The Corrupt One (3)

Cain's question even riled the apparitions residing in Leon's form. Like him, they too didn't understand why Leon was so happy to serve an insane murder like Cain. 

Well, the insane murderer "Cain" would dispute such a label, instead calling himself a free thinker or something with Freedom in it. He could even turn the question around, defending all his killings with some bizarre reasons that only mattered to him. 

Hearing the question, Leon couldn't help but look up and close his eyes in reminiscence.

"Hah....well I guess It's just because I always wanted something more. I thought to achieve that, I needed to be in service to someone great."

"Then why serve that demented murderer? It's not like my other self was some great man that does charity."

Leon laughed dryly, "It's not like I had a choice, but unlike the other Lords I sought, he acknowledged me..."

Lifting his arm, Leon conjured strange flowers, they were vibrant and scattered with the wind. His eyes glazed staring at them, some memories resurfacing. 

"All my life I made declarations of servitude. All of them were refused one after another. I left castles, cities, and mercenary camps being laughed at. Through my many travels, I eventually decided to die in a desert. But then I was offered a Dream Pill. The person who gave it to me said anything I could ever dream of would be possible if I took the pill."

Cain watched Leon's eyes swell, painful illusionary tears filled with crimson. With the tears, came a hidden rage. 

"He just never told me those dreams could only come from myself. People will always be people, they have their own will....and even in the Dream Realm, I was a nobody.

"At first, I thought of imagining a Master for me to serve, but it was impossible to Imagine an autonomous living being. Even the myths in this place only speak of creating a new race once in the textbooks, and that's where the Dream People are said to originally come from.

"After learning this I just decided to become strong, if I couldn't create someone strong to serve then I had to put work in to be seen.

"I thought that to be chosen I had to be the most dazzling servant of all so I chose to imagine and embody a star. It was only through further research I found out it was actually the legendary sun that was a star. The three moons could only copy its light, but many say a real sun was so grand and powerful that the three moons in the sky would be blown away under its light.

"After that...I don't know how long it was until I became a Master, I spent months at a time training my mind, only going out from time to time for work just so I could get a single Dream pill."

Leon's fist tightened, and the air around it spun in a disturbance. 

"Then, finally...I did it. As soon as I reached that illustrious status I headed to the most powerful person in this entire Realm, the Dream Lord. But yet again, my dream was crushed. I realized that even in this place of dreams, there was also a mountain of shattered ones, and that day I joined that mountain."

Cain, surprised, asked, "You were a Dream Master and the Dream Lord didn't accept you?!"

"Heh, he actually didn't meet with me at all. They told me they didn't need a fool who only held an imaginary object in his mind. It was only when I met my current Lord did I understood what they meant.

"I was at first apprehensive of him but once it was too late I had to accept it, he broke what little I had left. I had turned to hunt Nightmares to forget my dream only to have him make me remember my own Nightmares and shatter the only thing I earned from them."

Leon's body was sporadically expanding in retracting, every time he seemed to almost lose his form and disappear. 

"But it wasn't the end, in what he called the mindscape, he told me he needed someone powerful, like me. He needed someone by his side to guide his soldiers of war!

The tears falling down Leon's face no longer contained crimson, they were clear as day. His voice was filled with emotions, the happiness resting in his tone let the flowers around him fully bloom.

"Finally, someone accepted me! Finally, someone acknowledged my existence and even helped me grow! He was different, he was special!"

His voice trembled, and the flowers began to wilt. ".....and now, he's a monster who's gone mad."

As Leon finished his story, the group abruptly stopped.

"We're here my famished friends, or at least I hope you made yourselves famished. I don't know how you all could live without needing to eat and piss!" Zeki walked into a bar down an alley, he pushed open the doors in a grand fashion.

The inside was as rustic and rowdy as one could imagine.

Fights broke out, music was played, and booze was flowing like a river.

Zeki relaxed and sat at the bar, "Ahhhhh, It's been too long since I visited this place! Truly a spot for the jolly to visit!"

It was then a simultaneously old and young voice called out, "Cain? Haha, I haven't seen you in a while!"

Cain's ears perked, and he looked over to see an unfamiliar man, he was young, but in this city, appearances were often fake.

