A Legacy's Glimmer

We had come before a wooden building that almost seemed like it belonged to a shanty town. It was splintered and buckled at each and every corner, having to be held together with heavy concrete. The wood itself was a little moldy, showing that it had either been treated ages ago, or not at all. Either way, the place was falling apart. A dull yellow glow passed through its few opaque windows, granting it an eerie almost ghost-like aura.

The only thing that seemed to appear to be new was the shining sign above the door. It was made of some kind of plant. It read "The Loveless Hoya", as though it were a lament.

'Strange, but fitting.'

"Acros sir."

"Hmm? Yes?"

"The Loveless Hoya is a place where people come to discuss things they never could anywhere else. I- no, we have a lot of history with this place. So there are a couple of things I have to tell you before we go in. One, don't say anything you wouldn't want anyone else to hear unless you want it to be sold to the highest bidder. Only when I have finished talking with the owner can we discuss secrets freely. Two, this place is run by mamono. None of them are hostile, so they don't pose a threat. And finally, three, don't ask any questions about what you see. Nothing here has a good story behind it.

Nothing."

"I… Understood, I will proceed with caution."

"Alright, let's go."

As Cartor dismounted and Utbort helped him hobble up onto the wooden porch, I couldn't help but feel this place was unsettling. As though something that didn't belong permeated its very existence. 

Nothing ever struck fear into me anymore. An embodiment of fear had been both my teacher and brother. There was little I had not seen or faced in one form or another. Even so, I had retained my sense of wariness. 

And something within me told me that this place was wrong. Incorrect in its very existence here on this land. 

Cartor placed both of his palms on one door while Utbrot did the same on the other side. The moment they pushed open the door, it was like entering a new world. Inside, the first thing one noticed was a Dryad sitting inside what seemed like a cage of glowing vines that stretched up to the ceiling, sprawling out and lighting up the entirety of the bar. A Satyros worked the counter, sliding a drink across to a lonely were-cat, who then pushed it off the counter and into a bin seemingly made just for her.

Everything was made out of either wood, stone, or glass. The chairs were not bolted together, but seemed to be glued. There was no metal whatsoever, even in the ceiling beams. 

It was a pattern that was only broken by the booths which had old leather seats. Small tears showed the brown wool within, and the age of everything in here.

And so, we waited quietly, taking in the cold, homely atmosphere.

Eventually, a door opened near the side of the bar and a small woman wearing a necklace stepped out. She had a large fluffy tail, held up and curling behind her like a snail's shell. Her ears turned and rotated as she took tiny steps towards us. She was blind. Her eyes were a milky grey, as though the pupils had spilled out and dyed them into monotony. In her hand was a cane that looked like a broken branch from the tree that enshrined the dryad. It gave off a dull white glow every time it tapped the floor, lighting the way for its sightless master.

"Welcome, welcome, the name's Norn, I'm a Ratatoskr. I like to think I'm a good person but a lot of people tell me that they don't end up seeing eye to eye with me.

Cartor then hobbled forward and tapped her cane, causing it to illuminate fully for a moment.

"Norn, it's me. You've told me that joke before."

"Ah! Cartor, welcome back. How are you? Have you considered my offe-"

"He isn't becoming a club dancer," said Utbrot as she narrowed her eyes at Norn.

"Ah, a shame."

"Its really not."

"Well if not you, then what about your new armoured friend?"

The Ratatoskr's ears turned to peer at me, rotating independently from her head. Her smile which was genuine towards Cartor seemed to become hollow as the emotion behind it faded away.

It was subtle things like this that you learned to notice after seeing it a few times.

"I would consider myself unfit for such tasks."

"Ho? That's quite the deep voice. I would love to see what you look like."

The woman finally looked at me, allowing me to see the embroidery of a sword entangled by a flower sitting on a leather circle attached to her necklace. Immediately I looked at the dryad, my eyes wandering her wooden body as I searched for something. 

A scar.

It was faint, and difficult to see, but there was a scar beneath her left breast, and likely one on her back as well.

'Its only a mere assumption, but quite the tragedy involving these three took place.'

"Are you done ignoring me and ogling my workers?"

"Yes. I have more questions than answers, but while I am intrigued, I have more important tasks to attend to."

"..."

"W-well uh, Norn, as much as I-no, we would like to keep talking, I think it's time we got going. We're here to rent a booth, could we get number twelve?"

The Ratatoskr raised an eyebrow ever so slightly as her ears turned expectantly between the two of us.

"Did you tell him about the house rules?"

"I did."

"Good, good…"

Norn tapped her cane on the floor as she seemed to contemplate something. 

For a moment.

*Tap*

For a minute.

*Tap*

Then two.

*Tap*

"N-norn, we really ought to get going. Do you uh, mind handing us a key? "

Norns' cane hovered an inch above the floor as she stopped mid tap. She chewed at her lip as her ears seemed to focus in on me, listening, hoping to hear something.

"Norn?"

"I want to test him."

"Huh? I didn't bring him here for that! You said you wouldn't do this anymore!"

"Thats true Norn, the time with Kwart was supposed to be the last time."

"I know, I know. And Utbrot, Kwart did end up being a problem remember?"

"Yeah, our problem. Not yours."

"What does this test entail?"

My voice cut into their banter, causing the Ratatoskr to carefully turn and face me as her lips curled into a sly smile.

"Its a simple one involving a-"

"Wait! Acros this is not what we brought you here for, are you sure you want to do this?"

There was a tone of genuine concern in Cartors voice, matched by the nervous shifting of Utbrot's hooves. There was obviously a risk here that I didn't understand. This whole place's air of mystery was beginning to shift from intriguing to bothersome.

