“It’s kinda weird.” Sam said as they sat around a folding table in TJ’s room. “Everyone who comes in is getting pulled apart to different groups, and each group is being taught by one of the people from Sven’s Tutorial. They’re talking about what worked in their Tutorial, how they could trust in the strongest people to take care of them when the biggest, scariest monsters appeared. They were fine with us getting stronger, and said that some people would become like Sven, but that most people would need to depend on people like him.”
“Yeah, Jordan said that we need to decide now which of the two kinds we’ll be.” Mimi added. “He said that, even though he’s Copper tier, he isn’t going to be on the level of Sven.”
“I did get to meet with David though. He’s the Blacksmith, and he really seems to know what he’s talking about. Something about how to get the materials to mix into an alloy was what he talked about today. I wasn’t quite sure I understood everything, but I’m getting a good idea of how to work with metals. He even let me do some basic shaping!”
TJ let the conversation fade into the background as he looked out the window, the fiery clouds the only remainder of the setting sun. He wasn’t quite sure what he should do about this. Strictly speaking, he couldn’t say that he disagreed with the statement. There were people who wouldn’t ever really be in the race to sit on the Divine Throne. TJ doubted that it could really be obvious who would and wouldn’t be able to compete for godhood just a couple days after the Tutorials ended, half a month since the apocalypse began. On the other hand, for people who didn’t qualify for outstanding Classes, Occupations, or Races, it might be.
Looking at Luz, he couldn't help but shrug. “I agree, I think it’s weird. Even so,” TJ continued before Mimi and Sam could reply or feel any way about it, “I don’t know if they’re wrong. This is a new world. As much as we hate it, people aren’t going to be equal. Do you think that a justice system, if we could institute one, would jail a Silver for them mistreating a Dirt? I doubt it. It hardly ever worked like that in the world from before. Now, though, instead of it being money and influence that makes people immune, it’ll be literal strength.
“As such, your focus needs to be on getting stronger. If you don’t, then you’ll, at best, be second class citizens.”
A pall of silence settled over them as all three truly attempted to embrace this new normal. TJ couldn’t help but scoff at himself. He’d said it a dozen times at least, but he still struggled to agree and internalize it. In retrospect, he probably wasn’t helped by how a part of him demanded he indulge in the worship of those weaker than him. Why didn’t he just get Sam and Mimi to worship him? After all, he knew that could be a viable path to power for them. He’d just need to do more for them, to accompany them on every hunt, to feed them the experience and flesh of Copper tier monsters. Before long, they’d be Copper, and their path would be, at least for the Copper tier, tied to him. As they continued, they’d be more and more tightly woven with him.
Instead of just leaving this as a thought, TJ decided to ask.
“What lines would you not cross to get strong enough to be able to protect yourself and those you care about in this world?”
“I won’t kill anyone just to get stronger. And I want to protect people, just like you are.” Sam immediately replied. Mimi, on the other hand, seemed to look inward. After thinking for a time, she seemed to come to a conclusion.
“I think… there aren’t any more lines in the sand.” She whispered. “If we need to kill, we’ll do it. If someone says they’ll hurt you, then I’ll kill.”
Sam didn’t seem to know what to say in response to that, but TJ met her eyes. She was nervous, as she frequently was, but she also didn’t back down.
“I’m the same.” TJ nodded. “Another question: how much would you give up to stay strong enough to be safe?”
“I…” Sam faltered. “I mean, I’ll get hurt?”
“I wouldn't marry someone,” Mimi answered, “but I would follow someone. I would become… a henchman, I guess. If it was someone I could mostly trust.”
Sam looked at his sister, looking more and more confused about what was coming out of her mouth. Even so, Mimi was shy but sure. Sam turned his gaze to TJ and let his mouth fall open. “I… I… I guess I’d do that? I follow you already, don’t I?”
TJ felt like he should have known better, but it was just a couple days since he’d met the two. Mimi’s desperation and determination was something different from Sam’s protective urges.
“I… No. No you don’t.” TJ shook his head at Sam’s question. “You’ve been helped by me, but you’re not my followers, at least not like the Sobek’s Devotees we saw. If you wanted to, I’m sure there’s a path that could be available to you in the same vein as a Devotee, though.”
Sam cocked his head before asking, “Would it be a strong option?”
TJ shrugged. “Maybe. I mean, the System said that the original Devotees got to be actual gods just by devoting themselves to Sobek. I’m sure there’s a path there for any follower of any god. Don’t know what that would do for someone following a being just one tier above them, but it’s probably possible.”
“Hm.” Sam’s voice was unsure.
“I don’t think I want to do that.” Mimi said, again being surprisingly decisive. “If you were already in godhood, I would. But as it is, following my Bloodline is better.”
TJ laughed at the statement, and though Mimi looked at him a little scared, all he could do was shake his hands in a gesture he hoped was calming. Then, as Luz looked up at him and confusedly cocked her head, he forced himself to calm down.
“You’re right. You absolutely are. I’m just laughing at my own pride.” As he calmed down and gave Luz another bite of the pureed carrots mixed with baby cereal, another question occurred to TJ. “Wait, what’s your Bloodline? I’ve never asked.”
