In Obscurum (7/9), an Alice in Wonderland fic
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Chess looked down at his hands, still unaccustomed to their new appearance. Long, wavy hair spilt over his shoulder. How in the name of Underland did Alice do anything with such an unmanageable length of hair, he wondered.
He was pulled away from his study by the gasp next to him.
“That is Marmoreal?”
Chess watched as she took in the sight of the land before her. The beautiful cherry trees that had once populated the gardens were no longer there; instead, dead oak trees covered the land. The castle was dark; its towers were beginning to crumble. The moonlight caused the ominous shadow of the castle to creep across the land.
“We were warned what it looked like,” he reminded her.
Yes, Checkers had told them what to expect when they crossed into the land now controlled by the Outlanders, but it was apparent that Alice had been unprepared for the sight in front of them.
“Are you ready?” Alice asked.
“Do I have a choice?” he asked haughtily.
“Tarrant would do what it took to save you if you were in his position,” Alice chided. “But, yes, you do. You could stay at Salazen Grum like Checkers.”
How could she even insinuate that he would behave in the same manner of his terror-stricken brother? “And he calls me a scardy cat,” Chess huffed. He sighed dramatically. “But, I suppose you’re right. Tarrant has his moments of kindness…even towards me.”
She towards him, unable to mask the look of surprise on her face, despite having seen his appearance during the entire ride. “I still can’t believe how much you look like me.”
“Yes, well, it is certainly a most interesting form,” Chess commented, touching the long locks of hair. “And I thought Tarrant’s hair was bothersome.”
“Sorry about that,” she replied. “Though, I must say, it is quite strange hearing your voice coming from my body.”
“And it is odd speaking from such an unusual shape,” countered Chess.
She smiled softly. “I suppose you have a point.” She drew a deep breath. “You remember where to meet me?”
“Yes,” he said, halfway annoyed. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t asked him the same question several dozen times already on the way to Marmoreal.
“Thank you for doing this, Chess.”
If she was anyone else, Chess would have steadfastly refused her proposal and, with no qualms, disappeared back to Underland. But, since she was the Alice, Chess found himself with the unusual desire to help her out, despite putting himself in danger.
“Don’t make me regret my decision to assist you in this mad scheme,” he replied.
“Good luck.”
“Same to you,” he said sincerely.
He watched as she separated herself from the group and entered the forest. The booming footsteps of Sluggard, one of the sloths from Marmoreal sounded behind him. “It’s time,” he said, holding open the box in his arms.
Chess sighed. “Don’t remind me.”
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He sat, waiting, completely out of control of the situation. As he heard the booming knock, he reminded himself that Alice was trusting him to uphold his end of the plan.
“What do you want?” Chess recognized the screechy voice of the rat version of Mally.
“We have come to join forces with the resistance,” said Sluggard, who had volunteered to be the spokesperson.
Chess closed his eyes as he waited for Mally’s reply, imagining the scene that she saw before her. Several dozens of Otherland’s unfinest, frogs, sloths, grubs and platypuses, all looking broken and defeated, in front of Marmoreal’s gate.
“We ain’t wantin any of your kind here.”
Much to Chess’ fascination, Sluggard did not back down. “Perhaps you shouldn’t be too hasty,” came the muffled response. Oh how Chess wished he could get out of this dreaded place, if only to hear the voices around him properly! “We come baring a gift that I believe Master Hightopp would be quite pleased with.”
There was a long pause. Chess ached terribly to move.
“Show me,” the rat demanded.
“No. This is for Hightopp only.”
She cackled loudly, a sound that was most unpleasant to Chess’ ears. “Ya might be good for the Resistance after all.”
Chess heard the loud clatter of the gates being rolled back. His head bounced as the sloth’s uncoordinated feet boomed across the pavement.
“Wait here.”
Chess stayed still as a tense silence surrounded him. No one dared to say anything to him, not here in the heart of Marmoreal.
Hightopp’s voice cut through the air. “I hear that you have come to lay down your arms against me.”
Suddenly, Chess tumbled as Sluggard shifted suddenly, as if he had been seized by the scruff of his neck by a certain power-hungry Outlander. Chess’s suspicion was confirmed by Hightopp’s menacing whisper. “But how do I know that you’re not here in some pathetic attempt to save the queen on behalf of the Champion?”
“Champion?” Chess noted how labored the sloth’s speaking sounded; what was Hightopp doing to him? “She is no threat to your standing, Master Hightopp.”
“Well, that is one point we can agree on,” Hightopp said, his voice moving away.
Sluggard gasped for air. Hightopp must have been choking the sloth, Chess decided. “I believe we can do something a bit more impressive than agree on a point.”
Chess drew in one final breath and closed his eyes as he prepared himself. Suddenly, the top that had been covering the box he had been forced to stay in was removed.
He could almost feel the shadow of Hightopp covering him. The man gasped. “You have brought me the head of the Queen’s Champion?”
“Yes.” Sluggard’s voice was confident, Chess noted, pleased. Perhaps this sloth had more potential than he had given him credit for. “We knew if we brought it to you, our motives would be clear.”
Chess heard Hightopp clap gleefully. “Why I do believe you have earned a position in the Resistance.”
Chess nearly cringed as Hightopp pulled his head--not gently at all!--out of the box. He cursed the cowardice of his brother as his head was thumped on some kind of hard surface.
“I do believe it makes an excellent centerpiece for our tea party.”
This wasn’t part of the plan! Hightopp was supposed to return the lid to the box, with Chess’ head inside, and Chess was supposed to disappear to find Alice!
Sluggard hesitated fractionally. “Of course it does, Master Hightopp.”
