Adopted

Raised by the Giges'

My mother scolded my father relentlessly after bringing me home. According to father it is the worst dressing down he had ever gotten in his life. Remember he was a soldier, so that's saying something. He also remarked to me once with one of his rare smiles. That mother would stop mid scolding to tend my fussy baby needs. And then turn back to him to continue her berating. 

*

It was all from concern, as he had killed a noble of the kings court and such. To that my father merely said "Things will be what they'll be" he was never taken by flights of imagination. 

*

Safe to say. The King was unperturbed by the death of his nobleman and actually thanked father for delivering justice. Offering me as reward for doing so. My adoption was quick and painless. And I was let to grow up a normal child.

*

Life as a Giges child was interesting, and I was all the better for my father’s stern ways and my mother’s loving. Very early on, I requested of him to wake as he did. I was young, merely 6 years old, when I made the request. But I so wanted to be a man like my father.

***

Tygon woke groggily, the day still blanketed by the gauze of night time.. His father stood over him. His finger on his mouth calling for silence. Tygon rose like a zombie, trudging after behind the man as he led them out into the back yard. And up to the well where they got their drinking water. Khaadin lowered the empty well bucket with a splash and Tygon pulled on the rope at his signal. As soon as the now full bucket had cleared the surface. Khaadin grabbed it and poured its contents into waiting stone tankards. 

*

The tankards were both carved from a quartz like stone. The interior made smooth and clean with bees wax. Khaadin handed his son one, taking the other and drinking its contents in one mighty pull. Tygon tried to mimic him, only to be left gasping with his tankard still half full. After catching his breath he slowly finished the last of it. His father nodding approval.

*

Khaadin sat on a flat worn stone patting its twin beside him. Tygon sat like his father. Kneeling on the rock and sitting on his heels. With his hands clasped in a U shape. No words were spoken. Tygom just mimicking the elder Giges the best he could. He had seen him meditate before and had spoken to his mother about it. So from looking at his actions and remembering her words. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing. Deep in, hold, slow out, repeat. His thoughts raced, filled with granduer dreams of the future. Of himself with side burns much like his father. And he couldn’t help but smile. He heard the disapproving sigh beside him and once again focused on his breathing. It was hard for him, every time a thought raced through his mind he couldn’t help but bat at it like a playful kitten with a piece of string. But every time he would hear the man beside him sigh. And he would focus once more. Almost getting the hang of it before Khaadin patted him on the shoulder.

*

Again not a word was spoken, Tygon not willing to break the silence. And Khaadin not offering any noise of his own. Walking away from the well they came to a tool shed like structure. Yet when Khaadin opened the door. No tools could be seen. Only a clean polished timber floor. And three other walls. The far wall, opposite the entry was bare except for a window. The wall to their left held a small shine to the 8 gods of the Japelec and the other a myriad of martial arts weapons. Khaadin guided his son to the middle of the dojo. Standing beside him he did a flawless body weight squat. Signaling for Tygon to do the same. He bounced up and down. Khaadin looking at him disapprovingly. Placing his hand on both his son’s chest and back he pushed Tygon down, slowly. The body naturally falling into a perfect squat. Though Khaadin’s had been as low as possible his a*s almost touching the floor. He stopped Tygon’s descent once his legs were parallel with the polished floor. He lifted his son just as slow. Releasing him, once he was standing. Signaling him to repeat the action.

*

Tygon was a quick study of his father’s callisthenics routine. 3 full circuits of Squats, Push Ups, Pull Ups, Sit ups, Leg raises, and side crunches. At the completion of the circuit. Khaadin once gain went down into a push up position. Down up, tuck of the knees with his feet under his chest and he sprang up like a coiled spring. Tygon assumed the position and mimicked him once more. Only being able to do one burpee, before falling to the floor. Khaadin completed 20 before he stopped. Signalling the boy to get up.

*

Tygon rose much as he did earlier that morning, a zombie. His body ached in ways he thought not possible. Yet, he had asked for it. So with determination he stood straight before his father. Once again mimicking. Khaadin stood with his arms by his sides and his feet together. Looking down at his feet, he spread his heels, creating a V, then his toes expanding and inverting the V of his feet. And once spreading his heels out. The point of the V somewhere in front of him. His knees were now bent and still close together. He pulled his hands up into closed fist under his armpits. He raised himself up and down in that position, doing 20 repetitions. Tygon watched him closely. And attempted the foot work himself. Toes out, heels out, knees close together. Falling to the floor, with an audible ooph. Khaadin offered him a hand. Once again standing straight as a pin. He did each step and looked at his son’s feet. He nodded as Tygon got each step right and raised himself up and down for a count of 5. He smiled at his son encouragingly. Stopping his son with a raised hand. And pointing to the floor. Tygon sat, grateful for the break and watched his father.

*

Khaadin was as graceful and lethal as the tiger he could become. His movements fast and powerful as he worked through multiple solo drills. Occasionally signalling Tygon to get up and repeat the leg exercise. When Khaadin was finally done. He once again motioned for his son to join him. Gently guiding him through slow paced movements. Like a moving meditation. That finished they bowed to each other. The elder Giges leading the way back to the house.