"Long have I been exploring in search of the dark lords, with successes few, and failures many. As fortune would have it, I have not only I encountered one of the great beasts on this fateful night, but two. To my surprise, the two terrifying creatures engaged in battle almost immediately, not the usual brief wrestling matches involving fang and claw, but, instead, clearly going all out. It is so rare to see such creatures utilize the full extent of their powers, that I regret being unable to take a closer look. It is simply not an option, however.

The sky beast is unlike anything I have ever seen before. Deep black and of red eyes, strange wisps of dark energy drifting and swirling about it as though they have minds of their own. These floating deep red orbs orbs regularly burst into hideous torrents of chaotic power which rip through the skies and tear up the earth beneath them, torrents which could very well have claimed my life as well, were it not for the shelter I had taken behind a massive metal canister. Even with this secure barricade between myself and the clash ahead, I feel little sense of safety, and my death never feels far very away. Still, retreat is not an option, for more reasons than one.

Then, there is the other dark lord. Ground based, of glowing white fur, and seemingly unconcerned with the embodiment of destruction within the skies. Not one of those arcs of fiery red energy stuck the feline, each melting away against her light, no matter how relentlessly they rain down. Not only do the blows fail to land, they are readily pushed back. Is the black winged entity significantly weaker than their opponent? No, when it comes to sheer power, I don't believe this to be the case. The way the black entity ripped open the very skies themselves, the overwhelmingly oppressive air emitting from it, the level of destruction that it so effortlessly inflicts all around. This is no common monster. This is simply a case of poor elemental affinities. Even the most oppressive darkness is pushed away, at least briefly, by a single spark of light, and the large feline sitting on the ground ahead is no mere spark.

It is radiant, beautiful, even sitting still with closed eyes, long tail curled about its heavy paws. Then, it reveals its true power, revealing to me that what I had seen as radiant before was merely a minor shimmer in comparison. It opens its golden eyes, bathing its opponent, bathing everything in luminous yellow light. Even from my hiding place, I could feel the calming energy of it, but it has a significantly less calming effect on her strange opponent. It shrieks in a terrible metallic whine, the wisps circling about it struggling to fight back against the spray of light, instead crumbling away entirely.

Then, as quickly as the battle had begun, it ends. The light begins to fade, and no trace of the bizarre black monstrosity remains within the night sky. I do not see a corpse fall to the earth. Perhaps it simply disintegrated, along with its many glowing red minions? Still, I find myself skeptical that a dark lord, especially that dark lord could die so easily. Regardless of what exactly has happened, the outcome remains the same. The victor remains seated, not so much as a single strand of its long, beautiful coat out of place. I know I should run, but I cannot bring myself to do so. I need to get a closer look at this majestic creature, and will never forgive myself should I allow this opportunity to pass. Just a little bit closer."

This was the final entry of researcher Nostrom's notebook, discovered nearly one year ago, far from the walls of the mouse kingdom. The researcher himself was never found.

<3~ <3~ <3~ <3~

"Hey, no fighting in here! Take it outside!" the tavern owner barked at Aaron, who was currently holding the terrified scavenger up by the neck.

"Where did you get this?" he growled.

"I, uh, um..." the pale, old looking mouse stammered, his entire body shaking as he looked to the older sibling with wide, distant eyes.

"Let him go!" Jerin exclaimed, grabbing hold of her brother's wrist, trying to pull it away.

"Seriously? That map isn't something he stumbled on, it's freshly made. You think it's just a coincidence we just ran into some helpful person who just happens to have exactly what we were looking for?" Aaron snarled at her.

"Let him go." She growled right back at him in response, eyes narrowed. "I'll handle this."

Mathias and Rowan didn't really know what to say, but clearly the barkeep agreed with this idea. Aaron grumbled, releasing the thin, terrified mouse who fell back down onto his stool. The larger mouse turned away, trying and very much failing to regain his composure.

Jerin's expression immediately turned warm and understanding. "Hi! Sorry about my brother, he's just been having a bad day so far. So, this map of yours... it leads to the lair of the dark lord?"

"Yeah." He replied, avoiding looking her in the eye, still breathing heavily.

"And can you tell us where you got it?" she asked, looking up to the taller yet in no way imposing looking mouse.

"No. I'm-I'm sorry."

"Hey, it's alright!" She said, taking one of his shaking hands within both of her own smaller paws. "I understand. Thank you! This is going to be a big help to us!"

"You've got to be kidding me." Aaron grumbled under his breath. She cast another sideways glare in his direction before turning back to the stranger, smiling. She then picked up the paper map, examining it within her hands.

"Maybe-maybe you shouldn't go there." Riccard said, hesitantly, as though each word and every word caused him physical pain.

"Don't worry. This is what we do, and we'll be careful." Jerin said to him in a gentle voice. "And even if something does happen, it's entirely our choice, and you're in no way responsible."

He gave a quick nod, still avoiding eye contact, still not looking even remotely calmed nor relieved. He quickly sidled past the remainder of the group, giving Aaron a particularly wide berth before fleeing the establishment.

"What was that about? Don't tell me you think that wasn't suspicious."

"He was scared." She said in a flat voice. "Really scared."

"Yeah, for good reason." Aaron grumbled.

"He wasn't scared of us." Mathias replied in a low voice, looking back over his shoulder in the direction that the strange mouse had run. "That wasn't the fear of getting beaten up or something. That was real, primal fear. The sort of fear which can't be caused by other mice."

Aaron paused, looking to him, his anger momentarily sated, replaced with a far deeper concern. "So, what exactly are you saying?"

"Yeah, there is something weird going on here, and it wasn't just coincidence we got this map. I don't think that mouse had a choice." the thief turned to the barkeep, "Do you know him?"

"Riccard? Yeah, he's sort of a regular. Scavenges outside the city, and does pretty well for himself. He's had a few close calls in the past, but always pulls through. May not be the most talkative sort, but was always pleasant enough." She said, "Then he comes in last night, looking like absolute death, and won't talk to anyone. Keeps saying he has to wait for a mouse girl with a long metal sword. He's been sitting there since then, waiting. Fell asleep just before your group first arrived, but I guess the sound of all the fighting woke him up."

Jerin nodded. "The next time you see him, please thank him for his help."

"I don't think he wants thanks." Mathias said, shaking his head, "And I don't think he believes that he was helping."

"Okay, so where does this put us? What do we do with this information?" Aaron asked.

"It must be some manner of trap or something along those lines. Were it legitimate, he would not be afraid to tell us where he had obtained it." Rowan said, looking closer. "Quality paper and inking as well. This is not a simple guideline. Whoever made this wanted to make absolutely certain that whoever ended up with this map would find what was marked."

"Who would set a trap for us? Who even knows about us? That Samuel guy, maybe? I don't see why he'd bother though, since he was already at the bar with the man who had the map." Jerin frowned.

"There have already been a lot of rumors going around about your quest." Mathias said, "But from the whispers I've been hearing, people seem quite supportive. I can't think of anyone who would wish us harm. Plus, even if they did, setting a trap for us at a Maker's shrine seems like it would be as dangerous to them as it would be for us."

"Maybe it was Midnight who sent it!" Jerin said, excitedly.

"Seriously? First of all, we don't even know if he still lives around here. Or even if he is still alive at all. If we don't even know that much about him, how would he know about us? He hasn't even been seen since the attack on our village. I don't see how he'd know anything about the city or the people in it."

"There have, indeed, been no documented sightings," Rowan interjected, "But that does not mean that he has not been around. There are currently no active field researchers studying the dark lords, and even were someone to observe the creature, they may have never reported it, or even survived to report it."

