While Varian treated the woman to a feast, the others went back to checking out the village. Hamuel and Quirin stood guard while Varian did the cooking, and then set the food down in front of her. "Enjoy." He smiled.
"Mmm, smells good!" She said, eagerly digging in.
Varian walked over and sat down in the chair across from her, leaning his head on his hand as he waited for the serum to take effect. "So, what brings you to Corona, Captain Creighton?"
"I'm tracking a werewolf." She said, swallowing and setting her fork down next to the empty plate.
Varian served her more food. "A werewolf, huh? And you're sure they came to Corona?"
"Of course, I'm sure!" She continued to eat. "I'm the best big-game tracker in the world, you think I can't follow a werewolf to this place?!" She reached for a glass and Varian set it closer to her, watching as she guzzled it down. "I took care of its previous host and then chased it across the continent to this place. It's all right here in this book." She pulled out a book and set it on the table and Varian watched curious as she opened it up to read it. "What we are dealing with is Maledicta Lupus; the Wolf's Curse. But, for you laymen, a werewolf."
"Is this werewolf powerful?" Varian asked.
"Oh, you bet it is. A lone werewolf could take on an entire village and leave not a single survivor. And, many times, the werewolf came from inside the village." Captain Creighton said, banging her fist on the table. "The Wolf's Curse travels the globe in search of host bodies. It feeds on untapped rage, so its ideal host is someone who harbors a deep-seated anger." She turned the pages as she went on. "It inhabits his body, and causes him to turn into a raging werewolf every full moon for the rest of his life!"
"Sounds terrible. How can we detect it?" Varian asked. "We'd prefer to take care of this problem ourselves, you might cause a panic and we don't need that right now."
"Hah! As if I'd share a profe—ngh!" She brought her hands to her throat and then look at him in horror. "What...did you...do to me?"
He grinned and closed the book, taking it from her and tucking it under his arm. "Hi, I'm Varian. You might not know me so well, but I'm The Alchemist of Old Corona. I sent truth serum-laced cookies to the castle last year, stole a withered magical flower and kidnapped the Queen. The food you just ate was filled with enough truth serum to have you tell the truth for the next few days. Now, let's try this again." He grinned. "How can we identify the werewolf?"
She cringed.
–
"A blue paw-print?" Rapunzel asked.
"Yeah. The werewolf's host will have a blue paw-print on their face, hands or arms." Varian explained.
"I still can't believe we're actually dealing with a werewolf." Pascal said, sitting cross-legged on Frederic's old throne. "By the way, what'd you do with the hunter lady?"
"Well, I was going to let her go, but then I asked her how she 'took care of' the previous host and basically I handed her in for conspiracy to murder." Varian shrugged. "Anyways, we should start looking for whoever it is, the next full moon is coming up very soon."
"Alright, let's get started." Rapunzel nodded. "Uhm...you're not the wolf, right? I know you can't move the rocks yet, but..."
He sighed. "Starting to wonder if I should just ask her for the incantation, because they'd really come in handy. No, I'm not." He assured her.
"Right...but how do I know you're being honest with me?" Rapunzel pointed out.
He chuckled. "Okay, fine. We'll dose everyone with truth serum."
"Cookies again? Pete's gonna plot your murder." Eugene grinned from Rapunzel's side.
"I was thinking juice, actually. And he can try, but he can't even get to me." Varian smirked and nodded towards his ever-present guards.
Eugene and Pascal laughed. "Yeah, that's true!" Eugene agreed.
"So, how are we going to do this?" Rapunzel asked.
"Honestly, the wisest course of action would be to inform the people what's going on and coordinate. If rumors spread, people will act on their own. Let's not forget what happened with the revolution." Varian reminded her.
Rapunzel cringed. "Yeah...that was...a mess. I never asked, how did you know where everyone lived?"
"I listen, I observe, I remember." He tapped his head. "We better call everyone to the throne room and discuss the situation. We've seen what happens if we hide things from the public, after all." He lightly tugged on his hair.
Rapunzel nodded. "Yeah...yeah, we have." She said grimly, looking at Eugene.
"I'll go tell the Captain." Eugene nodded and headed out of the throne room.
