Varian's Tangled Trials

Into the Lion's Den, Part 2

Hugo turned as Donella's shadow passed over him. He looked up to see her standing in the doorway, face calm and cold.

"Oh, hey, Donnie," said Hugo, straightening up and giving her a nervous smile. "I um... might have accidentally dropped the targets down a hole in the floor." He gestured over to where the others had just disappeared. Donella looked over then back at him.

"That's just the sorter. They'll be deposited down in the lower levels. Exactly where I didn't want that little alchemist to go." Her eyes flashed in anger, and Hugo couldn't help flinching. The look vanished to be replaced by her usual cold gaze. "But it doesn't matter. I've already given orders to correct the situation." She turned to head back through the door. "In the meantime, you have a journal to locate. Come along."

Hugo resented being led along like a child. He looked back over to where the others had just stood, his mind playing over the image of Varian, startled and scared, reaching out for him. Hugo pushed away the thought and relented to following Donella.

~ * ~

Nuru groaned as she pushed herself up to her knees on the dark, dusty floor. "Yong? Amber?" She looked around at the concrete room filled with crates. "Varian?"

"I think he ended up somewhere else," said Yong softly, a slight tremor of fear in his voice.

"Yeah, The Huntress, too," said Amber. "There was another shute."

"Nnngghhh, where'd they go?" asked Nuru, looking around more as if she thought the two would just suddenly spring up.

"Where are we?" asked Yong, getting up.

"Some kind 'a storage?" suggested Amber as she also rose and offered a hand to Nuru. "C'mon. We'll find a way out then find my cuz' and The Huntress."

"I think I see a door!" shouted Yong. Nuru winced.

"Lower your voice, Yong" Nuru took Amber's hand and let herself be pulled to her feet. Then they followed Yong.

The door led into a dark and seemingly abandoned hallway, lined with iron doors. The three friends crept along it. With a flick of a match, soft light flooded the hall from Yong's makeshift torch. As they ventured down further, the light fell upon a familiar sign marked 'Storage'. It was identical to the one they had left. Yong tugged Nuru's skirt.

"Over here!" He cried, "I bet Varian and Miss Cassandra fell in another room like the one we did!" The three made their way over to the door. Without stopping, the youngest reached for the handle. Amber perked up. Her eyes widened.

"Kid wai-"

Yong threw open the door, revealing a short, burly green-uniformed man. His initial surprise morphed into a sinister smile as he reached for them.

"Lost your way, children?" he said.

Amber pulled Yong back by the collar of his shirt. Nuru got in front of him and struck out, driving the heel of her hand into the man's nose. He reeled back, clutching it. The princess then slammed the door shut on him with a crash.

"Oh, wow..." said Amber, looking at Nuru as if seeing her for the first time. "Good one." Nuru turned back around and grabbed Amber's wrist, dragging both her companions down the hall. Yong shook out the torch as he ran with them.

They turned a corner, and Amber quickly pressed her ear against a door. After a moment, she nodded and ushered them inside. The trio found themselves in what seemed to be a massive warehouse, filled with rows upon rows of skeletal steel shelves. They found a series of barrels in a corner and dove behind them to hide. The man ran by, still clutching his nose. When his footsteps faded, they all breathed a sigh of relief. Nuru looked at Yong, who was looking down in shame.