Young Chamberlain slept most of the day away. This was likely his most restful sleep he had ever had that he remembered since being out of his liquid tube 'womb.'
When he awoke, little Sil found he was sleeping on something soft, a bed. He had never slept in one before. At the lab, he had always just slept on the floor of his cell. At first, this felt like a strange dream to him. He had never thought there was such kind treatment in the world.
Now that his sleep needs were met, he saw the daylight for the first time, and it was very bright in the room. It was early afternoon. He remembered being saved by some creatures. What were they again? He would find out later. But where were they right now?
Little Sil pulled the covers back and he got out of his bed. This bed was the most wonderful thing ever. He also had to stretch his limbs. It felt good.
"Now where are my new friends?" He asked himself. He also felt the need to relieve himself. He saw a door leading to another room and went in to investigate. In there, he saw a tub and toilet. He had been taught to use a toilet and instantly went to use it. He had to pull the pants down first. He just wasn't used to wearing pants was all.
After he was done going, he flushed it too. Then he went out of the bathroom and opened the door he remembered going into and saw the long hallway. He had had a tour last night, but it was still going to take some getting used to.
"Hello? Is anyone here? Brooklyn?" Chamberlain called out. "Humans?"
From a camera standpoint, it aimed on him, and Owen was watching the camera. The little one was now awake and wanting to come out and explore. He knew he had to go greet him so he wouldn't get into trouble.
Sil was nervous about which way to go. He was still new to the outside world outside the lab. Everything was different from inside the lab. He had never seen the light of day before, or the night until last night.
"Hey there, little one." A male voice greeted him from his left.
Sil saw a blonde man with glasses coming toward him. He still remembered most men being scary to him. It instantly had the little Skeksis hiss and bare his teeth at him in a cat-like defense. He backed against the wall.
"It's alright, little Chamberlain. I won't hurt you." Owen said softly, trying to win him over. "You remember Brooklyn, Lexington, and Angela, right?"
Sil calmed down at the mention of their names. "Yes. Where are they?" he demanded fiercely.
"They are still asleep. It is only the afternoon. They will awaken again tonight." Owen explained.
"Can't you get them up?" Sil asked firmly.
"No, I'm afraid I can't. Did the gargoyles tell you how they sleep?" Owen asked him.
"I figure they just sleep as I do." The kid replied.
"They sleep yes, but not like you do. The gargoyles sleep outside usually as stone statues every day." Owen explained. "They can only awaken at sunset. They turn to stone every morning when the sun rises. It's a process that repeats every day and night."
"I still not understand." Sil replied.
"Come with me, little one." Owen gestured for him to follow him. Sil followed at a little distance, not trusting the man.
Owen soon led him to the high tower where Sil was led outside to see stone figures on the parapets. He saw the gargoyles and recognized them, even coming across Brooklyn.
"Does it hurt them?" Sil asked in worry.
"No, it doesn't. They are fine, I assure you. They also get some solar energy from the sun shining on them. It makes them fresh and strong the next time they awaken." Owen explained.
"That bright light is the sun?"
"Yes. You must not have seen daylight or night before, have you?" Owen stated.
"No. Not till last night." Sil replied.
"There's much you need to see and learn, young one." Owen declared.
"Do I look anything like my father?" Little Sil asked.
"From what I can remember, yes, you do. You look exactly like him." Owen replied.
"You can prove it, right?"
"Of course. I have some pictures of him." Owen replied and he led the kid to his office next. There, the man showed Sil pics of his dad.
His dad wore a purple gown with spikes on his back. Young Sil had some bumps on his back but no spikes. And in other pics, he had some red, white, and black robes on.
"How did my dad get all those clothes on himself?"
"Lots of careful doing." Owen said, then smelt the air. It wasn't pleasant. "Now that you have seen your father, little Chamberlain, perhaps it is time for your first bath."
Sil glanced up at him in surprise. "What's a bath?"
