OF MONSTERS AND MAGIC

Chapter 4:

The Fox's Den

There once was a king who had three children.

It was a time of peace and plenty, but such things bored the king greatly.

Then, he happened upon the arcane arts.

Knowing his family wouldn't understand and his staff would abhor him, the king practiced magic in secret.

Until one day, one of his spells went horribly wrong.

His great castle sank into the earth that had once sustained it, swallowed whole like a living creature trapped in quicksand.

This lost monument was forevermore known as the Fallen Castle.

Overcome with horror and guilt, the king cast one last magic spell, sending his children and the rest of his people to safety... while he remained to die with his kingdom.

His three heirs went their separate ways, eventually forming the three kingdoms we know today.

And, as Fate would have it, one of their descendants found himself within the walls of his ancestor's forgotten home...

Drip, drip, drip...

Cat Noir groaned as water tickled his forehead. He always hated it when it rained.

But when he opened his eyes, he discovered that he wasn't surrounded by trees and fresh air... but thick, mucky stones. And iron bars.

Cat Noir bolted upright, his heart hammering.

He was in a dungeon cell!

Was it Hawkmoth? Had he finally captured the boy?

But the more he glanced around, the more Cat Noir realized that this wasn't the tower cells he remembered from Castle Agreste. They had been much cleaner and more airy than this.

Here, there was nothing through the barred windows but solid rock. The air was damp and muggy, and it reeked of worms. The cage-like door sealing Cat Noir inside was so rusted through it was a miracle they were still standing. Roots and stems broke through the cracks in the walls like skeletal fingers.

Cat Noir's brow furrowed. Wait a minute... he thought. Where did this dungeon come from? How did I get here? The last thing I remember, I was talking to... He paused, understanding finally catching up with him. "Lila," he whispered with a growl. "How could I have been so stupid?!"

Sucking on his teeth in frustration, the thief went up to the bars and peeked out.

Rolls of other cells lined the wall ahead of him. There weren't any guards he could see. It was dark, but there was a hint of orange light coming down the hall outside. There must be a torch somewhere. Which meant someone lived here.

"Hello?" Cat Noir called.

Hello... ello... lo...

"Anybody here?!"

Body here... dy here... here...

Then, a faint voice answered from the cell right in front of him, "Anybody..."

Cat Noir squinted, his eyes finally adjusting to the dark. Someone was moving in the corner of his own cell.

"Anybody... here?" the voice murmuring before chuckling. "Or nobody? All gone... nothing left..."

Cat Noir's eyes lit up with delight. "Kubdel!" His cry echoed through the hall. Wincing, Cat Noir pressed his face against the bars and whispered, "Are you all right? Where are we? Did Lila bring you here too?"

"Far below, far below..." Kubdel replied absent-mindedly, his blue eyes staring over at Cat Noir but not seeing him. "Down the hole we go... Down among the dead..."

The thief frowned with worry. "Kubdel, it's me – Cat Noir," he said. "Don't you remember? We met back in the forest."

Kubdel smiled and sighed against the bars. "Oh, beautiful forest, your roots run so deep..." he sang sourly, "Drink up the sun and wake from your sleep..."

He's mad, Cat Noir thought. How long as he been down here? "Kubdel, listen to me. The Rossians, your people – they think you're dead. Alix went off into the woods looking for you."

Kubdel gasped, his eyes suddenly struck with horror. "Alix... Alix... Alix..." He fell onto his hands and knees, as though begging. "Don't hurt her, please. I'll do anything. Don't take her away from me!"

Cat Noir's eyes hardened. "Lila took her, didn't she?" he asked, already knowing the answer. "Where, Kubdel? Where did she go?"

Tears fell down the man's cheeks. "Alix... please... She's all I have!" he whimpered. "Alix... my brave little girl... my darling..."

Cat Noir couldn't help but pity the man. He of all people knew what it was like to lose a loved one.

So he spoke with firm assurance, "Don't worry. Alix is going to be all right. I've got the best huntsman in the three kingdoms looking for her."

