I had to listen to "Ready As I'll Ever Be" on a loop for an hour and a half just to get into Varian's head for this chapter. That's what I get for writing someone who's smarter than me.
This chapter was a disaster to write, and it took about four rewrites and polishes to get it correct. Enjoy.
Trigger warnings: Panicking, piranhas, warfare a la Varian
His breaths came in short gasps as he tore through the woods, trying to see through the darkness and the tears. It didn't help that one entire eye was useless. He yelped as a branch struck the right side of his face.
The moon lit his way as he emerged into a clearing. He stopped for a moment to gain his bearings. Judging from the way the caravan had been facing, off towards the west, going east was his best choice. Old Corona couldn't be that far away, could it? Maybe a few weeks? If it was any longer, he'd have to get a new plan. He didn't know how long he could hide from these people, especially if the bearcats or the warriors were good trackers. And Eugene—the rotten traitor—definitely was, given his history as the infamous Flynn Rider.
He put a hand over his mouth to stifle a cough. His chest ached like crazy; him being sick was at least one thing Hector hadn't lied about. Listening back the way he had come, he heard nothing. Maybe they hadn't noticed him gone yet, but it wouldn't be long. Hector was too watchful. The best Varian could do was get as much distance between them as possible and find a place to hide. Taking exactly 2.4 seconds to rest, he started running again.
Why had he been foolish enough to trust Eugene? Of course they were all on the same side! He'd been deceived by their supposed "truce" and the fact that Hector and Adira didn't seem to like the others. Why had he taken that to mean the others were any better?
Their lies, of which he'd kept a growing list, had been too obvious to ignore, yet he had anyways. Why? Because of some sense of friendship with a man who read the same books? Because a princess seemed to have faith in his talents? He'd seen the way they looked at him. They didn't trust him. At times, they almost looked afraid of him. Why? Had his explosion scared them that much? Why had they brought him, then?
It had all been too much. He couldn't take listening to their lies and waiting to see what they did to him with that serum. He had to get away before it was finished. In hopes that maybe he was wrong, he'd given Eugene one last test—asking him to keep watch on Hector—and the man had betrayed him. Told Hector exactly what Varian had said.
That's when he'd run.
He brushed tears out of his eyes as he ran. There was no doubting it now; they were all in league with each other. And all of them wanted something from him. The only person whose arms he could flee to for safety was his dad; thus, his desperate need to get to Old Corona as soon as possible. Quirin would fix this. He always did.
O‴O‴O‴
"VARIAN!" Hector's sword slashed through the branches in front of him as he ran. "Varian, talk to me! Where are you?"
How had he been so stupid? He'd seen the way Varian looked at him. He didn't trust him. Why, in the name of all that was good and holy, had he taken his eyes off the kid? Why had he turned his back and let him have a chance to run? Again?
He tried to still his panicking mind. There were no Coronan guards around this time—unless he counted the handmaiden—so they didn't have to worry about him getting snatched up like the last time he'd run away. All they had to do was find him and—what? What were they supposed to do then? There was no way Varian would listen to anything they said after this. And they still had a few hours before the cure was ready.
Guards or no, though, this was Westrabbit Woods. There was an abundance of wild creatures that would easily snatch up a small child. Boars, wolves, the occasional bear, any number of threats that would steal the boy away in the night and leave no trace for the hunters to find. Hector shoved the unpleasant thought from his mind and kept searching.
The princess and her friends had spread out as well, calling for Varian. Hector had ordered Kubwa to stay with the caravan in case the boy circled around. Kiki and Riki were sniffing around for a scent, but Varian was clever; they'd lost the trail at a creek, and the bearcats had split, one going upstream and one going downstream. Ruddiger sat on Hector's shoulder, whining softly.
Hector felt bad for the rat. Last time Varian had run, he had taken Ruddiger with him; this time, even the raccoon was viewed with skepticism and fear—a potential spy, a danger, in league with Hector. The warrior had found the raccoon still asleep on Varian's pallet, as the kid moved like a ghost. But without Ruddiger, that meant he was all alone out there somewhere.
A cry from Artemis changed his direction. She swooped overhead, dropping low before climbing back above the trees and moving to the right. He followed her as she swung in a circle, crossing the creek again. Varian was headed back the way they had come, or close to it. Clever kid, crossing the stream to make the bearcats lose his scent. Hector whistled for Kiki to follow him and Riki back upstream.
Varian was good, he had to admit. But he'd forgotten all the training he'd gotten from Hector, so following his trail wasn't too hard. An indented patch of grass, a wet footprint on a rock, a scrap of fabric on a thorn bush. The trail twisted and turned, as Varian had tried everything he could think of to throw his pursuers. It wasn't enough, though, and Hector was gaining on him.
He emerged into a clearing in time to see Varian dart around the edge of a wooden structure. In surprise, he realized that this was the very same place where his nephew had woken up with no memory. Following the boy, he called, "Varian! Look, I'm not going to hurt you. Just talk to me, huh?" At the edge of the clearing, the others appeared, apparently led here by the handmaid's bird. At his motions, they split up and circled the clearing.
