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“Your move.”
Nestled in a wooden chair, the old tigerkin, dressed in loose-fitting shirt and breeches, sat across from his child in their dining room, an ebony chess board adorned the table between them, marked by the state of their current match. The younger of them had begun another of his coughing fits. Edmund Azurium, having just witnessed his tenth summer, had never possessed the strength to venture too far from his family home. The hazel-eyed youth, with his shock of blond hair, would gasp for breath after prolonged exertion. His bone-thin form and comparatively thin fur were testaments enough to that cold, hard truth.
This was their routine, whenever the good Captain Azurium had time to come home between his long hours on the city guard. He always made a point to play with his boy, chess quickly becoming their favorite pass time. While his father made sure to bring home books and other knick-knacks to occupy Edmund, this time with the man he so deeply admired was more precious than anything.
A coughing fit like this ordinarily would wipe the smile from Azurium’s face. They both knew this happened every time Edmund tried to push himself too far, and they both knew no amount of council would stop the young man from trying, despite himself. Knowing that he could do nothing to ease his child’s burden was enough to drive the old tiger to despair on any other day.
But today was the dawn of a new chapter in their lives. Thanks to their new benefactor, things were about to change.
“Ed, I have something I wanted to give you: A new tea to try.”
As the coughing fit subsides, Edmund clings to the table, hands gripping the sides tightly until he can steady himself, beads of sweat starting to make themselves plain. Once settled, he looks up at his idol, faults and all.
“Will it be as nasty as the last one?” Thinking about the last several brews his father brought home with him, the young man couldn’t help but stick his tongue out in disgust, barely tasting any better than cough syrup.
“With luck, not only will it taste great, but this’ll be the last time you ever make that face.” The vial in his hand contained an azure liquid, emitting a soft glow. Pouring it into a teacup for his most precious treasure, he placed it on the table they had been using to play. Edmund, too used to serving after serving of his old man’s teas, gulped it down as fast as he could in the hopes of avoiding any unpleasant aftertaste.
“How was it, Ed?”
“Tasted kinda like blueberry water. Anyway, I think it was my turn.” Turning his eyes back to the board, he pondered before moving his final piece. “Checkmate.” Looking down, Azurium verified that he has lost, happy to see that young Edmund had been showing remarkable improvements each time they played together.
“You beat me again, faster this time. Good job, Ed.” He gently pat the young cub’s head, rustling his hair. “But as much as I’d love to celebrate, it’s getting late, and we both need our rest.”
“Okay, dad.” Edmund wasn’t tired, but knowing that his father was in for another early morning patrol, felt no need to argue the point. Wasting no time, the two of them moved to the second floor of their small townhouse, where the good captain hugged his son before turning him in for the night, shutting the bedroom door behind him.
“Did you give him the vial as I instructed?” In the back room of his store, The Fox’s Formula, Volpes met with Captain Azurium, as they had agreed. Though the fox kept brewing potions at his workstation, he offered for his guest to take a seat. Azurium could not bring himself to take the fox up on his offer.
“Aye. And he drank every last drop. How long do we need to wait?” Tossing the vial onto the ground, the guard captain was twitchy, heart beating out of his chest and eyes darting every which way, reeking of nervous sweat. As a guardsman, he was not averse to taking bribes to make ends meet, it was something of an open secret among the force. And yet, this was a bridge farther than he was used to, and it was clearly beginning to affect him.
“Patience, my dear captain. Unlike the other frauds you’ve bought medicine from, I know what I’m doing. The boy is still young, and so I modified the dose accordingly. You’ll start to see his general health improve in the coming weeks. As he matures to adulthood, he’ll begin to fill out as I promised he would. To all the world, it will look like a particularly powerful puberty.” The vulpine silently mused to himself, unsurprised at the skepticism. It was only natural, he surmised, that if the great Theorum Magistrum couldn’t understand his vision, that a lowly guardsman would likewise fail in a similar matter. All the same, knowing this didn’t make such questions any less tedious.
“You’d better not be lying, Volpes!”
