Chapter 20
When they made it down the mountain and back to the others they expected to find the next door out of there. But it looked like another one hadn't appeared.
"What do we do?" Evie asked nervously.
Carlos took out the map from Yen Sid, "This way!" he pointed to a cavern in the base of the mountain, "There's no way back so we have to keep going forward."
"Great. Another dark tunnel." Jay mumbled as they all ran in having no other option as the ground started to fall away under their feet.
"If the map is right. . . then this one should lead back home to Auradon." Carlos said and Drac's head snapped to him.
"I can't go to Auradon." He said quickly and Mal rested her hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry. We'll talk to Ben, it will be –"
"It's not just that." He interrupted her, "All my stuff is back on the Isle. And Diaval –"
"I'm sure the goblins will feed Diaval." Mal assured him, "And we still have your stuff in Carlos and Jay's dorm."
That threw him for a minute. Part of him had expected it to get thrown out. "You guys kept my stuff?"
"Sure we did." Jay said with his crooked smile, "We did always intend to get you. We just didn't realize we'd been taking so long."
"Yeah, time flies when you're having fun." Drac agreed although he wasn't sure if the others would still see running around the Isle causing trouble as 'fun'. He didn't tell them, but Diaval wasn't the only one he was worried about leaving behind without any notice. There was also his father. Drac had been Hades regular visitor, probably his only visitor, and he felt a bad knotting in his gut at just up and leaving his dad.
"Every villain for themselves. . .When push comes to shove you do what you gotta do, okay?"
Every villain for themselves, dad had said. So if Drac made it off the Isle and back to Auradon maybe his dad wouldn't be too upset after all. Maybe he'd even be proud that Drac had taken his advice.
But what about the others? Diego? Freddie? Celia? And most of all, CJ? They'd surely find out one way or another about his disappearance and sudden reappearance in Auradon. Would they think he ditched them? He hoped not. He didn't want them to think -
He was pulled from his thoughts when their group noticed that ahead of them in the tunnel there was something shining. When they rounded the corner they saw abandonded wooden wheelbarrows, and the walls were full of diamonds and gems imbedded in them.
"This looks like a dwarf mine." Evie said, and she would know since she was dating Doug.
"Looks like they left in a hurry." Carlos noted looking at the wheelbarrows full of gems.
"Let's keep going." Mal said leading them forward, then she stopped suddenly and froze, "Wait. I heard something. . . footsteps? Can you hear it?"
They all stopped and held their breath to let them hear more. There was a slight patter up ahead and Drac pulled up the zipper of his pocket so the egg inside would stay nestled in there safely in case this became a fight.
"There's someone else here." Jay said stepping forward to flank Mal, his mind probably in the same place Drac's was.
"Do you think it could be, them?" Carlos asked and it was obvious that he had no desire to run into his mother.
"Who else?" Mal replied, "Yen Sid said they're down here. Maybe they saw us and decided to follow into Auradon."
"Or they want their talismans back." Drac added glad that his mother wouldn't be coming to claim hers. He'd already faced one dragon today, he didn't want to see another one.
They continued on, very cautious now, the feeling that someone or a group of someones in the tunnel with them remained. Their hearts dropped when they started to noticed things on the ground: a tube of red lipstick, a fluff of black and white fur, a discarded money pouch. The villains were somewhere close by and as much as they all tried to pretend it didn't bother them they still huddled closer together as they made their way forward. Drac tried to conjure a green flame but the physical exhaustion of this whole trip was starting to take it's toll and if he wasn't rested he wasn't sure he'd be any good in a fight.
Then they started to hear voices, definitely from ahead of them but what they could make out didn't make sense.
"The mine starts down here." Someone grumbled, "Are we sure this is necessary?"
"Let's just see how deep it goes, and where it leads. It couldn't hurt."
That didn't sound like the villains. If they were ahead of them that would mean they were at the end of their journey and those voices sounded like they were just starting one. Then a sudden beam of light flooded the mine shaft and they were all blinded. Mal seemed to be the only one who recognized the voice.
"Ben!"
"Mal! Is that you?" and the light hit the floor and out of their faces as King Ben ran to Mal.
"Yeah, it's all of us." Mal said.
"You're all right!" Ben smiled bringing her in for a hug, scooping her up in his arms.
"What are you doing down here?" Evie asked stepping forward but she had a smile on her face too.
