The ashen one continued down the trial past the flower bed, metallic clinking the only sound that broke the otherwise peaceful atmosphere of the cavern. As he walked in the darkness he thought back to his encounter with the flower. That creature reminded me of someone I met on my journeys to find the Lords of Cinder. That "friendly" attitude that concealed more ill intentions. That promise of treasure that lay conveniently across a certain bridge. Although the flower offered no such treasure, I could sense deceit in that thing's friendly façade. 'He is no better than that arse Patches'. The devil that had nearly killed me on more than one occasion through the guise of "friendship" or "helping". Although that flower did speak of other monstrosities that lay further within this cavernous hole. Perhaps there is some truth to his words. "Another human stalking the underground", how could that be? I've seen plenty undead since I awoke, but human? No, perhaps there was a misconception there. Perhaps it was another wondering undead who fell into this place. But why here? There were no Lords here, right? No reason to be gallivanting about in a place such as this. I continued to ponder as I came to a door frame amidst the surrounding darkness. Inside the frame was a room lit by some light source I could not see. The floor and walls were built of some purple stone, vines crept up these walls in a twisting manner to an arching ceiling. Across the room were two sets of stone staircases leading into another room. I suppose this must lead somewhere wherever that may be, must be better than the darkness behind me. I continued up the staircase, through the doorframe, and into the next room.

Inside were a series of stone plates on the right side of the room, a plaque and another doorway laid on the opposite side of the room. I proceeded toward the opposite side of the room, taking notice of the foot prints left on the dust ridden ground. I noticed that one set contained prints that appeared to be animalistic in nature and much larger than the triangular boot marks made from my leather and iron leggings. The other, to my astonishment, were around the same size as my own, if not a tad smaller. The flower indeed had spoken truth about there being another human in this place, but why are there no signs of a strife here? I began to further investigate the room, no blood, no body, not even a bloody scape in the dust. It appeared as though they just casually walked through here. This left me pondering as to how and why a beast that appeared to be at least twice my own size, would allow someone to enter their domain without fight. With more questions than answers, I decided to continue forth into the next room, following the tracks in the dust.

As I continued forth I saw that many of the levers that lined the walls had been pulled downwards. I soon came to a room with a large pool and a large metal and wooden bridge that spanned across it to another doorway on the opposite side. The metal portion of the bridge seemed to be laid out in a particular pattern, with any wrong movement leading to becoming spiked by spear that lay in the pores of these metal plates. Caution will be my safeguard. As I did before, I continued to follow the footprints to the other side of the bridge. I eventually came to a leafless tree, I could see a small and quaint house beyond, light penetrated through the windows of the home. Perhaps there is someone there that could assist me, perhaps the owner of those smaller footprints. I walked up to the home and proceeded to knock my heavy iron gauntlets against the wood, making a loud thud with each knock. A woman's voice called out to me from within the home.

"Just one second please, I'll be right there."

The voice sounded kind, there was a degree of gentleness to it. Could that be the voice that belonged to that smaller pair of footsteps? Perhaps they know what kind of "monsters" make their home here, as the flower had informed me. The door opened to reveal a creature I had never seen before. It stood almost three feet taller than myself, was covered in a white fluffed fur, and its head resembled that of a goat with humanoid characteristics, two small horns adorned the top of its head. It wore a gown of white sleeves and purple midsection, a coat of arms I did not recognize decorated the front of this gown. I held a tighter grip to my iron shield and carefully reached for the scabbard of my sword, preparing myself for a skirmish, when it spoke.

"Ah, do not be afraid my child. I am Toriel, caretaker of the ruins. You are the second human to come through here today."

With the mention of another human, her initially cheerful demeanor became somewhat dampened.

Perhaps there is a human within this underground after all. Perhaps Flowey was indeed correct about that matter, but his mention of being, "killed by other monsters" seemed farfetched to me. This creature seemed almost motherly in appearance, I could sense no ill content in this creature, and unlike most wildlife in my travels she had not yet begun charging me. She spoke again.

"Please come in, I have a pie ready. It might be a bit cold, I hope you don't mind."

With this I silently walked into the home as Toriel disappeared into the kitchen on the opposite side of the room. Book selves lined most of the first room, with a fireplace and a cushioned chair near the back wall. All of this confused me immensely, never had I encountered any creature that did not possess the desire to kill me, let alone one that was offering me parcels of food before. Such hospitality reminded me of my journey through the sewers of Anor Londo, where I encountered Siegward sleeping next to a fire in a kitchen there. I remembered Siegward offering me some of the Estus soup he had made. We enjoyed a small period of peace amid the ensuing chaos of the silver knights patrolling the next room and the abominations that lay in the sewers just a floor above where we were sitting. "A toast, to your valor and to my duty… long may the sun shine", with a jolly chuckle he toasted the me and proceeded to fall into a much-deserved nap. I missed Siegward greatly, he truly was a friend to his dying breath. Toriel's voice broke my train of thought.

