The Green Shield of Camelot

[Isabelle]

As I tread across the white void, one thing became apparent… I really had to pee.

Like really bad.

I forgotten that I was taken to this place while I was napping. I always need to pee after a long nap. Makes me wonder why more protagonists that wake up into an adventure don’t have this problem.

Looking around, outside the fountain and the occasional person, I couldn’t see any structure to indicate an outhouse. Not even a single bush to be heard of. Do people just don’t pee in this universe? I had to hold it for two hours straight as I walked to the designated structure, hoping to Toriel that it has a toilet or something. My bladder was filled to burst.

Finally making it to my destination, I was disappointed to see what looked like an archway made of stone. Still nothing that looked like a toilet. Hoping it was a magical portal or something, I ran into it without looking.

When I opened my eyes again, I was briefly blinded by daylight.

Well, this place has one thing over the Underground at least.

As my eyes adjusted I saw I was standing on a long dirt road expanding into grass covered hills and lush forests. A signpost designated which route would lead you. I didn’t read it as I was distracted by a greater need.

“Bushes!” I yell out.

The lush green brush that lined a nearby forest would mark my savior. It doesn’t match up to an actual toilet, but I wasn’t really picky at the moment.

I quickly ran towards them, my bladder burning in strain. As soon as I was obscured by the leaves, I got to business and relieved myself. I got some strange looks from the armor clad men and the merchants. While they couldn’t see what I was doing, it was pretty obvious what was happening. I didn’t care, this was an emergency, and not my fault I don’t have a bladder of steel like they do.

“Hey! Hey! Hey! You’re pissing all over my house!” A small voice yelled up.

A little man with bug like wings flew up to my face. Realizing I wasn’t private anymore, I hastily put my shorts back on, but while doing so, I noticed I had been squating over a tiny house with a white picket fence, which was now covered in pee. The man really got in my face, and the distinct smell of urine emanated from him.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there.” I said, embarrassed.

“Sorry won’t clean my house, get lost!” He yelled as he flew back to his house.

With my shorts back on, I broke from the bushes and got back to the clearing with the road, not wanting to deal with this situation. I’ve talked my way out of situations before, but this one was beyond me.

As soon as I was clear from the forest, I suddenly heard a high pitched laugh.

“That was quite a show little one!”

I looked around for the source but didn’t have to look to far. It was a little green man with a large crooked nose, large sharp teeth, and ragged clothing.

“What kind of monster are you?” I asked.

“Monster? Who are you calling a monster?” He asked angrily.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” I responded apologetically. “I guess that word is a less than PC term in this world.”

The little man chuckled.

“New to the Omniverse, I see!” He said extending a hand. “My names Cho’kin. Nice to meet such a strange human.”

“Frisk.” I said, reaching out to shaking his hand. “What’s the Omniverse?”

“Oh boy, you have a lot to learn, human.” He said, giving another chuckle. “Well, you amuse me, so let me give you the full tour!”

We continued down the road as I followed the direction my soul was taking me. Little did I know the danger that awaited ahead.

[Isabelle]

My goblin companion and I were walking down the road. I kept following my heart, seeing where it would lead me, while my green-skinned friend stuck close, curious where my travels were taking me.

“So what is that heart thing?” He asked after many minutes of silence.

“It’s my soul.” I responded.

He gave me a cocked eyebrow.

“I see, and do all souls come in valentine’s shapes?”

“It seems to be leading me somewhere,” I stated, ignoring his sass, “Figured it’s probably something important.”

“You know, for a secondary, you’re not very cautious. Following random signals is a good way to wind up dead.”

“Secondary?” I asked.

“Ah, right, you’re new.” He stated, face palming a little bit at my lack of knowledge. “There’s primes, that’s people that are summoned by Omni, and there are the secondaries, they are summoned by the primes.”

“Omni?” I responded, my head whirred from the large amounts of vague exposition all at once.

“Yeah, you know, Omni, the head honcho. He’s the god that created this world.”

“Oh.” My experiences with godlike beings haven’t been all that fantastic to be honest. Most of them have tried to kill me. Of course, I wasn’t going to admit that now. “So what are the significance of these ‘Primes’ outside how they got here?”

“Well, like I said, they could summon stuff to this world, everything from objects to people. It’s how you got here, and if you kill them, they just come back, unlike us Secondaries.”

I gave off a slight shutter.

’Does this mean my determination doesn’t bring me back if I die?’ I thought.

“And before you ask, you are most certainly not a prime. Omni has little reason to summon scrawny children like you.”

