I don't have a whole lot to say this time.
Enjoy~
There were three things that felt out of place for Pepa as she drifted back into consciousness.
Firstly, there was something different about the atmosphere. The earthy smell that filled her senses told her that she wasn't in her home. Casita held a welcoming smell. The smell of food, whether it be her sister or mother's, always filled the air. The room in which she was in also seemed considerably cooler than Casita. The only time she'd felt temperatures this cool had been when she'd caused a snowstorm.
The second thing was the dull throbbing against her head. Pepa Madrigal wasn't a stranger to hangovers. On the contrary, there'd been plenty of times she'd woken up with one in her younger years. But this wasn't the same. An odd hazy sensation lingering around her mind, as if her mind were swimming through tar, which was something that never happened before.
Lastly, was the strange position she was currently in. She could feel the ropes that bound her feet together and her arms behind her back. The burning sensation in her shoulder muscles made it clear that she'd been this sitting position for a while. Memories flooded her mind as she recalled the events that led to her current position.
Emerald eyes snapped open. She scanned the area in front of her. From the look if the room her suspicions were correct. The ground below her was mostly fine dirt with some rocks that were scattered around. Both the walls and ceiling were made up of jagged stones. The only source of light came from the oil lanterns that hung from the walls. It was apparent that she now found herself in one of the Encanto's many caverns.
From what she could see seemed to be the only person in the area. Which only meant that her plan worked and Antonio got away safely. Even in her position she could take comfort in the fact that her child was safe. Antonio would tell their family what happened. They would save her.
But first they'd have to find her.
The middle triplet knew that her daughter would be the one the others came to. In a situation like this, Dolores' gift was the most practical. As long as she was in range Dolores could easily pinpoint her with her breathing or heartbeat.
She couldn't solely rely on her daughter's gift. She knew all too well that it had its limits, especially when it came to softer noises. Without knowing where she was; there was no way of knowing for sure if her daughter was in range. The best thing for her to do would be to make noises that her daughter might be able to hear.
Right now, with her hands bound, the easiest way for her to make noises loud enough would be by her weather. One loud rumble of thunder would do the trick and get her attention. Then her daughter would hear her and be able to find her way.
Taking a breath, Pepa focused. Anger. That's what she needed right now. Dry anger. Thinking of the men that threatened her son would do the trick. Furrowing her brows, she waited for the thunder.
But nothing came.
"So, you've finally awoken." A chill ran down her spine as she tried to turn towards the voice. The man from earlier came up behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders. He gave them a gentle squeeze before moving to stand in front of her. Reaching out, he let the back of his hand trail down her cheek. "I was afraid I might have thrown you too hard."
Pepa tried to pull her head away from the touch. "Get your hand off of me."
His hand continued downwards until he reached her chin. His grin turned vicious as he grasped her jaw in his hand. His fingers dug into her skin. "And what are you going to do about it? The sedative will keep your powers at bay. Without them, you're far from a threat."
In a situation like this, the last thing one should do is provoke the man holding you hostage. That doing so could lead to nothing but trouble. But there were two words that was commonly used to describe the redhead. And they were hot headed and sarcastic. So, the words slipped out before she could stop herself.
"Your broken nose says otherwise."
"How dare you-" The man raised his hand. Pepa closed her eyes waiting for the slap.
"Hernesto!" A gruff voice echoed. Risking a look, emerald eyes cracked open. The man's hand hovered centimeters away from her face. "That's enough."
"Yes Santos." The man curled his hands into fists, but stepped away from her. With the space his absence gave her, Pepa could now see the five new figures that approached. Easily she recognized the dark-skinned man with the scar and the overly muscular man. They were the other men that ambushed her. The other three people, though, she'd never seen before.
"Where am I? Who are you people?"
"There's no need to be afraid. I assure you, you're safe." Man with a scar said with certainty as he held his hands behind his back respectfully. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Santos Hurtado. These are my children; Lorenzo and Zara." Santos gestured to the muscular man and the young girl that stood to his left. "The pair to my right are Heidi and Dante." The brown-haired woman bowed her head slightly. The olive-skinned man beside her just stared at her with wide eyes. "I see you've already met Hernesto." Pepa narrowed her eyes at the man who fixed the redhead with a glare of his own.
"Why am I here?"
"We are the last remaining members of the devout following of Pachamama. We are her worshipers."
Pepa furrowed her brows. "Who's Pachamama?"
