IMPORTANT!
This is a sequel to my first story A Descendants Story: Part 1: Out of Smoke and Darkness and my second story A Descendants Story: Part 2: Into Fire and Chaos. Read those stories before starting on this one.
For the information on my OC's, check out my other story, Descendants Story: Character Templates.
A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the previous stories and those that have only recently found out.
A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.
Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.
Enjoy!
Chapter 1: Villains
"Everything's packed and ready sir… We're just waiting for you at the moment…" Zevon announced somewhat meekly as he peeked around the open door of Solomon's room.
Solomon didn't react and instead continued to simply move his hand slowly around the rim of the black cauldron, which was the only noteworthy item still remaining in the room.
"Sir?" Zevon spoke up again, obviously trying not to evoke some sort of violent reaction from Solomon.
"I will be there shortly, tell everyone to wait!" Solomon snarled, not even glancing up.
Zevon promptly nodded and immediately hurried out of the room, probably to join the others who were already gathered outside.
Solomon still only paid mind to the cauldron in front of him and the magic he felt flowing out of it as he shifted his focus. It was so frustrating to know that he was able to use the cauldron, to activate it, and yet having to wait for the proper time to do so.
Following his and his associates' failed attempt at capturing Mal and thus bringing a swift end to the futile resistance of the Auradonians, some changes in their plans had to be made. Of course, they had taken it into account that their plan might not have succeeded, but the added twist of CJ's disappearance forced them to take some drastic measures.
They still had not yet found out what exactly happened to CJ. All they knew was that she had somehow disappeared from the scene of the battle just before it had ended. There had been numerous theories as to what could have happened to her and where she was now, each one more ludicrous than the other.
The sanest sounding one, and thus the one Solomon held onto, was that CJ had somehow managed to tag along with the portal that the heroes had opened to escape the battle. This theory still provided little information as to where CJ was now. Really, if she did actually teleport away from them, then neither him or any of his associates had any possible way of finding her.
The added worry Solomon carried more than any of the others was that CJ had been captured by Auradon. This only made sense to him, because if CJ had been teleported away, then she would most likely have ended up where the other Auradonians had been transported to as well. It would be nothing short of a miracle if CJ would have found a way out of that situation.
Others in his group, particularly Harry Hook, did not share his opinion and refused to believe that CJ could have been captured. Harry had been on edge ever since the battle, constantly berating over the fact that he wanted to head out and search for CJ.
Solomon had naturally put that suggestion down, but had allowed Harry to scour Auradon newspapers and the outskirts of Auradon City for any signs of CJ. So far, the search had been fruitless. There was no word of CJ or any captured individual in any Auradon news source, nor had any of their expeditions provided them with any intel as to where CJ could be.
Even though they hadn't found any proof that CJ had been captured, Solomon did not want to take any risks and had ordered his associates to move out of their current hideout. After some lengthy protests, the others had ultimately capitulated and the watch tower had now been stripped bare of any sign that they had ever even set foot in this place. Only he and the cauldron remained for now, with the others gathered outside the tower waiting to begin the long track to the coast.
Their plan of capturing Mal might have failed, but they had to endure nonetheless and set in motion the next big part of their scheme. That meant heading to the coast and pulling Harriet and the rest of their forces from the isle. The simple way through which they meant to accomplish this was still sending two people to the isle to warn her and have them prepare for the invasion. After some debating, everyone finally agreed to send Harriet's two pirates back, since they were not essential for the plan on the mainland and because Harriet would trust them. As of now, their plan was solid, but a lot could still change between now and then.
Solomon's main worry about the plan was again related to CJ. If she had indeed been captured by Auradonian officials, then she might have already spilled the beans on the entire operation. Leaving the tower was already a precaution if that was actually the case, but changing their base of operations was much easier done than uprooting their entire strategy. Solomon knew that in order for the larger outline of their plan to work, that Harriet and the hundreds of other allies they had on the isle would have to make the cross to assist them. CJ knew this and could therefore ruin the entire operation if she would tell on them.
