Undertale: Aster's Hope
Chapter Three: Fallen Down and I Can't Get Up
Putting a respectable distance between myself and the Humans, I shattered their blue prison. Marrick winced as the life returned to his limbs. The man was desperate to save his people. I sincerely hoped neither of them would try to play me for a fool. Hate boiled my blood, but despite their crimes I just couldn't bring myself to snap their SOULs in two. Grandfather would be so disappointed. Damn. Keeping my anger under control physically hurt, but I had to do this… for grandpa Lorne and the three villages. He would say as much himself, I knew without a doubt.
"Hey, let me help you. The man you murdered-" Yeah, I was never going to let them forget. "Was the best healer in the world, and he taught me everything he knew. If it's only a plague and not some black magic I can help."
"Devil!" Marrick's friend sneered as he pulled himself up. "Don't listen to it brother. That Monster broke into your mind, it'll say anything to tempt us." I snarled, showing them my fangs.
"Are you mental? You're people are going to perish without me! Swallow that hatred and think for once in your life Hu-" Pain burst across my skull. Something hard slammed into the side of my head. My vision swam and I lost my footing. Bleating in shock I tumbled to the grass. Magic, use your magic! Fear tightened my chest. My focus was shot and it was hard enough staying conscious. Were these barbarians going to kill me too? Probably take my skull and mount it over their hearth. Footsteps pounded into the ground. Stars flashed in front of my eyes as a boot connected with my snout. At least I didn't have the time to feel pain, darkness took me in a heartbeat.
My head was pounding. I couldn't move my whole body. Groaning, I opened my eyes. Loops of rope cut into the skin of my snout. An improvised muzzle, terrific. Weakness assailed me and nausea forced bile to rise in the back of my throat. Ugh. Marrick and his best buddy probably beat the shit out of me. At least I still felt mostly whole. Taking in my surroundings, I noticed the reason behind my immobility. Thick ropes bound together my arms and legs, mercilessly tight. One of them had sat me up against a tree, giving me a complete view of 'our' camp. The two Humans were huddled around a fire having a hot dinner. The smell of meat made my mouth water and stomach growl. Night had fallen a while ago I reckoned, since there was no trace of gold in the black sky. Truth be told, I was surprised to be alive. Morons. I can just summon a flame or anything really. All I had to do was… Nothing came. My magic was gone, I couldn't feel my SOUL at all! C'mon, c'mon that's not possible. I tried harder, and harder to grasp the energy I knew had to be there. Only thing, it wasn't. I racked my brains, thinking of how Humans of all people could seal my powers.
"Donovan, he's awake." I wanted to scream. My whole body started trembling. Despite sparing them, they could not overcome their own nature. Tears streamed down my face, only making what I assumed was ugly, dirty fur worse.
Marrick was staring with what almost looked like pity in his eyes. Donovan however was a complete beast. He looked like he'd been told the funniest joke in the history of the world.
"Looks like he figured out his power's gone. Thank god grandfather's stud worked after all this time." Stud? How on earth did these two get their hands on such a relic? The Great Monster war was only a few decades ago… I suppose some of the Human Magicians' toys were still around.
"I'm going to untie him." Marrick stood and dusted off his pants. Donovan shrugged.
"If you want. Just keep the chain on." He pointed to a long chain attached to a loose fitting collar snapped around my neck. The other end was locked to the back of a rather empty cart.
"I'm not stupid Donovan." Marrick grumbled, walking to my side. Kneeling, he drew a knife and started to cut my bindings.
Pins and needles prickled my limbs as blood began to flow in earnest. Rubbing my snout where the rope had cut into the flesh, I looked upon the meat roasting over the open flame. Hunger gnawed at my belly.
"Could… I have some please?" Donovan answered before Marrick could even process my request.
"Why should we waste food on something that doesn't eat?"
"My kind eat and bleed like any Human, mongrel." Anger flashed in his blue eyes.
"Want me to beat some sense into that ugly mug of yours freak?" Marrick intervened before I could retort something nasty.
"Stop before I knock both your asses to the grave." His voice was low, dangerous. It shut us up pretty quick. "Donovan, we need to feed him or he'll die. What will the point be of going to the trouble of taking him then?" He turned his sharp gaze to me. "Remember your place. You're our prisoner, only alive because a living Monster is more proof than a skull. Keep that in mind." We were all dead quiet for the rest of the night. I got to fill my belly, but his words haunted my every thought. My life was going down a dangerous path and it wasn't even my fault. Yes, actually. Yes it was. I spared these humans, allowing this turn of events. Look where fucking mercy gets you. My kind might die because of my idiotic naivety, and I was so scared I wanted to pull my ears off.
That damn stud made my life hell for the next five days. Unassuming by its design, the rather large bronze piercing was set at the base of my left ear. Stinging and almost constantly bleeding, I thought it more likely an infection would finish me off before we ever reached the plague-ridden town. To make matters worse, whenever I'd touch it the thing would zap me! I ended up touching it a lot, mostly by accident. Oh, and to make sure I'd never feel comfortable the stud left me weak at the knees and perpetually tired.
