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wacky-nameless-inventor-24 · 8 days ago

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siblings fic part 4! yayyyyy you've made it to the end!!!

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3]

(cw on the part 1 post)

She was exhausted, having not eaten that morning and not slept well that night. After being nearly hanged, kidnapped, thrown off a cliff, drowned, and stuffed in a crack between rocks where she could barely fit her head, she was finally slowing down from the adrenaline that had been coursing through her. In the dark, she took a handful of deep breaths. It really didn’t matter if her eyes were open or shut so she closed them, resting her head in the sand, relaxing her shoulders.

Distantly, she could feel the Mad Ducktor shifting behind her, lying on his side as well. She could feel his back pressed against hers, his breathing. His warmth.

Gandra woke slowly, something she’d almost never done before in her life.

Trained from a young age to wake fully prepared for anything, she never dozed, she never stayed in her narrow bunk bed for an extra minute.

This time she lay there, head in the soft sand, listening to the crackling of a fire from somewhere beside her for nearly a full ten minutes before opening her eyes. Reaching a hand up to brush away any sand from her face she blinked slowly, taking in a deep breath.

A quiet voice from the space in front of her. “Good morning.”

Propping herself up on one elbow, Gandra rubbed her eyes and yawned. “How long has it been?”

“About seven hours,” he still spoke softly, letting her wake up slowly. The cave around them was bright and warm, there was a fire lit.

“You wanted to use magic?”

“They never came back, so I figured it was safe. Still no food, however. That won’t be for a few more hours.” He sat across the fire from her, in the sand, his back against a rock like before. Gandra noted that his hair was wet.

“Did you sleep?” She sat up, stretching her arms out above her.

He shook his head. “I was keeping watch. I think I would’ve left a few hours ago, but I wanted to let you sleep.”

Annoyed mostly at herself for falling asleep- she hadn’t meant to- Gandra bit back at that. “Oh, how nice of you.” she grumbled.

“I figured you probably needed it,” he pointed out. “We can go as soon as you’re ready.”

“Where will we get food?” She was hungry, she hadn’t eaten since the previous night. “St. Canard won’t be safe, and it’ll be at least a days’ travel until we get into Duckburg. But even then, that’s just empty woods for another days’ walk.”

He smirked. “We’re not going by land. We’ll go the way we came.”

“You want to swim that far?”

“It’s not exactly swimming, it’s more relying on magic, but yes. It’ll be much faster, and we can go completely undetected. If it’s the time I think it is, then we should get there somewhere around tomorrow morning.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “You think you can last that long? With no sleep? On an empty stomach?”

He shrugged. “Heron made me do worse.”

“The consequence wasn’t drowning.”

“I thought you wanted to die.”

“Not in the ocean with a traitor!”

He laughed. “Shhh, calm down. We’ll be fine. I’ll need you to do the spell to keep us both warm, I don’t think I can do both.”

She was about to protest that she needed her hands free to do so, before realizing the cuffs were gone. He’d taken them off while she was sleeping, and she hadn’t woken up.

What was wrong with her?

He took notice of her realization. “Do anything to provoke me, and I will put them back on.”

“I said I was coming willingly, didn’t I?” she made a face at him. “Maybe I’ll just make the warmth spell for me.”

“Good, then I’ll freeze to death and we’ll both drown.” He stood, stretched. “You ready?”

Gandra climbed to her feet, stretching her back. Together they stepped toward the edge of the water, standing in the cold wet sand. “You’re just going to leave the fire?”

“It’ll go out eventually.” he lifted his hands and covered his ears. After a moment he covered his beak, and as he pulled away a faintly visible bubble formed around his mouth. He reached for Gandra to do the same, her bubble felt cold.

“Ready?” When he spoke his bubble moved, and his voice sounded slightly distorted.

She took his hand, taking a deep breath and letting a warmth spell spread through her. Now, even a few feet from the fire she felt as if she were standing right next to it, the sand beneath her feet was no longer as cold.

He felt the magic too and grinned.

The next thing Gandra knew, he was pulling her down into the cold black water.

She let go of his hand to quickly wrap her arms around his torso, wanting to get a better grip this time before they sped up. He didn’t seem to mind, his hand even came down to stabilize her for a moment, then they were off.

This time, it felt like they were going faster. Cold water whipped past Gandra’s face, even through the warmth spell she could feel it against her feathers. After a moment she buried her face in his side to protect herself, knowing they were in for a much longer ride than this.

The hours in the cold dark water dragged on. The sun would’ve set, Gandra didn’t know if they’d come out from underneath the cliff and the sky above them was dark, or if they were still under the heaps of rock. All she focused on was keeping the two of them warm, and trying to hold on to him. Her arms and fingers ached, but she pushed through. She’d survived worse.

At last the ache got so bad that she made herself readjust, stiff fingers clinging tightly to his clothes as she shifted to his back, arms up around his shoulders and her head ducked behind his so she didn’t feel the full force of the water. Again, he didn’t stop, but he did hold on to her for extra security as she got herself situated. She could feel him stretch beneath her, and they were off, just like before.

Even just a simple warmth spell was hard to keep up for that long. The water around them was so cold she had to actively feed into it, feeling her magic drain away as she became more and more exhausted. Still, she wasn’t going to let herself be bested by using a warmth spell for a few hours. Instructor Heron would be incredibly disappointed with her. She could push through. She’d survived worse.

Still staying on the Mad Ducktor’s back she readjusted several times, curling up and stretching out and holding on with her arms rather than strictly her hands. Each time he helped her as he kept them jetting through the water, sometimes slowing down if he felt she needed it. He would often change position as well, moving his arms or his feet or adjusting his angle in the water so he didn’t stress his neck. Together they tried to keep each other in comfortable enough positions to last this long.

What had to be several hours in Gandra tried to estimate how long they would have to swim for. Her execution had been very early that morning, an hour or so after dawn. Her kidnapping hadn’t taken long, however they must’ve been arguing and hiding from a stranger for somewhere under an hour. The Mad Ducktor said she’d been sleeping for seven hours, which meant the sun would be setting about when they’d left. He’d said they likely wouldn’t arrive until dawn.

At this time of the year, that meant they would be swimming for thirteen hours. Thirteen hours of cold dark waters, of having to readjust so they didn’t hurt themselves with the pressure of the water around them. But they could push through. They’d survived worse.

At last something about the water around them changed, Gandra realized she could see the faint outline of the Mad Ducktor beneath her, when she lifted herself up she could make out his hair streaming out in the water behind him. She stretched her back, sitting on his torso and watching as everything around her slowly became brighter and brighter. Looking up, she could see a clear deep sky getting lighter and lighter with an orange dawn warmth.

Gandra had never been so excited to see the sun.

At last, as the sun truly came up over the horizon and turned the water around them a soft orange red, the Mad Ducktor’s speed began to slow at last. Gandra leaned down and tapped his shoulder, making sure they were truly stopping and he wasn’t passing out or falling asleep.

He lifted a weary hand to give her a thumbs up, and she squeezed his shoulders.

As they slowed they got nearer to the surface, and Gandra could begin to make out the sea floor far beneath them, getting closer and closer. She watched as they approached, pushing off of the Mad Ducktor as soon as she could place her feet in the sand, moving her weight from him. He stood as well, a hand still in hers.

