Story name: The Bonds of Family
Author: Michael Olson
Publication date: March 25, 2002 (TSA-Talk)
Date: November 698 CR, autumn 702 CR, spring - late autumn 706 CR
Location: New Bethyl, Metamor Valley
Overview
Jacob, a farmer boy who fled with his family from Carreas, gets involved with local troublemaking boys, and ends up with the curse of Metamor. When he grows up, he has a difficult decision to make.
Summary
Jacob remembers when he was young, his hometown of Bethyl was ordered to be razed by Duke Mechellos Carras over the murder of his advisor. One clerk, however, alerted Jacob's father Bernard, who organized a revolt against the town guards, and evacuated the entire city north, far from Carreas, stopping in the forests a few days from Metamor Valley. There, hidden among the trees, they built the village of New Bethyl. One year later, they would learn that Metamor had been cursed.
One evening, four years after their exile, Jacob hears commotion in the woods nearby. He investigates and finds two teenage boys, Tom and Mark, holding down a young lady while one man, Bruno, is cruelly undressing her. Jacob attacks two of the men, scaring the third away. After letting her dress herself, he takes her back home, where Bernard hears about the near-rape and promises justice. The next day, during a private trial witnessed by the girl's relatives, and Jacob's family's friend Tully as the bailiff, the three boys are sentenced to leave on the first caravan out of New Bethyl and never return.
The next caravan is a month away, however, so Jacob is wary the next few weeks. While hoeing on the farm, he is ambushed by Bruno and Tom, who knock him out and carry him out in the woods. By the time Jacob wakes up, they are too far for anyone to hear his cries for help. After another full day of travel, they leave him tied to a tree, with enough food and water to last until the curse of Metamor takes him. His bonds are too tight and too sturdy for him to escape. After several days, the first signs of the change appear when Jacob finds his eyelids won't open, and his fingers are changing. By nightfall, Jacob is unable to speak. He is rescued by Tully, after his companions initially mistake him for a monster.
His family is shocked by his changes but relieved when he arrives. Bernard explains that the village was besieged by Lutins shortly after his disappearance, preventing a search party from following Bruno's trail. After a week, the Lutins moved on. Shortly after going north, they found the bodies of Bruno and Tom. The blind Jacob gestures for Bernard to describe his appearance; when he hears of his reptilian appearance, he retreats to his bed in despair.
After three days in his bed, Jacob is encouraged by Tully to be strong like Bernard. That night, for the first time, Jacob is able to see again. With his new night vision, he happily puts on warm clothes and steps outside so he can practice speaking to himself. He is now nocturnal, and so heads back inside at dawn to sleep. By the next day, he is able to head across town to wake up Tully and say, in a warbly voice, "Thank you".
Four years later, Jacob has fully adapted to his new form. He wakes up every night to do chores for the farm, and meets his family for breakfast before bed. Tully arrives one morning to deliver a letter to Bernard, stamped with the seal of the Duke, which he got from a tiny man concealed in a cloak whom he met one night. The stranger refused to stay, as he had business further north, but promised to return in a week. Bernard opens and reads the letter. The day, Bernard gathers the town and announces that Mechellos is dead; his nephew Anteno has taken control of the court, and wishes to make amends to the refugees of New Bethyl. He has rebuilt the old town of Bethyl and offered them to return. Bernard, for his part, wishes to stay, and lets everyone decide for themselves. The whole town is divided what to do.
A week passes, and most of the village wants to return to Bethyl. A good third, however, will only go if Bernard goes. Bernard insists on staying, but then Jacob enters. He knows that Bernard won't leave because he is afraid of what will happen to Jacob in Carreas. He wants them all to go to Carreas; as a 19 year old, it is time for him to go his own way, and he wants to go to Metamor. Bernard hugs him, and tells Tully to announce that everyone will be returning to Bethyl. When the messenger finally arrives, Tully tells him they will leave after the fall harvest.
When autumn comes, Jacob says goodbye to his family and to Tully. As they leave with the wagon train, Jacob heads north heavily bundled in clothes and carrying a few scant possessions. After two days, he arrives in Metamor, where the guards allow him to gain residence. As Jacob enters the crowd of child-, gender-, and animal morphs, for the first in a long time, Jacob feels faceless and alone.
Characters
Main Characters:
- Jacob Drazil: Oldest child of Bernard and Mary. In 702 CR, he saves a girl from a group of neighborhood boys; in revenge, they kidnap him and abandon him in the forests of Metamor, where he is cursed into being a gecko morph. In 706, while the rest of his family returns to Carreas, he travels to Metamor Keep.
- As a human, he had blue eyes.
- On his fifth day in Metamor Valley, his stomach has shrunk. On his sixth day, his tongue is swollen, and his bones and muscles ache. It is likely that these are caused by exposure and hunger, rather than by the curse, though they might have affected his final form.
- His first explicit changes occur on the seventh day. His eyelids seal smoothly to his face, becoming lightly translucent. His face has an odd texture. His fingertips have changed shape. Later that evening, he finds he cannot speak, and can only make a series of squeaking clicks.