Mimi blushed without responding. TJ wasn’t quite sure why that was her reaction, and just waited. After a moment’s hesitation, she spoke.
She nodded. For a moment, TJ tried to see how Greek her features were. She was, as far as he could tell, pretty nonspecifically from anywhere, though. Nothing that made him think of someone from the Mediterranean. No aquiline features, and her hair, though dark and wavy, didn’t remind him of the typical tight Greek curls.
“Huh.” TJ replied with a shrug. “I’m not sure why you’re embarrassed about that, though. It’s not like it’s a bad thing? Or… I really don’t understand why you didn’t want me to know?”
“You just thought it.” Mimi fought to keep her voice calm. “I’m just not pretty enough to have her as my Bloodline!”
“What? No. I just don’t think you look that Greek. And do you think I’m snakey enough to look like Kukulkan? Or does your brother look like a dog?”
Mimi, already ready to be upset, was pulled from her train of thought at TJ’s response. He just shrugged as Luz got mad about the food he was providing. “I’m not sure why you care about that. We all look like people who’ve been through the apocalypse.”
Mimi and Sam both went silent after that. TJ just continued to feed the child he’d decided to take care of, frustrated that he couldn’t find the easy to eat food that Luz needed. This was infant food, not young toddler, and he just didn’t know what to do. He lost himself in wondering how he could make sure that she was eating enough food that she could actually digest. She made no secret of the fact that she was unhappy with this food as he continued to feed her.
After a while, TJ mostly gave up on feeding Luz any more, sure he’d be giving her the leftovers once she got hungry during the night. She wandered around the room as Sam and Mimi finished eating their own smaller steaks and small salad. TJ’d been offered a large serving, given his status, but he’d instead asked that the food be split between himself and his two teenage followers.
The meal finished, TJ stood up and spoke.
“It’s getting late. If you wanna hang around, you can, but I'm gonna see if I can’t get this little one to go to sleep. Once I do that, I’m gonna see what I can do about getting her taken care of tomorrow, because I really need to get out there and start getting some more levels.”
“I can stick around and listen for her fussing if she wakes up.” Mimi offered.
“If you wanna.” TJ shrugged. “With kids , you just need to let them cry for a little and they’ll usually put themselves to sleep. Otherwise, they never sleep.”
Mimi shrugged and set up outside of the door while Sam excused himself to go practice his smithing. Now alone, the thought of how kids needed their parents like that made TJ feel guilty all over again. If only he’d been faster, if he’d been less focused on getting the people more experience, if only he’d just been more focused… then Luz would have her mother. He was mere seconds too late for that, and that was something that he’d carry with him. This poor child would get a sorry excuse for a parent now, and that was because of him. Despite that guilt, though, TJ couldn’t allow himself to wallow in that guilt. After all, if he was any later, Elenor’s sacrifice would have been for nothing.
Such thoughts filled his mind as TJ got Luz into some pajamas. She squirmed and complained, but she calmed down pretty quickly as he held her close and gave her the pacifier he’d found in the bottom of the diaper bag. As he sang a couple lullabies to her, she stilled and began breathing steadily, quiet snores filling the space. With supernaturally smooth movements, TJ laid Luz in the playpen Alicia had found for him. She stirred, but as he tucked her in with the blankie he’d brought with him from her house, she didn’t stir.
When he let himself out of the room, though, she did make some sounds he could hear through the closed door.
“She was asleep when I left,” he explained to Mimi as she picked at her fingernails, “so she should fall asleep again pretty soon. If she doesn’t get quiet in the next 5 minutes, go in and make sure she’d got the pacifier. If she does, pat her back for a minute then go out, even if she’s not asleep. Sound good?”
Mimi gave him a thumbs up, and TJ jogged out of the room, looking for the group of women Alicia had told him about.
After speaking with the women for just a couple of minutes, Luz was given permanent and limitless access to other mothers. His own position seemed to be only slightly understood by the mothers he spoke with, but as a father who wanted to protect a toddler, they didn’t begrudge his need to “go to work”. That “work” was now going into the wilderness and killing monsters that could take out a tank was beside the point. TJ found a daycare, and he was going to use it. When he got back to his room, Mimi was slumped against the door, exhausted.
When he poked her, there wasn’t a response, so, not knowing where her room was, TJ carried her in, laid her on his bed, pulled off her shoes and tucked her in before then walking outside of the room to leave the two children exhausted by the apocalypse to sleep. Laying on the crappy carpet in the dorm hallway, TJ found rest easy enough but sleep avoided him. Each time it approached, visions of things he’d thought he’d thrust from his mind flashed across his vision. Granny Penny’s death. Tessie covered in blood. Jeff dead, protecting others. A dozen, a hundred other faces, of people he couldn’t remember clearly, even though he should have spent more time getting to know them. Then, Elenor and Juan. Their sacrifice…
Yes, he didn’t mind being kept from the dreams and nightmares that were inevitable, and instead of just sleeping, he lost himself in Meditation, thinking about how to learn Lightning Manipulation.
Thanks for reading! If you're dying to read more, join the , where you can read up to 28 chapters ahead!
Join the swarm! .gg/RqzsKj8hkD