Stealing the Black Cauldron///A Descendants Applyfic///CLOSED

Chapter Four: Training (JK, There's No Training)

Twyla Skellington didn't know the three people with her. They seemed friendly (Somewhat).

The Queen was before them in a much more casual outfit, as the group walked down the dark hall.

Embry Wonderland trailed behind the group, inspecting every corner of the hall. They'd stop and scurry off to a corner, observing each crack in the stone and mouse hole. Glancing at every insect and creature that scattered about.

Twyla glanced back at Embry for a moment, staring in confusion at the odd student. They were trailing behind as the group got further, so she grabbed her hand and started to lead them back.

Embry's eyes glanced at Twyla's for a moment, then to the rest of the group's.

The group continued down the hall, the thumps of their footsteps loud on the cobblestone floors. The torches gave little light, only flicking toward the wooden doors that lined the lower floor of the castle.

This was the hall of treasures most forbidden. The most powerful and evil items one could hold.

Mal stopped at one of the doors and took a breath.

This hall was where the Black Cauldron was.

"Okay, as you might know, the border is back down over the Isle." Mal said.

"Yea, I noticed." Sahira said. Her night in the infirmary was enough of a wake-up call.

"Down, down, and it's closed..." Embry muttered under their breath. Their voice echoed in singsong chirps that felt so out-of-place.

"We don't have time to properly train you for this." She turned back to face them, the torch she was carrying illuminating her face. Embry winced slightly, their head recoiling away from the flame.

"Can you all fight?"

Ray nodded quickly.

"Does gymnastics count?" Sahira offered.

Twyla smiled shyly. "Well, I have some powers, if that would help?"

"I have a knife." Embry said plainly.

Ray glanced over at Embry, who was now holding a switchblade in front of them. He nodded in slight approval, though he wasn't exactly sure if them having that was safe.

Mal sighed. "Good enough." She admitted in defeat. "The guards will be posted around the halls and you four will stay in this room with the cauldron." She instructed, taking a key out of her pocket.

She turned back to the door. "The reward, once the Horned King and his thieves are captured and contained," she unlocked the door and it swung open with an ear-bleeding creak.

Twyla grimaced, wincing slightly, and Embry covered their ears.

"Will be whatever you ask for."

She added quickly, "Within reason."

With that, she stepped inside, with the group following her. The room was dark and cold, the floors dry and dusty with age. In the middle of the room, resting on a platform with steps, was the Black Cauldron.

Ray felt unimpressed.

The thing looked dirty and harmless, like it had been resting there for eons. It was jet black and seemed to bubble and hiss, as if something were in it. The Cauldron was so dark, in fact, that the shadows seemed to merge into it, and the color sunk into the room. Like it was trying to get rid of all the light around them.

Mal stepped to the torches on the walls, taking care to not get too close to the Cauldron. She lit the flames, making the room just barely darker.

This was it.

"Well then... I'm going to check with the guards. I gave you keys before we got here, so just..." She trailed off, her eyes going back to the Cauldron- the source of all this fear.

"Just make sure to get whoever gets in, out."

With that, the Queen left them in the room, shutting the door behind her.

The teens stood there for a moment, glancing awkwardly at each other.

"I brought blankets." Twyla mentioned, slinging the bag off her back and dropping it onto the floor. She dug around in it and pulled out some blankets. With Sahira's help, she spread it across the floor.

Twyla, Sahira, and Embry sat down on the blanket. Ray hung back, his head low and his arms crossed.

"So, introductions?" Sahira asked. As the Queen-appointed leader of this group, they decided to take a little step to get some conversation going.

The three just looked at her for a moment. It dawned on her that they decided she'd go first.

"Well, my name is Sahira. Seventeen." She thought for a moment, absentmindedly picking at their denim shorts. "I like art, and I've got some nature potions to help with this." That seemed like enough information to get everyone aware of her presence.

Ray tilted his head just slightly. "Your parents?"

'Great.' She knew this question would be coming. Ray did seem genuinely unaware of their situation though.

Embry looked at Ray, their eyes narrowed. "Rude question, very rude."

Still, their face had that ever-present smile that always seemed to make whatever they said seem just slightly unserious and or unsettling. The knife still in their hand didn't exactly make them look non-threatening, either.

"Uhm..." Ray trailed off, glancing back to Sahira. He didn't know why it seemed like such a sore subject, but he assumed she probably didn't have a very good relationship. "Nevermind."

Sahira just nodded a bit, looking at Twyla. "You?"

Twyla gave a slight squeak at the sudden attention. Her fingers tapped on the fabric of the blanket as she glanced away. "Oh, well..." She cleared her throat awkwardly.

"My name is Twyla Skellington, and my parents are Jack and Sally. I'm fourteen. I can see in the dark... and... stuff..." Her shyness got the better of her, making her voice die out.

Sahira nodded, embarrassed by unintentionally making Twyla nervous.

Embry decided to take attention off of Twyla and said, "A name of stars, very nice."

Twyla smiled faintly. "Thanks..."

"Embry, child of Alice... Alice in Wonderland..." Their voice strummed along, the singsong aspect of it still clear. "Sixteen. Can't really see here," they pointed to their right eye. "I like flowers, white ones."

They paused for a moment. "Rebellion." They said simply.

Ray furrowed their brow, looking at Embry. "What does that even mean?" He asked.

Embry didn't answer, instead standing up and going over to the corner of the room, where another mouse hole was. They took something out of their overall pocket and placed it in front of the wall opening. Satisfied, they went back over to the blanket and sat down.

Sahira heard a "The fuck," under Ray's breath. They seemed to understand that Embry was probably just going to say out of pocket things.

"And you?" Embry asked, looking at Ray.

"I... Ray. Seventeen." He said simply. "My mother is Morgana." He didn't elaborate, and no one dared to push.

The bell toll interrupted whatever awkward silence they were mulling in, grabbing their attention.

"Midnight." Embry hummed.

Ray rolled his eyes, glancing at the Cauldron. "All the great stuff happens at midnight, doesn't it?"