under mount ebbott

[andaisq]

A mountain stands against the sky. Once, it was called Ebbott; this has been forgotten. It is still tall. This is generally known.

It's dangerous, as well. Supposedly, no one has ever returned from attempting the climb.

No one in their right mind would try to climb such a daunting peak.

Comments

[strangely_literal]

"I-"

She shakes her head. "My adoptive daughter. She died. You look like her. Sorry."

She looks sharply at Sable's soul. "Who did this," she snarls, and makes a complex motion with her hands.

Energy suffuses Sable, mending her spiritual wounds and brightening her soul until it shines again. Her ground feels soothed.

[greatestgift]

"Some sort of... flower... creature," she says, gesturing vaguely at the pile of petals. "Um. Thank you? What did you do? What is happening?"

[strangely_literal]

"You're welcome," she says, returning to her usual clipped tones. "I healed you. It's not very difficult. 'What is happening' is a broad subject, but currently relevant is that you are the first human to fall here for multiple centuries, you obviously had no idea that monsters even existed, and that you look exactly like my deceased adoptive daughter, which is moderately distressing. In light of this I would like you to accompany me to my home so that I can protect you from harm."

[greatestgift]

"...that... sounds like a better idea than waiting here for another horrible flower creature to attack me, admittedly... I'm sorry about your daughter."

[strangely_literal]

"It has been several thousand years. I have had time to adjust."

She looks at Sable's comparatively short legs. "Would you like to ride on my shoulders? I suspect that I walk faster than you."

[greatestgift]

"...that would be... okay, but um, what do I do about my, this," and she gestures at her glowing red light of upsetting vulnerability.

[strangely_literal]

"...Oh. You're new to this. It will follow you without collision if you don't concentrate on moving it."

She hefts Sable gently and places her on one of her massive shoulders. Reaching into a pocket, she pulls out some kind of candy wrapped in rice paper. "Have some candy. It tastes good and is generally soothing to traumatized children."

[greatestgift]

"...okay."

[strangely_literal]

The candy tastes strongly unlike licorice.

The candy feels like being suffused with the same restorative light that the strange woman cast over her earlier. Threads of wholeness spread slowly through her ground. It feels good.

After a few seconds the candy melts and evaporates into nothing, but the wholeness stays. Its job is not yet done, but the work yet accomplished stands firm.

The woman sets off at a loping jog, apparently unaware of the miracle of medicine that has just taken place on her shoulder.

[greatestgift]

Om... nom... what.

Sable decides not to mention this just yet. She is too confused to feel comfortable explaining what the candy seems to have done for her.

[strangely_literal]

The woman strides past piles of leaves, marble pillars, and numerous very large frogs. One of the frogs tentatively croaks a greeting, which she summarily ignores.

"Tell me about this flower monster. It does not sound like something I know, which is troubling, because I know more or less everything."

[greatestgift]

"I fell through a sinkhole onto that pile of flower petals and a flower with the same kind of petals popped out of the ground and asked me if I was Chara and pulled my soul out and threw 'friendship pellets' at it and," then she killed him, "then you showed up."

[strangely_literal]

"He knew her?"

[greatestgift]

"Apparently!"

[strangely_literal]

"That is... profoundly impossible. There is exactly one other person alive currently who knew Chara, and he is not a flower. Although he would certainly try to kill you." She pauses. "Also, he has been known to call his bullets 'friendly pellets'. Hm."

She stops running and places Sable gently on the ground between two pillars. "Please stay here. I need to make a phone call, and possibly wring my ex-husband's miserable fluffy neck."

[greatestgift]

"Um?"

[strangely_literal]

"I suspect that King Asgore Dreemurr, my filthy rat of an ex-husband, may have somehow been behind this attack. He is a terrible liar. I plan to interrogate him over the phone, and if he is responsible, light him on fire. Please stay here while I do so."

[greatestgift]

"What's a phone?"

[strangely_literal]

She pulls out a flip phone. "You can use it to communicate over long distances with other people who also have phones. You should take this one; it was Chara's, and she has no use for it anymore, because she is dead. You can use it to contact me if you become lonely or are in some form of physical danger. Press the following buttons to contact me."

She helpfully demonstrates the use of a phone.

[greatestgift]

"...okay," she says. "That's useful."

And absolutely mind-bogglingly insane magic. Is this where the old mage-lords went after the fall of their civilization? Into a hidden mountain?

[strangely_literal]

"Yes! Now I am going to use mine to figure out if I need to kill Asgore. Please remain here, in the safe room where there are no monsters or ancient traps."

[greatestgift]

"That sounds good. Thank you," she says. "Um, my name's Sable, by the way."

[strangely_literal]

"My name is Toriel," she replies, and without further comment she leaves the room.



Some minutes pass.

The phone rings.

[greatestgift]

Sable answers it with minimal difficulty.

"Um, yes?"

[strangely_literal]

"I do not need to inflict any physical harm on Asgore at this moment. However, since I am going to be housing a human I will need to do some shopping, since I am in town. Do you have any food allergies?"