Monster Age: A Fantasy Epic

by GR Griffin

  "Whatever, Advisor," he replied. "Send the word and rally the troops to defend themselves."

  "As you command, Emperor." Advisor Flowey and Brute marched out of the room; the latter slammed down the hall with each step.

  Alone, the only man Emperor Zeus had for guidance was himself. Father was no longer there, he would know what to do, he ought to; it was Juhi's expertise, resources, and connections that won him the civil war over his son. If anyone should be kicking himself, it should be Zeus; the rebellion was his own creation two hundred years ago when he wished to return to Earth and his father said 'no'.

  Juhi and Haze used the Obelisk to construct Castle Highkeep in record time, and Zeus wasted too much of it trying to bypass it defences, losing a lot of people along the way. It was all of nothing as he ended up ultimately relinquishing his leadership over the rebellion to secure his position as heir to the throne. Prince Zeus had to wait two whole centuries for Emperor Juhi to die and for the mantle of Outerworld ruler to fall upon him so he could instate his own policies upon his land, and fulfil his promise of returning his people to the Earth.

  Now the faction he created and fought alongside was now out to destroy him, led by a man from the opposite side and full of people still reeling from his apparent betrayal. Some of them were children and young adults who had lost parents, uncles, aunties, grandparents, brothers and sisters, and now rest the blame for their deaths squarely on him.

  To that day, Zeus felt nothing nor did he feel bad right there. What was done was done.

  Emperor Juhi was dead and gone, and he was the emperor now. It was time for this young lion to forge his own path, not from under anyone's shadow, but from out of the footprints laid behind him. The next footprints made within the sands of history were going to be his own, and Zeus would fall before he forgot the steps taken to get there.

  Zeus took one last look outside. The aluminium clouds were now darkened into a dark steel. He hadn't seen clouds that dark since the blurry days of his childhood, of the treacherous thunderstorms which plague the world below to this day.

  He stormed out of the room, down hallway after hallway, past and through and over soldier after panicked, frightened soldier, until he pushed through the door to his father's old chambers, left untouched and undisturbed since the day Juhi left this world.

  In the dark, evening clouds, the specious bedroom was gloomy with shadows and meagre light. The desk still held pens, the inkwell turning dry, and letters doomed to remain unfinished for all eternity. The room was fitting enough to be considered Juhi's tomb had his remains stayed.

  The sheets on the bed remained crumpled and unmade, Juhi's dusty remains now resting in the depths of the Forest. He considered himself a monster of the people even though he ate extravagant meals and drank from silver cups and wore the most elaborate of outfits, so it was only fitting that his sending off was on par with the people, with no special privileges. A basic funeral with an unadorned metal urn. Now Juhi rests with the commoners and the garbage, and Zeus imagined how bad they must be stinking up the Forest's underbelly. The garbage too.

  In the dim corner, as untouched as the emperor last saw it, Juhi's old battle armour stood at attention inside the glass cabinet, tall and prideful even without a body to control it. The red in the cape screamed out to the anger boiling within. The spikes on the spaulders could intimidate the dead. The gold of the chain connecting the cape cut through the dark. Zeus saw his outline in the glass where the head would be; the suit waiting for that someone.

  Zeus pried both glass doors open with a quiet squeak of the brass hinges. It was time to finish what was started one thousand years ago.

  * * *

  Danyell led the way. Him being native to the Forest floor the longest made him the best navigator. Behind his lead was Juhi, Dunmore, Rex, Fleck, and everyone else in that order – those in the back spread out and sieving effortlessly through all obstacles. Danyell was once more the trusty scout, and thanks to his guidance, Fleck was travelling these difficult lands at a speed thought impossible for an individual of the living category. There were pathways through these roots and around mountains of trash which Fleck had absolutely no idea existed, invisible to the naked eye and only known to those who have spent their entire afterlives in this place.

