In Obscurum (6/9), an Alice in Wonderland fic
“So, Tarrant allowed himself to be captured to save you,” said a voice from behind her. “I just hope he doesn’t expect me to rescue him again.”
Alice stopped running and turned around. It was not Checkers, as she had expected. She was greeted with the sight of an uncharacteristic frown on Chess’ face. “Chess? You’re here too?”
“You didn’t really think Mirana would send him here alone, did you?”
A rustle in the trees startled Alice. She whipped around, sword drawn. But, to her relief, it was Checkers.
“I thought I smelled you,” the cat said, scowling at Chess.
“It’s good to see you too, brother,” he replied, rolling his eyes. “I see you have managed to keep Otherland in fine order.”
Brother? She had thought Checkers was Chess’ Otherlandian counterpart! But now was not the time to satisfy her curiosity.
Checkers puffed up his chest indignantly. “Well, brother, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
“Then the beholder must be blind,” Chess retorted.
“We don’t have time for this!” Alice interrupted. “We need to save Tarrant.”
Checkers huffed. “I saw them heading towards Marmoreal. Apparently Hightopp wants to play with his new toy before throwing it in the trash.”
Alice would not let that happen. But as she looked at the two cats, she knew that she would need more help to rescue Tarrant. She frowned as she recalled the “help” waiting for her at Salazen Grum. It would have to work, she decided. Leaving Tarrant at the mercy of a lunatic was unacceptable.
“I need to talk to the queen.”
********************
“You mean to tell me there are two Hightopps in my kingdom?” Iracebeth asked weakly. Alice was afraid she might faint at the news, but to her relief, the queen managed to remain standing.
“Tarrant is nothing like Hightopp,” Alice assured her. “He came here to convince me to return to Underland. It is my fault that he was here in the first place. We need to save Tarrant,” insisted Alice.
Iracebeth shook her head. “I know you are worried about your friend, Champion, but we need to focus on how to save my kingdom!”
Alice refused to let the red queen’s rejection distract her. “If we rescue Tarrant, then we could fight Hightopp in Marmoreal. Far away from Salazen Grum.”
“I’m listening.”
“If there was something…some kind of weakness that we can use against Hightopp,” Alice began.
Checkers shook his head. “He has no weaknesses. And even if you managed to find one, he has surrounded himself with the most loyal and ferocious followers. He cannot be beaten.”
“I hardly believe this rebellion is flawless,” Chess retorted.
“Then perhaps, brother, you wouldn’t mind coming up with a solution yourself.”
Chess scowled.
Alice looked around, noting how defeated everyone looked. “We can do this!”
“We are a handful of frogs, grubs and sloths. We can’t fight against lions, griffins and the Hightopps,” complained one of the frogs.
“We can--”
Suddenly, a flurry of action from the front hall caught Alice’s attention. Were they under attack? “Checkers, hide the queen,” she instructed.
Instantly, the two of them disappeared.
“Halt! You aren’t allowed in there!”
“I already told ya, I’m here to help the Champion!” The doors pushed opened and revealed an annoyed dormouse from Underland.
Alice relaxed as she saw the fiery mouse. “It’s alright. She is a friend.”
“A rather rude one,” Iracebeth muttered as she returned into view.
“Alice!” Mally cried, running towards her. She looked around and frowned. “Where’s Tarrant?”
Guilt snuck into the room and planted itself directly in front of Alice. “He’s--”
“Doing what Tarrant does best. Allowing Alice a chance to fulfill her destiny while having a rather poor sense of self-preservation,” Chess intervened.
Mally’s eyes narrowed. “He got captured?”
“We’re getting him back,” Alice assured her.
“Once we manage to come up with a plan,” Checkers added unhelpfully.
“It’s a good thing that I came when I did, ain’t it?” Mally pulled a vial out of her belt and reached into her pouch, pulling out several smaller pouches.
Alice and Iracebeth knelt down to the ground, looking at the delivery from Underland.
“Well, it does appear that Tarrant might survive this after all,” Chess said, smiling.
*******************
He was absolutely pathetic.
Hightopp grimaced as he walked around Tarrant Hightopp of Underland, chained in a cell in the castle of Marmoreal. The foreigner slumped forward as blood dripped from his lip, making no effort to fight against the chains he was shackled to.
He didn’t deserve the Hightopp name.
“I’ll ask you again, hatter. What world did Alice come from?”
Hightopp watched as the beaten man raised his chin until he could look his inquisitor in the eyes. His eyes were yellow and full of hate. “I told ye, I’m nae gonnae tell ye anything abuut Alice.”
Rage flooded Hightopp. How dare this weak imitation of him speak that way, using that tone? “I told you not to speak in that barbaric way.” He nodded to Magtfulde who was standing next to him.
The thick rod whistled through the air until it snapped against the hatter’s midsection.
He didn’t cry out this time, Hightopp noted with a wicked grin. Perhaps he had more strength than he gave him credit for.
“What did you hope to gain by sacrificing yourself for her? Her safety?” He snickered. “We have enough forces to crush Salazen Grum right now.”
“The Champion will protect the queen.”
Hightopp laughed manically as he leaned forward, next to the hatter’s ear. “Do you really think the Red Queen is worth protecting, hatter? She is no different than her counterpart in Underland.”
“How do you know about the Bluddy Behg Hid?”
He had the fool’s attention he noted with smug satisfaction. Good. Perhaps if he couldn’t beat the answer out of him, he could deceive him so that he could get the answers he needed about the Champion. “My network of spies is extensive. I know what that wretched queen did to your people--my people. She is not any more worthy of protection here than she was there.”
He watched as confusion swirled in his captive’s eyes. “You know, hatter, we are more alike than unlike.”
The hatter recoiled. “Nae, we’re not.”
“Don’t you think it’s interesting that we both started a revolution?” He walked around him, stepping over the chains. “That we both have a mutual hatred for the Red Queen? That we are both willing to take a stand for what is Right?”
The hatter eyed him suspiciously. “Coincidence.”
“You don’t really believe that, do you?”
He didn’t reply.
“Now, since you had the fortune to have a Champion fighting on your side, I feel as though it’s only fair to use her to our advantage as well,” Hightopp pressed.
Unfortunately, he pushed too hard, too fast; he had brought up her name too quickly. The hatter shook his head, his eyes turning a dangerous red. “Ye are ne’er gonnae use Alice for yer dishonorable purposes.”
Hightopp narrowed his eyes. What was it about these outsiders that made them so stubborn, so resilient, so unbending to bending to his will? “There is no changing your mind?”
“Nae.”
He waved his hand to the griffin. “Perhaps the hatter here needs some encouragement.”
He walked out of the cell, closing the door. The sound of the wood hitting the hatter’s body and the helpless, pained grunts were the only satisfaction he felt after his failed attempt to learn more about Alice.
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