Chapter 28: Flickering Light, Folded Paper

His eyes snapped open, he couldn’t help but let out an agonized and crazed laugh,

“Even when its so bright I can’t see… this place never changes…”

“Haha…Haha…Aghhh…”

He slammed his fist into the ground repeatedly,

“Let me out! Let me out!”

“…”

“Damn it…”

He pressed his head into the floor, the soil curling into his hair, Incessant shivers crawled up his spine, and the mist felt a touch cooler than before.

That blood red sky, felt a shade darker than before, and its unmoving monolithic clouds bore down an even greater pressure.

The howling winds crawled from the depths of the forest, whispering something wicked between blackened wood.

And just beyond his vision sat something.

It watched, it cackled and chased,

But it never attacked, not unless he tried to face it.

But recently, just walking was enough to outpace it.

He didn’t know how many years in total he had spent within this place.

Sleep was a luxury he did not know.

But as he shakily rose to his feet, he took a step back, for the first time, actually moving toward that thing.

Because what was in front of him, was much more frightening.

Agi had pulled others into this place, Ramana had even entered of his own volition, but nobody had ever just appeared here.

And yet… a pair of silver eyes gazed at him, their form was faint, hazy and incandescent.

But the faint outline of her body was visible.

It was as though she was slowly appearing in this place.

He shuddered.

And with all his force sprinted from that place, the wicked creature billowing past the image of Lucille, which seemed little more than a projection, and sped after the sprinting Agi.

He would flee, the heavy clanging of metal filling his ears with every heavy step.

But no matter how he ran, a silvery gaze followed his trail, it didn’t seem purposeful, or even conscious for that matter,

Watery silver eyes, glazed over like mirrors.

His breath sped up—

SHAWW!

His sleeping form bounded up, his chest heaving, and his heart slowly calming.

He looked around, searching for the invasive stare, only to find nothing. He breathed out one last time, taking measured steps to the armor saddled on some kind of stand.

His hand trailed over the man-eating sun… His head falling gently against the cold iron.

It was cold, but not unbearable, in fact, no temperature seemed to affect him much anymore. He could feel its changes, but that was the extent.

His gaze traveled down, taking in the sight of the scales slowly covering more ground, and now even a few tiny feathers had begun to sprout.

Be chewed his inner cheek, “What am I…?”

“Aren’t I just another monster? Was Mother right?”

His hand gripped down on the shoulder of the armor, a faint indent being left within its groaning surface.

“Arch-Human… Inheritance, aren’t those just another word for a monster in human skin?”

The metal slowly begins to fill back out, returning to its shape as if it vividly remembers. The speckled scales made a faint noise as Agi tapped them, running his finger over their surface.

He stared into the Man-Eating Sun—

“I will become human.”

He said in a mutter.

CLACK CLACK CLACK!

The faint sound of iron clanging on the door brought Agi out of his thoughts,

He glanced toward the door ruffling his noise, “Soma,” He determined.

“Wake up, Agi! You’re with me today.”

A noisy woman’s voice echoed through the door, sure enough–It was Soma.

Agi walked over, opening the door.

Agi was not in his armor right now, wearing a short sleeved tan tunic which fell a bit longer than he’d like, and a simple pair of trousers.

It was a much more traditional pair of clothing, far removed from the reverse city, settled outside the Temple.

Agi preferred this type of clothing.

His eyes took in one of his former captains, she held a slightly tipsy grin, with a bottle tied to her waist.

“Oh, so you’re already awake? Let’s go.”

Agi took her in with an impassive expression, over the past week since he had arrived it’s been getting more difficult to find him having a change in expression.

“Wait a moment.” He said, walking over to the armor and unlatching it from its stand.

After a bit of struggling, he managed to put on the entire assemble, Soma turned to the door, “Ready?”

He nodded faintly, “Where’s Samuel?” He asked, his steps trailing slightly behind her.

She looked back at him, “He’s taking care of something, I don’t know the details.”

“…”

The two walked in silence for a bit before she spoke again, “Disappointed?”

Agi glanced up at her, “Hm?”

She took a small drink before continuing, “Well, you know… You do have a clear bias toward a certain two.”

Agi frowned subtly, “I have no such thing.”

She snickered, “It’s alright, No need to be embarrassed, we all have a bias.”

