WC: 2936

Etho learns the true origin of how the Ravagers had taken over the Dungeon and faces a crossroads.

-

When he was younger, Etho used to hang out with the king's advisor, a guy named Impulse.

They'd been very good friends--close friends. When Impulse wasn't busy with the king and his duties in the castle, they hung out in the Forest. Impulse was actually one of two people Etho considered his old friend group when he was younger.

Then, only a couple of weeks after the Forest changed and monsters started to roam around more freely in the Dungeon, things went south...in more ways than one.

Impulse had gone on a reconnaissance mission with a few guards as protection (the king insisted) to see what was really happening inside the new Forest. Their main purpose was to get into the Forest, scout out the danger, then return safely and report it back.

None of them had come back.

After a few weeks of no news, everyone assumed they had all died--killed by monsters, or maybe even a Ravager. Etho talked with his other friend a bit after that, but without Impulse, things weren't the same.

These days, Etho spent more time with False than his old friends.

But...somehow, Impulse had survived. Where he'd been, however, Etho had no clue.

"What--" he stammered, his voice a few octaves higher than it should have been. "H-how the hell are you alive?? Where have you been? How--"

Impulse hurriedly shushed him before he could say anything else, glancing side to side. To Etho's surprise, though, he was looking at the Keep nervously, not the Forest.

"Look, I'll explain everything, but we're not out of the clear yet," he said after a bit, meeting Etho's wide eyes. "We should go somewhere a bit safer."

Etho assumed that Impulse was going to turn to the Keep, since they were right next to it. Instead, though, Impulse wandered into a small corner of the graveyard and knelt down. He pressed what looked like a small stone, and Etho heard the sound of old pistons firing a few blocks away from him.

He peered down into the opening and saw a small, dust-filled room. It wasn't decorated; the only thing that was inside was a small brewing stand and a chest.

"Buttons disguised as stones?" he guessed, his voice low now as to not attract any more attention. "It leads into a secret room. No one will know it's there."

Impulse glanced up at him once before climbing into the hidden alcove. "You're observant."

Etho followed him into the room reluctantly. The pistons quietly closed the entrance behind them.

Impulse took a seat on the chest and leaned back easily. Etho remained standing, his arms crossed. Neither made a move to speak until Impulse tried to break the ice.

"So...it's nice to see you again."

Etho just kept staring at him, still unable to believe that he was alive.

"Uh, are those finger gloves new?"

Still nothing. Impulse gave up and waited for Etho to say something. He knew him too well.

At least he didn't ask why Etho was in the Forest in the first place. Etho didn't feel like explaining his idiot decision-making--not yet, at least.

As the tense silence continued, he studied Impulse. He hadn't changed a lot in the few years' gap they hadn't talked. His heterochromatic eyes--one blue, one gold--glinted in the faint lantern light. His stance was more relaxed as opposed to Etho, who was standing up straight and stiff.

The main difference was the emerald green cloak Impulse wore. The material looked silky and newer than the rest of his clothes. But it was the golden clasp that held the cloak together that really caught Etho's eyes.

It wasn't big, maybe about the size of Etho's own gold pin. Instead of a three-pointed crown printed on it, though, there was another--still familiar, though--logo branded on.

He'd seen that same sword and staff crossing each other on the coins False had found in the Ruins.

A million more questions crowded his mind--How did the coins and clasp tie in with each other? What did they even mean?--but Etho had more pressing questions to ask.

"First things first," he said out loud, breaking the silence. Impulse glanced up at him. "How did you survive? I--we thought the Ravagers or--or the monsters picked you off in the Forest. What really happened?"

Impulse frowned a bit, as if remembering something painful.

"There was a Ravager. We were at the snowy mountain when it arrived, where I found you. It killed the guards I was traveling with, but while the beast was busy, I jumped into the lake and started to swim away. I hoped that the waterfall would mask my escape, so I went closer to it.

"It did more than just mask my escape, though. It turns out there was a secret room--just like this one--behind the water. I don't know who made it, though. I stayed hidden there until the Ravager lost interest and left."

Etho remembered how he had been considering going into the lake, too. If Impulse hadn't shown up, maybe he could have found the secret room on his own.

"Where have you been?" was his next question. "If you were alive all this time. I haven't seen you in years."

Impulse bit his lip. If that was how he was going to react after every question, this wasn't going to be a very fun interrogation. "You want me to get straight to the point, don't you?"

Etho inclined his head like, You know me.

Impulse sighed inwardly. "Okay. Fine. Bear with me, though. It's a long story."

Etho finally took a seat on the mossy cobblestone floor. "I have time."

Impulse cleared his throat and began.

"Everyone knows the story of how the Ravagers took over the Dungeon.

"Before all this happened, the people of the Keep could go wherever they wished without fearing for their safety. The kingdom itself was open, and folks tended to use it as a place to rest up before going out and exploring the rest of the Dungeon."

