Chapter 7

Darius sat in the carriage, his mind racing with thoughts as it re-entered the town. What was going to happen when Appolline eventually woke up and how was he going to explain how she got knocked out. Worst yet, what was going to happen to him when everyone eventually did find out what happened. The carriage came to a stop once it reached the point is started at, the castle. As Darius got out he wondered whether he should enter the castle and instead run as far away from the town as possible. However, he had nowhere to go and would likely be caught very quickly. Panic began to set in, as Darius desperately thought

"What am I supposed to do?"

Just after he arrived, the carriage suddenly pulled up and princess Appolline stepped out, her face red with anger.

"YOU, WHERE IS THE OTHER HUMAN?"

Darius stood rooted to the spot, unable to think of anything to say. Appolline drew her spear again and pointed it at Darius.

"I'LL ASK ONE MORE TIME, WHERE IS HE?"

The commotion had caused a small crowd to gather around the area. Darius desperately tried to think of an escape route. Just as Appolline seemed to thrust forward with her spear a small fireball flew in her direction. Appolline narrowly dodged it jumping to one side. Toriel emerged from the castle, her fist encased in fire followed by Asgore.

"Appolline, what is the meaning of this!?" Said Toriel, standing in front of Darius like a parent would defend their child.

"This human you've been housing him and his companion attacked me"

Appolline pointed an accusatory finger at Darius. Toriel looked unconvinced and turned towards Darius.

"Is this true, did you attack her?"

"It was more like the other way around"

"LIES, I WAS KNOCKED OUT"

"Yes, I'm sure he knocked you out, what with you carrying that large spear with you" Toriel rolled her eyes

"You dare mock me Toriel!"

Appolline pointed her sword at Toriel, who immediately stared at her with a piecing gaze. Darius couldn't see the gaze, but it was enough to make Appolline immediately drop the spear head down and back away little.

"Well what about the other human there, you said there was only one."

"Wait other human" Toriel turned to Darius again "You told me there was no one else of your kind"

"Well I don't know who he is, he kind of just appears whenever"

"He just appears?" Toriel looked at Darius with great scepticism.

"Look I don't know who he is, he appeared when I got here"

"Can't you see the human is lying?"

"Regardless, I will not allow you to harm him"

"BUT HE" An even larger flame appeared around Toriel's fist "…fine, but rest assured Toriel I will consider this a declaration of you intentions against my kingdom"

Appolline retracted her spear and walked back into her carriage, she took one final look at Darius.

"Rest assured human, I will be seeing you again and next time I won't be so kind"

The carriage sped off as he powered by a supercar. Toriel turned and looked down on Darius as if was a naughty child who had just been caught stealing money from his mother's purse.

"I think we have some things to discuss" Toriel said in a monotone voice and walked back in the castle.

"Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit" Darius felt he was about to receive the worst punishment of his life. It felt like he was back at home with his mother about to face retribution for something he did wrong.

Darius followed Toriel and Asgore back into the home. They both sat at the table in the living room table. Toriel pointed to the chair at the other end of the table once Darius and entered. The whole situation felt like something you would see in a courtroom. Toriel sat and looked at him as he she were a judge looking down on a criminal waiting to receive their punishment. Asgore had a similar look on his face, but it was small compared to his wife.

"Is she telling the truth?" Toriel asked in a dry monotone voice

For a split second Darius thought about lying, but Toriel's piecing gaze convinced him otherwise. It felt like she was staring into his very soul.

"No about me attacking her, she attacked me….and yes about the other human"

"And who is this other human?"

"Ermm would you believe me if I said I don't know"

"Do not test me child, you've already lied to me once"

"Guess not" Darius thought

Toriel sighed and stood up from her chair she slowly walked towards him, as if a lawyer was cross examining a witness.

"Then why is *sigh* Princess Appolline claiming you and this other human attacked her?"

Darius muttered under his breath "Maybe you should ask her"

"I SAID DON'T TEST ME CHILD" Toriel suddenly slammed her hands on the table, causing Darius to jump in his seat a little. Even Asgore looked a little surprised by the outburst.

"You may want to calm down a little dear" Asgore said in a somewhat timid voice.

"Yes, sorry" Toriel took a deep breath and composed herself "who is this other human Darius?"

"I said don't know, he just appears when he feels like it"

"Appears" Toriel looked as if she was getting angrier with every word Darius said.

"Yes appears, he appeared then, he appeared while I was here, and he appeared just before I got here"

"Wait, appeared before you got here, so you do know him"

"No I don't"

"Then how could he have possibly appeared to you before you got here"

"I don't know"

"So since you knew him before you came here, then there is a city of humans somewhere?"

"Again, I don't know"

"DO NOT LIE TO ME CHILD"

"WHAT BLOODY REASON HAVE I GOT TO LIE YOU!" Darius suddenly stood up from his chair and shouted at Toriel, causing her to step back a little in surprise.

"I have no idea where I am, no friends, no family, no home, I don't even know if I'm alive, dreaming or this is some weird purgatory"

Darius' voice seemed to start stuttering a little.

"Right now I just want to go home, but I don't have a freaking clue what's going on"

Darius' eyes welled up a little. His current situation hadn't really hit him until then. The fact that he had no idea where he was or worst yet what had happened to his mother and much of his family caused him to become acutely aware of what was happening. Both Toriel and Asgore got up from their seats and walked over to Darius. Gone was Toriel's anger and instead was replaced by the look of a mother worried for her child. They both put their arms and around Darius and hugged him. Although somewhat shocked by the hug Darius felt a sense of warmth and safety.

