Chapter 26: Snapping Fleas, Shaped Clay

The stubby gnome waddled along, leading the boy with a hum. He would mumble under his breath, before letting out the occasional gasp. He was a truly strange fellow.

“You have quite the intense gaze, don’t ya?”

The scaled cheek crumpled slightly, “It’s necessary.” He retorted defensively.

With as much of a shrug as he could give the stubby thing just kept walking, deciding to ignore the heavy stare, “You’re quite lucky, I have some good materials left over, priceless even!” He accentuated.

Agi didn’t reply, only continuing to stare.

“Anyway, Agi, here we are.” He pointed to a pair of tiny painted feet on the floor, “Stand there.”

The room didn’t seem particularly large, but the more you explored, the larger the room became. Where they stood, Agi could only make out the tools required to weave cloth, it wasn’t too far off from what he had once seen in Samuels

The gnome settled in front of Agi, he stared with a grimace for a while, “Boy, how old are you?”

He didn’t know why Martin had gotten so serious, but he responded in a serious tone in response, “Six.” He declared.

Martin clicked his tongue, “Tall, too damn tall. You’ll be a big one, boy. But for now, go fetch me a stool.”

Agi was caught off guard, “A stool?” He looked around, there didn’t seem to be any stools here.

An irritated sigh slipped through the keratin lips, “Pesky child, you would make things difficult for me?”

It was only now that Agi began to get upset, “What are you talking about, crazy old gnome? I’ll eat you.” He spat.

Martin let out a harrumph, “I’ve faced monsters beyond your imagination, Arch-Human or not, a brat like you isn’t much. If there’s no stool then just make one.”

Agi’s jaw nearly dropped, “Fine!”

He grumbled while stomping toward a corner of the room, “What even is an Arch-Human…” He latched onto a pile of wood before stalking to the other side, grabbing what he thinks are nails.

He place the “Legs” of the stool to the “seat” and poked the nails into the wood.

After around half an hour of messing around he spun with the creation, showing it off.

“There you go!” He huffed tossing it down.

His face was contorted, “Gnome bastard, you are doing this on purpose…” His shoulders were drooping, and his fists were clenched at his side.

Martin stroked where a beard should have been, “You’re quite bad at this, aren’t you?”

Agi grit his teeth, “So what?”

Martin crawled up the shaky stool, one leg shorter than the other, the seat an incongruent randomly chose hunk of wood.

He took out some kind of long rope and said, “Put your arms out.”

Agi glared at him, “What’s your problem?”

“I was just curious about something.”

“What?”

“Well, perhaps confirming something, is better put.”

The faint visage of a serpent coiled up Agi’s limbs, “Going in circles, going in circles…”

Thwack!

The rope turned into a stiff board and landed heavily on top of Agi’s forehead, though it didn’t even leave a mark.

“You would rather force it, than admit you don’t know how to do something.”

Agi frowned, “You’re the one who asked me to do it.”

Martin crossed his arms, “I never said you couldn’t refuse, or ask for help.”

The boy went silent—

“He’s right…”

“Now keep those arms up.”

Martin would huff, circling Agi up and down as he measured.

Finally he would hop off the makeshift stool, “Now, isn’t it time you tell me your story?”

He asked stringing some black hides and silks through some kind of contraption, marking and cutting with scissors and various tools with an incredible dexterity.

“Oh,” The gnome would turn around, “And feel free to sit.”

“First, I’ll explain what an Arch-Human is, since you seem so very confused.”

Agi stared at the stool, his hand pressing on the uneven surface, he decided to stand. He was also slightly excited, he would finally learn why he is so strange.

“Do you know about the bleeding ritual help by the Human Order?”

Agi nodded, “Vistar told me.”

Martin let the words sink in, “So you’re aquainted with that knight captain? An interesting fellow that one… I remember all those years ago when he visited the Scalapoise. The fool wanted information on Vast Blood Yasrah, haha…”

Agi furrowed a brow, but before he could ask any questions Martin continued, “Anyway, Arch-Humans are very simply the prelude. Before the inheritance, there were Arch-Humans.”

“Think of it like this, instead of inheriting the traits of some monster during the bleeding, you are instead inheriting a monster manifested within your very spirit.”

“In my spirit…? Then doesn’t that just make me the monster…?”

The realization was heavy, and Agi simply couldn’t endure another blow to his mind any longer. He crushed the thought, sending it to the depths of some place he didn’t dare enter.

