Oswald Manfred

A few days had passed since I left the city. I followed the winding tunnels, using the map I saw on the chief's table to guide me. Unfortunately, the thing was either outdated, or the ones in charge of making maps were giving him false maps. There were tunnels that weren't supposed to be there in either case. Likely the work of doppelgangers, mining away and making escape routes. Such tunnels were likely full of mimics, but made it very difficult to figure out where I actually was in relation to everything.

It didn't help that I noticed these extra tunnels, entirely too late. My rush to leave the city, and see this new species of monster with my own eyes, it caused me to overlook the distance I traveled. I had to move between the tunnels, just to keep anyone that might follow me, from actually finding me. Which clearly worked, since a day had passed without the sound of armor echoing through the tunnels.

I kept my goggles over my eyes, moving the liquid about to catch any light it could. Everything was a shade of green, white, gray, and black. Still I was able to move in the darkness, able to see without giving away my position. I kept myself covered in my cloak, keeping it thick enough to block any mimic that made an attempt at attacking. I let them live, since a trail of bodies would give me away.

I was thankful that I no longer needed to eat or drink. My focus kept my body in a state of constant renewal, breaking down what was needed for energy, then reversing the process. I was able to sustain myself on the Aether alone, but it didn't stop me from wanting something to sink my teeth into.

I pushed those desires away, focusing once more on figuring out just where in the hells I am. I just needed to find a marked tunnel, and in theory I should be able to right my path again. I just need to keep using the tunnels that sloped downwards, eventually I would find one that way. A couple more tunnels, a few lefts and a couple rights. Deeper, and deeper, looking for some kind of etching, or noticeable carving. Still I found nothing.

I felt a bit worried, even after coming across some dead bodies. Their bones picked clean, their packs mostly untouched. I was thankfully still going further away from the city. I took the time to gas the bones, before arranging them in a crude burial. Their tags left under their skulls. I gassed their supplies, finding one clever mimic had decided to pretend to be a satchel. I gained a few coins, some rations, and even a couple torches.

I decided to leave most of the coin under the skulls, hoping some other dwarf might find it. Something to pay whoever might return the tags to their family. It was a fortunate thing regardless, since it allowed me to act like a wandering dwarf. Not to mention the dried rations were a welcomed sensation, after days of sustaining my body on nothing but focus. I took a couple bites, washing it down with the water, as I continued on.

Another day passed, maybe two or three. It was impossible to really keep track of time, and the rations and water I had, messed up the rhythm I had. I couldn't keep track of the time, but those rations were worth it. I had to keep myself from eating them all, in case I found anyone else. Something that was starting to feel more likely, since no one was maintaining the tunnels or writing which tunnels led to what. I bit back my anger, realizing that the wandering tribes were likely all claimed by the mimic queens. Still, the doppelgangers could have at least left something!

I rounded another tunnel, freezing in place. There was nothing cut into the wall, no sign. Instead, I saw a small fire in the distance. I adjusted my goggles to get a closer look at them. A group of four dwarves, all infected. One of them had a brand on their cheek, marking them as a criminal. None of them had a D carved on their cheek however. Either I was very close to the Mimic Queen, or these were the dwarves I could trust.

I contemplated how to approach them, deciding that I needed to know where I was at the very least. If nothing else, I needed to learn how they navigated these damn tunnels without a single mark to guide them. Maybe I was missing something, maybe the dwarves these days didn't use markings. There might be some crazy new idea, that I just forgot to ask. I stopped thinking about it, biting back that bit of anger at the dwarves these days.

It was probably, far more likely that they used the mimics to guide them. Especially if any party going into the tunnels were doppelgangers. I crept back into the tunnel, pulling out a torch and adjusting myself. My cloak was pressed back into a hooded form, much like when I left the city. The torch was ignited, and I walked out of the tunnel, towards the party.

"And then I said, if you weren't so ugly, I might consider you one of mine!" The group was in high spirits, laughing at the recent joke the branded one made. They didn't even notice the stray torch approaching them.

"Oi! So, do you think he was your kid lad?" A dwarf with streaks of gray in his beard spoke up.

"Nah, he was too young. Probably some lass told him that his father was a criminal and exiled. We get it all the time." The dwarves cheered, hitting mugs against each other before chugging.

Finally one of them noticed me, "Seems we have company." The others immediately perked up, looking in my direction as I stopped moving to show I meant no harm.

The branded dwarf scratched his beard, clearly the leader of the group. "Oi! What do you want? You're pretty far away from any burrows!" They reached for their weapons.

"I don't think he's infected..." One of them whispered, while I lowered my torch.

