat. They also all lacked any paint or piercing and were carrying baskets full of nuts.
"What do you think you're doing?" one of the fat chipmunks shouted. "This is our territory!"
David growled and leaped off the boar. He pointed his spear at the new arrivals.
"You hit me in the head!" he shouted.
"You killed an innocent creature!" the fat chipmunk shouted back. "And in our own territory! Do your heartless killing in your borders!"
"If you think we're going to stop chasing our prey because it crossed some invisible line you are as stupid as you are fat!"
"You don't even need to chase prey! You're just savages!"
David's green eyes lit up with anger. He took several leaps forward, until he was only inches away from them. The fat chipmunks backed away slowly, looking nervous. David glared at all of them, directly in their eyes.
"Our chief won't live forever, and I will be the next leader." David hissed. "Then we'll see how the precious borders keep your Theodore Tribe safe."
"Is that a threat?" the fat chipmunk asked, his voice quaking a little.
"No, simply stating a fact." David replied. He then grinned. "We'll leave, for now." The savage chipmunk then turned to the horde that was waiting on him. "Take the boar back to our...border." All of the wild chipmunks laughed and rushed to massive dead animal like a flood. They seized it and began dragging it into the forest. David turned back to the fat chipmunks and scoffed at them. He then began following the mob. Once they had disappeared into the brush, the three fat chipmunks relaxed.
"Oh dear…" one of them said. "When Alvin dies there will be blood."
Alvin and Richard arrived at the pool. It was the most lovely place in the tribe's territory, with a beautiful waterfall, plenty of sun, and palm trees hanging overhead. In days past, all of the tribes would bathe and swim together there. Now it was mostly empty, as Alvin's tribe loved to sport warpaint. It they jumpin in, it would wash off in the pool. Richard sat beside the pool and watched as his elder dangled his feet into it. Alvin turned his old eyes to the top of the waterfall. It had long been a place where chipmunks of all kinds would make brave leaps into the pool below. Before tensions had become frayed this was the popular place to hang out. Ever since the first dive, this was a joyous place. The first dive...it was taken by...
Alvin tore his gaze away from the top of the waterfall. A single word rung around in his mind. "Brittany." That name was always followed by a single image. A rock with blood dripping off of it, Alvin's own hands coated in the same crimson liquid.
Desperate to think about something else, Alvin turned toward Richard. He found the younger chipmunk gazing off into the jungle. He was twitching his feet back and forth to a tune he was humming. Alvin knew it well. It was Stayin' Alive, one of Alvin's favorites. The old chipmunk chuckled. This got Richard's attention, as he turned his head with a cocked eyebrow.
"What is it grandpa?" he asked.
"I was just thinking, I once sang a song about cheese balls to that tune." Alvin said.
"Whaaat? You've never told me that!" Richard said, leaning forward. There was a bright light in his eyes.
"Oh, it wasn't my proudest moment." Alvin replied, waving it off. "We were looking for something to eat and it was all we could find. I had just put Dave in the hospital by swinging a giant, wooden sign of me on him."
"That you did tell me, but what about the cheese balls song?" Richard asked. "Could you sing it?"
Alvin abruptly stopped. His face fell and he looked sad.
"I don't sing." Alvin said. "You know that."
"Don't you want to belt out one more song? Just for me!"
"As much as I love you Richard, I don't sing anymore. The tribe sings all the time, why don't you join them?"
Richard made an unpleasant face and looked into the jungle.
"They only sing when they're hunting or celebrating a hunt." he said. "I don't like to do either."
"David's influence no doubt." Alvin said. "His father should have paddled him more before he passed away."
"Yeah, but think about that for a second." Richard replied, turning back to his elder with a smile. "You've outlived David's father, and his father, and his father...and...even more! The entire history of our people is inside your head! Think of all the things you can teach us! The thing is, you don't talk much. That's why I wait around for you to tell me anything. Can't you understand why I want to be with you so much?"
"I suppose." Alvin said, sighing.
"Tell me again how you got to this island."