"I promise I'll make it fun for you, but if you are going to live here, you have to be clean." Owen decreed. "Come with me."
Sil was uncertain he wanted to know what a bath was. The man grabbed one of his hands and guided him to a bathroom. Owen got them in and he closed and locked the door behind him.
"First, I am to get the water running and warmed up. I will add some soap to it. You also need to take your clothes off for this part." Owen explained it to him.
"I don't want to." Sil replied nervously.
"Just wait first." Owen ordered. He began to run the water and set it to warm after plugging up the drain. Water began to fill the tub. He filled it a little way before putting in the soap, and the water began to get bubbly.
Sil was watching what was going on and he was still uncomfortable about this. He knew he drank water but had never been totally wet down by it since his release from the test tube. He didn't want to go back to the test tube.
When the water was high enough, Owen turned the water off. "Now, it's time to get you out of your clothes and get cleaned up. If you've never had a bath before, and being in that alley, you're likely going to be dirty. Let's get you in the tub now. I promise I'll tell you everything that I do." He told him.
"You better." Sil snapped.
Owen helped the little one out of his clothes. Then he helped him to feel the water and Sil slowly got into the tub. It made him tense up at first because it was new to him. He sat down and he slowly relaxed.
Sil explored the feeling he was feeling. He began to splash about in the water like a toddler. It wasn't surprising. The warm water was soothing to his skin.
Owen then had to dump water over his head and body. That part was where little Sil got annoyed at him, but he told him what he was going to do. Then there was the soaping up before washing off. Sil could smell something different on him. It was soap. He hoped it was nothing harmful. Owen would make sure to not leave him alone right now, until he knew how to bathe himself.
Sil had squirmed a few times that he wanted out of the bath, but Owen made sure to keep him in there, telling him he had to get clean, all major body parts. There was lots of dirt that came off of Sil when the water was rinsing him off. Then Owen drained the water. Sil watched it start to go down and he listened to the draining.
Owen then wrapped a towel around him, and he began to dry him off. He really got a little rough when it came to his back and neck hair. It was thick.
Sil was more like angry by the time it was all over. He was finally allowed out of the bathroom. Owen also told him that he needed to brush his hair out too. He helped him to untangle his mane of hair. He had to use detangle spray on it.
"Maybe you want to wear the kind of clothes your father did instead of this shirt and shorts." Owen suggested.
That perked up little Sil a little more. "Can I?"
"I kept records of what and how the robes were made." Owen replied. "He wore a gown first and then the heavier robes, but only when it was cold out here. I also noticed the bumps on your back. Am I to know that they will grow into spikes soon? But we will worry about when the time comes."
"Did my dad have spikes on his back?"
"Yes, he did." Owen replied. "Now let's go get you dressed and prepared. Soon it will be time for the gargoyles to wake up. I'm sure we can make modifications as you grow up with your clothes."
"How big did my dad stand?" Sil asked.
"He stood nearly as tall as Brooklyn or Broadway." Owen replied.
"So, I will stand that high too?"
"Most likely."
Owen went and found a blue woman's gown in one of the spare closets. He had little Sil try it on for size. It fit him even with all his hair feathers. Owen was amazed at how much hair little Sil had on him.
"Do you like it?" Owen asked.
"Yeah! Love it!" Little Sil shouted excitedly.
"Good. Your friends will be awake soon." Owen said.
"Want to see them wake up."
"It'll be hard to miss."
Later, Elisa came back to the castle and got him off Owen's hands. She saw little Sil's new outfit. It looked nice to her. But perhaps some changes could be made. For right now, Elisa led the little Skeksis to the high tower where the gargoyles were sleeping.
Chamberlain was amazed at how the gargoyles were stone statues. He had never seen anything like it in his short life. "When they wake up?" he asked.
"After the sun goes down." Elisa replied.
After several minutes, the sun finally set and there was cracking heard. Elisa pulled Sil back. Fragments went everywhere. Sil stood there with his mouth agape. "You were told it would be hard to miss and astounding." Elisa told him.
