[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/190924/544c85ab5c75bc61a4bb5ce40dc0caa6.png[/img]
[color=salmon]Word Count: 579 (+1 exp)[/color]
[color=salmon][u]Level[/u]: [b]9[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 176/90
[b]Location:[/b] Edinburgh MagicaPolis[/color][/center]
It wasn't until Band finished the demon off and Sierra was free that the Cadet let out a huge sigh of relief. He wiped his brow with the back of his hand, which just ended up smear his forehead in blue. That was the very least of his concern at the moment.

[color=salmon]"She's alive!"[/color] he said, just to hear someone say it aloud and confirm it. Whatever had been going on with Sierra and Artemis, they'd put a stop to it. Hopefully Sierra was more than just alive and she was alright in both body and mind, but they wouldn't know until she woke up. The Cadet turned his smile on the group. [color=salmon]"Good teamwork."[/color]

Well now that the situation had been dealt with, they should probably scram. Normally when some kind of monster attacked, the heroes that brought it down would get a lot of thanks and maybe some rewards. In this city they'd probably just get blamed for the whole thing in the first place. Plus they actually needed to figure out what exactly happened and they couldn't do that here. Wonder Red suggested they'd been set up by a Consul, which sounded very plausible. Had they used Sierra as a hostage or something? Ace Cadet agreed with Big Band in that she didn't seem to have been involved before this, monster or no.

Of course at that moment, Lucia came to deliver the news that their were squadrons of police outside of the Noumenon. From the first floor the group could easily hear the accusations shouted at them. [i]I knew it![/i] 

He chanced a peek at the officers outside while he listened to Band's logic. [color=salmon]"No arguments here,"[/color] he told the detective. When it came to fighting, the hunter would much rather tackle a giant monster (or two, or three) than a whole crowd of angry people. Luring them away, or as Frisk suggested escaping them altogether sounded good to him. At the woman's question about Sierra though he snapped his head to look at her.

[color=salmon]"No way,"[/color] the Cadet said, his voice steady and expression serious. [color=salmon]"There's no telling what'll happen to her if we leave her behind. We'll take her with us."[/color]

Carrying around an unconscious person would put a burden on them, but as far as the Cadet could see that was the only option. Frisk's shield should be able to protect them from stray gunfire, though he wasn't opposed to taking on that burden himself if it meant they all escaped including Sierra. Speaking of escape, Red brought up a good point - the entire Noumenon could be surrounded. However, the plan the Wonderful One came up with sounded wild even to his ears.

[color=salmon]"Wait, handle the rest how?"[/color] he asked, then quickly followed up with, [color=salmon]"Nevermind, I'll trust your heart of justice. But dropping the floors? What if it knocks out the entire building?"[/color] That would involve way more people than just the ones after them. Civilians in the city, and anyone in the higher floors that hadn't been able to evacuate when Artemis attacked. 

The restless noises from outside signaled the Seekers were running out of time. Situations like this needed someone to take the lead, and that someone was not the Ace Cadet. He'd yet to bloom into a real leader either back home or in the World of Light, so he looked between the group as the seconds ticked down. [color=salmon]"Whatever we're gonna do, we gotta go it soon!"[/color]

[indent][/indent]
[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/4DgO1VH.png[/img]
[color=FFC6C6]Word Count: 1136 (+2 exp)
[u]Level[/u]: [b]8[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 112/80 
[b]Location[/b]: The Under - Ash Lake[/color]
[color=gray]𝙱𝙿[/color] [color=gold]●[/color][color=gray]●●●●[/color]
[color=lightgray][sub]ft. [@Lugubrious] as Asgore[/sub][/color][/center]
They crossed the lake and climbed the soot, only to find a surprising scene inside the other tree. A throne atop a huge pile of ash, a circle of pale fire set into the wood, a circle of weapons like prizes on display, and a man holding a watering can.

As the others spoke with the stranger, Primrose listened in. She gazed at the bed of flowers and ran a hand over some of the gathered weaponry as she collected her thoughts. First, the stranger - Asgore as he went on to introduce himself - most likely hadn't seen their missing members. Initially when they entered the trunk and met someone else without Galeem's glow, Primrose had jumped to the same conclusion as Bowser. However it was as she'd come to realize before: the other Seekers hadn't come this way. That left the question of how Asgore had been freed in the first place, but on this Primrose didn't pry. Second, nothing in this area belonged to Asgore save maybe the flowers themselves, yet he cared if someone disturbed it. 

