~Chapter 3~

Noella

We didn't even know where we were headed. Sure we knew we were in Fantasia, but the natural geography had completely shifted. I hated parting ways from half of my family, though, I knew it was necessary. After leaving Agrabah, Joel and I just took the kids west. It was hard to say what we would find, but I let my light guide our way. We were on foot unfortunately, which made the kids a little more challenging because they got tired and grumpy easily. I wish I would have got us some horses or anything on four legs for this trip before we left Agrabah, but it couldn't be helped now. It was good for us to get away, even though it was hard leaving Aladdin behind.

Eventually we made it to the edge of a forest. Surprisingly it was full of trees not just dead ones, which was a nice change. My light was directing us right toward these woods, but there was a thick canopy of trees overhead.

"Not another scary forest…" Jacob whimpered.

"There a way around?" Joel asked putting Jacob up on his shoulders while Brielle held my hand.

"It doesn't appear so." I shrugged

"Personally, I don't mind the shelter of trees. I feel better going in there than being out in the open." Joel reasoned.

"Unless, there's something awful hidden in this forest..." I added, "We don't know what that creature has done, so we best be on our guard."

"Should have got weapons in Agrabah too. All I have is my pocket knife." Joel said taking it out.

"Ooh daddy, can I see?" Jacob said eagerly stretching out his arm.

"I don't think so little man." I said gesturing to Joel to put away his tool.

"Right…" He said putting it away in his pocket quickly, "So, let's get this over with." He said taking my hand as the four of us pressed forward.

There was a thick, musty smell in the air within these trees. I wondered if it was lingering from the death and decay of plant life in the surrounding area. It wasn't pleasant. The kids lifted their shirts to cover their noses. A few minutes into our trek, I looked behind us and I couldn't even see where the opening to the forest was from where we entered.

"Did we change direction?" I asked Joel.

"Don't think so...you're the compass, shouldn't you know?"

"Guess we aren't going to be able to go back that way…"

We continued on and soon came across the carcass of a deer. It had been picked clean I could only imagine from an animal mixed with the vicious elements that Chernabog had stirred.

"Poor thing." Brielle said.

"Cool." Jacob commented.

"This is strange?" Joel said kneeling down looking over the carcass.

"How so?" I replied squatting beside him.

"We've been walking, what a few hours?"

"About that…." I shrugged.

"And in that time, we haven't seen any animals or anything, yeah?"

"Not since Abu in Agrabah." I reasoned.

"My huntsman skills of perception definitely say this wasn't an animal kill. I've seen no sign of tracks or anything."

"So? What are you getting at?"

"I think there's gotta be a village or something in these woods. The meat of this animal was carved off. See the blade engravings on the bone?" He replied pointing them out on the carcass.

"Well if that's the case. Let's find them and get a pair of horses." I suggested.

"You won't be needing horses…" A voice suddenly said.

Joel and I glanced up as a large group of people jumped down from the trees surrounding us. Before Joel or I could even react, something hit me in the back of the head and I blacked out.

My eyes fluttered open and I looked around apparently in a large tent of some kind. I was bound to a wood pole resting at my back rather tightly, it hurt to breathe. There was nobody around that I could see and I tried to wiggle myself loose, but it was no use. I didn't see Joel or the kids anywhere and that made me nervous. Just as I was about to call their names in a worried panic, I heard someone groan behind me.

"Ugh, Noella?" Joel muttered.

"Glad I'm not alone. You okay?"

"Other than a lump on my skull, I'm fine."

"Where do you suppose we are?" I asked.

"I'd bet some kind of thieves encampment." He said.

"We have to find the kids…" I said with anxiety growing in my tone. I just got those two back and that all too familiar sense of fear was rapidly growing inside me.

"They're here, Noella. We'll find them." He reassured me.

Our hands were not bound and I saw Joel's hand reaching for mine from around the pole. I took it holding it gently, it was some comfort at least. Maybe five minutes later, a tall burly man joined us in the tent making eye contact with me coming toward me. He knelt down to my level grabbing my chin.

"What a lucky break we found you." The man said, "You don't look like much." He said yanking my head this way and that.

"Get your hands off her!" Joel growled.

The man laughed at Joel's demands mockingly and stepped just outside the tent.

"Hey boss, they're awake." The man yelled.

Moments later, a familiar face came into the tent. It was none other than Eugene.

"Eugene, is that you?" Joel said.

He took a step toward us and turned and looked at his man.

"What is the meaning of this?" Eugene asked.

"A big misunderstanding, I'm sure." Joel said, "Let us go."

Eugene immediately slapped his man across the face.

"I told you to keep them with the kids. You can't trust those imbued with light." Eugene spat.

"Eugene, what's wrong with you? Don't you recognize us?" Joel asked.

