A Wielder. Akuma was a Wielder. A human bestowed with the power of one of the five… four… demons. It was hard to believe, but also made a lot of things make sense. What he'd done to the bowl, the strange presence in his being. It might not have explained where he came from or how he got there, but it was a start.
"If I really am… a Wielder, then of what demon?"
Bast leaned back in his seat, rubbing the back of his head. "Honestly, kid, I don't have a clue. Best guess? Maybe Luck, but it's a stretch. I won't pretend to be familiar with the different Wielders' powers, but I do know that Luck Wielders are supposedly the most diverse."
Aku looked down at his hands, balling his hands into fists before stretching his fingers. He could still distinctly feel the tingling he'd felt when that energy, which he now knew was from his powers as a Wielder, had activated against his will. Speaking of…
"Wait, Bast, how did my powers activate in the first place? Was it something I did? How can I do it again?"
Bast chuckled awkwardly, wincing. "Ah, yes, that. Well, you see… I poisoned you."
"You… poisoned me?"
"I poisoned you."
Aku blinked, taken aback for a good moment. "With what exactly?"
"Well, it's an odd thing, that. It's a plant that grows out in the Wilds, outside the city walls. It's called Fluxbloom, it makes Inheritors', and apparently Wielders' powers, go haywire for a short time. Pretty nasty shit if you ask me, but uh… I guess I can't really be talking."
Aku eyed him with a bit of malice in his eyes.
"Er, sorry, kid. I had to be sure and… well, seeing how things turned out, I'd say it was for the best."
Aku sighed ruefully, nodding. "Yeah, I suppose you're right."
Bast got serious again, hushing his tone. "Now, Aku, there's something you have to understand. Around here, or anywhere in the Holy Realms for that matter, Wielders are the enemy. If anyone finds out what you are, then I can assure you, you will be hunted down and killed. Do you understand?"
Aku nodded. "I do. But there is one thing I don't get. Bast, why are you helping me? Aren't I your enemy too?"
Bast laughed, standing up from his stool and grabbing his cane. "Well, kid, here's the thing. I'm a selfish man, Aku. And I'm also old. And if there's one thing this selfish old man wants, it's for his shop to outlive him." He sighed, leaning on his cane. "In short, Aku, I want someone to take care of my shop when I'm dead. Which, honestly, won't be too long now."
"I… see. So, then, how long do you think you have? 5 years?" Aku said solemnly.
"5 years?! Kid, how old do you think I am?!"
"I- uh, well I just… assumed… maybe 80?"
"80?! Kid, I'm old, not ancient! When I said 'won't be too long' I meant maybe 20 years or so, not that it was time to start planning the damned funeral. I'll have you know that I'm 62 years young, punk."
'Ha, struck a nerve, I guess' He tried not to laugh, stifling a snort. "Well sorry, O' Wise One, not my fault you look 20 years older than you are."
Bast's jaw hung open, letting out a pained laugh. "Well! Maybe I won't be letting you live here after all, huh? How about that? Hell, maybe I ought to go ahead and turn you into the Inheritor Corps, huh? Would you like that?"
Aku laughed, getting up from his stool. "Now, now, oldhead, let's not be too hasty now." He paused, letting his gaze soften. "So, you want me to be the one to take care of your shop when you, you know, kick the bucket?"
Bast nodded, tapping his finger on his cane. "That's right. Of course, you can refuse, especially now that you know what you do, and you don't have to answer me right now."
'He trusts me.' Aku realized, oddly touched by the thought. They'd only known each other for all of a day or so, but for some reason, Bast trusted him. Enough so to offer him his shop, his life's work. "I'll think about it. Honestly, I will. No promises, though."
"That's all I need, kid." He paused for a moment before straightening up. "Well, now that we've got that covered, I think you need a shower."
Aku threaded his fingers through his usually white hair, which was now stained slightly by the vomit he'd woken up in earlier. It was then that he realized that he didn't know where the bathroom, and by extension, the shower, were. Bast led him to the bathroom and gave him a bottle of shampoo and bar of soap, then left him be. Aku turned on the shower and reached out to let it flow through his hands for a few moments, wondering how it was warm and how it worked. He'd have to ask Bast later.
He stripped his clothes off, the black and once-crimson robes and black pants he'd had on the last two days, and stepped in. He let the water cascade over him for a few long minutes. It was the first time besides bathing in the river since he'd really felt clean. It was refreshing, finally being able to relax. The last two days had gone by unbelievably fast, and he'd learned so much. Divine wars, Inheritors, Wielders… himself. He was a Wielder. It really should have shocked him more than it did, but he felt like… like it made sense. As if he'd known all along.