  Before they knew it, the convoy had wandered straight into a large archway, barricaded on both sides with walls constructed from the unwanted remnants tossed down by those above. Out with the old, in with the new. These monsters were similar to the garbage stinking the air: they were broken, old, forgotten, useless, discarded, and just as worthless. The one thing these people were good for was fond memories, the same memories as when a corner lamp still cast light or when a clock still ticked or when a pen still ran with ink. The trash was only useful to collect dust, and these poor monsters were literally made of the stuff.

  Danyell carried himself through the expanded doorframe, a fortress entrance without a gate. "No need for one," he explained without looking back. "Nobody fights us down here… and we have nothing worth taking…"

  It made sense in context: the living had no knowledge of this hidden world, and any civil war declared between the ashen ones would not last long considering neither side could harm the other.

  Inside the walls, the great stink was subdued under a concoction of soda cans, juice cartons, stale pickle, banana skins, apple cores, lemon slices, and orange peels. Make no mistake, the stench could still be whiffed – ten thorough scrubbings would not lift it – but it was vastly improved. Flaming torches and pits of fire dotted the vicinity, cutting through the dark and carrying the warm scent. After goodness knows how long, the smells were equivalent to the finest perfume.

  The ground had been paved with the best floor coverings from a hundred years ago: torn carpet, worn mats, tattered rugs, shattered tiles, reassembled hardwood, and faded linoleum. Despite the inhabitants' condition, the floors were surprisingly clean. The inner walls were painted, wallpapered, and framed with anything that could be deemed art. A roof kept in the heat and directed the light inwards. Whatever roots inside were decorated to serve as part of the décor. An assortment of recycled, refurbished, and all around reconstructed furniture surrounded the largest fire pit in the centre of the makeshift shelter.

  Beneath the scrapheap, scavenger landscape, Fleck felt a homely, comfortable vibe radiating from this place. A sense of belonging. Somewhere to call home.

  Dunmore said, "Just because we're dead doesn't mean we have to be savages. Even we are entitled to some semblance of civility. We use this house when we want a nice, friendly conversation, which is the only thing we can do around here."

  Another person stood at the far end of the room, across from the flames and the chairs. With a tall stature and both hands behind his bent, he looked to own the premises. It was clear he was no bodybuilder during his lifetime, with strands of straw and twigs protruded from out the joints in his arms and legs, the halo around his scalp, and the workings of his torso.

  He lifted his chin at the sight of his old general from the war a millennia ago. "Ah, your lordship," he said, sounding like a professional, "I have kept this room clean at all times to await your arrival."

  Juhi walked over and shook the man's hand as if greeting an old friend, which he most likely was. "Overseer Eden. Is it still overseer, or is it just Eden now?"

  Eden laughed, or croaked out nails against chalkboard which may or may not be considered laughter. "Still overseer. I upkeep this building, keep it clean at all times. Death has given me all the time in the world."

  "It's an honour to meet you again."

  "Likewise, General." Overseer Eden looked past his old friend, past the other grey members, and noticed the one who did not look like the other ones. All at once, his professional demeanour threatened to fail as he knew exactly what that was. "Is that a…?"

  "A human? Yes," Juhi finished, then resumed quickly before Eden could rush into a panic. "But they are not here to harm us, o
nly to help us. And in turn, we are to help them."

  Danyell said to Fleck, "I wish I could offer you a drink or something to eat, but we have nothing fresh down here… not to mention we need no sustenance…"

  Fleck said they weren't hungry or thirsty anyway. What they had seen in the previous hour was enough to suppress an appetite for a whole year.

  "Good," Juhi said, "we haven't got much time anyway." Then he gestured calmly toward an armchair that made up the ring of seats around the centre pit. "Please, take a seat."

  Fleck did so. Man, was it uncomfortable. The armchair must have been stripped before it took the plunge as the stuffing felt lumpy and uneven in every spot, and the outer shell was a jumble of fabric stitched together resulting in a Frankenstein's Monster of colours and tones. The term 'shabby chic' had never been so grossly misrepresented.

  The others took position around the light, bringing their molten bodies down into their seats. Rex, Dunmore and Danyell literally sank into the grooves and crevices. Functionality came first, comfortability came last. It made no difference to these guys since their nerves were long gone.