- By the time he is returned to his family, his skin is becoming scaly and bright green. His nose has merged with his upper lip. His eyes have doubled in size, covered by membranes with a bruised appearance. His earlobes are being absorbed, and his hair is falling out. His arms are shorter and less muscled. His fingers have become longer and thinner, with swollen fingertips. His legs have shortened by four inches, and his feet resemble his hands. A thick tail is forming in his breeches. He now sleeps during the day, and vegetables now taste bad to him.
- Four days later, he is able to see in the dark (his eyelids eventually become transparent), though he also needs to lick his eyeballs, and he is more sensitive to the cold. He has to wear a winter cloak and wrap his feet in cloth.
- As a young adult in 706 CR, he is 5 feet 10 inches tall. He has a 5-foot-long tail, with a quarter of it dragging along the floor. His eyes are on the side of his head, as big as apples. He has slitted pupils, but unusually has inch-wide blue irises. He has no thumbs or earlobes. He is able to crawl along the walls and ceiling. He mostly eats meat, with cheese or fruit for variety; he also eats insects and his shedded skin for much-needed nutrition, but doesn't tell his family.
- He is a Follower.
- He was trained to fight with the staff by Tully.
- He is given a spear by Tully, with a 5-foot shaft and an 8-inch head.
- He was 19 years old in March 706 CR, and so was born between March 686 and March 687 CR.
- As a human, he had blue eyes.
Supporting Characters:
- Bernard: Jacob's father, a well-connected man of Bethyl, and the unofficial leader of New Bethyl. He also acted as judge at Bruno's trial. He intimidates the three boys so that they tell no one of their crime or punishment, to protect Emily's reputation.
- Lutins shot him in the leg with a poisoned arrow during the attack in 702 CR. This kept him from joining the search party for Jacob.
- A naturally charismatic man, he'd made many friends by the time Bethyl was due to be razed. One third
- He and the rest of his family were Followers.
- Tully: A retired soldier, a friend of Bernard's. He was the only man with scouting experience in New Bethyl. He taught Jacob and several other villagers how to fight. He acted as bailiff at Bruno's trial, led the defense of New Bethyl, and led a search party to rescue Jacob. He was later contacted by the messenger from Carreas about the new Duke.
- He has blue eyes and gray hair.
- Bruno: A bully in New Bethyl. He tried to rape Emily, but his jaw was fractured by Jacob's hoe. He leads the kidnapping of Jacob. He and Tom are found dead outside New Bethyl. Few grieve them.
- Bruno's jaw was said to be "shattered", but he healed fairly quickly, and had no difficulty speaking within a couple weeks.
- He said nothing at the trial, and only spat on the door.
Minor Characters:
- Mary: Jacob's mother, Bernard's wife.
- Robert: Jacob's brother, second child of Bernard and Mary.
- He was born 8 years after Jacob (between March 694 and March 695 CR).
- By 706 CR, he was shorter than Jacob's 5'10".
- He and Sarah are inseperable throughout their lives, and remain closer to each other than to Jacob.
- Sarah: Jacob's sister, third child of Bernard and Mary.
- She was born "a scant year" after Robert (between December 694 and February 696 CR).
- She and Robert are inseperable throughout their lives, and remain closer to each other than to Jacob.
- Geoffrey: Jacob's youngest brother, fourth child of Bernard and Mary.
- He was born 4 years after either Robert or Sarah, after they left Bethyl, and is 4 years old in summer 702 CR, and 8 years old in spring 706 CR (born between November 697 and spring 698 CR).
- By 706 CR, he loves playing with Jacob, such as riding him on the ceiling and making faces at each other.
- Emily: A girl in Bethyl. In 702 CR, she was rescued by Jacob from Bruno. Jacob continued to check on her, up until he was kidnapped.
- She wore a bodice and dress.
- Tom Beral: A boy, Bruno's most loyal ally. He was hit in the stomach by Jacob's hoe. He helps Bruno kidnap Jacob. Lutins kill him and Bruno outside New Bethyl. They are barely grieved.
- At the trial, he gives a mix of bravado, denials, and excuses.
- Mark Herae: The lesser of Bruno's toadies. Unlike Tom or Bruno, he is terrified at the trial, and seems to comply with the court's decision.
- A small cloaked person, a friend of the new Duke Anteno Carras, who informs Tully that Anteno has replaced the curel Mechellos and offered amnesty to New Bethyl.
Important Mention:
- Mechellos Carros: The Duke of Carreas. He sent an army to destroy Bethyl for being the hometown of a political assassin. He died in 705 CR, allowing his successor to grant clemency to them.
- A clerk who worked in the military in the capital of Carreas. In November 697 CR, he found orders for Bethyl's razing in his superior's desk. Being personally indebted to Bernard for something, he sent Bernard a cryptic message to save him.
Referenced:
- A young man who killed one of Mechellos's advisors. His hometown was Bethyl.
