Chapter 5
I know not who you are, Nor how I came to find you.
(Author's Note)
Gesundheit
~ VarianLeAlchimiste
Flyianna batted her eyes open, but couldn't quite get her conscious back, that is, until Ruddiger smacked her on the ear. "Aah!" She woke up, Ruddiger jumping back with a hiss.
She looked down, she was in a green chair, tied up with... blonde hair?
"Is this...hair?!" She struggled in it.
There was a young boy's voice in the dark, where Flyianna couldn't see him. "Struggling...struggling is pointless. I know why you're here. And I'm not afraid of you."
Flyianna paused, "What?"
"Who are you, and how did you find me?" The voice snarled.
Flyianna awkwardly and nervously laughed.
The voice repeated, "Who are you, and how did you find me?" And soon, Varian came out of the dark, revealing himself to the lady tied in the chair.
Flyianna was surprised to see him, she didn't know anyone even lived in this tower.
She cleared her throat. "I know not who you are. Nor how I came to find you. But may I just say..." She looked down temporarily... "Hi! How you doing?" She looked back at him with slanted eyes and a smirk on her face. "The name's Flyianna Rider. How's your day going, huh?"
Varian raised his frying-pan and held it in front of her. "Who else knows my location, Flyianna Rider?" He said in a mocking tone."Alright, Blondie-" Flyianna stopped him.
"Varian."
Flyianna was confused if that was his name or if he had sneezed, "Gesundheit."
"Here's the thing. I was in a situation, Gallivanting through the forest. I came across your tower and...Ho, ho no, where is my satchel?" She explained before remembering about her satchel.
Varian smirked with pride, "I've hidden it, somewhere you'll never find it." He said nose-in-air.
Flyianna looked over at the pot near him and lowered her eyes in an unamused way.
"It's in the pot, isn't it." She said to him.
THWONG!
Flyianna batted her eyes open, but couldn't quite get her conscious back, that is, until Ruddiger smacked her on the ear again. "Ugh! would you stop that?!" She snapped at the raccoon.
Varian put his hand on his hip and his frying-pan in the air, "Now it's hidden where you'll never find it." He said with the same pride as earlier. "So, what do you want, with my hair? To cut it?" He circled around Flyianna slowly. "What?" She looked confused.
"Sell it?" He raised a brow, pointing the frying-pan directly at her face.
Flyianna shook her head aggressively, "No! Listen, the only thing I want to do with your hair, is to get out of it. Literally!" This paused Varian.
"Wait, you don't want my hair?"
"Why on earth would I want your hair?" She asked, angrily. "Look, I was being chased, I saw a tower, I climbed it, end of story." Flyianna sighed.
"You're telling the truth?" Varian lowered the frying-pan.
"Yes!" Flyianna rolled her eyes and threw her head back into the chair.
Varian looked over at Ruddiger and squinted. He walked over to him and talked. "I know. I need someone to take me. I think she's telling the truth, too. She doesn't have fangs! but what choice do I have?" Varian walked back over to Flyianna to speak with her. "Okay, Flyianna Rider. I'm prepared to offer you a deal." Varian said seriously. "Deal?"
Varian used a string to pull back the curtains to show a complicated analyzation of the lanterns. "Do you know what these are?" He asked.
"You mean the lantern thing they do for the prince?" Flyianna muttered.
"Lanterns! I knew they weren't stars." He said to himself. "Well, tomorrow evening they will light the night sky, with these lanterns. You will act as my guide." "Take me to these lanterns, and return me home safely. Then, and only then, will I return your satchel to you. That is my deal."
Flyianna thought about it and shook her head no again.
"Yeah, no can do. Unfortunately, the kingdom and I are not exactly, simpatico, at the moment. So I won't be taking you anywhere." She wanted to cross her arms, but she was stuck.
Varian circled her again, "Something brought you here, Flyianna Rider."
"Call it what you will, fate, destiny."
Flyianna, clearly unamused, interrupted. "A Horse."
Varian pulled at the hair on the chair, causing the chair to lean towards Varian. "So I have made the decision to trust you." He said. Still unamused, she quietly muttered.
"A horrible decision, really."
Varian ignored it. "But trust me, when I tell you this. You can tear this tower apart, brick by brick. but without my help, you will never find your precious satchel."
She cleared her throat. "Let me just get this straight. I take you to see the lanterns. Bring you back home. and you'll give me back my satchel?" She wanted to make dang sure.
"I promise. And when I promise something, I never ever break that promise ever.." Varian said.
Flyianna and Varian stared at each other silently. Varian was serious while Flyianna... she just wanted to get out of here with her satchel and leave. "All right, listen, I didn't want to have to want to do this, but you leave me no choice. Here comes the smolder." Flyianna closed her eyes...
She looked up at Varian with a dazzling look in her eyes, her lips pursed, her head nodded.
Varian raised a brow, but said nothing.
"This... is... kind of an off day for me. This doesn't normally happen." Flyianna stopped.
"Fine, I'll take you to see the lanterns." She sighed.
Varian stepped back excitedly, which caused the chair to fall. "Really?! Oops."
Flyianna, face against the floor, said. "You broke my smolder..." She whined.