  "Now that we are all here," Overseer Eden announced, "what are we to discuss? Who would like to begin?" The end of the Outerworld was upon them, yet it was business as usual for him.

  Juhi looked at the child sitting at the chair opposite, the flames dancing between the two. He noticed the sword and shield. "That craftsmanship…" he whispered loud enough for everyone around the fire to hear. "There is only one man I know who could construct tools of such elegance." He leaned back and drew his eyes straight up to the black ceiling.

  Fleck said to Juhi that the sword and shield were a gift from Professor Haze.

  "Ah, yes, Haze," said Juhi. "A little rough around the edges, but the smartest man I've ever met. He was a good friend."

  And the sword and shield were made to kill Zeus, Fleck added.

  Juhi grumbled, slumping his chin on his hand. "A good friend to me, anyway."

  Dunmore raised a hand. "Perhaps we should explain ourselves first?" he suggested to unanimous agreement.

  "Right. Start from the beginning," Danyell, taking charge of the group discussion, said. "We are the Grey Ones: the living dust of the Outerworld; neither alive nor dead, stuck in this accursed limbo from which we cannot escape." He pointed to his chest. "In life, I was but a scout for the monster army on Earth, gravelly wounded while trying to find safe passage for our people, alongside others who… didn't make it. Without treatment, I would've died all those years ago." He looked down at his body and then at his hands. "Now… I wish I did."

  Rex, the former commander, carried on. "Humans boxed monsters in… Boxed Rex in… Ready to kill… Miracle we needed…" He grinned and glanced at the cauldron monster. "Remember… you lost mind… before Rex…"

  Dunmore rubbed his flat cheek, scraping away a layer of dust. "Not my best moment, I'll admit…"

  The next part of the story came from Overseer Eden, still standing in place like a humble butler. "I saw General Juhi's son run out of the camp, so I gave chase. He fell down an abandoned quarry before I could retrieve him. I returned to camp to seek help."

  "Down in that pit, Zeus found something," Juhi said. "Zeus found the Obelisk – the heart of this world and the key to our salvation – buried near an abandoned pit near where we were cornered. He touched it. Activated it. And the Outerworld rose again."

  Danyell's turn resurfaced. "While the Outerworld saved many, myself included, the wounds we sustained still left their scars. I lived life with old injuries for a long time until my body broke down. I was among one of the first to die, my ashes cast down here." The memory, impossible to forget, resurfaced behind downcast eyes. "I remember awaking… thinking I had reached the afterlife… until I looked at my hands and…"

  Ashen fingers formed and crumbled away before what little vision he had. Danyell screamed from his broken voice, his body a mush of mass, undefinable, unrecognisable. Dead but not dead. Alive when he shouldn't be. What was happening to him? He cried for help, screaming without breath.

  But nobody came.

  "I had never been more terrified in my life…" The rest of the group, including those outside, shared in Danyell's pain. Every member of the Grey had been through the horrific experience. "It took the first of us many years to learn how to retain our shape, after which, we discussed whether to make our presence known to the living. We decided it was best to remain here, where the living cannot know of us. If the living found out, discovered the truth about what happens when we die here, then the ensuing chaos, fear, and despair it would bring would be catastrophic."

  "Fleck, I feel I must apologise for dragging you into this mess," Juhi said. "I allowed the words from Advisor Flowey to guide me and drag you into our war. Haze told me about the prophecy, and I truly believed your Determination was the key to unlocking the Obelisk's secret, but now I am not so sure."

  Fleck blinked. What did Juhi mean by that?

  "We are now one with this world's lifeblood. I can feel the magic coursing through these lands and through ourselves, keeping us alive after death, and we can feel it dying. Zeus draws magic like a hurricane. He has lived the longest yet stayed the youngest. The Obelisk's magic is drawn greatest to him, and I believe it was for a reason. I believe now that when my son found the Obelisk all those years ago, it was not by luck or a roll of the dice, he was drawn to it, guided by the hands of fate. I know believe that he is part of the key to all this.