Together they walked underwater up the sandy slope until their heads broke the surface.

Almost as soon as it was shallow enough the Mad Ducktor collapsed, falling flat on his back in the water and letting the surprisingly calm waves carry him properly to the shore. Gandra fell on her knees beside him, taking in deep breaths of air. Although she’d been able to breathe the entire night, it felt as if it hadn’t been true, pure air. The air up here felt much better.

The sand around them was cast in a dawn orange glow and the cliffs behind them were a bright blue shadow. Gandra eventually shifted to watch the sun rise as she allowed the Mad Ducktor to rest next to her. Still partially sitting in the water, she kept a hand on him to string out the rest of her warmth spell. The air was cold, but it felt less freezing and more refreshing. Still- they were soaked, and letting go of the spell now would be too much cold air too fast.

They watched the sun rise for several minutes, the Mad Ducktor lying on his back with his arms out, Gandra sitting with her knees against her chest. The sky slowly shifted from orange to pink to blue, the sun behind the cliffs but staining the sky above them. Gandra took deep breaths of the morning air, relaxing as much as she could. It was strange to accept that she was seeing another morning- she’d thought her life was over yesterday.

Yet here she was, watching the sun rise.

She didn’t know why, but a faint smile formed on her face at that thought.

At last the Mad Ducktor stood, Gandra could see the stiffness in his movements. “I have to get up now or I’m never going to,” he grumbled. He held a hand out to help her up. “Are you ready?”

Ignoring his hand, Gandra stood. “Where are we headed?”

He nodded toward the rock behind them. “The castle’s just at the top of that cliff. It’ll be a hike.”

Gandra raised an eyebrow. “Is there a reason we can’t just fly?”

“I’m too tired for that,” he stretched, it didn’t seem to help with his stiffness. “I can’t promise I won’t pass out in midair.”

“I can fly us, warmth spells aren’t that exhausting.” she rolled her eyes. “Are you ready?”

Taking his hand Gandra used her magic to slowly lift them in the air. She was more tired than she thought, but she wasn’t about to show the Mad Ducktor that. Still, their flight was slower than she wanted.

The second their feet touched the grass at the top of the cliff the Mad Ducktor had set up, taking long strides and tugging her along. The castle loomed up above them, a wall of grey brick dyed a deep blue in the shadow from the morning light. Its windows were dark as they looked down upon her.

The castle faced northwards, with the east side holding the main gate for any large shipments or parties. The west entrance where they were approaching from was much smaller, and there was a slight hill right at the edge of the cliff. The wall hadn’t been raised to accommodate for this, rather it had been built into the side of the hill. This meant the gate led them right out onto the wall surrounding the castle. There were guards at the comparatively small wooden doors, the Mad Ducktor simply nodded at them as he led Gandra through, a hand still in hers.

The sun had just made it up over the edge of the wall, blinding the two of them. Gandra squinted in the bright dawn light, watching it peer between the mountains to the east. She could feel the difference in the stone up here, it was already much warmer than the bricks in the shadows below them. They left wet footprints on the stone as she followed the Mad Ducktor as he led her down a flight of outside stairs, back into the cool shadows of the places in the walls the sun hadn’t yet reached. She shivered.

Once Gandra’s eyes adjusted to the much dimmer light she realized they were stepping into a small courtyard, the ground beneath them packed sand, much less cold than the stones.

In the courtyard, there were three people waiting for them.

The king Gandra recognized immediately. His arms were folded tightly, his foot was tapping in the dust. His face was fixed in an annoyed scowl, his eyes trained on the Mad Ducktor. Close on his right stood the just as recognizable Blue Phantom, blue robes blending in with the shadows, their arms wrapped around themself to keep themself warm. Behind the two of them stood a large muscular woman Gandra had never seen before.

The king spoke first. “You’ve got a lot of nerve.” he called across to them. His voice was a low angry rumble of thunder.

The Mad Ducktor dropped Gandra’s hand, moving ahead of her. She could see his teasing grin. “What?”

“You left me a note in the middle of the night!” The king unfolded his arms, holding up a crumpled piece of paper. “You disappeared off to the deadliest place possible with no mention of your plans or when you’ll be back!”

“Yeah, I missed you too.” The Mad Ducktor reached him, resting his elbows on the king’s shoulders and kissing his forehead. The king rolled his eyes and shook his head, but Gandra could see him place his hands on the Mad Ducktor’s sides.

The Blue Phantom stepped over to them, their brow furrowed in worry. “Why are you soaking wet? Mads-” they reached a hand out to touch his forehead. “Your magic.”

The Mad Ducktor waved them away. “I’m fine.”

“What happened?” Crackshell asked sharply.

“He’s exhausted himself again.” The Blue Phantom replied. The Mad Ducktor shot them a look.

“What?”

“I’m fine,” the former assassin stressed. “It’s not that bad.”

The king glanced at the Blue Phantom, who shook their head. Crackshell glared back at the Mad Ducktor, who didn’t meet his gaze. “I was careful.”

“I’m sure you weren’t,” Crackshell muttered.

Gandra watched all of this with a growing sense of abandonment, the Mad Ducktor had dragged her all the way back here only to forget about her the moment he saw someone else. Folding her arms, she fixed an annoyed scowl on her face.

At last, he seemed to remember her, pulling slightly away from Crackshell to look back at her. “Anyway, I got Gandra out!”

She didn’t change her expression, and the king only scowled back at her. “Fantastic,” he muttered sarcastically. “We can have another prisoner.”

“She won’t be staying as one!” The Mad Ducktor grinned. “We’ve got a deal- she’ll be staying in one of the high-security rooms, and she won’t try to escape or kill us this time.”

Gandra simply raised an eyebrow at them, silently realizing a flaw in their agreement. It was over at the end of a month, when she’d be allowed back home. That also ended their peace agreement. She could possibly kill the king and then leave, and it wouldn’t void their deal.

“Lovely.” Crackshell’s tone was still sarcastic. “And who decided this?”

“I did!” The Mad Ducktor replied confidently. “I’ll talk you into it in a minute.” He kissed Crackshell’s temple. “Right now we’ve been up all night and haven’t eaten in twenty-four hours, is there any breakfast ready?”

The woman behind them spoke for the first time. “I’ve got fruit and bread, and pastries just came out of the oven. Though after leaving us like that, I’m not sure you deserve anything.”

The Mad Ducktor laughed, but Gandra didn’t miss the way Crackshell threw the woman a look. “Will you ever forgive me?”

“No,” the king grumbled, and the Mad Ducktor kissed his forehead.

The sun was just beginning to peek up over the edge of the wall and into the courtyard when they gathered themselves together to step inside. Gandra fell last in line, and the large woman stopped to hold the door open for her. “It’s Gandra?” she asked.

The failed assassin nodded. “Yes. You’re…”

“Beakley.” Beakley gave her a surprisingly warm smile. “I’m the cook. It’s nice to have you. I’ve heard a lot about you.” she glanced back at the Mad Ducktor as they stepped into a large long hall inside the castle.

Gandra couldn’t help but return the smile. “All good things, I hope?”

“Mostly,” Beakley replied truthfully, and Gandra chuckled, following down the hall a few feet behind the Blue Phantom. “I don’t have much for breakfast, but eat whatever you want, I’m sure you’ve been starved. I’ll make a big dinner.”