"I've told you this story a hundred times."
"I want to remember it right! Come on, tell me!"
Alvin sighed and shook his head. In truth, he hated this memory. It was the last time he ever saw Dave, his father. It was the day that Alvin wouldn't listen to anyone, and got them all stranded here for life. Still, if he could impart any lessons on someone who actually wanted to listen, he probably should do so.
"We were on a cruise," Alvin began. Richard scrambled a little and laid on his stomach next to his elder. He had his chin in his hands and smile on his face. "It's basically a giant boat where people go to have fun. I was being a pain, wouldn't listen to anyone, and just kept causing trouble. I was breaking the rules, doing things I wasn't supposed to do, and disobeying my father. I decided I was going to fly in a kite and no one was going to stop me. Everyone, Simon, Theodore, Jeanette, Eleanor...Brittany...were holding onto the line to keep me from flying away. The wind took us out into the ocean and...I never saw my father again. All because I couldn't listen to him for just a few minutes. As we floated along in the ocean, we came upon a storm. We were lucky to survive. The storm threw us onto this island and...we've never left."
Silence hung in the air for a moment. Alvin's mind swam in his old memories, counting all of the mistakes he made. Richard could see that his elder was drifting, so he interrupted him.
"Didn't you ever try to leave?" he asked.
"Of course." Alvin said. "Countless times. We tried to build a raft, but the currents always took us back. We tried building a glider and the winds pushed us back here. Simon came up with a reason why once...it was...um...complicated, hard to explain. Any messages we tried to float into the ocean just came back. We left signals on the beach and even built a fire tower to attract attention. No one ever came. I...don't know why. All I know is, after a few years everyone else just...gave up."
"You didn't?" Richard asked, cocking his head.
"I...spent a few more years trying. Caused a lot of heartache for everyone else. Eventually I settled down."
"Well, if you hadn't I might not exist." Richard replied.
"Yes, I suppose that's true."
"Hey, grandpa?"
"Yes, Richard?"
"You shouldn't feel guilty about things that happened lifetimes ago."
"Oh Richard, there is so much more to my life than that. How we ended up here is only the beginning."
"What do you mean?"
Their conversation stopped. They heard singing. Both of them turned their heads towards the noise. It was in the direction of the village. Alvin sighed and shook his head.
"It sounds as if David has brought the mob back home." the old chipmunk stated. "Perhaps I should go keep them from burning down the jungle."
"I don't know, they're pretty wild after a hunt." Richard said.
"I'm still the tribe chief, it's my job to keep them in line." Alvin replied. He held out his arm. Richard stood up and helped his elder to his feet. "Let's go into the lion's den."
XX
On the other side of the island, near the only peak, lived another tribe. It was the Simon Tribe, largely made up of descendants from the tribe's namesake. Near the summit was a fortress called The Bastion. It was designed, although not built by, the great elder Simon. It was a place made of stone, with high walls and towers. It was where the chief of the tribe lived. At a window of The Bastion stood one of the descendants of Simon. He resembled his ancestor in almost every way, save for one huge thing. He was an albino. He was even wearing the symbol of the chief, his great predecessor's glasses.
The chipmunk was staring out of a spyglass that Simon himself made. It was a metal tube with a perfectly-cut crystal. One could turn the crystal to see different distances. The chipmunk gazed through the jungle and saw a giant fire being lit near where the Alvin Tribe lived. He lowered the spyglass and rubbed his chin.
"Another hunt, eh?" he said. He spoke in a very quick, intelligent manner, very similar to his ancestor. "I guess that David character is really serious." He turned his gaze to the other side of the island, where the Theodore tribe lived. "Don't think those animal-lovers over there are too thrilled about it. Quite the tricky situation…"
Abruptly, the door to the room was pounded upon. A shrill voice shouted from the other side. The chipmunk at the window jerked his head around, looking worried.
"Benjamin! Open this door! Stop keeping our father from us, Ben!" the voice shouted.