  "In short time, this world will tear itself apart, and unless the greatest strength can be found, then every living being in it will die. Perhaps we have been looking at this the wrong way. Perhaps the greatest strength lies not in one soul, but many. Zeus is powerful, but so are you, Fleck.

  "I have caused you so much pain and have no right to ask anything from you, but Zeus has become lost in a sea of his own hatred. He needs someone to help him see reason. If you can convince my son to aid you, then maybe this disaster can be averted and nobody else has to perish."

  Fleck working together with Emperor Zeus? The very idea was so ridiculous it tickled their diaphragm. That lion hated their guts from day-minus-one-million. The only friend he introduced them to came in the form of a zweihander.

  Juhi slumped solemnly in his chair. "Whatever you choose to do next is entirely up to you, Fleck. I cannot force you to confront Zeus, this must be of your own free will. If you wish to remain down here and allow this world to die, then so be it. However, if you still believe there is a chance, then we will help you as best we can." He leaned forward, gazing through the flicker. "So I ask you now, Fleck. For this world, its people, and my son… will you save them?"

  Fleck sat still, controlling their breathing in and out. Flowey's words reverberated in their head: if they survived their encounter – which they did – then they would head back to the castle, confront Emperor Zeus… and die. Afterward, the Outerworld will die, then the entire human race.

  Their friends would die. Asgore, Toriel, Alphys, Undyne, Sans, and Papyrus were doomed. They were the people who believed in this little human even when all hope seemed lost. The golden flower stood once more in their path, holding their friends hostage, threatening their lives with death and resurrection, over and over again.

  In that moment, they called out to Fleck! Voices going off in their head, spreading to the determination in their soul!

  Toriel: "Do not be afraid, my child… No matter what happens… we will always be there to protect you!"

  Papyrus: "That's right, human! You can win! Just do what I would do: believe in you!"

  Undyne: "Hey! Human! If you got past me, you can do ANYTHING! So don't worry, we're with you all the way!"

  Sans: "Huh? You haven't beaten this guy yet? Come on. This weirdo's got nothin' on you."

  Alphys: "Technically, it's impossible for you to beat him… B-but… somehow, I know you can do it!"

  Asgore: "Human, for the future of humans and monsters…! You ha
ve to stay determined…!"

  The future of humans and monsters.

  Fleck's mind was made up right there on the spot. There was only one thing for Fleck to do, one way to save this world and everyone on it, including their friends: they must return to Castle Highkeep.

  As they jumped off the armchair, they told Juhi that they would do it.

  "If that is what you wish to do," Juhi said, "then we can escort you to the foot of Highkeep Enclave. But as to getting into the castle, you're on your own."

  These guys weren't going to help them get inside or help against Zeus?

  "We cannot," Danyell insisted. "Even in this dire situation, we fear making our presence known will only make matters worse. No, we must remain hidden, the living must not know of our existence."

  Fleck gave the former emperor a pleading look, the fire bright in their eyes. Zeus was his son, surely he will listen.

  To which, Juhi chuckled and shook his head. "The only words of mine Zeus listened to were those said on my terminal breath, and it was those words which resulted in you standing here right this instant. Besides, he was never one to be strayed from his own ambitions. Whenever someone tried to do so, he always got angry and…" Juhi seized up. "I cannot fight him: he is my son. I simply cannot."

  Fleck huffed. Guess it was up to them again to solve things all by themself. The future of humans and monsters once more hung in the balance, and Fleck was the future, the decider of what shall shape the world for millennia to come. Shall the future be guided by the descendants of these citizens, or will their stories never come to fruition as their ancestor perish right here, right now?

  With no time to lose, Fleck said they were ready.

  The committee guided the human outside to the full force of the festering stench. After the sweeter smells, returning to it almost knocked them unconscious. Danyell gathered a group of his people and told them to form a circle.

  "Prepare yourself, Fleck," he informed. "You'll be there before you know it."