"I have so much to tell you guys! I – oh, hey Drac." Ben greeted giving him a smile. Drac held up one hand and waved awkwardly. Everyone else seemed relieved at the King's appearance but they were actually allowed in Auradon. For Drac, it was a much different story, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to pick up in classes like he'd left off ages ago or if he'd be chucked back to the Isle. Ben didn't seem to mind him there, he didn't even try to hide the classified information that he started divulging to Mal and the others. Although, Ben wasn't the only one in the tunnel, behind him was an older man with a long white beard and Drac didn't need a second guess to know who he was – Merlin. But even as he looked at Drac in suspicion he didn't stop King Ben.
Apparently, they'd found a scale from the purple dragon that had been terrorizing Camelot and the dwarves had found more in their mines, hence why they'd abandoned them.
"So Yen Sid was right. The Catacombs go all the way to Auradon." Carlos spoke up at the realization.
"That makes a lot of sense." Ben agreed, "So the creature must live here and its been getting to Auradon through this tunnel."
Just as he spoke a fine purple mist covered the cavern and everyone froze. Drac tensed and clenched his fist hoping that his magic would work against whatever was coming their way. After all, he was in Auradon now, meaning he should have access to much greater power.
"It's here!" Merlin shouted. "The creature is here. Show yourself!" he said holding his wand high.
The purple mist began to take shape but instead of a fire breathing dragon there was only an old witch with light purple hair standing in front of them when the mist cleared.
"Madam Mim!"
"Madam Mim!" Mal and Drac exclaimed. Well that explained how Maddy knew where the Catacombs were, and that line she'd shouted about Camelot burning. And as off as it sounded Drac was relieved that Mim seemed to be behind the Camelot attack and not their mother.
"Hello dearie!" Mim said with a cheerful wave.
"You know her?" Ben asked.
"From the Isle." Mal explained.
"Well I certainly know her." Merlin said stepping forward, "Hello, old friend. I thought I might see you here. Up to your old tricks, are you? I'm sorry to say that your mischief ends now."
Madam Mim only laughed and her cackle echoed through the dark, "Oh I don't think so you old geezer, I'm having far too much fun!"
As she laughed the purple mist returned and Madam Mim turned into a large purple dragon. Their group scrambled away as Merlin rolled up his sleeves and zapped his wand at her launching sparks. But Mim was too quick, she turned into a fox and scuttled into the darkness. Merlin sent another spell from his wand but Mim turned once more, this time into a raging rhinoceros.
"Guys the boulders!" Mal shouted and Drac, Carlos and Jay turned to the bejeweled stones that the dwarves had abandoned. They worked together to quickly push them into Mim's path but just before she would have collided with them she transformed again, this time into a hen as she flew out of the way and clucked and cackled.
"Where'd she go?" asked Ben.
"I don't know." Mal replied looking around trying to catch a glimpse of the witch.
"Mmm. You look tasty." Drac heard just as Mim appeared behind them now as a crocodile and opened her jaws.
"Gah!" Carlos shouted as he ran, Jay backed up too but stopped when he saw Drac standing his ground. Quickly Drac conjured a flame in his hand and tossed it at Mim hitting her in the face and making her backpedal into the darkness where she shouted in pain.
"So. . . you wanna play rough do ya?" she asked looking at him with hate in her eyes. Drac swallowed but held his ground ready to use his fire again, as tired as he might be right now. Mim surrounded herself in mist again and returned to her dragon form. Then there was a spark that flew over Drac's head that drew Mim's attention. Drac turned to see Merlin with his wand still glowing from the spell.
"You're surrounded Mim!" he shouted, "The only way out of this tunnel is through me. Your place is on the Isle of the Lost! Surrender!"
"Never!" she shouted, "I'll never go back there! You can't make me!"
She shot a fireball at him and Merlin transformed into a blue sparrow and flew away from the attack. Jay grabbed Drac and pulled him backward by the shoulders to where the others were. Mim turned back into herself and snapped her fingers conjuring a cage that trapped Merlin.
"Can't he turn into something, I don't know, scarier?" Mal asked.
"The last time Merlin and Mim dueled this is how he beat her." Ben replied having read the histories off all the kingdoms of Auradon.
They saw Merlin turn into a caterpillar and start to get away as Mim's fireball destroyed the cage. But she saw the little creature wiggling away and lined up another shot.
"No!" Ben shouted and ran at her but Mim swatted him away with her tail.
"Ben!" Mal shouted and they tried to rush to help him but Mim only turned to them. Drac tried to light another flame but only succeeded in lighting the tip of one finger like a candle. He was too burnt out, too tired and hadn't trained to use his magic in a fight where he'd need it at a moment's notice.
Just as Mim took a step toward them something gleamed and Ben reappeared now holding a sword to Mim's heart.