Rapunzel sighed and then looked to the side as her mother came in from the side. "Mom." She stood up.
"I heard what's going on." She gestured to the door. "Isn't a werewolf...an animal?"
"Sometimes, but it's also a man." Varian nodded. "We just need to make sure that they aren't out where the Disciples can get them when they shift."
Arianna nodded. "You should warn the search party, as well."
"We will." Rapunzel assured her with a smile, then nervously tucked her hair behind her ear. 'Hey, uhm...mom? Am I doing okay?"
"You're doing fine, sweetheart." She walked over and hugged her, kissing her temple gently. "And even if you weren't, no one would fault you for making a little mistake. After all, you've only just started. And you have so many people to turn to for guidance."
Rapunzel nodded with a smile. "Yeah, I do. I have you, and Varian, and King Edmund, and the Saporians, and Eugene, and even King Trevor."
"And me!" Pascal chimed in.
Rapunzel giggled and got up to walk over and hug him. "Of course, you too, Pascal!"
Arianna sighed. "Yeah...I must say, hearing that he's been allied with the Saporians was...surprising, but also not too surprising at the same time. I knew he didn't like Frederic and Corona, but I never expected it to be because he knew of the...the atrocities committed by Frederic's family." She looked a little ill. "That bunker...such a horrifying thing..."
"Yeah, well, you should've seen my room." Varian shrugged. "Your creepy husband was planning to give me the Gothel treatment."
Arianna shuddered, then smiled a bit. "Still...because we found out about it, we were able to free everyone, and it's so good to see Prince Andrew and Princess Juniper really and truly happy. I look forward to meeting King Crawford myself, when he was arrested I was..." She sighed. "Well...stricken with grief. I shut myself away for most of those years and...pretended the world didn't exist unless Frederic brought me out into it."
Varian smiled sympathetically. "Well...at least you didn't go off the deep end like we did."
"We?" She asked, confused.
"Frederic and I...we both have issues with processing grief and loss." Varian sighed, looking to the side. "I hate to say it, but your husband and I actually have a lot in common."
She nodded thoughtfully. "Well..." She cleared her throat. "If you're...not busy, do you all want to join me for afternoon tea?"
"Well, I think we can spare a bit of time." Rapunzel smiled as Pascal got up eagerly.
Varian pulled out his Communication Mirror to contact Ruddiger as they headed out of the throne room together.
–
"RRRAH!" Ruddiger roared as he slammed the costumed Disciple into the wall. "Release them from your SPELL, Jester!" He roared.
"Aw, Reggie, did you forget my name?" He asked teasingly.
"You don't deserve for me to use it! Release the children from your spell!" Ruddiger growled, holding a blade to his neck.
"Aw, but once I do, the demon hunters will be free to attack me." He snaked a hand free and gripped Ruddiger's shirt roughly, lifting him into the air and throwing him away from him. "And that would be a problem--"
A burst of fire flew at him and he screeched in alarm, quickly moving to avoid it. "Geez! Using fire magic is cheating!"
"Ruddiger, you're going to have to use your own power on these children!" Floyd told him as he gripped a red stone tightly and fired off another burst of flame at The Jester. "He's not going to let them go, but we can't do much more than magic while they're holding onto us!"
"And the ones that can't do magic are pretty much useless." Maximus muttered.
Ruddiger groaned. "Alright, but keep firing at him! I need a bit of time!" He jumped away from The Jester, who flipped backward to avoid a burst of flame, and then held out his hands, his eyes glowing green as the children glowed briefly and then he moved his fingers as they all let go of the adult fighters and stepped back silently. He directed them over to a side wall as everyone else charged at The Jester, keeping them in place.
His Communication Mirror started to glow and he groaned. "Not now." He muttered.
"Agh! Fine, I retreat! For now. But you can't protect them forever, Regulus!" The Jester hissed. "You will sorely regret betraying us back then!"
Floyd pulled out one of his stakes and threw it, but it hit the wall behind him as he burst into green fire just before it hit. "...Shit."
"I'll track him down." Ruddiger walked over and picked up the stake, then hissed and dropped it.