Field research into the dark lords was, by far, the most dangerous occupation in a city filled with no shortage of dangerous occupations, seeing as how the dark lords could see a great distance, and one needed to be comparatively close to recognize and identify them. This was compounded by the sorts of people drawn to these occupations, those fascinated by the creatures, who felt endlessly compelled get just a little bit too close. As much as the beasts were hated and feared, there was no small an element of respect for them as well. This could lead to a curiosity where people would take unnecessary chances to learn more about them, and in more than a few cases, had actually tried to communicate with the dark lords, which always ended poorly. As a result, documentation of the creatures proved to be sporadic at best.

"It seems ridiculous. It's a map! Are we expected to believe that this gigantic monster decided to unroll some paper it had lying around, found a pen and ink, and used it's mouth to draw a diagram of the local neighborhood, just to lure us... somewhere? Why? If it knows about us, why wouldn't it just attack? It could have done so yesterday when we went outside to visit that prophet, and even if it couldn't then, for whatever reason, if it saw us as a threat, it could attack the city. It might not make it through the gates, but it's not like we have any defenses that could hurt it. None of this makes any sense." Aaron sighed, shaking his head.

"Maybe it's not a trap. Maybe it's an invitation. Maybe it wants us to come to it." Jerin said.

"What? Why would it?"

"The same reason that it attacked our village, even though we weren't a threat, and it wasn't hungry. These creatures aren't like us. They don't need to build shelters or struggle for food, or worry that their lives are in danger. They're just playing, because they can." Jerin replied, focused on the map.

"Where it came from is a curiosity, but that's not the real question." Mathias says, looking over her shoulder at said map. "The real question is what do we do with this information."

"That's obvious." Jerin said. "We follow it. This is the only lead that we have."

"Are you kidding? We were just talking about how it might be a trap, and you want to walk straight into it? No matter what lies on that point of the map, I think we can all agree that it's not going to be anything pleasant." Aaron asked, incredulously.

"We're already planning to fight a dark lord." his sister said with a shrug. "I can't think of any kind of trap that would be more dangerous than that."

"No need to worry about traps. I might not have had much chance to fight so far, but I've got a keen eye for traps. Any sign of trouble, and we can just turn back." the thief nodded.

"Or, we could save the trouble of turning back, and just stay here." Aaron said. "Anyways, even if we wanted to go there, having no idea what's waiting for us, aside from some kind of certain death, how would we even get there? None of the known tunnels lead even close to that shrine."

"That is not entirely true." Rowan said, coughing into his paw. "There are tunnels which lead virtually anywhere that you could imagine. The... 'other' tunnels."

"Other tunnels? What are you talking-" Aaron froze mid sentence, going pale. "Wait a minute, you can't be talking about the Maker's tunnels, are you? That's insane!"

"Wait, the Makers have tunnels? Tunnels that we can use? Why haven't I heard about these before?" Jerin asked, eyes wide, suddenly excited.

Aaron was well aware of these tunnels. A massive sprawling labyrinth which stretched out underground in all directions. He would occasionally hear stories about them,, how brave mice would occasionally go to explore, but never came back. They didn't truly die, as dying would be too easy. Instead their corpses aimlessly roamed the endless corridors, hungering for the flesh of their former brethren. He used to enjoy these sorts of stories back before the village was attacked by Midnight. After that event, scary stories just didn't appeal to him or his sister anymore. He didn't really believe in these stories, but it was common knowledge that the Maker's tunnels were to be avoided at all costs. Also, he totally believed in the stories. Not believing in them was just something that he would try to convince others, and more often himself, of.

"Indeed. While the Makers are mostly known for building up towards the skies, they also have created much beneath their feet. These pathways are dangerous, however. Water regularly flows through them, and can sweep an unwary mouse to their doom without warning. In places, vile toxins fill the air and water, leading to terrible sickness when drank or even touched, and last but not least, tales say that strange, hideous abominations roam the passageways. Creatures which, although blind, deaf and without touch, immediately sense any intruders within their realm, and seek them out immediately."

"Wow. A huge dungeon made by the Makers..." Jerin said, awestruck. "Do the Makers themselves ever go down there?"

"No. Well, not really. There are certain points which they can access, mostly to do maintenance, but for the most part, the tunnels are far too small, in some cases not even large enough for a mouse to stand up upon two feet." the old mouse said. "On the bright side, that does mean that should any creatures roam those passages, they cannot be overly large."

"We have to go! We've got to see what these tunnels of the Makers are all about!" Jerin chirped excitedly. "Um, oh yeah, and also the whole map thing. That's important, too."

"Are we seriously doing this? We've got no idea what's down there, and even if we do, somehow, make it through, it will take us to a Maker's shrine, a place we all know is dangerous, which will also have who-knows-what waiting for us!" Aaron groaned.

"I'm not sure that just ignoring this would be a good idea." Mathias said, taking the map from Jerin, tilting it to one side and handing it back to her, so that she was now reading it properly. "Wherever this map came from, whatever sent it knows about us, and where we are. If something out there means us harm, it knows how to find us. Sure, the city is pretty safe, but I think I'd rather go out to meet this threat, rather than waiting for it."

Aaron couldn't entirely disagree with that. The whole matter was unsettling, and simply ignoring it wouldn't make it any less so. It was one thing to wander around, looking for something which may no longer even exist, but it was another entirely to have the attention of some unknown entity, one which surely doesn't have benevolent intentions. Still, those tunnels...

There were very few places that mice were unwilling to go. Sure, most mice were content within the safe walls of the city, but there always surveyors, explorers, adventurers, people willing to push their boundaries, expand their knowledge, and potentially reap the rewards of such journeys, no matter how dangerous they might be. A massive network of underground tunnels, laid out of a convenient grid pattern (unlike those dug by mice and other burrowing creatures, which twisted and shifted, often looping back upon themselves at a rate so gradual that those walking within them would swear that they were traveling in a straight line)? A place safe from the elements and out of reach of the lords of darkness? Such a place should be ideal for any curious mouse to explore, but they didn't. It's was a no mans land, and even if the rumors of the specific dangers are extremely inconsistent, often contradictory, every mouse knew that it simply wasn't the sort of place anyone should go. Ever. Well, almost every mouse knew that.

"No matter the risks, it is far safer and more direct than traveling above ground. We would need to venture across several of the flats to reach our destination, if we were to even try." Rowan said.

"We have to take these tunnels! I've got to see them!" Jerin exclaimed cheerfully, momentarily far more enthusiastic about the idea of seeing the massive underground catacombs made entirely by the Makers, than she was is in her actual long-term objective.

Mathias shrugged to Aaron. "It's like Jerin said: I can't see those tunnels being any more dangerous than fighting a dark lord. We've just got to be careful. There are four of us, we're all armed, and hey, we can always turn back if things look bad."

The larger mouse grunted. He didn't like this. Any of this. Still, he couldn't think of any better options. Someone, or something out there knew about his sister and her adventuring group, and now that it's eyes were on them, they likely weren't going to look away just because the group decided to ignore it. That's the thing about dark lords: you usually can't run from them. Sure, you may get lucky, and find a passage nearby they can't get into, or have a big enough head start to somehow lose them, but otherwise? In spite of their size, they're incredibly quick, and in a chase, they will catch you. Your best bet, if there's no easy escape avenue, is to fight your instincts to run, and instead hold your ground, face the threat directly. It's unlikely it will work, but even a slim chance of success is better than none. Maybe this situation didn't involve literal attack or retreat, but the same principle applied.

"While I know little of these tunnels, I do know that they traditionally follow the flats, and run beneath all of the shrines of the Makers. The specific map landmarks will not be visible underground, but should we follow the general directions of it, keeping track of how far we have ventured, we should be able to reach the destination." Rowan said.

"Let's go! We've all already got a victory under our belts today, we need to continue while we're still on a hot streak!" Jerin said, before pausing to look to Aaron. "Well, most of us do."

"Yeah, yeah, don't remind me. Let's just go."

