Headed by a Snake

"Athena," Tanamar smiled. "I thought I saw a cat out back. Could you give me and Master a moment, please?"

"Well..." Athena placed a finger on her chin, "Alright... but no fighting, okay? Promise me."

"I... I promise," Tanamar smiled politely.

Damn.

Athena happily bid her 'uncle' farewell, before running off to pursue Harkus' cat.

The squat dwarf shifted uneasily, "The uh... tha Mistress still absolute shite with animals?"

"She is," Tanamar conceded, crossing his arms.

Harkus nodded quietly. He gestured for Tanamar to enter the cabin and they tacitly took seats at a small table with two chairs.

Several moments of staring passed... all while Tanamar struggled to find the words to say to his adoptive father.

Harkus broke the silence first... "A shame what happened to Greer."

"Yeah," Tanamar pursed his lips. "May they burn in the seven hells."

"Aye," Harkus nodded... "You uh... you been takin' care o' tha girl?"

"Yeah..."

"...She serious?" Harkus leaned forward, "Are you two of marriageable age, already?"

"Yeah," Tanamar grimaced.

Harkus twisted his lips to the side... "Y'should at least grow a beard. Ye still look like yer balls 'aven't dropped."

"I'll think about it..."

Another several moments of staring passed. Tanamar closed his eyes and sighed. He was having a staring contest with a stone-stubborn dwarf... and the dwarf was the one trying to make conversation.

"Tell me why yer here, boy," The dwarf sighed. "Ye've avoided me fer years. The girl'd visit me outta good will, but you... you want somethin'."

​ Tanamar tapped his finger impatiently on the table... "Teach me... that."

"No."

Harkus flatly declined him.

Tanamar wasn't even allowed a word of explanation.

...Frustrated began to mount in his heart, "I need it to fight the snake--"

"No means no, boy," The dwarf raised his gruff voice... but not enough for Athena to hear it outside..." The last human I taught that skill to was that bastard of a student Pontius... and what does he do? Takes m'best suit of Divine Armor and starts killin' every two-legged f*cker 'e knows."

"I'm different..." Tanamar grumbled.

"How do ya think?" The dwarf huffed.

Tanamar stared his old man down... "Because I have someone to protect."

Harkus rolled his eyes, nearly falling off of his chair, "And ye don't care tae think Pontius was any different? 'E had friends too-- a lover whose name I didn't care to remember, 'an he even had a nightmare of a dog... pissed in me boots-- 'an more an' once!"

"That's not the point," Tanamar interjected.

"Bah!" Harkus waved dismissively, "That cunt stood fer your 'Church of the FlaaAme' like all the rest of yer Holy Country.

"What did it f*cking matter, huh?" The dwarf gulped, his brows furrowed... "What did it matter... He still did what he did, in the end...

"It's... it's been half a gods-damned century, boy... and I still can't tell commonfolk my gods-given name... not so long as I wanna avoid bein' pinned up on a cross."

Harkus grumbled curses under his breath... then fixed his sitting posture... "You want some tea?"

Tanamar shook his head, "Water, please."

Harkus stood up, grabbing a pitcher of water. Pouring into wooden cups, he placed one in front of Tanamar.

Sitting back down, Harkus loosed a long sigh, "Power corrupts, Athanasius. Or somethin'... Hells if I know-- I ain't a gods-damned philosopher."

"...I need it, Master."

Harkus drained his cup in a single pull, then took a long look at Tanamar's face...

"Ye don't need anything else I have to offer. You can protect yer little wife on your own, without my help... as ye always have."

Tanamar pursed his lips, "I know better, now. I can't do everything by myself..."

He grit his teeth... forcing words he didn't want to admit... "Even my current strength... I couldn't have achieved without your training."

Harkus narrowed his eyes... "Where in the seven hells did you learn humility? Are ye tryin' ta make me puke? With yer soft, pink-skin feelings? If ye grow pointy ears, too, consider yerself disowned."

"It's not about me, Master," Tanamar shook his head. "I need every advantage I can get."

Harkus leaned forward, his expression grave, "Tell me, then, boy... and tell me honestly... Summoning a set of Divine Armor... can you honestly tell me you deserve that kind of power?"

Tanamar shut his eyes in quiet contemplation. He felt the spirits around him... the wind, the air, the water in his cup... He could hear their wishes. He could bend them to his will.

He searched his heart for the answer.

Power... he needed power to protect Athena.

He needed it to protect himself, too. If he was killed, she'd cry.

He needed the power to fight against the heavens and hells-- he'd allow nothing to take away her smile.

His Class was Holy Lancer... but... The Church... the Eternal Flame... he was never truly loyal to them.

His master, Harkus, was asking if he'd abuse the power granted to him...

He wouldn't hesitate for a second.

Tanamar quietly shook his head, "I don't."

"Well, then," Harkus put on a smug grin, "Now, would ya kindly get the hells out of m--"

"I'll learn it on my own," Tanamar stood out of his chair, draining his cup of well water. Smacking his lips, it felt like he'd lifted a heavy weight off of his heart.

"Now HOLD ON fer just a gods-damned minute!!" Harkus yelled. "I'm tellin' ye, that ye shouldn't mess with that kinda power, boy!!"

Tanamar shrugged, "I've already mastered ⌈Oath⌋ shot to high completion, anyroad."

"You've WHAAAAT!?!? That-- that Skill took me TWENTY gods-damned YEARS to get just to MIDDLE completion!!!"

Athena opened the panels of a nearby window, peeking her head in, "HeyYy~! You guys fiiiiiighting?"

As expected, there were light cat scratches on her face.

Harkus pointed at Tanamar, his face turning red from indignation, "Young Mistress! Talk some sense to this boy!!"

"Oh! Uncle!" Athena beamed, "Could you teach him that thing?"

"WhAaaAAAt?!!"

"The thing! He wants to learn the thing, so you should teach him." Athena bared her teeth in a grin, before looking to Tanamar, "Uncle can never say no to me-- isn't that right, Uncle?"

Tanamar crossed his arms and chuckled to himself, watching the old dwarf's face change from furious to heartbroken to confused... to pathetic.

The dwarf sighed. "Come out back to the clearing when ye're ready..."

",