The mysterious stranger carried Albus for some time. The sunlight made his eyes ache. He had yet to get used to things now that he wasn't trapped in that cage all the time.
"Where are you taking me?" He rasped out.
"There's a town further down this road. I felt like finding some work today so that's where I was headed when I spotted you."
Albus lifted his head over the stranger's shoulder and spotted the tops of buildings in the distance. "Put me down," he said.
The stranger laughed. "Nu-uh!"
"I can walk myself."
"Say that when you don't wobble like a newborn fawn every time your feet touch the ground. I'd be surprised if-"
Albus began to struggle against the stranger's hold.
"Hey! watch it! You're gonna fall if you squirm around like that!"
Albus used his hands to push against the stranger's shoulders. He had been focusing so intently on escaping his grasp that the sudden surge of energy within him startled the boy. No sooner than when he had noticed it, did several small pillars shoot up from the ground, trapping one of the stranger's legs in some kind of bear-trap hold. The stranger was caught off guard and stumbled, dropping Albus in the process. The stranger looked between the boy on the floor and his foot.
"Did you do this?" He asked, trying to wiggle his foot free.
Albus pulled himself up off the ground and nodded. "Uh...yeah...I mean...I wasn't trying to that time. I just...I dunno..."
"Well, you mind releasing me?"
"I don't know how..."
The stranger looked at him like he was an idiot. "how old are you, kid?"
"I think the person who was keeping said I was sixteen one time..."
"You're sixteen and you don't know how to control your magic? What are you?"
Albus scratched his arm timidly. "My father is supposed to be some wealthy gargoyle...although I could be mistaken, I don't really know him."
The stranger stroked his chin, eyes closed as he began mumbling to himself. "Wealthy gargoyle...gargoyle...wealthy...wealthy..." the stranger's eyes snapped open like a light had gone off in his head. "Derouter?"
Albus was silent for a moment before giving the stranger a half nod. "Yeah...that name rings a bell."
Before Albus could blink, the stranger had dropped to the ground, squatting with his fingers tangled in his hair. "AAAH! Kid...listen. A Derouter shouldn't be out here."
Albus tilted his head in confusion and the stranger seemed to understand that Albus had no idea what they were talking about. "Let me just clue you in for your sake, the Derouters are something akin to nobility around here. They're a prideful folk. They're master craftsmen. It's said they can make the most magnificent of sculptures from just a handful of dirt. Unfortunately, this ability makes gargoyles very desirable slaves."
Albus thought back to the chilling grin his mother had when she had sold him off. It made sense now.
"The head of the family is a classy man named Jullian, apparently he built the entire Derouter empire from the ground up and by himself too. So he's craaaaazy protective of it. I'm not gonna ask how a Derouter ended up out here and in such horrible condition. Since your not just some regular bum on the street I guess I could spare some extra time in helping you out."
Albus frowned. "I don't have anything to give you in exchange for help. Just take me to the village and we can go our separate ways."
The stranger laughed. He kicked his foot forward shattering the frail pillars at his foot. He walked over to Albus and swung a hand around his shoulder. "Come on now, don't be like that. I'm not looking for anything in return. Call it a favour for an old friend. Julian and I go way back!"
Albus didn't know if he should believe that, after all, this stranger looked even younger than him. There was no way that they knew each other. He thought for a moment. He didn't know where he was, where to go, or how to control his newly awakened abilities. He'd be a dead man walking if he didn't take the help that was so willingly offered to him.
"Fine...but just help me figure out how to get my magic under control and that's it."
"Normally I write up a contract for these kinds of things but since you're so cute, I'll give you a pass." The stranger smacked Albus' behind with a laugh. "you got yourself a deal kid!"
•~•~•~•~•~•~•
The stranger did as they promised. Within a month Albus was able to create small trinkets and sculptures that didn't crumble upon contact. The more he practiced creating these small trinkets, the easier it became, until crafting was as natural as breathing and he could craft even bigger and better things. The stranger had commented multiple times that Albus seemed to have a gift for creating, an artistic eye that few could pretend to have. Everything he created had a piece of him in it and it was of endless fascination to all those who had the pleasure of witnessing his work.
A few months after Albus had finally mastered his craft, the stranger had suggested that he begin selling his work and earning some money for it. Albus was a little anxious about it at first. He had healed quite a bit but his skin still held the ugly scars of his abuse. They were carved through his whole body, crooked and deep. Like their creator was just as careless and haphazardous and he was when the first time he used his hands to "create." Albus thought that his disfigurement would scare off potential customers but with enough persuading from the stranger, he decided to give it a shot.
He had set up a booth in the local market and put out his goods very carefully. While the idea was nice, Albus soon realized that actually getting a sale wasn't as easy and setting everything up for display and watching the customers roll in. For nearly the whole morning, people would pass by and look, but never really buy his handiwork. It seemed as though they were a little wary of buying his goods since he was new to the market place. Albus was about ready to give up and curl back into his tent in embarrassment when a gold lunair dropped onto the display case in front of him and a hand reached down to take one of his crafts.
Albus' head snapped up to see a familiar face looking above him. It was none other than Julian Derouter. The man didn't make eye contact with him. He simply took what he had paid for and left. Albus reached out and gingerly picked up the lunair coin, tracing over it in awe with his fingers. The coin had significantly less value in Noblesse since it was much more valuable in the northern continent of Targaera, but it was by no means worthless.
Those who saw Julian buy from Albus' booth began to flock to it. If Julian Derouter saw worth in the newbie, then his work must be something. Albus was happy, but the older shop owners who had been selling their wares in the market place for years, were not exactly thrilled to see this new, unknown child steal so much business away from them on his first day in the marketplace.
But Albus did not catch wind of these envious eyes. Not until it was too late.98Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZCEK4qfJBk
