Chapter 29: Snickering Spirits, Vile Beasts

“…Agi…?”

Soma’s voice came out a bit shaken, this was not what she had expected.

“What am I?” He asked, his voice frightenly calm through the veil of mist and tears. His deep green eyes holding a subtle glow within the dim alley.

Soma didn’t know how to respond, “You–”

He looked up at the sky, “Am I a human?”

She tries to release some of the tension in her shoulders, only becoming more tense, “That’s right…”

“Can you kill me, Soma?”

She puts on an awkard expression, “What are you talking about, Agi?”

He looked down at the corpse at his feet, “I killed him so easily… Haha…” He let out a laugh in his boyish voice, shocking Soma, but the utter lack of a change in tone, or expression sent a wave of shivers over her body.

“I didn’t even have to lift a finger. He just died so easily.”

He stared at the corpse, its skin tinging red, bubbling foam from its mouth.

“It’s supposed to hurt, isn’t it?” He muttered under his breath.

The spear in his grip grew a weight heavier.

“Let’s go. There is still many territories to map out.”

His steps echoed past Soma who was starting at the corpse, she let out a shaky breath, and turned to follow Agi.

“…”

The two walked in silence for a while, the alleys had little menace, only filled with the starved or delirious.

Not to mention, Agi’s features were a strong deterrence.

The dregs of this place would grab at his cloak as he walked by, they’d beg, they’d cry.

And his gaze would only flow calmly, were these humans?

Soma seemed merciless, crushing the hands of anyone who grabbed, and in a place like this, it had a potent effect, losing a hand was akin to dying after all.

The occasional groaning old man would cry out, “A monster! A monster!”

Or even, “A great lord has come to call us back!”

The minds of those too far gone to reason with, Agi tried to pay them no mind.

The street they had arrived on, just outside the Barren Rose street, was like most of the tides, utterly nameless.

But it was also a well known area for being more peaceful. If you were lucky only three or fights would break out on the main street a day.

The two of them had come with a goal of mapping out the current situation, it held no intention of being an extended visit, but Soma already felt as though she had been here for a long time.

They quickly found their way out of the alley, Soma beginning to speak, “Agi, I don’t think–”

CLING!

His spear spun as a small gleaning silver sparked against its blade.

He narrowed his eyes, “I’ll be back.”

He said cracking the ground as he sped off, leaving Soma with a frustrated expression as she groans, “Again?!” She huffs, running after him.

She could only chase the sound of clangs, but even that vanished before long. She grit her teeth, “This kid doesn’t care for anyone but himself… What am I supposed to do if you keep running off?!”

She imagined Malachi, “That hard head would say to let him be…”

Agi was not aware of her inner struggle, his feet moving steadily, the faint sound of breathing from across the street told him everything he needed to know.

He leapt up, his feet bounding higher than he was expecting as he launched into the air. His eyes looked over everything.

Buildings that once spiraled high into the sky—now collapsing, decrepit—were echoes of an ancient history, something the boy cared little for.

He sucked in a breath–his gaze trailing over the scampering person. A man wildly running, his assassination had failed. Now was the time to escape.

Agi thought for only a moment—He couldn’t reach.

They were too far, they knew the tide.

His gaze watched like a hawk, it was a poor assassination attempt.

“So that’s it.”

He made his determination in the split second he had reached the highest point,

Rowen had walked upon the air right before him,

He had long since understood the principle.

But that foreign presence… He was not such a simple creature to be observed so freely.

His body contorted, his soul sending out a small pulse, as though staking its claim on the small area holding his body.

He stepped for only a moment—Enough to spin.

The third inversion was no longer out of reach.

SWAH–BAM!

Yuksho cried out valiantly as its heavy weight flew from his hands–The air moved from its path, clearing the way for the human blade.

The light of the sky reflected off its dark metal, the images of winged lizards, and coiling snakes blurring in its motion.

CRAHHHHHSH!

A man cried out as the large spear slammed into the stone! The ground was upturned, sending rubble flying as the man lost his balance falling to his face.

His leg felt a piercing pain as he looked over the small boulder crushing his leg.

