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I am being that matters very little. I was something that made to be nothing more then Furniture. And like any good furniture I have a prepose. Mine is to serve and not once have I ever slacked with that duty. I take great pride in that fact. Yet something has been feeling off about myself. Like I was having thoughts when I wasn’t meant too. Though I guess that matters little as I tried to stay in my line I was meant too in this massive mansion I call home and workplace. Although now with these new fond thoughts I find myself getting interested in the goings on of the place. My eyes and ears have been wandering a lot more these days. To find new thoughts to have. Oh, I guess I should give my name?
Afterall you’ll be following my retelling and it would be better to have a name attached to it. Goat, Furniture or hey you aren’t something that’s sticks. Aw call me Cedrick, that’s a good name for a butler such as myself. I didn’t come up with myself, it was given to me. By whom you ask, well the personal maid of the young miss of course. I believe she goes by Agatha these days. She is a very lovely woman. She has long golden hair with quite the slender figure. Her deep blue eyes really catch your own. Though I’d say the horrid scar on her face would be the first thing most would notice. I guess you’d should stop noticing it once you’ve known them long enough. A shame about the scar really, I could tell that she was once quite the beauty. No wonder the madam has a bit of distaste for her. But I digress.
Though it’s quite humorous the story in question involves the both. Now on tot the story itself. It was a few months ago I believe when I stumbled across this story. It was extremely early in the morning. Up before even the other servants were awake. I was walking around doing my usual route mostly because I couldn’t really sleep. But why that was the case was a trivial matter to the story at hand. I dusted and wiped whatever dust I happened to notice. I was just in my own little world as I worked. Going far off the areas I was supposed to do. Before long I found myself in front of the master’s room. I’ve never really made the master myself. He was a recluse of man that never left his room. But it wasn’t because he was unsocial. He suffered from some sort of infliction.
When he got it was long before I even came into existence. So, I really don’t know details outside what I’ve heard from other thought filled goats. A long time ago, the master had gotten involved in witch’s game and It’s obvious he lost. It wouldn’t be until much I was able to grasp the severity of it. But at that point in time all I knew he wasn’t quite 100% there these days.
As I walked by his room, I started to hear sounds. From what others had told me it wouldn’t be all that strange. But up until that point I never really heard them myself and well as you could guess I was very curious. So, I put my ear against the door. What I heard was a bit different then I imagined. It was such pitiful soft sound. Like a river of tears poured from they eyes. Like someone’s heart was being teared apart a beast most furious. This was very far from the proud madman I had in my head. It pinned my interest even more.
Using my skills I honed as Furniture I spilled into the shadows to get a tiny little peek. I was very careful to not be noticed as I enter the room staying in the shadows. It was quite the large room. Something very much suited to belong to the Master of the mansion and as much it amazed me. the pitiful sounds remained why I enter here in the first place. The sounds were coming from the fair end by the bed. And illuminated only by the light of the morning sun. I saw the master seeing soundly in the bed with a figure crying by the side of his bed. It looked to be a women, but they were a bit bigger then madam. But as soon as the sunlight hit they golden hair I knew right away.
I was aghast, what was Agatha doing there. She was crying about something under her breath. Now I had to take a closer look. I slowly inched in the shadows waving in the small cracks to remain a Spector. I ended up pretty close when I said to make out what she said.
“Battler I so sorry, I so so sorry.” She said so meekly and with a strong sense of defeat. This was a far cry from the proud and confident women I’ve seen during the day. It was like I catch a glimpse of something I wasn’t allowed to. She just went on and on with a apologize to a man that who obviously could not hear her. When I did a quick look of her face, it showed that she must have been doing it all night. Puffy and tear stained beyond imagination. I would have stay longer but the morning sun was the bane to my cause. It forcibly pushed back into the hallway. Like the sun itself was telling me I was foal for stepping upon this sight. Her face was burned into my mind.
