Just because Varian had so much going on like the memory formula for the king and queen and Demanitus Scroll, didn't mean that he couldn't have some fun every now and then. At least, that was Rapunzel's philosophy. The princess worried that the child's all work and no play routine wasn't healthy for him. That was why she suggested that the Fellowship of the Sundrop would go for a night out to do something fun.
Tonight, the group of friends were having dinner at the Snuggly Duckling. They all sat at the bar table while their order was being taken.
"We'll have the daily special, please." Rapunzel requested.
"Excellent choice, princess. Your order will be ready in 15 minutes or less." Atilla said.
"Thanks, Atilla." the sundrop thanked the chef as he walked back to the kitchen.
"I hope Shorty doesn't volunteer to 'taste test' again." Eugene spoke, making air quotes with his fingers.
As the rest of the fellowship were talking, Varian's eyes wandered to something that caught his attention: a grand piano. Rather than invest in his friends' conversation, the teen pulled away from the bar table and walked toward the piano. He dusted the seat off and lifted up the cover to reveal the ivory keys underneath.
Unbeknownst to Varian, a new patron entered the pub. It was a very pale man with platinum blonde hair.
The young alchemist then sat down at the piano, opened the songbook, and put his fingers to the keys. He played the upbeat melody according to the sequence of notes on the sheet music.
Within seconds, the music being played caught everyone's attention, including the Fellowship of the Sundrop.
"Varian?" Rapunzel gasped in amazement.
"Wow. Who knew that kid could play?" Lance commented, feeling rather impressed.
As the jubilant song resonated throughout the pub, the pasty man was tapping his foot in time to the melody and watching the young maestro with an increasingly sly grin, a pointy toothed grin.
When it was over, Varian didn't even know he was being watched until he heard the rousing cheers from the pub patrons. The teen saw everyone give him a thunderous applause. His friends were even up on their feet as they clapped. Varian was definitely taken aback by the standing ovation. Originally, he was just messing around with the piano and he felt modest about the praise he was given.
"Thank you. Thank you all so much." the kid said humbly as he blushed.
"Brava! Bravissima!" the sallow man hollered loudly.
When the applause died down, most of the pub patrons went back to their business. Rapunzel was about to walk up to Varian, but the pale man rapidly got him first. He moved so fast, he was practically a blur.
"That was an exemplary performance, my dear boy. I can tell you have a real ear for music." the ashen figure told the teen.
"Well, that's very kind of you, Mr.-" Varian replied.
"Oh, just call me Lawrence." he cut him off. "I must say, it's not everyday that I see such raw musical talent from someone so young. I would certainly love... an encore."
Lawrence then joined Varian at the shoulder and wrapped an arm around him. Immediately, the boy noticed that the man's hand was way too close to his backside and a warning bell went off in his head.
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Hands above the equator, buddy!" he exclaimed, pulling away from his strange admirer.
"Oh, do forgive me. It's just my way of showing appreciation for such a grand presentation." Lawrence said, inching closer again.
Rapunzel, who was watching from afar with a cross look on her face, decided to step in.
"Okay, I know everyone wants to talk with our little star here, but I really need to borrow Varian for a little bit." the princess spoke with a forced smile as she and her boy shuffled away from the pale man to join their friends.
"Varian, that was amazing! Where did you learn to play like that?" Eugene asked.
"Self taught." the kid answered. "When my mom was around, she used to sing and play piano for me whenever I was sad or restless. Playing the instrument helps me feel close to her. I even kept the sheet music she used."
"Your daily special is served, princess." Atilla announced as he placed six plates on the bar table.
"Thank you, Atilla." Rapunzel said as the Fellowship of the Sundrop prepared to eat.
"As much as I would love to stay, I must be going now. It was wonderful to meet you, Varian." Lawrence told the teen, approaching him at the table. He placed a hand on Varian's cheek which immediately heated up. "I hope to see you again soon. Don't forget, you still owe me an encore performance."
"W-when are you free?" the child asked uncomfortably, but found it hard to pull away.
"Well, I'm rather busy during the day.... But, I'm available at night." the pasty man purred.