"Recognize you? It's hard to miss bright beacons of light trailing through these woods. I know catching you would definitely make him happy." Eugene said.

"Eugene, please, whatever spell you're under...remember who your friends are." I said.

Eugene glared at me making swift strides toward me and his foot was close enough. If I shifted my body a bit against the pole, I might be able to reach out and touch his boot hopefully breaking whatever spell he was under. All I had to do was grab him. Once he was close enough, I tried to grab his foot, but he moved out of the way just moments before I grabbed him. I missed him as he stamped on my hand grabbing my chin.

"The names Flynn Rider, sweetheart. The only people who call me Eugene are my enemies."

He released my chin as I just stared at this man before me. Whoever he was, it wasn't Eugene.

"Take these two and lock them up with those rotten kids." Flynn ordered his man.

He and another thief came into the tent untying Joel and I escorting us outside. It was a large encampment made up of at least twenty tents. How long had we been here? It was dark, but honestly I hadn't seen the sun since Chernabog was awakened. The men pushed Joel and I toward another tent where I could hear the familiar cries of our kids. We were about halfway toward the tent when a loud roar was heard. It startled everyone in the camp as all the men drew their weapons and huddled up at the ready. The two men escorting us quickened their stride, but suddenly a ferocious beast tore through the camp. A creature with glowing yellow eyes, mangy tangled fur, and a big mouth full of sharp, jagged teeth. It was twice the size of a grizzly bear, but looked more like a wolf. The men who held us were trembling and in their distraction, Joel and I quickly knocked them out. The beast roared again and began destroying tents and ripping apart anybody that got in its way. Joel grabbed my hand as we raced to the tent holding the kids. Everyone around us was running in a panic. Flynn gathered a few brave men and tried to corner the beast, but the creature just leapt over them easily. Flynn managed to shoot an arrow in the beast's hind leg and it howled in pain.

We heard the kids crying and as we entered that tent, somebody with a black cloak was already trying to release them from the cage they were in. Once Jacob and Brielle saw us, they both yelled for us and started crying louder as this stranger turned around to face us.

"Belle?" I said.

"What are you doing here?" Joel asked.

"There's no time to explain, quick, follow me." She urged as she opened up the door to the cage the kids were in. Jacob and Brielle hugged Joel and I tight. Our poor kids, they would need a load of therapy after this experience. Belle led the way out of the tent as Joel and I each had one of the kids on our back so we could move quicker. The creature was a perfect distraction and nobody even paid attention to us heading out. Soon, a female voice started to sing as it came out of nowhere. The creature howled in pain and the rest of the men nearby covered their ears. Joel told us to cover ours quickly.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"It's the voice of the Nightingale." Joel said.

"Rapunzel?" I questioned.

Sure enough, Rapunzel herself hopped down from the trees greeting Flynn with a kiss. The beast was temporarily immobilized seemingly brought down by that song Rapunzel sang.

"You could have used your voice sooner, Blondie." Flynn told her.

"I was tying up some loose ends." She shrugged, "I came as soon as I could. Now, are they here?"

We continued creeping away from the camp as quickly as we could go.

"How does she have such power?" Belle asked.

"I don't understand." I muttered, "Joel, what's going on?" I said glancing at him.

"We'll figure it out. Belle, do you have somewhere safe for us to rest?" He asked.

"Follow me." Belle urged.

We hiked through the woods for at least a mile before Belle brought us to a cave and lit a fire.

"You sure that's safe?" I asked.

"This cave is protected." She said, "Go ahead and rest. I'll keep watch."

Naturally, the kids welcomed sleep once they were settled between Joel and I. He and I decided to take turns resting our eyes, but try as we might, neither of us really could sleep. Hard to relax being on the run unsure of who we could trust. Jasmine was different and now apparently so were Eugene and Rapunzel. Did Chernabog get to them?

Once the kids and Joel were asleep for over an hour, I gave up on even trying to doze. Belle had a thick book she had been carrying since we saw her in camp, which made me smile to think somethings never change with her. Every time my eyes popped open from dozing, she was reading intensely page after page. The book seemed old and I was curious how well she could see in the faint fire light.

"Where did you find that book?" I asked her curiously.

"I found it in the library at home. I've never read anything like it before. At first, it didn't make sense, but now I understand." Belle said as turning another page.

"Can I see?"

"Just rest, Noella." She urged.

"Where is Adam?" I asked.

"He got held up, but he'll be here shortly." She replied.

"So where are we, Belle?" I asked again, "Are we near the castle? Do you know what's been going on?"

Belle snapped her book closed glancing at me looking annoyed.

"Do you always ask this many pointless questions?" She snapped.