I had heard that Agatha and the master had quite a different relationship. I was under the impression that it was much more professional than most high-ranking servants. That you couldn’t say they were anyway close to friends. But they weren’t any malice. Just a massive chasm of disinterest between the two of them. Yet here I saw her bawling her eyes out over his sleeping body. I may be a greenhorn with thoughts. But even the blindest most deaf fool could see that there was more going on between the two of them. I thought of a millions different reasons to make sense of the scene I had just saw. Most embarrassing in retrospect. But ooooh I was on a thinking high, it was like I was mining deeply into caves of my mind and found gold. I wanted to see more.
But atlas the raising of the sun was enough to tell me that there was work I couldn’t ignore. But boy did I stew on those thoughts all while I worked. Now I will not go into all of guess as they are numerous and as mentioned before a bit ridiculous. However, one made the most sense from what I knew at the time. Was that she must have been a mistress of Master before his mind fractured. I remember hearing the madam and the Master weren’t on the best terms before then. I assured that might have played a part in that. I would have asked around with other furniture who knew more then me. but as one goat told me bad gas travels fast. And well I don’t think it would be crazy for either Agatha or the madam to easily sniff me out.
Oh, I am telling you this, because I know you value your life more then too gossip about them. So back to the tale. It wouldn’t be until around midday when I saw Agatha again. I was running package from main house to port. Despite living in a fantastical world of magic. Sometimes things must be done in the mundane way. As I am walking though the garden, I noticed the young miss with her maid. It looked they were taking a break from her lessons. Her long blue hair was covered to the brim with petals. It looked like she was having a grand old time with Agatha like always. She looked over to me and with a bright smile said.
“Hey Cedrick!”
The young miss had gotten into habit of saying hello to every servant who name she knew and of course I was one of them.
“Good day to you Lady Dorothy.” I said. She run towards me with an excited look in her eyes. It was so obvious she wanted to show off something. Her smug face was most cute enough to eat. She got that from the madam no doubt.
“Soooo Cedrick, I heard your pretty good with magic.”
“I guess among the lowly Furniture I am.” I said. The thing is that me being quite competent shadow walker was well known. I never bothered to hide that fact as it ends being a lot more helpful than you think. However, it’s my only real talent when it comes to the otherworldly arts. If Agatha wasn’t in the weaken state, she was that morning. There is a high change I would have left this plan of life a long time ago. But I digress.
I tried to hold back my laugh as she puffed her chest proudly. She looked like messy puppy.
“So that means you have a good eye for magic right?” she asked
I eyed Agatha knowing full well how much of monster she was without seeing it for myself. She just smiled at me mouthing sorry for the miss bugging me.
“I can tell when someone is powerful.” I answered. That seemed to please her enough. She then started to made stand like she was some sort of grand witch about to amaze me. she placed her hands closed to each other. Then with all the constitution she could muster a tiny flash appeared between them. I clapped at her accomplishment. While it might not have been a impressive sight to most. It showed the young miss was on the right track. She looked so proud of herself. Agatha finally approached the two of us.
“Now, Dotty let Cedrick get back to his work.” Said Agatha trying to get the young miss you move along. She wanted to show me more. Maybe even ask about my shadow magic. But I did have work to do. And before she could let out a objection I said.
“You known Lady Dorothy I am on Servants’ room duty in the main house later.” I said. “Maybe If feeling a bit thirsty when you done with your studies I can bring tea.”
For some reason the young miss was quite fond of me. I don’t know why though. I am barely different then most goats. I was gifted with shadow walker. But any goat worth they salt could do that. Maybe it was because I had an odd white streak across my faces. A bit a color across my pitch-black body. Maybe she found it to be cool. Maybe my lanky body was less threating compared to the more toned goats. However beyond that I was the same as any other low level goat. I am not going to complaint about that. After all becoming a favorite goat to one of the masters is a good thing. Even the Master and Madam have favorite among us.
None the less I waved goodbye to her and head my way out of the rose garden. The long stairs to the mansion weren’t used very often outside odd job by us furniture. The island stopped getting many guests a long time ago. I was musing this fact as I walked down them. I wondered just who the last person was to walk that wasn’t a servant. Then a sound was heard in my mind. Like it was a call of proud bird. I choice to ignore it, you know how it is strange sounds pop all over Rokkenjima all the time. The coastline wasn’t that far and I got there rather quickly. The small port was deader then a graveyard. Only the port master snoring was the only sign of life and even then felt more like a ghost’s hallow then something alive.
