It'd been a week since Tasos had left his home for his latest trek up the mountains, and he was starting to
really regret it. The youth's whole body ached, he was hungry, and the scratches and other injuries all over his body were a constant reminder of just how badly he'd fucked up. The path that Tasos had taken was one he knew like the back of his hand - a dangerous shortcut that saved days of walking through mountain paths in favour of cutting right through the edge of the Breakspine Black Ravine. He'd taken the path injured, in the night, and under heavy rains without ever having a problem - but this time, Tasos had slightly misjudged how much the recent rainfall had eroded the crevice paths he favoured. The sudden loss of support below his feet and the sinking void right at the pit of his stomach were the only warnings he got before tumbling down into the depths.
Miraculously, that had not been the end of Tasos. He'd sunk into the cool waters of a wide river - one that hadn't been noted in the maps of the area held in the family library. The young man didn't have the time to be confused, however - he'd waded to the shore and collected himself, making sure he'd kept at least
some of his arrows, before doing his best to assess his surroundings. It took him more than an hour to finally give up - there was no way out of the ravine, that he could see. The only option he had was to follow the water downhill, and hope.
That was a week ago, of course - and this entire week had been an absolutely
miserable experience ever since. Tasos was used to fending for himself, yes - but Breakspine Black Ravine was the most hostile environment he'd experienced in his life. There was a tension in the air, one that seemed to vibrate inside his bones - one that spoke of
trouble but also of
familiarity, in a way he couldn't understand. And the wildlife - it was the most aggressive he'd seen. Above, in the mountains, spider monkeys did not stand the size of a full-grown man with two whiplike prehensive tails. Tigers did not have another set of arms rising from the shoulders, with claws the size of daggers either. The very plants seemed to eagerly peer at him, at times - and the fauna would constantly attack each other.
And yet, Tasos realized that despite the clear aggressiveness, so long as he didn't strike at them first. He'd learned very quickly that he could not afford to hunt anything while in the ravine - he was the weakest creature in it. To keep from becoming prey, he'd survived by foraging for fruits and feeding on whatever leftovers the beasts left behind - all while following the path downstream as the vibration in the air increased further and further.
That had been until earlier that same day, when he'd missed a shot aimed at plucking a fruit from high up a tree and hit a creature roosting on said tree instead. The eagle had instantly turned on him, and it was faster - the bleeding gashes on his back a constant reminder of what he was fleeing from. He'd jumped into the river and let it carry him down - and was now hiding inside some trees, hoping against hope that the eagle had lost him.
It hadn't. A shrill cry pierced through the air and Tasos dove for the ground as a black blur shot through the canopy, dagger-like talons missing him by a hair's breadth. He stood and ran for all he was worth - not even looking at where he was heading, just wanting out. Turning for a second, Tasos saw the black eagle turn for another strike - and swerve sideways, putting the trunk of an outrageously wide tree between himself and the creature in the hope it'd buy him a second.
Except the moment his bleeding back touched the tree's trunk, the air sparked - and instead of meeting hard wood, Tasos sunk into the tree's surface.
The young man shook his head and breathed deep, a strange smell hitting his nose, and blinked as his eyes adjusted to the green-tinted light. Looking around, Tasos realized he was somehow
inside the tree - the roots giving it a wide and almost cavernous appearance with vines draping down in arches. The green light seemed to come from nowhere in particular - and the whole thing was arranged around what lay at the center.
At the middle of the chamber was the mummified, desiccated body of a man, somehow preserved by the tree itself. It looked
incredibly delicate - a stiff wind might have caused it to crumble into dust. And yet the body held tightly in his grasp the most breathtaking bow Tasos had ever laid eyes on. It was not ornate - no, the bow was made of simple dark wood reinforced with bone, shaped as a composite reflex and held together by metallic pins - yet the wood seemed to have grown into the reinforcements, almost making the bow seem a single, uniform piece. The weapon
spoke to him - almost daring him to grasp him - and Tasos had never been one to back down from a dare. He stretched his hand and grabbed the bow - and the clearing filled with light.
"Ah" A voice said. "So this is what my descendants have become".
Tasos turned briskly, still holding onto the bow - which slipped out of the mummified body's hand with an ease that did not fit the firmness of grasp Tasos remembered. Across from him, sitting on a root, was a man - bearded, with black hair held in a high ponytail and the distinctive bronzed olive skin of a full-blooded Basilakes awakened to the bloodline of the clan. The man had a mocking smile - yet his eyes betrayed curiosity.
