This started as a short story, believe it or not. I've thought of converting it into chapter one of book II instead of keeping it as it is. I haven't received much in the way of support, but for what I do have, thank you. For a story of this setting (all things considered), I figured it'd be appropriate... Somewhat.
Warning to those with the bigger hearts; Brace your feels, because this one might sting a little.
Chapter 9 - Color
Twenty-two years, two months, one week and three days before the barrier is broken...
A village west of the obsidian walls of Green-gold Castle had a decent harvest of less than half the crops failing.
The land is far removed from color, being white, black, and thousands of of grey shades between. It has been this way for over one thousand years.
To the common human, hope has died.
But maybe... Just maybe...
A child, roughly thirteen winters old opened the door to his family's serf hovel holding a clump of dirt with a single blade of grass rooted into the cobble. His face was wide with disbelief, shock, and urgency for the item in his hand.
"Mom! Mom!"
"Yea son, what is i-" The woman gasped upon gazing at the otherwise unremarkable singular blade of grass. She reached for a shallow clay cup sized smaller than her palm, and ushered her son in.
"In the pot! Put it in the pot!" The child immediately complied. The woman reached for a pitcher of water and started packing the dirt around the grass blade as she slowly soaked the soil within the shallow cup. They placed the small pot on the table and observed.
The blade of grass was a barely noticeable green tint within the legions of colorless grass and dry patches, but as time passed, the mother and her son nervously gazed at the single blade until it's texture started returning.
Within a day, within that small, shallow, palm-sized pot; a single, healthy, green blade of grass flourished. It stood out like a diamond in dirt. The mother and her son gazed in total awe at the single blade of grass.
"I never thought I'd see this in my life. It's... Color..." The mother observed the single potted blade of grass carefully. She turned to her son, then gave him a hug followed by a kiss on the cheek.
"I... I never thought I'd see this in my life... Thank you."
The son returned the embrace.
"Mom, you're... You're going to make me cry again."
"This beautiful little thing... It'll be our secret, okay?"
They both looked at the single blade of grass, tears in the mother's eyes.
"Mom, I... I don't want this moment to end."
"Neither do I, Gael. I love you, my son."
Twenty-two years, two months, and one week before the barrier is broken...
The village is burning... The wind is howling... The village Chieftain is dead, the defenders are dead, the townsfolk one by one are fighting a loosing battle for their lives against a foe who cast their humanity into the dirt and trampled on it.
"MOM! STAY WITH ME!" Gael, covered in soot and ash from fleeing the fate of being burned alive in his mother's serf hovel. He had horrible burns over his body. His arms and both palms of his hands were in searing pain from the fire and dragging his mother away from the collapsed structure engulfed in flames.
"MOM! STAY! WITH ME!" Gael cried out again from the top of his lungs. His voice rivaled by the dying cries of mercy falling on deaf ears.
"Mom, no! No! I have items. Here! Water! I have water! Drink the water..." Gael took a small sealed drinking horn from his inventory, trying to use it on his mom to keep her alive.
* One water removed. Drinking horn is now empty.
Eventually the cries died out. The only noise being the roars of the fires, and the roaring laughter of... things that couldn't be human... Not after this.
HP = 0
Gael watched in horror as he saw his mother's soul, a heart-shaped entity rise from her body and shatter - or, rather; Disintegrate into countless pieces before his eyes.
"Mom..." Gael wept.
The green blade of grass; lost in the fire. His home; ashes from the same. Every memory he looked to did not comfort him. It burned. It hurt worse than the searing burns across his body. For a moment, he felt nothing but total defeat and pain. Then he heard something. He heard it. Footsteps behind him, accompanied by laughter of mockery.
"Oh, boo! What a twerp!"
"A defenseless thing that serves no purpose."
"No purpose than to make us stronger."
"Look at it weep. It's laughable!"
"Will he beg for his life like the other pathetic trash?"
"I want him to fight just to crush him like paper."
"A useless, defenseless kid."
"Free execution points."
Gael stood up, and turned towards the corpse of one of the fallen townsfolk. He walked over and saw a staff modified into a club that the defender was using to defend everything that was now engulfed in fire. He knelt down and picked up the staff.
