Altered Destiny

Ch. 15

Dangit, I said I would get this chapter out today and I freaking got it out today well done, me.

Now I need to go to sleep, see you all tomorrow.

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Galleous would admit, to himself if no one else, that he hadn't expected Ingressus's mission with the resonances to last this long. It wasn't that he doubted Ingressus's dedication to saving his clan; you only had to know him for a day to know of his loyalty to his people. But the Ardoni had been looking for an answer about the resonances for as long as they had been broken without success, and with far greater resources than were available in Ataraxia. The town had a respectable library, courtesy of some wealthy benefactor several decades before, but there were places and people around the continent that were dedicated solely to solving the mystery of the resonances. Ataraxia simply wasn't equipped for such study the way those other places were. Ingressus's commitment was admirable, but surely it could only last him so long.

Galleous had thought that the lack of resources would force Ingressus to admit defeat. Galleous should've known better.

Three years had passed since Ingressus began his search, and while it was true his research had slowed, Ingressus showed no sign of letting that stop him. He made time every day to look over the research he had collected, re-reading the notes he'd made and shuffling his papers around to try and see things from a new angle. He had studied the shrine on the uppermost island, and had studied Galleous's Songs so intently that it had made the blacksmith consider training him as the next Songmaster. Whenever Galleous left Ataraxia and returned with a new book or research paper, Ingressus would disappear into his room to scour it for any new information.

Today had been a heavy research day. Galleous had returned to Ataraxia two days before with a copy of a research paper from Etheria and a book from a Kaltaris Songmaster. Given that Ingressus had been fixated on it until he fell asleep at his desk, there had clearly been something interesting enough to hold his attention.

Galleous pulled a sheet from Ingressus's bed and draped it over him. Ingressus didn't stir, too deep in the land of dreams to notice.

Ten years ago (Songs, had it really been that long?) Galleous knew that was not how it would have gone. Ingressus had slept with his back to the wall and, Galleous was pretty sure, a knife under his pillow. When Galleous had to wake him from a nightmare Ingressus would flinch away, pressing himself back against the wall in terror at the blue markings until the dream left him. Sometimes he wouldn't cry out from the nightmare, but Galleous would know by Ingressus's guarded look and his tense muscles the next day that his brother's specter had haunted the boy's dreams. There was no way the scarred, frightened boy from a decade before would have slept so soundly. Ingressus's head was resting on his folded arms, the book lying open in the desk in front of him and a sheet of paper half-covered in notes beside it. One red-rimmed ear was flopped over his arm, the tip casting a faint glow on an older stack of papers. Ingressus's search had slowed as of late, but no one could ever accuse him of not trying.

Galleous gently rubbed Ingressus's shoulder. "Sweet dreams, kiddo. Songs know you've earned it."

A quiet snore was the only response. Galleous flicked off the lamp and returned to his kitchen, heating up some water for tea.

As the days turned to months and extended into years, Galleous had gotten worried about Ingressus. He was committed, to be sure, but Galleous had feared it would come to be too much so. His utter dedication to a task many would call ambitious at best and impossible at worst, late nights spent poring over maps, trying to tease meaning out of unconfirmed rumors... it had felt scarily familiar. He remembered his brother becoming consumed by revenge, obsessing over the goal he had set for himself until its fire consumed his life.