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badly_knittedTitle: Safety In Numbers
Fandom: The Fantastic Journey
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Varian, Fred, Jonathan Willaway, Scott, Liana, Sil-El.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Set right after Funhouse
Summary: Having rescued Willaway from Apollonius’ clutches and reached the next zone, the travellers make camp for the night.
Word Count: 1150
Written For: Prompt 286 – Working Together at
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fandomweekly.Disclaimer: I don’t own The Fantastic Journey, or the characters. They belong to their creators.
The small band of travellers didn’t run from Apollonius’ domain, but they didn’t hang about either. They made straight for the gateway to the next zone, guided by Varian’s extraordinary ability to sense its location, passed through together, and kept going for a few more miles. That wasn’t because they were worried about possible pursuit; Apollonius and the woman certainly couldn’t leave the zone they were trapped in, not as they were, in their own bodies, and it was doubtful the carnival barker would leave without them, but… Their experiences at the carnival had been deeply unsettling. They’d come perilously close to losing one of their own, in a quite horrifying manner, and they needed time, and perhaps space, to come to terms with recent events.
Four or five miles into the next zone, Varian called a halt beside a shallow stream that chuckled its way over rocks. They were all hot, tired, and thirsty, and the water was cold and refreshing.
“Think we should make camp here, or do you wanna put a few more miles between us and…?” Fred gestured back the way they’d come.
“Here is good.” Varian settled himself comfortably against a sun-warmed boulder, letting the warmth ease some of the tension from his shoulders and back. “We have water, and some shelter. It’ll be night soon anyway, and there’s no guarantee we could find anywhere better before it gets too dark to see where we’re going.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Fred stood up. “Me and Scott can see about gathering firewood. C’mon, Scotty.”
As the two headed off towards a stand of trees a short distance away, and Liana took her cat, Sil-El, to stretch his legs, Willaway joined Varian by the rocks, sitting down with a sigh.
“Thank you. I don’t know what you did back there, but I know you did something.”
Varian studied him carefully. “Are you alright?”
“Me?” Willaway half laughed. “I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be? It’s not as if I remember much from back there. Just enough to know that I’m very glad to be away from that place.”
“We all are. I should have listened to you, but…” Varian trailed off, shaking his head.
“You were curious; that’s only natural. You wanted a closer look at the carnival as much as the boy did.”
“Yes, I did, and that was a mistake.”
“You couldn’t have known that, Varian. For all your abilities, you’re not all-seeing and all-knowing.”
“I know, but you sensed something that… disturbed you.”
“I wouldn’t say ‘sensed’ as such, at least not in the way you mean. Deserted carnivals are eerie, and that one had no business being where it was, in the middle of nowhere.”
“I wouldn’t know. From my perspective, carnivals aren’t exactly familiar territory. Until today, I’d only ever seen pictures.”
“Well, if not for you, I very much doubt I’d be here now, so whatever you did back there, I’m grateful, especially after all the trouble I’ve caused since we met. You would have been quite justified in leaving me where you found me.”
“Jonathan.” Varian frowned at his friend in mild reproach.
“I mean it. I’m sure you all would have had a much easier time without me.”
“Whether we would have or not is completely irrelevant. I couldn’t just leave you; I know what it’s like to be alone in a strange place, to have no one but myself to rely on. It’s not pleasant, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. It’s why I found people to travel with; I knew I couldn’t make the journey across the island by myself.”
Willaway was taken aback. “I can’t imagine you having trouble finding company.” Varian was such a kind, generous man, how could anyone fail to like him?
Varian managed a wry smile. “You’d be surprised. I didn’t do too well when I first arrived on the island. I was taken prisoner by the first people I met. Sixteenth century English privateers; they weren’t especially friendly. It taught me to be more cautious, but perhaps I haven’t learned that lesson as well as I thought I had.”
“Nobody’s perfect. You shouldn’t be blaming yourself; you were just trying to keep everyone happy, which is no easy task.”
“And to satisfy my own curiosity.”
“Which, as I said before, is only natural. I was doing much the same thing when Alpha’s people captured me and sentenced me to death. As I recall, you came to the rescue then as well.”
“We all did.” Varian patted Willaway’s knee. “You should get used to that. You’re not alone now, Jonathan. You have friends who care about you. We’re not going to leave you behind, no matter what.”
“That’s something I’m not exactly accustomed to. Having friends I can rely on, I mean.”
Varian shook his head, puzzled. “But you had friends back in your own time, didn’t you?”
“I suppose, after a fashion, but I don’t imagine any of them would have gone above and beyond to save my life the way you did. And I know it WAS you who… pulled me back from wherever I was. I heard you, calling to me.”
“I didn’t do that alone, Jonathan. I couldn’t have done it at all if you hadn’t been so determined to live. You may not be aware of it, but you were doing everything you could to fight Apollonius’ control over you.”
“Well, whatever. I’m here, you saved me, and I hope you never have reason to regret it.”
“Jonathan.” Varian’s forehead creased into a frown. “Sometimes it strikes me that you don’t have a very high opinion of yourself.”
“Then you don’t know me as well as you think you do.”
Varian laughed. “As a scientist, yes. When it comes to your work, your intellect, your ability to solve complex scientific problems, but as a person… no.”
“You are far too perceptive for anyone’s comfort.”
“Perhaps. Come on, we have a camp to set up, we should not be sitting here while everyone else does all the work. Why don’t you clear a spot for the fire while I gather some rocks?”
“I think I can manage that.”
“Good.”