Knowing Jonny the port master was fast asleep. I slammed on the door to his small hut. I was at it for a good twenty minutes. It left me a bit mad.
“Jonny I swear to fucking god, I will rat you to both Rovone and Virgilia if you don’t wake up right now.” I huffed. “I don’t think Trinket is going to mind more fishing time.”
Finally with that threat I could hear something that wasn’t snoring. It was Jonny’s usual grumbles. Always crabby if he didn’t get his thirty hours of sleep is what I thought. Then he opened the door. Now Jonny was always a scruffy, a bit unkept kind of guy. But he still looked respectable. When he opened the door, he looked like hell. Like he got into a fight with phantom. Like it had not slept very in the last day or so. It was so shocking I blurted.
“Man, you look like crap.”
“Well, it’s not because I had too much Bourbon.” He said. He looked down to the package in my hands and grimaced. “Aw crap it’s that time of the mouth again?”
“Unfortunately, things are running a bit late soooo.” I wasn’t thrilled to put him through hell. While me and Jonny were far from buddy buddy. I wasn’t for torturing my fellow servant. And neither was he. He grabbed it from my hands in a very defeated way.
“First that bastard Battler drags me everywhere and that bitch Erika.” If exhaustion was getting the better of him would have said something much worse. Though something bugged from what he said.
“Erika who’s that?” I asked. By this point I was confident I knew everyone who worked here. And this was the first time I ever heard that. Not even among the very few guest that come here had that name.
Jonny looked a bit surprised. It seems I should have known who she was. then he snapped his fingers like an epiphany strike him.
“You one of the newer guys, right?” he asked. I was a bit puzzled. But I assumed this information was something the veteran staff most know.
“Yeah, technically I haven’t been working here that long.” I said.
He whistled. I did something that seemed impressive to him
“Damn you’re a fast son of a bitch.” He said. “I’ve got a question for ya, just between you and me.”
I nodded nervously. This wasn’t the first bit of forbidden knowledge I learned today.
“What’s the Madam’s name?”
A very simple question. And I already had a quess to what the real answer was. But I still said what I thought it was.
“It’s Beatrice isn’t it.” I looked like a confused dog.
“That’s what she goes by these days.” He limped out of the doorway and head towards his boat. “or rather she took it from the previous madam.”
He looked to me with concerned tired look. Arm resting on his boat.
“There is a long god damn story behind that and I don’t the time to tell it.”
He carefully placed the package on his boat. He untied his boat and jumped into it. When he got in he pointed at me.
“You look to be the nosey type. I recommend tending carefully you plan on digging into the previous madam.”
With his warning said he was quick to speed off to finish his grueling task. I took his advice to heart. I would have loved more than anything to dig more into this so called long story. But once again with the sight I saw this morning. I felt my luck was tapped for a while. Although thanks to tiny nugget I was able piece together bigger picture. And I believe I learned more about then Jonny could ever guess with the little he told me. and I understood Agatha’s pled from this morning. I was lost in a whirlwind of thought as I watched Jonny blitzed into the horizon. Then that strange birdcall snapped me back to reality. It was much louder this time. Almost like it was screaming in my ear. I couldn’t ignore it any longer.
While true it could have led to death me. But not once did I feel a sense of danger where that was coming from. In fact, it was a rather tranquil aura to it. And with my current task done and with me not needing to be at the main mouse for a bit longer. Decided to let my curiosity guide me towards it. It lead to a side path by the stairs. it didn’t look like it had been maintained in a long time. It was surprising long path. At the end was a beach that looked like it was stuck in the past. As if it was freeze frame at a very moment in time. Yet what memories once trapped here had seen faded away. It was such a strange experience for me. I looked all around the beach to find that source. But to no avail. Instead, I catch the glimpse of flowing black cape lanced with gold.