Nino knelt on the ground, running his fingers along the tiny, human boot print embedded deep in the dirt. "Look at this," he said to Alya. "Someone else was here. Quite recently, in fact."

The shape-shifter peered down and nodded. "Good eye," she commented. "But who does it belong to?"

Nino glanced over the trail of other prints head of him. "Judging by the boot size, it can't be any older than an adult," he deduced. "And judging by the space between the prints, it looks like that person was in a hurry to get somewhere."

Alya's eyes glistened with worry. "Or get away from somewhere," she suggested. "Or someone."

The huntsman stood up as an idea dawned on him. "Maybe it's Alix! Maybe she got away from Lila while she was trying to kill me. She can't be too far away."

"Hold on, Nino," Alya said as she took a deep breath. "Cat Noir's scent is coming from the same direction those prints are headed. Even if it is Alix, it could be a trap."

"Well then," Nino said with a confident smile, "let's keep our eyes open. After you."

Alya led the way once more, sniffing around the trees to make sure which way the scent was strongest. She reminded Nino of a bloodhound, but he didn't dare say that out loud.

"I have to admit," the shape-shifter said as they trekked on, "that was impressive back there. Most hunters are just good at what they do, but you... You're a natural."

Nino's cheeks grew hotter and he rubbed the back of his sweaty neck. "It just comes natural to me, I guess," he said shyly. "Reading prints in the dirt, climbing trees, crouching in the grass... It makes me feel right at home."

Alya glanced back at him. "You don't have any other home to go to?" she asked.

The huntsman shook his head. "I lost my parents to smallpox when I was barely a toddler," he explained sadly. "Adri– Cat Noir and his family took me in. But even then, I literally had to find my own way in the world."

His companion seemed to sag at that. "I know the feeling," she said. "My own mother passed away when I was a little girl, and... my father was killed only a few months ago."

Nino felt his heart freeze. "He was...? I'm so sorry," he uttered, biting his lip. "Your parents... Were they special like you?"

Alya blinked at him for a moment before smiling faintly. "Just my mum. My father was human." Her amber eyes went down to the ground, and Nino was certain it wasn't because she was looking for any prints. "Lila once said that my human blood made me an outcast, even as a shape-shifter. She said it was the only reason why I was always soft... and weak."

"Stop right there," Nino said suddenly, halting in his tracks. He put a hand on Alya's shoulder and affixed her with a firm but friendly stare. "Strength isn't about blood or power. It's about the choices we make and the people we count on. Lila chose to hurt people, even kill – but you didn't." He smiled at Alya. "Believe me, that takes a lot of effort."

She stared at him, her mouth opening and closing but unable to speak a word.

Nino removed his hand and looked away sheepishly. "Me, on the other hand..." He let out a heavy sigh. "I've hunted and killed time and time again, and I never thought the world of it. Until recently."

Alya's eyes softened. "Why?" she asked delicately. "What happened?"

Suddenly, Nino wanted to punch himself in the face. Great, now what should I tell her? That I got brainwashed by a psychopathic king and nearly murdered my own best friend? But Nino knew that Alya would ask more questions, and while he knew he could trust her, the huntsman knew it wouldn't be fair to tell her about Adrien without his consent.

So all he said was, "Someone tried to turn me into a weapon too, and it almost got Cat Noir killed." He couldn't bring himself to look Alya in the eye. "He keeps telling me that it wasn't my fault, but... I still can't shake away the memory of it." A hard lump formed in his chest, and he clenched his shaking hands. "It's not something one can easily forget."

Nino could almost see his best friend pinned underneath him, begging the huntsman to come to his senses. Adrien had looked so terrified – not for himself, but for the boy who had been like a brother to him.

And now that same boy was out there somewhere, and Nino cursed himself for not staying with him... for not protecting him like he promised...

Warm fingers caressed his fist, sending a strange jolt up into Nino's body – as swift and peaceful as a summer breeze. It made him relax.

