Hector was tired. So, so tired, and he just wanted everything to stop. He didn't feel nearly as angry and full of hate towards himself, he just felt empty. He didn't make any harsh, violent movements when Edmund eventually began to take weight off of him. He just laid where he was, his head on Quirin's lap as his brother ran a hand through his hair.
Quirin was here. He was free, and he was alive. The last time Hector had seen him he'd been trapped in amber. Varian had been hurt, ill, confused, and all kinds of messed up. Now look at where they were. Varian was so much healthier, and he was strong. He had powers and could hold his own. Quirin was freed. And here Hector was.
How the tables had turned.
Hector should have known that he would end up back here sooner or later. No matter what he did he eventually found himself falling again, every single time. It was so exhausting. Why couldn't he figure things out. He spent so much of his life on his own, isolated from everybody else. He should know how to take care of himself, but without fail he needed people like Quirin to lift him out of the darkness that overtook him.
Hector was so tired of needing help all the time. He didn't want to be a burden to the Brotherhood. If he couldn't carry his own weight, maybe it was better to just leave him behind.
"Hector," Quirin nudged him. Hector blinked tiredly and turned to face his brother. Quirin was watching him with concern, and Edmund was trying to be subtle about keeping an eye on them. Even Eugene's friend, Lance, was watching him like he was going to snap at the smallest provocation. Granted, that kind of thing was not that odd for Hector, but not now.
"Brother, are you alright?" Quirin asked. "You seem distracted. Do you want to take a break?"
Hector shook his head. "I'm fine." They all knew how much of a lie that was. "I just want to get this over with." As soon as Quirin and Edmund had been confident that Hector wouldn't lash out and hurt himself or one of the others they had continued on their way to Corona. Hector didn't really want to go anywhere near that cursed kingdom, but they didn't have much of a choice. Varian was there, and they had to get him.
Besides, Hector thought that he'd heard Eugene once say that Demanitus had a workshop under the castle. He had been Zhan Tiri's enemy. If anybody knew how to stop her, it was him, and there might be some old notes that would give them a clue of what to do.
Of course, getting access to the workshop would mean going to the castle, which complicated matters, but they would figure that part out when they got there. For now they just needed to find Varian, and then they'd go from there.
Hector sighed and pet Domino's mane. He missed his own animals. Weeks ago he had sent his rhino back to meet up with Rapunzel, just to make sure she was okay and met up with them. His bearcats were on patrol duty. Whenever they stopped for a rest during their journey Hector would send his bearcats out to make sure no threats came around.
Hector did this partially because he actually needed the work to be done, but mostly it was because he didn't want to accidentally hurt his animals. Hector had always had a very limited amount of control, and he'd known that it was just a matter of time before he did something he would regret. There was a reason why he had been trying to keep his distance from Varian, and yet he'd hurt the boy anyway.
Hector sighed and looked up at the sky. It was night, and the moon was out. It should be a comforting sight, but it just made Hector feel homesick. The moon in the Dark Kingdom was so bright and beautiful, the one sign of life and light in a kingdom of death and darkness. This moon was just lifeless, nothing more than a dull reflection of the bright sun.
Quirin was still watching him. He put a hand on Hector's wrist, which was now bare. They'd confiscated his gloves, just so he wouldn't have access to his blades. He still had many weapons on him, but none of them were as convenient and easy to use as his blades. Hector understood why they did this, but it still made him feel like a child who couldn't be trusted with nice things.
"What's on your mind?" Quirin asked.
"Nothing." Hector said quietly. "Absolutely nothing."
"Not that that's anything new." Zhan Tiri's voice said. Hector closed his eyes. He hadn't seen or heard from her in several hours, since he had hurt Varian. He knew she would return eventually, but hearing her voice again after a few hours of silence hurt. Hector felt his stomach drop. Would he ever get a break?
"Please," Hector said weakly. He felt like a broken man. The weakness showed in his voice, and he couldn't even bring himself to care anymore. "Please just leave me alone."