- Mechellos's advisor, who was killed by the above man, over whose death Mechellos ordered Bethyl razed.
- Gregory: A friend of Tully's in New Bethyl.
- Eli: The Follower god.
- Yahshua: The son of Eli.
Locations
- In the old town of Bethyl, the town square had a raised platform with a podium and a gallows.
- It is a few months' journey from Bethyl to New Bethyl — the original journey took nearly a year, presumably due to the long uncertain search for a home.
- The town of New Bethyl was established in 698 CR, and disbanded in 706 CR. It lay surrounded by the forests 2 days south of Metamor Keep; a road to Metamor lay to the west. It was a harsh land, but survivable. It was far from other communities, and needed to be self-reliant for defense and goods.
- None of its citizens were potters, and only one was a soldier (Tully), but they had several woodworkers. As a result, their buildings and vessels were all built from wood.
- Bernard's home is a log cabin with a wooden floor, built in 699 CR. It is kept in better shape than their neighbors, also built at this time.
- Bernard and his family (in 702 CR) grew corn.
- The woods surrounding New Bethyl are dangerous, though usually not from Lutins. Lutins will occasionally ambush caravans, and travel far enough south to attack. However, New Bethyl is well-trained enough to avoid attack.
- Metamor Keep has guarded stone archways, with a queue to enter.
Society
- Carreas is described, in 697 CR, as having been an unstable place, and that Mechellos was just the latest tyrant. Most officials and guards at the time were loyal to Mechellos.
- The trial in New Bethyl for the three boys was not publicly known; only the victim's family was present as jury, and no other citizens. The reason for doing so was to stop dangerous rumors from spreading (probably related to the rape charge). The verdict was known in advance, apparently from Jacob's and Bernard's direct involvement.
- Rape is punishable by death, though there is leniency for minors.
Chronology
- In November 697 (just under 9 years before March 706), Bernard was privately warned by a letter of Mechellos's plan to raze Bethyl. He led an uprising against the soldiers of Mechellos, and led the village to New Bethyl.
- Bernard had many friends at the time, and rallied them to gather at the town square. By this point, the army was due to arrive within 48 hours. The town guards, who were already aware of the plan, were soon outnumbered, and most of them fled. The mob seized weapons from the local barracks and expelled the remaining guards, and began loading carts for an exodus.
- Half of Bethyl's population left within a day and fled northward, led by Bernard's family. Bernard begged for others to join him, but none would do so, not even when the army appeared on the horizon.
- Bernard left alone, and caught up with the caravan after a hard day's ride.
- In late 698, after traveling for nearly a year, the caravan stopped several days into the forest just south of Metamor Keep. Once they were sure Mechellos couldn't find them, they established the town of New Bethyl.
- Jacob's and Bernard's house was built in 699, and lived in for at least the next 3 years.
- In early autumn 702, one month before the harvest caravan, Bruno, Tom, and Mark were caught about to rape Emily, and were sentenced to exile.
- Two weeks later, Bruno and Tom kidnap Jacob. His family doesn't discover until the next morning.
- Bruno and Tom spend 2 full days carrying him into Metamor Valley, leaving him 2 jugs of water and some moldy bread.
- Just as Bernard and Tully set out with a search party, Lutins encounter New Bethyl. The Lutins attack Bernard, delaying the search for Jacob.
- 9 days after being kidnapped, Jacob begins to change.
- On the 10th day, Tully rescues Jacob. It takes presumably another 2 days to return home.
- Around this time, presumably, the caravan arrives for New Bethyl's harvest, and Tom obeys his exile.
- 3 days after returning home, Tully tries to encourage Jacob. That night, Jacob realizes he can see through his eyes, and does some chores and practices speaking.
- The next night, he visits Tully to thank him.
- In 705, Mechellos Carras dies. His successor, Anteno Carras, takes back control of the court and rebuilds Bethyl.
- One night in March 706, a stranger visits Tully with a message of clemency from the new Duke of Carreas. The stranger promises to return in a week.
- The next day, Tully gives the message to Bernard.
- The day after, Bernard addresses the town.
- The stranger returns 3 days later than promised.
- After the harvest of 706, the town of New Bethyl leaves via wagon train to return to Carreas — except for Jacob, who leaves for Metamor.
- He travels two nights and mornings (sleeping in the afternoon), arriving on the 2nd day.
Story Connections
- The stranger is strongly implied to be Topo, and his mission up north to Metamor is strongly implied to be the one from Alone in the Dark, which happened in March 706.
Points of Interest
- Despite the apparent small size of New Bethyl, there seems to be no trouble in having a private trial for three teenage boys, nor for keeping their sentences secret, even from their families. Indeed, besides Bernard and his family, the only family mentioned in New Bethyl is Emily's.
- Jacob notes that Emily's smiles are not what they used to be. This could be because of the trauma of her rape, but a subtler possibility is that she finds Jacob's excessive attention to be patronizing.
- The rope that Bruno ties Jacob with is resistant to stretching and sliding.