“Uh, thanks.” It was clear my companion wasn’t one for pleasantries, but I was glad he was at least filling me in on what to expect.

The following steps were filled with silence as I focused on the path ahead, my companion just watching, waiting for whatever comes. But then I was hit with a sinking feeling.

I hadn’t felt it since my time in the underground. It was an urge to fight, it was a urge to kill. I thought it was something wrong with me, I thought it was my own fear taking over, but the more I felt it, the more it felt like an actual presence within me. It was like someone or something was there. The feeling had returned, it was somewhere out there in this world.

I froze in my tracks as my mind spiraled into a chaotic mess. It was a mixture of confusion and fear, uncertain why that presence was not only outside of my body, but it feels like it’s taken form, it feels like it could feel me too.

’Am i in danger?’ I thought to myself. With the revelation that I could die now, this is the worst news I could have possibly gotten.

My goblin friend was showing signs of genuine concern.

“Are you okay kid?” He asked, his head tilted on the side.

I took a deep breath in, held it for a second, and took a deep breath out.

‘Wherever she is, she is not here. Just focus on the task at hand.’ I reminded myself.

“I’m fine, don’t worry.” I said, straightening myself out.

I continued forward, trying hard not to think about what I just found out. I almost tripped over a vine in my path my mind was wandering so much. I couldn’t help it, I mean, how would feel if one of your scariest emotions had manifested itself somewhere else?

I was happy when I came across the distant sight of a village, and it appeared my soul was leading me right towards it. Time spent in a rustic small town is probably what I needed to clear my head. A sign nearby told me the name of my destination.

“Berry Blitzkrieg.” I read out loud. “What can you tell me about-”

I looked all around me, but my goblin companion had already disappeared.

I was alone.

[Isabelle]

I tread carefully through the village. It was quite quaint, reminiscent of what I had seen from textbooks and movies on what early America looked like. Toriel had to outsource humans to teach those classes…

I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic for my first time entering Snowdin. The thought filled me with determination.

Anyways, stones paved a pathway through a set of traditional looking wood houses, all leading towards a large ornate pink palace in the center of town. Along the way down the rows of houses were a number of merchants that have set up tables, selling various foods, tools, and other daily needs.

The men wore suits and hats, the women wore long lacy dresses and bonnets. Seeing how heavily these people dressed, I felt almost naked in my t-shirts and shorts. Hopefully I wouldn’t get in trouble for my casual wear.

Focusing on the task ahead, I held aloft my soul once more. It was flashing so fast that it was one consistent light now, and it was that way every which way I turned. Whatever it wanted me to find, it was somewhere here. The best I could do now was choose a random direction, or maybe ask around? What would I even ask? “Hey, I don’t know where my soul is leading me, could you point me in the right direction?” That would just sound silly.

I looked up from the heart and realized that the citizens were piercing me with rage filled eyes. I began to fear they maybe reacting to my clothing. Whatever it was, it was some sort of taboo here.

I turn to look for a clothing store or something that’ll make me less conspicuous when suddenly, a pair of gloved hands grabbed me from behind.

I struggle but their grip was too tight. I try to scream for help but a hand covered my mouth. The people around me, they weren’t even paying attention to what was happening, they kept going their merry way as a child got abducted by a stranger. Knowing I was on my own, I continued to kick and wiggle. Suddenly, I felt a hand slip and I plopped hard onto my knees on the ground below.

A split second passed as I realized my opportunity. I quickly climbed to my feet and started running as fast as I could, taking advantage of each parting in a the crowd that comes before me. I heard the heavy footsteps of whoever was chasing slowly disappear into the distance. I didn’t care, I kept on running, uncertain where I was going but I didn’t care, as long as it was away from whoever was trying to kidnap me.

But then suddenly I came to a screeching halt. I had made it out of the crowds and was now standing in a clearing in the village, a place where many of the roads intersected with one another. In front of me, sitting on the dirt, was a large platform, and on the large platform was a hanging stand. Bodies, hanging from nooses up in the air, dangling freely in the wind.

One of them was a old man, greying hair with a visible bald spot. Another was a woman in her twenties, dressed in a long flowing gown, very much like a wilting flower. But what was most shocking was a child. She had green skin, but she was a child none-the-less. I could see the pained expression she made in her final moments.

I was horrified. Frozen at the gruesome visage displayed in front of me. This was the moment I knew I wasn’t safe here, I needed to get out of here but my legs, my legs did not want to follow commands.

In a moment, it struck me, a sharp pain in the back of the neck. In the moments after, everything had faded to black.

