Sunny had thought of many things, of what he could become in the future if he were to accept Vincent's offer. They said that he was scary, so it had to be something special, right? After all, he had to wait for a few days to even have his first session with him, so it had to be, right?[1]
It couldn't be more anticlimactic than that.
[Vincent]:"You need to let the knife do its job."
Because here he was, standing in the kitchen, tasked with cutting a large quantity of meat. Sunless was half focused, half dumbfounded, and entirely judging the cook. How could dealing with something he had never touched before joining them possibly help him become stronger?
The worst part was that he had told Sunless that they might have to take all day for their first training together. It was no different from asking someone to dress themselves well, only to take them to catch rats on the Outskirts… Sunless was about to swear that if all he was doing today was cooking, someone would have to see Jeanne, and it wouldn't be him for once.
But then he remembered something.
Hadn't Plume said that he wasn't a fighter?
[Vincent]"What? Just 'cause I ain't givin' you a sword doesn't mean that it won't help ya."
[Sunless]:"Learning how to cut some meat will save my life? Are you sure about that ?"
[Vincent]:"A strong man will still die on an empty stomach."
[Sunless]:"… "
[Vincent]:"Not everythin' comes pre-cooked or in some fancy packagin'. When you're with Rain, who's gonna take care of the food?"
[Sunless]:"Okay okay, I got it… "
[Vincent]:"So keep cuttin' already."
…
Yeah, he really hates this guy. But still, he was going through with his request, working on this portion of meat in silence. But he didn't want it to be too large, no… The finer, the better.
Did they coordinate this or something?
First Nephis who want him to train on her hair, now Vincent wants him to help to prepare the dinner ?
Not wanting to mess up because it would impact someone else, what a di-...coward move, really.
Still isn't it too much meat for everyone ?
It's been half an hour and Vincent kept giving him more and more.
The movement started to get mechanical, and thanks to that, Sunny was able to allow himself to think of something else. It wasn't as easy as he would like to admit but at least time would move faster.
Letting his mind wander freely, without shame or restraint, the first thing he landed on was the girl.
She was an enigma.
Having a weird dynamic with her didn't truly help either.
She was the worst sometimes, truly. But even if it pains him to admit it, at other times… She was caring and patient toward him.
Even if everyone else had a hidden agenda behind every choice made, at the end of the day, their actions showed that they at least wanted him to be happy.
Even… that matriarch, whom he didn't believe a word of, had helped him.
Through manipulation and lies, which he did not forget nor forgive.
But the fact remained: she had saved him because of it. He was overwhelmed with dread thinking about her but his life would have been wasted without her.
Nephis on the other hand, didn't hesitate for a second to show her disdain toward him. Only to act like the opposite right after. With only one clue, that she just wanted to do so.
Still, their interaction a few days ago was the first one they had that was… normal.
No mention of sword, posture, and attitude.
No trash talking.
To be honest, Sunny started to wish that they had that kind of interaction more often.
They made him forget how weird the world was. Forget that they had to train to survive instead of… having a normal childhood. Because what Plume said was true.
They shouldn't have to even think about training just to not be killed.
He knew that it was true because he had that very thought about Rain.
He didn't want her to fight. To be in danger, to know hunger and have darkness as her only friend.
What he truly wanted for her was to be loved by him, to have friends, problems like not having the nice dress to pair with her hairpin.
Was this "moment" he spent with Nephis what their daily lives would have been like if circumstances had been more favorable?
[Vincent]:"Hey hey, kiddo, that's enough."
Snapping out of his thoughts, Sunny glanced at Vincent before turning toward his workbench.
It was filled with thin slices of meat, with a small pile of them stacked on the edge.
Maybe he had overdone it…
[Vincent]:"That should do fer a week or two…"
What ?
[Sunless]:"It was not for today's dinner ?"
[Vincent]:"Ain't ya outta your damn mind? Ashe would skin me alive if I pulled that. That stuff's for your next trainin'."
[Sunless]:"Vincent… I swear… Can't you please speak normally, because if I have to hear your accent for an entire day, I will lose my mind."
The cook seemed a bit disappointed, crossing his arms while observing the boy from top to bottom. But a little smirk came to be.