"I don't follow" Tasos said, hand already going to his quiver - but a sudden spike of pain from his back injuries stopped him halfway. "Who are you?".
"Even after all this time, you'd have heard of me - I am, or was, Alexandros Basilakes, and I am dead" The man answered - making Tasos's eyes open wide. "And since you're not dead, you must be of my blood as well - otherwise that bow would have drained you dry".
Tasos let go of the bow as if it had suddenly caught on fire - making Alexandros break into raucous laughter. The young archer shot his ancestor a betrayed look.
"I'm Tasos Basilakes" he eventually answered - making Alexandros nod.
"Well, Tasos - welcome to my tomb" The shade said - and only now did Tasos notice the purple streaks marked around Alexandros's eyes, matching the positions of veins and archeries. "I never expected to have hidden it so well, that my own blood would take this long to find it. Tell me, does the
Optimatoi still rebel?"
"The Golden Devils will forever rebel" Tasos answered without pause. "We forge our own destiny".
"Excellent. And yet, I sense no Qi" Alexandros continued. "What has become of us? Do we still lead the charge, as we always have?".
"I have not yet initiated - much has changed since your passing, ancestor" Tasos explained. "We still lead the charge - where we can".
"Well, that will change" Alexandros ordered - and it was as if the air itself vibrated at the proclamation. "We answer the call - that is the Basilakes way. The
Optimatoi will need its vanguard if they are to triumph. The Basilakes have rested long enough".
Alexandros stepped forward, looking down on Tasos - sizing him up. Tasos did not look away.
"I like you" Alexandros finally said. "You're stubborn. You have two choices, child - take that bow for yourself, and make yourself worthy of it, or give it to someone else and surrender before you even start? This won't be easy".
Now
that was a challenge.
"I don't surrender" He stated - or really, he
vowed. Again, Alexandros nodded in satisfaction - and placed a hand on Tasos's shoulder. A sharp cold ran through his back - and the pain stopped.
"Then take that bow and go, Tasos" The older man said. "Show the world who we are".
A wind blew through the chamber, and Alexandros was gone - the ashes of his desiccated corpse blown away by the gust. The green light dimmed slightly - but didn't quite go out.
The cry of the eagle cut through the air the moment Tasos came out of the tree - but this time, he was ready. The sudden shift in draw strength made Tasos's pull hand twang and burn in pain - but he held still - and the whistling arrow took the bird on the wing, sending it crashing into the ground and the river where the water carried it away.
Tasos didn't bother it with a look - he had more important things to worry about.
Patroklos Basilakes and his wife Antonina sat together, silently enjoying a cup of tea. Neither of them dared speak. Their son Tasos had returned that morning - and they were still pondering his words.
Antonina briskly lowered her cup, the clattering breaking the silence.
"You must convince him to surrender this foolishness" She said. "He is still too young".
"He would have had to make the journey in a few years anyways" Patroklos answered. "And you may not feel it, my dear - you are not Basilakes by blood - but I do. He speaks no lies".
"He is
still too young!" Antonina cried, standing up. Her chair toppled over. "What if he's wrong? The Clan has enemies - he's inviting a world of danger!".
"One that he would have been exposed to anyways!" Patroklos answered, voice just as harsh. "I have seen Tasos grown and worried - because he has always had the talent, but he has never had the resolve to match it. That has changed - the mountains changed him. For the first time in his life, he is making a choice and taking a stand about what he wants, beyond retreating to the mountains for a week - and I, as his father, will not stand in the way of that!".
Silence fell again as Antonina grimaced and looked to the ground. Patroklos's face softened up - and he ran his hand across his wife's cheek.
"I understand - I am worried too" He said, drawing his wife into a hug. "When it was our turn, the Hundred-Year Trial had just passed - and the Clan did not have the enemies it has now. But we are Basilakes - We Answer The Call. It is in Tasos's blood, in his very own essence. And I have always allowed my children to make choices as adults do - I will not change that, not now".
The couple then raised their eyes towards the wall - where the tapestry holding the family crest hung. A scaled rooster with dragon wings and a snake tail, green on a field of bronze.
"Perhaps it is time for the Basilisk to return" Patroklos said, an air on finality in his words. "We will see whether it will be Tasos's salvation, or his downfall. Until then, all we can do is trust, and worry for him in silence".
Tasos left for the capital the next morning.
Taking lots of liberties here - let me know if anything needs changing. I think a Fate bonus would be appropriate for this, no?