"I hope you like butterscotch."

She handed me a plate with a sizable slice covering much of the plate. She looked somewhat saddened when I gave no reply to this.

"Is there something wrong with it?" She asked in a concerned and somewhat saddened voice.

I placed the plate on a nearby table, I had no use of food since I was killed, food tasted of nothing but ash, and I had no reason or desire to be sated. She began to speak once more.

"I suppose you must be more tired than hungry." She said with a smile, she proceeded to grab my hand and led me to a room.

"Please make yourself at home, I'll be in the living room if you need me." She then departed, walking off into the next room. I couldn't remember the last time I had rested. The last bonfire I had rested at was atop the ashen peak. My legs and entire body felt exhausted from my trek up the mountain before the fall. I decided that I would take a short break, and rest my eyes. Within the room was a single bed. It appeared unmade, and had smelled of a perfume made of flowers. I had not smelled anything like it after my death. The smell of death and decay became more familiar in my travels than that of flowers. I have not used a bed either since I was alive, the thought of using it seemed alien to me, and this bed appeared to belong to someone else. I decided to sit against the western wall of the room. I leaned my shield against the wall, sheathed my sword into its scabbard, and slowly seated myself on the floor. With my back leaning against the wall and the quiet drome of the music box in the corner, my eyes began to grow heavy. I slumped my helm downwards and slowly, was encapsulated by sleep.

"Hahaha, well, well, hasn't it been all too long! It's good to see you." I could recognize that jolly old voice anywhere. I quickly opened my eyes to find myself sitting in the throne room of the reclusive giant, Yhorm of the profaned capital. It appeared in the same way as I had left it, trinkets and gold littered the large, open interior. After getting my barring, I looked directly across from where I was sitting to find my old, onion shaped friend. He was sitting with one leg over the other and his hands in his lap.

"It's good to see you my friend." Had I… just spoken? The voice almost felt as though it did not belong to me at all, it had been a long time since I had heard it.

"You seem to have found yourself in quite a pickle lad."

"Seigward I thought you were dead!" I exclaimed.

"I'm greatly sorry to inform you but… I am just an apparition. I'm here to give you some advice in your current duty."

My heart sank, for a brief moment I thought that I had my companion back, my most loyal friend.

"Don't look so down lad, you have quite an adventure to make very soon, hahaha."

"What do you mean Siegward?" I asked.

"That creature that has given you quarter within her home requires someone of your mettle. Now I know you must be confused by what her intentions might be, but fear not. Her intentions of hospitality are pure. It appears that not all of the creatures of this realm have ill intentions. She has lost quite a bit within a short period of time."

"What does that have to do with me, my friend?"

"Once you awake from your little nap, she will ask you to perform a duty… of grave importance to her."

"What might that be?"

"In time my friend, hahaha, I know how much a sense of duty is important to the undead such as the likes of us eh? Hahaha."

"Thank-you Siegward… for your clairvoyance on the matter."

"With pleasure, my friend. Now you have your own duty to fulfill. But before we part, a toast." With this he raised his right hand.

"To your duty, and our companionship! Long may the sun shine upon us! Hahaha." His jolly laugh continued to echo within the chamber. As it began to fade into the silence a shadow began to appear from behind Seigward. It's tall, lanky form stood towering over him.

"SIEGWARD!" I screamed as I stammered to my feet.

Before I could react, the phantom plunged forward, a sharp blade protruded out of the chest of my friend. A raspy voice perturbed out of the darkness of the chamber.

"We'll never amount to anything… not you… not I…" A devilish chuckle began to fill the room.

I awoke with a start to find myself in the same room, with the same music box, with the same unmade bed. I began to meditate on what Seigward had said, "your own duty to fulfill…" I sat there in the darkness, waiting for my body to stop shaking from the nightmare I had just encountered. That devilish chuckle was familiar. It belongs to someone I had known before, but I couldn't remember to whom it belonged. The music box continued to play its calming tune, a piece of pie laid in the center of the room.

After some time, I rose to my feet and grabbed my shield that had been resting on the wall beside me. Out of politeness I wrapped the pastry into a piece of cloth and placed it into a satchel on my belt. I then exited the room and proceeded to the living room. There I saw Toriel, she was sitting in a chair next to the fireplace and seemed to be deeply enthralled in a book she was reading. She looked up as she noticed my entrance to the room.

"Oh good, you're awake. I was just reading this book on snails."

I began to make a motion with my hand, writing with an invisible pencil and parchment.

Toriel seemed confused by my gesture but proceeded to walk to the other side of the room where the bookshelves stood and began scanning the first bookshelf nearest the fireplace. She began to mumble to herself as she did this, scanning shelf by shelf, book by book, till she came to one book in particular. "There it is!", she exclaimed, pulling out a leather-bound book filled with white pages, a pencil was held in place within the closed pages.

