“Leandro...” Gwyn was almost speechless, averting his gaze.
“That feeling, I know it. Feeling as if all you've ever done was worth shit and all you ever think about will amount to nothing. A grim world that never changes,” he nodded.
“I might not understand you, but I want to because I get it. I feel hopeless all the time, and it's awful – so let's do this together!”
The two men made up after a squeezing themselves together in a tight hug. It was settled.
Both of them agreed on visiting the palace of Pride. Gwyn still couldn't bear to tell Leandro about the impending attack of Despair, which he thought to be his trump card. Yet, the feeling of friendship was something that he held equally dear to his heart. For the first time, he felt that he was accepted for being himself, reflecting that respect back to Leandro. Leaving the inn, past the dancing masked guests, happy merchants and glowing street lamps they traversed the streets. One more stop before they would finally meet Pride for themselves in the giant palace that was located right in the center of the city.
Chapter 22 – Pieces of the Puzzle
“I cannot believe that those three strange dudes were letting us pass through just like that. This is getting more freaky by the minute,” Darius whistled. “You think that there are three of them at every gate we saw?”
“Maybe, there truly never seems to be a shortage of unforeseen circumstances,” Balthasar added with a smirk.
“At least it looks a lot more upscale here. Let's hope Othilia returns soon. I could really use a bath,” Willhelm was overjoyed.
“Just in case, everyone watch each other's back.”
“E-emily is right,” mumbled Olivia after her while folding her hands on her chest.
“Stop following her like a mindless sheep. We don't need a leader. We can take care of ourselves,” hissed Ansia next to her as she floated gently above the ground.
“OUT OF THE WAY! I SAID, OUT OF THE WAY! LET THESE WORTHLESS SCUMBAGS THROUGH, SO THAT THEY MAY FINALLY LEAVE THIS LOFTY CITY,” a voice yelled through the festive-looking streets.
“What's going on over there?”, Emily asked herself as she approached the crowd that had formed a passage on the paved streets.
“A new delivery for Gluttony. The quicker you get out the way, the faster these losers will leave us and be of use to society,” the voice spoke again, and now the group had a full view of what was happening. Chained to a wooden log, twelve half-naked men and women were marching along the road with lowered heads. Their long and unwashed hair didn't allow for a clearer look at their faces, but their bodies were covered in wounds, bruises, and dirt.
Emily and her group held their breath as they were watching with entranced bewilderment how every single Persona was paraded in front of the masses. Everything was going down with a sort of naturalness and applause that made Emily's stomach turn even more. As if it had been a solemn act that was adding a shot of euphoria and glee to their festival.
The gawking Personas voiced their opinions, at the cost of Emily and the others.
“Will you have a look at that one?! He's as fresh as a chocolate mint. He'll do his work just fine. Finally, they are doing something worthwhile with their existence.”
“Huhuh, you are so very much correct. It's nice to see someone with the courage to say what all of us think. I'm sure Greed and Gluttony will think of even more marvelous ways to honor us, after all, it's our city that matters.”
As the roaring of the crowd went on, the captives marched in two straight lines, driven by a man behind them that could be heard from a distance. He wore a black cowl, and directly beside him was something that looked like a mechanical golem to Emily’s eyes, which was laboriously moving along. Its body was made up of old and tainted metal, with black paint already coming off. Out of its wide-built shoulders, thin metal arms protruded, combined out of many different parts. A black liquid came out of the cracks, spilling onto the streets as he continued. The metallic golem was almost thrice the size of the man in the cowl and his lifeless glass-like eyes were whipping up and down with every step.
“Ksk,” Emily tried to calm herself as much as possible, as she witnessed the whole scene. Biting her lip in anger, while her eyes were filling with fury.
“I know how you feel Emily, but we have to move on,” whispered her aspect into her ear, as he pulled her softly backward by her arms.
As the spectacle came to a close, the crowd dispersed itself and went on with their daily activities as if nothing happened.
“I've done a few wicked things myself, but this is going too far,” Balthasar mumbled into his beard, whereas the rest of the group gathered itself.
“So you know you're full of shit just like the rest of us, huh old man?” Darius taunted him with a few drops of spit coming out of his mouth while he talked. “But I like that,” he added.
“Enough, guys,” Emily intervened from aback. “Willhelm, what did Othilia say to you exactly?”
“Ehm,” he sort of evaded her gaze as he scratched the back of his head while trying to remember what Othilia said as they walked through the city gates, with her shortly disappearing afterward.
“She said something about helping us because you two risked your lives to get us out of that prison, and, ehm, something that I could help her with? Sorry I didn't really pay that much attention to her, she just sorta left, you know?”
“Great,” again a whistle from Darius followed as he turned himself away.
“I think it's not a bad idea to wait for her. This is her city after all.” Gieldan took it upon himself to be the leading voice, as he scanned their surroundings.
Indeed the street they arrived at was just near the northern city gate, directly leading into a little street corner where a colorful marketplace had been erected. Many different lights were glowing as the night had already returned to this world, and lively jugglers were dancing next to the stands. The finest fruits were laid out on display, with everything around decorated neatly and drowned in beautiful flower petals.
