Hello everyone. Back into the episodes at long last. I hope you're ready for more, it's all downhill from here.
Chapter 52-Demanitus' Tomb:
The next day, Rapunzel led a group consisting of herself, Eugene, Lance, Varian, Alice, Maximus, Pascal, Kiera, and Catalina, out into the mountains. Varian had discovered, in the books they had borrowed from the library, that Lord Demanitus was able to create a portal that banished Zhan Tiri to the Netherworlds. However he took the blueprints of the portal to his tomb. So the group headed into the mountains to find it, which wasn't easy considering they had to trek through not only the mountains, but the winds and the snow that covered and flurried around them.
"Almost there guys, and when I say almost I mean, not really ,"Rapunzel said, as the group approached a steep cliff that luckily had ropes and grips to climb up to the top with.
Kiera and Catalina immediately raced up the cliff, followed by Rapunzel, then Lance.
"Are you ready to discover more Demanitus secrets ?"Alice asked as she and Varian approached the cliff, the sheer skirt of her dress waving in the breeze.
"You bet and thanks for coming sis, who knows what we'll face in there ,"Varian said.
"No problem, I'm honestly excited to see your huge eyes fill with glee as you go completely Vary-nanas excited over Lord Demanitus ,"Alice said, giggling a little.
"I DO NOT-!"Varian started, before Alice placed a finger on his lips, silencing him.
"You do ,"Alice said, giggling.
Varian merely rolled his eyes and punched his sister's bare shoulder, she still wore the dress that the Pebbles made for her, and it still made her look pretty. Behind them, Eugene smiled at the siblings. However, his smile soon fell as he remembered something he saw earlier today.
"So…..Varian, Alice….. We're buddies right ?"Eugene asked nervously.
"Team Awesome, remember ?"Varian asked, a smile on his face.
"And any friend of my brother is a friend of mine. So yes, we're friends Eugene ,"Alice said, smiling as well.
"Right, yeah….. You know how Adira and rhino guy are under the spell of the mindtrap ?"Eugene asked.
"First off, his name is Hector. Second if you mean my aunt and uncle, in everything but blood, being controlled by a literal demon and a crazy former friend, then yes I do know ,"Alice said sarcastically.
"Don't worry sis, I'm sure we'll figure out a way to help them ,"Varian assured her.
Even though he had only met Adira for a short time, he could tell that she and his sister were close, and Varian honestly wanted to get to know her more as well as his Uncle Hector. Alice gave her brother a thankful smile as Eugene gave her an apologetic look.
"Well yeah of course we will…..ummmm but….. Wasn't your dad….. A member of that club ?"Eugene asked, nervously and Alice immediately started fiddling with her necklace as she bit her lower lip, looking anywhere but Eugene's face.
"What are you saying, that our dad….. Listen Eugene our father is just fine !"Varian exclaimed, glaring at him harshly.
"Okay, I didn't….. L-look forget I even mentioned it okay ,"Eugene said, before climbing up the cliff.
As soon as Eugene was gone, Alice turned her attention to Varian, trying to decide the best way to handle this. After mentally weighting the options in her head, Alice sighed and turned to her brother. Figuring that asking for his opinion would be a good place to start.
"Vary… You wanna talk about it ?"Alice asked.
Varian just stood in silence for a few moments before climbing up after Eugene; Alice, getting the message, followed after him. The three friends approached the cliff slowly, Eugene pulled himself up onto the ledge with Varian and Alice right behind him.
"Did you find it ?"Eugene asked, referring to Demanitus' tomb.
His answer was given as he stared in wonder at the giant tomb, engravings all over it. The group approached the side of the building trying to find a way inside. Just like Alice predicted, Varian's eyes lit up at the grandness of it all, clearly excited to see what was inside.
"It's magnificent ,"Varian said.
"Is it just me or is there no door to get in ?"Eugene asked, looking around and he was right, no door was visible anyway around them.
"It doesn't look like there is… but there is a riddle ,"Rapunzel said, looking at the words engraved on the wall of the tomb.
"Classic Demanitus ,"Alice said, reading over the riddle.
"I grow but do not live, I need air but I do not breathe ,"Rapunzel recited.
Kiera and Catalina then started guessing, but they were nowhere even close to the riddle. Alice turned around and saw them and Lance playing a game of charades. She gave an exasperated sigh, not in the mood to deal with their silliness with their current crisis.
"GUYS !"she exclaimed and Lance looked up at her and saw her frustrated expression.
"Oh sorry, but the answer is fire ,"he told her.