I recoiled at her outburst and she went on reading her book. Something wasn't right. I slowly began shutting my eyes as if I was falling asleep. Belle watched me. Eventually, I closed my eyes for a solid few minutes keeping my ears alert. Sure enough, I heard footsteps walk away from the cave and Belle left leaving her book behind. This was my chance. I scrambled quickly over to the fire and grabbed the book scanning through its contents. My movement stirred Joel awake as he yawned stretching out his arms groggily.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" He asked glancing around, "Where's Belle?"

I didn't answer right away. As I scanned the pages of Belle's mysterious book, this book was clearly not in English. The words didn't look French either. I scanned through the pages and even though I couldn't read it, even touching this book sent a chill down my spine.

"Noella? What is it?" Joel asked kneeling beside me.

"I think we should wake the kids and go." I urged.

Joel didn't question my decision and quickly woke up the kids. However, soon Belle returned looking furious at me.

"What are you doing?" She yelled.

She quickly rose the book from my hands by means of levitation and she quickly took it.

"What kind of book are you reading Belle? It's messed with your head."

"It's a spellbook, Noella and it has served me well." Belle replied.

"Spellbook?" I muttered.

"Yes." She nodded.

"Who are you?" Joel interrupted.

"And what have you done with Adam?" I added.

"Why do you look so troubled, Noella? I assure you he's here. In fact, he should be here any moment."

I took a step toward her wanting to look in her eyes and see the woman I was talking to. Was it really Belle or a counterfeit, but Joel stopped me before I got close. The kids held each of our hands watching worriedly.

"You look confused, Noella." Belle mocked.

"I am...I don't understand why you're acting this way. Why did you even help us?"

"I've been tracking you since you left Agrabah. I'm just glad Jasmine didn't get her hands on you first or anyone else for that matter. We serve our master and he wants the light snuffed out by any means necessary."

In that moment, that beast from Flynn's encampment appeared from the woods roaring viciously and the kids screamed. Joel pushed the kids and I behind him protectively. Belle turned facing the beast and opened her book and started chanting an incantation of some sort. Out from nowhere, she conjured up a metal choker it looked eerily like the one snapped on me during my fight against Maleficent during my first time in Fantasia. Belle snapped the choker around the beast and soon the beast immediately morphed shrinking in size. She threw her cloak over him and as the figure raised its head, it was none other than Adam.

"What did you do?" I shouted.

"Is this how you treat people you claim to love?" Joel added slowly reaching into his pocket.

"Nonsense." Adam said, "I serve our master by helping Belle. I'm usually human, but when she's in trouble, I become her deadly weapon."

"So the beast coming through the camp back there?" Joel muttered.

"All part of the plan." Belle grinned, "Those stupid thieves got to you first, but no matter, I won in the end."

"You haven't won anything!" I shouted.

Quickly, I told the kids to run and I followed behind as Joel threw his knife at Belle. We didn't want to hurt our friend, but how could we know these two were really our old friends or just servants of Chernabog. Joel aimed for her shoulder, which Adam quickly stepped in front of her hitting him instead. We had no weapons, but how would we possibly fair against whatever magic spells Belle now knew. Joel was behind me and we just ran blindly as far away from them as we could get. Suddenly blasts of magic power sped by us missing us just barely.

"Tardo Concesso!" Belle shouted as a yellow orb of magic just missed us.

Running behind Belle was Adam transformed into that vicious creature again. The kids were the fastest and eventually we spilled out onto a beach. There was sand and shore as far as the eye could see edging against the forest. Just ahead stuck in the sand was a small row boat. There was nobody around, but even if it did belong to someone, we were about to take it. Joel and I ran with the row boat in tow getting it into the water. Between open waters and Belle's magical fury and the creature she turned Adam into, I think open water was the best option. We all piled into the boat and Joel and I started paddling hard to get away from the shore. We told the kids to duck low as Belle still attempted to hurl magic blasts our way. The beast roared and Belle returned the choker to his neck. They stopped on the shoreline not even trying to swim after us or anything.

"This isn't over!" Belle yelled.

As Belle and Adam disappeared back into the woods, Joel and I knew we could breathe a sigh of relief if only for now. Jacob crawled up on my lap as Brielle got up onto Joel's both of them crying.

"Why do your friends hate us so much?" Brielle wailed.

"We didn't do anything." Jacob added.

Joel and I held our kids close as we drifted further and further out to sea.

AN: Oh man guys! Eugene...Rapunzel...Belle...Adam...what next? It's been a blast painting these characters in a new light.😄

I did some research on some Latin words and the spell Belle used: "Tardo Concesso" Tardo in Latin is: Slow and Concesso is: Pause. Fun facts from the author😆

Anyways, stay tuned for more soon! You readers rock! :D