My voice came out clearly, "My apologies, but it appears that I am quite lost. Tell me, what happened to the tribes maintaining the tunnels? There aren't any markings to help guide me."

Brandy stood up, "The wandering tribes haven't been doing that for fifty years. I find it hard to believe an old dwarf like you would be wandering around like this. Where are you from?"

I stroked my beard, "I'm from Eclipse, I came here to take care of a few things." I could see the gray streaked one's eyes glow for a moment.

"He's telling the truth." Clearly he was an oracle.

Brandy nodded slowly, "Well, you're a far way out. Come, sit by the fire with us. We have better things to do, than rob an old dwarf like you."

I smiled a little, joining their circle. "You're bandits then? Back in my day, we didn't have any."

Brandy laughed, "Very funny, old one. My name is..." I didn't care or bother to remember it. "We're actually what you might call escorts. With the wandering tribes gone, a few of us have popped up to keep other dwarves safe. The tunnels are pretty dangerous."

I shrugged, "How dangerous can they be, if an old goat like me was able to stumble upon you?"

The other three began pouring a cup, to pass me some of their ale. Brandy shrugged, "Trust me, you were just lucky to make it here. There are a lot of monsters in the tunnels these days. I'll tell you what though, we haven't heard any news from the city, or Eclipse. We'll be happy to escort you back, if you'd share some with us."

I raised a brow at that, but stayed my tongue. An odd group, to not know what's going on. Then I smiled, because these were likely the ones I needed to trust. "Nothing really changes in Eclipse, though the biggest news there is that Oswald finally died. Which is why I'm here actually."

There was a moment of silence, as the oracle nodded. "That is unfortunate. How did he die? If you don't mind me asking?"

"According to the reports, the news, he was done in by an assassin from the Kingdom of Fire. Do you mind telling me what happened to the wandering tribes?" I drank the ale offered to me, while they soaked in the information I gave.

Brandy grit his teeth, before relaxing. "The monsters old one. They look like anything." The conversation continued, as they told me what they knew, despite being doppelgangers. We were both keeping secrets, talking in half-truths, and redirecting questions. I needed to make certain I could trust them, given what was on the note.

They were not well informed, or they were lying about what they did know. I knew doppelgangers could get information from their Queen, if they had a telepath, or some form of mind magic. That they should be able to communicate and talk to each other about these things. It wouldn't be too hard to figure out who I was, but still nothing came of it. No 'convenient' groups wandering in, no sign of mimics slowly crawling towards us. It was just a simple conversation as we discussed what we could.

Hours passed, before I finally gave away my actual identity. The group was surprised, but laughed it off. Saying that they were just glad I wasn't dead. That I needed to meet their queen, so we could discuss how to better take out the one closest to the Beard Cutters. It made sense that they would be far more interested in taking out the enemy closest to them. I followed after them, reforming my cloak, just in case I was wrong.

We walked for days, while they explained how they could use the number of mimics as markers. That they moved different kinds, in order to know which tunnel is which now. I asked them questions about their condition. How it felt to overcome the doppelganger that tried to suppress them. What kind of monster we were going to meet. Their words didn't align with what I knew about Eugene. These were not the doppelgangers I needed to trust, but they were bringing me to their queen.

I noticed too late that the walls were moving, thick white veins pulsing through the stone and closing tunnels behind us. I mentally chastised myself for falling for this, but I didn't let it show. A low rumbling voice echoed through the tunnels, doing its best to sound like a person. It was somewhat feminine, though clearly lacking that spark to her voice. It clearly wasn't human, "My, my. It appears I have caught you, Oswald. Crawling Death. Tell me, tell us, why did you try to escape the city? What led you here to my tunnels, our tunnels?"

My cloak of gas covered me completely, my goggles glowing faintly. "You haven't tried to kill me yet, and I was looking for the other monster."

"Yes, we know of them, I know of them. We tried to fool you, I tried to fool you. We are, I am, unique. Different from the others. Many memories, many minds. We need you, I need you, if both of us are to survive. There is no other monster, we lied, I lied about such. To speak to you in private. Creeping Death." The queen sounded arrogant, and haughty. It felt it was negotiating from a position of power.

I lowered my head, "How many of these tunnels do you have? We must be a good distance away from your heart, if I remember the map correctly." The four doppelgangers, moved further into the tunnel. They likely felt there wasn't anything I could do here.

"We have, I have, many tunnels. This one can be used for crushing monsters, and beasts. You are needed, and so we shall not, I shall not. A deal, to be struck. We shall forgive you, I shall forgive, if you agree to leave. Take out the others, as said before. We cannot, I cannot, do it alone."