"Right, uhm, you probably can't touch it." Floyd walked over and picked it up. "Even though you're technically magically registered as being taken care of, it will still burn you." He put it back in its pocket.
"I noticed." Ruddiger muttered, then picked up his mirror, seeing it was still glowing. Sighing, he tapped it twice. "Hey."
"Ruddiger, finally! We've got a situation." Varian said with exasperation.
"So do we, The Jester got away. I want you to find all the kids and put them in your manor, the ward on your home will protect them from any evil spirits. We're coming back with the kids we got now. Are you and Clyde safe?"
"Yeah, we're safe. But, Ruddiger? There's a werewolf in Corona."
Ruddiger stared blankly. "...A what."
"Oh, this just gets better and better." Fidella sighed as she checked on the children, who were looking disoriented and crying for their parents.
"We're heading back now." Ruddiger sighed.
–
"Alright, the manor isn't nearly big enough, so we're going to just have to ward the castle if we're going to protect the children." Juniper said as they gathered everyone into the throne room.
"Good idea." Rapunzel nodded, then turned to the crowd of citizens gathered. "Is this everyone? We're not missing anyone?"
Varian looked around. "As far as I can tell, no, but...there's a lot of people here." He admitted.
Rapunzel sighed. "Let's just...hope this is everyone." She cleared her throat. "Everyone, please listen! There is a new development, a new danger, and we are going to need all of your cooperation to help us solve this problem. It has come to our attention that there is a new entity in Corona, a curse that turns a human into a werewolf."
The crowd gasped and Varian stepped forward. "Do not panic. I do not say this lightly. We need you all to stay calm and cooperate the best you can. We are going to be having everyone drink truth serum and allow themselves to be searched. The werewolf can be identified by a blue paw-print on their hands, their face, or their arms. Whether you are the werewolf, or whether you are hiding the werewolf, we need to know. The Disciples have people among them that can control animals, and when the werewolf shifts, it will be able to be controlled. Even if it is friendly normally, we cannot allow the werewolf to fall into the hands of the enemy. So, if you are the werewolf, or someone you know is, we will find out today." He nodded to the maids, who walked over and handed everyone drinks. "The truth serum will wear off after an hour. Please do not resist it, it will hurt."
Everyone complied, though they all looked frightened or angry about it. Varian shot Pete a look and he glared back as he drank the drugged juice.
"In case you're wondering, we also took the truth serum." Rapunzel assured them. "So, we're all in this with you."
"We need to know if anyone of you have seen anything strange, talked to anyone suspicious." Varian went on.
"What if it hasn't taken a host yet?" Someone asked.
"Then we check again tomorrow. This is for the good of Corona." Rapunzel said gently. "We cannot protect you from being enslaved by the disciple Melina if you do not tell us who you are."
"Please cooperate with us." Varian nodded.
Over the next hour, people were questioned and checked but there was no sign of anyone having a werewolf mark. Once it wore off, people were free to go.
"Remember, if you see something, if you encounter the Wolf's Curse, come straight to us! We cannot risk anything happening to you." Rapunzel said as everyone filed out.
Varian sighed. "...Well, that went well."
Rapunzel groaned, then gasped. "Oh! We have to keep the children in the castle!"
"We're on it." Juniper assured her as she headed off with Andrew while Clementine went off with some of the Saporian mages to ward the place.
"Uhm..." Angry walked up to Rapunzel, Red right behind her. "I have a question?"
"Yes?" Rapunzel smiled.
"...What are the 'Disciples'?" Angry asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, right, you're new in town." Varian nodded. "Uhm...Ruddiger, you wanna explain this one?" He looked at him.
Ruddiger sighed heavily. "Okay, then." He walked over to them. "Have you two heard of the demon Zhan Tiri?"
They both shook their heads and he groaned a bit before shooting Varian a look – Varian just shamelessly grinned back at him. "All I do for you..." He muttered, then looked back at the girls. "Long ago, a demon named Zhan Tiri spread chaos throughout the land, until an inventor by the name of Demanitus stopped her. But Zhan Tiri didn't cause all this trouble by herself, she had followers who called themselves her Disciples to help her with spreading chaos." Ruddiger sighed. "But...we weren't...all bad. Many of us used to be students of Demanitus and turned against him after being manipulated by Zhan Tiri. I used to be one of them, but I'm working to fix my mistakes."