*Equipped item: long club.
Description: It's bark looks bad, but this one's bite is indeed worse.
Buff: Guaranteed to stun enemies upon a critical hit.
De-buff: Critical hits are harder to pull off.
With the staff, Gael took a deep breath.
"Father... Please, remember your son."
A yellow light in front of Gael appeared before him. It was like a small star upon a stone. Gael reached to it and caressed the light...
"Mom... Dad..?"
The footsteps got closer. The laughter of those "men" grew louder, and one voice made itself known above all.
"A pathetic kid weeping over a pathetic woman who didn't even survive the smoke. You, Sharpy. Kill this brat and bring me that woman's head."
The burning of the village... The slaughter of everyone you knew... The death of everyone...
And they simply laugh like it's nothing...
Don't rest. Don't ever rest until justice is done!
You will not die. You're too determined for that.
*FILE CREATED: GAEL
*GAME SAVED
Ten. Ten times, I've 'died'. Ten times I've 'lost'... But all I need to do is win once, and your head is thick, red plaster!
*Gael's LV has increased.
Gael bellowed from the top of his lungs. "I'M READY TO DIE! WHAT ABOUT YOU?!" With another swing of the club, another bandit fell, then another. If they weren't done for on the first swing, Gael kept going until they were.
*Gael's LV has increased.
"YOU ARE MONSTERS! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!" The bandits were seized with shock and gazed in horror as they found themselves in the situation they inflicted on others. Some of the bandits started fleeing only for Gael to pursue.
Of the bandits that Gael pursued, those that couldn't successfully flee tried to fight Gael off, but the result was always the same.
"WHO'S NEXT?! IS IT YOU?! HOW ABOUT YOU?!"
*Gael's LV has increased.
The bandits have routed. Their rag-tag warband reduced to a fourth of it's strength. The bandits fled for their lives, some looked back to be haunted by the sight of a black figure with a club and a pair of circular, glowing red eyes, and the expression of pure disgust and disdain upon it's face; a sight of nightmares the bandits created, and unlike all their malevolent dealings previous, had to live with.
"I'LL BUTCHER YOU LIKE THE PIGS YOU ARE!"
*Gael's LV has increased.
The bandits fled to the northern forest near the great mountain walls. Gael didn't follow. As far as he was concerned, the fight was over. Gael's arms and body still burned from his injuries from the fires, but as Gael looked at himself to observe his wounds, he saw that his arms were coated in blood up to his elbows.
Gael
Current LV: 6
XP to next LV = 5
Gael put his hand to his mouth. A realization dawning on him. He asked himself a hundred questions, and from then on, a thousand more questions arose. He returned to the smouldering ruins that was his home; back to that star. He gazed into it once again. From the star, was an answer he did not expect.
You lifted the club because you loved me...
Not because you hated them...
They gave you no choice...
They hurt other people, and they would've continued to hurt people.
I'm sorry...
*GAME SAVED
In that moment, the yellow star disintegrated into dust. Gael's victory left him hollow. There was nowhere to go. His home was in ashes, his loved one dead, friends dead, village chieftain was dead. No one to lead and no one to follow. Gael was alone with no one... Gael closed his eyes. Defeated, he simply closed his eyes and waited for anything to come and take his life...
*But somebody came...
"Hello? I saw the smoke from the walls of Green Gold and-and my dad saw, so we got some friends and-and are you okay? I'm Prince Adrian. What's your name?"
Gael awoke to see a small kid, roughly eight winters old disinfecting and bandaging his burnt arm. Gael wept deeply.
"Bring my son home, Gael... Let us lay him... to rest... In our father's crypts... Please..."
Three days and roughly twelve hours after the barrier has fallen...
A rider in a red cloak concealing every detail about him rode out from the fourth gatehouse past the monsters' camp. The monsters attention was caught by the rider's horse - a black shire that at first glance towered over those around it, and the rider was no less a sight to behold. The gallop was great, and the speed surprisingly contained care in it's haste.