"I know this," Etho interrupted, feeling irrationally impatient.

Impulse raised his hands, palms up. "Bear with me here. There's some parts of this story that aren't told to most people."

Etho leaned against the wall, raising an eyebrow but reluctantly staying silent.

Impulse kept talking. "Nowadays, people bar themselves in their houses, too scared to even get close to the Keep's borders. They're scared of the monsters that roam the Dungeon freely now.

"And it's all because of the king."

Etho did a small double-take. Impulse was right. He hadn't heard this part before. "What do you mean?"

"He originally got the Ravagers to use as protection, hoping they could buff up the kingdom's already excellent defense. It took a lot of work to round them up, and everyone was happy with themselves when they finished.

"But it wasn't worth it in the end.

"Ravagers are wild and unpredictable. They're also ridiculously strong and smarter than they look. They ended up escaping the guards and getting loose into the Keep. They started, well, ravaging everything, tearing things down, weakening the defenses of the Keep, and killing and injuring dozens, before finally getting loose into the Dungeon.

"You know what happens next. Everything fell apart."

Etho was silent for a moment. Knowing the true origins of how the Ravagers had gotten loose jarred him. Most people assumed that it was a freak accident, or that a monster had mutated into that beast.

No. It had been the king. Someone Etho knew well, as well as he knew False or Impulse.

"...I didn't know Tango, of all people, was the one who started all of this."

"People of the Keep don't know all the details of how the Ravagers appeared in the first place," Impulse reassured him. "Tango made sure it was confidential. I only know because I was there, as his advisor.

"And, plus, who's to say that the people won't start a riot if they learned that Tango, their king, was the one who was careless and let the Ravagers loose?

"It only got worse from there. Monsters that were originally too scared to roam because of us citizens overtook the Forest. They started attacking people that went in instead of the other way around. We literally switched places with them. You know how dangerous they can be.

"Soon, the Forest was barred off. We built those iron gates to try and stop the hordes from coming in. The wildlife went berserk without anyone watching over it--you saw that, too.

"Meanwhile, the Ravagers--about a dozen or so--were still inhabiting the rest of the Dungeon. They like to roam the Labyrinth and Fortress most, so people started to set traps there in the hopes of taking down one of the beasts. And it did work, for a few weaker ones.

"Unfortunately, in the end, the traps ended up taking more of us than them.

"Gradually, people started to hide in the sanctuary of the Keep, doing their best to live out a 'normal' life. The guards have stopped trying to kill the rest of the Ravagers, believing that they can't be stopped. They've given up.

He pointed to the gold pin on his cloak, showing off the odd insignia again.

"So that's where we come in. The Wanderers.

"The Wanderers are a group of people who want to change the Dungeon for the better. It started off as just me, but then as I tried to find my way back, I started to find other people hiding in the more dangerous part of the Dungeon--some were chased out of the Keep because of the Ravagers initially, and some went exploring on purpose."

He paused here to stare pointedly at Etho. Etho felt his cheeks color a bit. He knew--even if he didn't say anything out loud.

"That's why I was nearby when you were in the Forest," Impulse continued. "I check daily to see if anyone's there and needs help. Usually there's not, which is good. But today, you were there.

"There's now a small group of us. We're taking down the rest of the Ravagers since no one else will. We have people who know the new Dungeon better than anyone else, and they take note of where things are--traps, secret rooms, passageways--and how we can use them.

"That's come in handy before--it's even taken down a couple of Ravagers. We also hide some of our own supplies in the Dungeon for others to find in case they're lost."

"My friend False found coins in the Ruins earlier today," Etho remembered. "They had your symbol--that 'x' there--imprinted onto them. That was you who hid them?"

"Well, not necessarily me, but yes, one of the Wanderers. We like to hide coins in the Ruins since it's one of the safer places for people to hide. Not a lot of monsters there anymore--it's pretty abandoned. It's more likely that people will find them there."

Etho hesitated before speaking up. There was something grating on him.

"Impulse...You were so close to the Keep. All this time. Why didn't you come back? We thought you were dead. Tango thought you were dead. We went through so much trying to find you. And it turns out that--that you were fine? Why didn't you let us know? We were worried sick."

With a small jolt, Etho realized he wasn't just confused as to why Impulse was alive or glad that he was...he was mad, too. Impulse had made no move to come back to the Keep. He'd been wandering the Dungeon instead. Things would have changed drastically if he'd revealed that he had been okay before.

Impulse could tell Etho was mad. It was obvious, even if he didn't know Etho well.

"Look...I don't know if this justifies what I did at all. But I'm sorry for making you and Tango--and the rest of the Keep, too--worry for so long. But you have to understand: How would Tango and the kingdom react if they knew what I was doing, making a group that's taking down these Ravagers? That's why I didn't come back."

