Papyrus and Aiden had tried to navigate the dark cave for quite a while. It was hard to see where they’re going with the limits of a single glowing magic bone.
The weird distorting force continued to weigh down on Papyrus, but he refused to buckle under the pressure. Focusing on maintaining his lamp helped him cope. At least, that’s what he believed.
Another three-way split came up ahead, seemingly inviting daring adventurers to a whole new section of the mineshaft.
He crouched on the ground to look for a marking he had left behind. It was a simple shape – a circle with a groove cut into the centre – purposefully chosen so no one could mistake it for a fluke of nature.
And there it sat, in the exact same place he had drawn twenty minutes ago.
Sighing out loud, Papyrus concluded: “WE WENT IN CIRCLES. AGAIN.”
Aiden asked, “You still can’t use your powers, Oracle?”
“NO…” The skeleton sighed. Whenever he tried, he was besieged by a dark murkiness. “THAT MALICIOUS MENACE OF A DISTORTION IS AROUND SOMEWHERE, ALL THE TIME, PREVENTING ME FROM SEEING THE RIGHT PATH. IT’S MAKING ME SICK TO MY STOMACH.”
The human warrior crossed his arms to think. “Sick to your stomach? Even when you’re not using it? That’s odd.”
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN?”
Touching the black embroidered cloth on his shoulder, Aiden explained: “I’m wearing a protective ward that prevents Coloured Ones from viewing anything under its cover. Us Aratet hang such wards as tapestries and talismans for our homes to prevent Magi spying.”
“THAT CERTAINLY EXPLAINS WHY I ONLY SAW THE OUTSIDE OF YOUR FARMHOUSE. THAT WAS APPARENTLY SHOCKING ENOUGH FOR YOU AND YOUR SON.”
“Yes. But they can’t shut down an Oracle’s ability, only deflect it. They also don’t inflict any side-effects unless The Eye looks at them too deeply. You haven’t fallen ill by my side, have you?”
“NOPE! NOT AT ALL, NYEH.”
“This whole tunnel has you under its spell, yet I didn’t see a single sign of tapestry or talismans across its vast length… Whatever this is, it’s much more direct. And much more powerful.”
“HMMM… IN OTHER WORDS, WE’RE LOOKING FOR A DEVICE THAT RUNS ON POWER. PERHAPS MULTIPLE OF THEM.”
“I don’t imagine it would have much range. There should be one closeby.”
Aiden looked around. “I’ll check the ground. You check the walls.”
While they circled the area for signs of technology, Papyrus was hit with an awkward realization.
“AREN’T THESE KIND OF DEVICES MADE OUT OF MAGIC?”
“Yes.”
“SO, YOUR ANTI-MAGIC SISTER IS BEING PROTECTED BY MAGIC?”
“Yes.”
“NO OFFENCE, BUT I FIND THAT TO BE A PARADOXICAL OXYMORON.”
“I’m not offended,” said Aiden. “If magic is the only answer against magic, then I would use it too. Though, my sister must be desperate if she caved in. She swore on human science alone, looking down on us Aratet for our practical attitudes.”
“AT THE VERY LEAST, WE KNOW SHE’S CORNERED! NYEH HEH HEH!”
“Yet a cornered rat fights the hardest. She’s sure to have decked out her men with all sorts of contraptions. Never peer into their past, no matter how tempting.”
“GOT IT!” Papyrus added a thumbs up.
After walking one round, Aiden lifted his head and set his sights on the ceiling.
“Shine your light up there. We should see signs of a ward’s construction.”
The tunnel itself was only a little taller than themselves. When Papyrus held his bone close to the ceiling, the glow revealed a small plate-like machine embedded between the rock and the old, wooden beam, about the size of a hockey puck.
“I SPOT THE DASTARDLY SOURCE!”
“Good.” Aiden stabbed the device with his hooked knife. The blade pierced the casing, causing it to pop, crackle, and smoke.
The distortion faded almost immediately. Papyrus breathed a gasp of relief, freed from the malaise that plagued him since he had entered the cave.
“AT LAST!!!” He exclaimed in joy. “NOW, TO GET TO THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM!”