His heart never moved from that village. In mind, Gael was always there; weeping in the suffocating ashes of his home. Despite all his memories with Adrian, his father; the king, Jyack, and for what little time Adrian's son Jamie and adopted daughter Lucy... Gael always felt the searing heat of the flames on his body, the blood of those wicked , ugly "people" coated and crusted around his arms. Their screams, the screaming was arguably the most karmic and haunting thing Gael dealt with. Gael hated them. He wanted to see them suffer, but at the same time, he was not going to become a monster in order to do so. He wasn't going to become that thing that they saw him as when this all began.
"Free execution points"
That line in particular haunted Gael. It sounded so... Insane. What special kind of reality would it ever have to be for such a statement to sound so... Normal? Then again, it was a bunch of horrible people, but what on earth could've been their perspective to do such things in the first place? The whole thing was senseless violence; Gratuitous, and with no alternate outcome available.
Gael shook his head and mind back into focus.
Upon passing the last gatehouse past the Monsters' camp, Gael immediately set-off to MT Ebbot. Gael checked his belongings attached to his saddle and bag, occasionally checking his bandages to see the healing progress of the burns along his arms and such.
Gael
WEAPON: STAFF
Meant for walking and blocking. Not fighting.
(defense boost, poor ATTACK)
ARMOR: DO, KOTE & SODE
An inspired cavalry armor inspired by the Nippon Imperialists across the vast, north-eastern sea.
Many doubt the nation's existence due to how isolated the place is.
(speed boost, average defense)
Current LV: 7
XP to next LV = 2
Gael's mind wandered to the tales of the ancient humans - the ones Gael considered responsible for this whole mess. The tale of the *Hate soul and it's insane ability to enslave people into it's malevolent will (at least according to the old children's tales). The thoughts of possibilities made him shudder.
From his training with Adrian's father; the King, he understood his situation more than he did as a child.
"Gael, remember what L.V. is?"
"It's an acronym for L.O.V.E, your majesty?"
"Yes. Level Of Violence. The higher your L.V. is, the easier it is to hurt others and the harder it is to hurt you. This is part of our curse, Gale. The curse of the *Hate soul. Bandits, marauders, pirates, and many other people already have high L.V.'s to begin with, but when the L.V. of one of us rises, it's easier to hurt those closest to us as it is those that made us who we are.
"We, humans do provide a number of X.P. on our own, but the number is usually small - unless under special circumstances. To raise L.V. from bandits, you have to kill ALOT of them, all while showing no mercy. The same can happen in reverse, but bandits are a LOT less likely to show us mercy than the other way around."
"Execution Points... My mom... My home... All those people... That was all just... numbers to them?!"
"That is the *Hate soul, Gale. A system. A sick, twisted, horrible system that rewards those that cast their humanity aside, and punishes us for fighting back. That is the legacy of the first war- the war between men and the caretakers of the land from two-thousand years ago - the curse of the gods upon the first humans. The veterans of that ancient war becoming the first agents of a malevolent agenda."
"I'm not a first human! My mom didn't deserve that! This isn't right! None of this is right!"
"It is the reality we must face, Gael. Many people have been down your path, but as one's L.V. changes, it also changes how one thinks. You MUST be vigilant against this!"
And once one reaches L.V. 10... Oh gods...
Gael immediately brought himself back to the present. His mind actively blocking the thought out.
After checking his inventory, Gael rode on towards the mountain of Ebbot; again, looking for any sign of where Jamie could've ran to hide from the Envoy's attackers.
The lack of a body from the first investigation was concerning. Gael wanted to believe that his king is wrong; that Jamie's out there, somewhere, alive... But the white, wool pocket-rabbit with burn-markings in it's side and outer leg, along the bunny's upper back and head stained with blood... That pocket-rabbit begged to differ.
That stuffed rabbit was part of Jamie's promise...
Eventually, Gael arrived to the smouldering wreckage of the destroyed Envoy carriage. He dismounted and walked with his stick around the crime scene. As he was observing, he heard footsteps from the road he came down.
"E-excuse me, sir?" a soft-spoken, nervous voice came from behind Gael. He turned slowly and saw what appeared to be a dwarf-sized yellow lizard creature wearing glasses, a white lab coat, while holding a strange small rectangular box made of multiple materials, and a flower with black moldy spots along the stem and central petals.
Gael stared blankly and confused, then he replied.
