Stage 3 Class Quest: Dernd, Sauti: Outside Voulon Metals
Lathom slowed the cart to a crawl and tapped the back of this seat, “We're here. Get out or I'm bringing you back to Tale~” he joked while watching Gaddok gather his gear and scramble out the back of the cart, “Take care of yourself, Dragol.” Lathom called after him, “We're not done with you yet.”
Giving a nonchalant wave over his shoulder, Gaddok started for the village of Dernd. He had insisted on walking because it gave him the chance to bail if he hadn't come up with a good enough excuse for his absence. Knowing this, he was forced by his employees into the back of a cart, cutting his time to think in half and taking away his escape plan; like it or not he was going to have to confront the old man. Dragging his feet past the empty forge, Gaddok halted himself outside the door of Voulon Metals, “Huh...” he murmured while swaying to peer in the window. The home was dark, no movement or noises coming from inside; either the old man had died or wasn't home. Part of him was willing to accept that and flee while he could, but knowing it was better to just rip off the bandage rather than peeling it, Gaddok tapped briskly on the door and flinched in anticipation of the response.
Moments went by and there was no response, Gaddok raised his hand to knock again-
“Don't know wha'chur doin', boy... There's nothing for you here.” A familiar voice called from just behind him. “Yer father's been looking for you... This was his third stop apparently. Can't say I know what for, you haven't stopped by for more than a 'formality' in years.”
The words were worse than a kick to the stomach; had he really been so cold to a man that gave him everything? It all seems like a blur, “I-I didn't mean to... I just-” Gaddok stopped mid sentence and dropped his hands in defeat. There was no explaining his behavior when he didn't fully understand himself, “I am truly sorry. I made a mistake and I-”
“No~ There's no mistake.” Remus mused as he stepped passed the blacksmith and squeezed his son's shoulders, “You've done far better than I ever expected, Gaddok. I'm so proud of your success.”
Gaddok's looked into his father's eyes with great suspicion, “Shouldn't you... Be in Zena? With the healers? Your cough-”
“Has gotten better.” His father interjected while releasing him, “And when I lost track of you I got worried. That damned sailscale of yours has just been slouching around the house lately and won't take any messages out to you.”
Lon watched as Remus spoke and knew he was playing his son. Arching into a stretch he cleared his throat, “Well, Counselor... Y'found him, so you'd best get back to your people.” he commented pointedly, “Gaddok can make it-”
“Counselor?” Gaddok inquired, his eyes narrowing as he honed in on his father, “What's this?”
Remus brushed it aside, “It's nothing... We can discuss it when we are back home.”
“Remus was recently appointed an official position... about a month ago, wasn't it?” Lon added while giving Remus a firm pat on the back, “Yeah, got recognized for all the good work he's done for Zidel and really all of Zena.” His words were true but held a hint of accusation.
“The good?” Gaddok growled through clenched teeth. He couldn't believe- didn't want to believe his father would do this. Would fake illness, make the entire family uproot their lives, force the Trade business on him just for this.
Lon looked at Remus for a reply but seeing the heated glare he was getting, Lon continued, “Well sure, his company doubled the number of goods coming into Zidel from all over Tendaji.”
“His company...” Gaddok crooned while tipping his head to look at Lon.
“Dragol Trading Company... That little sailscale business that started out of Iory. Apparently, it grew exponentially over the last- oh, Decade or so?” Lon honed in on Gaddok's olive eyes and snorted, “Well surely you've heard of it boy... S'got your name too.”
“I'm. Well. Aware.” He answered tersely.
