It was a few days since he left Corona, and news traveled quickly of the attack and takeover of the Saporians. It caused people of the neighboring kingdoms to panic and fear that they were next. Because of that, they weren't too friendly to strangers coming to their towns and asking questions.

"Excuse me?" He asked a man in a Green cloak and a sheriff badge on his chest.

The man turned around and looked at the shorter man with a raised eyebrow.

"Ah, hi." Varian cleared his throat, "I was wondering if you know anyone by the name of Cassandra?"

"Who's asking?" A girl about a year younger than him came up behind the Sheriff, sporting a deputy badge and braids.

"A friend of hers." He said softly, not wanting to bring any attention to himself.

She narrowed her eyes and circled him, "why are you covering your face, then?"

He took a deep breath, hoping he could trust them. "Because I'm from Corona, and Queen Rapunzel needs help."

The Deputy rolled her eyes at the name and looked at the Sheriff, wanting to know what he thought of the outsider.

The Sheriff stared at the young man before nodding. "Terrible thing that happened to Corona." He finally spoke. "When Cassandra comes here, she usually goes over to Goat's Milk."

"Thank you, thank you so much!" Varian shook the man's hand, thankful to finally have a lead. He grabbed the reins of his horse and took off running down a random street, only to sheepishly come back a moment later. "Which...which way is that?" Causing them to point with rolled eyes.

"Right..thank you." He nodded and hopped onto his horse to look for the tavern.

"What a strange, kid." The Sheriff said to him to Deputy, "Come along, Vex, we have criminals to stop."

It turns out Cass used to come to Vardaros quite often in her travels. She enjoyed the danger and thrill of the city. It was a town full of criminals, so she didn't feel like an outcast or have the looks of judgment thrown her way whenever she passed someone who knew who she was and what she did. This was a safe place for her.

Varian leaped off his horse, Eden, and patted her snout gently. "Cass, supposedly, comes here a lot when she's in town. Hopefully, we can find out where she is." He grabbed Ruddiger and sat him on Eden's back with a stern gaze. "This place isn't safe, so both of you will stay here...please?"

Ruddiger cocked his head at Varian before curling up on the horse's back to take a nap. Varian let out a sigh of relief. The last thing he needed was to go looking for a missing raccoon.

He pulled his hood to cover his face more before entering the tavern. If he were expecting Snuggly Duckling, he would have been wrong. This was so much worse, the ruffians were taller, bigger, and had sharper pointier weapons. It made him want to turn right back around and hide, but he knew he needed to do this. He needed to find Cass so they could go to the Spire and save Corona.

He placed his hand on one of his Alchemy balls, before moving it to the dagger his father gave him. If he used Alchemy, it would give him away. Though he wasn't comfortable with the dagger, he at least knew how to use it thanks to his father showing him. It was one of their bonding moments. He showed him Alchemy, and his father taught him how to defend himself...it was a fair trade.

He looked around the room before walking up to the bar and sitting on a stool. The Bartender was a muscular woman with arms covered in barbed wire, skulls, and daisy tattoos. Varian looked at the detail with surprise, being around Rapunzel made him see the art and beauty in all things. It was a good ice breaker..he hoped.

"Those are nice tattoos." Varian complimented, which caused the Bartender to stop in her tracks and look at the stranger in the hood.

She narrowed her eyes at him and slammed her hands on the bar counter, leaning her face into his. "What of it?"

Varian leaned back at the sudden intrusion of his personal space. He held his hands up in defense. "They are nice, well detailed. The skulls look realistic…"

She looked him up and down before leaning back. She grabbed a mug of what looked like beer and slid it to Varian. "My daddy did them when I was younger. He was an artist." She bragged with pride.

"Well, he seemed to be a very good one." Varian took a sip of the drink and had to stop himself from coughing from how strong it was. It wasn't his usual hot cocoa. He set the mug down, pushing it away from him subtly, and leaned on the counter.

"I was wondering if you can help me." He spoke to the Bartender, "I'm looking for an old friend of mine. Apparently, she comes here often."

The woman on the other side of the bar looked around the tavern and then back at Varian like was crazy. "Most of the people here never go home. Men, women, sometimes even children, take comfort in my tavern."

"Yes, but this is someone who travels often...Cassandra," he said softly, observing the Bartender, hoping to see recognition.

The Bartender broke out in a wide grin, "Ah! Cass the Bass! Yes, she's a regular when she's in town. It usually brings me some sort of trinket from the last place she explored. And fresh fish! I tell you, that treat is a hit with my customers!" she exclaimed and shook her head, fondly, "What a fantastic woman."

Varian felt his face break out in a broad smile before he could help it. He was thankful that the hood covered his whole face, or he would have given himself away.

"Where can I find her?" He asked the woman, hoping that Cass wasn't too far away.

The woman's face went from happy to severe in a second, and she glared down at the small man. "Why should I tell you?"

"Because I need her help." He spoke honestly, "I need her to help save my home."

The Bartender hummed in thought before smirking at the boy. "Drink that whole mug, and I will tell you where she is."

Varian looked at the drink with disgust but agreed. "You better write it down." He told her, causing her to laugh at him and agree.

He took the mug, took one small sip, and held back another cough. This isn't going to go very quickly if he just took sips he realized. So he took the mug and started to gulp it down.

His throat was on fire, but he had to do this. For Rapunzel, for Corona, for Cass…

Finally, when he was done, he set the mug down and looked at the woman in front of him, "we had a deal?" He hiccuped, which caused the woman to laugh.

"Alright, kid, you've earned it." She wrote down instructions on how to get to Cass and slid it across the counter to him.

"Thankaroo." He slurred as he stuffed it in his pocket. He got off the stool, but things were swaying back and forth for him. It was like he was on a ship, and he was getting seasick. He tried to walk to the door, but he couldn't seem to walk in a straight line. He needed to leave. He needed to find Cassandra! He tried again, only to walk right into a big, angry-looking man. He opened his mouth to apologize only to vomit all over the man.

The man stood up and looked down at the shorter man with disgust. "You are going to pay for that, little shrimp."

Varian tried to reply, but the room was spinning too much, and the man in front of him was suddenly three. ''Was this how Shorty felt?'' He wondered.

The man pulled Varian's hood back and revealed his long dark hair, but most importantly, his streak. The man smirked at the sight of it and nodded to his friends, "Look what we have here, fellas? The Saporians are looking for you..might give a nice reward if we turn you in." He grinned wickedly at the young Alchemist.

The Bartender gasped when she saw the boy. This must have been the ''Varian'' Cass told her about. She didn't feel this emotion often, but she felt guilty for making the young man drink her hard stuff. But she had to know if he was sincere and if he could be trusted.

She jumped over the counter and tapped the big man on the shoulder with a glare. "I have a rule about no one ratting each other out! You know this, Greg!" She cracked her knuckles, "Release him now, or you deal with me."

Greg looked at the Bartender and then the drunk kid in his hands before setting him down. He glared at the kid before storming towards the washroom to clean up.

Varian tried to head to the door again but stumbled. The Bartender grabbed his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Come on, lightweight, you're staying here for the night."

"ButCass…" he slurred, following her regardless.

"Can wait until morning." She moved him to her private room in the back and let him lay down on the bed. "Now sleep, you need it."

"Thank you." He mumbled before slipping into a deep sleep.