The Pain of the Past.

Putting in a pin in a language I could not read, he patted it with affection before turning around and leaving the smithy, and then the shop, heading straight for the middle of town, which I have not been to. Sensing that there were alleyways, I planted some of my spores inside them, hoping to make my mushrooms a species that will be ignored, and if not, just something that will be accepted, since it makes spores anyways. While under his shirt, I could still sense everything through it. The way we are going, it would seem we are going to enter a pub.

This must be a frequent place that Argas visits because as soon as the doorbell moved, I felt that there were eyes on me, although they could not see me. After a while, I spread out my spores in the tavern and noticed that there were quite a few people in the pub. There was about 30 max. With Argas accepting and giving greetings to all of the inhabitants, We finally settled into a booth near the far corner of the pub, right next to the bar.

"Anderson, four mugs of booze, the best you've got!" Argas shouted, a hint of sadness in his voice. A Beastkin, the dog kind, in a waiter's outfit, who I assume would be Anderson, came over to our booth carrying four mugs, two in each hand. Placed them down on the table without a word, then walked away. Finding this behavior strange, I could only stay around his neck, lest I get caught.

After what seemed like hours, which it actually might have been, All the mugs have been emptied, as well as some others. There was also a drinking competition between the members who stayed after the first 10 mugs Argas had. It wasn't until the 21st mug that there were only Anderson, Argas, and, of course, me.

Refusing to give Argas any more alcohol, Anderson went behind the bar to clean up the mess the weapon smith made. Speaking of the man, Argas was rubbing me hard, mumbling something about his family. Intrigued with what he was mumbling, I listened closer, opening my earholes, or whatever you call them.

"Oh Maria, how I wish we had more time together. How I wish I had the strength, the skill to protect you and Abigail." Argas cried. This would seem to be something I could use against him, so I listened more intently while he spoke to me, as if he was retelling the story to an old friend.

"Back then, the smiles you would give me would make my work worth it. The love and affection I would receive from you two made me help others, to give them the happiness that I knew. I was happy back then. Back when it was safe. But then one day, the monsters that everyone, with years of complacency, forgot about invaded. I just wish I could have made stronger weapons. Armor. Anything. The weapons I made broke, and the armor shattered in front of my eyes. Seeing my beloved Abigail defending you with her life made my heartbreak, and then shattered, just as her sword did. The screams you made that night filled my dreams, haunting me to no end. The sweet smiles and the little hugs I've gotten from Abigail and you, my beloved, will always stay with me, but I would give anything to see you once. just one more time. Just one more ti…" He sobbed into his hands, dropping the necklace onto the tear-soaked table. Anderson was still in the kitchen, cleaning mugs and plates, though it was hard to distinguish his sweat from tears at the table.

Minutes later, I felt a faint rumbling through the table, which is when I realized that Argas had cried himself to sleep. Seeing this vulnerability in the man, a plan hatched in my mind. Deep-rooted sorrow and regret have a powerful ability to break someone's good judgment and logic, making them do anything to find false solace and a conclusion.

Using this, I could manipulate him into an act of suicide, or push the blame for their deaths onto one or more village members, which could start an internal war. This new development has many ways to be exploited, but I will wait until I get more mass, which should be happening right about now.

Anyways, he is sleeping, I should split myself for a second to scout out more areas. I also want to see how much this place has advanced. Going out of the pub looking like a rolling stone, not even noticeable to the human eye, or in this case, the animal's eye. Rolling down the street, I noticed that there are a few key things; there were lanterns on poles, cameras, which is surprising, sewer systems, of course, minor Alterian Energy crystals. Or at least that is what I thought they were called because they looked less refined than the ring and the ones In the temple.

Feeling my other half getting moved, I switched my consciousness to the necklace and started pulling the other spit half towards me. Sliding up the tear-soaked shirt of Argas, he walked back to his shop, a wobbly gait in his stride. When he entered the store door, he walked up the set of stairs on the opposite side of the door to the smithy. Having not been Imprinted, I did not know where I was, but I would assume when he stopped at the top of the stairs, he must have been halfway, because I felt us go straight, a door opening, and him stepping through, closing the door behind him.

Releasing some spores, which I now had much more due to me collecting them in my little expedition earlier. Not finding the space of the room to be slightly bigger than the smithy, which was pretty large, I looked around for anything I could use against my kidnapper. Scanning the walls, I saw framed certificates of awards along the lines of 'Villages Best Weapons Smith' or '20th Anniversary Drinking Competition Champion'. Finding these things trivial, and not worth exploiting, I moved down to the furniture.