Gandra smiled. “Thank you.”

Ahead of them, the Mad Ducktor was half leaning on the king as he walked, an arm around the duck’s shoulder, leaning against him. He called back to them. “Gandra- I hate to bring you here and then disappear but I at least need a nap.” he stopped so he could properly look back at her. “Can we get a room situated and then reconvene for dinner?”

The failed assassin nodded. “That works.” That would give her some time to really gather herself.

“I’m sure you need some rest as well,” Beakley looked at her pointedly. “We can figure out rules at dinner.”

Gandra simply nodded, and allowed the cook to lead her down the hallway toward the kitchen. Asking her the kind of food she liked, if Gandra wanted to eat in her room or in the kitchen, if she wanted a bath to get the salt out of her feathers.

Ahead of them, the Mad Ducktor leaned heavily against Crackshell, but he glanced back at her, gave her a smile.

Surprised with herself, Gandra smiled back.

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wacky-nameless-inventor-24 · 8 days ago

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siblings fic part 3!

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 4]

(cw on the part 1 post)

They sat together in silence for a long time, watching the fire in front of them slowly die. The darkness around them drew closer, the cold air pressing in against them. Gandra’s mind was simultaneously blank and racing, she couldn’t focus enough on a thought so she just watched them all go past. Memories of Instructor Heron, her feelings around the Mad Ducktor, her calm terror that morning. His proposition. Their fight. She could’ve killed him. He’d hugged her.

She heard all of these thoughts in her mind, yet she felt none of them.

Looking up around the cold damp walls for a distraction, she spoke at last. “How are you doing down here?”

He gave her a thin smile, barely perceptible in the dying light. “I’m managing. There’s a little hiding spot in the rocks over there that’s even smaller,” he nodded toward a gathering of rocks at the back of the cave. “Really hoping we don’t have to use that.”

A beat passed. He looked up at her again. “Are you going to come willingly when we have to leave?”

She glared. “No. I’m only playing nice because if something happens to you then I’m stuck down here.”

He chuckled. “I suppose that’s true. Not because you want a better second chance at life?”

Gandra just made a face at him.

The Mad Ducktor rolled his eyes. “You’re really not going to tell me why you’d rather die than- than come with me?”

The failed assassin’s expression turned sour. “I’ve already given you two reasons.”

Two reasons that were flimsy, she knew. In his position, she’d be digging as well. But she just had to stick to them until he got off of her back.

Because she’d never be able to voice the real reason out loud. It was one of the thoughts racing through her head, the ones she saw go by but never truly felt. She knew acknowledging them would be too painful.

Gandra was scared. She was terrified. She would rather die in her own life of certainty, where she was Instructor Heron’s top- if imperfect- student, than have to live in defiance to her. In there, she knew what would happen to her, she knew who she was.

If she left, she’d be stepping out into something she knew nothing about.

And that scared Gandra enough to let Heron kill her.

She wanted to die knowing her place in the world.

Cramming the thoughts away, Gandra shook her head slightly to clear it, looking back at the Mad Ducktor. Pausing, she replayed his words in her mind, his cadence. “Wait- you’re taking this personally?”

“What?”

“That I want to go back to them and not with you. You’re taking it personally?”

He scoffed. “Of course not. Again- I’m just here to stop you from being an idiot, if you want to ignore me, go right on ahead.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Mm-hm. Then why are you making me come back?”

“I’m rescuing you as well.”

“Those are different things.”

“I-” he broke off suddenly, sitting up straighter. Looking toward the faint outline of the water coming up through the cave floor. “There’s somebody coming.”

In a flash he had stood and was kicking out the fire, burying it in soft sand. The smell of the smoke would likely be overpowered by the salty water that dripped from every surface in the cave, even as the light disappeared Gandra could no longer smell it.

“How do you know?” She hissed, her voice automatically dropping to a whisper.

“I left magical detectors in the water. Now-”

“You left magic in the water? You know that will lead them straight to you, right?”

Though she could no longer see in the darkness, she could feel his glare. “Magic is incredibly hard to track through water, it takes at least three witches of average power to do so properly. We just can’t use any magic in here.”

Gandra raised her hand. “Well, in that case-”

Instantly something slammed into her, she was nearly thrown to the floor. Seconds later she felt her arm being wrenched above her head in the darkness, and she cried out. “What in Selene’s name are you-”

It was too late by the time she realized it. He already had the magic-blocking manacles around her wrists. “If you get me caught,” he snarled softly in her ear, his demeanor suddenly completely different, “I will drown you myself before they kill us, understand?”

She didn’t answer, but she had no doubt he would.

Gandra then felt a tug on her wrists, she maneuvered after him in the darkness, taking careful steps around the rocks. After a few feet he stopped, she felt a hand on her back. “Alright,” he whispered. “There’s a small crack in the rock right in front of you, wedge yourself in there.”

She hesitated. “What about you?” He wasn’t going to leave her in here, was he?

There was annoyance in his voice. “I’m going to be coming right after you, so move in as far as you can, alright?”

Before she was even able to answer he pushed her, she stumbled, catching herself on one of the edges of the rock. Using her hands, the chains between her manacles clinking, she gingerly felt between the rocks, the crack was about three feet wide. Taking in a breath she slid sideways between them, the crack quickly got smaller the further she went. Pretty soon she was properly wedged.

Moments later the Mad Ducktor was jamming himself in next to her, she could hear rocks shifting at the entrance to the crack. He was moving them to block the entrance, sealing them into the little hiding spot.

They stood together in the darkness, shoulder to shoulder, backs and chests pressed against the rocks around them.

Gandra held her breath, listening.

She counted fifty seconds before there came a notable swirling sound of the water outside their hiding place, then suddenly a bright light peered through the cracks of the rocks covering the entrance. Gandra squinted in the sudden bright light.

A third person was breathing just outside.

Gandra could’ve screamed. She should’ve. She should’ve called out, and gone willingly and pridefully like before. She should’ve revealed the Mad Ducktor’s hiding place, catching him once and for all and truly making Instructor Heron proud of her.

She didn’t know why, but she didn’t.

She could feel the magic as the stranger activated a witch’s spell, scanning the surrounding rocks for any sign that someone had been there. The fire was covered in sand, their hiding place secured by innocent-looking rocks. The only traceable thing that would give them away was the smoke, which was already being sucked through the small cracks in the rocks.

As the magic moved past their hiding place, Gandra couldn’t help but hold her breath.

She wasn’t sure why she felt anxious about being caught- she didn’t want to go with the Mad Ducktor! He was dragging her away from her purpose, the path she’d been destined for her entire life. Forcing her to betray the assassins just like he had, to go into hiding and be either imprisoned or spoiled in the enemy’s castle. These were all the opposite of what Gandra had been raised to do, what she’d strived for her entire life. She had a chance to defy them, waiting right outside.

Still, she did nothing but hide.

At last the magic disappeared, there came the sound of quiet splashes as the stranger retreated.

Gandra found herself letting out a breath in relief.

They stayed in their hiding place for several minutes, assuring that the danger was truly gone. Gandra was cramped and uncomfortable, but she knew the Mad Ducktor would leave her here if she did anything to jeopardize him. She didn’t dare say anything aloud.