Not too far from them stood an imposing building that looked like a mansion, yet distinguished itself from the rest of the buildings. There was a long line of Personas waiting at the entrance. The strange thing that caught them off guard was that none of them wore any masks or costumes at all. Out of the corner of their eyes, Darius and Gieldan followed what transpired.
Slowly a gap formed itself as the door opened and a man with a humongous belly and sparkling red vest peeped out of, ready to march in front of the Personas. He had a long, curly mustache that went way past his cheeks, upon which he twirled as he examined each and every one of them. His tight, yellow striped pants and his shoes that were tiny enough to make it painful to watch. He had grabbed their attention and both of them gradually came within earshot.
As the human and the aspect realized that they were moving forward at the same time, their eyes met for a moment before turning away, disgusted.
“How wonderful that so many have gathered here, my dear ladies and gentleman,” the heavy man snorted to the masses. “This once in a lifetime experience is only available when the time of the masked ball has arrived. In exchange for your worthless life, you get the unique chance of becoming a fully-fledged citizen for Pride’s glorious city. But be careful!” He wagged his finger from left to right.
“This is not your usual gamble. Oh no! Every challenge will test you to your limits and lay bare your own limitations, and even cause your death if you are not careful enough,” he shouted at the top of his lungs and paused for a second to catch his breath.
“But all of us are like-minded individuals here, aren't we? In all honesty, this is the best offer you will ever receive in your lifetime. So why not take the chance by its throat and gut it out?! Achieving something you could never ever hope to achieve, no matter how many lies you tell yourself. Now, come, come – and be a part of the miracle of rebirth!”
With angsty and anxious eyes the women and men were looking at e
ach other, but despite their shaking legs they got closer to the door.
“Shut your traps and make way, you filthy dipshits,” the voice of a man angrily erupted from the crowd.
Every head turned around towards a man that was making his way through them with a confident walk, getting close to the announcer.
Gieldan and Darius only managed to catch a glimpse of the person with the loud voice as they saw long, fringed black hair covering his shoulders while also hiding his face.
“I have no time for ya stupid mind games. Let me in, and I will show you how I throw down!”
“A little bit too eager, aren't we sir? No worries, we will start immediately, but don't come crying to me, saying I didn't warn you.”
The man was silent for a brief moment before he answered.
“I know what I'm getting myself into, and now make room, you waste of space,” he energetically let out, as he waltzed right to the door, almost ramming the nearby people with his shoulders.
“And by the way, if any of you losers try to get in my way, don't expect a shred of mercy!” he grumpily added before disappearing behind the closing door of the pompous mansion.
“False sense of superiority just because of the place you were randomly born in… and here I thought I was the only person I severely hated,” Darius spoke before turning himself away. Directly behind him was Gieldan who saw everything, remaining silent. He rested his rigid gaze on Darius's back, leaving him with a feeling of uneasiness.
“Hm-mhm, I can sense some kind of tension in the air,” the voice of a man spoke.
“UAAAGH,” Darius lost his balance and went down with a loud scream. Within the blink of an eye, Gieldan readied his daggers and jumped in to protect Darius.
A mysterious looking man had appeared seemingly out of thin air. For Darius it was almost like his voice was there before he could even see a body.
The man stood right next to Darius with a tilted head and a pondering expression left by his bent arms and gestures. His face was fully covered by a mask, just like every other guest, but somehow it had an anxiety-inducing expression to it.
His mask was completely white, with round-shaped slits for his eyes and mouth. Even stranger was that one side of the mask portrayed a smiling face, while the other was downwards, representing a depressed face.
“Don't worry,” he pointed at the mask with long fingers covered in white gloves.
“This is just a spare one. Quite a lot happens when you're dealing with divas of all different kinds, but now everything is in place. The actors have gathered.”
“What are you talking about?” Gieldan asked straight-away. Even with all the surrounding lights, it was impossible to truly make out his face underneath the mask. Nothing but emptiness and darkness awaited upon looking directly into the eyeholes.
“I'm terribly sorry, my dear masteries. I was just a bit.. how do you say it?! Ah, yes, curious,” the figure proudly strutted around them, waving his arms, and with every curve, he made a drastic turn with his feet to re-position himself. He was dressed in a black-red guise with a top hat on his head, which reminded Darius of an animal trainer working for a circus. Someone who joyously jumped out into the ring to entertain his audience.
The young man was petrified but also intrigued, especially after seeing how the figure moved his fingers with every gesticulation. His hands were covered by gloves made out of white cloth, without a hint of dirt on them.
“Enough! What do you want?!” Gieldan became impatient.
“Shhh,” the gestalt pressed his index finger at his lips as if he wasn't taking Gieldan seriously, but before he could even begin to taunt the aspect, the theatrical character re-appeared next to his side, grabbing his hands that were holding on to the daggers - rendering them useless.
It was the first time that Gieldan was utterly shocked and momentarily frozen, as he could not believe it himself. No matter how hard he pulled, he couldn't escape the grip of the mysterious stranger. There was a tremendous difference between their capabilities, almost paralyzing the aspect entirely.