"Ugh, they don't know when to quit!" Ben cried. He looked at the glasses on his face and sighed. He jerked them off and ran across the room to a bed. In the bed was a frail chipmunk, with bandages around his head. He looked thin and pale. Ben quickly placed the glasses on the chipmunk in the bed. The banging on the door didn't cease for a moment. It was constant...and annoying. Ben growled and bounded over. He slid the lock off and opened the door. Three chipmunks rushed into the room, two males and a female. They instantly surrounded Benjamin, who looked incredibly disinterested.
"We're not putting up with this!" the shrill female screamed.
"You can't keep our father from us!" one of the males said.
"You are not the village chief!" the other male said. "You can't shut us out of our home!"
"Emily, Oliver, Lucas, I can't tell you how great it is to see you." Benjamin said, as if he were bored.
"Don't get cute with us!" Oliver shouted, stamping his foot. "You've kicked us out our home!"
"Correction, you've been kicked out of the chief's home." Benjamin replied.
"He's our father!" Emily shrieked.
"Yes, I was completely unaware of that fact." the albino replied. "As the village doctor said, we have to give him as much rest as possible. Oh yeah, by the way, it's great to hear your beautiful voice again, sister."
"Don't call me that!" the female screamed.
"Oh I'm sorry, we must have been raised by two different chieftains of the Simon Tribe." Ben said. All three of his siblings glared at him. "Dad is over there, by the way." The white chipmunk pointed towards the bed. Emily turned her head and dashed over. She grabbed the chieftain's paw and began whispering in his ear. Oliver gave Ben a death glare and followed his sister over. Lucas leered over his albino brother for a few moments.
"When father wakes up, you won't be in charge anymore." he said.
"We all eagerly wait for that day, brother." Ben said with an insincere smile. Lucas grunted. He harshly brushed by Ben, hitting him with his shoulders.
"You're no brother of mine." he grunted. Ben followed him with his pink eyes, glaring harshly.
"Thank god we came from different women." he muttered as he exited the room. "Otherwise I'd be a simpering fool like you."
Ben began making his way down the hallway toward the guard room with a determined look on his face. He only got halfway there before the person he was looking for found him.
"Benjamin, sir!" someone shouted from behind him. Ben whirled around to see the captain of guard, spear in hand and wooden armor on his body, running up to him.
"Come to explain yourself Captain Jayden?" Ben asked, crossing his arms.
"Sir, I apologize." the captain said. "They jumped past the door. If I had kicked them out again it would look bad to the village."
Ben growled for several moments and tapped his foot angrily. He was trying to think of what the captain could have done, but nothing especially came to mind. Many in the village already thought Ben was shutting his other siblings out.
"Fine!" Ben cried. "From now on, don't open the doors around them. It's best they stay away from father as much as possible."
"What if he wakes up?" the captain asked.
"He won't."
"But what if…"
"Jayden. He won't. Trust me."
The captain sighed and leaned against a wall. He gave Ben an unsure look. Jayden's middle-aged eyes looked even older now.
"I don't know if this will work." the captain said.
"It's already working." Ben snapped. "With you and I saying that the chief wanted me in charge before he fell unconscious, no one can do anything about it. I'm in charge of the village, you're in charge of the guard. There is no way they can weasel their way out of this." Ben pointed back down the hallway to his father's room. "Did you see them? Sniveling little children, barking for his table scraps. If he had died they would be squabbling like kids over who gets to be the next chieftain. They were always petty, small-minded fools. You and I know both know that I may be younger than they are, but I am the best choice. All you have to do is keep your mouth shut."
"I will sir, I will." Captain Jayden replied.
"Trust me Jayden." Ben said. "They're simpletons. I can manage this. Just stick to the plan."
"Okay, okay, I will." the captain said.
"Go and watch them, make sure they're not trying to use his hand to sign my death warrant."
"Yes sir."
"Get going."
