Chương 13: Chapter 1.13: Motherly Menace

Favius stared at his sister. His voice was cold and sharp as he replied, "Did she now?" Both Urania and Caliga flinched, but he barely registered it, his mind already considering plots, actions, and consequences. He left the room before looking over his shoulder.

"Follow me," he said, his voice still icey. He didn't look back, only heard the two girls and his protector following. He walked towards the master bedroom, aware that it was well past sunset. The only reason he had been able to continue reading for so long was his night vision. He refocused on the problem at hand. As they were about to enter his parents' private wing of the mansion, an old woman spinning cloth sat beside the door.

Favius stomped straight past her and reached out to the door, but the woman's hand shot out, grabbing him before he could open it. Her bony fingers gripped him with surprising force.

"And where do you think you're going, boy?" Favius turned. He dismissed the first two responses from his mind and put on a smile.

"I want to speak to my mother," he replied, and belatedly corrected his smile from vicious to innocent and childish. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. Yet the old woman clicked her tongue while shaking her head.

"The lady is with the patriarch. She asked not to be disturbed." Favius shrugged and again reached for the door, only for his hand to be caught again.

"Didn't you hear, boy?" He looked behind him. Brutus loomed at the corner, while his two sisters lingered behind him. Favius shrugged off her hand and shook his head.

"I heard, but if that is the case, I'm going to visit my siblings." The old woman clicked her tongue and shook her head once more.

"At this time of night? No, no, that just won't do."

"I'm going to have to insist," Favius said, his voice dangerously calm. The woman let out a loud chuckle.

"The young master is insisting now, is he?" Heat rose in Favius's chest when Caliga grabbed his shoulder and whispered, "It's not worth it. Let's come back in the morning." He pressed his eyes shut and nodded. Probably not in my best interest to make a scene here. And so all of them returned to their rooms. When he was woken up in the morning by Brutus, he walked to his wardrobe and picked out a good-looking robe. He was about to pull it over his head when Brutus frowned at him.

"What do you think you are doing, boy?" Favius turned to him.

"I'm putting on something appropriate for meeting my mother." Brutus shook his head.

"And skip our morning training?" He turned to Favius.

"Listen, Favius. The physical exercise a man does in the morning should be sacred to him. If you allow womanfolk to interrupt the time that should be yours, you will not be able to call yourself a real man." Favius scrunched up his nose. I guess there are downsides to having a barbarian warrior as a personal attendant. He took a deep breath, dismissing various biting remarks about sexism that he could already guess would merely make Brutus laugh out loud.

"This is not about women, this is about my siblings. I need to see that my little brother is doing well," he replied. But again, Brutus shook his head.

"Look at yourself. Clenched fists. Your shoulders are tense and your breathing is heavy. Do you think any encounter between you and your new mother is going to result in anything positive?" Favius was about to shoot back, but the look Brutus gave him made him take a deep breath. Then he let his attention run down his body and deliberately, one by one, relaxed his fists, shoulders, and jaw.

He took a deep breath, put the fine robe back into the wardrobe, and changed into a loincloth and cloak before following Brutus to the gymnasium. Again, Favius slammed into the sand and rolled. He got up with a growl and charged the man. But his reflexes just couldn't match the cultivator's, and a blurry kick sent him to the sand again. He got up, but Brutus was there, and suddenly a foot pressed down on his chest. He snarled, trying to punch the man in the chin, but Brutus merely laughed.

"Calm yourself, boy." Favius responded with a growl before falling back into the sand. The cold grit was oddly comfortable. They stared into each other's eyes for several heartbeats before Brutus shook his head.

"We are done here. Bathhouse. Now." Favius nodded as Brutus removed his foot, and soon his sore muscles relaxed in the cool water. He however was still grinding his teeth and thinking about what to do about Hesnia. That fucking old witch. Didn't even do anything to her, and she's fucking with my siblings. Maybe Urania pissed her off somehow, but still— Before he could start ruminating or making plans, Brutus spoke up.

"Insight is the currency of the cultivator. Comprehending your virtuous craft and facing tribulations—" Favius let out a sigh.

"Not now, Brutus. I'm sorry, but I need to think about what to do with Hesnia." Brutus scoffed in turn and shook his head.

"I assumed when you asked me to teach you about cultivation, we had an understanding that you would take this seriously."

"I am taking this seriously," Favius shot back. The Magnicultor grumbled and looked out over the landscape that was still painted by the early morning sun.

"Cultivation requires discipline. So does everything else in life. But if any minor distraction will shake your resolve like this, why do you believe it is worth my time to teach you?"