Though there came no change in the sound of his breathing, a moment after the stranger had disappeared she could feel his shoulder shuddering against hers. He pulled away just slightly, but they were forced together so closely that she could still feel him trembling.

He was doing his best to keep his breath under control, but he was shaking so violently that Gandra could’ve sworn all the little pebbles around them began vibrating as well. Rolling her eyes, she reached down and found his hand in the darkness.

He clung to it immediately, it felt as if he nearly broke her fingers.

He didn’t let go until all the rocks had been moved and they could escape back out into the larger cave.

At last he released her hand, scrambling away to sit on a rock a few feet from her, now gasping for breath. Gandra sighed and sat somewhere next to him. It was too dark to see. “You alright?”

It took him a moment to answer. “Yeah.”

“It’s still that bad?”

“I don’t think it’ll ever get better.”

A moment of silence as his heavy breathing dissipated. At last, she could hear him take a decisive deep breath. “If we can get together enough of the wood, I think I’ve got a couple matches left. We can stay here for a few more hours, just in case. Did you eat anything this morning?”

She shook her head, then realized he couldn’t see her. “No.”

“That’s what I thought. I didn’t have space for any extra food, this wasn’t how I planned on doing this.”

“How were you going to do this?”

A crunch in the sand beneath them as he readjusted his feet. “Well, obviously I didn’t want to snatch you in front of everyone where we would immediately be followed-”

Gandra interjected. “You didn’t? I thought you were doing that to be showy and dramatic.”

She could feel his glare again. “No, I wanted to get you before they led you out, where less people would see you. But they did that sooner than I anticipated, so I had to improvise.”

“The explosion?”

“The explosion.”

“What’d you do?”

This time she could feel his grin. “They were making bread for lunch and I added something extra to the oven. I had this place scouted as a back-up, I’m glad I did or else we wouldn’t have made it out.”

“I didn’t even know this was down here.”

Rocks skittered as he stood. “Not many people do. Now come on- help me start a fire.”

After a few minutes of fumbling in the dark they’d found enough wood to get a small fire started, the Mad Ducktor using the last of his matches. This wouldn’t be enough to last the amount of hours they would need to spend down here he said, but it would give them a little light for now. The more amount of time passed, the safer they might be using magic as well.

Gandra held up her cuffed wrists. “Are you going to let me out of these?”

He scowled. “No.”

Grumbling, Gandra sat in the sand next to their pitiful fire, now dry enough that it didn’t cake against her the way that she hated. The Mad Ducktor relaxed against a rock opposite her. “Gandra- look. This will go so much easier if you come willingly-”

The failed assassin snorted. “I’m sure it will. For you.”

“Come on, this doesn’t have to be a kidnapping if you just go along with it, right?” He made playful pleading eyes at her from across the fire.

She didn’t dignify that with a response, settling on a glower from beneath her brows.

“Can we make a deal? What if- what if you come willingly, and stay for a month. Without killing anyone. And if you still hate it after a month, then you can kill yourself.”

“I am not just kill-”

He waved a hand. “Yeah yeah, I get it. Then you can ‘go willingly to an honorable death you deserve’ or whatever. Just give yourself some time to think about it.”

“I’ve been thinking about it my entire life,” she pointed out.

“I bet you haven’t from this perspective.” He raised an inviting eyebrow at her. “Come on. Just a month. That’s not too long, I’m sure Heron will still have the noose and everything set up just the way she had it for you.”

Gandra made a face. “You’re not making this sound very appealing. And don’t think I didn’t notice your little manipulation tactic- trying to turn me against Heron by saying she’s hurt me.”

“She has!” the Mad Ducktor exclaimed earnestly. “Is it manipulation if it’s the truth?”

The failed assassin groaned. “Shut up.”

“Not until you believe me.”

Ignoring that, she rested her elbows on her knees and returned them to their previous conversation. “Will you actually let me go after a month?”

He hesitated. “Sure.”

“You’re lying.”

“Only one way to find out.”

Gandra bared her teeth at him, and he laughed. His demeanor had shifted dramatically, he was now much more laid back, joking with her. Casually trying to convince her like she was an old friend, rather than making her.

Rather than being her enemy.

She wasn’t going to let herself fall for it.

Gandra sat up straighter. “If I come back will you put me in a cell again?”

“No. If I can talk Fenton out of it.” He made a face. “He doesn’t like you, so that might be difficult. We do have a handful of high-security rooms however, he’ll likely want you in one of those.”

“So a fancy cell?”

“Essentially.”

“Would you give me guards?”

“Yes. But think about it-” he sat up a little straighter. “If Heron knows about this, she’ll be angry, she’ll come looking for you. The guards can be there to not only watch you, but to make sure you’re safe as well.”

Gandra raised an eyebrow. “She’ll only be mad if she knows I went willingly.” He hesitated and she smirked. “I’m not an idiot, Eleven.” She sat back slightly. “Will there be places I can’t go?”

“You likely won’t be allowed to leave the castle grounds without me at least, I suppose we could send Blue with you if I’m busy.”

“So you want me to come with you to be imprisoned and babysat for a month instead of fulfilling the destiny I’ve always had? Is that what you’re really trying to convince me?” She smirked triumphantly at him. She’d found a way to make his prospect sound as unappealing as possible.

“I’m trying to safely ease you into a better life than you’ve had rather than let you kill yourself.” He retorted. “Your destiny is stupid.”

“I hate you.”

“Aw, I love you too.”

Gandra leapt up. “Stop it!”

He blinked. “Stop what?”

“Stop- stop pretending everything is fine! Stop being my friend! Stop acting like you didn’t leave me- stop acting like the last five years didn’t happen! Stop acting like my hero! Stop trying to brush everything away! Just- stop!”

Her last word echoed around the cave before the silence took over.

At last the Mad Ducktor spoke. “You’re really stuck on me leaving you, huh.” It was an observation, not a question.

“You think I wouldn’t be?”

“No, just- you never brought it up before.”

“I didn’t feel like talking about it.”

“You do now?”

“If we’re stuck down here for hours I might as well yell at you.”

He chuckled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to leave you like that. It all just happened so fast and the world was so big and so much better than being stuck here… I didn’t leave you on purpose. If I’d known where this would all go I would’ve brought you with me. But- but this is me coming back now.”

Gandra slowly and ceremoniously sat back down across from him. “Finally remembering half a decade later,” she grumbled.

The Mad Ducktor was quiet.

At last, Gandra let out a breath. “I’ll come with you.” She could give in to his stupid fantasy for a few weeks. The outcome would still be the same- she’d still die for her kingdom.

“Really?” he sat up straighter and pumped a fist. “Yes!”

She held up a finger. “Only if I get the nicest room you can give me and guards aren’t allowed in my room and I get to choose the guards and I can go anywhere at any time if I have an escort.”

He nodded. “Done. I’ll find a way to talk Fenton into that.”

“And you let me go in a month.”

She could see the way that made him freeze. He stared at her for a moment, and when he spoke his voice was much, much softer than before. When he looked away at last he refused to meet her gaze again. “Alright.”

Together they stared at the fire for a long moment, watching as it grew smaller and smaller, subtly moving closer and closer to stay warm. At last there was merely a small pile of burning embers between them, they took turns occasionally holding out their hands to keep them warm.

Then the last of the glowing coals disappeared, and they were left in complete darkness.