Again, discussing this fact with the others had not gone over quietly. Harry was still desperate to find his sister and also skeptical of Solomon's theory that she had been captured by Auradon. Following that, he believed that even if she had been captured, that she would never rat on them.
Solomon doubted this heavily. He knew that neither he or anyone else on the team had treated CJ with anything resembling dignity for the past couple of months. He felt no remorse for this though. CJ had always been a pain and even on the isle there had barely ever been any people involved with her. His decision to have her come along to Auradon could now come back to bite him in the ass in a major way though. CJ obviously did not care very much for him or his cause and would probably grab every chance she could to stay alive if she was indeed in Auradon captivity. Solomon could very well imagine that even the Auradonians would be willing to overlook some of her past violations in exchange for information about him and his plans. After all, the Auradonians still did not have any solid information on his location and his plans as far as Solomon knew. If CJ could somehow be the key to apprehending someone as important as him, then she was an opportunity to them that they could not let slide.
If the Auradonians had indeed captured CJ, the best chance Solomon had of still going unnoticed would be that the Auradonians would not trust her and not heed her words of him. Solomon wasn't usually one to underestimate an opponent, but thus far the Auradonians had not really been all that successful in standing against him. He half-expected them to lock away CJ without hesitation, which would only work out better for him. Still, Auradon had previously shown a very forgiving side and even someone like CJ could still possibly be forgiven. If that would be the case, then the precautions he was taking at the moment would only be the tip of the iceberg.
"Horns!" A loud voice yelled from behind Solomon, who cringed as he slowly stood up off his knees.
"Yes Uma, always a pleasure to hear your silky-smooth voice." Solomon groaned as he turned around to see Ursula's daughter standing in the doorway with an exasperated look on her face.
"We've been standing outside waiting for half an hour. What in my mother's name are you still doing?" Uma asked, taking a step into the room.
"I'm brooding." Solomon mumbled, running his hand over the cauldron again.
"Well, put a cork in it. You were the one who was so eager to leave, so quit your whining and head out." Uma spat.
"You do not command me." Solomon snapped.
Uma rolled her eyes. "It's not a command, but I am telling you that you should either leave with us or you can keep rotting here alone for all I care."
"I see that I've tested your impatience. Fine, I'll not have you wait any longer." Solomon lamented as he grabbed the cauldron by its handlebars and began carrying it out.
"You still not letting anyone besides you touch your magic kettle?" Uma scoffed, heading out in front of Solomon.
"You're not giving me a reason to, seeing how your utter ineptitude in doing anything useful seems to grow by the day." Solomon sneered.
"One of these days this shithole attitude of yours will come to bite you in the ass." Uma told him through gritted teeth as they left the tower to find the remainder of their group standing further down the hill.
"Noted." Solomon mumbled as he walked over to where Zevon had placed the rest of his stuff.
"His highness is finally done powdering his nose?" Anthony lazily asked as he watched Solomon arrive.
"After he took his damn time." Clay added.
"Do everyone a favor and shut up for once!" Maddy snapped, staring daggers at the two.
"What? Are we now not allowed to criticize our glorious leader?" Clay retorted, making some sarcastic hand gestures.
"We're more occupied with the fact that your talking only dumbs down everyone around you." Zevon spat, joining Maddy.
"You watch your mouth!" Clay said, raising a finger.
"Oh, there go a few of my brain cells again." Maddy joked, patting her own head.
Clay immediately threw his stuff down and reached for the shotgun on his back when Uma intervened.
"Knock it off!" Uma yelled. "Jesus, you guys make me feel like a freaking babysitter! Can you honestly not keep from tearing each other's hair out for ten goddamn seconds!?"
"He started it!" Zevon retorted.
"Shut it!" Uma hissed, turning to Zevon. "You all just keep your distance! We won't have to hang around each other for long anymore."
"Big whoop." Anthony scoffed. "Unless he finally tells us the plan, we still have no idea where we're going!"
"I agree." Harry added, stepping up.
"Harry!" Uma practically whispered.
"Uma, you said so yourself. We're walking in the dark here! He needs to bring us up to speed! Where are we going? What are we gonna do? How are we gonna get CJ back? These are things I want to know." Harry ranted.