He didn’t respond, finding the conversation to be pointless, so she just began talking on her own,

“I have a bias too, in fact. I don’t like Ananda, for example. And I like–Liked, Malachi.”

Serpentine eyes swept the floor, Malachi had died, and that too, like Adam, Was his doing.

She kept talking, with a scoff she started, “He was an utterly ridiculous, and bullish man. He had an ego greater than the highest peak of the Temple, and completely lacked the ability to think things through.”

Agi glanced at her, he was slightly confused, was she doing this because it was his fault?

She let out a long sigh, another drink falling down her throat, “But I would have followed him anywhere.”

She touched her eyepatch faintly, “Isn’t it like that for you too?”

Agi shook his head, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“…Is that so…”

She muttered, her steps slowing down ever so slightly.

“…”

A time passed, and they stepped into a room that felt like almost a different world.

The heavy clanging, the sound of tapestry, it was truly a cacophony of chaos.

Martin observed Agi with a curious gaze, “You’re gettin there boy, Ay,” He laments, “No matter, come along, I finally finished it.”

Agi trails behind, Leaving Soma at the entrance.

The room was faintly lit, Martin had a penchant for dramatics it would seem,

A black and dusty rock sat in the center of the room, a small and subtle light drifting from above and hovering around the long, blackened spear.

It’s polearm was filled with engravings into its cold metal, images of horned serpents, and feathered lizards scaled it.

The blade was partially submerged within the rock, but it was clear the blade was long.

Martin nodded slightly, taking it in, “I thought you’d need a bit more reach, considering you’re a bit smaller than your current opponents.”

In some ways, it seemed completely unwieldy, but Agi was unpreterbed.

He walked over, one foot poised on the stone, his other tightly wrapped around the pole.

The gnome put out an arm, “It’s name,” He pointed to a small engraving on the blade, it was in a language Agi did not understand, “Is Yuksho.”

SHING!

The blade flew out from the rock, its piercing edge shivering in the air, the silver gleam reflecting the Man-Eating Sun.

“Yuksho…?”

Agi asked quietly,

Martin huffed a laugh, “A very ancient series of names, Like The Soul Sea, Yakma, or Vast Blood, Yasrah, the meaning of such a name is only based off the being who carries it.”

Agi felt its weight, swinging it in a gust, “It’s heavy.”

“That it is. I based it’s weight off the baseline physical strength for inheritors, so it’s only natural it would hold some weight. Though, I suspect you’re not quite there yet, so if it becomes too much, I can always–”

“It’s fine. This will do.”

His gaze traveled over the spear, “Yuksho, Will you be the one to make me human?”

Shiver…

Agi wasn’t sure if the blade was actually shivering, or trembling, but it seemed as though it had responded.

Martin perked an eyebrow, “What a strange desire for a weapon, but it seems its nature has been decided, the Human blade, Yuksho.”

Agi flicked the Human Blade, Yuksho, and nodded, “It was worth the wait.”

Martin clicked his tongue, “Most would take months to finish such a magnificent creation, you should be grateful I’m such a master.”

Agi leapt down, “I’ll see you again, Martin.”

He walked with the spear resting on his shoulder, Soma glanced at the blade, she had been a member of the clergy, her heart may have been in turmoil, but her origins did not change.

She was one who favored oriental and beautiful design, and Yuksho caught her eye.

But that wasn’t all, it seemed to hold… some kind of weight. She couldn’t put her finger on it, like it was something just out of reach, her gaze traveled up the blade, settling on the unknowable ancient characters,

A name appeared in her mind,

“This weapon, it’s called Yuksho?” She questioned.

Agi was slightly surprised, but nodded, “That’s right.”

She caught a breath as the two of them left Martins workshop, “It’s a magnificent spear.”

Soma would continue to throw glances toward it in quiet admiration, “I wonder if that gnome will make one for me if I ask…”

The boy was naturally unaware of her inner conflict, the two quietly making their way out of the Barren Rose manor.

“Are you sure going to the Tides so early is a good idea?” She asked Agi–

Who only spun the polearm in his grip slightly, “If not the Tides, then where else? The weakest and most desperate criminals flock there, outside of the ones who are affiliated with a baron, they are the easiest targets to acquire information.”

She scoffed, “Isn’t that the reasoning that killed Halit and Malachi?”