"Um, I-I don't know. Rapunzel doesn't w-want me going off with s-strangers. Plus, I have a b-bit of a c-curfew."
"But, we're friends now. And I'm sure the princess wouldn't mind if you were out with a friend, right? Anyway, I'll see you around. Same time tomorrow?"
As Lawrence sauntered out of the Snuggly Duckling, Varian just sat there, thinking about his interaction with the strange character. He considered himself to be his friend, but he was way too close for the boys' comfort. Not to mention that Lawrence was touching him almost constantly. But, he said he was just being friendly so maybe Varian was in the wrong for feeling weird about it.
The young alchemist looked on as his friends consumed their meals without a care in the world. But, Varian looked at his own plate and suddenly didn't feel like eating anymore.
"Why do I feel like I just lost my appetite?" he asked Ruddiger who was wrapped around his shoulders.
The next day, the teenage alchemist was just leaving the bookshop when he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. There was a figure dressed in a thick black robe that covered his entire body and his hood was concealing his face. The person was standing under a store awning, staying out of the sun as much as he could. Varian was a little weirded out, but chose to just go on his way. As he was walking down the cobbled streets, the kid noticed that the robed man was following him. The stranger kept his face down and Varian could hear his husky breath from several feet away. Feeling anxious, the teen picked up the pace, but the man would not relent. The young alchemist was growing more fearful of this potential stalker so he bolted to the castle as fast as his legs could carry him. Finally, Varian made it to the castle and watched from the front balcony as the stalker stood outside the archway just watching him.
"How did he manage to catch up?" the kid thought anxiously.
"Varian." Rapunzel's voice said, causing him to yelp and jolt. He turned around and saw the princess, Lance, and Eugene standing behind him.
"Whoa, jumpy much?" Lance spoke.
"Guys, thank goodness." Varian sighed with relief. "I think someone was following me home."
"Who?" Rapunzel inquired.
"There was this guy wearing a thick black robe and he was breathing heavily behind me. Ugh, so creepy." the little alchemist shuddered.
"I agree. Wearing in a black robe in broad daylight is definitely a poor fashion choice." Eugene commented.
"What did he look like?" the sundrop wanted to know.
"I don't know. He had his hood down the whole time. I didn't see his face." her boy answered.
"Well, where is he now?" the dark prince wondered.
"He's... gone?" Varian glanced back and was shocked to find that the stalker had disappeared from the archway.
"Okay." Eugene said slowly. "But, if he starts creeping on you again, just let us know."
"Uh huh." the teen nodded. "Oh, and since you're here, is it okay if I go to the Snuggly Duckling tonight? I'm meeting my new friend Lawrence there."
"Lawrence?" Lance raised an eyebrow.
"You know, the pale looking guy with the pompadour hairstyle?" the boy clarified.
"And this guy's asking you to meet him at the pub? At night?" Eugene said.
"He really liked my piano playing last night and he really wants an encore performance. Besides, he's only available at night and the last thing I want to do is flake out on him."
"Of course you can go to the snuggly duckling, Varian." Rapunzel told him. "As long as I get to go with you. I just want to make sure you don't get in any trouble."
"Oh, well, I-I'm sure Lawrence won't mind." Varian replied.
That night, Varian and Rapunzel arrived at the Snuggly Duckling. The pub thugs were working as usual and, gingerly leaning on the wall was Lawrence. He quickly noticed the princess and alchemist's presence.
"Varian. I knew you wouldn't leave me out on a limb." the man said happily as he proceeded to give Varian a long hug.
The kid felt uneasy by the gesture of affection and Rapunzel could see it on his face. Varian cleared his throat and Lawrence let him go.
"Yeah, here I am. I brought my friend and guardian Rapunzel here with me too. I hope that's okay." the young alchemist said.
The man gave the sundrop a somewhat scornful look. "I see. Princess Rapunzel, I presume?"
"And you must be Lawrence. You know, Varian tells me you're his biggest fan." Rapunzel said as the two of them shook hands.
"Fan is such a mundane word. I prefer the term, friend." Lawrence replied rather smugly.
"I'm sure you do." the princess forced a smile to mask her scorn towards him.