His eyes trailed to the spear, his expression turning ghast.

He began to scramble back up, trying to pry off the stone crushing his leg—

It was only a few moments he was delayed, but that was enough for Agi.

His steps sped up, he bubbled up his soul before bursting! He flashed in and out of the crowd, flying through the air and landing on top of Yukshos raised pole.

The man looked up, the fake sun in the sky shining against the monsters back.

He stood with one toe poised atop an embeded spear.

The image of control and grace, he was a horrifying specter.

He had made a mistake—

The image of a coiled feathered lizard crawled up Agi’s form.

The man began to shiver unconditionally,

Trying to trap a hunter…?

Wasn’t the very concept flawed from the begining?

The man was not aware, that Agi was not a hunter, nor even an inheritor.

Agi stared down at him with a cold gaze, “Tell your followers to come out.”

“This is a good opportunity.” He quickly came to a determination.

The man spouted out, “I have no followers…”

Agi scoffed, his robe fluttering ever so slightly, “Am I a fool?”

The man grit his teeth, “Just kill me!”

Agi looked down on him, “Killing…” He recalled the man from only moments ago, “Is it something to speak about lightly?”

It seemed like a genuine question, as though he was really confused.

The man, baffled, grit his teeth, “If we don’t kill, how can we survive? You crazy bastard kid… You were born with everything, how can you compare with me?!”

Agi leapt down from the spear, grabbing the pole he pulled it out, spinning it to realign it within his grip.

He no longer spoke, taking another step forward with his spear, but a small shuffling caused Agi’s ears to perk up.

He was quite impressed. He rarely saw such a force.

Like a swarm people began to pour from the alleys, the man crying out, “Stop! Run!”

He lacked faith that they would survive, only three of them had even received the gift, they stood no chance…

The cold gaze swept over him, “You have to kill to survive, right?”

The man groaned, “No! I was wrong! Please…”

Agi stared down at him, he felt nothing. He felt nothing toward this man, he could tell how easily he could take his life.

He felt wrong. He felt wronged.

Why was it so easy for him…? After Adam, shouldn’t it be difficult?

He felt guilty.

“Wasn’t it difficult to kill Lucille?”

SHRRRNG!

His gaze trailed to his side, his expression darkening a tone. The mirror hanging from his waist was completely shattered.

His mouth felt a bit dry. Odd.

His spear swung mercilessly, beheading the boy wielding a small crude slingshot.

The mans expression became one of grief, “NO!” He cried from beneath the stone.

Immediately the drove of people began to swarm Agi, crying out for revenge.

The man under the stone could only lament, followers? They weren’t anything like that… Just a bunch of orphans banding together to survive.

But now because of one foolish decision, it would all come crumbling down.

The whistling blade was a swarm of gleaming silver, to the untrained eye, perhaps it was a beautiful dance.

The crimson waves slammed against the rocks of the shore, the bodies flinging about like seafoam on the surface of a beach.

The brutal grit, the raw violence, it told the real story.

There was no beauty in this world.

Agi stabbed through another heart,

There was the survivors, and the dead.

It was not a choice. Nobody in this world could decide where they would end up.

They could only be carried mindlessly by the tsunami known as the human heart and follow it to the end.

Agi felt a splash of blood across his face, should he flinch?

He didn’t.

SWANG!

A sword clashed into Yuksho, but Agi ignored it, shattering the blade and slicing the man in half.

His eyes were one of unwillingness. Agi felt the scent of the gift from his heart, and sent his other hand into his split body, ensuring the heart was crushed.

His spun, taking a single step on the air and spinning in a flurry of limbs.

Fists, sticks, anything that could be called a weapon slammed into his stalwart body. Barely a mark appearing on his armor.

Yuksho grew heavier with every strike, its hum becoming louder.

The cries calling him an inhuman, a reaper, he sneared with disdain.

Seek the life of another, seek the wealth of another, seek another, all paths lead to the same conclusion.

The life of another.

Agi will not tolerate an attempt on his life.

Never.