“Now, tell me of the Champion’s plans!” Hightopp demanded.
Chess turned his attention away from their conversation; Alice had given the band of misfits a story to tell Hightopp. Now, he needed to figure out some sort of way to leave without Hightopp noticing--quite an impossible task!
“I told you Hightopp was no fool,” came the soft whisper near his ear.
“If you have come to gloat, then do it quickly,” Chess said, his lips imperceptively moving as he spoke to his brother.
“Don’t worry, brother, I will save your hide.”
Chess felt the air shift as, he assumed, Checkers moved away. Unfortunately for him, there was nothing to do but wait.
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Alice watched as the foul, rabbit-flesh-eating rat who called herself Mally granted entrance to the others through the main gate. She snuck through the shadows and found a small breach in the wall exactly where Checkers had told her where it would be. She looked around, making sure she hadn’t been noticed by anyone before pulling herself over the wall.
Silently, she landed on the other side. She recoiled at the sight in front of her. Thousands of plants, mutilated and misshapen filled the garden. Some hissed at her while others begged for her to help them be released from their prison.
Alice made her way forward, not wanting to risk being caught while talking to the plants. If Iracebeth and Mally were successful, then the darkness that reigned in Otherland would be over. Perhaps then Iracebeth would be able to undo the harm that Mirana had caused in the land. Alice wished she had the time to talk to Mally before she had left with the red queen; she had seemed quite surprised at the Iracebeth’s readiness to use the concoction.
As she approached a large, barred door, she saw a large grizzly bear guarding the entryway. She pulled out the pouch that Mirana had given her, filled with sleeping sands, and tapped out a little of the dust into her hand, careful not to inhale the powerful concoction.
She stepped right outside the door.
“Halt!” the bear roared.
Without hesitating, she blew the sand at his face. As soon as he inhaled the dust, he fell to the ground with a loud thud. She took the key he had worn around his neck and his enormous sword then opened the entryway to the dungeon.
As she made her way through the darkened passageway, she kept alert for any signs of more guards. The cells were mostly empty; when she did see someone, or something, they didn’t make any sounds of acknowledgment toward her.
But, when she turned the corner, a shout rang out.
“Git away from me, yer vile wench!”
The loud shout startled Alice. She nearly dropped her sword on the ground, but recovered quickly. Curiously, she looked through the bars and saw Thackery, looking more Mad than she had ever seen him, violently shaking as he stared at her.
“Thackery?”
His yellow, wild eyes widened. He backed to the far wall of the cell. “Leave me be! Haven’t ye awreddy hud yer fun wi’ me?” He dropped to his knees and hugged them. “Nae more tests, queen. I’m beggin’ ye.”
Alice frowned. How could Mirana do this do her subjects, she wondered. “No, no more tests,” she whispered. “Soon things will be all better, I promise.”
The rabbit made no acknowledgment of her words. He babbled nonsensically as Alice left him in his cell.
She stealthily continued making her way to the far part of the prison area where Chess was supposed to meet her. When she reached the pre-arranged meeting place and realized Chess has not yet arrived, Alice began looking around for some darkened corner to hide in.
He should have been there first. There would have been plenty of time for him to make his escape, unless--
“I told you Hightopp was not to be underestimated.”
She turned and saw Checkers with a smug grin on his face. “Did something happen to Chess and the others?”
“No, but it seems that Hightopp was so impressed with the ‘gift’ that he gave it a place of honor. But, fear not, Alice, I managed to do my brother’s bidding.” He held out the keys for her to take. “But, you must hurry. I fear it won’t take long for Hightopp to discover the ruse.”
“I will,” Alice assured him.
, she thought as she started searching the cells for him. Next Chapter
I am coming Tarrant
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When Tarrant was finally able to open his eyes, he noticed that his world was still blurry--though the double vision seemed to have passed--and was thankfully griffin-free. He frowned as he heard movement from outside his cell. Perhaps he wasn’t alone after all.
To his shock, Alice stood on the other side of the bars. She gasped as she took in appearance. “Tarrant,” she whispered mournfully.
She pulled out the keys--how she had gotten them, Tarrant didn’t know!--and opened the gate.
“Alice?” he lisped.
“Tarrant,” she returned, running her hands over his wounded body tenderly. “What did that monster do to you?”
“It doesn’t matter,” he said sincerely. And when he felt her hands caressing his body in such a perfectly Alice-way, it truly didn’t matter what had happened to him in the past. Suddenly, he realized what Danger she was in by being here with him. “You need to go,” he insisted.
“I’m not leaving you behind,” she replied firmly. “Chess and the others are keeping Hightopp distracted.”
He flinched at the mention of his--no! not his! He wanted nothing to do with that hideous person--counterpart. “He is dangerous, Alice. If he were to find you here…”
“Then we need to leave quickly.”
She held her hand out for him to grab and gingerly pulled him from his slumped position on the ground. To her surprise, he saw tears in her eyes.
“I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
He shook his head which caused the world to start violently spinning. “Ye did nae do this tae me,” he said softly.
“But if we hadn’t argued in the woods, then perhaps Hightopp wouldn’t have found you. Then--”
“There is no better way to waste Time than to question your past actions. It’s all for naught. Time is quite greedy and, no matter how many times you wish you could change things, he never lets you,” Tarrant said.
He noted with much satisfaction that his words seemed to inspire Alice’s Muchness to reappear. She looked at him with determination. “The best thing for us to do is not waste any more Time then,” she replied, dropping a soft kiss on his lips.
Tarrant swung his arm over her shoulders. She stumbled forward before regaining her footing. “I’ve got you,” she said offering him a weak smile.