Night had fallen upon the city. Guts walked behind his rescuer, a small old man no bigger than a ten year old, wearing a cloak and using his cane to help him walk. Merlin looked up at the buildings, seeing an open wooden window with a man looking out it. He immediately slammed the window shut.
"Geez, how unfriendly...." Merlin hummed as she sat on Guts's shoulder. But in a way they were kind enough not to call the guards.
"It's because everyone's suspicious. You never know when you might be accused of heresy, or by whom....." the imp of a man spoke as they rounded a corner. They walked down a flight of stairs before coming to a stop in front of a door. The old man reached for a key in his cloak and unlocked the door and walked in, Guts closing the door behind them. "They're not just afraid of strangers. Acquaintances, neighbors, friends, even family......in this town, people are a thing to be feared.......here we are."
It was a huge room, filled with shelves and tables. Many different skulls were scattered across the room, some human and others Fae (Homunculus). Books filled the bottom shelves of the bookcases, while jars were placed on the top shelves. In said jars were a variety of dead creatures, incubus being one of them. Small step stools were at every bookcase. An instrument, Guts didn't know what it was called, was by several vials, indicating a 'science' education. Another word for witchcraft in Guts's book.
"Huh, a man of science?" Merlin pondered as she flew down to the papers and books on the table. She looked up and noticed a jar in front of her. In said jar, was another fairy. "AH?!"
"Oh, please forgive me little one." The small man spoke as he looked at the now shocked Merlin. "I don't mean any offense to you or your kind."
"I-it's fine. I'm not even a fairy anyways." She chuckled nervously as she scratched the back of her head, making the small man tilt his head. "I'm just trapped in this form for the time being."
"......quite the collection." Guts spoke as he picked up another jar. A fetus was curled up in it, an umbilical cord still attached to its stomach. He set the jar down and looked at a dissected arm, a human arm. Guts chuckled. "I bet if anyone accused you of being a heretic, you'd have a hard time explaining all of this."
"Heh heh heh, no, just a retired physician......you know, I saw you at the execution grounds today." The imp spoke before turning towards Guts, both hands on his cane. A small smile appeared on the imp's face. "Do you have some sort of grudge against the count? Is it........revenge?"
Guts narrowed his eye. Merlin gasped as Guts kicked the imp's cane out from underneath him, making the small man fall to the ground with a umph. Merlin flew down to the man, glaring at Guts.
"I'm the only one asking questions here." Guts grunted as he stared down at the man. He watched as the small man groaned and tried pushing himself up. "Why did you help me? If you don't answer I might just kill you....."
"GUTS! That was horrible, you didn't need to kick him like that!!!!" Merlin shouted at Guts. He had changed a lot since they've last seen each other. She turned back to the old man, looking in worry. Curse these emotions she could now feel. "You okay mister.........?!"
Merlin gasped, flying back up to Guts's shoulder. The old man had grabbed his cane and pushed himself up. He had two peg legs strapped to his stumped limbs. As he pushed himself up he began to laugh.
".....I couldn't afford to let them capture you back there......" the chuckle died down as the man lifted his head up. Guts's eye widened a small bit. ".....I want you to kill him."
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"I want you....to cut him into little pieces....that DEMON!"
Merlin nearly barfed from seeing the imp's state of being. Missing an eye, half the skin on his face that had loose, dirty bandages on it, part of his lip was removed and revealed his teeth. His nose was completely gone, yet he laughed.
"Look at me! These legs.....this face! That fiendish Count cut them up, piece by piece, and ate them!" The imp nearly screamed as he scratched his head in anger, cutting himself. He looked up at Guts with a frown before laughing, the swordsman unfazed by his looks now. "Hehehe......you don't even believe my story, do you?"
"..........I believe you." Merlin looked back at Guts, his voice had turned quiet as he looked down at the pitiful imp. The imp himself looked at Guts with a wide eye. "No......rather, I know what he is."
The imp looked up at Guts, mouth wide open. He hoped he heard Guts correctly, taking a small wobbly step forward. He saw no lie in Guts's eye, he was serious. The imp wheezed out a laugh before pulling his hood back up and turning around.
"Come, come....." The imp wheezed out as he beckoned Guts closer. "There's something I want to show you......."
Guts followed the imp to the bookshelf behind him. The deformed man reached up to the bottom part of a bone jaw and pulled down on it. The sound of gears turning filled the room and the bookshelf before them began to slide to the left, revealing a small space behind it. Guts followed the imp into the room before they came to a stop in front of a pedestal with a pillow on it. Guts and Merlin's eye(s) widened upon seeing the object on said pillow.
"It's......." Guts looked in awe, horror, and disgust at the object. Shaped like an egg, grey in color. A face was on it, although it was scrambled, eyes, nose, and mouth out of place. Merlin rubbed her eyes, she had only seen one before in her life, only difference was that it was red, and was the belonging of her daughter figure.
".....A Beheilt!!!!"
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End.
Sorry guys, I'd type more but I just got back from a cross country meet, so my muscles are tired.