“And when you finally realize I’ve been nothing but honest, you had best be prepared to live up to your end of our bargain.” The fox had finished restocking his inventory of elixirs, turning his chair to face the captain with a smug, self-assured poise. That telltale grin marked his features just as assuredly as it did the day they met.
Azurium opened his mouth to issue a retort, but the words would not come. Just like before, he could only hold his head down. Rising off his seat and to his full height, the towering Volpes placed a firm, but gentle hand on the captain’s shoulder.
“Now, now. There’s no need for that. I am already preparing for the second half of our deal. Spend time with your son, confirm for yourself what I already know, then return here in a month’s time. We can begin in earnest.”
The apprehension that had taken root in his heart had ebbed as the days and weeks flew by. Edmund’s changes were subtle but the doting father knew his son well enough to spot them. Since drinking that “tea”, the coughing fits had practically ceased. Though the cub still had not the strength to endure long-lasting physical activity, he no longer found himself gasping for air the way he once did.
Though Edmund himself never noticed, his fur had gradually begun to thicken, normalizing itself in accordance to typical tigerkin youth. The thinness that had characterized his youth was still present, but the captain couldn’t help but notice that his offspring had begun to grow, more than to be expected of someone his age.
As much as he despised that damnable fox and his smug attitude, even he had to admit that he was true to his word. And if this is what it took to ensure his son would live a long and happy life, he would be more than happy to pay any price.
Such is how he would justify it to himself.
“Well, how is the boy?” The fox didn’t need to ask. He knew the quality of his work. Nonetheless, the captain would want to discuss the topic. In the month since their last meeting, Volpes had arranged to have a sitting area set up in his backroom, to more comfortably facilitate such meetings. Having just closed shop for the night, they had the place to themselves, seated across from each other.
For his part, Azurium was a far cry from the man who had stumbled and shook his way into his store over two fortnights ago. Though his heart was still strumming fast, the nervousness had left him. He sat comfortable, legs and arms crossed, sitting straight, but what struck the titan most were the man’s eyes. They were starring not at him, but at the vial situated on the table between them.
Volpes could barely contain his exuberance, knowing what was about to transpire.
“He’s improving bit by bit, day by day. Your elixir was everything you said it would be.” Intoning the words, Azurium couldn’t stop himself from smiling.
“Of course, that was just one part of our deal, and I’m ready to follow through with part two. Drink this, and my end will be complete. I trust you’ll have no issue holding up your half of the agreement, my man on the inside.”
A captain of the guard is supposed to be loyal to their precinct and guardsmen above all else, but Azurium all too well knew that everyone had a price. Beyond the plight of young Edmund, his was more than material wealth could provide. His beloved wife, who died having given birth, was no longer a factor. Though he cared deeply about his boy, not even Edmund had pushed him over the edge, loathe as he’d ever be to admit it, not even to himself.
Having sired a child late into his life, he began to feel it… the creaking of bones. The subtle yet noticeable lethargy that had begun to creep into his movements and swordplay. The slight sag in his skin and thinning of his fur. All the training in the world could only hold back the ravages of age for so long. As athletic as he remained even then, that day…. The day he had been so easily routed by a single alchemist, merely confirmed what he long suspected. He was far past his prime, and there was no going back…
...until now. Even now, Azurium would say he’s doing it all for his son and genuinely believe his words. Whether he knew or not, Volpes had allowed him to banish that nagging doubt by giving his son the gift of good health. Taking the potion in hand, moving the vial to his lips, he told himself that betraying the guard, joining forces with the same alchemist who humbled him, was all to ensure Edmund’s future.
However, greedily guzzling the contents of the bottle, the deepest recesses of his soul knew otherwise. After years of caring for his son, Captain Azurium made the first truly selfish choice he had allowed himself in a very long time.
Setting down the now emptied container, he felt a warmth overtake his body. Realizing almost too late that he had made an error in judgment, the captain quickly began to unbuckle the belt holding the faults of his armor in place, his form already starting to expand as they fell to the ground.