He flicked his spear again,

“That’s right… I can’t live as a coward…” He said to himself, that’s what Adam had said… Wasn’t it?

His foot jetted out, flinging another boy from him.

The taste of iron, what a great flavor.

His feet flashed, his body near the floor as he shifted his grip, grabbing from the edge of the pole, he swept the ground, commiting a massacre.

He leapt up, keeping his grip on the edge he swept his spear about, the deeply set eyes going from dull to dim.

He puffed his cheeks, before letting out all his breath with a puff,

BANG!

A nearby child blew into a pile of torn flesh as the great human blade flung through the air, blowing apart the chest of someone settled on a hill, poised with a bow.

Agi began to tear his opponents with his hands, his arms flying around wickedly as he approached his spear.

It was truly a horrific amount of people.

He could hardly believe there was so many.

But as he reached the hill he realized.

This was no longer a battle between the men of the assassin and himself, it had long since turned into a bloody melee encompassing the entire street.

For a moment he pondered leaving, but looking down on the brutal melee, he felt his blood boil, “Right… Where’s Soma…”

He said staring only at the battle, “I need to find Soma.” He told himself as he rushed back into the fray, his selfish ambition plundering the lives of sunken cheeks and gray skin.

He engaged in a clash, his spear slamming into a saber, only pushing it back slightly, he grimaced.

He engaged his spear spun,

CLANG!

CLAHH!

His opponent fought desperately, then tosses his saber, slamming his head down onto Agi’s, hardly disorientating him at all, he took the chance to jump back into the crowd, escaping.

It would seem the opportunities within this battle were not worth his death.

Agi didn’t chase, only snorting.

His spear flicking out and clearing a bloody road.

“Ha…”

The begining of a cackle sends a shockwave of eerie shivers through the melee,

“Hahahah!”

A wicked and cruel laugh cuts the violence,

A somber smile uptilts hard scales.

“This is who I am!”

He cried out, killing with a lack of humanity,

“I am the one abandoned by the Temple, come… come and die, come and kill me…!”

The boyish voice immediately sent many fleeing from the conflict. They no longer had an interest in facing such a crazy person.

It didn’t take long before the only ones left were those carrying the gift.

They took a glance upon the boy.

A face covered in blood, an impossibly wide grin stretching across his face, forced and unnatural.

His eyes held no joy, seeming to lack emotion.

A pair of antlers protruded from his temple, and the blood stained scales shone under the light.

The sun upon his chest, holding a vicious visage, held a mouth covered in blood.

Seeing the wicked sight, many of the gifted criminals began to flee, not willing to fight the monster.

While the remaining locked eyes, rushing at Agi together.

He took a step on the air, his laughs breaking their focused minds as he spun upside down, slashing one down the center directly, before landing on his head and jumping off.

He breathed heavily, a faint red mist pouring from his jaw at every harsh breath.

“Come… I’ll eat you…” He muttered.

The gifted slashed at him—

CLANG!

Their strike bounced from his spear, before Agi glanced to his side, a saber piercing into his armor.

He growled, launching his knee up,

SHAWNG!

The saber shattered into pieces before the boy pushed back the blades aggressing him, spinning on his heel he struck the mans jaw, spinning his head.

with a leap he slammed the spear through his heart.

Pulling back he spun Yuksho, a flick of blood pouring from it, the faint manic giggles echoing from his clacking jaw.

He rushed at them, the mist growing in size, one of the gifted held his throat,

“It burns…”

He gasped, falling to one knee.

Agi rushed over, flicking in front of him before the others could react, spinning his body as the head flew high into the air.

Agi regarded the last three—

One glance,

Shift…

Boom!

They ran off, each shooting in a different direction.

Agi bounded from the ground, the uneven stone cracking further as he swiftly reached the one just in front of him, his spear flicking out, claiming his upper body.

The man let out a mournful cry his corpse falling to the ground.

“…”

Agi’s manic episode slowly faded, his laughs turning into sobs as he held a hand over his mouth.

He wretched, falling onto his knees before leaning over the ground.

He coughed and retched, his stomach emptying onto the sea of corpses.

