Thaddeus found himself temporarily outnumbered and given an ultimatum. Worse yet, any retaliation would likely endanger the expo participants. Despite the potential victims, he was unwilling to concede first, and demanded, “Put your weapons away. And let’s continue this talk elsewhere!”
“Why would we put our weapons down when yours are raised? Do we look like fools?” Asked a Bearman.
“You barge into my town, and demand I comply with some council I’ve never heard of. You request that I follow imperial law, but you should also comply. Moreover, my soldiers are rushing here now. Do as I say, and I’ll let you live,” Thaddeus ordered.
After a moment that seemed to stretch for an eternity, the smallest of the Bearmen began to laugh and complimented, “Maybe he inherited more than just our height. Look at his armor, it’s a daemon.”
“I’m not comfortable threatening a priest. No one told us he was a druid,” another said hesitantly, his sword wavering.
“No, look at his daemon! He’s not just a priest but a Warden. That grove we passed, it’s him!” exclaimed the oldest-looking one storing weapons.
“Fine!” the Bearman leader sighed disappointedly, sheathing his bastard-long sword on his back. “Call off your guards, we’ll follow you.”
Thaddeus dissolved the rock wall and to the surprise of onlookers, there were five Bearmen instead of four.
“Follow me!” Thaddeus waved his hand, leading the Bearmen out of the town and to his cabin in the grove.
“What happened to entertain us in your manor?” one of the Bearmen asked.
“That’s a privilege for honored guests,” Thaddeus remarked arriving at the cabin. Standing on his porch, he began the conversation, “Let’s start with names, then tell me what this war is all about?”
"I am Armstrong Bearington, the leader of this war band. And we did not come here to start a war," the Bearman declared, his voice gruff still in anger. "Your name has reached the kingdom. We came to verify your identity and invite you to the Bearman Kingdom. Despite being a halfling, your fame and wealth have caught the attention of our council. If you are revealed to be my missing kin, you’ll be added to my family’s registry. However, you'll be punished if you’re revealed to be another fraud.”
“Kin? Another?” Thaddeus echoed, his mind racing. The concept of an inheritance waiting for the descendants of the Major Bear Clans was something out of legends, tales told to inspire or caution within the game's lore. But to be directly involved? It was unprecedented.
“Yes, another! Another fraudster trying to wiggle your way into my family just to receive the inheritance!” Armstrong complained, his voice echoing off the cabin walls. “Don’t play coy with me! Everyone knows that descendants of Major Bear Clans are given an inheritance on their 18th birthday. Ever since my aunt lost her child in an accident, she’s never stopped looking for him!” Armstrong shouted angrily.
“Are you telling me; my mother is looking for me?” Thaddeus fell into the rocking chair in shock. Thinking to himself he wondered, ‘Could my mother exist here? Or is it just the character’s mother.’
The revelation hung in the air of Thaddeus’s humble cabin like a thick fog, heavy with implications and questions.
“Hey, look at his face, he didn’t know,” pointed a Bearman.
Armstrong Bearington, the leader of the Bearman war band, had laid bare a truth that Thaddeus had never considered—his parents were alive. Could it be real? He knew his parents were a part of the initial research time tasked with the energy source and helped develop Heaven’s Gate. His parents were also founding members of the Twilight Family. Finally, his parents died in a car accident in Virginia on a rainy night. But their bodies, he’d never seen their bodies.
No, this had to be his subconscious wanting this to be true. Death was final. There was no chance, his mother and father were alive.
The notion that his virtual existence in Heaven's Gate could be connected to such a prestigious lineage was both bewildering and intriguing.
“Wait, what inheritance?” Thaddeus found himself asking, genuine confusion lacing his words. The concept of a digital inheritance, tied to a virtual lineage within the game, was a narrative thread he hadn’t anticipated weaving into his own story.
“Don’t play coy with me! Everyone knows that descendants of Major Bear Clans are given an inheritance on their eighteenth birthday. Ever since my aunt lost her child in an accident, she’s never stopped looking for him!” Armstrong’s anger hinted at a deeper pain, a familial wound that had never healed.
Thaddeus sank into the rocking chair, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. “My mother is looking for me?” The question was whispered, more to himself than the Bearmen standing in his cabin. His mind whirled with the implications. Could his character in Heaven's Gate truly have a mother searching for him? No, he convinced himself this was all some sort of coincidental storyline.
The Bearmen, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, exchanged looks. Armstrong’s posture softened, the anger giving way to contemplation. The possibility of Thaddeus being the lost kin they had been tasked to find was becoming more real by the moment, shifting the dynamics of their interaction.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
A Bearmen seeing Thaddeus reeling from the shock said, “Hey, look at his face, he didn’t know,” one of the Bearmen observed, a note of sympathy creeping into his voice.
“Let’s start from the beginning,” Thaddeus finally said, his voice steady. “Tell me everything about this inheritance, my supposed family, and how you came to believe I might be the one you’re looking for.”
As the Bearmen began to recount their story, Thaddeus listened intently. However, in the back of his mind, Kira’s song from a year ago replayed in his mind:
“A mother grieving at what she lost
Her newborn cub was stolen and tossed
By her angry family for eloping
Dashed her dreams and her hopping
The mother and father were star-crossed lovers
But when discovered by their brothers
They were persecuted and defamed.
For ruining both their families’ names.
Now the mother searches for what she lost
Searching, searching, at all costs.
She mourns that cub that was taken
Never stopping for what was forsaken
Although she mourns, she’ll soon find
Her lovely cub long left behind.
