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What Will Be | Side Chapter 2: Tulos
🕑 Added 2024-02-13 02:39:25 +0000 UTCAuthor Note: A huge welcome to my first batch of Patrons! Words cannot convey how much your support means to me. I will be giving these chapters another once-over before publishing to RR but no major changes will be made. It'll be for a 'final' sweep for typos, the odd bit rephrasing, and occasionally cutting some fat.
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Side Chapter 2: Tulos
“Wait, let me make sure I heard that correctly. You were courting her, everything was going well, but you had to end things because she hit her second Advancement before you? My friend, I love you, but you have issues.”
~Unknown
Before Amy’s arrival
Life has an uncanny tendency to thrust turmoil upon the unwilling and tragedy upon the undeserving. It was a sentiment Tulos was introduced to before he was old enough to appreciate its truth, back when the invulnerability of youth whispered sweet promises impossible to keep. As he monitored Jusep’s condition, Tulos found himself grateful that his son had been spared such torment. It was a selfish thought, but an honest one, so he could not fault himself for it.
The boy slept, albeit restlessly, a blessing considering the state of his body. A weak mewl or whimper occasionally slipped through his drying lips, surprisingly undamaged despite the ordeal. Bandages had started to grow damp as blood and other bodily fluids began to seep from the thinly healed wounds, irritated by his involuntary movements. The stench of it all was poorly masked by the simple medicinal herbs Tulos ground into a paste and administered where it could do the most good. It was the kind of simple triage that wouldn’t fix any problems by itself but could buy someone lifesaving time or ease their discomfort if it couldn’t. If not for the timely intervention of restorative magic, even that would have been insufficient.
There was nothing they’d be able to do to save the limbs, or what was left of them. That kind of treatment was prohibitively expensive considering the specialized cocktail of Skills and magic required to pull it off. With time, the boy would adapt and probably develop unique augmentations to allow him to Advance despite the additional challenges he was destined to face.
Not that it would be of any real comfort to Jusep, the sobering thought crossed Tulos’ mind.
There would be repercussions for the tragedy occurring while the children were under his care. It was the kind of disaster that should never have happened, let alone-
“Amy will be here soon.”
Focused as he was, Tulos failed to notice that his wife had slipped back into the house. Tina could move with predatory silence when she needed to, especially while on the Beast High. She stood by the doorway and pinned Tulos in place with her eyes, still stained by wild magics yet just as beautiful. It took a moment for the weight of her words to settle over him and his expression turned grim.
“Thank you, Love, I will try and make sure Jusep is-”
“Her reaction will upset Will.” Tulos heard the poorly restrained snarl behind her words. It was taking her longer to come down than normal, which worried him. She pushed herself harder than she had in years for the sake of their son, and that amplified protective instinct was still directing her actions and influencing her priorities.
She hasn’t even looked at Jusep.
Tulos felt tooth grind against tooth as he reflected on Tina’s sacrifice. Rare were the days he regretted straying from the path of violence. This was one of them. It mattered not that events likely would have unfolded the same way, but when faced with the suffering of a loved one it was easy to feel inadequate.
“I will take him to the kennel. It is far enough away to spare him the noise.” Tulos saw that she kept turning her head back in their son’s direction. It must have taken an effort of willpower to even come and tell him of her plans. Once again, he found himself in awe of the woman who had so completely stolen a heart freely given.
Before Tulos had a chance to respond, she left, no longer able to suppress her protective urges. Tulos knew it was his imagination, but the room grew slightly dimmer without her in it. It always did. Throughout the whole exchange, brief though it was, Jusep barely stirred. The faint rise and fall of his chest was the only indication he was still alive. The future weighed heavy on Tulos’ shoulders as he waited for the inevitable storm, it was a weight even he struggled to carry.
***
While Will and Tina were at the kennel
Tulos felt his heart hammering in his chest, each thud pushing his lungs like titanic bellows in a desperate attempt to recover from physical exertion. Amy had insisted Jusep be rushed to the village, which is to say she shrieked the command at him while gripped in - justified - hysterics at the condition of her son. Under normal circumstances, Tulos would not have wanted to move the boy but defying a mother’s wishes in that moment would have been folly. As a partially responsible party, he could only acquiesce.
