Chapter four: Magic!

(WARNING: RATHER LONGER CHAPTER!!! I wrote from 1 am to nearly 6 am so please if there are any mistakes blame it on my tiredness. I beg you, hadn't really slept since days.)

Argant spend the rest of the day eating with his foster mother, his foster father (the minotaurus) Gasaf was still knocked out. Whereas Marie was just to shy to interact with Argant at all, so she always kept her distance over the day.

When it was night time Argant went straight to bed. So many new things happened to him but his mind could cope with them all perfectly. Maybe it still somewhat denied his past and accepted his current situation as how his life should have run and that's why it is running so smooth for his psyche.

Argant closed his eyes and began to think about the demon and human continents.

It's a pitty that we humans can't understand the demons. They are quite the nice people. Nicer than the scum I know. Hum...? Wait. Didn't the tales say that the demons are incapable of human speech and vice versa? How come they talked in human tongue and even the Serrian accent was prominent. What the hell?!

Argant's thoughts started to tumble over each other as they flooded his mind like locusts, hungry for answers.

After the problem of the language barrier was placed in Argant's mind he could no longer sleep at all.

He understood them and they understood him and even talked in his mother 'language' (just a dialect, all humans use roughly the same language after all.)

He considered different possibilities like magical tools he read about in his home village. Those tools allow the user to, instead of hearing the vibrations in the air, analyze the mana emission in their own mana pools. The meaning of the words is then directly transmitted to the brain.

But there were three problems. First, the mana pool had to have an substantial amount of mana in it, so only the highest grade of magus could use this tool. Second, he could not remember to be ever in the posession of such a valuable item. And lastly, this worked only one way. So how could they understand him?

At the same time that Argant was pondering over this impossible to solve question, Dariana did the same. How did she talked with this human child all this day long? She did not knew the human tongue and on the demon continents the various races had their own unique languages, heck some communicated only through hand movements.

Argant and Dariana left their beds at the same time and opened their doors at the same time. They stared at each other in the kitchen room, silent at first. But Argant broke the silence.

(Argant) “Mother how do you understand what I am saying?“. He was not really comfortable in calling her mother but she insisted all day long, so he went along with it.

(Dariana) “Argant I wanted to ask you the same thing, since when to you know the language of the minotaures?“

(Argant) “What are you talking about, you are clearly talking in the human tongue, even father was.“

(Dariana) “There is no way! We never visited the human continent much less mastered its language and you are clearly talking in the language of the minotaures.“

(Argant) “Mother please don't jest, you are even talking in the Serrian empires dialect. It's impossible that i am mishea-“. Just then Argant focused on the words he was saying adn she was right. It sounded like some gibberish but his mind knew its meaning. It was the same when we learn a foreign language. The words are completely different but we know their meaning in our own language.

(Argant) “You... are right, but how can this be?“.

(Argant) “AH can it be? No way.“. Argant's thoughts instantly shifted onto the ominous door which he touched before his death, but what could a door have to do with his way of speaking?

Dariana frowned as she looked at Argant and knew he was hiding something. After all he only told her that he thought he died and woke up on the bed right here, he had the indiscribable feeling to hide the truth for now.

Deep within Argant's mana pool was a small floating crystal, it could be mistaken as a diamond but in reality it was a living beings soul. The crytal was teeny tiny and had no special features in and outside of it. If we stood before this crystal know and would see it as a picture the background would be completely jet black, with a light blue floor, the mana pool. If we would zoom out of this picture for a bit the background would start to have white lines in it. If we go even further out the white linings would create a picture on the baclk background as if it was an ancient scripture, the 'soul crystal' would now not be seen anymore. And if we go even further back, this time far far away, we could see that the black background was a door, a door with white runes and an insidious crystal embeeded into it, surrounded by gold and silver. The dark parts of the door stretched massive tendrils towards the soul crystal like the hands of the netherworld. But against the expectations they held the crystal with extreme tenderness, the same as a father/mother would hold his baby. Change began in the beautiful crystal and slowly its outer layer turned to a dim black color. The tendrils retracted and only left a minuscle thread, which connected directly from the soul crystal to the black parts of the door.