Without the fire it was dark and cold, the freezing water radiating throughout the cave and chilling the rocks around them. Gandra shifted, lying in the sand practically on top of the ashes of their fire, its dying heat warming the sand just enough for comfort. She could hear the Mad Ducktor move to her other side, sitting against her back, his leg against her spine providing just a little bit of warmth.

“How long do you want to wait like this?” she asked quietly. In the dark, it felt better to whisper.

“At the very least four hours,” he rested a hand on her shoulder. Whether it was reassuring or he was just trying to locate where her head was, Gandra had no idea. “That’ll be long enough for them to stop searching this area.”

Four hours of freezing in the dark, isolated in a cave.

Gandra had survived worse.

Distantly, she could feel the Mad Ducktor shifting behind her, lying on his side as well. She could feel his back pressed against hers, his breathing. His warmth.

[Part 4]

#gandra dee #mad ducktor #madfen royalty au #ducktales #ducktales 2017 #dt17 #duckverse #wacky writes #gyro gearloose

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wacky-nameless-inventor-24 · 8 days ago

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siblings fic part 2!

[Part 1] [Part 3] [Part 4]

(cw on the part 1 post)

The failed assassin slowly stood, her feet freezing and slightly numb, she staggered. The Mad Ducktor glanced back at her, and lunged to catch her. She didn’t fall, but he helped her find her footing in the soft sand. “Careful.”

Gandra looked up at him, and promptly smacked him in the face. “What the hell are you doing?!”

He pushed her away in surprise from the pain. “What-”

“You kidnapped me again!”

The Mad Ducktor blinked at her. “I was saving your life!”

“No, you were not!” She waved her arms at him. “You are currently ruining it!”

He stared. “They were going to kill you!”

“Yes!”

“And I stopped them!”

“I know!”

“So why are you upset?!”

She gaped at him. Could he really not understand? Had he been this brainwashed by his new king? “Because this is what is supposed to happen! We die for them, remember?! I did something wrong, so I was having to live with the consequences!”

Their voices echoed loudly off of the cave walls close around them, their angry expressions were lit by the small fire at their feet.

“You were dying for the consequences! This makes no sense- why do you want them to kill you?!”

“Because they’re supposed to! Because I deserve it! I went willingly!”

He scoffed. “You’re an idiot.”

“How dare-” she closed the gap between them, raising her arm to hit him again. He caught her wrist, and she punched him in the stomach. He doubled over, then shoved her back into a rock. She just barely caught herself, then lunged forward to kick him back in the shoulder.

He lifted his arm at the last second, throwing her foot away, forcing her to twist around. She barely caught herself before she collided painfully with the rock beneath her. In an instant she was facing him again, only to find that he’d put the fire between the two of them. “Three-”

“It’s Gandra!” She shouted, her voice bouncing almost painfully off the walls. He’d never been able to get it right.

“Gandra, you don’t have to die for them, you’re better than that! They don’t get to-”

“What do you mean?! We’re supposed to die for them! We’ve always been supposed to die for them! It’s an honor!”

Again, he snorted at her. “How’d you convince yourself of that?”

She nearly leapt over the fire at him. “Convince myself?!” She repeated. “It’s a fact! It always has been! If you had any loyalty you would’ve- well, you would’ve come back when you completed your mission- but you would’ve turned yourself in and taken your punishment! You’re a coward who is afraid of the consequences of his actions!”

He sneered. “A coward? A coward for not laying down and exposing myself, for not eagerly accepting the noose? For not giving up?!”

“I am not giving up!” Gandra’s hands fisted at her sides. “I am doing what I’ve always supposed to do! I’m not the one running away when it gets too hard!”

The Mad Ducktor shook his head, an angry smile playing on his face. “Is that really what you think of me?”

“It’s what I know about you!” Gandra spat back at him. “Instructor Heron’s expectations for you got too big for you to handle, so you ran away. We all know that! You were the one who failed her. I am not going to.”

“You can fail her if it means you’re not going to die!”

“It is an honor to die for her! Something you clearly never understood! Besides,” she folded her arms, showed her teeth. “We both know you only care because you feel guilty. You knew what the potion would mean for me. That’s why you didn’t come to the interrogation in the first place.”

He let out a growling breath, his hard scowl illuminated harshly by the glowing fire beneath them. “I’m here because I think you’re an utter idiot to die for her.”

“Coming to save me from my own actions, are we?” She smirked. “Coming to rescue me so you can feel big and brave? I don’t know how to make you understand- I don’t need your help! I don’t want to be saved! I don’t- I don’t need to be saved! Stop making me a part of your ridiculous fantasy to make up for how much of a coward you are!”

“I am not-” he took in a breath, let it out slowly. “I’m here so you don’t ruin your life.”

She blinked at him. “Why do you care? Why does this affect you? By ‘saving me’ you are actively ruining my life! Stop- stop trying to pull me down to your level!”

“I’m not pulling you down to my level! I’m helping you up! I’m trying to free you from-”

Gandra laughed, shook her head. “Again, there’s your whole savior thing! You already left me behind once, why do you care now?!”

That didn’t get the reaction out of him she wanted. Instead of blowing up bigger at her, he hesitated, staring. His green eyes glittered in the firelight. “What?”

“What?”

“You think I left you behind?”

She raised an eyebrow. “You did, didn’t you?”

His eyes narrowed. “I thought you didn’t want to come with me.”

She scoffed. “I don’t.”

“So how am I leaving you behind?”

“Because you ran away!” She couldn’t explain it, but her heart started pounding. “You left me! We thought- I thought you were dead! They said you’d been hanged! Everyone was so disappointed- Heron was so angry- I was the only one who grieved. I cut my hair for you! I let them see me as a disappointment because I missed you! Do you have any idea how much of an outcast that made me?!”

“You-” he hesitated. “I didn’t think you cared.”

She glanced away, staring into the firelight, suddenly unable to meet his gaze. “And then I discover you’re fine, you’re thriving, you’re living in a castle, you’ve got a king under your thumb, you- you don’t have anyone to disappoint-” she broke off. Too far.

Silence in the cave as her words faded off into an echo.

He just stared at her.

When he finally spoke, it was soft. Much quieter than their shouting, hardly causing an echo. “That’s why you’re doing this,” he murmured. “To make yourself not a disappointment to her.”

She glared up at him, a mirthless laugh escaped her beak. “I already proved myself to her. After you got out of the way I was finally able to become her top student. I’m her favorite now. I found your secret after no one had known you were alive for five years.”

“Great,” his tone had turned harsh again. “I’m really happy for you. And now how’s that working out for you, hm? Because last I saw Heron was arranging a noose around your neck, so it doesn’t seem to be going all that well.”

“I was perfect!” She screamed at him, a hand flying to her chest. “I did everything right! I’m only in this situation because of you! This is your fault! I’d rather be honest than be a coward!”

“I am not a coward!” he shouted back. “I did the brave thing and saved myself, now I have to come back and save you as well! You’re taking the coward’s way out, not having to face just how badly you’ve now ruined my life-”

She really did leap over the fire at him.

Hands going to his throat, throwing him harshly back against the rock cave wall behind him. Fingers squeezing as tightly as she could around his neck. She didn’t care if she snapped his spine- how dare he. How dare he.