Before had they had left, a quick and completely necessary shopping trip was required. As much as Jerin had liked her old blue vest, it went horribly with her new pants, and she needed a new one. It would have taken quite some time, and likely considerably more money than she had earned in her trek to the shrine to find something of quite the same color, so before too long she settled on a long buttoned shirt instead, dyed in a muddy pink. Hardly perfect, but it would do well enough, for now.

There was another brief discussion with the gate keepers, different ones this time, with Leonard and Gabriella off working on a less secure portion of the city barrier. These two were less concerned with safety of the the group, but still annoyed that they would need to do actual work, and even said work only came in the form of telling others to do actual work. Still, that was considerably more labor than watching the gates usually entailed.

With the gateway opened, Jerin and her allies stepped outside, once more taking in the endless, cloudless blue sky. Somehow, it didn't seem nearly as oppressive to her, perhaps because her mind was set on a more engaging task than going to be lectured by some strange, ancient monster. The entrance to the tunnels was not far away, right where the grass met the flats, through a large rusted grate, within which the sound of flowing water could be heard. While It did require stepping out from the grass, climbing down onto the dark stone flats, and leaving themselves exposed to any number of potential threats, they kept a close eye, and there was no sign that they had been spotted by anything. The four stepped inside.

The path lead straight down into the darkness, with no clear points along the wall which could be safely climbed. The group had brought some rope for such an occasion, but it was still far from easy going. The wall was wet and slippery with the sort of substance which even mice, hardly the cleanliest of creatures, were hesitant to touch, and holding a torch while climbing was all but impossible. As a result they could only slowly worm their way down as the light of the sun above revealed less and less of the unnatural cavernous environment about them. What they could see was nonetheless impressive. It wasn't decorated with elaborate artifacts or painted or showing any real signs of artistic craftsmanship, rather, it was the sheer scale of everything, something which all mice know that the Makers were capable of creating, but aside from Jerin, none of them had really seen first-hand. For mice, creating a tunnel like this would take multiple lifetimes, but for the Makers? It was just something that they had built (well, perhaps not as easily as they think), which they didn't even bother living in.

Eventually, mercifully, they reached solid ground, the rough stone somehow both slippery and sticky at once, the air smelling stale and distinctly unnatural in a way none of them could quite put their fingers on. Finally, Aaron was able to light a torch.

"Wow! Just look at this place! Just the entrance is huge!" Jerin said, eyes wide, looking about, taking in the impressive, even if less than attractive surroundings.

"We should get moving, and leave this place as quickly as possible. There must be a reason mice do not settle here. Were it seen as just a little bit dangerous, it would be considered a fair trade off, at least for some. There are clearly awful things that exist within this place, and if possible, I should rather not meet them." Rowan said.

"Okay, okay." Jerin said, with a hint of disappointment. This was exactly the sort of dungeon she had heard about in all those adventuring stories, and she was eager to explore it. Even she knew that there were more important things to consider, however. She pointed a raised paw to the round, darkened tunnel ahead. "Let's go!"

Mathias peered down over her shoulder at the map, giving her pointing arm a push until it was facing the opposite direction. "Um, this way, apparently."

"Maybe someone else should take the map." Aaron said. Rowan nodded, taking hold of it, squinting, leaning a little bit closer. "Um, maybe someone who can actually see?"

He expected at least a little bit of objection, but instead the old mouse simply nodded in agreement. "Fair enough."

"Are you good with maps?" Aaron asked the thief.

"Not really..."

"Sounds like you're the most qualified here, then. Congratulations, you're the new navigator."

Mathias smiled, looking down at the map, but that smile quickly faded. This wouldn't be extremely helpful within this network of tunnels, and it would similarly just mean that if they did end up wandering off course and into certain death, it would be his fault.

The group started down a relatively narrow tunnel, wide enough to walk three abreast, but completely round, meaning little of the ground could really be walked along, forcing them into single file. At their feet was a faint stream of dark water, but the stains along the rounded inner walls of the tunnel implied that it could run chest deep, if not higher. Aaron had to constantly shush his sister, who was excited about every little thing, with little being the operative word, since there really wasn't much to see down this straightaway. He was skeptical that being quiet would really help anyways. If there was anything around to detect them, the torch was a pretty obvious sign of their presence. Still, it couldn't hurt.

Once they had reached the end of the tunnel, the path opened significantly, even taking in some natural light through holes in the ceiling far above. The sound of running water was much louder here, even if the source of it remained invisible, the walls returning to carved stone, greened by lichen and lightly corroded by the elements. Each wall was lined with pipes, much like the one the party just passed through, some of which bent upwards, some down, but all leading into pitch darkness.

"We've got to keep going straight ahead, and after a while, make a right turn." Mathias said, looking closely at the rather unhelpful map. He had hoped that even underground, landmarks like the shrines would still be apparent, but he hadn't seen any evidence of this, as of yet, and the map wasn't drawn to any particularly clear scale.

"Do you happen to know exactly when we're supposed to make this turn?" Aaron asked.

A long pause. "Sure..."

"You don't sound too confident."

"Hey, do you want to be the navigator?"

Aaron raised his hands and shook his head. He knew that despite the adventuring history of his youth, he was no better with maps than his sister. All things considered, it was a miracle that he had always managed to find his way home from his many excursions, back in the day.

The chamber continued a good ways, but Mathias knew that they weren't even close to the end of the straight path, and could only hope that when it finally did come time to turn to the east, there would be some manner of obvious sign. His face was buried in the map when the older brother stopped in his tracks.

"Wait. Does anyone else hear that?"

The other three stopped. At first, they heard nothing but the usual ambient noises of the labyrinth, but as they listened, they could faintly detect a new sound overtop it. It was barely audible, a sort of soft mumbling which came from an indiscernible direction.

"Dondorion..." Mathias said, raising a paw. After a few seconds, the large buzzing insect landed atop it.

"Has that thing been following us all this time?" Aaron asked, keeping his distance from it.

"Yup. He mostly just flies around, watching from above, waiting to be called." He said, speaking directly to the fly. "Now, scout on ahead. Come back and tell me if you see anything."

The creature floated forward in a rather graceless manner, vanishing into the darkness ahead.

"Tell you? Can you understand that that bug says?" Aaron asked.

"Of course not! It's a fly!" the thief replied, with an entirely unhelpful answer.

They waited for just a few moments, and when the insect didn't return with 'news', continued on their way. Up ahead was another tunnel, slightly smaller than the first. If traveling in single file had simply been more convenient in that one, it was downright mandatory here, the mice constantly finding themselves fearing losing their footing on the curved surface. The faint natural light of the previous chamber had quickly faded as they continued onwards, leading them to rely entirely upon the glow of the torch. Not only shorter in diameter, the tunnel was also shorter in length, leading to a large stone chamber, the walls of it an imperceptable distance away, shrouded in the blackness. That was when they first witnessed the creatures ahead of them. The creatures were mice. Once.

At first they appeared only to be shambling bipedal beings, but as they stepped closer (although calling much of what they did 'stepping' was incredibly charitable), the distinction between what they presently are and what they once were grew readily apparent. Many mice had heard stories about the undead, and the image they tended to create within their minds was usually a somewhat sanitized one. They either envisioned a full bleached skeleton, which despite lacking any muscle tissue moved with surprising ability, or a regular mouse, maybe missing a little fur, skin a touch grayed, with a slack-jawed expression and sleepy looking eyes, slowly lurching forward with outstretched arms. On the contrary, the creatures before them were thoroughly ruined. Some were missing lower jaws, some had an exposed rib cage which one could see though and count the withered remnants of their organs. All of them had missing portions of skin and flesh, showing the bone underneath, revealing what once were mortal wounds, back when they still had blood to bleed.

The group turned, looking back the way they had come, only to see more standing in the darkness, only the ghastly shadows of their impossibly thin silhouettes visible. Surrounded from all sides, the four mice turned back to back, weapons drawn, although aside from Jerin, none of them were confident their weapons could inflict any sort of damage to such unnatural foes.