The process took not even a second (I said slowly in there, but well it's relative) and remained unnoticed by even Argant himself.

Only later would he find out his reason for why he could understand not only this language but many more.

Both understood that they won't reach a conclusion so they called it a day.

10 years later... JK (Just kidding, for all those that don't understand)

A few months passed since then and Argant had to help out his new family on the fields since his hand worked now properly. They were simple farmers and had to sell their harvested crops in the nearby village.

Argant liked the fields, maybe because his father had picked him here up when he was unconscious. He did not really know the reason, but he felt always refreshed when he was outside enjoying the scenery.

Argant did not travel with his father to the village for two reasons. He was human and it would be hard to mask him when they were vending in their stalls, it was rude to cover your face when selling goods. Second, Argant was afraid, afraid of men. Not afraid of men that had prominent beast like features such as a male minotaur, but those that looked mostly human. When he watched from the fields a group of travellers with a darkrian, imagine humans with pitch black eyes, grey skin (not disease grey but more stone grey) and grey bat wings, he cried for the rest of the day and even had a fit. His mind was eagerly processing his past but it was still to much to bear.

So they decided that Argant would only help in the fields and try to avoid all contact with travellers for now.

Over these months he even got closer to the cute Maria but she was still as shy as ever and tried to dodge every kind of conversation and once Argant tried to get her into a corner but she just punched him to the ground and ran away while crying. He did not blame her so he never told this their mother, he was after all the one who forced her. But he could at least remain eye contact with her and the closest they got was now only two meters apart! Success for Argant!

The farm work was made for minotaures so it was very difficult for him, but what could he say. This life was heaven considered to his previous two years. The rate of accustomisation was rather quick and soon Argant began to build up muscle mass through his ardurous work.

Seven months later and Argant was now truly enjoying the farm work. Of course it was still hard for a boy with roughly nine years but it became easier and easier with each day. In his eagerness he even asked his father about methods to train his body whilst not working. His father roared in happiness and started to work out a training regimen for Argant.

It was not clear for Argant why he trained so hard for now, but subconsciously it was because he did not wanted to be a burden to them, to not be rejected in a dire situation but at the same time he held a certain distance to them, maybe because he knew they weren't his real parents so when the decision came they would put themselves over Argant, that way he won't sacrifiece themselves for Argant. In the end they just became even more fired up to create a family bond with Argant, Marie in her own way, naturally. Minotaures won't go back on their words after all!

2 years passed.

Argant was now estimated to be ten. Maria was still nine. It was currently summer and the air was hot and dry.

And this was a very important occasion. Once a race reaches a certain age the mana pool will condense and fuse with your soul thus enabling you to use magic. The norm was certainly broken a few times by rare talents but well they are the exemption. All the human like beings had their age set at ten, the process was not instantaneous but took roughly ten years to finish.

(Dariana) “Today Argant you will get your elemental affinity checked in the village. Are you prepared my dear?“. Dariana's voice was as warm as ever as she gazed gently upon Argant, her son. She knew his troubles with men so she spoke the last words with the utmost care.

(Dariana) “You will be checked by an elder magician and he will touch your chest to check you, are you fine with that?“

Dariana pittied her son's past, who would not. And she understood how hard it would be to get into direct contact with another male for him.

(Argant) “I am prepared mother!“. His voice was resolute and determined, no hint of fear or anger about the same sex that did those cruel things to him.

In the past two years he trained and... cried. For the first few months he cried everyday but it grew less and less and now after two years his mind was still a bit foggy but it got exponentially better, he even hiddenly once talked with a male traveler. It was an awkward conversation because Argant flinched whenever the traveler moved but it still helped him greatly to overcome his fears.

The relationship with Maria grew better as well and he could even enjoy the sensation of caressing her silky brown hair. Of course any other contact was still taboo, but Argant was determined to be a good elder brother to his little sister and that required occasional hugs and other physical contact, how else would we console her if something bad happened?!

This would be Argant's first time to enter the village so he was still quite nervous.

By the way Argant got pretty buff for a ten year old and his brown-bronze skin made him appear indeed handsome.