And when he finally looked up into Alya's eyes, they seemed to glow in the sunlight.

"I watched my father die," the shape-shifter said softly. "I still remember the feeling of his blood on my hands as I tried to save him. I still see the horror on his killers' faces when I tore their throats out... right in front of my little sisters."

Nino straightened. "You have sisters?"

She nodded and looked away, her face unreadable. "Not a day goes by when I don't think about them; when I don't see the shock in their eyes." She faced Nino again with more fervour. "But that's what encourages me to be better than what I am; to prove to my sisters – and myself – that I'm not a villain. I'd rather face my demons than let them control me."

Alya gripped Nino's loosened fingers tightly and the ghost of a smile appeared on her face. "Maybe it's time you faced yours."

Nino expected her to let go of his hand, walk away, and leave it at that. But she didn't drop his hand. She didn't look away.

And he didn't want her to.

Nino didn't exactly have the best childhood, but it had been good. He had Adrien. He had a home. He had a purpose in life.

Alya had been through far worse... and yet, she still clung to hope even when the entire world stood against her.

If she could make peace with her past, why couldn't Nino?

"Alya..." he said. That was the only word that came to mind. His fingers closed around hers, savouring the power she poured through them.

At that moment, Alya's head snapped to the left and her eyes furrowed like a wolf sensing a threat. "Someone's coming!" she hissed.

Nino's wits snapped back into place and he let go of her, drawing his twin hatchets and ducking behind a large tree.

Alya did the same on the other side, her skin rippling with light.

Then they both heard the ruffling of grass, the snapping of twigs, and the hasty thump of two feet coming towards them.

Nino and Alya exchanged a glance... and nodded simultaneously.

As one, they jumped out onto the open path.

The intruder screamed and fell backwards, her blue eyes wide with terror.

Alya gasped.

"Alix!" Nino cried, quickly lowering his weapons.

The pink-haired girl stared at him first, and then at Alya. As soon as she saw the shape-shifter, Alix inhaled sharply and crawled back.

Nino sheathed his hatchets and held up his hands. "Alix, it's all right," he said gently. "This is Alya – she's my friend. We're here to help you."

Alix's chest rose and fell as though out of breath. She clutched her hands tightly against her chest. "P-P-Please..." she begged. "My... My father..."

Nino bit his lip. "Alix... Your father's dead," he said with a tight throat. "You shouldn't have come out here. It's too dangerous."

Then the girl was shaking her head furiously. "No! No! My father... She took him!" She glanced over at Alya as she stammered, "V-Volpina! I saw her! On a... a hill with stones...!"

Nino sighed. "Alya isn't Volpina, Alix. It was really..."

"Hold on," Alya said, causing the huntsman to look at her.

He watched confusedly as Alya sank to her knees in front of Alix. The girl stiffened as the shape-shifter drew near.

"Alix," Alya murmured with the tone of an older sister. "This hill with stones... Can you tell me what you saw there?"

The girl blinked at her several times, her eyes softening each time. Then she nodded. "I... I saw my father... and Volpina. And there was a hole – a hole in the ground. They went into it. They didn't come back out."

Alya's eyes widened. "Of course!" she breathed. "That's where she's been taking them!"

"You, uh, want to fill me in?" Nino suggested.

Alya looked up at him. "The Fallen Castle," she clarified. "It's an ancient ruin that's buried at the top of the Old Great Hill." She let out half-a-laugh. "That's why I've never been able to track down the missing Rossians – Lila's been hiding them underground, inside the castle!"

Nino went pale as straw. "Underground?" he gulped.

"Yes," Alya replied as she stood up and helped Alix to her feet, "and I bet you Cat Noir is down there too. We find him, we find Kubdel and the other Lost Ones."

The huntsman nearly fainted. "Super," he croaked.

The shape-shifter smirked at him. "What's the matter, huntsman? Afraid to get dirty?"

Nino flushed. "If you must know, I'm a little nervous when it comes to close spaces."