"Uh...You're one of the Ebbot-folk?"
"I was- I mean, yes! I am. I was walking down th-this path and-"
"It's not exactly safe here you know."
"Well...What happened here exactly?"
"Do you have all day? Because it's one of those stories."
"I was trying to get to my la-I mean, place back in MT Ebbot... Is it- the road, I mean... Uh... Safe?"
"Kind of, but it's still a long trek. Need a ride to the mountain?"
"S-sure!"
"Alright. You may not be very tall, but I'll help you up. What's you're name by the way?"
"Alphys! Doctor Alphys, King Asgore's Roy-... I'm Doctor Alphys of Asgore's court."
As Gael assisted Alphys onto the great Shire, he carried the conversation.
"King Asgore, of the Ebbot-folk? I better be careful then! Hah!" Gael spoke in a joking matter.
"Well, uh... What's you're name?"
"Gael. Lord Gael."
"Gael, like, wind Gale?"
"Sure, whatever. Now hold on. Lil' Missy loves mountain trails, and your trail in particular is somewhat rocky."
Entrance to MT Ebbot
From the short time Alphys knew Gael, she was terrified. His L.V. had Alphys think Gael was going to kill her on the spot, but his soul color seemed vaguely familiar... It was more of the protective type than what she originally anticipated. After dismounting, Gael left his Shire horse just outside of the archway less than two paces.
Alphys couldn't believe she rode such a thing, let alone that it could move with such speed and velocity. Height-wise, her and Frisk wouldn't even be as tall as it's legs were long. The horse was insanely huge and reaffirmed her idea of Gael being this kind of strong, honorable warrior-type guy... But where was his sword? He had a staff, sure but didn't big tough guys usually have big tough weapons to go with their armor?
And why does it look like something I've seen before?! This is starting to bug me!
Alphys and Gael walked through the opening archway past where the barrier was before it was shattered. Alphys tried to keep a conversation with what seemed to be a friendly giant. A friendly dressed-to-kill giant of a human.
"So, uh... Interesting armor you have there!"
Gael paused. Alphys stood beside him. The giant human looked lost in thought for several seconds before turning back to Alphys.
"Thanks..?"
"Eh... Ok." Alphys replied.
Gael knelt down to Alphys.
"So... What's that strange box?" Gael carried the conversation.
"Oh this? It's my calculator."
"Calculator?"
"Yea, it's a- WAIT WHAT?!" Alphys took a double take for the centuries. She wasn't shocked at the question. She was shocked at the genuine, nonchalant, non-sarcastic legitimate "what's a calculator?" tone that this human had asked, legitimately. Gael just knelt there awkwardly contemplating his next verbal move.
Crap! I gotta follow-up with something else, or she'll start thinking I'm one of those uncivilized barbarian types.
"Is it like an abacus? The thing with the wooden ball-disk things on wooden dowels?"
"Y...Yes, actually... Like an... abacus, but with... numbers" Alphys did a second double take.
Abacus?! That's a name I haven't heard in a LOOONG time. It had to be back in the construction of HOME, present day - the RUINS, roughly before I was even born when that was commonplace... I only saw one in a MUSEUM! The instrument is, literally that old... Wait, IS HE SERIOUS?! We got our technology FROM THE SURFACE, VIA LITERAL WATERFALL! THERE'S NO WAY! This is a joke! We had to get our tech from SOMEWHERE, and I-
Alphys stopped herself, took a deep breath, and carried the conversation.
"Say, you don't happen to have a map of the world by any chance, do you?"
"Not on me, but back at the Castle Library in Green Gold we have one somewhere. It's probably out-dated."
"Uh... About that Armor!"
"Yea. It's from a place far to the North-East. Across the sea, some say."
"Interesting. What about that stick?"
"My walking staff?"
"No. The shorter one, by your knife under your cloak."
Alphys couldn't see Gael's face, for it was hidden under his hood, but she could tell she hit something.
I hope it wasn't a nerve. He could kill me in one strike, probably.
Gael remained silent. leaning his staff against the entrance wall, he slowly drew the long club from his belt.