In the two years he trained with his father and held some sparring matches even. His father also taught him how to handle heavy weapons, such as the mace, war hammer, broad- or heavysword. Argant was first relucant about the weapons as they revealed the memories he wanted to forget but he did it nonetheless. Know your friends but know your enemys even better! One should not forget that Argant used these weapons single handedly.

Gasaf, Dariana, Maria and Argant, clothed in a dark robe and his face covered in a plain iron mask, walked side by side into the village. The villagers knew Gasef, Dariana and the rarely appearing Maria but they shot their curious glances towards the cloaked boy that was walking along side them, the mask made them even more curious.

The village was filled with mostly minotaures and occassionaly Darkrians and other races. The Darkrians were scattered in every region of the demon continents, their tough skin and durable wings made it possible to inhabitate most places. Some cities were rather racist towards them as they held a high population and flooded their cities. (Think about Americans and Mexicans. Don't know how to describe it better even if it sounds racist. Can't be helped.)

Anyway, there were also rarer races among them like the Cubrias, a combination of a cheetah and a human with horns on its head, or the Vepirs, humans with snake features. The Vepirs could be divided into two races. The more common lamia people, lower body of a snake, and the Tipans, their whole body is covered in scales, remain with their human limbs but their face has distinct snake features, e.g. they got no nose or ears, neither hair, only scales and small holes as replacement for the non existing sensory organs. (What a ugly bunch even if they stem from my imagination I cannot help but think they would be ugly.)

Argant was quiet the entire time so that he would not attract unwanted attention. Some demons did not really like the presence of humans because some of them lost their close ones to the permanent invasions of the humans.

They walked towards a huge chapell like house. The door was made of marble and was over five meters tall and should at lest weigh some hundred pounds, but luckily it was kept open for the people.

All four of them were already sweating by the intense summer heat but once they entered the cool church like interior they instantly felt refreshed. Before them were a few clusters of people. Familys with their children, coming to test their elemental aptitude.

In the front part of the building was a row of tables were the children sat that would be tested, the rest of the family stood close to the walls with gazes filled with hope that their child would be a rare genius.

In the foremost part was a giant throne like chair with an old man seated within. One would seriously mistake him for a human but the small blue horns on his head told a different tale. Once a minotaurus reaches a certain strength they could control their bull physics and trade them for a greater magical understanding. What Argant did not knew was that his mother was a magician centered minotaurus, if not she would have developed large horns already. Female minotaures were from birth on more centered around magic so once they reached their strength requirement they could make their bull-like feature more prominent to gain more physical strength. The trade would not be 1 to 1 and one would still get slightly more powerful. For example, a male minotaure goes down the magic route. He loses half of his physical strength but gains magical strength equal to two thirds of his prior power. Those that stay on their road get a slight increase as well. It has to be told that the changes are permanent.

Argant took a seat next to some minotaure kids, the boys faces were already distorting into bull heads and it looked... ugly. It was like a bull head with no fur and a shorter snout. Ugliness on a next level. But they had to endure to gain their future badassery when they become adult minos ← (calling them like that now!)

The kids as well as the adults shot curious glances towards Argant but he simply ignored them and looked at the table while playing with his thumbs.

After roughly one hour it was finally his turn. Argant exhaled and inhaled deeply. He checked his mask and stood up and walked to the old man seated in the throne.

He arrived before him and silently waited.

(Old mino) “Take of your hood and mask.“. An old and rusty voice resounded out of the mans mouth, but Argant did not even twitch, he knew something like this would happen so he prepared himself.

(Argant) “Esteemed elder my name is Argant and I pay my respects. But I can absolutely not take of my mask.“

(Old mino) “Hoh you know how to talk. Then tell me why can you not take of your mask?“. The old man's voice sounded somewhat unnerved but curious at the same time.

(Argant) “As a kid I was scarred by a fire and I do not feel comfortable to reveal my damaged face. I hope elder can allow this selfish request of mine?“. Argant's tone was humble and dignified a must in the bandit camp.

(Argant) “If you have a way to probe into my past you would know that I do tell the truth. If my words alone are not prove enough and my memories unreachable for you, maybe my right arm would make you believe?“. As he said this Argant revealed his right stump of an arm and waved it infront of the old mino.

(Old man) “Oh I am sorry. I do believe you so come closer now.“. His rusty voice turned a bit gentler when he saw Argant's constitution.