"Varian?" Adira pleaded. "Just come out! You're safe."
The sound of shuffling came from behind the apothecary cart. A small figure started to step out, something clenched tightly in his hands. Hector took a step forward but stopped at a cry from Lance.
"Look out!"
He dove aside as Varian threw the item. It exploded next to him in a shower of green sparks.
O‴O‴O‴
Varian wasn't stupid. He knew he would never outrun his pursuers. And outsmarting them was probably out of the question as well, given that most of them looked to be experienced hunters. And fighting them was the quickest way to get killed. That left him with no good options and no plan. The only way he could get away was to fight them on his terms. And for that, he needed alchemy.
Thus, the apothecary cart. Maybe there was something in there he could use. If he could sneak back past the others, he could find chemicals or compounds that could give him an advantage.
He waited until they were far enough away from the caravan that his pursuers would be slightly spread apart from each other. Then he found a creek, ran upstream, and started back the way he had come. He reached the clearing and dove behind the cart right as Hector stepped into his line of sight. The others weren't far behind, and they started circling the clearing.
Varian rooted through the cart. There had to be something here he could use! Most of the contents were just weird potions. Instant snow, hair dye, other useless junk. A drawer near the top revealed what he needed. Raw chemicals.
It took mere seconds to whip up what he needed. Ideally, he'd have more of a selection to work with, but he could make do. He shoved the vials in his pockets as he worked. Lance started to come closer, now in sight around the corner but still at a distance Varian didn't think he could hit him at. He looked around the other corner. Hector was getting closer. Grabbing one of his vials, he threw it just as Lance screamed for Hector to look out.
The man dove aside, and Varian immediately whipped around and threw a second one at Lance as he charged forward. His aim was off just slightly, and the bomb exploded on the man's left foot, pink goo gluing him to the ground. He took off running again, past the trapped man, tossing more bombs at the others who rushed him. A stun bomb struck the ground near Rapunzel and Eugene, and they stopped short. Before he could deal with Cassandra, though, she reached him and grabbed his arm.
An unusual flash of panic struck him, and he kicked her ankle. He felt mildly guilty—she did have a broken arm, after all—but he shoved the feeling down and ran. Behind him, he heard a growl of rage. Expecting it to be Hector mad at him, he was surprised to hear the man yell, "I told you not to touch him!"
Adira leaped into his path, and he threw another stun bomb at her. It exploded against her arm, knocking her to the ground. He leaped over her and kept running, ignoring the sound of her calling for him to wait. Then he disappeared into the trees again.
Time to get to work.
O‴O‴O‴
The pursuers, minus Lance, were quick to follow Varian. "Right," Hector growled to Fitzherbert as they ran. "You know more about his alchemy than I do. What do we need to know?"
"You're asking me?" he responded in surprise. "I dunno, don't get hit with it? The pink stuff glues you in place, and I've never seen that stun bomb thing before. My ears are still ringing." It had only stopped him and the princess for a few seconds, and Adira hadn't been affected at all, but a solid hit with one could give Varian a chance to disappear again. "Oh, and he might be able to make fog. I don't know what he's got with him."
"Remember, we're dealing with a strategist," Rapunzel added from off to his other side. "He manipulated all of us the day of the fight. He knows what we'll do before we even know, and he plans for it."
Hector bit back a snarky comment and responded, "Fine. Then let's do something he won't anticipate."
"Like what?"
He stopped running. "Varian's scared because we're chasing him. So let's stop."
"But then he'll disappear," Adira reminded him.
"Nope. Varian's curious. If there's even a slight chance the potion we made can cure him, he'll try to get it. So we go back, pretend we don't care if he runs." On his shoulder, the raccoon chittered unhappily at the plan.
Cassandra huffed. "What if you're wrong? It's not the first time someone thought they could outsmart the brat and ended up looking like an idiot. What if he takes off and gets eaten or something?"
"Would you care?"
"You would."
Hector glared at her. "Unlike the rest of you, I actually took time to get to know my nephew. If there's one thing he wants, it's answers. Of course, right now he wants to get back to his dad even more. Only one problem; his dad's dead. But he doesn't know that. And the best way he can get away from us and get to Old Corona is for him to know what exactly's going on. And that means getting the cure. Besides, I'll have Artemis keep an eye on him. He'll be fine." He turned to go back to the caravan then stopped as a thought struck him. "By the way, when he comes, no one touches him. You can try to head him off, but only me or Adira touches him, 'kay?"
"If he's going to come for the cure," Adira asked, "and we want him to take it, why do we have to catch him?"
"Because it's not ready yet, and if he takes it too early, he won't remember anything. We need to catch him and convince him to wait there with us."
"Fair enough."