"I believe."
"Good evening, guys." Elisa greeted her friends.
"So, how was your first day without us?" Brooklyn greeted little Sil.
"Get sleep, but not know you turn to stone." Sil replied. "Owen explain many things to me, even help me get this gown. He say that my dad wore a gown too."
"Yeah, he did." Broadway stated.
"What color?"
"Purple." Angela said.
"But his real robes were red, black, and white." Brook declared.
"Like your colors?"
"Yeah." Brook chuckled. "Sort of. But those were his chosen colors long before he met me."
"I like this color."
"That's blue, lad." Hudson declared.
"I like it."
"That's fine." Goliath said. "It shows you have different interests than your father did."
"Well, how about we have our breakfast together?" Broadway offered.
"Am hungry." Sil admitted.
"Me too." Brook agreed.
Broadway went to go fix breakfast. Until then, there were other activities the clan did.
Brooklyn took little Sil on some more of a tour. He also showed him the paradise area beneath the castle. "Wow! This is pretty!" Sil proclaimed.
"Yeah, it is. Good place to go swimming." Brook declared.
"Of you all, who knew my dad best?"
"I did. I was the first one to meet him. I had been transferred to his world magically by a strange artifact and only someone who is immortal can touch it without it opening. But he had to go back because it wasn't safe here for him. I don't know if your father's clan would accept you. They were rather not so accepting of your father." Brooklyn explained to him. "You're better off here with us. Your dad hung out with the whole clan but me the most."
"There must be much of what you know about him and his world?"
"A little bit, yes, but not everything." Brook replied. "There were some things that he just wouldn't tell me, so I don't know what to tell ya. You're better off learning our ways, though I know you don't have wings, but that doesn't mean we can't still take you places. We just have to carry you."
"Not ready to go anywhere." Sil hissed.
"That's fine. Over time, I mean."
"Maybe, but not ready now. Just finding new home and getting comfortable." Sil stated firmly.
Soon, breakfast was ready and Brook and Sil headed to the dining area. On the way, Brooklyn said, "I could teach you how to read our language in books. They are fun to read once you know how."
"Okay…" Chamberlain declared.
…..
Later, after breakfast, Brooklyn took Sil to the library and he picked up some books to start reading. They were on little kids books first. They were only there based upon young Alex. They were simple learn to read books.
Brooklyn would make sure to keep the mature books away from Sil until he was older. He was too young to read the mature books. But first, little Sil also needed to learn the alphabet and how to write.
David was going to prepare for a private tutor to start teaching little Chamberlain how to read, write, do math and other things. It would also have to be someone who was alright with gargoyles. A Skeksis seemed gargoyle-like enough.
Sure, the gargoyles would all play critical roles in little Sil's education, but so would the humans. The gargoyles were only awake for partial hours in a twenty-four-hour cycle. But there would also be time to just hang and have fun too. There also had to be enough time for him to sleep too.
Brooklyn started him out with the letters and certain objects and animals that he knew of that started with those letters. Young Sil was a quick and adaptive learner like his father was.
Lexington also wanted to help teach the young Skeksis about science and words too. Brooklyn didn't mind his brother teaching his young friend. He just wanted to be there with him.
Goliath ordered Brooklyn to let the young Skeksis learn to hang out with all the clan, not just him. Brook knew he had to follow orders.
Brooklyn just knew that little Sil was giving his life meaning and purpose right now. He wasn't feeling so alone in the castle anymore. He didn't care if he was taking on a sort of fatherhood role to his friend's offspring. He would do what he could to take care of him. He hadn't known everything of Skeksis' rules and laws, but little Sil would be living by the rules and laws of both humans and gargoyles here in this world.
Despite there being a likely chance of being able to take little Sil to Thra via the diamond, the clan didn't want Demona learning of little Sil. But then, Puck and Alex could open the portal. But the clan was seeing how Brooklyn seemed happier to take care of little Sil as if he was his own son.