"Well, now that that's over and done with, I believe you still owe me a performance, Varian." Lawrence said, joining Varian's side. "But first, let me treat you to a meal. Can't play on an empty stomach, now can we?"
"As long as you're up for it, I'm up for it." Varian replied, sitting at the bar with him with his friend sitting a little too close.
"Can I get you two anything?" Atilla asked.
"Yes, my good man. We were hoping we could just skip right to dessert. But, I already filled up on the way here so just a slice of cake for the boy, if you would be so kind." Lawrence requested courtly, putting an arm around the boy.
"Coming right up." the chef said, heading into the kitchen.
"Don't you think Varian should have something healthy first? I mean, I love sweets as much as the next guy, but I don't think skipping to dessert is a good idea." Rapunzel advised.
"I see nothing wrong with spoiling a child on occasion." the pale man insisted.
"I just want what's best for Varian." the princess told him.
"Well, I know what's best for him. And I say, he deserves the right to be indulged. Wouldn't you agree, Varian?"
The young alchemist was fidgeting in his seat the whole time, still scolding himself in his head about Lawrence touching him. To be frank, he didn't know what to say to either of them without upsetting one or the other. Just then, a group of six girls entered the pub. They all look to be in their mid twenties and were equally as pale as Lawrence.
"Ah, girls. So nice of you to join us." the man greeted the sextet.
"Uh, f-friends of yours?" Varian asked, breaking the ice.
"Indeed. Allow me to introduce you to: Valerie, Pandora, Elizabeth, Lilith, Sable, and Mina." Lawrence nodded, introducing the girls.
"So this is the young virtuoso we've heard so much about." Sable, with a black ponytail over her shoulder commented.
"We came because we wanted to hear if you're as good as Lawrence said you are." Lilith, with a white pixie cut explained.
As the ladies circled him, Varian could feel his personal space getting smaller by the second. His heart rate spiked and he felt like he couldn't breathe.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Don't crowd him!" Rapunzel demanded, trying to shoo the ladies away. They all backed off in indignation and Lawrence shot the princess a sour look.
And then, Atilla wordlessly set a plate with Varian slice of cake on it on the bar table.
"Thank you, my good man." Lawrence thanked him, his cool as a cucumber attitude returning. He turned to the teen with a sly smile. "Now, eat up. And then, you can give us that performance we've been waiting for."
The kid did as he was instructed and the pale man was standing close by as if making sure he didn't miss a single bite.
"Why is Lawrence being so controlling over Varian?" Rapunzel thought heatedly.
As soon as he was full, the young alchemist sat at the piano and uncovered the keys. A songbook was already propped up. And with that, Varian started playing according to the notes. As the elegant melody reverberated throughout the pub, the pale ladies were swooning from the lovely sound. And Lawrence was drinking in the exquisite refrain like a glass of sarsaparilla. To him, Varian's playing was just intoxicating.
Meanwhile, Rapunzel was keeping a scrutinized gaze at the pasty man. Something about him was just setting off a bad message to the princess.
At the end of his ivory rhapsody, Varian received a standing ovation from Lawrence and company. The older man then went up to the young musician to praise him.
"Ah, Varian, what you do to me. You are my angel of music." he purred seductively in Varian's ear. And then, Lawrence planted a soft kiss on the unsuspecting teen's cheek.
The kid's face turned beet red and he was beside himself.
As for Rapunzel, her cheeks were burning with ire. It was repulsive that a guy in his thirties was kissing a minor like that. That was when the princess decided that enough was enough.
"Well, it's been fun, but we don't want to overstay our welcome. Don't want Varian to stay up past his bedtime." Rapunzel jumped in with a forced smile.
"Rapunzel!" Varian lightly whined, trying to shield his embarrassment.
"Oh, of course. Shame on me for trying to deprive this sweet child of a good night sleep. Just give me and Varian a minute to say our goodbyes." Lawrence said, pulling Varian aside before lowering his voice to a whisper. "Varian, I am beguiled by the way you tickled the ivories tonight and I look forward to seeing it again tomorrow."
"Y-you want me to come back again?" the boy spoke.
