Two weeks ago:
The week passed in a blur of will readings, codicils and exploring the vast estate.
Arithon was trying to absorb it all...but it wasn't always easy for him, and he finally found himself taking notes during the meetings, usually with doodles in the margin, then studying them afterwards.
Then, usually with his mind still spinning from details, he would go for aimless walks in either the garden (which was pretty large in itself), or if the weather was bad, he would wander the corridors of the mansion itself.
There was one hall, lined with the portraits of the Kerson family over the years, (this Arithon confrimed later), reaching back to the sixteenth century. Apparently, the Kersons had started building their fortune before then, investing here, buying there, and selling later, although there was evidence of a couple of times when fortunes had taken a downturn for a few decades..til some enterprising type brought things full circle.
And so the cycle started again.
Eventually, of course, he found himself staring into the gently laughing eyes of his grandfather, his features like his own, yet unique unto himself, with a mysterious smile. Obviously, this painting had been done before the falling out; the pictures of his grandfather afterwards showed a sadness in his eyes.
Arithon leaned forward, to look for the artist's signature towards the bottom. He stumbled, his hand hitting the plaque with the name "James Kerson"..and fell flat on his face with a startled yowl.
After a moment of seeing starts and planets, Arithon shook his head.."Whoah..." He got to his kneels after a moment, then stood in the sudden gloom of the secret room. "What the?"
Stepping forward, the lights in the room brightened, somewhat, revealing the contents...a small library, filled with books..personal journals, maybe?
*Another thing Dad didn't tell me...that our family liked to write.* Arithon's father had been relentlessly practical at home, not understanding his son's passion for music, for writing lyrics for music, for performing music. *So what gene passed over Dad for me, I wonder?*
One thing grandfather, father and son had in common, they were driven by an inner force, he mused as he looked about the library. At some point, he heard the hidden door slide shut behind him.
After a moment, he realized that he wasn't the only one in the room, and spun about...
"So, lad, you found this on your own?" Connery stood there with an amused look. "Saves me showing you the place..."
"This..this is incredible!" Arithon exclaimed..."All these books...are they diaries?"
Connery nodded as he came over to where Arithon stood. "Pretty much. Took your grandfather years to get all those chronicles in one place. All your ancestors...James was also a historian by hobby. When he had the time..."
Arithon smiled. "I wish I could have known him, he seems like he must have been interesting..and maybe a bit eccentric. " He continued to stroll thru the library..."I really wish Dad had talked about him more," he continued.
"The men in your family tend to have a stubborn streak, Arithon, as you yourself must have noticed, "Connery observed.
"This is true, "Arithon admitted ruefully. "Dad and I..had a falling out over my choice of professions...but I wasn't going to just fade away...I guess I finally wore Dad down about the time the band had it's first hit. After that, he realized that maybe there was a reason why I didn't want to go military..that there were things I could say in music that I couldn't say otherwise."
"This is true, "Connery noted.
"So, what are you doing in here? How did you know about this place? Why would my grandfather keep the family chronicles locked away?" Arithon continued to look around, his eyes finally resting on a small, unassuming display case..."were we pirates? Smugglers?"
Connery laughed. "Never smugglers, but there were a couple of privateers in the family...your family's an adventurous lot, Arithon, and one in every generation or so has the opportunity to start on an epic adventure..."
Arithon looked down at the display case, noticing the various pieces of family jewlery. He chuckled, and turned to Connery. "Epic adventure? Does this involve tossing a ring into a pool of lava? Or perhaps becoming a masked avenger, carving my initial into the clothing of the baddies with my sword?" He mimed a swordfight for a moment, ending it with tracing the letter Z into the air..."Or perhaps fight bugs of an enormous size?" His eyes lit up with mischief now. He wasn't taking it seriously, Connery noticed, but on the other hand, at least Arithon wasn't dismissing the concept entirely.
"Perhaps, it's time to let the old man tell you for yourself..." Connery walked over to the display case, and unlocked it, using an old ornate key. Reaching into it, he pulled out a small velvet box and the small slim DVD player under it. "Was it Tolken who said 'The longest journey starts with a single step'?" he asked Arithon..
"Proverbs, if I am not mistaken..Did Granddad leave me a message?" he asked, suddenly curious a he looked at the DVD player, which seemed to be a bit bulky...obviously one of the earlier ones.
Connery pressed a button on the player..which projected a holoimage, blurry at first, then clearing to show his grandfather, dressed in a business suit.