"It's not a minor matter! She is screwing with my family!" Favius hissed and slammed his hand onto the water, splashing everything and everyone around him. Brutus merely looked over the pool, following the ripples of the water.

"There is no imminent threat, Favius. And my point from earlier stands. You're not in a state of mind where you should be having a serious conversation with your mother. So discipline your thoughts and focus on what you can control. Show that your virtue as a man can overcome the tumult in your spirit." Favius pressed his eyes shut before letting out a long breath.

"Very well. Tell me about insight." Brutus nodded.

"Meditating on an insight takes time. The average cultivator requires about five years between insights. For me, it's been two to three years, but I am extraordinary." He grinned broadly, and Favius rolled his eyes, sharing the man's smile against his will.

"Now, I do not believe you have decided upon a path of cultivation." Favius shook his head. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"Then, I believe, you should center your meditations on an insight of endurance."

"Why endurance?"

"It is a common insight, useful to nearly all cultivators. If you comprehend the nature of endurance, you will not only be able to fight longer. You shall also require less sleep and deal better with adversity, be it physical or spiritual." Favius nodded.

"Sure sounds nice to be more resilient." Brutus chuckled.

"We are going to work through the levels of knowledge with this, but all comprehension starts with its propositions and precepts. There will be discourse later, but for now, focus on your breath and think on what endurance is and isn't." Favius closed his eyes, letting the sensations of his breath wash over him. In through the nose, down the throat, expanding his lungs. Then out, through the mouth. Each breath made him calmer, and he considered endurance.

First, he tried to think about it scientifically, but much to his chagrin, he knew very little about endurance. Pretty much only that training endurance sports helps develop slow-twitch muscle fiber. But soon he thought about the long nights he had spent working through math and physics problems. He smirked. Parties where I've tested my endurance with copious amounts of alcohol might also count. Time began to fly by as he tested the limits of what endurance meant.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Favius heard Brutus' voice.

"Well done. Now you are ready to face what you must face." Favius nodded and left the bath. While rubbing himself dry, he turned to the older man.

"Thank you, Brutus." The cultivator merely smiled. Leaving the bathhouse, he glimpsed Caliga in the gymnasium's arena, practicing various strikes and kicks, then dismissed it and walked towards the house. Brutus is a Magnicultor, and no one here can stop him. He smiled viciously. Tell him to get her, have him drag her out by the hair while I wait out here, and then we can have a real nice conversation.

But he shook off the childish fantasy, remembering Marcus leaning in and whispering threats into his ears back in Cindrath. I don't think he' will react well if I sic my cultivator on his wife. He let out a breath, studied Tiro, and turned around towards the garden.

"Tiro, stay by the house. Brutus, with me." He walked out towards the oak tree that he had climbed with his two sisters. Once under it, he looked out over the fields and orchards, then turned to Brutus.

"What do you recommend?" Favius asked. Brutus was silent for a while before shaking his head.

"I do not believe it would be wise if I was to involve myself with this." Favius narrowed his eyes as he looked at the man, who stroked his beard.

"I think this is a challenge that you can very well meet on your own terms. It would not be good for your development as a young noble to solve every problem by throwing a powerful warrior at it. I've seen young men do such things, and it wasn't conducive to the development of virtue in their character." Favius closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. He's telling me that I'm becoming an arrogant young master, isn't he? But if he thinks I can solve this, there must be a workable solution.

So he frowned and set out to find his sisters. To hold a war council. Three hours later, they were ready. Caliga had returned from the river, muddy and holding a large earthen jar that kept squawking and splashing. Favius dispassionately studied her muddy tunic while Urania looked slightly disgusted. He looked at Caliga.

"And you're sure that will work?" The other girl grunted under the weight of the jug and then chuckled.

"It's two dozen frogs and three swamp snakes. My mom is going to lose her mind. Trust me, I'll distract her for long enough that you can get your siblings." Favius smiled and squeezed her arm while giving the jug a dubious stare.

"Snakes?" he whispered to Urania, but she shrugged.

"She's been bitten like five times since we've been here. I don't think they are poisonous." Favius rolled his eyes. Well, I guess now I know why she's so unhappy to play with Caliga down by the river. Catching frogs is one thing, but catching snakes— He shook off the thought, and after Caliga snuck in through a side entrance, they got ready by the back entrance to the gardens. While waiting, he studied the humming bees as they busily pollinated flowers.

Suddenly, a chorus of ear-piercing shrieks erupted from the main rooms of the estate, the sound of half a dozen women screaming in mortal terror. He clapped Urania on the shoulder.

