Illithid behind the Curtain: A Legacy of Black (Patreon)

Mercury woke up to the sound of birdsong.

He was warm, comfortably so and the sensation was so alien, the boy had to wait a little bit before he could realize what it was. And then everything else began to flood back as memory returned and he groaned, one hand moving to rub over his face as he swore. It had all gone wrong and there was no longer any sort of help left. Cinder was either dead or arrested, the White Fang had been shattered and of course, Neo and Roman had long since jumped ship. Not even Emerald, the bitch had managed to stick with him and they had gotten separated in the confusion. Not that he wouldn't had done the same thing, so kudos to her.

Well. There was only so much left he could do now. But the first thing he needed was food, and as he laid there, he suddenly realized someone had beat him to it. He could smell it cooking, some kind of stew that made his mouth water, the scent of fresh bread rising as well as he turned his head to see the following. He was in a small camp, laid up in some kind of bedroll. A fire was set up, an old fashioned cauldron with a lid floating above the flames as a single, small old man sat by it on a log with his back to him. In a bird cage by other odds and ends, seven canaries chirped and fluttered about-the cage door open, Mercury realized as one of them on the old mans shoulder turned to look at him and chirped.

"Ah, you are awake young man!" Mercury froze and then slowly, stretched out as he spoke. "Yeah, I am... Hey, were you the one who saved me?"

"I was, yes." The old man said casually, one finger rising to gently tickle a canary around the neck. He was dressed in the style of Mistral, looked like one of them too. With a straw hat resting on a cord around his neck, the odd looking robes akin to the student with the pink hair streak. Dark blue, with a dragon winding about and wooden sandals... Some real, old school kind of hunter.

No weapons Mercury could see, but he could use the supplies. While he was distracted, he'd leap over, break his neck and see what he could salvage. Maybe find out what everyone else was doing, maybe make contact with Cinders boss? Or hell, maybe he'll just fuck off somewhere and earn money doing what he did best? The possibilities were endless, and he crouched and with less noise than the wind, leaped for the old man with the intent to kill.

The old man immediately bent over, and Mercury went flying overhead.

His blood pounding, Mercury cursed and hitting a tree, flipped off it and prepared to fight for his life as opposed to just ambushing... And froze.

The old man seemed utterly unconcerned as he clapped his hands politely. "You are very skilled young man! How wonderful! I can't imagine it was easy acclimating to the weight of your limbs." Mercury scowled, making a flicking motion with his foot as he loaded up. Moron didn't even remove his ammo and he leaped forward again, shooting and firing as he spun rapidly.

Only to suddenly hit resistance, his blows deflected by a sudden weapon in the old man's hands. Mercury immediately leaped back, preparing for anything-what could it be? A shield like the redhead? Something else? He prepared for anything and froze in shock.

Uncaring, putting back the lid of the cauldron on, the old man beamed and spoke. "The bread is almost done. When its ready, we should be ready to eat." Mercury scowled and spat to the side.

"Are you looking down at me?! Is that was this is? Another dominance display?" The old man looked startled as he spoke. "Why would I want to do that?"

Mercury snarled and leaped forward, yelling aloud. "TAKE ME SERIOUSLY, OLD MAN!"

There was a suddenly burst of pain and he staggered back-one hand holding his nose, eyes wide as the old man waved a wooden spoon in his direction. "I am taking you seriously! Now, I hope you like beef-"

"DON'T LOOK DOWN AT ME!" Mercury's blows went wild, his every intent to kill as he cried out. "I'M TRYING TO MURDER YOU, YOU SENILE FUCK!"

The old man... Did nothing but defend. One blow after another, force redirected into the ground or harmlessly to the side as around them, the canaries watched on in silence on the same branch. Heads turning back and forth, as if at a tennis match.

