Siblings of Corona-B3:Life On the Road

Chapter 21

"Hey, I'm starting to not need this anymore," Varian said happily, holding up his staff.

"That's great, Varian!" Rapunzel gave a little clap.  "Soon, you'll be as good as new."

"I'm just happy that the stupid cast finally off my hand.  Finally completely healed," he continued.

"Wait, is that…" Rapunzel pointed to a wagon.

"Oh, no…" Cassandra groaned.

"Canardist and Vigor? Are they following us?" Cassandra asked.

"I'm sure they're not following us," Varian said as they walked up to them.

"Hello. We have been following you," Canardist began once they waved.

"Well, at least she's honest about it," Varian muttered.

"Vigor wants to give you an important fortune," she explained.  "As a thank you for your help with the two thieves."

"Aww, you're welcome.  Although, I recall that Varian, Cass and Lance did most of the work," Rapunzel admitted.

The lady led them into her wagon. "Now, quiet down and let Vigor summon the spirits from beyond."

The three watched closely as they watched the monkey perform his magic. Then he handed a paper to Cassandra.  She read aloud:

"For you, the path awaits,
Where the final quarter lies,
After many dire straits."

"Final quarter?" Rapunzel repeated.

"He's gotta be talking about the fourth piece of the scroll!" Varian said, snapping his fingers.

"That's what you got from that?" Cassandra snorted. "If he meant the fourth piece of the scroll, why not just say 'fourth piece of the scroll'?"

"That would throw off the rhyme!  And the artistic flow," Rapunzel said.  Cassandra merely shrugged.

"You see we need the fourth piece to make sense of the others," Varian explained.  "Maybe there's a translation key on it or something."

"Ok, but what is this path?" Cassandra asked.

"Vigor will guide you," Madame Canardist began. "For five silver pieces."

Cassandra rolled her eyes, paying it.

"Hey! Vigor! Wait up!" Varian ran after Vigor who had already started to run.

"Follow that monkey!" Rapunzel exclaimed, pulling Cassandra along.

"When we planned to do something just the three of us, this was not what I was expecting," Cassandra laughed.

They came to a halt.  Rapunzel bent down to be more eye level with Vigor.  "What did you find?"

"The Path of Demanitus," Varian read the sign.  His eyes lit up. "Demanitus was that engineer-inventor guy I read so many books about!"

The monkey merely went through the archway.  They followed him in. "Woah!  This is a-maze-ing!" Rapunzel said.

"I've always wanted to go through a giant maze," Cassandra said sarcastically.  "But, hey, it actually might just be fun.  Although, it woulda been nice if Demanitus left us, I don't know, a map or something."

"You require no map, for I am Lord Demanitus!"

The siblings froze before they slowly turned to look at the monkey.  He was standing with his back straight and hands behind his back.

"So am I supposed to believe that the greatest scientist known to set foot on the earth thus far reincarnated into a monkey?" Cassandra scoffed.  "Was this supposed to be a shock factor or…"

"I am Lord Demanitus, protector of ancient Corona, devotee of science, and invention, who has emerged from this monkey in your time of need," he insisted.

"So, what exactly do we need help with?" Varian inquired.

"Find the scroll, as you believed.  But first, listen, and listen well…" Vigor said.  "Millennia ago, a mysterious event in the heavens divided an ancient power in two. The Sundrop and Moonstone fell to the Earth. Three of my pupils and I researched the legend of the Sundrop and Moonstone. Two elements that longed to re-unite. We searched, but, alas, could not find them. Unfortunately, we were not the only ones looking. My pupils betrayed me, and summoned my old nemesis, Zhan Tiri. A warlock from another realm, bent on destruction. It took all of my powers to banish her evil from our world. I knew the research I had written about the Sundrop and Moonstone was valuable. Dangerous… in evil hands. So I tore the scroll, and hid the pieces. I placed the final piece within the maze, which I created to
keep away the unworthy."

"That's cool, but you're a monkey because...?" Cassandra pressed.

"I could not let Zhan Tiri find me. Using my scientific acumen coupled with an ancient spell, I was able to create a hiding place, a living, simian creature, inside of which I would lay dormant until such time as I could emerge, again. Ironclad logic," he explained.

"That makes sense," Varian said.

"Yeah, no, it doesn't," Cassandra retorted.

"Why didn't you come out before?" Rapunzel asked.

"I'm no sorcerer, but from what I understand of the spell, it would allow me to emerge from this form but once… and only for a few short hours. After which, my spirit shall retreat into this monkey forever."

"And here, we reach the first riddle," Vigor said and he read:

"A room with no way in, and no way out,
See it in the rain, but never in a drought."

"Didn't you make this maze?" Varian asked.

"Yes, but that was, like, a thousand ago.  Things tend to get foggy after a couple centuries."

"Ah…"

"Oh, you got a…" the monkey pointed at Varian's shoulder.

Varian yelled and used his stick to shove it off.  Rapunzel gasped.  "They're Ivory Spiders!  They are very venomous.  Don't let them bite you."

"Seriously?  Are these supposed to be here?" Cassandra asked.

"Uhh… you know, I don't remember," Demanitus admitted.

"Wait, I got it!" Rapunzel exclaimed. "A room with no way in..." a mushroom!"

"Ah-ha!  There's one!" Cassandra ran and pulled it, opening the door.

"Lovely." Demanitus walked in and came back with a scroll in a bottle.  "Ta-daaa!"

"Sweet, let's get out of here," Cassandra retorted.

"Agreed."

They all made the long trek back to the entrance.  Varian sat down with his back against the wall, letting out an exhausted sigh.  "I'm fine," he assured Cassandra.

"Demanitus, do you know how my hair works?" Rapunzel asked suddenly.  "I thought I understood it, but the more I learn the less I seem to know."

"All your questions will be things you have to find yourself," he said.  "I remember very little.  However, I may have written a book on it.  Not sure where I placed it.  I may have left it in the Eternal Library..."

"Eternal Library?"

"Something you'll learn about on your own I'm sure," Demanitus said. He handed Cassandra the scroll.  "Good luck on your journey.  I fear we must part ways here.  But I have some advice.  Be careful.  The Moonstone is very dangerous.  Uniting it with the Sundrop could be... Dangerous."

"Thank you, Demanitus.  It was an honor meeting you," Varian said.

"Ah, the honor is mine, Moonstone and Sundrop and Gothel's daughter."

"You know my mother?" Cassandra asked in surprise.

"I did.  A long, long time ago.  She was one of my students that turned on me.  However, unlike the other two, it wasn't her loyalty to Zhan Tiri.  It was all for her own self gain and wish of immortality.  Well, she lived her dream for centuries." He gave them a bow.  "The Dark Kingdom is a day's journey.  Dangers await, but you three can handle it, I'm certain."

With that, he swung away, leaving the trio alone.