By the time Scott and Fred returned laden with dry wood, the firepit was ready, ringed with rocks to provide a safety barrier. Willaway and Varian had even collected dry grass for kindling, and made a start on preparing something resembling a meal.
As the sun sank towards the horizon, and the campfire blazed, providing welcome warmth against the chill of night, five people and a cat relaxed in the equally welcome warmth of companionship. They had no idea what trials might still lie ahead of them, what dangers they might have to face, but it hardly mattered, because none of them would have to face them alone. As long as they continued to work together, they’d make it to Evoland.
The End
Four or five miles into the next zone, Varian called a halt beside a shallow stream that chuckled its way over rocks. They were all hot, tired, and thirsty, and the water was cold and refreshing.
“Think we should make camp here, or do you wanna put a few more miles between us and…?” Fred gestured back the way they’d come.
“Here is good.” Varian settled himself comfortably against a sun-warmed boulder, letting the warmth ease some of the tension from his shoulders and back. “We have water, and some shelter. It’ll be night soon anyway, and there’s no guarantee we could find anywhere better before it gets too dark to see where we’re going.”
“Yeah, I guess.” Fred stood up. “Me and Scott can see about gathering firewood. C’mon, Scotty.”
As the two headed off towards a stand of trees a short distance away, and Liana took her cat, Sil-El, to stretch his legs, Willaway joined Varian by the rocks, sitting down with a sigh.
“Thank you. I don’t know what you did back there, but I know you did something.”
Varian studied him carefully. “Are you alright?”
“Me?” Willaway half laughed. “I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be? It’s not as if I remember much from back there. Just enough to know that I’m very glad to be away from that place.”
“We all are. I should have listened to you, but…” Varian trailed off, shaking his head.
“You were curious; that’s only natural. You wanted a closer look at the carnival as much as the boy did.”
“Yes, I did, and that was a mistake.”
“You couldn’t have known that, Varian. For all your abilities, you’re not all-seeing and all-knowing.”
“I know, but you sensed something that… disturbed you.”
“I wouldn’t say ‘sensed’ as such, at least not in the way you mean. Deserted carnivals are eerie, and that one had no business being where it was, in the middle of nowhere.”
“I wouldn’t know. From my perspective, carnivals aren’t exactly familiar territory. Until today, I’d only ever seen pictures.”
“Well, if not for you, I very much doubt I’d be here now, so whatever you did back there, I’m grateful, especially after all the trouble I’ve caused since we met. You would have been quite justified in leaving me where you found me.”
“Jonathan.” Varian frowned at his friend in mild reproach.
“I mean it. I’m sure you all would have had a much easier time without me.”
“Whether we would have or not is completely irrelevant. I couldn’t just leave you; I know what it’s like to be alone in a strange place, to have no one but myself to rely on. It’s not pleasant, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. It’s why I found people to travel with; I knew I couldn’t make the journey across the island by myself.”
Willaway was taken aback. “I can’t imagine you having trouble finding company.” Varian was such a kind, generous man, how could anyone fail to like him?
Varian managed a wry smile. “You’d be surprised. I didn’t do too well when I first arrived on the island. I was taken prisoner by the first people I met. Sixteenth century English privateers; they weren’t especially friendly. It taught me to be more cautious, but perhaps I haven’t learned that lesson as well as I thought I had.”
“Nobody’s perfect. You shouldn’t be blaming yourself; you were just trying to keep everyone happy, which is no easy task.”
“And to satisfy my own curiosity.”
“Which, as I said before, is only natural. I was doing much the same thing when Alpha’s people captured me and sentenced me to death. As I recall, you came to the rescue then as well.”
“We all did.” Varian patted Willaway’s knee. “You should get used to that. You’re not alone now, Jonathan. You have friends who care about you. We’re not going to leave you behind, no matter what.”
“That’s something I’m not exactly accustomed to. Having friends I can rely on, I mean.”
Varian shook his head, puzzled. “But you had friends back in your own time, didn’t you?”
“I suppose, after a fashion, but I don’t imagine any of them would have gone above and beyond to save my life the way you did. And I know it WAS you who… pulled me back from wherever I was. I heard you, calling to me.”
“I didn’t do that alone, Jonathan. I couldn’t have done it at all if you hadn’t been so determined to live. You may not be aware of it, but you were doing everything you could to fight Apollonius’ control over you.”
“Well, whatever. I’m here, you saved me, and I hope you never have reason to regret it.”
“Jonathan.” Varian’s forehead creased into a frown. “Sometimes it strikes me that you don’t have a very high opinion of yourself.”
“Then you don’t know me as well as you think you do.”
Varian laughed. “As a scientist, yes. When it comes to your work, your intellect, your ability to solve complex scientific problems, but as a person… no.”
“You are far too perceptive for anyone’s comfort.”
“Perhaps. Come on, we have a camp to set up, we should not be sitting here while everyone else does all the work. Why don’t you clear a spot for the fire while I gather some rocks?”
“I think I can manage that.”
“Good.”
By the time Scott and Fred returned laden with dry wood, the firepit was ready, ringed with rocks to provide a safety barrier. Willaway and Varian had even collected dry grass for kindling, and made a start on preparing something resembling a meal.
As the sun sank towards the horizon, and the campfire blazed, providing welcome warmth against the chill of night, five people and a cat relaxed in the equally welcome warmth of companionship. They had no idea what trials might still lie ahead of them, what dangers they might have to face, but it hardly mattered, because none of them would have to face them alone. As long as they continued to work together, they’d make it to Evoland.
The End