The flames of his Eye burst forth, tinting the mineshaft in orange, blue, and green. Images of the correct future started to take shape within his vision.
They ran where the images ran, and stopped where they stopped. Along the way, they dispatched more and more of those disruptive wards. Together they thus made a golden future with their own hands.
At last they reached their goal. There, a white light shone at the far end of the mineshaft. Following the light would inevitably lead to a trap of some kind. Still, they must proceed, for the sake of everyone else.
Papyrus had to raise his hand to block the glare, as looking into it triggered discomfort. The photosensitivity from his Overburn never completely went away: a reminder of his past missteps.
They arrived at an old mine clearing where a mysterious cloaked figure and the hostage awaited them. Both men halted their advance, not wanting to trigger undue provocation.
Rosemary was held at a bonesword’s edge, kneeling on the ground with her hands bound. Dirt stuck on her tear-stained face.
A large spell was strapped onto her chest. It had an intricate design, with more points than Papyrus could count in the immediate moment.
“Help me…” she whimpered. “Please, Mister Papyrus! Please help me!”
Her captor punished her pleas by pressing the blade against the skin of her neck.
“YOU!” Papyrus pointed at the cloaked figure. “RELEASE THE GIRL! SHE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH OUR FEUD!”
The cloaked figure answered with a deep, artificially generated voice. It reminded Papyrus of a text-to-speech reader.
“Nothing?” the cloaked one replied. “She is The Vampire’s niece, a direct descendant of William Winston.”
“FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, SHE’S A NORMAL HUMAN. SHE’S NOT A MAGUS, AND I DON’T BELIEVE SHE HAS A RED SOUL EITHER! IF SHE DID, I WOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT IT.”
“‘Normal’ is but another term for ‘stifled’. A weapon of the weak against the strong: dragging, wilting, and trampling those who dare to shine. Gaze into this girl’s life and you shall know my words ring true.”
“WHY, THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL NOT PRY INTO A GIRL’S PRIVATE AFFAIRS!”
“Your will is not yours to command.”
A strange shimmering emanated from underneath the cloak. The feedback of light forced Papyrus’ Seer’s Eye to open the pages of Rosemary’s life without his prompting.
…
Alone, the girl was shunned at school.
Alone, she fought with her parents and elder brother.
Alone, she wept in her room.
How many years had it been this way? Papyrus reeled from the revelations.
…
“As you’ve seen, her life as a human was dark and pathetic. What future awaits a school dropout? Let her become a member of our kind, where she can be at her best, freed from the limitations of her flesh.”
“HER BEST? AT WHAT? YOU’RE BEING TERRIBLY VAGUE.”
Narrowing his gaze, Aiden said: “The ‘best’ breeding stock. Our enemy is Malaya’s handler: her slave master. He intends to use The Vampire’s niece to breed a new generation of Coloured Ones, replacing the one your people had captured.”
The details clicked together now. That complex Arcanagram was a Lich Conversion spell, similar to the one installed on Mezil’s SOUL just in case he lost his fleshy existence.
Malaya’s handler was another ‘Doctor Gaster’, filled with twisted ambition. Such a person must be stopped no matter what.
After summoning a baton in his hand, Papyrus pointed towards the kidnapper and loudly declared: “I DO NOT AGREE WITH YOUR ASSESSMENT!”
“Then fight, Great Papyrus. Show me your true powers.”
Cyan and Yellow Eyes ignited from under the mysterious hood. Four human skulls spawned overhead, each primed to fire a laser beam.
Papyrus’ first instinct was to grab hold of Aiden. Switching gravity with his Blue Magic kept them mobile, dodging lasers while hopping from wall to wall.
A swell of confidence grew within Papyrus. He wanted to burst out and proclaim that he had everything under control. That he would be victorious. After all, he had once bested his brother in a duel. The enemy’s skills were about the same level.
Yet, a tiny voice in his heart whispered a different truth.
Specks of blood splashed against Papyrus’ cheekbones. Looking at the source, he found out that a shard of bone had struck Aiden in his chest.
I COULDN’T SEE IT.
I DON’T FEEL SICK, BUT I COULDN’T SEE THAT ATTACK AT ALL.