It was a cruel thing to say to a child, but it was undoubtedly her true thoughts, thoughts she quickly tried to cover up in a stammer, “I–” But it was cut off,

“That’s right,” He stared at her coldly, trying to suppress the gnawing voices clawing at his mind, “But you survived, didn’t you?”

He took a step ahead of her, “Aren’t you just the same as me?”

Soma stared at the back she hadn’t seen in over a week, the child who was so vicious it made you wonder whether he was a human or an animal.

“He didn’t retaliate?”

She was genuinely shocked that Agi hadn’t retaliated physically, but inwardly she was relived.

The current Agi was many times more terrifying than the Second Lord that had led them.

Samuel was completely incapable of reacting to his strike, and Rowen couldn’t even move him when he wasn’t guarding.

She was confident in her growing strength, but this was different.

There was a reason they would follow a mere child.

It was because they convinced themselves he wasn’t human.

Her thoughts had begun to drift–recently, that was too dangerous.

She glanced down at the bottle in her hand, and annoying voice echoed in her clouded mind,

“I’m not surprised a little girl from the clergy doesn’t know how to fake it.”

Her teeth gnashed, her eyes fixed on Agi, a child.

Six, maybe nearing seven, he had barely lived a few years, and yet, she couldn’t help but feel a slight admiration.

The spear settled on his shoulder, it was considerably larger than his body, in some ways it may have been a humerous sight—

If she didn’t understand the weight of that spear.

He was no longer the second lord, he no longer suppressed them with force… wasn’t it about time she stopped blaming others?

Stopped… relying on others?

She caught up to his short strides, “I shouldn’t have said that,” She lowered her pride for a moment.

“…”

The boy tightened his grip on the cold metal, but spoke no words.

Soma looked ahead, surveying the area around them, the streets were unlike anything she had ever seen. Different from the ornate halls of the upper temple, or the clerical designs of the clergy. It was utterly lacking the atmosphere provided by the temple.

It was foreign.

The streets were wide, people walking together and laughing, some dressed in torn clothing, while others dressed similarly to herself, it was a collage of the wealthy and the poor, but anyone could tell they were merely playing pretend.

The tenth fold held no such luxuries, and all of these people were ones that held a blade behind a gentle smile.

Perhaps the few born here were not so wicked, but they were sure to be ruthless.

Rowen had spoken of the third inversion casually, and although she was slowly getting a handle on it somewhat, it was not something sustainable.

Even Rowen’s showcase of stepping on the air was a masterful manipulation of the third inversion.

It made sense how so little people on the streets could be seen even attempting to manipulate the third inversion.

Her eyes trailed over the countless flowers lining windows and store fronts, it seemed such things held high appeal amongst the so called citizens.

The buildings were a master craft on their own, she didn’t know who had built them, many claimed all the buildings were around long before they came. But regardless, it was a beautiful landscape, the roads themselves laid from lightly colored bricks, traveling down the small hill that led up to the Barren rose manor.

Agi however, took note of something wildly different from Soma. His gaze caught the subtlties of the criminals lining the streets.

Their conscious avoiding toward Soma and himself, their greedy eyes scanning over pockets.

He could hear the sounds of cries for help, and mindless violence. Like a constant piercing siren of what this place truly holds.

In fact, before Samuel and Rowen had arrived, these people held no attempt to hide their wicked nature.

Now that Barren Rose manor was occupied once more, they held their hands close to their hearts and shifted on their feet. They took their small strides, and tucked their heads deep within their shells.

But for the monstrous boy, such feeble attempts to hide their nature was nothing more than hiding beneath the surface of a lake, and hoping the reflection would hide you.

He could vividly sense the wretched instinct radiating from their filthy spirits, like a chain of filth being dragged through a sea of maggots.

He scrunched his nose, what a vile scent it was.

Yuksho let out a subtle hum toward Agi’s conjecture.

Glancing at Soma Agi finally spoke, “Let’s hurry to the Tides.” This place made him uncomfortable, like a constant mirror reflecting himself.

He didn’t like it one bit.

Soma titled her head, “Hm… Well, if that’s what you want. But don’t you want to get any gifts?”

Agi frowned, “Gifts? What does the gift have to do with this?” He was slightly confused, feeling as though he had missed something.

Soma put on an awkward expression, “No, not the gift, a gift.”

He frowned, “What are you talking about?”

She ran a hand through her hair partially in irritation, and partially in exasperation, “A gift is something you give to someone, its an item, it can be any item, so long as you give it to them its a gift.”