His grandfather's image smiled as he seemed to regard Arithon over the years.."If you are seeing this, Arithon, it can only mean that something has happened to me," he started in a crisp British accent..."and it will be your turn to decide if you are going to carry on the family legacy. For years, this pendant that you see in that velvet box has been worn by generations of Kerson men..and a few women as well. It was given to the first Arithon..yes, it is a family name...by an old wizard in return for a good deed done by your ancestor, done willingly and without complaint or ballyhoo. This particular Arithon believed in the rules of chivalry and more to the point, the spirit of those rules. In other words, he may have bent one or two in his time, but he didn't break them." The elder Kerson chuckled. "As you may remember, Arithon, your father tends to believe more in the letter of the law more than the spirit. "
The image turned somber after a moment. "The legacy is this...that in taking up this pendant, you are undergoing a great mission, that will last your entire life...you are already doing part of it, if you are going to stay here, and run the philanthropic trust. In that case, if you wish to pass the legacy on to another generation, you will be forgiven. However, you will be passing up the adventure of a lifetime, if you decide to pass this legacy to tne next generation now."
Arithon's eyes now rested on the velvet box.."Good lord, what is he saying?" he said softly...
"In every generation that does take up the pendant, the bearer becomes the protector of those who cannot stand up for themselves, and of the innocent, and will fight for what he or she believes is the right thing. At times, this has put us on the wrong side of the letter of the law, like Robin Hood, or Zorro. He..or she..will be granted strange and wondrous powers and abilities. Each owner of the pendant, though, has different ablities. In my case, mine tend more towards the psionic, although I am also trained in martial arts;each time, the wearer has endeavored to do good, to do the right thing. Should you wish this to be your life's mission, all you have to do is touch the pendant. Either way, it's your choice, your free will. May God bless you in whatever you do, Arithon Kerson." With that, the holoimage stopped, frozen.
Arithon stood there, stunned...."Connery, tell me again...how did my grandfather die?" he asked.
Connery cleared his throat. "Your grandfather, James Kerson, also known as the Mystic Paladin, died in defense of Paragon City during the major Rikti push, as did many other heroes that day...with and without super abilities.."
"I remember hearing about that now. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I was on tour at the time in China. By the time we could book our flights home, the fighting was over...and I had to go home to arrange for Dad's body to be brought back to the UK for burial." Arithon sighed. "I don't like fighting, but if there was some way I could have kept Dad..or Granddad..or anyone else from being harmed by those...bugs, I would have done it..fought them I mean."
Connery picked up the velvet box, passing it to Arithon. "If you need a while to think about it, I understand."
Arithon nodded, holding the box in his hand...it felt powerful to him, as if it was a pandora's box of power, of magic, waiting to be opened. "Thanks. I think I am going to sleep on it..." With that, he walked out, and headed to his quarters to think.
Global is @Mellissandria
I don't have that much art, but I do write stories and I do collect art on
my DA account
Arithon tried to sleep that night, his grandfather's words spinning through his mind as he tried to absorb all he'd learned in that room.
"Epic Adventure? Does this involve dropping a ring into a pool of molten lava? Or perhaps becoming a masked avenger...." he'd asked, joking, never dreaming of what he would be told.
"The legacy is this...that in taking up this pendant, you are undergoing a great mission, that will last your entire life."
His entire life, probably as long as he would live, or until he retired and passed it on to a new generation. This wasn't something he could do as a hobby, he would have to commit himself to it.
*one thing...would I still be able to write? to play music? To follow my muse?* he asked silently into the dark. It seemed inconceivable that he would have to give up his music entirely just to devote himself to..what? Play at being Defender of the World (if not the universe..)
As a boy, when he wasn't playing piano, he was running around the back yard waving a plastic toy sword with friends, fighting for truth, and justice, and freedom....
But this was real. This wasn't a movie, or a play, or a book. This was absolutlyfrigginreal.
*What right do I have to play judge and jury?* he asked into the darkness.
*You..don't, Arithon. You just need to figure out what is right, and what's in your heart.* replied a small voice from deep within him.
*I could die, *he said to himself.
*You could die getting run over by a bus next week. Everyone dies sometimes, hopefully in their own bed, but if that is not to be the case...would you rather die for a cause, or for nothing?*
*Good point. But about my music career-*
*You'll still be able to write, record and perform, you just won't be able to do it to the same extent you used to. And you're going to need a creative outlet for those times when you need to heal and recharge.*
*A secret idenity?*
*You won't be the first one to have one. You might need to go that route to keep from going insane...*
* I think I already am. Here I am, in bed talking to myself, and I'm answering...*
Arithon sat up, turning on the light on the nightstand, clearing his head. Without consciously thinking, he opened the velvet box....and looked upon the aged pendant with the boxy Celtic design. In the center of it was a small amethyst stone.
