Varian and the Seven Seas

Chapter Six: Enemies to Lovers

Varian sat at a tall metal desk in a messy, spacious room where small windows in the back shed beams of moonlight onto his face.

Long, white counter tops lined the walls where all of his experiments and lab equipment sat. Little scraps of paper with handwritten notes on them were pinned everywhere in the room. The alchemist captain was scribbling something on a roll of parchment in front of him, his eyes intense and focused.

The door to the room opened as a handsome blond man entered his workspace.

"What do you want?" Varian asked, not looking up. "I'm kind of busy."

"I can see that." Hugo slapped a hand down on the parchment, forcing the raven-haired captain to look up. "Thought I'd let you know we're about a day away from Ruby's ship."

He stood, eyes wide. "What?"

Chuckling, he folded his arms, saying, "Oh, now I have your attention."

"You could have mentioned this sooner?"

"Don't fret. I already have a plan. I just couldn't reveal it to you before this moment in case you decided I was no longer useful and made me walk the plank."

The shorter captain stood with his arms akimbo. "What plan?"

"Allow me to elucidate." Walking over to Varian's side of the desk, he grabbed a fresh roll of parchment and snatched the quill out of his hand.

"Hey!"

"I can't elucidate without a pen, can I?" He leaned over, sketching out a vessel representing Ruby's ship and a small, rowboat up alongside it. "Look. There's a blind spot on her ship right here, where a small boat can sneak up behind it during the middle of the night. Whoever is carrying the compass," he pulled something out of his pocket, slamming it down on the desk, "can neutralize the red barrier she always has up."

Varian reached out and held the red compass in his hands while looking down at the sketch.

"Then," he continued, "we'll have only a few moments to sneak into her quarters to steal the pendent she wears around her neck. I'll do that part since, let's face it, you can't even find your own stuff, much less steal someone else's."

"A pendent?" he repeated, ignoring the last comment. "What will taking that do?"

"Did you think Ruby was just born with magic? All of her power comes from that pendent."

"Then what does she need to recharge her magic for?"

He breathed out. "How have you been this obsessed with killing her and you don't even know where her magic comes from?"

He scowled. "Just answer the question."

"She travels to an island with magic that resonates with her pendent in order to recharge it. When it's charged, she can use her powers." He leaned against the table, tilting his head to the side while smirking. "You'd be hopeless without me, you know that, right?"

Varian bit his lip, thinking. "Once you steal the pendent, then what?"

"Then you march in and deal with Ruby while I rescue Yong, and the rest of your crew boards her ship."

"You're using me as a distraction?"

"Do you want me to finish your revenge for you, or would you rather do it?"

He folded his arms. "Fine, but Nuru gets to come with us on this little mission."

He shrugged. "Okay. Whatever makes you feel safer, Captain."

"It will." There was a pause. "Hugo, I need to know you won't sabotage this mission. When it's all over, I'll return you to Emerald Cove with a new ship and your former crewmates. I'm doing you a favor, so don't betray me."