"I will listen to Norn, and then decide."

"What a concept! Listen to the person talking, don't interrupt, and come up with your own conclusions. If only you two were half as smart as him. Or did the post coital clarity wear off and leave you stupid?"

Utbrot and Cartor blushed as her words hit full force. Especially since indeed, both of them did still smell of it a bit.

"Back to where I was, the test is simple. Kerrii-"

She gestured at the dryad.

"- will offer you leaf and you will put your hand on it. If she doesn't like you, your banned. If she's indifferent, I'll listen in on everything you say, and if anyone really knows what they're looking for, I might sell your information to them. If she likes you, she'll light up the leaf and I'll grant you access to the most secure rooms in the entire region with no strings attached. Simple right?"

The whole time she spoke, she never smirked or mocked me, all she had was a light smile. She had told me the truth, and Cartor had warned me beforehand. These decisions were my own to make.

Even so, I had a slight bone to pick with her.

And the best way to shatter said bone was…

"I did not come here to gamble. Even so, I am not bound to remain here after the test am I?"

"Not at all."

"Then I will take it."

Cartor and Utbrot sighed with relief as they heard my response. 

"Alrighty then. Kwart! Shut the blinds. Nimmy, piss off and go upstairs."

The were-cat, who had been ignoring the whole situation and was playing with a marble on the counter, whipped around and hissed at Norn. Her tail stood up tall as her ears folded back in a threatening display. Even so Norn remained calm and looked to Kwart, the black haired Satyros. Since we walked in, and since Norn came on the scene, she had neither blinked nor changed her expression. She was completely devoid of any internal presence. 

It was as though the lights were on but no one was home. The woman hopped off a tall stool and stood, flattening out the small wrinkles in her tuxedo vest. She then straightened her tie, reached under the counter, and pulled out a flute before putting it to her lips.

Nimmy, who had been slowly becoming more and more agitated looked back to see the woman who had been playing with her moments earlier point her flute at her.

"Waaah! Wait-nya!"

*Shwunk!*

Kwart blew into the flute, and instead of a beautiful note being played, a dart flew out and hit the were-cat square in the neck.

Kwart then waved her hand at the windows, closing the curtains. The were-cat stumbled for a moment as Kwart came around the counter, before grabbing her by the scruff of her neck and dragged her upstairs as Nimmy fell unconscious.

All the while, Utbrot and Cartor simply shook their heads.

"Ugh, she never learns."

"Maybe it's because the darts knock her out."

"I'm considering new solutions but she's surprisingly resilient."

"Good luck with that one Norn, because we certainly aren't going to help."

"Thanks. Anyways, let's get started."

Norn sighed before grasping the top of the cane with both hands. Raising it as though she were wielding a two handed sword, she plunged it onto the floor.

*Crak!*

There was a quiet snap as the dryads head moved slightly at the sounds.

*Crek!*

*Crok!*

*Crik!*

The sounds of cracking wood echoed throughout the mostly empty bar as the dryad held out her hand.

Moments later, a long strand of vine covered in heart shaped leaves snaked out towards me with a massive green leaf at its tip. It was the only part of the vine that didn't glow, and on it there was a large imprint of hand.

"Place your hand on the imprint."

Reaching, I felt the invisible strand of energy reach out meet my armour, unable to permeate its surface. Immediately I understood its composition. 

Why it was such a source of unease.

'Animum, why did you leave your legacy on a backwater world like this?'

Now I had no choice. I had to investigate, for his sake and mine.

*Clank-Clank-Thunk*

My gauntlet shifted and fell back, revealing a hand of pure flame that extinguished the moment it met the air. 

My blackened skeletal fingers were slowly dotted with pink, dots of flesh as they grew into strands before twirling and intertwining, forming muscle and sinew.

"Wait, what are you! Cartor! Who is he!"

"Well uh-"

"No time for Uh's, you! I'm calling off the test! You can use the rooms, just wait!"

Flaky burnt skin returned to a dark tan complexion as my scarred hand pressed itself against the leaf, completely ignoring Norns pleas.

And in that moment, Kerrii's vines shone brilliantly, coating the dull bar in a sea of white light.

…

There I stood, in the old grey rags of my days in the arena. I was in my youth, with broken shackles chained to nothing clamping down on my wrists. My scarred tanned skin which was once beat down upon by the hateful sun was now simply graced by the soft white ambience surrounding us.

A short ways away, a tree of glass and light served as the perch of a little wooden girl. Her skin tone was oak, while a dress of green heart shaped leaves covered her body. 

A small bundle of pink and white flowers sat in her green, grasslike hair. They were each very small, and splayed themselves out like starfish. And pointing in the direction of each petal was a small bead like fruit.

The girl had no mouth, yet her eyes were full of life as she looked me up and down from her high perch.

Looking up at her, I decided to take a seat, sending ripples of light ebbing out in all directions.

"Is this your mindscape?"

The moment the words came out my mouth, I was almost startled by the soft childlike voice I let out. 

Even so, I ignored my own existence here and focused on the girl.

She nodded, her eyes excitedly beaming at me.

"I see…"

For a moment I considered cutting things here. Being in a foreign mindscape meant my body was vulnerable, especially with my hand exposed.

But this girl…

She didn't even know what she was.

There was no way she could know.

She was just a child left on some backwater world.

I smiled, looking up at the girl who seemed taken aback by someone actually sharing in her joy of meeting someone.

"I guess I have a bit of time. Let's talk, Kerrii."

…