A year passed rather uneventfully. Stitches quickly became known for being Johnny's shadow. He followed him where ever he went and never spoke a word. No one was really sure if he was acting mute because he simply couldn't learn the language or because he had nothing to say but it bother few. They were a famous duo that were easily recognizable due to the fact that they were the tallest humans around. Johnny and Stitches were actually one the tallest humans in town, standing at 6'5 and 6'2, respectively. Humans rarely grew over 6 feet so both of them were truly a peculiar sight. The strangest thing however was the fact that despite Johnny being taller than Stitches by almost half a head, Stitches dwarfed Johnny by his sheer size and mass. They were both rumored to be part ogre, despite the fact that such thing was impossible. Their passive and friendly attitude also made them more approachable than their intimidating stature would suggest.

Stitches accompanied Johnny through whatever odd job he found, trying to lend a helping hand. All the while, Johnny taught whatever he could to Stitches. It was rather a pointless endeavor considering that Stitches couldn't understand any of his lectures but it suited both of them fine. Johnny would go on about a particular job or subject and answer unasked questions in a strange, one-sided conversation while Stitches would silently listened. It took people several weeks to get used to sideshow of the teacher and the mute but people learned to ignore it.

The people who most quickly took to the silent Stitches were the elderly. They could see the dejection and hurt in his eyes most clearly. He intimidated the young men and women but the older generation could see the years he carried heavily. This meant that when he was at The Nest, some old man or other was always at his side sharing their sorrows. They felt in him an unfortunate kindred spirit. Even old Kit grew attached to Stitches despite his reservations and suspicions.

One evening, Johnny quickly realized that a festive spirit took over the tavern as young and old suddenly came in large groups. Even races, like low Elves and Ogres, that rarely showed their faces were among the crowd. He had never seen the tavern so busy. They even had to ask Stitches for help. Johnny turned to old Kit , who was talking to his son, Anton, and his grandson, Lyre. Anton was young at 26 years of age and Lyre a pup at 10. They, along with most in the tavern were apparently celebrating the opening of a new factory. The Tanners, a rich and powerful ogre family that dealt in steel had recently bought out most of the competition and were rumored to be quickly expanding.

"Hey Johnny, ain't it great? My boy and I got great contracts at the new factory run by the Tanners. They had so many openings that people from everywhere are moving here. Even the those low elves want jobs there. Ha ha, what great fortune we have." - Anton

" That's great to hear. That also explains all the new faces around here." -Johnny

" All the other places were packed too. This will be great for business. Maybe this place will actually make you some money now, huh, pops." - Johnny

" I don't really mind either way. I'm just happy for you two. Maybe now you'll live life a little easier."- Old Kit.

No one was more content with the news than old Kit. All he wanted was for his children to live the good life. Johnny, however, was skeptical about the whole thing but kept it to himself. He didn't feel like dampening the mood. Good things like these were few and far in-between for him to disregard with skepticism.

"Ha, pops, you have no idea. Life is gonna change for the better. I already got my eyes on a good apartment that's near the factory. I'm gonna get a car straight out off the line and send little Lyre to school in a year's time." - Anton.

Anton kept going on and on about his future and what he was going to do with his new found wealth. Quickly, Johnny looked at him with worry. He knew that with Anton in such high spirits, he couldn't directly change his mind and decided to do so in a more subtle manner.

"Hey Anton, for how long is the contract you signed? It must be rather long if you're planning that far ahead."- Johnny

"The contract is for 3 months but they said that we will have a 5 year contract afterwards for the ones that did well. They even said we'd get a raise if we were the top workers."- Anton

"Sounds great but what I would do is wait for the longer contract before investing in anything too big. If they gave me a raise, I might regret not getting a bigger apartment!"- Johnny

Even though Johnny tried to keep it positive, Anton still felt a little defensive about the situation. He couldn't really get confrontational from just that because it would make him seem like he was trying to start a fight out of nowhere. Instead, he tried to keep calm.

"Yeah, but one has got to act in opportune times. If I don't take this great deal with this apartment I found now, it might be gone tomorrow so waiting for 3 months would be far too much."-Anton

"By the way, where did you hear about such a great deal anyways? Never took you for a real-estate hunting kind of guy."- Johnny

" The building that they finished near the factory is actually an apartment building. They haven't told anyone yet. I overheard 2 ogres talking about it. You know how loud they get. After all, where are all the faces hopping over to work here gonna live? We're already packed enough as it is in the West side and they can't all live on the streets. Rumors were also everywhere later but I had already gotten one reserved for me by then. You know I got real lucky, most of 'em were gone by the time I showed up. The manager there told me himself."- Anton

"Wow, sounds like you really got lucky then. To think that you would over hear something like that straight after you got a new job. Must really be your luck. I guess it's just me that's shy to action. After all, I would still wait and see. I must be part felire or something."- Johnny

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Johnny still sounded very unconvinced despite Anton's best efforts. Anton looked annoyed at this point and could hold his word no longer. He just wanted to celebrate some good news. He drank his beer in one gulp and turned directly to Johnny.

"Johnny, you're getting on my last good graces so you better speak up before these streets lose one of their bums. Your chest ain't a warehouse so spit it out"- Anton

"Anton, c'mon, I am just being cautious is all, no need to. ." -Johnny

"JOHNNY" -Anton

Johnny and Anton were good friends. They got along well enough throughout the last 4 years that Johnny spent with old Kit. Despite Johnny being a vagabond, Anton came to respect him because of his knowledge in several areas that got Johnny to be widely known as the most competent jack of all trades. His aggression aside, Anton really did want to hear what Johnny had to say.

