Twisted Destiny

Bonding

"Now, to find a target for our contest..." King Edmund said thoughtfully as they followed him.

"Your Majesty..." Quirin sighed. "This is why our missions always took so long." He muttered. "Between Hector stopping to pet every wild animal, Adira stopping to meditate for thirty minutes every two hours and you wanting to play some kind of game..."

"Clearly, you were the sensible one." Varian remarked.

Hamuel flew around them and then slammed into a tree stump with a distressed caw. Ruddiger came over and picked him up before carrying him back to the group. He shook himself off once he was set down and cawed.

"Thank you for your service, Hamuel!" King Edmund said cheerfully. "We have a target."

"Edmund, you can just have the pudding." Eugene insisted.

"Nonsense!" King Edmund grinned. "We shall play this delightful game, and revel in each other's company!" He threw the axe with a grunt and it landed in the stump.

Varian sat down and took off his backpack, pulling out his notes and the scroll he'd packed. Quirin sat next to him, quietly watching him work.

"I know what you're thinking: 'I bet that was a lucky shot'!" King Edmund said enthusiastically.

"Not even close to what I was thinking." Eugene argued.

Quirin sighed. "He can be overbearing, can't he?"

"He wants to spend time playing games with his son. Nothing wrong with that. It's healthy, family bonding." Varian said, not looking at him as he spoke. "I'm trying to work, so unless you have something that isn't negative to say, please get out of my light."

Quirin tensed, then nodded and got up, walking over to watch King Edmund and Eugene.

"Let's try for two in a row!" King Edmund said eagerly, grabbing Eugene's sword and throwing it at the stump. Varian looked up just in time to see it go over the edge with both their weapons.

"...Did that just happen?" He asked in disbelief.

Quirin groaned, placing his head on his face. "It's alright, Eugene, I still have my sword, and you and Varian both have daggers, if it comes to it."

"Good thing I had the foresight to pack one." Eugene muttered.

"Well, lucky for us, nothing is more dangerous than our cutting wits, eh, Horace?" King Edmund said jovially.

"It's Euge-you know what? This is impossible." Eugene threw his hands up in exasperation.

"If something is not impossible," King Edmund started, and Varian's eyes lit up as he recognized the quote, "it's not worth doing!"

"I mean, what is wro-" Eugene stopped short and turned to King Edmund. "Wait. Did you just say, 'if something is not impossible-"

"It's not worth doing'!" They finished in unison.

"Why, yes, I did!" King Edmund said cheerfully.

Varian started to pack up his work and put it in his bag.

"'Flynn Rider and the Lost Treasure of Scotia'!" Eugene said with a grin.

"One of my favorite books!" King Edmund revealed.

"Me, too!" Eugene said cheerfully. "Until I lost it, I accidentally dropped it off a cliff." He pouted.

Varian finished packing up his bag and put it on his back before walking over to them to listen as they continued on.