CHAPTER 32: Home

Familiar surroundings. Familiar air. When Antigua saw his house in the distance, he sprinted there with hesitation. Excitement and nostalgia flooded through him as his father spotted an unknown figure barreling towards him as he was making his way inside his home.

"Father!" Antigua yelled out. His father only stood there in confusion. Only a few seconds later did his eyes bulge and his jaw drop as he connected the dots.

"Redwind? Wh- What happened to you?!" He said as an uncontrollable smile crossed his face. The old man dropped his things and teared up on the spot. He waddled over to the approaching Antigua and examined his changed son. Antigua's father grasped his arm and started to drag him inside their home. Inside was the entire family waiting for him. They all gathered and greeted him, his younger brother and cousins opening his lips wider to get a closer view of the silver teeth and fangs they caught glinting in the window's light.

"Thank you for having the men come and alert us that you were coming. How did they get to us before you? Their magic?" The father exclaimed.

"No, not magic, father, but tools called phones. The guards have lightning-fast communication between the capital and the provinces. I just asked them to transport a message here and they did it without much trouble. It's amazing, the things we can now do."

His father sighed. "Ah, yes, this 'science' I've heard rumors about. Why didn't they teach us these things when I was a kid? I'm getting older and left behind more and more every day. But I can at least thank this 'science' for what it has done for us. The king even came to our house himself to ensure that our vermin problems were taken care of and our houses were stocked with a generous amount of food. He really takes care of his generals, doesn't he."

Antigua didn't know that Tangente checked up on them personally. A warm feeling crossed into Antigua's heart, and his trust in his king grew.

"In fact..." His brother interrupted. "We were here preparing a little something for you." He said with a mischievous grin. He pushed Antigua into a new room that they had built, and there lay a large banquet of hearty foods. Not only grains and fruits, but a variety of meats as well. Antigua was shocked. They had never been able to have this much food in one sitting.

"Are you sure this is good? We could've still saved up this-"

"Redwind. It's okay. We no longer have to live like that. Aside from future bountiful harvests, Tangente will be sending a stream of goods our way as payment for your service. Now, with all this, you better make our king proud, son!" His mother peeked out from out of the hallway to set more food on the table.

"And You! Get over here! Don't leave me alone with your poor uncle to cook these dishes. Everyone help out! Finance before feast! You too, Redwind!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Everyone said as they followed Antigua's mother, having to be pulled away from the food like a magnet. It was surreal to Antigua to see everyone happy like this. Then again, his reunion celebration did give off a festive feeling only found around their holidays. It was great to see everyone again, though he did feel a hint of disconnection. He had learned many things in the six months before this vacation, many things that would shock or terrify the average person in such a rural place. He and he alone shared this burden. And he knew that things would only separate more and more as he finished the next year of his training. But it was what it was, and he still loved his family very much. Mere differences in knowledge could never destroy this.

As Antigua worked on the last batch, his friends finally caught up to him.

"Dang, Antigua! You didn't need to go sprinting all the way down the road! Take your time- oh, it smells good. Is it for me?" Luna half-jokingly said.

"Manners, Luna! I apologize for my...ummm… friend? Yeah, friend." Oceano said, clearly trying to push Luna's buttons. She knew it was a trap, but she took the bait anyway. A few moments later, Oceano was helping the family, coming to the table with bumps on his head and a tear in his eye. Luna scoffed, and patted the seat next to her for him to sit. The reunion was amazing. His cousins had the same energy as when he left, his brother's fiance was very sweet and seemed to know a lot, being from another province and all. Antigua never knew how they met, and he really wanted to ask. But the topics always changed, and there was always a louder talker. He couldn't fit anything between their transitions. Wasn't this supposed to be his celebration? They asked him questions, and he answered them, with a hint of disinterest. Whatever, let them talk up a storm, he didn't care anymore. After the feast was over, Luna was laughing and drunk and Oceano was sitting there dazed by his own drunkenness, clearly not into the feeling. He shoved his drink away, only to have Luna grab the drink and swig, only to give Oceano a messy kiss. The entire adult family cheered with drunkenness as the kids cringed. Antigua laughed a little, and decided to go outside to feel the coolness of the windy air and the relaxing darkness of night. After a moment of silence, he heard a dry voice behind him.

"A beautiful night, ain't it, Redwind?" his father said.

"Come on dad, you guys need to start calling me Antigua. That is who I am now." Antigua responded.

"You're right. We just… want you to feel at home again. You're still our little boy."

"I'm not little anymore, dad. Just as Grandma said, I needed to leave that boy behind when I took my first trip to the capital. I'm a general in training, dad. Yeah, I'll be looking over you guys. But no longer as just a small, insignificant person anymore. I've finally found something that fits me, dad. I was scared when I thought I would be plowing fields for the rest of my life..."

To this, his father's breath became heavy with the weight of sadness. "I'm sorry… For being such an uninspiring father. I'm not smart. That's why I can only till the fields. I am not that iron-willed. When in the king's presence, I was scared. I was insignificant. I couldn't even stand up to him when the king gave his offer. I should have said something… I should have protected you. But I didn't. I was scared, and couldn't even protect the things that mattered most to me. I'm sorry that you had to be born the son of a-"

"Don't say any more, father. I love you. I will always love you. And I am proud of you. I will never be afraid to say that. I will say 'Yes, I am the son of a farmer, who works tirelessly from sunrise through sunset to provide not only for his family, but for scholars and priests, builders and artists, kings and queens.' You are just as important as they are. As for the incident with the king, don't think I didn't hear you wailing outside the doors after they closed. You may not have the brains of a philosopher or the searing justice of an overseer, but you have a fragile heart. One that gives and doesn't ask for in return. You went to the capital not for yourself, but for us. When the king made that deal, you knew what he was going to do with me. Grandma knew Tangente more than she led on, and you, her son, were the only one she confided in to reveal such information. You weren't crying over the possibility of my torment, but for my safety in the procedure. You may not know the science behind all this, but a risk is easier to understand."

Upon hearing that name, Antigua's father's face stared towards the ground, troubled as if he were recollecting some old memories.

"See? Your reaction says everything. Tangente told me about grandma, but I didn't know who was in on this secret. So you do know the true name of the king… Who else knows?"

"Just your uncle." He whispered.

"Why him? He's on the other side of the family..."

Silence.

"Why aren't you answering? You must know something."

"He's a..." His father hesitated to say the last words.

"A what?"

"Spy…" He whispered in a semi-harsh tone "for Tangente."