Gasping, he frantically tried to pull her hands away, managing to get one free with his left hand. Finally able to get air he kneed her in the gut, then shoved her away.

Right back toward the fire.

Gandra’s arms lashed out, flailing for anything to grab on to as she felt herself tipping backwards. Her feet slipped in the soft sand, she couldn’t catch herself, she stumbled, she was falling-

Arms wrapped around her, snatching her away from the fire at the last second. Turning with the momentum, hugging her close, keeping her safe.

Gandra stood there, trembling, sinking against the Mad Ducktor. Her heart was pounding, she gave herself a moment to catch her breath, to realize she was safe. Her arms were pressed up against her chest, her forehead resting against his shoulder.

She took in a deep shuddering sigh, and she felt him hug her tighter.

It’d been a long time since they’d hugged each other like this.

After a moment she pushed him away- though she made sure not towards the fire, and with much less venom than she’d had for him before.

He let her go. “Are you alright?”

“Shut up,” she didn’t meet his gaze.

The silence in the cave was only interrupted by the crackling of the fire, the lapping of the freezing dark waves. The sounds echoed around them as they tried to look anywhere but at each other.

At last the Mad Ducktor moved, going to sit on a rock near the fire. “We’ll hide out for a few hours, until they stop searching for us down here. Hopefully they’ll think we’re dead. Then we can go back to Duckburg.”

Gandra just watched him. “You’re making me come back with you?”

He glanced up at her. “I’m asking.”

Her eyes narrowed. “If I say no?”

The Mad Ducktor hesitated. “I’m making you.”

Gandra rolled her eyes, sat on a rock opposite him. “What, you’re going to imprison me again? Lock me up and let your king and your pet wizard have their way with me again?”

He made a face at her. “Don’t call Blue that. No- I’m hoping you’ll come with me willingly, so I can get you out of here properly. Even if they weren’t wanting to kill you, I still think it’s better for you out here.”

“Since when did you get to decide?”

“Since they’re killing you now.”

That was a fair point. “I’m not going to go willingly.”

“Then I will have to lock you up.”

“And that’s better than staying with them?” She glared at him. “Hanging aside- you think I’m better off in your king’s prison than I am with them?”

“You absolutely are.”

Indignant, Gandra sat up a little straighter. “How?”

“First off, you’re much safer.” He raised an eyebrow at her.

“I’d get bored and lazy and slow.” She retorted.

“Do you think that’s what’s happened to me?”

She skeptically looked him up and down. “I know it is.”

“I was still able to beat you, wasn’t I?”

She glowered, and he smirked.

The Mad Ducktor continued. “You’re safer, you don’t have to compete with anyone, no one’s going to hurt you for stepping out of line, you’re not asked to risk your life, people are nice, and the food is much better.”

“Your king isn’t very nice.” She sniffed.

“Because you showed up in the middle of the night and tried to kill him! Anyone would be angry!”

She didn’t have a response to that. “Anyway, all of that sounds boring.”

“Maybe. But it beats having to live in terror all the time.”

“I am not-” Gandra hesitated. Perhaps he had a point. “Either way, I’m not going to turn my back on my entire life just to play into your need to save me.”

He sighed and rubbed his eyes. “See- now we have to bring the hanging back into this. You’d rather choose death over getting a freer second chance? Why?”

Gandra hesitated. Swallowing, she slowly folded her arms. “I’ve already told you. Because it’s what I’ve been meant to do my entire life.” That would pass well enough as an explanation. Besides, it was close enough to the truth. “And it’s disrespectful to Instructor Heron, she has spent my entire life building me up, polishing me, working on me to make me the best person I can be. I’m not going to throw that all away to run away with you.”

“Screw Heron!” The Mad Ducktor cried. Gandra jumped at the sudden force in his voice. “All she’s ever done is treated you like dirt. She puts you through all of that not to make you better, but so she can feel better about herself. She’s not proud of you- she’s proud she was able to control you like that.”

Gandra glared at him. “That is not-”

“Yes it is!” he cut in. “And you know it! It was something I realized before I left and I told myself I didn’t care- so you have to know it too.”

“I could take what she gave me, it never-”

“Yes, it did.” His gaze was so intense that Gandra knew it would be cowardly to look away. “She was awful to you, Three. You could never do anything right in her eyes, there was always something wrong with your performance. I know that wore on you. She tore you down on purpose so you would never see yourself as good enough. So that she could still control you. That’s all she wanted to do. She hurt you- she abused you- physically and emotionally. She wanted to hurt you just like they hurt her so you could turn around and do it to the next person.”

The failed assassin swallowed. “It’s Gandra.”

She didn’t say anything else.

Neither did he.

She heard all of these thoughts in her mind, yet she felt none of them.

[Part 3]

#gandra dee #mad ducktor #madfen royalty au #ducktales #ducktales 2017 #dt17 #duckverse #wacky writes #gyro gearloose

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wacky-nameless-inventor-24 · 8 days ago

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siblings fic finally finished graaaa!!!!

normal about them this fic is like 12k words long <3 I'll break it up into a couple posts, the word count on each should be about 3k.

[Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]

here we go!! cw for hanging, nooses, emetophobia, drowning, suicidal ideation, and out of character Gandra (shes GETTING there she has to evolve into the proper characterization-)

Gandra had accepted her fate years ago.

She’d always known she would die in service to her kingdom, and that she would go to her death honorably.

It was a source of pride.

So why did she feel as if this was wrong?

She forced the shake from her step and the slouch from her spine and the sickness from her face as she approached the stand. Most people went to it with their hands cuffed, at the very least. Gandra took pride in the fact that she didn’t need to be, she could go willingly.

Hopefully the instructor would find some pride in that as well.

Instructor Heron stood on the wooden platform, watching as the failed assassin advanced beneath her. Gandra could feel her eyes on her, and she forced herself to keep her gaze forward. She didn’t want the instructor to get any wrong ideas about Gandra’s feelings about this.

She deserved this. This was her fate. She was ready.

Several weeks ago, on a mission into Duckburg to make a strike against its king, Gandra had been captured by the royal wizard, the Blue Phantom. Held in the castle’s prison, the king had forced a truth potion on her, making her reveal the assassin’s secrets.

A failure that held one of the highest punishments.

Gandra had known this when she’d escaped and returned. She’d come back to tell that the former defected member of her class, the Mad Ducktor, was alive. Instructor Heron had been grateful for the news, and proud of Gandra for learning the information, but rules were still rules.

Today, the sky was cloudy and the pine trees dipped in the chill breeze as the failed assassin took the steps up to the platform to stand next to the instructor. She barely saw the crowd that had gathered for one of the regular public punishments, they were a blur of black clothing somewhere beneath her. The air smelled damp and a gloom hung over the silent courtyard. Gandra gave the customary nod of her head in a bow that Instructor Heron returned in acknowledgement, stepping towards her.

“Usually,” the instructor said softly so the watching crowd below wouldn’t overhear, “it is customary for those who go willingly to do this themselves.” Instructor Heron’s voice was surprisingly warm for such a cold morning as she lifted the noose. “However, I will take pride in doing it for you.”

Gandra smiled, bowing her head once more to allow the instructor to slip the length of rope over her head and rest it on her shoulders. Gandra then straightened, moving to stand on the trap door.