The captain turned and began marching down the hallway. Ben watched after him for a few moments. The gears in Ben's mind began to turn. He thought about David of the Alvin Tribe, the ancient Alvin himself, his insipid siblings, his ailing father, the leader of the Theodore Tribe getting sicker every season. All of them were swimming in the periphery of his mind. He was trying to string them all together, into one giant web. That web would lead him directly to the top. He just had to spin it right.
Music caught Ben's ear. He twitched and turned his head towards a window. He gazed down at the village on the mountainside. They had lit the fire at the center of the village. The females, most of them tall and lanky like their ancestor Jeanette, were dancing around and singing Single Ladies. It was what the single women of their village did at least once a month. It was their way of trying to attract men, many of whom were standing around and watching them. Ben leaned on the windowsill and stared down at them. It was delightfully hypnotic to watch. His appearance would only distract the proceedings however, so he would watch from afar. That was his lot in life. He was forever on the outside, all due to his ghostly appearance. However, that was also an asset. He was not limited by the tribe's conventional thinking, and he used it to his advantage. Thinking out of the box allowed him to get where he was now.
"I won't be held back." Ben said to himself. "No one will stand in my way. This little ghost will weave his way to the top, and no one will stop me."
XX
The Theodore Tribe was the only tribe to live at ground level. There was a place in the jungle where the trees were so dense only the chipmunks could fit inside, safe from the wild boars and the buzzards. It was in this heavy thicken that Theodore and Eleanor had settled together. Now it was teeming with chipmunks night and day, gathering food, singing and digging new burrows to live in. At the center of the thicket was the largest burrow. Sitting in front of it was the village elder. He was incredibly fat and had considerable gray fur around his head. He also periodically coughed into his hand. He was watching as his pudgy tribe scampered along their daily lives. It brought him great pleasure to see them prospering, even with him largely off his feet.
He heard someone approach. He turned in his chair to see who it was. Just as his eyes laid upon them, they dropped a load of leaves at his feet. The chief could see from the sour expression that his son was not happy.
"Your precious leaves, sir!" the young, fat chipmunk said. "I'm proud I could bring these leaves that no one likes, but you make us all eat, to your side."
"They have medicinal properties, Ian." the chief replied curtly. His voice was quite hoarse and somewhat weak. "Sometimes we have to eat what we don't like because it's good for us."
"Whatever makes you happy, father, sir." Ian replied. "May I now go back to what I was doing?"
"Not quite." his father bit back. "I need you to gather your siblings."
"There's like thirty of them!" Ian complained.
"You know which three I'm talking about." the chief replied. "Bring them here."
"Whatever makes you happy, pops." Ian replied again. He began walking away. The chief glared at his son as he left. Ian was the youngest of all his children, but was different from all of them. The chief wasn't sure how, but the chipmunk somehow had become cynical and sarcastic. He was also lethargic and uninterested in nearly everything. He spent all of his time lying around, staring at the sky, walking around the jungle aimlessly or drawing on things. The three children of the chief he was seeking were the opposite of him. Despite two of them having large stomachs they were active, happy, and uplifting. By contrast, Ian was a drag on morale. That was why the chief kept him busy.
A little while later, Ian came back, dragging his three older siblings back with him. They stood around while the chief forced Ian to stay close by. The lazy chipmunk sat down and nibbled on a nearby leaf. The chief cleared his throat.
"Gabriel, Joshua, and Lillian, you know why I called you here?" he asked.
"No sir." all of them chorused.
"As you know, I have been ill for the past few seasons." the chief stated. "I'm not getting better. The reign of Chief Jacob is going to come to end soon."
"Don't say that father!" Gabriel cried. He had Alvin's blood in him, and as such lacked the large belly known for the Theodore Tribe.
"It's a fact of life." Chief Jacob replied. "Now listen, the three of you are my candidates for the next chief." All three of them began muttering among each other, sounding surprised. Ian rolled his eyes. The fact that they were unaware made them dense in his opinion. "Now, the great elder Alvin is also nearing his end. He has outlived his brothers, their children, their children and...even more after that. He is living on borrowed time as it is. This presents a new problem. The clear heir for chief of the Alvin Tribe is David."