The others followed him back to the caravan. Owl and Artemis took to the skies. Rapunzel left to see if she could free Lance, telling Eugene to stay and see if he could get through to Varian. Doubtful. Hector hopped up onto the roof and stretched out. They probably had a few minutes before Varian got there. Maybe he could catch a nap, because Heaven knows catching a kid wasn't working. Not yet, at least. Should he put a ham sandwich and some hot cocoa by the fire?
The time passed slowly, agonizingly so. He hadn't been this impatient since his first overnight mission decades ago. Being without Varian was getting to him. He was so used to the kid's presence that to be away from him now felt wrong. How long had it been? An hour? Two?
Varian was coming, wasn't he?
He sighed as Adira hopped up to join him. "Yes, sister?"
She laid down next to him and took his hand. He glanced over at her in surprise. "We'll find him," she said softly. "And I wanted to say sorry. I was supposed to be watching him. I let both of you down."
"Not your fault. You didn't steal his memories."
"I should have stopped this. I'm sorry."
He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "When we get him back, you can tell him."
"What do you think this is going to do to him?"
"I… don't know. Whatever it does, we'll get him through it. We're his family. It's our job." Strange to think of their family as being three people now instead of two. Adira had always been his sister, but Varian had been his immediate family for six months. It was nice having her back, and even nicer that she cared about their nephew.
A scream came from off to one side. Hector gasped and threw himself from the roof, preparing to charge into the woods, but a hand grabbed his arm. He whirled around to see Fitzherbert next to him.
"Don't," the man warned. "I think it's a trap."
"Oh, really? Because to me, it sounds like a kid screaming!"
Fitzherbert shook his head. "He wants you to think he's in danger. This is just like Flynn Rider and the Emperor's Gambit. He screams to draw you off in one direction, but he circles around and comes in from the other side. Trust me. I've used it myself."
Hector stuck his sword at the man's throat. "Trust you? No thanks. I'd rather not end up under house arrest waiting on someone who isn't coming. You think it's a trap, stay here. I'll go get him myself. Adira, stay here in case he does come back." With that, he turned and stormed off.
He reached the edge of the woods and tore in with no hesitation. Two minutes, three minutes... How far away had the noise come from? Varian could be in severe danger. He could be facing up against a wild creature, and he didn't have any weapons—although he did have his alchemy again, as strange as that was—
Or he could be back at the clearing already, judging by the sounds of screaming now coming from that direction and Artemis's call above him. Crap. If Fitzherbert was right, he'd never hear the end of it. The bird couldn't have warned him a minute earlier? And yeesh, did the kid move fast!
He shot back the way he had come, stopping to stare for a second at the sight of Adira, Fitzherbert, the handmaid, Kubwa, and both of the bearcats glued to the ground. Max and Fidella were both unconscious. The caravan was split in half, and both sides were lying on the ground. Ruddiger sat on a log, free but chittering angrily at the child, who was holding a vial—how many of those did he have?—full of the potion.
Varian gasped as he looked up. Hector started forward but was brought to an abrupt stop as a rope tightened around his ankle and yanked him off his feet. He gave an undignified yelp and sliced the rope, dropping back down to the ground and landing in a crouch. Varian's eyes widened in fear, and Hector quickly sheathed the blade.
"Varian, please talk to me! We can figure this out."
"No!" He prepared to throw one of the bombs. "I can't trust you. You're a liar!"
"Varian—"
A sharp gasp caused both of them to look to the princess, who had just arrived at the clearing. Varian's brow furrowed, and he backed up, staring between the two uncertainly. He reached towards his pocket only to stop in horror.
This was his last bomb, then.
And he had a choice to make.
Much to Hector's surprise, he turned to throw the concoction at the princess. But he had made a small miscalculation—forgetting about his bad side—and as he stepped to the right, he tripped over the old man, who had fallen asleep near the fire. Had he been conscious for any of this? Hector couldn't remember seeing him. The bomb flew from Varian's hand and shattered uselessly against the ground.
"No!" The boy scrambled to his feet and started running again. Ruddiger scampered after him.
Hector immediately regretted making him work cardio. He ran after the kid, the princess following them. He'd tolerate her presence for now if she helped him get his kid back.
"What's the plan?" she asked.
"Not a clue. I've never seen him like this."
"Really?"
He spared a glare in her direction. "You really think he's the same kid he was when you knew him? This is a whole different Varian from who I know. You're more used to this side of him." He slowed his pace to let her keep up.
"Okay. So he clearly knew we'd go back to the caravan, and he was ready for that. But he's out of alchemy now. He probably won't go back to the cart since he knows we know he's out. My guess is he'll set traps for us."
"Does he have time?"
"He's surprisingly good at this. Last time, he only had a few days, and he built an army of automatons—There!" She pointed to where a tiny figure darted through the woods. "If we can get to an open space, I can use my hair to lasso him!"
Hector gritted his teeth but nodded. It was, unfortunately, a better alternative than just chasing him like this. They kept running after the boy, getting closer and closer…
"Now!"
At Hector's order, the princess yanked her hair out of its beaded bands and threw it at Varian. It snagged him around the waist, jerking him to a stop. He turned to them in a panic.
