"You know, Princess, I'm starting to think 'trust me' is what you say when you have a plan no one will be happy with, so you don't want to actually explain it." Varian said flatly.
The plan, it turned out, was to get wrapped up in magical hair and let the caravan drop off the cliff. Varian suddenly understood why she said to secure everything. They might have a chance of not being destroyed this way. As for the riders and horses, they were currently dangling from a branch as big as the caravan sticking out of the wall, at least 100 feet above the ground, and with only her hair to keep them from falling to their deaths.
"Seriously, there had to be an easier way for us to hang out together. Am I right?" Lance said to Adira, who was hanging next to him at the bottom of the chain of hair and people.
--
After getting back up, they headed for the Great Tree on foot. "So, who is Adira?" Varian asked as they walked. "And you still haven't introduced us." He looked at Cassandra.
"Right..." Cassandra sighed. "Adira, this is Varian. You might know him as the mastermind behind The Battle of Old Corona. He's also the son of Quirin of Old Corona."
Adira nodded. "Yes, I got his name when you all yelled it for your enemy to hear."
"...Right." Cassandra sighed. "Varian, this is Adira, our infuriatingly cryptic guide towards the Dark Kingdom. She's the one who told us what sent the rocks."
"Adira, hey--" Lance started, and she fast-walked away to get ahead of everyone.
"...Wow." Varian snickered. "I, uh, don't think she's interested, Lance."
"She's just shy." He assured him.
Cassandra rolled her eyes with a smirk, then looked thoughtful. "Hey...earlier, you called me 'Cassie'."
Varian glanced away. "It was slipped out. Don't think anything of it." He fast-walked to catch up to Rapunzel and Eugene, who were leading the group.
"So, you ready to go into a big tree?" Eugene asked playfully.
"As ready as I was for nearly being crushed by a falling caravan while running from a wild man on a rhino." Varian said, chuckling.
"Yeah, wow. You know, two years ago I would've called fighting jackal monsters on the back of a speeding carriage whilst a rhinoceros chases the woman I love absolutely bonkers. Now? I call it Tuesday." Eugene chuckled, then stopped short as they all looked up at a large doorway into the tree.
"Time for some answers." Cassandra said, walking up to them and nodding to Adira, who had sat down to sharpen her black sword while Lance attempted to flirt with her.
"Right." Rapunzel nodded and they all walked over to her. "Adira, wait. Before we go on, we have some questions. Who was that man that attacked us?"
"And none of your usual cryptic runaround this time." Cassandra said firmly.
Adira sighed. "His name is Hector." She gave Cassandra a sharp look. "And I don't think I appreciate your tone."
Before Cassandra could reply, Varian stepped between them. "Okay, so now we know his name. Who is he, and how do you two know my father? What is that emblem?" He gestured to the emblem on her clothes of a circle with three lines cutting through it.
She looked at him with a pained expression. "He never told you?"
"My father made it a point to hide everything from me, even affection." Varian said with his false-cheerful voice.
She looked to the side, then sighed again. "Alright. I'm sure he intended to tell you at some point, but he's always been... difficult." She cleared her throat. "The three of us were members of the Brotherhood, a group of warriors sworn to keep any and all from the Dark Kingdom. Two decades ago, something terrible happened and we all went our seperate ways, with Hector choosing to stay in this tree to continue the mission, while I sought out the Sundrop and your father...well, I don't really know. He said something about a mission and then left. I didn't hear from him again until...well, now."
Varian pursed his lips. "Do you know what happened to him?"
"I have heard many rumors, but I did not get a chance to see for myself. I am...sorry for your loss." She said, her brow furrowed.
"He's not gone, just stuck. And I'm going to save him. Let's go on." Varian nodded to the others.
"Hold on, we barely survived just being chased by the guy, now we're going into his home turf?" Eugene frowned. "Look, maybe this isn't a good idea, after all."
"Yeah, going there could be suicide. Besides, I still don't fully trust you." Cassandra said, and Adira frowned.
Varian turned to Rapunzel. "We're going in." He said firmly. "Don't forget our arrangement." He turned and walked off to go inside.
--
Adira frowned. "'Arrangement'?"
Rapunzel sighed. "It's... complicated. The truth is, we picked him up from a prison barge recently. He's made some...dangerous friends and is holding the safety of Corona hostage to make us escort him to the Moonstone." She wrung her hands nervously. "He intends to take it for himself and use it to free his father."
Her eyes widened and she went inside after him.
Cassandra sighed. "Yep, she didn't like that."
--
Varian looked at a tree thoughtfully, trying to see the carving behind it. If he climbed up, he might be able to see it. Ruddiger chittered on his shoulder and he stroked his fur gently.
"Nephew."
He looked over at Adira approaching him. "'Nephew'?"
"Yes. We in the Brotherhood were like family." She nodded. "I called Quirin my brother. Therefore, you are my nephew."
He blinked at her, then shrugged. "Okay, then." He looked back at the carving. "What do you need, Aunt Adira?"