[i]No longer a king, hm? Perhaps appointed a guard post here...[/i] But by who was the question. It was all a little suspicious. The goat man was vague and deflecting, but then again Primrose couldn't blame him if he just didn't want to talk about his past. Still, she got the feeling that he was more than just some old goat living in the husk of a burnt out tree for fun. She paused in her wandering when Rubick attempted to take an altar's weapon, turning her attention completely to the magus - however he faced no opposition from Asgore. 

Still feeling strange about the whole thing, Primrose trailed behind the others as they congregated around Asgore's little shelter for tea, though she declined from enjoying any. She did introduce herself at least. [color=D34C25]"My name is Primrose. A pleasure to meet you as well."[/color]

She stood off to one side with her arms crossed over her chest, thinking. She'd let the little tea party go on for a bit, but she had some questions of her own that Asgore might have answers for. Things like how he'd ended up here and what it was he was obviously running from she was curious about, but in the grand scheme of things they weren't important. She was more interested in reuniting with their friends and getting to this region's Guardian. 

[color=D34C25]"Excuse me,"[/color] the dancer said once the pleasantries and tea sampling were winding down. [color=D34C25]"Could you tell us how to get to the city below?"[/color]

Asgore nodded. "Sure thing, miss. If you head back out the hollow and skirt 'round the right side, you'll find a li'l green pipe jutting out of the bank. Too small for me..." He glanced at Bowser apologetically. "And you, most like, but it'll take you down to the Royal Quarter in the city, right by Gallo Tower. It's something of a secret route, though, so be careful down there."

[i]A pipe?[/i] The answer confused her slightly, but she figured the others probably knew what he meant. Plus there was so little greenery around besides the manicured bushes, it should be easy enough to spot. Primrose smiled kindly at the once-king. [color=D34C25]"Thank you. And if you don't mind another question... You said you travel the area. Do you happen to know anything about that temple with the egg-shaped stone door?"[/color]

"The Temple of the Black Egg," the old goat told her. "Something downright awful is sealed inside. Said to be the source of the plague that once ravaged these lands, but I've been helping to keep it in check." He glanced at the weapons again, partially to make sure the one Rubick wanted was still there, then up at the clock. "If only it were enough."

[color=D34C25]"...what do you mean?"[/color]

Knitting his brows together, Asgore tugged at his beard. "I'm a little hazy on what you're asking about, but... despite my best efforts, that bright stuff ekes out bit by bit as time goes on, draining away who-knows-where, and there's only so much one fella can do to stem the tide without getting his hands dirty." His unhappy gaze fell on Primrose. "If I were you all I'd steer clear. Best not go messing with things you don't understand. There's too many folks' dying already."

So he was trying to keep the temple sealed off. Even though he wasn't Gleaming, it was possible that he was still ignorant to Galeem itself, so it might not be that Asgore was malicious obstacle. Even so... inside that temple was their goal, the guardian inside it that needed to be defeated. Wasn't it?

[color=D34C25]"I suppose you understand it more than most. And you know about those masks that act as keys, I trust...?"[/color] the dancer asked slowly, her smile turning hard. [color=D34C25]"And if someone were to try and open that door..."[/color]

The former king looked pensive right up until Primrose mentioned opening the door, which he met with surprise. "Well... that someone would need to know what they're up against and how to beat it. Otherwise the Infection would sweep over the Under, wiping out everything in its path." His face tightened, momentarily losing its geniality. In its absence his gaze was empty, dark, almost terrifying. "Even the Home of Tears, which I've been fighting to keep alive all this time." Laying down his watering can, he crossed his arms. "You sure someone's up to the task?"

Primrose met his stare evenly, and for a long moment she didn't answer him. For now, she was satisfied with the results of her testing. If Asgore turned out later to be an enemy that stood in their way, then she would just have to brush up on her people judging skills. Her expression softened slightly before she spoke.

[color=D34C25]"Yes. And those someones would appreciate any information you have to give them."[/color]

"Hmm..." Asgorge looked around at the group. After a moment, he offered the dancer a thin smile. "Well. Stay a while then, enjoy your tea, and chat with me." He swept across the ash toward the center of the ring of altars, where he lit an old hearth with another snap of his fingers before seating himself with his cup. "Even after everything, I'm still partial to telling stories 'round a fire. If only I could've live my days out in peace like that, happily spinning yarns about the good old days and bouncing grandchildren on my knee. But for me, there were no good old days. Only a fleeting moment of blissful ignorance. Two of them, in fact." He took a deep sip from the sweet pain of his gorse tea. 

"And then I woke up," he continued, his tone morose. "And realized. That we exist only to suffer."