Removing the gauntlets of his uniform, the next easiest thing to do before his arms began to grow any bigger, Azurium, still sitting in his seat, then moved to take off the sheathe of his sword hanging on his back. He could already feel both the strap and the breastplate underneath grow tighter, and time was not on his side. Before the discomfort could get any worse, the tigerkin summoned his claws, ripping the holster clean off of himself before undoing his breastplate. Though cracks had begun to form down the center, he had managed to save the piece before it was completely unsalvagable.
Even before he could look at himself, and what he was becoming, he could feel the youth and vitality of begone days return to his body tenfold. That nagging tiredness had gone; He could feel his mind wake up, fresh and alert without the adrenaline crash that he long associated with the state.
Though Azurium had always trained to keep the athletic physique his career demanded, despite the erosion of his body, nothing could compare to how he looked now. His chest exposed, shedding his armor as a butterfly their chrysalis, he marveled at himself. Taller, broader, he filled out in a way he never thought he would ever be able to. Wrinkles on his form completely gone, voluminous fur returning, it would be no small exaggeration to say that the old man was gone, replaced with a god… a Titan.
Volpes no longer bothered to hide his smile, for at last he had exactly what he wanted. Still admiring himself, feeling the weight and heft of his new musculature, rolling his shoulders and arms to confirm his range of motion was better than it was even in his youth, the “captain” spoke up at last.
“I feel like a new man. And to think, when he grows up Edmund will know what this feels like too.”
“Indeed, but don’t forget your role. You will be responsible for two very important tasks.”
“First, reintegrate the new me into the guard precinct, and convince as many others as I can to join your cause. And second…”
“...train all of our future recruits on how to fight and defend themselves. Not all of us have experience on the frontlines like you do. And you’ll start with me.”
“You… want me to train you, Master Volpes?” Master… that was the right term. Nothing else would do for the man who gave him everything he ever wanted.
“Yes. I may have beaten the old you, but that was through brute strength and speed alone. I don’t know how to fight, and that’s a flaw I need to address.”
“If that’s what you want, don’t expect me to go easy on you.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it. We’ll start soon but until then…” He produces an eye patch from the pouch always at his side. “...wear this over your left eye.” Producing a mirror, Volpes shows his newly minted minion the side effect of his transformation. His once hazel left eye began to glow an eerie green. Even explaining away the other changes, this was something his “co-workers” wouldn’t be able to ignore.
It had been weeks since he had been home. When he wasn’t on patrol or helping his Master learn how to fight, the good Captain Azurium had taken to inviting his co-workers out for drinks, celebrating his new fortune.
Though everyone observed the change, as he ceased to wear a full set of armor, Azurium would simply say that he was on a new training regime, offering to take the greener guardsman under his wing. When they did, the results spoke for themselves, even before they began to recommend his “methods” to the others at the precinct.
Sadly, that proved little solace for a certain, growing young man. He waited in his home, chessboard set out and pieces arranged, but no one ever came to challenge him to a match.
Thanks to
LittleBadWolf for this incredible YCH.
Please favorite the artist's submission: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/44647892/
Art by LittleBadWolf
Captain Azurium and Story belong to me.
Nestled in a wooden chair, the old tigerkin, dressed in loose-fitting shirt and breeches, sat across from his child in their dining room, an ebony chess board adorned the table between them, marked by the state of their current match. The younger of them had begun another of his coughing fits. Edmund Azurium, having just witnessed his tenth summer, had never possessed the strength to venture too far from his family home. The hazel-eyed youth, with his shock of blond hair, would gasp for breath after prolonged exertion. His bone-thin form and comparatively thin fur were testaments enough to that cold, hard truth.
This was their routine, whenever the good Captain Azurium had time to come home between his long hours on the city guard. He always made a point to play with his boy, chess quickly becoming their favorite pass time. While his father made sure to bring home books and other knick-knacks to occupy Edmund, this time with the man he so deeply admired was more precious than anything.
A coughing fit like this ordinarily would wipe the smile from Azurium’s face. They both knew this happened every time Edmund tried to push himself too far, and they both knew no amount of council would stop the young man from trying, despite himself. Knowing that he could do nothing to ease his child’s burden was enough to drive the old tiger to despair on any other day.
