Chapter 6 : Suspicions
Author Note : Sorry for not updating in a while... Been dealing with a Writer's block at late. I will try to return to my usual rate of updating as soon as I can.
(As usual, Magic names are spelled [Like this].)
"How much further...?" Frisk would ask from Sans, starting to get tired. They had been walking literally for hours after the fight, and everyone would be tired. "Not too long... Once we get past this place we should arrive to the Hotland", Sans replies. "-Why- did you choose the longer route anyways?" Mettaton asks, looking over his shoulder at Sans, who sighs. "Because the road had collapsed... Remember, Waterfall is like a maze." Mettaton just shrugs. "Fair enough, I suppose-" He just replies, only to be interrupted by Papyrus. "Ah! There it is! The Tower!" the skeleton calls out as they point ahead. A Waterfall would start to vanish, and further ahead a orange glow of the magma would be visible in the distance.
Back at the Capital, Rod would be making his way towards the King's throne room, serious expression over his face. Asgore would be tending his garden at the side of the room as the lizard monster arrives, turning around as he hears someone enter the room. "Ah, Rod. What brings you here?" Asgore then asks. "I have been considering the situation of this new human, my king, and think we should just in case send few extra guards to get her." Asgore blinks a bit, lowering the watering can he was holding to nearby table. "What makes you think so?" He then asks, turning at the lizard once more. "Three reasons", Rod begins. "First, I had a sent a scout to follow their movements, but I lost contact to them not too long ago. Second, I don't entirely trust to our Royal Scientists' apprentices creations, and third... They could be an apostle of the goddess clan." First two reasons don't seem to faze Asgore much, but the third one makes him narrow his eyes. "What you mean by that?" Rod inclines his head. "Just call it an intuition, but strange things started to happen almost right after they fell, starting from the collapse of the entryway at the ruins. Could it be that purpose of it was to ensure that one they sent could not leave without fulfilling their task... Which I assume would be to finish what they started three thousand years ago." Asgore frowns. "Are you sure you are not overthinking this?" He then asks, but closes his eyes as he thinks, and sighs. "...Very well, I trust your judgement. You can send two guards rendezvous the escort team." Rod would politely incline his head. "Thank you sir. You won't regret this." With this, the lizard monster would turn around and leave the throne room, leaving Asgore there to think. "...Apostle of the Goddess Clan... Could it really be?" He wonders as he returns to his garden.
After Rod left the chamber he'd smirk. "...It is not perfect, but with two I might be able to get the job done..." he would think as he makes his way down the hallway. "You seem happy today, sir!" a voice would call out, surprising Rod. As he turns around, he would spot first Asriel standing right front of him, carrying some books, and Chara right behind her, arms crossed. "Any news of my sister?" Chara then questions, to which elder monster frowns. "I was actually looking for you princess", Rod speaks up. "You would not happen to know if your sister had any unusual magical powers?" Chara blinks at this. "No, I don't think so... Our grandmother did say she did have a gift of some kind, but that's about it", She says, shrugging. "But that was seven years ago." Rod frowns at this. "Who was your grandmother anyhow?" Rod then decides to ask. "I don't think we ever did speak of your... Former family." This make Chara frown. "She's a Holy Knight in charge of guarding the town I am from", she states calmly. "If I recall, dad did say she also had studied under the Druids..." The last part makes Rod frown. "And with what happened to your parents before you fell, you think she has been teaching your sister?" Chara shrugs. "It's possible." Rod nods to this. "How well have you readed our clan's history?" He then questions from Chara, who pauses to ponder this a bit. "Some, why?" Rod looks at the brown-haired human a bit. "Do you know, who sealed our clan underground?" He questions. "...The Goddess' clan?" Chara answers after a thinking a moment. "Exactly. And the Druids worship the Goddess Clan. And don't you find it odd that she of the all people fell down here?" This seems to make Chara angry. "...Are you implying my sister would be a threat to you?" She asks, magical aura starting to form around her. "W-wait! Calm down Chara!" Asriel calls out. "Don't use your magic here! You burn everything again!" Chara blinks, looking at Asriel and is about to say something, but then just closes her eyes and glares at Rod. "Fine. But, I am not going to just stand it if my sister is threatened", she then snaps before storming away. "S-sorry about that!" Asriel apologizes before running behind Chara while holding the books. Rod frowns, before continuing his walk.