Agi nodded slowly, “But what’s the point of that?” He found the entire concept to be strange, did giving something to someone really need a name?

In the first place, he had no intention to waste time buying useless items.

Soma saw his reluctance and began to explain, “A gift isn’t just a gift because you give it, in fact, what you give is irrelevant. It’s the heart to gift that matters. It shows you care.”

The child got a bit defensive, feeling like he needed to retort, but decided to stay silent.

She shook her head, “You’ve been hanging around that maid girl, right?”

“Lucille?”

She nodded, “Sure, we can’t just go back empty handed can we?”

Agi felt there was some ulterior motive, but followed along nonetheless.

They arrived in a dusty shop, the door was creaky and old, while inside was musty with the scent of mold and rotted wood.

The faint light that was within only served to showcase the fluttering dust from the ceiling.

Within, rows of tall cased rose to the roof. In each little segment, was held a bottle.

Soma looked at the bottles with a faint excitement, while Agi gave her a cold stare, “What is this place?”

She shrugged, “A nice place for gifts, I’m sure there’s something nice in that corner over there.” She pointed to a corner, about to shoo him away before dragging her hand back, provoking Agi was never a good idea.

“No kids allowed.”

A gruff voice called from across the store.

Agi glance over, “Are you capable of standing by that?”

The older man glanced at Agi’s spear, his armor, before traveling over his features, the distinct scales and small horns making him grimace.

“An inheritor…? Damn my luck….” He cursed at himself, “Whatever! Fine! Don’t follow my rules, but you better pay.” He said sternly, crossing his arms.

Agi stated impassively, “Where do you keep a gift.”

Soma glanced at Agi with a helpless expression, and the shop keeper was bewildered, furrowinbg his brows, “Uh, well, that depends on who it’s for.”

“Complicated,” Agi lamented under his breath, “Its for a maid girl.”

The older man gained a small smile and nodded a few times, “Eh, not bad kid, how old are you?”

“Six.” He said plainly.

The older man nodded a few more times, “When I was your age, well, oh… I guess I was on the run about that time.” He let out a laugh, “Well, don’t worry about it, come here I’ve got a gift for you.”

At the other end of the store, was a small handheld mirror, “It’s a family heirloom, so I won’t give it for cheap, but its the perfect thing.”

Agi glanced at Soma, “Is this a gift?”

She nodded absentmindedly, her gaze focused on the the liquors, “Yeah.”

Agi picked it up, “I want it.”

The shopkeep smiled warmly, rubbing his hands together, “Five large suns.”

Agi russtled through a little pouch Rowen had given him, tossing over five, before Soma ran over giving a slght grimace at Agi being robbed in broad daylight.

Though it had nothing to do with her.

She set down a bottle on the table, “I’ll take this.”

The shopkeep grinned, “You’ve got a good eye, that’s–”

She cut him off, “I know, how much.”

He smiled warmly once more, “Just three large suns.”

She scoffed, shooting him a glare, “Do you think I’m naive? I’ll give you ten little suns.”

The shopkeeps warm expression distorted immediately, “15 little suns,”

“5.”

The shopkeep sighed, “Alright, I’ll do ten, I’ll do ten.”

She scoffed, “Seriously? 5.”

He grit his teeth, “I can’t go lower than eight.”

She finally nodded, looking at Agi, “Give him eight of the little ones,”

He looked at her with a suspicious gaze, “Why was mine the large ones, but yours was the small ones, yours is clearly worth more.”

She shrugged, “Yours is an heirloom.”

He looked down in thought, before handing over the eight little suns.

Glancing at the pouch of suns, he made a determination to have a conversation with Rowen.

“Soma,”

Agi spoke suddenly, drawing the gaze of the one eyed woman,

“What is an heirloom?”

She scratched the back of her neck, “It’s something passed down in families.”

He glanced down at the mirror in his hand, “I see…” The two went silent for a little while,

“Why does that make it worth more?”

“Well, an heirloom is something precious, almost like a symbol of heritage.”

He tied the string holding the pouch around his waist to the mirror, ensuring its security for a moment before responding, “Is that really valuable?”

She dusted off nothing from her sleeve and said shortly, “I suppose, you like wearing that sash don’t you?”

His gaze travelled over the purple sash around his waist, it was… strangely comfortable.

“It’s different.”

She titled an eyebrow, “How?”