Even when it was all gone he kept coughing and retching, holding onto his stomach tightly.

…

It was a while before he finally stood up. Walking back to where it all started, he looked at those he had slaughtered.

He had no words, only a dull gaze.

He had been the last one remaining on the street.

He only held two wounds.

One on his side from the Saber, and the other on his neck, a small cut.

The assassin from before looking at Agi, blood pooling from his mouth. He couldn’t speak anymore, his body having been trampled. But he glared with hatred.

His eyes flicked to the pouch against Agi’s waist, a trail of warm tears flowing down the side of his face as he closed his eyes, “If I could have gotten even a single coin… I could have changed their lives… Why did this…”

His thoughts trailed as he faded.

Lost forever to this world.

“Monster brat…!” An old and decrepit man cried from the side, leaning against a wall on the floor.

“I have no one, so isn’t it fair to come here an old man’s will?”

Agi looked down at him, he walked over slowly, not speaking.

“You’re strong… kid… I have a son running around, In the Temple. He’s a hard head, a real stubborn mule.”

He chuckled spouting some blood,

“He didn’t even care for his old man one bit, but he’s carrying a brat with him, she’s about your age, I’d say.”

He coughs, “Just check for me once, if they’re alive… will ya?”

Agi looked down at the slowing breath of the old man, he owed him nothing, and yet…

“What’s their name?”

He asked.

“…”

“You have to tell me their name.”

“…”

Agi stared down, his expression crumpling,

“You’re gonna die… just like that?”

“…”

“What about your grandchild? You’ll leave them alone?”

“…”

“Damn it… Damn it…”

Agi kicked the corpse, stomping off.

He looked over the corpses, his stomach churning, “Where is Soma?”

He searched for a while, becoming more and more fervent as he searched,

“Agi!” A tired voice cried out, crawling up the hill of corpses, “Fuck… what the hell was that…”

She muttered, crawling up to him,

Agi looked at her, actually letting a sigh of relief go, “You’re alive…”

She brushes some of the blood from her face, “Well of course I am… Most of those were normal people, not to mention how weak their bodies were.”

Agi nodded slowly, “Right…”

She looked down on him, “You seem a bit…”

He looked off, “There is what Rowen called the outer sea?” He asked with a tired gaze.

She nodded, “Yes… I underestimated it a bit.”

He stared at Yuksho, then nodded.

They trekked forward, the sea of corpses being left in their wake, “What happened…?”

She asked, it was a mostly rhetoric question, but she had a feeling Agi had been apart of it. She looked down,

“The mirror is broken…”

His steps were heavy, like a marsh dragging him deeper with every weighted step. Was it real… or just the weight of his sins?

Agi felt submerged, a quagmire of guilt and shame. A muddy pool he had mixed himself, with his own two hands.

He glanced at the corpses, and what came from his mouth was only a half-truth, “It was an ambush.” He begun, “Then the whole street joined in.”

She narrowed her eyes, “But why? What could possibly drive a person to enter such a suicidal–”

The boy jangled the pouch, “What else—Looks like this pouch holds more value than I thought.”

She nibbled her lip, “Is it really worth such a brutal battle…”

Agi shook his head, “You thrived in the fourth fold, in what way was this place, any different from that place?”

She adjusted her shirt slightly, “Well… That was different…” Agi wondered if she even believed that, but he quickly let any more thoughts about her go out the window.

Instead focusing ahead, he crouched down slightly, “What’re they doing?” He tilted his eyebrow, watching from a faint cover.

Soma also was a bit confused, she had found it difficult to see from a distance with only a single eye.

Agi saw a group of people rummaging through the pockets of the fallen, after relaying this to Soma she put on a somber expression,

“It’s not uncommon, they’re looters. People like them are abundant in the second fold.”

Agi glanced over—his grip tightening ever so slightly on the wall, “But the second fold holds the clergy.”

Soma shook her heard, “The world isn’t so black and white, Agi. The clergy doesn’t care for people like them, those who have no family, no status, they are worthless.”

“Especially the ones who are born within the second fold, yet refuse the clergy, instead living normal lives.”