"Precisely. Only this time, without the addition of a... chaperone." the pasty man replied.
"Wait, you mean without Rapunzel? Why? Do you not like her?"
"I am merely saying that her presence may get in the way of our fun. And there's nothing wrong with having a little fun, right?" Lawrence stroked his fingers under the child's chin bewitchingly.
"No, I guess not."
So much of this man's behavior was coming off really weird, but again, Varian decided that he was in the wrong for thinking that way. Lawrence was so persuasive, it was almost impossible to say no at this point.
As he and Rapunzel were leaving, the pale sextet flirtatiously waved goodbye to Varian. Mina, with a bob of curly brown hair, even gave him a wink. The behavior caused the princess and her boy to accelerate their pace out of the tavern.
The next day, Varian requested to go back to the Snuggly Duckling again, but this time, he asked that Rapunzel just drop him off instead of going in the pub with him. His friend/guardian quickly wondered if Lawrence took her as a threat. If the pale man was now going out of his way to isolate the kid from her and the rest of their friends, it was all the more reason to be untrustworthy of him.
"It's nothing personal, Rapunzel. It's just that Lawrence kinda... sees you as a third wheel." Varian tried to explain.
"And you're sure I shouldn't come? I just want to make sure everything's on the up and up." Rapunzel said.
"I wish it were up to me, but I wouldn't wanna upset Lawrence. Don't worry. He promised he'd bring me home before my curfew." the teen answered.
"Just be careful, okay?" the sundrop sighed in defeat to which he nodded in reply.
That night, Rapunzel reluctantly kept her word and dropped Varian off at the pub. She nervously waved goodbye before mounting onto Maximus and rode back to the castle.
Now on his own, the young alchemist took a sharp breath before opening the door and heading inside. There, sitting at the bar table in anticipation was Lawrence and not too far away were his six ashen companions.
"Ah, Varian. Welcome back. I am so fortunate that we finally get some quality time, just the two of us." the pasty guy beamed with a wide smile.
"Well, the phrase 'two of us,' wouldn't exactly be accurate in this case." the boy spoke logically.
"Details, details." Valerie, with a bun of strawberry blonde hair said dismissively.
"Now, what do you say we have a bite to eat before our young maestro serenades us for the night?" Elizabeth, with long, light brown hair proposed.
"An excellent notion, Elizabeth." Lawrence concurred.
The six girls all sat a table chock-full of mostly meat and huddled to gather as they ate in an untidy manner. Varian was repulsed that ladies who looked so decent were so uncouth at the table.
Meanwhile, he and Lawrence sat at their own table for two. However, the teen found it hard to eat his food because his mind was lost in his own buzzing thoughts. The stiff silence between the two males was only to be broken by Lawrence drumming his fingers on the table which unnerved Varian even more.
"Y-you know, I think we should g-get to know each other a little b-better. I mean, b-besides the fact that you l-like the way I p-play the piano, I d-don't know anything about you." he scammered uncomfortably, breaking the ice.
"What do you want to know?" his "friend" asked.
"Well, where are you from? What are your hopes and dreams? And what do you do during the day?" Varian wondered.
"I'm somewhat of a nomadic so I typically don't settle in one place for too long and I don't have time to set my heart on any dreams. And my diurnal life would most likely bore you." Lawrence disclosed, stroking an index finger through the child's signature hair stripe. The boy shivered under his touch. "But, enough about me. Tell me about you because this... charming color in your hair has been on my mind for days."
"I really don't want to get into that. It's kind of private." Varian disavowed. There were just some things that he didn't feel comfortable divulging to this man. He especially didn't want to reveal anything about his dark past. "But, I will say that I am an alchemist. I got my interest in it from my mom. And my dream is to be the best alchemist in Corona next to Lord Demanitus."
"Ugh, Demanitus." Lawrence spat at the name. "If you ask me, I'd say that old fool was utterly past his prime in his day and age."
The kid couldn't help but feel somewhat offended that someone would think so lowly about his dream and his idol. Suddenly, Varian's wistful stupor was broken by the man's finger lightly poking his side and it tickled a lot. The boy squealed with laughter and he clapped a hand over his mouth, clearly mortified.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Lawrence atoned, his voice laced with mock innocence. "Are you ticklish?"