"But the Ravagers hurt a lot of people," Etho countered. "I'm sure they'd support it."

"Still, even if that were the case, the Keep and the rest of the Dungeon aren't to be mixed together. How do you think Tango found out about the Ravagers in the first place?"

"...You don't want things repeating themselves."

"Exactly. Some of the things we've found in the Dungeon...well, let's just say I wouldn't want them to fall into the wrong hands."

"How could you say that about Tango?"

Impulse let out an irritated breath. "You know what I mean. Tango's made some good decisions as king, but losing control of a dozen Ravagers...? That's enough for him to be kicked off his throne if people found out."

Etho's brow furrowed as he thought.

He knew Tango well. Back before he'd let the Ravagers loose, Tango used to hang out with Etho and Impulse a lot. He was the second person Etho considered a part of his close friend group. He was the one who got the idea to build a swing in the Forest initially.

But, as time went on, the three friends grew apart. They didn't talk as much as they did when they were younger. It didn't help that Tango was suddenly busy with stopping the Ravagers--which, Etho now knew, was a problem he had caused himself.

Then, Impulse had gone missing.

Tango and Etho had met up a few times after that incident. The only thing they had talked about was Impulse and how they could possibly find him. When Impulse didn't return after a few weeks, though, they gave up and stopped talking. Maybe talking to Tango just reminded Etho too much of Impulse.

But now...he found out that Impulse was actually alive. And changing how things worked around here, for the better.

"So...you're actually taking down the Ravagers," he said. Even if he was still mad over Impulse making him worry, he had to admit that it was for a good reason. "Unbelievable. Whatever you're doing, it's working."

"We're almost done," Impulse agreed. "There's only a few more to go, but it's been harder dealing with these ones. They're spread out, luckily, but they're stronger than the others and twice as hardheaded. We've already lost a few to them."

He paused and shook his head a bit.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to dump that last part on you. It's just...frustrating, I guess. We're starting to dwindle in numbers quickly, which makes the job even harder. The Ravagers aren't budging, either."

He quickly changed the subject, clearing his throat pointedly. "Um, anyway. Look--I know this is a bit too much to process at first. But you can go back to the Keep. I'm not gonna stop you. Just...keep what I told you--about the Wanderers--a secret. Please."

Etho thought for a moment. He had two options here--no, three.

He could go back to the Keep, living out his old life while keeping Impulse's secret. Not that desirable. He didn't want to keep a secret as big as the one Impulse told him.

He could go back but tell Tango what happened. Also not desirable.

Or....a third choice.

Join the Wanderers.

Etho remembered how Impulse noticed how he observed little things--like the button disguised as a stone--and how he'd said the Wanderers were running low on numbers. He could help. He had skills to contribute.

But...did he want to let go of the Keep's shelter for that?

Yes, he would be making a big change to how things worked around here. But, like Impulse had said, the Keep and the rest of the Dungeon didn't mix anymore. You had to choose one or the other. As much as Etho hated that black-and-white mindset, it was the truth.

To join the Wanderers and Impulse, he would have to leave the safety of the Keep, possibly for good. But if he didn't, he would be keeping far too big of a secret from Tango.

Impulse or Tango.

He was facing a crossroads. And he didn't know the right path to take.

But he did know the path he wanted to take.

"I'm not going back to the Keep," he said. "I'm joining you."

Impulse paused. "Etho...taking down the Ravagers isn't easy. There's a lot of danger involved. I don't want to give that burden to you, too."

"I can help," he insisted. "You just said you were low on numbers, right? I'm right here. I know what's going on now. I can contribute to your group."

He sighed. "And, to be honest...I miss the Forest. I miss exploring. Despite the danger, despite the risks, when I was exploring the new Forest just now, I realized just how much I enjoyed it. I like that constant adventure, the constant moving around. I think that's why I went into the Forest twice.

"I know that probably sounds stupid, but...I'd like to help. Honestly."

Impulse could tell there was no talking Etho out of it.

"Well...we did need one more person to kill a Ravager in the Labyrinth."

Etho smiled under his mask, feeling a surge of excitement at the prospect of actually taking down a Ravager. Maybe the Dungeon could go back to what it used to be if they killed the remaining Ravagers.

Maybe the Keep and the rest of the Dungeon could mix again.

"I'll do it."

-

Wooo lore chapter is now done! I'm always kind of scared to post these because it's a lot of info in a short amount of time--hopefully it made sense though!! Sorry for the delay ^^'

And yes, another big character reveal--King Tango! It might not seem like it right now, but he's very essential to the plot. As I was writing this, I realized he's lost both of his childhood friends now. That's going to make for some wonderful angst later on down the line

One more thing before I end this chapter, a friendly reminder that Etho's "I'll do it" line was the exact same thing he said to the guard in Chapter 1. Fun little easter egg for you all there :D

Until next update!