"Stay back!" Jerin growled, holding her long blade out in front of her, which seemed to gleam even in the oppressive darkness.

The creatures all stopped. There was a brief standoff before a croaking voice finally called. "Then what?"

"Huh?" The girl asked.

"Well, you told us to stay back... and we're staying back." It replied, "So, what do we do now?"

"Ummm. I don't really know..." Jerin replied, scratching her head, giving the matter some thought, "Not eat us, maybe?"

There was a collective groan from the wandering dead hoard, not the expected zombie moan, although there were a fair share of those as well. Instead there was a distinct tone of annoyance and frustration.

"Ugh, why do you living mice always think we want to eat you?" A small former-mouse asked, stepping forward. She was a little shorter than Jerin, and looked even younger, although it was really difficult to tell since that young face had clearly been put through the ringer, and even if her body hadn't aged, the flesh upon it clearly had. It had no ears, and only one eye which was little more than a milky puddle which leaked down the tattered cheek. The face wasn't a bare skull by any means, and there was no shortage of flesh upon it, but little of it seemed strongly connected, rather just clinging to the bone purely out of habit.

"Well..." Jerin said.

"It's just so... stupid! Look, I get it, we're scary looking. I understand that, but how does that lead to us wanting to eat you? We're dead! We don't get hungry! Half of us don't have stomachs anymore, and most of us no longer have teeth! We couldn't eat you even if we wanted to."

"It's just that..." Jerin replied, looking more than a little bit embarrassed.

"I know, I know, it's brilliant social commentary: The idea that all living creatures, deep down, only exist to consume, an instinct which carries on even beyond the grave." it said, looking up and to the side, the voice bearing a hint of femininity to it, even as it worked its way through a completely mangled throat. "The idea that all of our ideals, our principles, our civilizations are only a mask to our true mindless, savage and hungry nature, and that the staggering brainless cannibal is all that we truly are, deep inside..."

Jerin said nothing.

"...Oh, not all of us, of course. That's just for 'other people'. In the end, it's not about our kind, we're just a prop to show how the brave and noble survivors deal with adversity, pointing out the distinction between 'you' and 'us'. You know, how you living creatures are the noble free thinkers, and we just symbolize the mindless masses, even though the core message is supposed to be that in the end, we're all the same? It's an image still worshiped by idiots who feel under appreciated, and think that in a hellish world, they'll finally have the chance to shine..."

"Um..."

"...never mind that these people can barely take care of themselves in civilization. They somehow think they'll rise to greatness in a world of the dead, where they have to hunt their own meals, fortify their own shelters, and stay ever vigilant? And then there's the whole 'the living are the real monsters all along!' thing, which is just another form of 'us vs them', you know, since being one of the last survivors on earth isn't quite enough, you've got to be superior to other living survivors as well! Meanwhile, we just become more and more of a background prop, only around as something to destroy and a potential source of drama. A reminder of the world left behind, to give the noble heroes an excuse to brood. Even in your stories where we take over the world, we still can't get a fair shake!"

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Theres was a long and frightfully awkward pause. "Uh, I'm sorry. I guess it must be rough being dead. I didn't mean to be rude." Jerin said, lowering her sword.

The undead face immediately warmed, despite having few features which could still move. "Aww, that's okay. I just get a little carried away sometimes. You just hear the same nonsensical stereotypes over and over, you know?"

Jerin nodded. She did not know, of course, but it simply seemed like the polite thing to do. The hoard of creatures visibly relaxed a little as she lowered her sword, even if the others in her group, especially Aaron, still looked more than a little bit tense.

"Um, you didn't happen to see my friend come by here? Kind of fat, fuzzy, lots of legs, flies?" Mathias asked in a still hesitant tone.

Another, larger mouse stepped out from the shadows, his forearms completely gone, with only tattered stumps remaining at the elbow. With no tongue or working jaw tissue, it couldn't move, or more specifically, close its mouth, letting out a constant low moan as it's beleaguered lungs continued to breathe in and out. It raised an arm stump, pointing it to the side of it's head, where the large fly was settled, gnawing at the rotted flesh of his ear.

"Oh, Dondorion, you little scamp!" Mathias chuckled, which led to a chorus of unhealthy sounding laughter, any tension in the room immediately dispersed. Well, aside from Aaron, who still hadn't put his weapon away, and looked downright terrified. None of the ruined creatures seem to take offense to this, however, it apparently being a pretty common reaction.

"I'm Grace." the apparent zombie rights activist said, stepping in close to Jerin. "I'm sorry for the rude welcome. You can't be too careful. It's really great to see you, though!" she said, taking Jerin by the hand. Aaron winced as the withered, dried paws came into contact with his sister's healthy ones, but she didn't seem to mind in the slightest.

"Huh? Were you expecting us or something?"

"No, but it's always a treat when someone with actual blood running through their veins comes by. It's been so long. There aren't that many of us, and we've all known each other for, well, pretty much forever, so it's a pleasure to meet someone new. Especially someone who doesn't attack first and ask questions later."

Jerin stared at the other girl, nearly awestruck. "Oh, wow, that's so cool! I can see your skull and everything, and your skin is all asymmetrical! It doesn't hurt, does it?"

Mathias tensed a little, as it felt like a rude thing to ask, but the undead girl simply laughed.

"No, not at all! It can be a bit inconvenient, though, when you've got a piece hanging off. You don't want to tear it away, of course, since it'll be gone forever, but it's still annoying to just have it dangling."

"Oh yeah, I pick at scabs sometimes, too. Guess it'd be a lot worse if they never closed up." Jerin nodded, still looking at the ravaged creature with rapt fascination.

"That's an interesting sword you have..." Grace said, looking to the blade, the tip of which was now settled upon the ground. "Where did you get... ow!" she yipped as she touched the smooth surface. There was an immediate sizzling sound, followed by the faint scent of burnt flesh.

"Oh no, are you okay!" Jerin asked, pulling the sword away.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Great actually. Wow, it's been so long since I've felt pain, I'd forgotten what it was like." she said, looking down at the singed finger. "It sure brings back memories."

"Ooh, let me try!" another walking corpse said.

"I wanna see what it's like, too!" followed a raspy voice deeper in the crowd.

"..." the armless mouse agreed, nodding it's head in affirmation.

"Um, I'm not sure that's such a good idea." Jerin replied, putting the sword back in her belt. They all responded with a disappointed noise.

"No, no, she's right. Now that the novelty's worn off, it's actually pretty unpleasant. Plus, the last thing we need are more injuries, even small ones, which will never heal." Grace said, trying to suckle on her finger, despite lacking any sort of lips, much less saliva. "But, no matter. Come, come! We so rarely get to entertain guests! I'm sure the others will love to meet you!"

"Uh, we really need to get going. We're kind of on a mission..." Aaron said, having not blinked even once since this strange encounter began. Normally, he would have been happy for a distraction from their quest, but this somehow seemed even worse than facing a dark lord.

"There's no rush, whatever the map leads to isn't going anywhere..." Jerin said, and hummed, thinking back to the tunnel to the Makers shrine and how she suspected that the map itself had regularly shifted and changed.. "...probably."

And so they followed the decrepit creatures deeper into the tunnels. There wasn't any sort of vote on this decision, Jerin simply led the way, and the others followed, Aaron more hesitantly than Rowan and the thief.

"Fascinating." Rowan said as they were lead through great stone archways, the flowing water below now sounding like a raging torrent. "Many of my contemporaries have studied everlasting life, but none of them had achieved much success. How is it that your kind came to be this way?" He asked a mouse next to him which was wrapped in tattered, fowl smelling bandages.

"We came upon a discarded capsule, created by the Makers. It leaked, and as it mixed with the chemicals of this place, it changed, and affected the physiology of those who drank from the waters here." It answered, its voice a low hiss.

"Oh. I was kind of expecting a more mystical explanation." Jerin said, clearly more than a little disappointed.