"In due time, Hook." Solomon spoke up, having tied some ropes around the cauldron to make it easier to carry.
"And you decide when that is, right?" Harry skeptically asked.
"Yes, naturally." Solomon smirked.
"God, your full of shit." Harry murmured.
"Noted." Solomon repeated a little more grumpily.
Harry refrained from making any further comments and instead simply rolled his eyes before joining Uma and Gil.
"Right…" Solomon began, addressing everyone after one more suspicious glance at Harry. "Now that we're all here, we can't afford to waste any more time. Let's get on our feet and head for the coast."
"See, now he's talking as though he has not been the one who did all the time-wasting." Clay said to Anthony in a persistent whisper that was clearly audible for everyone present.
Everyone stared intently at Solomon, who did not respond and instead picked up his own bag along with the cauldron and slung both over his back before moving down the hill.
"Hmm, seems like the complaints of us meager peasants are not important enough for his excellency." Anthony mumbled, seeming slightly surprised with Solomon's distant attitude towards his and Clay's comments.
"Knock it and get moving!" Uma urged the two as she also grabbed her own things and hurried after Solomon.
It did not take long before the group had left the relatively open space of the hill and tower where they had made their camp and instead found themselves in a dense forest that stretched on for miles. Solomon knew these woods all too well. He had previously spent two elongated periods of time in Auradon, during both of which he had been forced to mainly track through the woods. The differences between then and now were the simple facts that he was not alone anymore and that he now knew exactly where to go and what to do when he'd get there.
He and the others were heading for the coast, where they'd again find another place to lay low before sending Harriet's two pirates back to the isle in a barge. Once on the isle, they would explain the following step of Solomon's master plan to Harriet.
Basically, this entailed Solomon giving the inhabitants of the isle some sort of sign, most likely a blast of sparks, to signal them to make the cross. They would be able to do so because Solomon would dismantle the barrier around the isle completely in order to allow his allies to make the cross uninterrupted. If everything would work out as planned, Harriet and the others would be able to land in Auradon without facing much, if any, opposition. Once his allies would have arrived in Auradon, Solomon would finally activate the cauldron and call upon the army of the dead to help conquer the kingdom. Again, if all would go as planned then he should be able to accomplish his goal without facing much opposition. After all, the Auradonians knew what he wanted to do, but had no idea as to when or how he would do so as far as he knew.
CJ's capture and possible betrayal could once again prove to complicate things however. If the Auradonians would find out that he had more allies on the isle that he was planning on bringing over, they might very well again place a tight perimeter of ships throughout the waters of Auradon Bay.
This meant that all of the efforts Solomon had put into trying to lure troops away from the coast could be for nothing, and that angered him. This unforeseen circumstance meant that he was somewhat forced to speed things up a little, starting with bringing Harriet up to speed.
"Why the hell are we walking anyway?" Someone suddenly spoke up from behind him after about an hour of walking. "We have our freaking vanishing potions, why not use those?"
"Zevon." Solomon lazily said, not wanting to waste energy by talking.
"The potions are in limited supply. Once we set up a new base camp, I'll be able to produce new ones." Zevon explained.
"So, why don't we use the ones we have right now to get to base camp?" Anthony asked in his recognizable voice.
"I, ehm… Well, sir?" Zevon stammered, addressing Solomon.
"Three reasons, you dumb-witted airhead…" Solomon began, not looking back. "One, because at the moment we don't have enough potions to transport everyone. Two, because we don't even know where we're heading yet, and it would thus make no sense to transport to an unknown place. Three, because travelling through teleportation could cause any magically charged item, like the cauldron, to lose its abilities, which is something I'd like to avoid. Any more questions, or has your brain reached its limited capacity of information it is able to retain?"
"Y-you know… You keep berating us when we ask questions when you yourself barely take time to explain anything to us! Are you honestly surprised that we might not be able to just read everything that goes on in that deranged head of yours!?" Clay jumped in.
"Surprised? No, I am not. And even if you were able read my thoughts, it would probably still be far beyond what your limited mind could comprehend." Solomon spat.