Quirin squeezed his hand, and Hector instinctively returned the gesture. "I'm not going to do that." Quirin said. He sounded pained.
"Wasn't talking to you." Hector grimaced. As much as he felt like Quirin deserved better than to be stuck taking care of him, he didn't want his brother to leave again.
"Who are you talking to then?" Quirin asked. Hector could hear the frown in his voice.
"Zhan Tiri." Hector said. He knew that Quirin didn't completely believe that he was being haunted by the ancient sorceress.
"She's back." Edmund sounded furious and protective. Nobody messed with him or his family. Edmund wasn't afraid to tear apart anybody that hurt those he cared about. He couldn't exactly hurt Zhan Tiri at the moment, but Hector knew that his brother wouldn't give up until he managed it.
"Oh, I never left." Zhan Tiri said. "I just sat back and watched the show."
Hector wanted to growl and scowl, but anger took far too much energy. He just shook his head. "What do you even want? You're an all powerful sorceress, so why are you wasting your time with me? Why aren't you trying to take over the world or something?"
"My influence is limited without a physical form." Zhan Tiri said. "And you're going to help me get one."
Hector's eyes were still closed tight. He didn't want to see Zhan Tiri's smug glance. "You're nuts if you think I'll help you with anything."
"You won't have much of a choice." Zhan Tiri said smugly. "The more you try to resist, the more likely you are to slip and fall."
"I have no idea how I can accidentally help you get a physical form." Hector said, though Zhan Tiri had a point. She was good at getting into his head, as much as he tried to fight her.
"You'll see." Zhan Tiri giggled.
"I'm really starting to hate the sound of your voice." Hector said. He'd actually hated the sound from the very start, but he was sure that they were at the point where even if he did manage to get rid of her her voice would still haunt his dreams for the rest of his life.
"Oh, well, that's an easy enough problem to fix." Hector's breath hitched when he heard Adira's voice. His eyes shot open. He looked around rapidly. Adira was nowhere in sight, but he could see Zhan Tiri smirking at him. "Is this more to your liking?" Adira's voice came out of Zhan Tiri's mouth, and it was absolutely chilling.
"Don't you dare." Hector growled. Zhan Tiri smirked
"If you don't like this, there are other voices I can try." Zhan Tiri said, still in Adira's voice. "Is this preferable for you?" The tone and style of speaking was identical to Varian's voice. Hector shuddered. That was somehow even worse.
"Knock it off." Hector tried to keep the tremble out of his voice. Edmund and Quirin exchanged concerned glances. Quirin moved so he was standing in front of Zhan Tiri, blocking her from Hector's view, though he didn't know that he was doing so.
"What's wrong?" Quirin asked.
"He's imagining voices again." Edmund's voice said, though the tone didn't sound quite right. "He's always been unstable, but I fear it's finally become too much."
Hector whipped his head around and narrowed his eyes at Edmund. "Did you say something?" Hector asked. It was a bit more accusatory than he would have wanted to address his brother and king with, but he needed to know whether it had actually been Edmund or if Zhan Tiri was just trying to get in his head. Hector knew that the latter was probably the case, but he had to know for sure.
"I didn't say anything." Edmund said. Hector nodded. He'd thought that was the case. He turned again to face Zhan Tiri, who had floated out from behind Quirin. He glared down at her, ignoring the concerned and confused look that Quirin was giving him.
"Stop impersonating people I care about." Hector said. People had been saying bad things about him his whole life. It was annoying, and it hurt, but Hector could bear through it. What he had a harder time with was the thought that his family might think badly about him. If Hector was in a better state of mind he could just let Zhan Tiri's words through their voices roll off his back, but he didn't think he could manage that at the moment.
Zhan Tiri's grin widened, and Hector became paranoid and infuriated with himself. Had he just fallen into another one of her traps? How did he keep on doing this? How did Zhan Tiri know exactly how to get to him?
"So it's free game if I use the voice of someone you don't care about?" Zhan Tiri giggled. "Stupid mutt. You've always been really bad at thinking things through."