"The longer one lives, the less faith one has in the mystical. Life becomes far too predictable, too routine to accept that there are strange and random powers at work. Our immortal nature, where we can move about for all of eternity, without requiring food or any other clear source of energy is entirely scientific." it replied.

"Have you ever seen a dark lord down here?" Mathias asked, feeling tempted to comment about how that explanation didn't sound very scientific, but he decided against it. He was not a scientist, after all, and thus could not say for certain. As for the question itself, most of the tunnels were far too small, but there were clearly no shortage of wide-open areas such as this one. The idea of an immortal dark lord was a terrifying one.

"Dark lord? What's that? No. Other creatures come down here sometimes. Non-mice. They try to drink the water, and they die horribly. It only seems to work on our, that is to say, your kind." the creature of indeterminate gender said, looking to him with a bony smile which seemed, contrary to what Grace implied, oddly hungry.

"I... see." The thief said, uncomfortably.

Meanwhile, Jerin and Grace continued to chatter happily.

"Hey, nice tail!" The zombie girl said, looking down at Jerin's artificial appendage.

"Thanks! I lost mine a while ago, so my mom, I mean my adopted mom made it for me."

"Yup, I know what that's like, We don't get many tails, mostly going with more essential stuff." the said, turning her head, showing the knitted pad which wrapped around the back of it. It covered a visible dent, where it appeared that a portion of her skull was missing. It was of a similar multi-colored pattern.

"Huh? Did you make that?" Jerin asked.

"Of course not! Can't find anything that colorful down here. There's a living mouse who once in a while comes by. She's really nice. We give orders for things we need, sometimes silly stuff like a new ear or paw covering, occasionally an imitation organ, just so we feel a little less empty inside, but usually some fake skin to keep our guts from falling out. Her name's Marrun."

Both Jerin and her brother stopped dead in their tracks. "That's our mom's name." Jerin said.

Grace chuckled. "Seriously? Wow! Small world, huh?"

"Wait, wait, let's not gloss over this..." Aaron groaned, forehead in his paw. His earlier anxiety was, for the moment, forgotten, with that new bit of information sounding far more offensively implausible than the undead about him were frightening. "Are you telling us that our elderly mother regularly comes to these tunnels to bring your people artificial body parts?"

"Yup! Funny story how we first met. Her and a companion of hers used to be adventurers. Since she said they got married since then, I guess he's your dad? Anyways, they came exploring these parts, and, well, we were kind of more cranky and quick to fight back then. Really hard to stay in a good mood with your intestines dragging behind you all the time, after all, and, well, she was a berserker, so... I'm sure you can guess how it turned out."

The two siblings stared blankly.

"Anyways, after a whole lot of hacking and slashing, we all calmed down, got to talking and realized it was all just a huge misunderstanding! Boy, were our faces red! Well, you know, figuratively speaking. They didn't get hurt, fortunately, but we we all pretty torn up. Your mom felt really guilty about it, even though we made it clear that it was our fault just as much as theirs, but she insisted on making it up to us. Since then, she's regularly been coming back with knitted items to either help us get around without leaving a trail of body parts, or just to help make us feel just a little bit more alive."

More blank stares. "Wait... our mom... was a berserker?" Jerin says. "And she's been knitting you guys body parts?"

"Well, yeah! With how many she makes, she must work an awful lot. Haven't you ever seen her knitting?"

"Of course, all the time." Jerin nodded.

"Did you think she was making clothes?"

Jerin spat. "Of course not! That's ridiculous!"

"Then... what did you think she was making?" Grace asked.

The two siblings stared at one another with embarrassed expressions. Over all those months, not even once had they ever thought to ask.

"Wow... I had no idea..." Jerin said.

"Yeah..." Aaron said, having always just assumed that it was his father who was the warrior. "Hey, what did my father, her companion do?"

"Him? He was a healer. Not magical, mostly just brewed potions, applied bandages and stuff. He was no slouch either, though! Really good with a quarter-staff! Turns out that when your main fighting method is going into bloodthirsty rages and leaping into hoards of foes, having someone to patch you up later is extra important. He helped us too, and the bandages were nice, but the knitted stuff is much better, not just for practicality, but just as a warm reminder that even when things seem bleak, someone out there cares."

"Yeah." Jerin said, looking down at her own stub of tail which lead to the rainbow of intertwined yarn strands. "I know what you mean."

The four were very much the center of attention when they reached the main settlement. Calling it a settlement wasn't entirely accurate, as they had no need to shelter from the elements or predators, seeing as how there weren't any. As such, there weren't really any proper buildings. The closest thing to individual homes were the many smaller compartments, clearly constructed by the Makers for unknown reasons, which offered some small measure of privacy. Few of these were used for any real purpose, however. With no need to prepare food or store food, no need for places to sleep, no tools that had to be constructed much less stored, and no manner of economy to speak of, the denizens had little to justify using any specific spaces for any unique purposes.

The undead legions had countless questions to ask, and the group settled in quickly, even Aaron easing up a little (but not entirely). All of them wanted to know about the city, the outside world, about their adventures, their mission. Above any specific details, what they seemed to crave most of all were stories, any stories, which made Rowan particularly popular.

"Many in the past had believed that the world was flat. This was only partially true. In reality, it was a cube, which had six separate flat surfaces, with sharp corners that one could never hope to traverse, lest they find themselves impaled atop them. As a way of bringing these six worlds together, a massive project was put into motion, cutting away these corners, which lead to the invention of a new shape: the pyramid. These eight, or ten if you wish to speak colloquially, pyramids were scattered across the lands, and can still be seen to this day. As for the cubed world, well, from there it was a simple matter of rounding the smaller corners down for safety and ease of transport, until we ended up with the spherical world which we all know today." Rowan said to the crowd of fascinated onlookers.

"Wow, I always wondered where triangles came from!" A smiling mouse with a visibly dented in face replied.

"Pyramids, not triangles. The story of triangles is also a long and fascinating one, however..." he said, looking across the crowd to see Jerin sitting alongside her new friend. "...which is, unfortunately, not suitable for younger audiences. It will have to wait for another time."

Mathias as well found himself very much within his element, happily joking with the crowd. He paused to study them. "It must be pretty useful, not being able to die. In battle, I mean."

A large and visibly bloated mouse who was relatively intact from the waist up shook its head. Their legs had long since gone away, lower portion bundled up in a wrapping of colored yarn. Determining the gender of even healthy mice could occasionally be a minor challenge, but in the case of so many of the ancient creatures living here, such as such one, their eroded features made it a nearly impossible task. They replied, "Not really. For one thing, there's not much to fight down here, or much reason to." it said, "Plus, we've got to be extra careful about getting hurt. Even more so than you living mice."

"Huh? Why is that?"

"Well, think about it. Say there's a big battle and you lose an arm. A regular mouse will probably die, or at worst be without that arm for the rest of their life. That's pretty bad, of course, but for us? Well, if we lose an arm, we know it's gone, and that our lives will be that much worse for it, forever. Sure, it doesn't hurt, and we could even keep fighting, but who would want to risk losing their other arm, too?"

"I guess I understand." Mathias said, even if his tone didn't exactly demonstrate that. Losing an arm sounded pretty awful, period.

"These bodies of ours might not look like much, but they're all we have, and while they can get worse, they never, ever get better. The same can be said for some injuries your kind takes, too, but there isn't the same sense of permanence, as your lives don't go on forever. Similarly, a small cut might just be an annoyance for you which will at least partially heal over time, but for us it's another lost piece of what we once were, a piece we'll never get back, and the wound will likely just grow and get worse. We have to take care of ourselves as much as possible, as a result."

"Yes, you're clearly doing a good job of it." Mathias nodded, wincing internally. He was just trying to be polite, but in hindsight feared that the remark might have sounded sarcastic, given the ravaged state of his audience.