"I implore you to give up on your goal of taking the Moonstone. I was told of your intention to use it, but no one can survive touching it. Our King lost his arm and was very weak when we left the Kingdom. She is not forgiving." She pleaded. "You could lose your life."
"It's the only hope I have left of freeing my father." Varian clutched at the strap of his backback. "I don't care what happens to me, as long as I can free him. It doesn't matter if I die, anyway."
"How can you say that?" She frowned.
He looked at her. "I don't matter. Only my father's freedom. And I swore the night of the storm that anyone who stood in my path of freeing him would pay for it." He walked away from her. "Don't make me your enemy, Aunt Adira."
She didn't reply, her expression unreadable.
"Hey, uh...so, what was the kid looking at here?" Eugene asked as the others stopped by the carving.
"This place gives me the creeps." Cassandra shuddered.
"Me too." Hookfoot agreed.
"That's because this place used to be called The Tree of Zhan Tiri." Adira cut down the tree blocking the carving with her sword to reveal the carving was of a strange creature with a goat head.
Varian walked over to rejoin the others, looking up at the carving with interest.
"Wait, you mean the evil sorcerer whose deadly magic created a blizzard that nearly destroyed Corona?" Rapunzel said anxiously.
"And let's not forget his little art teacher buddy who turned you into a zombie." Eugene reminded her.
Rapunzel paled as she realized why this tree felt so familiar, why she was feeling tapping into her head. Sugracha the Eternal had her painting a similar tree to this one!
"Blizzard?" Varian frowned, stepping closer to the carving.
"Yeah, you know that blizzard you came to the castle in?" Cassandra turned to him. "Turns out, it wasn't natural, it was sent by Zhan Tiri. We stopped it with a machine called the Demanitus Device."
"Okay, so this...Zhan Tiri lived here?" Varian asked.
"Yes." Adira nodded, sheathing her sword. "But, it's perfectly harmless now." She picked up a dandelion-seed puff. "Millennia ago, this tree was once a sentient being, a force for good. But, it was corrupted by the evil sorcerer to destroy any who approached. It was Zhan Tiri's stronghold. Inside it, he was invincible."
"But then, the old inventor had to ruin the fun, created a spear and sealed away the dark magic in the heart of the tree. Happy ending, right?"
Varian tensed and the others looked confused as they turned to see a stranger leaning against another tree. "Who's that?" Rapunzel frowned.
"It's a fascinating story, definitely one for the kiddos' bedtimes." The man chuckled.
"Lucas." Varian's lips curled. "What are you doing here?"
"Well, well! I thought that you were supposed to be on the sea, but here you are! How fitting, to find a little bird in a tree! It's rather fortunate for me that I decided to come home instead of sticking around Corona!"
"'Come home'?" Cassandra glanced at Adira, who had drawn her sword. "What do you mean?"
"Well, you heard the story." Lucas said casually. "This was Zhan Tiri's stronghold. Every one of her Disciples lived here." He walked closer to them, his icy-blue eyes flashing green. "I should thank you, Your Highness, for setting us free. I've greatly enjoyed this time period. Haven't I, Varian?"
Varian was tense, his expression cold and his posture aggressive. "Why. Are. You. Here?"
"Well, I had no reason to stay in Corona, certainly not in the Royal Guard, once you left. I'm curious, how did you get here? Last I saw, you were shipped off to sea with the rest of them, and yet you're here making threats and bossing around the Princess. Heh." Lucas stopped walking forward and hooked his thumbs into his belt. "Off to get the Moonstone, was it? I suppose you'll be getting revenge on Frederic?"
"Are you going to stop me if I do?" Varian demanded.
"No." He chuckled. "I'm just going to enjoy the show. I love the way you look when you're angry. If you're going to be going through this tree, you might want a proper guide, someone that lived here before. Might I offer my services?"
"No, get lost!" Cassandra snapped.
"Captain's daughter, last I checked, you have no power here." Lucas smirked slyly at her. "I'm speaking to the only two people that matter to me in your little band of misfits."
"We don't need you." Rapunzel moved in front of Varian protectively. "Adira will show us the way."
"Suit yourself. I'll be around if you want my help, just sing my name, little bird." He vanished in a burst of green fire.
"...Was that the 'creepy guard'?" Lance guessed.
Varian nodded quietly.
"Let's move on." Rapunzel suggested.
They started to head up the tree. Varian hung back and Ruddiger nuzzled him reassuringly before he walked on, pausing when he saw Cassandra and Adira talking.
"Look, Adira, you may have sold my friends on you being the wise, but kooky old mentor, but I'm not buying it. I'm watching you." Cassandra said, poking her in the waist aggressively.
"Well, if that's what you want, be my guest." Adira said, walking past her before she paused and looked back with a sly smile. "But, as the Princess's servant, isn't it your job to watch her?"
Cassandra looked offended. "I'm not a servant."
"Oh. I thought that's what a lady-in-waiting was." Adira walked on.
Varian saw Cassandra look upset and sighed a bit before he walked over to her. "She's deliberately being mean because you act hostile. You know that, right?"
