Perhaps my choice of wording wasn't the wisest, I thought to myself. The guards had definitely directed me to the exit. Of the damnable chessboard. Giving a pained sigh, I turned back around and looked at the castle, hoping and praying that it wouldn't move. Again. The small Cheshire kitten on my shoulder was, as usual, asleep.

"You don't do much," I muttered to it, "do you?" An aggravated sigh once again escaped my lips as it responded by shifting itself. "If I didn't owe you, I probably would've thrown you to the jubjubs already."

It responded by digging its claws in my shoulder and I hissed slightly in reaction to the pain. I passed the first few sections of chessboard in complete and utter silence, "...Something is off, here," I muttered as I moved towards the courtyard, which had apparently opened up, despite having been the castle doors not but a few minutes ago. Pushing past, I almost fell face-first into some cards, a few of which had weapons on their 'waists'.

Cautiously, I stood up, eyeing each of the cards with a weary eye. On the other end, some of the cards were scrambling around some white roses. "...OH fuck," I muttered. I recognized this happenstance, and, if I was right... Well, suffice to say, I'd better be wrong. It was one thing to meet someone visiting, but meeting Alice would not bode well for my sanity. Not that I had much more anyways.

At a sprint, I raced past the cards towards the other end of the courtyard. "STOP!" one yelled, turning and marching towards me a speed faster than it should have been able to. Diving through the brush, I rolled out back into the regular wilderness of Wunderland, only for the card to come flying out of the bushes at the, now opposite, direction I had come from.

It crashed into me and I quickly struggled to throw it off. I stood up defensively, waiting for it to attack. A few seconds of silence later, I moved over, flipping him over with shocking ease. The damned thing was completely unconscious. "...How terribly anticlimactic," I muttered, snagging blade from its sheath.

I stared at the somewhat odd sword before remembering that, most likely, it was just a simple sword. Wouldn't have been my first choice, but it was most certainly better than nothing. Stealing the sheath as well, I fastened it around my waist and stored away the sword in it. Pushing the card back through bushes, not really concerned about where he landed, I could hear muttering about roses.

"...Is this the cartoon version or the book," I muttered. Probably both, if the typical ridiculousness one Wunderland was to be believed.

The card finally slipped back through properly and I turned around, away from the current happenstances. Alice or not, and way out or not, something was telling me it would not be the wisest of ideas to interfere in what was happening. Slipping back through the woods, I meandered out into the darker woods. Rather, I would have, but the kitten mewled loudly in my ear. I frowned and turned another direction, getting another mewl.

"Alright, Dinah," I muttered somewhat sarcastically. The kitten leapt from my shoulder onto a nearby tree, glaring at me. I sighed and nodded, moving towards the kitten and following it as it kept leaping. It was at least a few minutes walk before I almost crashed into a giant scaly creature. Towering at the same height as the shorter trees, it roared loudly at, quite literally, the largest eagle I had ever seen. I winced.

The eagle screeched, dive-bombing the wyvern in from of me. I dodged out of the way as the wyvern avoided the eagle, early stomping on the spot where I was. They glared at each other with increasing intensity, "You will not be the take the Crown! It is mine!" The eagle screeched. I winced, it was a far bit louder than I expected. The wyvern glared back, hissing loudly.

"You are not worthy, the Crown is mine!" the wyvern retorted. I frowned, here they were, at a stagnant, yet...

The kitten shook its head as I stepped out of the woods, stepping between them. The wyvern's eyes glowed slightly, and the eagle scowled. I eyed back and forth before finally deciding to speak, "You are both warriors," I asked, "yes? Why not duel in an honorable fight, or some other form of contest?" they both went silent and I felt a cold chill go down my spine.

In hindsight, it was likely not wise to interfere, "Er... Sorry, I'll let you get back to it."

"No, you're quite right," the wyvern nodded as the eagle spoke, "you shall be the decider." The eagle landed gracefully on the ground and the chill on my spine intensified. I took a breath, almost able to see it.

"Whoever kills you gets the Crown, are we agreed?" the wyvern faced the eagle. Before the agreement was set, I sprinted back into the woods following the now fast hopping kitten. I raced into the darker section of the woods, only to hear a loud screech. When I looked back the eagle was racing towards me from the skies. I dove to the left and kept sprinting, only for the wyvern to come barreling out from behind me.

In a split second reaction, I blocked its attack. Whipping the sword back I slashed towards its eyes, the sword bursting into extremely red-hot flames. The wyvern blocked, shutting its eyes to avoid the brightness. Taking its momentary blindness into account, I dove out of the way. Rolling back onto my feet, I noticed the kitten sprinting towards a cave. Praying to every deity I could think of I followed it.

At a sprinting pace, I shot out of the other end of the cave and hid behind the mouth. Panting loudly, I made to slow my breathing and waited for the eagle and wyvern to appear and race past. It went silent as I finally managed to catch my breath and waited cautiously for the eagle and wyvern to come flying out. I waited far longer than I believed they should have taken to get out here.

Finally, I walked back towards the cave mouth and looked deep inside. No sounds aside from the quiet echo of wind against the rocks came out. I looked behind me, wondering if perhaps they had gone past without notice. The bare trees remained still and there was nothing clear in the distance. It would seem, and I hoped, that I was safe. Sighing deeply, I noticed the kitten atop the rocks.

"Oh, you came with," I said aloud.

Author's Note

Sorry, I actually had this ready and just decided to publish this short chapter. Next one will be longer when I work on this.