This time Heidi spoke. Her tone was soothing, as if she were speaking to an upset child. "Pachamama is a fertility goddess. She is the deity that sustains all life on this earth. Her blessings give us harvests. Without her everything in this world would surely cease to exist."
The middle triplet's temper rose. That didn't answer the question of why she was currently tied to a chair. "I don't understand what that has to do with me."
Zara couldn't contain her excitement any longer. Stepping forwards she bounced up and down. Her brown eyes shown with excitement. "We're your children!"
"My what?"
"My apologies. Let me explain." Santos said, putting a calming hand on his daughter's shoulder. The girl instantly settled down. "You, my dear, are the key to everything. You see, our members have searched for so very long trying to find a vessel. A vessel that would lead us to her. Now that we have you, we are able to bring our dreams to fruition. Finally, we can summon the great Pachamama and restore the world to its former glory."
Pepa stared at the man. He couldn't be serious, could he? Granted, her family was blessed with a miracle. But that didn't have anything to do with this goddess they spoke of.
Right?
Either way, right now she needed to keep the group talking. If she couldn't use her weather, she'd use their voices to get her daughter's attention. She just needed to keep them talking. "You're wrong. I'm not this vessel you're looking for. I'm just an ordinary woman."
Santos' loud laugh echoed throughout the cavern. "Don't be modest. We've witnesses your power ourselves. You're able to wield the elements as if they were a child's toy."
Pepa shook her head. "My power is a gift from a miracle. It was given to my family the day my father sacrificed himself to save us."
"And who do you think gave you this so called 'miracle'?"
"From God."
"Yes. But which God?" Heidi questioned. "Could it not have been from the great Pachamama herself?"
"I only believe in one God."
"How dare you." Hernesto snarled as he closed the distance between them again. Vessel or not he refused to stand for such disrespect. First, she'd broken his nose. Then taunted him about it! Now she had the audacity to tell them they were wrong. Even though Santos just presented her with the answer that everyone searched for.
"That's enough Hernesto." Santos laid his hand on the man, gently pulling him back before he could touch her. Turning, the white-haired man addressed his followers. "Leave us. All of you."
The two watched as the rest of the group all started to file out of the room. The only one that remained was the young girl. Zara looked back and forth between the pair. "You too, Zara. You'll have time for questions later."
Zara hesitated but eventually nodded, giving into her father's demand. "Yes father."
"You still haven't told me why I'm here." Pepa said loudly.
"I know what you're trying to do."
"I don't know what you mean."
"You think if you talk loud enough your daughter will hear you. Right?" Santos said as he turned back to her, staring at her with an unreadable look. Taking her silence as a confirmation, he nodded slightly. "Just as I thought."
"By now they already know I'm missing. They'll come looking for me."
"Let them try."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Pepa asked. An unsettling feeling grow grew in her stomach. She'd told him that her family would come. And yet, he remained unphased by her threat. Completely unbothered by the idea of her supernaturally gifted family coming after him.
"You don't seem to realize the situation you're in. Do you honestly think we haven't thought this through? That we wouldn't have learned of your family's 'gifts' and planned for them accordingly?" Santos' tone was calm as he leaned down so their faces were only inches apart. "We've had someone inside your Encanto for nearly a year. Watching. Studying. We know full well the extent of your family's abilities. I know that there's a range in which your daughter can hear. Just as well as your powers being linked to your emotions."
Pepa wanted to lie to him. "That's not-"
"Please. Don't insult me by trying to lie. I've already taken the measures needed. Our little spot here is far enough into the mountain that the only way she could hear us is if she were standing right on top of us. As for your powers, it's amazing how great mood stabilizers work. Lucky for me, lithium isn't hard to come by these days."
"They'll realize it's you." Pepa reasoned. "They're not stupid. They know that none of the villagers would try something like this. That only leaves you and the merchants. And our merchants have never caused a problem before."
"Let them suspect us." Santos shrugged as he straightened back up. "Your mother seems like a right and justful person. Certainly, she wouldn't bring down the wrath of her family on the very travelers that are doing everything in their power to help look for her missing daughter."
Pepa opened her mouth to tell him he was wrong. That her mother would suspect them, but the words died in her throat. She knew all too well that her mother was a leader before anything. She'd made it more than evident with them growing up. The last thing she would want is to accuse anyone without proof. And if Santos did, in fact, plan for this like he said Pepa doubted he would be foolish enough to leave any trace of his handiwork.
The older man's smug grin grew as he watched the realization cross the redheads face. "I've waited far too long to let anyone ruin this. Including the Madrigals. Now, I suggest you rest while you can. We start at dusk."