“Oh, did you use a weapon, brat?”

Agi snapped out of it, looking down at Martin, “A spear.”

Martin nodded, “Not bad. I’ll make something glorious.”

Outside, Rowen and Samuel stood side by side, a hint of worry shared between them. Agi, that child was unstable. It was an undeniable fact, how would it go if he shared his story?

He had a colossal force hidden away within his body, a monstrous capability that neither Samuel, Nor Rowen believed they could best.

Almost four hours later—

Samuel stood up straight from the wall he was leaning on, the sound of metal on wood opening his eyes.

“Rowen, get up.”

He commanded, the righteous man yawning as he stood from his seated position.

Agi trudged out, pulling at his sleeves, his body covered by a sheen of silver plates, waving shades of black filled out a padded robe.

It’s length tapered at the waist, tied by a royal purple sash.

And at its center, crested upon the breastplate was the emblem of a sun, though it seemed a wicked thing.

Rather than a normal sun, it held fierce eyes, and a jaw of vile teeth.

In some ways, it seemed more like a lion than a sun, but it mattered little.

Martin trailed behind, he was nodding, his hands poised under his chin.

He gaze trailed over his design choice for Agi’s sun, created after hearing his story, he aptly names this sun, the Man-Eating Sun.

“I am truly one of a kind.” He praised himself, and the others could only groan.

Rowen walked over, “You look uncomfortable.”

Agi frowned, “It’s just… the sleeves are too long.”

“Bah!” Martin reprimanded, “Impossible! Not only did I take your exact measurements, but I also used the leather and hide of a yurim! It’s impossible for the measurements to be wrong, even the silk came from the Janik worm.”

Agi looked at Samuel, “What is a yurim?”

Samuel explained clamly, “A monster, a ferocious one at that. It has tusks bigger than me, bristling fur that lengthens like spears, a snout that huffs a gale, and the terrifying ability to manipulate its size.”

He nodded in understanding, “Then the janik worm?”

“Well,” He began, “Do you remember the Janik spider?”

Agi nodded.

“There’s a reason they have similar names.” Rowen was actually curious as well, he had after all, never left the Temple, so he had very little knowledge of the outside world, “There was an explorer named–”

Martin cut him off, “Explorer? Nonsense! He was just a grifter, nothing less, nothing more.”

Samuel looked at Martin in confusion, “What?”

Martin nodded, “That’s right, truth revealed! I hated that guy, I really did.” He says with a distant gaze.

Samuel crosses his arms with an unconvinced look.

“If you have to know, Janik used to follow the Hero around like a pet. Pathetic thing.”

Martin shook his head with indignation, which only made the three more curious.

Seeing their interest, Martin tilted his head with a smug expression, “The Great Hero Heram led a an unrivaled life, and the insolent Janik dared to sing his tale. That is why he was tolerated, and that is why the tolerant gnomes of the Scalapoise do not strike him from history.”

Agi paid the story no particular attention, not caring for the abstract history lesson. However Samuel was a bit different, as the history he had once been taught was suddenly being challenged.

“How is what Janik did in that case, any different from what the Scalapoise does?”

He found the gnomes argument to be entirely nonsensical.

Martin clicked his tongue, “It’s always such a hassle speaking to long limbed folk,” But he quickly relented, “Because we record the truth. The tales that Janik spun were mostly just that, tales.”

Martin, seeing their confusion shook his head, “The great hero existed long before Janik ran around. He merely followed his steps and made up stories from it. Well, he did eventually catch up, and in the heroes great benevolence he allowed him to cement his name in history.”

He put up one stubby finger, “That is where the names of the Janik monsters came from.”

Samuel went into consideration, “How exactly does the Scalapoise get this information?”

Martin shrugged, scampering deeper into the workshop, “Some things are better left unsaid.”

Samuel let his gaze linger before turning back to Agi, “Well, we got sidetracked, but the point is, the name Janik has little to do with how they actually look.”

“Strangely enough though, they all tend to spin or produce something of a silk nature.”

Samuel actually laughed at it slightly, “Must be a personal thing.”

Rowen nodded, his mind still lingering on the great hero.

“But the Janik worm is a colosal thing, which is pretty common amongst monsters.”

He put out a hand gesturing as he continued, “The Janik worm is known for having a terrifying and ugly face, with countless teeth poking around its body. Its fat and round, and from what I’ve heard, slimy too.”

