Hello! God, I missed this! Feels so good to finally update again! I like that I hoped I could update more frequently this year... But with a bunch of work above my head, I always had to push writing back (that and I'm also an idiot perfectionist...). Which is why I won't say anything else, but let's get to chapter 40!
Silence was a strange thing. In a million different occasions it could mean a million different things. It could be cold and sharp, awkward and thick, even warm and understanding. And many times louder than any voice.
But this time... what did it mean?
They had been walking for quite some time already, and yet neither Varian nor Regina knew how to feel about that silence between them.
Were they good now?
Probably.
And since they were, now what?
Were they supposed to say something?
If yes, what?
Could they go back to bickering? At least they wouldn't have to deal with this silence.
Regina, had thought about starting to complain multiple times. It wasn't like she didn't have anything to work with. They had been walking for what felt like forever, the breaks they were having were far too small (at least to her), they had no light and no indication of wether or not they were going the right way. They could very well be walking in circles for all they knew. So... why wasn't she?
Varian, on the other hand, wasn't sure how he felt about a conversation. After all that happened earlier... they had both silently agreed not to bring up any of it. At least until they were both ready. And that would probably take a while... Funny, though, how most of their agreements were silence-related. And, besides... What was to be said?
"So... Your name is Varian?" She suddenly asked, surprising him (and herself).
"Uhh, yeah. Come to think of it, you never really asked." He replied, rubbing awkwardly the back of his neck, as he remembered that moment from before. When she said his name for the first time.
"I know." She blushed as she spoke and she sounded almost ashamed. However, she regained a stern, proud tone quickly. "But, I had a good reason. It's strictly forbidden from the rules of etiquette of the royal family of Pulcherrima. Learning the name of someone is the first step towards attachment. And attachment to those beneath us, be it subjects, servants, or peasants in general, is undignified and unallowed."
Varian and Rudiger looked at each other with confusion. But upon turning back to her, he noticed a hint of sadness on her face. She also seemed ready to wrap her arms around her again.
"So? What does it feel like knowing a peasant's, or should I say a lowlife's name? Scared you'll get attached?" He said with a surprising (to all) playful voice.
"Ugh! Yeah yeah. Dream on, lowlife! It's not like I asked in the first place." She countered, sounding snobbish but equally playful, and moved forward.
As soon as she did, she heard Varian laugh a little. And unable to hold it, she smiled and let out a small giggle of her own.
Smiling.
Strange. It felt as though it had been ages since that, even if it had been just a few hours. However...
Laughing.
That felt like this too and it might as well be. And it sounded- it felt... kind of nice. But what was all this? First last night and again now, even after all that happened in the morning...
Were they being... frien-
"And what does it mean?" She asked again and she gave him a genuinely curious glance,
"What?" He asked, snapping out of his thoughts, and ran to catch up.
"Your name. What does it mean?"
Well, that was an odd question. "I... I don't know. I'm not sure it means anything."
"Nonsense! Every name has a meaning. Take mine for example. It means 'queen' in latin! A name fitting for my greatness!" She said, again not missing the chance to gloat, as the young alchemist rolled his eyes. But it wasn't long before her tone changed again. "Either way, though it's not like mine... I think it's a nice name."
And there was that smile again, this time with a blush on his face. "...Thank you."
"When we get out of here, we have to look into that." She said, after momentarily returning the smile.
"Uh, why?"
"What do you mean 'why'? Aren't you curious?"
"About what my name means?" They exchanged questions in a shared confusion. "...Not really. But, why are you? I thought you didn't want to know."
Regina looked away for a moment, as confusion changed to a realization and then to something unreadable. However she immediatelly lit up as-
"Finally!" As they reached a wall.
All they had to do now was climb up. Simple. Right?
"No, I don't think this will work" Varian said, shaking his head.
"Why are you saying that?" Regina asked, holding the rope he had used to keep together the chemichals for his staff.
"I think it's ready."
Regina immediately ran up to him, looking with interest at the concotion in the vial (not that she had been stealing looks at him (again)...). "So... will we try it?"
"I can't move! I CAN'T MOVE!" She kept screaming, her hands and feet stuck on the wall with the aformentioned concotion.
"And I told you! Don't stay still for too long! Now please be quiet! We're working on it!" The young alchemist called back at her, also stuck not too far from her and the ground, before turning to Rudiger, who was trying to make a neutralizing part. "All right buddy, now stir. Be careful not to spil it."
Three hours later...
"Careful! Don't put your foot there!" Varian called out at Regina, but-
"AAAAHH!"
He quickly jumped off and caught her (or rather made sure she landed on him) before she could hit the ground. Thankfully they hadn't gotten more than a meter off the ground (and Rudiger jumped off his shoulders before she landed on him).
"Ugh! I'm SICK of this! This isn't working!" She groaned, standing up.
"Yeah... I think you're right..." He agreed from his position on the ground, while Rudiger gave a slow, done nod.
"Of course I am, but that's not the point! How are we gonna get out of here?!"
"I don't know... We could try yelling. Someone passing by could hear us." He suggested, standing up.
"Ugh! And I thought you were smart... Who's gonna hear us here?! We're literaly in the middle of nowhere!"
"We've already tried pretty much everything else. Do you have any better idea?"
"You can try to modi-..." Her eyes widened a bit and her face turned slightly red, as she stopped herself, but made sure to quickly carry on. "Do the sticky thing from before, right?"
"I don't have enough materials and, even if did, there's only one stick bomb left."
"You could always carry me..."
"Seriously now?"
"Why?"
Varian effectively ended the conversation with a deadpan look, to which she responded with a groan and a conceding 'I'll handle it.', before clearing her throat. Already realizing what was coming, he and Rudiger covered their ears, just as-
"HEEEEYY! CAN YOU HEAR ME?! I KNOW YOU CAN! I AM A GLORIOUS PRINCESS TRAPPED DOWN THIS FORSAKEN PIT WITH A LOWLIFE AND A RACCOON FOR TWO DAYS NOW AND I WILL KEEP SCREAMING UNTIL WE GET OUT. SO UNLESS YOU WANT TO KEEP HEARING ME SCREAMING TO THE EDGE OF YOUR NIGHTMARES, HELP US GET OUT OF HERE SOME TIME THIS CENTURY OR SO HEEEEELP MEEEEE!"
Some birds flew away as she finished. But it didn't seem like anyone else heard her. Until not much later a rope slid down for them to climb. Without any other sound or voice from above.
"Well... that was easy. So we're climbing up now?" Regina said eyeing it nervously.
"...I guess." Varian replied, not any more confidently than her. But, as an also wary Rudiger climbed across his shoulders, he started climbing nonetheless. Regina, however, didn't follow. "What's wrong? Why aren't you climbing?" He asked, giving her a concerned look.
"I... I just waited to see if the rope can hold us. Well... it can hold you all right." She forced a smile as she spoke and her face flushed, knowing full well how unconvincing and stupid she sounded.
To save herself from even more embarassment, she grabbed on and began climbing as well, her eyes fixed on the young alchemist's movements.
And we end here. Chapter 41 is already in the works, so... actually nevermind. I don't want to jinx it. See you later everyone! Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please stay safe and healthy (and leave a review). :)