OCTale: Pacifist [Editing]

4) The Revenant Siblings [Edited]

The door slams shut behind me. Looking up at the sky from the ground, I see puffs of snow cascading down from the sky.

But that's impossible. How are clouds underground?

I seem to have arrived inside of a snowy forest. I stand up, and start to trudge through the snow.

...I realise how...quiet it is. Not a nice, peaceful quiet. A kind of...almost unsettling silence. I shiver slightly.

Then, I hear something snap. A large branch, perhaps. I turn around to see exactly that - but that couldn't have been me, right? A branch that large couldn't have been broken by my footfall.

So what could of...?

"Luke? Are you there?" I call out. My breath is visible, and I'm suddenly glad of the scarf Guidea gave me. My ghostly friend seems to have disappeared. Shivering, I continue on.

I stop, beginning to observe a shoddily made gate. The bars seem to wide to actually stop anybody.

Suddenly, I hear footsteps behind me. I almost reflexively turn around, expecting Guidea to surprise me by following me through the door. But I shake my head, and decide to wait.

Strangely, I don't feel scared. Instead, I feel a mixture of excitement and anxiety, becoming patient to see what kind of monster is behind me.

"Human. Don't you know how to greet a new friend? Turn around and shake my hand." I hear a low-pitched male voice demand, his voice feigning anger.

Smiling, I keep my head down, intent on keeping his identity a secret from myself until the last second.

I reach out my hand, and grab his gloved, warm hand, which has a small, metal object attached. Overwhelmed with curiosity, I grab it, and I am immediately zapped by the metal.

Still slightly frazzled, I laugh jovially, and finally look up, unable to not know the monster after that.

"Hehe...The old joy buzzer in the hand trick! It's always funny, right?" He chuckles, as he gets to see my face. Nodding and giggling, I take a moment to inspect him.

First off, he's a skeleton. A fricking skeleton! He has short jet black hair and wears a matching blue jacket and jeans. Atop his head, or should I say skull, is a red and black hat with some sort of insignia on it, that I can't remember where I recognise it from.

He also wears a short yellow scarf around his neck...bone, which somehow...emanates with his presence. Like Guidea and her staff...

"'Sup? I'm Impact, the older brother of the 'esteemed' Revenant Siblings, or whatever." He chirps, as I giggle.

"Hi!" I wave back. He seems really laid back and nice!

"My sister, Castellar, has made quite the name for herself around here recently. Probably something to do with her joining the Royal Guard last year." He explains, ushering us through the 'gate' as I raise an eyebrow. He gestures for me to sit down at what I assume is a sentry post.

"Now, you're probably wondering what the Royal Guard is, right?" Impact explains, leaning on the opposite side of the bar. I nod, and he continues.

"The guard is an elite group of monsters, who govern over the peace in the Underground. They serve the King's every command, and their current mission...is to harvest human souls." He explains, and I gasp, putting a hand on my chest. However, he grabs my wrist, and places it back on the table, smiling.

"Don't worry. Castellar won't hurt you. She can't harm a fly!" He chirps, as I sigh in relief. Suddenly, he quietens, listening out for something. In the distance, I think I hear footsteps.

"Kid, under the table!" He yells, shoving me under rather forcefully. Then, he leans back in his chair to prevent himself from kicking me. Luke appears next to me, also sitting underneath the table with me.

I hear footsteps approaching, and duck onto the floor, seeing a pair of red boots tapping on the ground impatiently. Impact seems to have started reading some sort of book, connotated by the flicking of pages.

"IMPACT! OF COURSE I COME HERE AND FIND YOU DOING NOTHING!" I hear a new, shrill and feminine voice announce. So this mysterious monster must be Castellar, Impact's younger sister.

"What's up, sis?" Impact cooly asks, unfazed by her loudness.

"YOU KNOW WHAT'S UP BROTHER! IT'S BEEN A WEEK AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T RECALIBRATED THE TRAPS! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING?!" She shouts back.

"Reading this magazine. It's really cool. You wanna look?" He offers, as you hear the magazine be rolled up, and presumably passed over to Castellar. Then, me and Luke cringe at an audible, light whack.

Impact 19/20 HP

"NO! I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THAT! WHAT IF A HUMAN COMES THROUGH?! I NEED TO BE THE ONE! I MUST CAPTURE A HUMAN!" I chuckle silently, Impact caressing his slapped wrist.

"THEN I, THE GREAT CASTELLAR, WILL GET ALL THE THINGS I DESERVE! RESPECT...RECOGNITION...I WILL BATHE IN A SHOWER OF KISSES EVERY MORNING!" Castellar announces rather valiantly. I giggle again.

She seems to really enjoy being part of the guard. Although, I still can't believe a monster this...innocent...is part of a military group.

"Hmm...maybe this magazine will help you." He chuckles, offering it again with his good hand. Castellar grabs it, and chucks it onto the ground, inside of my reach. I quickly grab it before she stomps on it. She decides to continue screaming at her brother instead of investigating.

"IMPACT! YOU LAZYBONES! ALL YOU DO ANYMORE IS SIT HERE AND NOT EVEN PAY ATTENTION! YOU'RE PART OF THE GUARD TOO, REMEMBER?" I gasp slightly at this. Impact has the potential to steal my soul...?

He guffaws, as he says, "Hey, I've gotten a ton of work done today." Castellar growls angrily at him, as he finishes, "A Magne-ton."

I quietly snicker at the pun, but Castellar groans and cringes. "OH MY GOD!" I hear her face-palm, and sigh, "UGH...WHY DO I HAVE TO DO SO MUCH JUST TO GET SOME RECOGNITION?!"

Impact chuckles again as he chirps, "Wow...sounds like you're working yourself..." Castellar glares at him as he finishes "...Down to the Cu-bone!"

Castellar takes a sharp intake of breath, and lets out in a strangled sigh. I silently applaud him for that one.

"YOU REALLY ARE A LOST CAUSE SOMETIMES, IMPACT. I WILL GO RECALIBRATE THE TRAPS FOR YOU, AS ALWAYS. AFTER ALL, I, THE GREAT CASTELLAR, AM THE BEST AT RECALIBRATING TRAPS! NYEH HEH HEH!" She groans, but then stops herself to laugh.

"AS FOR YOUR WORK, PUT A LITTLE MORE....BACKBONE INTO IT!" Castellar giggles, then walks off, satisfied with the daily roasting of her brother.

"...Okay, you can come out now." He signals, as he stands up and I clamber out, my legs slightly cramped from crouching down. Before passing him back his magazine, I inspect it.

Physics Today | Volume #47 Issue #11
Published 2094

"Ah, thanks kid." He smiles, reaching out a hand for me to get up. I grin, looking down the path Castellar went. Impact seems to have naturally regenerated his health back.

Impact 20/20 HP

"Is she always like that?" I ask casually. Impact chuckles.

"Only recently. She's had this feeling that a human would come for the past week. Seems her intuition is never wrong!" He grins, reusing some words I swear I've heard somewhere in a video game.

"That's understandable. She seems a bit hot-headed, but she seems nice deep down." I smile, shrugging and walking off. I feel Impact touch me on the shoulder.

"Actually, before you go. My sister would really like to see a human, right? All I need you to do is play along, 'Kay? Thanks." He explains, as I nod politely.

"Nice. I'll see you up ahead, then!"