Argant went forwads with wide strides and waited only an arms reach away from the old man.

The old man stretched out his hands and Argant twitched a little as the hand came closer and touched his chest, although it was covered by the robe.

Following after that the old man closed his eyes and started to send his own spiritual energy into Argant's soul.

The mana pool was now completely swallowed by the soul crystal, thus it grew and got a blue shine, though it was covered by the faint layer of black.

Inside of Argant's soul a thin red thread was closing in on the soul crystal. It lightly tapped it and then merged into it for a bit. This thread was part of the old man's own soul crystal so it transmitted what was seen in Argant's soul. Hate, grief, sadness but also a sprouting seed of happiness and warm love. Some of his memories of the bandit camp even entered the old man's mind.

(Old man) “Oh my god, what a past...“. The old man silently mumbled, he did not detect that Argant was human, he thought he must have been a demon slave.

The old man probed further into his soul wihtout a slightest care in the world. But suddenly the giant door behind Argant's soul crystal started to creak. The old man noticed the change and ordered his soul thread to come out of the crystal to observe the situation. Only a fine openning was revealed in the door but it ws more than enough.

Thousands of ghostly, zombie like hands shot out of the creak and grabbed the soul thread like a piece dead prey. The hands started to rip the thread apart and even followed its origin into the old man's soul crystal. The skeletal hands started to close into the old man's soul crystal in an attempt to tear it to shreds.

The old man immediatly severed his connection to Argan. Everything happened in a split second, he did not even know where this attack came from, he only knew its origin was Argant's soul world.

The old man was breathing heavily with audible and hard breaths, his face was ashen pale and sweat was pouring out of his forehead. His whole body trembled and he was beginning to stutter a word.

(Old man) “M-m-m-m-m- MONSTER!!!!!!“. The old man lost his cool and started to shout while pointing with his trembling hand at Argant.

Even the families around Argant started to look confused at the old man's sudden outburst of emotions.

(Argant) “Elder, what happened what do you mean?“. Argant grew nervous and he couldn't help but think he did something terribly wrong.

(Old man) “GO AWAY! DON'T come close... you you YOU MONSTER!“. The old man's eyes even began to get moist as he thought about his near death he experienced just moments before thanks to Argant.

Finally Dariana and Gasaf snapped.

(Dariana) “WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE IS A MONSTER!? YOU WANNA DIE?

(Gasef) “NO ONE CALLS MY SON A MONSTER! NO ONE!“. Both parents were enraged by the crude behaviour of the old man.

What no one knew was that this spirit thread was currently working as a catalyst to free an immense calamity.

The door in Argant's soul world opened even wider and revealed a pitch black space. Nothing seemed to linger in this abyss but after a short while a humanoid being started to walk out of the door. Once it left the door the door started to crumble into pieces and began to be reabsorbed into the odd being.

The being was not bigger than any other human but with each step it took the soul world under its feet crackled. It went into the direction of Argant's soul crystal. It only surveyed the crystal for a moment and then directly slammed a claw like hand into it. The crystal did not even resist and was easily pierced like cotton candy.

A white and black fog started to merge from the arm of this being and entered through the crack into the crystal. The interior of the crystal started to rapidly change until it was a harmonic world of black and white only then did he being enter it.

Currently within the church like building Argant's parents were shouting profanities at the old man. Argant was watching this one sided exchange but suddenly let out a painstriken cry.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!“

Argant was very resilient against pain but this time it was a new kind of pain, hundred times more intense than anything else he ever felt.

Argant fell to the stone floor and started to trash around with his limbs while trying to grip into the stone. His fingers and knuckles already started to bleed from the scratching and beating on the stone floor.

Dariana and Gasaf as well as Maria and the other families watched this development with shock. Argants cries were simply to terrifying and his sudden behaviour was confusing as well.

Argant tightl gripped his chest with his bloody fingers and started to rip on his clothes, only the mask still remained. After the clothes were ripped to shreds he started to dig in his own flesh in an attempt to dug free the origin of this intense pain. Argant was on the ground convulsing, his eyes, ears and nose started to bleed and with a SPLEGH he vomited a mouthful of blood on the ground.

