Hello everyone! Well, that update was a lot more late than expected. But then again, it's better late than never, right? Wow, though, story's reached 30 chapters... I'm so happyyyy :) :)! Now, I could stay here and squeal about it all day, but I believe we need to get to that chapter at some point. So, without further ado, let's go!
Varian was standing frozen in front of the pillar, staring with eyes wide at the giant image painted on it, while everything else seemed to fade.
The image was depicting a tall, black creature that looked like it had come straight out of a nightmare. Instead of feet, there were tentacles on the lower part of its hulking body. Sharp fangs were coming out of its mouth and two curled horns were sticking out its head, while its all-yellow eyes were filled with a twisted pride, like a satisfied predator moments before it devoured its prey. Its arms were wide open and imprisoned in its long, claw-like fingers were two spheres, one in each hand. The one inside the right hand had an orange and yellow symbol of a sun, while the one inside the left hand a light blue symbol of a crescent moon.
Looking at it, Varian felt overwhelmed by a torn uneasiness. Because on the one hand, the creature was plain unnerving to look at. But on the other, he felt as though he knew it, and this uneasiness it was causing him wasn't new, at least not entirely. It felt like he was reliving the moment he first saw Gothel, but somehow different. However, he didn't know what that difference was. Perhaps that was why he couldn't look away from that image. Because he was trying to find out what exactly was that difference.
And more importantly... because he was trying to remember that creature...
At the same time, slowly (almost on its own) his hand was moving to hold the sword. But a moment before he could touch its grip-
"Hey! Hey, what are you doing?!" The princess shook him back into reality.
"Wh- what...?!" He stammered woozily.
"Don't you 'what' me! We have to escape this place at some point and you just run off like that?! And to think you lectured me before for that very reason!" She snapped, while a nervous Rudiger caught up to them. "What are you even looking a-AAAAHH!" Upon seeing what he had been staring at she shrieked and hid along with the raccoon behind him. "What IS that?!"
Varian's face filled with disapointment. "So, you don't know what... or who that is?"
"Uh... no? Why? Should I?... Do you?" She felt her stomach drop as the last question escaped her lips.
The young alchemist looked back at the image, his expression tense with discomfort. "I'm not sure. I know I've never seen, let alone met that creature. But when I look at it, I have this strange feeling. Like something inside me just... knows it."
"So, you're basically saying that you remember... something you don't remember?" She asked, barely undesrtanding.
"Probably yes. If that makes any sense..." He replied, just as confused. Which it doesn't.
However, he wasn't the only one who felt like he had seen that creature before.
Rudiger started chittering loudly at the other two and scampered towards the way they came from. But quickly stopped to wait for them to follow him.
"I never thought I'd say that, but I think that your raccoon is right. We'd better get going now. We'll worry about this later." the princess said and Varian gave her a small nod, before they went to Rudiger.
But just as they reached close to the chamber's exit, Varian felt that warm breeze again push him gently to look behind him, while a small voice whispered inside it:
"Please...".
He paused for a moment, but quickly started walking again, after giving a conflicted glance at the pillar. However, all of a sudden the warm wind blew again, and this time it was strong enough to throw him on the ground.
Rudiger and the princess immediatelly turned to him, the first worried, the second annoyed.
"Seriously? What now?" the princess groaned.
" I... just got shoved by a wind. Again." He answered with a thinking expression as he stood up, earning looks of alarm from her and his friend.
"Then why are we still here?! Let's go!" She called out and grabbed Varian's upper arm, but he immediatelly pulled away.
"No, wait! It-it's not the same as before!"
"What?" The alarm on her face was suddenly replaced by confusion.
"The wind that pushed us before was cold. But the one that pushed me now was warm." He explained.
"Warm? Like the..."
"Yes. The one that protected us." He finished and right on cue, that wind blew again, whispering again the word 'Please'.
The trio looked around, but for once again, they saw nothing but black (Rudiger included).
"And... what could it want from us?" Regina asked, skeptical more than anything.
" I think it... or perhaps the one creating it, wants help." The young alchemist answered, much to the surprise of the princess and the critter.
"Help?" She asked and he nodded at her.
"Before we ran down here, Rudiger and I felt a breeze and heard someone call for help. And just now, we heard it again, saying 'Please'. Maybe it's someone that's trapped here like us."
The princess seemed to be getting convinced, when her face turned pale abruptly. "Wait a minute...! If it is as you say, and whoever sent that warm wind is someone trapped who needs help and stuff... What if the one creating the first wind was that creature on the pillar...?!"
...
A chilly gust blew around them softly all of a sudden as if it was circling them. And mixed with it, was a laughter-like sound.
...Heh... Someone called...?
Varian immediatelly grabbed a stickbomb from his satchel, looking around anxiously, but he tried to suppress his fear.
Something that Regina obviously didn't, since she grabbed on to his upper arm again.
And Rudiger remained by his friend's side, also looking around for anything glowing.
"Hmm... Why are you so tense now, dears...?" The voice whispered, its tone almost gentle. "There's nothing to be afraid of. Really."
"You mean other than you?" Varian spat, putting on a brave face.
"Oh... Now that's pretty hurtful, wouldn't you say? Haven't your parents taught you any manners, young man?"
Heearing those words, the young alchemist gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the stickbomb, part of him thinking to reach for the sword. "They have. But they have also taught me to save my manners for those who deserve them!"
"My, my, you keep being hurtful..." Its tone was getting darker with every word. "But you know what?"
"Agh!" Varian suddenly felt a strong invisible punch in his gut and dropped to his knees, letting go of the stickbomb to clutch it.
The princess kneeled beside him, shocked and unsure of what to do next. She just touched his arm, looking at him with worry.
Rudiger had turned to him too, placing his front paws on his lap, face full of concern. But he quickly looked around again, growling.
"I can be hurtful too." The voice sneered with a smile echoing inside it.
Varian slowly raised his head with an angry look.
"Now will you behave like a good boy? Or will I have to keep being hurtful to all of you?" It questioned, as the wind that was circling them started raging and tightening around them, leaving them less and less space with every second. "The choice is yours." It hissed and the wind abruptly engulfed them completely, hitting them rapidly, coldly, mercilessly.
The trio kept trying to escape, but there was hardly any space anymore. Soon they couldn't even see each other, because the wind had wrapped around each of them.
"ENOUGH! S-stop!" Varian called out, but he didn't receive any respone. "STOP IT! PLEASE!"
Varian woke up.
From his place on the small bed he was lying on, he took a look around. An empty room, that was lighted dimly by a small torch hanging on the wall on his right. Right under the torch, his staff, satchel and sword. And carved on severalparts of the walls were those strange scribbles. He sat up, rubbing his eyes, as he tried to understand what had happened.
He remembered that voice... that wind trapping him and the others-
Where were the others?
Without a second thought, the young alchemist stood up, grabbed his stuff and rushed outside.
"Rudiger! Princess!" He called out, finding himself in a large empty space, with a big tree with gnarly branches standing tall in the middle. It almost looked like a smaller version of the tree the entered. "Hello?" He called out again.
"Hello, dear." A voice replied. A voice he wasn't sure he recognised.
And there it is. The last chapter of the year. Hope you guys like it! I wish you all a merry (late) Christmas, and a very happy new year (and a happy new decade)! I'll see you in 2020! Bye for now! Please leave a review :)