[Vincent]: "You got guts talkin' like that to the guy who might just shove you off a cliff… Tell you what — I'll try not to make it unbearable. But the second I hear you whine? I'm done."
[Sunless]:"Deal!"
He could shut his mouth for as long as Vincent wanted if it meant keeping him from destroying his capacity to comprehend anything he said.
With that out of the way, the details that he didn't consider before came to him.
[Sunless]:"Isn't it a bit too expensive to use all that meat just for my training? "
[Vincent]:"You're goddamn r-… It is but it will be worth it. Now put all that into the container and follow me."
It was clearly better for Sunny to finally hear a normally spoken sentence. Even if the cook looked troubled by the sound of his own voice, he probably had other fish to fry.
Sunny, from his part, was more intrigued than anything else.
Not that he didn't have an idea of what would come next. After all, what could they do with all this ? Either cook it or use it to trap something… In any case, they had to move somewhere else that was not the kitchen, which left only one possible option.
'Now that I'm thinking of it… Only go out when it concerns training.'
In that respect, he was no different from Nephis: all he did was work, work, and work some more. Training with the sword, learning from Plume…
'Plume…she… It didn't matter.'
It's been almost two…no, three weeks since their last lesson, which had ended on a bittersweet note with an extra near-death experience on the side.
No, it was also their last exchange they had since then.
The same goes for the matriarch.
He had only talked to Nephis by his own free will.
It was weirdly unpleasant now that he had noticed it, as if a part of him were unsatisfied with this.
While the rest of him wanted to try again.
But he will not do such a thing. Trust was something that people had to build and it would be too easy for them if he just kept being compliant with their little mind game. They had to be stuck just like he was, a tit-for-tat strategy but a strategy nonetheless.
He had shown them that he could be trusted, now it was their turn.
It was not because it was done with a smiling face that a stab wound would be painless.
They didn't lie to him directly, they chose to hide the truth and until they showed him what they had been hiding all along, Sunless was just unable to make the first step. Why should he be the one to do it after all? He had done nothing wrong, they were at fault.
They had to show him an example to follow, right? Since they were all knowing enough to choose his life for him.
They acted like they wanted him to be one of them, only to wait for the best moment to push him away.
For his sake ?
That would've made him laugh.
'A boy who doesn't know what he wants…'
He could swear that it would be something that the matriarch would have said.
But truly, what did he want? To have? To do?
[Vincent]:"Stop daydreamin' already."
Turning his head, the view had changed. They had left the Palace some time ago, replacing the marble walls with countless trees.Still, the vegetation was not the densest from what he could see when they arrived.
The proof of that statement ?
For starters, he was able to see what he stood on.
Getting closer to Vincent, the grumpy man told him to stop.
[Vincent]:"Did you know how to start a fire? And when I say start, I mean from scratch. So if you dare say with a lighter, I'll break those stick-lookin' arms of yours."
Not that he wanted to say it, but now that the cook had mentioned it…
No, he had to focus, because it was a good question.
[Sunless]:"I know that… you need to use something dry but apart from that, I have no clue."
[Vincent]:"Hum, still better than nothin' I guess."
Vincent was already moving again, picking up dead leaves and twigs before stacking them in one place. Sunny was looking at him, not sure if he had to help him or just observe. After all, what he was still holding was destined to be his 'next exercise'. Not like he was going to just put the container on the ground like that.
Right ?
No, the best thing was for him to keep his distance, trying to understand the logic and the meaning behind every choice Vincent was making in silence.
In one minute, a little mass was already growing.
Surrounding it was a circle of stone.
[Vincent]:"Tell me Sunless, for you… What is the origin of fire ?"
What was this question ?
If Sunny didn't know better, he could have thought that the cook was getting philosophical all of a sudden. The origin of fire ? What could be the cause of the fire…?
He didn't know though if Vincent was asking him a genuine question or if he was just mocking him.
So… Sunny had to do something else
[Sunless]:"I guess you're going to tell me?"
Betting on the fact that Vincent was here to teach him.
Simple but effective.
With a slight chuckle, the cook stood up from his 'creation'. Stretching one of his arms as shining white sparks began to form an object out of nothing. They disappeared as quickly as they had appeared, leaving behind them… A metal rod ?
