Is a Gamble Worth a Gander?

Chapter 3: I Will Trust You

Chapter 3

I Will Trust You

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Lincoln clutched the book in his quivering hands, his wrists beginning to ache at the pressure of his grip. He'd sat there on the sofa, his sister peering over his shoulder, for the last five hours nearly. It was unusual for him to be this still for such a length of time. Yet in the face of such a revelation it was unavoidable. Even though Lillian couldn't read all the contents of the book herself, she'd picked up enough to get the gist of it. This left her in a nearly equal state of shock.

Stories of the Dungeon City were commonplace no matter where in the world you'd been born. Tales of brave adventurers pledging themselves to the Gods that walk among us to brave the depths of the great, monster-birthing Labyrinth. Every man, woman and child across the face of the planet knew of this profession. Every breathing person knew of its insane potential for great wealth and fame. Everyone also knew of its equally great potential to end your life in the blink of an eye.

To find evidence long hidden away of one such adventurer in your own family might have been some degree of a shock on its own, but this was so much more. To learn that you were kin to a mighty hero that had braved the Labyrinth without the aid of a God's blessing was nearly unbelievable. It was enough to shake your very view of the world to its core. Such power of will, such might of the flesh, was nigh inconceivable. Indeed it was enough to sit still the ever-moving, ever-working Lincoln Ansley, leaving him dumbstruck at a revelation he found himself troubled to believe.

He had been told stories of his Great Grandfather in passing. A great and strong man, much akin to an oak tree in his apparent resolve. Lincoln knew that his family did not originate from here. He knew the one-armed man had arrived rather mysteriously and purchased the plot of land they'd been living on for over eighty years. He knew that the man had built this lovely home himself and left it to his progeny. Yet no one had ever mentioned anything this amazing about the man. It was rightfully questionable, based on what was just read, if any of his children even knew this much of him.

"Brother..." Lillian's words snapped him from his thoughts, "Are we kin to a monster?"

This question might have made Lincoln giggle a bit under other circumstances, but with this news in his hands he almost wanted to answer with a yes.

"I don't know what any of this means about us." Lincoln replied, his own thoughts scrambling to make any possible sense of this, "Maybe this is the answer I've been looking for though, Lil."

This last statement was barely more than a whisper. Indeed it was merely a thought that had managed to just barely escape its master's lips. Lillian's sensitive ears caught it though, sending a sudden sense of dread through her tiny frame.

"Wha- What do you mean, Brother?" she questioned.

"Maybe this is the sign I've been praying for." Lincoln began, his eyes almost glazed over with deep contemplation, "I mean, I've considered it in passing before but I always figured I had no place in a profession like this..."
Once more he looked at the book clutched tightly in his hands. Once more he glanced to the sword sitting snuggly in the box on his lap. He took in these sights and for the first time in his life honestly considered the thought of trying to be an adventurer. It wasn't strange in all honesty. After all, what kid didn't dream of exploring the depths of a living dungeon, heroes to either side of him? What child didn't dream of becoming rich and famous by slaying horrid critters? What child had never imagined being in the presence of a living, breathing God and swearing fealty to a purpose beyond themselves?