Teddybear

"What purpose would that serve? I hardly need your input on my work."

Kivvien glanced back at the cart. "Stay hidden," he said, "There are plenty of people around." The nearest farmer was many paces away and distracted, but Kivvien wouldn't take the ...

The cart rolled over a patch of rough ground, briefly getting stuck before Kivvien lifted and pushed it free. All around them was farmland, some of which was being worked ...

Kivvien enjoyed the following silence. He could almost pretend he wasn't being guided by an alchemical mistake to a madman.

"You should never have been created, creature. It hardly matters what you want."

"They can't comprehend simple metaphor."

"You are more similar to a trained dog than you are to any person I've ever met."

"I was not speaking literally, creature."

Kivvien shook his head. "I will not try to persuade a dog to admonish its master."

"He created you," Kivvien said simply. "Every word you have said about his work has done nothing to make him sound sane."

"I've no doubt of his intellect," if he had he wouldn't have bothered with this at all, "I only doubt his judgment, and perhaps his sanity."

"He sullied his own name," Kivvien said. "He is hardly worth my effort."

"I take it he has not accrued much wealth from his work then." Kivvien would have to hide every sign that he was affiliated with the castle or its dealings ...

Kivvien ignored his thanks. "In what sort of accommodations does your master house his laboratories?" he asked instead.

(sounds good!) Kivvien was up as early as usual. He got up and stretched before hopping down from his perch to dig in the cart. He pulled out some dried ...