“This in a way… is their way of fighting.”

His eyes thinned further, “They’re all children…”

She nodded, “They are likely orphans. Even outside the Temple, from what I’ve heard this is a widespread issue.”

Agi looked at Soma, “What is an orphan?”

She cleared her throat, “Right… They are people who have no parents.”

Agi looked back at them…

“No parents…? Is that a bad thing…?”

For a moment he imagined life without his Mother.

Perhaps… Perhaps a life like that he could have spent traveling with Vistar.

He attempted to suppress the thoughts, the emotions billowing—

“Soma, What were your parents like…?”

She was momentarily taken aback, not expecting Agi to be interested in her life at all, “Well, My Mother died at my birth, but my father… He was a stalwart man.”

Agi slowly began to see a different Soma than the one he knew, her eye seemed clear, and her expression was a bit lighter,

She laughed dryly, “My Father was the kind of person to… oh what’s the word for it? Anyway he was the strongest person I have ever known.”

Agi tilted an eyebrow, seemingly suspicious, “Stronger than the Emperor?”

She scoffed, “That’s not what I meant.”

“Oh… Right.” He wasn’t entirely sure what she meant.

“He was also a very creative mind, he was a brilliant architect, many temples on the lower half were designed by him”

She seemed to have swallowed something bitter as she says, “But that didn’t stop plague.”

She snorted lightly, “Well, his last act was sending me to the clergy, sometimes I wonder if that was a mistake… Maybe I should have just starved in that street with him…”

The boy contemplated her words, she seemed to care about her Father…

Agi had long since determined the children were of no threat, their clothes were patchwork, strung together nonsensically, and on their heads they wore far too large helmets.

They looked quite silly.

The youngest amongst them seemed to be four, while the oldest looked around eleven.

As Soma and Agi walked by the youngest few began to run, crying out a monster had arrived.

While the oldest few shook and held the younger ones behind.

The oldest was giving Agi a vicious glare, though his hands were trembling.

“You said you’d have rather starved than go to the clergy… How did you escape?”

Her gaze turned somber, “…Malachi had taken me away from that place.”

Agi locked eyes with the oldest of the orphans, he said nothing, merely staring with his naturally wide eyes.

The sclera of his eyes had long since turned a faint shade of yellow, the eerie piercing gaze of a serpent locked onto the child.

Soma let go a sigh, “Is there any use in intimidating a child?”

The child held up a stick, his voice shaking, “I-I’m not afraid of someone like you! M-Monster!”

“Am I not a child?” He tilted his head, responding to Soma.

She nearly set a hand on Agi’s shoulder, but pulled back before she did, “You are a child, yes, but you can’t be compared with the likes of them.”

The orphan boy grit his teeth, “You think you’re so great?!” He barked out, his hand covering the children behind him, “We fight everyday! We’re strong! I’m not afraid of you…”

Yuksho let out a faint hum, and Agi became uninterested in the children, his steps turning and looking toward the inner sea, there was much to explore.

But Soma kept her gaze on the children, “You brats, if you know what’s good for you you’ll go to Barren Rose manor.”

She begins to walk after Agi, “Tell them Soma sent you for an interview.”

The kids exchanged glances, “How can we believe you?!” One shouted.

Soma laughed, taking a coin from Agi’s pouch, earning herself a glare, she tossed it back to them, “How’s this?”

The children scampered to grab the coin, jumping in excitement they quickly hid the coin.

The oldest held a suspicious gaze on the woman following the monstrous child, but as he looked down at the little sun, his heart couldn’t stop pounding.

This was a once in a lifetime opportunity, he had to take it, even if it was a lie.

He sent a few boys off, then hid at the street corner with the others.

…

“Why’d you do that?” Agi asked toward her, his voice flat.

“If someone had given me just one little helping hand, wouldn’t my father had survived?”

She chuckled, “Maybe you got me into a charitable mood, don’t look too deep into it.”

Agi looked forward,

“If someone had warned me about Ramana… would I be in this situation…?”

He shook the thought, for now it held far to much weight for his small shoulders to bear.