Dariana and Gasef couldn't watch any longer and immediatley hurried to their son without a clue as what was happening and what they could do.

Argant was already bleeding out of every orifice and his organs started to turn into meat paste. Mouthful after mouthful of flesh and blood were erupting from Argant's mouth, painting him and his parents in deep red.

(Gasef) “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY SON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!“. Gasef was currently mad with anger over the old man that was probably the case for all this. He grabbed the old man by the neck and smashed him furously into the stone ground.

(Gasef) “HELP HIM NOW!!!!!!!“.

(Old man) “I- cough didn't do anything!“

(Gasef) “SHUT UP!!!!!!“. With another smack on the ground the old man spit out a wave of blood accompanied by the sound of bones breaking. Gasef turned his gaze towards his wife and son as he ehard silent sobbing.

(Dariana) “no nononononono! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!“. Dariana held Argant in her arms. His body was spasming and slowly started to trun cold. White foam was surfacing out of his motuh and his eyes rolled inwards. His body lost its color adn grew more and more still, until there were no cries of pain anymore, no movement, only the silence of death.

(Maria) “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! BROTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!“. Maria hurriedly sprinted towards Argants lifeless body while and clutched his lifeless hands, her tears started to fall like heavy rain in summer, yet the mask prevented the lifebringing rain to fall on Argant's dead face.

Only Gasef cursing the heavens and Dariana's and Maria's sobbing could be heard. The other families with their children were utterly shocked, some even vomited when they saw Argant's gruesome death.

The church was dyed in red and where Gasef smashed the old man in was a deep crater. Argat's body lay in the arms of his parents and sister. The three of them cried and finally he mask slid down of Argant's face.

The crowd around them inhaled a breath of cold air as they saw Argant's perfectly human face. Some of them in the church did hate humans, but not even they could bear to see a young boy die such a cruel death.

It should have been a happy day but it turned into a horror movie for Argant's family. They were so absorbed in grieving over his body that they did not notice the changes taken place in Argant's body.

His body convulsed again and startled all people present. The right stump of his arm started to tense and veins popped out like small snakes. Skin started to rip and bones could be heard breaking.

(Dariana) “Why can't you let him die in peace? Oh God why?!“. Dariana's face was the embodiement of sadness. Even the always shy Maria was now sobbing loudly and embraced Argent's body while it coiled around.

RSSSHK

The sound of skin being ripped apart resounded through the church and their gazes fell upon the right stump that was now wildly moving around. The bones of his right arm started to replicate and the blood and flesh was wrapped around it until a normal looking right arm was created.

But that was not the end. The skin ripping sound had a different origin. Maria who was holding Argant tightly could clearly see the changes on his face. A large knife scar has vertically appeared on his forehead and was bleeding with thick globs of blood.

Dariana tried to cast healing magic before but to no avail, the wound on his forehead was not different and unaffected by the healing magic.

The wound revealed even Argants white skull but it suddenly warped and transformed into a soft tissue. It was first cooured pink but then another layer of tissue covered the pink tissue up. After a while a huge ball of tissue has formed in the wound.

Dariana and the rest had no idea of what currently happened and could only silently pray or loudly curse.

The lump of flesh transformed inot an eyeball with a creepy coloration that even made Dariana, Gasaf and Maria move back a bit.

The 'eye' stared in all directions before it closed again. It looked as if it was bored by what it had seen and decided to sleep.

Argant's skin started to turn black and white and half translucient. Even inside his body took this change place.

On his head a pair of golden curved horns appeared. They were so sharp that there mere aura could cut millions of souls asunder.

After only one minute his whole skin was a combination of white and black nut it looked mesmerizing. The gazes of the people were filled with surprise when a pair of golden, white and black eyes were opened. They radiated a mightiness that would dwarf everything in existence.

'Argant' stood up and freed himself from the terrified Maria and Dariana.

'Argant' openned his mouth and a black abyss and a row of crystal teeth were revealed. The third eye openned again and only then did 'Argant' speak while pointing at the old man.

“YOU! AHAHAHA YES YOU WERE RIGHT! I AM A MONSTER! AND I WILL DESTROY YOU ALL!“. 'Argant's' voice was deep and filled with malice and madness.