Agi made a face as he heard its description, “So why does it matter if Martin put that in my robe?”

Samuel continued, “I was getting to that, the reason is pretty simple, the silk of a Janik worm is well know for its ability to stretch infinitely. In hindsight its a terrifying ability, but it actually makes Janik worm silk the cheapest on the market.”

Agi nodded slowly, “He was telling me about how he used countless priceless materials to make it, so he was lying?” There was a slightly dangerous look in his eye.

Rowen sighed, patting Agi’s shoulder, “He wasn’t trying to trick you, isn’t it true that he used high end material? Just because Janik silk is cheap, doesn’t mean its not quality.”

Agi narrowed his eyes, the sound of metal crunching against each other resounded from is gauntlets.

“But he lied.”

Samuel decided to speak before Agi went too far, “There’s a different between lying, and selective truths.”

“I don’t get it.” Agi huffed.

So Samuel decided to explain, “If its the same as Rowen’s Armor, then it is indeed very precious. There are only a few known mines for that metal.”

Samuel was not very well informed on it, only repeating what Martin had told him previously.

Agi turned to look at Rowen, the world darkening ever so slightly, his serpent like pupils squeezing to a black line.

“Is that true?”

Rowen nodded, “It’s true.”

Agi released the pressure from his instinct, with no further reaction he took as long strides as could take him, his padded robe fluttering as the sound of metal on wood took him forth.

The long halls of the Barren Rose manner were anything but a solace to Agi, they felt to stretch endlessly at every step he took.

And slowly his thoughts consumed him,

“Will I always live like this?”

A terrifying thought overtook his mind, and he shoved it down, sending it to the depths of his mind to be consumed.

He erased his presence by connecting with the world, though he found it hard to maintain, like something was getting in his way.

Ignoring the uneasy feeling he determined it was of little consequence, he only had to escape Samuel and Rowen.

Agi strolled around the Barren Rose manor, opening doors and looking around.

Eventually he stumbled upon a busy room, all kinds of buckets scattered, servants sat pressing clothes into some kind of ribbed wood pieces.

He looked around curiously, finally stopping near one and looking curiously into the water.

It was filled with bubbles, and the water was slightly cloudy, he recalled that Vistar often did this in the past.

Though recently Samuel seemed to take care of all misc things Agi didn’t worry about, he wondered if Samuel was doing this too.

He looked up, and saw the slight shock on the face of a young girl, likely the same age as him, in a maid uniform, she was looking right at Agi’s face.

Holding her hair up was a long red ribbon, it seemed tied a few times around her hair, and yet it touched the ground while she sat.

He looked at her curiously, the serpentine slits of his eyes narrowing further.

“Can she… see me?”

He wasn’t sure, but soon his question was answered.

“AHH!” She stumbled back, platinum blonde hair fluttering around her face to cover her silver eyes.

“H-H-How did you get there?!”

Agi tilted his head, the sound of his armor rustling caused a few nearby maids to look over, who too immediately became startled.

A boy had appeared from nowhere!

“You saw me?” He crouched down, looking into her slightly exposed eyes, “How?”

The atmosphere soon became suffocating, and Agi was determined to get an answer.

The only other person who had ever discovered him was that hunter, nobody else in his entire life.

“What are you?” He asked with a hint of caution.

The other maids were still in utter shock, but a young woman quickly hopped to her feet, She too had platinum blonde hair, and dazzling silver eyes.

She fell to her knees prostrating, “My Lord!” She made an assumption based off Agi’s attire, “Please do not blame this child. Whatever trouble she’s caused you, I will endure the punishment.”

Agi looked down on her, “What are you talking about? I asked a question.”

She shivered, “Please… Don’t hurt her…”

Agi felt a bitter taste spreading in his mouth, “I’m not your lord.” He said with a heavy tone.

His eyes lingered on the girl, “What is her name?”

“Lucille…” The woman said hesitantly.

Agi acknowledged it, walking out on his own.

Immediately the maids released a breath of air, and the woman walked over to the little girl, first inspecting her for any injuries then after letting go she put on a stern expression,

“What could you have done to possibly get in trouble with a monster like that?”

The girl, Lucille began to stammer, “M-Mother! I didn’t do anything! I promise!”

The mother huffed, “How can I believe that? We’ll talk about this later, for now finish your work, there won’t be that extra bread today.”

“Mother!” Lucille complained, only to receive a stern glare that made her slump.