“Fifififif, excuse me, sometimes I tend to be a bit overeager,” it chuckled underneath the mask until another gust of wind made him re-appear next to the rest of the group that had slowly gathered.
“What extraordinary skill, madam,” he stood next to Olivia and closely examined her from top to bottom while moving up and down himself.
Surprisingly, with unbelievable precision and dexterity, his fingertips touched Olivia’s chest, moving onto her collarbone.
“A secret so well-hidden that it would reveal it all.” His touch intensified a little.
“Maybe even bring about great change… how exciting,” he chortled.
Olivia didn't know how to react, yet the stranger saw her eyes averting his gaze, looking down as if she had indeed hidden something in her shirt.
“HOW DARE YOU TOUCH HER?!” yelled Ansia who unexpectedly arose behind the masked man, striking for the kill. With claw-like nails, her attack came to nothing as she struck into thin air.
“Ho? Not bad, maybe a bit too dismissive for my taste,” it resounded in the same joyful voice of the man who ignored Ansia and her failed attack. His face turned itself once more towards Olivia, staring her down with his mask.
“A writer? No. A traveler? No,” he immediately corrected himself as he saw no visible reaction from her body until some sort of epiphany came to him
“Something private, secretive? Deeply locked into one's heart?” Without Olivia noticing, a little twitch went through her body as the masked man mentioned these words.
“Fififii, HOW WONDERFUL,” he stretched out his hands to the heavens and seemed overjoyed.
“Gieldan!” Emily reacted instantly and protectively joined Olivia's side. Ansia rebounded, and both aspects were storming towards the stranger.
“My, my, calm your temper my dears. We are all but children of this world. There is no need for fighting. At least for now.” With a spectacular somersault he brought distance between himself and the group. “I was just faintly interested, and how could I not be? Humans are wonderfully unique. I'm always curious as to what they do next,” he rubbed his hands together with glee and before he pointed towards Olivia.
“Just take a look around, and you will see the miracles this world brings forth. In her hands thrives the seed of a new generation that will bring the world great turmoil, and may even revolutionize it.”
The woman with the black locks looked down onto her fingers and realized, without noticing before, that she had put her hands together. She cautiously opened her palms before releasing them with a sudden scream as something began to move inside.
“What is it Olivia?!” Emily worried.
“W-what i-is t-that? W-why was it in my hand?” she stuttered as both women saw a tiny, purple, wormlike creature with thin tentacles, and two big pop eyes groveling before their eyes on Olivia's palm. With a squeak, it became scared as both of them stared at it feeling aghast.
Abruptly the creature dissolved into a sticky liquid of the same color, sliding through her fingers, dripping onto the ground. Drop by drop, it gathered itself until reforming itself to the slimy creature from before and digging into the pavement with its small tentacles.
“Without peers, isn't it? The miracle of change,” the masked man added.
The group was shocked and petrified as they could only imagine how excited the expression of the man must have been underneath the white mask.
“I think you've had enough fun for one evening.” Of all things Darius was the one who intervened. “Why don't you leave us alone before we call on our friends in this city?”
The stranger quickly took a glimpse to see that indeed figures in blue masks were patrolling the market, with everyone showing them some sort of respect.
“Sharp eyes, young man. Very speculative, but you are not wrong little human. What a shame that your aspect was nothing but a charade. I'm sure you could've played a bigger role yourself.
I would've liked to see your ending as well.”
“I'll gladly invite you when the time comes, and now scram!” Darius taunted him.
In the blink of an eye, Gieldan appeared next to the masked man and was about to strike, but to no success as the stranger evaded in the last moment.
“And here I thought we were becoming friends. Do you have no honor? I still wasn't done talking. Tz, tz, tz,” he waved his index finger around, as if he was scolding Gieldan like an impudent child.
“Hmpf, I never thought someone this quick would be this naive. How disappointing.” Gieldan sheathed his steel into the holder on his belt and crossed his arms.
“This is our reality, and if you threaten my partner in the slightest, I will not let a moment go by without me trying to take you out. No matter whether you're speaking or sleeping.”
“Fififi, what a brute. Quite the bad boy, indeed. I love underestimating my players. It makes up for a much more interesting play,” the masked man replied and turned himself around to the group.
“I have indeed seen it. This world will soon go through great change once more, something that will affect all of us and question even the future itself. Oh, what a gruesome fate that awaits all of us, I simply cannot wait. How will we progress? What can mankind do if it's brought to the brink of annihilation? The thought alone arouses me.”
“It's best you leave,” Marion took a step forward, readying her fist.
“Exactly, you're just another insane freak that walks around here,” Willhelm added, though he did not expect to have the masked man change his focus towards him. Even if his mask had the same shape from the moment they've met, they could still feel the atmosphere shifting.
The air got thicker and was brimming with danger, raising the hair on their backs.
“And who are you? Nothing but a failed trickster I assume.”
“What are you talking about? I'm just a dedicated father that wants to return to his children, you misguided freak.”
“Children, you say? My, my.” Again the gestalt examined someone from top to bottom “Are you sure about that? You don't mean Adam and Jasha, do you?!”
My Insanity Page 30
