Archive of Our Own ^beta

Leshy stepped into his cabin, gently setting his camera down onto the table and pulling today's new cards out of a small satchel. He was proud of his work today, he had photographed some fine beasts to add to his deck.

But before he could sit down, the door opened, and the figure of a familiar large man stood in the doorway.

“Boss. Letter-fish come for you.” The Angler said, handing Leshy a very fancy looking envelope.

“Hm. Thank you.” Leshy replied, taking the letter as The Angler nodded and left.

The front simply read “Scrybe Of Beasts”, and the back was sealed with a colorful swirl of several wax colors, stamped with just the letter M.

Rather self explanatory. Grimora occasionally sent him rather nice looking letters as well, but Magnificus’ seal was immediately recognizable. Especially because he was the only one with a name that started with M.

P03 however, wasn't very fond of letters, and he didn't even keep any paper around his factory. So Leshy never really received any from him. Something about paper being too thin and easily torn or wrinkled. Leshy just thought maybe it was because he couldn't hold a pencil.

Even if Leshy had have received letters from P03 before, as of recently P03 wasn't very excited to talk to him at all. In fact he was a bit mad. That's just one of the reactions people have when you ruin their plans and tear their head off. P03 of course, was fine. They always were when the game was reset again. He'd get over it eventually. But maybe after the whole stoat thing it didn't help much.

Leshy decided to stop thinking about the most recent events and looked back at the letter in his hands. The fine paper was already smudged with dirt, his hands weathered and muddy from his day in the forest. But, dirtying the paper didn’t seem to bother him at all. He was more preoccupied with finding out what Magnificus wanted.

The letter read as follows:
“Leshy, Scrybe of Beasts,

You are formally invited to my tower for a game of cards tomorrow. Prithee, bring your best deck. I have foreseen that my new cards will challenge you.

Sincerely,
The Great Magnificus, Scrybe of Magicks”

Leshy would accept this challenge of course, he always enjoyed a good game. It was likely that Magnificus had finally inscrybed those students of his. However, it wasn't common for Magnificus to challenge him directly. Perhaps he was still sour over the removal of his eye, and beating Leshy with his new cards would make him feel better.

Leshy of course, wasn’t just going to let him win. He sat down at his table, going through his cards, both old and new, formulating a strategy to go against Magnificus tomorrow.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The next day was eerily quiet. As Leshy crossed the bridge he couldn’t help but notice P03’s factory was silent. Was he really still moping about his transcendence? Leshy decided to pay it no mind for now. P03 would not take kindly to him showing up unannounced.

Leshy entered Magnificus’ tower, climbing up all the stairs to the top where he usually was. It was equally eerily quiet inside as the outdoors had been moments before. Leshy wasn't sure if this was a bad omen or not, but he paid it no mind.

At the top of the tower Magnificus stood looking out the window. He didn't turn to look when Leshy entered, but was clearly aware of the beast-man’s arrival.

“Good. We can begin.” Magnificus said, motioning to a table with two chairs opposite each other. It had an ornate silver scale and bell, and a green playing area marked with wizard hats. It was a far cry from Leshy's simple setup at the table back in his cabin.

Leshy took a seat, and Magnificus did as well. They each shuffled their decks in silence, drawing the beginning amount of cards.

“I am surprised you were so eager to battle me. I don't think we've played in some time.” Leshy said.

“Since you were the last to gleam what lives within this world? Yes, I believe it has been that long. I nearly thought you might perhaps not come.” Magnificus said, motioning for Leshy to go first.

“I never turn down a game.” Leshy responded, placing down a squirrel and sacrificing it to play another card.

“Quite. Which is what I foresaw.” Magnificus replied.

The game proceeded without much conversation, small colored gems being placed onto the scale in turn as weights for either side. The game was going mostly in Leshy's favor so far, but on Magnificus’ turn he played a card Leshy had never seen before.

Leshy paused, staring at it for a moment before looking back at the cards in his hand.

“I see you've taken notice of my Bone Witch.” Mangificus said, ringing the bell with his thin hand.