'Argant' took a step forward and the ground trembled and space distorted. Black lightning shot under his feet and turned the ground to dust.

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIP

'Argant' moved his hand towards the old man while ripping air and space apart. The old man looekd at 'Argant' in terror.

He did not look like 'Argant' at all anymore, he was now a real demon god, emerged from the abysall pits of the netherworld. Which would be underestimation as even the underworld could not contain him.

Gasef tried to stop 'Argant' but was smacked into a wall with just a thought.

(Dariana) “GASAF!“

(Maria) “FATHER!“

Dariana and Maria were extremely worried over Gasaf and turned angry gazes towards 'Argant'.

(Dariana) “Argant! STOP! NOW!“

(Maria) “Brother please... STOP THIS!“

(Argant) “Tch... ANNOYING!“

The ground started to tremble again and large amounts of boulders floated in mid air. 'Argant' snapped his fingers and like meteors the boulders descended upon the nearby people, turning the familys into meat paste.

Dariana, the recovering Gasaf and Maria were staring in terror and fear.

(Argant) “AHAHAHAHAH COME ON RUN MY LITTLE PIGS!“

Another number of boulders descended upon the fleeing people and squashed them into pools of blood and flesh, even those outside the church were killed by the flying boulders.

(Gasaf) “ARGANT STOP THIS MAD-! HUGH!“. A black hand pierced Gasaf's chest and cleanly destroyed his heart. The arm still in Gasaf's body moved upwards and downwards and Gasaf was split into two halfes. Organs and blood sprayed everywhere even on the little Maria, tainting her pale face into a roosy red. Dariana looked at the corpse of her husband in disbelief.

Why did this happen?

Weren't we one family?

What happened with Argant?

Those were the thoughts that ran through Dariana's head, before a hand ran through her head.

With another thud Dariana's corpse fell to the ground, a gaping hole in her head.

'Argant' was staying over her corpse and started to grin with mad joy.

“AHHHH ONLY ONE PEST REMAINING!“. 'Argant' stared at the pale Maria and started to walk towards her.

The terrified Maria used the rubble on the ground to throw it at 'Argant' but it was quickly disintegrated upon contact. She tried to crawl back but she too was hit by a few boulders as well and was in dire shape.

SWISHHHHH

'Argant's' hand cut trough the air and landed cleanly on Maria's neck. Her flesh was like tou and showed no resistance at all as she was beheaded.

TUD TUD TUD

The head banged a few times on the ground until it came to a standstill, the face was still a mask of disbelief and horror.

Dust and blood settled everywhere as only a ruin of the church remained, countless people outside the church were either wounded or smashed to death. And this should be only the beginning.

(???) “TSKTSKTSK. And here I thought a few years for yourself would help you. This here is unacceptable!“. A female voice silently talked to itself but it resounded in every dimension.

'Argant' wanted to jump away from teh village and continue his path of carnage but suddenly gold chains erupted from his chest and encompassed his whole body. They dug themselves into his back and started to pull his 'skin' from the back to the chest. The black and white skin was cleanly removed and revealed a normal human skin in a bronze colour.

Argant's body returned to normal and a seal appeared on his chest. A yinyang symbol encircled by a golden chain. He lay currently unconscious on the ground

(???) “Now I gotta clean up this mess.“. A blinding golden light erupted from out of nowhere and enveloped the entire village. The owner of this voice clearly did not take this matter to serious.

The buildings were restored and thin golden chains appeared on the chest's of the deceased, shooting up into the air and pulling at seemingly nothing.

The bodies were restored as well although they had no light in their eyes and were mere husks. Once the chains retracted into the bodies the peoples eyes started to light up but were soon covered by heavy eyelids.

The whole village experienced a common amnesia as no one knew what happened the day before.

Argant was currently eating with his family, they would try tomorrow again to test his elemental aptitude as today was rather chaotic after the large scale amnesia.

When Argant first woke up he noticed the strange marking on his chest but before anyone could see it it seeped under his skin and dissappeared.

He was in the dark about this marking but he knew one thing for sure. The large scale amnesia was not natural, that was magic! And he burned to find out who it was and what for.