"A true well of kindness as ever…" Anthony mumbled as he and Clay distanced themselves a little from the rest of the group.
"Why are you such an asshole anyway?" Uma suddenly asked as she walked along beside Solomon.
"I think kindness is unnecessary. Reaching my goal only requires discipline. Discipline and fear." Solomon answered.
"Does discipline still entail rewarding the people that helped you?" Uma questioned.
"Occasionally, when I see fit." Solomon shrugged.
"I know I warned you before, but if you screw me over, I swear to my mother…" Uma began.
"That you'll hunt me down to the ends of the earth, I get the concept." Solomon sneered. "It's not the first time I've heard the riddle."
"You better not underestimate your allies, and especially me. Don't say that I didn't warn you, Horns." Uma continued.
"And here I just spent a few minutes debating about why people tend to find you insufferable, thank you for reminding me, Uma." Solomon jeered.
Uma just scoffed and headed back to Harry and Gil, where she started whispering softly but persistently. On the other side behind him, Anthony and Clay were also in the midst of a heated but barely audible discussion. Only Maddy and Zevon obediently followed just behind him, not saying a word.
Solomon felt no sympathy for them, knowing that they followed him more out of fear than respect. The only who felt a genuine devotion to him was Ginny, which was one of the main reasons why he had felt the need to leave her on the isle. He needed at least one real ally back there to make sure operations still went according to his plans.
Now he was out in Auradon with a team of supposed allies who he mostly despised and who mostly despised him. The few people he could presumably count on only followed him out of fear, and he faced basically nothing but animosity with every decision he made.
The only thing he felt sure about and what he had anything resembling faith in was the black cauldron. It was his treasure… His golden ticket… His way out…
The cauldron was the only way of achieving his goal. Even better, the cauldron would furthermore allow him to ruin the lives of everyone who stood in his way. Control of the cauldron meant control of the world and the people within it. Now that his goal was in reach, Solomon only grew more eager finally activate his beloved relic and unleash its substantial power upon the world.
He was nearing the end of his patience. He had been in possession of the cauldron for so long now, but stupid inconveniences meant that he had not even been able to make a so-called practice run with it. Even now, with all the knowledge and magic available to him, he had to wait for the perfect opportunity to see his plan come to fruition.
Only a little while longer, maybe only a few more days, and then Auradon would finally see what he could be capable of. This agonizing walk through the woods would be the final hurdle, he was sure of it.
That agonizing journey took just over two days, in which nothing particularly noticeable happened apart from several members of the gang trying to tear each other's hair out. There were no Auradon troops in sight, which could only mean that they had escaped their previous hideout unnoticed. Even if the Auradonians were able to track them somehow, Solomon was sure that he and his crew had managed to build up a substantial lead, meaning that they weren't in any real danger.
Eventually, after almost running out of patience, they reached the shore. From the point where they arrived, it was only a short walk to the place where the crew had stashed the boat with which they had originally traveled to Auradon.
"It's all clear…" Uma stated as she looked out over the calm waters of Auradon Bay. "You'd have thought that if the Auradonians had captured CJ, that she'd have said that there are others on the isle who'll also make the cross."
"CJ's not a rat." Harry mumbled, also staring out over the water.
"You hold your sister in high regard. Do you honestly believe that she cares for the cause?" Solomon questioned.
"I believe that she hates Auradon as much as any of us. She'll swallow a toad before working together with them, or with Mal." Harry answered.
Solomon shrugged, but couldn't deny that, apart from maybe him or Uma, CJ was definitely one of Mal's least favorite people. "Still, let's not take any chances. The faster we get this done, the better."
"Don't tell us, tell those bozos." Uma sneered, nudging at the two pirates who were clumsily trying to figure out how to correctly push the boat back into the ocean.
Solomon rolled his eyes, but did not even attempt to waste any energy in trying to help them. After loading in their own stuff and receiving the last of their instructions, the pirates finally pushed the boat into the water before clambering on themselves and setting off towards the isle.
"We're really placing our hope in them, aren't we?" Uma pondered, sounding skeptical.
"We have little choice. Still, even they should be able to deliver the message to Harriet. Hell, we even wrote the instructions down for them." Solomon replied.