"Aww," Alya cooed. "Don't worry – I'll protect you."

"That's reassuring."

The shape-shifter rolled her eyes and dusted Alix off and before bending over to face her. "We're going to find your father, Alix," she said. "Just stay with us and you'll be safe, okay?"

Alix nodded. "Do you think... he's still alive down there?" she asked hesitantly.

"I know he is." Alya looked at Nino. "Don't you?"

He gritted his teeth and offered a forced smile. "He's with Cat Noir," he replied. "If anyone's capable of surviving, it's him."

CRASH!

The rusty, iron door broke open with an ear-ringing blast and then clattered noisily along the stones.

Cat Noir flinched, but at least he was free.

Lock picks? Ha! All I needed was a good kick.

The young thief rushed over to Kubdel's cell. "Hold on, buddy – I'll get you out of there."

But the Rossian man was shaking his head and running his hands through his hair. "The stones... the stones will hear... They're watching... Always watching..."

Cat Noir took a step back, took a deep breath, and imagined the door was Hawkmoth.

Then, he kicked.

CLANG! SCREECH!

The old thing snapped off its hinges like a twig and fell to the side.

Grinning, Cat Noir rushed over and rubbed Kubdel's shoulder in a friendly, assuring manner. The man was still trembling badly.

What's wrong with him? Cat Noir thought worriedly. "Come on, Kubdel," he said softly, pulling on his arm. "Let's get out of here. Let's go find Alix."

Just then, Kubdel grasped his arm in an iron grip and locked horrified eyes on him. "No!" he practically screamed in the thief's face. "She knows! She knows!"

Cat Noir tried to squirm free, his green eyes wide with bewilderment.

Then, he watched as Kubdel's blue eyes turned the colour of a dark forest.

Then, the Rossian smiled. Cruelly.

Then, he rose up and heaved the struggling thief up with him.

"Apologises, Your Highness," he said with in a weird, almost-feminine manner, "but I've still got grand plans for both of you."

Cat Noir frowned. He knew those eyes. "Lila."

"Guilty as charged," Kubdel said with a not-so-innocent sigh. "Now then, unless you want to watch your dear old friend here drop dead at your feet, you'll do exactly as I tell you."

The young thief pinched his lips together angrily before stating, "I'm not going to let you get away with this. None of us will."

Kubdel's eyebrows shot up. "Oh? Do you mean your loyal, annoying huntsman?" He giggled so sweetly it was almost nauseating. "Funny you should mention him. He's on his way here right now – just as I planned.

And I was the bait. Cat Noir growled and grabbed Kubdel's shoulder roughly. "If you hurt him...!"

"Ah-ah-ah!" Kubdel cooed with a sneer, those green eyes that weren't his gleaming with sadistic desire. "Careful now. We wouldn't want things to get out of hand, would we?"

Cat Noir breathed through his nose... but he let go of the enchanted Rossian with a grunt. "All right, Lila," the thief grumbled. "What do want with me?"

Kubdel lifted his chin proudly. "There's a special presentation at the grand hall, and you're my guest of honour." He held out his hand. "Shall I have Kubdel escort you there... or should I just crack his mind like an egg and hunt you down myself? In this castle, there's no telling where you'll end up."

Cat Noir glared at him.

Nino, wherever you are, I hope you find us.

He took Kubdel's hand firmly. "Lead the way, Madame Mayor. Or would you prefer Volpina?"

The bewitched man chuckled. "I really don't see the difference," he said as he yanked his reluctant companion out of the cell.

The "hill with stones" Alix had mentioned was unlike anything Nino had ever seen.

Well, it wasn't that he'd never seen the topmost parts of a castle before – he had grown up in one, after all.

He just never saw the topmost parts of a castle at ground level.

Chunks of broken spires stuck out of the earth like twisted candles on a cake. Some of them were miraculously still standing, held together by centuries-worth of vines and weeds. They looked more like rock than stone, having spent so long out in the open elements. Only upon close inspection did Nino actually recognise them as towers.