Tulos sprinted down the road to Elbura while strapped to his cart like a horse. In the cargo bed, Amy took the occasional jostle while endeavoring to keep her son stable. Every ragged breath became an acute reminder of one of the many weaknesses in Tulos’ Build. Strength (Body) gave him the power necessary to lift the cart, but his muscles still quickly tired from intense exertion given its low Level. Advancement would eventually help alleviate the issue, but that road was barred to him. He banished the thoughts, they were no excuse to slow down. The wind stung his eyes and his tongue tasted like dirt but still he pushed his body to its limit and made it to the village in what was, for him, record time.
***
“You understand the implications of this?” Tulos rested on the raised platform in the meeting hall while he recounted the events of the day to Hwan. It was a secondhand account, but it was enough to convey the key points of the matter. Unlike when he told the story of his youth to Will, Tulos barely rambled as he described the tragedy. The severity of the situation stopped him from overthinking and smoothed the connection between his mind and mouth.
Jusep had been moved to the Wooly Boot shortly after their arrival. The Inn could only really be referred to as one on a technicality; they made most of their profits as a tavern for the locals but had a couple of spare rooms for the occasional traveler. Someone had already been sent to fetch Pehpa, who had dedicated a minor Branch to medicinal healing practices. She was the one people called when they were unwell, injured, or preparing to give birth. Jusep had the best chance of making a recovery while under her care.
The color began to drain from Hwan’s face when Tulos mentioned the first fueha, and practically blanched when he spoke of the second.
“Unfortunately, I do,” he said solemnly. The village head was getting on in years, but his Skills in administration had done the people well for decades and would continue to do so for many more if they had their way. Tulos recognized one of the reasons why as he saw a shift come over the older man. His posture straightened, and his eyes hardened. There was business to be done to ensure the safety of his village and Hwan had tailored his Build to that very purpose.
“What will you need from me?” Tulos planned to cooperate as best he could with the inevitable investigations. He knew Hwan trusted the validity of his story, but when claims of Beasts outside the First Ring were made it would be irresponsible to send an official report without verification.
“I will need to speak with Tina, will she-”
“When she has recovered I will send her to give her version of events.” Tulos felt the subtle push of a Skill guiding him to help ease the wheels of administrative procedure, a sensation most miss without specialized training. Even with it, Tulos knew Hwan had Advanced enough to apply an even gentler touch that someone at his Tier wouldn’t be able to detect. The transparency was a courtesy.
“There is also the matter of your son.” Tulos’ blood turned to ice and the edge of the stage he’d been holding splintered under the pressure of his tightened grip. Not wanting to prolong the man’s suffering, Hwan was quick to continue. “It is possible that he will be exposed as a result of this.”
The truth of the statement slammed into Tulos like a sledgehammer. He anticipated additional scrutiny in the fallout of the tragedy, but he’d failed to realize the danger it put his son in.
“Is there any way we can…” The discomfort of his sweat-stained clothes, the dryness of his throat, everything fell away as he tried asking a question he knew he wouldn’t like the answer to. Hwan didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. If the wrong person gave the records of the incident more than a cursory read then Will would be claimed. It was as simple as that.
“Where is he!” The shout reached them moments before the doors to the hall slammed open. Costa marched in, fury written on his face in crimson. Tulos knew it was a mask to cover the pain. It usually was with men like Costa. When bloodshot eyes landed on Tulos they promised violence.
This is going to be awful, he thought.
***
Some time after Will began his Advancement
Tulos’ trudge back to the house was sluggish as it was miserable. Costa’s Tier was higher than his, and working the fields equipped him with the strength to throw a powerful haymaker. If not for Hwan’s timely intervention, there was a real chance the tormented father would have inflicted serious injury before coming to his senses. His ragged insistence that Tulos fight back was haunting, and Tulos was reminded of it with every pained step over the moonlit path.