"The crazy pig-killer?" Lillian said. Her worried green eyes gazed around at her other siblings. Ian just grunted, ejecting some of the leaves out of his mouth.
"He may be crazy, but he has the support of the rest of the tribe." Jacob continued. "I'm telling you all this because should I die before Alvin, you should be prepared for what happens. David clearly does not respect any of the old rules or traditions. You need to be ready. I fear he will attack us."
"You shouldn't worry father." Joshua said. He looked the most like his ancestor Theodore. He was well-liked among the tribe for brokering the end of every single argument anyone brought to him. "We'll talk it over with David. We'll bring Chief Ethan of the Simon tribe with us. He can't say no to all of us."
"He's right father." Gabriel chimed in.
"I agree." Lillian added in. "We could probably at least split the Alvin Tribe. It won't be that bad."
"I hope you're right." Jacob said, sighing.
Then they all heard a groan. Each of them turned his or her head towards Ian. He had one of his paws up to his face. His fingers were massaging the areas between his eyes, as if he had a headache.
"Do you have something to add?" Jacob asked.
"Nothing except you three are naive idiots." he replied. All three of his older siblings began complaining at the same time. It was just noise for several moments until Jacob managed to actually shout.
"Stop! All of you quiet!" he bellowed. They fell silent as the chief had to cough for several moments to recover. He then turned towards his youngest son. "Ian, care to explain yourself?"
"What do you care? You're not going to listen." Ian snapped.
"I might." Jacob replied, his voice starting to become strained. Ian rolled his eyes, but continued.
"They're being extremely foolish. David is crazy. The moment he gets the chieftain's staff he's going to go on a rampage, and we're easy targets. Chief Ethan isn't even in charge of the Simon Tribe. They're not going to help us."
"How do you know any of that?" Joshua asked.
"Because contrary to popular belief, I actually go places." Ian bit back. "And as shocking as it is, I met David once. He's nuts, and ridiculously stubborn. I figured that out after talking with him for two minutes. I know Chief Ethan isn't in charge because when was the last time anyone saw him? He had that accident and hasn't been seen since. He's not in charge or we would have heard something from him. Alvin is going to die, the Simon Tribe will do nothing, and one of you will have to deal with David alone. Good luck with that." Ian then put his hands behind his head and sprawled out onto the ground. For once, he looked immensely satisfied. Jacob's eyes were fixed on his youngest son. They slowly widened as Ian's words began to sink in.
"You don't know any of that!" Joshua shouted. "You're just guessing!"
"If I'm even half right all of you are cooked." Ian replied flatly. "And it will be because you're morons."
"Stop calling us morons!" Lillian cried.
"Enough!" Jacob declared. "Let's not fight. Ian will always be Ian. You three go about your chores and prepare yourselves. When my time comes I will choose who will succeed me."
"Yes father." they all said in unison. They then turned and began walking away. All of them shared death glares at Ian, who didn't look as if he cared an ounce. Once the three siblings were gone the chief turned to Ian. There was a serious look in his eyes.
"How did you come up with all of that?" Jacob asked.
"I'm a cynic." Ian replied. "And I listen."
"You listen to people?" Jacob asked, sounding incredulous.
"I always listen, people just never like what I have to say in return."
Jacob stared at his son a moment more before turning away and heaving a heavy sigh.
"Go gather the wood for tonight's fire." the chief ordered.
"Oh come on!" Ian complained. "You're telling me to do that just because I argued with them!"
"Yes I am. Now go do it."
Ian complained under his breath as he stood up. He then rolled to his feet and began walking away. He complained with every step he took. Jacob then turned his head upwards. He gazed at the blue sky through the canopy of the trees. The island was in a ripe situation. All three chieftains were sick and dying. The future was uncertain. The Simon Tribe lacked leadership, the Theodore Tribe was soft and gentle, and the heir to the Alvin Tribe might be a psychopath. Anything might set the powder keg off.
"This is going to get worse before it gets better." Jacob said wisely.
XX
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