But today was the dawn of a new chapter in their lives. Thanks to their new benefactor, things were about to change.
“Ed, I have something I wanted to give you: A new tea to try.”
As the coughing fit subsides, Edmund clings to the table, hands gripping the sides tightly until he can steady himself, beads of sweat starting to make themselves plain. Once settled, he looks up at his idol, faults and all.
“Will it be as nasty as the last one?” Thinking about the last several brews his father brought home with him, the young man couldn’t help but stick his tongue out in disgust, barely tasting any better than cough syrup.
“With luck, not only will it taste great, but this’ll be the last time you ever make that face.” The vial in his hand contained an azure liquid, emitting a soft glow. Pouring it into a teacup for his most precious treasure, he placed it on the table they had been using to play. Edmund, too used to serving after serving of his old man’s teas, gulped it down as fast as he could in the hopes of avoiding any unpleasant aftertaste.
“How was it, Ed?”
“Tasted kinda like blueberry water. Anyway, I think it was my turn.” Turning his eyes back to the board, he pondered before moving his final piece. “Checkmate.” Looking down, Azurium verified that he has lost, happy to see that young Edmund had been showing remarkable improvements each time they played together.
“You beat me again, faster this time. Good job, Ed.” He gently pat the young cub’s head, rustling his hair. “But as much as I’d love to celebrate, it’s getting late, and we both need our rest.”
“Okay, dad.” Edmund wasn’t tired, but knowing that his father was in for another early morning patrol, felt no need to argue the point. Wasting no time, the two of them moved to the second floor of their small townhouse, where the good captain hugged his son before turning him in for the night, shutting the bedroom door behind him.
“Did you give him the vial as I instructed?” In the back room of his store, The Fox’s Formula, Volpes met with Captain Azurium, as they had agreed. Though the fox kept brewing potions at his workstation, he offered for his guest to take a seat. Azurium could not bring himself to take the fox up on his offer.
“Aye. And he drank every last drop. How long do we need to wait?” Tossing the vial onto the ground, the guard captain was twitchy, heart beating out of his chest and eyes darting every which way, reeking of nervous sweat. As a guardsman, he was not averse to taking bribes to make ends meet, it was something of an open secret among the force. And yet, this was a bridge farther than he was used to, and it was clearly beginning to affect him.
“Patience, my dear captain. Unlike the other frauds you’ve bought medicine from, I know what I’m doing. The boy is still young, and so I modified the dose accordingly. You’ll start to see his general health improve in the coming weeks. As he matures to adulthood, he’ll begin to fill out as I promised he would. To all the world, it will look like a particularly powerful puberty.” The vulpine silently mused to himself, unsurprised at the skepticism. It was only natural, he surmised, that if the great Theorum Magistrum couldn’t understand his vision, that a lowly guardsman would likewise fail in a similar matter. All the same, knowing this didn’t make such questions any less tedious.
“You’d better not be lying, Volpes!”
“And when you finally realize I’ve been nothing but honest, you had best be prepared to live up to your end of our bargain.” The fox had finished restocking his inventory of elixirs, turning his chair to face the captain with a smug, self-assured poise. That telltale grin marked his features just as assuredly as it did the day they met.
Azurium opened his mouth to issue a retort, but the words would not come. Just like before, he could only hold his head down. Rising off his seat and to his full height, the towering Volpes placed a firm, but gentle hand on the captain’s shoulder.
“Now, now. There’s no need for that. I am already preparing for the second half of our deal. Spend time with your son, confirm for yourself what I already know, then return here in a month’s time. We can begin in earnest.”
The apprehension that had taken root in his heart had ebbed as the days and weeks flew by. Edmund’s changes were subtle but the doting father knew his son well enough to spot them. Since drinking that “tea”, the coughing fits had practically ceased. Though the cub still had not the strength to endure long-lasting physical activity, he no longer found himself gasping for air the way he once did.