"Fine, fine. What I think is gonna happen, no, WHAT WILL happen is that that new contract is not gonna be anywhere as good as the one you signed . They probably only made it that good to begin with so that they could sucker you guys into a much lower one with empty promises of getting it back. The new apartments? Probably. ." -Johnny

" That's enough"- Anton

Anton nervously tried to stop Johnny's rambling that were starting to get the attention of the happy crowd. They began to seriously and angrily stare at Johnny. Anton was afraid of what Johnny might incite but wasn't fast enough to stop him.

" . .owned by the same guys that made the factory to make their money back. Someone probably got paid to spread the rumors so that people would rush to rent without really looking at the lease. You mentioned a car right? Same deal. It's just a trap, probably. These guys want to get you guys in debt. They want you to plan your life around a salary that they'll quickly take away and then leave you no choice but work yourself to death. You think they bought out the competition just so they pay their workers well? They OWN the steel market. They can pay you whatever they dam well feel like it."- Johnny

When Johnny was finished with his passionate little rambling, he realized that everyone was looking at him. He had completely killed the festive mood. He looked around sheepishly and didn't really know what to do next. From the corner of the tavern, 3 drunk and angry ogres walked towards Johnny.

" You useless puny bunch of street trash are damn lucky that the great Mez'bur Tanner was kind enough to give you a job and now you're calling him a cheat!" - Ogre 1

These ogres were between 6'6" to 7 feet tall and totally eclipsed Johnny. Ogres were already known to be the most physically powerful race, only behind Drakens and high Demons. Furthermore, they were grunts of the ogre syndicate so no one dared to stand up to them. Johnny took a step back and raised his hands to pacify them but they continued to walk towards him.

"C'mon guys, let's talk about this. I just drank a few too many and was really jealous of everyone's good luck. Really. ."- Johnny

"Shut it human "- Ogre 1

Ogres were never the talkative type and much less the type to hold back when angered. Not even Anton or old Kit could save Johnny because no one could stop an ogre's rampage, much less 3 of them. When the 3 ogres got close enough that Johnny was planning his escape, something completely unexpected happened. Stitches stood between the 3 ogres and Johnny. Stitches and Johnny were very tall for humans but still were much smaller than a regular ogre. However, Stitches seemed like an insurmountable wall. His eyes were no longer beaten but burned with great fire. Johnny got even more worried.

"Suturis, you don't have to. . "- Johnny

Suturis was the name he had given his new found friends. It was one of the only things he was able to communicate before he decide to play mute. Johnny didn't want for Stitches to get hurt but Stitches stood resolute. He looked at the 3 without fear or hesitation but filled his aggression.

" Sit down"- Stitches

All the people who knew him were taken aback. He could actually talk! It was an unexpected turn of events. More surprising still was that it made the ogres hesitate.

"And who the fuck are you"- Ogre 1

"Sit down"- Stitches

"I guess trash always comes in piles. Fuc' off before I paint these walls with y'r face."- Ogre2

Just then, the tallest ogre of the bunch took a swing Stitches. Stitches quickly fell upon them. He caught the ogre's fist and broke his arm at the elbow. His screams were met with a punch to the throat. Stitches threw him aside as the ogre choked on blood and pain. The next ogre had his knee broken with a kick and ribs cracked with a punch to the chest. The third one that tried to run was caught by his arm that couldn't break free from Stitches grip. Stitches simply squeezed until his arm began to feel like it was going to pop. The ogre began to plead for mercy. He cried out but Stitche's fury would not abate.

"Suturis, THAT'S ENOUGH, really, too much overkill, STOP"- Johnny

Johnny was the first to come to his senses and tried to stop Stitche's onslaught. Even though he was glad that he was saved and knew that anyone from the syndicate was scum, he still pleaded for them. Stitches relaxed his grip but didn't let go of the ogre's arm. With his senses returned, the ogre began to threaten Stitches.

"We are syndicate you over stuffed piece of shit, you think you'll get away with this? Huh, you'll be fuckin' dead by tomorrow. We'll burn down this dam tavern with you all innnn, AHH"- Ogre 3

Stitches squeezed his arm again which had him howling in pain. Stitches looked at Johnny with downcast eyes, begging him to let him tear the ogre in two. Johnny looked at Stitches with great exasperation and confusion. Is this really the same tamed guy that tagged along with me this whole year. What happened to my mute, little buddy. Johnny greatly missed the quiet and downtrodden Stitches that he had grown accustom to.

"Look, thank you really, but don't you think that was a little over board? Being that, huh, brutal wasn't really necessary."- Johnny

"These men were going to kill you."-Stitches

For the first time since they had met, Stitches and Johnny actually began to have a conversation. The circumstances were terrible and Johnny was reprimanding him but it was their first real conversation still. There was a quiet "So you can talk" atmosphere going on but Johnny swept it aside.

"You know what, that's not important right now, ok? How about you help me take these two guys to a clinic and we'll talk about this later."- Johnny

"If that is what you willed, then so be it"- Stitches

"Wait, really?"- Johnny

Johnny was expecting more retaliation from this violent version of Stitches but all he found was mild irritation. Stitches let go of the squirming ogre and walked towards the other two. He picked one up in each shoulder and awaited further commands from Johnny. The ogre that could still walk simply ran away as soon as Stitches had turned his back to him but nobody bothered to stop him. Everyone was too busy gawking at the man who was carrying 2 ogres like they were made of feathers. Johnny hesitated a moment before leading Stitches to the nearest clinic.

The next day, it was the talk of the town in hush tones. Nobody wanted to gain the ire of the ogre syndicate, whose actions had been emboldened by the expansion of the Tanner family. They talked about the man who claimed the new factory contracts would turn out to be a scam and the man who tore apart three ogres. All they knew about these two men was that they were unusually tall for humans but that was enough.