Randy’s eyes closed, and he placed his head on his knees. “I was born. I lived. Our father has started to notice more of the underhanded dealings Art is involved in. He doesn’t want him to rule. So, he believes I am a threat. I never wanted to take his place.”
Randy had started to quiver. “I love my brother. I loved him.”
Artemis Tosker was a dapper and sharp-looking mouse. Sharp in both how he dressed and in the intelligent gleam you could see in his eyes. His overcoat had gleaming buttons and was in stark contrast to the mice standing behind him. They had tattered coats with rough marks and a thin layer of grime across most of the surface of them. Even their fur was much darker and matted. Art almost looked like he had freshly appeared from some sort of merchant’s guild affair with champagne and chortling, as you’d expect.
His nose twinkled and flicked as he detected his brother’s scent. “He’s close. Our information was indeed useful.” he retorted to his travelling companions. They were already aware of Randy’s presence but let their leader come to a conclusion out loud.
They looked at each other and fanned out, moving closer to the edge where the clothes hills began.
Art had halted his movement and was doing slow and steady circles, trying to spy any points of entry or other signs of activity that Randy would have made. “I know you’re here, brother! It’s only a matter of time,” he yelled with a menacing grin. “Your time has finally come. No longer will you cause me to stress, and Father will have to give up on you.”
Randy and Charlotte heard none of what he was shouting. They’d already started to move again. “I can’t believe he’d do this to you. Can your father do nothing to stop him?” Charlotte panted out her question as they continued pushing through the clothing tunnels. The different fabrics interlace to create spirals upward and all around. “He’s tried, but as you can see, Art has some rather dark resources that my father can’t particularly deal with. He still has control over the city, but the under-city is essentially being run by Art now, and it’s only really a matter of time until he can take full control.” Randy carries a tone of defeat in his voice. However, he remembers that he has found the paper mouse. “But you, Charlotte. You can be the solution, an icon for good, uniting the top side and the members of the under-city that believe in what you’ve become.”
Charlotte stopped atop the start of a sleeve of a t-shirt. “I don’t know how to do what you want me to do. It isn’t that easy.” She hadn’t realised prior that this was what Randy was looking for. He needed someone to fix his world for him. Charlotte had already been struggling to live and deal with her own world. This was meant to be an exciting new chapter in which she had more control and more input.
Randy could see the worry on Charlotte’s face. He had sensitivity. “For now, let’s get out of here. I know you’re capable of helping.” He had stopped by this point and had turned to face Charlotte. He held one of her hands. “You’re the paper mouse. That doesn’t mean much to you, or maybe it does. What it means to us is indescribable. Just wait.”
With that, he turned and pulled her along. Pulling her out of her worry and straight up to a bright orange fabric wall. With a flick of his arm from ground to sky, he opened it out, and the light from the room engulfed them once again. The paper sockets of her eyes creased and flexed until she regained focus. The three from before were nowhere to be found, and in front of them rose a wall. Started with a skirting board that could have been ornate decoration for a castle but was merely what it was. “Down that way.” Randy was pointing to a crack in the board someway down the wall. “This was a backup route I had planned in case of any trouble. It’ll take us a touch longer to get to the main passageways, but at least we’ll be less likely to be found.” Charlotte had paused. She looked at Randy’s hand, furry and soft with long fingers wrapped around hers. Randy squeezed her hand tight and smiled at her. “Let’s go, I promise you’ve got this, and I promise this will be an adventure for you as much as anything else.” Charlotte smiled back and gripped tighter. They ran together toward the crack in the wall, little feet again tapping at the floor. The vigour they gained from their escape was surging them forward.
Mar, the burly mouse, returned to Artemis, frustratedly strolling. “Nothin’”, he gruffed out. They had been searching for a while now and, giving up on the scent, had continued toward the towering legs of the desk in Charlotte’s room. Urthis, the wiry one, had been trailing at this point, pulling faces, lifting up all the materials around him and sniffing them. Art and Mar were unsure if this was to try and pick up the scent again or if it was some sort of strange fetish.
They had all noticed another smell, you see. At first, the assumption was that it was human, seeing as they were in a human room. It had become more concentrated, though, as if it was closer. It was right there with them.
Once they had all grouped back together and stood at the base of the wooden pillar that was the leg of Charlotte’s art station, they needed to find a way up. “Come ‘ere Urthis, just like we did to get you into that window when we robbed that fella’s place.” A grin had formed on Mar’s face and a smirk on Urthis’s. Mar crouched down, placing his hands open on the ground. Urthis moved over and stepped on, then, almost instantly, Urthis was launched skyward. Almost like diving in reverse, Urthis had turned into a spear. The only part protruding from this stick-like form were his claws, ready to grab at his peak.
A rope fell next to Art’s face. He dodged with a look of annoyance and then tugged at it to test its strength. “Up you go, sir.” Mar had bowed his head slightly and gestured toward the rope.
The climb was long, and part way through, Art struggled. Thankfully Mar was below him, and when there was an issue, he pushed upwards with Art in a spring-aided climbing system.
At the top, it was the view we’d seen before. The paint pots in the distance with paper scattered around and a bag, Randy’s bag. Art spied this and rushed at it, hoping to find a clue or further information. It contained nothing but miscellaneous adventuring knick-knacks along with a snack or two. He held the sandwich formed from a crumb and drops of honey in one hand. It was pilfered within moments by Urthis, who swallowed it in one bite with a smile.
This disgusted Art, but he knew he couldn’t really do anything. He may have been the employer of these folks and was definitely on his way to being a king of sorts in the under-city, but he did not like the people there. They were all dirty and crude to him.
He launched the bag away, and it tumbled off the side of the desk. With that stroke, he saw patches on the ground where some paint had been spilt, and tiny shards of paper and dust had also settled nearby. This was intriguing, only due to the spaces in the dust layer.
He could make out the shape of mouse feet. Not one pair, though. Art extending his neck outward while taking a few steps, noticed a second set of prints. Ever so slightly daintier with a distinctly different scent carried on them. The smell was almost human, almost mouse.
This made him catatonic with curiosity. What had his brother found?