The stand had been built strategically not to immediately kill the offender when the floor dropped. Rather to let them hang there, and slowly die through strangulation or starvation, whichever came first. However, because Gandra had done such a service to her, Instructor Heron had had it modified for her to give the failed assassin a quick and less painful death.

The instructor smiled back, then moved to address the crowd. Staring down at her own shoes, Gandra only caught the first few words. “We are gathered here to witness…”

The rest was drowned out in a ringing static, all Gandra could hear was her breathing. She wasn’t quite sure what was happening, the view of her shoes and the trap door beneath was getting hazy, she suddenly felt sick to her stomach.

Shaking her head and taking a deeper breath, she tried to focus. What was going on? She hadn’t eaten that morning- she’d seen no reason to- but that wouldn’t make her this dizzy, would it?

Glancing up, there suddenly seemed to be two or three Instructor Herons, she couldn’t tell, addressing a crowd of hundreds of people. Gandra’s mouth watered, she swallowed furiously to try and keep down whatever was trying to come back up. Had she been poisoned? Why did she feel so awful?

The ringing and the breathing in her head slowly got louder, becoming overwhelming, drowning out any coherent thought. Her head felt hot and she was unsteady, placing her feet a little wider so she wouldn’t sway too much, but she stumbled in the process. There came a pressure against her throat from the rope, and she snapped back upwards, hands going to her stomach.

Wishing there was something she could brace herself against she stumbled again, a hand moving to her temple to try and steady herself. Her breathing was getting louder and louder, beating on the inside of her head, but it wasn’t enough, she couldn’t get enough air, she couldn’t feel her feet or her fingers anymore, her feathers were cold to the touch but she felt as if she was on fire, the heat was all-consuming, burning her from the inside, she felt strangely sweaty yet her feathers were dry, she was swallowing, trying in vain to stop herself from-

Boom.

Gandra’s fainting was interrupted by a deafening sound that rocked the ground. She looked up, her sick and hazy eyes taking a few seconds to focus on the cloud of smoke that was already reaching up into the sky.

What?

It took her a moment to comprehend what she was looking at, even as she realized the breathing in her head had lessened and she could hear the crowd’s gasps and yells. Instructor Heron was shouting, though Gandra wasn’t focused enough to hear what she was saying. She just stared at the smoke reaching toward the sky through the trees, the red glowing heat at its center.

Then, suddenly, there were arms around her, yanking her backwards. Before she could scream there was a hand at her beak, silencing her, dragging her way from the front of the platform.

Most of the time, Gandra could deal with being snuck up on. In any usual circumstance, she would’ve had her assailant on their back and under her foot the moment they touched her. But being dizzy and sick, even being pulled backwards made the knot in her stomach worse. She felt herself being bundled under someone’s arm, and then gravity suddenly disappeared.

When she hit the ground Gandra lost the battle against her stomach, retching into the grass behind the stand. The bile was strong and sharp, burning her mouth. She barely had time to get all of it out before she was being pulled along, into the bushes at the edge of the clearing.

Someone was yanking her along through the trees, a hand tight around her wrist. She wasn’t conscious enough to stop herself, to stop whoever it was, so she just stumbled along after them. Partially being carried, mostly being dragged, she tripped through the uneven ground of the cold woods.

She didn’t know how long they ran for, getting faster as Gandra got more steady on her feet. Gasping for air, trying to take deep breaths, Gandra was still able to feel the noose around her neck, the rope must’ve been cut. The feeling made her stomach twist, she would’ve thrown up again if she’d had a moment to slow down.

Eyes still hot and hazy, she was at last able to look up and see who was rushing her along through the woods.

Still a movement too fast away from passing out, Gandra took a moment to believe what she was seeing. She tripped, her wrist was harshly tugged on to keep her up. “Mad-”

She choked, this time fully collapsing to the ground as her stomach contracted, a full-body shudder ran through her as more bile hit her mouth. Convulsing, she vomited again into the dead leaves of the forest floor. It took her a moment to register the pain in her knees and forearms from the impact of hitting the ground.

“Get up,” a voice in her ear snapped, that was all the warning she was given before she was harshly dragged up to her feet, and before she could properly find her footing she was being wrenched along once more.

She should stop, she knew, she didn’t want this, but she couldn’t do anything to fight back. Simply trying to keep her eyes open and her feet underneath her, she could do nothing but stumble along behind her captor, the Mad Ducktor.

“What-” she managed to choke out, “what are you doing?”

“Rescuing you,” he growled, not looking back at her. He hauled her up a large rock, she stumbled against him, and in a split second he pulled away, tugging her with him.

“N-no,” this wasn’t how it was supposed to go. Gandra was supposed to be taking her punishment, she should be dead by now, he shouldn’t have- “I don’t- I don’t want this.”

“Too bad,” he still didn’t look back.

They ran together, Gandra still following at his heels as her mind became more stable, as her body stopped shaking, as her stomach calmed down. Focusing on taking deep breaths and regulating her heart rate, she barely even noticed she was still moving.

At last, she dug her heels deep into the soft earth, bringing both of them to an abrupt stop. “No.”

“What the hell do you mean, no!?” The Mad Ducktor yanked on her arm, she stumbled forward. As soon as she found her footing, she stopped them again.

“I mean, no. You’re not supposed to be here.” She tried to pull her wrist from his grasp, but he wouldn’t let go.

“What else do you want me to do?” He tugged on her again. “Let you die!?”

“Yes!”

He blinked. “What-”

The Mad Ducktor was interrupted by a shout from behind them, the sound of twigs snapping in pursuit. Both of them jumped, and he abruptly dragged her close by her wrist, suddenly his beak was snarling softly against her ear. “Either come with me like this, or I’ll have to knock you out.”

Gandra didn’t much like the idea of being unconscious and under his power, so with a groan she allowed him to pull her along once more, this time properly running beside him. Together they dashed through the trees, cold air filling their lungs.

“You know,” she said after a minute or two. “We’d run faster if you let go of me.”

“Not happening,” he didn’t take his eyes off the path in front of them.

The sounds of pursuit behind them would wax and wane, sometimes it sounded as if the other assassins were right on their heels, other times Gandra couldn’t hear them at all. Still, both of them ran as fast as they could, never slowing. Gandra needed an escape plan, but she couldn’t figure out a way to properly catch him off guard enough to get away before he knocked her out.

She didn’t quite know where they were going, she’d been too disoriented when they’d taken off to remember the direction or pick out major landmarks. She got her hint however, when the ground leveled out and there came the sound of crashing waves from somewhere below them. She could smell the salt in the air.

The cliff.

A dead end.

“Mad Ducktor,” she tried one more time to pull her wrist loose, no luck. “What- what are you doing?”

He still didn’t look at her, but Gandra could swear she could see the faint smile on his face. “You’ll see.”

Eventually the trees disappeared and a grey sky opened up around them, before Gandra knew it they were rocketing toward the edge of the rock, toward the deep water below. “Mad Ducktor-” now with much more urgency in her voice, Gandra tried to stop them, but couldn’t find her ground in the loose gravel. “We can’t swim-”

“I know,” he didn’t stop, pulling harshly on her arm.

Just as they made it to the edge he came to an abrupt stop, she stumbled, nearly careening into the deadly waters beneath them. He held tightly to her, swinging her back onto land, arms wrapped around her from behind as they faced the woods together.