[Isabelle]

I slowly woke up, my head spinning as I attempted to regain my vision, a cold sweat dripping from my pores. Or so I thought anyways.

As it all came back, I realized I was in a prison cell. Large stone brick composed the three walls and large metal bars made up up the fourth. I was laying on a dirty old bed. Small specks of dirt dotted the sheets, or at least I hoped it was dirt. I could see the pillow cover had green stains that rolled in lines where my mouth was. I was both hoping and dread prospect that those weren’t mine.

I sat up in my bed to get a better view of my room. It had a basic sink and a tiny hole in a floor I guessed was probably for pooping. Flies were travelling in and out from it, signifying that it hadn’t been cleaned out for a while.

The room itself was tiny, clearly meant for one occupant, not counting the rats scurrying about. The air was moist, leading me to realize that my sweat was merely the water in the air. The scent of mold was pungent.

I got up and peeked out through the bars. Long rows of cells, each one containing a prisoner. I could barely get sight of the ones further along, but across from my cell was a bulky green man who simply looked sternly back at me. In the cell next to it was an old woman. Both were clothed in black and white striped uniforms, though the green-man’s uniform was a lot less faded and ragged. I wondered how long the old woman had been here.

Suddenly, I spotted an armored guard walking down the hall, spear in hand. The metal clanging of his feet got closer and closer. Fearful of being reprimanded, I ducked back further into my cell and sat down on my bed, pretending I was minding my own business.

However, to my surprise, I heard the door to my cell slide open. I turned my head to see the same guard standing there, looking down at me.

“Come with me, you are to be audience to the Princess right now.” He said.

I was baffled, I’m just coming to terms with being a prison and suddenly I’m getting a royal invite. Reluctantly, I slipped out of my bed and stepped towards the man. He does a spinning motion with his finger, and I turned around, assuming that’s what he wanted. I feel him slide cuffs onto my wrists.

“Thank you for your cooperation. Now please, come with me.”

I followed the man down the hall and I finally get a good view of the other prisoners. People of all colors were represented, from the reds to the dark blues. But for the most part, the population was mostly some shade of green. I had been told about racism of sorts, how humans would judge each other for the color of their skin, but I haven’t really seen it practiced so widespread and openly. The closest I’ve encountered such a thing was in the underground against me, but I could understand their anger there. This however…

I was escorted up several flights of stairs. The change in tone from the prison to the first floor was jarring. The beautifully decorated main hall nearly took my breath away. If I didn’t know of the ugliness that went on below, I would have thought it to be quite the sight.

The second floor was a long series of desks, each one attended by a finely dressed sirs or madams accompanied by piles of paperwork. Many of the desk had men and woman of varieties of clothing sitting at them, either talking or listening intently. The place reminded me of the time Toriel opened a bank account. The teller sat us in a booth with a desk and explained to us how Mom couldn’t get an account without a social security number. Were all these people here for the same reason? Was this a bank?

We eventually made it to the top floor. Amongst an entire squadron of guards, there stood a young woman in a green dress. She had knee-length jet black hair, lime green eyes and a tiara that decorated her forehead. She took one look at me and gave me a pleasant smile.

“Hello! Hello!” She said, her voice sweet like nectar, almost sickeningly sweet. “My name is Princess Bonbon Sunshine. Please, come in! Don’t be shy!”

[Isabelle]

One of the guards walked over to me and unlocked my cuffs, slipping the restrains into his pocket. The princess extended her arm towards an empty chair.

“Please sit down and make yourself comfortable.” She said with a smile, then she turned and headed off into another room.

I walked up from the doorway and sat down in the chair she pulled up. I was nervous, she seemed nice but after what I have already seen, I couldn’t trust anything in this place.

Not long after I sat down, she returned with two glasses in her hand, each one full of some strange red juice. She approached me and handed the glass over to me. I looked down at it and back at her. I wasn’t sure if I trusted her enough to drink something she prepared. Noticing the look on my face, she retracted her arm and poured a bunch of it in her own cup, then lifted the mug up to her mouth to chug a bunch of it.

Lowering her glass, she hand me my glass again. I reluctantly take it. Even though she proved it wasn’t poisoned or something, I still wasn’t sure if I was being tricked or something.

While my fingers went cold from the chill of the glass, she pulled up a chair and sat down across from me before chugging more of the drink.

Taking a chance, I take a sip of the drink myself. It was tomato juice. I wasn’t partial to the stuff myself, but at least it wasn’t poison. The princess lowered her glass in time to see what I did and she gave another large smile.

“What do you think?” She asked.

