Secrets of an Alchemist

The Keeper of the Spire: Part 1

(This starts right after Rapunzel says "What do you mean, you're not the real Keeper of the Spire?")

"Uh, Rapunzel, you might want to..." Eugene started as the Kirlok barreled towards Calliope and Rapunzel.

"Stay out of this, Eugene!" Rapunzel snapped. Then she gasped. The towering Kirlok was coming straight for them. Rapunzel squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for impact, as her friends were too far away to pull Rapunzel out of the Kirlok's path. Suddenly, there was the sound of glass breaking and a roar from the Kirlok.

"Wha..." Eugene asked. A cloud of purple smoke had exploded in the Kirlok's face. Then, a small figure, about Rapunzel's height, leapt down from a nearby tree. The Kirlok roared once more and turned to face the hooded figure. The Kirlok swiped a paw at them, but the figure nimbly dodged to the side and tossed a pink orb at the Kirlok's left paw. It shattered, and a sticky pink substance covered the paw. The Kirlok quickly broke free, and the figure took a step backward. Then, the figure turned toward Rapunzel.

"Quick!" They said in a squeaky male voice. "Your hair!" Rapunzel looked confused. The figure quickly gestured towards two trees ahead, right next to a cliff. The figure quickly dove out of the way of the Kirlok's other paw. Rapunzel then understood. She ran to one of the trees and looped her hair around it, and then ran to the other and did the same, forming a tripwire of sorts. The figure then turned and starting sprinting towards the tripwire, the Kirlok close behind. Rapunzel's eyes widened. There was no way the figure could stop himself from speeding off the cliff. What is he doing? She wondered. A split second before the figure would have hit the tripwire, he completely changed direction and dove directly to the left. The Kirlok skidded and tried to stop, but had too much momentum and tripped on Rapunzel's hair, tumbling over the cliff. The princess unlooped her hair from the trees and peered over the cliff, pleased to see that the Kirlok had landed on a lower ledge and hadn't fallen all the way down the mountain. She then turned to the figure, who was on the ground, facing away from her.

"Thank you," she said, extending her hand to the figure. "I'm Rapun..." Her words died in her throat as the figure turned around. When he had dove away from the Kirlok, the hood on his dark cyan cloak had been thrown backwards, uncovering his face. Rapunzel couldn't form words at the moment, but Cassandra could. She stomped over to the figure.

"Varian!" She yelled, picking him up by the front of his shirt, which, she noticed, was a different one than he was thrown in prison with. Actually, his entire outfit was new, but she wasn't going to focus on that. By now, the rest of the group, including Calliope, had walked over to where Rapunzel was standing. "What are you doing here?" She asked, venom in her voice.

"Varian?!?" Asked Eugene, thoroughly confused and startled.

"C-could you p-please put me down?" Varian asked, voice slightly choked because Cassandra had lifted him off the ground.

"Not until I get some answers," Cassandra snarled, lifting his face closer to hers.

"Uh," he asked. "W-what kind of a-answers?"

"Answers," she responded," about why you're here. We're you following us? Why?" She lifted him higher and he gave a cough. "To get your revenge? To disrupt our mission?" She shook him. "Why?!?" Rapunzel finally rushed forward.

"Alright, Cassandra, put him down!" She ordered. Cassandra looked shocked, but then her face shifted to a glare. Rapunzel glared right back. Cassandra, giving in, unceremoniously dropped Varian, and he landed in a heap on the ground. He quickly stood up and brushed himself off.

"I'll admit I deserved that," he said. "But still, ouch." He adjusted his cloak, and Rapunzel noticed that he had a sword in a scabbard, the loop slung around his body. The sword looked sleek and high tech, being dark blue-green with golden accents, which matched most of his outfit.