Though Edmund himself never noticed, his fur had gradually begun to thicken, normalizing itself in accordance to typical tigerkin youth. The thinness that had characterized his youth was still present, but the captain couldn’t help but notice that his offspring had begun to grow, more than to be expected of someone his age.
As much as he despised that damnable fox and his smug attitude, even he had to admit that he was true to his word. And if this is what it took to ensure his son would live a long and happy life, he would be more than happy to pay any price.
Such is how he would justify it to himself.
“Well, how is the boy?” The fox didn’t need to ask. He knew the quality of his work. Nonetheless, the captain would want to discuss the topic. In the month since their last meeting, Volpes had arranged to have a sitting area set up in his backroom, to more comfortably facilitate such meetings. Having just closed shop for the night, they had the place to themselves, seated across from each other.
For his part, Azurium was a far cry from the man who had stumbled and shook his way into his store over two fortnights ago. Though his heart was still strumming fast, the nervousness had left him. He sat comfortable, legs and arms crossed, sitting straight, but what struck the titan most were the man’s eyes. They were starring not at him, but at the vial situated on the table between them.
Volpes could barely contain his exuberance, knowing what was about to transpire.
“He’s improving bit by bit, day by day. Your elixir was everything you said it would be.” Intoning the words, Azurium couldn’t stop himself from smiling.
“Of course, that was just one part of our deal, and I’m ready to follow through with part two. Drink this, and my end will be complete. I trust you’ll have no issue holding up your half of the agreement, my man on the inside.”
A captain of the guard is supposed to be loyal to their precinct and guardsmen above all else, but Azurium all too well knew that everyone had a price. Beyond the plight of young Edmund, his was more than material wealth could provide. His beloved wife, who died having given birth, was no longer a factor. Though he cared deeply about his boy, not even Edmund had pushed him over the edge, loathe as he’d ever be to admit it, not even to himself.
Having sired a child late into his life, he began to feel it… the creaking of bones. The subtle yet noticeable lethargy that had begun to creep into his movements and swordplay. The slight sag in his skin and thinning of his fur. All the training in the world could only hold back the ravages of age for so long. As athletic as he remained even then, that day…. The day he had been so easily routed by a single alchemist, merely confirmed what he long suspected. He was far past his prime, and there was no going back…
...until now. Even now, Azurium would say he’s doing it all for his son and genuinely believe his words. Whether he knew or not, Volpes had allowed him to banish that nagging doubt by giving his son the gift of good health. Taking the potion in hand, moving the vial to his lips, he told himself that betraying the guard, joining forces with the same alchemist who humbled him, was all to ensure Edmund’s future.
However, greedily guzzling the contents of the bottle, the deepest recesses of his soul knew otherwise. After years of caring for his son, Captain Azurium made the first truly selfish choice he had allowed himself in a very long time.
Setting down the now emptied container, he felt a warmth overtake his body. Realizing almost too late that he had made an error in judgment, the captain quickly began to unbuckle the belt holding the faults of his armor in place, his form already starting to expand as they fell to the ground.
Removing the gauntlets of his uniform, the next easiest thing to do before his arms began to grow any bigger, Azurium, still sitting in his seat, then moved to take off the sheathe of his sword hanging on his back. He could already feel both the strap and the breastplate underneath grow tighter, and time was not on his side. Before the discomfort could get any worse, the tigerkin summoned his claws, ripping the holster clean off of himself before undoing his breastplate. Though cracks had begun to form down the center, he had managed to save the piece before it was completely unsalvagable.
Even before he could look at himself, and what he was becoming, he could feel the youth and vitality of begone days return to his body tenfold. That nagging tiredness had gone; He could feel his mind wake up, fresh and alert without the adrenaline crash that he long associated with the state.
Though Azurium had always trained to keep the athletic physique his career demanded, despite the erosion of his body, nothing could compare to how he looked now. His chest exposed, shedding his armor as a butterfly their chrysalis, he marveled at himself. Taller, broader, he filled out in a way he never thought he would ever be able to. Wrinkles on his form completely gone, voluminous fur returning, it would be no small exaggeration to say that the old man was gone, replaced with a god… a Titan.
