VOXISTALE: Novel Edition

Chapter 112

A massive intake of breath brought her flooding back to the present. Cold stone was beneath her. Her heart was in overdrive as she proceeded to breathe more, welcoming the intake of air.

She felt gloved hands help her to her feet, and looked up to see Papyrus. It was too dark to make out any features aside from knowing he was there from the faint light cast from the hole that led out of this lair.

"Papyrus . . . where . . . ?" She asked, still trying to regain her breath as she looked frantically about, which was pointless as everything was completely dark.

"I FOUGHT IT OFF YOU. IT RAN AWAY," he said. "I HAD TO USE MY SPECIAL ATTACK."

She still had no idea what that was, but regardless, she felt incredibly grateful he'd used it. That was twice now—no, three times in the last hour or two that he'd saved her skin. First when healing her after the fall, then when he solved the puzzle she may never have, and third just now.

"Let's get out of here before it comes back," she urged. Papyrus was in agreement as he let her ascend the ladder first. It was old, and strangely made of metal instead of wood, like she'd been expecting. It seemed so . . . modern.

Regardless, she emerged at the top to find she was in another old room. No murals clung to the ancient walls, but there were torches, lit with golden flames that flickered. After she helped Papyrus out of the hole, she took the room in full. The soft molten glow that bounced about the walls flickered with a fire she could only describe as ancient. The room itself was lengthy, and she could have mistaken it for another tunnel had she not been able to see both ends, the one furthest to them complete with a massive golden door, the ending nearest them being a solid wall. Weapons of varying shapes and sizes lay scattered, though not many. Chests lay opened and empty as a thick layer of dust covered just about everything.

This was probably the armory, and probably the state it was in after the monsters were forced to flee this kingdom over a thousand years ago. Another thing she noticed were half-sets of armor lying about. Chest plates, helmets, boots, and more, all golden in color.

"WOWIE. THOSE ARE SOME SHINY BATTLE BODIES!" Papyrus pointed out. Frisk had to agree. Despite the layer of dust, there still shone an aura of royalty to them. So this was the armory, and judging by the closed door, the others hadn't found it yet, not to mention that Empty creature hadn't fled up here. It was back in the Orion puzzle room. Why were there lit torches in here? At that moment, however, a boom sounded.

Frisk and Papyrus jumped as they turned their gaze upon the golden door, which stood twenty feet high, and twelve feet wide. The sound had come from it, but the door hadn't budged an inch. The two shared a look, before the boom sounded again. Something on the other side was trying to bust in.

It could be Asgore . . . or it could be more Empty. Papyrus seemed to be thinking along the same lines, as he was hesitant—that is until a scythe-like arm emerged from the hole and swiped for them. They reacted by leaping out of its way just in time, the blade-arm slashing fruitlessly through the air as the creature snarled within. It was far too large to fit through the hole, leaving Frisk feeling foolish for having considered it could have fled up here.

Gritting her teeth, Frisk summoned a scythe of her own- and slashed. The Empty's arm spurt more of the black ooze as it cried out in pain, retreating again, its severed arm landing on the ground beside the hole. With that, she kept a hold of her scythe, and marched toward the door, a third boom sounding.

"I'LL JUST STAY BEHIND YOU," Papyrus offered, his recent experiences leaving him a little more hesitant than usual. They approached the great door to find a golden bar sat across it, slightly bending with each boom, a fourth making itself known.