Chapter 49: Doubts
Arbus strode through the forest with his bow in hand and his quiver strapped to his back.
He stared unfocused into the distance, his expression unreadable.
'Well, this is a good thing, right? She's stronger, faster, and far more capable of defending herself,' he thought with a nod.
'...sure she's also capable of doing far more damage than she would have been able to before, but that's alright too. The same goes for Renegades with heart shards. All she has to do is use that power for good.' he said, arguing with his doubts.
Then suddenly, another thought crept into his mind.
'....But what if she doesn't?'
His eyes narrowed as he stopped in his tracks.
'What if she turns out like the other Reincarnators granddad usually talked about? What if she's not like Dad at all, like I originally thought? What if she changed one day, when they were on their mission for peace, and decided to go side with the Reincarnators?'
'Would the lives affected by her decisions be her fault... or mine?'
He thought, as he kept on staring into the distance for several moments.
Then he sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Damn it, why does everything have to be so complicated?" he muttered as he continued forward.
Suddenly he heard a rustle in the bushes as his mind cleared almost immediately, his full focus returning in an instant.
He leapt into a nearby tree, stringing an arrow to his bow and taking aim.
Several seconds passed in tense silence.
Then two adult Tarokians suddenly emerged from behind a patch of bushes. One of them seemed to be carrying a massive bear-like creature with two heads over his shoulder.
Arbus's eyes widened in surprise as a wide smile appeared on his face.
"Uncle Tino! Uncle Kyun!" he shouted down, lowering his bow.
The two Tarokians who had been warily scanning the area for the sound they'd heard earlier looked up instantly.
An expression of horror flashed across their faces for a split second as they took a step back.
Arbus's expression fell slightly at the sight of that.
Then recognition seemed to dawn on them as their eyes suddenly widened.
"A-Arbus? Is that you, little pup!" Tino shouted first, a smile spreading across his features as he dropped the Taaer to the ground.
"By the emperor! it's been ages since we last saw you, how've you been?" Kyun added, just as elated.
"By the emperor! It's been ages since we last saw you. How have you been little pup?" Kyun added, just as elated.
Arbus remained silent for several moments, then smiled faintly. He already knew they were likely just shocked by his appearance. After all, they'd never seen him without his bracelet before. Even so, it still hurt quite a bit to see two Tarokians he considered family react that way.
"I'm fine, mostly. I've been living on my own for over a year now in my treehouse" he said as he jumped down from the tree, placing the arrow back in his quiver.
Tino's expression turned somber.
"Yes, we know about that. I'm sorry we haven't come around to visit much. It's just that the circumstances have been a bit..."
Arbus shook his head.
"It's alright, Uncle Tino. I understand. I know you two must have probably suffered a lot as well at the hands of the village, considering how close you were to my dad."
Tino and Kyun were his mom's childhood friends. They'd been raised alongside her due to their parents working closely with the Tarokian chief. Which was why they'd agreed to move to this small village with Angel when she was given the task to learn how to balance leadership with her job as a Renegade.
Eventually, they'd also grown especially close with Joren after Angel suddenly returned from a mission with him, and bonded their lives together shortly after, despite her father's initial disapproval.
At first, it had started as a way to test him, seeing if he was actually good enough for their princess. But as time went on, Joren had managed to work his way into their hearts.
Naturally, their affection had also extended to their son, Arbus.
They'd often visited the treehouse before everything changed.
When the truth about Joren was revealed, they'd been beyond shocked. They had felt betrayed by both Joren and their best friend Angel, who had brought a human danger to their planet.
Arbus was sure that their feelings towards him had been quite complicated, which was why they had decided not to visit him. He was also sure they were being mistreated back in the village, due to their friendship with Joren.
Tino blinked, then laughed boisterously.
"Don't tell me you've been thinking about that? It's fine, really. Hardship is only beneficial to us Tarokians, as you know. Honestly, It helped us become more innovative in various ways."
His expression suddenly turned somber.
"That's not the reason we didn't come to see you."
Kyun sighed then continued for him, a bit hesitant.
"We had been ordered to stay away from you... by the chief. Your grandfather."
Arbus's eyes widened.
He turned his gaze to the ground, his expression darkening.
"I... see."
Tino shook his head as he walked up to place a hand on Arbus's shoulder.
"Unfortunately, we could not defy the law of our chief. If not for that, we wouldn't have simply let you remain on your own."
Kyun nodded with a sigh.
"Yeah, none of this is your fault. It's all because of that accursed Joren. You're simply a victim of our princess's bad decisions."
Arbus's eyes suddenly narrowed as a frown appeared across his features.
He gritted his teeth slightly.
"Please don't say those things about my parents. I know I don't have the right to ask you that, but... please." he said, his voice trembling slightly.
Tino stared at Arbus with an expression of pity.
"It's alright, Arbus. He didn't mean it. Isn't that right, Kyun?" Tino shot Kyun an annoyed look.
"Ah—yes, I didn't mean that. I'm sorry I said it. Sometimes my words get away from me," Kyun stammered apologetically.
Arbus blinked, trying his best to control his emotions.
"It's alright, you guys probably have somewhere to be. That Taaer will probably start rotting soon if it's not preserved." He said, stepping back.
Tino stared at him for several moments, then sighed.
"You're right. We should probably get going."
A warm smile crept onto his face.
"Still, it was really nice to see you after all this time. I hope we have more 'chance' encounters like this from now on" he said with a wink.
Arbus smiled slightly.
"So do I, Uncle Tino. Uncle Kyun."
Tino patted Arbus on the head before heading over to the body of the Taaer and picking it up again.
"Till next time then, little pup," Kyun said with a smile before they strolled away.
Arbus stood still for several moments before sighing.
He decided to focus on his hunt and nothing else.
He arrived at his favourite hunting spot a few minutes later as he went behind his usual hunting area to squat patiently.
Suddenly, he noticed a leg coming straight for his face at insane speeds. He threw up his hands to block it a second later.
THUD!!
In the next instant, he was sent flying into a tree, the force almost snapping it in half.
He felt his consciousness fading gradually as he looked up to see three familiar faces: Dorian, Beck, and Grug.
"So, Arbus, it's been a couple of months. Did you enjoy your vacation like I told you to? Because it just came to an end."