It was shortened for ease of transportation. The rock that was tied to it had been replaced with crafted weights that fit perfectly around the impact zone near the head of the club. The wood had been coated in a preservative to keep it from rotting, but in the head of the stick, near the blunt weight was a black, moldy thing attached to the weapon.
Gael brandished and presented the long club to Alphys, who studied it as if she was pouring her heart into the simple study of a stick, but Alphys knew this was more than some stick.
"Gael, can I please see your face?"
Gael gazed nervously in silence. Alphys continued.
"I need to make sure you're not suffering from any illnesses from this mold-thing! Even us monsters get sick from mold where it doesn't belong once in a while."
No, we don't, I just need to see if it's affected him!
"Oh... Kay." Gael nervously put his hands on the soft, smooth velvet of his hood, and slowly drew it back. Alphys started getting some things from her coat.
He's probably some self-conscious Prince Charming that doesn't think he- why is he wearing those bandag-... Oh...
Alphys remembered seeing some of the humans for the first time - how empty their *Souls were, how full of despair and hopeless the surface had become, but nothing could subvert her expectations like this.
Gale's forehead, left cheek, and entire lower jaw had been scarred from third degree burns - from a house-fire, presumably. His beard was manged and growing in random spots from not having any healthy skin-tissue to grow correctly. It was here Alphys noticed the bandages all over Gael's arms, and then it dawned on her.
"Does... Does it still hurt?" Alphys choked back, trying to hide her compassion.
"Every day... Since..."
Alphys stared for a moment, then shook herself back into focus.
Come on Alphys! Keep it together. I just need to get to the lab, I'll analyze the flower and the bat with Sans, medical suppli- Analyzing tools. No problems here! I'll get Undyne, and we'll hang out and watch some-
"Doctor..."
Alphys snapped out of her trance and gazed at Gael's crisped, disfigured, burnt face.
"Yes?"
"It's the word for healer, and wise one throughout the world... Am I wrong?"
Alphys saw the Gael's soul. the heart-shaped thing resembled a soul of justice, but despite being at full HP, it was cracked throughout, designed like someone aimed for the middle with a hammer. Some of the pieces to the soul were outright missing. Staring at it was emotionally draining task, and it took everything Alphys had to tear herself away.
I can't help you... I'm sorry, but I... I can at least try!
"I got some disinfectants and medical supplies in my lab... You don't mind waiting here, do you?"
"I don't mind at all. Just let me put my bandages back on."
"Here- let me help you."
After readjusting the bandages, Alphys analyzed Gael to make sure he wasn't hurting from having his hood off and being exposed to more heat.
"It's cooler down the hall a little - by the throne room, if that helps!" Alphys suggested, giving a polite smile.
"I thank-"
As they approached, Alphys turned to Gael and saw him freeze. Outside the throne room was a small patch of grass. Alphys thought nothing of it, but noticed Gael's gaze locked onto it.
"Uh... Gael? Everything alright?"
No response. Gael took a step towards the patch of lush green, then another step, then he knelt down into the cavern floor and started caressing the grass with his hands.
"It's... So soft..."
"Gael? Are you... Are you okay?"
Alphys knelt beside Gael, and saw a mix of red tinted tears.
"I never... knew the name... of this..." Gael sounded as if he was choking. Alphys beside him.
"The grass? Green?"
"The name of... Of the color... of grass... It's green..."
The realization hit Alphys hard.
He never knew the color of grass... Only that he's seen it before... In that colorless land called 'the surface'...
"Mom... I miss you... I love you so much... I- I'm- I couldn't save you..."
Gael buried his tear-soaked face in the grass. the green, the beautiful, lush green... Alphys heart sank, and tears started forming from her as well.
"I miss you mom so much... I can't... I'm sorry."
Alphys couldn't move from beside the weeping giant. She put her hand on his back.
"I'm so sorry Gael... I didn't... I didn't know."
Gael stirred, the weeping was louder, and louder still. Alphys was crying too. She turned herself, and gave Gael a hug.
"Thank... You... Doctor. Thank you!"
"After all this time... All the tragedy, all the pain you've endured Gael... You're still you."
Eventually, Alphys left to get the medical supplies from her lab, leaving the molded flower for later.
Happy Mother's day... And tell your mother that no matter what happens... You'll always love her.