"I…I'm sorry"

"No no, I'm the one that should be sorry, I didn't realise your plight" Toriel held Darius' face in her hands "I promise, we'll find a way to help you".

Darius felt as if his own mother was speaking to him. He couldn't help but feel a sense of relief when she said those words, even though he doubted she knew what to do. They all sat back down at the table, the atmosphere was now much calmer and a lot less tense.

"I believe you when you say that you didn't attack Appolline"

"She has always been somewhat dramatic and loose with her words" Asgore said, rolling his eyes.

"However, we still need to know who this other human is, do you know anything about him Darius?" Toriel asked.

"Ermm he's some short guy, always seems to have an eerie smile on his face, he called himself Rius too"

Toriel suddenly perked up "Wait, what did you say his named was?"

"He called himself Rius, that's all I know, hand on my heart"

Both Toriel and Asgore looked deep in thought.

"It could just be coincidence?" Asgore suggested

"Perhaps, but out of the humans it's strange that his name is mentioned"

"Err did I say something wrong here" Darius asked, curious about the sudden change of expression in Toriel and Asgore.

"We knew a Rius, back during the war, Darius do you remember how we said the war ended?"

"Yeah, you said something about all the humans disappearing due to some device they used?"

"Yes, well the reason we found out about the device was because a human warned us about it, his name was also Rius" Asgore had a serious look on his face "He disappeared along with all the other humans, we weren't never able to find a trace of him, but your arrival and the fact that you've mentioned his name seems a bit too coincidental"

"But I saw this guy before I got here, how could he be the same person?"

"Can you explain how you got here?" Toriel asked

"Good point" Darius replied. "But then how did he end up where I can from"

"Well we still don't know it's the same person, but if it is this could make current issues much worse"

A knock came from the front door of the house. Toriel answered to find two very large monsters clad in black armour standing in the doorway.

"Queen Toriel, we have a situation Princes Appolline has returned and she has brought with her as all army"

"UGH what now" Toriel rubbed her temple in frustration. She walked out to the front of the home to find Appolline along with seven other beings clad head to toe in armour. Princess Appolline herself was standing in front of them, her spear fully extended and in hand. However she took a step back when she saw Toriel's agitated face.

"Toriel, we do not want to resort to violence, but we will if we must, you are currently housing the human who attacked me, I have come to believe he knows valuable information that is essential to my kingdom"

"And what pray tell would this valuable information concern?" Toriel asked with scepticism.

"That is none of your concern"

"Oh I believe it is" a flame suddenly appeared around Toriel's now clenched fist.

Asgore ran up and tried to defuse the situation, but his words fell on death ears. A fight between the queen and the supposed princess seemed inevitable. Watching the scene play out, Darius walked up to the feuding parties. As soon as Appolline saw him she immediately pointed her spear at him, but backed down as soon as she saw a look of rage briefly flicker across Toriel's face.

"Look, I didn't attack you, you attacked me"

"I was knocked out by you and the other human"

"You were attacking him and you tripped up"

"Wait, you were knocked out because you fell over" Toriel giggled a little.

"L…lies, I was knocked out" Appolline's face went red with a mixture of rage and embarrassment. Even some of her guard smirked at the thought of her simply falling over. However, an angry glance by Appolline wiped the smirk off their faces.

"REGARDLESS, we need the human for valuable information"

"What information?"

"That is"

"Look Princess, unless you tell me what information you're talking about we going to end up fighting for nothing, and neither of wants bloodshed for nothing"

Appolline stared at Toriel for several seconds before retracting her spear.

"Alright fine, yesterday members of my kingdom started disappearing"

"Really Appolline" Toriel remained sceptical

"I am not lying Toriel, there is a white flash and they disappear, not even their dust remains, at first is suspected foul play but low and behold around the time it started this human appears out of nowhere despite there being no sightings for over 1000 years."

"And what would make you think he is involved"

"Because the last time this happened, an entire race disappeared in an instant"

"What" It suddenly clicked on what Appolline was talking about. "The device?"

"Yes, my people disappearing in the same way, that human showing up, it can't be just coincidence Toriel"

Toriel could only look at Darius sadly. Although she disliked the self-proclaimed princess, she was right.

"And who was the other human with him?"

"We don't know who he is, look I understand your situation but I can't let you have the human"

Darius watched the two converse. It seemed as though a fight was inevitable. He stepped up towards Appolline causing her guards to suddenly all point spears at him.

"Look, I don't know what you are talking about, nor do I know who this other guy is, but if I go with you, will you promise to not attack"

"Wait, Darius, you don't have to do this"

"No no, it's fine, I'd rather not have a fight start because of me"

"But"

"It's fine Toriel, really"

Toriel looked at Darius sadly before hugging him. She slowly walked towards Appolline and looked her dead in the eye.

"If anything, anything happens to him, there WILL be consequences"

Appolline didn't answer but a shiver did run down her spine at hearing Toriel's words.

"Guards"

Two guards lead Darius away while Appolline followed. Toriel walked back inside with Asgore.

"Don't worry, we'll get him back" Asgore said to his wife.

Darius was lead into a large carriage with two guards. As it began moving he looked at the guards who only looked at him with stoic expressions.

"This little journey just keeps getting better and better"