WHY DIDN’T MY EYE WARN ME? A PROJECTILE IS NOT UNDER THAT CLOAK’S PROTECTION AFTER IT’S BEEN FIRED. I SHOULD HAVE SEEN IT FLY OUT.
Borderline panicking, Papyrus landed and immediately inspected Aiden. “OH MY GOD, ARE YOU ALRIGHT???”
Ripping out the shard with a grunt, the veteran warrior replied: “Don’t worry, he missed my vital organs. The bleeding will stop soon.”
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“CAN YOU STILL FIGHT?”
“I can. But what about you? I believe your powers as an Oracle are being toyed with.”
Papyrus had to make a decision. He would never flee and leave Rosemary behind. So, he was left with the only logical choice.
“AIDEN,” said Papyrus, “PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR ORDERS.”
“Understood.” He replied. “I’ll engage the enemy. You get the hostage and disable that spell.”
They nodded to each other. Aiden then dashed forward to close the distance.
Steel clashed against bone, dancing in a flurry of strikes. Flashes of orange sparks flew from the grinding blades.
Papyrus made his way to Rosemary while the enemy was kept busy. Or so he thought.
A vision forbade him yet again.
…
A much younger Mezil Thyme stood beside a black-haired woman. They each wore fanciful clothes, fit for a high-class dinner. Bodies with bullet holes lay all around them, their blood pooled on the floor.
Frightened, the woman backed herself into the corner. She cried in fear. Screamed in anger.
‘My little brother is a killing machine!’
Papyrus recognized the voice. It belonged to Rosemary’s mother, Mezil’s very own sister.
The Supreme Judge then snapped his fingers, undoing that moment of time for her sake, so none but him would remember it.
…
WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO LEARN FROM THAT VISION?
NOTHING RELEVANT TO MY CURRENT PREDICAMENT! DASTARDLY DISTRACTIONS!!!
Papyrus suffered a roundhouse kick on the chest, so strong that it sent him rolling towards the mine wall.
He grunted. Reeled. That blow might have at least inflicted a good bruise. Worse still, it distanced him from Rosemary.
HOW??? WHEN??? I CAN’T BELIEVE HE MANAGED TO PULL THAT OFF WHILE FIGHTING AIDEN AT THE SAME TIME!
IS HE REALLY THAT SKILLED???
More skulls spawned. The Gungnir warrior pulled up his own anti-magic garb to shield himself from the barrage of magic. His protective clothing was shredded to pieces under its might.
In retaliation, Aiden commanded the power of the lightning. The booming crackles thundered through the mine, destroying the enemy’s Armaments.
Papyrus used the opportunity to get back on his feet. Again, he tried to rescue Rosemary. However, when she came within his reach, another vision was forced upon him.
…
Of all the possible options, the focus of this vision had to be the bane of Papyrus’ mundane existence.
The Annoying Dog, alive and well, appeared to live in a cave somewhere. The canine was making a video game on a computer. Using a bark-to-text translator, it had created a ‘faithful retelling’ of Frisk’s Undertale adventure and started working on another title.
After a long day of hard work, the dog took a well-deserved break to play a sandbox video game, running around as Sans in an orange tabby cat suit. Or was it an orange tabby cat in a Sans suit? Papyrus would never know for sure.
…
Shard after shard smashed against his body, each packed with overwhelming force. Bits of his Battle Body armour shattered under the force. He was sent tumbling for the second time.
UGH… I CAN’T SNEAK UP TO HER AT ALL! HE KNOWS EXACTLY WHEN TO MESS WITH MY POWERS. HOW???
IS IT HIS COLOURS? WHAT WAS IT AGAIN. CYAN? YELLOW? ORANGE IS THE FUTURESIGHT, WHICH HE DOESN’T HAVE. COULD IT BE THAT HE’S JUST REALLY, REALLY SHARP? IT’S LIKE HE HAS A THIRD EYE ON THE BACK OF HIS HEAD.
…A… THIRD EYE… OR MORE?
Papyrus grabbed his scarf, clutching it tight underneath his fingers. He started walking towards Rosemary. Vigilance anchored his every step.
That was when Papyrus noticed the unbelievable. The enemy’s Seer’s Eyes had changed combinations. It was no longer Cyan-Yellow. Instead, it had turned Orange-Green.