Raising that thing up in the air slowly, Vincent gave Sunny a little smirk.
[Vincent]:"It's energy."
FFFFFF
The arm was already falling, swinging the rod in one swift motion.
BING
The metal rod struck one of the stones, and in that instant, the tip of it turned bright red. Only to embrace the pile of combustibles that Vincent had accumulated before.
From nothing, an ember appeared. And from that ember, fire was born.
[Vincent]:"You're a bit too young so I'll make it simple. There are different types of energy, but we'll focus on only two of them for now. Kinetic and thermal. Movement and heat. The more movement there is, the more heat is produced. With enough heat, you can dry, burn, and melt things. Of course, I used a memory to make it quick since we are short on time."
Sunny couldn't believe it…
For a second, while looking at Vincent…
He had thought that he was cool.
'So why did he have to be a constant pain in the a-'
[Sunless]:"Wait… Is that why we had to move when we were getting cold ?"
[Vincent]:"Smart kid ain't ya ? Not completely but same principle. But now, I have another question for you."
Before, Sunny was doubtful of Vincent's capability to teach him anything. Now ? He had all his attention. Knowledge meant a lower chance of dying, the cook had claimed to be the hardest to kill. And since it seemed like he had the same mentality as him, that would make Vincent the most knowledgeable.
At least in terms of survival. If he didn't count his cooking skill…well, the cook was despicable as a human being.
'Focus. Another question is coming.'
[Vincent]:"What causes things to spoil? Or starting to rot ?"
Oh, that one. He knew it all too well.
He had experienced it firsthand in the sewer.
[Sunless]:"Humidity ?"
[Vincent]:"Correct. So what can we do to prevent things from rotting?"
Realization.
Gods, Sunny was starting to like those lessons…
He may be damned, but he was having fun right now. To learn useful things, to know that he had that knowledge… It felt good.
All he needed now were the right words to come up with an appropriate response.
[Sunless]:"We need to remove all the moisture from the food !"
[Vincent]:"First lesson: how to dry your meat."
After that, things went smoothly.
That man was showing him all sorts of things. From how to build his fireplace and maintain it to what would happen if he didn't follow the right steps. Which mistake could make the meat inedible, but every time he had to show something he had an explanation. If not, he had an anecdote to give as an example.
[Vincent]:"Now I'm showing you things from this world. But if one day you have to eat Nightmare creatures, know that they might look similar but could be entirely different to cook at the same time. So before you try to eat anything in the Dream Realm, try to learn as much as you can. What they eat, how they hunt, etc."
The thought of eating a Nightmare creature was awful, but it was far less frightening than experiencing true hunger once more.
[Sunless]:"Can you explain to me once more why I can't really dry something like chicken ?"
[Vincent]:"You can, but if you're in the wild, it would take more time and risk than if it was something like beef. The outside could be dry while still wet on the inside, or simply because there's a much higher chance of getting sick afterward because drying the meat didn't remove the harmful bacteria."
[Sunless]:"Red meat and white meat…"
[Vincent]:"Exactly, I knew you had it in ya. That's also why we need to cook our meals, because with enough heat you can sterilize almost anything. Which means no bacteria, parasites or infection. For example, if you need to stitch up a wound, you can take a needle, heat it up with a lighter and you'll be good to go."
But to be honest, it's not like he would have access to that kind of food if he were to leave the Immortal Clan after finding Rain back. But knowledge is knowledge, and learning medical things could be life-saving. For him, Rain or anyone.
After all, the simple fact that he was here was enough for Sunless to learn to expect that something impossible might always happen.
[Vincent]:"Do you remember what I did with the meat before I asked you to cut it ?"
[Sunless]:"I remember but I can't say that I understand it."
[Vincent]:"I took out all the fat. To be dry, you want nothing but the meat. But I didn't throw it away. Because the fat can be used to flavor things or… like I will show you later: Prepare something greater."
[Sunless]:"Something greater ?"
Yes, he was asking for Vincent to speak…
No, he wouldn't believe it himself.
And no, he couldn't care less.