"We do, but it's been so very long, and no matter how careful you are, you will occasionally get nicked or scraped or fall, and over a long enough time frame, even unlikely serious accidents are bound to happen. Time might largely stop for our minds, but for our bodies? Unfortunately, it marches on, with absolutely every change to our bodies being a detrimental one."

"That sounds rough."

The large half-mouse shrugged. "It's not so bad. Once you're no longer alive, numbness takes over in more ways than one. It's much easier to accept the inevitable, along with the, well, the lack of the inevitability."

Mathias simply nodded, taking in this new information.

Aaron, meanwhile, was similarly surrounded by curious creatures, but was largely monosyllabic with his responses. The close proximity of so many made his face pale, even by the standards of the citizens here.

"Wow, they're still making these?" Grace said, excitedly, looking at one of the action figures that Jerin had previously 'rescued' from the general store.

"Yeah, these ones are brand new! They've got a bunch of different ones, too, but they're mostly just of side characters that nobody cares about."

"They look great! I've just got the first generation ones."

Jerin looked up from the toy. "You've got the first generation Champions of Xinthor figures? Those are worth a fortune these days! I used to have some too, but they got... lost." she said, voice trailing off, remembering the last time she saw them, which had also happened to be the last time that she had seen her real tail.

"Sure do! They're in my room!" she pointed down a narrow tunnel. "Right over there. Wanna see them?"

"Of course! It's been forever!"

Grace nodded. "Okay, you go on ahead, I'll be right with you. We'll see who the real 'Champions of Xinthor' are, the old or the new!"

Jerin grinned excitedly and hopped down the stone chamber, eager to act out the thrilling battles of the heroes against their fearsome enemy, the evil necromancer and his vile pet, the giga-dragon. One couldn't help but wonder what the broken mice think of the implications of a villain who was known for re-animating the dead, but Jerin and the others didn't even consider asking. Grace watched her leave, scanning the crowd to see the other three distracted by their new company. She smiled a bony grin, turned and walked in the opposite direction, down a winding path, well out of the view of potential prying eyes.

Within a round, dark room, far from torchlight, much less the natural light of day, three hooded figures stood.

"Well? What do you think?" The tallest of the three asked.

"They're perfect. Absolutely perfect. They are exactly what we've been searching for, for so long." a hunched over figure wheezed.

"They don't suspect a thing, either. Still, we must be cautious. We cannot take them lightly, or assume that this will go easily." the third, wrapped in bandages added.

"The small one, Jerin. She's the leader. If we take her down, the others will follow without issue. Leave her to me." Grace said, an excited gleam in her one eye. "You all have your missions, and I know you won't fail. It won't be long now."

They all walked off in separate directions, each set on their respective task. Grace as well turned back the way she had come, finding the small white mouse sitting in the large room, playing with the crude wooden toys.

"It's nice to be able to play, isn't it? Not to worry about dangers, or work? Just being able to sit down and relax and go wherever you want, and do whatever you want without fear?" Grace asked, sitting down next to the other mouse.

"Yup, sure is!" Jerin said, smiling down at her. The undead girl took her paw in both of her own bony hands, and smiled back.

"How would you like to be able to do that forever?"

---

Aaron didn't entirely object to being lead away from the crowd. He wasn't exactly a people person, even when the people were full fledged people, rather than walking fractions of them. Still, he wasn't much more comfortable sitting face to lack of face, staring into the empty sockets of the creature before him. The little flesh that remained was unrecognizable as fur or skin, more of an uneven texture which stained random portions of the bone.

"You are afraid." It said, in a soft, raspy voice.

"I'm not afraid." Aaron huffed, looking away, trying to avoid staring into those two hideous voids.

"Yes, you are. And not just of me. You are afraid of many things."

"That's ridiculous! I wouldn't be here if I was afraid!"

"Sure you would. You are a man of bravery, and of duty. Both keep you from fleeing from both danger and responsibility. I can see it in your eyes." it said.

"Can you even see at all? Maybe you should make up your mind as to whether you want to compliment or insult me." Aaron grumbled.

"Being afraid isn't a sin or a weakness. It is a burden, a terrible one that must be carried. You fear not only for yourself, but your allies, your family, your duty. You fear that when the time comes, when people will truly depend on you, that you will fall short, that you will fail. No matter how strong you become, this fear doesn't go away, either. It only grows stronger."

"Even if that was true, what's your point?"

"Being around others doesn't help either. It is a pain you cannot share, and getting close to others only increases this burden, and this burden can make you indecisive, cause you to make poor decisions, to lash out, and to create a self fulfilling prophecy. You fear you will make a mistake, and others will suffer for it, but this fear makes you more likely to make such a mistake, forcing you to bear more and more strain. No matter how strong you are, there is only so much pressure a single mouse can endure."

"What. Is. Your. Point?" Aaron said slowly, glaring at the bony face, no longer unwilling to face it.

"I, that is to say, we, can take away your fear, forever. All doubt, all stress and the issues which come with it will be lost for good, a distant memory. A life of eternal confidence, peace and strength. The strength to protect your family and your people."

---

Pulling Rowan away from the circle of listeners proved to be more difficult, but none dared complain when the elder lead him aside. "You are clearly a man of great knowledge and wisdom." the tall mouse said. He wasn't so much rotted as desiccated, dried bones which the skin didn't fall from but instead gripped so tightly there was hardly any distinguishing from one to the other.

"If only that were the case." Rowan sighed. "...but, I have tried my best."

"Indeed. But your efforts will soon be at an end. Even with so much out there left to learn, left to discover, you will pass and the world will continue on as though you had never existed."

The old mouse nodded, his expression unchanging. This was, of course, far from a grand revelation which he never considered. "That is, indeed, the way of things."

"Everything you have experienced, the vast knowledge you've obtained, the tiniest shred of the veil to this world you've just begun to unravel at the end of your life..." it raised a finger, spinning a small circle in mid-air, a light blue aura following it. "Will all be gone."

"But it does not have to be. That is what you have come to say, is it not?" Rowan said with a soft smile, looking up at the mouse. It still had eyes, but the eyes looked even more dead than empty sockets, staring forward blindly, unmoving, as though made of glass.

"Exactly. Advancement is slow, of course, but who needs haste when you have all of eternity? Just imagine the works that you could create, the knowledge that you could unearth, the impact that you could make upon this world, with no ceiling for your growth? And not just magic, of course. Science, philosophy, mathematics, even if you do not create these innovations yourself, imagine being around to see where the future lies, the discoveries that our people make, the histories that they forge?" it said, waving a dried paw in a wide arc. "Imagine this huge world growing ever smaller, as every facet, every detail of it you ever wanted to know falls within your grasp, piece by piece."

"A tempting offer." Rowan said. "My life has been long, but I cannot necessarily say that it has been fruitful. I have regrets, made mistakes in the past, and made poor decisions, and no shortage of that time was squandered. The idea of having even a small bit of it back is not entirely without appeal."

"And you can. All of that time and more. You needn't do it alone, either. There are many of us, myself included with similar ideals. Just imagine, an eternity to debate philosophies, to exchange and harness ideas, to educate others, as well as ourselves." it said, smiling just a hint, the stiffened corners of its mouth barely capable of moving. "All you need to do is drink from the waters."

---

"That girl. The little one with the sword. She's special to you, isn't she?" the bandaged figure asked the thief.

"She's a valued comrade." Mathias answered back, keeping his voice expressionless.

"A valued comrade you'd give anything to be able to protect. A valued comrade whose side you never wish to leave. I can see the way you look at her, a look that says your life is finally complete, finally has that one thing it's been missing all this time, and you're afraid you might one day lose it." the figure said.

"It's true." Mathias nodded, not bothering to lie. "She's very special. Special in a way that a few days ago, I wouldn't have believed existed. She's like color in a world of gray."

"I understand."

"Of course you do. You understand very well, don't you?" The thief asked.

"What-what do you mean?" It asked back, sounding unexpectedly flustered.

