The walk to Bast's shop didn't take very long, it was only a kilometer or so from Geoff's inn, but it did take some time. The old man insisted on stopping along the way to pick up some tools, which he had given Aku the task of carrying. They were surprisingly light to Aku, despite being made from what seemed to him like quite high quality steel.
'What's he need all this stuff for?'
Aku was currently carrying three different types of hammers that he couldn't name if he tried, he just assumed they were for smithing, as well as a cast iron bucket and a lamp.
It was far inferior to Aku's lantern, if he did say so himself.
When they arrived at the old smith's shop, Bast told him to put the stuff down near his work area, which seemed awfully impressive to Aku, even though he didn't really know much about smithing.
Bast's shop was quite large, since it doubled as his house, and Aku suddenly realized why he didn't have a house. Simply put, he didn't need one. One side of the shop was clearly designated for smithing, but the other side was more or less just like any house. There were two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen area, but no common area.
The outside of the shop was still made of the same white marble, gold, and ruby, but the inside was unlike anywhere else he'd seen in the city so far, granted, he hadn't been here for long, but his point remained. The walls here were, to Aku's surprise, made from dark stone and dark wood.
After dropping off Bast's tools in the forgery side of his house, Bast gave Aku a quick tour and led him into one of the two bedrooms. It was small, with only a bed, a dresser, and a desk in the corner, but it was perfectly sufficient for Aku. There was also a window for him to look out of. They were quite high up in the city now, so he could see a lot.
The sun was just barely peeking over the horizon, and the orange light cast over the city made it even more stunning than when he'd seen it before.
Smoke was rising from several different chimneys, the streets were mostly empty now, and there were a few spire buildings that towered above the rest. The huge tree was swaying high above, thin clouds drifting below its branches.
Genesis, Life's city as people tended to call it, though Aku wasn't yet sure why, was situated under its enormous branches.
Turning away from the window, Aku walked over to his bed, which was quite small, and sat down on its edge. He let out a long sigh, rubbing his face.
Today had been… a lot.
To recap, he had first woken up sometime around noon in that ancient forest, walked for a while on the rough dirt path, fell asleep, and then walked another 6 hours, then finally stumbled upon Genesis, Life's city. After he arrived here, he had walked into a local inn which he only now realized he never got the name of, was given a pair of old boots by Geoff, the innkeeper, and that's when things started getting strange.
A boy named Andre had walked into the inn along with a couple others, and started making trouble with Geoff. He had wanted to help, but was stopped by an old man who he now knew was Bast, one of the blacksmiths of Genesis. The men were known as Inheritors, which he still didn't know anything about because Bast was being oddly stingy with the information. Now, he was at the old man's house, which was also his shop, sitting in his guest bedroom.
To be honest, Aku felt more than a little overwhelmed. He was confused, slightly frustrated that Bast wouldn't just tell him what the hell Inheritors were, and quite frankly, a bit scared. He was in an unknown city, came from an unknown place, and was now staying with a man that he'd only met a couple of hours ago.
And there was one other thing bothering him.
Why would Bast have Aku stay with him in the first place?
It's not like they knew each other, and Bast certainly didn't owe him anything. In fact, according to him, he'd saved Aku's life by holding him back. He couldn't see any reason that Bast would invite him into his home. Perhaps he was just nice, but that seemed unlikely.
Bast wasn't telling him something, he could tell.
But in any case, it didn't really matter. He hadn't done anything to harm Aku yet, and he was fairly sure that he was capable of it, so he doubted that he would try something now. He would just have to wait and see.
Just as he was thinking that, there was a knock on his door and in walked Bast carrying a bowl of steaming oats.
"Hey, kid, I made some porridge for us both. Need any honey or fruit to add with it?"
Aku shook his head, taking the bowl gratefully, mouth already watering.
"Ah, thank you, I haven't eaten since… this morning? I think so, at least."
He took a steaming bite, the creamy texture coating his palate. It burned his tongue, but he didn't care, he kept eating. It was oddly sweet and had a nice taste, so he was enjoying it quite a bit. Bast seemed to notice, too.
"Huh, I didn't think my cooking was that good. Glad somebody appreciates it as much as I do. But honestly, kid, where did you come from?"
Aku swallowed before answering, wincing at the heat in his throat.
"I told you, I don't know."
"Yeah, kid, I know what you said. But I want to know the truth."
Aku blinked, a bit taken aback. Where had this come from?
"You think I'm lying to you."
More of a statement than a question.
"I do." The man took a pause. "Although I'm not too sure why you would. Really there's only one reason why you would, and if it were that reason… then things might have to change."
Aku narrowed his eyes a bit, feeling a bit uneasy at the sudden switch in Bast's demeanor.
"Look, old man, I don't know what you're talking about or what you're getting at, but whatever it is, you've got it wrong. I seriously just woke up in the middle of nowhere and walked here. What more do I need to tell you?"
Bast's typical warm smile had long faded, replaced by a serious, cold expression.
"And where exactly was this 'middle of nowhere'? Near Genesis? Far?"
His face turned grim.
"The Lesser Realms?"
Aku shifted uncomfortably, unable to look away from the man's cold gray eyes.
"The what? Look, Bast, I don't know what you're talking about or why it's important, but whatever the case, I'm not here to cause trouble."
Bast shook his head and sat back, looking out past Aku at the sun.
"Sorry, kid, but I can't just take your word for it."
That's when Aku finally noticed it, a slight tingling in his body… no, his being. It felt like something deep inside him was stirring, against his own will.
Suddenly, the bowl in his hands began to tremble slightly, then distort. He looked down at it, confused, as the clay began to morph. It shifted into a medium sized orb of clay, rippling and spikes jutting out every couple of seconds.
Before Aku could understand what was going on, Bast was on his feet, backing up with a terrified expression on his face.
"You… y-you… you're no Inheritor at all."
Aku looked past Bast and into a mirror that hung on the wall, looking at himself clearly for the first time since this morning.
His hair was floating slightly, raising just a few centimeters off his skin. But what really struck him was not his hair, but his eyes.
They were changing rapidly, shifting to hundreds of different colors every second, no rhythm or pattern to be found. It was like his eyes were a kaleidoscope of colors, shifting endlessly.
After a few moments, it all ceased, and Aku went back to normal. The clay orb in his hands dropped to the floor, shattering into hundreds of tiny pieces. He looked up at Bast, who was standing with his back to the door, with a confused look on his face, his hands trembling slightly.
"Bast? What was… what the hell was that?!"