As Asriel follows after Chara, he would find her ahead the hallway. She would had stopped there, leaning to a wall before punching it. "Damn it! Who he thinks he is..." Chara mutters, looking at the floor. "Sorry... Old Rod is one of the oldest monsters here, so it is reasonable he has his grudge towards the Goddess Clan", Asriel explains. Chara seems to calm down, but then realizes something. "...Wait, did you see his robe?" She then asks, looking at Asriel. "Yeah, there was mud on it, why?" Prince asks, before realizing. "Wait... If he has not left the palace, how did he get mud there?" He wonders, tilting his head as he thinks. Chara thinks this, closing her eyes a moment before looking at Asriel. "...Let's take those books to our room and get our gear." Chara then says, sounding determined. "...Eh?" Asriel asks, blinking as he looks her adopted sibling. "I have a bad feeling about this, so we are going to meet with Frisk before they come to the capital."
Back at the Hotlands, group would had finally reached the tower of the Royal Scientist, and knock the door. It would not take long for the short yellow lizard monster to open the door for them. "Yes? Who is-" Alphys begins to ask before seeing the group, freezing for a moment. "Hi Alphys", Sans greets. "Is Gaster home?" Alphys nods. "Y-yes, but he insisted that he should not be interrupted-" Alphys tries to explain, but stops as she hears voice from behind her. "Hm. I figured you'd go through here rather than go around the Hotlands", the hooded skeleton speaks up as he makes his way to the entrance. "Sans, Papyrus, I trust that the trip has been safe?" Sans sighs. "Not exactly..." Sans states, which makes Gaster raise his brow. "...Come on in and do tell what you mean, then."
After short explanation what had happened, Gaster would be looking thoughtful. "...Hellblaze, you say? Indeed, that is Demon Clan's signature skill..." He states, as pair of floating hands goes to search a book. "The flames of Purgatory are near impossible to put out once they start burning something. They gave hard time even for the goddess clan during the holy war." "B-but, it should be impossible", Frisk speaks out, which surprises Gaster. "What you mean?" He then asks. "Based on what I was teached, both Goddess and Demon Clan were sealed away during the Great Holy War, over three thousand years ago..." Frisk explains. This seems to surprise everyone present. "The Demons and Goddess' have been sealed away?" Gaster asks, thinking this. "This... Is unexpected turn of the events. It leaves only clans of Humans, Fairies and Giants to roam outside world..." "So how there could be a demon here, then?" Mettaton points out. Gaster closes his eyes as he thinks this. "...The Barrier was created before the Holy War had ended. We thought the war had been going all this time as no-one had broken the barrier, but if what she says is true, War has been over nearly three millennia ago..." As Gaster speaks, another set of floating hands would be writing notes up. "This is interesting information indeed. And I am pleasantly surprised that your Automatons have been able to withstand such fight, Alphys", Gaster speaks. "Since the prototypes didn't hold together that well." Alphys would scratch her cheek a bit. "T-thank you..." "Why were they deployed if you were not sure how they worked out?" Sans would ask from Gaster, who shakes his head. "It was due suggestion of the Gerson, after Rod had suggested we'd pull as many guards we can to protect the capital". "So that's why there weren't almost any guards at the Waterfall", Sans says, thinking this a bit. "...If he knew human was coming, why withdraw guards from there?" Gaster shrugs. "Maybe the old lizard has finally gone senile and did not think it through." "Maybe", Sans says, shrugging a bit.