Then a cold smile crossed his face.
Crap.
He charged straight back towards them, turning off a few yards away to scramble into a nearby tree. He disappeared into the branches, taking the makeshift rope with him. The princess yelped and tried to tug herself free as Varian dropped to the ground, gave a mock bow, and kept running.
"Go get him!" the blonde exclaimed. "I'll deal with this!"
He handed her a knife. "In case of wild animals," he growled. "And I'll want that back."
She nodded, and he kept going. Varian was good, he had to give him that. Using their strengths against them. The princess's hair, his own determination to go after him and leave the caravan… he didn't know what had happened back in the clearing when he left, but it hadn't been good for the others. His fellow hunters were falling around him, and he was almost afraid to see what the clever kid had come up with for him. That snare back at the campsite wasn't his only plan, that was for certain.
O‴O‴O‴
The thrill of solving a problem was better than any food or drink, if Varian was being honest. That feeling of getting an answer, of setting one's mind to work and not stopping until achieving a goal often kept him up at night, more important than sleep. It fueled him now, keeping him wide awake, making him forget his terror as his plans fell into place one by one.
Of course the serum was a trap, but he didn't care. He knew they'd be waiting for them, but he did need that cure (if it was actually a cure). It was the only way he'd get out of here and back to Old Corona, especially since he had no idea where "here" was. And knowing they knew he needed it, he'd taken the time to set some traps.
Ideally, he'd have gone back to the apothecary cart to get more alchemy, but the other man was still there, and he'd yell for the others before Varian could shut him up. He'd have to make do without it. He readied the vines he'd brought with him and slipped up into a tree at the edge of the clearing. He'd learned to use traps and snares back in Old Corona; and, while he preferred to use his alchemical traps since they were more humane, he'd picked up on what Quirin had taught him and memorized it. The traps for later were already prepared out in the forest.
He used his cloak to sound further away than he was and gave a pained scream into the fabric. Hector, naturally, shot up and started to run after him, but Eugene put a hand on his arm and warned him that it was a trick. Hector didn't listen, however, and took off in the direction he'd heard the scream from. As soon as he was gone, Varian set the snare for him. The fake Flynn Rider was watching and waiting for an attack on the other side of the clearing, convinced he was using the ploy from The Emperor's Gambit.
Ready for this, Varian ran around the clearing and readied his traps. Then he slipped under the cover of darkness back to the caravan on the opposite side to which Cassandra and Eugene were waiting. He slipped under the caravan and examined his opponents. The old man was asleep on the ground—no surprise there. The horses and the bearcats patrolled the edge of the clearing, and the rhino stood watch near the fire. The bird was off searching the skies, unaware of his closeness to the clearing.
The raccoon sat nearby. He hissed softly, and the creature turned to look. His eyes widened in surprise, and he scampered over at Varian's motions and slid under the caravan with him. "You're on my side, right?" Varian asked softly. The raccoon nodded and slid under his arm. Varian smiled. "Okay. Here's what we need to do."
He whispered the plan to the raccoon, who grinned ferally. Ruddiger took an empty vial and started for the cauldron over the fire. Crouching low near the flames, he suddenly reared up with a snarl, his shadow looming on a rock behind him. The bearcats roared and charged toward the rock, stepping into the looped vines Varian had prepared. The vines tightened, the snare flinging the binturongs over the rock and close to the edge of the woods. Varian slid out from under the caravan and threw two of the goo bombs, retreating back into his hiding place.
Ruddiger hopped on top of the rhino and hung from the saddle, dipping the vial into the cauldron and putting a stopper on the top. He jumped back off as the creature snorted and tossed angrily. Ruddiger darted back for the caravan but was swooped up by Eugene.
"What the hair?" the man grumbled. "Ruddiger, what—" he stopped as he saw the vial. "The cure? You… you're with Varian! You know he can't have it yet."
Varian glared and threw one of his bombs out from under the caravan. It rolled to a stop at the man's feet, and Ruddiger threw a rock he had picked up onto it. It shattered and sealed the man's feet down. Ruddiger dropped to the ground and ran back to Varian, who rolled out from his hiding place and snatched both the raccoon and the cure. He ran back for the edge of the woods as the two lady warriors charged him.
He smirked. "So which of you has the honor of capturing me?"
They encircled him, the horses and rhino keeping watch from a distance. "This isn't about honor," Adira said. "This is about helping you. If you'll hear us out, we can explain."
Varian nodded. "Makes sense." He turned to Cassandra and offered his wrists. "Do you want to bind me, m'lady? So I don't run again? And, of course, that also means you get the right to tell Hector you caught me."
Cassandra stepped forward, but Adira snarled, "Touch him and I'll make sure you never touch anything again."
Varian raised an eyebrow. "You're going to let her talk to you like that?"
Cassandra glared at Adira. "Okay, first of all, we're trying to get him to stay, remember? And if you're not going to keep him here, I will."
"You know the rules. No one but me or Hector touches him. And we don't have to tie him up. We're going to talk to him."