He’d almost given in and fought back. It would have only made matters worse. It would have only been a betrayal of his convictions, but… It would have been so easy, so cathartic. After a day of pain and loss, taking his frustration out on a regular source of antagonism would have brought fleeting relief.
“That is where the danger lies,” Tulos muttered to himself as he walked the final few steps to his front door. “When violence can be the answer to all your problems, it becomes hard to justify not using it.” Out of the corner of his eye, Tulos spotted his axe leaning against the splitting stump. He shuddered and felt a familiar stirring in his core. Skills wanted to be used. If he’d been armed when Costa attacked him…
Well, it is not worth thinking about.
The door slammed open revealing his wife brandishing a candle. The flickering flames caught her eyes, back to their usual enchanting green.
“Hello, Love, I am glad you-”
“Who. Hurt. You?” From somewhere in the darkness of the house, Tulos heard Vigil growl low in his throat. All hope that Tina wouldn’t notice the swelling around his eye instantly evaporated, not that he was particularly optimistic to begin with.
“Costa was understandably shaken by Jusep’s condition,” Tulos said slowly while gently pulling Tina into an embrace. They both still carried the stink of the day on their bodies. Neither of them cared. “He made a bad decision, but one I can empathize with. Can I come in?”
Without waiting for an answer, Tulos effortlessly hoisted Tina off the ground and waddled through the doorway.
“Put me down,” Tina protested, but there was no real force in it. “And do not try to distract me.” She playfully kicked at his shins, careful not to accidentally flail her candle into the wall, and allowed herself to be carried to their sitting room.
“I understand, Love,” Tulos whispered before setting her down. “We need to forgive him, though. Imagine if Will had been hurt instead of Jusep.” Tulos still had his arms around his wife and felt her body go rigid at the suggestion. “Exactly.” No other words were needed. They spent a long moment just sharing their closeness and relief.
“Will managed to fall asleep, then?” Tulos realized he had gone too long without asking about his son and aimed to rectify that error. A silence stretched in the candlelit room. “Love?” He took a step back and tried to study Tina’s expression. She sheepishly looked away.
“About that…”
Tina began explaining the events of the afternoon to an increasingly bewildered Tulos. Questions mounted upon questions mounted upon the occasional grievance. They’d been planning to confront Will about his accelerated development for months. Tina handling that conversation on her own made Tulos feel like he’d somehow not done right by his son. It was hard to hold a grudge though, given the circumstances.
“So then he started his Advancement and I carried him to his bed,” Tina concluded and took a moment to catch her breath. The candle had begun to lose its height. Before Tulos could decide what to address first, she added a final thought. “Watching his face scrunch up in surprised pain was heartbreaking. I do not know how parents do it.”
Brain function paused all activity in Tulos’ mind as he parsed that statement. A terrifying thought occurred to him.
“Love… did… did you not tell Will what to expect?”
Tina tilted her head to the side in confusion.
“Obviously. That way he would learn about the potential risks of Advancement and the dangers posed by incomplete information. If he would have specifically asked if it would hurt, then I-” she cut herself off mid sentence when she noticed the growing look of horror on her husband’s face and immediately grew flustered. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Love. Will is five. Even if he were not, why would you not tell your child to prepare themselves for the pain?” Tulos struggled to believe he was having this conversation.
“I thought that was how everyone did it!” Tina’s rebuttal came fast and panicked. The slow shake of her husband’s head told her all she needed to know. Suddenly, the gap in station of birth between her and Tulos felt wider than ever. “Well. That settles it then. I am an awful mother.” The thought that she’d caused her child unnecessary pain to perpetuate some kind of warped family tradition made her sick.
“It is okay, Love. It will all be okay. We could not have known things would happen this way.” Tulos pulled her back into his embrace. “I am sure he will forgive you when we explain things to him. He is a good boy and you are an incredible mother.” He found it bewildering that she could accuse herself of being anything else given her actions earlier in the day. Tina quietly nodded into his chest.
“Do you promise?”
“I do.”
Comments
Bookworm bibliophile
The father screams protagonist.