Mercury ran out of ammo, sweat pouring down his face as he panted and struggled. His limbs felt heavy, his aura was still weak from before. He was not in any good shape and then, he saw the old man approach and felt fear, his eyes squeezed shut as a part of him felt a sense of relief that it was over finally... Only for the old man to rap his forehead with the spoon, prompting a curse at the pain and the old man nodding. "There we are. It's my victory. I win, you lose. Now according to these things, you are now mine to deal with, yes?"

Mercury felt his heart drop to his non-existent knees. It was Cinder all over again, and despite it? At least he knew how to deal with it. He nodded, resigned and the old man seemed pleased. "In which case, you shall sit by my fire. You will eat of my food and if you can eat, you will have seconds and thirds and fourths if you so wish."

Mercury's jaw dropped as the old man laughed quietly and gestured. "Sit. Please."

He was hungry. The food smelled good and he needed his strength to kill the old man, which was the only reason why he sat down and a few minutes later, was eating with the old man. The entire situation felt incredibly bizarre, and after he finished his first bowl, he asked.

"Why'd you save me old man? You do realize I was trying to kill you?" The old man seemed surprised again, prompting another glum realization from Mercury. Great.

He just had to be rescued by the only Kwang Fu grandmaster with dementia in all of Remnant.

"Truly? Why would you want to do that?"

Mercury blinked. As if talking to a slow child, he replied. "Because I wanted your stuff?"

The reply was swift. "Ah, take them if you wish. I dare say I have too much." Mercury blinked and scowled. "Maybe I wanted your clothes?"

"You may have them. I shall enjoy walking as nature intended." The old man remarked without batting an eye and Mercury began to growl. "I wanted your food."

Without a word, the old man gestured to the bowl and offered seconds, which Mercury gloweringly accepted.

"Maybe I just wanted to!"

"Why, do you want to?" The old man asked and Mercury growled and shot to his feet. "I don't know, maybe I'm just a psychopath! Maybe I just like killing!"

The old man said nothing, looking sad...No, not sad. Mercury realized to his horror that he was pitying him and the realization sent a hot burst of resentment as he snarled and threw his bowl off into the distance. The old man did nothing, save to silently offer his own bowl for Mercury to eat from.

His fist clenched and he knocked it out of his hand. "This isn't how the world works old man! If you're strong, you take what you want! If you're weak, you die! So either kill me or I'll kill you! There's no other option."

"No." The old man said calmly, his eyes suddenly sharper and more intentful. Mercury under them felt suddenly small, a feeling he hated as he tried to summon up more anger, but could not as the old man continued.

"You believe there is no other option, because you have been raised to think this weakness. That the only power is that to destroy, to ravage and pillage because of the power inherent in you. I have known many like you in my time and it has always been my utter sorrow, that I could not help them."

Mercury snorted. "So, what, I'm some pity project then? Something that will make you feel all fuzzy inside and self-congratulatory over reforming?"

"No. You are more than that, young man." The quiet sincerity was disarming, the old man thoughtful as he spoke. "You're a person and your name is Mercury Black."

His blood ran cold again. He knew his name.

He knew who he was.

And he still let him in, saved him and cautiously now he spoke. "Who the hell are you?"

The old man stared and slowly rose to his feet and Mercury despite himself flinched, taking a step back though no threatening word was spoken or offered.

"I am Fizban." The old man said and on the tree branch behind him, Mercury realized the canaries were all staring at him like a tribunal as the old man continued.

"And I believe there is more to you, than you are willing to entertain in even your most quiet of moments. And because you had called me." Mercury stiffened, eyeing him with a degree of fear and caution.

"I never called you. I never heard of you before."

Fizban smiled broadly, hands gently pressed together as he offered a small bow. His eyes seemed to glow briefly, a strange incandescent violet and blue as the canaries eyes in the firelight seemed to gleam golden to Mercury's imagination.

"By the time our shared journey is over my boy? You will. And you will be able to answer... Who is, Mercury Black? I look forward to it together, you and I."