"Yeah, see, unless you tie me up, I'm not staying," Varian informed them. "So either do it or let me go."
"Fine." Cassandra took another step forward, and Adira growled.
"Varian, whatever you're worried about, I'm sure we can talk this over," she said. "And if Short Hair tries to tie you up, I'll kill her. Simple. We're not your enemies. Well, I'm not."
"Then she is?" He pointed to Cassandra. The lady started to speak, but Varian moved before she could and threw Ruddiger at the horses. The raccoon landed on Maximus, who reared in surprise and slammed into Fidella. Cassandra charged forward, and Varian darted around the edge of the fire and back towards the caravan, tossing three goo bombs at the rhino. A knockout potion would be better, but he didn't know if the ones he had were a heavy enough concentration to take out a creature that size. He dove underneath and slid out on the other side as the woman came around the corner. He jumped to his feet and ran along the side, smirking as her foot caught in one of his traps. The vine attached to the lever pulled taut, splitting the caravan in half, as she tripped and fell. Thankfully, she landed on her good arm. A goo bomb took her out of the fight. While she was down, Varian snatched a stick and ran back around her, shoving his makeshift lever in between the two halves of the caravan and forcing them apart. The caravan tumbled to the ground with a deafening crash as the contents inside were tossed about.
Adira leaped on top of one half. "Listen to me, Varian," she said, just a hint of frustration creeping into her voice. Not like she got with Cassandra. "It's okay to be scared, but you're only putting yourself in more danger like this."
Varian growled and darted out from behind the fallen caravan. If Ruddiger had done his part, she was his last obstacle until Hector and Rapunzel got back.
Both of them winced as Maximus tried to shake Ruddiger off and faceplanted into a rock. That wasn't part of the plan; the raccoon was supposed to lead him into a trap. Fidella charged at him, and Ruddiger screeched and bolted across the clearing. He hopped onto the back of the rhino, who snorted angrily and thrashed to try to throw him off—unsuccessfully, of course; Varian did take a small measure of pride in his alchemical prowess. Fidella circled the rhino, trying to find a way to get to her opponent.
Varian coughed, his tiny frame shuddering under the stress. He dropped to his knees and hunched his shoulders. Adira hopped off the caravan to land next to him. She knelt by his side and started to reach out a hand, but he grabbed her arm and forced her hand to the ground, smashing another vial on her wrist. She yelped as he smirked and stood. "Varian, you get this off me right now, young man!"
"Or what? No offense, Ms. Adira, but you don't exactly have anything to threaten me with right now. You need me alive." Across the clearing, Ruddiger had succeeded in leading Fidella into yet another trap. The knockout serum he'd rigged did its work, and the horse fell to the ground.
"Kid," Eugene called from his own trap. "Why on earth do you think we're out to get you?"
"I don't know, maybe because all of you have been lying to me? And you're really bad at it, by the way. Are we going to the Dark Kingdom or Old Corona? And I never would have given up alchemy. And Dad would have told me about Hector and Adira, especially if they're my guardians for the trip. But they didn't even speak to him. The only conclusion I can come to is that everyone's lying and that I'm being used."
"Literally all of this was just to help you! Don't you want your memory back?"
"Oh, I do," he assured him. "And I'll get them. On my own terms."
"The potion's not ready!"
"Serum. And I'm not waiting around with you freaks for however long it takes." He turned to go, ignoring the repeated pleas from Adira and Eugene that it was too dangerous out there and the threats from Cassandra proving it was dangerous here. He checked to make sure the cure was safely in his pocket. It hadn't been shattered in all of the scrambling around, thank goodness.
Ruddiger, now sitting on a log by the fire and looking rather smug at having dealt with two horses, chittered at Varian. He made a drinking motion and pointed to the cure. Varian shook his head. "I can't yet. Not here; it's not safe. And I need to get this back over a fire for a bit."
The raccoon hopped up and down, chattering incessantly. Varian glared. "Are you coming with me or not?"
Ruddiger motioned to the war zone that was formerly a campsite and pointed at the serum again. Clearly he wanted Varian to go ahead and drink it so he'd remember who these people actually were. Well, he would have to be disappointed. Eugene had been right about the timing of the cure; taking it now would do no good. He had to get away, and he had to get somewhere where he could make a fire.
Noise at the edge of the clearing sent him spinning around to see Hector watching him. He'd expected him about half a minute earlier, honestly. The man took a step forward and caught his foot in the snare Varian had placed for him. It yanked him off his feet, almost causing him to hit his head on the ground. Varian had estimated his height and weight to make the trap safer. He didn't trust any of these people, but he didn't want to hurt them.
A flash of metal gleamed in the moonlight as Hector sliced the vine and dropped lithely to the ground.
O‴O‴O‴
Past the aching in his chest, Varian was distantly aware that the rest of him was fine. He had never been coordinated or athletic, but somehow running through the woods in the middle of the night wasn't bothering him all that much. His aim had also been surprisingly good, even with a bad eye. And there was the muscle definition that appeared to have been built through combat instead of just the usual carrying boxes and hammering metal he typically did. How long had he been like this? Had Hector or one of the other warriors been teaching him? Why was he training to fight? He wasn't a soldier! He was a scientist!