Agi was unaware of the distress he caused, only continuing to explore, he didn’t know if he was searching for something, but he planned on getting familiar with this place that he would spend the next two years.

His hands traced along the wall, it was painted in thin layers, some kind of yellowish white that was all too lacking.

The next place he arrived at was considerably different, halls lined in portraits and armors.

Lines and rows of various heirlooms and artifacts, most so old they look as though they’d crumble to dust from a single touch.

A name settled beneath each portrait and artifact, it was confusing for Agi,

“Did people enjoy this?”

He couldn’t figure out the thought process of such an unusual tradition, so he decided to just ignore it.

Escaping the strange room, he felt like his perception of time had escaped him.

Clack-Clack!

The halls were mostly empty, the occasional servant walked by, but Agi never saw that large concentration as he had before.

That was likely all the servants in the entire manor, and Agi found it doubtful for only that many to be capable of filling the halls of the large manor.

But the noise behind him still made him turn to look.

He saw a Long red ribbon,

He frowned, did she follow him?

“You–You bully!” Lucille cried while grabbing the front of her dress, “I work so hard–” She started rubbing at her eyes, “But because you came now I won’t get any bread! I bet you get to eat as much bread as you want!”

She grit her teeth, “I hate people like you, its too unfair.”

Agi scoffed, “Unfair?” But he quickly lost his fight seeing her break down, “Get lost.”

She ran after him quickly, latching onto his robe, “Give me back my bread.” She said with determination.

He looked at her closely, she didn’t seem very scared of him, a rarity.

Nowadays, people avoided him just being near, he had his suspicious but it was most likely because of the scales.

“Go find Samuel,” He jerked his arm back, giving her a glance.

She huffed, “Why would the manor lord care about my bread? Stop speaking nonsense and give me yours.”

He was becoming furious, this weak creature keeps inciting him, hasn’t he been lenient enough?

His hand jutted out,

However before it could shoot through her neck,

“Little Brother,”

An echo shot through his ear like a piercing pain.

His fingers trembled,

Instead of crushing her neck, his hand landed awkwardly on her shoulder. Too soft to be violent. Too heavy to be comforting.

“Right… I don’t have any bread,” he said, his voice strained, like something inside him had been forcibly pulled back.

“I don’t even know where the kitchen is.”

She gave him a weird look, “You don’t know where the kitchen is?”

He nodded, “I don’t so get lost.”

She crossed her arms, “Come with me, I’ll bring you there.”

As the large door creaked open pans and pots slammed together in a grating symphony.

“BAH! How do you even make that happen?! Sorcery! It’s sorcery!” An Angry gnome could be heard within the bustling kitchen,

“It’s not my fault you pint-sized bastard! If you’d sit still…”

The bickering of servants and chefs caught Agi’s ear, and the sight of Lucille practically drooling brought a dull look out of him.

She wiped the corner of her mouth, “Cmon, let’s go find Uncle Martin.”

He titled his head at her words, “Uncle Martin? What nonsense…”

“Ahh, Lucille! What’re you doing in here? Your mother will be angry with us again!”

One chef called as she ran by dragging Agi along, though the servants lips immediately became sealed as he recognized the master of the manor.

Another chef laughed from across the kitchen, “Give it a rest Augustus, Let the girl have her fun.”

Augustus was shocked into silence not even capable of giving banter to the brute like he usually had.

“Uncle!” Lucille called out dragging Agi over to the gnome who was barking out instructions.

Martin looked over before clearing his throat, “Lucille, What are you doing in here? How many times do I have to tell you…”

His gaze met Agis, “What, brat?”

Agi huffed, “You gnome bastard, don’t brat me.” He growled. “I’m just surprised you left your workshop.”

Lucille looked at Agi with a worried look, “You can’t say that, what if he stuffs us into a pot!”

Martin, satisfied with the effectiveness of his rumors scratched his chin, “Kid, you already knew I was also the chef, why’re ya surprised?”

He hobbled over to tug on the apron of a sleepy chef, waking him up, before continuing, “Anyway, I usually don’t I can be at multiple places at one, think of it as the greatness of this legendary gnome.”

With a skeptical raise in his brow Agi glanced around, but lucille spoke before he could, “Uncle how do you know this bully?”

Martin snickered, “Bully? Yes, he seems to fit the bill doesn’t he.” However he quickly cleared his throat after feeling the death stare.

“Just a small relationship, nothing to be pondered by a little girl like you.”