“At least it’s not poison-” I covered my mouth, I immediately regretted what I had said. However, to my surprised, she gave off a loud chortle.

“You don’t have to worry about that, you haven’t done anything worthy of execution.”

I took another sip in hopes that it’ll continue to please her. She said she wouldn’t kill me, but I wasn’t willing to take that risk.

“Anywho, I was hoping to discuss your current situation.” She continued pausing to see my response. I wasn’t sure what kind of face I was making at the time, but it was clearly not something offensive. “You’re in the lovely little hamlet of Berry Blitzkrieg. In our land, we value justice and the eradication of evil more than anything.”

She stood up, her chest puffed up with pride as she spoke down to me.

“Those people you saw down stairs, those are commoners, people from all over the Omniverse turning to use for protection. Our army has saved many from orcs, trolls, and many other invaders. It is our pride to save people, and to slice evil from its roots.”

While I can understand her sentiment, after all I’ve already seen, I wasn’t sure if this was a brand of justice I could really buy into. Then again, Undyne surprised me with her compassion, maybe this Princess will as well?

She sat down and looked me straight in the eyes before continuing. 

“Now, despite being so young, you have some magical ability in you. Many saw you with some magical heart ability downtown, which is probably worth something on the battlefield. But more importantly, I can’t sense you.”

She looked me over much more sternly.

“Normally I can know everything about a person just by looking at them, but you, you come up nothing. The power to suppress that took me years to master, yet a young child like you could do it like it was nothing. You’re gifted, and that’s something you need to build off of, and we can provide you with those building blocks. We can pave the way to your future.”

She reached over and grabbed my hands, held them up in front of us.

“We want you to join us.”

[Isabelle]

I gave her a look of puzzlement, or at least I thought I did. She only gave me a neutral one in response.

“I don’t know, that’s a pretty big commitment.” I responded, which was the only excuse I could think of at the time.

After all that I have seen that day, I definitely didn’t want to join these people. I had to wonder why this Princess even thought I’d want to be a part of this.

“It’s not much of a commitment at all!” She said, her smile returning. The shift in emotion was jarring to say the least. “You don’t have to take orders from us, you don’t have to do anything but swear that you only use magic to combat evil.”

“I’m a pacifist, I don’t combat anything.” I reasoned.

“Well, either you’re going to fight evil, or we may just have to put a damper on your use of magic.”

The guards walked in, guiding a small orc child by the shoulders. She looked to be 8 or 9, wore a dirty dress that barely reached her calves. She was visibly shaking. Her eyes were darting between me and the Princess.

“Tell you what, I’ll let you keep your powers, if you kill that disgusting orc over there. I’ll know I can trust you with your magic after that.”
She said, the orc child began to sob uncontrollably. Tears wet the ground as she starts twitching harder than she had before, anguished moans between her sobs rang in my ears. “Yeah yeah, no one is believing your sympathy act you little brat.”

I was devastated, I couldn’t believe what this woman was asking of me.

“Why are you asking me to kill her? She’s only a child!”

“She’s an orc, all orcs are born evil.”

“But, she hasn’t even done anything!”

“Doesn’t matter, it’s what she will do one day that concerns me.”

“You don’t know that!”

“Yes I do! I’ve fought many orcs in my world, we’ve studied them, we’ve dissected them, evil is part of their DNA. Even if they pretend to be part of us they can’t control who they are.” She said, her face had twisted into a scowl, her stern eyes piercing into me. Her intensity pressed against my skin, to the put that I felt like I was being pushed against my seat.

A few agonizing seconds of her gaze and she finally relented, looking disappointed more than anything.

“It’s too bad, you would have been great. What a pity.”

She started to casually walk towards the child. I started to get a sinking feeling in my gut.

“Wait! Please don’t kill-”

In one quick sweep of the leg and her foot hit hard against the back of the orc child’s neck. A loud audible crack echoed through the room as the child fell to the ground, lifeless. Her eyes still bearing the pained look from her final moments.

That face still haunts me to this day.

[Isabelle]

The next hour was a blur. I felt numb inside the entire time.

As soon as Bonbon left the room, the two guards dragged me downstairs. The strapped a device to my arm, told me it was a bomb that would go off if I used magic. For whatever reason, they gave me a cell phone, then they sent me out the door of the palace.

I took no time leaving the city, immediately going up the road I came. I was uncertain why my soul even lead me here to begin with. Or at least, I was uncertain at the time.

To take my mind off the day, I explored the features on my phone. I was surprised I had a full internet connection with it. As I headed out of the Nexus gate for Camelot, I was doing a word search on the term “Hero.”