It still came as quite the conundrum to him. "So... the entire castle sank into the ground?" he asked Alya. "What kind of disaster caused this?"

The shape-shifter shoved her way through a patch of tall grass towards him. Alix never left her side.

"Magic, of the powerful kind," Alya said as she looked over the ruins with a disheartened expression. "Goes to show you what happens when you have too much power and don't keep it restrained."

Nino wondered if Hawkmoth was capable of such a feat. He wished he would never find out.

He turned to Alix. "All right, Alix, now where exactly did you see Volpina and your father?"

The girl pointed sideways. "Over there," she said, "by that weird-looking rock."

Nino and Alya looked where she was pointing.

All these "rocks" looked weird, but this particular one reminded the huntsman of clenched fist, like that of a giant. Maybe it used to be part of a great statue.

The group gathered around the rock, and that's when Nino saw it – a small, metal grate cleverly concealed by vines and grass.

"Alya, over here!"

She and Alix hustled over to Nino as the huntsman tore and lifted the foliage away. The grate was just as old as the towers, but still intact.

Nino smiled up at his companions. "Shall I ring the bell and see who answers?" he asked humorously.

"That would kind of defeat the purpose of sneaking in," Alya pointed out with a smirk.

"Yeah, you're right. And we're outlaws, so what does it matter?" With that, the huntsman lifted the grate door open with an effortless heave.

It was surprisingly not that dark inside. And lo and behold, there was a ladder.

Alya went first, checking for any threats or traps. After a moment, she beckoned Nino and Alix down.

Nino was amazed to find himself standing in a full-length hallway lined with torches. "How long did you say this castle was down here?" he asked.

"Hundreds of years," Alya replied as she took a sniff of Cat Noir's glove again. "The rock and dirt preserved some parts of the structure while the rest got crushed by the pressure. That's my guess, anyway."

Nino suddenly felt claustrophobic. "Let's just find our friends and get out of here before Madame Mayor finds out we're crashing her party," he grumbled. "Which way?"

Alya breathed in, and turned to the left direction. "Follow me."

She led them hastily down the hall, stopping only at other passages or doorways to make sure she was going the right way. Nino followed without question, impressed that she could smell anything through all this earth and rock.

Hang in there, Adrien.

It was only when they came to another pair of tunnels when Alix starting pulling on Nino's sleeve. "Stop!" she whispered. "Listen!"

Nino paused. Alya did the same.

"I don't hear anything," the huntsman said. "Alya?"

She shook her head.

But Alix kept pulling and pointing towards the tunnel on the right. "That's my father's voice!" she exclaimed, her face the picture of joy. "He's down there! He's calling my name!"

Nino froze. Shit. "Alix, listen to me," the huntsman said as he tried to get the frantic girl's attention. "Wherever you think you're hearing, it's not real."

"He's right," Alya insisted. "We have to go left. It's the only way."

But now Alix was wrestling furiously out of Nino's grip. "No! He's there! I can't lose him again! I can't!"

And before the huntsman could get a better hold on her, the Rossian girl stomped on his foot.

"OW!" Nino yelled as he unconsciously let go and staggered back.

Alix vanished into the darkness in the blink of an eye.

"Alix, wait! Come back!" Alya cried, her voice pounding off the walls. "Alix!"

Wincing from the pain in his foot, Nino put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'll go get her. You keep looking for Cat Noir and the others. I'll catch up."

As he approached the mouth of the tunnel, Alya reached out to him and said, "Wait! What if you get lost?"

Nino glanced over his shoulder with a grin. "I can smell you, remember?" He winked at her reaction and then took off into the tunnel.

Behind him, he could have sworn he heard the shape-shifter giggling.

Ignoring his stubbed foot, the huntsman ran on, running his fingers along the wall when torchlight wasn't good enough to see with.

"Alix!" Nino called, pausing to listen for a reply. He heard none.