"The journey back to the isle will take them less than a day. We should hurry and find a new base of operations before we give them the sign." Uma suggested.
"I want to start the fighting as much as you do, Uma, but there is no rush. We find a place to lay low and try to think of some more things that could help our cause. If all goes well, we'll totally outclass the Auradonians." Solomon smirked.
"I know some caves nearby, unless his highness would like a place more suitable for his brooding." Uma sneered.
"A cave will suffice, we won't be staying long anyway." Solomon answered.
"No comment about my insult? How refreshing." Uma went on.
"I know you pride yourself on your ability to push other people's buttons, but I'm not Mal, I'm not gonna throw a tantrum simply because you want me to." Solomon spat.
"Tsk, if only you were as high and mighty as you believe yourself to be." Uma joked before finally walking back to the rest of the group, who were preparing to retreat to a less open area.
Solomon looked over at the isle one more time. Everything seemed calm from this distance, but he knew better. Out in that rotten place, there were hundreds of people currently preparing for an invasion. They were sharpening their swords or strengthening their shields, all because of his call.
"You coming? Or will you just share another 'private' moment with your kettle?" Uma yelled from behind him, making Solomon cringe.
Without a word, he thus again slung his bag over his shoulder, hoisted the cauldron up in his arms and began following the others.
Uma followed up on her words and indeed managed to locate a suitable cave with relative ease. The cave was nothing special, but would nonetheless serve as an appropriate hideout for a short time. After taking about an hour to settle in, the crew met near the entrance of the cave to discuss things.
"So, we just wait? Is that it?" Clay spoke up, leaning against the side of the cave.
"Why would we wait? We wait a day for Harriet to get the message and another to have her prepare, that was the plan, right?" Uma answered, looking over at Solomon.
"There are other measures we could take in order to make things easier for ourselves." Solomon began, stroking his chin.
"And he brings this up now… How unexpected…" Anthony mumbled from the corner where he sat.
"Better late than never." Solomon retorted.
"Just spit it out already, before we die of old age." Harry spat.
"Look, we're bound to face some opposition, no matter how sudden we attack, we can at least try to disperse our opponents a little." Solomon proposed.
"How?" Uma asked, sounding genuinely interested.
"Look here…" Solomon began, pointing down to the detailed map of Auradon on the ground. "We plan to have our troops land here, at Belle's Harbor, so they'll have a clear path to Auradon City. At the moment, we have to assume that the Auradonians think we're somewhere near here, at East Riding…"
"Only if CJ talked, which she'd never do." Harry emphasized.
"We need to be prepared if she did." Solomon responded. "Anyway, if they think we're there then they'll probably send a large part of their troops there, which only works out better for us. That doesn't mean that Auradon City or Belle's Harbor won't be defended however, we will be facing troops undoubtedly."
"So, what is your plan? Try to redirect those troops somewhere?" Uma questioned.
"No, that'd be too much of a hassle. We can however lure away their commanders…" Solomon spoke.
"Their commanders? Y-you mean Beastie Boy and Mal? You want to lure them somewhere else?" Uma asked, pulling up an eyebrow.
"It's probably easier than you think it is, Uma." Solomon started. "Baby Beast will probably want to end this war with the least amount of bloodshed. If we offer him a chance to do so, he might just take the bait."
"What bait? What are you saying?" Clay sneered.
"I go have a little talk with our beloved ruler." Solomon stated. "I propose another talk, at a location of our choice, supposedly to come to some agreement, when in reality we spring our trap, bring the others over and attack with them nowhere near the battlefield."
"He'll never fall for it." Anthony spat. "These Auradonians may be stupid, but they're not that stupid."
"We have no way of knowing." Solomon replied. "This way, we can make sure some of their most powerful players aren't there to stop our advance. Taking the harbor is our first objective. If we do that fast and decisively we'll bring down their morale."
"He has a point." Zevon jumped in before anyone could object. "A fast blow is the best way to start this war, and the Auradonians will easily be beaten if they're without their commanding officers."
"Say we actually do this, where would you want to meet for this 'talk'? What location?" Uma asked.