"V-very much so." the teen shuddered.
"Just when I thought he couldn't get any cuter." Pandora, with red hair whispered to Lilith who snickered.
Varian tried his hardest to ignore the devious looks the pale girls were giving him.
"Now, how about you get on that piano and play us out for the night?" Lawrence suggested, his thumb gesturing to the instrument.
"I-I don't know, Lawrence. I-I'm starting to get the f-feeling that this is less like f-fun and more like work." the young alchemist attempted to dispute.
"But, you do a different song every night. It can't be that stale." his "friend" rebutted. "Besides, you want to make us all happy, don't you?"
As the man leaned closer towards Varian, the irises in his eyes began to flash red. The glow reflected into the kid's eyes and he found himself enraptured by the captivating glare. As the boy stared blankly, he felt his mind being bent to Lawrence's will.
"Yes. I really want to make you happy." he spoke dispassionately, still under the hypnotic influence.
"Good. Now get up on that stage and give us a good show. And remember to have fun." Lawrence instructed.
"As you wish." Varian replied submissively as got up and ambled to the piano.
As the boy played his tunes, the pale man sat back with a somewhat sickening satisfaction. He looked back at his band of girls who also were disturbingly pleased. The hypnosis worked effortlessly on the gullible teen, as Lawrence knew it would. All it took was a little more pushing and soon, that child would be as good as his.
The next night, things only got weirder. Lawrence had told his lady friends that Varian was very ticklish. Enticed by that revelation, the six girls unleashed a full-on tickle attack on the poor boy, despite his many protests to make them stop.
"P-p-please! S-s-stop!" the kid begged through his laughter as his sides and underarms felt like they were assaulted by dozens of tickly spiders.
"Why stop? You sound like you're having fun." Mina asked teasingly.
It took a while, but Varian finally managed to squirm away from the sextet's tantalizing manicured nails. He braced himself against the wall to catch his breath, phantom giggles still in his system.
"Well, it's been a minute, but I really should be getting home before I miss my curfew." the teen stated breathlessly. He knew that Rapunzel would most likely panic and send the royal guard on a search party for him. The young alchemist was about to head out the door when Lawrence blocked his way.
"Do you really have to leave right away? I'm sure the princess can overlook you coming home a few minutes late." the man persuaded as he put on the mesmerizing charm. "Besides... you still owe us a song for the night."
"You're right. How silly of me." Varian spoke spiritlessly, falling under Lawrence's spell once again. And then, he habitually made a beeline for the piano. As the boy played, Lawrence sat back and thought about how it was so unbelievably easy to keep Varian wrapped around his finger. It wouldn't be too long before the pale man sealed the child's fate... forever.
After two more days, Rapunzel and Eugene discussed the topic of Varian's new friend. The princess could hardly get a wink of sleep last night fearing for her boy's well-being. She just couldn't fathom what this Lawrence guy was doing to him. Not to mention that Varian's frequent trips to see his "friend" were having consequences on him during the day. He kept the curtains closed in his room and slept in a lot. The child was also losing interest in alchemy. Varian wasn't even working on deciphering the Demanitus Scroll anymore. The princess was definitely leaning towards the claim that Lawrence may be parasitic to her boy and was determined to find out what the man's endgame was.
"Is it wrong that I don't trust Lawrence?" she asked Eugene.
"I'm not sure I follow." her boyfriend replied.
"Well, h-he's twice Varian's age and is constantly touching him. I've even seen him kiss Varian on the cheek." Rapunzel clarified.
"Really? That guy is a pedophile." Eugene commented, shaking his head in disgust.
"Ugh, it's disgusting and illegal, and I don't know why Varian isn't doing anything about it. It's like he doesn't even know how wrong the way he's being treated is."
"It's hard to see when it's happening to you."
"But, I'm worried that if I confront Varian, he'll get agitated about me not trusting Lawrence and then I'll look like the bad guy." The princess gave a shaky sigh. "Besides, it's not like it's any of our business, right?"