"H-how did you deal with the h-hellblaze?" Alphys cuts in, looking at Sans. "D-did one of the Automatons put it out, o-or?" She stutters, looking around the group. Before anyone else has chance to answer, Papyrus would beam up. "No, it was put out by the magical knife the human has with her!" He speaks up, pointing at Frisk. "Magical knife...?" Gaster asks, now noticing the knife. "Oh! This is it?" He asks, offering his hand. "May I see it?" Frisk hesitates a bit, but offers the knife to Gaster, who looks it a bit. "Interesting... While the blade itself is dull, its enchantment seems to be anti-magic of some kind, letting it "cut" through magic..." He theorizes, turning it around. "This is an interesting artifact you have here. How did you get something like this?" As Frisk is about to speak, Papyrus speaks again. "Oh, it was gift from Shard!" Gaster blinks a bit at this. "Shard you say? She passed from here not too long ago..." Sans blinks. "She did?" Gaster nods. "Indeed. She heard what happened to Muffet and immediately rushed to the capital." Frisk would look at the ground for a moment. "I hope everything is alright..." Gaster looks at Frisk a moment, but then just smiles. "Don't worry, I heard the Queen is doing what she can for her. I am sure she'll make full recovery." This seems to cheer Frisk up a bit. "However, it is getting late, and I am sure you are tired after travelling through the Waterfall. Alphys, can you show to our quests where questrooms are?" Gaster would ask from Alphys, who then nods. "T-this way, please!" As Alphys leads the group out from the room, Gaster's expression becomes more serious. "...Hm... Lord Rod must be hiding something... Why else he wanted the guard off from the area the human was moving to..." Gaster thinks this. "Maybe he was behind accidents before too... Could the young princess been spared because Prince found her first...?" The skeleton thinks as he moves to the bookshelf. "...I got too little data, but if demon clan are involved, I cannot take any risks." As Gaster thinks this, he would open a hidden safe, looking at something. "If that human could use that knife, I have hopes she can draw lost powers of this one too..." He would think as he draws out a golden bow from the safe.
Speaking of the devil, back at the Capital, a feline monster would had ran into both Chara and Asriel outside the castle, with two having prepared to leave. "You are going to go meet the human in secret?" She asks, blinking in surprise. "Yes. I can't say we can trust Lord Rod anymore, so it is best we go meet with them ourselves", Chara says. Shard sighs, scratching back of her head, but nods. "Ok, I got it. I can-" She begins, but pauses as her ears perk up. "...Someone is coming..." She quickly proceeds to grab both Asriel and Chara. "Hey, what are you-" Chara asks, as Shard smirks. "[Enchant : Invisibility]." She then speaks out as trio turns transparent just in time. Rod would walk by them, partnered with two heavily armored guards wielding mace and axe. "Allright, you have your mission. Find the Human, and bring her to me", Rod would instruct the two guards. "And the ones with them?" First guard asks. Rod smirks. "Well, accidents happen... Especially at Hotland it is hard to find anyone if they fall down from the road..." Second Guard smirks. "So, arrange an "Accident". Got it... What will you do sir?" Rod thinks. "...The Spider might had realized who I am. When I get a chance, I should try to silence her." As Rod speaks this, Shard would struggle to not just rush and grab the lizard from throat and beat him senseless, only not lashing out thanks to Chara and Asriel, who look as shocked as he does. Guards would soon march out of the castle gate to the night, while Rod walks back to where he came from, leaving trio safe to turn back visible. "...Did you hear that...?" Chara asks, looking worried. Shard nods. "That bastard... He attacked mom?" She hisses. Asriel frowns. "Chara, change of plans. We stay here", prince speaks out. "We need to make sure Rod does not cause a threat to our family or Muffet." Chara looks hesitant at first but nods. "Shard, I need you to get to Sans and warn him." Shard nods, casting invisibility enchantment once more and rushing away to the night. "...Seems we got our work cut to us..." Chara says, looking at the sword on her belt. Asriel nods to this, as two head out to where Muffet would be held recovering from her injuries.
Author Note : I hope you enjoyed the chapter! We are closing the first finale, may get there already at 8 or 9! Stay tuned for more!