"Somewhere far from the harbor, so they can't intervene…" Solomon murmured, studying the map. "Here! History Island! Totally separated from the mainland, only accessible by one bridge and far enough from the harbor that they won't be of any nuisance."
"Right, just one problem, you just said that it's only accessible by one bridge." Clay spoke up. "If we're gonna meet there, how will we get out?"
"Zevon is already working on new vanishing potions." Solomon answered brusquely.
"I am!?" Zevon stammered, seemingly perplexed.
"You are…" Solomon growled.
"I-I am! Of c-course I am!" Zevon immediately replied.
"Good. Those potions will also allow me to go see the king and travel back immediately." Solomon went on.
"You really want to go through with this? It seems quite risky…" Harry debated.
"There are always risks involved, but if we succeed we can achieve an easy victory, which is what we need if we want to win this war." Solomon argued.
"What about the cauldron?" Anthony asked, looking at the relic from the corner of his eye.
"What about it?" Solomon replied.
"Are we gonna use it? Or, ehm, when are we gonna use it?" Anthony added.
"'We' aren't using anything! The cauldron is mine! I decide when to use it and I alone can use it!" Solomon snapped.
"But when?" Clay questioned, not seemingly undisturbed by Solomon's outburst.
"When I see fit! Whether that be during the first battle or after it. Have faith that I know when to play our trump card!" Solomon ranted.
"Have faith!? That's all we seemingly do with you and your kettle! We're a crew now, whether you like it or not, Horns! That means we get a say in things!" Uma scoffed.
"Don't test me…" Solomon grunted. "The cauldron is mine…"
Uma rolled her eyes and didn't respond. "C'mon Harry, let's get some air." She eventually said before heading towards the exit of the cave with her first mate.
"I guess the meeting is over…" Clay sighed as he and Anthony headed in the opposite direction, softly mumbling.
"Yes…" Solomon mumbled, feeling the anger inside him slowly die down. "Meeting over…"
Didn't they get it? He was the major catalyst behind this once in a lifetime event, the reason why this was happening. Without the cauldron, and him to activate it, the villains had no leg to stand on, no power strong enough to be able to compete with Auradon.
Uma had all her nice talks, and she could debate with him all she'd like about who was in charge, but even she had to know that she could have never rallied an army on the isle in the same way he had done.
It was all because of the cauldron. Whoever had the cauldron, held the absolute power. Uma was powerful as well, but not essential. Solomon only allowed her and Harriet to have somewhat of a say in his plans because even he knew that facing the powers of Auradon meant that he needed all the support he could get. The cauldron and the army of the dead were naturally the bulk of the strength of his forces, but Uma's magic and the still relatively substantial numbers of the fighters from the isle only enhanced the possibility that they could achieve victory.
No one in this plan was absolutely essential however. No one but him. Without him, they'd lose their most powerful magic wielder, not to mention the one individual who was actually able to activate and use the cauldron. Uma, Harriet and even Maddy or Zevon to a lesser extent could be seen as important to the cause, but in Solomon's eyes they were all expendable.
Uma had previously criticized the way in which he was willing to give up on CJ without much of a fuss, saying that he ought to look after his crew. For this cause however, Solomon felt more strongly than ever that the end justified the means. For him, the lives of a few of his subordinates seemed like a small price to pay if it meant that he'd win the war. After all, if he actually won the war then he would neither need or want anyone else around.
This was naturally something he hadn't told Uma or any other member of his crew, since he still needed their support for now. If he would actually go out and say that he saw no purpose for anyone else after he'd won the fight, he imagined that wouldn't sit well with the others.
Uma, despite persisting that she was evil, still wanted to create somewhat of a better world for herself and the other isle inhabitants. Getting rid of Auradon probably meant for her that she could found her own kingdom without the current inequalities. Besides that, all Uma wanted was to sail the seas with Harry. Really, those two had gotten even more clingy than they had been on the isle, which was quite sickening to be honest.
Solomon didn't care about creating a 'better' world, he just wanted to burn the old one down. Burning the old one down would then allow him to build a world in his image, one of blood and ashes…
