Waiting for the Manhood Ceremony

Calvo sat in that tent all day long. He could hear the bustle of the aliens in the village as they moved through their day. Shortly after being put in the tent, he smelled the savory aroma of hot lunch, and his stomach rumbled like a grumpy old-timer. His sitter left to be replaced by another, who brought him water. The smells died away after lunch, though the noise increased. Everyone seemed busy from the sound of it. Another smell, more like a stench, wafted in after that, acrid and spicy. About another hour passed and his keeper was rotated out again.

His companions just sat and waited. They were pleasant enough in a stoic, silent way. They smiled at him, but never tried to talk. Probably figured he couldn't understand, so why waste the effort. These people seemed very efficient, no effort was squandered. He took the time to study them, since there was little else to do.

The alien men averaged a little shorter than Calvo was, but lean and muscular to a man. He didn't want to get into any wrestling matches with them. Though many prisoners spend large amounts of time working out and jogging around the compound, Calvo wasn't one of them. He preferred reading in his cell. Sure, he lifted some weights, but only out of boredom, not true dedication. These people needed to be in excellent shape to hunt. The run back from the treefall where they'd found him was proof of their endurance. The warriors were hardly winded, while Calvo was pushing hard and resting often.

The warriors wore loincloths and not much else, except for bags and pouches on shoulder straps and jewelry. Each one had a necklace of feathers and beads with a larger pendant from some variety of animal bone or teeth. They bore intricate geometric tattoos on their arms and legs. The older men had more, so Calvo guessed they might get tattoos after significant events in their lives. Their blue skin came in a very small range of color, from a light sky-blue to a slightly darker shade.

As the day stretched on, the smell of cooking mixed with the sharp smell from the afternoon, but didn't replace it. Another rotation of men occurred, again bearing water for his thirst, and things got quiet again. Calvo just waited. When it was time for whatever was going to happen, they would get him.