"Maybe not. But, if you're that concerned about the kid's safety, which is fair, then maybe it is our business." The dark prince put an affirming hand on her shoulder.
After contemplating that, Rapunzel decided that it was time to tell Varian what's been going on.
"Thanks, Eugene." she told her boyfriend, kissing his cheek. "Good pep talk." She then went off to give Varian a much-needed conversion.
Meanwhile in Varian's room, the young alchemist was sitting on his bed reading a book barely able to keep his eyes open. Ruddiger was close by, feeling worried for his best friend. That was when the teen heard a knock at his bedroom door.
"Varian?" Rapunzel said, coming in with a plate. "I thought you might be hungry so I made you a ham sandwich. I know they're your favorite."
"Thanks, Rapunzel. I'll eat it later." Varian replied, turning back to his book.
Undetered by his abnormal nonchalance, the princess set the sandwich on her boy's nightstand and sat on his bed with him.
"Hey. Since I'm here, I wanted to talk to you about something that's been on my mind for a while." she began seriously, but gently.
"Is it about Lawrence?" the child guessed, raising an eyebrow and setting his book down. "Look, I know that you don't trust him, but he's just... e-eccentric. He may have w-weird behaviors, but that doesn't mean he p-poses a threat to me."
Rapunzel winced, not meaning to make Varian feel cornered.
"But, haven't you noticed the way he's been touching you?" she continued.
"Okay, you're right. That is a little creepy." the kid sighed.
"I just want you to know that you have every right to set boundaries to yourself. And no one should feel like they're entitled to touch you in places you don't want them to touch." the princess told him wisely. "The last thing I want is for you to be groomed into an abusive relationship again. You understand, right?"
Varian tensed up a little. Yes, he knew exactly what his friend/guardian was talking about. The alchemist didn't want to be in another situation like what Andrew put him through ever again. At least, Lawrence was gentle with the child though, unlike his former abuser. And his "friend" was nice to him, well, as nice as he claimed to be while Andrew was definitely not. Varian was well aware that Rapunzel was skeptical of Lawrence, but he also knew it was only because she cared about the kid's safety. He could never hold that against her.
"Yeah, I get it." the teen managed a small smile.
"That's why I think that, and you're probably not going to like this, you should skip seeing Lawrence tonight." the sundrop suggested carefully.
"What? B-but, won't be be m-mad that I'm can't meet up with him? He's very particular about my punctuality." Varian said nervously before covering his mouth. "I-I shouldn't have said that. L-Lawrence doesn't want me t-talking about him or the th-things we do outside of the tavern."
Rapunzel's face soured at the thought of the creepy man forcing her boy to keep their time at the Snuggly Duckling a secret.
"I'm sure Lawrence can overlook you skipping one night. And if not, he'll just have to live with it." she smiled again. "Now, how about we get out of this gloomy room and get some sunlight in your life."
"I suppose I can work with that." the kid agreed as he took his sandwich and followed the princess out with Ruddiger right on his heels.
Later that day, the Fellowship of the Sundrop we're in the dining hall and had just finished lunch. They were now making light-hearted conversion.
"You know, that spread was great, but now I'm in the mood for some delectable cupcakes." Lance said.
"That's Lance. Always got food on the brain." Eugene laughed.
All the sudden, the mood quickly changed when the team heard someone scream and burst through the doors.
"Rapunzel! Your Majesty, there's an emergency!" a young woman cried out, running up to the princess. It was Clara, one of the milkmaids from Old Corona.
"Clara, are you all right? What happened?" Rapunzel asked.
"We've got a vampire on the loose in Old Corona!" Clara uttered.
"A v-vampire?" Varian stuttered.
"It attacked two of my cows last night. I had to put a garlic wreath outside the door to keep it from getting in our house. I have two vulnerable children." the milkmaid explained in a frenzy.
"Hmm, I don't have much know-how on the matter, but I do know who might." the princess said.
The fellowship quickly paid a visit to Xavier's forge to talk about the vampire rumor.
"I appreciate you bringing this to my attention, Princess. The danger we may be facing is mammoth." the old man said after some brief pondering.
"What do you mean by that, Xavier?" Rapunzel asked.