He furrowed his brow, finally showing a change in expression, “It just is.”

“…”

“What have they given me, that didn’t make me suffer? In this place, the only one I have left is Asketill…”

Agis thoughts would echo only within the cavernous depths of his own mind. A place lost even to himself, let alone others.

Soon, however, the unordinary duos calm stroll would face its end, the barely tied together Barren rose street had reached its end, and the first step into the tides was just before them.

Their steps traveled for a short while, and it was a jaring change, as though it was a portal traversing to another realm it was a vivid and distinc change.

The air felt tighter, the colors felt a shade more dull, and the people seemed a bit more desperate.

Many looked the visage of a cornered beast, sitting on the street corner, or in alleyways. Their eyes would be sunken, their clothes would be dirty and stained.

In some ways, they seemed more pure than the residents of Barren Rose street. Only by the virtue of their honesty toward their own nature.

They seemed hesitant, taking in the monstrous features of the child, but the heavy clanging of the pouch on his armor made their blood boil in anticipation.

Just one, all it took was just one person to take move… to distract him!

They were all waiting like hungry wolves, whoever made the first move would surely die. No matter how you looked at it, the boy was a hunter. even if he was a child, he far exceeded their weight class.

But it doesn’t matter, the rumors were always exaggerated, and hunters were still humans.

Soma glanced down at Agi, but his eyes were facing forward, steady.

His spear was no longer poised on his shoulder, instead being held by his side, the tip almost touching the ground. He held a distinctly threatening atmosphere.

But his actions stunned the tense Soma, he unlatched the coin purse tossing it with a jangle in the center of the street.

An echo of silence scattered throughout the street. The most opportunistic began to sprint, desperately reaching out for the small pouch, while the most cautious didn’t move an inch.

“Agi what–”

“Just watch.”

Almost immediately a tsunami erupted in the form of clashing forms. The sound of slapping skin corroded the street, and the thick scent of sweat and blood overtook all others.

“It’s mine!” One shouted out, before his head was slammed by a pointed rock, a cackling laugh crying out,

“No its not, ya bastard!”

Agi had never seen corpses pile up so quickly, even during his raid on Adam, he had not been at the front lines. Instead facing Adam personally.

His gaze watched coldly, but there was a slight tremble in his hand. All it took to cause one to slaughter another, was to throw a bag of coins.

He need not speak a word. He need not intimidate.

It was powerful.

It was a ferocious and vicious power he had never felt before.

“Is this the world that Ramana sees?”

His gaze traveled over the wicked humans tearing one another apart, closer to beasts, than humans.

“In others eyes, this is how I look.”

It was no question. This was his raw truth.

Soma looked down at the scene, strangely, she felt little deviation in her heart, the scene was far too familiar, looking almost like the fifth fold.

“Agi, what’s the point of this?”

She felt little for the people, but the boy who orchestrated it, what was he thinking?

He gripped the trembling spear tighter, his gaze focused on the mob, “A test.”

His mind shuffled through the memory of those silver eyes, watching within his inner world, drawing it like a common drawing.

She tilted an eyebrow, “What are you talking about? A test?” She asked incredulously, “Agi, do you ever feel remorse? Do you think life is a game you can play with?”

She found herself growing increasingly upset, crushing the bottle in her hand.

Agi started walking toward the crowd slowly, “I need to know…”

His voice trails out as he tells only himself,

“That I can still kill.”

Eventually the crowd died down, some lamenting their misfortune and escaping, while a single man ran off with the coin pouch, his boyish expression incomparably excited.

Agi watched him for a moment before leaping after him.

His foots echoed heavily, like a distinct indicator as Agi trailed through the alleys.

The lifeless groans providing a complete lack of security as he sprinted to safety.

Agi was like a predator, his steps almost soundless, even under the heft of his spear.

Finally Agi caught him.

“…”

Soma raced after, finding it difficult to catch up to him she muttered curses under her breath.

“Damned brat, do you think the world revolved around you?”

She leaped over a groaning man snickering at her with glazed eyes, ignoring him completely.

She finally took a turn, and there she saw the boy–

His head titled toward the ground, the tip of his spear resting on the ground. A faint red mist was surrounding his body.

His back was slightly hunched, and when he finally turned,

Shiver

His face was completely emotionless, his deep green eyes were dull, and yet… a vivid and clear trail of thick tears flowed over his cheeks.