“That's not how it went, Gaddok. This man is twisting facts to slander my character.” Remus pleaded with his son, “I would never do-”
“Never Do...” the words only fueled the fires burning in his belly. Rage consumed him as he looked over the pathetic excuse of a man standing before him. All the pieces were falling into place now. Remus had always been kissing a** to Zena since he was voted into a leadership role in Iory.As Lon spoke it became abundantly clear to Gaddok that his father had indeed used him to take over and grow the business that was failing under his control. Then with that success, he lied his way to being a counselor in Zena. Gaddok looked into his father's defeated eyes, “How could you- Why... Were you even really sick?!” he reached out to grab his father struggling to understand, to find some way to humanize his father's actions. He was pleading with a sociopath... a greedy self-serving sociopath.
Remus pressed his lips together, “Yes. I was ill. The only help I could find was in Zena. It may seem all too convenient, but it's the truth.” Remus rested his hands on his hips as he shifted his weight from side to side... as if he were sorting through all that had transpired, “Gaddok, I know this is difficult for you to see in this moment, but I made these decisions with you in mind.”
Gaddok burst into laughter, “Oh~? You.. You got sick? Nearly Bankrupt the family between the move across the mountains, the suspension of trade for nearly a year-”
“I was dying!” Remus protested, “Whatever, The healer-”
“Pasha!” Gaddok shouted, “For Bergchi's sake this woman cared for you for two years and you don't have the decency to-”
“Pasha! Fine!” Remus threw his hands in the air, “Pasha was failing at her one and only job... Keep. Me. Alive. And last I remember You weren't exactly stepping up to run things on my behalf.”
That was a low blow. Gaddok paced in front of the smith's house, “Really, Your putting this all on me.”
“We needed you, Gaddok... And it took some convincing, but You eventually made the right decision.” Remus's voice calmed as he rested a hand on his son's shoulder, “You stepped up when we needed you most and that is a debt I cannot repay to you.”
'Would he even try?' Gaddok wondered, looking into the eyes of the man he thought he could trust. “So Counselor... What is next for us?” Gaddok asked while raking his fingers through his hair.
“Well, You continu-”
“No! I am done. I am so unbelievably done with this... With all of this.” his hands coiled in rage as he tried to express his disgust with the situation. Knowing his feelings would hardly make a difference now Gaddok stepped away from the situation.
“Gaddok, Please.” Remus pleaded while reaching after his son, “You can't just walk away from-”
Drawing his blade, Gaddok turned and pointed the weapon at his father, “Don't. Please. I can't do this right now.”
Remus's posture dropped as he huffed, “Really? You draw a weapon on your own flesh and blood.”
“Not helping...” Lon murmured while leaning against his house packing his pipe, his hand a fingers length away from his weapon in case things got a little too heated.
“This is about that girl, isn't it? That hybrid girl, Sathe?” Remus snarled, “You're all bent out of shape because she left you. Really son? Is it that difficult to see that she-”
Not even waiting for what his father was about to say, Gaddok lowered his blade to the side to step forward and brought his knee into Remus's gut and bashed the hilt of his sword on the back of his head, watching as he dropped to the earth, reeling from the blow, "Don't you dare bring her into this." Gaddok spat as he watched his father fumble with the goose egg forming on the back of his head.
Lon straightened up and grabbed the hilt of his weapon, “Gaddok, That's enoug-”
“Give Me a blade.” Remus seethed.
“That's not-”
“Give me a Chi blessed blade, Lon!” He snapped while struggling to his feet. Taking hold of the offered weapon Remus stared down his son, “This may be hard for you to understand, but You're not the only one that knows how to wield one of these.”
Gaddok scoffed at the notion of fighting his father, “You honestly think you stand a chance... I'd wager you haven't swung one of those in 25 years.” he barely got a chance to finish before his father stepped forward and slashed to get his attention. Rotating his wrist using the weight of the blade to make the rotation Gaddok grinned, “Your Right.” he opened his arms presenting his chest for a target, “She left me. Found herself a nice Wind merchant like yourself and settled down in a little hovel outside of Yera.”