Perturbed, Papyrus raised his guard. “WHO… ARE YOU?”
“The concept of ‘identity’ is but dead weight. I am who I need to be. When I need to be.”
After making that declaration, the flames of the enemy’s Seer’s Eyes extinguished and reignited, changing to Yellow-Blue.
Blue-Green.
Green-Cyan.
Cyan-Orange.
Orange-Purple.
Purple-Yellow.
Yellow-Purple.
Orange-Yellow.
Yellow-Blue.
Green-Green.
Yellow-Yellow.
Purple-Purple.
Orange-Orange.
Cyan-Cyan.
Blue-Blue.
Purple-Yellow.
Cyan-Green.
Orange-Blue.
The constant rapid switching drew out terror deep from within Papyrus’ SOUL, enough to make him quickdraw by mistake. In that split second, The enemy’s Eyes quickly slotted in Green-Orange, summoning a deer skull Armament that blocked the beam with little effort.
From Green-Orange back to Orange-Green, a giant ram’s skull then slammed against Aiden, smashing him straight into the wall. The human collapsed on the ground, half buried under sand and crumbled rock.
Papyrus’ immediate instinct was to attempt a rescue. Though, he soon noticed something odd. Text and numbers hovered over the body.
NAME: AIDEN ASACHULRA TE ODIN
HP: 25/???
STATUS: OK
ISN’T THAT… HIS STATS? SINCE WHEN CAN I READ STATS? I MEAN, I ALWAYS HAD GREAT INTUITION, BUT I’VE NEVER SEEN ACTUAL NUMBERS!
NEVERMIND ABOUT THE WEIRDNESS. STAY CALM. USE MY SMARTS. AIDEN IS OKAY. THAT’S ALL THAT MATTERS.
I MUST HURRY AND SAVE ROSEMARY.
However, another vision soon invaded.
…
Once upon a time, a pair of knights received the report of a traveller who couldn’t speak their language. This person, who no one could identify as male or female, showed everyone a drawing of an emblem.
It belonged to the Knights of Berendin, and by extension, The Magus Association.
…
Upon that moment, Papyrus wrapped his scarf around his skull, nullifying the magic of his own Seer’s Eye. The visions vanished, letting him see without hindrance.
He dodged the oncoming attack by a hair’s breadth. The mighty ram skull whizzed past his head.
Blue-Yellow. Crow skulls emerged where the Ram once hovered. When those Armaments opened their beaks, scanning beams rolled over Papyrus.
The enemy remarked: “The Witch’s blessing, I see. A magic nullifier and a binder. As of this moment, only the nullifier is active. You’re a naive fool after all. As long as you wear that scarf, you’ve locking away your own arsenal. Your Armaments. Your bones. Your magic. Everything.”
Papyrus replied, stout: “I KNOW. AND I DON’T CARE.”
“I’ve heard about your boisterous folly, but you’re more pitiful than I expected. Your talents are wasted on you, Great Papyrus.”
The enemy changed to Purple-Cyan. Then he brandished his bonesword to begin his assault. Papyrus kept a keen eye on where the blade would swing.
The young Seer dodged the first blow, aimed for his neck. But once he got back up, he felt thin strings ensnare his ankles. He caught the glimpse of many tiny mice skulls scurrying along the floor, laying down sticky binding strings wherever they went. Before long, their trapping tricks captured Papyrus in a nefarious yarn of quagmire cotton. The last non-magic ability he had – his athleticism – was rendered naught.
The urge to rip the threads off with his hands grew. Yet, he knew if he did so he’d only ensnare himself further. Forcing himself forward ever so slowly, he thought:
I NEED TO DISABLE HIS EYES. AND STOP HIM FROM MESSING WITH MINE.
IN ORDER TO DO THAT, I MUST--
“‘I must first grab him with my scarf’, is that what you think?”
His thoughts, his tactics, were unfurled word for word.
“I won’t allow it. Not without first making the girl a member of our kind.”
The enemy pointed towards Rosemary and wrote a mid-air rune. The Lich Conversion spell lit up in response.
Papyrus took off his scarf and hurled it towards the little lady. Even though it would play right into enemy hands, he refused to risk Rosemary’s human existence.