[Vincent]:"Yup. Did ya know ? Once upon a time, even before the Dark Age, people had to find a way to preserve their food and still make it as nutritious as possible. Solutions were found, but one group of people had one of the best answers to that problem. They dried their meat but still used the fat to cover it. It was used to prevent any air or moisture from reaching it. The denser, firmer, and purer the fat, the better suited it was for long-term preservation. From a few weeks to a few years."
[Sunless]:"A few years !?"
It was challenging to believe that they could simply take a beast, kill it, cut it up, and still eat it years later. Or at least, from what Vincent was trying to say, it was before they even had anything useful to keep their food safe and edible over time.
So that was the reason behind his huge quantity of meat he had to cut before…
His training had multiple steps…
They were seated around the tripod that Vincent had built for the meat, waiting as the fire and smoke were doing their job.
[Vincent]:"Okay, so I told ya about the smoke and the salt. Of why, what and how you can dry your meat. I also told ya that it can be used on fruit in some ways and with experience. So I think we can go to the next step."
[Sunless]:"What next step ? The meat isn't dry yet, right ?"
[Vincent]:"It is not, we still have about five hours at least. But it will not be five hours of just sittin' and waitin' right ? You know how to dry things so no need to waste more time on it for now. Follow me, I'll show you how to choose your combustibles for your fire."
Without missing a beat, the half-concerned cook was already moving toward another area. Not too far from the fire though since he wanted to keep an eye on it.
Another set of white sparkles came.
Only to leave seconds later.
In their wake was left a regular-looking axe. Well, not something majestic or oppressive at least compared to what he had seen in some window display in the city.
Carried by his own momentum, Vincent was already chopping down a tree in a single strike. Which wouldn't be shocking if that tree weren't as long as Sunless' torso in diameter.
That tree was about what…? Five meters tall but its fall still felt like it was in slow motion.
[Vincent]:"Water means life. If it's alive, there's usually water in it. And water and fire don't tend to go well together. So taking branches or pieces from a living tree would only make for a bad fire. One that will take too much time and effort to stabilize…But there's some use for it. Try to burn some wet piece of wood and you'll see the smoke from miles away without any trouble."
[Sunless]:"What's a mile ?"
[Vincent]:"Freedome's unit of measurement."
[Sunless]:"..."
[Vincent]:"Still can't take a joke, ain't you ? It was a unit used for distance but since the two sole countries using it had been destroyed…well. I don't think people from your generation would know about it, even if they're Legacies."
Normally, he would already be bragging about it. But this time, Sunless was a bit more reserved, as if all this session with Vincent had brought something out in him that he didn't know how to process or handle.
But the cook was someone who liked poking his nose into things that weren't his business and so…With a piece of that tree he just murdered in hand, Vincent had to ask:
[Vincent]:"What's in your mind? You had that same look while leaving the kitchen. And don't you dare give me that bullshit about "nothing" or "none of your business". If I have to teach you, I need to understand how that little head of yours works. And if you're not happy with that, cry me a river and talk already."
What's with his passive-aggressive behavior?
And still, it almost got a smile on the child's face.
Almost.
[Sunless]:"It's just that… I don't know what I'll do when I'm reunited with Rain. Like…after. Nephis seems to already have her goals, from the looks of it, but what about me? Because Rain will grow up and she will leave me to have a better life, but even if I want to support her after that, I still need to have a life by myself. Mom and Dad wouldn't want me to end up the same way they did. And I'm just realizing how little I know, it's…overwhelming."
[Vincent]:"..."
For once, the cook was left without a word to say. Mockery and harshness have no place in that situation. The fact that Sunless was able to put words to his feelings was already something that deserved its share of respect by itself.
A young boy searching for wisdom to the old fool.
Only that his question was without any good response, after all how could someone discuss the future while being unsure that tomorrow was closer to them than their own end?
A good lie is one that is mixed with truth. But Sunless deserved no lie, not today, not for that. So the axe was dropped and arms were crossed. Silence ruling over them as a mad king destined to be killed. Finger scratching his chin as words were chosen.
The king is dead, long live the king.
[Vincent]:"You shouldn't compare yourself to Nephis. Or to anyone else, at least regarding this topic. Because you haven't lived her life, and she hasn't lived yours. What you'll become depends on you and you only."