Lucille pouted, “That’s not fair Uncle.”

Martin waddled along the kitchen to a pantry, “That’s life.”

“Tch, you always say weird things like this, fine. But why are you guys preparing all this–” She wiped some drool, “Yummy food?”

Martin and Agi gave her a shared glance with a hint of disdain, “We have an important guest.”

She tilted her head, “Who?”

The gnome chuckled, “The true lord of this manor has finally arrived.”

She seemed to lose interest, “Oh… I heard he hates servants. Is it true uncle?”

Agi clicked his tongue, “Can you stop wasting time? Just get your bread and go.” He huffed.

She gave him an indiginant glare, “Bully.” But she was interupted by Martin shoving bread into their hands.

“Go, Go, we are very busy.”

She jumped up, “Thank you, Uncle!” She said cheerfully, running out of the kitchen.

Agi followed behind her curiously, She seemed to know the manor very well, so it wouldn’t hurt to follow along for a bit.

She took him to some kind of open expansive area. Flowerbeds of roses covered the garden.

She took him to a bench by a fountain and sat on it, munching away happily.

Agi found himself staring in awe at the gluttonous display.

She looked over, “What?” She grumbled hiding her bread like a treasure, “You can’t have it.”

The crumbs sprinkled around her face made her look ridiculous while declaring it.

Agi scoffed finally tearing into his own bread, “I don’t want it.”

She nodded, “Good, I wouldn’t have given it to you.”

For a little while they were silent, until she finally said, “Earlier… you asked me what I am, what did you mean?”

She looked at the boy sitting next to her, he was dressed in what looked like heavy armor, and a long regal robe.

But his face was speckled in green reflective scales, and his eyes were like gemstones, the same deep green as his scales and shaped like a lizards.

Atop his forehead were the budding of horns, to say the least he hardly seemed human.

Agi looked at the bread in his hand, “I don’t know.” He replied, and he truly didn’t.

In some way, he had hoped that she was like him, but he had already confirmed that to not be the case.

She seemed to have an uncanny perception, able to track him down in the manor with relative ease, but other than that she was utterly mundane.

She looked at him curiously before looking away, “Is the Manor Lord your dad?” She asked curiously.

He took another bite of his bread, “No. Samuel is nothing like that.”

She tilted her head, “Then, brother?”

Agi gripped the bread in his hand, “He isn’t my brother.”

She seemed confused, “Then what is he?”

Right… He decided to abandon the title of lord. He was no longer the Second Lord.

Then Samuel… what was he?

Nothing… There was nothing beyond being is subordinate.

“I don’t know!” He barked, “Just stop asking me questions.”

She flinched back, looking at the ground, “Sorry…”

Agi got off the bench, “This is pointless.” he huffed.

“W-wait!” She followed after him, “You can’t just leave.”

He didn’t respond, or stop.

“You’re so mean…” She cried trailing after him.

Agi decided to ignore her presence, walking back to the drawing room, he had to know more about this place.

Spending his day idly, it would only impede him.

He pushed the door open, much to the dismay of the stammering Lucille telling him off.

“Agi!” Samuel said walking over, “You can’t just vanish like that.”

Rowen closed the door behind them making sure he wouldn’t leave, “He’s right, The reverse city is not like the first fold. It is much more dangerous.”

Agi didn’t respond, though given his posture it was clear he knew it wasn’t a great decision.

Lucille looked with shock, “O-Oh…” She laughed awkwardly, “So your name is Agi.” It was the only thought she could make out after seeing the manor lords gathered and circling the boy she had been dragging around.

Agi glanced at her, “Did you think it was bully?”

Ananda snickered at the table, “She really called our little lord, bully?” She seemed to be having the time of her life.

Samuel cleared his throat, “Ananda, remember Agi’s words.”

She made a noise, “Ah,” before sitting back.

Suhail was reclining on the chair, his feet on the table, “So what’s the deal with her?”

Agi’s gave her a look, deciding to get payback, “A beggar.”

Lucille immediately began to defend herself adamantly, “I’m not! I’m not!”

Agi shrugged, “Tell that to the bread.”

She gave Agi a hateful glare.

Samuel was holding back a smile, It was rare to see Agi tolerate someone so well.

But he also grew a bit warry of the girl, she had an odd feeling to her.

Agi sat on a seat and waited for a moment.

The others exchanged a momentary glance before settling in as well,

Rowen began, “Then I’ll start from where I left off.”