Now stopped, and with the threat of the cliff, Gandra did what she could to fight back. Writhing, grabbing at any part of him she could reach, throwing her head back to try and collide with his hard enough to stun him. “Let go of me!”

A hand was suddenly at her throat. “Stop,” he growled, Gandra could feel the tenseness in his body.

She didn’t care. He was about to kill both of them.

Managing to break one arm free she threw her elbow back to hit him in the face, he dodged but stumbled, unfortunately toward the land and not toward the ledge. Gandra was now between him and the edge and her heart leapt into her throat as his hands landed on her, he could shove her at any moment. She gripped at his dark clothes.

Shouts from the trees. Help was coming.

Glancing back, both of them watched as the first of the assassins appeared in the tree line.

Then the Mad Ducktor looked back at her.

He was grinning.

Gandra had a split second to brace herself before he threw both of them off of the edge.

The moment gravity shifted she took in a choked breath to scream, only to have it stolen by the wind as she fell face-first toward the water. Arms flailing, the air rushing in her face, she could do nothing but watch as the water got closer and closer. Too terrified to close her eyes, she was forced to stare death in the face.

Then, suddenly the Mad Ducktor was there, arms wrapped around her, forcing her into a board-straight position, head aimed toward the water. He put a hand over her mouth, and if she’d had a second to gather her thoughts, she probably would’ve bitten him.

His voice was loud as he shouted in her ear over the wind. “Arms above your head! Arrow position! Fast!”

He then kicked off of her, and Gandra immediately snapped her hands above her, taking in a deep breath as she straightened out in the air.

Almost before she got into the correct position, she made contact with the water.

Freezing cold waves closed above her head, the shock of cold forcing the breath from her lungs. She would’ve screamed from the shock if she wasn’t so out of air. Unable to swim she thrashed in the heavy and oppressive water around her, eyes stinging from the salt. Bubbles fizzed up around her, blocking any view she might’ve had. Unthinking, she drew in a breath.

And only air entered her lungs.

Just as she hesitated, a hand found hers in the darkening water. She whirled around, hair floating in her face. The world around her was getting darker and darker as she sank deeper beneath the surface, but she could still make out the Mad Ducktor beside her. He had a large strange bubble around his beak.

Glancing down, Gandra realized she had one as well.

That must’ve been what he was doing when he covered her mouth. She took in another breath and the bubble contracted slightly, only to return to its previous size when she exhaled.

Well, that took some of the fear out of being unable to swim. But they were sinking further into the depths, and the pressure of the water on Gandra’s head was becoming painful. Her ears ached, her brain pounded against her skull, her eyes felt as if they were going to burst from her head. She wondered if she would throw up again.

The Mad Ducktor let go of her hand and reached for her head, palms on her ears. He pressed against her temples ever so slightly, and the pain in her head immediately vanished. She blinked at him, and even through the distorted bubble around his mouth, she could see him grin.

Then he grabbed her hand once more, and seconds later they were racing through the water, a stream of bubbles in their wake.

Gandra nearly slipped from his grasp as they accelerated quickly, whatever spell he was using to propel himself through the water a little too fast for her. She gripped tightly to his hand, and only when she was sure she wouldn’t slip free and be lost into the void, did she look up.

And realize they were heading right back toward the cliff face.

Gandra tilted back just slightly to look up at the brightness of the surface far above them, lit by the grey beams of light that reached down toward them. As she watched, the distant light was slowly overshadowed by a darkness they were heading towards, steadily blocking out the sun above.

They were in a space under the cliff rock.

Out of the two of them the Mad Ducktor was the claustrophobic one, but the realization that they were both a quarter mile beneath the surface of the water and in a space beneath a massive cliff made her heart jolt. She clutched even tighter to the Mad Ducktor’s hand, and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. Taking a deep breath.

He wouldn’t save her just to kill her. If he could manage being down here, so could she.

Still, it took her a little more than a moment to get her heart rate under control.

It didn’t take long for the rock to completely blot out any light from the sky, they left it behind as they arrowed further into the darkness. Soon it was so dark Gandra couldn’t see the Mad Ducktor, she couldn’t see herself, in the inky waters around her. Floating, with water rushing in her ears, Gandra simply clung to his hand and squeezed her eyes shut. It made no difference. Her senses were no use down here, it was too dark and too watery to be able to hear, smell, or see anything.

Gandra had no idea how long they traveled through the darkness, it felt as if it was hours of the freezing waters pressing around her, but in her mental state it could’ve been minutes. Having no control over the situation, letting go would risk her losing the Mad Ducktor and drowning, she simply focused on holding on to him and regulating her breathing.

In and out.

Water rushed past her ear.

In and out.

Her finger slipped, she clasped tighter.

In and out.

There was at least half a mile of earth above them.

In and out.

She couldn’t swim, and she was trapped dozens of feet below the surface.

In and out.

Water rushed past her ear.

In and out.

The sole source of warmth of his hand in hers.

In and out.

She could almost feel the weight of the rock above them.

In and out.

At last she felt as if they were starting to slow, the sound in her ears changed slightly, the whipping cold of the water against her face faded. She had no sense of direction down here, but it felt as if they were slowly climbing, pointing diagonally upwards. But it was still so dark she couldn’t see, she had no idea what they were aiming towards.

As they definitely slowed, he slipped his hand from hers. Gandra’s heart jolted, she grasped out at the empty waters, only to feel the familiar tightness of his hand on her wrist, then her elbow. She reached out, clinging for him, anchoring her fists into his sleeve. It took her a moment to realize he was pulling her upwards and level with him.

Together, their heads broke the surface. Together, though they’d been able to breathe, they took in deep gasping breaths of real air.

Together, they collapsed on the shore of some pitch-black beach.

Still unable to see, Gandra could only feel the sand beneath her cheek and fingers as she stretched out on the shore, soaked hair clinging to her face. Her nose was clogged with sand, but all she could smell was the salty water she sill lay half-submerged in. She could hear the gentle lapping of the invisible waves and rustling beside her as the Mad Ducktor sat up.

To her surprise, every sound had a slight echo to it.

To her right, the sound of a match being struck, a sudden burst of light behind her head. Still gasping for air, Gandra pushed herself up on one arm, turning to look towards the source of light.

The Mad Ducktor sat next to her, holding up the small stick of wood with its miniature source of light, tucking the box of matches back into the waterproof pouch at his belt. He climbed to his feet, sand crunching as he took two or three steps from her.

A few feet away, he dropped the match.

Gandra watched it fall, it disappeared for a second, before an even larger burst of heat and light hit her eyes.

She nearly cried out, covering her face, dropping her head back into the sand. The white light was burned into her retinas, she could still see it when she closed her eyes.

Giving herself a moment to adjust, she slowly looked up.

To see the Mad Ducktor had dropped the match into a small fire pit, the wood likely soaked in alcohol.

Gandra pushed herself up into a sitting position, pulling her feet from the cold water. Glancing around, she saw the light reflect off of the slick surface of dark rocks surrounding them.

They were in a small cave, deep underneath the cliff.

Gandra looked up at him, and promptly smacked him in the face.

[Part 2]

#gandra dee #mad ducktor #black heron #madfen royalty au #ducktales #ducktales 2017 #dt17 #duckverse #wacky writes #gyro gearloose

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