"I can tell, because you're looking at me and my friends the exact same way. I'm not blind. I know, you're here to give some speech about how if I become like you, and live forever, all my problems will be gone. You're here to tell me that we need you, but we both know that's not true at all. The truth is, you need us."

---

"You're obviously on a dangerous mission, you wouldn't have come to a place like this, otherwise." Grace said. "It must be a mission fraught with perils, one where any little mistake could mean the difference between life or death. It doesn't have to be, though. One drink from the water, and you'll never again experience pain, fatigue or fear. Even if you are injured, you'll be able to shrug it off like it's nothing. You'll never cry, suffer or bleed again."

"Never bleeding, huh?" Jerin murmured, looking down at the toy in her hands but not really seeing it.

The pair walked together through the small unfurnished room which Grace had claimed to be her own, but it showed no signs of real habitation. They continued out onto a narrow stone path along the wall, the other side of it looking down into a great black abyss. Water flowed from above, dark fluid raining down into the pit as a series of small waterfalls, converging into a raging river below from which the torrential waters could be heard ever flowing, even if unseen from this height. Even more so than at the entrance, the sheer scale of this place was apparent, it comprised as much of narrow tunnels as massive chambers, such as this one here, which had appeared to stretch on forever.

"Yes. You'll be much stronger, too. Not for forever, mind you. In time, just like with the living, your body will wither and weaken, but that's not for a long while. The old wizard friend of yours? He is just an infant compared to me. Once the change first happens, you'll be able to push your body further than you ever dreamed possible, and no matter how powerful your opponent is, the fact that they can be killed and you can't means that you are guaranteed to have an insurmountable advantage."

"Yeah, I do have a strong enemy to fight." Jerin said, looking back to the decayed girl. "But I can win it with my own strength."

"Maybe... but what about your friends?" Grace asked.

"What about them?" Jerin said, eyes narrowed.

"Maybe you can win any battle and defeat any foe. Maybe you can come out of every one of these fights unscathed. Maybe you are the sort of hero told about in legends, which comes along once in an era, and even if you're not, maybe you're not afraid of getting hurt, even dying for the greater good." she said. "Can you say the same about the others, though?"

Jerin huffed, looking away. "They're coming with me by choice. They know the risks."

"Of course they do. But do you? Maybe they are willing to fight, to be wounded, perhaps even die for the cause. They might even do it with a smile! Are you willing to let it happen, however? Will you be able to go on living if they end up badly hurt, and you knew that if you were just a little bit stronger, maybe, just maybe, you could have prevented it?"

Jerin's face went pale.

The decayed mouse once more took her by the paw. "I'm not trying to scare you, I'm just telling you the truth. There's more at stake in your quest than just your own life. But there doesn't have to be. If you drink from those waters, they won't have to get hurt. They won't even have to fight! You'll be able to save the day, all on your own, without risk, and be the great hero that you always wanted to be." she said. "And it's easy, too! One little drink, that's all it'll take, and you can have everything that you ever wanted, and you won't need to endanger others. Then, when your battle is done, you can come back here and live with us, and we can play and have fun! and you'll be able to stay young forever, and no grown-ups will ever tell you what to do! Doesn't that sound great?"

Jerin smiled to her. "It does sound pretty great. These tunnels are amazing, and I'd love to be able to run around and explore every little bit of them. I'd love to get to know you better, and get closer to you, you and the rest of your people. I'd love to be strong, really strong, strong enough that there's nothing in this world I fear, and no injustice I can't make right." she said in a soft voice. "But... I can't. I just can't."

---

"Even if that was true..." Aaron said, once again avoiding meeting the empty gaze of the former-mouse before him, "...and I'm not saying that it is, that doesn't sound so good to me. Sure, it can feel bad being afraid sometimes, but it's got good points as well. It can stop you from doing something stupid, and remind you what you really care about. What's really important.

"Even if I drank the water here and ended up like you, the world wouldn't change, just me. Bad things would still happen, and it sounds like I'd just become numb to them. That doesn't sound like such a good thing. If I wanted that, I'm sure I could have accomplished it on my own, just closed myself off, but I don't. I worry and I fear because I care, and fear and worry sounds like a fair trade off to me."

"And you don't wish to become strong? To protect those you care about?" the skull asked, voice a soft hollow echo emanating from it.

"No offense, but you guys don't look too strong to me. Generally, people aren't too eager to share power. Now, maybe you people are different, and you're just that helpful and benevolent, but I don't believe it. If you were some kind of higher beings, you wouldn't have been so excited to see us. Now, I'm sure we would gain a little something if we became immortal. There's no doubt about it, but everything I'm hearing says we'd lose something too, something way more important. Something that can't be replaced."

"And what if your sister decides to remain with us? Would you abandon her?"

The large mouse laughed. "Never happen. Don't get me wrong, she likes you guys. She's the kind of who'll make friends with anyone, and never shies away from new experiences. Hell, she's even the kind who never thinks ahead, or considers the consequences before doing something. Still, I know her much better than you do. She pretty much always ends up doing the right thing, even if it is for stupid reasons."

---

"I am old. This should come as no surprise. Not nearly as old as yourself, I would imagine," Rowan said, gesturing a paw towards the lanky mummy, "But it has been a long road and I have felt every bump along it. I cannot deny that there is still much to be learned and discovered. An overwhelming amount, and even if I've only scratched the surface as to the nature of ourselves and the world, that does not change the fact that I am already tired. Very, very tired."

"You won't need to be. Fatigue could soon become a distant memory."

"No, not physically tired... well, maybe a little, but it is deeper than that. I am very much ready to die. Not today, mind you, although I must say, just a few days ago I was quite content with the fact that once I went to bed, I may well not have awakened the next morning. This is not because getting through the day was some chore or miserable experience, rather due to my life feeling complete. Well, not quite, but very close. I'm sure if it were to continue on, essentially forever, there would be some good memories and exciting discoveries, moments where I found myself glad that I had decided to continue on, but I have the strong feeling those memories would be few and far between."

"And what of the world? It's not simply your own life that will be lost. All the knowledge that you worked so hard to obtain will be simply gone, as though you had never found it at all. What will be the point?" the tall mouse asked.

"How kind of you to try to compliment me so, but I am nothing special. Once I am gone, there will be plenty of people to follow, some directly building off of my work, others discrediting it, and countless others making newer and grander discoveries on their own. There will always be new teachers and sorcerers, and as much as I would like to think of myself as some rare and wild talent, many will surpass me, and once those come and go, new ones will come around to surpass them. That is the beauty of academics." Rowan said. "Knowledge is not just a sack which one can fill up up to completion. It requires multiple perspectives, fresh ways of thinking, essentially new blood..." the old mouse lowered an eyebrow. "...something which I suspect is severely lacking in these parts."

---

"You don't know what it's like here!" the bandaged mouse exclaimed, head in its paws, completely breaking from the planned script. "We're all known each other so long... everything to say has already been said over and over again! We don't talk, we don't even fight or argue! There's just no point!"

Mathias nodded. "It must be hard."

"More so than you can imagine. We used to think that living was hard: enduring pain, hunger, fatigue, aging. But it was nothing compared to this. But you and your friends can fix it! Fresh blood, new people to talk to, things to talk about! You can help revive our stagnant culture!" it said in an uncharacteristically excited voice. "...and it's not just for our sake. Everyone will love you! Not only will you be by far the youngest and most attractive people here, everyone will listen to what you say and respect you. You'll pretty much have the run of things! If you asked for something, anything, nobody would hesitate to give it to you!"

"I've been the center of attention before. It gets old quick." Mathias said. "And so would we. Sure, it would help for a little while, but eventually, probably sooner than you'd care to admit, I'd become just another face in the crowd, and all of us would be in the same miserable position. It's just a temporary solution."

"That's the problem with living forever. Everything is temporary. Everything but us." it said in a low voice, head bowed.