Cassandra lowered her crossed arms to her sides. "Doesn't make it okay."
"She has a point, though. You're Rapunzel's bodyguard. If you're so busy looking for danger, you won't see it when it really comes for her." He walked on after the others. "Stop making an enemy out of someone trying to help you. Haven't you done that enough last year?"
She winced and watched him go, then quietly followed.
--
Hector walked up to the caravan, which had landed in the river. He narrowed his eyes and snapped his fingers, his binturongs going in and rustling around before he opened a door and saw things covered in pink stuff, but no one around. "Looks like our job isn't done yet." He said, trying not to feel too relieved.
It looked like Quirin's son still lived.
He kicked the caravan down the river to let out his frustration before he looked up at the tree.
--
When you didn't take into account that a creepy guy that was apparently a Disciple of Zhan Tiri was lurking around, and that Hector could attack at any moment, this was actually a very pleasant nature walk. Varian paused to examine various flora until Adira gently steered him away from it and Ruddiger scampered alongside the group, looking around and sniffing at the air.
Probably for Lucas, Varian figured.
Eugene and Lance got distracted along the way, but they all figured they'd catch up soon enough.
"So, tell me about my father." Varian said as he walked alongside Adira. "The warrior, not the farmer."
Rapunzel and Cassandra looked over while Hookfoot pretended not to care.
"Well, he was...strict. He was our leader, and kept us in line and on track. Always looked before acting, which is more than Hector could ever say, and quick to scold us if we got into trouble." She smiled fondly. "But, he could be so gentle and kind, too. He was fiercely loyal to the Moonstone, even went in after the King to stop him from taking it."
"So, why would he leave, then?" Varian asked.
"Well...it was a difficult time. We had to evacuate everyone because of a deadly plague caused by the Moonstone, and then our family was falling apart with the King dying and my choosing to find the Sundrop to stop the Moonstone." She pursed her lips. "I... haven't been back since that day. The last time I saw Quirin, he was going into Corona. And, apparently, he started a family." She looked at him.
Varian nodded. "...I wish he'd told me about you. I asked him what he was hiding for years and it was always 'you're not ready'. Not ready for what? Does he ever plan to tell me?"
Adira sighed. "I can't begin to guess."
--
They passed through a tunnel with suits of armor along the sides. "Where is the war?" Cassandra asked, looking up at them.
"Were these the armor of Zhan Tiri's people?" Rapunzel asked, stopping to look at one.
"Want me to ask?" Varian asked dryly.
"Uhm, it's not important." Rapunzel walked on.
Ruddiger noticed Pascal and Maximus heading back through and chittered to Varian before pointing at them. "You're going with them?" He asked, and Ruddiger nodded. "Okay, be safe."
Ruddiger scampered off and hopped on Maximus's back.
"Where are they going?" Hookfoot asked.
"Probably looking for the other two." Varian shrugged. "They'll catch up."
"It looks like there's something up there." Rapunzel said, and they looked over to see Adora slashing a vine out of the way before she led them into a large room with writings on the wall and a pool of water in the middle.
Varian gasped as he looked up. "This writing! It's the same as on my dad's graphtych!" He looked around and pointed up. "That, right there! Exactly like it!"
Rapunzel looked up at it, then pulled out the scroll pieces to check. Varian was right, they were the same - with one small detail. The scroll had a castle surrounded by rocks on it, not just rocks.
He looked over at her and frowned. "What's that?"
Rapunzel looked at him. "Varian, uhm, I've been collecting the rest of the scroll. I planned to show it to you once I had the final piece." She held them out to him and he walked over to accept them. "This is called the Demanitus Scroll. This is special code that he made to conceal his secrets."
He looked them over, put the sun and moon pieces together, then looked up. "Then...then, he must've done the writings up there, too." He handed them back.
Rapunzel nodded. "Hey, Eugene, look at--" She paused. "Varian, did you see where Eugene and Lance went?"
"No idea, but the animals are on it." Varian assured her.
"Raps, check this out!" Cassandra called. They walked over to see her holding up a scroll. "Look familar?"
Rapunzel took the scroll and Varian looked over her shoulder. "'Flower, gleam and glow. Let your power shine'... It's the healing incantation for the Sundrop."
"So, that other one must be an incantation for the Moonstone." Varian guessed, looking up. "Looking at what's below it...maybe to control the rocks?"
"There's other scrolls here." Adira said,and Varian went over to join her.
"Maybe there's something here that can free my father." He said hopefully.
--
Eugene and Lance were having an...interesting time. They were dancing around like madmen and singing in a deranged way towards certain doom, sliding around on large vines and narrowly avoiding being caught by little vines.
"You know," Lucas mused as he watched them, "I almost want to let them get eaten. I mean, who is that careless in a demon's stronghold, even an abandoned one?"
The vines caught them when they stopped and he watched as they got carried over to hang over the gaping mouth of the flower that opened up, tongue wriggling in anticipation.
"Hmm...I wonder if my little bird would mourn you?" Lucas chuckled.