Secrets of an Alchemist

Varian and the Great Tree: Part 8

(AND NOW THE THRILLING CONCLUSION!! (Besides the other part I added. It's chill tho) Also I have no idea whose POV this is from 90% of the time, as Var is a bit... preoccupied. Transition emojis will still be his. Just roll with me, if you would :3)

(Chapter warnings: hurt - LOTS of hurt - both physical and emotional, near-death a decent amount of times, manipulation/mind influence(?), crispy hands x2, possible future vine trauma, possession by ancient evils (of multiple varieties), slight creepy imagery (lord help me if I missed any))

"No!" Hector screamed as Varian plummeted past him. He quickly scrambled back onto the platform, breathing heavily. "Nononono..." he murmured, sitting in a crouch as he searched the darkness below, panic rising. He couldn't be gone. He couldn't!

Hector flinched as a hand - surprisingly gentle - settled onto his shoulder. He snapped his head around to see Adira, a downcast look on her face. The rest of the group looked on from behind, faces a mixture of shock, sadness, and anger. Ruddiger lay on the ground, resembling a puddle more than a raccoon at this point. Cassandra's face flashed through a myriad of emotions. A single tear slipped down Rapunzel's cheek as she got to her feet, hugging a forlorn Eugene. Lance quietly sobbed behind them.

To all of their surprise...

Hector didn't move.

He simply looked back at Adira, face revealing all his tiredness from the past twenty-five years.

🧪

"Aaaaaaaaa!" A worthless scream escaped Varian's throat as he fell down, down, down.

He knew that any moment, he'd hit the hard bottom of the cavern.

But the moment never came.

Instead, he smacked into a layer of vines, fall slowing and then stopping. He let out a yelp as said vines broke, dropping him onto another layer of vines further down. ...then another. Then another. Until, finally, he hit the ground, a breath of air rushing out of him.

"...oof," he breathed, feeling like an abused ragdoll. Ever so slowly, he sat up, taking in his surroundings... or lack thereof. He could swear a faint ringing vibrated throughout his head as he carefully observed the darkness around him. Vines were everywhere, including the one that had pulled him down, which now lay dormant. Varian gently stood, brushing his shirt off. "How do I get out of here..." he thought aloud, looking around.

After a moment of walking, he stopped in his tracks. A spear with a glowing blue tip was stuck deep into a dark mass, both surrounded by vines. The ringing in his head grew louder, more insistent. He took another step forward.

Yes... good. You want to see what it is, don't you?

Varian heard the soft voice in his head, egging him on, but paid it little attention. His mind was fixated on the spear. His eyes were drawn to the glow, locked on to its ambiance. He struggled to think clearly, his mind swimming through a blueish haze as slowly as he advanced forward. The blue glow was so enticing...

Very good... Go to it, little moonbeam.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Varian's common sense screamed not to go any closer. To ignore the little voice and the pull of the spear, and turn and walk the other way.

But he didn't hear it. He didn't pay attention. His eyes were locked on to the spear and the darkness it was embedded in.

His mind gave up fighting his movements, and instead resorted to trying to force him into caution. Somewhere in his mind, he desperately wanted to step back and analyze the situation, think before he kept moving towards it.