TJ introduced himself more formally to the other parents, and then, as the winds said there was something nearby, he went on alert. Even with the wind’s warning, though, TJ couldn't find the creature, whatever it was. The wind wanted to tell him, but something about the creature dulled the wind’s ability to perceive it. With that sobering reminder of the limitations of his own strength and the continuously growing dangers in the world, TJ pushed Molly and Tessie’s families to continue forward.
“Stay out from under trees, you four especially.” TJ commanded as they continued traveling. William wasn’t as obviously upset as he’d been the same moment that TJ had challenged him, and as they continued, the older man continued to mellow out more and more. Eventually, after TJ pointed out a tree where asanbosams could be hiding, William approached him and spoke quietly.
“Yes, William?” TJ answered in a similarly low voice.
“I… thank you. Again. My daughter… I don’t know if she could have survived without you. Frankly, I was a little hesitant to believe that you were as strong as she’d said, or as helpful as she insisted. Then, when you showed up, and it was obvious that you were as impressive as she said, my worry was that you were going to try something with them. I don’t get the feeling that’s how you really are, so I think I was being an ass. I’m sorry, and I’m so grateful you kept my child safe when you didn’t have to.”
TJ nodded. Regardless of any other feelings he had about William, he could understand the suspicion a father of a young daughter or son could have in this world.
“I’m glad I was able to protect them as much as I could, but I regret not being able to do more. And, though I don’t enjoy the way you’ve treated me, I get it. For now, though, you really just need to respect your daughter’s decisions. How much has she told you about what she saw?”
William shook his head. “About the worst of it? I can tell she’s holding a lot back. There’s a lot of things she’s willing to talk about, but she doesn’t talk about the end of the siege. That she ran into the house and was all alone for a while didn’t help either. When I appeared, she collapsed into my arms.”
“In the last hours of the fight, something like 70 people died in close proximity. It was horrible. Monsters ripped the Disciples apart, focusing on the people who could keep others alive. Then, with our support weakened, they killed the rest. It was a miracle as many of us survived as we had. Tessie was saved by an old woman, and Penny’s head was ripped off right in front of her. It was harrowing, and I’m actually concerned now that I’m seeing how put together she is.”
William’s jaw ground as he listened to TJ’s words. Both men looked at the teens as they attempted to see through the thick foliage of the tree TJ had pointed out. Molly seemed to think something was suspicious, but Tessie ruled it out after a second’s observations.
“How are you holding up?” William asked TJ.
“Honestly?” TJ shrugged. “Better than I expected. But that concerns me. Why is it that I’m not entirely consumed by nightmares? Why have I only had a couple? Why am I so much more violent than I’d ever thought I could be in the world before? Those things worry me more and more by the day, especially since something seems to be trying to pull that concern out of me and make me used to this new world. What it could be, what it is that is changing me? Those fears are what really keep me up at night. Since it’s more pronounced in Neophytes, I worry that Molly’s experiencing the same things.”
The father beside TJ went to go after Molly right that second. TJ grabbed William’s elbow and brought him to an abrupt stop. As the larger man’s nostrils flared with anger, TJ released him and spoke again.
“Look, I don’t know Molly even close to as well as you do. I have spent most of the apocalypse near her, and she seems like she doesn’t respond well to force. If I’m wrong, I’m happy to be, but I don’t think pushing her right now will be helpful.” TJ shrugged. “Maybe let her come to you as you continue to show her you’re here for her?”
It was a gamble, and with William’s obvious pride and measure of distrust towards TJ, he couldn’t say what was going to happen. He was pretty sure he’d failed as William’s face flushed scarlet and he went to go after Molly. She turned at his stomping steps, and TJ saw her body language stiffen. Fortunately, so did her dad. After William took a second to gather himself, he shook his head.
“You’re right. She’s always been that way. I just hate feeling so powerless. I don’t think you can totally understand that, given how strong you are.”
“I doubt it’s that different.” TJ countered. “I had to leave my son behind, being watched by a fake version of his dead mom while I’m here trying to set up a place where I can keep him safe from, as far as the System’s told us, Copper, Silver, and Gold tier monsters. I kill Coppers. I thought I’d done that pretty well until today and I was ambushed by a bunch of furry vampire tree things and was backed into a corner. I’m way higher level than them, and I was in serious danger. I nearly died to a Copper Elite before that, and I know that there are Silver tiers wandering somewhere around here. I feel damn powerless. The only thing I can fucking do about it is kill more monsters and hope I manage to grow fast enough to scare off the other ones before I or my son die! So forgive me for saying, yeah, I know how it fucking feels, and I think I have a better grasp on how fucked we are if the world continues turning against us the way it has been so far!”