Whatever the reason, he was grateful for it now. He jumped over a rock he most certainly would have tripped over without his new skills. Past the creek, around a fallen tree… He'd expected Hector would be the last to fall, and he'd need all of his talents, both physical and mental, to take him down. He'd never faced an opponent like him, except maybe Adira.
As far as he knew, he'd never faced an opponent, period.
The trap loomed ahead of him. This had been his most complex and had taken a good while to put together. Almost there, almost…
He ducked under a vine tied between two trees, hearing Hector slice through it behind him. The tree branch he'd strung with it swung back at the man, and the knockout potion tied to the branch—his last one, unfortunately—hit the man in the chest. Hector covered his mouth and nose and cut the branch, stepping into the clearing where Varian and Ruddiger were waiting. He brushed flecks of glass off himself and faced them.
Varian picked up a stick and readied it in a staff-fighting stance. Hector raised a brow. "I'm not here to fight you, kid," he said. "Can we talk?"
"No." Varian yanked the stick. The vine attached to it triggered a boulder, which landed on a makeshift catapult, which launched a smaller rock across the clearing. It struck a stick propping up a small downed tree, which fell across a rope strung underneath it, which triggered another rock hidden in the branches of a tree, which fell and triggered the net directly underneath Hector's feet.
Varian watched his trap work with pride. Was it unnecessarily complex? Maybe. Had it distracted Hector? Yep. The man twisted and struggled to escape the tangled vines, and Varian darted underneath him, prepared to grab the retractable sword. Hector moved quicker, though, severing the bonds with a dagger. He dropped to the ground and snagged Varian's arm.
Varian instinctively grabbed the man, flipping him and breaking his hold. He jumped back and shifted into a fighter's stance. Hector stared up at him.
"How the CRAP!"
"You taught me."
The warrior leaped to his feet. "You remember?"
His eyes held a glimmer of happiness, and it almost hurt Varian to have to answer. "No, process of elimination. You won't let any of the others around me except Ms. Adira—what's so funny?"
"Sorry," Hector choked out. "Forgot you used to call her that."
"Anyway, that's besides the point. You have a choice now."
"What sort of choice?"
"Ruddiger!" Varian turned to his friend, who grinned ferally and lit a fire. The alchemist couldn't help the thrill of victory as he saw Hector's expression change to one of shock.
Hanging above the fire was the maroon cloak.
"Sentimental value, huh? Thought so. I recognized the stitches as the same pattern on your sleeve. You repaired it. Also, there's the clasp. That symbol means something to you."
"Kid, whatever you're thinking, trust me. You don't want to do that."
Varian shrugged. "It's really not up to me. Get it, or come after me. Your choice. But I'd choose quick. That rope won't hold long." He pointed to where Ruddiger now sat on a branch, having used a sharp rock to cut halfway through the rope holding the cloak. The raccoon dropped to Varian's shoulders, and they took off running again. Varian listened behind him for the sound of his last trap near the fire being triggered, growling as he heard Hector's sword decimating it like he had the rest. "Aww, come on! I really thought that one would get him. Oh, well, I do have one more plan."
It wasn't so much a plan as a time-killer. If it could stall Hector for just a few minutes, that would give Varian a better head-start, and he could find a way to disappear. He pushed himself to run faster, Ruddiger jumping down to run beside him.
There! At the edge of a river, a tree with an overhanging branch, almost touching a branch from the other side, the perfect path to cross, at least until Varian would tip the vial of acid he'd hidden there onto it and destroy the way over. The distance was too far to jump, and the piranhas would prevent even Hector from swimming. The bridge the caravan had crossed on was a good mile in the other direction. Varian motioned to the tree and climbed up into it after Ruddiger. The raccoon darted out onto the branch, pausing to make sure Varian was behind him. The alchemist followed, easily slipping from one branch to the next. Now for the acid…
Which Ruddiger had bumped into…
Causing it to spill onto the branch…
That Varian was still currently clinging to…
O‴O‴O‴
Varian's traps were impressive. Hector would admire them more later when he got over his dizziness. Seriously, if the kid hung him upside down one more time, Hector was grounding him. He tied the cloak around his waist like a sash and followed after his kid.
… And not a moment too soon, given the sound of panicked yelling filtering through the trees.
Did this kid ever not get into a life-threatening situation?
He emerged on the bank of a river, seeing Varian clinging to a branch that had been cut about halfway through. Above his head, Artemis was flying in worried circles. Ruddiger sat near the trunk of the tree, on the opposite bank, screeching in fear. The boy's foot scraped a piece of bark off the branch. It hit the water, which came alive with the ferocious thrashings of the piranhas below.
Varian had the worst luck with trees, didn't he?
"Kid! Hold on, I'm coming!" He climbed into the tree across from Varian and crawled out onto the branch. The kid looked back at him and clung to his own branch all the more tightly.