"Lance, it's not-,"Eugene started.
"No, no, no he's right, it is fire ,"Rapunzel said, reaching into Varian's backpack.
She pulled out a small stick that had a vial of one of Varian's alchemic formulas tied to it. Rapunzel carefully broke the vial against the wall, causing the stick to light on fire like a torch. Looking around the wall, she saw a fire symbol and Rapunzel held the torch up to it. As soon as it touched the engraving, all of the engravings on the wall started to lit up with a glowing golden light. Varian's eyes lit up with excitement as he watched gears come out of the walls of the tomb. As they turned, the entrance opened to the group, and Alice smiled at seeing her brother so excited, frowning a little as she remembered Eugene's words. As the door opened, Rapunzel held the torch up as they looked down the hallway leading to Demanitus' tomb.
"See Gbug, easy peasy ,"Rapunzel said.
"Excuse moi ?"Eugene asked, referring to the nickname.
"Sorry, I was trying out a pet name ,"Rapunzel explained.
"Well try harder ,"Eugene begged as Lance began to make fun of him and the nickname.
Rapunzel and Varian lead the way into the tomb, followed by Lance, Maximus, Kiera and Catalina, all three of them calling Eugene, Gbug. The only people who didn't immediately walk into the tomb were Alice and Eugene. Alice made sure her brother wouldn't hear her before stopping Eugene with her arm.
"Eugene, can I talk to you for a moment ?"Alice asked.
"Well sure, what is it ?"Eugene asked.
"Well….it's about my dad, and…. The Brotherhood ,"Alice started.
"Oh…..listen Angel if this is about what I said, I didn't mean-,"Eugene started.
"How long have you known ?"Alice asked causing Eugene to look at her for a few seconds before seeming to register what she said.
"I'm sorry ?"Eugene asked.
"How long have you known that my dad was under the spell of the mindtrap ?"Alice asked.
"So wait…. You knew ?"Eugene asked.
"Yes….. the moment you guys told me about the mindtrap being taken, I knew. So how long have you known ?"Alice asked.
"Not long, I tossed your dad a pitchfork back at the Snuggly Duckling and I saw his hand ,"Eugene told her.
"Yeah….. I think it's obvious that Cass, or at least Zhan Tiri, is using him as a spy to get information from us or to ruin our plans. Which is actually why I didn't tell him I was heading back to my old school. I've made sure that, for the most part, my dad is completely out of the room as we discuss new plans, I've done the best I could to keep most of the truth from him ,"she told him.
"Okay, okay, good. I'm glad you got that covered…. But does Varian-?"Eugene started to ask.
"No…. he doesn't…. But to be fair I've been making sure those two aren't in the same room together alone, or at least I rarely leave my father's side without you or Rapunzel around. Like when I went to check on Vary when this all started….. He doesn't know Dad is under the spell of the mindtrap ,"Alice told him.
"You should have told him ,"Eugene told her.
"Again, like with the Soprorians, I needed him to be convincing…. And maybe…. A small part of me still wants to keep his innocence intact….. I know it's wrong, but can you blame me? He was crushed when Dad was frozen in the amber; to go through something like this, when we just got him back, it would destroy him ,"Alice explained.
"I understand but…. He needs to know Al ,"Eugene told her.
"I know…. And now that you mentioned it to him, I'm sure he's going to consider the possibility…. You already told him, isn't that enough ?"Alice asked.
"I guess, but Alice, you're his sister, I'm sure he would have preferred to hear it from you, and not….. Not me ,"Eugene explained.
"Eugene, you are like the older brother Vary's never had….. He trusts you, he really does… You're a good friend to him and he knows that….. I'm sure it would have been hard to swallow if that news came from either of us, and it's never easy to see a loved one get hurt….. But in the end…. Now he knows, at least a little…. He'll be alright…. I know he will ,"Alice said.
"Okay, okay ,"Eugene said, giving her a light smile.
Alice smiled back, before leaning up against the wall.
"I'm gonna keep a lockout out here, just in case Zhan Tiri, for whatever reason, decides to show up… and so help me, she's getting a sword through the chest by the end of this war if it kills me ,"Alice said, crossing her arms.
Eugene gave a small chuckle and nodded.
"Okay, we'll be out in a bit, see you soon ,"Eugene said.
"You too, Gbug ,"Alice said, laughing silently as she listened to Eugene grumble about the nickname as he got further and further away.
Well that was fun, I hope you all enjoyed it too. Either way, I'll see you all again next week. Bye!