Varian's Tangled Trials

Ferry Mysterious

A/N: Thanks for reading everyone!!

Zuri paced the long meeting room as the guards watched and waited. She wrung her hands and bit her lip, then walked over to the window. She could see out over the city where people were still battling fires started by the meteor strikes. The sky, though, was finally empty.

She looked up and found the Comet in the sky. It hung in the dark, seemingly unaware and unconcerned of the destruction it just wrought.

"Is this really how we're meant to live?" she whispered to herself.

"Your Majesty."

Zuri turned to see one of her counselors arriving back, two people in long stately robes following behind.

"Your Majesty, all the party guests have safely been escorted home. Also, your family has retired to the emergency quarters to rest, including your mother. Preparations are already underway to repair the castle."

Zuri peered out the window again at the burning homes. "No." She said softly.

The counselor stepped forward. "I beg your pardon, Your Majesty, what was that?"

"No!" Zuri turned to him. "I don't want a single person touching the castle until the people of Koto are safe. Send everyone available to help put out the fires and rebuild their homes first."

The counselor nodded at this. "Very well, Your Majesty."

"And what about Princess Nuru. Have you found her yet?" Zuri asked, hopefully.

His face dropped into a frown. "I'm afraid not. We've searched everywhere for the princess. No trace so far. Likely that group of hooligan boys kidnapped her."

Zuri laughed nervously. "I'd like to see someone try kidnapping my sister. No. That can't be it. You must have missed something. I want at least two guards to continue the search."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The tallest of the robed people stepped forward. "Pardon, Your Majesty, but we should have a word with you."

"Ah, yes," said the counselor. "Your Majesty, this is Doctor Otieno and Doctor Kariuki. They're two of our esteemed Royal Astronomers."

The two robed astronomers bowed, and Doctor Otieno spoke again. "Queen Ahdra has placed you in charge, Your Majesty. Since it is hard to say how long the Queen's recovery will take, we feel that it is important you be debriefed on our situation."

Zuri's eyes narrowed. "I'm afraid I don't understand. I already know our situation quite well. We all watched it happen tonight."

The two astronomers looked at each other solemnly before looking back at Zuru. "It's important we speak to you privately."

Zuri, panic swirling in her gut, dismissed the guards and shooed the counselor out, as well. Then she turned back to the two scientists.

"Your Majesty," said Doctor Kariuki. "There were certain things your mother bid us keep secret from everyone else to avoid panic or despair. Now that you're Queen Regent, you must hear those things now."

Zuri nodded, her hands wringing her dress as she listened.

The two astronomers walked to the table in the middle of the room, and Zuri followed. They spread charts and notes out on the table for her to see.

"As you're aware, Your Majesty, the Demantitus Comet has been a recurring problem for Koto for centuries. It returns to us once every eighteen to twenty years and rains down meteors for six to eight months before flying off again into space. But as the Comet approached this time around, we noticed something strange." Doctor Kariuki pointed at a depiction of the Comet's path. "It's not following its normal course. For some time now, we've been aware that it's coming too close to us, creating more violent meteor storms."