"Stay away!" He scrambled for a better grip. "Leave me alone!"
"Varian." Hector kept his voice low. "That branch ain't going to last much longer, and if you're still on it when it falls, you're fish food. I need you to trust me." He held out a hand. Varian looked back over his shoulder at him.
"I can't trust you!" he screamed. "You're a liar!"
"I never lied, kid. Not a single time. Everything I said was the honest truth. Now I need you to jump." He extended a hand. "Please. We'll talk everything out. But we can't do that if you're dead."
Varian looked back at Ruddiger, who nodded. Then he turned to Hector again. "How do I know you won't let me fall?"
"Kid, I'm never gonna let you fall again." He looked at his left hand, the one he'd offered. Then he pulled the glove off and tossed it to the ground. Holding it out towards Varian one more time, he pleaded, "Just jump. I can't let you die. It would kill me. I need you to trust me."
Varian still didn't look convinced. He eyed Hector distrustfully. "The cloak," he finally said. "Why did you care so much about it?"
"It was your dad's," he admitted. "I cut it to your size. Gave it to you on your fifteenth birthday."
The boy bit his lip, but as the branch started to crack again, he turned and launched himself through the air at Hector. The warrior reached out and grabbed him by the wrist, yanking him up as the other branch snapped off and fell into the water. Pulling Varian tightly to his chest, he breathed a sigh of relief. The child was shaking, staring down at what could have been his watery tomb, but he was unharmed.
Hector helped him back across the branch and to the ground. "There's a bridge off that way," he called to Ruddiger. "Right, can we talk now?"
Varian wrapped his arms around himself. "Fine. But I want the whole truth. No lying."
"'Kay."
"First question. Where's my dad?"
Hector sighed. This wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation.
O‴O‴O‴
Varian tried in vain to stop the tears that spilled down his cheeks. True to his word, Hector had answered every question Varian had asked while they sat by the fire waiting on the cure. The neutralizing agent that Varian had prepared aforetime had freed Adira, the bearcats, and the rhino. Hector informed him the others could wait a while. They'd at least freed Lance so he could join the others in the clearing. The princess had also rejoined them.
He traced his fingers over the picture that Hector had retrieved from the caravan. "He looks happy," he whispered. Was this picture truly the only way he'd ever see his dad smiling again? Overwhelming guilt wrapped a chain around his heart. Hector insisted it was an accident, that Quirin had made his choice and wouldn't want Varian to hate himself for it, but he couldn't stop wondering what would have happened if he'd just been a better son in the first place.
And then there was the princess. Varian saw now why Hector hated her. He kept his eyes averted and ignored her as much as possible. Thankfully, she kept her mouth shut during Hector's explanations.
"I think it's ready," Adira said. She dipped a cup into the cauldron and brought it to Varian. Her dark eyes were glistening with unshed tears. "Do you need space?"
"Y-yeah, I think so. I'll just…" He stood and started for the caravan. "You and Mr. Hector and Ruddiger can come. But I need to be away from everyone else."
The three followed him into the caravan. He sat on his bunk and lifted the cup to his lips. "Here's to answers."
O‴O‴O‴
The women were bickering about something. As he walked closer, Aunt Adira and Lance at his back, he tried not to flinch at the raised voices. "I'm fine," he heard Cassandra snap. "Just stop pushing me."
"Cass, something's clearly wrong! I'm your friend. Why won't you talk to me?"
"Because there's nothing to talk about." She looked over at Varian as he approached. "Great. What do you want?"
"Honestly? To never have to see any of you again, but that's not really an option right now."
Cassandra growled and took a step forward. Aunt Adira's hand rested on Varian's shoulder—gentle, but a reminder for the bodyguard to stand down or face her wrath. Cassandra rolled her eyes and turned back to the cart she was exploring, picking up a strange stick from one of the drawers.
"Is there something you wanted, Varian?" the princess asked.
"Yeah, I came to talk. Actually talk this time. If you're okay with that."
She raised an eyebrow. "To talk? No offense, but is this just going to be you trying to tell me what a horrible person I am for choosing my kingdom over you?" She'd at least dropped the pretenses that they were somehow road trip buddies, which Varian was grateful for.
"No, no, it wasn't going to be, actually. It was going to be a proper conversation. But I suppose your idea of a conversation is you reminding me I'm a monster who deserves to suffer all the abuse your father can put me through, and I'm not interested in that. If we can't talk like civil adults, forget it." He turned away from her, letting his gaze drift over the ruined town.
Why had he thought this was a good idea? Why had he let Lance talk him into it? The man was currently whispering with the princess, probably trying to get her to give this "talking it out" thing a shot. Good luck with that. He turned to the apothecary cart Cassandra was exploring.
"Could you, I don't know, go literally anywhere else?" the woman griped.
"Are you okay?"
"What?" She turned to look at him in surprise.
"You heard me."
"I'm fine. Why do you care?"