I mixed a few chemicals in my satchel, keeping my cane close to my back. "I see no reason to refuse, but what do you intend to do after the others are gone?" It was clear what she would do. All mimic queens were the same, and that was why they needed to be destroyed. All I needed was time to finish making a few acids, and a bit more gas.

A hissing laugh came from every side. "We will, I will, be the only queen. The only one in the world. A world of peace, and flesh. To make such a beautiful thing. To remember it all, join us Oswald. Creeping Death. Let us both make a beautiful world. We will, I will, even let you join us."

I let out a slow breath, "The easiest way to kill a mimic queen is to use mimic's bane. A special liquid that alchemists can make, that will use the monster blood in your veins against you." I was lying, such a useful thing wasn't real. "It's how I killed the first mimic queen. Just a cut, or a prick and it will spread slowly. Your entire body will rot away."

There was silence, as she considered what I said. "Are you suggesting that we are, I am, that easy to kill? That this was all a trap to be sprung over us, me?"

"I won't join you, and my body will be poison to you. You should be able to see if mimic's bane is real by checking the city. I taught the chief's son how to make a less potent version of it to reveal lesser mimics. With the right tools, I can make more so your doppelgangers can deliver it to the other queens."

"No." The walls of the tunnel moved closing in around me. "You are too dangerous if you can make such. Die!"

I felt null magic slamming through the walls as they continued to close in around me. The acid moving beneath me, while my cane glowed to allow me my magic. The rock beneath me sizzled, as I poured focus into it. White flesh was revealed, and I let the acid burn into it as the mimic queen roared. "You might want to sever your connection with this tunnel soon."

"We would, I would, see you dead first!" They sensed that the null magic wasn't working, as my gas bellowed outwards to keep a few inches of stone from touching me. The pressure taking more and more of my focus. The tunnel shook, as the mimic queen exerted more force. More pressure meant more focus, and my arms turned black, as I was forced to push back even more. My acid still doing it's work, while I sank deeper.

The mimic queen used different magics, the ones she stole from those poor souls. None of them could get through my defenses, but still she tried. I let the acid spread deeper, carving out a link to another tunnel below me. I couldn't move, even as my legs started to turn black. My limbs were rotting without my attention on them. I used the gas to raise my arms, the walls closing around them. A pocket of gas moving to reform it into a skull with acid along the base. As if dissolved. I fell to the pressure, turning the slurry of stone back to what it was the acid falling faster than me. All of my focus put on escaping.

I fell into a tunnel below, sealing the escape route above. Knowing the mimic queen would likely look for some evidence of my death. Even if she was probably going to sever her connection to that tunnel. I turned my focus back to my body, taking in what precious air I could, reverting carbon to oxygen to let the Aether sustain me once again. I would need to find some bones and flesh to remake my arms later, but for now it seemed everything was fine.

I felt movement in the distance, and rolled onto my side. A golem slowly approaching me, a few dwarves with D's carved on their cheeks. I was low on gas, but there was still acid in the ceiling. One dwarf held their hands up, "We didn't expect to see you here! I don't have a silver coin, but we're friendly!"

I looked at the golem again, noticing flesh creeping from the cracks. Black veins having worked itself into the stone somehow. I looked back at the dwarf, "What are you doing here?"

"We were digging tunnels under the queen mimic, trying to trace them to the heart." She swallowed hard, "You are Oswald, right?"

I nodded slowly, "That's a terrible idea, it just gives the mimic queen a tunnel leading straight to your home."

"What else are we supposed to do!? We can't just do nothing, while the Piklins are fighting on our behalf!" The dwarf balled her fists, as the golem gently patted her shoulder. "I'm sorry, you need help don't you? Amy here will carry you back to our home... I'll close the tunnel."

The golem approached me, while I kept my questions to myself. Whatever was inside the golem was a Piklin, and according to the note I could trust these doppelgangers. I closed my eyes, feeling a headache coming on. "You are an earth elementalist?"

"No, I'm a geomancer. Closing tunnels are easier than opening them quietly. Still... that quake earlier was something else." The golem picked me up gently, cradling me in its arms.

"Yeah, queen mimics only get stronger with more brains. Especially if they got their magic from doppelgangers. How far away are we from your base?"

"We're a couple days out, we don't have a lot of territory since this mimic queen has been fighting us so much." The golem carried me while the dwarf talked, using her magic to seal the tunnel behind us.

"I'm going to trust you with getting me there. I'll get my answers whenever I speak to whoever is in charge of your group. Until then, don't try to wake me up. I need to focus." The dwarf started to say something, before I closed my eyes. I put my focus on reversing the damage done to my limbs, trying to rekindle the life inside my skin.