Hector's insides froze. He couldn't help but flinch. Zhan Tiri's smugness grew. "Oh, I should have tried this ages ago. Things are so much easier when you're quiet and listen to what I have to say, don't you think?" She floated up, closer to his eye level, and slowly approached him. Hector growled and shrank back. He hated when she came so close to him, but he especially didn't want her anywhere near him when she was talking in that voice.
Hector had hoped he'd forgotten that voice. He hadn't heard it since he was a child, but the sound still shook him down to the core.
"Don't you growl at me, boy." Zhan Tiri said angrily. Her eyes sparkled with amusement, but her tone got under Hector's skin anyway, and it was hard to focus on anything else. Zhan Tiri reached a hand out and put it against Hector's nose. He couldn't feel anything except for a slight chill, but the implication of what she was doing, practically touching the scar on his nose while talking in that voice, was terrifying.
"I thought you were trained better than that." Zhan Tiri said, still using that voice.
Hector's growl trailed off into a whimper. He felt like he was fifteen years old again. Quirin reacted to his distress immediately. He tightened his grip on Hector's hand and put a hand on his shoulder. Hector would normally relish in physical contact like this, especially from his brother, but all he could feel right now was panic. He felt two strong hands holding him in place, and that combined with hearing that voice after so long scared him.
"Don't touch me!" Hector screamed. He knocked the hands away. Quirin immediately let go of him and took a step back. Zhan Tiri just laughed, her voice still resembling his.
"What is she saying?" Edmund asked, like he'd asked so many times.
Hector took several rapid breaths before he looked at Edmund, trying to remind himself of exactly where he was. "I-it's not what she's saying." Hector said, his voice shaking. "It's how she's saying it."
"How is that?" Quirin asked.
"S-she's using his voice." Hector said. Quirin's expression darkened.
"She dares?" Quirin took a deep breath. "Is she still here?"
Hector stared at Zhan Tiri, who just gave him a small wave. "Yeah, she's here."
"Well then, Zhan Tiri, listen and listen well." Quirin lowered his voice. He sounded furious and dangerous. Hector could barely remember the last time he'd heard Quirin sound like this. "This is your first and last warning. Leave my brother alone. Stop tormenting his sleep. And if you dare to speak to him like that again I will not rest until I find a way to destroy you. Don't test me, demon."
Hector expected Zhan Tiri to roll her eyes and scoff at the thought that a mere mortal could even dream of doing any harm to her. To his shock, Zhan Tiri didn't immediately dismiss Quirin's threat. She was staring intently at him, giving him her complete focus.
"Fascinating." Zhan Tiri said in her own voice. She floated back to the ground, closer to Quirin. She circled around him, almost seeming to study him. "I didn't notice it in your memories, but now that I see him face to face the resemblance is uncanny."
Hector frowned slightly, confused. "What resemblance?"
Zhan Tiri hummed to herself. "It's clear what side of the family young Demanitus gets it from."
"What are you talking about?" Hector asked. "Gets what from?"
"Oh, nothing." Zhan Tiri said. "I'm just getting a bit of my own blast from the past." She stared at Quirin for a long moment before she turned back towards Hector. "I've had my fun. Your dreams will remain your own from now on. I'll even keep your father's voice out of my arsenal."
"Wha-hang on a minute." Hector wanted to be relieved, but he was far too confused. "Why would you do that?"
Zhan Tiri gave Quirin an unreadable look. "I've been on the wrong side of men like him before, and it's not an experience I'll be quick to repeat." Zhan Tiri said. "Why don't we just agree to leave the past behind us?"
"You're not going to see me complain." Hector said. "You'll really leave my sleep alone?"
"For the time being." Zhan Tiri said. "By now you know to heed my words, and clearly I don't need your dreams to get what I want from you."
"Hey, I'll take what I can get." Hector said.
"Brother," Quirin was watching him cautiously. "What's going on?"
"What's she saying?" Edmund asked
"She won't use that voice anymore." Hector said. "And I think she agreed to avoid my dreams too." Hector grinned and let a small chuckle escape. "I think you really scared her."