"Here you go, it's a writing journal, I had hoped that I would be giving this to someone else for school, but…" With those last words, she looked saddened again and turned her gaze toward the floor. I began to write in the blank booklet.

'Thank-you most sincerely, I am sorry I must converse with you through my manuscripts. I have…' I paused in my writing for a brief moment. 'Lost my voice, thank-you for your hospitality I am in your debt for the kindness you have shown me thus far.'

Toriel looked up as she felt me pass her the once empty booklet. She took the booklet and read the newly imprinted words. She smiled, handed the book back to me and said, "it was no trouble, I look after all of the human children that fall down here." She looked at me with a newfound curiosity. "Why is it that you're armed so well?"

I paused for a second before beginning to write. Finished, I displayed the book open in a way that Toriel could see.

'To protect myself.'

At this Toriel's face took on an appearance of both confusion and worry, "From what, if you don't mind me asking?"

I was taken aback by this statement. There were scores of creatures to protect myself from, what kind of world was this? Is there no knowledge of what happens above this mountain, no Lords of Cinder, no monstrosities of the abyss, no mad hollows? I knew that there was some measure of tranquility in the atmosphere when I awoke from that yellow flower patch, but this was beyond compare. Have I stumbled into a paradise? A place that lacked the twisted and deformed creatures I have encountered in my travels? I continued to ponder this newly antiquated fact. Seigward was right, it did appear as though not all of the creatures here had ill intent, at least not to the point of arming themselves. I then remembered that I had a question to answer, I did not wish to bring up bad memories of my journey to this point nor did I have the energy to write out the complications of my travels in length.

'I have endured an arduous journey, to be put plainly.'

Toriel seemed as though she could sense that it might have been a sensitive topic for me and decided the subject would be best left alone. We stood there in the silence of the room, I continued to contemplate on a question to ask, when Seigwards words entered my mind yet again. I began to write.

'You spoke of another human when I entered your abode, did you not?'

Toriel looked at the exposed page, her eyes appeared to water as she spoke in her calm and gentle voice, and a small smile began to form as she began speaking, taking a seat into her reading chair, "Yes, my little one. She's the child that fell down here not a day before you showed up. She's a gentle soul… I wish I could have stopped her from leaving this house… but she's determined. She refused to fight me after I tried to keep her here by force. She just refused… she has a merciful personality. I fear it might even be to a fault. I'm worried for her… about what might happen to her out there especially if she faces Asgore." Tears where visibly soaking the fur on her cheek.

I didn't know what to think at this. This woman, or creature had shown me hospitality, and to no less an armored stranger. I began to write in my new booklet. Once I finished my entry I walked over to where Toriel was sitting in her reading chair staring at the ground as her eyes continued to water. I placed an iron gauntlet gently onto her shoulder, trying my best to console her, and laid my booklet on her lap.

'I will go in search of her, I will make sure nothing malicious befalls to her.'Toriel looked up at me, looking into the slits of my helm.

"Please, it would mean a lot to me."

With this Toriel guided me down the flight of stairs and into the corridor that lead to the end of the ruins. Toriel began to speak as we moved along the walkway, "Asgore plans to use seven human souls to break the barrier to the surface world." I continued to listen in silence, not knowing who this "Asgore" was. I didn't really care, for the time being my duty was to find and protect this "human" who had fallen into this cavern. Everything else was unnecessary in completing my current duty.

We soon came to a stop. "This is the door that leads out of the ruins", Toriel said, both of us facing the closed door. She turned to the me and said, "thank-you, under all that armor I know there must be a kind-hearted child… you and she are a lot alike in that regard." With that, Toriel wrapped her arms around me, her chin resting on the top of my helm. I could feel a warm feeling inside, something that warmed me to the core. Something that not even the fire of the bonfire could compare to, it was a tender and gentle embrace, much like the one me and my master shared on the day of my death, before any of this started. I didn't want to let go.

After a few moments Toriel said, "when you find her I want you two to call me, okay, and please... stay safe will you?"

I nodded in both agreement and understanding. Toriel then began walking back from where we came, stopping at the corner of the hall to look back at me, her face had a slight glint of worry. With my back to her, I began to open the doors to the end of the ruins. I placed a gauntleted hand upon each of the large metal doors and began to slowly push them open. The wind began to howl through the opening of the door. Flakes of snow began to flutter into the hallway. I paused for a moment at the edge of the doorway. I could sense that she was still watching from the far end of the hallway. I wanted to look back and tell Toriel I would not fail in this duty, that I would protect this human with my life, that I would return her safely back to her. But I proceeded away from the door, into the snow. Into the howling winds of the storm.