"Millenia ago, during his many skirmishes with Lord Demanitus, the evil Zhan Tiri created many monsters to wreak havoc on Corona and beyond." Xavier explained. "Many of these monstrosities are still around to this day, but one of the most fearful of all were vampires, terrible immortal creatures with an inquenchable desire for blood. Vampires often travel in a clan known as the Children of the Night and there are rumors saying that the number is slowly growing. You can easily identify a vampire by their blood red eyes, sharp fangs, and ashen skin. They also have deep seated distaste of the sun, for exposure to it would reduce them to dust."
Varian's face paled at the thought of such fearsome creatures running amuck in their hunger for blood.
"But why would a vampire just now show up in Corona?" Eugene questioned.
"It just so happens that there is an astronomical event on the horizon: a lunar eclipse or as vampires call it, the blood moon." the blacksmith responded. "The Children of the Night have worshiped the blood moon for eons. It is the one time where their powers are at their peak. They use the eclipse to convert someone from mortal to vampire without having to bite them, but the process of how is a mystery even to my knowledge."
That was when a thought occurred in the little alchemist. At first, Varian hesitated because he felt it was too bold of a question to ask, but the boy needed to get it out of his system.
"Xavier... does the blood moon happen to have a-any effect on the moonstone?" he asked softly.
"I assume you are not aware of this?" Xavier said. The kid shook his head in response and the elder man let out a sigh. "I don't want to alarm you, Varian, but I fear that your connection to the Moonstone may put you at the greatest risk of all."
"W-why is that?" the teen questioned.
"When the red shadow of the eclipse blots out the moon's glow, the sliver of Moonstone power inside you will weaken to a dangerous low." the blacksmith answered grimly.
"Oh no." Rapunzel gasped in horror.
Early that night, the princess came into Varian's room to say goodnight to her boy who was now clad in his pajamas. Right away, she noticed that the teen's face practically was white as paper. Varian hadn't looked at this nervous since he and Rapunzel took that Corona from the Saporians.
"Are you okay, sweetheart?" she asked.
"I-I guess I'm just feeling a l-little on edge. What with the vampires and the blood moon." the child answered.
"Hey, I'm nervous too." Rapunzel said. "But, we have guards watching out for the Children of the Night. As for the blood moon... Well, we'll be sure to take care of you when it does come."
"Will I be okay, Rapunzel?" Varian wanted to know.
"I can't say for sure, but Xavier said that the lunar eclipse will last a couple hours. So we'll just have to let it run its course and I'm sure you'll bounce back. You're pretty good at that actually." The princess's comment earned a chuckle from her boy. And she proceeded to tuck him in and kiss his forehead while Varian settled to sleep. "Goodnight, baby."
While Varian slept that night, his slumber was interrupted by a husky voice whispering his name. Immediately, the boys eyes shot open. His mind was now filled with an automatic yearning to go to the Snuggly Duckling and see Lawrence. Yes, Rapunzel did say to skip going to the tavern tonight, but Varian also knew that if you didn't see his "friend," he would just go nuts. Then again, recalling Xavier's legend, Lawrence and his friends did have the signs that they were possibly vampires. Of course, the kid thought he was in the wrong for considering such a claim.
"Stop thinking like that, Varian." he scolded himself. "Just because they're weird people, doesn't mean that they're monsters."
Regardless, there was no resisting the desire that was practically controlling Varian. And with that, he got out of bed and wrote a quick note to Rapunzel should she find him missing. Then, he got dressed and grabs his cloak from his armoire before heading out.
Meanwhile, the princess was discussing with her friends about a shocking discovery she made about Lawrence and company.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down, Blondie. Are you sure you're right about that?" Eugene asked.
"Think about it, Eugene. The evidence speaks for itself! Blood red eyes, really pale skin, preferring to only be out at night." Rapunzel spoke, counting the clues off her fingers. "There's no question about it."
"So that means..." Lance began.
"Lawrence and his friends are the Children of the Night." the princess finished, her eyes narrowed.
On the mainland, Varian arrived at the pub, keeping the hood of his cloak up the whole time until he was sure the coast was clear. Once he was inside, the boy pulled his hood down and found himself facing Lawrence's feminine entourage, but Lawrence himself was nowhere to be seen.