"I'm not scared." Zhan Tiri hissed, which just made Hector laugh. His laugh probably sounded really unstable, but he didn't care. He had so little to be amused about these past few months, and the fact that Zhan Tiri, an all-powerful demon sorceress who was centuries old, was cautious and curious about his brother, it was pretty funny.
"She's what?" Quirin looked stunned. "Why would she be afraid of me?"
"I don't know, but whatever you're doing, keep doing it." Hector said. He gave Quirin an appreciative smile. Maybe it was foolish to trust the word of a demon, but the last time Zhan Tiri had said she would leave him alone, when she'd had Hector ask Adira about the Watchdog nickname, she'd kept her promise. And to Hector's knowledge she hadn't bothered Varian, just as he'd asked of her.
She may be an evil sorceress who couldn't be trusted, but Hector thought that she was one who kept true to her word, even if just because she was twisted enough to know how to use it to her advantage.
"At least I'll finally be able to get some sleep." Hector said.
"We're close to Old Corona." Quirin said. "You can use my bed, and when you're rested I want you to join me in a discussion with Varian." Quirin's expression turned serious. "He has no idea why I left with as much urgency as I did. I didn't have the time to explain everything to him, but I won't lie or hide the truth from my son anymore. He wants to know what was wrong with you, and if you're comfortable with it I want you to join me to tell him."
The thought of letting the kid know just how messed up Hector was was terrifying, but Quirin was right. He'd seen just how much it bothered Varian to know that secrets were being kept from him. Hector didn't want to contribute to that.
Besides, while Varian was really young he wasn't exactly a little kid. He was old enough to understand just what Hector's spiraling thoughts could lead to, and if he was going to continue to have some kind of relationship with him the kid deserved to know what he was getting into.
"Yeah, alright." Hector said quietly. Quirin nudged his arm.
"He won't judge you." Quirin said. "After the year he's had, I'm scared that Varian will understand far more than I'm comfortable with."
"Probably." Hector said. He didn't think that Varian had ever wanted to end his own life, but he got really discouraged and depressed sometimes in his own way, especially at the start. There was no saying how bad a state Varian had been in when he'd been on his own, before Hector had gotten to him.
"Hey, everything will be okay." Quirin said quietly, comfortingly. There was the soft-spoken Quirin that Hector had missed so much.
"If you were anybody else, I wouldn't believe you." Hector said. Quirin gave a quiet chuckle.
"Well then, it's a good thing I'm here." Quirin said. "Somebody needs to straighten you out when you stray."
"Perhaps if you'd been around Hector wouldn't have felt the need to convince Varian to take the moonstone." Edmund said.
"If Quirin was around, he could have figured out how to save Varian from the moonstone's incantation without pulling the spear out of the Heart of the Great Tree." Hector pointed out. Zhan Tiri wouldn't even be an issue at all, and there would be no need for anybody to take the moonstone.
Quirin raised an eyebrow. "So much has happened while I was…gone."
"You have no idea." Hector muttered. These past few months were more eventful than the last twenty five years had been.
"I was going to have a long discussion about what happened with Varian." Quirin said. "But I'm starting to think there are some things I should hear from you. I hear you broke Varian out of the dungeons. What brought you out of the tree long enough to do that?"
Hector chuckled, remembering the little thief that had snuck into his home, starting the whole thing. "You have your boy's pet pest to thank for that. Let me tell you, that little beast is determined."
Starting to feel more like himself than he had in hours, weeks, heck, he hadn't felt like this in years, Hector started the story from the beginning. He knew he wouldn't be able to finish before they got to Old Corona, but he wasn't really trying to. It was just nice to talk to Quirin again.
He had his brothers at his side. He was alive. Varian was okay. His dreams were safe. Hector had a lot of things to be distressed about. Varian was probably still wanted in Corona, and Zhan Tiri was still a big problem, but even a little bit of hope was more than Hector had had in a long time. He felt okay, and he was going to hold on to that feeling for as long as he could.