“The resemblance is uncanny.” Leshy said, his eyes swirling orange with uneasiness.

“I would hope so. I rather like how this one has turned out. I take pride in my artistry.” Magnificus said.

The image on the card opened her eyes and looked over at Leshy with a discontented gaze, “I do not need to warn you. You already know how this game is played. The cycle will always continue, so long as we still live.” She said quietly.

“That's quite enough.” Magnificus said, and the card went silent.

“Do you have it then? What ‘lies within’?” Leshy asked, drawing a card and looking down at the ones in his hand.

“My goo mage has finally proved himself successful.” Magnificus replied.

“So. It is inevitable.” Leshy said, eyes swirling with a steely gaze.

“Your turn ended quite some time ago, Leshy. Now it is mine.”

“That is yet to be seen.”

The game continued, and slowly the game went out of Leshy's favor. Especially after Magnificus played another strange card, the Automaton Artificer.

“What are you, stupid? He's coming for you next.” The Artificer said.

“We haven't finished playing yet.” Leshy replied.

This card too went silent under Magnificus' stern gaze.

As Leshy's turn came around again he was sure to lose by the time Magnificus took his turn again.

“I believe you have nearly bested me.” Leshy said, “So, this is it.”

“Not quite, beast. I'll give you a chance.” Magnificus held forward the handle of an ornate dagger towards Leshy, “Quite a violent mechanic, but I believe you know how it works. I will allow you to tip the scales in your favor.” Magnificus said, looking across at Leshy with one visible glowing eye.

Leshy took the dagger, and stared at it in his hand for a long, drawn out moment.

“I can accept when I have lost.” Leshy said, ringing the bell to end his turn.

Magnificus didn't even need to play any cards, he simply rang the bell again, dealing enough damage to tip the scale fully in his favor.

“I did forsee you would give in. You might let your challengers do as such, but you wouldn’t turn your blade onto yourself, would you?” Magnificus commented.

“Perhaps. But now all the cards are off the table.” Leshy said, gripping the dagger firmly in his hand and lunging across the table at Magnificus, aiming for the eyes.

Magnificus moved aside as if he expected the whole thing, his eye flashing with color. Perhaps maybe, he did.

“And here I thought I was the one who was beginning to slow with age.” Magnificus said, as the dagger in Leshy's hand melted into colorful paint.

“A fake? How?” Leshy questioned, scowling, looking down at his hand.

“One should never underestimate the power of magick.” Magnificus said, backing into the shadows of the corner of the room.

“Wretched old fool. You know nothing of true gameplay. Merely showmanship and flair. You think you deserve to control this world?” Leshy said, his eyes swirling with a deep orange anger.

“I believe I do, beast. Now roll over and perish like the dog you are.” Magnificus said from the darkness. He quickly returned, stepping out of the shadows, blade in hand.

“Ha. You think you can best me in a fight? You are sorely mistaken.” Leshy said.

Leshy didn't need a weapon, he was a beast, and beasts survived on their own merit. Bridging the gap between them, Leshy grabbed Magnificus' frail wrist as he had attempted to drive the dagger forward. Leshy's other hand went straight for Magnificus' throat, but as he grasped at his fluffy neck, Leshy's hands both sunk into green goo.

The image of Magnificus’ form melted away as the dagger had earlier, revealing the green form of Magnificus' goo mage, Goobert.

“What!? Wretched slime. I should have thrown you away when I had the chance.” Leshy said, trying to pull his hands out of the thick slime as he was pulled down to his knees.

“I have… Proved myself to the master. He is finally proud of me.” Goobert said, as the true Magnificus stepped out of the dark corner of the room, blade in hand.

“You were too distracted by my trick earlier to notice I switched places with my pupil, hm? Any neophyte magick user could spot that a mile away. You truly are just an idiotic beast.” Magnificus said, now at eye level with Leshy as he struggled to escape Goobert’s grasp.