"Go!" They rushed through the building. Panicked servants darted into rooms to hide, and guards with drawn swords rushed toward the center of the building. Laughter erupted from Favius's throat, and they reached the door the old woman had barred the day before. Her stool stood empty, a broken spindle on the floor next to it. They dashed forwards, and Favius turned to Urania as he looked down the corridor.

"Which room are they in?" She pointed to the second door on the left, and Favius threw it open. Three people were in the large room, which held two beds, a large collection of toys, and a table laden with tasty treats. Little Lia got up from the bed and shrieked excitedly.

"Yuvania! Yuvania!" The nursemaid's eyes widened and she opened her mouth, but Favius pointed at her sharply.

"Not a single word, or you will learn what it means to have the enmity of a cultivator." Her eyes bulged as she gasped and took several shuddering steps back. Favius felt surprised at having threatened the slave woman, but dismissed his reaction. He turned to his brother, fell on his knees, and hugged him.

"Marius, are you fine? Has Hesnia been treating you well?" From the corner of his eyes, he saw Urania fussing over Lia. Marius's face scrunched up in confusion.

"Hesnia? Aunty Hesnia is really great! She gave me all those toys, look!" He stepped forward and grabbed a wooden doll of a warrior wearing Cindrathi armor.

"This one has really cool armor. Do you want to fight me? I have another one for you. Here." He held out a second doll, but Favius shook his head.

"We've come to save you, to get you out of here." Marius frowned.

"But this place is great! I get treats all the time and all my toys are here. I can't leave. Hesnia told me I'm not supposed to." Favius pressed his eyes shut. Before he could think of anything, the door behind him slammed open and a disheveled Hesnia entered the room. Tears were running down her face and the hem of her elegant dress was stained with mud. She looked across the room, and Favius saw pure fury in her eyes. Then she gasped, rushed past him, casually shoving him aside, and fell to her knees.

"Oh my God, Marius! Are you fine? I'm sorry if you were scared when all the noise happened." Marius returned the hug and turned to his siblings.

"The noises? Are you fine? You've been crying, Auntie."

"But— no, I'm..." She stroked his hair and gave him a kiss on the forehead. Then she looked first at Urania, then at Favius.

"Have they been mean to you?"

"No, they just came in and I wanted to show them... I was showing them my toys." Hesnia shook her head sadly.

"I'm sorry, Marius, but they have been bad. I need to take them away. I'll be right back, my little boy." She turned to one slave who had followed her.

"Have the cooks prepare some honeyed fruits for the little ones." The man bowed, inclined his head, and scurried off. Favius took a step forward to grab Marius, his mind racing. She's turning them against us. And fucking hell, bribing kids with snacks and toys, it's the oldest damned trick in the book. He was about to grab Marius's hand when Hesnia shoved him back. He tried to get past her, but her hand clamped hard onto his biceps.

He gasped, tried to struggle free, but ultimately he was still a ten-year-old facing off against the strength of a grown adult. She leaned in.

"Don't make a scene." Urania looked at him and he nodded to her, letting out a sigh. Hesnia dragged both of them outside the master's wing of the estate. And then the shrieking began.

"What do you think you are doing? Unleashing snakes and beasts into the estate? Don't think for a moment I don't understand that you put Caliga up to this. I've been too lax with the two of you. And her." She ground her teeth for a moment, and Favius took that moment to take a step forward.

"You have been too lax? How dare you keep my siblings—" She hissed at him, raising her hand as if to backhand him, and he flinched back out of reflex. Hesnia smiled.

"How dare I? You, child, have been nothing but unruly and ungrateful. I don't think you understand your situation. If not for my husband's misplaced mercy, you filthy beast bloods would be with your parents right now." Urania gasped, and even Favius's mouth fell wide open in shock. Hesnia's cold, vicious gaze fell on both of them.

"Go to your room and do not leave it. And I will ensure that that Rhexioni savage is replaced with a proper tutor." Cold fury mixed with boiling anger, and Favius opened his mouth, but Hesnia speared a finger at him.

"Don't you dare argue with me, boy. To. Your. Room." She enunciated each word harshly, and for a brief moment Favius considered attacking her, now that he was ready. With all my combat training… Sure, she is an adult, but… He looked at her sandals and then at his. One stomp on her feet? And when she goes down— Urania however registered something in his eyes and grabbed him by the sleeve. He resisted only briefly, glaring at his adoptive mother.

But then he relaxed and walked down the corridor with the vicious gaze of a predator on his back.