"Excuse me? I think you have the wrong person."

"What this? You working with Hunters and you can't have food and drink with ol'Orlin now?"

"Sir, I really don't know you. Do you know someone who looks like me?" In a spurt of realization, Cain pointed to his forehead, "On his head is a red half-moon!"

Orlin looked confused for a moment before his face brightened in understanding, "Oh! Your not Cain you must be his brother right! Just like those twins on the welcome island!"

With Orlin's confirmation, Cain slammed his hands down on the table, "What did the me with a red moon ask! What did he do!"

"Uh, well...."

"Enough." Zeki interrupted as his hand swayed and with the motion, the entire floor turned to liquid candy, quickly hardening and stopping everyone's actions.

"Say green head, this Cain, he's the The Corrupt One, right?"

Cain didn't struggle and answered honestly, "Yes"

"You look exactly like him, he's your brother?"

"Not Really, it's....complicated"

The bizarre Master's eyes landed on Orlin, "Orlin old buddy old pal! Can you tell me about this man, he's become extremely dangerous, sensitive situation and all that"

"Sure Zeki. Well, I don't know what this is about but I'll tell you what I know! I don't want any trouble."

In front of a big shot, simple folk like Orlin had no right to refuse!

"He came in a few months ago, he was asking for information and I told him what he wanted to know, as long as he paid one Dream Pill per question. He ended up getting a few Dream Pills, I don't know how but I still answered his questions like I promised. Then, he disappeared soon after."

Orlin added, "Oh! He did return and ask about Nightmare corruption so I sent him to Madam Annette"

Zeki paused for a moment, Gilbert continued to swim around, imagining its own fish food to eat. It was interesting how mindless beasts could even imagine their own things.

Finishing his mental processing, Zeki turned cold, even the air got chilly. "Everyone out! Oh and Orlin, outside is one of my guys, answer his questions and I'll have people follow up with Annette"

Orlin nodded and left with the rest of the patrons.

Zeki turned to Cain, "Now, how much do you know about this amazing and illustrious city? It's important"

"Not much, I only really learned a bit before finding Captain and training to become a hunter for the lower levels."

"Then It looks like I need to give a brief overview. Pull up a chair!"

Dispelling the hard candy-like floor, two uncomfortable-looking chairs appeared. Zeki spared only a single look before imagining his own, Cain did the same. 

"In the City of Dreams, there are only two factions, those serving the Lord, and Independent Dreamers who do their own thing, either by making things infused with principles from reality or fighting Nightmares generally. Though, independents like you usually do much more of the fighting and making."

Zeki let out a self-deprecating laugh, "Of course, we're only in such a position due to our production of Dream Pills. But even I have to admit I don't know where those addictive pills came from, and I'm one of the oldest in service to His Grace!

"Ahem, originally, the city wasn't a city. This place was more of a Realm of Chaos until the Lord came, the Nightmares were banished to the abyss, and Imagination and Order prospered."

He coughed, "Even though I only came here a little after this, the most important thing to note is the three Primordial Horrors, they are as follows: Death, Failure, and Change.

"The three are the governing body, the iron fist rulers of the abyss, and the enemy of my Lord, even other Horrors can only be slaves to them, vassals at most. Now, you're complicated relationship person is The Corrupt One, a very special Corrupt Nightmare blessed by the Three Primordial Fears.

The clown's voice suddenly turned deeper, "He is their weapon against us, a monster with no fear of my Lord and imbued with the abilities of the three. He is a very dangerous and special creature, if we can defeat him we will gain a long era of peace. Understand?"

'Three Primordial Horrors? They embody Fears? Death, Change, and Failure?' Cain quickly sprouted a seedling of understanding. 

"I understand, so you're asking for my permission to kill him?"

Zeki let out a chuckle, "No I am telling you we will kill him. Though from what I was told, he seems to be against the Horrors. Marko also told me he only entered this state due to an issue with the mind, for a strong person like him, it should not be long for him to gain clarity....hopefully."

It was at that moment, a violent and ancient roar shook the entire city. The walls contorted and changed into dark and eroded wood. 

"Whelp explanations are over, looks like he's here already, time for action!"