"Varian, there you are." Pandora welcomed him. "We were beginning to think you weren't gonna show up."
"Yeah, I'm s-sorry I'm late." Varian apologized. And then, he noticed some other figures that were also missing from this scene. "Where are all the pub thugs?"
"Oh, they're taking the night off. We volunteered to be the backup employees." Elizabeth explained.
"By the way, you have good taste in cloaks." Valerie complimented, squeezing the young alchemist's shoulders. "I'm sure Lawrence would absolutely approve of this."
"I-Isn't Lawrence s-supposed to be here?" the child stuttered, feeling uncomfortable by the impromptu massage.
"He'll be along. He just had to make a quick pit stop." Lilith assured him. "But, don't worry, we're more than happy to keep you company until his arrival."
"Would you like something to nibble on? You must be very hungry." Mina asked, rubbing Varian's tummy. It, in turn, elicited a light growl.
"Heh, now that you mention it, I am a little peckish." the teen giggled nervously.
"Then you're just in time for supper." Pandora said, ushering him to the bar table where two serving dishes sat before him. Then, Sable lifted the lids to reveal the food. "Do you prefer white meat or red meat?"
What Varian saw was somewhat unsettling. One dish had a giant poultry bird and the other had a large steak. But, both meat products were, without a doubt, uncooked.
"Is that a raw turkey and T-bone?" Varian inquired, feeling rather disturbed.
"I know. I'm quite partial to poultry myself." Sable replied.
"And of course, you'll need a nice cool drink to wash it all down." Elizabeth added, sliding the boy a glass of red liquid.
"Lemme guess, tomato juice?" he predicted.
"Not even close." the brunette girl chuckled. "It's pig's blood."
"P-pig's b-b-blood?" Varian stammered, tumbling out of his chair, feeling somewhat queasy.
Valerie, who had a glass of blood of her own, guzzled down the whole drink without an iota of disgust. Afterwards, she gave a loud sigh of satisfaction and wipe any possible dribble from the sides of her lips.
"Mmmmm, the sugar gives it that added flavor." she told the perturbed teen.
Right away, Varian felt like he had just lost his appetite. If he didn't leave now he would probably faint. Maybe coming here wasn't such a good idea after all. The young alchemist decided that now was the best time to go home.
"You know what? Suddenly, I'm not feeling so hungry anymore." Varian said quickly as he scooted towards the door. "I'll just get out of your hair."
"But you haven't even played for us yet." Mina stopped him.
"And Lawrence certainly wouldn't want to miss your... farewell performance." Sable added.
"What do you mean by 'farewell?'" the kid questioned.
"As in, farewell to your mortality." Lilith responded wickedly. "The blood moon is coming. And Lawrence has invited you to be the guest of honor."
Varian felt his breath get stuck in his throat when he heard that. How did they know about the blood moon? And then, the young alchemist realized that his suspicion of the sextet were correct.
"You're the C-Children of the Night!" he gasped in horror. Now he knew he never should have snuck out of the castle.
As the six vampires drew closer, the kid felt his heart rate spike and his breath pick up in pace as he tried to open the door in his state of panic. But somehow, the feminine monsters had used their powers to keep it locked.
"Let me leave!" Varian screamed. "I wanna go home!"
"You're not going anywhere, except with us." Valerie replied as she and the other vampires turned on their hypnotizing gaze, their eyes glowing bright red.
The boy then found himself unable to look away from the mesmerizing stare magnified by six times. The red glow reflected back in his own eyes. His panic faded like an old memory.
"Now, relax." Pandora's voice whispered in his ears. "Let yourself succumb to the allure of slumber."
In a matter of seconds, Varian could almost feel his brain turned into mush as his eyelids began to droop. His body was rendered to the consistency of thick maple syrup as he collapsed to the floor, his cloak pooled out under him.
"You belong to our master now." Elizabeth's distant voice echoed.
It was the last thing Varian heard as sleep finally managed to claim the kid as it's unfortunate victim. What would become of the poor little alchemist?
To Be Continued...