So, happy Mother's day. I hope you all got a gift for your mother/wife.
Merendinoemiliano: [ The religious difference comes from Germanic Synchronism. Essentially, the Germanic tribes are not fans of pacifistic martyrdom. So to convert the tribes, Jesus went from a god of peace and love to a god of war. His greatest enemy was the one that even the Germanic gods feared: death. I figured the religion would be especially popular with slaves due to the nature of Christianity.
At the same time, Mantle is in the process of destroying freedom of expression. Religion is a form of expression, telling the followers to walk a path, even if that path goes against the grain of society.
When you say "semblance", are you referring to a recommended story, or the characteristic of the show?]
Winter was the longest season in New Saxony, and while others would move, the Saxons made the most of it. The fields may have been empty, but the forges never slept. Weapons from swords for the young to bolt-action rifles came, and the snow provided extra durability in the cooling process.
The common man also had a favorite pass time. The ale halls were open, and cheaper, now that the harvest had come in. The Wives would make snow cream, and the family would come together.
The boys would go outside and make snow forts. Not a passive people, the neighbors would build their own forts, and families would re-enact historical battles from legends. Daughters became princesses and shieldmaidens, priestess and counselors. The boys became heroes, chiefs and demons. History was not a class; it was a game.
Yet the light of the season was Yuletide, or Christmas, depending on your fancy. A time when the family gathered if possible. Sacrifices were performed at temples, not just animals either. Churches had charity feasts for slaves and the poor.
Yet the question on Johan's mind was this: where was Gewis?
Gelvira was at his hall, yet Gewis was missing, out for an "errand". Johan grumbled to himself, "Is the boy my son?"
Hengist tugged at his side, "Dad, let's go in."
"Not until your brother shows."
"Will waiting make him show up any faster?" Hengist said a smart tone in his voice.
Had it he been wrong, Johan would have beat his ass. Had he been wrong, of course.
Johan smiled, " You know, you've got the brains of your mother."
Hengist felt a wart of pride swell in him as his father joined them.
Cocoa from a tributary had been turned into the brown drink. Ida and Hilda sipped on it, mildly annoy at their brother's tardiness.
Johan loved his family, truly, but the fact the Gewis had better things to do than join his family at this time was infuriating.
As night began to fade, Johan's anger turned to fear as he retired for the night.
It was then where he met Gelvira, prostrating herself at his feet.
She made an odd request, which she then explained.
Gelvira's last words for the night were, "Please consider it."
(So apparently my line break icons(" - - - -" It actually doesn't save the less/greater than signs, wow) don't save)
Montgomery's visions began to subside, occurring once or twice a week. For better or worse, he couldn't tell.
His son would go out at night, to join the cultists. Perhaps there was something to this 'Jesus' character. Richard's grades were improving, he seemed to avoid sickness. But the danger it caused the entire Ironwood family. If word were to get out, a career would be the least of his worries. Thus, the father and son rarely spoke.
The "Jesus" plague would die soon. There were less missionaries throughout Mantle. Perhaps He had been poisoned. The decreasing missionaries and the decreasing visions had to be correlated. Maybe it had just been a prank that had gone too far. Maybe Montgomery needed to see a doctor about these delusions.
But were they delusions? The visions felt real; the fear felt tangible.
His pondering was interrupted by his son coming home, late as usual. Neither spoke a word, but went past one and other. The boy smelled like meat.
"Richard?" Montgomery said.
"Dad" Richard's voice was afraid, as though this would snap the tether the bound the two together.
"Are you happy?" Montgomery asked. That was the question that mattered. If it brought joy to Montgomery's only son, did it really matter if this "Jesus" was real or not?
"Yes, dad." Richard then went off to bed.
Montgomery then let exhaustion take over as he drifted to sleep.
(lineBreak-)
"Ida! Find your brother!" Johan shouted. The young man had not shown up in the night.
Ida rose, her hair hardly tended as she put on her armor, "The Jackass didn't show?"
It was tough being the daughter of the emperor. In addition to learning the skills a wife needed to know, she also learned combat training and tactics, all before bed at 22:00. And having a waste of flesh go missing DID NOT HELP HER BEAUTY SLEEP!
Speaking of beauty she pulled a strand of brown hair in front of her face. Maybe I need to cut it, that's what the pretty girls are doing these days right?
She shook her head, and pulled the chainmail mask over her face, connecting it to the helmet. Questions for later.
She left the Great hall and began her descent down the mountain. Along the way she saw Aethelwald. Maybe she would invite him up after this, if her brother was presentable.
Oh right, her brother. "The asshat better have been stabbed" She grumbled. Five years of seniority and she was still more mature.
Ida knew where Gewis would be. She walked into the ale hall, the keeper recognizing her armor, "Ida, right?"
"What's it to you?" She responded.
"I've never seen your face, even though I see you so often." He replied, scratching his head nervously.
"You've seen me often, so you know why I'm here." Ida countered, placing her hands on her hips.
"He's over there", the keeper gestured to a table with a lump of flesh slumped on plate with pork and cheap ale spilled on the same plate as the face.
She would talk shit later, but now, she felt bad for her brother. She'd drank one too many before and knew how it felt.
She shook him, getting a mumble-groan.
"Hey, Mom and dad are worried about you, we need to go home" She tried, pulling one of his arms over her shoulders.
"How much did he drink?" Ida asked the keeper.