The princess walked over. "Yeah. Why do you care?"
"Um, because I have a particular interest in keeping Cassandra happy. Because when Cassandra's not happy, she takes it out on me." He crossed his arms. "Excuse me for actually being concerned, even if it was out of self-preservation."
"Yeah, good luck," the princess snipped pettily. "She won't even tell me what's wrong. You think she'll tell you?"
"Maybe I will," her bodyguard suddenly growled, glaring at the princess over Varian's head. "At least he's not so sickeningly bright all the time, trying to force me to talk about feelings and junk. He's grumpy. I can respect that."
Had the words truly come out of Cassandra's mouth? He had to be dreaming. "Speaking of, do you want to tell me what's got you so upset that you'll probably yell at me for something stupid like breathing later tonight?"
"Cass, if this is about your arm—" The princess stepped towards her friend.
"Enough about my arm!" she snapped. "I'm fine! It's just a break."
"Yeah," Varian added. "At least she got it treated immediately instead of having to let it sit for days before someone cared enough to take care of it."
"Did you break something?" the princess asked.
"I didn't break anything. My arm was broken by the guards in prison."
Cassandra winced. "How long was it broken before they fixed it?"
"They didn't. Uncle Hector did when he busted me out. It was… I dunno, a few days? A week? I couldn't exactly keep time down there."
"They didn't treat you?"
He eyed Cassandra skeptically. Why did she care so much? This was the weirdest thing that had happened since he got thrown together with these people. "No. The only times they ever treated me were when my injuries were life-threatening, and that's because they wanted to keep me alive so they could keep beating me. And I'd hardly call what they did 'treatment'." He shook his head. "This isn't about me. All I wanted to know is if you're okay."
"I'm fine."
"Okay then. But if you start getting on to me tonight for daring to exist, I'm calling you a liar." He turned to go.
"Varian, come on," Lance said. "I thought you said you'd give this a shot."
"And I did. If Her Royal Highness isn't willing to talk like an adult, I can't make her."
The man put a hand on his shoulder. "Just give her a chance."
He turned a fierce gaze on him. "I've given her plenty of chances. I'm ready, but she's not. I'll be nice enough to give her time."
The princess rolled her eyes. "What, this is somehow my fault now that you can't stand apologizing? If you don't want to, don't. But don't blame me. Now if you'll excuse me, I was trying to have a conversation with my friend before you chose to interrupt."
"And I told you I'm fine," Cassandra snapped. "Why do you keep trying to say I'm not?"
"Because I know when something's bothering you!"
"It's none of your business! Why can't you just leave me alone? And you!" She whirled on Varian in frustration, but the venom drained from her eyes and voice. "Just—ugh, never mind. Forget it."
O‴O‴O‴
Hector could do nothing more than watch helplessly the change that came over his nephew's visage. The cup fell from Varian's hands, and his eyes widened as they fixated on an unseen horror. His mouth opened, but no sound escaped. One trembling hand reached forward to grasp at something that wasn't there.
The expression of horror changed without warning, and his face flushed with a burning rage. Just as quickly, that was gone, replaced with sheer terror. The boy curled up into himself, wrapping his arms around his knees and burying his face. He shook like a leaf in a storm, and muffled sobs finally broke from his throat.
Hector reached out to place a hand on Varian's shoulder. But the moment he made contact, Varian flinched away, jerking his head up to stare with frightened eyes. Tears coursed down his face. Hector stepped back. "Sorry. Sorry. Take your time. You're safe now."
It took maybe three minutes, but it felt like an eternity to the powerless warrior. Adira and Ruddiger watched from off to the side, both looking like Hector felt. Eventually, Varian uncurled slightly. He blinked up at them, seemingly recognizing them for the first time. "U—uncle…"
Hector knelt down in front of him and offered a hand. Varian hesitantly reached out and took it. He leaned forward like part of him wanted to throw himself into his family's arms, but he held back. Hector tried not to wince. All those bad memories all at once only served to reopen old wounds, it would seem.
"I'm sorry," Varian whispered through his sobs. "I'm s-sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry—"
"Hey, no, don't be," Hector insisted gently. "Not your fault. Take your time, 'kay? You're safe now."
"I didn't t-trust you."
"It's fine. You didn't know." He rubbed a circle on the back of his kid's hand. "You didn't know."
He waited until Varian cried himself to sleep, huddling into his protective ball to keep the world at bay. Then the man took the vial of the neutralizing particle and left to free the others. "Keep an eye on him," he ordered Adira.
Outside, the others were waiting with bated breath. "He's back," Hector growled brusquely. "Sleeping now."
"Is he okay?" The princess clasped her hands together in what could have been called concern from anyone else.
"Not really. Don't talk to him. Don't look at him. Don't even breathe in his general direction." He finished freeing them and stalked back to the caravan. If today's events were any indication, Varian would probably be getting nightmares.
And Hector was going to be there for him. He wasn't letting his nephew fall, physically or metaphorically. That was a promise.
As always, constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. Thank you and God bless!