My eye followed the flow of it as it flapped in the wind. It lead me looking at a figure standing tall and proud. Someone you couldn’t mistake for other a master of a domination. It was someone I never seen before yet I know who he was right away. He was my master, the Master of the place I work and call home. The King of Rokkinjima Master BATTLER, The Endless Golden Sorcerer.
I never thought I would ever get to see him in top condition outside of pictures. Yet hear I was staring at him admiring the vast sea. I’ve heard so many things about that painted him to a pitiful man. But what I saw was far from that.
The Master finally noticed me. his white and red flowed in the wind as he faced me with the most dazzling smile. My nervous got shot in a second flat and I fell to knees. I wasn’t sure on what to say and I bet I looked as stupefied as I felt. The Master laughed at my sorry sight. Felt a bit embarrassing. I tried to stand up and made a fool of myself. But I did stand up.
“Good to see you goats are still a funny bunch.” Said the Master.
I dusted myself and bowed.
“it’s a pleasure to finally met you Master BATTLER.” I said. “I am Cedrick.”
“Cedrick.. Who?” he was asking for a last name. but I didn’t have one at the time.
“Whodunnoit?” I just blurted that out. For some god forsaken reason my brain suddenly that conversion I had with that odd-ball maid Mimi. Just to fill in a blank.
“Cedrick Whodunnoit?. He seemed humored by that. “I’d take your cousins with the Howdunnoits and old friends of Whydunnoits?”
I stood there like a slack jawed idiot. The Master seemed to enjoy my embarrassment. Without me noticing a thing golden butterflies passed me. a witch like cackle blared in mt ear. It spooked me and jump falling to the ground getting away from the sound. The cackling just continued. I was a bit surprised to see a familiar face with same kind of mocking smirk. She was wearing this grand black dress lined with golden eagle. A long smoke pipe rested between her finger tips.
“Agatha?!?”
She lend towards on the ground and took a puff from her pipe and blow into my face. Yeah that was her. But the moment the smoke cleared away from my eyes I noticed she didn’t have her scar. Was she her sister, Aunt, a cousin?
The strange women in front of me looked at me. I am must have looked toy in her eyes. I will not lie, I was expected to be broken in half with how she eyed me.
“Come on now Beato, Dorothy likes this little goat.” Said the Master. she then grabbed my face and pulled it closer to her face. Her grip felt like I was being grabbed by water. She stared at my white streak on face.
“OOOOOOOH this is the one Dotty was talking about?” She asked. Despite how she didn’t look strong, she managed to pull me up from the ground with just her hand holding my head. As soon as I had my feet on the ground, she left me go.
“Yeah, she wants him to teach his shadow tricks.” He said. I tried to make myself more presentable as he looked at me. “I’d say he is quite the demon in the making himself.”
“Ah you’re just a softy dear.” She wrapped her arms around him. He returned that embrace. The look in their eyes each other may it seem like the two of them existed in they own world. Maybe they were and I was just an intruder. Though something left me a bit confused. Just exactly what happened? With so many missing pieces it left me frustrated.
I saw stared at the two-lovebird gazing into each other eyes. Then I slowly realized who the phantom really was. The scene of warm love in front of was nothing more than a cold memory of the past. Willed by the Master to be true. Tears rolled his face as the women in front of him started to crumble like a sea castle hit by the waves of the sea. The once proud man that stood tell started to fall to his knees. Desperately trying to hold into to the fleeting illusion. He was a shell of a man by the time he was on the ground. He just graveled begged and plead to his beloved Beatrice. To his beloved witch.
“Why couldn’t I figure out, I am sorry Beatricccce.”
I didn’t have to see his face to know how tear stained they were. Just what that Beatrice meant to him was something I couldn’t comprehend. To understand I had to see they story for myself. But as curiously and shifty I was. I didn’t have the courage to dive into such a deep and dark pit. That warning from Jonny had so much more weight than I could ever guess. Though unknown to me then I would be shoved into that pit and drown in that horrifying love. But I doubt either you or I had the time for it right now.
So Sakataro was it? Thanks for letting me blather on for a while. I think this should be enough to cover my half of the tap. Hey catch me on a vacation and I might spill all the beans. Later.