Togore immediately sprinted out of the hat shop, his mind running with panic. The most dangerous prisoner loose, on his watch. He'd never felt so horribly guilty, so desperate for a way out of a mess.
He made his way to the castle, which was, not surprisingly, in a panic. The guards were running everywhere, searching desperately for this prisoner, Accusatus. Togore tried to keep a cool head, walking through the halls and scanning every detail. But there was nothing, despite the fact that Accusatus had been heard roaring in triumph ten minutes ago.
Most of the guards had ignored the blacksmith's quarters, and the ones that had checked it hadn't come out, likely for a thorough examination. Togore went there, partially to check for the criminal, and partially to talk with the blacksmith about the whole issue with the spy possibly being Amabilia. It's not really her. He told himself. Just a misunderstanding...
"All hail, prince of Te Deum." the incredibly boring blacksmith, Taediosum, mumbled, holding up a 'peace' sign with his fingers. He was the only one to be seen in the room.
"Where are the other guards?" Togore demanded, and rather than shrugging like normal, the blacksmith smiled.
CLANK! A set of chains was expertly tossed at the handles to the doors, looping around and shutting them. Togore looked where they had come from, as something lunged out in that direction-
Togore grunted in surprise and pain as he was slammed into the ground, a set of animalistic eyes peering at him, as well as a set of jaws lined with vicious teeth gaping menacingly. It was Accusatus, free at last from his undeserved confinement. The monster wore his chains around his wrists as weapons, the metal links extending for several feet.
Togore writhed, raising his spear to strike, but Accusatus smacked it out of the way with his other chain, then growled and threw a punch at the Sentinel's head. Dizzy and disoriented, Togore felt himself begin to go limp.
"Y'know, kid, my family used to rule over the monsters, a long, long time ago." Accusatus said, his voice a deep, hoarse tone of free-flowing rage. "We were always at peace with the humans... we always were able to agree to disagree." He continued speaking, gripping Togore's throat with his clawed hand. "Of course, you boss monsters had to play second fiddle. You knew you were as strong as us. You knew you could lead the monsters as well, but none of you did a thing until your daddy came around." Togore watched as the mere thought of Asgore seemed to light a fire in the escaped prisoner's mind, and he grabbed Togore's hair and slammed his head into the ground.
"That was too slow. Let him get up and finish him quickly." Taediosum sighed, and Accusatus grinned up at the blacksmith. "There wasn't anything in our agreement about being on a timed schedule." he countered, then went back to Togore. "Yes, yes... Asgore, the last of the Knights of Te Deum, realized that the monsters could have more than what they had under my kind. To be fair, he tried being diplomatic. But he got nowhere with talking to my relatives, so he talked to the people instead." Accusatus growled. "Told them about how the humans didn't deserve half the island... which was true, but it wasn't causing us any pain. The monsters revolted, driving most of my family away to the West End. They were slaughtered by the humans."
Accusatus took a deep breath, and Togore took the opportunity to knee the lion in the gut. Accusatus stifled a roar, which would lead other guards to the room, and unleashed a furious train of punches until Togore was thoroughly numb. The Sentinel looked at Taediosum through his blurred vision.
"Agreement?" Togore mumbled in confusion, looking at the blacksmith. "Yes. Poor ol' Accusatus here had been getting the tar beaten out of him for years, and wanted some payback. His long-term plan had been foiled by that stupid human, so I let him in on my little secret-" Taediosum leaned in close, whispering, "I'm the spy."
Togore struggled again to break free, to no avail. Accusatus was strong, stronger physically than Togore, possibly even Asgore.
"You see, Togore, those Temmies are starting something. This whole 'Temvolution'? It's serious. To them. But it's really just a small ploy in the grand scheme of things." Taediosum explained. "Once the Temmies have finished their revolution, this island will burn."
"How? What? Who?" Togore couldn't think straight. Accusatus laughed and threw another punch, almost making the Sentinel black out.
"I was the one making these helmets, Togore. Yes, Ama pulled me aside to tell me a secret about them- that she had designed one specifically for you! As a present. How sweet." Taediosum droned on. "I don't talk much, so I'm taking this opportunity for all it's worth. Anyways, those helmets are a death trap. Soon enough, you'll see. Accusatus wasn't originally part of the plan, but framing Ama was. And I knew you'd try to stop them..." he paused, smiling again. "...and being the blacksmith and all, I know how to craft up something to free this poor guy."
"Why?" Togore groaned, his head still spinning. "What reason do you have to do this?" Taediosum shook his head. "I've seen things... I was chosen by the one who moves through time. They showed me what would happen, and told me that I could be given power... determination... and to be honest, it sounded a lot better than just making helmets."
Accusatus raised an eyebrow at Taediosum. "What did they feed you..." the lion sneered mockingly. Apparently these two weren't completely on the same term.
"Anyways, you're the piece we needed out of the puzzle, Sentinel. I had to make your helmet according to Ama's description, so I couldn't put in it what I'd done to the other ones." Taediosum said sadly, then shrugged. "But hey, look on the bright side- you won't get to see everything you love burn."
"You're staying in here, 'Royal Guard'." Accusatus snorted. "My family had the title right... training 'knights' rather than just guards. The knights that came before your father were loyal, trained in the old ways. Ways of peace and contentment. Then Asgore came along, and took the throne. He rechristened the knights as the Royal Guard, who of course from then onwards learned to fight." The lion stepped off of Togore, letting his unused chain rattle.
"I was one of those new Royal Guards. I was young, too young to be driven away. Your father put me in training, told me that I could protect him and his family. I had no idea what he'd done to my people. And then... then came the death of Asriel Dreemurr. What a nasty day, it was. An innocent monster slaughtered because of fear. I sympathize with that boy, I really do." Accusatus said, reflecting on the memory of the Prince of Te Deum scattering into dust in the flower bed.
"Your father, already in tense relations with the humans because of his insistence of having more of the island, waged war. I, a young Junior Royal Guard, led the charge. I broke down the gates to the castle and fought the humans back into the pit, underground. And the day that I come back from war, what do I learn?" Accusatus asked, growing more furious. "That I, a loyal subject of the king, who saw that my people's demise was not entirely his fault, who believed that he could possibly bring about good change, was accused of plotting to murder the king!"
Taediosum nodded. "The plot had been uncovered secretly almost a month earlier, but they'd found nothing. So someone falsified information to frame him." He looked at Accusatus. "Must be freeing, am I correct?"
Accusatus nodded grimly. "Yes." He said. "Very. The best part of the freedom was being able to sneak to the room of records, where they kept the file that imprisoned me." Accusatus remarked, giving a nasty grin to the blacksmith.
"A file that was made to the king, curiously, by an unassuming blacksmith." Accusatus said, in fake surprise. "How odd..."
Togore watched as Taediosum was backed into a corner, the lion flicking his wrist to release the chain that had been on the door. "I... I..." the blacksmith swallowed in fear. "...you don't know... what I will be given. The one who moves through time-"
Accusatus rushed Taediosum, swinging his arms. The chains locked around the deceitful blacksmith's throat. Togore took advantage of the open doors and stumbled out, grabbing his spear on the way. He could find more guards, regroup...
"There's no hiding from your destiny, Prince!" Accusatus laughed, the only noise that could be heard above his voice was the strangled gasps of the guilty blacksmith, growing ever more desperate until they finally silenced.