Then, he came to another pair of tunnels.

Glancing between them, Nino cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted, "Alix!"

The stones seemed to shrink away from his voice.

Then, he heard a faint cry of "Papa!" coming from the left tunnel.

Nino broke into a run and followed the path until at last, he found the pink-haired girl staring at a blank wall with her back turned to him.

Panting, the huntsman strode up to her. He was frustrated with her, but he knew she was acting out of her love for the father she thought was dead.

Then, Alix made soft, wheezy sounds, like she was crying.

Nino sighed and knelt beside her. "It's all right, Alix," he whispered calmly. "It's going to be –"

His next words caught in his throat when the Rossian girl looked up at him.

She wasn't crying – she was giggling.

And those blue eyes of hers were now a dark, eerie shade of green.

"I knew you would follow her, huntsman," Alix said in an adult voice that was definitely not hers. "After all..."

Then she groaned and nearly toppled over Nino, burying her face in her hands.

Then, a new voice behind them finished, "... what brave hero wouldn't try to save a helpless, lonely child?"

Nino snapped around, his face already prepared for an angry stare-down.

Lila sneered at him a few feet away, her hands on her hips and her green eyes flashing with amusement. "Welcome to the Fallen Castle, huntsman," she purred. "You're just in time for all the fun."

"I'm afraid this isn't a courtesy call, Lila," Nino spat, keeping Alix behind him with one hand while reaching for one of his hatchets with the other. "Now what have you done with Cat Noir?"

"Ah, of course – the noble bodyguard coming to rescue his royal liege-lord," Lila mused, snickering at Nino's shocked expression. "Oh, don't give me that. I caught his princely perfume in my house before I even laid eyes on him. Just like I caught your musky odour while you were snooping around in Rossi."

Nino's face fell. "You wanted me to find that glove," he said before glaring at the evil shape-shifter once more. "And you used Alix as bait to lure me here! But... why me?"

And in the back of his mind, he thought about Alya. Was she trapped somewhere as well? Was she running into a trap? The huntsman's blood churned. Had he unwittingly put another person he cared about in mortal danger?

Lila fiddled with her fingernails in a bored manner. "Isn't it obvious? I couldn't have you and your humane behaviour corrupting my former apprentice, now could I?" She grinned wickedly at the huntsman. "Now I can finally get my friend back. Can't say the same for you, unfortunately."

Nino drew both his hatchets in a second.

Lila snapped her fingers in a heartbeat.

Then, the ground let out a sickly groan.

Nino felt the stones leave his feet before he broke through them. Thinking fast, he immediately grabbed onto Alix as they both tumbled into the darkness.

Alix screamed and clung to the huntsman's neck like a sloth, nearly suffocating him.

A breath of a second into their fall, Nino realized he was still holding his hatchets.

With a great effort, he raised them over his head and drove them into the earthy wall in front of him.

Dirt sprayed everywhere, blinding him and filling his mouth. His arms shrieked from the grinding jolt, but he forced himself to hang on.

Finally, he and Alix slid to a stop.

Coughing and spitting out bits of brown, Nino checked to make sure Alix was safe before glancing down into the abyss before them. His lungs shrank when he saw the tips of sharp, stony spikes poking out towards them. He prayed Alix wouldn't look down...

Too late. She did. And now Nino's face was turning blue from the grip she had on his neck.

Keeping a firm hold on his embedded hatchets, Nino looked up at the tiny, golden hole above them.

A tiny face framed by long, brown hair peered down at them and laughed.

"As much as would love to watch you both squirm around like fish on a hook," Lila called down, "I'm afraid I have a long-awaited reunion with my apprentice. Fret not, huntsman – I'll tell Alya and your prince that you said goodbye." She waved down at him and sang, "Goodbye-eye!" Then she burst out cackling and retreated from the hole.

Nino growled, but he didn't have the strength to curse the witch or call her back.

All he could do was hang on and worry about two things: the frightened girl on his back, and the sharp spikes taunting them from below.