"Ohhh, okay. So...these guys are, what, wizards or something?" Angry asked.
"Well, wizards and witches, sorceresses and sorcerers, evil spirits, demons, cultists who sold their souls." Ruddiger shrugged. "Anyways, they're bad news and one of them can control kids and another can control animals so that's why we need to find that werewolf before they do, and why you kids have to stay inside where it's safe. Okay?"
The girls looked at each other and shrugged. "Okay." They said in unison.
Rapunzel smiled. "Why don't I show you two to a room you can stay in tonight? Sound good?"
"Yeah!" Angry grinned and they walked out of the throne room with her.
"So...the Jester got away?" Varian looked at Ruddiger.
"We'll track him down." Ruddiger said firmly. "For now, you kids stay inside where you're safe, got it? Where's Clyde?"
"He's in my lab at home, said he wanted to help me figure out the scroll. I'm heading back there now." Varian turned to go, then gasped as Ruddiger grabbed him around the waist and burst into flame, the two of them reappearing at Varian's home.
"Varian!" Adira ran to him. "Where's--"
"I didn't think to bring Hamuel." Ruddiger groaned and burst into flame again before coming back with the crow/raven-turned-human, who shot him a dirty look and shifted his cloak like he was ruffling his feathers. "Alright, get him inside and keep him there. The Jester is still around, I'm heading back out with Floyd. Do NOT leave the house."
Adira nodded and ushered Varian in to rejoin the rest of them.
--
Ruddiger sighed and watched the door close before his eyes flashed green and he burst into flame again, reappearing at Gothel's glade. "I need your help. I can't fight The Jester on my own. I'm not asking you to join us, I just...I need your help with protecting Varian."
He saw her ghostly figure appear before him, sitting among the ruins. "...Very well." She said venomously, turning into a demonic green and black form. "Let us destroy him together. I've never much cared for him."
"Yeah, neither have I." He walked over, reached out and took her hand and then they burst into flame together.
–
"Alright, all tucked in. If you need anything, just come and find me." Rapunzel smiled. "My room is in the tower in the center of the castle, high above everyone else, and if I'm not there I will probably be in the throne room pacing."
Angry laughed a bit. "Not sleeping?"
Rapunzel's expression softened. "How can I sleep, knowing there's someone out there that wants to take away all the children of Corona?" She gently untied Angry's ponytail and kissed her forehead. "I'm glad you came back."
Angry smiled softly, then looked over at her sister. "Red didn't want to, though."
"Red?" Rapunzel looked at her.
Red sighed. "It's...it's complicated. I like it here, but...I'm just so used to being on the road, you know?"
"And I told you, we're done with that life! We're not thieves anymore, we can actually live good, honest, stable lives and not live on the road or in trees!" Angry rolled over, facing away from her sister. "Why can't you be happy about it?"
Red didn't reply, just pulled her blanket tighter around her, facing away from the other two. Rapunzel sighed and went to Red's bed, kissing her head gently before she headed for the door. "Sleep well, you two."
She smiled back at them before closing the door and walking down the hall.
"You look tired." Cassandra walked up to her.
"I am." Rapunzel nodded. "I don't know how dad did it."
"With his Queen. And also a lot of underhanded tricks." Cassandra sighed heavily. "Did you see Ruddiger's list?"
Rapunzel nodded. "There's so many..."
"But, we'll get through this." Cassandra smiled. "We always do."
Rapunzel smiled, encouraged. "Can we get something sweet?"
"Of course." Cassandra chuckled and they walked off together. "Where's Pascal?"
"He already went to bed." Rapunzel shrugged. "Hey, why is he a teenager, anyway?"
"I have nooooo idea." Cassandra shrugged. "Owl's younger than I expected him to be, too. And can you believe how Hamuel came out?"
"I know, I was expected him to be, you know, kind of thin, maybe sickly-looking, but he's got...muscles!" Rapunzel said, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Crazy, that." Cassandra nodded and they walked off to the kitchen together.