Cry no more Mother dearest, be excited
You and your son are soon reunited.”
He remembered listening to her melancholy song in the Sleepy Coyote Inn. The heartbreaking tale of Bearwoman ripped apart from her son gripped his heart. The song spoke of a mother’s unyielding hope and her refusal to believe her child was lost forever. It spoke of a deep maternal bond that Thaddeus had never known. He wondered now if that song might have been about his mother and him.
The pieces of a puzzle Thaddeus hadn't known were missing began to fall into place, each revelation resonating with the lyrics of Kira’s song, a melody that had once seemed merely a touching tale of loss and hope within the world of Heaven's Gate. As he sat in the rocking chair, the realization struck him that his parents may not just be part of his in-game backstory but his real parents.
With the revelations swirling in his mind and the haunting melody of Kira’s song acting as a poignant soundtrack to his thoughts, Thaddeus faced a crossroads not just in his journey within Heaven's Gate but potentially in his very understanding of self. The boundaries between the game and reality, once clear and distinct, seemed to blur as Armstrong Bearington's revelations unearthed questions about Thaddeus’s past and his true lineage. The notion that his virtual existence might intertwine so closely with his real-life mysteries was both unsettling and electrifying.
"Very well," Thaddeus said, breaking the heavy silence that had settled in the cabin. His voice carried a new resolve, tempered by the moment's weight. "I will go with you to the Bearman Kingdom. We’ll leave in three days.”
”We’ll leave now!” Armstrong countered.
“We’ll leave when I’m ready,” Thaddeus declared angrily standing up. He wasn’t going to let someone he didn’t know dictate his schedule. He also had a growing disdain for Armstrong. Who was he to waltz into his town and start making demands? Trying to calm he explained, “As Baron, I must inform my mayors and town councils of my departure. You can wait here, or you can wait in my cells. Which do you prefer?”
“Fine, three days,” Armstrong said begrudgingly.
“Good,” Thaddeus said returning to his human form and jotted into the cabin for a set of clothes. After he dressed, he walked downstairs to see the Bearmen helping themselves to his pantry and cooking lunch. “By all means help yourself,” he said sarcastically, before adding, “Also, you’re welcome to explore Woodhaerst or Ironwood, just don’t cause trouble.”
“Why would we want to explore your territories?” Armstrong laughed brazenly.
“I don’t know, I figured you needed to report to your elders about me. Surely, they’d like a report on my towns and territories as well,” Thaddeus explained.
At once Armstrong stopped laughing. Thaddeus could see the gears in his muscles brain straining to move. He looked like he was in pain just thinking. Logic and diplomacy were not his strongest qualities.
“Fine,” Armstrong grumbled visibly upset with himself having to agree with Thaddeus.
As Thaddeus walked into town, he saw a worried-looking Sabrina waiting for him. No doubt heard the news already and noticed his change of clothes. There was also the fact, that she could tell he was returning from the grove.
Before she could even ask, Thaddeus explained everything. Her eyes lit up with anger when he told her how they threatened him. And eyes welled with tears at the mention of the Bearwoman searching for her lost child.
“So, they think you’ve been falsely posing as this missing child to get the inheritance,” she laughed boisterously. “So, your backstory comes back to haunt you again.”
Thaddeus didn’t find it nearly as funny as she did. But he regretted it all just the same.
Seeing his regret, Sabrina’s expression turned serious. “We'll need to prepare. I’ll gather some potions. I have a potion that when exposed to air creates an alchemical explosion.”
Now it was Thaddeus’ turn to chuckle. He watched as she added extra healing and mana recovery potions, and a wardrobe chest in her storage ring. Seeing her concern for him, touched him. She was prepared to go somewhere to support him. He wondered how he got so lucky.
Leaving her alone to finish her preparations, Thaddeus went to find Brand and Vakdraen. The mayors served as his surrogates, and Welcome Ambassadors to the expo guest. For each farm exhibit, the mayors served on a Q&A panel. Their sessions were so well attended, it was standing room only. In six months, these men became minor celebrities.
Standing in the backstage, Thaddeus waited for their final Q&A to end. When the last question was answered, the two men walked off to a standing ovation.
“I’m glad this over, these exhibits are too tiring,” Vakdraen complained,
“These people are too demanding. I’ve barely spent any time in my butchery these last six months,” Brand agreed.
“Aye, I miss my forge,” Vakdraen nodded.
“Then it seems we all wish for a return to normalcy. Unfortunately, I need to leave for the Bearman Kingdom. I may be away for some time. I need you two to oversee Woodhaerst and Ironwood in my absence. Ensuring that trade continues smoothly, and our defenses remain strong,” Thaddeus commanded.
Brand looked up, surprise evident in his eyes, but he nodded firmly. "Of course, my lord. You can count on us!”
Vakdraen turned, his rugged face breaking into a rare smile. “Be careful and take care of yourself. We’ll see to things in your absence.”
“I’m thankful for you two. I can trust that you and the council can easily manage in the interim. I leave in three days.” Thaddeus announced.
Three days later, Brand and Vakdraen saw Thaddeus silhouetted against the setting sun. They watched as Thaddeus, Heather, and the Bearmen made their way through the grove and departed over the horizon.
“Demeter, I pray for his safe return,” Priestess Thera prayed. She couldn’t shake the feeling that he was walking towards a destiny that had been written long before he logged into Heaven's Gate. Only she knew Henry was walking into the depths of his past and the mysteries of his lineage. Demeter had told her; that the pieces of a larger puzzle were only just beginning to assemble.