He wondered about all those who had gone before him. Had they had a similar moment when they had to decide whether they would take on the mantle?
He reached down to touch the pendant, not aware of the choice his subconscious mind had already decided on..
Global is @Mellissandria
I don't have that much art, but I do write stories and I do collect art on
my DA account
OOC notes: You may have, if you've run into the poor hapless Purple Bard in game, figured out that this is his backstory, of sorts. Originally, the pendant was a chestpiece, til someone suggested a piece of jewelry was more portable.
If the name of "Arithon Kerson" sounds familiar to any of who used to reside on Shadowfire server in Star Wars Galaxy, that's probably because the original Arithon was my very first MMO character...a musician who later became a Jedi, but who was always trying to do what was right, even if it meant arguing with his fellow rebels at times..
It's not often I get a chance to reboot a character's story like this. It will be interesting to see where it goes from here. Hopefully, the story doesn't sound forced, I had to stop and start several times over the past few days to deal with real life issues, and also to help my husband with his CoH toons as well.
Thanks for reading, and hoping you like the story...if you are ever on Virtue, come rp with me? I always need new material:P
Global is @Mellissandria
I don't have that much art, but I do write stories and I do collect art on
my DA account
Columbus, Ohio; three weeks ago:
Arithon answered the doorbell, leaning sleepily against the frame. He winced as the late morning sun nearly blinded him.
"Mr. Kerson?" The speaker was dressed in a grey suit that must have run him a good couple of hundred. "Are you...Arithon Kerson?"
Stifling a yawn, he answered.."That's me." Inwardly, he was getting that certain feeling of impeding doom one gets sometimes from someone wearing a couple hundred dollar suit. "May I help you...?"
The suit nodded..."I'm Paul Connery, and I represent the estate of James Kerson..your late grandfather..."
Arithon blinked, now awake..."I...my grandfather? But Dad never spoke to him...They had a falling out before I was born.."
Connery nodded. "I remember that. Your father..and grandfather..didn't see eye to eye on some things."
"Dad would never talk about it. Just that they had a falling out and his dad was wrong and that was that..." Arithon ran a hand thru shaggy dark brown hair. "Dad died a few years ago, right after the Rikti invasion. He was with British Intellegence by then."
"That explains that...We tried to look for your father at first, Mr. Kerson...originally to let him know that his father..your grandfather died during the invasion..protecting his home. As your father did.."
Arithon looked the lawyer in the eyes. "Ironic, that they both died trying to save our world, in their own way. What was my grandfather doing during the fighting?" It was hard for him to envision an old man picking up arms against aliens....
"Helping the..milita...but we can discuss that later..Last night was the last stop on your tour, yes?"
Arithon nodded..."Then we get to rest up before going into the studio again for the next album later this year..."
Connery pulled the ticket folder from inside his suit jacket then. "Then you have no problem with getting on the next flight to Paragon City then..." He pressed the folder into Arithon's hand.
Arithon blinked..."Fast worker, aren't you?"
"That.."said Connery,"is what your grandfather liked about me.. Now get packed, the limo will be here in an hour.."
Paragon City; three weeks ago:
The Kerson estate was several miles away from Paragon City proper in one of the last wooded areas of Rhode Island. How the overabundance of industry in the area had missed this spot was beyond Arithon.
But here it was, a honest to God castle near the coastal area, nestle in the woods. Arithon was impressed.
And behind Arithon, stood Connery. "Welcome home, Mr. Kerson. On behalf of the staff, we hope that you will be happy here..." That had been the main condition of the will; that Arithon live in the castle for a year. There had been some wrangling over touring until Arithon finally agreed on the advice of his bandmates, who had been beyond thrilled over Arithon's good fortune...
*"Ari, you could build that studio you've always wanted for us, man," said Darien, one of his bandmates. "And rent it out the rest of the time."
"And, and..and think of what you could do with the money, man! You're always the one wanting to make a difference in the world...your granddad was a philanthropist? There you go, your way to make a difference!" This was from Roger, the keyboardist.
"Hey, wouldn't be funny if Ari's grandfather was one of those supers from Paragon?" This was from the group's bassist and resident comedian, Jimi.
"Very funny, Jimi.." Arithon muttered at the time.."Like I would have noticed by now if superpowers ran in the family.."*
And now here he was, standing at the door to what was likely to be his new life as a philanthropist. Goodbye highflying life on the road, hello boring board rooms...Arithon sighed. and entered the door.
Global is @Mellissandria
I don't have that much art, but I do write stories and I do collect art on
my DA account