Volpes no longer bothered to hide his smile, for at last he had exactly what he wanted. Still admiring himself, feeling the weight and heft of his new musculature, rolling his shoulders and arms to confirm his range of motion was better than it was even in his youth, the “captain” spoke up at last.
“I feel like a new man. And to think, when he grows up Edmund will know what this feels like too.”
“Indeed, but don’t forget your role. You will be responsible for two very important tasks.”
“First, reintegrate the new me into the guard precinct, and convince as many others as I can to join your cause. And second…”
“...train all of our future recruits on how to fight and defend themselves. Not all of us have experience on the frontlines like you do. And you’ll start with me.”
“You… want me to train you, Master Volpes?” Master… that was the right term. Nothing else would do for the man who gave him everything he ever wanted.
“Yes. I may have beaten the old you, but that was through brute strength and speed alone. I don’t know how to fight, and that’s a flaw I need to address.”
“If that’s what you want, don’t expect me to go easy on you.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it. We’ll start soon but until then…” He produces an eye patch from the pouch always at his side. “...wear this over your left eye.” Producing a mirror, Volpes shows his newly minted minion the side effect of his transformation. His once hazel left eye began to glow an eerie green. Even explaining away the other changes, this was something his “co-workers” wouldn’t be able to ignore.
It had been weeks since he had been home. When he wasn’t on patrol or helping his Master learn how to fight, the good Captain Azurium had taken to inviting his co-workers out for drinks, celebrating his new fortune.
Though everyone observed the change, as he ceased to wear a full set of armor, Azurium would simply say that he was on a new training regime, offering to take the greener guardsman under his wing. When they did, the results spoke for themselves, even before they began to recommend his “methods” to the others at the precinct.
Sadly, that proved little solace for a certain, growing young man. He waited in his home, chessboard set out and pieces arranged, but no one ever came to challenge him to a match.
Thanks to
LittleBadWolf for this incredible YCH. Please favorite the artist's submission: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/44647892/
Art by
LittleBadWolfCaptain Azurium and Story belong to me.
Category Artwork (Digital) / Fantasy
Species Tiger
Gender Male
Size 1200 x 849px
File Size 1.2 MB
That slimy fox. Words cannot describe the rage I feel right now
Poor boy... he got his health back, but he is alone now.
Great story! I like how Vulpes is slowly gaining power.
Great story! I like how Vulpes is slowly gaining power.
A while ago ya mentioned that Edmund's strength was a fruit of his own work alone, now it seems to no longer be the case, as no matter how much work he did put into his training, he was still empowered by that potion, even though he kinda "lost" his father, in the long run, he gained a lot as well.
Very interesting story, not sure if you've changed something with writing but I found this one much more pleasant and easier to read, I breezed through it even though it was one of the longer ones, some other stories of yours took genuine effort for me to go through even though I enjoyed them, this one didn't, keep up the good stuff! x)
Very interesting story, not sure if you've changed something with writing but I found this one much more pleasant and easier to read, I breezed through it even though it was one of the longer ones, some other stories of yours took genuine effort for me to go through even though I enjoyed them, this one didn't, keep up the good stuff! x)
I've had the idea behind this story floating in my head for at least a year now. It was an important one to get right, so I'm glad that it succeeded.
Wait does this mean that Edmund is an unknowing slave to Volpes or did he have to get rid of the mind control part of his potion when he modified it because of Edmund's age at the time?
I ask this because of the fact Edmund's eye color for either eye hadn't mentioned changing color only that he was getting healthier than before, and the fact that Edmund is at the Theorum Magistrum training and learning under Enigma, while also trying to keep his work secret.
I ask this because of the fact Edmund's eye color for either eye hadn't mentioned changing color only that he was getting healthier than before, and the fact that Edmund is at the Theorum Magistrum training and learning under Enigma, while also trying to keep his work secret.
An interesting question. Perhaps that will be answered in time.
The "while also trying to keep his work secret." In the previous comment is towards Volpes just in case anyone misunderstood me.
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