"Recognize this?" he asked her and her dragon eye's went wide. "I borrowed it from Camelot, Artie thought I might need it."
"Excalibur!" Carlos shouted who was probably as well read on history as Ben was.
"The one and only." Ben confirmed, "The most powerful sword in Auradon. And you know what it can do."
"So I suggest you spare yourself the pain Mim." Merlin said turning back into himself. The purple dragon snorted and was covered in purple mist again as the hag Mim appeared.
"Phah!" Mim pouted before Merlin waved his wand and sent her back to the Isle. "Now to close this tunnel so that no one else can escape into Auradon."
With another wave of his wand the passage closed forever with an impenetrable wall that no one and no magic would ever be able to breach.
Ben turned to Mal and took her hand, "Let's go home."
"Sounds like a good plan." She replied then turned to Drac, "Um, Ben?"
He smiled, knowing exactly what she was about to ask, "If Drac doesn't mind starting classes tomorrow, there's no reason why he can't stay."
"Really?" He questioned, "The rest of Auradon won't be angry about that?"
"If they are," Merlin said walking over to them, "I have a first hand account of your bravery standing up to Madame Mim. None will argue with such an act of selflessness."
Drac chuckled and smiled as Jay groaned, "Ugh, and we still have homework tonight."
They all laughed and Ben turned to Merlin, "Merlin, do you mind giving us a lift?"
The old wizard smiled, "You make a good king Ben. With diligence and courage."
"Thank you, that means a lot coming from you."
Merlin rolled up his sleeves and his wand glowed, "Return everyone here to where they need to be."
Drac blinked and the next thing he knew he was back at the school. Nothing had changed in the time he'd been gone, but to him it felt brand new.
He wondered if he was supposed to just go to classes tomorrow. How would people react to that? Would they be afraid? Would they be welcoming? He remembered the friends he made in band the last time he was here and he hoped they wouldn't mind if he joined them in the music room, he had missed it quite a lot. "You will always have friends here Drac, remember that." Aziz' words echoed in his mind.
He smirked, Opal, Arabella, Pin and Bobby would be happy to see him in band tomorrow. Aziz would be shocked, but Drac had a good gut feeling that the Arabian prince would have his back. But he did feel bad for the villains he left behind on the Isle. All the rekindled relationships that he'd spent the last month or so thriving and depending on. He thought of Freddie, Diego, Celia, even the nutty Sanderson sisters and their daughters. He thought of CJ and how she'd take his disappearance. . . and his reappearance on TV, because surely the Auradon press would immediately be on him like crows on a dead animal.
He felt a longing inside him for what had become familiar. Funny, he'd been so loathe to leave Auradon at the coronation - but had no other choice - and now he couldn't even rejoice in his return because he now longed for the Isle. Whoever said the grass was always greener was a genius. However, maybe there was some good he could do for the people on the Isle now that he was in Auradon. Auradon was the land of opportunity after all.
He and the gang walked back to the dorms, the practice fields were quiet and empty, some students were using the last of the afternoon hours to read lazily under trees or throw a Frisbee around. Drac unzipped his pocket and stuck his hand inside feeling the Dragon's Egg, making sure it was still okay. He was worried because it meant that the egg in his mother's scepter would soon die into nothing and this would hatch into the next great weapon, the most dangerous the world would ever know.
Mal seemed to be on the same page as him as she spoke up, "So, any idea how we get rid of the talismans?"
"Not really." Carlos replied.
"Can we figure it out tomorrow?" Jay asked.
"Agreed. I need a nap." Evie said.
"Another one?" Drac joked and she bumped his shoulder with a small smile.
"And." Mal went on keeping them on track, "We still don't know where Jafar, Evil Queen and Cruella are."
"We did see signs of them in the Catacombs." Carlos added.
Evie took her mirror out of her bag, "Well one way to know for sure. Magic Mirror in my hand, show us where the villains stand."
The mirror swirled cloudy and grey then it showed Evil Queen powdering her nose back at her castle. Then Cruella De Vil pawing through racks of fur coats and Jafar inspecting something a goblin had just brought him.
"But how did they get back?" Jay asked.
"Merlin." Drac concluded and Ben nodded.
"Like you said you found traces of them on the Auradon side of the tunnel. If they weren't far from us then they would have been caught in the spell he used to send us back. And when he sent everyone back to where they belonged. . . "
"They went to the Isle." Mal finished smiling glad that they didn't have to worry about those three or Maleficent breaking out and seeking their revenge on Auradon. From now on the worst Drac would have to worry about was homework.
Although. . . the warm egg in his pocket seemed to get just a fraction hotter, reminding him that it was there.