Though he hadn’t planned on it, TJ’s voice had continued rising as he’d lectured William. To his credit, William didn’t react at all negatively to TJ’s outburst. Instead, he took it as TJ’s voice rose until it echoed off the round of buildings around them. As he shakingly pulled down the hood of the Shroud, TJ ran his hands through his hair. He breathed deep several times, and, once he’d calmed himself sufficiently, he looked into William’s eyes as he apologized.
“I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that. I’m stressed. I found a child whose parents were slaughtered yesterday, and I’m a little high strung. It’s no excuse.”
“What did… no. It’s nothing to worry about.” William said as he clapped a hand on TJ’s shoulder. The stupid Kukulkan in him rankled at the casual touch, and TJ tamped it down. Instead, he nodded and moved to focus on the comfort that William was trying to give.
“You found a kid yesterday?” Lucy, Molly’s mom, asked. “Where are they?”
“I left Luz on campus with a daycare group.” TJ explained. “I wanted to make sure there weren’t any others in her position while I got some experience and killed the dangerous monsters I could find. Haven’t found any other kids, and I figure I should get back and get myself some rest before I run out of MP entirely.”
“Her name’s Luz?” Stella, Tessie’s mom, replied. “Where did you come up with the name?”
“The System told me.” TJ shrugged weakly. “Since she’s so young and her parents were both dead.”
Silence settled over the group like a weighted blanket, though painful and uncomfortable instead of comforting and cozy. The cloying feeling of anger pulled TJ from his musing. With a shake of his head, he refocused.
“Now, Molly, Tessie, this is pretty important. How many Attribute points do you get for your Race, Class, and Occupation?”
Molly cocked her head, curious, but consulted with the System before replying, “87, 100, 100.”
“86, 99, 100.” Tessie added immediately after. She cocked her head and asked, “Why?”
“If you ask the System,” TJ said, just as much for the teens’ benefit as their parents’, “you’ll see how important the evolution to Copper is. Something about how it’s the first step into true Divinity. It might be better to delay evolution, if you feel like you haven’t done anything especially noteworthy yet. I’m not sure, though.”
“Then what did you get?” Molly asked, bouncing in place. Going off the adults’ reactions, it seemed like maybe they hadn’t gotten the full picture of just how many Attribute points their daughters got every level. All four exchanged looks before looking at TJ expectantly. He sighed and answered.
That his and the teens’ Occupations were the same level was surprising to him. As soon as he thought about it, though, TJ realized that much of his most impressive crafting had taken place after he’d evolved, and the Shaman Occupation was, at its core, significantly different from that of the plain Savage. Even so, there was a small part of him that felt a flare of competitive energy. Instead of acting on that, though, he just nodded as the assembled people let their jaws hang open.
“That’s… over 300 for all three together!” Molly almost shouted. “Do you know what the max is?”
“Nope.” TJ said as he internally asked the System if there was a theoretical max.
The maximum quantity of Attributes gained in the Copper (I) tier of Divinity are, for Race: 100, for Class: 120, and for Occupation, 115.
Though TJ wondered if there was any intrinsic meaning to the number 335, he instead evaluated himself against the numbers the System was stating. Though he wasn’t far off on Race, the other two having a double digit difference did annoy him a little. Seeing that Overwhelming Origin had been one of the Classes that offered the fullest amount possible, TJ couldn’t help but ask the System, “Are there always limits to acquiring one of the evolutions at the top of their tier? Like how Overwhelming Origin sapped so much of an individual’s sense of self?”
That is not information that will be shared at this time.
TJ grumbled, but he rolled his shoulders and focused on the matters at hand. Instead of allowing himself to wonder about what could have been, he recognized that what he’d done already was more than enough. If there was someone that might have gained better evolutions, he’d just need to make sure he was still strong enough to protect himself and his future.
“Anyways.” TJ pulled attention back to their journey. “We’re going to focus on continuing forward. There’s probably seven miles until we get to campus, and we need to avoid going under the trees where the growth is the thickest. If one of the asanbosams gets one of you who hasn’t evolved yet, I think they’ll kill you immediately. Even you, Tessie, will have trouble if they get close to you without your realizing.”
“If that’s what you say, TJ,” William said, “then I’ve got your back. We should get to campus while it’s still light, right?”
TJ nodded. “Can one of you take one of these bodies for me? I’ll spend the way home in my coatl form, and it’ll be easier if someone else carries them. I’ll make sure you still get experience, though.”
“I’ll take at least one.” Brad, Tessie’s dad offered. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to carry both the entire way to campus by myself, but I’m sure that I can manage at least one the whole way.”
“I can take the other.” William said. “I’ll be able to carry it the whole way and drop it when it’s time to fight, if necessary.”
“I’ll see if that’s gonna have to happen.” TJ said with a shrug. “For now, let’s just get moving.”
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