"I guess that's true. If there was some easy fix to it, you people, who have had all the time in the world to think about it, would have come up with it." The thief said with a sigh. "I really am sorry, and really wish that there was something, anything that we could do, but I can't doom myself and my friends, just to make things briefly a little better for yourself and your people." He smiled sadly. "I'm just not that heroic."

"Yes, you're right." It said, dejectedly. "You can't stay here." it looked up at Mathias, tilting it's head a bit. "We are monsters. We were willing to ruin your lives, in fact far more than just your lives, just for a little bit of temporary relief, and yet you're still kind and understanding to me. Why is that?"

"Nah, you're not monsters. You're just people, for better or for worse. As for understanding, I don't really know..." He chuckled. "Guess I've just started caring, feeling for people all of the sudden. Maybe some of Jerin's heroism is rubbing off on me."

The bandaged mouse stared at him with wide eyes.

"The little one! Grace is going to try to make her stay!" it said, "She's extra determined. The oldest among us, but still in many ways a child, and desperate to have someone else like her! We need to stop her!"

The bandaged figure rose from it's seat, trying to leave when Mathias grabbed the creatures wrist. "Don't worry about it. She can handle it."

The long-dead mouse sat back down. "Edith." it said. "That's the name my mother gave me, so very long ago. I remember it, but not her face."

The thief nodded. "That's a nice name. You don't need to worry, though. Not only is Jerin sharper than she looks, your people are kinder than you give them credit for. This elder, Grace her name was? She might be desperate, but she won't hurt her, in the short term or the long. You couldn't bring yourself to harm me, and Jerin's ten times the charmer I am."

"You really do have faith in her, don't you?"

"Yeah, I really do. I used to think it was foolish to have that much trust in someone, and hey, maybe it is, but you know what? It feels good, too. Maybe what you people need is a little of that. Have a little more faith in each other, as well as yourselves."

---

"I've got to go back to my mom and dad... and you know, rub it in the faces of all those mean kids who used to make fun of my tail. I've got to finish my mission." Jerin said.

"You still can!" Grace said.

"No, I don't think that's the case." the living mouse replied, pulling her sword from her belt. "Look how it shines, even in a dark place like this. When I first found it, it was sitting in the sunlight, and I think, somehow, it took a piece of the sun inside it. Not a big piece, just enough to make it warm to the touch.

"That's why it hurt you to touch it though, isn't it? That's also why you have to live down here... because you can't go out in the sun?"

Grace looked away. "Yes. It burns us. Not like the sword does, direct contact with the sun reduces us to dust."

"I figured it was something like that..."

"But you can still go out at night, or stay in the shadows! You could still find and defeat this dark lord of yours!"

"Maybe you're right. Maybe I could." Jerin said with a nod. "Or maybe when I can't die anymore, I'll stop caring about people that can. Maybe not right away, maybe I'd just decide to take a little break from adventuring, to play and have fun, and my goal will seem less important, until eventually I just forget about it. It would seem too hard, or not worth the bother anymore. Maybe not, too, but I just can't help thinking that if I drink the water, and become like you... well, I won't be me anymore."

"You won't be you! You'll be something better!"

"If it's so much better, how come your people always look so sad? How come you want us to stay so badly? It can't just be because we're nice and didn't stab you. I'm sure lots of people around here are nice and way less stabby than me!" the mouse grinned, looking up from her sword. "I don't think you want us because we're heroic and charming and pretty and great. I think you want us because we're, well." she paused, trying to come up with the right words, "Because we're not you, and if we become like you, both of us will lose out."

The ruined mouse ground her jaws, most of her teeth long since missing, and leapt over to a pile of rusted debris along the wall. She reached into it, pulling from the pile, revealing a blade from it which she pointed at the living adventurer. It was a hideous thing, wood, plastic and mostly rusted metal shards, all lashed together with filthy twine. Longer in length than its carrier, and far more broad than the needle sword, Grace held it effortlessly with one hand, implying that the promises of increased strength weren't complete lies, nor was the effect quite as temporary as she had believed.

"I could force you to stay." Grace snarled, blade raised in a battle ready stance.

Jerin didn't bother to even raise her sword. "No, you couldn't."

"Why not? Do you think I'm not strong enough to stop you?" she asked.

"No." Jerin paused, again in thought, "...Well, yeah, that too, but that's not the real reason. It's because we're friends, and I know you wouldn't hurt me."

"Try me." Grace growled. Her eyes went wide as within a single instant, Jerin was within her guard, stepping past the blade. The undead mouse prepared for the burning kiss of the strange sword, but it never came. Instead, the living mouse simply hugged her tight, all the while the rusted sword still pointed outright, past her, towards where Jerin had once stood.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could stay and be a friend to you and your people, but I have a life I need to get back to." she said, smiling, taking the zombie-girls shoulders, moving back a step to look her in her one milky eye. "But it's not like I'll never come back to visit!"

Grace huffed and looked away. "Yeah, sure you will."

"Why wouldn't I?" Jerin asked. Grace was about to answer, but looking into those innocent eyes, she suddenly had no doubt that this strange girl meant it.

"Do you-do you really mean it?" she asked, feeling a little bit embarrassed. "Is it-is it because you feel sorry for me?"

"Of course not! It's because we're friends! Besides, I still need you to show me around all these tunnels one of these days." Jerin smiled.

"They really aren't that interesting. The novelty wears off quick." Grace said in a soft voice, sniffling.

"I guess I'll have to teach you how to enjoy them again, then."

The rest of the citizens were supposed to act aloof, to go about their daily routines (even though such a thing hardly existed, as it wasn't a community with many needs to be met), but very few of them were able to do so. Instead they mostly huddled within the main social area, eagerly waiting as the eight mice, four living, four undead returned. There was a clear sense of disappointment at the news that the group would not be staying. No real surprise, but definite disappointment.

"Once I return to the city, I plan to tell some of my contemporaries about this place. I suspect some of them will be very interested in taking you up on this offer of immortality." Rowan said to the group.

"Do they have a lot of stories to tell, too?" A mouse which only had the lower jaw remaining on its head, yet still spoke inexplicably clearly, asked.

"Oh yes. Maybe not quite as good as my own, but I am certain that you will all enjoy them, nonetheless." the elderly mouse said with a smile. The crowd mumbled to one another in contented agreement, as Aaron took Rowan by the shoulder.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to promise that?"

"I do not see the problem. I have no doubt some will come. This place is very much like the lower levels of the university."

"This place is dank, foul smelling, never gets a bit of sunlight, and is full of shambling monsters who hardly talk to one another!" Aaron said.

"Good point, I take back my words." Rowan nodded. "It turns out that it is exactly like the lower levels of the university."

"You promise to come back?" Grace asked Jerin yet again, tightly gripping the living girl's paw as though she were afraid to release it.

"Of course! it sounds like my mom hasn't been by in a little while. I guess she's getting a bit old too for the trip. I'll be sure to make the deliveries for her." Jerin said.

Grace tensed, looking down. "You've still got that mission of yours. You won't be able to visit us if you get yourself killed."

"Heh, sounds like I've got one more reason to make sure that doesn't happen." Jerin said, although she had to force just a little bit of her smile.

The undead mice joined the party on their trek through the tunnels, and were able to make much greater use of the map than Mathias, apparently knowing about the mouse city and other landmarks, despite rarely seeing the surface. It was fortunate that the party had encountered them, all things considered, since Mathias had severely misjudged the scale of the map, and they would have greatly overshot that essential turn had they relied on his judgement alone.

The two groups said their goodbyes, the tunnel to the surface having clear sunlight streaming down through, which the underground dwellers dared not approach. Finally, the end in reach, and the wandering dead behind them, Jerin stopped in place, looking up into the sunlight.

"Is something wrong?" Mathias asked her.

She remained silent for several seconds, not looking back at her three companions. "I was just thinking.Maybe-maybe we shouldn't do this. Maybe you should just go home."