Lon winced as he watched history replay itself. It seemed like yesterday His wife Saria took their young son and left everything for a 'more stable and promising future. He didn't try to stop her; hell he couldn't blame her... He had been a mercenary for all his life – chasing wars, killing for coin. That was his wake-up call, though. He wanted to provide something for his son; a future he could work toward. Lon used his coin to build the forge, and on the days his son came to visit he tried to train him, make him see the life Lon had lived; the thrill of adventure, of battle.
When the boy was but a prentice he declared he would no longer be visiting. He wanted to travel with his stepfather and learn the mercantile trade. Lon couldn't be mad at his son, but he couldn't hide the pain either... The two got into a heated argument; much like the one before him, and Remus never called him father again.
Lon watched as the two hurled insults at one another, bringing up the pettiest of fights that lead to this point. It broke his heart to see these two like this, and it's all due to that stubborn Dragol blood that pumps through their veins. They want what's best for the people they love, but sometimes what is best is to just give them space.
“Gaddok,” Remus huffed as he staggered backward, keeping his blade honed in his son's direction, “Come home. There is nothing for you out here any longer. That woman never loved you... For the love of Chi, Gaddok, it was just puppy love.” Remus trembled on his feet as he stared into his son's cold eyes, “Just... Give it-”
As his father spoke it only fanned the flame building inside him... All these years, everything he had done was so that his father could fulfill his dreams, his goals, ambitions. It wasn't to save the family; wasn't even for his mother! It was a means to an end for his father. What he said about Sathe cut him deeper than any blade could. It hadn't mattered how she felt; he was willing to give everything for her, and because of some web of lies his father spun, she was gone. Having enough of his pleading, Gaddok lunged in at his father, swung the sword hard enough to knock the blade from his hand, kicked his chest to knock him against the wall, then drove the blade through Remus's right shoulder, “Don't. Ever-”
Lon knocked Gaddok away, “What have you done?!” The smith cried out while looking at Remus's winded form groaning at the blade in his chest, “Go.”
Gaddok stared, puzzled for a moment, then it finally hit him. “s**t...” He hissed while rising to his feet, “I-I didn't...”
Lon stared into Gaddok's eyes and took his shoulder, “You need to leave. Now. Go east. Far east... Stay there until I send word.” Pressing his lips together Lon removed the sword and collected Remus, “This isn't going to just go away, Gaddok. And you standing there with that stuck look isn't going to make it better. Leave now and deal with that temper of yours.”
Gaddok was frozen in his tracks, he wanted to help, wanted to take his father inside to clean the wounds, bandage him. He had never wanted it to get this far. He tried to walk away from the situation, but he just kept pressing the matter; pressing and prodding until it was so sore he had to do something.
“GO, Dammit!” Lon shoved Gaddok's arm, “I'll make sure he's fine, but you have to go. Now.”
Knowing his words were true, Gaddok collected his pack from beside the step, turned east, and ran; from Sathe, From his father, the company, Zena... he ran until his body gave out in a heap of raw emotion. Collapsing to the earth Gaddok curled around his pack and cried; it was all he had left. All the pain and hate and self-loathing he had been holding inside, shoving so deep inside himself finally broke to the surface leading him to do something he regretted so dearly. Forcing him to leave the ones he loved and now he was alone. Sprawling out on his back he inhaled the cold night air and exhaled a plume of vapor. Struggling to find the positive, the silver lining in all this he sighed, "Well, this was definitely a fresh start, Just not exactly how I wanted it..."
2370 Words and 1 Fresh Start~
Quote:
Gaddok's life has sort of derailed from where he had expected to be by this time, and the goal here was to do a hard reset and get him back on track... To an extent~
The life he has created can't just be locked away and forgotten. Going into his stage three he will hopefully gain the opportunity to take a step back and realize that things are changing for the better, but you don't have to lose everything you are to keep up with the life you've made for yourself.
The life he has created can't just be locked away and forgotten. Going into his stage three he will hopefully gain the opportunity to take a step back and realize that things are changing for the better, but you don't have to lose everything you are to keep up with the life you've made for yourself.
