Chapter 1: Ouros
“Tulland. What would you say?”
Tulland’s world mechanics tutor was an eloquent man. He knew more about Ouros than any other man who lived here, or even three of them combined. He had traveled across the sea to tour the known world multiple times in his life. He had seen war. He had known triumph and death both, and in amounts that would have drowned a man of lesser character. He was, in many ways, a living giant.
He also had a bad habit of asking Tulland questions just moments after the boy had stopped listening. It was a scenario that happened as consistently as the sun rose and set each day. Tulland would gaze off longingly at the world beyond their boring island for just a moment or think about the adventures he could have, and then his tutor would ask him some soft, simple questions he could have easily answered if he was paying attention.
Sighing internally, Tulland verified he hadn’t subconsciously absorbed enough of what his tutor had said to fake his way through an answer. He steeled himself to just be honest.
“I apologize, teacher. My mind was wandering,” Tulland said.
The tutor shook his head. “Not the first time we’ve seen that, I suppose. I was asking what the purpose of this world is. What it’s for.”
“For adventure.” Tulland looked out towards the sea, where a sloop was headed away from the island to parts unknown. “To explore. To go to war for. That kind of thing.”
“Oh? How many of you agree with young Tulland?” The tutor glanced around the group of five or so young men whose parents were rich enough to engage him as a teacher. “Be honest now. His answer is considered by some to be the right one.”
A few more of the boys sheepishly raised their hands. The tutor wasn’t a petty sort of person. He wouldn’t punish them even if he very much disagreed with them. That meant that the others who kept their hands down really did believe in non-adventure, rather than just saying what seemed to make their tutor happy.