"Two gallons through the night". The keeper said.
She stopped. The silence hung in the air.
"Okay, five barrels of ale and two of mead" The keeper said.
"How much does he owe you", She sighed.
"It's on the house." He said.
"Bullshit" She replied.
"I don't think he needs anything else to worry about." The keeper replied, "Plus you came in here, and I don't get a lot of lady visitor."
She rolled her eyes, "I'll get you the money later."
It was actually good that he didn't charge her right now. The allowance she got for training was probably not going to cover this expense.
The two began the trek up the mountain, the stone steps being the biggest obstacle for a drunk man.
"Come on" She said yanking his arm up to the door before pulling it over her shoulders and pushing the door open.
Horsa and Hengist both stopped, "Welcome back." and then went back to playing with wood swords.
Johan sat in his throne, a smile gleamed his face as he rose and approached his son and daughter. "Welcome back, where did you find him."
Johan's feet carried a weight with him, and his hands were balled and twitching. Konstantia and Aethelfled had a warning in their eyes. The other wives were not to be found.
What did he do? Ida thought, worrying for her brother's life.
Gewis was struggling to stand, his head was flopped on her shoulder.
"I found him... at the market, he had apparently stayed at an inn with an old friend." She lied. "They had a few drinks and he wasn't feeling great so he stayed."
Johan was stopped two feet from them, and put his hands out to hold Gewis's shoulders, "Oh, I'm sorry, are you feeling better now?"
Gewis muttered, "Yea, Dad, I'm not feeling so bad anymore."
Johan nodded. Ida felt a little relief, maybe Dad was just a little worried.
Johan's fist appeared in Gewis's gut. The poor boy released a hurtle of vomit.
"Dad, please, he can barely stand!" Ida protested.
"Oh, he'll be lucky to stand when I'm done with him" Johan stated as he punched Gewis again.
"Johan-!" Constantia cried, but was cut off by a firmly raised finger. She looked hopeless in the moment.
Horsa and Hengist stopped, as though they could feel the rage demon that surged within their father.
Gewis seemed to sober up after the first vomit.
"So I had a talk with your wife last night" Johan stated matter-o-fact.
Gewis nodded, catching his breath before asking, "I have a wife?"
Another fist struck him, this time in the face.
"Father, please, he doesn't des-" Ida pleaded.
"Oh Ida, you young, beautiful daughter of mine, I truly wonder if the half-Saxon makes that much of a difference. Underneath your tough, free personality is a girl who loves her family, despite their grievances." Johan's poetry gave her a brief swell of pride, despite the situation. "He, on the other hand, seems content to destroy his."
Gewis threw a half-drunk swing at his father, which was probably as stupid of a decision as what got him into this mess. Johan simple dodged and threw a hammer fist into Gewis's back.
Hengist and Horsa began to back away.
"STAY!" Johan shouted. He muttered, "see what happens when you shame the family."
"Dad, what's wrong" Gewis pleaded from the ground.
"Let me help you up" Johan said as he picked up Gewis by the shoulders. "I talked to your wife, She asked me to take her."
"As a concubine?" Gewis inquired, steadying his head with his hands.
"AS A SERVANT!" Johan shouted, bringing his knee to Gewis's gut. "You made a Princess feel like a slave!"
Johan took a breath, "I tried prayer, hoping God would turn you into a man of legends. I tried advising, hoping a few words would resonate. Now, I will use force." Johan's voice was at a whisper.
Ida stepped forward, "Dad punish m-".
"No! This shit bag has had enough coddling. His man-baby behavior is over!" Johan shouted, "He doesn't understand the value of a life, of worth. Instead he is contented to live off my name, well no more." Johan stated.
"Wh-what?" Gewis asked, rising to his feet.
"I...Denounce...you." Johan stated, yanking a fistful of hair from Gewis, and drawing his seax. "As of right now, you are no longer my son." Johan then shaved Gewis's head with a sing strike.
"Dad-Father, please show mercy! I will change." Gewis pleaded.
"No you won't, because people like you don't change, they just get fatter and weaker willed. As for Mercy, the fact that you still breath is mercy enough! Now get out of my hall, foreigner." Johan turned his back and walked towards a table to eat breakfast.
Line Break-
Montgomery listed to the pastor, as the God Jesus became more clear to him.
He had bonded with his son over the God he had rejected last summer. Now he and his son attended secret churches, praying and enjoying each other's company.
When Montgomery laid down that night, he couldn't help but think that maybe, his visions were real, maybe God was warning them. He closed his eyes once more.
He awoke back on the icy field. Montgomery looked for the angel, who sure enough appeared.
"The Lord has condemned your world to burn and be enslaved" the Angel said, "Yet you have seen the error of your ways and repented. Thus the Lord say this, 'If one nation should repent, and change its ways, then I shall spare this world.'
"What can I do to save my home?" Montgomery asked.
"Go to your king, and proclaim the will of the Lord. If he should change his ways, then your world shall be spared the horrors of His wrath."
As the angel vanished, so many questions raged in Montgomery's mind. Yet as he looked around, a familiar fear stirred within him.
The ice that restrained the giant was cracking, and its eyes: half-open.
So, I will admit I feel Johan was a bit brutal in this, but I was going for the absolutely disappointed father who was fed up with the childs crap.
Also, what is your favorite mother's day tradition.
Thanks for reading.