Nomad

Spire

The colony stopped to make camp and were in the middle of making dinner when one of Varian's traps went off on the edges of the perimeter and he and his father went to investigate. What they found was the goo trap activated, but the intended target staring at it from a safe distance.

"Well, I'm sure that's highly effective on anyone but myself." Adira said calmly.

Quirin smiled. "Hello again, sister. Care to join us for dinner?"

"Well, since you're offering. I need to speak to the Sundrop, though. Alone." She nodded firmly.

"Whatever you have to say to her, the rest of us will find out either way." Quirin raised an eyebrow.

Adira sighed. "Fine." She stepped around Varian, who was cleaning up his activated trap. "You still intend to take them all to the Dark Kingdom?"

"I do." Quirin nodded. "But, I have been considering going by sea."

"The dock was destroyed." Adira said grimly. "Hector and His Majesty saw to that."

"Then we will go to the closest one before then. For now, we continue on as far as we can on land."

"Well, I wish you luck with that. For now, I need to talk to the Sundrop." Adira walked into camp and Varian and Quirin followed.

"Adira!" Lance greeted cheerfully.

"Oh, she's back." Eugene muttered.

"Be nice." Rapunzel smiled at him and stood up. "Adira, it's nice to see you again!"

"Really nice!" Lance chimed in.

Adira nodded. "Sundrop, I have come with information on your next destination."

Rapunzel nodded. "Alright, where are we going?"

Adira turned to point to a mountain in the distance. "You will find the third piece of the scroll at the Spire. The Keeper will show you the way."

"What's 'the Spire'?" Rapunzel asked.

"It's an old museum full of supposedly magical artifacts." Varian explained. "Xavier told me about it when I was a kid."

"You still are a kid." Eugene remarked with a grin.

"I mean a little kid." Varian huffed. "I'm fifteen, you know."

"Still a kid!" Eugene went back to watching the assigned chef for the night cook.

Adira sighed. "My nephew is correct, it is a museum full of magical artifacts – including a piece of the Demanitus Scroll." She looked at Rapunzel. "You will go there tomorrow and seek out the Keeper and they will take you to the scroll piece."

"Alright." Rapunzel nodded. "Are you joining us for dinner?"

"I should probably—"

"Adira." Quirin sighed softly. "Join us for dinner."

She hesitated, then nodded and sat down, Quirin sitting next to her.

"Should I bring the other pieces to the Spire, to make sure it matches?" Varian asked Rapunzel, who nodded.

"Are you coming with us, kid?" Eugene asked.

"Uh, you'd have to tie me down to keep me from going." Varian raised an eyebrow.

"What about your friends?" Cassandra looked over at where Clyde and Soul were helping Gold cook.

Varian shrugged and walked off to talk to them.