This was going to be a long process, a couple of my organs shut down, most of my skin would need time to regrow. I couldn't just reverse the damage, since I needed my focus to keep my body going anyway. If anything, the rot was the natural state of my flesh at this age. I should be able to graft new muscles, and bones from a recent corpse, but I needed to find one first. Everything I could save right now, was saved. All of my attention fixated on digesting what couldn't be saved, and regrowing a third of what was there in its place.

I could hear the dwarf talking to the golem, asking if I was dead. I let out a small breath every now and then, keeping my eyes closed the entire time they carried me. I heard them talking about putting me in the healer's den, before opening my eyes. I saved as much of my own flesh and blood as I could, but there were patches with exposed bone and muscle. I looked like an undead, animated by the darker magics. My vision in one eye was blurred, as I pooled everything into the other to at least see well enough.

I looked around, finding a town littered with more of the golem creatures. The entire place covered in Aether moss, which only grew when there was a magic spring nearby. The town was humid, to the point that small channels were bore into the stone itself. The condensation running along the moss, and dripping from the ceiling above. There was no need for a torch, as the blue-green moss emitted a constant glow. The kind of light that made it appear as if the town itself was crying from some unknown tragedy.

The dwarf looked me over, "Do you want to go to the healing tent?"

I shook my head, hopping out of the golem's arms, and walking with just enough gas to cover the open wounds. I took out my cane, to hobble. "Unless they can grow me new limbs, I'm better off doing this myself. Take me to the monster leading this place."

She hesitated a moment, before nodding. "Alright, she has been wanting to meet you. Just don't do anything to hurt her."

I rolled my eyes at that, "Don't worry. I know better." We walked towards the back of the town, the golems and dwarves watching us while we moved. The one known as Amy wandered off. They were likely talking to each other in some strange language, but it reminded me of my younger years. Watching, and learning how monsters interacted with each other, their culture like a puzzle.

When I make it back to Eclipse, I need to tell Charles to send some people to make sure they aren't tainted. It was unlikely, but the monster king could move and hurt them like the others. To force them to fight against the other races. That couldn't be allowed to happen again. Not to this new race, not in this kingdom.

The back of the town had a small slope, like a gentle hill. It was as if the town was built in front of some kind of massive cave in. The hill, likely a burial mound for those lost. The Aether moss, glowing in waves that rippled as I continued on. The dwarf guiding me, stopped, and walked away. Her mission was complete, and it was clear the leader of this place was up there, but it was strange to meet them atop a burial mound like this. Then I noticed the bits of pink flesh exposed between the Aether moss. Whatever I was about to meet, couldn't move.

I hobbled further up the mound, a figure coming into view. The Aether moss vibrant, and glowing brighter. Spores of Aether shrooms floating like motes, unseen forces gently guiding them around. The monster took on a humanoid form, her hands clasped in prayer over the piles of rock used to bury our kind. So many rows, neatly lined up, and spread far enough apart to observe privacy. Something like this must have taken years to perform. So many of my kind laid to rest according to our customs.

I blinked, looking at the monster, noting her body was made completely out of flesh. The folds fell behind her, like veils, as she took the effort to make it appear she was clothed. She looked like a priestess, weighed down by the sins of the world. The glow of the light reflecting off her glossy form. I hobbled closer, observing as quietly as I could.

Minutes passed, before she finally turned to me. Her voice was quiet, but gentle. More like a soft whisper, and tired beyond words. She bowed towards me, "Greetings, master Oswald. My name is Mary, the mother of Piklins. It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

I nodded curtly, as she sank into her own flesh. She made her height equal to my own, to show that she was neither my greater, nor my lesser. She chose to meet me here, as equals. "If only these were more pleasant times. I'm afraid it will take me weeks to heal from my injuries. What is a Piklin exactly? What does that word mean to you?"

She lowered her head, "The understanding of our race that comes from the Mad God? His voice will whisper to me, as it does all other monsters. To tell me what my race is, and what that means." She moved towards me, parting the Aether moss, and forming it back as it was. The mound was probably covered in her. "I do not talk to the Mad God, because I do not want to hear his answer. I wish to find my own meaning in life, as my family before me did."

She stopped before me, we were both at arms reach. She offered me a hand, and I took it. "Are you the queen of your people? How do you communicate? There are so many questions."

She shook my hand, before pulling me into a hug, "I am sorry, but this is the quickest way."

My body shuddered, as I felt a powerful soul brushing up against my own. Our souls were roughly the same, but her talent was imparting her entire life unto me. Her memories, her regrets. Everything she ever felt, as she let me sink inside the flesh beneath me. My body was falling apart again, my soul in a state of shock and unable to focus. Then I felt something slide inside my ear, as everything went black.