He could still feel that presence deep inside himself, that power. All that energy. It felt so close, so a part of him, yet he couldn't use it. Couldn't even touch it, as he'd been quite violently made aware of when he'd first tried. He was slowly getting bits and pieces of what happened when he blacked out.
That nightmare… vision… thing. It all felt so wrong. Why would he dream of something like that? Was this part of his powers as a Wielder? Some kind of weird side effect?
He poured a heft dollop of shampoo into his stained hair, kneading it firmly into his scalp. Dirt and grime, as well as vomit, were slowly washed from his pure white hair, sluicing down his arms and dripping from his elbows. The water felt heavenly running down his chest to his abs, then lower.
He took the bar of soap from the shower shelf and rubbed his body down, quite enjoying the sweet floral aroma of the suds. It certainly smelled better than he did prior. He scrubbed himself as clean as he could manage, leaving his skin the milky white it was before.
He'd have to address all his questions eventually, but right then, it was best to allow himself some time to breathe. With a somewhat dejected sigh, he turned the water off and stepped out, toweling off. He took the hair brush from the sink and worked the tangles from his hair. He put his clothes back on and gave himself one more look over. When he finally stepped out of the bathroom, he was first hit with the smell of a savory aroma in the air.
Bast had his back to him, cooking on a stove with wood burning in the firebox. A small, metal chimney led up to the ceiling, disappearing out the roof. He watched the old man cook for a few moments before quietly walking up and peering over his shoulder into the pot. "What's that?"
Bast jumped at his voice and let out a rather un-manly yelp. "Life's vines, boy, you scared the hell outta me!"
Aku laughed, taking a step back and holding his hands up consolingly. "Sorry, sorry."
Shaking his head, Bast muttered something under his breath before stirring the pot of some somewhat thick, brownish liquid. "Horned Rabbit stew, a recipe made by yours truly."
"Horny Rabbit stew? How did-"
"Horned, boy! Horned Rabbit! Gods, you are… bah." He shook his head incredulously, lifting the spoon from the pot and blowing on it. He took a sip of the stew and hummed to himself. "Needs salt, and maybe… yes, some bjurtic as well." He scratched his beard and opened a cabinet above the stove, pulling out two jars.
Aku took a seat on a stool next to the counter, watching quietly as Bast went about making the stew. His gaze wandered around the moderate sized kitchen space. I had, of course, the stove, as well as a small sink across from it. A black countertop was in the center, where Aku was sitting beside. To the right of the stove was some tall metal box with handles on it. "Hey, Bast, what is that?" He said, gesturing to the box.
"You.. you mean the ice box? I… you know what, never mind. I'm just gonna assume from here on out that you're completely clueless about the world."
Bast quickly explained how the 'ice box' worked, and how it relied on elemental magic to keep food cold or frozen. He showed Aku a pattern runes he couldn't read on the inside, which apparently channeled Atmospheric Energy to power themselves and the spell they made up.
"Wait, so the only magic in this world isn't just from the gods and demons? There's other forms?"
Bast took the pot off the stove and set it on a brown cloth. "Well, yes, but also no. You see, Inheritors, as well as Wielders, are able to use their Core Energy in two forms. The first is, of course, the powers from their Patron. The second, however, is elemental magic. Their Energy can be used to bend and shape the physical elements of the world. The four main ones are the easiest, but they branch off as well."
"But you said something about 'Atmospheric Energy', what's that?"
He poured the stew into two separate bowls, sliding one over to Aku. "That is Energy that naturally comes off of all living things. Humans, animals, abominations…"
"Abominations?"
"Magic creatures. Nasty things, them. Usually some sort of amalgamation of two or more creatures. You didn't see any on your way from… wherever?"
Aku brought a hand to his chin, nodding. "Actually yes, I did. It was this wolf-like thing. Body of a wolf, but it had tusks. Oh! And this on its tail…" He pulled the wolf creature's tail blade from his belt, where he'd been concealing it.
Bast's eyes widened slightly, and he whistled. "Damn, kid. That would've been what's called a Daggertail Wolf. Ya know, 'cause of the tail and all." He shrugged. "Not a bad prize, that tail spike. They're awfully sturdy if you don't mistreat 'em. Though, I suppose that goes for just about any weapon." Bast reached his hand out, and Aku handed him the blade.
"Would it sell for much? Don't know if you noticed, but I'm not exactly swimming in gold here." He made a show of reaching into his pockets and turning them inside out.
Bast chuckled but shook his head. "Not enough to be worth it, no. Actually… this gives me an idea."
Aku tilted his head with a silent question, raising one eyebrow.
"You already know I need to teach you how to smith. After all, if you're going to take over my smithy one day, you'll need to know how to smith." He grinned, making the corners of his eyes crinkle, holding up the Daggertail's spike. "And this, my young apprentice, is how I'll be teaching you."