Magnificus stepped closer, grabbing one of Leshy's antlers with one hand, holding his head still as Leshy growled with discontent.

“I suppose you might already know what comes next. You know what they say, Scrybe of Beasts. An eye for an eye.” Magnificus said, tilting up Leshy’s chin with the blade of his knife, looking down into his eyes.

“Fool. You are truly the one blinded by your petty revenge. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind-” Leshy growled, baring his teeth as Magnificus drove his blade into Leshy's eye that spun with orange defiance.

“You should have thought of that when you started this.” Magnificus said, wrenching Leshy's eye out of his skull, the nerves all screaming out at once, blood pouring out of the wound. Leshy snarled, refusing to give Magnificus any satisfaction in the searing pain that overtook him.

“How does it feel, beast? To have your eye excised from your skull?” Magnificus asked, looking down at Leshy with pure hatred in his eyes.

“It doesn’t bother me… not so much as it bothered you. I believe you were more mild-mannered as a wolf.” Leshy managed to say, his one remaining eye still swirling with orange as always as he looked up at Magnificus.

“FOOLISH BEAST.” Magnificus yelled, scowling, “I could destroy you with a swipe of my blade and you still have the confidence to spite me like this? You are at my MERCY.” He exclaimed.

“I… will not bow to you Magnificus.”

“Then that is YOUR MISTAKE.”

Magnificus drove the blade into Leshy’s other eye, seething with rage. His hand was less precise this time, less confident. The sharp edge sliced across his face as Magnificus ripped his other eye out, nerves snapping and blood rushing down the other side of his face.

Leshy let out a fierce noise twisted with agony, something between the cry of a wounded animal and a growl of anger as the last of his vision left him.

“The whole world blind? No. Just you.” Magnificus said, laughing slightly in his violence and rage crazed mania, “I ought to kill you now while you’re nothing but a blind old fool.” Magnificus added, still clutching the bloodied knife tightly in his hand.

Yet suddenly wrenching his arm out of the slime, Leshy grabbed the wrist of the hand holding one of his antlers. Goobert made a small panicked noise as he attempted to hold the beast-man back, but he only struggled further, pulling his other hand out and blindly reaching forward in an attempt to grab Magnificus once again.

Magnificus had been too blind with rage to foresee this coming, and attempted to reel backwards, but Leshy’s grip on his wrist was tight. Leshy’s other hand quickly grabbed him by the neck, with a sort of precision that one gets by being very good at strangling people, even in his blindness. Magnificus choked as Leshy’s grip tightened, unable to get a word out.

“A foolish BEAST?” Leshy growled, “You are nothing but a cowardly old man who fights with trickery and tortures others for no reason than his own gain. Everything I did was for A REASON.” Leshy exclaimed, his voice booming, his empty eyesockets no longer the spinning orange that accompanied his speech, “You may blind me, but the OLD_DATA has blinded YOU.”

Struggling to breathe, Magnificus took the knife in his free hand and slashed it across the arm of the hand that was holding his neck so tightly. Leshy reeled backwards and let him go, stumbling to the ground. Magnificus struggled to breathe as he got a single command out, “GOOBERT.” He said, as the slime held Leshy in his grasp once more.

“A reason…? To turn us all into beasts? You lecture me on my own gain, when you are a hypocrite of your own design…?” Magnificus wheezed, grabbing his paintbrush, “Enough of this. I have had enough of you. Soon everything will be of my own design, as it should be. This world scorns me and pushes me aside, and I have had enough. It will all be mine.”

Leshy struggled blindly against Goobert’s grasp as Magnificus began to paint his visage onto the canvas. He couldn’t see what was going on, but he knew the fate that befell him. Perhaps maybe, P03 was right. Maybe he was an idiot. But it was inevitable.

Perhaps then, maybe Grimora’s dreams of deleting it all would have been preferable to this. Maybe in another world, it would have been all over by now. But not here, not now. Here, Leshy, blinded and soaked in his own blood, could only struggle against the encompassing goo that bound him. It would only be moments now.

The cycle would continue.