[Sunless]:"What I'll beco- but all I wanted was to be with my sister. If my wish were all that mattered, I wouldn't be here to begin with."
[Vincent]:"And if it depended only on others' wishes, you'd already be dead"
Frustration growing, the tone started to brew with bitterness.
[Sunless]:"Okay, but what about my parents' wishes? What should I do about them? I can't just ignore them."
[Vincent]:"You can't let the dead tell you how to live, kid."
To the bitterness was added a little bit of anger.
[Sunless]:"Oh\~ And what about the living, then? Huh? Since almost everyone wants something for me, you tell me that I should listen to them?
The tension was one-sided.
Because the grumpy man was calm, knowing that in front of him was just a kid. One that was lost for far too long to have faith in the light at the end of the tunnel.
[Vincent]:"Listen, you're not forced to follow them. The doc, the marshmallow, and the old hag want you to be safe and happy. But you know what I want for you kid? I won't wish for you a happy-go-lucky life, one without problems because we both know that won't happen."
Sunless was about to say something but Vi…his mentor only had to lift a single finger for him to understand that he had to wait for him to finish.
[Vincent]:"I won't wish for you to be healthy or anything like that, no. I wish for you to be as spiteful as you can get."
[Sunless]:"Huh?"
[Vincent]:"I want you to be so stubborn and full of rage that you won't even think about turning back. I want you to be so hard to deal with that people, even Legacies, wouldn't dare mess with you. To reject honor, loyalty and fairness because in a fight, you'll have to put dirt and blood on your hands."
Sunless was stunned, because after all… If he wanted him to reject loyalty, wouldn't that mean that he wanted him to reject all possible attachment? And what about Vincent himself, was he like this too? Then how can someone trust him?
And still, the cook wasn't done with him
[Vincent]:"I want you to be able to do what you want, not because you're lucky, but because you'll be so good that no one would even dare try to stand in your way. I don't want you to choose a purpose just because we saved you. To hell with that, saving a life doesn't make you its owner. If you chose to go against us, it would be our fault to begin with. Our choice to save you, our mistake for not helping you see our side correctly."
All anger was lost. All fear was lost. Because here and now, there was only some piece of truth that no one would dare to share or assume.
[Vincent]:"See ? Fairness is a weakness. Hit below the belt, use drugs and poison. Lie, blackmail or kidnap if you need to. Because those at the top … They'd sell your own skin while you're still breathing. People don't respect strength, they respect the fear that comes with it. So what I wish for you is quite simple… I want you to be the monster that you tried not to be. And don't be fooled by our kindness, because everyone in here could and would rip a face off without hesitation if needed."
The truest advice he could have gotten.
Sunless felt so small and weirdly enough, he wasn't afraid. Because he was shown something, that same thing his mind needed to understand things. A single and purest truth he held dear until now.
People are monsters.
They always have been and always will be.
But it was something his mother had tried to hide from him, hiding it by simply telling him that he needed to be better. But now, he was shown that sometimes, people needed to be worse than their enemies to overcome the conflict, the fear…the pain.
[Vincent]:"And I know that you can do it too, you just need a little push to make you understand that it isn't bad if it means being true to your beliefs and goals."
The poor kid couldn't even say anything, time was needed to put things into place, and Vincent had maybe gone over the top with his explanation. Not that he regretted it, but he had noticed that Sunless was far too naïve for his own good despite his past experience. The faster he got to clear that out of the way, the easier it would be for him as he grew up.
Still, his message was maybe a bit too messy…
Coming closer to the child, he had to bend the knee to be at his height
[Vincent]:"Listen, life is hard… I mean it. You'll have to face some weird things that not even we could have prepared you for. But the funny thing about life is that… if you keep pushing, you'll make it through. Eventually. You surely won't end up where you wanted to be, but… don't worry about it. Just don't forget that it's okay to fail, but it's not okay to never try at all."
Sunless could only nod in silence, letting Vincent grin as a little tap was made on the kid's shoulder.
[Vincent]:"Want some waffles?"
He didn't even wait for his answer, Vincent was already pushing Sunny toward the manor. They had done enough in one day. Time was running out, but sometimes…taking a break is all that's needed.
[1] So... at first I wanted to remove some grammatical errors. Which resulted in the addition of 2k words