My whole body hurt. So weary I could barely keep pace with the old donkey at the head of the cart. Slowly, my leash grew taut as I lagged behind. Not wanting to get my head pulled off I tried appealing to the brothers' good side.
"Can we stop for a while? Please? I'm exhausted." Unfortunately, my whining elicited a response from Donovan instead of Marrick. He looked back, seemingly irate.
"Do you want me to hit you again?" Fear quickened my pulse. That man took a liking to smacking me around. I was more like his servant than a prisoner. He'd convinced Marrick to let me take 'care' of things when we made camp. Skinning, butchering and cooking what kills they brought back. Looking after the donkey, cleaning what pots and pans they'd brought on this journey after meals. Only Marrick was ever slightly sympathetic at times, like now.
"Let him ride in the cart for a bit. Boy's light, won't bother Millie any more than a fly." I shot him a grateful look. Laying beneath smelly blankets, I grit my teeth at the occasional bump on the road but felt better than I had all day. At least like this I could try and forget about my situation. Sleep came easy without Donovan's insults or rude pranks.
I awoke to an unfamiliar voice. Restrained violence hung thick in the air.
"I'm not gonna say it again. Give us what's in the cart or we'll take it." Ooh, the new guy sounded pissed. Highwayman, by the feel of it.
"Get the fuck out of my face. We're heading back to Dirge and can't afford to waste time." Marrick growled, refusing to budge. Heh, he was probably hefting that axe of his.
"You came from that hell hole? Fill 'em with holes men and don't bother with the goods. Don't even touch, might be riddled with plague. Marrick and Donovan screamed as bowstrings twanged in the distance. Even beneath these horrifying blankets I could smell the blood. Burn in hell murderers, it's no less than you deserve.
I kept still as the dead for hours. Of course the highwaymen were long gone, but I didn't want to even risk meeting them in the woods. Dusk fell by the time I threw off my concealing blankets. My muzzle was contorted in disgust. I'd better not get sick from this. Leaping off the cart, I observed the carnage. Marrick and Donovan lay in pools of their own blood, wounds peppering their cold corpses. Those archers must have retrieved their arrows. Flies lent an incessant buzzing to the air, attracted by the stench of gore and death. My breath fogged in the cold, mountain air. My fur would keep out the cold for now, but I needed shelter and fast. Staring at the brothers' corpses, I sighed. Now came the gross part. One of them had the keys to my chains, just have to search em for it.
"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!?" I yelled angrily, kicking Donovan's body in the gut. There were no keys to be found anywhere. Just my luck. Did one of the bastards swallow it? Throw it in the woods? Or maybe it'd been tossed days ago. Frustrated out of my mind I did what I should have done in the beginning. Wrenching Marrick's axe from his death grip, I returned to the cart and slashed away. Hacking at the lock, it took several powerful blows before a satisfying crack sounded off. Coiling the freed chain around an arm, I got the hell out of there; but to where…? It clicked. Not too far rose the summit of this mountain road. Hopefully at the top I'd be able to see the lay of the land and plan my next move. I'll be home before I know it.
"Holy hell…" I whined, feeling my cuts and bruises smart. This was not as easy as I thought it'd be. The damn mountain was near impassable. Brambles blocked every path, tearing at my robes and leaving behind thin slices of red in my fur. The incline was worse. Uneven rock and loose soil made me trip and tumble so often I hardly startled when it happened anymore. Fighting my way through a wall of interlocking branches, I finally stumbled out to the other side. Rising at a near vertical angle, I was met with the bottom of a cliff. At least I could see a cave punched into the stone. Pitch black though it may be, the shelter of a cave is exactly the respite I need to calm my nerves.
Stepping inside, I tried to pierce the gloom with my eyes. Nope, this dark was much too thick. Stretching out my arms to prevent any unsightly collisions, I wandered deeper within. Keeping the entrance to my back, I trudged on in complete pitch darkness. The stone under my footpads was worn and smooth, a welcome change from the gravel outside. That is until, the ground disappeared. I thought I could count on the ground to merely exist, but it couldn't do even that. Placing one foot in front of the other, familiar stone gave way to air. Screaming like a little child, I fell into the gaping hole that surely led to my doom.
Wind rushed around me, forcing my robes to billow wildly. My ears trailed behind me, dancing in the turbulence. Falling, I shut my eyes tight. Watching as the end quickly approached didn't appeal, not that I could see in the dark anyway. Falling, falling… falling… How deep was this pit anyway? Splat. Crack. My body hit grass and soft dirt with a loud thud. Unimaginable pain shattered through my bones.
"Never mind…" I whispered, face down in dewy grass.
I woke up to sharp agony.
"Uggghhh…" I moaned, wincing. It hurt to breathe, like a knife pierced my lungs. I had the sudden urge to call out for help, despite being in the bowels of a mountain. Opening my eyes, I was surprised at just how light it was down here. If not for the walls slowly curving up, I could have sworn I was lazing around back home. "Please… Somebody… Help me…" I called out as loud as I could despite the pain. I expected only silence, for no one to hear my cries.
But somebody came.