His magic unrestrained, he used his skillful telekinesis to wrap the magic-nullifying scarf around her chest, stopping the spell from enacting its harmful protocol. With the last moments of visibility, he pulled Rosemary to back his side.
Blinded by irrelevant visions, Papyrus hugged Rosemary tight and deployed the strongest Green shield he could muster. Reinforced with Blue, he had made it nigh invulnerable.
…
Once upon a time, Papyrus and Sans held movie nights with Frisk.
They’d support the kid in their school life, their non-school life, and their hobbies at home.
Oh, the sweet bygone days of ignorance.
…
I WILL KEEP HER SAFE.
FOR MISTER MAGUS, FOR MISTER LUCAS.
I PROMISE.
A loud chime rattled. Something had started to pound against the shield of last resort. The vision broke in that one moment for him to see a pair of Orange Eyes glaring down upon him. Double Bravery for massive strength, exemplified by a great warhammer, decorated in the motif of a boar skull.
“…Get up,” the enemy taunted. “Your brother would have never allowed this pathetic outcome. He’d maim. Kill. Survive no matter the cost.”
It didn’t surprise Papyrus that Sans had gained infamy by now. “WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT MY BROTHER?”
“He defeated my student, not once, but twice. I know her strength better than anyone. She was created to be a weapon against every known Seer in Lemuria, The Beast included. And yet… your brother, Sans Serif, bested her with only one arm.”
“Furthermore,” the enemy added, “My Clairvoyant Truesight spied a… peculiarity. He has gained the aura of a Living Victory. An impossibility for our kind. ‘Mata Merah’, Red Eyes.”
“The skills. The speed. The cunning. The Determination. Indeed, he could have become the greatest assassin history would ever know.”
Gritting his teeth, Papyrus protested: “I DISAPPROVE OF YOUR DESCRIPTIONS.”
“Of course you would. You would rather have him rot as a pathetic slob of a comedic bum, coasting through life with bad jokes and ketchup. You are holding him back with your stupid, frivolous, and naive platitudes of a normal, stifled life. They’re not even original, taken straight from The Scriptures and The Almighty.”
The onslaught continued. Whenever the enemy struck a blow, Papyrus’ protective layer sank deeper and deeper into the earth itself. The shield had started to act more like a lid than a layer of protection. The lid of a life pod… or a coffin?
Papyrus refused to budge despite the dire situation.
“…Do you think he has an excuse to retire because he’s missing an arm? Hah. Don’t make me laugh. Monster prosthetic technology has developed far beyond humanity’s crude efforts. A new arm would match the original, if not exceed it. Just ask, and I shall provide the raw materials.”
The hammer went down again. The shield continued to sink.
“After all, the peace you enjoy is but an illusion, built on the blood and dust of others.”
The visions changed to match those words.
…
Wars waged from time immemorial showed endless violence inflicted between humans and monsters, humans and humans, monsters and monsters.
Death always followed. No exceptions.
…
Papyrus said: “I KNOW, BUT I STILL REFUSE.”
“Then die in the grave of your own naivete.”
…
Images of martyrs flipped by, each saints and heroes of their time, meeting their ends in brutal and ignoble ways.
…
Witness to this tragic past, Papyrus began his speech. A speech made not for the enemy Seer, but for the people who were still with him today.
“I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, ACKNOWLEDGE THAT LIFE DOESN’T ALWAYS GO HIS WAY.”
Slam!
“MY BROTHER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO KEEP HIS HANDS CLEAN. I DO NOT HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THE OUTCOME OF EVERY BATTLE, ESPECIALLY WHEN I’M NOT THERE.”
Slam!!
“BUT! I KNOW WHAT I CAN CONTROL: ME! I WILL NOT KILL! EVER!”
Slam!!!
“I DO THIS TO GIVE HOPE! FOR MY FRIENDS! FOR MY BROTHER! AND FOR MYSELF!”
SLAM!!!
The shield of magic had become brittle. Cracks spread all over its surface. The next strike would certainly be their end if nothing changes.
On the top of his ribs, Papyrus yelled: “I BELIEVE!!!”
He braced for the final impact.
…
…
…
None came… Instead, he heard a struggle. A wrestle. A grapple. In the midst of it, a faint shredding noise resounded.
What followed after was a massive explosion of lightning and thunder.
The visions ceased at last. Any lightsource in the mine had burnt out from the barrage. Rock dust lingered in the air with sections of the ceiling collapsed into rubble.
Aiden, wearing the enemy’s own cloak to protect himself from the electrical carnage, tapped the shield with his knuckles. Relieved, Papyrus lowered the magical barrier. “THANK HEAVENS YOU’VE MANAGED TO PULL THROUGH. I THOUGHT I DIDN’T DELAY HIM ENOUGH.”
“You noticed I was setting up an ambush then. When?”
“YOU STAYED ON THE GROUND EVEN THOUGH YOU WERE FINE.”
“Not bad. I noticed our enemy had more interest in you than me, so I thought to make things easier for him. Once he made the mistake of focusing on you alone, he was done for.”
“I KNEW IT! FOR YOU TO LIVE THIS LONG, YOU MUST BE BOTH VERY SMART AND VERY LUCKY. I WAS RIGHT TO COUNT ON YOU, NYEH HEH HEH!”
One awkward second later, the young Seer admitted, “ACTUALLY, I DO REALISE THAT THIS WHOLE THING COULD ALSO HAVE GONE HORRIBLY WRONG. I HOPE I DIDN’T PUT TOO MUCH PRESSURE ON YOU, MISTER AIDEN.”
“No. Instead, I’m honoured that you trust me that much.”
But then, Aiden looked towards the rubble with disappointment on his face. “Papyrus… I’m sorry. I’ve gone against your wishes and killed someone again. The situation was too dangerous. It’s either our lives, or his.”
“IT’S OKAY. I SHOULD BE THE ONE TO APOLOGISE. AFTER ALL THAT BIG TALK… I STILL COULDN’T TURN THE TABLES TOWARDS MERCY. THERE WAS NO WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO KEEP YOUR PROMISE.”
“I thank you for your forgiving nature, and pray that our mutual fortune will improve. I’m reaching my limit on this chain of shame.”
Papyrus chuckled a bit. “IT’S REALLY BEEN QUITE A CRAZY WEEK, THAT’S FOR SURE.”
With the fight finally ended, Rosemary’s bindings were cut and the spell was smashed.
“ARE YOU ALRIGHT?” asked Papyrus.
She nodded. “I-I think so. Thank you…” Her being safe at last was a definite silver lining, though she still shivered from the ordeal. Papyrus let her keep the scarf on her for warmth and security.
“LET’S GET OUT OF HERE FIRST.”
But then…
…He spotted white goo oozing out between the rocks.
“MISTER AIDEN, BEHIND YOU!!!”
Heeding the warning, Aiden turned towards the rubble with his guard raised. Papyrus too brought out his batons.
More and more white goo seeped from the gaps. They pooled. Coalesced. Grew. The mass soon formed into a human skeleton, solid and whole, except for the skull.
Where the face should be, there was nothing: no nasal hole, no mouth, nor teeth. The enemy Seer’s skull flowed. Warped. Mixed. Shifting between a vast collection of eye sockets.
Pity pricked the youngster’s heart. “…YOU’RE AN AMALGAMATE.”
The enemy tried to respond, but his speech came out as a distorted mess of gibberish.
“I SEE.” Reaching out a hand, Papyrus offered peace. “PLEASE SURRENDER. I CAN HELP YOU.”
But, as he had expected, the offer was declined. Perhaps that mercy was never even comprehended. On instinct, The Amalgamate fled deep into the darkness.
And with that, it was over for real. Together, the three of them started to make their way out of the cave.
Papyrus sighed. “WE DIDN’T FIND YOUR SISTER IN THERE AFTER ALL. THAT’S A BUMMER.”
“It’s not your fault,” Aiden replied. “She was probably not even there to begin with.”
“WILL WE BE ABLE TO CATCH HER? THE WORLD IS HUGE.”
“As long as I live, she won’t escape. Trust me on that.”
“I SHALL ASSIST. AFTER ALL, TRAPS ARE MY SPECIALITY! NYEH HEH HEH!”